Chapter 94

Mr. Cairns’ Business Management class, which Senior Rupert had highly recommended, turned out to be an incredibly fascinating lecture.

“Even though this is Business Management, simply reading from a textbook would be entirely sufficient for self-study,” Mr. Cairns announced. “Therefore, during the spring term, you will each be required to launch a business of your own. Your objective will be to achieve a profitable operation. Your initial seed capital is 10 loams.”

He casually flicked a 10-loam gold coin into the air with his thumb and caught it deftly with one hand. Mr. Cairns looked on with an amused expression as a wave of murmurs rippled through the classroom.

“Oh? Are you all startled because this contradicts the information you gathered from your seniors? Rest assured, the exams will strictly follow the textbook. After all, I am required to coordinate our testing with the other classes.”

Right then, a male student raised his hand. His face looked familiar from Class A, though I didn’t know his name.

“Yes, what is it, Mr. Phillips?”

“Teacher, if our class is required to draft a business plan and aim for profitable operations, yet we are forced to take the exact same exam as the other classes, wouldn’t we be at a distinct disadvantage?”

He certainly had a point. Murmurs of agreement quickly spread through the classroom.

“Hahaha! If that’s the case, you are more than welcome to switch to a different class. However, every single Business Management class this year is incorporating practical training into their curriculum. And, of course, I fully intend to award bonus points to your final grade for this project. Your marks will be determined half by the exam and half by your practical results.”

Phillips seemed satisfied with that explanation. Moreover, knowing that the other classes were in the exact same boat created a general atmosphere of resignation.

Subjects like Sewing, Domestic Mathematics, and Business Management are gradually undergoing transformations. I highly wish Mr. Patterson’s Law and Administration classes would change as well, but regardless, I am switching to the other class taught by Mr. Sullivan.

The area designated for the mage track had an undeniably ominous atmosphere. I wonder why? The knight track is filled entirely with brisk, athletic male students, while the domestic science track is delightfully bright and lively with female students. The civil servant track features a lot of scholar-types, giving it a calm, composed atmosphere.

The students on the mage track wear the exact same uniforms, but they drape black robes over them or dangle highly suspicious, massive pendants from their necks. Wait, are those actual bones? A student who just brushed past me had a clattering necklace bristling with countless little bones. Well, I suppose in my previous world, there were surfers who wore shark teeth, and people who carried lucky rabbit feet.

Unlike the civil servant track, you can spot a few female students on the mage track here and there, but they look precisely like witches. Are they intentionally doing their makeup that way? Their hair is completely dishevelled, and for the first time since arriving in this fantasy world, I saw female students who paid absolutely no attention to their personal grooming.

I see now. I completely understand why Princess Margaret and Prince Keith were so strongly opposed when I mentioned I was taking Alchemy. There certainly seems to be an abundance of eccentrics here.

“So this is the classroom for Magic Arrays.”

The room itself appeared quite ordinary, but the moment I stepped inside, I instantly wanted to turn around and walk right back out. I’m entirely used to having everyone’s glares pierce straight into me from the civil servant track, but the gazes here felt as if they were charged with actual mana, exerting a heavy pressure.

Hmph. A pressure like this doesn’t even amount to a tenth of Prince Richard’s terrifying aura, and it doesn’t even equal a hundredth of Queen Victoria’s piercing gaze.

I noticed an empty seat toward the back by the window. Brilliant—that happens to be my absolute favorite spot. However, the moment I sat down, the room dissolved into a loud buzz.

What? Is sitting here against the rules or something?

“You’ve got quite the nerve, Patience Granger. What business does a prodigy who skipped straight into the middle division have in a Magic Arrays class?”

The boy speaking was someone I had seen in Class A. I didn’t know his name. This is yet another downside of skipping grades.

“I was highly recommended that if I intend to take Alchemy, I should take Magic Arrays as a set with it,” I replied.

Apparently, my answer sounded completely absurd to them. The boy burst into a roaring laugh, his golden hair swaying like a lion’s mane.

“The one who told you that must have been Lord Caesar. Ah, so you’re that female student everyone was talking about who visited the Aoba Festival. By the way, my name is Benjamin Priest. We are in the same Class A, though we haven’t shared any lectures until now.”

With that, he sat down in the seat right next to me.

“Could it be that this seat is your usual spot, Lord Benjamin? If so, I am more than happy to move.”

In the middle division, we constantly move around to different classrooms, but there are times when we utilize the same room. Perhaps students on the mage track have established fixed seating arrangements.

“No, don’t worry about it. I simply happen to prefer the back corner by the window. You sat here because you like it too, right? First come, first served.”

Well, I think I’ll choose a different seat for the next lecture.

“Oh, we have quite a large crowd this year,” a voice chimed in. “Have you all finally realized the vital importance of magic arrays? Or did you simply fail to find an interesting class during this period? Either way, you are all deeply welcome. I am Robin Kubrick. I teach Alchemy as well, so I look forward to working with you.”

I had never seen a teacher so remarkably young. He looked like he had just graduated from university.

“During the spring term lectures, we will be studying the core fundamentals of magic arrays. In other words: igniting a fire, conjuring water, summoning a breeze, and moving earth. We will cover these basic magic arrays and their various applications. They are remarkably simple, so you’ll be able to draw them yourself in no time.”

Listening to him made it sound incredibly easy. However, the moment we opened the textbooks he handed out, the entire classroom broke out in a panic.

“Teacher, are we truly expected to draw this?” a male student asked, raising his hand.

“Ah, Mr. Bryce. Of course you are. The ones listed in this text are strictly beginner-level, so surely they are simple enough?”

Oh dear. This teacher is the type who finds things effortless himself, meaning he completely fails to comprehend why others find them difficult. I have a strong feeling this class is going to be a massive struggle.

“Now then, copy down this first magic array onto your paper. If you draw it correctly, it should ignite a spark. Test your arrays at the back of the classroom.”

Is it truly safe to have fire igniting at the back of the room? Well, I suppose Mr. Kubrick will manage somehow.

I began drawing the magic array while studying the textbook. It was remarkably complex. If this is considered a core fundamental, then magic arrays must be incredibly difficult.

I carefully scrutinized the textbook’s array, meticulously copying the angles of the intersecting lines and patterns with the utmost caution.

“Teacher, I’ve finished!”

Beside me, Benjamin raised his hand. He seemed quite accustomed to this. Since he knew Lord Caesar, perhaps he belongs to the Alchemy Club.

“Oh, Benjamin. First place, I see. Come to the back.”

I paused my drawing to watch how a magic array was actually activated.

“Now, channel your mana into this magic array.”

With a deeply serious expression, Benjamin channeled his mana into the paper.

“Ah!” A tiny flame ignited for a fraction of a second, but it vanished instantly.

“Too sloppy. Look here—the angle where these lines intersect is completely off. That is exactly why your fire died out immediately. Go back, look at it properly, and draw it again.”

Watching Benjamin slouch back to his seat in disappointment was actually rather cute. There’s a certain charm to seeing a large boy look completely disheartened. Though, as far as my personal tastes go, he’s a bit too grown-up.

After that, Bryce—the boy who had raised his hand earlier—seemed to finish his drawing as well, but his array failed to ignite even a single spark.

“Ah, look, this line here is entirely incorrect. You can’t even call this a magic array.”

Watching a thoroughly disappointed Bryce was much more to my liking. I quite enjoy that unrefined, youthful charm of a boy who hasn’t fully matured yet.

While I was enjoying my secret appreciation of cute younger boys, I finally finished my drawing. It took quite a significant chunk of time.

“Mr. Kubrick, I have finished.”

The teacher was merely sitting at the back of the room, completely absorbed in a book. He wasn’t even walking around to point out mistakes to the students who were struggling.

“Oh, a face I haven’t seen before.”

“Yes, I am Patience Granger.”

“I’ve heard that name somewhere… Ah, you’re the Patience everyone is gossiping about in the staff room. Well then, channel your mana into it.”

I’m rather curious about what sort of rumors are floating around the staff room, but I suppose skipping straight into the middle division naturally draws a lot of attention. More importantly, I need to focus.

“Ah, the fire ignited.”

“Oh, you’ve drawn it perfectly. Patience, proceed to draw the next array for conjuring water. Everyone, remember that accuracy is far more important than speed.”

The moment I returned to my seat, Benjamin leaned over to speak to me.

“Splendid job. It’s no wonder Lord Caesar sees potential in you. Won’t you join the Alchemy Club?”

The recruitment for the Alchemy Club really is incredibly intense.

“I will think about it after taking the alchemy class.”

Mr. Kubrick must have been listening from behind, as he suddenly chimed in.

“Oh, you’re taking Alchemy as well?! If it’s you, Patience, I’m certain you’ll excel at alchemy too. Why on earth didn’t you choose the mage track?”

Being asked such a direct question made it rather awkward to answer.

“I am currently taking both the domestic science and civil servant tracks, so managing just Magic Arrays and Alchemy is already stretching me to my absolute limit. Furthermore, I can only use lifestyle magic, so the mage track isn’t suited for me at all.”

Mr. Kubrick stared at me intently, looking deeply disappointed.

“That is entirely incorrect. You must not allow yourself to be swept away by the trend of looking down on lifestyle magic. As Mr. Jefferson always says, if you master lifestyle magic to its absolute limits, you can accomplish anything. Say, why don’t you abandon domestic science and the civil servant track and switch to the mage track instead? I am certain you’d find it incredibly fun.”

It’s true that the domestic science track has its fair share of tedious lectures. However, I genuinely love working with my hands. On top of that, the civil servant track seems highly practical for the future.

“No, thank you. My hands are already completely full,” I replied, politely declining his offer.