#150. Inferior Beings (3)
—
At Ray’s request, Binjin showed a somewhat troubled expression.
“It’s my personal lab, filled with important equipment. Normally, even my disciples are prohibited from entering, and only those who clearly consent to the procedure are allowed in—”
“Then forget it. Let’s pretend the procedure was never mentioned.”
“—However, I can’t treat you the same as others, Mage.”
After a moment of thought, Binjin spoke.
“How about this instead?”
“What is it?”
“You take my place in the upcoming lecture for Class A. In return, I’ll grant your request.”
Ray gave him a look that said, “Go on.”
“My core educational philosophy is based on humility. The arrogant can never reach the highest realms. That’s why I always strive to instill humility in my students…”
Classes B and C weren’t an issue.
But Class A was a different story.
“They always bow their heads and pretend to be humble in front of me, but their arrogance seeps out in every aspect of their daily lives.”
Binjin shook his head once before continuing.
“If you were to teach them, Mage, it would surely be a valuable opportunity for them to be reminded of humility.”
It wasn’t a difficult request—but there was a catch.
“I’ve never taught anyone before.”
Strictly speaking, he had once taught Veronica how to form a link.
[“Why can’t you do this? Try it like this.”]
[“……”]
[“I don’t get it.”]
[“……”]
[“How can you not manage something this simple?”]
[“……”]
But despite his efforts, the lessons hadn’t been very effective.
Sometimes, when he turned around after sensing an eerie chill, he’d find Veronica hesitating behind him with a sharply cornered book in hand.
Binjin responded.
“Oh, I’m not asking for any high level of structure or professionalism. As long as the students come to realize how lacking their abilities are, the format of the lesson doesn’t matter.”
He added a hint for Ray, who seemed unsure of how to approach this.
“You might find it helpful to emulate how I interact with my disciples.”
Ray recalled Binjin’s harsh criticisms and verbal beatdowns of his students.
Whether that teaching style was actually helpful to them was debatable…
‘If that’s what he wants.’
It wouldn’t be that hard.
All he had to do was stir up Class A’s sense of inferiority through some method or another.
And it would also be a good chance to closely observe their emotions.
“Alright, I’ll do it.”
“Excellent! As the elf known as the Devotee of Magic, I can hardly wait to see what kind of lesson you’ll deliver.”
Ray stared coldly at Binjin’s bright smile.
He figured this was also a way for Binjin to gauge his skills.
“Very well. Class A should be in the first-floor lecture hall for self-study after lunch. The actual class starts in 20 minutes, so you can prepare until then. It’ll be 50 minutes long—”
Ray interrupted.
“I can start right away.”
“Pardon…?”
“There might not be enough time. I’d rather begin immediately.”
Binjin was momentarily flustered.
But soon he regained his composure, unable to hide his anticipation, and led Ray forward.
“Scuttle, you fool. The reason you can’t form a circle is because you’re fat like a pig.”
“Tsk tsk, Milo. Did I teach you to sweep like that? Your memory must be on par with a fish.”
Naturally, he didn’t forget to throw scathing remarks at the other students doing chores along the way.
Finally, they arrived at a small classroom at the end of the first-floor hallway.
“Are you really okay with starting the class right away?”
“It’s fine.”
Binjin nodded and opened the door.
Creeeak—
Ten members of Class A, who had been studying on their own, all looked up at once.
“Isn’t it still before class time?”
“What’s going on? The instructor’s already…?”
Whispers of confusion spread.
Binjin stepped up to the lectern first and spoke to Ray, who was still at the door.
“Please, come in.”
Ray walked forward, receiving the attention of every gaze.
Clack— clack— clack.
His footsteps stopped beside the lectern.
…….
…….
A heavy silence settled in the room.
Ray calmly endured the wary looks and watched their emotional reactions.
Their ages and appearances varied, but what their vessels contained was identical.
That emotion was—
‘Envy, jealousy, and longing.’
Dark, murky colors of emotions bloomed like mold.
At the center of it all was a dense navy-blue mana.
‘Inferiority complex.’
An emotion often called self-loathing.
The same emotional pattern he had seen when entering the mansion.
Even elite Class A students couldn’t escape Binjin’s usual verbal lashings.
Binjin spoke beside him.
“You all met this morning, so you know who he is. This is Hailer Rockfell. We talked during lunch about education, and thankfully, he has agreed to teach in my place today. The lecture will begin immediately, including this self-study time, so take note.”
What on earth was going on?
The students glanced around in confusion.
Binjin’s diction was so precise, there was no chance they had misheard.
But comprehending the meaning was a separate issue.
‘Teach us? Don’t tell me he’s saying we’re supposed to take a class from *him*?’
‘Seems like it. Master despises jokes.’
‘But still, how could someone our age possibly teach us?’
Silent outcries erupted in every corner, but no one dared to challenge Binjin.
“Master, I think this is—”
To be exact, one person did try.
“Tenon, since when were you allowed to voice your thoughts without my permission?”
“S-sorry.”
At Binjin’s icy gaze, he immediately backed down.
Standing with his hands behind his back at the rear of the classroom, Binjin suddenly spoke as if remembering something.
“Ah, Hailer. Before you begin, it might be good to state your current circle level.”
“……”
As he walked down the stairs, Ray recalled what Binjin had said.
[“You’re likely concealing the majority of your circle levels. But could you tell the students you’re only at the second circle?”]
[“From the perspective of those unaware that you’re an elf, that would be the most they could reasonably accept.”]
He also added that presenting himself as a second-circle mage would be more stimulating for the students.
‘…They’re all first-circle, aiming for second.’
After a glance around the class, Ray spoke in a low voice.
“Second circle. That’s all the introduction I need.”
A stir spread through the air.
Watching the unpleasantly swelling blobs of navy-blue mana, Ray thought,
‘Interesting.’
Showing a concrete example of what they wished to achieve, right before their eyes.
A highly effective way to stir emotions.
Amidst the unfriendly stares, Ray continued with his prepared lines.
“Binjin asked me to teach, but I’ve never taught anyone before. I don’t think I have any talent for it, nor do I think it’s possible.”
The Class A students unconsciously held their breath as they listened to Ray.
His voice carried a surprisingly trustworthy tone, and his demeanor was more serious than expected.
And claiming to lack talent for teaching?
Class A, full of pride, knew—
Admitting and exposing your own flaws was no easy feat.
But why was it?
Why did it feel like something inside their chests burned for a moment?
‘This… this might be a lesson unlike any we’ve experienced.’
‘Owen, shame on you. You were trapped in your own baseless prejudice that all nobles are arrogant.’
‘That hollow gaze… it’s the gaze of a sage who has fully accepted himself.’
As the Class A students started to let go of the tension in their eyes, entering a state of introspective calm—
“That’s because I’ve never learned theory. I just cast magic based on instinct.”
Ray delivered the final blow.
And then came a deafening silence.
…….
…….
…….
Sometimes, things were just too absurd.
So absurd that your brain needed a moment to reboot.
That was what happened to the Class A students.
Using magic without theory?
Purely by instinct?
A scoff escaped their lips.
It defied common sense.
It was a claim as ridiculous as a deer flying in the sky.
Had he said that in front of Master Binjin, he would’ve been subjected to hours of verbal hell.
They tried to think positively, but there was only one conclusion.
This guy was mocking them.
The Class A students, who had been relaxing their expressions, now tensed them even further.
‘This bastard. What kind of lesson is this?’
‘Arrogant noble. What do you know about life as an orphan?’
‘On second thought, that’s the gaze of someone who looks down on everyone.’
A surge of crimson fury filled their vessels.
Though Ray was curious about the strange phenomenon, he continued speaking.
“So I plan to use a different method than traditional instruction.”
*Woooong.*
Ray waved his hand, and a single-colored mana from the air condensed into a sphere.
It was yellow mana.
Highly fluid, and easy to manipulate.
“You can all feel the sphere of mana hovering above my palm. It’s entirely under my control.”
Everyone nodded.
With such a fluid type of mana, and with the sphere spinning nonstop, it was impossible not to notice it.
They were ready to jump on any slip-up—
But the precision and delicacy of Ray’s mana control left them in awe.
As everyone’s nerves reached peak focus, Ray continued.
“Try to steal control from me and move the sphere of mana, even slightly. That’s the entirety of today’s lesson—and your time-limited task.”
What came to Ray’s mind was the game he played with Graham at the bookstore.
It was long ago, and it had been a wager, not a lesson—but there had still been things to learn.
‘I hope these kids gain something too.’
Binjin did want their pride crushed, but this was still a class.
They needed to learn something.
That was the very definition of a lesson.
The atmosphere in the classroom stirred even more than when Ray first entered.
‘Move the sphere of mana?’
‘This is the whole lesson?’
A sphere made of mana.
Of course they’d tried moving one before.
Pulling on someone else’s mana sphere was a common strength-testing game, like magical arm wrestling.
The mood turned grim and uncomfortable.
How much did he look down on them to think this childish game would suffice?
Just as everyone was about to glance over at Binjin, hoping for intervention—
“Of course, doing it as-is would be boring. If you manage to move the mana sphere even slightly, I’ll give you a reward.”
Ray spoke.
A reward?
All heads momentarily froze—then—
“100,000 shillings. I swear on my honor, I’ll pay you.”
“……!”
“……!”
—they turned toward Binjin like lightning.
But their gazes carried a different meaning now.
From “kick this intruder out”—
To “is he serious?”
Binjin was momentarily flustered too, but quickly regained composure and said,
“Yes. That’s right. If you win the challenge, the money will be yours to keep.”
The heads of Class A snapped back into place in perfect unison.
Ten pairs of eyes, burning with greed, locked onto Ray.
One student asked,
“Then, may we decide the order of attempts ourselves?”
Ray tilted his head.
“What do you mean? You’re all going to try at the same time.”
Once again, the atmosphere in the classroom surged.
