"For today's session, I will be teaching you the fundamentals of high-speed chanting.
All you have to do is hold my hands and close your eyes,"
Ryn said, his face a mask of solemn wisdom as he sat in a lotus position across from Princess Celia.
Celia blinked, her golden eyes wide. "Are you sure? Direct knowledge transfer... I've heard of such a thing, but it's supposedly a Sage-level technique."
Ryn didn't answer. He simply reached out and gripped her hands tightly.
[System: Transferring Magic Theory (Part 1) to Target: Celia]
Cost: 1,000 Glory Points.
[Yes] / [No]
He clicked [Yes]. Instantly, a stream of complex formulas and mana-flow diagrams began to pour from Ryn's mind into hers.
Truthfully, the hand-holding was completely unnecessary for the System to work, but Ryn figured it made the "service" look more expensive and believable.
"Woah..." Celia gasped, her eyes snapping open as the connection broke. "It really worked. My head... it feels full. How did you do that?"
"It's a unique attribute of mine," Ryn lied smoothly. "I can share my memories, but at a cost. I've effectively lost that knowledge myself so that you may have it."
Celia looked at him with genuine guilt, her heart softening. "You... you sacrificed your own knowledge for my education?"
"It is my duty as a tutor," Ryn said, looking tragic. "Now... time for payment."
Celia reached into her pouch and flicked a gold coin into the air. Ryn didn't even use his hands.
He leaned forward and caught the coin mid-air with his teeth, snapping his jaw shut with a satisfying clink.
She tossed another one. Ryn lunged like a golden retriever, catching the second one just as deftly.
By the time the session was over, Ryn had a mouthful of gold and a very generous tip from a remorseful Princess.
As Ryn walked back toward the S-Class dorms, jingling with every step, he found two students standing like statues in front of his door.
They were third-years, their uniforms crisp and their expressions stern.
"This is my room," Ryn said, pointing at the door. "Unless you're here to pay me for something, you're in the way."
"The Prince wishes to see you," one of them stated.
Ryn's internal alarm bells went off. Arthur. The guy who smiles while he stabs you. He knew avoiding the summon would only make things worse.
"Fine. Lead the way."
They escorted him to a private balcony at the top of the academy.
Prince Arthur was already there, bathed in the orange glow of the sunset, pouring tea with the grace of a professional butler.
The guards bowed and vanished.
"It's been a while, Ryn. It's a pleasure to see you again," Arthur said, sliding a steaming cup across the table.
Ryn sat down, his face split into a fake, wide grin. "What a pleasure for a great person such as yourself to grace a lowly commoner with your presence."
"Don't flatter me," Arthur chuckled. "You might be wondering why I called you here."
"Not at all," Ryn said.
Arthur paused, his teapot hovering in mid-air. "...Well, if you aren't wondering, does that mean you already know?"
"No, I don't," Ryn answered.
He had come here with an iron resolve to stay mysterious, but his brain was currently fried from the day's events. Arthur stared at him, his smile twitching. Is he a genius, or is he just an idiot? the Prince wondered.
"Well," Arthur continued, regaining his composure. "I would like for us to become friends. If that's okay with you."
"Of course," Ryn answered immediately.
"Then it's settled. We are friends." Arthur took a long sip of his tea.
Ryn squinted. He didn't believe for a second that this was a real friendship. He picked up his own cup and took a sip.
PFFFT!
He sprayed the tea across the balcony. It wasn't that the tea tasted bad—it was just the sudden, paralyzing thought: Wait, Arthur is the villain. I wouldn't even be surprised if the tea is poisoned.
"Is everything okay?" Arthur asked, wiping a drop of tea off his sleeve.
"No, it's nothing! I just remembered I left my... oven on. May I take my leave?"
"Sure," Arthur said, his eyes narrowing.
Ryn scrambled away, but Arthur's voice stopped him at the edge of the balcony. "You shouldn't be so uptight, Ryn. We're friends now, right?"
Ryn turned back, gave a stiff, awkward nod, and bolted.
On his way back, Ryn took a shortcut through the Training Center. It was a mistake.
"Hey, Ryn! Over here!"
Leon was waving from the center of the sparring grounds. He was drenched in sweat, holding a practice sword. Mira was standing beside him, her hair tied back.
To any normal observer, they were training.
To Ryn, they were clearly in the middle of a "Main Character Romance" training montage.
"Ryn, I never see you at the training grounds," Leon said, breathing heavily.
"Or the library," Mira added, her eyes sharp.
"What exactly do you do with your time?"
Ryn opened his mouth to lie, but Leon beat him to it. "Anyway, have you thought of what to build for the Magic Engineering test?"
Ryn froze. Build... Magic Engineering... Test?
"The project?" Mira sighed, seeing his blank expression. "Since you were asleep in class, you probably missed the announcement.
We have to build a magical tool. Whoever builds the best one gets a guaranteed pass for the rest of the year."
"So you haven't thought of anything?" Leon asked.
"No," Ryn admitted. "Who am I even partnered with?"
Then, a foggy memory surfaced. A girl had approached his desk while he was drooling on his notes.
She had said her name was Amilea and mentioned a restaurant. He'd thought it was a dream about a date.
"I have to go!" Ryn shouted, turning on his heels.
Ryn arrived at the campus restaurant and spotted her immediately. Blue hair, soft eyes, and a gentle smile. It was Amilea—Bron's sister.
He sat down across from her, his face wearing a mask of polite friendliness while his inner voice screamed: this was the bitch that fucked with him back at the cafeteria.
"Hi, I'm Amilea," she said softly. "We met at the cafeteria, remember?"
"Yeah. I remember," Ryn said.
"I wanted to apologize for my brother's behavior," she said, her eyes turning into watery puppy-dog eyes.
"I only stepped in to keep him from doing something he'd regret. I hope you aren't offended."
I think you are just as evil as him, Ryn thought. "I understand. I'm not offended."
"I'm so glad," she chirped, leaning forward.
"So, since you're the smartest student in the S-Class... what do you have in mind for our project?"
Ryn leaned back, a dark, interesting smile crossing his face.
"We aren't making something called a GUN"