Map Drawing was the last class of the day.
Ryan entered a relatively small hall, with large windows overlooking the academy gardens. The desks were made of dark wood, and on each desk were drawing tools: ink, quills, rulers, compasses, and large folded sheets of paper.
At the front stood a thin man wearing round glasses, his green eyes gleaming with intelligence. He was smiling faintly the whole time, which made him seem less intimidating than Professor Gareth.
Professor Silas Drake – a famous cartographer, said to have visited every corner of the continent and drawn it himself.
he said in a calm voice.
"Welcome to Map Drawing,Some of you think this subject is secondary, or just a hobby. Let me tell you something. Armies don't lose battles only because their soldiers are weak. They lose because their leaders got lost. They lose because they didn't understand the ground they were standing on."
He opened large maps before him and began to explain.
"Map drawing is not merely copying what you see. It is the art of transforming three-dimensional reality onto a flat sheet. You need to understand scales, directions, elevations, terrain, water sources, and even the positions of the stars."
Professor Silas divided the class into four parts:
First: Types of Maps
He explained that there are topographic maps (showing elevations, mountains, and valleys), political maps (showing kingdom borders and cities), military maps (showing troop movements and fortification points), and nautical maps (for seas and oceans). Each type has its own rules and secrets.
Second: The Drafter's Tools
He reviewed the tools one by one. The quill varies according to line thickness. The ink must be waterproof if the map will be used in rain. The compass is not just for drawing circles; it is also used to determine angles. An iron ruler is better than a wooden one because it does not bend.
Then he brought out something that sparked the students' curiosity: a prototype distance-measuring device. It was a small instrument made of brass, with wheels that moved across the paper and calculated distances based on the drawing scale.
Professor Silas said proudly.
"This is a new invention,You won't use it today, but it's available for those who want to specialize in professional cartography."
Third: The Rules of Accuracy
"The most important rule in map drawing: do not draw what you think you see. Draw what you actually see. Many drafters make mistakes because they expect something to be in a certain place, so they draw it without it being there. That is a fatal error. A wrong map can cost the lives of hundreds of soldiers."
Fourth: The First Exercise
At the end of the class, the professor asked each student to draw a simple map of the classroom itself. Using rulers and compasses, they had to determine the room's dimensions, the location of the door, windows, desks, and the professor's podium.
The exercise was difficult for those who had never held a drawing quill before. Some students drew wobbly lines; others forgot to measure angles correctly.
Ryan, however, was somewhat comfortable. He wasn't an expert, but he knew the basics of drawing from previous training. He finished his drawing in about half the time and sat reviewing it.
Professor Silas noticed that, approached him, and looked at the map.
he said quietly.
"Not bad,But you forgot to measure the height of the windows from the ground. In military maps, that's important for estimating archers' angles."
Ryan nodded and quickly added the measurement.
"Are you interested in this?" the professor asked.
Ryan answered honestly.
"Not particularly,But I don't like being ignorant of something that might be useful."
Professor Silas smiled. "A good attitude. With that mind, you will learn more than your peers."
Then he returned to his podium and announced the end of the class.