Chapter 33

Chapter 33

However, just because class time had arrived did not mean that the class would start easily.

—The class is going to start now, right?

—Of course. She even came early.

At first, the students all seemed full of expectation.

How cool was an artisan who fabricated the things they needed with their own hands!

However,

Clatter, clank—

Professor Uli at the workbench was engrossed in her fabrication, seemingly unaware that class had started.

The students also waited patiently.

‘She has an outstanding artisan spirit!’

Whirrrr—

Three minutes passed.

Clack, clack—

Five minutes passed.

Raaattle—!

By the time ten minutes had passed,

the students gradually began to realize that something was wrong.

—What is it?

—Was this class in the afternoon?

—No.

The students began to buzz.

Something was strange!

Roan glanced at Demona beside him.

“Why?”

“Are you going to ask if she’s going to start the class?”

“Hm? No. Isn’t it better if she doesn’t?”

Demona asked back with a bright grin.

‘I underestimated this fellow too much.’

Roan readily admitted it.

Before long, another student, unable to bear it any longer, raised his hand.

Not an outstanding genius, but a typical model student character who even wore glasses.

It was Bendy, the meerkat beastman.

“Excuse me, Professor!”

Whirrrr—

However, there was no response.

Roan called Demona again.

“Did you bring your gold pouch?”

“Yeah.”

“Let me borrow it.”

“Are you gonna steal—”

“I’m not stealing it.”

No matter how little there was to steal in Acherandir, why would he steal a gold pouch…

Although Demona eyed him suspiciously for a moment, he soon took the pouch from his chest and handed it over.

Roan watched for the right timing.

“Excuse me, Professor!”

Jingle—!

And he shook the money pouch right when Bendy called out to Uli again.

The clinking sound of coins jingled softly.

Twitch—?

Only then did Uli react.

“Hm? What is it?”

Naturally, Bendy, who had no idea of Roan’s scheme, brightened up and spoke.

“Professor, the class has started!”

“Hm?”

The squirrel, wearing small safety goggles, tilted her head.

“More importantly, I heard the sound of 152 gold coins and 219 silver coins clashing against each other.”

“……?”

Bendy wore an expression of disbelief, questioning what he had just heard.

Gold coins, silver coins, what?

“I… I don’t know about that, but the class…”

“Tsk, whatever.”

Making a squirrel’s face look so visibly disappointed was quite a talent in its own right.

Uli clicked her tongue and waved her hand.

Swish—!

The chest at the front of the lecture hall rattled open, and a massive amount of books and materials burst out, pouring onto the students’ desks.

Clatter, clank—

Despite the chaotic dispersion, the amounts were distributed precisely.

The students stared blankly at Uli.

But Uli, as if her business was done, began to move the fabrication tools that were larger than her own body once again.

“P-Professor?”

“Ah, stop talking to me! Do you have any idea how much loss I suffer every time I stop?”

Uli snapped at Bendy irritably.

Poor Bendy recoiled and shut his mouth.

Being a commoner, he was not used to such situations.

…Not that the nobles were used to it, either.

Just then, Demona spoke to Uli.

“We also paid tuition to enter this school, you know?”

—As expected of a Wychronon!

—Wychronon says what needs to be said!

The students admired Demona as they watched him,

while Uli scratched behind her ear with her front paw and retorted.

“That’s why I gave you the materials and textbooks.”

“…….”

But for once, even Demona dropped his jaw, lost for words.

He too found himself in a dumbfounding situation, not knowing where to even begin pointing out the flaws.

However, the students did not back down easily either.

Sion pointed out in a quiet tone.

“Isn’t the professors’ salary also included in our tuition?”

Having received thorough education on calculations and interests from her family, she also seemed angry.

‘…No, it’s only natural to be angry.’

In the first place, when a teacher at a school just tossed materials and textbooks at them and told them to figure it out themselves, it was a miracle a riot didn’t break out.

Uli glanced at Sion and let out a deep sigh.

“Fine. I’ll explain it to you.”

She then controlled a piece of chalk with holy magic and began to write rapidly on the blackboard.

The students followed the complex formulas and charts with their eyes as if possessed.

Bendy asked.

“I-Is that some kind of blueprint?”

“Hm? It’s not a blueprint.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s a rational formula comparing the productivity when I teach you versus the productivity when I focus on my own work while only taking along those who figure it out on their own.”

“…….”

The students were left speechless.

T-t-t-tap—

Even then, the chalk moved without rest, and before long, the result was derived.

It was a familiar result to Roan.

‘Productivity is exactly 14 times higher when Professor Uli doesn’t teach us.’

Granted, it was a result based on the abilities of average freshmen, not taking a player into account.

But it also served as data proving just how incredible Uli’s abilities were.

Ultimately, for a player to properly learn holy relic fabrication from Uli, they had to prove the value that could overcome that 14-fold difference first—a brutal class!

Meanwhile, even before the students could fully interpret the contents of the chart,

Uli added a large note on the blackboard.

—From now on, 10 Talents per question. Imperial currency welcome. —

—…

The freshmen, whose Talent situations were tight, ultimately shut their mouths and chose to flip through their books alone.

However, one person was different.

“Oh, Roan. Give me back the pouch. I have something to try.”

“Sure.”

Demona, receiving the pouch back from Roan, trotted toward Uli.

And then,

“Professor. Here.”

he took a gold coin from the pouch and handed it to Uli.

“!”

Uli stopped all her moving fabrication tools in mid-air, pushed up her safety goggles, and accepted the gold coin.

Then, as if fearing someone would snatch it, she quickly shoved the coin—which was the size of her mouth—into her cheek pouch.

The gold coin vanished in the blink of an eye!

Her cheek pouch, treated with special holy magic, could hold an almost infinite amount of money.

“You, what’s your name?”

“Demona Wychronon.”

“I knew it… I am always receiving the Wychronon family’s sponsorships with gratitude.”

The students were shocked by the incredibly natural exchange.

Could a person change so much over a single gold coin?

“What is your name, Professor?”

“Uli Bohenard.”

“What’s your age?”

“127 years old.”

“Your weight?”

“20 kilograms.”

—!!!!!!

The students were even more dumbfounded.

I mean, Demona, who gave a gold coin to the professor just to ask such things, was one thing,

but Uli, who answered so readily, was on another level…

After asking a few more useless pieces of information, Demona returned with a satisfied expression.

“Is that all? It’s a bit lacking for a single gold coin… In that case, do you want to be the representative for this class?”

“Oh, does that give Talents?”

“Imperial currency is a no, but Talents are possible.”

“Then I’ll do it!”

“Oh, then do you want to be my assistant too?”

“Gasp—I won’t do that…”

Even selling offices right in front of everyone!

Demona giggled and sat back down.

“As expected, it was a good idea to bring gold coins. Right?”

Slide—

However, instead of replying, Roan handed Demona a sheet of paper densely covered in handwriting.

“What is this?”

“Take the materials, give her another gold coin, and ask the questions written here.”

Demona tilted his head once, but soon went back to the front holding the paper.

“Here you go, Professor.”

As Demona held out another gold coin, Uli snatched and ate it.

“Why?”

“So… what is this rod used for?”

“That is a measuring tool that tells you how much holy power output you have when creating a holy relic…”

The students merely stared blankly at the two, as if they no longer had the energy to react.

“W-What did you write there, Roan?”

Lafia asked this,

but Roan merely shrugged and replied,

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to prepare for class?”

‘I was planning to use my Talents if push came to shove, but this worked out well!’

Meanwhile, Lafia opened her mouth slightly in disbelief.

‘Is this guy really in the same year as us?’

***

“What is the content of today’s class?”

“It’s creating holy power sources. The more skilled you are, the higher the efficiency and the smaller and more diverse materials you can store it in. But for the start, it’s best to begin with a large Hilidium rod like the one prepared.”

At Demona’s question, Uli poured out answers fluently.

Having realized how the atmosphere was flowing, the students were busy examining the materials in front of them and taking notes.

“Even if you create a holy power source here, it probably won’t even power a paper airplane to fly for ten minutes.”

Flinch!

As Uli spoke while looking at the sitting students with pity, the students shrank their shoulders for no reason.

It wasn’t like they did anything wrong!

But there was no helping it.

In Professor Uli’s class, without Talents or imperial currency, they couldn’t even talk back.

“I don’t know whose idea it was, but the strategy of utilizing a friend’s money was good. I’ll give you a tip. Refer to page 14 of the textbook and try making it.”

The shamelessness of calling something that a professor naturally had to teach a ‘tip’!

The students all opened their textbooks.

“I still have questions left—”

“Taking more gold coins is a loss for me now, representative.”

Demona returned to his seat with a disappointed expression.

“Good work.”

“Thanks, Demona.”

“Hehehe. As a member of the Wychronon family leading the empire, it’s only natural.”

However, at Roan’s and Lafia’s praise, he soon grinned happily and felt satisfied.

Page 14 of the textbook contained the method of utilizing Hilidium and tips on increasing efficiency.

To put it in Earth terms, it was making a battery!

Roan examined the contents and thought deeply.

‘First of all, creating holy relics follows the same principle as creating magic tools.’

For start, the holy relic creation suited him much better than the other classes.

Because, though there was a difference in whether the power source used was holy power or mana, at least the method was identical.

Of course, there were critical differences when going into details.

However, as a result of discussing it with the False Divinity last night, there was a high possibility that there wouldn’t be any major issues even if Roan made it.

Rather, he might even be able to take both the advantages of black mana and holy power.

Still, some uneasy aspects remained.

‘…Uli won’t notice, will she?’

Uli was practically one of the best artisans on the continent.

What if Uli noticed something strange and said, ‘Professor Kaina, one of the freshmen is making something suspicious’?

‘Though under normal circumstances, there’s no way.’

Roan shook his head.

Since Uli wouldn’t care whether a student succeeded in making a holy power source or not anyway, it could be considered a needless worry.

Just then,

Woooong—

The False Divinity vibrated.

Since you’re making it anyway, why not use the Abyss?

Roan spoke without realizing it.

“How can I trust you?”

Flinch—

But the reaction somehow came from Hector.

“R-Roan. I absolutely did not try to talk behind your back to Professor Vulcan…”

‘This guy…’

Roan glared at Hector fiercely before focusing again.

‘Why the Abyss? What if some strange magic tool comes out because of that?’

A deep distrust was smeared in Roan’s thoughts.

The Abyss was, after all, merely a purer and more stable power.

Because fundamentally, it was the same black mana.

Wooong!

The authority vibrated in grievance.

When he had saved his own life multiple times thanks to it!

Still, the authority had a reason for suggesting it.

Woooong—

This kind of work is good for practice. And since it’s a refined power, it will be even more imperceptible.

‘…Is that so?’

Intrigued by the authority’s words, Roan held the Hilidium and began to draw up the Abyss.

After practicing all night, he had succeeded in processing it internally to some extent, without the need to manifest mana outwardly.

‘Actually, having the Hilidium between both hands makes it feel even more comfortable.’

Was the word of the False Divinity correct indeed?

He was even able to discover an unexpected advantage that utilized the characteristic of the Abyss requiring mana to be drawn from both sides.

The pure white black mana flickering in Roan’s hands underwent the compression process, gradually taking on a gray color.

It then moved step by step toward the center along the Hilidium rod, colliding to gradually fill it with the Abyss.

Sssssss—

Unlike the other students who were still struggling, Roan’s Hilidium rod had already begun charging!

‘It seems a decent amount will fit in?’

However, despite having already poured an immense volume of mana into the rod, there was no sign of it being fully charged.

Although he had started with a light heart, a stubborn competitiveness slowly rose within him!

Roan began to pull up all the strength in his body, determined to see who would win.

Woooong—

The consumption and recovery of mana occurred so rapidly that a faint wind practically blew around him.

‘If it had been standard black mana, it wouldn’t have stood a chance.’

Roan, completely focused by now, drew up his mana.

Woooong—!

I think you can stop about now…

He was so absorbed that he didn’t even hear the lukewarm suggestion of the False Divinity.

Didn’t he say he would make it moderately?

How long did this struggle continue, with the False Divinity reluctantly converting black mana at its wits’ end?

“Whew…”

Roan finally set the rod down on the workbench with a deep sigh.

‘To use a quarter of my mana just to make one holy power source!’

One might think he didn’t use much,

but to consume this much simply by pouring in mana without even casting any proper black magic was absurd.

It was especially so because Roan’s mana capacity, thanks to his overwhelming talent, had already surpassed the level of most elders of the black mana schools.

Indeed, unlike the game system where everything progressed automatically with a click, reality was not easy.

Meanwhile, Lafia, who was engrossed in her own work beside him, glanced back at Roan and thought.

‘It seems even Roan cannot make a holy power source in one go—’

However, it was a little strange.

No, it was extremely strange.

“Hm?”

“What is it, Lafia?”

Lafia blankly stared down at Roan’s workbench, her expression a mix of bewilderment and shock.

Even though Roan asked what was wrong, she didn’t offer any proper reply.

Ultimately, as Roan also shifted his gaze along her eyes,

‘What is this?’

the Hilidium rod, which Roan had surely placed down on the workbench,

was floating—

suspended in mid-air without touching the ground.

“Uh, I’m asking because I don’t know, but do holy power sources normally float?”

“…Of course not.”