After a brief walk, Julius noticed the crowded hallway leading to the classroom. He and Morgane were among the last to arrive, with most of their classmates already gathered, eagerly awaiting the teacher's arrival.
The loud chatter and laughter of the students resonated in Adam's ears, reminding him of his own school days. They seemed so far away that remembering them felt difficult.
'I can't believe I'm returning to school after so long.' He sighed inwardly. The details eluded him, but he never really liked school. He felt as if he was wasting valuable time each day.
However, that was the sentiment he had for Earth's school. Here, he would learn many things deemed impossible back in his world. It was so exciting.
As Adam lost himself in thoughts about the exciting new discoveries, Julius swiftly headed towards his waiting friends.
"Morning, guys!" He greeted them, finding comfort in their presence after his terrible experience last night.
Arun's green eyes lit up as he saw his friend. He swiftly left Asha's side and hid behind Julius, hints of fear visible in his eyes.
"Please, let me sleep in your room, or I'll die soon." He pleaded, yawning between his words and shocking Julius with their gravitas.
As Julius focused on his friend, he noticed how tired he looked, with dark circles under his eyes.
"Humph, he is just lazy! Don't be like him, Julius, or you'll waste your potential." Asha snarled at Arun's reaction, crossing her arms in displeasure.
"WHAT? You are worse than a devil! How can you make me study until four in the morning only to wake me up at six?" Arun screamed in outrage at his fiancé's unreasonable words. Then, he turned to Julius and added solemnly, "I told you she was a devil! Save me, or you won't have a friend after a few weeks."
Accompanied by Adam's laughter, Julius understood his friend's predicament. However, wasn't Asha his friend too? Should he accept Arun's proposal and risk angering her? He scratched his head, not knowing what to do.
Fortunately, Louise chimed in, saving the day for all of them. "Julius is extremely serious and diligent. You should let Arun stay with him. Who knows? He might learn from his friend."
Her face reddened slightly as she gazed at Julius with a shy smile.
After a moment of reflection, Asha nodded, convinced by Louise's words. "Alright. But I count on you, Julius. Don't allow him to slack off!" She declared after remembering how Julius would train at the slight occasion.
Arun raised his hands in joy upon hearing that he was saved. His genuine reaction elicited the laughter of his friends.
After a moment, Arun suddenly asked Julius, "By the way, how was your technique's study?"
"I... I forgot about it." Julius admitted with a fake smile. He couldn't tell them the college's director visited and almost crushed them under his mana pressure, distracting him from reading his tome, right?
"That's so... unlike you," Arun answered with a raised brow.
However, before they could take the discussion further, they noticed the ambient noise diminish. The loud chatter subsided, replaced by hushed whispers as the pack of students moved to let a tall, smiling woman pass with respectful head nods.
Her long green hair fluttered as she nodded back at the students in response. Then, she gazed at Julius with a bright smile, confusing him, while opening the class's door with her teacher's golden card.
The students swiftly entered the room, eager to finally learn how to use their mana.
As they sat at their desk, the beautiful woman moved he hair behind he pointed ears before introducing herself. "Hello, I'm Elysia Evergreen. I'll teach you mana control and its application in alchemy. I'm glad to meet thirty-one talented young novices and hope we'll get along."
The students applauded, enchanted by her graceful demeanor and otherwordly beauty, while Adam gazed at her pensively.
Two things caught his attention. First of all, she didn't look human with those ears. Second, there were only thirty kids in this batch. Why did she say thirty-one?
He quickly found out as Elysia distributed a copy of a theory book for each student. However, she placed two of them on Julius' desk, her intense gaze sparkling with a knowing light.
Lost for words, Julius and Adam looked at each other with confused expressions. Between Shepard, Morgane, and now Elysia, the number of people aware of Adam's existence kept rising.
Yet, they didn't seem scared or willing to get rid of him, confusing the duo even more.
"Didn't you say they would kill us if they learned about you?" Julius whispered.
"I don't know... From where I came from, people were extremely scared of ghosts and did everything they could to get rid of them." Adam responded, feeling as lost as Julius.
Simultaneously, Elysia started her lesson with a question. "Who can explain why mana control receives so much focus in alchemy while almost neglected in other branches?"
Many students raised their hands, screaming me, me, excited to give the answer.
With a chuckle, Elysia left many students to respond. However, none gave the answer she was waiting for.
Thus, she explained in detail that Mana control was particularly important in alchemy because this discipline involved manipulating and channelling magical energies to transmute and transform materials.
In alchemy, mana was used to catalyse reactions, enhance the potency of potions or elixirs, and imbue objects with magical properties.
"Precise control over mana allows alchemists to achieve desired results with greater efficiency and accuracy, ensuring the success of their experiments and creations.
Additionally, mana control enables alchemists to safely handle volatile or hazardous substances commonly used in their craft, minimising the risk of accidents or unintended consequences." She ended her explanation with a smile under Adam's sparkling eyes.
He remembered how Lucius explained that mages could only brew tier-two potions if they didn't specialise in alchemy because of their lack of mana control.
The prospect of delving deeper into the intricacies of mana control and its application in alchemy left him eager for more.