Fake it till you make it [1]

After a few minutes, Professor Esther adjusted the blazer and turned her gaze away from Leon.

'Hm? Did she just ignore me? She'll not target me, right?'

As he thought all that, Professor Esther continued her speech.

"I will say this only once."

Her voice was as dead as it could get, yet it echoed through every ear in the room.

"There will be three theoretical subjects you are required to enroll in each academic year, along with two practical subjects. You are free to choose your theoretical subjects, but the practical ones will be assigned by us."

"Each subject will follow a credit system. Credits will be awarded for every piece of excellent work you submit. These credits will determine your overall grade at the end of the academic year."

She paused, then ran her gaze across every face seated in front of her.

"Any doubts?"

No one answered.

"Great, now let's begin today's class," she said, "I'll be teaching you basic spells."

Basic spells was one of the practical subjects, and Esther was the instructor.

"For those who don't know," she said, raising her hand with her palm facing upward, "I'm one of Eclipse's five Breakers… and a Three-Star White Mana Core."

After she said that, she proceeded to close her eyes before murmuring,

"Should snow allow, I call its name – Let winter's breath be now renamed."

A faint light radiated from her palm, shooting upward in a thin, misty flare.

The white flare slowly curled as it rose, expanding itself across the ceiling. 

Within a second, the entire room fell silent.

Leon looked up and saw a mist settled into a thin, cloud-like layer, inside a lecture hall.

'I remember this scene,' he thought.

Slowly, it began to snow.

Pure, white flakes fell gently around him.

One landed on his wrist.

His fingers twitched.

'This is…?!'

It was warm.

The warmth spread across his body, which made him feel at peace.

Slowly turning his head, he looked around.

"Waa…"

"Beauitiful."

It wasn't just him.

Even Ethan's eyes widened. Raising his hand, he touched the snowflake.

Leon witnessed all of this.

The moment Ethan touches it, he mumbled.

"It's warm…?" he turned to ask Leon, half curious, 

"How can snow be warm?"

Leon narrowed his eyes, then answered.

"She's a Breaker."

When someone reaches White Core, they surpass logic. Even spells lose their restriction.

Cold could become warm, and warm could become cold.

A Breaker has the ability to bend reality.

"She's strong," is what Ethan thought.

Leon smiled at it. 

"Indeed."

'But, you're someone who would be far superior to her.'

In Eclipse, including Raizen and Esther, there were three others who reached the White Core and gained the rank of 'Breaker'.

"I think that's enough demonstration of my abilities, if anyone had their doubts."

She stopped the spell by closing her palm.

"Now then, shall we begin?"

Everyone's eyes focused on her as she turned towards the board.

Tak– Tak– Tak–

Picking up a chalk, she wrote a two-line incantation. 

"Can anyone tell me what this incantation does?" she asked, turning around, looking at the few hands that were raised.

Leon read the line of phrases written on the board.

—Quiet winds that circle slow - gather all the scents that flow.

'A fragrance spell.' Leon recognised it.

It was a basic spell, and anyone with basic spell knowledge could answer it.

It was easier for Leon to remember it, as when designing the game, and especially the spells, they needed something visually and audibly appealing. For that, Haru hired a poet who crafted all the incantations of 'Rebirth of the Fivefold Calamity'.

Haru personally reviewed each and every spell before adding it to the engine.

'That was hell.'

Just recalling it gave Leon nausea.

"Yes, you from the front… Miss…" Esther checked her register before calling her,

"...Miss Rinna."

Rinna answered in a polite tone.

"It's a fragrance spell, Professor Esther."

"Correct. Now can you tell me what affinities are required to cast this spell?"

To cast a spell, one needed to have sufficient affinity to pulse its mana inside their body.

A person with only water affinity wouldn't be able to cast a fire spell.

"Wind, and water. Professor." Rinna answered.

"Correct. Now tell me this, why is it that every spell has a two-line incantation?"

"..."

She thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"I don't know, professor."

"Have you ever thought about it before?" she asked.

"...No," Rinna answered, lowering her head.

"Hmm. It's alright. Anyone else?"

She looked around.

No hands were raised this time.

'Why is she asking this question as if it's common knowledge?'

Indeed, the answer to her question was still under research. No one really knew why a two-line incantation was needed.

Was one-line incantation not enough?

Either way, it delays the casting time.

'Good thing I don't have to use these long lines while using a spell.'

He was lucky to get his hands on [Voiceless Incantation].

"Hwaaa…" Leon yawned.

'I need sleep.'

Just then—

"You at the back."

"Hm?" Rubbing his eyes, Leon looked at the source.

'Shit.'

Professor Esther was looking at him.

'What do I do…'

Then he looked at Ethan.

Poking his shoulder, he whispered,

"Hey Ethan, she's calling you."

"She's calling you, not me."

'This guy!'

"You with the black hair, care to answer."

Everyone's gaze in the class turned to him.

'I knew it. She wouldn't leave me that easily.'

Leon inwardly sighed.

Standing up from his seat, he asked,

"Can you repeat the question, Professor?"

Leon saw a burning flare in her eyes.

'Why does every beautiful woman have killing intent in their eyes?'

He wished he knew.

Esther's eye twitched as she asked once again.

"I asked why is it that every spell has a two-line incantation. And it would be polite if you told me your name before answering."

'Why can't you check it in your register like you did with Rinna?'

It's unfair.

Someone muttered,

"It's the princess proposer." 

Leon, maintaining his calm expression, turned his gaze toward the source.

'I'll remember your face.'

With his breath held and eyes steady, he replied.

"My name is Leon Valentine. And to answer your question, Professor Esther, it's still in the research phase. No one truly knows why every incantation has two lines."

Leon paused, then added before Esther could stop him.

"But I have my own theory."

Professor Esther's gaze narrowed.

'It's simple, if one truly thinks harder.' Leon thought.

He grinned before answering,

"The short and simple answer is, we're using two-line incantations because we need permission."

"Permission?" Esther tilted her head, completely lost.

"Yes. For example, the spell you just wrote on the board…"

—Quiet winds that circle slow - gather all the scents that flow.

"The first line, 'Quiet winds that circle slow'—here, we're asking the winds for their permission. In simple terms, we're trying to get the attention of Wind Affinity."

The professor listened.

"Now the second line, 'Gather all the scents that flow'—this is where we request the spell's effect. We want the pure scents to gather around us and cleanse foul odors. Now, the real deal is… these two lines don't need to be connected. And you did the exact same thing with the spell you displayed earlier."

He looked straight at the professor and asked,

"'Should snow allow, I call its name – Let winter's breath be now renamed.' In this, you were trying to attract the attention of two affinities: ice and wind. But because you're a Breaker, you altered the final syllable. Am I right, Professor?"

Everyone in the class went silent.

Professor Esther's mouth hung open, but her voice stuck.

'Now that's the reaction I love to look at.'

The theory Leon just spouted was supposed to be proposed much later in the story, by none other than Esther Halls herself.

The genius mage and spellcrafter of the century.

— — —

[A/N] : The following targets are still valid:

300 Power Stones : 2 extra chs on weekend

100 Golden Tickets : 4 extra chs on weekend