The Good Teacher

If anything, the almost-hostile-takeover Guy experienced by his more zealous counterpart was a much-needed wake-up call. For one, he realised that his previous life wasn't as impactful as he had thought it to be. Many achievements which he considered monumental milestones appeared to have been built on a foundation of sand.

'It seems that my accomplishments and initiatives were inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.'

Secondly, he finally recognised that this world was much worse than his previous one. Even with all the unpleasantness that existed in his previous world, at least the society there was coated with a sense of peace. While most people were selfish, there was an incentive to offer aid to others. That feeling of togetherness was missing in this world.

'Magic just makes things worse. Not only does it corrupt natural laws, but it also corrupts the humanity in people's hearts,' Guy concluded.

One couldn't predict if they would lose their life to a rogue sword or arrow, or even a virulent plague capable of devastating large swathes of territory. Poverty was rampant, widespread corruption and exploitation infested the civilisations, and the martial gap that separated the mortals from the mages had marginalised the powerless to a precarious lifestyle. To top it off, it didn't seem as though the existing authorities were willing to help improve the situation. They were satisfied with the status quo.

'People could live such prosperous lives here. But everyone is too absorbed with accumulating power to look back and help others.' This world had become rotten! The other Guy was correct in asserting that this rot had to be excised.

Furthermore, this world was unforgiving to both adults and children alike. The orphans in the orphanage Guy was living in were an excellent example of this. These kids were robbed of their childhood, forced to carry the weight of the world on their backs and unable to express their true selves to the world. And who knows what horrible experiences Grace had to live through that caused her to tremble at the sight of another mage?

This was just a small sample in the large scheme of things. Guy could already fathom the lives of the other orphans and children born in poverty around the world!

'Things probably aren't any better out there.' Guy felt that it was no longer an option to sit on the sidelines and watch the world move in front of him.

Guy acknowledged that things needed to change. His current trajectory had to undergo a drastic shift. This change would serve dual purposes. Of course, the first was to make a meaningful contribution to the world and make a lasting difference. The second was more selfish, and it was to simply piss Mast off!

He wasn't planning to intentionally confront Mast, since that entity hadn't done anything to hurt Guy - as far as Guy was aware. Furthermore, Guy was also grateful for being offered a second chance even if it was conditional in some ways.

But the betrayal still hurt. Mast must have a bottom line, but Guy hadn't infringed on it just yet. Presumably, Guy's previous trajectory wouldn't infringe on it either, otherwise, Mast would have interfered. Nonetheless, Guy was feeling confrontational. He wanted to see just how far he could push Mast's buttons, as a sign of silent protest.

'Although I know that things need to be handled differently, the main issue I need to tackle is the concentration of power at the top. Just like with society in my previous life, those at the lower rungs of the ladder have a tougher time climbing up, while those already at the top can cruise through life without heavy consequences.'

While in his past life, the deciding factor was wealth, the societal divisions in this world relied on magical power and cultivation.

An apt example of this could be observed in the disparity between the treatment received by Markus and Jean as initiate practitioners of magic. Without a proper support structure, Markus was forced to live off of scraps to gain footing in the Academy. Since he did not show any promise as a mage, his access to resources was incrementally shut-off and, if Guy hadn't intervened, he would have no option but to drop out of the Academy. At that juncture, he would have two choices left, which would be to approach a clan or a sect and work his way up their rankings through a more degrading process. Even if he managed to find some success, his advancement up the ranks would have a hard cap. This was the life of an average person seeking to pursue magic in this world. Those that had an inherent advantage through some form of genius, beneficial bloodline or physique, or even an inheritance artefact would face a smoother ride. The heights they could reach shouldn't necessarily have a hard cap, right?

That was another false assumption. Guy died in the early stages of the twenty-first century in his past life. During that time, many entrepreneurs made plays into the market in hopes of making it big, yet not many could breach a certain barrier that allowed them to grow. The hindrance came in the form of the large corporations that reigned the markets that were born at the tail end of the twentieth century, and the organisations that had support from the government. Heck, Guy's very own charitable foundation gained a fast track to pursue its initiatives BECAUSE of the backing of the Larks family!

"Genius" mages in this world also faced such a semi-impermeable membrane when advancing through the societal ladder. At a point in their lives, they would be forced to face the monoliths that be. In that process, they would either compete against them, get absorbed by them, or get destroyed by them.

Compared to Markus, Jean would have a much smoother ride through her life if not for her psychological scars. With the massive backing of the Rasmus Clan, access to cultivation resources and opportunities would have been a triviality. While she would have her own set of problems, surviving and thriving wouldn't have been a concern for her unlike Markus and his siblings.

'The only way to tackle this problem is by disseminating magic,' Guy concluded. 'With the powers of the Church, helping those without backing to break through that semi-permeable membrane should be an issue.'

Markus managed to break past the blockages implemented by society thanks to the Church's revelations. The same could be said for Jean. In fact, Jean's recent advancement was a massive eye-opener for Guy.

After observing the way Jean helped Chiani Lane give birth, and all the other experiments she undertook to make the lives of the villagers healthier, Guy realised that there were facets to magic that he had overlooked. The conditions at the time of his transmigration may have something to do with his earlier bias.

'Magic is more than just a weapon. I was thrust into an environment that glorified martial strength. No wonder my view of magic was so heavily tainted,' Guy summarised. The Academy placed heavy emphasis on the weaponisation of magic and its application in combat. Although there were side professions that addressed other aspects of magic such as alchemy and enchanting, the roads ultimately led back to Rome. Guy did not see an application of magic that sought to improve the general well-being of the population. This was until he met Jean.

Part of the credit should go to Jean's mother, who had journals upon journals of interesting ideas and applications of magic to target the degrading conditions of the non-magical folk. Where she failed was in actualising these theories. However, Jean took the steps to research these theories and produce tangible results.

'Imagine if Jean's achievements could be applied at a global scale?' Guy pondered. 'A painless C-section without scarring, and danger to the mother and the child's life. It would be impossible back on Earth even by experts in the field with years of experience in their belts. But here, it was achieved within mere hours by a fourteen-year-old girl and a trained assistant, in a location without any advanced equipment or resources. I definitely wouldn't have been able to achieve this by myself here, even with all of my knowledge from my past life.'

Jean couldn't have achieved all of this without Guy's intervention, though. His injection of experience from his past life was what provided her with the impetus to operate. However, he wouldn't have had the inspiration to dig out this experience if not for Jean's request.

'I myself don't know the limits of the power of the Church. According to the other Guy, I am barely scratching its surface. My mind lacks the imagination and ingenuity to make novel connections. The only way to learn more about it is by taking in more students and stress testing it,' Guy hypothesised. 'The more students I help, the faster my cultivation advances, and the greater my impact in this world.'

And that was Guy's plan of action. His goal was to disseminate magic to the masses and shape their minds to view it as a tool for bettering society, rather than a weapon to enforce superiority. To do this, he had to target the segment of the population whose brains could be moulded and inculcated with positive values - the children. After all, a child's mind is unblemished and open to infinite possibilities. To achieve this on a wider scale, Guy needed to grow stronger as a mage. However, that could be achieved by the positive feedback he would receive from the Church by helping students.

"But where do I begin?" While Guy had a good idea of the big picture, the intermediate steps to achieve that goal were a mystery to him. After careful thought, he figured that it would be best to inquire a more learned party, preferably one with more experience in this world. Amongst those persons that he had acquainted with that fit that bill, a single name stood out prominently.

It was the man who had helped Guy get accustomed to his life here from the beginning. With a firm and resolute expression, Guy got on his feet and trudged along to the immaculate tent set up near the orphanage, which was the temporary home of Al Jeeves.