Chapter 226: Professor Mynes
"No offence Class Rep but why would you take a class like this in the first place?" the professor asked.
It was a real question, the last set that came didn’t have any students that wanted to learn about Runes.
Most already had knowledge from their various homes, while others thought it was just too complex to bother mastering, and nobody could blame them, Runes weren’t really a celebrated topic at all.
In truth, Azel just wanted to avoid that alchemy class.
Reinhardt could have all the fun with potion brewing and bubbling cauldrons.
He wanted nothing to do with that mess. He’d seen enough explosions in the game to know exactly how disastrous that class could get.
"There are a lot of things about Runes I’m intrigued with," Azel replied casually, brushing invisible dust off his sleeve. "They’re used in everyday life."
To make his point, he raised a finger and gestured at the ceiling.
Instead of chandeliers or mana lamps, the classroom was lit by carefully inscribed rune circles that glowed, casting soft light across the empty rows of desks.
There wasn’t a single bulb in sight.
"I was just interested in learning more about them," he finished, "However it seems like nobody else is in this class and you’re not prepared to give a lecture yourself so..."
It sounded like a proper academic answer, the kind any model student might give.
He stretched his legs and rose from his chair.
The room was completely empty except for him and the professor.
There were no other students here, at least there were mutters in Professor Drake’s classroom, right now it felt llike he’d walked into a forgotten storage room.
He began to leave of course, maybe he could spend his time in the backyard or something...
As he approached the door, he placed his hand on the handle.
"Don’t!" the "professor" shouted.
But it was too late.
The moment he pulled, a bright wave of energy shot out and slammed into his chest, blasting him backward.
Azel crashed through a chair, tumbling across the floor in a tangle of limbs. He groaned, staring at the ceiling as his vision wobbled.
That was actually a very clean strike, if he forgot the fact that he was caught offguard.
But well, it... wasn’t painful, at least not fatally so. More like being shoved by a giant invisible hand.
He raised his palm and squinted at it. There was no physical damage on it even after the blast.
The professor stretched lazily, as though nothing had happened, arms raised above her head until her joints popped.
"Ah, the principal probably forgot to announce it to the newbies," she said. "But once a class is in session, you cannot leave until it has ended. Same thing with someone coming late to class. It’s a protective measure that keeps students from running away."
Azel sat up slowly, dusting himself off. "That would’ve been nice to know beforehand."
"It builds character," she replied with a shrug.
"I see..." Azel muttered, dragging himself back into his chair.
He hadn’t expected to be imprisoned in class, of all places.
Though, now that he thought about it, the rule made a strange kind of sense.
There was no slipping away when things got hard and no latecomers disturbing lessons as well.
It was good for discipline but horrible for him.
But still being locked in with this "professor," if she could even be called that? He was starting to think alchemy might have been the better gamble.
Clearing his throat, he leaned back in his chair. "So, Professor, may this humble student ask for your name?"
The woman nodded and began pacing toward the podium, her blonde hair bouncing with each step. She looked awfully confident for someone that had an empty class.
Perhaps some people were just born like that.
"My name is Professor Mynes Duvraine," she said proudly. "And I’m the daughter of the Grand Rune Mage, Stella Duvraine. As long as you’re in my class, you’ll be my student. Though I must warn you..." she placed a hand on her hip and winked "I’m not an easy woman."
She said it with so much confidence, like she expected him to be impressed.
Azel blinked at her, his face was still flat. "Maybe you should try to dress like one."
Professor Mynes chuckled into her hand, she was unoffended, as though she’d been waiting for that exact jab.
A glowing rune suddenly lit up on her palm. She pressed it against her shoulder, and in an instant, her outfit changed.
A long black coat materialized, flowing neatly around her form. Beneath it, a fitted brown shirt gave her a far more professional air.
She had transformed from lazy civilian to stern professor in seconds.
"Do I have your attention now?" she asked, flashing a teasing smile.
She raised her glowing hand and revealed the mark etched into her skin. "This is called an Item Rune. It’s one of the most basic forms of runic inscription. In fact, your storage rings use the same principle. I can store countless items and retrieve them instantly."
She flicked her wrist, and a chalk stick appeared in her hand as if pulled from thin air.
Then with another flick, it vanished again.
Azel raised an eyebrow. "Since you engraved the rune on your hand... where exactly are you getting the items from?"
It was an honest question. If the rune was bound to her body, did that mean her arm was now secretly a bag of holding?
"Oh, I linked it to my storage ring." She wiggled her fingers and flashed the silver band on her middle finger.
Azel just stared at her.
So... after all that flair, after all the "grand professor" energy, it turned out she was simply redirecting the signal to her ring.
He wasn’t sure if she was intentionally messing with him or if she genuinely thought this was impressive.
Either way, it wasn’t good.
’Oh lord, I’m finished,’ Azel thought, lifting his head to the ceiling helplessly.