The herbalism class continued until very late and only ended when the sun was already setting on the horizon.
Between Professor Alteng's long and detailed explanations and the uncomfortable reactions of the students, exhausted by the excess of content and the variety of strange plants he was showing us, time slipped away almost without us noticing. Finally, when the old teacher seemed ready to end the lesson, a figure that no one had noticed until then appeared beside us.
He was a teaching assistant, and his youthful appearance made him look like just another student. I noticed him instantly, but apparently no one in the class knew when he had arrived, as I could tell from the confused expressions on their faces. I dare say they couldn't even hear him walking on the artificial grass of the field. He was a little thin and his clothes were loose, which may be why he looked so gaunt. He didn't say a word and just focused on handing out sheets of paper to each of us.
