As Perry was awakened by the alarm clock in the morning, he immediately snapped to full alertness and quickly climbed out of bed. Seeing it was already 11:30 a.m., he didn't have time for more rest, despite having only slept a few hours.
Hastily, he threw on his black mage robe and grabbed Henry's backpack. Pulling out the schedule notebook from his desk drawer, he gave it a quick glance, noting that his first class was in the academy's Third Teaching Building.
After reading it, he casually stuffed the book into his bag. Then, he took out his spellbook, muttered an incantation in his mind, and with a flash of white light, he was instantly teleported to the classroom door.
As soon as he entered, Perry breathed a sigh of relief——not late.
However, the classroom was already filling with students. Scanning the room, he had no clue where Henry's usual seat might be.
After a brief hesitation, Perry decided to take an empty seat and headed to the back row by the window, where he quietly settled down. No sooner had he sat than he noticed other students sneaking glances at him, some even whispering.
"Why would Henry sit there?" one student murmured, confusion evident in their tone.
"Is he trying to make a statement?" another student whispered in surprise.
The atmosphere around him grew increasingly tense. Perry glanced around and noticed the students seated nearby subtly shifting forward, as if to avoid some impending disaster, leaving him isolated in the back row. Feeling uneasy, he quietly communicated with the system, "What's going on here? Should I move?"
Before he could get up, an angry shout echoed across the room: "Damn it, Henry! How dare you sit in Young Master Lionel's seat!" A bespectacled young man in a green robe strode over, glaring at Perry with disdain and fury. "Get up now!"
Perry paused, becoming more cautious. The man in front of him seemed visibly hostile, approaching him with clear animosity. Just as the man reached out to grab Perry's shoulder, he noticed a faint, glowing level marker on Perry's shoulder and froze in shock.
"When did you level up? You used to be weaker than Young Master Lionel. How did this happen…?" The man's eyes widened in disbelief, his voice tinged with suspicion and frustration. "How did you manage it?"
Before Perry could respond, a low, pleasant male voice called from nearby: "That's enough, Omar. Don't be so rude."
With that, a ripple of excitement ran through the classroom. A few girls eagerly whispered, "It's Joyce!" "Haven't seen Joyce in ages!" while some boys sighed in resignation. "It's only been a week."
Looking up, Perry saw a young man in the academy's standard black robe approaching. His short, dark hair was neatly trimmed, and his blue eyes were as brilliant as sapphires. With strikingly handsome features and a gentle smile, he exuded an effortless elegance.
Joyce smiled at Omar and said calmly, "Omar, there aren't any assigned seats here; anyone can sit wherever they like, right?"
Omar's face flushed with anger, clearly displeased by Joyce's words. "What did you say?!" His face darkened, fists clenched, visibly frustrated.
Seeing the tension rising, Perry quickly stood up to break the deadlock, saying, "My mistake for not realizing this is usually Lionel's seat. I'll find another spot."
With Perry's voluntary move, Omar begrudgingly backed off, giving a cold snort as he walked away.He cast a cleaning spell on that seat and seemed to dislike Perry very much.
Perry moved to an empty seat in the front row, glancing back to see Joyce smiling subtly at him, a calm yet attentive gaze meeting his. Perry felt a pang of unease——judging by Joyce's look, it seemed Henry might have been close to him. Perry grew a little anxious, pondering over the possible relationship between Henry and Joyce.
Joyce sat down, looking like he wanted to say something to Perry, but a gentle "tap" sound from the podium drew everyone's attention. Standing there was an elderly professor with a kind smile and a dignified gaze, who nodded slightly at the room. "Good afternoon, students. I am Mrs Jasmine. Professor Edward had other matters to attend to, so I'll be substituting for him today. Let's begin class."
Slightly disappointed by missing a chance to meet Professor Edward and potentially unlock fragments of Henry's memory, Perry refocused as the class quieted down and everyone settled in attentively. Perry took a deep breath, feeling a bit more at ease. He tried to listen closely to the lecture while occasionally glancing over at Joyce, who appeared deeply absorbed in the discussion.
Despite the whispers and occasional glances from others, he seemed utterly focused, as if lost in the sea of knowledge.
Feeling slightly relaxed, Perry couldn't help but wonder: Just what kind of relationship did Henry have with Joyce?
As Perry was quietly observing Joyce, the system's familiar blue orb suddenly appeared by his ear. [I can help you analyze him,] it offered.
Perry blinked, then subtly nodded, allowing the system to begin its analysis. The blue orb discreetly floated over to Joyce, scanning and gathering data. Moments later, a profile window appeared before Perry, displaying the information:
[Name: Lionel Osborn
Age: 16
Race:Human
Gender:Male
Level:30
Specialty:Water Magic
Skills:
Water Control LV4
Water Shield LV3
Water Blade LV2
Water Boom LV2
FreezeLV2
Stats:
Stamina: B
Magic: A
Speed: B
Intelligence:A
Spirit: B
Luck: A
Other
Money:23010 ]
Perry glanced over the information and felt a jolt of surprise. Judging by the data alone, Lionel's strength was formidable, especially in magic and intelligence, both at an A-level.
Coupled with a hefty financial reserve, he was likely of noble lineage. Realizing this, Perry became even more cautious, sensing that this person might not be easy to deal with.
Just then, a light sound came from the doorway. A guy with a relaxed, almost rebellious demeanor strolled in. He had dark purple hair, a cold expression, and dressed in a style that gave him a rogue-like air, ignoring the stares of everyone in the room as he headed straight to the back row and took a seat.
As soon as Omar saw this person, his expression changed immediately, his previously sharp attitude vanishing in favor of a flattering tone. "Young Master, you're here."
It seems that he is Lionel.
He couldn't help but steal a glance at Lionel, while Joyce merely cast Lionel a calm, indifferent look, his expression unchanged.
Lionel gave Omar a disdainful nod, lazily sitting down without lifting his gaze from his own fingertips, completely ignoring everyone else. Once he was settled, a peculiar silence filled the classroom. Even the substitute professor at the podium seemed hesitant to start, as if waiting for Lionel to take his seat. Only after Lionel gave a casual nod toward the podium did the teacher begin the lesson.
Seeing this, Perry grew alert. He whispered to his system, "This Lionel sure seems like a troublesome character. Not only are the students afraid of him, but even the teacher seems wary of him. Any advice?"
The system's blue orb replied softly in his ear, [Lionel's personality and background aren't fully analyzed yet. For now, keep a low profile and avoid direct conflict as much as possible.]
Perry nodded slightly, deciding to follow the system's advice and keep his distance from Lionel for the time being. He looked down, pretending not to notice the stares from the surrounding students and focused on the lesson. Still, Lionel's presence cast an unspoken pressure that made Perry uneasy.
As he concentrated on taking notes, he occasionally glanced at Joyce beside him, noting how focused Joyce seemed, with a calm, composed expression that suggested he might hold a certain status within the academy.
Meanwhile, the other students would sneak glances at Lionel from time to time, their faces showing varying degrees of tension or apprehension, while Lionel remained indifferent, occasionally glancing around with an air of cold superiority.
The class passed quietly for two hours, and as the bell rang, Perry finally breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly packed up his books, ready to leave the classroom. But as soon as he stood up, Lionel's cold gaze swept over him, seemingly intentional, carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Without flinching, Perry averted his gaze, reminding himself to be extra cautious.
Deciding to take advantage of the break, Perry planned to hand in his application form from the previous day. Just as he was about to step out of the classroom, two voices called out to him simultaneously from behind.
"Henry!" Joyce and Lionel spoke at almost the same moment, and Perry paused, a bit startled. Turning around, he saw the two of them exchange a glance, both seeming surprised that the other had spoken. Their gazes, tinged with a hint of curiosity, shifted back to Perry, who stood rooted in place, feeling a bit anxious, unsure of their intentions.
At that moment, Omar interjected with a spiteful tone, "Just now, Henry actually sat in Young Master Lionel's seat!" His words brought the already hushed whispers in the classroom to a dead silence.
Lionel's brows knit slightly as his sharp gaze fixed on Perry, carrying an icy edge. Feeling the intensity of Lionel's stare, Perry inwardly groaned, wishing Omar would just stop talking.
Breaking the tense silence, Joyce chuckled softly and spoke, "Henry, where have you been this past week? How did you level up so suddenly?"
Perry felt a bit troubled, unsure of how to explain. After thinking for a moment, he decided to keep it simple and stick to the truth. "I… attended a live cooking duel and I was chosen as a tasting guest. Eating the dishes gave me a bit of a boost."
"A cooking duel?" Lionel raised an eyebrow, seeming a little intrigued by the explanation, with a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Which chef is it?"
"It was… Hinnal," Perry replied, feeling a bit nervous as he stole a glance at Lionel.
"Hinnal?" Joyce looked surprised at the mention of the name, as though he knew the chef. "Him?"
Seeing Joyce's expression, Perry guessed he might have some connection to Hinnal, but he didn't say anything further. Lionel remained silent for a moment, seemingly not entirely convinced by Perry's explanation, though he didn't press the matter further. His gaze still held a trace of scrutiny.
Joyce smiled faintly, looking at Perry. "Henry, I didn't realize you had such luck. Hinnal's cooking isn't something just anyone gets to taste." He gave a small nod, seemingly accepting Perry's explanation, and the atmosphere eased a little.
Lionel, however, merely gave a cold smile and said, "Next time, pay more attention to the seating. Don't go taking someone else's place." His tone was still icy, but he seemed willing to let Perry off for now.
"Okey"Perry quickly agreed, he didn't want to anger the young master.
Lionel looked at Perry with a half-smile, while Joyce looked at Perry with a questioning look. At this moment, Perry knew that he had done something that Henry would not do.
"Oh,I have something urgent to deal with. Bye." Perry turned around and ran out of the classroom quickly.
He couldn't help but reflect on how complex the academy's social rules were——one wrong move and he could easily step on a landmine. Once outside the classroom, Perry finally had a moment to ease his nerves and prepared to submit his application form. He knew that from this day forward, he'd need to be even more careful, as everyone here had their own connections and influence.
Perry used teleportation magic to arrive in front of the cooking classroom door. He took a deep breath, just about to push the door open when a familiar voice sounded near his ear.
"What are you doing here? Trying to level up again?" The voice was clear, carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Perry jumped, startled, and spun around to find himself face-to-face with Joyce's sharp blue eyes. Joyce seemed full of suspicion about Perry's whereabouts, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at him in confusion.
"Joyce! What...what are you doing here?" Perry tried to keep calm, but he felt a bit uneasy, wondering how Joyce had suddenly followed him.
Noticing Perry's tension, Joyce's mouth curved slightly with a faintly amused smile as he studied him. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? Henry, what are you doing here?"
Perry's heart tightened as he tried to cover his nervousness, pretending to be casual. "Uh... I'm just here to submit an application form. I had an internship opportunity here before, so I thought I'd give it another shot."
Joyce didn't respond immediately. His gaze, like polished sapphire, continued to study Perry, as though assessing his words. After a moment, he spoke quietly, "Application form? Chef internship? Henry, you've really changed lately—your interests, even your hobbies."
Perry felt a wave of panic and let out a couple of forced laughs, quickly changing the subject. "Just thought I'd try something new. Learning more things will always be useful in the future."
Joyce raised an eyebrow slightly, watching Perry with a hint of a smile, as if trying to read his true intentions, but he didn't press further. Turning, he said indifferently, "Did Hinnal inspire your interest in cooking? Well, since Henry's gotten so diligent, it's not my place to meddle."
Did he follow me just to say this?
Watching Joyce's retreating back, Perry secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he'd dodged the situation for now, but he still felt uneasy about Joyce's reaction. Patting his chest to steady himself, Perry pushed open the door to the cooking classroom.