To read until the final episode p.atreon.com/tengri02
༺ Professor Ferzen (3) ༻
Tap, Tap, Tap. As a result of the cloudburst, the falling raindrops knocked on the classroom windows.
Perhaps because of my harsh words, not only Lizzy but also other students refused to meet my gaze.
The only one who seemed unafraid was Laura.
"….. Let us resume the lecture."
My throat started hurting because I've been incessantly teaching for a while.
In my following lecture, I should order a cup of tea…..
"To reiterate, even if you acquire the necessary 'comprehension,' this still won't impact your performance on a real battlefield, even if the war or conflict lasts for a short duration."
Because….
"The real-life experiences you have received till now are exactly the same as those recently drafted soldiers."
After concluding this topic, I wrote down the intricacies of how their grade would be quantified for this first semester.
"The midterms and final exams will account for 40% of your total grade, excluding the 5% of your attendance points. Assignments will measure the remaining 15% of your grade. I've personally requested your Highness the First Imperial Princess, and with her approval, from the 3rd week onwards, a corpse will be assigned to each of you….."
"Professor, are you saying each one of us will receive a corpse?"
"That's correct. In fact, your very first long-term assignment will be related to increasing your degree of 'Comprehension' and proficiency with the corpse. The deadline would be until your midterms."
"... "
"But don't worry, all the corpses will require the same amount of mana to be controlled."
Since warlocks are a legitimate and vital resource for the Empire, naturally, the trading of corpses is a thing in this world.
And it was not difficult at all to procure the corpses of commoners.
"And the main objective of my lectures, as previously stated, will be to foster your 'comprehension.'"
"... "
"In order for one to be a good warlock, the most important thing is knowledge. From the most mundane things like 'common knowledge to the most obscure and abstract concepts of this world."
I don't think I'll even be able to hold on to such a crude tool like this chalk anymore, so I put it down and lowered my sleeves.
"For example…. the basic notions between genders."
"Sir?"
"I sincerely hope that all of you maintain your maturity while we consider this topic."
Standing at the podium, I cleared my throat.
"All of you must have already received some form of sexual education, and this can be considered part of the 'basics between genders.' So when a woman ministers the corpse of a man or vice versa, those who know these basic concepts show a better implementation rate."
Even after my warning, most students started to show a level of discomfort when topics like this were being discussed.
Still, this is something that needs to be discussed.
"But for us warlocks, just knowing the 'basics' are not enough. A good warlock is aware of the experiences that men and women must go through in their lives."
Even if the corpse was an excellent Elemental Wizard or Auror Knight, in the end, he was just a man or woman.
Therefore, this should also be something the warlocks need to know.
"For example, as a woman, you may already have sprained your ankle while walking with formal shoes for the first time, or you also had a hard time drying your hair after a long bath."
All the girls nodded slightly upon hearing those words.
"And all of you already have experienced the pains of menstruation, whose intensity also may vary from person to person, and also, women with large busts will often complain because of their shoulder and back pain."
"...!"
Immediately after I said that, most of those girls blushed and hid under their fans while exclaiming, "Oh my…."
"This is also the same for men. It is normal for men to experience an erection of their genitals right after waking up, and although this could vary from individual, most men also experience a phenomenon called 'wet dreams.'"
"Pfff….."
"Sigh… it seems I was a fool to expect some measure of maturity from all of you. Remember this no matter the corpse you're ministering; they can only be either man or woman."
"... "
"You should be ashamed of yourself for this pathetic display of conduct."
After expressing my contempt, I glanced at the clock and saw it was 9:45 am.
After checking the time, I erased the words I wrote on the blackboard, took the attendance list, and continued.
"Send a letter to your servants, and instruct them to conduct a survey of the residents of your territory or request for aid in the 'Mercenary Guild,' or do it yourself…."
I was going to give these kids their first assignment.
"The deadline is next month, 12th of April. Research for the experiences that both men and women go through in their lives. Remember, failing to or refusing to complete the assignment will result in your points being deducted."
Education is a symbol of status and no doubt a monopoly in itself.
Because of this, there are no proper textbooks in this world.
Therefore there is no need to say how strict this world is when it comes to sharing knowledge, as most education is done by private tutoring under a non-disclosure contract.
"The data you have collected in this assignment shall be complied and organized to create a textbook. Of course, while your name won't be disclosed, your family's name will."
"A textbook…?"
Those children are a little confused by this unfamiliar concept.
"This textbook will act as the foundation for next year's freshmen. And of course, since the textbook will be sold for money, part of that money will be handled to your family as royalties."
At those words, my students' eyes started to shine a little.
This is an honor dedicated to their families, and if someone is competing for the succession rights, this could be used as a means to prove their worth.
"But remember, I will be the one to decide if your contribution is worth having your family's name etched in the textbook…. so if any of you are dissatisfied with the end result, come to my office during the grade inquiry period."
9:55 p.m.
Only five more minutes….
"Also, although I criticized the modern behavior of most warlocks, I do not entirely condemn them. With this in mind, the 2nd week of our class will be focused on 'Magic,' and the 3rd week will be focused on the 'Auror Knights.'"
9:56 p.m.
Since I ended my lecture 4 minutes early, I quietly left the classroom.
* * * * *
Laura De Charles Rosenberg
The girl with memories of her past life was rubbing her aching waist.
'His lessons are worth listening to….'
While not to the extent of Brutein, Rosenberg is still a relatively wealthy family.
Therefore, Laura, who was dotted by her father since her birth, naturally had private tutors and renowned warlocks teaching her from childhood. But even she never heard of some concepts explained by Ferzen today.
'The basic knowledge of genders….'
This reminded her of her past life.
Could this knowledge help her in her duel with Ferzen over the corpse of Isabel?
'No.'
As he said, this was just the basics.
And she still has all her memories as Isabel.
She should've had an indisputable advantage.
Still unable to cope with her defeat, Laura carefully got up from her seat.
'Didn't he say that we would be focussing on the topic of 'Magic' next week?'
Interesting.
Regarding elemental magic, there won't be anyone as knowledgeable as her in this academy.
Therefore, it would be a waste of time for her to attend these lectures.
"But he specifically said 'Magic'…. not elemental magic."
Could it be a unique thing then?
I don't know….
In her past life, Isabel Ron-Pierre Genova was someone who rose to the pinnacle of the Apollyon class as an Elemental Wizard.
So next week, there won't be anything worth learning.
"Did you know? Professor Ferzen was rumored to be a crazy bastard. But seeing him now, I don't think he is that bad. I thought he might've used his prestige as the second son of Brutein to intimidate us. And his lesson was not bad at all…."
"I don't care about this Brutein nonsense…. for me; these desks are the real problem here. I want to push this thing forward because I'm big, but I can't. Who was the demented individual who thought this was a good idea?"
"Hey, that's what I was saying! What's with this all-in-one desk? Why is it fixed on the floor? Do they think we're gonna steal them? We have some time until the next class… Let's go file a complaint to the administrative building about these horrible desks. I just can't stand them."
Some students have already started to socialize…
Ah, so they hate those desks too?
Saying that they are uncomfortable is an understatement.
At least for Laura, these all-in-one desks are beyond uncomfortable. They are a blight in this world.
So when she heard that some of them were going to file complaints at the administrative building, she had to contain her joy.
Rather than me, who would just stutter and out myself as a joker, wouldn't they do a much better job at it?
'Time to go.'
As Rosenberg is considered the birthplace of art and culture, most of the girls would want to befriend her.
And being a seasoned stutterer, Laura avoids social interactions like the plague, so she quickly leaves the classroom.
'Now I have ancient language classes….'
Laura still didn't understand why such a thing was a mandatory topic, since this knowledge would only be useful if one was an archeologist or scribe.
Squeak.
Squeak.
As she walked down the hallway, Laura slowly turned her head towards the squeaky sound of a wheelchair.
"Thank you….."
"Ah… n-no p-problem… I-i just stepped…way…."
Lizzy Poliana Claudia was using a corpse to push her wheelchair.
And after making way for her, she expressed her thanks.
'Contrary to her attitude in the classroom… She is surprisingly polite.'
I wonder why she was so disrespectful to Professor Ferzen.
The academy can be considered as an extension of the aristocratic society first and only after that a learning center.
Therefore, it wouldn't be wise to be singled out by Brutein.
In places like this, rumors tend to travel fast.
Of course, there's also a rumor going around about the marriage between Claudia and Alfred, so I can't ignore her either….
I need to stay neutral.
Because it's not good to be hated by either Brutein or Alfred.
Since rumors tend to become exaggerated as they travel around, I wonder what will become of today's events…
'She's too young for this type of game….'
Laura carefully looked at Lizzy going down the ramp next to the stairs.
To read until the final episode p.atreon.com/tengri02