100 – The Circulatory System (2)
As soon as Damian heard that explanation, he immediately started to doubt it.
Low production due to the essence of alchemy, long manufacturing period, and exclusive recipe.
It was the obvious repertoire of a quack alchemist.
As you learn the basics of alchemy, there are three major potions that you often hear about. The medicine to rejuvenate, the medicine to fall in love, the medicine to become a wizard.
Numerous alchemists have devoted their entire lives to research, but it has never appeared in the world yet, and the chances of it appearing in the future are slim. In other words, it is like the utopia of alchemy. What I seek, but cannot reach.
Even in the introduction to basic alchemy, I consistently emphasized that such a potion does not exist.
It is an exaggeration to say that one potion can control the soul.
A pensions student raised his hand and told the professor, as if he had the same thought as Damian.
“I’m sorry, but it seems that the professor is selling drugs against us.”
Looking at the greedy eyes of the students, Professor Rakham smiled.
“Good point. Heh heh, look at these eyes. This is why alchemy quacks rob noble ladies. Isn’t it? If you can control the human soul with just one potion, why would you give that great thing to you? I should use it.”
Most of the Pensions Department students burst into laughter.
Professor Rackham was playing with the minds of his students.
“There are drugs that slow down aging, but there are no drugs that rejuvenate. There are drugs that assist mana management, but there are no drugs that give magical abilities. Same goes for this. You won’t fall in love with someone by drinking this potion. It just enriches the original heart. I mean, the feeling goes deeper. I’m going to dig a shortcut somewhere around the corner.”
Some of them muttered in disappointment.
“However, it is certain that this potion is the closest to the ‘elixir of love’ that appears only in mythology.”
Rakham added that the effect of the potion varies from person to person and that it lasts for two or three months.
For some, even that would be desperate, but for Damian, it was not an attractive reward.
Even if you get love through expedient methods, in the end, it’s up to the person to keep it. If you do not meet the qualifications, you will eventually be abandoned no matter what you do. Damian has already experienced it.
Of course, it was a valuable item, so even if it was used for the purpose of sale or exchange, a great profit could be obtained. Damian was thinking of selling the potion at a high price if he got it.
In the meantime, Rakham gestured to the teaching assistants to bring something.
“Now, let’s stop chatting and draw.”
The teaching assistants held the magic box and placed it in front of the church.
The lecture hall is covered with buzz of anticipation and excitement.
“As you all know, a student from the Department of Pensions will lead the group in this class. Other faculties will also play an important role in the future, so put your complaints aside. Students from other faculties, except for the Department of Pensions, draw lots from this box. It is a way to become a group with the leader who came out of there.”
During the preparation period, all rosters and group tables are open to the public, and are changed to private one day prior to practice.
Recruitment and release of group members are determined at the discretion of the Director of the Pensions Department.
As the teaching assistants called 20 names, they came forward and pulled out papers from the box one by one. Trisha, Cecil, Shion, Lilith, and others who had a one-sided relationship with Damian all finished the lottery, and finally Damian’s turn came.
Damian reached into the box and pulled out a piece of paper.
And I checked the name written there. I think I heard it somewhere, but I can’t remember exactly who it was.
[ Iris Semela ]
The teaching assistants wrote down the entire list of groups and Rakam reminded of the goal of the lesson once again.
“Your goal is to respect the circulatory system and integrate into it. You can change the team members as you like, but keep in mind that the score penalty is less if you go as drawn. Find your own best way to prepare, and ask your assistant if you have any questions. More.”
If you’re aiming for the top or highest grades, it’s advantageous to replace all group members with people who have the same total. This is because the penalty was not large enough to seriously affect the ups and downs. On the other hand, even a small score can make a big difference at a high level, so it was advantageous to go without penalty if you were aiming for the upper middle ranks.
That’s how the class ended first.
Now was the time to start the fierce group reorganization in earnest.
As soon as the professor left his seat, the classroom became noisy like a marketplace.
In order to confirm the group members and the leader, names are shouted out loud, and a great movement takes place in the classroom.
The soft voice of a woman passed through Damian’s ears.
“Who pulled Iris…?”
***
“Damian? There were a few people around who were talking about you. It’s really nice to see you like this.”
Orange hair with an orange tinge. Iris was a girl with the impression of an only child from a prestigious family. From her tone and appearance, she was mellow and caring, so it seemed like she would listen to the concerns of people she didn’t even know.
“Did you talk about me?”
“Yeah, I didn’t know the details, I just happened to hear it. She said she was at Wiesel with Professor Silverin.”
Another male student drawn in the same group interrupted.
“Do you remember me?”
His hair was shiny as if it had been dipped in a barrel of oil once. I even felt obsessive about the angular and straight parting.
Iris said with a shy smile.
“Ah… hahahaha. What was your name? I guess I haven’t heard the introduction yet….”
“Ah… okay? I am Lysander. Ministry of Magic.”
“It’s so nice to see you.”
Our attention was focused on the one remaining member.
He was quite big and fleshy, and he threw a word at me without introducing himself.
“Are you a disciple of the Archmage?”
“….”
After everyone kept silent, he finally introduced himself.
“Ah, I am Paulson, the eldest son of the Imperial Duke of Orlo. It’s a battle obituary, and since my father is the finance minister of the imperial family, I think you’ve heard enough.”
Iris’ face stiffened at the mention of her imperial finance minister.
Paulson said to Iris.
“I remember that you also received an invitation from the prince. Because he is the head of the pension department. Didn’t we see each other at the entrance ceremony reception?”
Iris searched her memory for a moment.
“Is that so? Ah… Next to that Prince Franz….”
“I talked about Count Crow next to the prince, don’t you remember?”
“Oh, ah! I remember. Oh my, that was you!”
Iris’s voice rose with joy.
The two exchanged a few more words about the time of the reception.
And then, when Paulson mentioned the prince, the tone of Iris’s voice reminded me a little.
Thanks to the reception at the entrance ceremony and the keyword “Prince”, It seemed that a bond had already been formed between the two.
At this, the greasy-haired Lysander also pouted and intervened.
“I can’t remember, but I was there too…” There nice to meet.”
At this, Iris’ face turned red.
“Wow, our group was assigned so well. Were there three people who went to the reception? There that…. There is even a student of Professor Silverin.”
Lysander added a word flatteringly.
“The key is that the head of the pension department is our leader.”
Senior. Somehow, I thought it was strange from the time I talked about the reception with Paulson.
Iris clapped her hand and trembled in her humility.
“Oh, no. Even if you are senior… There is still a lot to work on.”
Iris seemed to have a good opinion of me, but on the other hand, she felt strangely uncomfortable.
Anyway, it seems that only I feel this sense of incongruity. When all three of them talked about the wedding reception, a subtle confidence flowed from their faces.
I hear that he is the head of the alchemy department, but is there really no greed in the horns of the phantom beast? To aim for that, he would have to assemble a team with outstanding personnel.
While we were introducing ourselves, various noises came from different groups in the classroom.
“Sorry, we need a Elementalist.”
“We have a group we originally planned, so we have to leave.”
“I don’t need two from the Faculty of Magic.”
Other groups were relentlessly restructuring.
I was able to intuit right then.
‘I might not be able to stay with them until the end.’
It’s still too early to decide, but I need to prepare my mind.
While I was thinking about it, Paulson tapped my shoulder with his finger and said.
“Hey, you help me to contact Professor Silverin separately later.”
“….”
I stared blankly at Paulson’s face. Why is this guy talking in a commanding tone as if the relationship between the superior and the subordinate is fixed? Then Paulson added.
“Why is your expression like that? It would benefit you if you act as the middle bridge of the Orlo family. Think carefully.”
Has the recent few battles made me a violent personality? Or I just don’t know if this guy is the right guy from the beginning. In any case, I couldn’t fight for nothing, so I had to hide my anger properly.
Sylverin advised me before. At the beginning of the semester, there will be quite a lot of trouble because of classism. You shouldn’t react emotionally to these things.
Soon after, Iris forced a smile and intervened in her middle.
“Wait, let’s talk about personal things later. Because we are preparing for circulatory practice first.”
***
Professor Rackham sipped his tea in the sunlight in his office. He felt all light as he moved away from the gray landscape of the north.
In the meantime, the teaching assistant knocked on the door and came inside.
“This is a newly reorganized group table.”
“Ah, give it to me.”
He glanced over the roster and smiled contentedly.
“It’s going well.”
It’s even faster to find a group that hasn’t changed water than a group that has changed.
Students who were expelled and could not be part of the group began to appear.
This circulatory class was designed for the purpose of fostering cooperation and adaptability, but it also had another purpose.
That was the taming of freshmen.
I couldn’t help but smile when I thought of how shocked he was when he received his report card turned upside down.
Students who think they’re good will end up at the bottom in an unexpected way in this class.
You wouldn’t even dream that the more thoroughly you prepare, the lower your grades will be.
If you look at past performance statistics, the top performers are always the same. It was the student who was exiled and thrown into the circle without a group.