"Are you finally awake?"
After looking around for a few seconds I noticed that I wasn't in my room and couldn't quite remember what had happened.
"Yes, but I can't remember what happened."
Right after saying that I remembered what happened right before losing consciousness. I could see the last moment before losing consciousness as clear as the light, which was emitted from the piece of paper at that moment.
And I also realized that it was the principal, who was sitting next to me. Did he manage to find anything out? At least I am not in a cell or something like that, so maybe he didn't find anything out.
"That's good. Do you feel bad or hurt anywhere?"
I tried to move my body and didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. It seemed like I didn't lose consciousness, because of an attack.
"I don't feel hurt anywhere, could you tell me what happened. And how much time has passed since I lost consciousness?"
The principal looked relieved, but more than anything he seemed to look kind of impatient, did he wait for a long time? Why would he even bother, maybe he does know something about that letter?
"Oh, don't worry it's only been a few minutes since then.
"As for explaining what happened it could take a while, is that ok with you?"
He's too polite to me, something is fishy. I shouldn't reveal anything to him, especially about the matter with the letter.
"Yeah sure, go ahead."
"Ok, then let me ask you a question first. Do you perhaps know what an 'inheritance' is?"
I thought about it for a few seconds, but nothing came to mind and either way I would've said no.
"No, I've never heard of it before."
"Ok, that's to be expected. I'll be open with you, there are only a few teachers and the principal who know of the inheritances.
"And that letter, which lied in your hand, when I found you... I am pretty sure that it's exactly such a thing, an inheritance."
Now I was definitely confused, a lot more than before. The principal found me?! Does that mean he personally came to my room after what had happened? How did he even know that something happened to me? I've also really never heard of these inheritances. Judging from the name it's probably sure to say that it's something, which is passed down and something you inherit.
But I have absolutely no idea, whose inheritance it is or what exactly is contained in that inheritance.
"Could you please explain to me what an inheritance is exactly?"
"Well, inheritances are actually the things, which are worth the most in this whole academy. They are hidden somewhere in this academy and it's said that if you are fated you will be able to find them on your own. They also act as a key, opening a certain part of the academy, which you can only enter if you have that key, which can only be inherited through these inheritances.
"In those locked areas there are different kinds of treasures, but everyone of these locked areas holds a great worth. They all have different colours and it's said that they have been left behind by the core figures who founded this academy. Some of the previous principals of this academy also left behind inheritances and it's also the only way to officially become the principal of the academy of Raiken."
That's too much information all at once! It's good that he stopped explaining for a second, he must have noticed that I am quite overwhelmed. Everything I just heard could potentially fit the letter I had found. Maybe the next time I'll try to open the letter I will actually be able to see the paper and what's potentially written on it.
"Wait! So if this thing really is an inheritance, something so valuable, then why didn't you or the other principals before you search all of them?"
"As I previously explained, it's not confirmed, but there has never been a case of one person finding two inheritances in his lifetime. We can only guess that it is fate and if you aren't fated to do so you wouldn't ever be able to find one, it was also always a student of the academy of Raiken, who at some point in his time at this academy found it.
"It was never found by someone after they graduated or by someone, who wasn't a student of this academy."
Fate, really? It's an absurd thing you can't prove, but people use it a lot to explain normally unexplainable things. I don't really believe in it and it's also terrifying to think about and I was also able to find it due to my own abilities, precisely because of my senses that I was able to find that secret passage.
I just can't believe that it was fate, which let me find that secret passage. If it was fate wouldn't it have to be a lot more random, like coincidentally swinging my sword and then it faces through the wall, revealing that there is a barrier or something like that?
"And, do you have to become the principal of the academy if you find the inheritance?"
It was a horrible idea for me to be forced to do something against my will. I never liked not having free will and being forced to do something I didn't want to. If the principal says that I had to become the next principal my only way to evade that possibility would be to flee from the academy and probably the whole kingdom if I really wanted to be sure.
"No, you're not forced to and everybody has the free will to decline, but in the end everyone, who had found an inheritance would in the end die as the principal of the academy."
It's good to hear that he wouldn't force me, but it was also entirely possible that he only said that to make me gain trust and sympathy for him.
It's hard to tell what a man like him is really thinking, I shouldn't say anything for now, maybe he even made up these whole inheritances, because he thought that he would be able to get the letter I had found.
"This 'inheritance', which I found, do you know where it is?"
"Oh, don't worry it's impossible to take away an inheritance from the owner after he formed the blood connection.
"It will always be with you and you'll be able to call it out, but even if you do that the inheritance always had the form of a letter containing a piece of paper with something written on it. But nobody, but the person, who found it and connected to it was able to see what's written on the letter."
That would be reassuring if it really was the truth.
"Could you show me your inheritance and explain to me how I can let it appear?"
He reached his arm out and held his hand open.
"Look closely this could give you a hint at how to make it appear."
"Huh?"
Suddenly from one moment to another the inheritance was there. It looked exactly like the letter I possessed, but it had a different colour than mine, it was light-blue and he opened it with seemingly no effort, before proceeding to show me the piece of paper.
It looked completely blank to me, just like he told me. There was a possibility that he somehow faked it, but the chances for that were slim. After all if he wanted the latter he would've already taken it, when I was unconscious, it would've been a lot easier.
"Did you see how I made it appear"
"I saw it, but I didn't really get it, how exactly do you make it appear?"
"At first for me it was also quite hard, but over time it just became natural to me, I guess you can kind of feel it inside of you and then just imagine it appearing and it will appear."
Feeling it, that should be relatively easy for me, after all I am so far the only one, who I know, who is able to feel and see mana.
So I concentrated and tried to feel it. And I was kind of surprised, because of how easy it was. I could clearly feel something that hadn't been there before. I was able to sense it even easier than sensing the mana flowing through my body.
I tried to make it look like I was really concentrating on summoning the letter, but I couldn't say for sure if it would be able to fool him, well I just have to hope it will be able to fool him.
"I can feel something, but it's really faint... I don't think I'll be able to summon it right now."
As if I'd take any chance on revealing my ability to sense mana or this inheritance so easily. I'd really have to be naive to even give him a slight chance at seeing my full abilities. It's better if he underestimates me, then if I underestimate him.
"Yeah of course, well I guess you have a lot to think about, so I just want to tell you that if you have questions or a special request then I'll be glad to accept almost everything, so don't wait if you have any questions. And I would be glad if you didn't tell anyone about this matter, who doesn't already know about it. If this were to get out to the whole academy a lot of people would search for these inheritances and slack off with training. It probably wouldn't even change anything, because even if they are searching for them they wouldn't be able to find anything."
He stood up and turned to the door.
"Oh and by the way, you also have another visitor, she'll also be able to show you back to your rooms."
"Oh yeah sure, tell her to come in."
I had of course already sensed her since I woke up, after all her mana felt familiar and I already knew her strength by now, so it should be Katsumi.
And as I had predicted it was her. She stepped inside of the room and looked down at me. Her gaze seemed to be filled with worry, but after seeing me her gaze lost some of that, but it was still not completely back to normal.
"Are you okay, Yori?"
She sat down onto the chair next to the bad I was still lying on.
"Yeah, I'm completely fine. I didn't get hurt at all, I just lost consciousness... Sorry for worrying you."
Her relief was almost visible. It honestly once again wondered me how she can be so worried for someone, who she really only met the day before. The other two times you couldn't even call meeting really.
"That's good. Do you need more time, or do you want to head back to our rooms?"
"Well there's nothing more to do here, right?
"And do you perhaps know where we are?"
"Well I am not too sure, but it should be the infirmary of the lion class. There are of course a lot of injuries in a magic school, so every class has their own infirmary. The doctor had also been here, but after he quickly inspected you and said you had no injuries the principal sent him straight away."
"Oh, so it shouldn't be that far away from our rooms."
"Well, actually the infirmary is a few minutes away from the main building, we are currently at the place we'll usually be training at."
Even better, I'll at least be able to see the place, which I would spend most of my time beforehand.
"Well then, I guess we should go, getting rest before tomorrow is important and although you probably don't need it as much at your level it would still be better to be completely rested."
"Yeah, you're right, let me show you the way."
We left the room together and after walking around the infirmary for a bit more we reached the door, which lead outside.
After passing through the door I was greeted by the sight of a training ground, which was gigantic.
I could see magic crystals lying on a table like they were just normal coins. There were all kinds of different dummies. Everything was infused with magic and there were wooden swords, spears and a few other kinds of weapons already prepared to be used in a sparring match or just to train with them.
There was a river, probably used for mainly water magic, maybe ice magic too if somebody possessed that kind of rare magic. There was what seemed to be a parkour, it will probably be used to test our speed and reaction time as well as how well we can move in close quarters.
There were stages to spar on, I could even see multiple different kinds of rocks, all with visible marks of sword slashes deeply engraved in them.
This would be the place, which I would be spending most of my time at. This could potentially be the place I would be able to learn great swordsmanship from a proclaimed master. I'll be able to learn magic and finally real knowledge about this world from masters like the old man.
This would be one of the places, which would change my life.