— My name is Mais Zarietti, and the students are addressed as Mr. Mais or Dean Mais. Come on up, I'll personally instruct such an interesting student…
Everyone who had studied long enough in the Halls of Issa gloated over Ragne's suicidal audacity. With his head held high, he marched through the ranks of students, many of whom had talent far exceeding the three meters.
After five minutes of wandering through winding corridors hung with hundreds of mirrors, Ragne arrived at a gaudily furnished pulpit that looked more like an incense-smothered den. Instead of greeting him cordially, Ragne found himself under a barrage of glass blades that nearly turned his body into a pincushion. A dash to the right allowed him to dodge the attack, but the explosion of the glass swords generated a huge amount of shrapnel. The sharpest crystals pierced the floor and walls. Ragne survived only because Maiz stopped the shards a few centimeters away.
— I am pleased to welcome an able student to the Hall of the Glass Ghost, but please refrain from making arrogant remarks in the future.
His warm smile and half-moon eyes gave the deceptive impression of good humor.
"Not particularly impressive as a show of strength."
Ragne spoke calmly to the teacher, whose eyes opened a little wider.
"Really?" Then maybe you'll have a little more time…
Before Maiz could finish, the fragments that had torn holes in the ceiling rushed down, aiming not at the young man, but the owner.
"Took control of the glass shrapnel with the aura, just by awakening it? Interesting kid…"
The fragments passed through the blond's afterimage, while the teacher found himself behind the careless young man, but even here he found himself under a barrage of fragments. Guided by the aura, the five-centimeter pieces of the strongest glass found their target, when suddenly ... the maize broke into fragments. More precisely, the mirror crumbled, which came from nowhere.
— We are called Glass Ghosts because of two things: first-the masters merge auras with glass, making it their main attribute, the second-mirages, and the game of reflections, thanks to which even stronger opponents are unable to catch us. Elusive as ghosts, you know?...
While the teacher was lecturing, Ragne was trying to get out of the glass shell that surrounded him with an impenetrable dome.
"You're impertinent… This is encouraged in our Hall, but not to the masters. Be more submissive, and we will unlock your potential, which, I dare say, is quite great. A combination of combat skills and control… From the two directions of the Glass Ghost: To release the glass and Create mirages, the second one will be the most suitable. There you can…
— Then I'll take the first one."
Maize's eyelid twitched involuntarily.
- How naughty, we will re-educate. Do you know why the Halls of Issa recruit students all year round, regardless of their level of knowledge and training?
Judging by the mocking expression, the master was preparing to present some mischief, but the young man did not panic.
— Because they pay thirty gold pieces a month?"
Mais laughed.
"Gold doesn't mean much to aura masters. The reason for this recruitment lies in the very system of training Halls of Issa. We are not like other institutions that take control of students ' knowledge from start to finish. No, here you learn by yourself, how much the student learns depends least of all on the teachers.
— Then what kind of bearded intellect did you give up for?" Useless teacher sounds like: a legless horse, a blind gunslinger, and a father eunuch.
The fiery speech finally wiped the smile from the master's face.
- Maybe so… If you want to leave the Halls of Issus, we won't hold you.
Seeing that the young man was silent, Mais continued.
— What am I talking about?" First, students receive manuals with basic concepts. After a month of training, a certification exam is held, which determines whether he will continue to study in the Halls of Issa. And only after the exam, you can attend classes, the first five of which are free, while the rest require completing tasks, or paying with gold coins. Depending on the importance of the material taught and the complexity, the price varies from five gold to ten thousand.
The prices could not help but shock and the only thing that Mais was waiting for was the slack jaw of a negligent student, but he received an indifferent look.
— As punishment for inappropriate behavior, you will spend all your initial training inside the glass dome. Textbooks and food will be brought later, but in the meantime, enjoy the environment, get used to it so to speak...
As the dean turned to leave, Ragne called out to him.
"Mais, didn't you say that the initial training will be completed after passing the exam?" I want to turn it in right now…