Classroom Learning

Leading Libarius by his sleeve, careful not to let him slip away, Gracia opens the sliding door to the classroom. They step inside, the tapping of his cane announcing Libarius’s arrival before he appears before them. He walks to the center of the class, in front of the lectern. He doesn’t take stock of attendance, and begins his address.

“Castor, I had an enlightening discussion earlier, and I believe it prudent that I begin my research sooner rather than later. If we act fast, we ought to be able to secure Polydeuces once more.”

“What? What do you want with him? And why did you even meet him to begin with?” Without answering the questions, Libarius starts to walk away. Gracia grabs his sleeve once more.

“The class.”

“Ah, right. Tell me Gracia, what am I to do here?”

“Huh?!” Gracia turns towards the class in a small panic, her voice soft. “Just… one more second…” Gracia pulls Libarius away. “Do you not know what to do?”

“Of course not. I learned solely through practice and the literature, but you keep returning me to this room, which seems ill-suited for either.”

“Why are you doing something you don’t know anything about?”

“I believe it to be conspiracy. So what shall you have me do?”

“Just lecture about magic.”

“I see. It shall be done.” Libarius returns to his place in front of the lectern. “The first mage of note is the Grand Sage, whose true name has been lost to time. His writings and the writings of his disciples are what form the basis of our current understanding of the magic of antiquity. In combination with archaeology, we are able to understand somewhat the role magic and mages played in society at the time. What this research unveiled is that though much of the processes and theory of magic have altered greatly, to the point where what bits and pieces that have come down to us are nigh incomprehensible within our modern contexts. However, the praxis of our existence, what it means to be a mage, is largely the same from what has been gathered. The Sayings of the Grand Sage have long been passed down, serving as the foundational philosophy from which we conduct ourselves.” Gracia interrupts.

“Stop, Libarius.”

“Was that wrong? The topic is magic, and my lecture is certainly interesting.”

“No, the topic is history. That’s the sort of thing my master would lecture to me about between lessons.”

“Then it ought to be right. Mr. Tetricum is a brilliant mind, you know.”

“Of course I know that. The point was that we need a lecture in place of practical exercise, so it needs to be on magic itself.” Callidus interrupts.

“Hold on, Ms. Vis, is your master the head teacher?” Gracia averts her eyes, looking to the floor. Libarius sighs in disappointment.

“How impertinent. Mr. Tetricum is not merely a ‘head teacher;’ he is, and it pains me greatly to admit, the greatest mind of our time. You would do well to remember that.”

“That has nothing to do with anything. I’m saying that our teachers don’t know what they’re doing.”

“If you will think back to yesterday, you will remember our shows of force, which left you all in a daze from the gap between us.”

“That doesn’t matter. I don’t care how skilled you are with magic, they’ve given up on us entirely!”

“‘Given up,’ you say?”

“Of course they have! Half of us can barely cast a spell and the other half won’t stop trying to fight everyone we see! Of course they give us teachers who don’t know what they’re doing!”

“You may be right, Callidus. However, I believe I have already told you what to do. Become undeniable. Make them bend the knee to you.”

“That’s easy for you to say! You’re not the ones stuck with you!”

“Perhaps so. However, I have no other choice. I was told to find great success in this year, a task I am now coming to understand ought to be impossible. However, I refuse to find myself defeated by those petty games, and as such am obliged not to see you defeated. Rather, I am strong, so simply follow in my wake.” Callidus grits his teeth and stands up.

“Talking down to us like that…” Callidus starts to walk towards the door.

“Indeed, if you would be better served in pursuing strength alone, you ought to; we would all stand to benefit. However, not one of you is strong enough for such a thing.” Callidus stops going for the door and goes for Libarius instead.

“Stop pretending you’re gonna help us! You’re the one who’s looking down at us the most!”

“I speak only the truth.”

“Shut up, bastard.”

“Fine then, as you refuse to listen, a contest. Let us go to the field. I will fight all of you at once. If you can land even a single blow against me, then I will acquiesce and let you all do as you please. However, when that future fails to come, and you realize that your small blades are insufficient to reach my throat, you will listen to our instruction.”

“Fine!”

“Then let us go.”

Libarius begins to leave the room. Callidus follows after him. The rest of the class looks towards Gracia, her head in her hands. She looks back up at them.

“We should follow them for now.”

As the class makes their way to the training field, Gracia begins to try to dissuade Libarius.

“Libarius, what are you doing?”

“They seem to still lack an understanding of what strength is. I will continue to teach them this same lesson until they learn it.”

“But won’t this just mess up our relationship with them even more?”

“They already lack respect for us. There’s not much to lose. And on that point, Gracia, you are perfectly competent, so I ask that you become similarly proud of that fact.”

“But we’re adults, won’t they stop listening if we keep fighting them? Isn’t it weird for adults to be picking fights with kids?”

“We’re hardly adults. It’s clear in how they look at us. If they respected us as adults, would it not be obvious by now? This is merely a fight between kids. We are all but mages. If they will not respect us as adults, then they must learn to respect us as mages. That is what it means to be undeniable.” Gracia pouts slightly and doesn’t respond.

They come to the training field, empty in the middle of classes, and begin their match. Libarius allows them to take whatever position they please, allowing the students to encircle him. Libarius smiles widely as he thinks about what magic they might use.

The students all use their spells simultaneously. The lengthy incantations overlap in a nearly indecipherable chorus. Libarius clicks his tongue. The spells are unleashed around Libarius, shining like a rainbow. Libarius swings his cane in a wide arc around him. Without a word, each spell is met with a stronger version of itself. Libarius’s version completely stops the students’ attempt. When the spells clear, Libarius stands alone in the center of the circles, the students knocked onto the ground around him, save for Castor, Stella, and Theo who surrendered regardless. Libarius chides them all.

“Utterly dull, even still. Not one of you infused your magic with the slightest hint of novelty.” Callidus gets up first.

“What was that!?”

“You all chose to cast such boring, textbook spells that I of course had no issue simply casting them all in a row before they could reach me.”

“Whatever.” Callidus goes quiet.

“Then come tomorrow, you all will follow my lessons dutifully.” Castor asks a question.

“We will, so, can you tell us your name?”

“My, to think you can’t even remember something like that. I am Libarius Mitis, your teacher for this year.”