Chapter 432: More Practical Lecture.

Chapter 432: More Practical Lecture.

‘They seem a bit confused, I should probably bring out the visual aids.’

Roland was aware that his approach might face resistance from the scholarly mindset prevalent in this world, where learning predominantly involved books, and practical lessons were often limited to monster hunting and dungeon exploration. However, he favored a more hands-on approach to education, and opted to challenge the students with a puzzle. It would give their minds something new to tackle and perhaps allow some to see things from a different perspective. Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com

To familiarize the students with the functionality of the square plates of metal, Roland introduced a runic device designed to project images. This technology mirrored the one he had employed in the hearing for playback of recordings. Externally, it resembled an elongated rectangle, akin to a steel beam used in constructing frameworks. Due to the limited time between his ongoing research efforts, this was the most of what Roland could prepare for the present moment.

“I’ll now demonstrate the basic runic principles. Please watch closely as you will have to combine the runic blocks afterward.”

Surprisingly, even the students who typically paid little attention in class found themselves captivated by the runic symbols displayed on the projected screen. The direct correlation between these symbols and the smaller steel plates laid out on the tables made it easy for them to grasp the connection between the visual representation and the runic blocks before them. The alignment of the symbols seemed to spark a newfound interest but he didn’t have their full attention quite yet.

“For the spell effect to take place, you must always end the runic structure with an emitter-type rune, otherwise the runic circuit will not be able to activate...”

Certain terms related to circuitry seemed to cause confusion among the students. Roland's approach, rooted in practical testing and drawing parallels between the runic language and circuit boards, diverged significantly from the conventional understanding of this world. The concept of an operating system was foreign to them, but Roland remained unfazed. His primary goal was to deliver a lecture satisfactory enough to avoid expulsion from the Institute, and their understanding of the subject was of secondary concern.

Who he was more interested in today was Professor Delauder. He had come to the class to keep his eye on him for the lecture. Delauder appeared determined to find any pretext that would warrant Roland's expulsion. One such reason would be his failure to conduct a class today. Roland had to remain vigilant as he needed to safeguard this position until his research was done.

“Now, please put away the runic pieces and pay attention, I will showcase their use.”

Upon concluding his explanation, Roland noticed the students still appeared bewildered. They continued shifting the square tiles around, magnetizing them to each other without fully comprehending the purpose. It wasn't until Roland employed his mage hand spell, manipulating a few runic structures and connecting them together, that the students finally grasped the essence of the lesson.

“As you can see, if you complete the structure in the correct order and infuse it with a bit of your mana, you will garner a spell effect.”

The practical demonstration brought clarity as a simple ball of light emanated from the connected runic elements. Roland's approach mirrored the grueling process he underwent during his time as a Runic Blacksmith. Secluding himself in an Inn room, he engaged in a rigorous process of elimination, gradually comprehending the meaning of each runic component and how their assembly could yield different results. This lecture essentially recreated the same experiment, providing the students with the knowledge to produce various spell effects through the manipulation of runic structures.

“Now then, you will all attempt to mimic this process, assemble the runic pieces together correctly and it will produce an effect.”

“Oh, how interesting!”

Observing from the sidelines, Arion commented on the students' increasing interest in the lesson. While some remained hesitant to participate, others began experimenting with the metallic squares. After a few minutes, diverse light effects started to manifest, captivating the students as they noticed variations in colors and shapes. The hands-on experience had successfully captured their attention and ignited a sense of curiosity among them.

“Look, I made an orange triangle!”

“Why is this square blue... I wanted it to be purple...”

“Silly, you need to mix blue with red to get a purple color.”

“Oh!”

Roland continued to guide the students through the process to the point of actively offering assistance where needed. The atmosphere began to shift from initial skepticism to a more lively engagement. The students, once hesitant, were now actively collaborating, sharing ideas, and experimenting with different combinations of runic symbols. Even the ones that weren’t paying attention didn’t want to get excluded and finally decided to take part.

Delauder, however, continued to wear a disapproving expression, discontent with the unexpected success of Roland's unconventional teaching methods. As the session progressed, Roland noticed that some students were struggling to understand the nuances of runic assembly. He decided to circulate among the groups, providing guidance and answering questions.

“That’s it for today, please place everything back to their original location.”

“Eh? Is it already over?”

“No fair, I wanted to make a rainbow...”

As the lesson came to an end, Roland was surprised to find that some students expressed a desire to continue experimenting with the runic structures. Their enthusiasm and pleading looks caught him off guard. While Roland couldn't fault them for finding the practical lesson interesting and enjoyable, he couldn't shake the feeling that he might have made a mistake with his current approach, perhaps underestimating the appeal of hands-on, interactive learning.

‘... They won’t make me do this again, right?’

Despite the appearance of a nuanced and carefully planned approach, the truth was that Roland had hastily put together a few elements to avoid having to speak extensively during the lecture. His expectation was that only a handful of students would be interested, with the rest possibly dozing off against the trees. Contrary to his assumptions, however, the students enthusiastically embraced the rudimentary runic components, treating them like new toys to be explored and assembled. Roland found himself taken aback by the unexpected level of engagement and even more by Arion’s words.

“Just magnificent, I just can’t wait for the next lecture, wait, don’t tell me! Will it be another puzzle or maybe something more theoretical?”

“Next lecture...”

The person seated at the desk was Master Rathos, someone Delauder had studied under in the past. Rathos held a position just below that of the Headmistress, Yavenna Arvandus, though in certain situations, his influence surpassed hers. Unlike Arvandus, who kept to herself, Rathos recognized the importance of networking for true power. However, he was careful not to engage in anything that might tarnish his reputation. Unless there was a clear advantage to be gained, he preferred to adhere to established protocols, especially when it came to official business.

“But, master, he is undermining the traditional teachings of the Institute! The students are getting distracted, and they are starting to question the superiority of our way of learning and that recent incident... if this continues, our associates will start to complain...”

“Ah yes, our dear associates... we can’t have that... Hm...”

The man smiled and began to stroke his long white beard. Delauder remained quiet as he knew that his master was quite the shrewd man and would probably come up with a solution to his current dilemma.

“Oh, how about this then!”

“Yes, master?”

“The young students should be at the correct age for further development, correct?”

“Do you perhaps mean, the advancement classes?”

“Yes, precisely those. The girl involved in the recent incident, her level is relatively low, and she would likely be included in the advancement class, wouldn't she?”

“I see... but what about...”

“About our friend from the Runic Department? I was getting to that, so impatient.”

“My apologies, Master.”

Delauder bowed his head, apologizing to Rathos, who continued speaking.

“Considering his performance, I don't see why he can't tag along as one of the main guardians for the advancement class. I'll just need to put in a few good words. I'm sure that, considering the recent incident, no one will find fault in such a decision.”

Delauder nodded as Rathos revealed the main plan, an ingenious approach that could address multiple issues with a single move. The plan appeared faultless, leaving little room for blame to be placed on them even if something went awry. Delauder understood that making this plan a reality required contacting individuals operating outside the Institute. Even if only the girl participated, it would already be sufficient to appease the interests he served.

“If I remember correctly, the advancement classes were scheduled to take place within a few weeks, but we could probably advance the date. Think you'll be able to take care of the rest?”

“Yes, Master, leave it to me!”

“Great, well then I still have some work to do. Was this all?”

“Yes, Master Rathos.”

Delauder turned to leave the study, the wheels of his mind already turning as he contemplated the best way to implement Rathos's plan. As he stepped out of the hidden door, he found himself in the same corridor where he had encountered the lady servant. The small container she had given him concealed a substantial quantity of golden coins. To ensure this lucrative business continued, Delauder was prepared to go to war with the new assistant professor. Through this new plan, such a confrontation now seemed not only possible but also strategically advantageous.

“Now, who should I contact first?”

As the Delauder departed from Rathos' study, the old wizard emitted a sigh of annoyance. The magical quill he had been using to write words onto his parchment halted as he stood up from his seat. With a wave of his hand, he caused the drapes to close, plunging the room into darkness. The only source of light emanated from a mirror placed next to a large dresser.

“That I need to contend with such greedy idiots...”

Approaching the mirror, Rathos observed a peculiar aura of light emanating from it. For a brief moment, his reflection transformed into a grotesque figure covered in blisters and malignant-looking warts. With another wave of his hand, the unsettling image vanished, replaced by what seemed to be an empty room bearing no resemblance to the study. Soon after, flames emerged one after another around a large table, with his mirror represented by one of those same flames.

“Ah, Seat of Azure, early as always.”

“There is no such thing as being too early, seat of Crimson...”

The mirror reproduced Rathos's voice in a different manner than usual and facilitated him in listening to the conversation among the other flames. Once the room was filled with all of them, attention shifted toward a particular flame, the one with a hue of purple.

“Seat of Violet, we need an explanation...”

A pitch-black flame expanded in size as it posed the question. The mirror used by Rathos started to quiver and displayed a few cracks. It appeared that the violet flame was facing some trouble, and the wizardly man couldn't help but smile at their predicament.