"Greetings, students. My name is Professor Nicholas Rye, but you will all call me Professor Rye," he announced in a calm but commanding tone.
"–Seems there aren't as many students as last year," he continued, scanning the room. "No surprise. Welcome to Mantra Arts class."
I glanced at Alkaline, who had settled into his seat with a smug grin. Well, this is going to be… interesting, I thought, leaning back in my chair.
I laid my head on the desk, somewhat bored. At least this was more interesting than the last few classes, and Professor Rye didn't seem to care whether we paid attention or not. What a great teacher.
Lycos and Selina Slike were in their own worlds, hardly paying attention. They were alike in that sense—though Selina felt more like a cat, distant but always quietly watching.
Aria Louisbarne, of course, was the perfect student, hanging on every word. No surprise there; she was the church's saintess after all. Alkaline, meanwhile, muttered to himself with a devious smirk, occasionally glancing my way.
"I wonder how this chapter will turn out… hehehehe," he whispered, as if he knew something the rest of us didn't.
Some of the first-years whispered among themselves, clearly surprised to see another person with black hair. Even I, as a professor, was taken aback that the academy allowed someone like that to stand at the front of the classroom. Black hair was rare, too rare and rarely tolerated.
Professor Rye's lecture turned unexpectedly interesting when he mentioned resonate circuits.
"Resonate circuits," he began, "run through vital points of the human body. They allow us to channel mana. But for people like us those born with mutations our circuits shifted the day we were born. This mutation lets us do unnatural things that most cannot."
A murmur rippled through the class. Rye continued, his voice calm, matter-of-fact.
"This change alters the way mana concentrates inside us. Portions of that mana are transformed into something else entirely: mantra. That is why we can wield both mana and mantra."
"What's the difference between mana and mantra?" one of the braver students asked.
"A good question. Mana is absorbed naturally from the air, the earth, and all things, then filtered into its purest form to perform mana arts. Mantra, however, is different. When resonating through your mutated circuits, the mana is filtered further, purified and refined into mantra. It is rarer, more dangerous, and infinitely more personal. Mana bends to the world. Mantra bends to the soul."
With deliberate calm, Professor Rye turned, hands clasped behind his back. He walked to the chalkboard, picked up a piece of chalk, and scrawled the words Mantra Resonance Training. The chalk screeched slightly as he punctuated the phrase with a sharp period.
He dusted off his hands and glanced at us. "If you all would follow me."
The next thing I noticed was the weather. It was colder than the day before, a sharp breeze brushing across the island. Leaves fluttered from the trees, spiraling to the ground, the signs of autumn unmistakable.
We followed Professor Rye off the Citadel grounds, beyond the academy walls, and into the outskirts of the forest. The land here still belonged to the academy, though it felt wilder, less controlled. The air was crisp, tinged with the scent of pine and earth.
We gathered in a loose circle around Professor Rye as he stopped, his expression unreadable. Something told me this lesson was going to be far from ordinary.
Lycos sat perched on a branch with Selina curled up in his lap like a cat. The sight was… strangely wholesome. Were they in some kind of relationship? Or just coincidence? The thought made my chest tighten, though I quickly shook it off. What the hell am I even thinking? Why should I care? We're practically strangers.
Professor Rye's voice cut through my thoughts.
"Mantra flows differently than mana. It runs through the entire body, but to control it, you must have a feeling for it. Focus your mind. Search for the points where your circuits respond. Once you find your mantra points, you can learn to resonate… and to suppress."
He strolled a few paces away, leaning casually against a tree. "Don't bother me until you've succeeded."
Of course, even as he closed his eyes, I felt his gaze linger on me longer than on the others. It was unsettling, like a weight on the back of my neck. Why me?
So what now? We were just… supposed to figure it out on our own? Some teacher. I let out a long groan and flopped backward on the grass.
Thirty minutes crawled by. My patience ran thin. I clenched my fists, muttered a few choice words, and finally burst out, "HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THIS?!" My voice cracked at the end, half a pout, half frustration. Crossing my arms, I huffed. I don't feel a thing. Maybe im just doing it wrong.
A quick glance around showed the others weren't doing much better. Most of the first-years sat cross-legged, brows furrowed in intense concentration, yet the air around them remained still. No sparks, no surges nothing. So maybe this was harder than it looked.
And then there were those two. Lycos and Selina. Fast asleep in their tree. As if this whole exercise didn't concern them in the slightest. Assuming they were already masters made sense, though. I'd seen what Lycos did to the prince, and Selina Slike wasn't just a prodigy; she was whispered to be the future Author. Compared to them, I felt like a child fumbling in the dark.
Akaline still muttered his cryptic nonsense, rocking back and forth with that unsettling grin. "I can't wait. It's about to get better, just a bit longer…"
Meanwhile of course the only one making real progress was Aria Louisbarne. A golden light shimmered in her palm, so bright it almost hurt to look at.
I squinted. Isn't that just basic light magic…? With a brighter glow?
"Look, Professor!" she announced proudly.
Professor Rye's eyes lit up. "Impressive. Not just light mana, but infused with mantra. You've transformed it into holy mana. Not many priests, priestesses, or even paladins manage that—especially at your age."
I clenched my teeth. Tch. Of course. Already showered with praise. Not everyone could be perfect like her.
Little by little, the others started to break through as well. Faint auras shimmered to life: crimson, emerald, golden-yellow. It was subtle but unmistakable their mantra circuits had begun to hum in resonance.
Professor Rye's voice carried across the training grounds, low and instructive. "Observe. Mana resonance manifests in blue, a steady outline wrapping the body. But mantra is different. Its glow changes color, reflecting the soul's unique trait."
The group murmured with awe, their outlines flickering brighter.
And then… there was me.
Standing uselessly. Watching like a fool while everyone else succeeded. My arms hung limp at my sides, my jaw tight.
The professor's shadow loomed over me. I looked up to see him standing there, arms clasped behind his back, his eyes narrowed in a way that made my stomach twist.
"Seems you're having trouble, Chloe." His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a faint disappointment that stung worse than shouting ever could. "Perhaps… it will take other means for you to resonate with your mantra circuits."
He paused. For a heartbeat, the air grew colder.
"Another way," he continued, quieter now, almost to himself, "is through desperation."
His gaze locked onto mine sharp, unyielding and then, without warning, he snapped his fingers.
『Forced partial activation: Perfect Vision』 Activation due to immediate danger