Startled, Ray took a moment to respond.
"Me?"
When the professor nodded, he cautiously came down to the front.
"Summon a Memory that you would like to have examined, especially if it is one you haven't properly learned to use yet," Noble instructed him.
"Hm," Ray fumbled for a moment. "I only have two Memories right now."
That was pretty typical for someone who wasn't a legacy. Noble herself had only four Memories when going to the Solstice, and two of those were from Lena calling in favors to Lance's government friends. The rest she had gained after Awakening by various means.
"Pick either one," the professor encouraged him.
Coming to a decision, a suit of armor appeared over the young man's clothing. The dark lines adorning it reminded her of the armor she had seen the Imperialists wear, but the design was cruder.
Thankfully, this settled once and for all that the boy was not an Other in her mind. The boy was sneaky, certainly, but he was human. Turning toward the Memory, the Professor hummed softly.
"Ah, interesting choice." Noble nodded.
Few people chose to show her armor since it was usually straightforward. She saw mostly tools and weapons in her classroom.
"Look at the Runes and tell me what you see, please."
Ray's eyes went out of focus as he read words only he could see.
"I see,
Name: Ironside
Rank: Dormant
Type: Armor
Description: [Flesh corrupts. Bones shatter. Only Iron can withstand the crushing blow.]"
Like so many Memories, the runes seemed to tell an incomplete story. She had only recently begun to organize the runes by time period, if she had one available, to see if any of them formed a cohesive narrative. Knowing what she did now about the different Realms, Noble realized she would have to categorize the Memories by location as well. It was something she had already considered doing anyway.
At least this description had some actionable elements. The armor was designed to withstand devastating blows.
"It's a nice piece of armor," Noble tapped her chin. "But it is pretty straightforward. What makes you think you aren't using it well?"
"I know it's strong. My first Nightmare proved that. But I cannot ignore that nagging feeling that there is a second enchantment." Ray ran his fingers across the metal.
Noble knew the feeling. She had the same suspicion about a few of her Memories, including one she got in the Nightmare.
An Awakened's intuition was not easily dismissed, even when they were still a Sleeper.
"There's an easy way to find out." Noble motioned to Bee Two. Ray stood still as a light passed over him.
"Sleeper Ray is correct. More than correct, actually. The armor is of the third tier. It has two other functions." Bee Two's assertion caused the class to murmur.
Ray was just as shocked as the rest. "Two? How?" The young man's face changed. "And how do I use them?"
Noble shook her head. "Unfortunately, the analysis can only go so far. What you will have to do is—"
"One of the enchantments has to do with life or regeneration, and the other has to do with agility."
Now it was Noble's turn to be astonished by her assistant's words.
Ray's mouth hung open. "How did you…?"
"Our recent research has identified some patterns in the data we gather from Memories. With help from Lady Song of the Fallen, we have been able to pinpoint the general functions of dozens of different enchantments." Bee Two nodded.
"W-we…?" Noble's stutter was lost as the android continued.
"I cannot take all the credit. It was Professor Noble's idea, as you will read in full if you pick up the paper that she is publishing." Bee Two clapped two hands together in a semblance of applause.
Noble resisted the urge to reset the android and start from scratch. While she had made a comment about the possibility of pinpointing the types of enchantments more accurately, she hadn't intended to bother a Saint for help until she had more information on what to look for. Now, Bee Two was publishing papers under her name?!
'I will have to deal with that later.' Noble plastered on a smile like the android's words were the most natural thing in two worlds.
"Yes, our research progresses all the time, but it still has limitations. The hardest work lies with all of you. Now, Ray, I am guessing the regeneration enchantment will need essence to work properly, but there is likely already some effect on your body even without it. We can test it by..."
The Android reached out and pinched the young man's exposed neck between two alloy fingers.
"Ouch!" Ray cried out, grabbing the throbbing area.
Noble's mouth dropped open. Surely this would be the last straw and would draw an official complaint. "Bee Two! We do not..."
Ray paused, a strange look coming over his face. "Huh, that hurt a lot right when it happened, but it's already subsiding."
The bruise, which had threatened to form on the boy's skin, receded without any discoloration.
"That's the feeling I was having that something was going on! Thanks!" Ray reached out to shake Bee Two's hand before thinking the better of it.
The android clicked its synthetic tongue. "The experiment is not complete until you dismiss the armor and we try again to compare the results."
Ray's eyes opened wider. Was the robot serious?
"That won't be necessary," Noble intervened. She picked up her datapad, messaging the android a few words that she didn't want to say aloud.
The assistant paused to recalibrate. The professor took the opportunity to tackle the final enchantment.
"The final piece to your armor involves agility. All three of those qualities are associated with the war god if I'm not mistaken."
"If you say so," Ray wasn't as well-versed in history as his professor would have liked. She moved along with her lesson.
"There is an easy way to test it. Are you ready?" Noble called her Staff of Sages.
"What? Whoa!" The young man jumped as the staff swung at him, then ducked as it came back at a steep angle.
"Decent reaction time, and the movement was smooth." The professor grabbed the weapon from the air.
Bee Two's foot tapped. "I can't pinch him, but you can swing a stick at him?"
Noble pursed her lips. "I had no intention of bruising him. I was just testing his reflexes. Now, Ray, dismiss the armor."
The young man did as he was told, crouching to be ready for a second spar with the staff. It came, and he jumped, but the ease of movement was markedly different. When he ducked, the hair of his head was brushed by the lacquered wood.
Satisfied, Noble dismissed her Memory. "Overall, a very adequate set of armor, especially for a Dormant Memory. Thank you for humoring me and my unorthodox assistant. I hope all your questions have been addressed."
Ray nodded. He opened his mouth to answer when the door to the classroom opened, breaking the silence.
All eyes were glued to the two figures who entered the room, but none more than Ray.
Suddenly, Noble knew the real reason the young man had come to her classroom.
'Whelp…'