The first rays of the morning sun slowly rose above the horizon, spreading a warm golden light across the Kingdom of Britannia.

The long night finally came to an end.

Snow that had settled over the academy grounds began melting beneath the gentle warmth of the sunlight. Tiny drops of water slid down tree branches before falling softly onto the white ground below.

Birds chirped happily from the tall trees surrounding the Royal Academy, flying from branch to branch as though welcoming the beginning of another day.

Inside one of the academy’s spacious park gardens...

Several white deer quietly wandered through the snow-covered fields.

Using their hooves, they gently brushed away the thin layers of snow before lowering their heads to nibble at the fresh green grass hidden underneath.

The peaceful scene made the academy feel alive once again.

Not long afterward...

The main academy parking grounds gradually became busier.

Elegant Noble Steam Carriages rolled through the large entrance one after another, their polished bodies shining beneath the morning light.

Royal Steam Carriages bearing the crests of the royal family and the Great Noble Houses also arrived in an orderly procession.

Servants stepped down first to open the carriage doors before respectfully helping their young masters and ladies onto the stone pathways leading toward the academy.

Soon...

The wide roads leading to the main building became filled with first-year students dressed in the academy’s cream-colored uniforms.

Groups naturally formed as friends greeted one another after the previous night’s celebration.

Laughter.

Excited conversations and occasional teasing.

The lively atmosphere quickly spread throughout the academy grounds.

Unsurprisingly...

Almost every discussion revolved around yesterday’s Welcome Party.

"I had the strangest dream last night."

A noble girl giggled while walking beside several close friends.

"In my dream...Sir Ezra was dancing with me."

She covered her face with both hands before laughing even harder.

"And he even carried me the same way he carried Lady Vera Ashenlocke."

The other girls immediately burst into laughter.

"You’re dreaming far too much."

"That’s definitely wishful thinking."

"I’d have pushed you away if I were Lady Vera."

Their cheerful laughter echoed along the stone pathway as they continued toward the academy building.

Not far away...

A group of young noble boys discussed something entirely different.

"The cookies yesterday were incredible."

One of them spoke excitedly.

"I even asked my attendant to secretly keep a few before they were all gone."

The others immediately looked at him with envy.

"You’re lucky."

"I did notice your family’s butler was among the servants responsible for the desserts."

Another boy sighed.

"Those weren’t ordinary cookies. They were Royal Standard pastries."

"No wonder they tasted so good."

The conversation quickly shifted again.

"Did you hear?"

One boy suddenly lowered his voice.

His companions instinctively leaned closer.

"What happened?"

"Prince Tristin and his group apparently held another party after the Welcome Party ended."

Several eyes widened.

"Seriously?"

"They even served alcohol type wines."

The whisper immediately became even quieter.

"And regular expensive wines too."

"How do you know?"

One of them asked suspiciously.

The young noble proudly smiled.

"I was there. Hehe."

"Seriously?"

"What happened after that?"

The others moved even closer.

Curiosity filled their faces.

The boy scratched the back of his head.

"Unfortunately... Nothing interesting."

He sounded genuinely disappointed.

"Sir Felix said it was still too early in the academic year to start indulging in things like that."

He shrugged helplessly.

"And surprisingly... Sir Desmond agreed."

Several boys blinked.

"He agreed?"

"That’s unexpected."

The storyteller nodded repeatedly.

"Exactly."

He lowered his voice once more.

"As if we don’t already know what he spends his nights doing with that beautiful maid of his."

The group immediately exchanged knowing smiles.

A few quietly laughed.

Before long...

They entered the academy building together.

One group after another followed.

Soon...

Nearly every first-year student had gathered inside the academy’s enormous General Studies classroom.

Unlike the specialized classrooms reserved for different courses...

This lecture hall would be shared by every first-year student whenever general courses were taught.

Rows upon rows of polished wooden desks stretched across the spacious room.

Large crystal windows allowed the morning sunlight to pour inside, brightly illuminating the hall without the need for artificial lights.

The atmosphere was surprisingly quiet.

Most students looked...

Exhausted.

Some rested their chins on one hand.

Others rubbed their sleepy eyes.

Several barely managed to suppress repeated yawns.

At the front of the classroom...

Professor Kent calmly observed the entire room.

His sharp eyes slowly swept across every row before stopping on the students’ noticeably tired expressions.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I watched all of you through my office window this morning."

He folded both arms calmly.

"You were walking into the academy with bright smiles..."

He paused.

"But now that you’re sitting inside my classroom..."

He slowly narrowed his eyes.

"You all look like you’ve survived a battlefield."

Several students awkwardly laughed.

Others simply lowered their heads.

Professor Kent tilted his head slightly.

"Didn’t anyone tell you to get a proper night’s sleep?"

His voice remained calm.

One graceful hand slowly rose from the middle rows.

"Professor."

Kent immediately looked toward her.

"Go ahead, Miss Willow Derlis."

He gestured with one hand.

Willow slowly stood.

Her elegant walking stick rested before her as both hands lightly held its handle.

The academy’s cream-colored blouse, neatly pressed black skirt, and fitted black leggings gave her the same refined appearance she always carried.

Despite looking slightly tired herself...

Her posture remained flawless.

"The Welcome Party officially began at two o’clock."

She spoke calmly.

"However...The main celebration didn’t truly begin until around four, after every noble family and royal had arrived."

Several students quietly nodded.

Willow continued.

"Then the shout out of we, high-status nobles and Royals lasted until approximately five."

She calmly counted each point.

"Then...The First Core. The Second Core and the Third Core. Each lasted close to two hours."

She paused briefly.

"And between every Core...There was a thirty-minute break."

The classroom became even quieter.

Willow gently lowered her crimson eyes.

"So... There wasn’t much time left for anyone to rest before morning. If you do the calculation for the time spent in the welcome party."

She finished before sitting down once again.

Professor Kent nodded thoughtfully.

"So, what you’re telling me... is that every one of you is tired because none of you slept properly."

"Yes, Professor."

Willow answered simply.

Kent looked around the classroom once again.

Then...

He slowly narrowed his eyes.

"You all do remember you’re Alchemists... don’t you?"

Silence.

Kent sighed softly.

"You could all use your Cognis to clear away your fatigue."

He spoke as though the answer should have been obvious.

The moment those words left his mouth...

Groans instantly spread across the classroom.

"No way..."

"I knew he was going to say that."

"So heartless..."

Several students quietly complained beneath their breath.

Near one side of the classroom...

Maxwell leaned toward Cherry.

"The Professor does have a point."

He whispered.

Cherry barely responded.

"Huh...?"

Her eyes slowly opened.

She looked as though she had almost fallen asleep while sitting upright.

Maxwell gave a helpless smile.

"If everyone can remove fatigue with Cognis... Why isn’t anyone doing it?"

Cherry rubbed both eyes before letting out a small yawn.

"Sir Maxwell..."

She softly covered her mouth.

"It’s something we call... Alchemist Pride."

Maxwell blinked.

Cherry continued explaining.

"Many young Alchemists avoid using Cognis for ordinary daily activities, since our bodies are already much stronger than those of ordinary people. So... Most of us naturally try not to rely on Cognis unless it’s truly necessary."

She smiled weakly.

"It’s almost a habit. Or maybe... A point of pride."

Another small yawn escaped her lips.

Maxwell looked genuinely surprised.

"Oh...So that’s why."

But, Master never taught me anything like that...

He quietly thought to himself.

At the front of the classroom...

Professor Kent placed both hands behind his back and slowly walked away from the teaching podium.

His footsteps echoed softly across the quiet lecture hall.

"I don’t care whether you’re tired..."

He spoke calmly.

"But..."

He stopped walking.

Then slowly looked across the entire classroom.

"If I catch anyone sleeping during my lesson..."

The warmth disappeared from his voice.

"You’ll be punished."

His eyes became noticeably sharper.

"And not lightly."

The sudden change in his tone sent an invisible chill through the classroom.

Several students immediately straightened their backs.

Even those who had looked half asleep became fully alert.

Professor Kent allowed the silence to linger for several seconds.

Then he asked,

"Is that understood?"

"Yes, Professor!"

The entire classroom answered in perfect unison.

Not a single complaint followed.

Professor Kent gave a small nod before looking toward the side of the classroom.

"Karla."

His assistant immediately understood.

She stepped away from the wall and walked toward the large glass board installed behind the teaching podium. Reaching its lower right corner, she gently pressed the small silver circular panel embedded into the frame.

A soft mechanical click echoed through the classroom.

The transparent board immediately came to life.

Blue streams of light spread across its surface like flowing water before a glowing holographic display slowly rose a few inches above the glass. The projection stabilized almost instantly, bathing the front of the classroom in a faint blue glow.

Several students looked at it with interest, though most of them had already seen similar technology inside noble households.

Professor Kent returned to the podium.

Resting beneath one arm was a thick hardcover book.

He held it comfortably with one hand before turning back to face the class.

"This course I will be taking you..."

He calmly swept his eyes across the lecture hall.

"...is called General Studies of Alchemy."

His voice remained steady, allowing every student to hear him clearly.

"As the name suggests...This class is designed to give all of you a complete understanding of Alchemy."

He slowly raised his free hand and extended his index finger.

"Not the knowledge limited to your individual Alchemy Paths...but the fundamental knowledge that connects every Path together."

He paused.

The classroom naturally became quieter.

Professor Kent intentionally allowed a few moments of silence so his words could settle into the students’ minds.

One after another...

Students reached into their bags.

Jotters were placed neatly onto desks.

Pens clicked open.

Several students adjusted their sitting posture before preparing to take notes.

Of course...

Not everyone behaved the same way.

Some of the more relaxed students simply leaned back in their chairs, quietly watching Professor Kent without making any move to write.

They appeared confident enough to rely on memory alone.

Near the middle rows...

Ezra calmly opened a brand-new notebook that had been prepared specifically for this course.

His pen rested lightly between his fingers.

His blank black eyes never left Professor Kent.

Every word spoken in the classroom quietly entered his mind.

Satisfied that everyone was paying attention...

Professor Kent raised the thick book in his hand high enough for the entire classroom to see.

"This... will be your official study edition for this course."

He lightly tapped the cover with one finger.

"It costs one thousand, two hundred and fifty silver coins."

The book slowly rotated in his hand as he continued.

"It was written by the late scholar of the Kane Household... Mr. Gill Kane."

The students’ eyes immediately focused on the cover.

Across its dark binding, elegant golden letters were engraved.

The Philosophy on General Alchemy.

Many students immediately wrote the title into their notebooks.

Others quietly memorized it instead.

Professor Kent lowered the book slightly.

"You can purchase a copy from the academy’s General Library."

He pointed toward one of the classroom windows as though indicating the direction.

"That means traveling all the way to the academy’s Main Administrative Center."

Several students immediately became interested.

For many of them...

Orientation Week had barely allowed them to explore the enormous academy grounds.

Visiting the administrative district sounded like an adventure in itself.

Professor Kent casually shrugged.

"Or..."

He lazily pointed toward Karla.

"You can simply hand the money to my assistant. Karla can purchase the book on your behalf."

He smiled faintly.

"You may even place an order if that’s more convenient."

After looking around the room, he casually added,

"You’re all children from wealthy families. So... Choose whichever method satisfies you."

Karla politely bowed once after being introduced.

The classroom gradually filled with quiet whispers.

"I’m definitely going to the Main Administrative Center."

One student whispered excitedly to the boy beside him.

A grin spread across his face.

His friend immediately nodded.

"Of course. Exploring the academy’s main district isn’t something to joke about."

"I’ve heard there are buildings there that we first-year students haven’t even seen yet."

Another nearby group quietly joined the conversation.

"We could use the opportunity to visit the senior students."

One of them whispered.

"Maybe we’ll even find the famous training grounds."

The discussion quietly spread across several rows before naturally dying down.

Professor Kent patiently waited.

He made no attempt to stop the conversations.

Instead...

He calmly returned to the podium.

The heavy book landed on the wooden surface with a soft thud.

Then he took out his Zphone tablet.

His fingers moved across the screen several times before selecting a document.

With one smooth motion...

He dragged the file toward the holographic display floating above the glass board.

The projection immediately changed.

A new presentation appeared.

The first slide contained only a single word displayed in large bold letters.

Alchemy

The simple title immediately drew everyone’s attention back toward the front.

The classroom gradually fell silent again.

Professor Kent looked across the rows of students.

"Everyone here..."

He spoke calmly.

"...already knows the answer to what I’m about to ask."

His gaze slowly swept across the room.

"But...I don’t want a complicated explanation. I also don’t want textbook definitions. I want something simple... something very basic and plain."

He folded one arm behind his back.

His sharp eyes stopped on several curious faces.

"Now tell me...What is Alchemy?"

The question hung quietly inside the lecture hall.

Professor Kent continued before anyone could answer.

"If someone gives me an answer that satisfies me...I’ll reward that person with one thousand Academy Points."

The instant those words left his mouth...

The atmosphere inside the classroom completely changed.

Dozens of sleepy eyes suddenly became sharp.

Students who had been leaning lazily against their desks immediately straightened their backs.

Even those who looked completely uninterested only moments ago were now fully awake.

"Wait..."

One student couldn’t stop himself from blurting out.

"Didn’t the King and Queen of the Floor only receive one hundred Academy Points this morning?"

His voice carried obvious disbelief.

Many students quickly nodded.

They had been thinking the exact same thing.

One thousand Academy Points.

That reward was far greater than anyone had expected for answering a classroom question.

Professor Kent merely smiled.

"Come on."

He casually folded his arms.

"Who’s willing to give it a try?"

Silence followed.

Students exchanged uncertain glances.

No one immediately raised a hand.

The question sounded ridiculously simple, and that alone made it suspicious.

No one was confident enough to answer.

There’s no way Professor Kent is asking something this simple...

It has to be a trick question.

Otherwise, why would he offer one thousand Academy Points?

Different thoughts quietly surfaced throughout the classroom.

Several students who had been eager only moments ago slowly lowered their hands again.

Even Felix, who usually showed little interest in classroom discussions, silently watched Professor Kent.

His calm expression remained unchanged.

Who’ll become the first test subject?

He quietly wondered.

Just then...

A graceful hand slowly rose from the front rows.

"I’ll try my best."

Princess Stella spoke with her usual gentle smile.

Her voice remained composed.

Without arrogance and without hesitation.

Many students immediately turned toward her.

Some nodded in approval.

If anyone in the classroom possessed both confidence and knowledge...

The Third Princess was naturally one of the most likely candidates.

Professor Kent gave a small nod.

"Very well, Your Highness Stella."

He gestured for her to continue.

Stella stood gracefully.

Without looking at any notes, she calmly answered,

"Alchemy... is the art of transformation and creation."

Her voice carried quiet confidence.

The definition did sound very basic.

Many students instinctively nodded.

Several even believed she had already given the perfect answer.

Then...

Professor Kent spoke.

"Wrong."

The single word landed heavily inside the silent classroom.

There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in his voice.

He rejected the answer immediately.

Without giving any explanation...

Professor Kent simply turned his gaze toward the rest of the classroom.

"Next?"