Chapter 432 – More Practical Lecture.

‘They seem a bit confused, I should probably bring out the visual aids.’

Roland was aware that his approach might face resistance from the scholarly mindset prevalent in this world, where learning predominantly involved books, and practical lessons were often limited to monster hunting and dungeon exploration. However, he favored a more hands-on approach to education, and opted to challenge the students with a puzzle. It would give their minds something new to tackle and perhaps allow some to see things from a different perspective.

To familiarize the students with the functionality of the square plates of metal, Roland introduced a runic device designed to project images. This technology mirrored the one he had employed in the hearing for playback of recordings. Externally, it resembled an elongated rectangle, akin to a steel beam used in constructing frameworks. Due to the limited time between his ongoing research efforts, this was the most of what Roland could prepare for the present moment.

“I’ll now demonstrate the basic runic principles. Please watch closely as you will have to combine the runic blocks afterward.”

Surprisingly, even the students who typically paid little attention in class found themselves captivated by the runic symbols displayed on the projected screen. The direct correlation between these symbols and the smaller steel plates laid out on the tables made it easy for them to grasp the connection between the visual representation and the runic blocks before them. The alignment of the symbols seemed to spark a newfound interest but he didn’t have their full attention quite yet.

“For the spell effect to take place, you must always end the runic structure with an emitter-type rune, otherwise the runic circuit will not be able to activate…”

Certain terms related to circuitry seemed to cause confusion among the students. Roland’s approach, rooted in practical testing and drawing parallels between the runic language and circuit boards, diverged significantly from the conventional understanding of this world. The concept of an operating system was foreign to them, but Roland remained unfazed. His primary goal was to deliver a lecture satisfactory enough to avoid expulsion from the Institute, and their understanding of the subject was of secondary concern.

Who he was more interested in today was Professor Delauder. He had come to the class to keep his eye on him for the lecture. Delauder appeared determined to find any pretext that would warrant Roland’s expulsion. One such reason would be his failure to conduct a class today. Roland had to remain vigilant as he needed to safeguard this position until his research was done.

“Now, please put away the runic pieces and pay attention, I will showcase their use.”

Upon concluding his explanation, Roland noticed the students still appeared bewildered. They continued shifting the square tiles around, magnetizing them to each other without fully comprehending the purpose. It wasn’t until Roland employed his mage hand spell, manipulating a few runic structures and connecting them together, that the students finally grasped the essence of the lesson.

“As you can see, if you complete the structure in the correct order and infuse it with a bit of your mana, you will garner a spell effect.”

The practical demonstration brought clarity as a simple ball of light emanated from the connected runic elements. Roland’s approach mirrored the grueling process he underwent during his time as a Runic Blacksmith. Secluding himself in an Inn room, he engaged in a rigorous process of elimination, gradually comprehending the meaning of each runic component and how their assembly could yield different results. This lecture essentially recreated the same experiment, providing the students with the knowledge to produce various spell effects through the manipulation of runic structures.

“Now then, you will all attempt to mimic this process, assemble the runic pieces together correctly and it will produce an effect.”

“Oh, how interesting!”

Observing from the sidelines, Arion commented on the students’ increasing interest in the lesson. While some remained hesitant to participate, others began experimenting with the metallic squares. After a few minutes, diverse light effects started to manifest, captivating the students as they noticed variations in colors and shapes. The hands-on experience had successfully captured their attention and ignited a sense of curiosity among them.

“Look, I made an orange triangle!”

“Why is this square blue… I wanted it to be purple…”

“Silly, you need to mix blue with red to get a purple color.”

“Oh!”

Roland continued to guide the students through the process to the point of actively offering assistance where needed. The atmosphere began to shift from initial skepticism to a more lively engagement. The students, once hesitant, were now actively collaborating, sharing ideas, and experimenting with different combinations of runic symbols. Even the ones that weren’t paying attention didn’t want to get excluded and finally decided to take part.

Delauder, however, continued to wear a disapproving expression, discontent with the unexpected success of Roland’s unconventional teaching methods. As the session progressed, Roland noticed that some students were struggling to understand the nuances of runic assembly. He decided to circulate among the groups, providing guidance and answering questions.

“That’s it for today, please place everything back to their original location.”

“Eh? Is it already over?”

“No fair, I wanted to make a rainbow…”

As the lesson came to an end, Roland was surprised to find that some students expressed a desire to continue experimenting with the runic structures. Their enthusiasm and pleading looks caught him off guard. While Roland couldn’t fault them for finding the practical lesson interesting and enjoyable, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he might have made a mistake with his current approach, perhaps underestimating the appeal of hands-on, interactive learning.

‘… They won’t make me do this again, right?’

Despite the appearance of a nuanced and carefully planned approach, the truth was that Roland had hastily put together a few elements to avoid having to speak extensively during the lecture. His expectation was that only a handful of students would be interested, with the rest possibly dozing off against the trees. Contrary to his assumptions, however, the students enthusiastically embraced the rudimentary runic components, treating them like new toys to be explored and assembled. Roland found himself taken aback by the unexpected level of engagement and even more by Arion’s words.

“Just magnificent, I just can’t wait for the next lecture, wait, don’t tell me! Will it be another puzzle or maybe something more theoretical?”

“Next lecture…”

To make things worse he actually had a few ideas to make the lectures more interesting. As a runesmith at heart, he envisioned incorporating runic devices that even regular mages could interact with – such as the multipurpose staff he had used in the past. This staff, depending on the area of mana infusion, could produce various magical spells. He decided to keep this fact to himself as preparing for this lecture did take some time away from his research.

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“Hmph…”

Professor Delauder, still watching closely, approached Roland with a stern expression.

“Interesting approach, assistant professor. However, I would advise you to stick to the traditional methods of teaching. This… experimentation might not bode well for the academic reputation of the Institute.”

Roland just nodded without replying while the man walked away.

“Hah, what is that buffoon talking about? I bet that he is just afraid that my department is garnering more interest from the students! Just look, there are twice as many people here than before… and maybe…”

As Arion spun around in midair, visibly excited at the prospect of increased funding and student interest, Roland couldn’t help but attribute the enthusiasm to his growing reputation. His notoriety as the man who defeated a high-level magical swordmaster seemed to be a key factor. The students, being primarily interested in strength, likely perceived Roland’s runic lessons as a pathway to uncovering the secrets behind his formidable power. The allure of strength and the intrigue surrounding Roland’s abilities had successfully captured the students’ attention. That the lessons were interesting and fun, was just the icing on the cake.

“This was such an eye-opening lecture, I might have to reconsider how I should perform the lectures, you have my thanks, my friend!”

“You’re welcome?”

“How will I ever be able to thank you!”

“You can start by helping me to clean this place up?”

As the lecture concluded, Roland noticed that not all students had taken the initiative to tidy up after themselves. Some tables remained in disarray, and Roland had the task of clearing them.

“Ah, look at the time, I have to get back to my research!”

Arion, leveraging his Department Head privileges, opted to avoid the cleanup and promptly left. Roland found himself left behind to address the mess and consider potential new presentations for the following week.

‘Should I just let them play with the golems or something?’