Having memorized the school’s layout (and thereby earning ‘Cartography I’), I walked to my first class of my first day: Elementary Concepts.

“Okay class, I would like to introduce a new student who will be joining us today,” the teacher Miss Violet introduced me. “Her name is Robin. Please take care of her as she is suffering from severe amnesia.” This is the excuse I am going with. It explains both my lack of practical knowledge and my ability to learnrecall skills so easily.

“My name is Robin. Please take care of me,” I said while bowing to the class. At least three fourths of my classmates were no more than half my age and the rest were only rather younger than me, but all of them looked at me with displeasure as if I was a simpleton. Seeing this displeasure, I figured there was nothing I could say to get rid of it, so I decided to culture it: “Since I am older than you all, you can call be Big Sis Robin.” It takes skill to make a kindergarten teacher displeased on the first day, but unfortunately, I didn’t level up.

After I sat down in the empty seat, Miss Violet began teaching:

“Continuing from yesterday, we will be learning about lightning magic. As I said last time, of all eight primary elements, lightning has the fastest attack spells. An expert lightning mage will almost always win in a magic tournament even against earth mages who naturally counter lightning. However, it has many problems. Firstly, orthodox lightning magic has no defensive or recovery spells, so pure lightning mages must use Thunder Step to dodge enemy attacks, or stay on the offensive to prevent the enemy from attacking back. Secondly, lightning magic requires large amounts of mana, which prevents lightning mages from fighting for extended periods of time.

“Are there any questions?” A young boy raised his hand with sparkling eyes. “Yes?”

“Can you show us an example, please Miss Violet? Please. Please!”

“I am sorry, but I do not know any lightning magic.”

“Are there any unorthodox defensive lightning spells?” I asked.

“Yes, but only dark mages learn those.”

And so, the lesson continued, but I did not pay attention and instead read the textbook – although it had far more pictures than text – as it contained just as much information as Miss Violet and even held information from previous class days.

The same situation happened with addition, magic history, nap time, and a moralistic fairy tale that deceptively taught magic theory too. Then came recess, except I was bumped up a grade or two to magic practice.

The youngest was half my age and the oldest, a little older so I fit in as well as any newcomer. This class was for kids who had not cast a spell yet. After a brief tutorial on a spell called Candlelight, I joined the others in the poorly lit half of the gymnasium in trying feel our mana pools or move them about, emphasis on trying.

This being the last class of the day, it did not matter if one stayed late, so a few of us took advantage of the time to try a little more. We all didn’t bother each other, until a nine-year-old boy and I lasted until sunset.

“Hey, Big Sis Robin,” he addressed me as I stood up. “How come you are so old and can’t use magic?”

“I lost my memories, so I guess I forgot. By the way I don’t think I heard your name.”

“Oh, I’m Benny, just Benny.”

“Well glad to make your acquaintance, Benny. I’m off to go get some food. Have a nice day.”

In the cafeteria I sat across from stuck-up princess roommate and her wingman best friend, who everyone else avoided out of deference. “Hey Roomie, how has your day?” I politely hailed.

“Shut up, urchin, and don’t talk to us ever again!” was the friend’s response.

“It has yet to be determined if I’m an urchin or not. For all anyone knows I could be the queen of a foreign kingdom captured by dark magicians for their experiments before respawning in the nearest cathedral,” I retorted.

“If that was the case, your job would show it but its blank,” spoke up the princess.

“Either way, we are living together for at least a month, so acknowledging each other’s existence can’t be a bad thing.”

“Very well, I am Cassiopeia Firenze, fifth princess of the Kingdom of Flowers and student at the Capital Magic Academy. This is Isabella Sforza, first daughter of Duke Sforza and student at the Capital Magic Academy.” Isabella was sour at this concession but stayed quiet.

“I am Robin, a penniless amnesiac with two sets of clothes and student at the Capital Magic Academy.”

We then ate in silence, and not wanting to be outdone, I copied the way they ate and learned Court Etiquette I as a bonus and decided to check my skills and status.

menu

Skills

Combat: Skip Step Evasion I Dagger Techniques I Civil: Examine II Analyze III Cartography I Court Etiquette I Reading VI

Status

Identity: Name: “Robin” Age: 16 Sex: Female Job: [You are jobless] Home: Capital Magic Academy dorm 18-201 Gauge Levels: HP: 87/87 SP: 60/60 MP: 507/507 LP: 100 PP: 10/10 XP: 194 Summary Statistics: Level: 15 Combat Level: 2 Civil Level: 13 Rank: 30.6 STRength: 7.6 DEXterity: 12.4 STAmina: 8.9 INTeligence: 50.4 WISdom: 45.6 WILlpower: 10.0 CONviction: 3.15 FAIth: 37.5 CORrectness: 99.9 Tier: E- Equipped Items: Academy Uniform Blouse Academy Uniform Skirt Academy Uniform Kerchief Academy Uniform Vest The Divine Panties of Chastity Indestructible Self-cleaning Cannot be removed by anyone other than the wearer even after death or on accident Under no circumstances will the wearer’s privates be revealed while equipped If anyone without sufficient mental resistance looking at the wearer nefariously gazes upon them, they will immediately lose interest The Divine Sports Bra of Chastity Indestructible Self-cleaning Cannot be removed by anyone other than the wearer even after death or on accident Under no circumstances will the wearer’s privates be revealed while equipped Automatically alerts the wearer of ‘Peeping Toms’ Plain Leather Boots Red Hair Ribbon Firenze Magic Academy Student ID Measurements: [[withheld]] …

After supper, I returned to the dorm and meditated as they taught us again until close to midnight when I finally sensed my mana.

[You have earned the skill ‘Mana Detection I’. Civil level increases to 14.]

It felt like a nightlight inside my chess. Focusing on it, I tried to will it about. At first it struggled, but after a few minutes it was flowing about smoothly. Lastly, I formed the Candlelight spell on my palm.

I opened my eyes and immediately jumped back from the dimly underlit face less than a foot from mine. The light in my hand went out, followed by someone shuffling about in the until the room’s overhead light lit up.

“Why were you staring at me in the dark?” I asked my roommate, who looked as startled as I felt.

She explained, “You weren’t moving at all for several hours – not that I care if you die.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“So, um, today was your first day trying to cast magic, right?”

“As far as I know, yes.”

“You know it takes geniuses weeks, right?”

“I did not know that.”

“You’re weird.”

“That I did know.”