By Zephyria 
Following Shayden’s advice, I listened to the lecture, taking notes on what I had prepared in advance.
There wasn’t a single student who grumbled at Professor Kaiser’s words, stating that they would proceed directly from the first class due to the sheer number of Artifacts to be learned.
The handouts contained several detailed diagrams, allowing one to grasp at a glance the typical appearance of each Artifact, the Magic Formulas used, and generally formed price ranges and performance classifications, without any strange magical terminology.
“I’ve already told you that there aren’t many Artifacts for practical use. Now, between combat and medical use, which is used more? …Yes, the student with their hand raised over there.”
“I believe combat Artifacts are used more.”
“And why is that?”
“Because we learned that it’s better to invest capital than human resources when dealing with monsters.”
“Good. It’s not perfect, but it’s close to the correct answer.”
I turned my gaze towards the girl who had answered. When our eyes met, she looked flustered and turned her gaze forward.
Her way of answering was upright and confident, which I found admirable, so I had looked at her. However, seeing her reaction, I felt that it was wrong to be distracted during class.
I, too, looked directly at Professor Kaiser’s face again.
“Of course, human life is a value that takes precedence over material possessions. However, in this class, we will express it a bit differently. It is because using the power of Artifacts is more efficient than human strength when dealing with monsters. From now on, I will explain the first type of combat Artifact: Explosive Artifacts.”
I was so moved by the sentiment that human life is cherished that I copied the professor’s words verbatim into my notebook. However, the students, as if hearing something obvious, focused intently on the professor’s words without even glancing at their notebooks.
Explosive Artifacts function similarly to Thunderclap Bombs (bombs made by refining gunpowder).
Gunpowder is inherently a weapon of war, so its use was strictly prohibited by the court, and I had never touched it with my own hands when I lived in the Central Plains.
It felt strange to be learning in detail about the structure of Explosive Artifacts here, even if only through diagrams.
Explosive Artifacts are divided into categories such as Fire, Cold, Electricity, and Others, depending on the type of Magic Formula used, and into Small, Medium, and Large sizes based on their firepower.
They were also divided into Short-range, Mid-range, and Long-range categories based on the distance of use. I meticulously recorded the names of the Artifacts and the names of their inventors in a table within these twelve classification methods.
After writing it all down, I was reminded anew that this class was a business management class.
Judging by the students’ note-taking methods and their focused demeanor, it was clear they intended to memorize this table exactly as it was and use it for the exam. I stared blankly at Professor Kaiser, who had begun explaining the usage of the first Artifact, and then, not wanting to fall behind, diligently took notes referencing the handout.
Many of the Artifact names were written in the format of “Type X, Model Y.” Professor Kaiser also explained this.
“The number preceding the Artifact’s name is a numerical modifier indicating how many functions that Artifact possesses. For example, look at the Type 2 Electric Shock device on the third page of your handout. The Magic Formulas used are two types: electric discharge and electric absorption. Why was it designed this way? Student in the second seat, second row, please answer.”
“…To protect the user…?”
“Please answer with more confidence. That’s correct. It has the function of firing an Electric Shock attack at the targeted opponent while simultaneously absorbing the generated electricity so that it doesn’t affect the user. Why is it indicated by a number like this? Yes. Student with your hand raised.”
“To clearly indicate the number of Mana Stones required for the Artifact’s creation.”
“Correct. What is your name?”
“Demian Christopher.”
“I will remember it.”
I knew Demian was a good student, but seeing him answer so clearly was astonishing. Jurgen Kaiser continued speaking.
“Just a hundred years ago, all Artifacts were named after the Wizard who created them. However, as the number of Wizards increased and the variety of Artifacts began to grow infinitely, several accidents occurred. The most famous among them is the Hans incident.”
“Hans?”
Some of the children turned to look at a student and giggled.
The student who was the focus of their attention nudged the shoulder of the student looking at him and they bickered. It seemed his name was Hans. I also chuckled briefly at the sight of the young children squabbling.
“There’s one here too. That’s right, Hans is a common name. The famous Battle Mage Hans and the Medical Mage Hans of that era were also homonyms. Both were orphans, adopted by the Magic Tower, and given convenient names. And both were proud of their names and attached their names to the Artifacts they created. Hans No. 1, Hans No. 2. And people who confused their Artifacts…”
Gasp A sound of indrawn breath came from among the children.
“Fortunately, Artifacts were expensive back then and were only used for things like the Yuil Mountains subjugation. A Hans No. 1 did not explode in the city. However, during the Yuil Mountains subjugation operation, a giant Lizardman that had been captured was fully recovered. That’s when the subjugation mercenary alliance collapsed.”
Even though I didn’t know what a Lizardman was, it seemed to have been a quite threatening monster. I let out a small hum.
“The injured mercenary alliance strongly protested to the Magic Tower, which sold the Artifacts, and the Magic Tower undertook the arduous task of standardizing Artifact names to prevent misuse and abuse. After the Hans incident, all Wizards were required to specify the number of Mana Stones used in Artifact creation and the Artifact’s function in its name.”
“…Hmm?”
“If you have any questions, you may raise your hand and ask.”
A sound of surprise escaped my lips without my realizing it. Professor Kaiser looked at me, so I immediately raised my hand and requested permission to speak. The professor readily nodded and granted it.
“I was surprised because the name of an Artifact I know deviates from that rule.”
“What is the name of that Artifact?”
“I heard it was the Source of the Waterproof Forest.”
The Source of the Waterproof Forest was the name of an Artifact I learned about in Professor Angela Sting’s class last semester.
That Artifact, used to purify monster corpses, was a round object about the size of a child’s fist, a remarkable item with a spell formula of twenty-five sentences engraved twenty-five times.
Professor Kaiser nodded as if it were obvious and replied.
“Occasionally, for Artifacts that are useful and widely used, you will see poetic names instead of standardized ones. This includes not only the Source of the Waterproof Forest but also the Starlight of Dawn, Sigh of the Earth, and Blessing of Darkness.”
The children nodded and wrote down the names of those Artifacts. I did the same.
“These Artifacts were invented before the Hans incident and have been used consistently by many people for a very long time, so their names have become brands in themselves. They are only used when they contain magic other than combat or medical magic.”
It was more than enough explanation. I nodded to show I understood. I didn’t rush, knowing that the others, like the Starlight of Dawn and Sigh of the Earth, would be explained later.
Meanwhile, the boy who had distributed the handouts earlier kept glancing over at me. I, of course, noticed his gaze. After thinking about it, I realized. He was the mouse-like boy I had seen at the entrance ceremony. I didn’t remember his name, but I remembered that his face turned red easily.
He must have been assigned to assist with class errands as well, as he was a work-study student. It was fascinating how much these students did. I suddenly wondered if Rubel also did such auxiliary work in various classes. It was hard to imagine.
I didn’t have time to dwell on other thoughts. I was told to turn to the next page of the handout, so I did.
❖ ❖ ❖
On Tuesday morning, during Advanced Swordsmanship class, I was pleased to see familiar faces and exchanged greetings.
There were thirty students, the same number as last semester. However, it was noticeable that two of the ten Second-Rate Martial Artists had stepped into the realm of First-rate.
To grow so quickly, even witnessing it, was an astonishing speed. If Maelo Sanson had been in the Central Plains, he could have easily established a lineage.
Rubel and Lucilla, Benjamin and Matt, stood by my side as a matter of course.
As I was buried among the tall figures, Walter Orgen, passing by, made a joke about a bouquet or something, and was soundly scolded by Lucilla.
I laughed, finding the children’s affectionate bickering endearing.
I had expected them to spar with each other again this semester, but Maelo Sanson observed the students carefully, asked about their well-being, and then left a mark with the tip of his scabbard on the training ground floor.
All the children stood in their designated positions under Sanson’s guidance. I seemed to be the only one bewildered about what kind of training they were about to do. Sanson explained with a smile.
“You must have felt many things through sparring last semester. Now that you are somewhat familiar with each other’s swordplay, we will learn how to attack in concert. The most important aspect of attacking in concert is the attitude of ensuring the safety of the person next to you. This semester, you will learn how to ensure your Sword Path is not obstructed while paying attention not to get caught by your comrade’s sword or body.”
To form a Combined Formation with these children? I looked around.
I had formed Combined Formations in the Central Plains before.
I had heard that if one had a formidable Combined Formation, it could save internal energy and protect each other when facing a single absolute master or when surrounded by numerous enemies.
Among them, Shaolin’s Eighteen Arhat Formation and One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation were considered the best, but each sect had its own secret Combined Formations.
A Combined Formation was a Martial Art used when one needed to gather a hundred soldier ants to kill an elephant. It required an extremely high level of coordination.
Each sect would pair martial artists of similar skill and age and train them consistently from childhood for their unique Combined Formations.
This was possible because they all used the same Martial Arts and knew each other deeply. It was not something that could be achieved by merely observing and learning each other’s Martial Arts for four months.