Witch Taming System-Chapter 10: Lectures [1]

Lancel stood there quietly as Faust began introducing him to her apprentices.

Unlike Angelica, Faust did not have many students under her wing. Only two sat in the room waiting for the lecture to begin. Compared to the crowded sessions Angelica used to hold, the difference was almost strange.

Perhaps Faust simply preferred keeping her classes small.

"This is Lancel," Faust said. "He’ll be assisting me starting today."

"Lancel? Wait... is this the same Lancel Winona was talking about? The one from Archmistress Angelica’s lectures?"

Lancel slowly realized something.

Indeed, as Faust had said, he was quite well known in this circle.

"Ah! The one who could ejaculate three times in ten minutes!"

"...."

Lancel closed his eyes.

Yes. He was popular.

Just not for any good reasons.

"Yes," Faust said. "It’s that Lancel."

She glanced at the two apprentices.

"And now he’s my assistant. During my lectures, I expect both of you to treat him with respect."

"Of course, Archmistress."

"Nice to meet you, Lancel!"

Crazy witches.

No matter the age, witches were all crazy.

Earlier, Faust had given him a brief information sheet about her apprentices. From what he remembered, the loud blonde girl who had just greeted him enthusiastically was Ishtar.

The other quiet girl with pink hair was Mei.

Unlike Ishtar, Mei barely even looked at him. She kept her attention on the notebook in front of her.

An aloof witch. Which probably meant she was just as insane as the rest of them, only quieter about it.

"Firstly, Ishtar," Faust began, turning toward the blonde apprentice. "Could you explain the relationship between the Barrier Attribute and the Hexencircle?"

"Yes, Archmistress."

Ishtar paused, organizing her thoughts.

"The Hexencircle is the structural foundation of most witchcraft. It’s a formation that organizes mana flow into a hex-like pattern. Without a Hexencircle, mana disperses too quickly for complex spells to form."

Faust nodded once.

"And the Barrier Attribute?"

Ishtar continued.

"The Barrier Attribute is what reinforces the Hexencircle. It creates a containment layer around the formation so the mana within the circle does not collapse or leak outward."

In simpler terms, the Hexencircle defined the spell, while the Barrier Attribute stabilized it.

Many people mistakenly assumed the Barrier Attribute existed purely for defensive magic. That assumption was common among beginners, but it was incorrect.

Barrier was only one part of the Holy Trinity that governed every Hexencircle.

The three components were Barrier, Eon, and Frequencies.

Barrier was the easiest to understand. It acted as the frame of the spell. When a Hexencircle was formed, the Barrier Attribute compressed and contained the mana inside the formation.

Eon served a completely different function. If Barrier created the structure, then Eon determined the duration of the phenomenon.

Magic was not meant to last forever. Once a spell was cast, the Eon parameter decided how long the spell would persist before the mana structure naturally decayed.

A poorly calibrated Eon would either cause a spell to vanish instantly or remain far longer than intended.

Then there were Frequencies.

Frequencies governed the behavior of mana itself. Every spell had a unique oscillation pattern within the Hexencircle.

By adjusting that pattern, witches could change how the mana manifested in reality.

The same amount of mana could produce entirely different results depending on the frequency configuration.

This was why two witches could cast what appeared to be the same spell and still produce completely different outcomes.

The Hexencircle defined the spell.

Barrier stabilized it.

Eon controlled its lifespan.

Frequencies shaped its manifestation.

Remove any one of the three, and the entire structure would fail.

"But why are we going over this again, Archmistress?" Ishtar asked.

"Review," Faust replied. "A review. The two of you tend to lose focus once we move too deeply into theoretical discussions."

Ishtar puffed her cheeks and leaned back in her seat.

"I mean... practical training is more fun," she muttered. "They say experience is the best teacher, after all."

"That phrase only applies when the person practicing understands what they are doing."

Ishtar looked away.

She was not entirely wrong.

But Lancel already understood why Faust had suddenly returned to the basics. The lecture was not only for the two apprentices sitting in front of her.

It was for him as well.

Faust had said it herself. Kill two birds with one stone. Teach her apprentices while letting Lancel learn alongside them.

"Archmistress," Ishtar spoke again, raising her hand slightly. "I heard something during Archmistress Angelica’s lecture."

Faust glanced at her. "Yes?"

"I heard that Assistant Lancel was part of some biological research."

Lancel slowly closed his eyes.

Faust’s expression did not change.

"What exactly are you asking?"

"Well, Winona told me that Angelica mentioned that certain biological substances could interact with mana."

She tapped her notebook.

"And that the reproductive system is sometimes studied because it carries traces of life-force."

Mei, who had been silent the entire time, finally looked up.

"You’re referring to reproductive fluids," Mei said.

Ishtar nodded.

"Yes. Archmistress Angelica implied that they sometimes contain mana residue."

She looked between Faust and Lancel.

"So... when are we going to learn about that?"

Lancel resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands.

Faust rubbed her temple slowly.

"That topic... is not part of today’s lecture."

Ishtar tilted her head.

"Then when?"

"...Likely never?"

Ishtar immediately slumped in her seat.

"Aw, come on, Archmistress."

"That subject falls under mana physiology," Faust continued. "It is not relevant to your current level."

"But Angelica was already teaching it to her apprentices."

"That is exactly the problem."

Ishtar puffed her cheeks again but did not argue further.

Faust tapped the board lightly with her chalk.

"Back to the lesson."

* * *

"Psst—Assistant Lancel. Over here."

"Hm?"

The lecture had gone on break, and Lancel had stepped out of the restroom to wash his hands. Just as he was about to head back, a whisper called out to him from the side of the corridor.

Ishtar was leaning halfway out from behind the classroom door, waving him over with an impatient gesture.

"Assistant Lancel," she whispered.

Lancel walked closer.

"What is it?"

Ishtar glanced down the hallway to make sure no one else was around. Then she leaned in slightly.

"Are you sleeping with Archmistress Faust?"

"E–Eh?!"

Lancel nearly choked on his own breath.

His reaction alone made Ishtar’s eyes widen.

"Oh, so you are!"

"I’m not!" Lancel hissed back immediately. "Where did you even get that idea?"

Ishtar crossed her arms as if the answer were obvious.

"Well, last week Archmistress Faust suddenly looked really weak during the lecture."

"...And?"

Ishtar leaned closer.

"According to my mom, there’s only one thing a man can overpower a witch in. Can you guess what it is?"

"...I don’t want to know."

"It’s sex!"

Lancel nearly coughed.

Ishtar nodded confidently, completely convinced of her own theory.

"The way Archmistress Faust was holding onto the table and looking completely exhausted reminded me of my mom back when my dad was still alive. And she was clutching her stomach that time. Just like mom.

"...."

"So now I’m certain."

"...Your logic is insane."

Ishtar shrugged as if the conclusion was perfectly reasonable.

"I’m just connecting the dots."

"There are no dots!"

Ishtar only giggled.

"Hehe~ We’ll talk again after the lecture, Assistant Lancel!"

"...."

She slipped back into the classroom as if nothing strange had just been said.

Crazy witches.

Absolutely crazy.