This is my very first day as the Dragon Sage of the Library, and I'm off to a bad start.
However, my spirits were lifted once again when I entered the auditorium lecture classroom for new Dragon Sages like me. There, in the very front seat near the entrance door, is a beautiful lady waving her hand at me. Her ruby eyes twinkled, and her white teeth shined when she smiled.
"Ulysses! Come here!" It was my Dragonoid Contractor Yehanna Lancelot. She pointed to the empty seat beside her.
I waved back, and then sat on that very seat. Nobody would say "No" to any beautiful and sexy girl calling out your name as if you are close friends. More so if she's my Dragonoid partner who let me pass the whole remedial exam.
"You're just in time!" Yehanna cheered.
"Oh yes. Handsome people like me are always on time." I brushed my hair upwards with a charming smile.
"Do me a favor and stop being so in love with yourself. Or else..." Yehanna maintained her smile, but I saw her irk based on the movement of her eyebrow.
I better shut my mouth.
I looked at the seats at the back and saw that there are already more than twenty people here in this auditorium-style classroom and grouped in pairs. I can tell apart Dragon Sages and Dragonoid Contractors since Dragon Sages have the same black uniform and hexagram badge, while Dragonoid Contractors have red eyes.
"Hey, Miss Yehanna," I muttered.
"Just call me Hanna," Yehanna answered. Then she adorably tilted her head. "What is it?"
"About that one secret condition for passing me during the Remedial Exams... What is it?"
"Hmmm..." Yehanna crossed her arms. Then she teased me with a smile again and waved her index finger in front of my face. "I'll tell you when you're ready."
"When is that?" I asked. "When will I know about it?"
"I told you before when the time is right. And I get to decide when that is~" She winked. She's testing my patience.
I do have some bad feelings about this secret 'favor' of hers. I hope I don't get into a rabbit hole.
Suddenly, a bald man with square-framed eyeglasses entered the classroom and took the professor's table. He opened a record book and started to talk.
"Good morning, Dragon Sages. I am the Librarian. Before we start, we should have the introductions between you fellow Dragon Sages first. We'll start with the front seat."
I was the first to be called, so I went in front. I flapped my coat and smelled my rose wand.
"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. I am Ulysses Corasell, the most handsome rookie Dragon Sage on the planet. Nice to meet you all!"
There was silence.
Awkward silence.
Nobody reacted, except for my own Dragonoid Contractor who is just giving her best to force a smile.
Being called "weirdo" or "gross" is better than having a silent treatment like this. These Dragon Sages are all looking so serious.
I left the front stage defeated.
Yehanna patted my back as she chuckled. "Now, now, don't feel so down. They will notice your narcissism- I mean, handsomeness next time!"
"I would even be happier if they threw a tomato and shouted 'Boo!' at me. That cold treatment is disheartening."
"Don't worry, I'll throw some eggs straight to your face next time you take the stage!" Yehanna said with a grin.
"Please don't."
The introductions continued with the old guy Librarian as the host. As I noticed earlier, nobody is paying attention in the class. They are either talking to their Dragonoid Contractors, reading a grimoire, or straight out playing with their phones.
The majority of my fellow Dragon Sages here are middle-aged men or women, which means that they have a different sense of humor and creativity. They are all grumpy, even when they are introducing themselves.
"I am Rays Knightguard. Don't touch me. Don't talk to me. Don't get close to me. I don't like anybody." A silver-haired aristocrat man said.
"My name is Gregory Lightborne. I don't know you all, and I don't wish to know you." The long brown-haired guy was introduced.
"Helvetica Match. President of Match Corporation and sole heir to the Match House. Remember that name, you stupid peasants. Hmph!" The slightly chubby aristocrat girl with blonde hair said.
"I am Duke Peterson, the governor of the fifth district. I passed the Magic Academy Licensure Exams as the topnotcher, earned five Magical Engineering Excellence awards from Her Majesty, trained my first son to be the valedictorian from first grade to eighth grade, and I own five supercars and three yachts."
The more I hear these introductions, the more I get amazed by my classmates. They are all amazing individuals. Among the elites and aristocrats, Dragon Sages are the best of the best. I feel like I have a lot of classiness by being in here.
Meanwhile, I saw Yehanna frowning in the corner. She's disinterested, resting her chin on her hand. When she noticed me looking at her, she justified herself.
"The more I hear their introductions, the more my ears hurt. Aristocrats are all boastful creatures with nothing but the air in their heads."
"R-Really?"
"Don't worry, Uly~" Yehanna smiled at me. "Unlike those arrogant aristocrats, you're not a show-off. You're just joking by telling everyone you're handsome even though you're not. "
"Shut up."
Introductions are finally over, so the Librarian caught our attention by speaking out loud.
"Now that you have introduced yourselves, we shall now move to the orientation. As you all know, being a Dragon Sage in the Library is both an education and a job. This is nothing like college or high school where a professor will teach you. As a doctorate-level education of the magical field, you will be on your own to teach yourselves. I believe that you all are professionals now who already have a vast amount of knowledge in terms of magic."
The Librarian tapped his stick on the board and then an infographic was presented.
"All of you Dragon Sages are required to submit a Dragon Sage Thesis at the end of the semester. This Dragon Sage Thesis must contain an original spell you created from your studies and experiences. Original Spells may be for any field, whether for warfare, medicine, or engineering. You will have access and clearance to all tomes and grimoires possessed by the Library to aid you with your thesis."
The Librarian tapped his stick again, and an image of twelve stars popped on the magical board.
"There are twelve classes of Dragon Sages, from One-Star Dragon Sage to Twelve-Star Dragon Sage. As new Dragon Sages, you are classified as One Star. To be promoted, you need to earn 100 Unit Credits for each star. A single Dragon Sage Thesis with the satisfactory result will immediately earn you 100 Unit Credits."
The Librarian switched to the next slide, which now revealed a Quest Board image.
"You can also earn these credits by completing assignments and achievement quests. Assignment quests are like old-school quests where you accept a client and do his or her bidding. Achievement quests are those awards issued to you by the Royal Family. These assignments and achievements only earn you one to five points, so the easiest way to climb up the ranks is to make the Dragon Sage Thesis."
The magical board shut down the moment the Librarian folded his teaching stick.
"Orientation is now over. Good luck, new Dragon Sages! May you contribute a lot to the industrialization of magic!"