Potions Class and the Divide of St. Roland

Upon arriving at the seat Vivian had arranged for him, Ai Ou could sense that everyone around him was clearly staring, their minds far from the lesson. After all, transfer students were a rare sight.

“Hello, classmate, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Franklin Mike.”

A chubby boy with a somewhat naive expression and slightly darker skin extended a plump, friendly hand towards Ai Ou. His demeanor was considerably more amiable than the person from yesterday, prompting Ai Ou to feign a moment of consideration before nodding.

Seeing Ai Ou’s agreement, the chubby boy, Franklin, beamed happily, then cautiously inquired, “No offense, but I just wanted to ask, Ai Ou, are you… a noble or a commoner?”

“Does that truly matter?”

“Of course!” Franklin stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “At Saint Roland Academy, there are two distinct circles: the noble circle and the commoner circle. They are mutually exclusive. The noble circle believes that magic is an exclusive right of the nobility, and that commoners attempting to change their fate through magic is utterly ridiculous. They insist that nobles must uphold their inherent pride.

“Conversely, the commoner circle is comprised of mages from common backgrounds. They believe that humanity can conquer nature and that one’s status can be altered by strength. Although commoners might eventually become nobles, there remains an underlying divide between them and the old nobility.”

Franklin explained, stating the facts plainly. Indeed, class divisions seemed to exist everywhere. As Franklin spoke, a group of people around them craned their necks, listening intently, clearly invested in the answer to this question.

“As for me… I suppose I’m a noble. My father is a Baron.”

Though a Baron was the lowest rank of nobility, it still placed him within the aristocratic class.

“That’s wonderful! My father is a Viscount.”

“Ahem, Mr. Franklin, this is a classroom…”

Though Vivian didn’t finish her sentence, her meaning was undeniably clear. The chubby boy immediately fell silent, afraid of angering the captivating female teacher before him.

As it was the first magic-related lesson, Ai Ou listened with utmost seriousness. Potions class, officially known as Magical Potions, bore a resemblance to chemistry classes from his previous life. In this class, students would learn the correct methods for crafting magical potions, using various magical ingredients according to different potion recipes.

“Potionology is an incredibly profound subject and exceptionally important for every mage. A truly great mage must know how to craft potions, as they are intrinsically linked to our lives. For instance, if you encounter a charming lady or gentleman you fancy, you could create a captivating potion to attract them.

“Of course, love achieved through potions is fleeting and illegal. I certainly don’t recommend anyone crafting captivating potions to find love.”

Hearing Vivian’s words, everyone chuckled. When a beautiful woman told a suggestive joke, the effect was different; everyone felt invigorated.

“Naturally, this is merely one aspect. The true purpose of potions is not to create such things. Potions are meant to aid mages. For example, you can create healing potions to use when injured and bleeding, allowing for rapid recovery from wounds.

“Or you could craft stamina potions to quickly replenish your energy when exhausted. And, of course, mana potions can swiftly restore the magical energy within you when you’ve overdrawn your mana.”

As she spoke, Vivian pulled three vials from her pocket: a small red potion, a small blue potion, and a small green potion. She placed them one by one on the desk in front of her.

“The three potions I’ve just presented are a healing potion, a mana potion, and a stamina potion. Imagine you’re dueling another mage and you both get injured. If you then gulp down a healing potion, your opponent would be instantly dumbfounded, wouldn’t they? Your wounds would heal while theirs still bled. Wouldn’t that allow you to win?

“That is the advantage of a healing potion. Or perhaps you and another mage simultaneously deplete your magical energy. At that moment, you produce a mana potion, replenishing your inner magic. Wouldn’t having one more spell than your enemy secure your victory in the duel? That is the significance of a mana potion.

“Now, consider a stamina potion. In a war of attrition, both of your energies are nearly spent. If you then pull out a stamina potion, restoring your depleted strength, your opponent would be stunned. Wouldn’t they then be like a fish on a chopping block, ripe for the slaughter?

“Of course, if you possess all three of these potions, imagine a duel where everyone is nearly exhausted. You produce a healing potion, instantly recovering from your injuries, leaving your opponent dumbfounded. Then you pull out a mana potion, instantly restoring your magic, and your opponent stares in disbelief. Next, you present a stamina potion—you haven’t even drunk it yet, and your opponent is already despairing. So, do you now understand the importance of potions?”

The entire class burst into laughter. However, their gazes were also filled with longing as they fixed upon the three magical potions on the lecture desk. After all, everything Vivian had described was simply too tempting.

But Ai Ou, upon hearing this, froze. Weren’t these healing and mana potions just like the red and blue potions from games in his previous life? Even their colors were identical.

“However…” Vivian suddenly changed her tone. “These are external aids, merely tools used in duels or battles. For us mages, they are only external means and do not enhance our fundamental strength. Therefore…”

Vivian then pulled another vial from her pocket. This potion was entirely transparent, with a distinct milky white core, clearly separated and undisturbed. She placed this potion on the desk and stated, “This, then, is a mental power potion. As everyone knows, the stronger one’s mental power, the faster their meditation efficiency, and thus, the greater the amount of magical energy extracted. And the power of magic is directly related to magical energy.

“The mental power potion I’ve presented is the lowest grade. Even a single low-grade mental power potion can increase the meditation efficiency of a Tier 1 to Tier 3 mage by about three to five percent!”

A stir went through the crowd. Three to five percent might not seem like much, but what about meditating ten times? That’s thirty to fifty percent. Meditating a hundred times would be three hundred to five hundred percent, equivalent to an extra three to five meditation sessions. Over time, the gap between individuals would widen significantly.

Vivian had explicitly stated that this was only the lowest-grade mental power potion. What if there were higher grades?

“Alright, now that I’ve set the stage for so long, it’s time to begin today’s lesson. Today, we will be learning how to concoct a mental power potion. Which student would like to come up and, under my guidance, create a mental power potion?”

Most of the male students raised their hands. Everyone wanted to be guided by the alluring and mature beauty of their teacher, especially with the prospect of close contact. They felt as though their entire being would be purified.

“Me!”

Someone stood up directly. Ai Ou looked at him, a frown creasing his brow.