6th Interlude: Happy Memories

Konrad looks at his uniform and pretends to dust it off to appreciate the new robes that he's wearing. If only he could look in the mirror to see himself.

So, I'm magical pupil, now? Am I still "Konrad"?

The familiar robes feel both nostalgic and horrifying, as Steve truly thought he had put this part of his life to rest. He keeps mentally repeating to himself that it's not real and answers Konrad with No idea. Just don't say your name unless you have to.

Steve waits to see what Jasmine says to Mihai.

The short-haired girl nods and says with a Lofellian accent, "Yeah. I think this is the one..." She looks at the number on the sign above the door and then checks it against her sheet of paper. "It is."

Breeze examines the girl in silence, very much curious about who she is.

"Hey, me too. I can't wait to learn how to make stuff with my mind!" Konrad looks around to see who else is going to Weaving.

More students have begun to crowd into the hallway, and several of them are heading into the weaving class. Seemingly intimidated by Konrad's outgoing behavior, she shuffles quietly into the classroom and sits down at one of the tables in the back near the windows.

There are three free seats next to her.

Breeze leaves Steve's shoulder and approaches Jasmine to introduce herself. "Hi! I'm Breeze. Nice to meet you!"

Jasmine however doesn't seem to register her presence and focuses instead on opening her bag and laying out her books and writing instruments on the table. Perplexed, Breeze waves her hand in front of the girl, but there's no reaction.

A little disappointed, the fairy looks at her friends and says, "I don't think she can see me..."

Konrad goes in and picks one of the seats by Jasmine and starts laying out his things, whatever he finds on him. He searches for a tag or a name written on a piece of paper to identify himself in the memory.

"Sorry, Blue," says Steve quietly by way of comfort to Breeze. He decides to take a seat next to Jasmine.

Bummed by the whole thing, Breeze takes her seat back on Steve's shoulder while keeping an eye on her progenitor.

Konrad finds that the books inside his bag are identical to the ones Jasmine possesses, albeit with one key difference: the name written inside on the first page is "Konrad Granger".

Now ready to take notes, Jasmine waits for the rest of the students to arrive while carefully avoiding the adventurers' gazes. Gradually, more and more students come into the classroom, all of them around the same age as Jasmine. Then finally, the teacher arrives and the bell rings once more.

The thirty-or-so year old man places his bag on his desk and stares at his students with an unwavering gaze. The children don't react at first and several of them keep talking. Once they notice that his cold eyes are fixed on them however, they quickly quiet down and wait for him to speak. After a minute of this, everyone in the classroom is silent and the professor finally says his first words.

"My name is Professor Tristan Goodman. You will address me as either Professor, Professor Goodman, or sir. You will not speak out of turn, nor will you disobey my instructions. Failure to comply will earn you warnings. Three warnings and you're out of this class. If you're unhappy about these terms, you are welcome to leave now. Of course, that also means you will automatically fail this class. Any questions?"

The other students are silent.

Steve loudly yawns, making sure to be as annoying as possible. When he has Goodman's attention he'll say, "Yeah, what are your qualifications exactly? You make it sound like we just enlisted in the Feathers military. And how did you choose three warnings as a system? Why not two or four? Maybe five? Is three like a lucky number or something? Do you believe in luck? I'm still not sure about it. Like is there a way to measure it? Is that a weaving thing? Is that what you got a degree in? Could you actually do that? Do it right now! Shut up you guys, he's gonna do the thing! Watch! You got it Teach, show us how it's done! Woo!"

Konrad assumes the role of an excited doofy teen who actually wants to see what the teacher can do. "Is he? Yeah, show us some Weaving, Goodman!"

"Yeah! Show us, Teach!" Breeze exclaims.

Some of the other students join Steve and Konrad and begin to clamor for a demonstration as well. The majority of the students however look more puzzled than anything else, Jasmine among them.

Unfazed, Professor Goodman raises his right hand and gathers magic in it. The next instant, bands of metal materialize around Steve's and Konrad's mouths, shutting them up in an instant.

"We'll start with the apparition of magic and how the first mages discovered weaving," Professor Goodman says. "Open your books to page 13."

Shocked by what just happened, it takes the students a moment to collect themselves before they comply with the teacher's demand.

Konrad winces and makes a muffled groan, then sets his book up on the table to page 13, putting a tiny wall between him and the teacher, and looks over at Jasmine and says, "Mm-whm-khm'm-khm..." (That was kinda cool...)

Ha, I guess he really wants us to stay and learn!

Steve is not happy. Not happy at all. This turn of events is all too familiar and triggers a level of obstinate pettiness rarely seen in the happy-go-lucky mage. He opens up his bag and starts making excessive noise while "trying" to dig out his writing utensils and book, which he picks up and lets drop on his desk twice: The first for attention and the second as a "fuck you" to Goodman while he's looking.

Jasmine stares at Konrad, dumbfounded by the metallic gag that the professor wove into existence like it was the easiest thing to do, but then chuckles at his attempt to communicate with her. With a smile on her face, she focuses on her notes and does her best to keep up with Goodman's lesson.

As for Steve, he earns himself quite a few reproachful scowls from Goodman, but the good professor does nothing to stop his student, preferring to carry on with the lesson. After all, the other kids in the class are more than willing to listen to him now that Steve and Konrad have been made an example of.

Suddenly, the whole room seems to shift and in the next instant, the sun has disappeared behind a blanket of gray clouds. Professor Goodman isn't in front of the classroom anymore, but walking along the middle aisle, watching his students attempt to gather raw magic into the palm of their hand.

"Whoa! What was that?" Breeze exclaims.

Konrad pretends to put in his highest effort to gather as much as possible.

Don't try to pull it. That's like chasing the wind. Imagine it as a force that acts upon you, like a flash of lightning. It wants to react to something. Present yourself as a conduit, and then channel what comes your way to "fold" in on itself, and it will accumulate.

"Looks like we jumped forward in time to a different memory," mutters Steve to Breeze. He holds up his hand and tries to blast Goodman with an Ice spell.

Professor Goodman was standing two tables away from Steve when he notices the boy's attempt to cast an ice spell at him. Annoyed, the professor shoves Steve's hand aside with his telekinesis and tell him, "That's enough, little devil. This is a weaving class, not a spellcasting one. Focus on the task I gave you."

Then, unconcerned, he shifts his attention back to the student he's standing next to. Some of the other children give Steve a reproachful look while the others just keep their heads down, used to his interruptions already.

"Wow. What a jerk," Breeze comments. She doesn't seem to have realized what Steve was trying to do.

Meanwhile, under Konrad's guidance, Mihai creates a spark of raw magic in the palm of his hand that he manages to maintain for nearly five seconds before it vanishes. Quite the achievement for someone who never cast anything before. Or maybe he was also subconsciously tapping into Nick's knowledge.

Konrad however successfully manages to maintain a very small sphere of raw magic into his hand. Not many in this class are capable of this. One of those who are is none other than Jasmine herself.

In fact, her sphere is quintuple the size of Konrad's.