Although Alaric smiled, it took him a while to begin explaining. He didn't have a perfect grasp of it, because he wasn't compatible, but even so, his understanding of specialized spirituality was overwhelming.
Geniuses are geniuses for a reason, and Ryan is witnessing that right now. It is also the first time in this world, in his memories, and in the novel that someone has made Alaric talk so much.
But he realized that if it were a topic of interest, he would talk much more than usual, perhaps because it was a subject he mastered or because it was one he was trying to study and was passionate about. On several occasions, he asked him questions about his explanations, and he proceeded to give him explanations worthy of a certain eccentric private tutor (Austin).
Thanks to that detailed explanation, Ryan could visualize what Spiritual Protection was.
It was that shield made of spirituality that mitigated some or all of the incoming damage. Thanks to that, it was much more complicated than Projection, as it had to have different magical attributes. Whether defensive, sustainable, or able to remain fixed over time. It needed to be created carefully because its size also had to be specified...
It was quite complex, but Ryan spent most of the hour studying it and listening to the theory.
'This guy is a good teacher for this subject,' he thought.
Alaric was not supposed to be good at protection, but he had explained it better than teachers with years of experience, and now it was his turn to see the reality.
He followed the steps outlined in his explanation and tried to do it once, but failed.
A second, third, fourth time...
All failures.
'I'm still not compatible with this,' he thought, although he didn't give up on his attempt to create even a small shield.
Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time.
"Time's up," shouted Professor Sara, looking at the clock in her pocket. "It's time for your first exam."
She approached the center of the training center and abruptly pulled them out of their deep practices. She didn't care if some were trying to understand spirituality or reviewing information in their minds. Her voice, though soft, sounded thunderous in the ears of those present and attracted their attention.
"So soon?" asked one of the newcomers in shock.
"Yes, so soon. It's exactly one hour. If you couldn't understand and put into practice even a mental training of what you've learned, you are likely incompatible with what you have chosen," she said.
"Now, I will proceed to explain how you will be tested. I will begin by saying that you, the veterans, have already been tested, and there is nothing you can do to change that, as your only test here was to teach these little ones," she stated firmly.
Several of them looked at each other in shock.
"How is that possible?! Nobody told us anything about that!"
"That's right, why are you telling us this now, if the test started an hour ago? What are you trying to do? Make some of us fail the first exam? That's unfair!"
Even though Professor Sara was teaching the class and many feared her, several couldn't help but complain. Since no one had told them, they didn't put much effort into teaching these young students. It wasn't any of their business.
If their only test was to teach them, they would be tested by seeing the knowledge acquired in the last hour, making it more difficult for many of them to pass. Because many of these students were hard-headed, it was difficult for them to understand so many things in just one hour.
Sara didn't care about so many complaints.
"Do you think things will be fair to you outside? This world is not fair; their powers normally watch over their own justice and will not watch over you. If you really want to be great, you need to grow through injustice, bend it to your will, and live up to the expectations you have set for yourselves."
"If you took your teacher's words seriously, you would have enough responsibility in the future and would meet your own expectations. If you didn't..." She smiled mischievously. "There's nothing I can do for you, veteran students. Most of you have been Walkers for four or five years now. If, with everything you've learned so far, you still think my words are worthless, then it's not my fault if you fail."
Several veteran students pointed at her, but some didn't care. They weren't stupid enough not to know that this woman was like that.
She was the professor with the most pop quizzes at the university. How could this not be a pop quiz?
But some still looked worried.
Especially Alaric, because he didn't know if he had taught well.
"Don't worry," Ryan said as he looked at him carefully. "As you know, I've been a bookworm for as long as I can remember, and thanks to that, I've learned a lot about the theory behind this. I'll do well, and the professor will let you pass without any problems."
Alaric didn't respond; he just nodded.
Then, Professor Sara began calling everyone up to take a series of tests.
The first was theoretical, and Ryan was the first to pass for obvious reasons.
"I hope you know, Ninth Prince, that even though Professor Austin promised to help you pass the rest of your subjects so that you could devote yourself to learning your path, I disagree. That is tantamount to raising a slacker, but this will be your first opportunity to prove that you are worthy. If you are not, I will have to speak to the King to change your subjects forcibly," she said.
Ryan stared at her for a brief moment. It seemed as if this woman was... hostile towards him?
'Is she crazy, perhaps?' he thought. It wasn't her words that made him think that, but rather the way she said them—her slightly disgusted tone.
Even so, Ryan wasn't worried about it.
"I don't think matters concerning a Prince and his Guardian should be dealt with by outsiders, but since you are a distinguished person whom my first brother has spoken highly of, then I hope to pass your test," he replied calmly.
Sara nodded after frowning and turned over a blank sheet of paper that was on the makeshift desk. There were the questions she needed to ask, tailored to each student.