I'm just a nobody from the countryside. I barely know anything about the Arcane. But someone like Linen—how could he not know even the basics?
Just now... he must've stood up for me on purpose. Made that girl explain [Weave Meditation] so I wouldn't feel embarrassed.
Once? Maybe it was kindness. Twice? A sense of justice.
But three times...
"Elena, look! Professor Gust is demonstrating his Weave!"
Hysteria's breathless voice snapped Elena back to the present.
In the center of the podium, a star chart had silently materialized before Gust. Multicolored lights shimmered and converged, finally forming a radiant sphere that hovered beside him—like watching a star being born, breathtaking and impossible to look away from.
"This is [Weave Meditation]! He's building spells through meditation!"
"Each mage's Weave structure is different. That star chart—that's his unique form of construction."
"Focus. Miss even a second and you'll regret it for a year."
Every student, including Linen, stared without blinking, terrified of missing a single detail.
But before long, some began to falter—eyes watering, heads aching. One by one, students had to look away, some even groaning softly as they clutched their heads.
Gust's expression remained utterly placid, as if he hadn't noticed anything.
To a seasoned Arcane Mage, this was a known truth:
Women may lie to you. The Arcane never will.
If you couldn't understand it, then you simply couldn't—no matter how long you stared.
For this demonstration, Gust had chosen to construct simple One-Ring spells, slowing his process as much as possible. If that was enough to overwhelm you?
Then your talent was already clear.
Soon, nearly everyone had stopped watching. Only three remained: Linen, Hysteria, and Elena.
Three of them? Still hanging on?
This might be the most promising class he'd taught yet.
Gust nodded to himself and changed the spell. The spell ring rose from Tier 2's [Combustion] to Tier 3's [Scorch], and his construction speed increased slightly. At last, even Hysteria and Elena showed signs of strain. One after another, they averted their eyes.
Only Linen remained, still locked in, still unblinking.
He's still holding on??!
Gust's formidable senses detected no signs of fatigue—Linen's breath was steady, his gaze sharp, his expression unchanged.
Elegant. Incredibly elegant.
Even Gust couldn't stay calm anymore.
Watching a high-level Arcane construction wasn't just mentally taxing—it drained your spirit. For someone to remain composed under the pressure of a Tier 3, now Tier 6, spell being woven before them... they were either a once-in-a-generation Arcane genius, or a complete ignoramus who had no idea what they were seeing.
But this boy had already demonstrated One-Ring proficiency before even enrolling.
Gust immediately ruled out the latter.
To guide a gifted student—was that not every instructor's dream?
It seemed he'd found something special.
Very well, Your Highness Linen. Since you can still endure it... let's see how far you go.
Tier 4.
Tier 5.
Tier 6.
With each passing second, more advanced spells emerged within Gust's meditative cosmos. The stars around him, once faint and dull, now blazed like the real heavens.
"Ugh—can't take it anymore! I'm gonna die!"
"My left hand! My Arcane strength!"
The sudden wave of pained cries snapped Gust out of his rhythm, his brow furrowing.
Even if Linen could still endure it, the others couldn't. Most of the students hadn't even reached basic Arcane competency—just seeing a Tier 6 construct was enough to fry their brains.
He couldn't push further.
With a faint sigh, Gust dismissed the illusion, letting the stars fade from around him. He looked at Linen with an odd mix of admiration and regret—like he was apologizing for not being able to offer him more.
No—wait. Classroom limitations didn't mean he couldn't help outside of it.
Wasn't this one of Ken's students?
Gust narrowed his eyes slightly.
In all his years of teaching, the most gifted student he'd ever seen had taken a full month to complete their first Weave.
How long will you take, I wonder...
---
Why is this old guy smiling at me like that?! Did he figure out I'm actually an Arcane idiot?!
Linen sat ramrod straight, beads of sweat prickling his back.
In the original story, it was supposed to be Hysteria or Elena who caught Gust's attention, unlocking new plotlines with their first displays of talent.
But now?
Gust's increasingly warm smile was aimed squarely at him, and it was throwing him completely off.
What was worse—after watching the Weave demonstration, the whole class was now earnestly trying to build their own.
At first, only a few people had started. But now? Practically everyone was immersed in their first attempts—except for him.
The pressure of a billion eyes began to weigh on his shoulders.
He glanced toward Hysteria and Elena—just in time to meet Hysteria's smug, narrow-eyed gaze.
She twirled a flame between her fingers, smiling like a cat toying with a bug.
"Hmph. Trash. Let me guess—couldn't understand any of it, and now you're pretending?"
"I've already got a structure in mind~"
You smug little goblin!
"Is that all your shallow eyes can see?"
"Then feast your eyes on my true talent."
Linen's tone turned cold. As he spoke, he opened his system interface behind his desk.
System, I'm begging you—help me out here!
Just then, he froze.
His previously dimmed-out passive skill, [Precision Mana Control Lv1], was suddenly lit up, glowing bright.
[Detected a suitable activation environment. Would you like to use this skill now?]
Wait—wasn't this a passive skill? It can be used actively??
No time to hesitate. Between the smug goblin girl in front of him and the Arcane grandpa in back, he was trapped.
If anyone discovered he was faking it—forget his mother's trial—his whole royal identity might as well be over.
Gritting his teeth, Linen slammed the confirm button.
In the next instant, a dark light flared to life.
Before him materialized a card—completely composed of mana. The front displayed a spell diagram, while the back spiraled with chaotic vortex-like patterns.
Gust: Elegant. Too elegant!
Hysteria: w(OДO)w