Chapter 727 Presence

Professor Kent looked at Grant Evergrey with a serious expression.

"First... she wouldn’t even be able to lift the Mauser Tankgewehr M1918 with her level of strength."

He said casually.

A few students reacted with surprise, especially those from House Evergrey and those close to the family.

Some exchanged glances, while others turned towards Grace, whose previous question had brought the discussion to this point.

Grant remained focused on the professor.

He had asked about the difference an actual Arcanist-rank rifle would make, and Kent was now explaining what would happen if someone of Grace’s physical ability tried to use one.

Although...

A good number of followers of the Combat Alchemy Path already knew this about their Alchemical creations.

It was common knowledge among them that if an ordinary human tried to lift one of their Alchemy creations, the weight alone would be a problem.

It would be like trying to lift an entire Steam Vehicle, such as a Noble Steam Carriage, which was even heavier than the Phantom Rolls and other newer models of Steam Vehicles.

Except for the Fordliner.

And that was just for Novice-rank weapons.

Now, imagine how heavy it would be for them to lift a Binder-rank weapon.

The students familiar with Combat Alchemy Paths understood that the weight of an Alchemy weapon wasn’t something that could be compared to an ordinary firearm.

The Cognis used in its creation made it far heavier than what an ordinary person would expect.

Even among Alchemists, handling weapons of higher ranks required a certain level of physical ability.

And that was only one part of the problem.

For Gun Alchemist creations, there was also the recoil.

If an ordinary human could even manage to lift the gun, the recoil would be what killed them.

The force could dislocate their shoulder bones, tear through their body, and cause enough blood loss to kill them or leave them crippled.

It wasn’t enough to have the strength to hold the weapon.

Their body also needed to withstand the force produced when it was fired.

This was something Ezra knew very well.

His blank black eyes lingered plainly on the hand that had held the Desert Eagle on that day.

He remembered how his mother had to use his hands to lift the Desert Eagle because she couldn’t.

He had used the handgun with his own hand to kill her.

The blood of his mother had splashed across his face.

The destroyed view of the Sterling prison cell returned to his mind.

For a moment, the memory seemed to pull his attention away from the classroom.

The professor’s explanation had brought back the image of that day, and the details remained clear enough to make it almost feel as though he were reliving the moment.

The weapon.

His mother’s blood.

The ruined prison cell.

It was almost like he was reliving the moments again.

All because of the topic Professor Kent was teaching.

But Ezra’s expression didn’t change in any way.

His black eyes remained blank.

There was no visible reaction on his face, and his posture didn’t reveal anything about what had just crossed his mind.

He simply dropped his hand and looked back at the professor, who continued answering the Evergreys’ question.

"Then, if she somehow managed it, which I doubt she could..."

Professor Kent looked playfully towards Grace.

Grace pouted, returning his gaze with a displeased expression.

She didn’t like that he was underrating her strength.

She had trained her natural physical strength to a certain degree, enough to place her among the best in the Adept Alchemist rank.

It wasn’t as though she had neglected that part of her training.

Her physical ability had improved through the effort she had put into it, and she didn’t appreciate the professor dismissing her chances so easily.

Still, she didn’t interrupt him, but she continued to stare at him.

Kent ignored her reaction.

"But if she really did manage it and fired, then I’m sorry, but your sister would have had her arms blown off by the recoil. She could also sustain some facial injuries, internal bleeding, and even brain damage."

He continued casually.

"But since we had the best medics present and she’s an Alchemist, she wouldn’t die. She would recover fully, maybe after a few weeks or more, but it would depend on the level of treatment your family would be willing to spend on her recovery."

Grant’s eyes widened slightly.

It wasn’t because he was shocked by the answer.

He already knew what the professor was going to say, but hearing it from Kent really did make the difference more dangerous.

There was a difference between knowing that a weapon was too powerful for someone and hearing exactly what could happen if they attempted to use it.

He had asked about the actual Arcanist-rank rifle, but the answer had made him consider the consequences more seriously.

His gaze briefly moved towards Grace.

She still looked displeased with the professor’s assessment, though she didn’t argue with him.

Kent, on the other hand, seemed perfectly comfortable with the answer he had given.

The other students had also followed the exchange.

Some had been familiar with the weight of Alchemy weapons, while others had only considered their destructive capabilities.

The discussion had brought attention to another part of using such weapons: the physical requirements of the person holding them.

Professor Kent didn’t spend any more time on the subject.

"Finally, the last term... which is about Presence."

He said calmly.

Karla swiped across the screen of the Zphone Tablet.

The holographic display changed to the last term of the topic.

Presence.

The students shifted their attention towards it.

The previous two terms had already given them something to consider.

Time Perception had introduced a difference in how high-ranking Alchemists perceived the passage of time, while Physical Stats Interaction had shown that physical strength alone wasn’t enough to overcome every difference in rank.

Now they were moving to the final term of the topic.

Some students looked at the word on the display, while others waited for the professor to explain it.

"Without even explaining this, I’m sure many of you should already understand what this is about."

Professor Kent said as he walked a little forward.

"Presence is simply, to us Alchemists... the true display of our Cognis."

He began to explain.

"Because we who have entered the higher ranks of Alchemy possess Cognis that has reached a level where even a little display of it can put pressure on the mind and body of any Alchemist in the Meister Alchemist rank and below."

He said calmly.

The students listened.

The subject wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to everyone.

Some had witnessed powerful Alchemists releasing their Cognis, while others had experienced the pressure that came with being around individuals of much higher ranks.

However, there was a difference between experiencing something and understanding why it happened.

Professor Kent continued.

"The Alchemist wouldn’t be able to think properly or even use his or her own Alchemy attacks to face the powerful Alchemist. It would just be a pointless fight."

He paused.

The students remained attentive.

"Of course... it also applies to the lower ranks to a lesser degree. Because if an ordinary human gets exposed to even the Cognis of a Novice Alchemist, they could either lose their minds or, in the worst case, die from brain damage."

He continued his explanation.

"That is why all Non-Alchemists tend to wear Alchemy accessories containing a high percentage of Umbrium ore to absorb the little Cognis that flows out from an Alchemist within their premises, so their bodies wouldn’t get exposed to it."

The explanation brought another aspect of Alchemist society into the lesson.

Non-Alchemists lived around people who possessed Cognis.

Whether they were servants, workers, household staff, or even parents who had to interact with Alchemists regularly, they could be exposed to the energy those individuals released.

For them, wearing suitable Alchemy accessories wasn’t simply a matter of appearance or convenience.

It was a precaution.

The students who had grown up in noble households were likely familiar with the use of such accessories.

Their families had Alchemists living and working within their residences, and protecting ordinary people from their Cognis was an important consideration.

Others might have known about Umbrium’s use in accessories without paying much attention to the reason behind it.

Now, the professor had made that purpose clear.

Hearing this explanation also brought Ezra’s mind back to the organization that had made use of Umbrium.

He remembered their discussion about creating special armoured suits.

It was clearer now what they planned to use those suits for.

But then again...

Those suits made from Umbrium weren’t really a perfect answer against Alchemists, considering the absorption wasn’t unlimited.

Ezra didn’t dwell on the thought for long.

His attention returned to the professor.

"So, in general, what I’m trying to let all of you understand from this topic is that you have to be very careful about how confident you are in your abilities when you want to go against high-ranking Alchemists."

Professor Kent folded his arms with a simple smile.

"Because with these three terms I’ve listed, it’s very easy for them to handle you all like rag-dolls, even those who are geniuses among geniuses. Also, you should all do your best in growing stronger to reach that point yourselves."

He looked around the circle.

The students had been listening throughout the lesson.

Some were still thinking about the examples Kent had given, while others had their attention on the three terms displayed on the holographic screen.

The difference between ranks had always been a familiar subject to them.

However, the professor had shown them that it involved more than the amount of Cognis an Alchemist possessed or the strength of their attacks.

There were limits to what someone could overcome through talent alone.

Even those who stood above their peers still had a long way to go before reaching the higher ranks.

Professor Kent gave them a simple smile.

"This concludes today’s class. Take down your assignment."

He said in a quick tone.

The students weren’t even given enough time to digest the ending of the class before Kent dropped the assignment on them.

A few students looked up at him.

The lesson had just ended, and they were still processing the final explanation when the professor moved straight to the assignment.

Some immediately reached for their writing materials, while others hurriedly opened their notes to record it.

They had no choice but to jot it down.

The change in pace was rather sudden.

A moment earlier, they had been listening to an explanation about the differences between the highest ranks of Alchemy and their own abilities.

Now, they had to make sure they didn’t miss the work assigned to them.

Professor Kent didn’t appear interested in extending the lesson.

Once the students had taken down the assignment, the class ended.

They gathered their belongings and left the training ground, making their way to rest before their second class.

Their next lesson was Intermediate Physics, which started and ended as peacefully as always.

There were no unusual incidents during the lesson.

The students attended their class, followed the lecture, and eventually reached the long break.

By then, the Academy’s usual activities had resumed.

Students moved through the main building and its surrounding areas, making use of the break before their next lessons.

Some had conversations with their classmates, while others went to observe the activities taking place around the Academy.

The News Club also began its daily broadcast.

Its announcements covered events that were about to take place within the Academy during the week, as well as those scheduled for the following two weeks before the end of the first month.

The broadcast was part of the Academy’s usual activities, and the students who were interested in keeping up with upcoming events paid attention to it.

The first news item went through the upcoming election.

It would be held that Friday during club activity time in the Mix Arena.

The Second-Years would vote for their General Representative, and the First-Years would do the same.

The announcement concerned both year groups, but the First-Year election had already become a major subject of discussion among the students.

The candidates had spent the past few days making their positions known, and their supporters had been involved in arguments over who deserved the role.

The program had also created further disagreements between students who had previously been willing to associate with one another.

Now, the election date had been officially announced.

Friday.

The students would soon have to make their choices.

However, the News Club’s announcement didn’t end there.

At the end of the election, the Third-Year members of the Student Council would name the candidates for the positions they would be leaving.

Only after those candidates had been named could campaigning for those positions begin.

That meant the General Representative elections would come first, followed by another round of campaigning for the Student Council positions being vacated by the Third-Years.

The announcement gave the students another set of upcoming events to keep in mind.

The election on Friday would settle the representatives for the First-Years and Second-Years.

After that, the Academy would move towards the next stage of its Student Council selection process.

The News Club continued its daily broadcast.