Deep in my sleep, where I'm accompanied by Diana; however, one person was missing in this place. Then I heard a shout coming from below, interrupting my lovely moment with Diana.
"Waaaah! Why is there a kid in here?!"
My eyes shot wide open. "What?! Intruder?! Where?!"
I even almost fell out of the top bunker in a hurry. Then I saw a familiar kid sitting at the corner of the cabinet, holding her belly. The sound of her growling stomach reaches my ears, waking all my senses up.
"Tsuki?! You're hungry again?!"
"Master! Food!"
I land on the ground with ease in front of Tsuki.
"Master, I'm hungry!"
"Haaah... I fed you earlier though."
"... I want to eat meat with sauce."
I glance at the open cabinets and it looks like Tsuki scrounge around it. Of course, it became her habit back at my home where she would just open the cabinets and food will be there. But now, we don't have any stack of food in here. If I comply with her request, I will end up broke here.
"Um, Claude? Why is there a little girl in our room? Can you explain yourself?" Erik said.
"She's my spirit."
"A humanoid spirit?!" Lars exclaimed.
"Not really... Wait a minute. Tsuki." I snap my fingers then Tsuki merges in the shadow and a silhouette of a cat appears in the same spot, taking over the spot. But during the process, a disheartening emotion was reflected from Tsuki's eyes. Her stomach is more important than anything else. Despite everything, Tsuki went to my shoulders and rubs her cheeks against mine. I take that back, she's deliberately doing this because she knows it's my weakness.
"Wow..." Erik's mouth was left hanging.
"What's going on?!" Lars shouted who just recently woke up on his bed. Then he bumps his forehead on the metal above him. "Agggh...!"
A while later, I explained to the two how my spirit can shapeshift and how I taught Tsuki to talk with my superb teaching capabilities. Unbeknownst to them, the last part of what I said was just made up. Lars had the eyes of the doubt while Erik was feasibly buying my story. But in the end, the two nod their head on my story; therefore, I sigh in huge relief.
The two were doubtful, but since I'm in Class F there's a reason why I'm in that class, and that alone made them convinced of my story. Surely enough, they wouldn't think that I kidnapped this little girl and made her call me Master. Right? Wrong. From their eyes, it's undoubtedly what their thinking of the situation. I can't even deny it since I would also have the same chain of thoughts. It's just a normal reaction.
Soon after, we left our room for the cafeteria and ate breakfast. As for Tsuki, I just filled her stomach with my quintessence to make her forget of eating the meat whereas it just made my morning worse than it is. The first day of class, yet I feel like I wanted to stay in the bed because of Tsuki.
After wearing our uniforms, we went out to see other male students wearing the same outfit as we are, but with a different color. Some are silver, maroon, green, blue, white, and brown. Yet, we stood out more than them because their eyes were on us, gossiping while sneering at us.
It goes without a saying, we already knew the eyes that they were giving to us. Lars had his head down. While Erik doesn't seem to be bothered by them and kept his face straight. As for me, I'm in between. I can't fully express how I feel, but it's just that the eyes were poking on my nerves. It's making me want to tear their eyes out. However, as a poised man, I shall control any enmity emotion deep inside my chest.
"Can't they just stop looking at us? Is it not enough for them to mock us with their eyes?" Lars mutteringly said.
"Ignore them," Erik said as he pats Lars' back.
On our way to the class, we encountered some commotion along the way. At the gate of our dormitory, their gazes were captivated over to the three beauties waiting at the gate. Just catching glimpse of their attractive faces would make any other man fall for them. Many of them tried to get their attention, and some probably even forced their way through, but I presume that nothing happened from looking at how unharmed they are. However, they're still surrounded by these seniors, only making their moods worse. We sneak a peek and I saw some familiar faces.
"Oh my god! They're too beautiful!" Lars said.
"Are they looking here?" Eriks pointed out.
"They are...?"
Lily's eyes met mine. Then Lily's eyebrow softened and smiles at me while calling me with a gesture.
"I'll be back, guys."
"Eh? Where are you going, Claude?"
"Yeah?"
"To those girls," I said to them while running backward then teleport my way to Lily, Adelle, and Stephanie.
"Whoa?! What?! Where did this guy go?!"
"Waaah! He popped up out of nowhere!"
Behind me, the people who surrounded these three girls. The distance between them and me was still reasonably far, as they maintain it in such a way perhaps out of respect for the girls in front of me, or because we're in public's eyes.
"Yo."
"Morning. What a lackluster greeting for a person you haven't met for a year." Stephanie said and her disappointment was shown in her actions, as she place her hands over her waist.
She's wearing a blue uniform. Until now, I don't know the meaning of the color of our uniform. But one thing's for sure, it's correlated with the Class we're in. Adelle and Lily were wearing silver-colored uniforms.
"I'm just holding back since there are people behind us," I whispered into Stephanie's ear.
Stephanie laughs in response. "Hahaha, since when did you have the delicacy to do that? A year of separation can really change that person?"
"You hated that right?"
"Well, yes, but not because of it, but because you go overboard with it. That's what I hated and it shows how immature you are. In addition, you don't show any consideration when your mind is preoccupied with those lewd thoughts of yours." She flicks my forehead.
"The gentle air around you is too suffocating... But anyway, do you know the people behind me?"
"Don't mind them, some of them I do recognize but the others I wouldn't say so. But I'm firm that they're in the same year as me. If you ever cause another trouble here, I will not save your ass."
"I'm not stupid enough to do that on my first day. Do I look that irresponsible to you?"
"Yes."
"Okay that hurts, but understandable..."
Then Lily and Adelle barge into the conversation and we separated ourselves from the people around us to our own world where we three only exist. I haven't paid attention to my surrounding but from the tingling sensation from my back. I can easily imagine what it looks like. After a few minutes, the gazes on us haven't died down a little.
After a little explanation from Stephanie, I almost yelled out my frustration.
"Seriously? That bastard just lied to me? I thought if I didn't find a job by next week."
"Why are you even believing a stranger that just walks past you? And, what kind of academic system would let their students starve? That would be inhumane. Despite how ridiculous the prices are, it's still reasonable. If they price everything too low, the academy's resources would bleed."
Stephanie flicks my forehead, yet I didn't react.
"That makes a lot of sense... That didn't pass through my mind... Not even once. Haah... Thank god... But the way he said it sounds too believable."
"Stupid," Lily said.
Then Stephanie continues with her explanation. "However, the fact you said you need to find some source of income by next week is true. The academy showcases many opportunities to let students explore different types of jobs across everything. But, the most suitable income that I got was from hunting at dungeons."
"That's what I thought too. Is there any restriction?"
"Of course there are, I already explained it to Adelle and Lily. It depends, but the most common was 'there shall no two S class students in a party' and 'the maximum capacity of a party would be 16.'. And, there's more. Most of its restrictions are on the higher-end Class. Meanwhile, the below classes... They can join anyone as long it meets the requirement."
"So, want to join me later, Claude? Since Adelle and I can't party, we can be alone." Lily butted into the conversation and gave me a wink while also pushing her jugs on my chest.
"Wait?! That's unfair!"
Oh yes, this would only incite the envy of those burning gazes on my back more. Ignoring Lily and Adelle, I look back to Lars and Erik, mouthing to them. 'Come here.' The glimpse of them with their mouths wide-open made me laugh inwardly at how ridiculous they look right now. After grasping my intention, the two naturally walk toward us.
However, I'm still squeezed between Adelle and Lily. While I'm stuck, I recalled some memories about the Lily halting on any flirtatious activities with me considering we need to keep a low profile for now. The reason would be because of the nobles. We can't afford to cause a scandal for now since Lily's reputation is on the line. But I can freely do whatever I want with Stephanie and Adelle, but I chose to only do it whenever Lily is not with us because I care for her feelings.
"Ouch!"
"Hyieeh!"
I chopped Lily and Adelle's heads to wake them up and realize what they are doing. While waiting for Lars and Erik, I look at the two girls who still haven't let me go from their clutches. "People are looking. So, stop it, will you?"
"Oh..."
After releasing me, in a quick turn of events, the spot that Lily left was now occupied by Stephanie. Now that's all done, Lars and Erik made their way here and introduces the lovely girls to them. Their responses were kind of... Special... Lars responded in a way where it's crystal clear that he felt inferior as his eyes avoided the face of the three—or he's just embarrassed? Erik on the other responded, lukewarmly.
Since we are running late, we walk all together to the building whereas Stephanie fled the other way and told me that she'll meet me later. From her words, the class years were separated which means she's in another building. Then I also learned the color class coding of our uniform.
Silver means S-Class.
White means A-Class.
Blue means B-Class.
Maroon means C-Class.
Brown means D-Class.
Green means E-Class.
Lastly, black means F-Class.
Honestly, I find it confusing how many classes there are. But from Stephanie's explanation, I was able to understand it. Most of the students here are all in the B-class to D-class category and for the E-class to F-class, they are considered as the worst of them all. Only a few students are able to land on this category which means they're exceptionally so bad. And, I'm with them because I don't present any mana in my body which is incredibly stupid considering how I fought the golem.
Despite already expecting the outcome, it still left a bitter taste in my mouth.
While walking our way to our class, countless eyes had already targeted me alongside Lars and Erik who are completely innocent. I don't even know how they're able to get in the same class as I am. But, one thought came into my mind. Perhaps they're also manaless. I wonder how our class would transpire?