Chapter 12: Master Class

“So, did you find out if you passed the test yet?” Alice grabbed her choice of lunch for the day as she spoke to Ariella, who couldn’t decide what to have. “You came back too late to tell me anything.”

Ariella snapped her head toward Alice and smiled. “Not yet, but I know I aced that test. Everything on it was something I already knew. It only took so long because it was so much I had to do. Apparently, it was more than normal since the advanced class had only begun, so he wasn’t sure how much I actually knew. As for the practical exam.”

“You had to do both?” Alice raised an eyebrow. “That’s not normal.”

“It’s because Professor Ironheart is the only one who teaches it. He also said it’s a class that requires both.”

“That’s… quite demanding.”

“You say that like you wouldn’t be able to pass the test if it was about the magic you were good with.”

“You’re not wrong. It would be pretty easy.”

“Exactly.”

“So, how did it go? The practical test part.”

Compared to yesterday, the cafeteria was far from busy, so after grabbing their food, they sat down at one of the many empty tables.

“Why’s it so empty?” Ariella looked around.

“Sometimes lunch is at slightly different times because of classes, and they don’t have to eat at the cafeteria. With that out of the way, how did it go? Come on.”

Ariella waved her worries away. “No issues. In fact, I’m pretty confident I passed. While compartmentalizing enhancement magic wasn’t new, it’s extremely rare for a dwarf to do, so figuring it out on my own impressed him enough, but what shocked him the most was how I used my mana.”

“Ah, as support?”

“Yeah. It’s not enhancement magic, but since I’m able to combine it together, Professor Ironheart thinks he can make use of it.””

“So he’ll probably want to work together with you and figure out how to improve enhancement magic.”

“Which means I’ll be able to enter the master class.”

“That’s quite cocky.”

“Just stating facts,” Ariella shrugged. “How about you? Anything new?”

“My classes have been great, and while I find the combat classes to be enjoyable, I’ve been leaning more into research. The idea of creating spells sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Then shouldn’t you focus more on those classes?”

“I plan to after this semester, but I also want to take advantage of my mana pool. If I’m able to cast the spells I try to create, then it will be a lot easier to test things.”

“Well, if you need any help, then I’m more than willing to do so.”

“Thank you,” Alice smiled before taking another bite. “What’s your next class?”

“The one I’ve been looking forward to the most. The professor had to cancel yesterday, but not today.”

“Is it the Leviathan one?”

“The Biography of Leviathan, to be exact. Hopefully, she teaches us some new things or at least introduces us to books I haven’t read before.”

“I hope so, too.”

Although the first class of the semester wasn’t exactly what she was hoping for, the books that Professor Hazel showed the class were things she hadn’t seen before. Yet, until they reached that point in the semester, it looked like whatever they were going to go over was information she already knew about.

“Before everyone leaves, I would like to announce that there will be an assignment due at the end of the semester that will be worth 25% of your grade. As for the details,” Professor Hazel handed a piece of paper, going over the finer details. “You will need to write a report on the Leviathan. The length doesn’t matter, nor does the topic, but it has to be substantial enough, and while it doesn’t have to be a brand-new discovery, it can’t be too common.”

Ariella flipped through the project before raising her hand.

“What’s your question?” The professor asked.

“What sources can we use for this? I’ve done a lot of research on the Leviathan, and I don’t think any of it would be worth writing about.”

“Well, with your entry to this school, you are given permission to enter the library, and there are a lot of books that aren’t publicly available there. Also, if you need to go outside the city walls to do research, then that’s fine too. But you’ll need to get permission to do so.”

With the end of Ariella’s question, the bell tolled, signaling the end of the class, but Ariella wanted to ask one last question, so after grabbing her books, Ariella rushed to Professor Hazel’s desk.

“Professor Hazel,” Ariella said to draw her attention.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was wondering if there were any books you would recommend? I’ve always had an interest in the Dragons, and Leviathan has been my focus since it’s basically our neighbor.”

“So you don’t call them Gods?” Professor Hazel raised an eyebrow.

“No, because they’re definitely not gods,” Ariella bluntly said. “Is that a bad thing for this class?”

“No, of course not. You’re free to think of them however you wish. There are no rules that force you to think a certain way, especially in this class. I’m simply surprised. And while it’s not rare for people to be curious about them, your interest seems more than just that.” Professor Hazel narrowed her eyes as she leaned forward. With a tilted head, her lips curled up. “So, what kind of books are you looking for?”

Ariella hummed through the hallways, looking at the list of books given to her. While she was going to scour the library for anything new, having a list to help guide her in the right direction was going to help wonders.

“Ariella,” Professor Ironheart called out after class. “May I speak to you?”

Ariella grabbed her books and walked up to his deck. “Hello, Professor Ironheart.”

Professor Ironheart grabbed a stack of papers and handed them over to her. “Your knowledge is impressive. I figured you would do well on the exam part of the text, but I didn’t expect you to get everything right. Maybe a high B or a low A considering how much was in this test, but everything right is not what I expected.”

“I didn’t cheat, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“That would be even more impressive,” Professor Ironheart laughed. “And as for the practical part, well, you passed that too.”

“So does that mean I can move up to the next class?”

“Yes, but that will shuffle your schedule around, although not by much. Normally, students are given the weekend to themselves, but our class meets on Saturdays for three hours, sometimes more. If that works for your schedule, then yes.”

“Really?” Ariella dropped her books and slammed Professor Ironheart’s desk in excitement. “I passed!?”

“I look forward to seeing you this Saturday. While the class isn’t large, I’m sure you’ll learn a lot.”

“Thank you,” Ariella eagerly picked up her books. “Wait, does that mean I don’t need to come to this class anymore?”

“No, but you should use that free hour to study for your other classes and finish your homework since you’ll be busy on Saturdays.”

“Of course, of course. I’ll see you Saturday.” With her last words, Ariella dashed through the halls, ran through the courtyards, and flung the door open to her dorm where Alice was studying for the night.

“What’s wrong with you?” Alice asked.

“I told you I would pass,” Ariella tossed her books on top of her bed and smirked. “The class is every Saturday for three hours. Professor Ironheart is a lot different from I thought, too. He seemed like the stern type, but he just wants to find others who love enhancement magic just as much as he does.”

“Then it sounded like you had nothing to worry about since that fits you perfectly.”

“Why, thank you.”