Looking at the screen in a daze, he looked at his chest as he thought. 'It's not reacting now?' A doubt rose in his heart as he remembered today's morning. 'Did the reaction, pain and that voice resounded because I saw that girl or... Due to some other, unknown factor.'
Sighing slightly, he clicked 'Read more'.
– Kiana, last name unknown. Currently a student of Cvoilics Royal Magic Academy.
– Her suspected father, suspected to be a 6-7th Circle Seeker, and an influential figure during the Last Embers and Bitter Cold War has currently gone missing.
– Blessings; Frostbite: Can freeze anything within 3-metres of distance.
– Essential Heart: Essential Frozen Hell Heart.
Belite raised an eyebrow. 'Essential Frozen Hell Heart? The feeling I got at the auditorium... Maybe it was due to an unknown occurrence then, as it was related to "stars" which is totally unrelated to her.' He closed his eyes as he exhaled. 'What do you think?'
Silence.
After perusing the rest of the list and memorising their faces, Belite placed his mobile phone carefully in his bag with magical equipment and hung the bag on his shoulder as he left his room, heading towards the classroom after checking that it was the appropriate time.
It was a short walk which took less than two minutes to arrive at the classroom from the dormitory.
Standing before the classroom, he opened the door as he casually walked in, his eyes instantly scanning for familiar figures.
The classroom was a bit bigger than he had imagined with dozens of chairs placed inside and a teacher's desk and chair near the white board which reminded him of the pre-Last Embers or Imperial Era classrooms which he had only heard and seen in history books that he had found with effort during his days in the slums.
'Those days in the slums...'
The chairs however, were mostly vacant with only a few spots filled as many students that had arrived early at the classroom were either getting acquainted with each other or choosing the most favourable seats according to them.
'There...' His gaze which had been wandering, landed on the light-blue haired girl from the auditorium at the entrance ceremony as his heartbeat quickened noticeably, as a searing bout of pain erupted across his heart.
'Damn... It's much worse than before, probably because the distance is shorter?'
Seemingly sensing his gaze, she turned over and returned his stare with furrowed brows. Her lips parted slightly as if to ask 'What?'
Belite was slightly startled. 'She isn't affected at all?'
Belite shook his head and inhaled slowly as he chose the furthest seat from her and sat down to calm his rapidly beating heart.
'Afraid you can't control yourself, Belite?'
'Isn't heart a part of my body too? What happened to "I, and my body and mind only do what I will." Huh?'
A light crease appeared in the middle of his brows as he slowly exhaled, waiting for the arrival of the teacher.
"Hey, Levester!" But a kind and cheerful voice rang behind him as Belite, broken out of his reverie, turned his head around and looked at the expected Eric Kofter who had been idling around. "Why have you chosen the seat in the first row's corner? It's next to the door too."
'Small talk is what they call it, right?' He thought as he waved at the boy, who turned the chair next to him and sat down with his front facing the backrest as his hands lay limp on the sides.
"Better viewpoint." Belite answered plainly.
"Huh? Then shouldn't you sit in the middle of the first row where the visibility will be the best as it's directly facing the white board and the teacher?" Eric questioned, finding the excuse of Belite's a bit ridiculous.
"True, but I will have all the attention of the instructor, teacher or whatever on me." Belite said expressionlessly as Eric chuckled with an amused expression on his face.
"True," Eric agreed with a nod, then as if he had come upon a decision, he exhaled lightly as he asked "Um... I don't know if it makes you uncomfortable or I'm being too presumptuous and close but I can't help but notice..." He hesitated as he glanced at his back then at Levester. "Are you familiar with that light-blue haired classmate of ours?"
"Not at all," Belite had already prepared an excuse beforehand for his abnormal behaviour as he nonchalantly probed. "Why?"
'These nobles... Always so observant.' Belite lightly added in his heart.
Eric hesitated once more as he answered in a low voice while looking around his surroundings. "Well, while I was looking for you to exchange contact information in the auditorium during our entrance ceremony, I accidentally noticed that you were staring at that classmate of ours, and even when you entered the classroom..."
'Isn't he a bit too direct? Your father is a nobleman, a famous one at that,' Belite thought, his lips curling up. 'But... I don't have any family, or any sort of noble status that I have to care about.'
His lips curled up slightly as he asked in a sly tone."Guess."
"...What?" Eric asked, slightly dumbfounded and astonished as his gaze flickered.
"I mean, guess. Guess why I did so." Belite said with a sly smile plastered across his face as he awaited Eric's response, whose face was almost frozen at this instance.
A few seconds passed as Eric had an expression of 'deep contemplation' while his eyes wandered in a daze, landing on the floor tiles of the Academy, which were of high quality.
Thud!
But before he could answer, the door to the classroom opened as a tall, bespectacled figure revealed herself.
Without saying a single word, the tall and bespectacled figure walked over to the teacher's desk and directed her stern and solemn gaze towards the students.
"Settle down, all of you." She said, her voice not allowing even a bit of lenience as her gaze landed on each and every one of them. "I'm Miss Mumbe Berknalz and I will be taking the first cycle of the day for the rest of the year and years." She then pushed her spectacles back with the edge of her index finger as she cast her gaze over to the attention-drawing Eric.
"Mister Kofter, Where are your manners?"
Eric's expression froze as he flashed an apologetic smile at both Belite and Mumbe as he quickly straightened the chair next to Belite and returned to his favourable seat.
Mumbe then nodded as she cast her gaze at the rest of the class and a few vacant seats, looking at her wrist-watch a few times.
'Isn't that an antique analog watch?' Belite couldn't help but exclaim. 'It's vintage stuff which can be sold for high prices!'
Tap, tap.
"Looks like a few students will be absent for the first day," Mumbe spoke as she tapped her feet on the ground. "And since the set-time is already up, we won't wait for them."
She spoke as her stern gaze made many students shudder. "My belated welcome to all of you to Cvoilics' Royal Magic Academy. The Royal Academy situated in the Capital of Welleysworths Union, Cvoilics and also the Academy hailed as the best throughout the Continent."
"I presume that many of you already know about Seekers, Blessings, Circles of Fate, Heart Manifestation and it's three stages, how mana plays a part in Essential Heart, what's Path of Heart and others?" Her gaze reeked of unhidden laziness as she said the above sentences, then as if she had been forced, she said. "But since the protocols mention that they are mandatory, I'll explain them to you."
"First, what is Essential Heart Manifestation and it's three stages? —Essential Heart Manifestation is just like the name states, it's 'Essential'. Various scientists are still pondering and experimenting it's unknown origins."
"And the three stages of Essential Heart Manifestation; The lot of you are in the beginners stage, the beginner stage doesn't have a proper and certain name in the stages and isn't included or classified as one of the three stages of manifestation." She then said sternly. "But remember this, a Seeker goes through Three Stages of Manifestation on the 7th Circle, 5th Circle and 3rd Circle respectively. These three Circles are also known as a Seeker's most difficult hurdle and bottleneck."
Just as she was about to continue, a plump and fair skinned girl raised her hands.
"Yes?" Mumbe asked, her tone and gaze flickering with impatience.
But the plump girl calmly stood up from the chair as if she didn't sense nor face the impatient gaze of Mumbe as she slowly asked. "Do Essential Hearts include all types of names... And cover all the types?"
Belite, who already knew the answer and had quite a bit of knowledge on Seekers due to the information written in the Divine Vow, leaned back into his chair.
Unlike how everyone had expected for Mumbe to cut off the plump girl, Mumbe unexpectedly listened to her question patiently as she answered.
"Yes, there are countless names and countless types of Essential Hearts; It is said that only a percent of Essential Hearts are known to humanity but I'm unsure of its eligibility."
After seeing that no one was going to ask any questions, she continued.
"Second, what are Powers of Heart? It is simple. These so-called Powers of Heart are just Essential Hearts and mana. Due to a leak in the powers of Superhumans a few years ago due to a certain organisation, normal people know Essential Heart and mana as Powers of Heart which most of the people imagine awakens from courage, boldness, honesty, and faith in yourself as well as others and good deeds."
'So this can actually be used to scold the children's like: "If you don't remain truthful and do good deeds, you'll never become a Superhuman or,' Belite silently chuckled. 'They can be used in novels to extend the plot by using: "He was courageous, brave and bold. Even truthful, so he received Powers of Heart and became a Superhuman."'
At this time, another student with a thin and frail figure stood up with a raised hand as he asked. "Uh... It might be a bit out of topic but can we know the name of the organisation?"
Mumbe glanced at the boy and gestured him to sit down as she said. "It was called Cold Hostility of Dwar. It was mostly made up of normal people and contained very few Superhumans." She then added. "And if you're going to question me on whether or not it exists even now, then I don't know."
'Teenagers... Interested in things totally unrelated to themselves.' Belite quietly muttered to himself.
Oblivious to his thoughts, Mumbe continued. "Third, Blessings and Circles of Fate." She paused for a second as she said. "Many speculate that Circles of Fate, also known as Circles of Essential Heart and Imaginary Circles of Fate, circle around our Essential Heart like a ring, similar to how the various planets in the Void used to circle around the Sun before the Last Embers in the Imperial Era."
She then chuckled, her tone reeking of desolation and sorrow as she continued. "But it is just a mere speculation and rumour that has been around for many years among rookies and newbies."
"But in fact, there are no Circles of Fate or Circles of Essential Heart."