"Shut up! Stop calling me 'Mutt!' Can that pathetic excuse for a brain of yours just remember my name for once?!"
"But a mutt is a mutt, Svin! Just like the Professor is the Star of London and Wayland is the Future Star!"
"Shut up!"
The boy's roar manifested as a sharp surge of prana, causing white mist to coalesce between them like a cluster of drifting clouds.
Waver finally reached the limit of his patience. "Enough! This is a classroom! Both of you, sit down!"
"We're sorry!"
The speed at which both boys bowed their heads in apology was perfectly synchronized.
Someone in the class couldn't help but let out a snicker, and the tense atmosphere instantly dissolved into one of amusement.
"Right then."
Waver took a few deep breaths, a hand resting on his stomach as if he could already feel his ulcer flaring up. He took several gulps of water before looking toward the back of the room. "Wayland, find a seat."
"Yes, Professor."
Wayland scanned the tiered lecture hall. There were plenty of empty seats.
The ever-enthusiastic Flat waved him over, whispering, "Future Star! Over here! Sit with me!"
Wayland's expression soured. He ignored Flat and looked toward the girl on the left side of the room.
A young girl wearing a grey hood was staring intently at Waver, seemingly oblivious to everything else. Her face was mostly hidden beneath the fabric.
Sitting next to Gray might be a bit too conspicuous. Plus, I don't want to get on Svin's bad side.
Wayland decided on a seat in the fourth row, right in the middle where it was empty and unremarkable.
"This is Wayland," Waver announced once the class had settled. "He missed the entrance ceremony earlier today due to an unavoidable incident. I have already explained the circumstances to the other Lords; it was through no fault of his own. Now that he has joined the Department of Modern Magecraft, I expect you all to show him respect and help him progress."
After finishing his standard opening remarks, Waver pulled a book from his desk. "Wayland, your curriculum books for the semester are in my office. You can collect them after class. For now, use this one."
"Thank you, Professor."
Wayland hurried to the front of the room to accept the textbook.
"Today's lecture," Waver said, tapping the blackboard, "is Modern Magecraft Practice: The Synthesis of Electrical Currents and Magic Circuits."
Who am I? Where am I? What am I even doing here?
Wayland spent the entire lecture in a state of utter confusion. By the time it was over, his brain felt like it had been turned into a bowl of mush.
[Lord El-Melloi II (Rank: Fes) is teaching you Electrical Magecraft. Current progress: 1%.]
Wayland stared at the system notification.
[Skill: Electrical Magecraft (1/100).]
'Wait. Does this mean if I finish the book, I'll actually master the spell?'
'Now this... this I can do.'
Back in high school, he had spent countless days and nights memorizing vast amounts of information. He was no stranger to the grind.
[Side Quest 3 Generated: Rank in the top three for the final exams.]
[Quest Description: Theory is the foundation of practice. Only by truly mastering knowledge can you build a base for advanced magecraft. Master the semester's curriculum and rank within the top three in the theoretical examinations.]
[Time Limit: One semester (Four months).]
[Quest Reward: A clue regarding a Heroic Spirit's Catalyst.]
The moment class was dismissed, the silent air in the room erupted into a cacophony of voices. Friends gathered their things, making plans for dinner, while the more diligent students remained at their desks, feverishly organizing their notes. The more introverted individuals slipped quietly out of the classroom.
Wayland had just stood up when Flat performed a nimble backflip over a desk, landing perfectly in front of him.
"Future Star! Why don't we go grab a bite together? You can tell me all about why you missed the ceremony!"
"..."
'You just want to gossip, don't you?'
"Stop calling me 'Future Star'!" Wayland said with as much dignity as he could muster.
The name was just too immersion-breaking.
'Seriously, how much is Future Star paying you? I'll give you double if you start calling me Master.'
"You don't like 'Future Star'?" Flat asked, sounding genuinely confused.
"I hate it..." Wayland muttered. He finally understood how Svin felt. He didn't wait for Flat to reply. "I need to see the Professor."
"Oh! Right!" Flat remembered Waver's instruction. He waved a cheerful hand. "Bye-bye then! See you tomorrow!"
"..."
'Hopefully not.'
Wayland watched as Flat drifted out into the hallway like a leaf in the wind. Seconds later, Svin's voice echoed through the corridor.
"You idiot! Can you stop charging into people like that?! What if you'd frightened Gray?!"
Wayland shook his head with a sigh and picked up the textbook on electrical currents.
"Professor?" he called out, rapping twice on the door to Waver's office.
"Enter."
Wayland pushed open the door to find Waver seated at his desk. Behind him stood a massive, imposing bookshelf. It looked to hold over a thousand volumes, each organized by category and size with meticulous, obsessive precision. Not a single gap could be seen.
Wayland placed the borrowed textbook on the desk, his eyes darting around the room.
'The difference between this place and his apartment is staggering.'
It reminded him of his own life before transmigration. His "doghouse" of a room was a chaotic mess of clothes, novels, and snacks, but the desk he kept for his parents or teachers to see was always pristine. He had become a master at switching between his "lazy gamer" and "diligent student" personas in an instant.
"This is your individual schedule," Waver said, handing him a sheet of paper.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]