Last Gun Alchemist

Ezra walked into the classroom, only to realize he was the first student to arrive.

The room was quiet.

Rows of neat joint tables stretched from the front of the classroom to the back, while the morning sunlight slipped through the tall windows, casting long patches of light across the polished wooden floor.

Without wasting any time, Ezra walked toward the center row on the left side of the classroom.

That had gradually become his preferred seat.

Not too close to the front.

Not too far from the professor.

He sat down quietly.

After placing his new jotter on the desk, he took out a fresh quill and arranged both neatly in front of him before reaching into his Space Bag again.

This time, he brought out his Starlix 11.

Resting one forearm on the joint table, Ezra leaned his cheek against it while casually scrolling through the general news posted across Britannia.

Most of the headlines were the same topics that had circulated for days.

Political matters.

Merchant reports.

Several announcements from noble territories.

Nothing particularly caught his interest.

Then...

A familiar publisher’s name appeared.

BNC group.

Ezra’s eyes stopped moving.

A report regarding the first confirmed signs of a mass group of Kalian’s sightings after an entire town had been destroyed.

According to the report, nothing remained.

Only a strange flag had been left standing in the middle of the ruined settlement.

Ezra quietly read through the article.

The first sign since she went there all those times...

He silently noted the information.

His expression didn’t change, but he remembered the earlier reports connected to the Kalians.

Just as he finished reading...

The classroom door opened.

"Oh!"

A familiar voice echoed across the room.

"I spotted a comrade."

Cyrus pointed directly at Ezra with a bright smile.

Without waiting for permission, he immediately walked toward him and dropped into the seat beside him.

"You really came early."

He leaned back comfortably.

"I thought I’d be the first."

Ezra looked at him for a brief second before he simply returned his attention to the Starlix.

Cyrus shook his head before he smiled helplessly.

Not long afterward, more students gradually entered the classroom.

The earlier silence disappeared as conversations naturally began filling the room.

Several students discussed the Practical Test.

Others compared their rankings.

A few were still complaining about losing their Numbered Gems near the end of the examination.

The overlapping conversations continued until almost every seat in the classroom had been occupied.

Then...

The classroom door opened once again.

A woman in her early thirties stepped inside.

She had long chestnut-colored hair tied neatly behind her back, soft green eyes, and round glasses that gave her an approachable appearance. Rather than the strict aura many professors carried, her smile made her seem more like someone genuinely happy to be standing inside a classroom.

Following closely behind her was another young woman carrying several books and teaching materials.

The assistant quietly walked past the professor and headed toward the podium to arrange everything.

Professor Paulina Greenwood stopped near the entrance.

She looked around the classroom.

Then she blinked.

"...Eh?"

Her expression became noticeably puzzled.

"Why does my class look this empty?"

She counted the students once with her eyes.

Then she looked behind herself toward the corridor.

"Are there still latecomers?"

The assistant continued arranging the teaching materials without saying anything.

A moment later, Kane Casper calmly raised his hand.

"Professor."

Paulina immediately looked toward him.

"Maybe some of the students are still in the academy hospital."

Kane spoke in his usual calm manner.

"Our Practical Test was quite intense."

Several students immediately nodded.

"That’s true."

"A lot of people got injured."

"They’re probably still receiving treatment."

Professor Paulina looked at Kane as though he had solved a mystery that had genuinely been bothering her.

"Oh..."

She nodded once.

"That actually makes sense."

The confused expression on her face disappeared, replaced by another warm smile.

"Alright."

She lightly clapped her hands together.

"Let’s get today’s class started."

Walking toward the podium, she placed both hands behind her back before introducing herself.

"My name is Professor Paulina Greenwood."

She smiled at the class.

"I’ll be teaching all of you the Study of Cognis Physics."

Then she turned toward the young woman standing beside the podium.

"And this..."

She gestured toward her.

"...is my wonderful assistant, Ella Greenwood."

Ella bowed politely.

"It’s a pleasure to help every one of you."

Her gentle voice immediately earned polite nods from several students.

A few even returned the bow.

Professor Paulina smiled, clearly pleased by the response.

"Now that introductions are over..."

She brought her hands together again.

"There is one small thing I’d like to change."

Many students instinctively became alert.

"Everyone sitting on both far sides of the classroom..."

She pointed toward the empty center section.

"...please move to the middle seats."

Silence.

Several students looked at one another.

Elena Galehart, who was seated on the third row along the right side, slowly raised her hand.

"Professor..."

She hesitated slightly.

"Why do we have to move?"

Professor Paulina smiled.

"Because this classroom feels too separated."

She looked around again.

"This is an academy. So, I’d like it if everyone sat a little closer together."

She folded her hands in front of herself.

"Especially since this is one of the smaller optional courses."

Some students clearly disliked the sudden seating arrangement.

Others simply shrugged.

To them, changing seats made little difference.

After a few moments of moving from seats and gathering books, everyone eventually settled into the middle section of the classroom.

The atmosphere immediately felt less empty.

Professor Paulina looked around once more.

Her satisfied smile returned.

"Much better."

She nodded happily.

"Now..."

She picked up her glass-board quill pen.

"Let’s officially begin."

With a gentle wave of her hand, the holographic teaching screen behind her came to life.

The first slide appeared.

Study of Cognis Physics

Professor Paulina pointed toward the title with her quill-pen.

"As all of you already know...This course focuses on studying how Cognis functions within us as Alchemists."

She slowly raised her left hand.

A faint stream of Cognis flowed toward her palm.

Although invisible to ordinary people, every student inside the classroom could clearly sense the familiar fluctuation spreading from her hand.

The flow remained perfectly controlled.

Not a single trace leaked away unnecessarily.

Several students unconsciously straightened in their seats.

"As young Alchemists..."

Professor Paulina continued.

"...you already understand that Cognis enriches your bodies as you continue growing stronger."

She lowered her hand and stepped away from the podium.

Rather than remaining in one place, she slowly walked between the first rows while speaking, making sure every student naturally followed her movements instead of becoming distracted.

"From the moment each of you underwent your Baptism of Cognis as infants... your minds, your bodies, and your internal systems gradually reconstructed themselves."

She lightly tapped the side of her head.

"You became capable of sensing, gathering, and circulating Cognis from your Mind Realm throughout your entire body."

Turning back toward the holographic display, she lightly waved her hand.

The slide changed.

Several detailed diagrams immediately appeared.

One showed an infant who had undergone the Baptism of Cognis.

Another displayed an infant who had not.

Beside them were illustrations comparing a young Alchemist with an ordinary adult who had never awakened Cognis.

Professor Paulina allowed the students a few moments to examine the diagrams before continuing.

"As you can see... The difference isn’t simply strength."

She pointed toward the internal diagrams.

"Our organs. Our cells. Our entire bodies. Everything becomes richer through Cognis than those of ordinary people."

Her voice remained calm.

"To ordinary people..."

Professor Paulina smiled warmly as she looked around the classroom.

"...we Alchemists are almost like a higher breed, while many non-Alchemists even see us as gods."

She chuckled lightly.

"That becomes even more common when they encounter an Adept Alchemist... or someone of an even higher rank."

A few students laughed after hearing her comparison.

Others remained quiet, though small smiles still appeared on several faces.

Seeing the atmosphere become more relaxed, Professor Paulina nodded with satisfaction before continuing.

"And within this growth that Cognis grants our bodies..."

She waved her hand toward the holographic display.

"...comes the enhancement abilities that every Alchemist is familiar with."

The diagrams on the screen shifted.

A human figure appeared, with different parts of the body glowing as various enhancements were highlighted.

"For example..."

She pointed toward the first illustration.

"...increased physical strength."

The highlighted muscles brightened.

"Speed."

The image changed again.

"Reaction speed."

Another change followed.

"Endurance."

She continued listing the basic enhancements that every Alchemist gradually developed through Cognis.

Only after finishing the common enhancements did she move to the next section.

"Then..."

Her expression became a little more serious.

"...there are the advanced enhancement abilities."

She slowly raised one finger.

"Hardening. Grip. Presence Concealment."

She paused for a brief moment before mentioning the last one.

"And... Levitation."

The classroom immediately became much quieter.

Several students quickly picked up their quills.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Scratch.

The sound of writing spread throughout the room as many hurriedly copied the list into their notebooks.

Professor Paulina waited until they had written enough before continuing.

"Some of the enhancement abilities I just mentioned...aren’t commonly known by all young Alchemists."

She folded one arm beneath the other.

"And this isn’t because they’re secret. It’s because most of you simply don’t possess enough Cognis yet to begin studying that aspect of Cognis."

Her eyes slowly moved across the classroom.

"Certain abilities only become possible after reaching a particular Alchemist Rank, because only then does your Cognis Pool become large enough to support them."

Several students nodded in understanding.

Professor Paulina smiled.

"Now..."

She gently raised her index finger.

"I’d like to add something important."

The warmth in her expression disappeared, replaced by a seriousness that immediately drew the students’ attention.

"In my opinion... The single most important factor in becoming a truly powerful Alchemist...whether you’re a Combat-based Alchemist, a Craftsman-based Alchemist, or a Support-based Alchemist..."

She paused.

"...is remaining a Full Alchemist throughout every stage of your growth."

No one spoke.

She continued.

"If you achieve the Novice Rank as a Full Alchemist... then continue into the Binder Rank while remaining a Full Alchemist...and later do the same after reaching the Adept Rank..."

Her gaze became firmer.

"...your foundation will continue strengthening with every Star you construct."

She allowed those words to settle before speaking again.

"But... If you reach the Novice Rank as a Full Alchemist... and then become a Binder Alchemist with a poorly constructed Star..."

She slowly shook her head.

"...your future path becomes much more difficult."

Several students unconsciously frowned.

Professor Paulina turned back toward the holographic display.

With a wave of her hand, the next slide appeared.

It displayed several incomplete Alchemist Stars alongside perfectly constructed ones.

"The higher your rank becomes... the more obvious that weakness will reveal itself."

She pointed toward the incomplete Star.

"There are Alchemists who still manage to advance despite having imperfect foundations. That much is possible."

She nodded honestly.

"However... don’t expect your journey to remain smooth."

Her finger moved toward another diagram displaying multiple completed Stars.

"Forget about constructing a Seventh Star, even Forget about an Eighth Star."

She looked directly at the students.

"Some Alchemists spend the rest of their lives struggling to properly construct even their Sixth Star."

The room became noticeably quieter.

No one wanted to imagine their future stopping because of impatience.

Professor Paulina noticed their expressions.

The seriousness disappeared from her face, replaced once again by her usual gentle smile.

"So..."

She clasped her hands together.

"To summarize everything, I’ve been trying to say..."

She lightly tapped the holographic image of a completed Alchemist Star.

"Proper Star Construction is extremely important."

She smiled warmly.

"In my opinion, there is no need to rush. Just because your current Star...or Stars...have already begun releasing streams of gaseous Cognis doesn’t mean you should immediately begin constructing the next one."

She shook her head again.

"Take your time."

Her voice softened.

"Alchemists live long lives. As long as you don’t lose your life to serious illness... combat situations... or a mistake made while cultivating Cognis...you have plenty of time."

Several students quietly listened without writing.

Professor Paulina wasn’t simply teaching anymore.

She was giving advice gathered from experience.

"Be patient."

She placed a hand over her chest.

"Wait until your own body tells you it’s ready for the next Star Construction. I know every one of you understands how painful that process is."

Several students instinctively nodded.

Some even smiled bitterly.

No matter how talented someone was, constructing an Alchemist Star wasn’t pleasant.

"It doesn’t become painless."

Professor Paulina laughed softly.

"You simply become more accustomed to it. Your mind gradually accepts the pain as part of growing stronger."

She folded her hands together again.

"I’ve also heard of Alchemists who struggled to construct Stars because they forced themselves to do so while suffering from serious illnesses."

Her expression became caring once more.

"That is exactly why you shouldn’t rush. Construct your Star when your body is in its healthiest condition."

She looked around the classroom.

"Never underestimate how important your body is."

Silence filled the room for several seconds.

Even the students who had been treating the class casually earlier found themselves listening carefully.

Professor Paulina smiled after seeing everyone’s attention focused on her.

"Alright."

She lightly clapped her hands.

"I wandered away from today’s lesson a little."

A few students laughed.

"Let’s return to today’s introduction."

The class continued.

Time quietly passed as Professor Paulina introduced the basic principles behind the Study of Cognis Physics, occasionally stopping to answer questions from the students and using simple demonstrations whenever she felt a concept was easier to understand by seeing it rather than simply reading it.

By the time the lesson finally came to an end...

The afternoon sun had already shifted noticeably outside the classroom windows.

Professor Paulina gathered her teaching materials.

Unlike several other professors at the academy...

She didn’t assign any homework.

"I’ll see everyone during our next lesson."

She smiled before leaving the classroom together with Ella.

The moment the door closed behind them...

Many students visibly relaxed.

"I told you."

A Non-Noble boy laughed while throwing his bag over his shoulder.

"This optional course is going to be easy."

His friends nodded as they began leaving with him.

"Yeah."

"I can see why so many students didn’t even bother choosing it."

One of them grinned.

"Cognis is something every Alchemist already learns from childhood. I mean... We’ve been training with it ever since we started cultivating."

Another friend laughed.

"So, we’re basically getting free Academy Points."

The group burst into laughter as they walked out of the classroom.

Ezra left much later with Cyrus naturally walking beside him, casually talking about everything except the lesson they had just finished.

Although Ezra silently admitted that those boys weren’t completely wrong...

The Academy Points awarded for passing the Study of Cognis Physics course were indeed lower than most of the other optional courses students could choose from.

Even so...

Something about studying Cognis itself...

The very energy that transformed ordinary people into Alchemists...

Made him feel this wasn’t a subject he should ignore.

Especially after today’s class.

Out of every professor Ezra had met since entering the Royal Academy...

Professor Paulina Greenwood possessed the strongest and most stable foundation of Cognis he had sensed.

It wasn’t merely the amount of Cognis within her.

It was the quality.

The steadiness.

The way her Cognis flowed without the slightest trace of instability.

For someone teaching the fundamentals of Cognis...

Ezra couldn’t think of anyone more convincing.

Quietly, he made a mental note.

He would pay even closer attention during her future classes.

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