Wolf wasn’t enthusiastic about holding lectures. The six months he had to spend in Silver City, lecturing, were a waste of time. He could better use them to harvest Monster Cores from Demonic Converter offshoots.

However, waiting meant advancing his Star Body, netting him a fivefold increase in strength. Plus, his tendons would grow sturdy enough to bear his full power. The weakest link in his body would become his partially reinforced flesh and organs. After the fourth stage, the only thing to rip if he overexerted himself were his muscles, which were easy to fix through generous application of healing potions.

In one moment, Wolf strode towards Amphitheater Alpha, fantasizing about his powerful new body. In the next, he cursed whoever claimed that proper understanding of a matter came through teaching. That blatant lie created an opening to exploit Eight Order Mage students as lecturers.

That old kook arranged my lectures in the biggest amphitheater just to mess with me. Wolf honestly believed that thought until he opened the door.

Wolf walked onto a podium, greeted by the sudden silence of a jam-packed audience. There were five thousand seats. They were all taken, and at least three thousand attendees stood.

Wolf couldn’t believe his eyes. But his surprise lasted only a split moment. It never reached his face, and nobody saw his panicked look, nor the bitter one which didn’t follow.

He said my course is only for the Fifth Order elite class, but everyone else could attend, if they paid Academic Credits. Wolf realized Headmaster Smith conned him yet again.

The old kook asked Wolf to waive the attendance proceeds in his favor. He described it as a show of goodwill, since he gave Wolf the ingredients he desired in advance.

“Good day to you all.” Wolf took a deep breath, forcing away useless thoughts. “My name is Wolf. I will teach you Combat Casting this semester.”

Richard named Wolf’s class. The youth wanted to call it ‘Practical Application of Magic in Combat Situations’, or PAoMiCS for short. The old secretary rejected the proposal.

“Mages call ‘practical application of magic’ spellcasting, shortened to casting. Everyone calls ‘combat situations’ combat.” Just like that, Richard denied Wolf’s right to name his class. At least he had the freedom to select the topics and nobody, except Anna and Mandy, checked the materials he’d prepared.

“Today we will discuss hunting Monster Beasts in small-sized groups…” Wolf used the foundation Fifth Order students should’ve built when they were Fourth Order and classified Monster Beasts based on attributes important for combat and how to capitalize on those abilities.

Occasionally he mentioned concepts which confused the students, but Wolf ignored their empty gazes. He designated his class for Fifth Order Mages and higher. Remembering his entire speech wasn’t a problem for Fourth Order Mages, and he planned to elaborate on party roles and party composition next week.

Wolf’s approach wasn’t the best way to explain the topic. Solo hunting would’ve been a better start, or maybe party composition and member roles. However, both were more meaningful with examples Wolf covered in this lecture.

Wolf stood atop a wooden box behind the lectern. He glanced through the crowd and, after several moments, noticed Anna, Matilda, and Wayde. Barbara was no longer part of the gang. Neither am I. Wolf had that heavy thought, feeling he’d lost something precious for gods knew which time since the Mandy incident.

As for Wolf’s former party, they found this lecture boring. Wolf already drilled these lessons into them through practical examples and combat situations during their missions. Even human bandits fit Wolf’s description of intelligent, yet physically weak, Monster Beasts.

Ninety minutes flew by and Wolf’s class reached an end. “That would be all for today. Starting next week, we will begin our lectures with ten minutes reserved for discussion on topics you find confusing. Class dismissed.”

Wolf turned around and left as the silence behind his back became a jumbled background drone. Pervert, tiny dick, beggar, leech… Wolf pretended not to hear random slurs thrown his way while exiting the large auditorium. The words weren’t loud and the murmur drowned them, but dozens of people cursed Wolf publicly, while others chuckled and chortled.

Wolf’s class wasn’t a regular one. For students to become teaching staff, they had to be at least Fifth Order and pass a certification examination. By passing the exam, they became accredited teaching assistants, and they could retain their student status as long as they taught classes.

“Now, that was boring. How about we grab a bite to eat?” Anna laughed, teasing Wolf.

She’d walked out of the amphitheater with a sour expression, but forced herself to smile when she saw her fiance. Once Wolf left, toxic tongues targeted her.

“I almost fell asleep,” Wayde chirped in, yawning, passing a half-truth as a joke.

“I think your lecture was wonderful, Wolf. We verified what we witnessed while adventuring,” Matilda said, singing a brighter tune than Anna and Wayde.

“Everyone has to settle their own bill.” Wolf sighed and his shoulders drooped. “If a lecturer receives anything from his students, it’s considered a bribe. Also, rules forbid lecturers from monetarily rewarding their students. They can only have transactions with privately hired aides and secretaries.”

Mages mostly turned a blind eye to the rule about teachers treating students. Unfortunately, Wolf knew someone would snitch on him right away. He was even more assured a certain greedy old kook would guffaw while writing him a fine.

The gang had lunch at Will’s Place, after which Anna, Matilda, and Wayde went for their afternoon classes. Wolf, however, had a private tutoring session with the Headmaster.

“Come in,” the familiar, sharp voice said after Wolf knocked on his office door.

Wolf entered, performing a formal half-bow. “I’m here for my lessons, Sir.”

“Dick, take him to the media room and give him fifty Scribing Quills,” the Headmaster said.

“It’s Richard, Sir,” Richard corrected. His brows rose slightly in surprise, but didn’t comment on Headmaster Smith’s order.

Wolf followed Richard through the second door of the Headmaster’s office, leaving behind the frowning Lord of Steel, who was engrossed in examining an ancient book.

“These are Sir’s private chambers. Very few people have access to them.” Richard explained, while leading the way.

Wolf nodded. He didn’t know whether he should feel honored by the unique opportunity to tour an unassuming hallway lined with doors.

Richard opened the sixth door on the left and entered the chamber. He tapped a black wall, which suddenly became illuminated with lists of random words. After a moment, Wolf recognized some of them as book titles.

“An average book page has three hundred words.” Richard rapidly selected fifty names and fifty white sheets appeared on the wall.

“Scribing Quills can pen twenty words per second, meaning it takes fifteen seconds to transcribe a page.” An armful of magical quills materialized in Richard’s arms and he unceremoniously dropped them in front of Wolf, then produced fifty stacks of paper.

“Your job is to prepare these for writing. Then, you will transcribe fifty books simultaneously. I’ll set the wall to flip the pages every sixteen seconds. That way you have one second to remove used papers using Scribing Quills.” The elderly secretary stood there with his arms crossed, watching Wolf’s confused expression.

“We won’t strictly control your progress, nor whether your transcriptions are correct. You can write reusing the same pages, but after several transcriptions, you will have a difficult time checking your own progress.”

Wolf blinked. “You want me to transcribe fifty books at the same time while reading them?”

Richard nodded with a straight face. “You’re a bright kid. I only spoke those words once before you could repeat them. I believe you’re a natural talent for transcribing.”

“Your study lessons will last two hours at most; for your poor little brain’s sake. You should start. The clock is ticking.” Richard clapped his hands in a chop chop motion.

Befuddled, Wolf obeyed. He arranged the paper stacks, placed a Scribing Quill on each of them and activated them.

While Wolf started making a mess and quills scribbled erratically, Richard set the wall to flip the virtual pages every sixteen seconds, then left the room.

“How’s he doing?” Lord of Steel asked without showing much interest. Everyone performed horribly when they started partitioning their mind.

“It’s a mess. But you can’t blame the boy.” Richard spoke just as indifferently. “Especially considering someone had him start with five times the recommended number of books. Shall we continue with the lessons once he’s able to transcribe ten books?”

Lord of Steel shook his head, surprising Richard. “At least thirty. And don’t go asking him ‘have you finally succeeded with thirty?’ You’ll give it away.”

“But, Sir, even thirty books is too difficult,” Richard protested.

Against Richard’s expectations, Lord of Steel nodded. “It is. Just don’t tell him that. People pull off the impossible, if you don’t warn them it’s impossible.”