“Ya! Shouldn't you already be buried then?”

The quip deadpanned by Elicia roused a small chuckle from Urie. Had he known her for longer, however, he would quickly understand that she had meant what she said. Behind him, Celeste stood indifferently as this was the first she had heard of the name Arinndra. Rather, she was having peculiar ideas about the hand that had yet to release her own.

Urie, the owner of said hand muttered, “Arinndra's Forest...” having forgotten about the matter and was too busy drifting into his own thoughts.

—Arinndra's Forest. The immense habitat of mana had existed for as long as the residents of Daerin could remember.

Claiming to have named the forest would mean that the headmaster had lived since the time the name had first been coined. In which case, Urie felt it increasingly accurate that, although the scruffy old man was the headmaster, he was referred to by his mother as a senile old man.

Headmaster Arinndra crossed arms over a puffed chest as he eerily laughed, “—Keh! These old bones have lived far longer than anyone you know, child! And will continue to live even after you've embraced the ground yourself!”

Elicia reacted with furrowed brows and a mouth half agape. She glared as she had never laid eyes on someone with such an unfounded show of conceit; with one foot in the grave, yet talking about living far longer than a young girl like her.

In front of Elicia's dismissive attitude, the headmaster suddenly leaned in close. His crude smile disappearing as he spoke with a deeper voice, “You need to show some respect little girl.”

An oppressive atmosphere weighed down on the area as light emerged from the headmaster's body; countless red strands snaked across the entire courtyard, stunning the surrounding people.

Though startled, Urie felt vague familiarity from the strands of light as they passed him by, as if he had come across something like them just recently. He then saw Merea posturing to intervene but briefly stopping herself as the red light soon retracted back towards the old man's body.

Instructor Danny was the first to comment, “S-Such an aggressive display of mana.” The headmaster released an absurd amount of mana without setting the surroundings ablaze, different from how Urie's demonstration had ended up.

The little girl at the center of the spectacle, Elicia, felt the full brunt of the oppression and plopped down weakly on the ground. Her aunt quickly knelt down beside her and held her up before directing a fierce glare towards the headmaster shrugging his shoulders.

With the gallery falling into a lull, Urie contemplated.

Initially, he thought of going along with the headmaster for the chance at an earlier graduation— since he could now use magic, he was eager to head for the wall. Of course, only after persuading his mother.

However, seeing the old man's show of force, a spark had ignited within him. Keeping in mind how people almost got hurt due to his carelessness, he wanted to learn how to control his mana with precision.

—It would be good to learn from the headmaster...

His grip unwittingly tightened and he felt a flinch from his right hand. “Ah,” Urie uttered. He quickly turned to the crimson-haired girl.

—Since when have I been holding her hand?

Up to this point, Celeste had rarely said a word. What thoughts could she had been having that she was wearing an unwavering squint? Even during the headmaster's display, she had even maintained her composure. Urie found it admirable that she did.

—Oh right, I should thank her for stopping me earlier. Things could've gotten worse if she didn't. And... about her situation, I don't know much but if I can, I will help.

Urie reminded himself of a notion his mother had instilled in him, that he should always help someone in need, especially if it's a girl. He saw no problem with the belief and intended to do so.

—When I get the chance, I'll have to ask her about it.

Urie's grip only relaxed after strengthening his conviction.

The headmaster picked his nose nonchalantly and turned towards Urie, gesturing for him and Celeste to follow, “—Keh! Can't help it if she doesn't want to. Little boy, little girl, let's go,”

“Wait—!” Elicia voiced, and timidly turned to her aunt, appealing for consultation. Ultimately, she received nothing but a stern eye and was left to make her own choice.

“Should I...” Just as she fell into hesitation, a pale hand appeared in front of her like a breath of fresh air and freed her from indecision.

“C-Celeste Varethe...” the red-haired girl greeted.

“Elicia... Perid...” Elicia gingerly reciprocated the gesture but... her hand wasn't immediately released.

Crimson eyes then turned around and met icy blue, eliciting from him a response.

“Ah?” It was an effort for a humble introduction. Urie's question was— why? Why the sudden formality? And whilst still holding his hand?

—Ah? Wait, is this...? Perhaps an extension of that? A handshake?

It seemed exactly as Urie thought, but how exactly did Celeste want him to respond to this?

“U-Urie Loeth,” his lips wryly curled into a smile as he scratched the back of his neck. This was his third introduction of the day.

Celeste reacted with a hint of a pleased expression while Elicia appeared trying to make heads or tails of the odd situation.

The headmaster suddenly spoke in between the three with a smirk, “Glad to have you with us, little girl.”

With instructor Danny and Merea staying to handle remaining matters, a merry line was then formed heading out of the courtyard.

At the front was a scruffy old man nonchalantly picking his nose, followed by a young boy bothered by an itch behind his neck. Linked with his hand, a timid young girl with a squint over her crimson eyes, pulling along another girl wearing an act of clumsy haughtiness.

Arriving at the banks of a serene lake encircling two adjacent mountains, a small distance away from the back of the academy— Urie, Celeste, and Elicia, sat uncomfortably on flat, uneven rocks, listening to the headmaster's words.