In the Courtyard
“We will allow as many magical duels as you want to have as long as you don’t spells that might make your opponent unrecoverable or severely injured.”
It was then that Arum understood why he wasn’t being punished even after destroying such a facility. It was because they had such a director governing them. He was a weird one indeed.
“But the loss or victory of such a match is your own responsibility of course. If you lose and fall unconscious at such a duel and because of that lose any of the lectures in the academy then you would have only yourself to blame. That is why you should never lose! Always reflect on why you had lost.”
“And lastly, welcome to the Beralt Academy. We sincerely welcome you and hope that you would cause our heads to continue rising hide in pride.”
No matter how abnormal the first half of the director’s speech was. At least the second half wasn’t as revolting. In fact, it was quite a passionate one from Arum’s perspective. But to the nobles who were used to such sweet coated tongues, it was just boring. Most of them wouldn’t remember a thing about the entrance ceremony after a day or two.
But Arum shriveled up every time he thought of the director. Even though he was walking the calm courtyard the thought never seemed to stop bothering him.
“It was so creepy… what will we learn from a hentai like him sitting at the topmost place of the academy?”
Arum sighed. For Arum, the person seemed more like a hentai than a director of such a prestigious academy. The thought that he was a great wizard never crossed Arum’s mind. And how could it? His actions were too perverted for a dignified wizard or a noble.
Every time Arum thought about it he felt a certain sense of weakness assaulting his body as he felt nauseatic.
It was then…
“Oh, I finally found you! Aren’t you Arum?”
A voice called out to him. After the duel, Arum had got more well known than he had expected in more than one way. Not to mention that even his reputation as a commoner was quite the eye-catcher in the circle of nobles. He was the odd one amongst them, a lowly commoner that couldn’t hope to befriend them.
“Hmm?” Arum turned around at the sudden voice.
It was a cheerful girl whose life had arched into a half-moon all the while showcasing her white teeth.
“…Who?”
Arum tilted his head at the unknown presence.
“Oww!”
But the girl frowned with a disheartened expression.
“You are so terrible. You don’t remember me, even though I supported you.”
The girl was amongst the rare few who were actually supporting Arum in the duel. Arum had even talked to her asking her to move away but he was too focused on Lux during the duel and also on a certain aspect of his master that he didn’t remember much about such an encounter with an unknown noble. That was why Arum was unable to recognize the girl at once.
Arum squinted his eyes.
“Support…?”
All Arum remembered was mockery from every direction that his eyes went. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for most at the least but Arum didn’t care. Let bygones be bygones.
But then a sudden realization dawned upon him.
“Wow looks like you don’t even remember.”
Arum shook his head as he realized how rude his responses might have been in case the girl was genuine with her claims. Arum didn’t remember much but that wasn’t the girl’s fault, was it?
Arum shook his head.
“… No, I remember… I think…”
But his honest and slightly arrogant self couldn’t lie so easily. Even though he tried.
The girl was quick to catch onto this as she made a slight unnoticeable pout.
“Then, what’s my name?”
“What’s your name…”
Arum pondered for a moment as he glanced into the distance looking for an answer but nothing substantial came to his mind. Arum was completely confused at his own lack of memory.
‘Was I consumed by anger to such a degree that I can’t remember a thing?’
If the girl had given her name, then it would indeed be very bad for a commoner like him to forget it. Not only was it socially dangerous for Arun if a word were to get out but also Arum felt a pang of guilt in his chest.
Arum was quick to formulate an apology but soon realized that he was deceived.
“Oh yeah, I didn’t tell you my name. Oops,” the girl said so without any fear.
Arum was stupified. He was getting worried for almost nothing.
“…”
“Pfft”
“Don’t worry. I just thought I would just tease you a little since you started thinking so seriously about it. You are an unexpectedly serious person for a commoner.”
“… Okay, you sure are among the bad guys. Left me worried for nothing.”
“ I’m sorry. It’s just that you have such a face that it makes me want to tease you.”
At that moment, Arum decided to look into the mirror later wondering what kind of face he actually had for people to want to tease him. Indeed, being a commoner things like mirrors were a luxury he could never have but the academy seemed to have many of them.
The woman continued not knowing that Arum had made a strange decision of assessing his face later on.
“Again, I’m Elmira Roadpis,” she claimed, “Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Arum from Carrera. Nice to meet you too.”
The girl nodded.
“Oh you are more polite than I had expected I’m also a noble like the others, but unlike Lux and your friend Misty who supported you during the duel, I’m a poor noble with no territory, so don’t be afraid of me okay?”
Arum’s brows twitched. Since when was he afraid of the nobles. He felt a bit repulsed at such a claim. He was not sure what sort of even gave the others an impression that he was ever afraid when he fought so gallantly against them for a great cause.
But Arum chose to dodge that topic. Their opinion was not something Arum could be bothered by for too long.
“How can you be a noble if you are poor?”
Arum had no clue. To him, nobles seemed to be the extravagant spoon-fed child who had no worries. Indeed, they might have a lot of things to worry about maybe, but money should definitely not be one of them or so was what Arum thought. He was suddenly exposed to a totally new aspect of the nobles. He who had lived his life in the countryside couldn’t help but be curious.
“There are many kinds…” the girl spoke softly, but she didn’t explain further.
Elmira looked far away into the distance at Arum’s pure-hearted question. Such a question seemed to have done some damage to her. Arum who was just a commoner could never understand her circumstances. But her melancholic expression was enough of a giveaway.
Arum nodded.
“Looks like nobles also have it hard.”
Elmira’s glance turned back to Arum.
“Aren’t you being a little too blunt?”
Arum pretended to be calm but he was a bit upset with that remark. What was wrong with being vocal about one’s beliefs and claims? One should always speak their hearts out with no fears troubling their minds. Arum wasn’t the type to cower in fear despite being a commoner.
‘Is she teasing me again?’
Arum sighed.
Arum learned it for the first time in his life of such a cruel reality about himself.
‘It seems like my face makes others want to make fun of me. I wish I could find out what she is even thinking.’
“Hey, then that. How did you do that?”
Arum raised his brows.
“What is this ‘that’?”
“It the spell that was the deciding factor in the duel. It’s the one you had used to defeat the thunder giant. Wasn’t that just so cool?”
Elmira peaked into Arum’s eyes with her pupils shaking in curiosity.
Arum felt complicated in his heart. Her eyes were bright, but it seemed like that behind those bright eyes there was something to sympathize with. But it was just a wild hunch.
“Oh… no, I’m not really doing that much in it, as it looks like.”
“That’s not true! Oh, I understand, you can’t tell others about it because it is your secret card?”
Arum shook his head in reluctance. What could he say? It was an easy magical theory that was only good in writing but had no practical implications.
“No, really it’s not a big deal. I have no trouble in revealing anything.”
In the Courtyard
“We will allow as many magical duels as you want to have as long as you don’t spells that might make your opponent unrecoverable or severely injured.”
It was then that Arum understood why he wasn’t being punished even after destroying such a facility. It was because they had such a director governing them. He was a weird one indeed.
“But the loss or victory of such a match is your own responsibility of course. If you lose and fall unconscious at such a duel and because of that lose any of the lectures in the academy then you would have only yourself to blame. That is why you should never lose! Always reflect on why you had lost.”
“And lastly, welcome to the Beralt Academy. We sincerely welcome you and hope that you would cause our heads to continue rising hide in pride.”
No matter how abnormal the first half of the director’s speech was. At least the second half wasn’t as revolting. In fact, it was quite a passionate one from Arum’s perspective. But to the nobles who were used to such sweet coated tongues, it was just boring. Most of them wouldn’t remember a thing about the entrance ceremony after a day or two.
But Arum shriveled up every time he thought of the director. Even though he was walking the calm courtyard the thought never seemed to stop bothering him.
“It was so creepy… what will we learn from a hentai like him sitting at the topmost place of the academy?”
Arum sighed. For Arum, the person seemed more like a hentai than a director of such a prestigious academy. The thought that he was a great wizard never crossed Arum’s mind. And how could it? His actions were too perverted for a dignified wizard or a noble.
Every time Arum thought about it he felt a certain sense of weakness assaulting his body as he felt nauseatic.
It was then…
“Oh, I finally found you! Aren’t you Arum?”
A voice called out to him. After the duel, Arum had got more well known than he had expected in more than one way. Not to mention that even his reputation as a commoner was quite the eye-catcher in the circle of nobles. He was the odd one amongst them, a lowly commoner that couldn’t hope to befriend them.
“Hmm?” Arum turned around at the sudden voice.
It was a cheerful girl whose life had arched into a half-moon all the while showcasing her white teeth.
“…Who?”
Arum tilted his head at the unknown presence.
“Oww!”
But the girl frowned with a disheartened expression.
“You are so terrible. You don’t remember me, even though I supported you.”
The girl was amongst the rare few who were actually supporting Arum in the duel. Arum had even talked to her asking her to move away but he was too focused on Lux during the duel and also on a certain aspect of his master that he didn’t remember much about such an encounter with an unknown noble. That was why Arum was unable to recognize the girl at once.
Arum squinted his eyes.
“Support…?”
All Arum remembered was mockery from every direction that his eyes went. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for most at the least but Arum didn’t care. Let bygones be bygones.
But then a sudden realization dawned upon him.
“Wow looks like you don’t even remember.”
Arum shook his head as he realized how rude his responses might have been in case the girl was genuine with her claims. Arum didn’t remember much but that wasn’t the girl’s fault, was it?
Arum shook his head.
“… No, I remember… I think…”
But his honest and slightly arrogant self couldn’t lie so easily. Even though he tried.
The girl was quick to catch onto this as she made a slight unnoticeable pout.
“Then, what’s my name?”
“What’s your name…”
Arum pondered for a moment as he glanced into the distance looking for an answer but nothing substantial came to his mind. Arum was completely confused at his own lack of memory.
‘Was I consumed by anger to such a degree that I can’t remember a thing?’
If the girl had given her name, then it would indeed be very bad for a commoner like him to forget it. Not only was it socially dangerous for Arun if a word were to get out but also Arum felt a pang of guilt in his chest.
Arum was quick to formulate an apology but soon realized that he was deceived.
“Oh yeah, I didn’t tell you my name. Oops,” the girl said so without any fear.
Arum was stupified. He was getting worried for almost nothing.
“…”
“Pfft”
“Don’t worry. I just thought I would just tease you a little since you started thinking so seriously about it. You are an unexpectedly serious person for a commoner.”
“… Okay, you sure are among the bad guys. Left me worried for nothing.”
“ I’m sorry. It’s just that you have such a face that it makes me want to tease you.”
At that moment, Arum decided to look into the mirror later wondering what kind of face he actually had for people to want to tease him. Indeed, being a commoner things like mirrors were a luxury he could never have but the academy seemed to have many of them.
The woman continued not knowing that Arum had made a strange decision of assessing his face later on.
“Again, I’m Elmira Roadpis,” she claimed, “Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Arum from Carrera. Nice to meet you too.”
The girl nodded.
“Oh you are more polite than I had expected I’m also a noble like the others, but unlike Lux and your friend Misty who supported you during the duel, I’m a poor noble with no territory, so don’t be afraid of me okay?”
Arum’s brows twitched. Since when was he afraid of the nobles. He felt a bit repulsed at such a claim. He was not sure what sort of even gave the others an impression that he was ever afraid when he fought so gallantly against them for a great cause.
But Arum chose to dodge that topic. Their opinion was not something Arum could be bothered by for too long.
“How can you be a noble if you are poor?”
Arum had no clue. To him, nobles seemed to be the extravagant spoon-fed child who had no worries. Indeed, they might have a lot of things to worry about maybe, but money should definitely not be one of them or so was what Arum thought. He was suddenly exposed to a totally new aspect of the nobles. He who had lived his life in the countryside couldn’t help but be curious.
“There are many kinds…” the girl spoke softly, but she didn’t explain further.
Elmira looked far away into the distance at Arum’s pure-hearted question. Such a question seemed to have done some damage to her. Arum who was just a commoner could never understand her circumstances. But her melancholic expression was enough of a giveaway.
Arum nodded.
“Looks like nobles also have it hard.”
Elmira’s glance turned back to Arum.
“Aren’t you being a little too blunt?”
Arum pretended to be calm but he was a bit upset with that remark. What was wrong with being vocal about one’s beliefs and claims? One should always speak their hearts out with no fears troubling their minds. Arum wasn’t the type to cower in fear despite being a commoner.
‘Is she teasing me again?’
Arum sighed.
Arum learned it for the first time in his life of such a cruel reality about himself.
‘It seems like my face makes others want to make fun of me. I wish I could find out what she is even thinking.’
“Hey, then that. How did you do that?”
Arum raised his brows.
“What is this ‘that’?”
“It the spell that was the deciding factor in the duel. It’s the one you had used to defeat the thunder giant. Wasn’t that just so cool?”
Elmira peaked into Arum’s eyes with her pupils shaking in curiosity.
Arum felt complicated in his heart. Her eyes were bright, but it seemed like that behind those bright eyes there was something to sympathize with. But it was just a wild hunch.
“Oh… no, I’m not really doing that much in it, as it looks like.”
“That’s not true! Oh, I understand, you can’t tell others about it because it is your secret card?”
Arum shook his head in reluctance. What could he say? It was an easy magical theory that was only good in writing but had no practical implications.
“No, really it’s not a big deal. I have no trouble in revealing anything.”
