The Novel's Professor

Chapter 4 4: Rest

The night was still young. Rio just finished practicing the skills and powers earlier at the training room. He didnt expect that it would take him a week to properly use them. Thankfully classes will only start tomorrow.

Time flies so fast, it was already a week since he transmigrated to this bizzarre world. Several nights of practice made him accept the fact that everything is real and he needs to get a grip.

Maybe it was because constantly using magic enchances a person mind, or simply a week of time to think made him acknowledge the situation. Well, who knows?

He was walking towards the library while carrying a box full of books and scrolls he borrowed. And it was light, suprisingly. Though that was probably because he was a Rank C Miracle Invoker. The strength of a person was above a veteran soldier if he reached Rank C, regardless of the class.

During the past week, he had discovered a lot of information about his new identity. He was apparently a Rank C Miracle Invoker in the path of Sorcerers.

The library was located at the first floor corridor, it was at the corner end of the floor. Arriving at the library door, he put down the box he was carrying and took out the white badge in his chest pocket. The white badge featuring the mark of a staff, was more than a simple decoration. It's an important identification chip used by the academy to be granted access to certain rooms.

It's no exagerration to say that losing the badge is also losing your access to Volund Academy.

He slotted the white badge in the small slit in the door. The door opened and he took back his badge before walking inside. The inside of the library was vast. There were innumerable amount of books and shelves.

Observing the inside of the library, he noticed there were a lot of people inside this time. Last time, there were only a few people, though that was probably because the celebration just ended and the students just moved in. A week of time should be able to make them comfortably at the academy.

He walked towards the librarian's desk. However, while he was walking a student approached him. The student's hair was blonde, indentical to his eyes that were shining golden. The young man's mannerism was refined and elegant, alike a nobel. When Rio looked at his face he was reminded of a major character in the novel.

"Good evening, professor." The student said with a smile and bowed slightly.

"Good evening." Rio in respond nodded to his greeting. His eyebrows quirked upon seeing the student's smile. The student's smile at first looked fine and sincere. However experience told Rio there was more to that smile. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

After the greeting, the student left. Rio sighed. He had a guess on who that student is. The student was most likely Eugene Pendragon, a noble through and through. He was the successor to the dukedom in the royalty. If he were to describe Eugene, it would be nigh - perfection.

He had it all. Looks, talents, upbringing and mannerism. Even if he was a noble he didn't abuse his power and status anywhere, he earned respect of the people by his attitude.

But, Rio who had read the story knew that he wasn't entirely perfect. He shook his head at that thought. He was quite tired, so he just continued walking towards the librarian's desk. Frankly he didn't want to think that much and just lay dead in the bed. He would think about Eugene, or the novel at another time.

He was just too tired at the moment. The constant practice of spells and review of topics over a week without sleep depleted his energy. The only reason he was able to focus continously even over several days is because of his enchanced mind for being a Rank C Miracle Invoker.

He arrived at the librarians desk. He put down the box of books afterwards, he took out the white badge and gave it the librarian. The librarian was an old woman, her hair was ashen white and face littered with wrinkles.

"You reviewed the basics? These books you all borrowed are entry level." The librarian said as she took the badge and scanned it.

"Indeed," Rio nodded with a poker face, well he was technically not lying since he did review them. The only problem was it was his first time of learning them, "Classes are coming up, a thorough review should make me teach more efficiently."

"How admirable," The librarian said, as she unboxed the books Rio brought. She continued, "Exactly what a teacher of Volund Academy should be."

"You flatter me, madame." Rio sighed. If only she knew that he didnt know a single thing about the topics and skills he borrowed.

"Here," The librarian as she finished gave back the white badge, and bid farewell. "Come again, young man."

Rio nodded in response and prepared to go back to his own room. If he ever wants to review basic topics or learn advance topics, then definetely. However if he needed skills? It's a long shot he will.

«Skills» are the byproduct of mankind's experimentation and use of magic. To simplify, skills are left down by predecessors of the past that was good at magic.

? Agi, the beginner skill that is rated one star, has a background of skills that were first brought in the world.

«Skills» likewise are ranked. The number of stars tied into a skill correlates to its rarity. A one star skill is as common as junk. A five star skill is the rarest, it can even start a noble lineage and prolong it. It's priceless, in essence.

The category of skills are based on how easier or hard to learn a skill is. A beginner skill is as simple as it gets, an easy skill that could be used by any Miracle Invoker, majority of beginner skills are mostly useless, however some are priceless. A master level skill is as it's name implies, a skill only learnable by master's.

There are better places to get the skills that he wanted. Rio already thought of several other places he would visit, however, as he is quite tired he would think more about it in the future.

—

He had never gotten in his room before. But he did know where it was. How? Well, the silver badge that he used for identification earlier also has another use.

It had another function to use as a map incase a student or a teacher got lost or wanted to find something important. To use it you need to insert magic inside the badge. Well, that's how he used it anyway.

Truly, a convenient artifact, Rio thought as he continued to walk forward the hallways.

While Rio was walking towards his room he saw a person silently standing in the hallways. The person seemed lost in thought, seemingly thinking of something.

It was Samantha. Her figure still beautiful as always, noble and elegant, like a princess. He approached her, at the intent of greeting her.

"Good evening, Ms. Samantha," Rio said as quirked his eyebrows while continuing, "You seem nervous."

"Ah!" Samantha snapped out her daze in the sudden voice, she looked up and saw it was her colleague, Rio. She asked, embarassed "I-is it that obvious..?"

"Are you nervous for tomorrow?" Rio asked as he nodded to the question.

"Indeed," Samantha confessed, as she wondered quizically tilting her head, "You seem to not be nervous, Mr Rio"

"I have experience in teaching," Rio said. It was true. Back in his previous life he did enter a few tutor classes just so he could have some money. He remembered one kid in particular. However those memories are something of the past, he shouldn't dwell on them too much.

"That's wonderful!" Samantha said happily, as she asked "I guess this should be quite easy to you then?"

"Far from it," He sighed, as he continued while staring at the sky. "Teaching from somewhere and teaching at Volund Academy are drastically different."

"I guess that's true," Samantha nodded, and noticed the dark circling eyebags in the Rio's eyes. She frowned as she ask, "You seem to be out of sleep, am I somehow obstructing you from resting..?"

"Ah, no." Rio shaked his head, as he replied, "I was about to sleep, and thought that I should atleast greet you. You did help me during the announcements."

"I see, I must thank you for your help Mr. Rio, my nerves are quite calmed now." She nodded with a serious expression.

She was too formal, he thought. Her mannerism and way of speaking are stringent. Not that he was particularly bothered by it. After that little conversation with Samantha, he bidded farewell and proceeded to get back in his room.

—

His room was big. If he were to describe it, it was like a hotel room but bigger. There was a kitchen at the far end of the room. A couch was situated in the middle of the room, facing a flat screen television. The bedroom or sleeping quarters was behind the door at the left of the room.

Rio in a hurry, removed his white coat and brown shoes. His body was quite well-defined. Not a body builder's physique, but above average one. He opened the door to his bedroom, and just fell straight into the bed.

The bed was comfortable. Just at the fall to the soft matress his body felt relaxed. His head comfortably sleeping in he pillow. He wanted this rest. He needed this rest. From the mind boggling revelations, constant practice of magic, review of topics to teach, he needed this silent recluse sleep where he doesnt think. He doesnt operate. Just comfortably laying.