I had felt something off about the atmosphere that surrounded Jasmine. The only issue I had was that I couldn't exactly place what it was that felt off.
Was it the offensive smell?
I would not be surprised if she smelled bad. After all, she had just stepped out of the restroom.
She was bound to have some marker on her in the form of a foul smell, however subtle it may be.
Was it the sudden change in countenance?
Maybe that was it but I wasn't exactly sure.
I say that because it was not something I could beat my chest confidently and say it could be the source of the problem.
I wonder what it was.
Jasmine did not seem like anything was wrong with her physically.
Her problem, I believe, was more mental than it was physical.
But that aside, I still needed to complete today's quest before the end of the day even though I had no idea how I would do that just yet.
Just a simple 'How are you?' that I asked was replied with a snub and the hellish stare of a devil.
I wonder what will happen when I go on to ask how she was faring.
Tch! Even thinking about it is just...
Perhaps that's how they worked... women, that is.
I don't really know. I never really understood them.
That's one of the reasons that pushed me to create the pimp system.
The female gender intrigued me.
They were difficult to figure out. Even they did not understand each other.
That was something that interested me.
How would a person say a thing and mean another?
I knew nearly everything in existence. Perhaps, I could reckon myself to be nigh omniscient to a large extent.
But among the things that I didn't quite understand was the female gender.
I heaved a long sigh and turned away from her minding my own business.
...
...
...
Just as I faced the front, Miss Double D walked in through the door.
Seems like their little meeting was over.
I wonder what they were talking about.
Must be heavily connected with the fact that I was an arcane magic user. I'm sure it had something to do with that fact.
I hope such a rarity comes with special privileges though.
I didn't think that the power which I bestowed on myself just so I would seem a tad bit more human was going to be something rare.
I didn't expect that this power that I display, something I reckon to be a not so wonderful thing was something so great in this world of magic.
Unfortunately for them, I will have to stick to this ability for a while, maybe a long while depending on how it goes.
A black lightning bolt mark.
That was the mark that appeared on my paper during the magic paper test.
Unlike other marks that the rest had, my mind was half straightforward and half an enigma.
It was not just a lightning bolt. It was a black lightning bolt mark.
Only those that may have seen something similar or are well read enough to have an idea of such things would recognise it.
It was the power of darkness and lightning merged into one entity. That was the magic I decided to display.
And it was the darkness component that made it arcane magic.
You see that's where I and my friend, Bolzen were different.
Bolzen had a normal lightning bolt appear on his magic paper whereas mine was black.
His magic could be tagged normal — regardless of how incredible it was — and mine, arcane because of that singular factor.
But I didn't care much really. It wasn't something that bothered me.
I just didn't realise that it was such a big deal in this world.
But I must admit, it does feel good to be thought special.
...
...
...
Class for the day was dismissed and though we finished quite late today, we didn't complain about it.
The magic paper test was fun to watch and be involved in. Even though it took so much time, we didn't mind.
Miss Dorian had discharged us with a piece of advice, telling us to practice whatever we learned because so much could be taught in class but the real learning comes from the ones we practiced by ourselves.
Wise words indeed.
I returned to my dorm, flipped my light switch on and shut myself in. Falling freely onto my bed, I heaved a sigh, muffled by my pillow.
If my stomach hadn't been terribly grumbling from hunger then I may have dozed off right there.
"I really need to eat something," I said, clutching my belly and looking at the two packs of noodles on my table.
Within the next thirty to forty-five minutes, I was done cooking and eating the noodles.
Of course, it was nice to my buds. After all, I made it myself.
"Ah."
I felt better and less grumpy now that I had filled my stomach but I could no longer sleep.
I needed to do something other than stare at my ceiling and so, I turned to one of the magic books we were given in the academy.
"The Basics of Understanding Mana by Sol Malfaeis."
That was the name of the book and it's great I must say. It touches the basics of sorcery quite well.
As I dabbled into the world that Sol Malfaeis crafted with paper and ink, a lingering thought played its part in trying to make me lose concentration.
My attention was divided between this thought and the magic book that I was reading.
No matter how much I tried, I could not seem to shake this thought off.
It was about Jasmine Barley.
She had been acting odd since the magic paper test ended and for some reason, I felt the need to find out why.
Don't ask me why. Even I do not know the reason I felt that way.
And that scent. The foul scent that oozed from her body breezed past my nostrils.
I could smell it even in my room.
Was it because I started thinking about her?
I can't say but I have to find out.
I closed the book and left it on my bed as I rose and headed straight to the wardrobe for a change of cloth.
After a few minutes, the door to my room closed right behind me as I left for my personal mission.
To find Jasmine.