"Mana potion infused with ice magic can cure the poison from mana turbulence…"
The sentence floated at the edge of Baston's thoughts like a whisper that refused to fade. That was the reward for his bad performance and it was just a single line.
The old book didn't reward him with new power, new ability, or new artifact. It only gave him a new information.
He stared at the old book that was resting on his lap while his fingers were hovering above the faded words. The letters had already dimmed, returning to their usual lifeless page as though the revelation had never existed.
He indeed had failed and the performance was rated bad. He had expected the punishment, but instead, the old book gave him this.
When he received an excellent result, it granted him an ice element affinity.
When he achieved the perfect, it bestowed him with the puppet which was an obedient extension of his will.
Those rewards had its weight, its presence, and its influence. This one felt different by the way.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" he murmured.
Regarding the mana turbulence, he had heard of it only in passing which was such a rare case when the mana inside the body turned unstable and poisoned its wielder from within. Most people who suffered from such unfortunate condition either lost their magic or their lives.
Why would the old book give him a knowledge about curing something so specific?
Was it a warning or a hint?
Was it a preparation for the incoming event?
The more he thought about it, the colder the room seemed.
He closed the old book and exhaled slowly. There was no further explanation since there never was. The old book never clarified itself. It judged, rewarded, and observed.
Baston had the unsettling feeling that it always knew more than he did.
He then dismissed the puppet back into the shadows of his consciousness.
There was no point on keeping it active now. The earlier conversation had turned toward the family matters regarding the alliances, the reputations, and the obligations.
He had grown bored listening through borrowed senses. Still, his boredom did not mean the safety. He stood up and left for the class.
*****
The moment Baston stepped into the classroom, the atmosphere changed. It was subtle but it was noticeable. The conversations around slowed with several eyes that turned to him and the whispers that shifted its direction.
He felt it before he understood it since they were watching him.
The noble boys exchanged glances, the merchant boys pretended the indifference, and even some commoners stole curious looks.
The reason was simple because they believed he had an appointment with Alicia and they had not forgotten the pressure from earlier. Such invisible weight silenced an entire courtyard.
It had not been an ordinary mana. It had been something heavier, denser, and deliberate from the great wizard directly.
Whoever had invited Baston possessed the strength beyond what these students could comprehend. The range alone was the proof. In this academy, such connections were hard currency.
A poor and slightly fat boy with mysterious backing was not a comfortable contradiction.
"How could he possibly know someone like that?"
"He must be hiding something."
"There's no way someone like him has no background…"
Their pride prevented them from approaching him openly, yet the suspicion lingered in their eyes.
Baston felt the irritation prick at his thought since their attention was dangerous. He preferred the invisibility and he preferred to be underestimated.
If they approached him now and if they attempted their forced friendliness, he would need to respond and he would need to perform. All of that meant the risk.
Fortunately, their arrogance restrained them. They hesitated after comprehending the situation. For Baston, it was very good. Such hesitation was quite useful for the poor him.
He took his seat quietly, grateful that the distance still served him. The lesson began but he barely listened. The subject was quite popular about the advanced mana stabilization theory yet his thoughts wandered somewhere else.
His mind went to mana turbulence and ice potion from the old book. He was still pondering and he replayed the encounter with Angus in his mind.
The suspicion in the man's eyes and the probing questions tried to shake him. The way he observed him was just like tracking the missing pieces of the puzzle.
The old book never wasted the rewards that even the bad performance should have its purpose. Perhaps, the book anticipated something. He leaned back slightly with unfocused gaze.
If unpredictable variables emerged again like Angus, he needed the preparation. He could not convince everyone through words alone since his current image limited him.
A poor and fat student had the boundaries which meant he must cultivate his influence carefully and selectively.
Panto and Alicia were the examples since they knew the fragments of his abilities, yet they kept silent because that secret was valuable.
If he chose someone who was loud, reckless, and talkative, his constructed image would unravel. After all, he needed the shadows and not the spotlights.
"Everyone, I have good news!"
The teacher's sudden enthusiasm snapped the class from the lethargy.
"In the afternoon, the great wizard Angus will visit our classroom. He will share some of his experiences. Do not be late…"
Before the questions could form, the teacher fled. The atmosphere was full of silence, but then, an eruption washed the classroom.
"The great wizard Angus?!"
"Is this real?"
"He's coming here?"
The excitement flooded the room like a broken dam. They thought the old man only visited his relative, yet he actually had a spare time to share his experience.
Baston knew the man was powerful, influential, and dangerous. But still, the magnitude of the reverence startled him.
One student pinched his own cheek, "I'm not dreaming, right?"
"I heard he once held back a mana storm alone."
"They say he reached the enlightenment without the ancient artifacts!"
"I need to look presentable!"
"Don't leave your seat! Someone will take it!"
The scramble for the position began immediately.
The nobles and the merchants clung to their chairs like the territorial animals. The poorer students exchanged resigned looks since they would end up in the back regardless.
Some clever opportunists began offering to buy meals for those who were unwilling to move. The money was exchanged discreetly and it suddenly became a marketplace within a few minutes.
Baston observed quietly and he considered participating since it was an easy money.
Unfortunately after thinking it thoroughly, he no longer needed it since someone was already paying for his meals.
That kindness weighed heavier than the food itself since he wondered how long it would last.
The thought troubled him more than he expected. He did not like the dependency and the debt. However, he lacked something to offer at the moment.
Regardless, he left for lunch with his restless mind. When he returned, the classroom was unrecognizable since it was packed fully.
The students from other classes filled every available space. Even the seniors lingered along the walls. Fortunately, his least desirable seat remained untouched.
Even though so, a noble boy soon approached with arrogant expression and calculating eyes.
"Hey, you!" he said, pointing to him, "Get up!"
Baston looked at him calmly, "Why?"
"I need your seat... Someone without a talent doesn't need the valuable lessons…"
Another noble nearby intervened mildly, "At least, just pay him with money. I paid for mine…"
"Why would I?" the boy scoffed, "He should feel honored to treat me."
The murmurs rippled through the surrounding. The noble did not threaten directly. He didn't need to because his social pressure was enough.
Baston felt the heat rise in his chest. He wanted to refuse, embarrass the boy, and fight back yet his retaliation carried the consequences.
Today's humiliation could prevent the future complications.
Slowly, he stood and he surrendered his seat while the noble boy smirked triumphantly. Some students frowned but they said nothing. The reputation among the nobles mattered but it was not enough to defend a poor boy publicly.
Baston stepped further back. The humiliation tasted bitter but this bitterness was survivable.
Several minutes later, the silence descended and Angus entered the room. The shift was immediate since all the conversations quickly died. Everyone breathed slower that even the air seemed heavier.
The man was tall, composed, and his aura was restrained yet unmistakable. He wasn't flashy and theatrical but his aura was dense like a mountain.
"Good afternoon," Angus said calmly.
"Good afternoon, great wizard Angus!" the room echoed.
Without wasting much time, he spoke of his journeys. He told about the near-fatal failures and the enlightenment that was found through hardship. He avoided the technical instruction since he respected the academy curriculum.
Instead sharing the different class of magic, he shared his own philosophy.
"The resources alone do not create the strength," he said, "Your effort does much more than that."
He paused before he continued, "If you eat endlessly without discipline, you will only grow fatter and heavier."
The laughter erupted and even some poor students chuckled. Meanwhile, Baston did not follow everyone. He felt the eyes flicked toward him. The metaphor was casual, but supposedly, it pointed to him.
Angus's gaze lingered for a long time and he stared back blankly. He was unimpressed and unmoved. Inside of his head, the calculations churned.
How strong was Angus?
What defined a great wizard?
What about his mana density and combat history?
Baston wanted the metrics and the comparisons. Understanding the power meant understanding his survival. Unfortunately, he failed to notice one detail.
Angus had noticed him and it was not because of the interest but because of the absence. Every student leaned forward and was captivated while Alicia listened with respect, absorbing every word.
Only Baston appeared distracted and detached as though he was evaluating rather than admiring. That dissonance intrigued Angus.
Midway through the lecture, something shifted. It was faint yet subtle. It wasn't in the words that Angus spoke since his voice remained steady.
The students still listened with admiration with no change outwardly. However, the air felt heavier. It was not enough for the panic and not enough for anyone to notice consciously except for Baston.
The pressure was delicate like a hand that was placed lightly on the back of his neck. This magic was testing and measuring him.
Angus continued speaking about his perseverance and enlightenment, yet Baston sensed that the lecture was no longer entirely for the class. It was directed at someone.
His eyes lowered slightly, hiding his awareness. If this was a probe, he could not react carelessly. Soon, the invisible pressure increased.
It was not violent and oppressive. It was just brushing against each student in turn.
Some straightened unconsciously while the others felt a surge of motivation. A few nobles lifted their chins proudly, mistaking such sensation for inspiration.
However, when that subtle current passed through him, it paused for the briefest fraction of a second.
Baston felt it clearly now since he was being examined. It was not about his posture and not about his clothes. The examination was more about his magic.
A thin thread of perception attempted to slip past his surface like the mist who was searching for cracks in the window. His cold instinct answered before the thought.
Something inside him simply thickened, stabilized, and became still. There was nothing to see and nothing to disturb. In the end, he was just a mediocre student with weak circulation and dull mana flow.
Angus's gaze drifted across the room naturally. He did not look directly at Baston but he had already reached him.
"Interesting…" Angus thought.
The ordinary mana signatures always had the irregularities with small leaks, uneven pulses, and fluctuations on the emotion. This boy's mana was just muted and carefully restrained.
Angus did not believe in such coincidences. He shifted the topics smoothly, speaking about the control of magic then.
"Your power is not measured by how much mana you can release," he said calmly, "Your power is determined by how much you can conceal."
A ripple of curiosity passed through the class. Some interpreted it as a lesson about humility while the others assumed it was about the battlefield tactics.
Only Baston who understood the weight beneath the words. Their eyes soon met briefly, and this time, Angus did not disguise it. The look was not hostile or warm either but it was more to the recognition.
Baston forced his breathing to remain slow.
His heartbeat tried to betray him but he suppressed the impulse. Such fear would be a fluctuation and such fluctuation would become the visibility.
He must remain dull and unremarkable. After all, he was just a fat boy who was standing on the back.
Angus continued, "There are those who shine brightly and burn out quickly. There are also those who choose to remain unseen until the necessary moment."
The classroom hung on every word. Baston wondered whether anyone else felt the invisible duel that was occurring beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, Alicia's brows furrowed slightly since she sensed something unusual though she could not define it. The air between her uncle and Baston felt tense.
The noble who had taken Baston's seat shifted uncomfortably though he did not know why.
Angus allowed the pressure to recede gradually since it was enough for now
The boy had not panicked. He had not resisted aggressively and exposed his hidden reserves which meant one of two things. Either he truly possessed nothing remarkable or he understood the concealment frighteningly well. Both of those possibilities were worth observing.
The lecture resumed its earlier warmth.
The students relaxed again and some people even laughed when Angus made another casual remark. But eventually, Baston did not relax since he felt it clearly. The great wizard had marked him.
It was not done publicly and officially but it was done mentally. That was more dangerous.
He lowered his gaze to the old book beneath his robe.
For a fleeting second, he thought he felt warmth. His awareness made him believed those feelings as if the old book had noticed the exchange.
Apparently, there were two watchers and one concealed student. The balance was shifting and no one else in the classroom even realized it.