I Am The Game's Villain

"Even though the class is called craftsmanship, you won't be exactly crafting anything from scratch. The objects you'll be working with are already prepared. What you'll need to do is reinforce them and make them more potent than before through Mana Circle Engravement," Professor Brian explained, holding up a dull sword to emphasize his point. With deft motions, he drew a circle in the air with his left hand before carefully placing it onto the sword's blade. The circle then emitted a brilliant glow before melding into the metal. After a few moments, he swung the sword, the blade cutting through the air with a newfound sharpness.

Surprise rippled through the class, audible gasps escaping from some.

"Do you follow?" Brian inquired, a small smile on his lips. "The once dull sword has been made sharper than ever before. The weapons of Sancta Vedelia are all enhanced through this method by skilled practitioners of Mana Circles. Now, I'm not expecting you to become experts in this field, nor am I forcing a change in your career aspirations. But this course holds significance. It might save your life should your weapon become shattered or lose its edge. Every knight of Sancta Vedelia is familiar with the basics of this course because it's considered essential."

Mana Circles again...

I couldn't help but anticipate some difficulty, similar to what I experienced in Professor Priscilla's class.

"As you can see on your tables, there are several knives in rather pitiful condition. Your task is to restore and enhance them beyond their previous state. This is your initial exercise, and I'd like to assess your understanding. You'll be conceptualizing the Mana Circle yourselves for this task."

"What?!"

"H-How?"

"Who's capable of that?"

The class erupted in a wave of surprised and disbelieving murmurs in response to Professor Brian's straightforward challenge.

"Quiet, please. Think of this as an experiment. I'm not anticipating miracles, but I do expect your effort. Sketch out a design for a circle that can restore and enhance these knives. While you'll delve deeper into this in Mana Theory, that class is more focused on offensive and defensive circles rather than weapon enhancement," Brian raised his hand to quell the growing clamor.

It was true; Professor Priscilla's class had mostly concentrated on Mana Circles for attack and defense, without much mention of enhancing weapons.

"And don't worry about doing this alone. There's a reason you've been grouped into fours. Collaborate, help each other, and find a solution together. You have three hours to at least restore and enhance two knives. If you have any pertinent questions, I'll be here, and Kendel, my assistant and your senior, is also available." With those final words, Professor Brian left us to our work.

"How about we start by sketching individually and then share our circle designs with each other?" Elizabeth suggested with a warm smile.

Sephira nodded in agreement, retrieving a sketchbook from her bag. "That sounds like a good approach."

"I'm up for it too," Sirius chimed in, his own smile matching Elizabeth's.

Then, their attention shifted towards me, awaiting my response. I mustered a smile. "Sure thing, sounds like a plan."

[<But you don't even know how to draw a simple circle, let alone a complex one for mana.>]

Quiet, you.

How exactly do I tell them I'm absolutely clueless about Mana Circles?

I rummaged through my bag, only to find it surprisingly devoid of any notebooks or pens.

Huh?

I was sure that I had stocked up on them.

"Um...any chance someone could lend me a pen and a few sheets of paper?" I managed to ask, feeling rather embarrassed.

Thankfully, none of them shot me judgmental looks. Sephira tore several sheets from her sketchbook and handed them over, while Sirius handed me a pen.

"Thanks," I muttered appreciatively before pretending to sketch. Though, if I'm being honest, my pen was making more holes in the paper than anything else. I couldn't wrap my head around where to start.

My three companions were busy engrossed in their own sketches, focused and determined. This seemed to be the case for the other groups as well.

"Struggling there, Amael?" Elizabeth's voice broke the silence, her curious crimson eyes on me.

I scratched my head sheepishly. "Yeah, quite a bit... You see, I studied in Celesta, and I'm really not well-versed in Mana Circles."

An awkward hush followed, until Sirius spoke up. "You could've just told us. We'd have helped you out, Amael."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, pulling her chair closer to mine. She placed her sketchbook in front of me. "Don't worry. I can walk you through the basics if you'd like."

I smiled and nodded. "I would be glad to be taught."

Elizabeth winced a little at my exaggerated words. "Actually, I'm not an expert in that domain either. My elder sister is better at it but I can at least explain you the basics. Is that good with you?"

"Very good even. Thanks," I replied.

"Then I and Sephira will take care of the sketch while you teach a bit to Amael," Sirius said and Sephira nodded.

What was this too much friendly group?

It was so friendly and good vibes that it was weird for me.

"Then I will start," Elizabeth said and tucked some strands of her black hair behind her ears while writing down on the book in front of me. 

Despite being a Princess, she didn't seem to care about getting close to other men. She had the same elegance as Cylien and the same friendly attitude of Celeste even though not as much as her but somehow I felt more at ease with her than Cylien or Celeste who were exceeding in their domain.

…

…

"...that's why nailing the initial circle is crucial. You need to encode precise information about the weapon you wish to restore and the specific aspects you want to enhance. While drawing, focus your intentions solely on the desired outcome. Even though most of these symbols might be a puzzle to us at the moment, with repeated attempts, we can gradually decipher their meanings," Elizabeth explained.

"I get that, but what if you use the same symbols multiple times to intensify the effect, wouldn't they stack?" I inquired, recalling the summoning of Samara. Cleenah had taught me that, and the circle used was complex and expansive.

Elizabeth shook her head gently, her movements wafting her pleasant fragrance toward me. "The Mana Circles for weapon strengthening function differently than those used for attacks or defense. In combat, you seek the most potent offense and defense, allowing some leniency with efficiency. Yet, when it comes to reinforcing weapons, you must adhere strictly to efficiency to avoid causing harm to your gear."

"But more intricate and larger Mana Circles typically result in greater strength, right?" I mentioned, drawing from my past knowledge, particularly from Cleenah's teachings about Samara's summoning. The circle had been both extensive and intricate.

Elizabeth disagreed, gently brushing her head against my cheek while leaning her head to write down, in the process, her scent oddly soothing. She was so engrossed in her explanation that she didn't even mind the surroundings. "Weapon enhancement circles differ from attack or defense ones. During battle, you prioritize the might of your attacks and the resilience of your defenses, permitting a bit of leeway with efficiency. Still, swift attacks are paramount, correct?"

"True."

"Always remember this: form precedes restoration, which, in turn, precedes enhancement. The process follows this sequence," Elizabeth elaborated further, indicating the hierarchy on her notepad that was now filled with annotations.

"That's it for today," Professor Brian's voice cut in right on cue.

Time had flown by without my notice, thanks to Elizabeth's engrossing explanation.

"For the next session, I'd like each group to restore and enhance three knives, accompanied by a presentation of your sketches," he concluded before departing.

"This is quite exhausting," Sirius remarked, stretching his arms as he spoke.

"I think I'm not finished yet…" Sephira murmured pensively, her gaze locked on her drawing.

"Well, how about we coordinate a time slot to work together and make progress on our task?" Elizabeth suggested.

"That sounds like a plan," Sirius agreed, his enthusiasm evident in his nod.

"I agree, we need to get this done before the next class," Sephira chimed in, voicing her consent.

"Absolutely."

Well, did we even have a choice?

We were running behind schedule due to my lack of skill, and Elizabeth had generously taken the time to tutor me.

"Then, let's exchange numbers. I'll create a group chat for us," Elizabeth suggested, producing her phone.

We all retrieved our phones and proceeded to swap numbers, joining the chat group created by Elizabeth.

With that settled, we began packing up our belongings.

"It's been a productive session. I didn't even notice the time passing," Elizabeth reflected.

"Likewise, oddly enough, I feel... relaxed here," Sephira admitted in a soft tone.

"Phew, I thought I might've frightened you again on our encounter, Sephira," Sirius teased with a grin, earning a shy, slightly reddened reaction from Sephira, who averted her gaze.

"Not a bad group overall, then," I commented, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"If even Amael is saying that, it must be a good group," Elizabeth remarked, adjusting the strap of her bag as she smiled.

"Well, I am a delinquent, after all," I quipped, jingling my handcuffed wrists.

Elizabeth caught her bag's long strap with both hands and gave a playful retort. "But a good delinquent."

Her words halted my steps for a moment as she walked ahead, offering us a farewell before disappearing from sight.