Exodus Magic Academy (Part 2)
[Students are called to gather at the main auditorium at the far-back of the school grounds before 9:00AM.]
[Students are called to gather at the main auditorium at the far-back of the school grounds before 9:00AM.]
[Time Check: 7:49AM]
I had to walk starting now if I want to get there a few minutes early. It's quite far after all.
[Students are called to gather at the main auditorium at the far-back of the school grounds before 9:00AM.]
"Ugh! So noisy…" That announcement had overtaken any other information that springs unto my head.
The school, with its majestic funds and connections to high-ranking mages, had used an artifact to directly send messages to the brain core.
Although not harmful, it was extremely distracting for people like me.
"Ah. You're Lady Tabitha, right?" After locking my door, I turn to the owner of the familiar voice.
A familiar lilac yet almost grey-colored hair stood out and the thick eyelashes that smiled at me were especially long as well.
F'yoras. One of the few households blessed with an actual bloodline magic as a price to not being able to use other elemental or fusion ones.
This girl in particularly was someone I have met before.
"Lady Clerifa. Good morning." I greeted.
The F'yoras family's distinct thick and luster hair had doubled her beauty, and her soft icy cyan eyes made her look like a winter goddess.
"Good morning. Let's walk together." We started walking outside and into the gym on our own pace.
According to Rakhiel, who had given me a brief introduction of the families that joined me in the banquet, their family's bloodline magic was related to hardening their hair.
They were capable of lengthening it, using it to bind and to harden which could later be cut again and used as many times as their magic circle could handle.
Now that I think of it, Lady Clerifa F'yoras was the heiress of their household but…
"Excuse me for asking bluntly but why were you in the Regulars dormitory?"
She looked embarrassed for a moment. Shy, could also be the term used.
Wow. Lady Clerifa looks like a real softie.
"Well, a-actually I enrolled here because… it feels like this was where I belong…? Ahehehe." She made a soft chuckling noise, shame was evident in her tone. "What about you, Lady Tabitha?"
"Well, I don't think I'll fit in with the nobles. Plus I also heard that the Regulars class have a wider variety of magic to study."
"Yes, I guess so. The Honors class are students from high-ranking families after all, which means that they're already trained with the basics and only focusing on certain types of magic."
She seems much comfortable talking about magic rather than herself, to that I gave her a friendly smile.
Lady Clerifa blushed slightly. 'How cute'.
"You're really approachable, Lady Tabitha."
"Hmmm, really?"
She nodded her head and beamed, "Yes. I don't usually get along well with people from the start but it didn't feel awkward or bad to continuously engage in a conversation with you."
If you look at it that way, it does make me approachable in this world but… I was only talking about magic because I was curious.
I wasn't even trying to befriend others.
"I feel the same way, Lady Clerifa. Talking with you is comfortable for me as well." I replied honestly.
We engrossed ourselves with various topics, shifting from ourselves to magic.
It seems that we are in the same department and year.
I didn't know since we still haven't gotten our uniforms yet. Apparently, every uniform will be delivered during the assembly.
Just as we reached the main auditorium, the final announcement resounded in our heads.
[Students are called to gather at the main auditorium at the far-back of the school grounds before 9:00AM.]
[Time Check: 8:52AM]
An hour walk, huh?
As I gave a side glance to Lady Clerifa who was scanning the place, I could conclude that she really seemed to be trained too.
Of course as a member of a noble house, they were trained when they were young but knowing that this girl was timid… She surely didn't act so.
I don't think she ever showcased any possibilities of getting tired.
Obviously walks are fairly normal.
But even I don't think we were walking at a slow pace at all. It was fast and this area was pretty far especially from our dorms.
"You don't look tired at all, Lady Clerifa." I chuckled at her.
"Ah yes. My cousin, Vyurian, makes me go with her during her morning and evening jogs… so I guess this much was normal. Are you… tired?"
There was a gnawing feeling to act differently than normal. She was naturally curious about someone who suddenly popped out.
"A bit, yeah Hahahaha."
"You don't seem that much tired, to me…" She titled her head. My advanced [Eyes] saw the glint in her icy cyan irises. Was she appraising me?
'I really should stop doubting almost everyone I encounter'.
My hand moved to my cheek and scratched it unconsciously. "Well if I was already tired with this then my cousin would double the efforts of making me go out of the house." I chuckled, embarrassed.
At that moment, I received a message from my rarely used MCD.
[New message: Master]
[Tabitha. I will approach you in 10 seconds after you read this. Call me Era.]
As soon as the message flashed, I mentally counted down.
A blonde beauty was walking towards us and smiling softly at me. There was no semblance of her natural look to this disguise.
Long luster, heavily parted to the right side, blonde hair that flowed down behind her. She was wearing a flowing shirt and inserted to a cute skirt.
The heavy makeup which was always her signature cosmetics were not there, and instead, a teen-like one was put over.
Her seafoam eyes were gently washing over the sceneries around her.
"Tabitha!" A semi-cheerful voice rang out, not too loud nor too quiet.
In all honesty, she just looks like a smiling version of Master but not entirely different.
She still has a blank look on her eyes that acting couldn't get rid of. I sighed quietly.
"Do you perhaps know her?" Lady Clerifa asked from beside me.
"Yes. It's my friend Era."
When Master reached us, she bowed her head to Lady Clerifa. "Nice to meet you, I am Tabitha's childhood friend. My name is Erazubeth Kalil."
What the…?
[Mission Partly Completed]
['Befriending Erazubeth Kalil']
My mind was in total chaos while they exchanged pleasantries.
"We're actually from the free city on the south, Cilayva. Actually, I didn't think that the Obiel would sponsor me to study and live here but looking at my friend now, he does look like an actual member."
"What's the south like?"
"The south is mostly barren lands and we live in an underground city unlike other regions."
It was my first time hearing it. The south had underground cities? Does my uncle know this too?
This timeline truly widens the gap in advancement. I could never fathom what it would be like to live underground.
"Era…" I called out the foreign name.
It was bothering me already how one of my missions was to be acquainted with my master's disguised persona.
How much more could I handle faking my origins?
I don't have a single knowledge about what she's talking about. It would have been fine if I was in a normal condition but the shock that one of my missions were much closer than I thought had still shock me to the core.
"Yes, Tabitha?"
Her formal way of talking comforted me. She's really master.
"No. Nevermind..." When I replied like that, Lady Clerifa and Master exchanged glances. "I was just thinking when the assembly would start."
"Well, I think it's starting now."
The lights in the auditorium dimmed and the stage was brighter than before. A man stood tall on the podium, giving strict glances at the students, one by one, as if appraising all of us.
I stared back at him when it was my turn. An animal-like black slit of a pupil in those yellow irises, narrowed at me. His pointy ears twitched slightly.
He lingered for a bit but swiftly turned his attention to the others.
I sighed a breath of relief.
The guy, who looked much like a strict 40-something year old man was taller than normal. He stood there with his clean face held high. The long maroon hair of his was tied neatly swaying on the back when he moves his head.
It didn't take me long to examine his entirety. He was a handsome lad, that's for sure.
There was not a single wrinkle nor flaw on his face and sturdy body.
What stood out was his fairly pointy long ears, strong jaw and nose, and those eyes that stared as a predator in front of food.
He opened his mouth and a magic circle hovered in front of him, barely visible. "I am Constance Dhuvel Eiz Dragon. The Grand Headmaster."
What a long name.
Dragon, huh? Is he...?
At that moment, three more people walked up to the stage. Two men and a female, all looking to be of the same age as the Grand Headmaster.
The first man was wearing a green robe. He looked friendly with his short green hair curled and his glasses made him look roundish.
The second man was wearing a blue robe and looked as strict as the Grand Headmaster. He was holding to a portfolio on stage and looked mildly uncomfortable as he keep piling his messy black hair to his ears.
The third person, the only woman of the bunch, wore a red robe which was opened to the side. Two swords were hanging down her waist and a bunch of tools were sticking out from her pants' pockets. I think she looks a bit younger than the others.
As I dissected the finest details about them, I noticed that they had similar eyes. Of course, they had different irises but the pupils were all cat-like and sharp.
They were definitely not human. Not with those fae-looking appearances, they had noble air about them that I couldn't pinpoint.
Although if I had to name someone who had the same aura like them then that person would definitely be the mysterious Khalique.
But he didn't have the same eyes. He was still clearly human… maybe half?
And…is it just me or the four of them were blatantly staring at me?
The students beside me whispered among themselves. Ah, it seems I wasn't mistaken. Even Lady Clerifa and Master were being cautious of them.
It didn't last long however, as the only lady smiled confidently at me, short bob golden copper hair moving about, and strolled next to the Grand Headmaster.
If I wasn't paying attention harder than I usually would, then I wouldn't notice him rolling his eyes next to her, before moving towards the very back and summoning a chair to sit down on.
'What was up with that?'
A small magic circle hovered in front of her too. "I'm Angelyka Sun. The headmaster of the Magic-Technology Department." She introduced herself.
"First of all, I would like to remind the students of my department to buy at least one dagger and a sword. My curriculum is…" and she went on with her explanations.
The next person was the green-robed male with a similar hair color and walked right up with a bright smile, looking a thousand years younger than when he was expressionless.
He fixed his glasses first before coughing then speaking, "Hello everyone! Welcome to the Exodus Magic Academy, I am the headmaster for the Magic Department. What we need for the classes are only pen and lots of lots of lots of papers as well as empty scrolls and books. Bring as many as you think you can."
I could already feel the nervousness of the Magic Dep. Students all around me as they noted the requirements from their cheerful headmaster.
And lastly was our department head's turn.
The man sighed and walked over the front of the stage, his blue robe fluttering on the sides and revealing his aristocratic way of clothing inside.
He was wearing a necklace with a magic stone bead inside of the forest-like design clutching to it.
"I am the Headmaster for the Technology Department, Weiss Frauleen System. Call me Headmaster Weiss, being called System seems ridiculous." It didn't bother me as he glared at the students and continued on.
"The requirements for the Technology Department are the following, take note of it on your systems. Three blank books, to be filled with at least one experimentation each for the whole year. Pens will be based off on your choice. Lastly one empty scroll, where you'll design your personalized magic circle. Portable Mana Screens will be designated on the first day of classes by your advisers."
[Note saved]. It took me a while before I got the hang of using my brain like a system. It was fascinating and unused at first, but now I can see what purposes it served.
"Have you finished taking note of it? Let's continue." His wavy black hair moved as he talked.
"The Regulars have two classes per year level of four in the seniors, and one in the juniors. The Honors have one classes per year level of four in both seniors and juniors. Advisory classes will be announced after the orientation. That is all."
Headmaster Weiss took a step back and the Grand Headmaster took the front stage again.
"This assembly will finish before lunch for sure, lend me your ears for now. No talking amongst yourselves." He coughed and blatantly narrowed his eyes on those who were chattering across the place.
"I shall start with the pressing concern of new students. Bullying is not allowed. This institution is a learning area to cultivate students no matter the hierarchy or race. It is also not a secret that some of you are not completely human. Look around and familiar yourselves with the people you'll see for years."
As he said that, my eyes scour the students beside me.
Everyone was in their human forms. Of course, besides us humans who were already one.
Some had patches of swampy skin and protruding teeth, signs of orc race. Others had longer tongues, or taller than others. Others had golden glows on them or were hairy.
It didn't matter to me, someone who loves the elements of our history.
After going around the Sacred Temple that one time, it had been normal in my eyes to see various people of different origins.
Even though it was normal for the other continents in my timeline to see mixed races, it was certainly rare for us from the Soledad Empire of 1173 to see it.
In all of them, one particular student stood out.
He was undoubtedly handsome. Platinum blond curly hair and red eyes frowned at the people unwelcomingly staring at him.
Although I was one of them, I kept my cool.
"Cromwell…" I flinched at Master's cold voice next to me. It seems Clerifa was also examining her surroundings, a few feet away from us.
"Do you think he's a Cromwell, Master?" I whispered to her, faintly turning my attention against the guy.
"He is."
"Are cursed bloodlines free to join the academy?"
With that question Master sighed, "Yes. They're free to learn magic. It's not like they could do much in society even if they did."
"Do you… hate them?" A question I had been wanting to ask for a long time popped out.
It took her a while to answer. She was staring at the Grand Headmaster who continued his orientation about the school.
"No. It's not like that." She finally answered.
Beep.
[New message: Master]
[Stop talking and staring at me. Listen back to the headmaster. Cromwell is looking at us.]
When the message appeared, my attention moved back to the Grand Headmaster naturally.
"Every department has their own student council office under their respective department headmasters. And then a Supreme Student Council under me, the Grand Headmaster."
After that brief explanation we were divided to our appropriate departments where we were greeted by the student council staff of the Technology Division.
"My name is Venetian Rosario, the president of the Technology Department Student Council." Neatly tied on top of her head was blood red locks.
Alluring blood red hair and the sweet smell of roses filled the space. She was a little bit taller than me, wearing a blue robe and the Technology dept. uniform.
'She's beautiful'.
"Hey" Lady Lilith – now temporarily Erazubeth Kalil nudged me back to reality, she smirked "Looks like someone's got a crush."
I ignored that. I'm straight… I think.
Whatever. Let's ignore everything about myself, I haven't checked nor explored within myself yet. God. I want to smack myself sometimes.
Lady Venetian Rosario began her own explanation from the dormitories to school rules. It was a general policy settlement.
"Do you understand everything? Moving on… We'll be recruiting members in the first years whether it's from the Regulars or Honors."
Her playful pink eyes scanned the area and our eyes met. My body flinched without much thought, and she smiled as if realizing that.
"As an example, it would be a pleasure to recruit Lady Tabitha" She knows me. I became flustered at the sudden attention focusing on me.
"Of course, it's a hint on what you'll expect in the first day of classes, please refrain from answering that for now." She beamed and I smiled back, dazed.
I could hear Era snickering next to me.
The orientation didn't take long after that and the uniforms were distributed as well as a badge and nameplate in honor for being students of Exodus Magic Academy.
It was time to prepare for classes.