When the break time arrived, all students used this time to chat with classmates and have lunch in the cafeteria or in the classroom if they brought their own meals.
Rozer, not showing much interest, remained silent in his seat. He wasn't too hungry and couldn't find a good topic to discuss. However, some people approached, interrogating Rozer.
"Why is your hair long? I thought you were a girl earlier," said a female student.
"Is it not allowed?" Rozer replied.
"Well, rarely do guys have long hair. Doesn't that differentiate between guys and girls?" commented another student.
"Mhm..." Rozer mumbled, thinking that what differentiated the genders at first glance was the skirts that women wear.
"Hey, Mrs. Edele said, you came from Boszeven, right? Have you ever seen demons?" asked a male student.
"I have seen demons several times," answered Rozer.
However, from a distance, Cyka, Poetica, Waify, were talking about Rozer, who suddenly became the center of the school's attention. And Waify's conjecture came true; Three upperclassmen from the wizard class vocational academy came over to Rozer.
The student in Rozer's class who was chatting with him, stepped aside after seeing an upperclassman come in front of Rozer who was propping his boat on the table.
Rozer thought that the people who had just arrived would ask some pointless questions like before.
"Rozer Striem," said the senior female student. "Can you come to the field yesterday after school?" she added.
"I don't mind," Rozer replied.
"We will wait for your arrival," said the senior female student as she and her two friends left the classroom.
As time passed, seniors from different vocational classes took turns meeting Rozer. Like the previous seniors, they expressed a desire to meet him after school, and Rozer agreed. Each department determined a different meeting place, including the knight training field, alchemical magic laboratory, library, blacksmith practice room, and the entrance to the underground labyrinth.
They came because of rumors that Rozer was the child of the kingdom's hero, and also because they witnessed Rozer's abilities during the entrance exam. Undoubtedly, they were targeting Rozer's promising potential, and within a day, Rozer became the talk of the entire academy.
Students from other classes without any interest could only peek at Rozer from outside the classroom doors and windows.
***
Deng... deng... deng!
Under the afternoon sky, the sound of the bell echoed throughout the academy, signaling the end of all formal learning activities.
Most students chose to leave the academy, while others stayed for extracurricular activities.
Rozer remained seated, waiting for all his classmates to leave. Some of them bid farewell to Rozer before leaving the class.
After the room became quiet, Poetica and Waify approached Rozer.
"Why haven't you left yet?" Poetica asked.
"What's it to you?" Rozer replied.
Poetica frowned, took a deep breath, and exclaimed, "Stupid!!"
Rozer stood up and asked, "What do you mean? I don't understand."
Waify tried to calm them, "It's okay, forgive Poetica, she's just worried about you," she said.
"Worried about me? Why?" Rozer asked, puzzled.
"Well..." said Waify, then grabbed a piece of paper from Poetica's hand. "Look! This is the proof," she added, handing the paper to Rozer.
"Oi!" Poetica shouted at Waify for taking the paper.
The paper read:
- Wizard training field
- Knight training field
- Alchemical magic laboratory
- Library
- Blacksmith practice room
- Entrance to the underground labyrinth
"Isn't this the places I'm supposed to visit now?" Rozer said.
"That's right, Poetica was just embarrassed to say it," Waify said, nudging Poetica's arm.
"Noisy!" Poetica said.
Rozer looked into Poetica's blue eyes.
"What? Don't like it?" Poetica said.
"Actually, you're a good person," Rozer said with a smile.
"I don't need your praise," Poetica commented, turning her face away.
"I'm not praising you; I see your soul," Rozer said.
"What do you mean?" Poetica asked. "More importantly, let's go! Seniors are waiting for you. You don't know the way, right? I'll accompany you," she added, dragging Rozer's right hand out of the class.
With a broad smile on her face, Waify followed them lightly from behind. They walked through bustling corridors with students busy with their activities. Classroom doors opened and closed as they passed through the buildings of the elementary and Intermediate academy, but Waify's focus remained on Rozer's steps.
Ahead of them, Poetica still held Rozer's hand tightly, not wanting to lose physical contact with her suddenly attention-grabbing friend. The joy and astonishment reflected on the faces of the students they passed; it seemed like they realized that something extraordinary was happening.
Arriving at the wizard training field, where various magical skills were honed, Rozer felt like the center of attention amid the gaze of all students and seniors who had been waiting in the middle of the field. Waify, Poetica, and Rozer stopped by the field, where the first senior female student who called Rozer was waiting with anticipation.
Low murmurs and whispers spread among the students gathered around them. Waify, with her mysterious smile, looked around, knowing that interesting moments were about to unfold.
"You really came!" said the senior female student.
"Emm..." Rozer mumbled.
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Espen Mooiesteen, just call me Espen. I'm from the wizardry vocational class," said the senior female student named Espen, a girl with long black hair cascading down her front and back, her eyes a bright shade of brown. wearing the academy uniform. Slightly taller than Rozer, she was the one who guided Rozer during the magic entrance exam with remedial students yesterday.
"Espen—" Rozer began, but Poetica nudged hard his stomach.
"Senior!" Poetica exclaimed.
"It's okay; just call me Espen without any honorifics. Besides, Rozer's level is higher than mine," Espen said humbly.
Poetica turned her face away feeling guilty.
"Espen, why did you call me here?" Rozer asked.
"Actually, there's something I want to ask."
"About what?"
"What happened yesterday? Why did everyone faint? I heard from the teacher that it was an unintentional magic explosion caused by you, but it didn't feel like that, more like it wasn't your magic that did it. I want to know."
"It's true, it wasn't my magic that made you all faint."
"I suspected as much."
"My father did it. Yesterday was quite chaotic, huh? I apologize."
"No, no, no need to apologize. Is your father the one in the dark green robe?"
"That's right."
Espen was surprised. "Is he Zerenia, the hero?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"I never believed the previous rumors, so you really are the child of the hero. Why did your father do it?"
"Well, maybe my father was worried if something bad happened."
"Indeed, yesterday many people screamed in fear when you activated the magic circle. I also confirmed that the symbol you created was just a ritual to summon khodam, right? It's very strange."
"When i was seven years old, I used to perform that ritual, but what came out was not a khodam but something else."
"Eh... But did you manage to summon khodam after that? Not another creature, right?"
"I successfully summoned khodam yesterday."
"Show it."
"Esh! Come here!"
Next to Rozer, within seconds, a thin mist gathered and transformed into the form of Esh, who was bowing with his right arm placed on his chest. "I'm always by your side, master," Esh said politely.
"Wow! Unexpected! Khodam can have a form!"
"Is it strange?"
"No, usually, they only appear as humanoid-shaped shadows, unless you ask them to mimic someone, then they can have a form. Look at mine, 'El! Come here."
Espen's khodam appeared and kneeled beside her with its head bowed, "I'm here, master." Said khodam who was like a humanoid-shaped shadows.
"I didn't know that."
"With your magic control, you should be able to enter the middle academy—no, the vocational academy. Why are you now in the elementary academy?"
"I don't know."
Poetica and Waify just quietly listened to their conversation in confusion because they couldn't see the khodam, nor did they understand what khodam was.
From the direction of the field, a female student from the wizardry vocational class approached them. "Espen!" she shouted, approaching.