[Vol. 7] Chapter 145: The [Experimental Class]
Hearing his voice, a peculiar-looking girl next to him couldn’t help but giggle and tease him.
"Hey, you blockhead, you're way behind on the news! We heard about this two or three days ago and have been resting up to prepare. That makes you the last one in our class to find out, huh? As expected, all muscles and no brains~"
The girl’s upper body looked just like a regular human’s, but from the waist down, she had the sleek, snow-white legs of a young deer with soft golden fur. She had a short, fluffy tail and a pair of curved white antlers atop her head.
Her hair was the same gentle yellow as her fur, making her look adorable. Though she appeared youthful, her long deer legs made her nearly as tall as the [Magic Rock] Tribe boy beside her, creating a rather unique appearance.
She was a [Snowstep Forest Deer], a subspecies of tree spirits and a close relative of the legendary [Snow Divine Deer] from myths. It was said that their kind originated from the descendants of an ancient [Child of God] who united with a [Snow Divine Deer]. They inherited abilities over both nature and ice, and like the [Magic Rock] Tribe, their species was on the verge of extinction.
The students in the [Experimental Class] weren’t necessarily the top of their year, but they were all unique in their own way. Not just these two, every student present, including Lenka and the little dragon girl who had just arrived at the stadium, had their own special traits.
Hearing the [Snowstep Forest Deer] girl’s words, the [Magic Rock] Tribe boy blinked in confusion and rubbed his shaved head.
“Huh? But… I heard that the lessons from that instructor are always randomly assigned and never listed on the schedule. How did you guys know she’d be here today…?”
“Ugh, that’s why you need to talk to your classmates more! All you do every day is train your muscles, go to class, and work part-time. You never chat about anything outside of that, so of course, you wouldn’t know that the instructor actually—”
“Instructor Priscilla is here! Hurry, everyone, line up!”
Just as the conversation was heating up, the slightly ajar gymnasium doors were gently pushed open. A stunning red-haired woman, dressed in a flowing mage’s robe and holding a staff, walked in as gracefully as ever. The class representative, responsible for keeping order, quickly called out for everyone to get into position, cutting off the chatter as the students hurried to line up.
As the [Experimental Class] instructor, Priscilla was already well-known to her students. While they respected her, they weren’t overly formal around her. What truly made them nervous and excited, while also stealing curious glances, was actually the young woman following behind her.
Dressed in an elegant white robe, with long black hair flowing like a waterfall, she exuded an air of purity and grace.
Her name was Violet, a legendary priestess whose fame had skyrocketed in recent years. She was the newest honorary professor at Sainz Academy and the only person in decades to receive that prestigious title. Despite having no direct ties to the Holy Empire or its temples, her mastery of holy magic was so extraordinary that it could only be described as otherworldly.
She was known to be a wandering figure, rarely staying in one place for long. She seldom displayed her full strength in public, yet those who studied the records of major world-shaking events would often find traces of her involvement behind the scenes.
Mysterious, powerful, and both beautiful and sacred. Though some might say that in certain ways she wasn’t the ideal image of a woman, many people found that uniqueness charming in its own right. However, her appeal as a legend had little to do with appearances. It was her sheer strength and presence that captivated people.
There were even rumors that [Priest] Violet wasn’t merely at the legendary level but had actually surpassed the limits of ordinary beings, stepping into a realm that could be considered Mythical. However, because she kept a low profile and divine magic was rarely used for combat, her true abilities remained largely hidden.
Sainz Academy’s invitation and her honorary professor title seemed to subtly confirm these suspicions. After all, the academy only bestowed the Honorary Professor title on either groundbreaking scholars, such as those who created entirely new magical disciplines, or individuals who had surpassed the limits of ordinary power. This unspoken rule had held true throughout history.
Transcendent.
It was a title of the highest prestige. In the entire Austre Empire, there was only one publicly recognized Transcendent level, the Sword Saint.
For these young students, most of whom had never seen true power up close, the very concept of someone that strong was beyond their understanding. They had only ever heard of such figures, without fully grasping what their strength meant. The only thing they knew for sure was, she was unimaginably powerful.
Ever since [Priest] Violet arrived in Sainz City a month ago and was granted the title of Honorary Professor, she had been staying there temporarily. Occasionally, she would give lectures to random classes, and every time she appeared, it caused a huge stir, students would crowd in, eager to attend and catch a glimpse of the legendary figure.
Thanks to some "special connections," the [Experimental Class] students had found out about today’s lesson in advance. Wanting to leave a good impression on this legendary figure, who was also an undeniably beautiful young woman, they had put in extra effort to be in their best shape for this moment.
When their instructor, Priscilla, stepped in front of the dozen or so students, she couldn’t help but shake her head with a helpless smile.
Everyone was standing unusually straight, their expressions serious and tense.
“Looks like I don’t need to waste time on introductions.”
Raising her hand, she gestured to the black-haired girl standing behind her, who was smiling warmly.
“This is Miss Violet, currently the most skilled user of Holy Magic in Sainz City. I don’t think I need to say much more about her. Today, she will be personally guiding your practical training. This is a rare opportunity, so make sure to focus and learn well.”
“Yes, teacher!”
The mostly young students responded in unison. Violet’s gaze briefly swept over Lenka and Xiao Guang, who due to their height, were standing at the very end of the girls' line. Then, after exchanging a quick glance with Priscilla, she gave a slight nod and stepped forward.
“Good morning, little ones~ Since the World Academy Joint Exchange Conference is coming up, someone asked me to help assess and improve the skills of a few selected teams from the academy. That’s why I’m here today.”
“You’ve probably heard a thing or two about me. To be honest, I’m not exactly the best at teaching, and I don’t plan to spend too much time on theory today, so…”
She deliberately paused, glancing at the students, whose eyes were filled with a mix of surprise, excitement, and anticipation. The playful curve of her lips grew even more pronounced.
The truth was, Lucine had asked her, through Yulia, to pick a few students from the Seventh District and form a team for the Exchange Tournament. Other than that, there were no specific instructions.
It felt more like a spontaneous decision rather than a serious expectation that Violet would assemble some world-shattering, unbeatable team.
Most likely, Lucine just wanted to give her something to do, since she had been a bit too idle lately and seemed to enjoy giving occasional lectures.
But that was perfectly fine with Violet.