Cafetaria
Misty and Elmira joined hands as they glanced at each other. Watching such a scene of intimacy Arum began to wonder if he truly understood what the meaning of “hate” was. Or was it possible that Misty had awakened to her own sense of masochism? Arum had no clue.
The curiosity riddling his heart made him ask further questions.
“You say that you hate rich kids but at the same time like Misty, so which one is it after all?”
Arum questioned Elmira’s hypocrisy hoping to quench his curiosity.
Elmira rolled her eyes.
“It’s both. I like my friend Misty while at the same time I don’t like the rick Misty Tran Caesius.”
Arum raised his brows.
“By the way, what about Lux?”
“Hmm… a bit better than dislike I guess?”
“Ah”
“What would you call it then…” Arum asked such a question.
But seeing the conflicted look on Lux’s face. Arum changed his mind. It would be rude towards Lux if Elmuira were to verbalize it. Elmira seemed to be stopping at nothing so it was better for Arum to stop instead.
But such a concern was meaningless as Lux already understood Elmira better than Arum did. Both of them being nobles sure helped them to understand each other.
“Even so, don’t be so honest about it. It might backfire,” Lux claimed.
“Isn’t it unpleasant to gossip about it in hiding? I would rather say it to their face.”
Arum and Elmira had this single thing in common in between them if not anything…………………….
“Well, I certainly don’t like backstabbers.”
Lux nodded.
“Is that the case?” Arum whispered a bit troubled by the flow of the conversation.
The way of the nobles hadn’t been internalized inside him yet. But there was one thing he was confident about. Just like Elmira, he would usually say it out aloud if he dislikes someone.
“What about the two of you then? How do you feel about it?”
Arum was intrigued to know more about the nobles and the lineage of the wizards. It was like questions were on the tip of his tongue.
“I don’t really think about it much. There are too many people around me who want to use my house’s name that it doesn’t even make a difference.”
“Same goes for me… I would rather like to be with someone who dares to say it to face rather than gossiping behind my back.”
Alas, for the innocent Arum their answers only deepened the mystery for him as to why they would be okay with someone who hated them and why would they even get along with them in the first place!
There were some things that a commoner like him with his lack of experience could never understand and he had already given up on it altogether.
Had Arum been in the same situation as the two of them, he wouldn’t have accepted such maliciousness by any means. Was it because of his birth alone that he thought differently?
But he didn’t completely hate it either It was a mysterious feeling that was accumulating in his gut as he was beginning to understand albeit little by little… he was learning more and more about how the nobles worked and how weird they could be.
Conversing with the three every day at such an hour had gained him quite a few insights that he would have never received otherwise.
“Hmmm?”
Suddenly another question popped into his head. One that he had never asked before.
“Then what about me?” Arum turned towards Elmira.
“Arum was on good terms with both of them so it naturally followed…”
“Ah, really?”
Arum wanted to know why Elmira accompanied him. But the answer to his question was fairly simple. She was accompanying Arum only because the other two were accompanying him. There was no direct link between the two of them.
Arum couldn’t help but feel a bit conflicted at his lack of importance. But being a commoner what else could he expect?
His past would never be glorious. Now it was only upon him as to how he would build his future.
***
“It’s too quiet isn’t it?”
“That’s right,” Elmira muttered.
Most of the students had finished their lunch since it was past noon. But Some were like Arum and the others who stayed behind to chat among themselves so the atmosphere in the cafeteria wasn’t usually so ominous. It couldn’t help but raise some questions in their mind.
Arum had no clue, but the others seemed to have their own assumptions.
“Are they still searching?” Misty whispered.
She pushed her silver hair behind her ear as her lips touched the tip of the cup sipping on it. It seemed as if the world full of magic had manifested an liberating picture into the physical reality. It was a magic spell that could entrap many hearts.
“Who came to Misty then?” Elmira asked with a smirk on her face.
But Misty shook his head seemingly used to such questions.
“No, I have nobody.”
“Well, that’s right. I don’t think that there exists an idiot who would blatantly go after the daughter of the Caesius family.”
Elmira turned to Arum after this. She had a mischievous grin on her face.
“What about Arum?”
Arum shook his head
“I don’t know. No one came to me either. It’s really frustrating you know. I thought that a lot of them would come at me since I am a commoner. Even my so-called crippled attribute was also revealed to all of them at the entrance ceremony so they should find me an easy target right? But in the end, no one came.”
*Sigh*
“Maybe, they are wary of me because I defeated Lux…”
What Arum and the others were talking about was the duel system of the academy. It was a specialty that was original to the Beralt Magic academy and was found nowhere else. The duel between students was a major activity that attracted many competitive minds.
At any given time the student is allowed to fight each other in practical skill-building. Even the tally of their scores is maintained by a magic stone!
The director of the academy had encouraged them to participate in such duels. But it was also bound by rules that didn’t allow such duels to be forced. As such many students struggle to find dueling partners for themselves which is not essentially a good thing, as the score of such duels is added to the student’s grades.
Some rules prevent the seniors of the academy to challenge their juniors. But if a junior wants to he could challenge a senior under the condition that the senior can never use any lethal spell in such duels.
If any of these rules were to be found to be broken, the teacher would immediately suppress such a battle;e with a heavy fist.
Though the conditions placed on the students were kind of problematic. But such an endeavor was a quick way for students to measure their own fighting ability and also gain a lot of battle experience at the same time.
But in the end in such battles, it is the juniors that suffer the most.
When a student had already stayed in an academy for a lot of time, most of his spells and powers are already known making room for proper estimations. But what about the freshers?
No one had any knowledge about the spells the freshers use!
There was utter chaos in the battles during the first year. No one could predict which side would win bringing absolute enjoyment and euphoria to both the participants and the audience. The sense of unknown drove them forward aiding them in battling more and more.
Therefore, it shouldn’t come off as a surprise, that the freshers fought more duels compared to the sophomores.
With so many battles taking place, who would give up the opportunity to fight more and more and gain as many credits as possible? Thus everyone was busy finding a battle mate.
But alas, Arum who was commoner gained none. His status as a commoner should have got him more matches than the others in the usual scenario. But his absolute victory against Lux changed the tides. He had won the battle but he had lost the war.
One must note, that Lux was the sole successor of the Orrick house. An indomitable existence. If Arum can defeat Lux he could certainly defeat many.
But, which noble can bear the shame of losing to a commoner? Thus it was only understandable that no one would challenge Arum.
“What about you?”
Lux’s situation should have been no different than Misty but Lux seemed to have a different answer to that.
“Ah… Actually, I have been challenged twice.”
“What! Is that so?” Elmira exclaimed seemingly caught off guard.
Cafetaria
Misty and Elmira joined hands as they glanced at each other. Watching such a scene of intimacy Arum began to wonder if he truly understood what the meaning of “hate” was. Or was it possible that Misty had awakened to her own sense of masochism? Arum had no clue.
The curiosity riddling his heart made him ask further questions.
“You say that you hate rich kids but at the same time like Misty, so which one is it after all?”
Arum questioned Elmira’s hypocrisy hoping to quench his curiosity.
Elmira rolled her eyes.
“It’s both. I like my friend Misty while at the same time I don’t like the rick Misty Tran Caesius.”
Arum raised his brows.
“By the way, what about Lux?”
“Hmm… a bit better than dislike I guess?”
“Ah”
“What would you call it then…” Arum asked such a question.
But seeing the conflicted look on Lux’s face. Arum changed his mind. It would be rude towards Lux if Elmuira were to verbalize it. Elmira seemed to be stopping at nothing so it was better for Arum to stop instead.
But such a concern was meaningless as Lux already understood Elmira better than Arum did. Both of them being nobles sure helped them to understand each other.
“Even so, don’t be so honest about it. It might backfire,” Lux claimed.
“Isn’t it unpleasant to gossip about it in hiding? I would rather say it to their face.”
Arum and Elmira had this single thing in common in between them if not anything…………………….
“Well, I certainly don’t like backstabbers.”
Lux nodded.
“Is that the case?” Arum whispered a bit troubled by the flow of the conversation.
The way of the nobles hadn’t been internalized inside him yet. But there was one thing he was confident about. Just like Elmira, he would usually say it out aloud if he dislikes someone.
“What about the two of you then? How do you feel about it?”
Arum was intrigued to know more about the nobles and the lineage of the wizards. It was like questions were on the tip of his tongue.
“I don’t really think about it much. There are too many people around me who want to use my house’s name that it doesn’t even make a difference.”
“Same goes for me… I would rather like to be with someone who dares to say it to face rather than gossiping behind my back.”
Alas, for the innocent Arum their answers only deepened the mystery for him as to why they would be okay with someone who hated them and why would they even get along with them in the first place!
There were some things that a commoner like him with his lack of experience could never understand and he had already given up on it altogether.
Had Arum been in the same situation as the two of them, he wouldn’t have accepted such maliciousness by any means. Was it because of his birth alone that he thought differently?
But he didn’t completely hate it either It was a mysterious feeling that was accumulating in his gut as he was beginning to understand albeit little by little… he was learning more and more about how the nobles worked and how weird they could be.
Conversing with the three every day at such an hour had gained him quite a few insights that he would have never received otherwise.
“Hmmm?”
Suddenly another question popped into his head. One that he had never asked before.
“Then what about me?” Arum turned towards Elmira.
“Arum was on good terms with both of them so it naturally followed…”
“Ah, really?”
Arum wanted to know why Elmira accompanied him. But the answer to his question was fairly simple. She was accompanying Arum only because the other two were accompanying him. There was no direct link between the two of them.
Arum couldn’t help but feel a bit conflicted at his lack of importance. But being a commoner what else could he expect?
His past would never be glorious. Now it was only upon him as to how he would build his future.
***
“It’s too quiet isn’t it?”
“That’s right,” Elmira muttered.
Most of the students had finished their lunch since it was past noon. But Some were like Arum and the others who stayed behind to chat among themselves so the atmosphere in the cafeteria wasn’t usually so ominous. It couldn’t help but raise some questions in their mind.
Arum had no clue, but the others seemed to have their own assumptions.
“Are they still searching?” Misty whispered.
She pushed her silver hair behind her ear as her lips touched the tip of the cup sipping on it. It seemed as if the world full of magic had manifested an liberating picture into the physical reality. It was a magic spell that could entrap many hearts.
“Who came to Misty then?” Elmira asked with a smirk on her face.
But Misty shook his head seemingly used to such questions.
“No, I have nobody.”
“Well, that’s right. I don’t think that there exists an idiot who would blatantly go after the daughter of the Caesius family.”
Elmira turned to Arum after this. She had a mischievous grin on her face.
“What about Arum?”
Arum shook his head
“I don’t know. No one came to me either. It’s really frustrating you know. I thought that a lot of them would come at me since I am a commoner. Even my so-called crippled attribute was also revealed to all of them at the entrance ceremony so they should find me an easy target right? But in the end, no one came.”
*Sigh*
“Maybe, they are wary of me because I defeated Lux…”
What Arum and the others were talking about was the duel system of the academy. It was a specialty that was original to the Beralt Magic academy and was found nowhere else. The duel between students was a major activity that attracted many competitive minds.
At any given time the student is allowed to fight each other in practical skill-building. Even the tally of their scores is maintained by a magic stone!
The director of the academy had encouraged them to participate in such duels. But it was also bound by rules that didn’t allow such duels to be forced. As such many students struggle to find dueling partners for themselves which is not essentially a good thing, as the score of such duels is added to the student’s grades.
Some rules prevent the seniors of the academy to challenge their juniors. But if a junior wants to he could challenge a senior under the condition that the senior can never use any lethal spell in such duels.
If any of these rules were to be found to be broken, the teacher would immediately suppress such a battle;e with a heavy fist.
Though the conditions placed on the students were kind of problematic. But such an endeavor was a quick way for students to measure their own fighting ability and also gain a lot of battle experience at the same time.
But in the end in such battles, it is the juniors that suffer the most.
When a student had already stayed in an academy for a lot of time, most of his spells and powers are already known making room for proper estimations. But what about the freshers?
No one had any knowledge about the spells the freshers use!
There was utter chaos in the battles during the first year. No one could predict which side would win bringing absolute enjoyment and euphoria to both the participants and the audience. The sense of unknown drove them forward aiding them in battling more and more.
Therefore, it shouldn’t come off as a surprise, that the freshers fought more duels compared to the sophomores.
With so many battles taking place, who would give up the opportunity to fight more and more and gain as many credits as possible? Thus everyone was busy finding a battle mate.
But alas, Arum who was commoner gained none. His status as a commoner should have got him more matches than the others in the usual scenario. But his absolute victory against Lux changed the tides. He had won the battle but he had lost the war.
One must note, that Lux was the sole successor of the Orrick house. An indomitable existence. If Arum can defeat Lux he could certainly defeat many.
But, which noble can bear the shame of losing to a commoner? Thus it was only understandable that no one would challenge Arum.
“What about you?”
Lux’s situation should have been no different than Misty but Lux seemed to have a different answer to that.
“Ah… Actually, I have been challenged twice.”
“What! Is that so?” Elmira exclaimed seemingly caught off guard.
