Not now

"Oh, purely hypothetical, of course," you say with a nervous chuckle, withdrawing your hand with the rings into your pocket. "Just doing some research for my dad to see if we can jack up the price on 1 of the pieces he has."

Professor Wilkins doesn't look entirely convinced, but he accepts your explanation.

"Well... in that case, here are a couple of books in the library that you could check out that may give you more information," he says, scribbling down a couple of book titles on a scrap of paper and handing it to you. You tuck it into your pocket. "I would love to catch up but I'm about to be running late for a meeting with the dean. It's good to see you, John," professor Wilkins says, patting you on the shoulder and he rushes out the classroom before you can thank him.

For a while, you stare blankly at the doorway where the professor exited, thinking about what he had just told you. If he's correct, then some of the strange things that have happened due to you using the mind control ring would make sense. You're contemplating your next steps when you hear a knock on the open door and snap out of your thoughts.