Chapter 1: First step

And so here I am in the capital of Xiaos Empire to study in the Colean magical academy. Man that was one hell of a ride. It’s nice that they send a carriage for me but even so sitting in it for 2 weeks is insane. Well at least today is the end of this nightmare and the end of that stupid coachman that looks at me as a piece of shit.

Well, now it starts the first step on my journey. It’s quite nice first step. It’s sunny weather and the academy looks majestic. Ugh, if only those shitty nobles would not act so high and mighty. Ah, appearances, appearances. I can’t let others see my disgusted face.

And so let’s get out of this carriage.

And with this first step my journey started. At least I thought so until coachman stopped me.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going? Do you think your luggage has wings and it will fly for you? Just take it already so I can go. ”

Stupid coachman.

I took my luggage and looked and the letter I got from the academy.

Hello, Mister Risiel

At the day of 26th of 7th month please come to our humble academy to attend opening ceremony for new students. At the 12th of the same month we will send a carriage for you. The opening ceremony will start at 15:00. This letter works as identification pass too. Just show it to the guards so they can let you in.

Sincerely, Administrative bureau

So it looks like I need to get inside now. Ugh, so many people I can’t even see guards. Well let’s just go with the crowd.

While I was walking with others I heard a whispering around me. Normally I would not listened to it after all I don’t need to hear stupid gibberish of nobles but this one was about me so what other choice did I have? And so I listened.

“Hey do you see that guy? Why is a commoner here with us?”

”Look at his clothes. They’re so rugged.”

“Shouldn’t we call the guards? What if he wants to do something?”

“We should teach him some manners.”

With that last comment I quickened my steps and weaved through the crowed until I met the guard.

“Hey you. What do you want here? Don’t you know what this place is? This is Colean magical academy. People like you don’t have any right to be here.”

He spoke about how this academy is grandiose and what not. Before I would listened to who knows how long speech I just told him.

“I’m sorry for interrupting but I came for the opening ceremony. I will be a student here from now on.”

He looked stupefied and then his face changed to angry expression and he started.

“As if a mongrel like you could be a student of this academy. Get the hell out of here before I beat you up scum.”

Scum? Scum? Did he seriously call me scum? How dare he!

I need to calm down.

I breathed in and out until I calmed down.

After that I wanted to see him tremble!

With a smile cold as ice I spoke once more.

“I’m sorry that this scum speaks once again but as you can see I even have the letter that identifies me as a student of this fine establishment and if you want to piss me off than you can gladly do so if you want to let your ass be kicked by the staff of this academy for disrespecting one of the students and not doing proper job!”

The fear in his eyes was nice to see. With just such a simple threat he succumbs to fear. Well this shows the strength of being one of the elites. Well if he would not call me scum I would let it be but I could not waste this opportunity. I needed to vent the stress that piled up by being 2 weeks in a carriage and he deserved that.

And so I continued inside. Well what should I say about inside. It’s freaking huge! There’s huge garden with trees and all kinds of flowers and 3 fountains and the best of all a sculpture of some guy just before the entrance to the academy and that’s just entrance gate!

I probably should explain a little bit.

The academy is at the edge of a capital. It is separated by fence from the capital. Then there is a huge garden I spoke about earlier. After that you get to entrance gate which works as a separation between academy and the capital and as a leave gate for students that are already inside. You can’t leave the academy unless you have pass that you need to show at the gate. When you go through the gate the true academy is shown.

It is separated to several buildings in which every one is for something different. One is for magical studies, other for martial training, next for basic subjects and then there are faculty and specialized buildings too.

It’s good that with the letter came map or else I would have never known where to go.

And so I went through the gate. What came next was really breathtaking. If the entrance was grandiose then the academy was heavenly. It looked like everything sparkled.

The place was full of green and the buildings were from marble or something. Well it’s academy for rich so no wonder there.

I was walking for a while until I stopped.

Man this place is confusing.

I took out map once more and slowly looked around me to find out where approximately am I. I found out pretty easily thanks to my good orientation sense. I was slowly walking to my destination with a map in my hands until 3 guys stopped me.

Ah, as always my shitty luck continues. They will probably mock me or something like that.

“Hey brother, it looks like this guy needs our help. We should help him, right?”

“I think so too brother.”

They both were giggling. That looks bad.

“Now now,don’t be so mean to him.”

Interesting.

“Hi, my name is Irel Rosniac. I will help you if you want. You just need to kneel and lick my boots.”

Ok, this guy’s dead. With a sincere smile I answered.

“Thank you for your kindness, but it is okay I don’t need help.”

As much as I want to kill that guy I can’t. Fucking rules.

“Now now, you wouldn’t reject my offer, right?”

He started slowly approaching me and then he punched me into my gut.

“It looks like you need to learn proper manners.”

That fucker. Calm down me. Endure it.

His other two brothers started to beat me up too until a soothing voice swept through all of us.

“What’s happening here?”

We all froze on the spot. A beauty appeared from behind the tree. Her long black hair, and dark blue eyes that would captivate you made even me freeze at the spot. Even though I am physically weak my mental strength is something else and this girl no woman was able to make me freeze. This academy really looks interesting. I grinned internally.

Irel recuperated and answered her.

“Eh, it’s nothing. We were just helping him, that’s it.”

“Oh really? It did not look like that to me.”

The cold smile she showed us was really terrifying. But for me it wasn’t like that. I just thought what a woman. Beautiful yet strong willed. Almost my perfect type. Almost.

“I-It’s true. Well anyway we need to go now. Bye.”

She smiled once more. Her smile wasn’t sinister anymore but her eyes could pierce you just from that gaze. Ha ha, that was fun.

She looks interesting, maybe I can play it a little bit less safely.

She started to talk to me. It wasn’t a warm type of feeling. It was more like indifference with a bit of conscious. Well no matter. It just makes her much more interesting.

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you somewhere?”

I stood up, dusted myself and just answered with a calm face. Let’s see how she will react.

“It’s okay. They did not harm me too much. It should heal in a few days.”

I did not lie. I just had few bruises even though they kicked me really hard. It’s one of my inborn talents. I can absorb impacts unconsciously mitigating part of the damage. Of course not all impacts can be absorbed but they weren’t really strong. If they were I would not let myself be hit so easily.

“That’s okay then. My name is Elizabeth Nightingale.”

Elizabeth Nightingale, that is nice name. Let’s try waters a little bit.

“I see. My name is Risiel, but you can call me Ris. I am a commoner so I don’t have a surname.”

I probably did not mention it but commoners do not have surnames. Only those that have administrative positions or are from noble birth have surnames.

“Risiel, Risiel. I think I heard that name before. Just where was it? Hmm.”

How could she know my name? She probably mistook me for someone else. No student could possibly know my name and she definitely is a student. Probably my senpai.

“You probably mistook me for someone else. It’s my first day here and I’m here for my opening ceremony in fact I was looking for the meeting place before I was disturbed.”

“I see.”

Hmm. I think I will go now. I don’t have much time left before the opening ceremony starts anyway. Oh wait I still want to try that one last thing to test waters. *Grin.*

“Well anyway I don’t have much time so I will go now. Thank you for your help Lis.”

That’s right, I wanted to try calling her Lis. In fact her name just begs you to call her that.

“Lis? Do you mean me?”

“That’s right. I think it suits you really well.”

I smiled with my best fake smile. Oh, her cheeks reddened. I hope it won’t bite me in the ass. Beauty such as her must have fans that would kill me just for talking with her. Well it’s not like I did not think of this option but with her indifferent tone it did not look like chances for this were high. Oh well, everyone is showing different face in contrast with the situation so it must be the same.

“Well anyway I really need to go now so I hope to meet you again.”

And so I slowly walked away. At least I tried until she shouted.

“Wait! You said you were going to the opening ceremony, right? I need to go the same way too so I can show you the way.”

Bummer. It’s nice to walk with such a beauty but to be seen with her in front of all first years. That will definitely bite me in the ass. Well no matter even if I would say no she would go the same way anyway so I don’t have any choice. With a smile I answered.

“Sure that would be helpful.”

She SMILED a little. Normal person would probably did not see that but I’m anything but normal. I’m really starting to fear for my future here. Well until awakening ceremony I need to play it safe after that it shouldn’t be so bad.

And so we went to the meeting place. On the whole way none of us spoke a word. God the atmosphere was so tense.

Oh anyway we finally reached the meeting place and she told me to just take a free seat and then she left somewhere.

Take a free seat. That is easier said than done. There were around one thousand people and those are just first years. This academy is surely big. Well it’s no wonder when you think about it. People from the whole continent study here and continent is a big place. I could see even elves and beastmen.

Well after a little search I found one empty spot and with looks of disdain from others I finally took a seat. I would be pissed of too if I needed to stand up and with me half of the whole row just for one guy. Well it’s not my fault that only free seat I could find was in the middle of the row.

Well I finally took a seat and waited for the start of the opening ceremony.

After around 15 minutes a woman around 30 years old with round glasses, brown hair and brown eyes with a brown robe appeared on the stage. She really must like brown. Then it started.

“Hello, my name is Irene Godspell and I am one of the professors here. I will tell you a few things about this academy and after that you will hear a certain speech so let’s not make you wait any longer and start.”

I will skip the talk and just summarize it. She was speaking about history of the academy, who created it, name of principal, rules and other small things. I won’t bother with telling you these things and when the time comes you will naturally find out.

Well anyway when she told us all those things finally last part started.

“And before you all be able to go we have a final speech prepared for you. Please welcome on stage student secretary Elizabeth Nightingale.”

I’ll be damned. It really is Lis. She is slowly striding on the podium. This should be interesting.

“Hello, as it was mentioned before my name is Elizabeth Nightingale and I want to welcome all of you to our academy. I hope you will all enjoy your stay here and learn many things and will work really hard. Don’t be halfhearted or you do not have any place here.”

Wow, her indifferent tone is really something but she’s doing a pretty good job. I would not expect that from her. I thought that she would be the clumsy type that just acting in front of others. Well we will see. Now let’s get back to listening.

“And now without a further ado let’s hear a speech from the best student of first years.”

I wonder who it will be. Hm, I can see someone readying to stand up. It’s hard to say who it is but it’s definitely a girl.

“Now please welcome Risiel”

WHAT!!!!!!!!!

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One more thing, I really don’t like reading my own works so there may be a few mistakes here and there but I just can’t really make myself read it so sorry for that.

HOPE YOU’LL ENJOY IT!