Ch 31: Petty
Just as the box was placed on the desk, everyone’s gaze dropped toward it, waiting with anticipation to see what lay inside.
Lucien did not open the box immediately or show what was inside; instead, he paused, realizing he had forgotten to give the formal introduction that every teacher gave to a new batch of students. Lucien had completely forgotten this ritual.
So, he produced a marker from his ring and, turning his body toward the board, he began to write in large, bold letters.
Mana Control and Manipulation.
“I do not think I need to introduce myself much. But let me remind those who seem to have forgotten their places, for it seems they have forgotten who I am.” Lucien turned to the class as he finished writing on the board and announced, “I am Lucien Duskbane, and I will be teaching you Mana Control and Manipulation.”
Amber, Eleena, and Patrick froze in their seats, for he had taunted them more than anyone else. Lucien felt they had forgotten their place, and he wanted to remind them that he held the upper hand. And, they clearly realize he had targeted them.
Lucien knew he was being petty with his revenge, but so be it.
Without giving them another look, Lucien proceeded to open the box placed on the desk. As expected, he found iron-steeled, white-colored bracelets inside, meant for restricting mana within one’s body. These restraints were placed on prisoners and criminals to prevent them from using mana and to keep them safely locked away in prison.
Lucien looked around at the students, closed his eyes, and focused on his mana core. It was as natural to him as breathing. He opened his eyes and flicked his finger.
The bracelets inside the box began disappearing one by one, reappearing in front of each student’s desk as Lucien’s gaze swept rapidly across the room, his eyes moving from the first row of students to the last until he stopped in front of Patrick.
No one dared to touch the bracelet. They were still stunned by his earlier outburst of anger. Lucien nodded in satisfaction, as he wanted to explain the bracelets’ function before anyone attempted to use them.
“These are Refined [Upper] ranked mana-restriction bracelets, the kind most of you have probably seen on prisoners to restrict their use of mana,” Lucien said, narrowing his eyes at the room. Only after his words settled did he continue, “These have been modified to allow only thirty percent of mana flow and can be used by up to Master rank individuals to bind their mana. Most of you are below Master rank, so you can equip these without malfunction, and you will still be able to use mana, but only thirty percent of it when channeling out to cast spells or channeling in to refill your mana core.”
Some of the students nodded like a chicken as they immediately understood Lucien’s goal, though they still seemed displeased with the plan.
Lucien explained, “You will be wearing these bracelets for the entire month. At the end of the month, I will administer a mini-test requiring you to cast tier two spells while wearing the same bracelet.” As his words settled over the class, the students’ faces shifted from shock to disbelief, and some looked as if they had seen a ghost. While Elite rank individuals could channel tier two spells with ease, with their mana restricted to thirty percent, it would be nearly impossible for most of them—except for a few who might flourish under this challenge and even rise to the top with a breakthrough.
Lucien added, “The marks will count toward your final evaluation.”
Just as Lucien had expected, the students looked ready to protest, since many of them were likely to fail due to a lack of proficiency in mana manipulation, but none dared to voice their complaints for fear of angering him further. Even so, a hand rose from the second row.
Eleena was the one raising her right hand. When Lucien turned to her, she met his gaze without fear, though her expression held something of anger or sadness that Lucien could not quite pinpoint.
Is she angry because I shouted at her for being late? But why is there sadness on her face? Lucien wondered.
“Did I not make everything clear, student Eleena?” Lucien stressed the word student, making sure she understood that they were no longer engaged and that he held the upper hand in their relationship dynamic.
Eleena did not seem pleased with his emphasis on the word student. “Professor Lucien, I did not receive a bracelet. I think you forgot to assign one to me,” she replied, emphasizing the word Professor in return, taking subtle revenge for his earlier remark.
“I have also not received mine,” Amber said from beside Eleena, her right hand raised as well.
“Oh, that is because I believe you both have more potential than the others, so I have decided not to assign you this meager seventy-percent blocking mana-restriction bracelet,” Lucien answered, then added, “Both of you have a great future ahead, so I have decided to increase your challenge and will give you bracelets that allow only fifteen percent mana circulation.” Lucien’s face remained impassive, his voice devoid of malice or hidden feeling.
But inside, Lucien was smirking to himself as he found great pleasure in taking revenge on them for daring to follow him in the hallway and, in part, for being late to class. He had not forgotten the feeling of his fingers trembling when Eleena confronted him.
Lucien hated that feeling more than anything, so he was simply getting back at them, especially Eleena. But since Amber was her friend who had also trailed behind him in the hallway, he added Amber to the list along with Eleena for troubling him and for making him remember a version of himself he wished to leave behind.
Amber’s eyes twitched, lines forming on her forehead as she teetered on the verge of an outburst, but Eleena grasped Amber’s hands tightly, not allowing her to do anything reckless.
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