The next morning, after a night spent in deep meditation, Lynn stepped outside after a brief wash, only to run into Professor Philip, the Elemental Magic instructor.
"Professor Lynn, did you rest well last night?" Philip greeted him with a smile.
"Very well, indeed. The conditions here are far more comfortable than those within the borders of the Secas Empire." Lynn's face softened into a smile. Starting today, he no longer needed to constantly worry about the threats from the Church.
"Of course. I've heard that the poor there live in huts made of thatch and stone. Is that true?" Philip asked with curiosity.
For Philip, who hailed from the land of sorcerers, his knowledge of the Secas Empire was limited to rumors. He enjoyed spending his Monday evenings at the docks' taverns, listening to the sailors' tales of the outside world.
"That's true for the common folk, but the nobles and priests live in quite the lap of luxury as well," Lynn said, noticing Philip's interest. Drawing from Karl's memories, he gave a brief account of the Empire and the Church's structure.
"You've faced that archbishop before. Do you know how these people use divine magic? Do they study elements, shaping, or alchemy like we do?" Philip asked again.
"I don't think they do," Lynn shook his head. Based on the selection process for priests in the Nordland territory, all that seemed required was martial prowess and unwavering faith in their deity.
This was something Lynn had always puzzled over. Was there a path to power other than the pursuit of truth?
Philip didn't dwell on the matter. Satisfied with his curiosity, he began to introduce Lynn to the various areas of Iyeta Academy.
Iyeta Academy spanned over ten thousand square meters. The iconic Screeching Tower stood in its center, flanked by the living quarters for students and professors. The library of magical tomes and the combat training grounds were located to the right, while the remaining space was dedicated to the different academic departments.
Elemental Magic, Shaping, Alchemy, Potion-making—these were the four main disciplines at Iyeta Academy.
Additionally, some of the top academies in the City of Sorcerers offered special courses such as Prophecy and Force Fields.
"There used to be a Psionics department too, but it's been abandoned. That'll be where you'll teach," Philip said, pointing to a separate, gloomy-looking building next to the Screeching Tower.
The entire Psionics building looked rather eerie, covered in thick gray walls. Moss grew on the peeling plaster, giving it a desolate appearance, likely due to years of neglect.
"I'll have a few sprites clean it up later. It should be ready for use by this afternoon. Those Psionics wizards were always a bit off. Honestly, it was a good thing the Council disbanded them," Philip remarked with a hint of schadenfreude, before explaining the course scheduling.
As a professor, Lynn could arrange his classes freely, but it was advisable to establish a fixed schedule and avoid clashing with other professors' classes. Otherwise, students would have to choose between courses.
However, after Philip finished outlining the current course schedule, Lynn immediately realized that most of what he had said was redundant. Every day was packed with various classes, so any new course Lynn introduced would inevitably have to compete for time slots with the existing ones.
"Elemental Magic is the most popular discipline at Iyeta Academy, usually taught from ten to twelve in the morning and from seven to nine in the evening," Philip kindly advised. The implication was clear—these prime time slots were out of the question if Lynn wanted anyone to attend his new course.
Lynn nodded noncommittally, and Philip inquired once more.
"Have you decided on a name for the new discipline?"
"Let's call it… Arcane Mathematics," Lynn replied thoughtfully.
After accepting the position of professor, Lynn had been contemplating what exactly he should teach.
Magic was out of the question.
To date, the spells he had mastered numbered less than ten, possibly fewer than some students. Teaching them would only invite ridicule—unless he was willing to share his method of making white phosphorus.
But that was one of his few trump cards, and Lynn wasn't inclined to spread that knowledge around. So, he turned to the subjects from his previous life.
Literature, geography, and biology were too dependent on the world's context to serve as suitable teaching material.
Chemistry was promising, but it would overlap with the Elemental Magic discipline, and Lynn didn't want to challenge Philip right off the bat. That would be unwise, especially since this world might have elements unknown to him, making it better not to teach rashly.
As for physics, even if he wrote down an equation, the students would need to understand the symbols and operations first.
The only viable option was mathematics!
A circle is still a circle, and a square is still a square. Basic arithmetic principles had to be universal, and mathematics was the foundation of all scientific and technological advancements. It was the most important tool humanity had for understanding and transforming the world.
Most scientific theories could be expressed in mathematical formulas, making this discipline eternally cutting-edge. Many advanced research results were derived entirely through mathematical reasoning.
Magical theory should be no exception.
For example, when he studied [Magic Missile], the Hellram formula came into play, and Coru's research on fluid dynamics involved extensive mathematical calculations. It was evident that wizards had been delving into mathematics for a long time, though it hadn't yet coalesced into a formal discipline.
The reason was simple—wizards couldn't directly gain power from mathematics; it was an indirect benefit, applied in specific magical contexts.
This led to mathematical formulas being scattered across various disciplines, sometimes without even a consistent method or notation.
After Lynn briefly described the essence of Arcane Mathematics, Philip's expression became somewhat puzzled. He had expected Lynn's new course to focus on novel theories from the [Arcane Society], not something as basic as arithmetic.
Would anyone really study such things?
Philip opened his mouth, hesitating. He feared that if Lynn only taught these topics, he might not attract a single student.
But it was each professor's prerogative to choose their material, so Philip refrained from offering advice. Instead, he made a mental note to mention the new course to the students later, to spare Lynn the embarrassment of teaching an empty class.