Research Life of a New Professor at Magic University - Chapter 15

Professor Atwell’s second class on “Utilization of Magical Materials.”

Since the first day was just an orientation and no progress was made, this was essentially the first class.

Just before the class began, the black-haired elf assistant came to take attendance.
In just two days, her face had noticeably brightened.
But the elf’s appearance also exuded a decadent charm.

Seeing that the professor hadn’t arrived yet, the students relaxed and admired her.
Nobody objected to staring since she was the one taking attendance.

Even the female students who had been busy admiring Atwell’s face before were the same this time.
It was more like appreciating an artwork than simply admiring a pretty face.

“Alright, everyone is present.”

Assistant Arien finished attendance with a voice devoid of emotion and sat down. Just then, Atwell opened the door and walked in.
The number was the same as the last class. It meant no one had canceled.

“Nice to see you all again.”

The female students focused their gaze on the platform.
Even the male students weren’t foolish enough to not show their disappointment outwardly.
Because of that, Atwell was delighted with the students’ concentration.

“Today, we’ll proceed with the class quickly. The first thing we’ll learn is ‘magical materials.’
Considering the title of this lecture is ‘Utilization of Magical Materials,’ it might seem obvious.”

Apart from Atwell and Arien, no one in the classroom thought it was apparent.
Because the students heard that this class started with the most essential magical tools: staves, wands, and orbs.
The first chapter of the textbook also started with these three.

“The sequence might differ from the textbook. It’s not a dedicated textbook solely for magical materials. But everything we’ll learn is within the syllabus for this semester, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

Upon hearing this, a few students sighed in disappointment.
It was revealed who had done the pre-reading.

“We’ll start from the very basics: the classification system of materials. You might have learned that magical materials are divided into ‘organic materials’ and ‘inorganic materials.’

That’s true, but it’s not entirely accurate either. So, erase that classification from your minds.”

It was content taught in lower-grade subjects like “Basics of Magical Materials.”

Organic materials have strong effects but are short-lived and unstable.
On the other hand, inorganic materials have weak effects. They have difficulty conducting with magic, but they are sturdy and stable.

“This is merely a convenient classification. Think about it. Most of the clothes you’re wearing are likely made of fabric.

So, is fabric organic material or inorganic material? Cotton fabric comes from plants, so should we consider it organic? Does that mean it’s short-lived and unstable? You know it’s not.”

At least it’s not as weak as one would expect from ‘organic materials.’

“Let’s continue. Wood is similar. Orbs are primarily made of minerals, and wood is the primary material of wands and staves. However, among the three, orbs are the most potent but have the lowest stability.

Thus, the distinction and characteristics between organic and inorganic materials are not as clear-cut as you might have thought. Then, what should we consider as the definition of ‘organic’?”

One student then shouted in a mischievous tone.

“If you can eat it, it’s organic!”

Whether by content or tone, it was clear it was a joke.
Chuckles erupted here and there.
Professor Atwell seemed not to want to make the atmosphere too heavy, so he took the joke lightly.

“In that case, salt would be organic material too.”

Students who were good at catching the mood laughed out loud.
Professor Atwell was generally known to be arrogant, authoritarian, and lacking in manners.
Because of this reputation, many students were tense, but surprisingly, the class atmosphere wasn’t rigid.
As soon as the laughter subsided, Professor Atwell continued speaking.

“Let’s try something a bit more challenging. Are elementals living beings? If so, items influenced by elementals should be considered organic.”

Elementals are clearly part of nature and move like living beings with their own will.
However, they are difficult to fit into any biological classification system.

“Also, as you may know, steel refining involves carbon. Carbon is obtained from charcoal made from burning wood. If the criterion is ‘materials containing traces of biological origin,’ steel would also be considered organic material.”

By this point, all the students could understand Atwell’s words.
At least none of the students considered a lump of iron as an ‘organic material.’

“Now, you might be wondering what the criterion is. Is there a better answer?

No, there isn’t. That’s why I’m telling you to forget about the classification of organic and inorganic materials.

That’s just a classification made artificially to make it easier for young students to understand.
It’s not something you need to worry about beyond what is researched at the university level.”

The students were listening with even brighter eyes than before.
They were happy that Professor Atwell had put more effort into the lecture than they initially thought.

“Among the inorganic materials you know, minerals—more specifically, metals—are the most representative ones.

As you know, metals repel magic. It’s almost impossible to enchant them, and even if you carve magical runes forcibly, the efficiency is lower than other materials.”

This was why wizards didn’t wear metal armor much.
This was also a part where divine power clearly had the upper hand over magic.

“But even that varies depending on the metal. When you hear the word ‘metal,’ you mainly think of iron’s characteristics. Iron, copper, silver, and gold all have different properties. Platinum is particularly conductive to magic, while dark iron doesn’t.”

The latter two are rare metals that are difficult to obtain.
It might be easy to overlook, but all metals have different characteristics.

“Isn’t it curious how we use the word ‘repel?’ It’s not ‘nullifying’ or ‘suppressing,’ but ‘repelling.’ It’s not that magic doesn’t work; it’s just that the continuous presence of magic is difficult.”

Of course, holding a metal plate wouldn’t block magic.
There wouldn’t be magical resistance or nullification equipment if it were true.

Atwell paused for a moment and concentrated magic to manifest a visualization.
Then, a large, magnified shape of a gem appeared in front of him.
It wasn’t very significant, but it was a visual aid prepared to maintain the students’ concentration.

“What about gems? They’re materials that possess the advantages of both ‘organic’ and ‘inorganic’ that are commonly thought of. They have excellent efficacy and efficiency while being extremely stable. That’s why they’re used in important research.”

After Atwell finished speaking and removed the image, sighs of regret from the female students who wished it were real could be heard.
Even though they knew it was fake, it was such a remarkable reproduction that they couldn’t help but admire it.
This also hinted at how sophisticated Atwell’s spellcasting was.

“I’ll ask you now: How many types of magical materials, out of the thousands discovered so far, do you think have their characteristics fully understood?”

One of the female students sitting in the front row spoke in a small voice.

“About 500?”

“Anyone else?”

“100 types…?”

“In fact, it was a trick question. The answer is 0. There isn’t a single item that wizards ‘completely’ understand.”

Atwell had been saying this since the orientation.
Wizards couldn’t know everything, but the world thought they should.
This belief was shared by the wizards themselves.

“Even water is like that. Whether it’s lake water, river water, rainwater, or water melted from glaciers, it affects the outcome.

That’s why when water is listed in a recipe, it’s specified as ‘water created by the ‘water creation’ spell.'”

Professor Atwell glanced slightly at the elf assistant in this part.
Arien just wore a neutral expression.

“That’s right. Water knows the answer.”

In the past, it was argued that water wasn’t an element but a substance formed by two different elements in a ratio of 1:2.
Naturally, wizards laughed at the claim, saying, ‘Then air must be a mixture, not an element.’

It’s truly absurd pseudo-magical science.

“Now, let’s get back to the original topic. There’s nothing absolute in the things I mentioned earlier. It all depends on the characteristics of individual materials, the spells used, the form of magical casting, and the state of the material. Let’s take ‘Telekinesis’ magic as an example. Pay attention to the materials on the table.”

Professor Atwell took out several objects that looked like clay or stone.
Some were irregular shapes like rocks, and some were shaped like perfect polyhedrons.
They varied from crystal forms to perfectly spherical shapes.

It was one of the teaching materials that made Arien’s life difficult.
In addition to documents, Atwell’s classes often required physical specimens.

Then, Atwell used Telekinesis magic to lift and move those objects around.
Although it was a ‘basic’ elemental spell, what amazed the students was the sheer size of the objects.

A boulder as giant as a human head had considerable weight.
Moving multiple objects like that quickly would consume a lot of magical energy.
Yet, Atwell effortlessly manipulated nearly ten objects, showing no signs of exhaustion.

Among them, the largest sphere moved the fastest and most smoothly.

“This isn’t as impressive as you might think.”

Atwell corrected immediately.

“Well, it’s difficult, but not as much as you might think. The key to ‘Telekinesis’ magic is setting the center point. As the set center point deviates from the object’s center of gravity, the magical efficiency drops sharply.

Of course, heavier objects are also more challenging, but a change in diameter is more complex to deal with. That’s why objects with well-matched symmetry are easy to move with Telekinesis. This form is the best.”

All other objects sank, leaving only rectangular prisms, regular polyhedrons, and spheres floating high.
Among them, the sphere spun rapidly, capturing the students’ attention.

“Then, does Telekinesis become easier once you find the center point?”

The female student who answered the professor’s previous question raised her hand and asked.

“It’s not as simple as that. Objects that are hollow inside, or in other words, have nowhere to grip at the center of gravity, are also difficult. There are many other factors involved, even if it’s ‘basic’ magic like ‘Telekinesis.’”

In this passage, Atwell lifted one of the objects on the floor with Telekinesis.
The object had several holes drilled on its surface.
Thanks to that, everyone could see that the inside of the object was hollow.

“But it’s good to remember that the clearer the focal point for magic, the better, just like in most spells. Think about carving a tough gem into a polyhedron shape. You would employ various techniques to maximize efficiency, especially for expensive materials.”

“Is the reason for carving gems to make finding the center of gravity easier?”

“It might be one of the dozens of reasons for carving gems, but it’s not limited to that. Since I talked about gems that girls like, let me talk about something boys like.”

Pausing for a moment, Atwell pulled out a long object.

“It’s a weapon.”

The object was a sword.
A sleek blade with elegant decorations, a fine sword.
It differed from an ordinary sword found in a village blacksmith’s shop.

Apart from Atwell, no one knew, but that object was the Imperial Knight’s longsword of the Empire.

A sword that hadn’t tasted blood for years due to falling into the wrong hands.

The ominous gleam of the blade, as if it could cut through an opponent just by looking at it,
emanated such a fierce aura that one might think it had its own will.