"Good morning, everyone. I am Lynn, the newly appointed professor of Arcane Mathematics at Ietta Magic Academy."
Under the startled and skeptical gazes of the students, Lynn stood at the podium. With his hand as a pen and pure magic as ink, he wrote his name in the air.
The quiet classroom instantly burst into chatter.
"Professor Lynn, I heard you came from the other side of the Sea of Mist. Can you tell us what the world out there is like?"
"Professor Philip mentioned that you believe this continent is spherical. Then why don't people fall off the bottom?"
The students, seeing that Lynn appeared as young as they were, were far from restrained. They bombarded him with questions, their curiosity about him outweighing any interest in the lesson.
They asked how he crossed the Sea of Mist, defeated the Great Whirlpool, and destroyed half a port city with magic. Even his free-fall experiment was brought up.
It was clear that in just a day and a half, Lynn's exploits had spread far and wide. The students were here not so much for the class as for their curiosity about this new professor from beyond the mist.
Faced with the barrage of questions, Lynn didn't know where to start. But just then, Jonie, seated nearby, suddenly asked.
"Professor Lynn, what is Arcane Mathematics?"
Lynn breathed a sigh of relief and began to explain.
"Excellent question. Arcane Mathematics is the study of complex concepts like quantity, structure, change, and space. You can use it to calculate the circumference of this planet, explore the movements of stars, and unravel the constants of the universe... Arcane Mathematics encompasses everything you see. It is the most crucial tool for understanding truth and comprehending the world!"
As he spoke, Lynn amplified his voice using the principles of sound waves, making the students' eardrums hum and effectively quieting the previously noisy classroom.
Every student present listened intently as Lynn's grandiose terminology stirred their imaginations. Many realized they were in a uniquely magical class.
However, after painting this grand vision, Lynn shifted his tone.
"Of course, these profound mathematical concepts are far beyond your current reach. For now, you must start with the basics—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division."
"Isn't that just arithmetic?" A student in the front row couldn't help but interrupt. "We've already learned that in the basic courses."
The prerequisite for learning magic was literacy and an understanding of basic arithmetic principles. Thus, Ietta Academy often provided supplementary education for children from impoverished families, teaching them to read, count, and recognize basic magical symbols.
"Will learning multiplication and division allow us to master some powerful magic?" another curious student asked.
"No," Lynn shook his head.
Seeing his denial, the students' expressions turned to disappointment. Some even suspected that Lynn's grand talk about Arcane Mathematics was just a ruse to get them to attend the class.
"Isn't this Arcane Mathematics class just like the basics? Arithmetic isn't difficult—I mastered it all in just over a month," a freckled boy of about fifteen asked proudly.
"Oh? Is that so? Are you sure?" Lynn smiled and asked in return, then clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention.
Though he could have used magic to demonstrate the power of combining Arcane Mathematics with magic, Lynn knew that to continue this course, he needed to show them that even pure mathematics had unimaginable power.
"In that case, let's make a bet!" Lynn smiled slightly, snapping his fingers. Under the influence of the [Mage Hand], four desks floated up and assembled into a larger square table.
Next, a quill on the desk dipped itself in ink and drew a grid of six rows and six columns, making a total of thirty-six squares on the large table.
"The rules are simple. Place one copper coin in the first square, two in the second, four in the third, and so on..." Lynn looked around at the students, speaking in a highly tempting tone.
"If anyone can fill all these squares with the corresponding amount of coins, I will immediately write an application to the Wizard Council stating that they have completed the Arcane Mathematics course with full marks. And I will reward them with a bottle of [Source of Magic]..."
"Professor, is that true? You're not joking, are you?" A tall, thin student named Pierce stood up excitedly and asked.
What is the [Source of Magic]?
It is the most crucial item for an apprentice wizard to advance to a formal wizard, worth hundreds of magical gold coins and not something money alone can buy!
For someone like Pierce, who is in his twenties and has yet to complete any course, Lynn's two promises are of immense importance.
"Of course, I guarantee it with my honor!" Lynn nodded without hesitation.
Hearing Lynn's resolute answer, Pierce hesitated. His life experience told him that there couldn't be such an easy deal. Either this professor was bluffing, or there was a catch.
Pierce roughly calculated in his mind but soon found himself unable to continue. He could only estimate that filling the first row's six squares required sixty-three copper coins, which didn't seem like much.
"Anyone want to give it a try? There's only one spot!" Lynn tempted again.
"I'll do it!" The freckled boy who had interrupted earlier eagerly stood up.
Pierce watched as the boy, Elok, stood up and immediately regretted hesitating. Without the courage to take risks, he realized why he hadn't advanced to a formal wizard.
"What's your name?" Lynn asked curiously.
"I'm Elok, Professor!" the young wizard announced loudly.
So it's you, Elok...
Lynn nodded, having just yesterday taken on a favor from the boy's father to look after him.
The opportunity had arrived.
"Elok, I must remind you that this bet cannot be forfeited. Once you start, you must fill every square. The money you place will be used as research funds for this course, in exchange for my promise and the [Source of Magic]!" Lynn kindly reminded him.
"Of course, no problem!" Elok patted his chest confidently. Though he couldn't calculate how many copper coins it would take to fill the squares, he knew very well the vast difference in value between a copper coin and a bottle of [Source of Magic].
This was a difference of millions of times!
No matter what, millions of copper coins should be enough to fill those thirty-two squares. No, perhaps just two or three thousand would suffice.
And [Source of Magic] is priceless!
"Then, please proceed!" Lynn pointed to the table, a signature smile on his face, signaling Elok to begin his show.
Elok, without hesitation, took out his purse and placed the first copper coin on the first square.
Then two, four, eight, sixteen... thirty-two...
By the time he reached the sixth square, he had already exhausted his coins, with the seventh square requiring sixty-four copper coins...
Elok hesitated, holding a silver coin, but instead of placing it down, he turned to the watching students and boldly said, "Who can lend me some copper coins? I'll pay you back double tomorrow when I fill these squares!"
Inspired by Elok, the wizard apprentices generously took out their purses, not worrying about him not paying them back. Even the regretful Pierce offered all his savings—six gold coins!
Soon, the borrowed coins piled up on the table, except for Jonie, who watched from the side without any intention of contributing.
"Jonie, aren't you going to make some money?" Lynn asked curiously. "Or have you already figured out the result?"
The silver-haired girl shot him a glance. Although she couldn't calculate how many copper coins it would take to fill the thirty-six squares, she knew Lynn's mind was sharp and that he wouldn't have a bottle of [Source of Magic] to give.
Elok, however, was full of confidence. With the students' pooled funds, they had over twenty gold coins and several hundred silver and copper coins. Surely that would be enough to fill the squares!
Thinking this, Elok grabbed a handful of coins and filled the second row of squares.
After spending forty silver and ninety-five copper coins, a third of the table was filled.
Easy, too easy.
Most of the students began to regret not being the first to step forward. Even Jonie, who had faith in Lynn, started to waver. Could the table really be filled?
Elok felt triumphant, placing forty silver coins and ninety-six copper coins into the thirteenth square. But as he continued, he sensed something was off, as the last square in the third row required thirteen full gold coins!
That was... a lot, wasn't it?
Elok hesitated, realizing that his remaining money was not enough for the next square.
"You can write the amounts directly with the pen, and we'll calculate it all later!" Lynn suggested casually, not making things difficult for him.
Elok, looking at the remaining squares, gritted his teeth and took the quill, filling in the numbers.
Two hundred... no, three hundred... As long as the total amount spent was below three hundred magical gold coins, his father should forgive him, considering that [Source of Magic] couldn't be bought with money.
However, as he filled in four more squares, Elok realized his budget was already exhausted, and he would have to contribute even more.
Under Lynn's "kind" gaze, Elok's hand trembled as he wrote. The enormous numbers forced him to use paper and pen for calculations.
But Elok wished he couldn't calculate because each number he wrote made his heart tighten. By the fifth row, he was on the verge of tears.
Elok mentally counted his family's assets and made a terrifying discovery.
It seemed his family had gone bankrupt...
No, this was beyond bankruptcy.
To fill the last square in the fifth row, he needed
a hundred thousand magical gold coins! This was nearly half the wealth of the Kingdom of Erand, an astronomical sum that could barely afford to fill half the table.
Elok shook his head, not daring to continue.
He now understood why Jonie hadn't contributed.
The students who had lent him money were also dumbfounded. None of them had imagined that Elok would become a complete pauper just by filling half the table.
"I... I give up." Elok wiped the sweat off his forehead, regret and fear flashing across his face as he realized how close he had come to ruining himself over an impossible bet.