Chapter 11 - The Worst Lecture in the Empire's History (2)
Karen Raven, a freshman at the Imperial Academy, didn't like Professor Lian.
It wasn't because he was a commoner—she didn't discriminate based on status. It was, ironically, because he was a bigot.
"You're nothing but a lowly cotton picker," she had heard him say, sneering through the door after a meeting, disdainful of the idea that "one of them" would dare apply to the academy.
Hearing that slur had made Karen seriously consider withdrawing her application. Her closest friend was Asian, and she had grown up despising people who would call someone a "yellow monkey" while making slanted eyes.
Anyone who judged others by skin color or social status was never decent, and that professor had clearly fallen into the irredeemable category. She'd decided to steer clear of him at all costs.
But that resolve was now wavering.
She couldn't stop thinking about what she had seen Professor Lian do at the entrance ceremony.
The man she thought was an intense racist had thrown himself, without hesitation, into the path of a beast to save a terrified Black girl. It was such a stark contradiction that she didn't know what to think.
Had she misunderstood something? But then, why would he make that "cotton picker" remark? Was he a terrible person or a good one?
The question gnawed at her. Her blond curls tangled in frustration, Karen finally came to a decision.
"I'll have to find out myself."
If she had misjudged him, she'd have to admit that her initial assumptions were wrong and apologize.
And luckily, the perfect opportunity had just presented itself.
Professor Lian had recently opened a new class.
The regular enrollment period had ended, and usually, that meant she'd be limited to the courses she had selected. But the dragon of the academy had, once again, bent the rules to accommodate Professor Lian's late request.
The course was popular, with fierce competition for seats, but fortunately, Professor Lian had restricted enrollment for A-Class students, so Karen wouldn't have to compete with any royals for a place.
Using all the influence she held as a daughter of a prestigious family, Karen finally managed to secure a spot in the class.
"This way, I'll get the answer myself."
Days flew by, and soon enough, the first lecture date arrived.
Walking into the class with a racing heart and a sense of anticipation, Karen was instead met with something unexpected: they were going mountain climbing.
There was no question in Karen's mind. This mountain had to be cursed.
Hours of climbing had driven her to this conclusion.
It seemed everyone turned into a liar as soon as they set foot on the trail.
"You kids are looking so tired. Come on, now! We're almost there!" an older man had said cheerily as they crossed paths.
The middle-aged man, with his fatherly smile, assured them they were close to the top, but by now, not one of the students believed him.
"Almost there? We're over halfway, don't worry."
"This is the last climb. It's all flat from here."
"Really, just thirty more minutes. Trust me."
They'd already been fooled by countless others just like him. Karen was ready to go back to the entrance and shake the gatekeeper who had promised that the trail would be easy, even for beginners. This was anything but easy.
Her legs were trembling, and her clothes were soaked with sweat, sticking to her skin uncomfortably with every step.
Raised as a noble, she'd been taught to carry herself with dignity at all times. Yet, here she was, panting like a dog with her tongue practically hanging out.
"If only we were allowed to use magic," she muttered.
Professor Lian watched them from behind, his eyes trained on them like a hawk. He'd given no explanation but had firmly forbidden them from using any magic on the climb.
Naturally, since Professor Lian was a mage, all the students in this class had magic training. None of them were physically inclined, and the entire trail was filled with groans and gasps of agony.
"How much further do we have to go?" someone finally moaned.
They were already struggling with the well-maintained parts of the trail, but the professor had led them down an unmarked path that required actual climbing.
The Imperial Academy was filled with sheltered nobles who had never so much as dirtied their hands. Some of them were openly shedding tears of frustration.
"Why am I even doing this…?" Karen thought, blinking back her own tears.
Her face was so covered in sweat that no one would be able to tell she was crying, or so she told herself.
They crossed steep slopes and climbed rocky walls. Every time they overcame an obstacle, another challenge loomed ahead.
As much as they wanted to give up, none of them were willing to waste the effort it had taken to secure a spot in this class.
Determined not to fall behind, they forced their shaking legs to keep moving, clinging to the sunk cost of all they had endured.
After what felt like an eternity, the torture finally ended.
"We made it!" shouted a student at the front, his voice filled with relief.
The half-dead students came alive at the news, scrambling forward like hungry dogs chasing a meal.
They emerged to find an old temple nestled at the peak.
It didn't seem likely that they'd stumbled upon it by accident; it must have been their intended destination all along.
All eyes turned expectantly to Professor Lian. Yet, to everyone's surprise, the professor seemed slightly puzzled.
"What are you all standing around for?"
The professor tilted his head, as if genuinely baffled.
"Well, we're at the top now," one of the students ventured. "When is the actual lecture going to start?"
"…Did none of you read the course title properly?"
It was a reasonable question, but his response only confused them more.
"The course is called 'Autonomous Exploration of Magical Understanding.' The goal is for you to train independently and gain insight on your own. If I tell you everything, there's no point."
It was a vague statement, but the students were sharp enough to catch on quickly.
In short… they were supposed to be studying on their own.
They had climbed all the way up here, only to be told there would be no lecture and that they should just pursue their own research as they pleased.
"Then why did we come all the way up here?"
An expected complaint, to which the professor responded with infuriating calm.
"Why? No special reason. If you're going to study on your own, you might as well do it somewhere with fresh air."
Lian left them with that, citing the benefits of building resilience in one's youth and encouraging them to "stop whining and be grateful."
Without another word, he strolled away from the site.
It took only seconds for their shock to transform into frustration, and as soon as he was out of sight, curse words erupted around the temple grounds.
Normally, Karen would have held her friends back, urging them to watch their language, but not this time.
She clenched her fists, shaking with anger.
"What kind of teacher is he?!"
Tears of frustration blurred her vision.
She'd never been so blatantly insulted in her life. She couldn't contain her rising fury.
She resolved to use all her family's influence to see that this despicable professor was fired. Even that wasn't enough to quell her rage, and she lashed out, slamming a fist against a nearby tree.
Ice magic, her specialty, flared instinctively in her hands, and a massive shard of ice shot toward the tree, impaling it with incredible force.
A tremendous crash echoed through the clearing as the tree split under the pressure.
Karen stared at the spectacle in a daze, unable to believe what she was seeing.
This could only mean one thing…
This wasn't just an abandoned temple.
This was a Great Leyline.
A place where all the earth's magical energy converged.