The next morning still lost in thought, Bill sit in a MAM workshop class listening to professor Roy teaching.

At his desk professor Roy place his famous canon glove that fought through many battle and rumor to be power by a pieces of his own canon that was destroy by Amiel magic.

‘It’s really is him, Major Roy Machesky codename Howitzers. A hero of Fega Hill, the best mechanic ever live.’

Bill cannot believe his luck getting to study under him but why would a famous man like Roy come work here when he could have so much more resource and power at New Terra?

‘perhaps he like to teach?’ Bill ponder while listening to Professor lesson who is precise in every word.

“Arch Renato invent Magic Amass Manipulator to save human race from extinction so it was first use as a weapon of war but later MAM have been use for everything from washing machine to vehicle or even power a whole section of a city alongside electricity”

Roy hold up a mercury ball in his hand “The most important part of any MAM is a core or object of power where MAM draw power from when activated. Usually magic is poisonous to human which is why most modern MAM core holder is seal very tight and equip with artificial core made from mercury in a forge.”

“An Object of power which made from powerful magic is still compatible but it tend to be unstable so If any of you have one with you please come see me later so I can safely secure it and issue you a standard core instead.” professor Roy put emphasis on safety so no student try to hide object of power from him since a magical explosion inside classroom can be quite deadly even if all the room are equip with security measure.

“Originally MAM has to be control like a mechanical machine with button to control where magic would go. But after Arch Renato discover a mind rune a user can control advance magic more easily with their mind.”

Bill already know most of this from the book his father left him so he pay more attention to his classmate.

When he enter this class he is quite surprise there are more than just human that attend MAM workshop, wolf crow ant and any other races can also enroll in this class if they have an interest in MAM. But the one Bill have to watch out the most is his fellow human, the first class kid.

‘Since I can’t run away from them forever I should find a chance to introduce myself. There are many family in the higher class so they won’t know if I just use my family name right?’

“Now I want everyone to get in group to exam your buddies MAM. All of you already got one before we start. If any of you already have a core please retain from showing off just yet we’ll have time for that later.”

As professor Roy finish talking Bill eyes turn to three person sitting at the same table.

“Nice MAM, I never see this design before personal customized huh” a boy with a gold MAM speak up

“Oh yeah” Bill answer.

“Cool. So what family are you from I’m Brant Marquis my father is a governor surely you heard of me”

Bill swallow. Why on earth does he have to sit next to a kid from the most power family in New Terra?

“N.Nice to meet you I’m Bill Smit. My family run a factory you properly never heard of us.”

“Smit? Yeah don’t ring a bell” Brant eye show of disappointment before his gaze turn to person behind Bill “But at least you got some cool MAM, Deacon right here only just buy the MAM that school sold his family doesn’t even get him one before coming here”

“Where I get my MAM is not of your business Brant” said Deacon his reaction imply he already know Brant.

“But a person MAM can tell so much about their birth. Look at our lovely Sarah here her silver MAM with an Engel mark show her tie to an ingenious grandmaster Doanna who protect our city.”

“I don’t think anyone birth is important here Brant. My mother maybe one of the grandmaster who made this MAM for me but a MAM is just a tool you shouldn’t look down on someone just because their tool is bad it is about a skill too.” Sarah argue but she doesn’t angry at Brant since she already know his personality so she turn her focus to Bill.

“Where were you yesterday? I want to invite everyone from New Terra to eat together but we didn’t see you at library after Miss Hellen left”

Everyone; in this case mean human only.

“I was eating at the canteen with my roommate Oh! I remember seeing your group leaving in front of the canteen” Bill recall seeing her.

Sarah shudder a little at the thought of what she saw in a dish “Yeah we see what was on the menu so our group go eat at an inn nearby you are pretty brave huh”

“More like weird how can you eat next to those animal” said Brant.

“They’re not so bad my roommate Josh, a crow, know some of our culture so he only eat seed when he with me”

“Yeah they should know at least that” Brant claim.

Bill who really start to dislike Brant try to change subject "So what about we check out each other MAM?” Bill hold up his MAM to offer Deacon who sit next to him.

“Sure” Deacon exchange his MAM with Bill while Brant and Sarah do the same.

Deacon MAM is a standard MAM made by school forge in glove shape just like Bill. His MAM is made of iron but is light and easy to handle someone paint it to dark grey color without any more fancy decorative.

Bill open a core holder and see one small core inside, also brought from a school forge Bill sure of it. And unlike Bill this core doesn’t shine any light just a normal mercury ball.

“Interesting core you got there” said Deacon as he return Bill’s MAM.

“Thank you your MAM is also very well made” Bill speak truth.

Deacon just nod at Bill compliment and didn't say more.

‘Hope he don’t think I’m being sarcastic’

Brant’s MAM is also a glove shape but made of a real gold not just iron with paint. His core to Bill shock is an object of power in a form of ring.

All object of power is consider very high quality core. They are very rare.

“This ring belong to some dead Amiel that my great grandfather kill in a war. My father gave it to me as a gift for my 20th birthday”

Sarah’s MAM is in a form of bracelet that fit with her wrist. As Bill look closer through core holder he can even see a very small but complicated rune inside this small bracelet which Bill didn’t think it would be possible to engrave so many rune inside. It is indeed made from the best grandmaster out there.

Her core is a small mercury ball tuck inside but Bill doubt its quality would be inferior to Deacon.

Most student’s MAM that Bill can see is in glove shape since it easier to wear and pass a magic to a receiver while other race use shape that fit their body, some ant’s MAM is just a rectangle box that can only pass magic to operate MAM machine.

Bill think they just buy it to study about MAM and not really for practical use.

“Now that everyone got a chance to see your friends MAM you can see that there are many type of MAM. Most MAM that we will be using will be engrave with rune of mind and time inside” Professor Roy draw a perfect circle on board to show time rune and a spiral to represent mind rune with some Latin written on these symbol.

“Time for setting limit when to turn on or off, Mind for controlling a flow of magic” Professor Roy use his MAM glove to touch a machine on the table and it light up “using your thought to guide magic from inside a core into a MAM machine can be a tricky thing. It require a lot of focus and practice, if you are good at controlling a flow of magic you might be able to operate machine to have a better efficiently than someone who have a better core than you. In New Terra we have a job position for people who operate giant machine and factory who get paid differently depend on how good they are at their job.”

“The language written on this symbol is Latin but any language is also work but through many test in the past few decade Latin prove to be the most effective when activate a rune but we’re still not sure why.”

“There are many theory on this, one that I like the most is that Magic originate somewhere in outer space before it come to Earth and Latin is the most closely resemble to the original language that give birth to magic.”

“But enough about theory let us take a look inside a MAM” Professor Roy pick up a simple box and open it to reveal a core holder and a rune engrave inside.

“Inside a MAM is a bind that connect core and rune, sometime this bind we use wire like in some electronic so it’d be compatible with electricity while MAM that only use magic will be bind with just a line engrave on to core holder and rune itself”

“All MAM like all machine is turn on by a switch. Only after it turn on can we use our thought to wield magic according to the design of each machine. But if that MAM doesn’t have a mind rune even if you touch it with your MAM that have a mind rune you won't be able to effect it beside filling its magic, for example” Professor turn on a fan then a hot wind is blow out to all student.

“This fan is a MAM that operate with a switch. It have a rune of ice and fire to control the temperature and a switch to change mode, it doesn’t have a mind rune so I must operate it with these button only” Professor Roy then turn it off and pick a small remote up.

“We got a few mini magicameter here come get one per table, I will show you how to measure your core rank.”

Bill immediately get up to pick one for his table and just as he about to pick one up Professor Roy sneak a note into his hand along with magicameter.

‘Come meet me after class’ Bill read at his table while other are distract with magicameter.

“A core is classify by 5 rank” said Professor.

Class S is very rare and most of you may never see one in your whole life, only a pieces of Estellia meteorite or a very few object of power are in this class

And then they are class D to A that made up of most artificial core.

Class D is a core that poorly made, unstable have a risk of explosion when use. Some core maybe powerful A,B level but if it not stable it would be in this class.

Class C a Standard core issue by our forge, no magic leak not poison to human even when touch for a long period of times.

‘Also sale at cheaper price for student but I will have to skip meal for a month to get one.’

Class B Good core, have higher magical capacity than C.

Class A is a High Quilty core that made from a best material or an Object of power made from magic would usually be in this class.

“Since this just a mini magicameter it can only measure up to A class, a magicameter that can measure to S class is quite big and there are only 2 of them in this world. One in here at the forge of Alana and another in New Terra”

“Now to use magicameter” Professor Roy put on his glove on his right hand and hold magicameter with it “Turn on both MAM and wait till the magicameter light to show green and scale line to stop. Now you all can start testing I’ll walk by each table to see how you’re all doing”

As Professor finish Brant take magicameter and hand it to Sarah “Let’s Sarah try first”

Bill noticed Deacon roll his eyes.

"I not sure what class my mother give me either. I can’t wait to see!”

She quickly place magicameter on top of her wrist and activate it. The machine light flicker yellow for a few moment before turn green.

The scale stop at word “B”

“a B class core that awesome Sarah” said Brant.

“Thank I can’t believe she just give me class B core just for study here” Sarah almost squeal.

Brant then take magicameter and hand it to Deacon with smirk “want to try next?”

Knowing what Brant is doing Deacon want to reject his offer but he also want to try this magicameter even though he already knew what core class he brought.

Bill just happy sitting quietly as long as he don’t attract attention of his 3 new friend about his origin.

Deacon took his time examine magicameter with interest before open his MAM and see that it is indeed class C.

“Want next?” Deacon offer it to Bill and ignore Brant.

“Eh...thank” Bill who doesn’t want to turn Deacon down accepted.

He then hold magicameter with his glove and pray to princess Alana as the scale keep climbing until it finally, to everyone surprise, stop just before A.

“B class core, cool” said Brant “Look like we got one loser”

Deacon narrow his eye but didn’t replied his father taught him better.

“Stop it Brant. That is really cool Bill” said Sarah.

Unknow to them that Bill is the most shock and happiest among them.

‘a B class! I thought it might even be D. My first core and it is B class oh my god oh my god.’

“Yeah my family got it for me it was ok” Bill act cool.

“Me next” Brant took magicameter and open his core holder to bring a ring out.

“You do know you don’t have to do that right” said Deacon.

“Just want to make sure that tool get the measure right this is a high quality object of power after all”

Brant activate magicameter and it scale up to the right end of class A.

“What do we have here” Professor Roy walk up to their desk at the moment Brant was about to announce his victory.

“Hello Professor Roy we just finish our group test” said Sarah “me and Bill got B class. Deacon C and Brant A.”

“Ah yes the ring of Nuada, an Amiel who wield silver magic” Professor Roy look at the ring and smile at Brant “I’ll be taking this”

“What but but”

“I’m sorry but we don’t allow an object of power in here even if that object is very stable”

“But will I get a A class core as replacement?”

“Well we do got some B core for replacement will it do?”

“B? Then can I buy a new A class core myself? money is not a problem sir”

Roy deal with kid like Brant before and he know that he can’t really stop him since rule only applied to object of power. Any student can use the best core that he could afford.

“a core class is not everything in MAM but it would be a lie to tell you that it doesn’t matter should you use A or B class.” Roy put a ring in his pocket “Very well I’ll allow you to buy A class core but please be careful with it, If you cause any problem know that there will be consequence even if you are Balldwin son”

“Thank you professor” said Brant.

A core class is not everything? An understatement Bill think.

MAM is just a tool, a same MAM with different core class operate like night and day. Not just function longer but produce more powerful result.

“Hello Sarah how was your mother doing” Roy turn to Sarah.

“Wonderfully sir, she wish to tell you to not work too hard and sleep more”

“Ha she should tell that to Osmond but thank you for the message” Roy look at her bracelet “May I?”

Sarah give her bracelet to Roy without hesitation.

“Our Doanna latest creation, Ho how many did she put it in here” Roy look at Sarah bracelet for a moment before return to her.

“It was made with love she truly pour herself into this one take care of it well”

“I’ll will sir”

Roy then turn to Bill which cause Bill to panic a little.

‘why is he looking at me like that’

“a B class core huh, can I see it Bill?”

Bill reluctantly take his core out and hand it to Roy.

“Very interesting” Roy look closely at Bill core which glowing “You wouldn’t happen to know where this core was made now would you”

“Can’t say that I do sir” Bill keep himself pose.

Roy then put his core back into his MAM and look at Bill glove “quite old but well maintain and I do see some modification...”

“A good MAM, I know you will take care of it well”

“Thank you sir” Bill take his MAM back.

“And you got our MAM forge, how’re you like it?” Roy ask Deacon.

“It’s good sir better than the one I use in New Terra”

“Of course we make the best MAM here” said Roy proudly.

“Alright you four feel free to play around I’ll be checking other student” Professor then walk to other table.

“What do you think?” Deacon eye Professor.

“He is cool just like how mother describe him”

“He’s ok I guess” said Brant.

“ok? He’s the best MAM mechanic out there” even Bill know of his story in the last few year of a war.

“But we don’t want to be a mechanic who work in forge we want to be a grandmaster” said Brant and Sarah nod.

Seeing Deacon didn’t nod Bill ask him “What about you Deacon?”

“Me? Oh I don’t want anything to do with MAM, mechanic or grandmaster”

“What? Then why are you studying here?” said Bill.

“It was a requirement to be an engineer. I’m more interesting in a lost technology of our race. Don’t you know how much did humanity accomplices before the fall of Estellia?”

“What are you talking about?” Bill confuse what could be more amazing than magic.

“In the ancient time human invented a plane that fly faster than any bird, we grow food from nothing, manipulated our body in a way that seem like magic even sent a man to walk on a moon! But that last one probably just a propaganda.”

“The point is that we used to be on the top of this world even without Magic. We have lost so much knowledge since the collapsed that even though we know how to make something like car we don’t have enough material or skill to make it in large number and most people struck using horse and wagon”

“But didn’t car use magic to power it? How can it exist before magic?”

“I think they change it to be modern or whatever they call it but that not the point”

“Keep changing our tech to be compatible with magic is exactly the reason why we are so slow at recover our amazing tech. Many still believed that our resource should be spent on study and developing new MAM and rune instead of trying to resurrect our technological knowledge”

“But magic already made most of those tech obsolete anyway” said Sarah.

“Not all of it” Deacon insist “Don’t you want to fly one day, healing the sickness that magic can’t cure, or maybe even understand magic in a way that not restrain by all these rune?”

“Wait I thought your father sent you here to be a diplomat?” said Brant.

“I’m studying for both, those lost tech that were recover from the sea is properly guard secret by high rank official anyway. I’ll get access to this computing one day.”

“Computo what? did you just make that word up” said Brant.

“It true...I overheard when father was in a meeting. I think they spent the past hundred year just to try open that thing. I’ll see it fix one day.”

“Goodluck with that but if you fail to be a diplomat feel free to come beg me for help. I’ll be a governor like my father one day and I sure to get access to all the top secret of our city.”

“You really need to learn how to choose a word Brant” Sarah shook her head “When I’m grandmaster I’ll be sure to help you in any way I can Deacon”

Seeing Sarah look at him Bill feel the need to say something “And I’m pretty good with all electronic stuff if you need any help I’ll try my best.”

“Thank guy” said Deacon.

After that the four of them talk about a recent bombing which Bill mention that the culprit may already be caught.

"You track bomber to her home? That awesome” said Brant.

“Dangerous more like it, you should be more careful Bill” said Sarah.

“I was with a wolf and Amiel so I was sure I’ll be fine” Bill give his reason but not tell them how he want to recover a core at first.

“Well at least we can breathe easy now. City of Alan does have a good security force just as rumor said” said Deacon.

‘Yep even I’m still impress at how fast they work, in the slum the police would show up and then never be seen again. Sometime the crime scene is just left like that’

After that the three want to know more about Bill’s MAM and core to which Bill evade answering them until the class is over and use excuse to get away.

Now he just have to have a chat with Professor Roy about certain proposal.

And properly answer a few question that Professor have about his mysterious core.