As the three of them settled into their seats in the lecture hall, the atmosphere felt a mix of anticipation and formality. The room resembled a typical classroom, with rows of desks facing a large chalkboard at the front. Cassian couldn't help but feel a bit awkward sitting next to Sergeant Dallas.
The lecture hall was bustling with law enforcement personnel from various stations across the city. Cassian wasn't sure exactly how many there were, but he knew there were four special units, including the one he belonged to.
What intrigued him most was the mystery surrounding what set these special units apart from the regular ones. To break the awkward silence and engage in conversation—something Cassian preferred—he turned to Sergeant Dallas and asked, "Sergeant, can I ask you a question?"
She turned to him, her expression icy. "If it's something personal, then no."
Cassian shook his head with a smile. "Nothing personal. I just wanted to ask what special things our unit does. So far, it seems like we're just doing regular law enforcement work."
Dallas' expression darkened at his question. "Well, it's understandable you don't know since we haven't had any special assignments since you joined. And honestly, I hope we don't get any soon—it's not exactly a good thing."
Cassian wanted to ask more about it, but before he could, the entire class fell silent. An unsettling chill swept through the room, raising the hair on the back of their necks as the temperature dropped. The cause of the sudden shift was a blue-haired man who had just entered the room. Cassian stared at him in surprise; he didn't look like his usual self at all.
There was something dangerous about him that sent chills through Cassian's bones, and it wasn't just him—everyone in the room felt it, too. Some people had even started to shiver, visible steam rising from their mouths. It would have made sense if it had been in the morning, when the air was cold, but now the sun was high, and it was one of those rare hot days in Magisteria.
Only a few seemed to bear it well, one of whom was sitting next to Cassian: Sergeant Dallas.
But just as quickly as that tension had built, it dissipated when Julius stepped up to the podium. "So, students..." he began, the words sounding awkward as they left his mouth. He paused for a moment, clearly aware of it, then continued, "I'm not going to bother with any fluff. Let's keep it plain and simple: I'm Julius Raseac, your sword instructor from now on."
"I'll be teaching you some basics about swords and circle warriors, and how to become one. To start, the first thing we need to cover is the history of how circle warriors came to be, what the circles are, the mana gathering techniques, and, most importantly, the domain," he said, breaking into a wide smile.
"Now, to be clear, the cold you felt when I entered the lecture hall was produced by my domain."
A collective gasp echoed through the room as the realization hit them. They couldn't believe it was him who had created that bone-chilling atmosphere, and Julius relished their awe, smirking as he glanced around at their wide-eyed expressions. Cassian, unable to hold back, muttered under his breath with a grin, "Fucking narcissist..."
"He deserves to be one; he is that strong," Dallas replied, her expression reflecting a mix of admiration and intrigue as she watched Julius bask in the attention.
"Now, if you want to develop a domain as impressive as mine, hold your horses—only I am capable of that. For you, it might be impossible," he declared, a hint of arrogance lacing his words. Even Dallas, who had previously admired his strength, felt a flicker of annoyance at his presumptuousness.
"But we're not here to talk about me, so let's get started with the lecture. Before we move forward, it's essential to understand this: humans can channel mana, but our bodies aren't naturally compatible with it.
This means we can't store mana inside ourselves without some form of assistance." He scanned the room, noticing that everyone was paying close attention, then continued, "The reason I mention this is that mana plays a significant role in becoming a warrior. While it's not necessary to become a warrior, you can't become a circle warrior without it.
There's a difference between a warrior and a circle warrior, but let's not get into that just yet. First, let's focus on warriors before the emergence of circle warriors."
He paused for emphasis. "At that time, warriors used a method to store mana within their bodies. As I mentioned, humans can't store mana naturally, but they accomplished this through a special construct at time known as..." He glanced around the room and pointed to a student in the back. "Cass, my boy, do you know what it was?"
Cassian was taken aback by the sudden attention Julius had placed on him with his question. However, knowing the answer, he replied, "Is it seals?"
"Correct! They were called seals," Julius said with a nod and a smile. "You may sit."
"Now, what are seals? Many may wonder," he continued, walking between the students' benches. "A few centuries ago, warriors employed a technique known as seals—a method for gathering and storing mana. Warriors would draw mana into their bodies, and with the help of magical constructs called seals, they could trap that mana to enhance their physical strength.
Unlike modern methods, domains played no role in this process. Warriors could create as many seals without needing to develop a domain."
As the lecture progressed, Cassian felt a wave of excitement wash over him. Julius was explaining numerous concepts that he had either never encountered before or hadn't fully understood.
While he had heard about seals, he didn't grasp their specific uses until now. Learning their history was interesting, but Cassian really wished Julius would skip the seals part and move on to circles. However, it seemed he was determined to continue.
"Their first seals acted as an anchor, allowing their bodies to store mana," Julius elaborated. "As one seal began to break or weaken, they would create another to hold additional mana."