Gunpowder Plate Armor and the Magic Revolution

They walked through the shady path of ash trees, past the training ground, and into the solemn teaching building. Since it was past the teaching time, the place was deserted, with only the wooden stairs making a rhythmic thud as the two men's military boots trod.

The quieter the surroundings became, the faster Noze's heart inexplicably beat.

At the end of the second-floor corridor is Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman's office.

The adjutant walked to the door and gently knocked on the heavy oak door.

"Come in."

The familiar, deep voice of Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman came from inside the door.

The adjutant opened the door and gestured for Noze to follow. The two entered the office one after the other, the faint smell of ink and paper wafting towards them.

Middle School Principal Hoffman sat behind a large solid wood desk, a pair of thin-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, a pen in his hand, looking down at the report cards in his hand, writing comprehensive evaluation scores on each file.

The desk was piled high with documents on both sides, and the cabinet behind him was open, containing neatly stacked batches of student files—the resumes of all the infantry graduates of the entire Herbert Military Academy this year.

Their future destinations are mostly hidden in these bags.

"Reporting, Colonel! Cadet Nozer Stella has arrived!"

The adjutant reported loudly.

Nozer immediately stood at attention and gave a standard military salute to Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman behind the desk.

Hoffman looked up, took off his glasses, casually placed them on the open file, and waved to his adjutant, "You can go now, and close the door behind you."

"yes!"

The adjutant saluted again, turned and left the office. The heavy wooden door closed gently, shutting out all the noise from outside. Only the two of them remained in the room, along with the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Noze remained standing at attention, his anxiety growing even stronger.

He could feel Hoffman's gaze on him; this was probably what they meant by feeling like he was being watched.

"Please sit down."

Hoffman gestured with his chin, indicating that he should sit in the chair opposite the desk.

"Yes, thank you, Lieutenant Colonel."

Noze sat down as instructed, placing his hands neatly on his knees, waiting for him to continue.

Hoffman didn't rush to speak. He simply picked up the water glass on the table, took a slow sip, picked up the file he hadn't finished writing, glanced at it, and signed his name at the end.

Noze sat opposite him, his palms sweating slightly. He really couldn't figure out what this stern lieutenant colonel was up to.

Hoffman finally looked up at him again after putting the signed file aside, speaking very slowly, as if deliberately keeping him in suspense.

"I heard from Lyman that you got an A in your swordsmanship test this afternoon, which is very good."

Noze's heart tightened, and he immediately sat up straight. "Yes, Lieutenant Colonel! I'm sorry to have embarrassed you; my basic skills still have many shortcomings."

"Of course, we should catch up on our shortcomings, but at the same time, we must praise our progress. That's what fairness is all about. And you really did a great job. In less than a month, you went from being at the bottom to being excellent. That's not easy."

"If you had been this diligent and hardworking since you entered school, you would have been an outstanding graduate long ago."

"Thank you for the compliment, Lieutenant Colonel."

Noze breathed a sigh of relief, but he was even more puzzled. The lieutenant colonel hadn't summoned him just to critique his swordsmanship assessment. After the pleasantries, the main topic of the meeting would most likely be discussed.

Sure enough, Hoffman paused, tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and continued in his unhurried manner, "There's one more thing. You went to Father Cisse Ashford to learn healing magic. Today marks exactly twenty days."

Upon hearing that it concerned Father Cisse, Noze became even more puzzled and somewhat uneasy.

He didn't know what Father Cisse said to Hoffmann, whether he said that his talent was acceptable, or that his foundation was too poor and his progress was too slow.

Noze believed he had done his best to learn, but Father Cisse's vast knowledge was something he could not fully grasp in just twenty days.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you. Last night, I went to the church to have a cup of tea with Cisse and asked about your studies over the past twenty days."

"He told me something about you."

Hoffman paused deliberately, picked up his glasses from the table, and slowly wiped the lenses with a velvet cloth, but his gaze remained fixed on Nozer's face. Seeing Nozer's feigned composure, a smile appeared on his lips.

The office was eerily quiet, with only the faint sound of a cloth rubbing against a lens and the ticking of a clock. Every second seemed to stretch out.

Just as Nozer was feeling uneasy, Hoffman finally put down his cleaned glasses, looked at him again, and finally stopped beating around the bush and said, "Cisse has a very high opinion of you, saying that you are thoughtful, critical, and also quirky."

Noze suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with astonishment, completely unprepared for such an excellent evaluation.

After all, Father Cisse rarely praised him.

He said that no beginner has ever mastered the basics of healing magic in just twenty days.

Hoffman's tone finally dropped its pretense and became approving: "He also said that your understanding of human anatomy is very insightful, and you can even fill in the gaps in the details in his notes."

"I...I've only read some related books before, so I have a little basic knowledge."

Noze snapped out of his daze, quickly concealing the surprise in his eyes, and answered honestly.

He couldn't very well say that he was able to understand human anatomy so quickly because of the biology he had learned before he transmigrated.

Hoffman waved his hand, unimpressed by Nozer's modesty.

"You've studied under Cisse for twenty days, and your skills have improved, but without official documentation, you can't even get a proper title. You don't really think you can prove your ability with this fictitious apprenticeship experience, do you?"

Hoffman opened the locked drawer in front of him, rummaged through it for a moment, took out something, and placed it on the table between the two of them.

It was a letter written on thick, off-white parchment, the exclusive material of the Imperial University of Valencia. The edge of the envelope was pressed with the unique thorny cross pattern of the seminary, and the Imperial University's emblem was clearly printed on it. Next to it was a line of cursive initials, which was Cisse Ashford's name.

"Lieutenant Colonel, this is...?"

Hoffman stopped teasing him, picked up the envelope, and pulled out a neatly folded letter. "This is from Professor Cisse Ashford, written especially for you. It's beautiful."

As he finished speaking, he unfolded the letter, his deep, steady voice echoing in the quiet office.

To the Infantry Academy of the Federal Military Academy in Herber City:

This is to certify that Noze Stella has completed all the basic courses and practical assessments of the Department of Divinity at the Imperial University Theological Seminary with top marks, and has completed the initial training in healing magic with excellent results, possessing the abilities of a basic front-line healer.

This student is exceptionally talented, calm, and quick-thinking, possessing great potential in the fields of magical manipulation and healing spells. Therefore, this letter of recommendation is hereby issued.

He paused at this point, glanced at the end of the letter, and read out the signature.

"Cisse Ashford, Professor of Divinity at the Theological Seminary of the Imperial University of Valencia, and a Registered High Priest of the Federal Vatican of Itnity."