Professor Mia began the class with a bang—literally. The explosion left the students temporarily deaf, forcing her to conduct the first part of the lesson entirely through writing on the blackboard. Only after fifteen minutes did the ringing in their ears subside enough for them to hear again.

"Ahem, can you all hear me now?" she asked, her voice surprisingly soft.

"I'm sorry, Professor, you'll have to speak up a little," Lilly said, raising her hand with an apologetic smile.

"Tsk. You brats go deaf that easily, huh?" she snapped, loud enough for the entire class to hear. The crassness of her tone was jarring, completely at odds with her petite frame. She looked more like a porcelain doll than someone who'd cuss like a crime boss.

The contradiction was both confusing and oddly captivating.

"Listen up. Alchemy is an art form," she declared, crossing her arms and beginning to pace in front of the desk. "We take magical herbs and ingredients, extract their properties, and craft cutting-edge medicine and tonics with a variety of effects."

"Mana restoratives, vitality boosters—hell, there are even recipes to turn someone into a dragon for nighttime activities…" Her voice trailed off as a look of alarm flashed across her face, realizing too late that her comment might not be appropriate for first-years.

"Professor, are there really potions that can turn someone into a dragon!?" Lilly asked again, her eyes sparkling with fascination.

"Shit…" Professor Mia muttered, slipping a hand into her robe and gripping a vial—clearly debating whether to repeat her earlier explosive distraction. After a tense moment, she withdrew her hand and cleared her throat, deciding to ignore the question altogether.

"Most of you won't be worth the parchment your names are written on when it comes to the mystic art of alchemy—but the headmaster seems to think that's acceptable," she said, her tone making it clear she disagreed.

"As one of the leading researchers in the field, it's my duty to teach you the fundamentals," she continued, her voice leveling out. "All I can hope is that, by the end of your first year, you'll at least come to respect the craft."

Michael watched her with a mix of fascination and uncertainty. Her behavior clashed so wildly with her appearance that it left him unsettled.

Maybe being eccentric is a requirement for professors at Arcadia, he thought grimly.

Still, another question gnawed at him. So far, the professor had only mentioned tonics and potions—but what about pills? The ones he had tucked away in his storage ring had to be a product of alchemy too.

Perhaps the knowledge of pill-crafting has been lost as well? he wondered, deciding to hold the question for later.

"Now, we'll jump straight into crafting our first tonic—the mana potion," Professor Mia announced with a flourish of her hand. "The humble mana potion can restore up to twenty percent of your mana instantly. Thanks to its purity, there's no need to refine it upon absorption."

"For Ember Mages, it will replenish the full twenty percent," Professor Mia continued, flicking her robe as she turned on her heel. "But Crimson Mages will only receive half the benefit due to their higher-tier mana. And for those above Crimson... well, the effects are practically negligible."

Her gaze swept across the classroom, as if sizing up the students based on appearance alone. After a few moments of scrutiny, her expression twisted with visible disappointment.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and light your cauldrons!" she barked, sending a ripple of panic through the room.

Michael noticed that Melody and Rudy were already sharing a cauldron beside him, which meant he'd be paired with Lilly, the girl seated to his left. She looked anxious as she examined the equipment in front of her, clearly unsure how to proceed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Michael caught sight of Melody. She picked up a cylindrical metal canister from the table, positioned it beneath her cauldron, and with a deft flick of her finger, ignited a spark above the opening—setting a controlled flame alight.

The room fell silent for a moment as nearly every student turned to watch her, faces filled with awe and envy. It was clear she'd done this before.

Is that a gas tank? Michael mused, eyes narrowing on the metal canister.

He found it odd. One would think that in a world full of magic, conjuring fire would be easier—and cheaper—than using gas. Then again, maybe magic interfered with the delicate balance of alchemical brews.

"D-Do you know how to light it?" Lilly asked hesitantly, clutching the gas canister in both hands.

Michael took it from her gently and examined it. After a moment of fiddling, he discovered a small knob and twisted it. The faint hiss of gas reached his ears.

Following Melody's example, he set the canister beneath the cauldron and used a basic fire incantation to produce a small flame. The fire caught instantly, a steady heat beginning to rise as the cauldron warmed.

"Thank you…" Lilly breathed, visibly relieved. "I'm Lilly, by the way. We haven't officially met."

"Michael," he replied with a smile, shaking her offered hand.

From what he'd seen so far, Lilly seemed kindhearted and sincere. He didn't mind being partnered with someone like her.

Their cauldron now glowed with a healthy flame—one of the few successfully lit in the room. Around them, most students remained frozen in place, whispering nervously and fumbling with their unfamiliar equipment.

Professor Mia surveyed the room with a look of utter disdain. Her shoulders slumped as she released a long, theatrical sigh.

"Do you not even know how to light the fire?" she muttered, shaking her head as she passed between groups. "Useless nobles…"

Michael, seated nearest to her, caught the grumbled insult clearly.

He blinked, baffled.

How could she expect a bunch of first-years with zero alchemy experience to just know how to light a gas canister? Especially when most of them had grown up pampered, with servants attending to their every need.

If he hadn't seen Melody light hers, he might've been lost too.

This class was going to be harder than he thought.

His gaze trailed after the petite professor as she weaved her way through the class.

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