Chapter 33: The Unconventional Magic Class

“Teacher Bastet’s little magic class is about to begin, students~!”

Bastet stood with an exquisite elegance before a small whiteboard, her face adorned with a pair of delicate, black-rimmed glasses she had unearthed from an unknown place, an accessory that lent her an undeniable air of scholarly intellect.

Coiled around her supple tail, which swayed behind her, was a brown pointer. As Bastet’s words concluded, her tail flicked, tapping the pointer lightly against the whiteboard.

“Students, you must focus intently and listen carefully, for every single point I am about to make is crucial.”

Though Bastet’s lecturing voice was serious, it resonated with a subtle, enchanting melody that was utterly pleasing to the ear.

“Tell me… where exactly are these ‘students’ you speak of? Am I not the only one here?”

Bai Zhi narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed on the seemingly spirited Bastet.

“Student Bai Zhi, over there, no daydreaming during class!”

Bastet’s pointer swished through the air, producing a sound akin to a gust of wind, before it decisively pointed towards Bai Zhi.

“Alright, alright… you certainly seem to be enjoying yourself. Do you rarely get the chance to teach proper classes, despite being a magic instructor?” Bai Zhi grumbled, a hint of complaint in her tone.

Bastet, unable to maintain her composure, revealed the truth.

“Even within ‘Seledet’ itself, most students who enroll in my classes are drawn by my appearance alone; precious few genuinely wish to learn.”

A look of resignation crossed the black cat’s features.

“Furthermore, there’s little joy in instructing such mediocre individuals. It is a rare fortune to encounter a student of your caliber. As an educator, it is only natural that I express a certain delight.”

“I shall take that as a compliment, then.”

Bai Zhi remarked, then, with a curious gesture, pointed to the glasses perched on Bastet’s face and the whiteboard behind her.

“Speaking of which, where did you unearth these glasses and this whiteboard? I don’t recall possessing such items within my home.”

“Rena procured them for me after learning I would be teaching you. Apparently, they were discovered a few days ago while she was organizing the storage room. They must belong to your parents, wouldn’t you agree?”

Bastet explained, illustrating her words by tracing patterns in the air with her pointer.

“A matching uniform was reportedly found as well—a white shirt, a black bodycon mini-skirt, flesh-toned stockings, and the like. Alas, I cannot wear those garments; only these glasses prove remotely suitable.”

Bai Zhi pressed a hand to her forehead. ‘I hardly think a proper teacher would don such attire,’ she mused. ‘What on earth have those two been getting up to in my home, behind my back…?’

Murmuring quiet complaints about her unreliable parents, Bai Zhi then turned her gaze towards Bastet.

“So, what precisely do you intend to teach me? The fundamentals of magic, perhaps?”

Bastet adjusted her spectacles with an elegant push of her index finger.

“Ordinarily, one would indeed delve into such matters, for these foundational theories serve as the bedrock for all subsequent practical application. However, I regret to inform you that I have no intention of teaching you those things.”

Bastet gave the pointer on her tail a dismissive flick, a gesture reminiscent of a human wagging a finger.

“After all, your circumstances diverge entirely from those of a typical mage. Even if you were to absorb such theoretical knowledge, I suspect it would prove utterly futile for you.”

“This is quite unexpected. I had assumed we would begin with a deluge of tedious information.” Bai Zhi’s curiosity was palpable.

“However, to declare it ‘useless’ seems rather extreme; surely, it must retain some modicum of reference value?”

“No! Regrettably, for you, such knowledge holds absolutely no value whatsoever.”

Bastet stated, shaking her head definitively.

“Truly?”

“Indeed. Rather, I contend that such knowledge would only impede your progress, rendering you weaker.”

As Bastet spoke, she tapped the whiteboard with the metallic handle of her pointer.

“Allow me to offer an analogy, Bai Zhi. You mastered flight entirely on your own, did you not?”

Bai Zhi hummed in contemplation. “Hmm… rather than having ‘learned,’ I would say I simply devised a method to achieve the same effect.”

She shrugged, a picture of nonchalance.

“After all, having no knowledge of how conventional mages take flight, I was compelled to forge my own path.”

Bastet remained silent, her gaze a clear invitation for Bai Zhi to elaborate further.

Bai Zhi met her gaze, instantly comprehending the unspoken message, and resumed her narrative.

“…By releasing magical energy downwards, and then propelling myself upwards using the resultant reactive force, much like rowing a boat.”

Bai Zhi explained with vivid gestures, extending and swaying her hands in a somewhat exaggerated simulation of rowing.

“The only difference being that I’m rowing through magical energy, not water.”

Bastet couldn’t suppress a soft laugh, before proceeding to elucidate the perilous nature of such an action to Bai Zhi.

“While this method is undeniably simple and efficient for you, for any other mage, it would constitute an utterly inconceivable act of self-destruction.”

A sigh escaped her lips once she had finished speaking.

“A conventional mage, desiring to achieve flight, must endeavor to gather the ambient wind elements dispersed throughout the air, subsequently harnessing their power to ascend from the ground and maneuver aloft.”

Bastet advanced a few steps, her gaze sweeping down upon Bai Zhi from the lectern, as she explained with her paws splayed open.

“Observe, then, how this method, when juxtaposed with your current approach, is both cumbersome and utterly impractical, rendering it entirely devoid of utility for you.

Had you, perchance, acquired knowledge of flight magic’s conventional principles beforehand, thereby forming a fixed mindset and attempting to seek out wind elements in this world, I fear you would never have achieved flight in your lifetime.”

Bai Zhi appeared to grasp the concept, yet not entirely. “Is it because I am unable to manipulate these… elements?”

“No.” Bastet pressed her slender index finger to her lips.

“It is because this world fundamentally lacks any so-called elements. All magic employed by traditional mages necessitates the harnessing of various elemental powers suspended within the atmosphere. Hence my assertion that such knowledge holds no utility for you.”

Bai Zhi recoiled slightly, chair and all, yet this movement elicited no discernible displeasure from Bastet. Unperturbed, she proceeded to elaborate on her previous point.

“Moreover, as I stated at the outset, this world fundamentally lacks the very substrate for supernatural powers to flourish. Thus, upon discovering the existence of someone like yourself within this realm, I was, to say the least, utterly astonished.”

Bai Zhi leaned back into the chair’s embrace. “Hmm… truly, none at all? Not even a trace of these ‘elements’? Could it not simply be that they are exceedingly scarce?”

“Absolutely none; of this, I am entirely certain.” Bastet declared with unwavering conviction. “While an ordinary mage might fail to perceive this truth, for me, as a seasoned magic instructor, it is immediately apparent.”

“Then, by all logical accounts, mages arriving from ‘Granzenias’ should have been stripped of all their powers, reverting to the state of ordinary individuals.

Given the absence of elements here, their magic, by rights, should be entirely inoperable, or at the very least, exceedingly arduous to cast.”

Bai Zhi queried, a hint of suspicion in her tone, “Yet, I have encountered numerous transmigrators in the past who wielded magic with remarkable fluidity, exhibiting not the slightest impediment.”

“Indeed, your observation is a matter that continues to perplex me.”

Bastet mused thoughtfully.

“Despite the undeniable shift in environment, magic remains fully functional. Perhaps our physical forms undergo some subtle, clandestine transformation upon entering other worlds, or perhaps there exist other reasons, currently beyond my comprehension.”

Bastet turned, regaining her original position at the lectern.

“Well, these are all subjects for my future research, including you. Sooner or later, I will comprehend everything. For now, let us return to the main topic.”

“So… if you do not intend to teach those things, what exactly do you plan to instruct me on in this class?” Bai Zhi pressed with curiosity. “Did you not say you would teach me about that barrier? But by your earlier reasoning, even if you taught it to me, I shouldn’t be able to use it, right?”

Bastet pondered for two seconds. “Hmm…”

“To be frank, this particular point troubled me for a considerable time, given the utterly unique nature of your situation,” Bastet confessed, a triumphant expression then gracing her features. “Fortunately, I ultimately discovered the most suitable curriculum for you.”

“Oh?” Bai Zhi perked up, resting her elbows on the edge of the table. “And what might that be…?”

“It is a lesson that can be utilized in any world, and one that will prove immensely beneficial in our upcoming operations—the instruction of magical item crafting!”