Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 8 (Part 1)

Silence filled the classroom.

The terrified children could only swallow nervously as they looked at the instructor.

“Let’s begin the lesson. Today, I’ll be teaching you phonetic symbols. This will be the first and last lesson on this topic; you will have to study the rest on your own.”

With that, the instructor wrote some characters on the blackboard.

Beside him, Hedler sighed and muttered, “Oh, we’re doomed.”

“You already know the continental common language, Renanto, but you just don’t know the characters. Am I wrong?”

The instructor asked, but the children kept their mouths shut. It was as if opening their mouths would bring them great misfortune.

“Yes, sir,” Rodin hurriedly answered.

Silence was important, but only when it suited the situation. Now was the time to answer, not to stay quiet.

“Is there anyone here who can’t speak?”

“No, sir,” Rodin replied alone again. Hedler next to him, and Lant and Cory behind, all remained silent.

“Why aren’t you answering if you can speak? Is there anyone who can’t speak?”

“No, sir.”

“That’s right. You already know how to speak, which means you can use Renanto. The reason I’m teaching you phonetic symbols is so you can learn the ‘letters’ that match the words you know.”

The instructor tapped the large dictionary on his desk with his hand. The sound echoed through the classroom, making the children flinch.

“Today, you will learn all 77 phonetic symbols needed for Renanto. If you learn them, you will be able to use the dictionary in your quarters to read words. Memorize them all.”

With the word ‘quarters,’ Rodin realized the exact name of the place where they had been staying. Until now, it had just been called the dormitory.

“Everything in the dictionary?” Rodin asked again, and the instructor glanced at him, his eyes seeming to gleam slightly.

“The youngest is the bravest, it seems. Yes, memorize it all. Read and reread it whenever you have time. In two months, there will be a test, and if you score low, you will be eliminated.”

“El… eliminated, will we be beaten?” one child asked. The instructor looked at the child who asked the question and smiled.

“Of course. You’ll be beaten as much as the kids outside getting thrashed right now. But that’s not the end. One month later, there will be a retest. If you fail, you’ll be beaten twice as much. Another month after that, there will be another retest, and if you fail again, you’ll be beaten three times as much.”

Gulp!

The mention of beatings made the children fall silent again.

Rodin sighed quietly and watched the instructor’s reaction. Should he speak now, or should he remain silent, pretending to be terrified?

After some consideration, he decided it was better to speak.

“You said we have to study on our own. Does that include studying for the retests?”

“Of course. Whether you skip meals or cut down on rest time, that’s your problem. I won’t give up on you. I’ll beat you and beat you again until you pass, so don’t worry about being left behind.”

The promise not to give up offered no comfort. Instead, the threat of repeated beatings made the children freeze.

“Did our seniors all pass?” Rodin asked.

“Yes. Ah, I should tell you this. Among your seniors, there was one who got beaten four times as much. He was carried away covered in blood but barely passed the test a month later.”

Getting beaten four times meant failing the test four times. It also implied that the test was very difficult.

“Getting beaten? Of course, it hurts. But, you know, being mocked by your peers for failing multiple times is harder. Even among your peers, you’ll be treated as an idiot. Let’s start the lesson.”

The instructor drew a strange symbol on the blackboard. It was a symbol Rodin had never seen before.

“This is the sound ‘a.’ it’s used in sounds like ka, ta, ma. It’s also included in sounds like san, kan, pan.”

The phonetic symbols were quite complex, but they weren’t hard to memorize. At least not for Rodin.

Rodin had always been smart. Once he decided to memorize something, he could recall it after just one look.

‘It’s not difficult. I just need to memorize it.’

The instructor’s pace was very fast. He listed all 77 phonetic symbols without caring whether the children understood or not.

“Class dismissed. There will be no classes for the next two months. If you want to play, play. If you want to sleep, sleep as much as you want. But only if you’re confident you’ll pass the test in two months.”

“How will the test be conducted?” Rodin asked. The instructor glanced at the smallest boy, Rodin, and explained.

“There will be 100 words and 100 phonetic symbols. You will look at the word, read it accurately, and say its meaning. For the phonetic symbols, you will write the corresponding Renanto characters.”

“Where can we study? Do we have to come here, or can we study in the quarters?”

“Anywhere you’re allowed to be. The quarters are fine, you can study in the dining hall, here, on the field, or in the library.”

“Can we go to the library?” Rodin’s eyes sparkled at the mention of the library.

Since hearing about the library a few days ago, he had wanted to go there. He wanted to read as many books as he could and quench his intellectual thirst.

“Of course. Though I doubt anyone will go. The library is there to fill your knowledge. If you can read, I recommend visiting at least once.”

The class ended.

Hyung_Otaku2

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