Classes Begin

A low hum of voices filled the Magical Theory classroom as Delphia slipped inside, taking a seat toward the middle row. It was a new week for school, and this was her second lesson day of the week. Each lesson day consisted of six classes with a lunch break in the middle.

January's dreary light filtered through tall windows, lending a gray cast to the polished floors. She set down her notes, quietly scanning the room. Several classmates milled about, discussing the upcoming lesson in excited or apathetic tones.

In the front row, Calista Faremont conversed animatedly with a couple of eager-eyed peers, her sky-blue hair neatly braided in two, her posture exuding self-assured grace. Further behind them, Sybil Mooresbane sat with her arms folded, wearing an air of boredom that barely concealed her scornful gaze.

Delphia eased into her seat, determined to remain unnoticed.

Once the bell chimed, their instructor, an older Noble with speckled gray hair, strode to the front. "Good morning, everyone," he began, tapping a chalk-stick on the board. "Today we'll review some fundamental runic intersections before exploring advanced layering techniques. Let's start with a question: How do we maintain a stable mana flow when bridging opposing elements through a single runic chain?"

A few enthusiastic hands rose—Calista's shot up fastest.

Delphia kept her head down, methodically setting out her notebook and quill. She had absorbed enough material over the past week to find these fundamentals almost simplistic. They treat this like esoteric art, she thought, but the logic's more akin to electrical circuits—input, modulation, output. The parallels are uncanny.

"Lady Calista?" The teacher acknowledged, a faint smile. "You're quite keen today."

Calista responded gracefully, folding her hands in front of her on the table. "Yes, Professor. I believe the key to maintaining stability is to isolate each element's mana channel with a barrier rune, so the flow is… contained separately before they merge." She spoke with confidence, voice smooth. Several students nodded approvingly.

The teacher hesitated though. "That's a decent start. But that approach alone can cause a feedback issue if the elements are strong, or the user's mana is insufficient. There's another crucial factor." He glanced around the class. "Anyone recall what it is?"

A hush fell. Calista's face flickered with uncertainty. She parted her lips, as though to amend her answer, then stopped. Sybil let out a small, derisive snort but didn't volunteer anything herself. Most of the other students exchanged nervous looks.

It was almost too easy for Delphia. Resisting the urge to sigh, she lifted her hand. The teacher's gaze swung her way, eyes widening slightly, as if startled that Delphia Vosswell of all people would volunteer. "Yes… Lady Vosswell?" He said tentatively.

Delphia sat straighter in her seat, voice calm. "Beyond isolating the mana channels, one must regulate the rune's amplitude threshold. If the threshold is set too high, the energies clash before blending; Too low, and you risk underpowered spells that collapse prematurely."

A flicker of surprise danced across the teacher's expression. "Exactly," he said. "Amplitude thresholds manage the flow, preventing the clash Lady Calista mentioned from becoming unmanageable. Excellent observation, Lady Vosswell."

Surprised murmurs rippled through the room—several classmates craned their necks to stare at Delphia. Sybil's brows shot upward; Calista's composure wavered for a fraction of a second. Delphia quietly relaxed, resuming her note-taking as though nothing had happened.

Her notes were a study in precision—headers neatly inked, diagrams drawn in sharp lines, margins filled with annotated keywords. She color-coded terms by category and even marked corrections on the professor's runic sketch when his chalk wobbled slightly off proportion. Her page looked less like a student's scribble and more like a refined textbook draft.

"Well… yes," the professor continued, regrouping. "Right—amplitude management. Let's see how that ties into a practical demonstration. If no further questions…?" He paused, scanning the front. "Now, for a basic application, we can show a low-level defense spell that merges elemental and arcane runes. Anyone wish to volunteer?"

Calista's hand rose at once. "I'll demonstrate, Professor." She offered a serene smile, then stepped into the aisle and approached the front of the classroom. She lifted her hands, a faint glow gathering at her fingertips. "A simple earth-shield, layered with a light rune for clarity," she explained. A small breeze curled around her, her mana forming a green translucent barrier. Faint sparkles reflected the overhead lamps, drawing an appreciative murmur from the students.

Sybil rolled her eyes and spoke loud enough to draw attention. "That's it? A mere earth-shield? Anyone can do that." A caustic smirk pulled at her lips. "If you're as capable as rumors say, show something beyond parlor tricks, LadyFaremont."

Another hush fell. The teacher opened his mouth, looking ready to chide Sybil, but Calista pivoted smoothly, her polite smile unwavering.

"As you wish." She pressed her palms together, focusing her mana. In seconds, the barrier thickened, the swirl intensifying with a deeper glow. To the onlookers' astonishment, her mana circle flickered briefly into view: four distinct rings of energy overlapping. Gasps erupted—in such a short time, she'd advanced from Third Circle to Fourth? The swirling shield crackled with a tangible pressure, hinting at upgraded power levels.

Even the teacher appeared taken aback. "You've… you've reached Fourth Circle, Lady Faremont?"

Calista dismissed the spell with a light flick of her wrist, letting the air settle. "Just recently," she admitted modestly, her cheeks glowing with the flush of triumph. "I've been studying diligently." Some classmates broke into eager applause in response. Sybil's face fell, a mix of frustration and forced indifference.

Delphia, for her part, jotted a quick note, not allowing herself to be rattled. She'd suspected Calista had grown stronger quickly, but seeing the proof unsettled her. She's truly living up to that 'genius heroine' aura the novel gave her—though clearly more cunning than naïve.

"That was… quite impressive," the teacher managed, clearing his throat. "Well done, Lady Faremont." He hesitated, throwing Sybil a warning look before turning back to the class. "Let's ah—move on to analyzing how that demonstration aligns with amplitude thresholds." Calista took her seat amidst scattered applause, eyes glittering with satisfaction.

Delphia kept her gaze on her notes. The stares around her were still there, half of them probably fixated on the 'uncharacteristic' Delphia who had corrected Calista earlier.

But she refused to engage further—there was no point.

The lesson continued, delving deeper into layering and synergy. Delphia found each explanation almost predictable, scribbling down concise bullet points with no fuss. When the professor presented a layered rune problem on the board that left the class confused, Delphia absentmindedly worked through it on a separate page. Her solution was neat, concise, and structurally sound—she even included alternative sequences with marginal mana savings. The professor happened to glance over her shoulder during his rounds and froze.

"Lady Vosswell… you've compressed the sequence by nearly twenty percent," he murmured, clearly impressed. "This… is a rather efficient interpretation."

"I just applied the resonance modulation method," she said mildly, tapping her notes. "Your standard sequence had a redundancy in the arcane bridge."

A few nearby students blinked at her like she'd spoken a foreign language. One girl behind her whispered, "Are those… graphs?"

Delphia merely turned the page.

By class end, the professor dismissed them with a broad smile. "Remember: synergy is one part technique, one part discipline," he intoned. "Great job today, especially our volunteers."

Calista accepted the warm praises of several admirers as they clustered around her desk, chattering about her achievement. Sybil slipped out of the room in a huff, refusing to look Calista's way. Delphia calmly gathered her belongings, ignoring the few hesitant eyes that hovered, as if wanting to say something to her.

As she reached the door, a soft voice spoke beside her. "That threshold answer was sharp," said a mousy girl from the back row. "Most of us barely remember the modulation concept. Do you… study outside texts or something?"

Delphia paused, then offered a faint smile. "Something like that."

The girl nodded awkwardly and slipped away.

Delphia stepped into the corridor and breathed a small sigh. So Calista's advanced to Fourth Circle… Sybil grows more resentful… and me—just the silent observer. But Delphia thought of her own knowledge, and how she'd answered the teacher's question so easily. Maybe I'm not just an observer anymore.

She clutched her notebook to her chest, letting the corridor's bustle swirl around her as she made her way to her next class. There was time enough to decide how she wanted to use her intellect—how to position herself among these rising powers. For now, she'd keep a low profile—a calm mind, a quiet presence, and subtle progress. That alone was enough to unsettle the order of things.