Linen had the distinct feeling he'd skipped an episode in a series.
Why did Elena's favorability toward me go up again...?
He was starting to panic. Time to shift focus — find something to decompress with.
His gaze drifted toward Hysteria, who was slouched over her desk with her head deliberately turned away, offering him only the back of her hair. Linen couldn't help but chuckle quietly.
As expected.
This female AoTian was so emotionally transparent, she might as well tattoo her daily underwear color on her thigh.
As long as her hostility toward him continued to rise steadily, everything would go according to plan.
The first formal Arcane class was about to begin, and Linen needed to seize the moment to trigger another rejection and harvest a nice reward — something to justify all the groundwork he'd laid.
"Silence, please."
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the room, carrying a voice that was gentle yet carried an unmistakable weight. The once-chatty classroom fell instantly quiet.
An elderly man stepped in, clad in a long brown wizard's robe straight out of a fantasy film. Stern-faced and sharp-eyed, gray streaking both temples, he clutched a thick spell tome under one arm as he walked to the front of the room.
"Good morning, children of Eden. I will be your Arcane instructor for your first year — Gust Franki. You may call me Professor Gust."
The wind continued to carry his voice clearly across the room. Some of the more knowledgeable students stiffened at the name. Even those who'd planned to slack off during the first lecture subconsciously straightened in their seats.
"Eden Academy... might not be full of trash after all."
Even Hysteria muttered the words, impressed.
"Is Professor Gust... famous?" Elena asked uncertainly.
"Famous?" Hysteria's expression twisted. "It's not even a question of fame. Putting someone like him in charge of first-years is like using dragon-slaying magic on goblins."
Her tone was equal parts amused and baffled.
"Ten years ago, during the Starfall War, he represented the Zijinghua Empire on the front lines — single-handedly held off an assault from three legions on a fortress. And even back then, he was already a Seven-Ring Arcane Mage."
Seven Rings?!
Elena might not know much about military accomplishments, but even she could tell what that meant. For Arcane Mages, the number of rings alone told the story.
In this world, Arcane Mages were ranked from One Ring to Nine. Most people — with enough talent, effort, and sheer struggle — could reach Three Rings, which was also the minimum graduation requirement at Eden.
But beyond that?
Four Rings and up was the domain of true geniuses — individuals recognized by the Weave, the arcane lattice that governed the world's magical potential.
A Seven-Ring Arcane Mage could already be called an "army of one," a strategic weapon on the battlefield. And Nine-Ring mages? They were the stuff of legends, names etched into history — powers that operated outside the authority of nations, but that all countries had to account for.
After all, not even the Zijinghua or Flame Rose Empires wanted to risk their capitals being randomly hit by a [Meteor] spell someday.
And above Nine Rings... lay the divine realm, a threshold even someone like Hysteria didn't dare assume she could cross.
Compared to the stunned students, Professor Gust remained as composed as ever, continuing in his calm, deliberate cadence:
"Now then, for our first lesson today..."
Every student perked up, practically trembling with anticipation. No exaggeration — this might be the most powerful Arcane Mage most of them would ever meet in their lives. Naturally, everyone was eager to know what a Seven-Ring Mage would teach on the very first day.
"Meditation."
The room went silent.
"Did... did we mishear that?"
"Meditation? Seriously? That's it? What, is this a tuition scam?"
"Watch your mouth. You couldn't afford a single second of Gust's time, even if you sold your family's gold mine."
"Maybe this old guy just looks like the real Gust? What the hell is meditation supposed to teach us?"
Even Hysteria looked puzzled, and Elena found herself doubting what she'd heard.
Meditation — the process of drawing in mana — was the most basic skill for an Arcane Mage. While only Linen and Hysteria had shown signs of being One-Ring Mages so far, everyone admitted into Eden had strong foundational training. Meditation was practically second nature.
For a Seven-Ring legend to start with something this elementary? It felt like a letdown.
Linen, however, didn't rush to any conclusions.
Eden Academy was built from the ground up by his mother, who valued education far too much to allow an obvious fraud to teach here — even if that person was a Seven-Ring Mage.
Another breeze swept through the classroom as Gust's voice resumed:
"Be patient, ladies and gentlemen. What we'll be practicing today is no ordinary meditation — but [Weave Meditation]."
"Ah. That makes more sense," Hysteria murmured.
"[Weave Meditation]? Sounds like... still just meditation?"
Now Linen was the confused one.
After transmigrating, he'd been busy getting handsy with his black-stockinged maid. His Arcane knowledge base was embarrassingly shallow.
"Shia, can you explain what [Weave Meditation] is?"
Elena's cheeks flushed pink. There was just too much she didn't know — things that everyone else seemed to take for granted. It made her feel self-conscious.
Linen, meanwhile, pricked up his ears, ready to leech off Hysteria's upcoming lesson.
Stealing knowledge doesn't count if it's overheard.
Unfortunately, whether it was because he leaned in too obviously or Hysteria was just too sharp, she suddenly turned and glared at him.
"What are you staring at?"
"How would I know I'm looking at you unless you're looking at me?"
Linen didn't miss a beat, replying with full confidence.
"Tch."
Hysteria clicked her tongue, annoyed. She leaned closer to Elena and began whispering instead — which meant Linen couldn't hear a single word.
So much for eavesdropping.
But going around to ask someone else? As a royal prince, wouldn't that be humiliating?
There has to be a way to overhear this without losing face...
Just then, an ill-timed chuckle rang out from somewhere nearby.
"Tch. Doesn't even know what [Weave Meditation] is and thinks she's qualified to study the Arcane?"
Elena didn't react much, but Hysteria's expression darkened instantly. She opened her mouth to lash out —
But before she could speak, another voice cut in coolly:
"Since when is ignorance of [Weave Meditation] a disqualifier for studying the Arcane?"
"P-Prince L– I mean, Linen... I didn't mean it like that," the girl stammered, startled by his intervention.
"Didn't mean it? Then is it fine if I say this: anyone who hasn't reached even the First Ring has no business applying to Eden and should save us all the embarrassment?"
"I'm sorry, Your Highness."
Faced with Linen's quiet authority, the girl had no choice but to shrink back, trembling.
"Then as punishment, you'll explain to us what [Weave Meditation] is."
Linen spoke evenly.
"Yes, Your Highness."
The girl breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly began:
"[Weave Meditation] is a type of advanced meditative technique. Regular meditation just gathers raw mana, but [Weave Meditation] accumulates mana in the form of pre-built spells. The spell types are limited, but it allows for near-instant casting."
"It's convenient, and it overcomes the typical need for chanting. But it's extremely difficult — that's why most places treat it as an advanced course."
"Thank you. I understand now. Just don't speak out like that again."
"Th-thank you, Your Highness!"
She slumped back into her seat, relieved beyond words.
And Linen, internally?
Success.
He'd found the perfect face-saving way to eavesdrop.
Still, this [Weave Meditation] concept... storing mana in the form of ready-made spells, limited in scope but optimized for instant release...
Wait a minute. Isn't this just... deckbuilding?!
This is my home turf!
---
Meanwhile, Elena, having just witnessed Linen stand up for her again, could barely keep her heart from pounding out of her chest.
He did it again... Was that... for me?