In the school that Theo remembered reading about back during his formative years, the kind of disturbance that he was a part of would be enough to derail the whole lesson, leaving the teacher scrambling to get the attention of their students back.
Celeste wasn't a star teacher at the academy for nothing, though, somehow taking back the reins of the class, cutting the discussion and giggles caused by the exchange between Theo and the student short and then, by what felt like a miracle, putting her class back on track.
'That's impressive,' Theo admitted in the privacy of his own thoughts, silently observing from his corner how his colleague now moved on to the topic of the four possible iterations of mana circulation occurring within one's body depending on which of the main four paths they picked.
In other words, as this was all happening near the end of the first semester, this topic was way too advanced for Theo to make heads or tails of it.
That's why, having nothing better to do, he quickly immersed himself back into his book that he found surprisingly interesting.
'To think they would approach alchemy in such a clever way,' he thought as he licked his finger before turning the page.
On the surface, this book contained no knowledge that Theo wouldn't be aware of beforehand. The genius discoveries of its authors, while massive for their time, simply paled in comparison to the extensive understanding of physics and biology that Theo brought to the table.
Still, that didn't mean the content of this book was worthless. No, in fact, it was quite the opposite.
'To think that you could look at it from such an angle…'
Theo was used to applying the scientific knowledge he learned by brute-forcing the desired changes with the help of his nanites. That's how he could make the processes originally designed to last for days if not weeks or months take place within a much shorter amount of time, often no longer than just a few minutes tops.
Sure, the reaction would grow exponentially more volatile, the exchange of energy ratio would go through the roof. But with properly programmed nanites, all the side effects of using the nanites could be solved with… well, nanites.
The book in Theo's hand, however, suggested a much more delicate approach, one filled with gentleness, finesse, and attunement to the nature of the brew or potion one wanted to create. And for someone as extremely used to his existing methods that proved themselves over and over again, taking a look at such a fresh approach was nothing short of fascinating.
So fascinating, in fact, that it wouldn't be until Celeste suddenly touched Theo's shoulder that he would realize that her lesson actually came to an end!
"Theo!"
With his awareness rushing back to its rightful spot within reality, Theo shook his head and looked towards the voice, at the slightly amused face of his female colleague.
"Hmm?" Raising his eyes away from the book felt like an unjust punishment, but Theo was also perfectly aware that he wasn't exactly in a position where he could just ignore the world around him and keep studying the local methods of manipulating liquid matter.
"As much as I want to ask more about the theorem you hinted at, I have another lesson starting in just a moment. And as far as I can remember," the woman took a moment to rub her chin and look up and slightly to the side, giving her already scholarly face an added vibe of deep thought, "you should have an hour of break before your visitation in the knights' corps should start."
'Knights? Seriously?' Holding himself back from rolling his eyes from what felt like the tenth time already, Theo merely nodded his head before closing his book and standing up from the seat.
"You have my gratitude for showing me your skills," Theo said as he nodded his head, feeling no shame in doing so at all. After all… "the way you handled those brats when they turned rowdy was truly worthy of praise, even if from someone as insignificant as me," he added, caring not for a bunch of furious stares that instantly followed.
"Thanks," Celeste smirked, only to then look down at the cover page of the book Theo held. "As for that book… Is it really all that interesting? I remember reading it a few times, but…"
This time, Theo only smiled a little.
"Whether a book is good is in equal share a responsibility of an author and the reader," Theo stated while allowing his face to take on a slightly more profound look. "If the reader doesn't know what to look out for, then not even the prose noted down by the best author of the age would entice him to continue, would it?"
With that said, Theo nodded his head again, this time to say his farewells, before heading off to the exit from the class, unbothered by a relatively high number of students staring him down with clear hostility brimming in their eyes.
"Excuse me, teacher!"
Theo barely made it out of the class when one of the students, a young woman with long, silver hair cascading down her shoulders with both the face and figure befitting the name of the legendary jade beauties from the cultivation novels, stopped him.
"If I may ask, could you please elaborate on what you said about the true nature of energy?"