Wouldn't it be nice...

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Thomas Ishviel POV...

Waking up, I get out of bed and get dressed. I choose something warm today, a nice woolen coat and some black trousers with a fur wrapped around my waist.

I walk out the door and set down the stairs, walking through the house slowly and quietly. I grab my axe and set out the door, preparing for another early morning of woodcutting. I can see my breath hang in the air as I walk, although the cold is much more natural than any mana frost.

Walking down the road, I look at the sky. Today... is yet another day in my life, rather uneventful in the grand scheme. I would rather live out here in the sticks than the capital. I miss Arthur and I worry for his safety... but he deserves an education.

I wonder how long until he visits again. Maybe he'll be... somewhat competent soon... maybe. I turn and walk down the forest path, leaves crackling beneath my feet.

I hear a few birds chirping off in the distance, a sound of something darting nearby in the bushes. Probably a dear or something. I finally reach the clearing, being greeted by the sight of fallen tree stumps once again.

I walk further through the clearing and finally reach an unfelled tree, raising my axe. I flex my arms and swing, my left hand sliding down the haft of the axe to gather more momentum. The axe head collides with the bark of the tree, digging in a few inches before I remove it from the tree and swing again.

I swing... and swing... and swing. Monotony to drown out my thoughts... I swing again. On my next swing, I realize I'm beginning to channel my mana. I stop, swinging with my natural and unenhanced strength once again.

Every swing reminds me of myself, the part of me I'm trying to ignore. I... am a sane man with nothing wrong. I swing again, the axe haft snapping from use. I only got through half of this tree... a shame. I let out a sigh, looking down at my now broken axe.

"..."

I don't even say anything. I feel defeated and angry... all because my axe broke. My hair hangs in front of my eyes as I look down, obscuring my expression.

I just drop the axe handle on the ground and grip my hand into a fist, channeling mana into my arm. I swing at the tree, causing it to snap and shatter under the force. A boom erupts from the swing, downing several trees behind it. It's easy... so easy.

The original tree is completely destroyed, unusable and unsellable. I just needed to get that out. I let out a deep exhale, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

I brush some wood chips off of my clothes, walking forward and past the newly created tree stump. A walk... that sounds nice. Just... a quick walk to cool my head, maybe go buy a new axe from Jericho in the village. A self care day, I suppose.

Deep breath in, deep breath out, deep breath in, deep breath out. I am a very calm man. I do not feel the need to engage in pointless fights, nor should I actively seek them out.

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Arthur Ishviel POV...

It's been a week since my dorm's invasion. I've been sleeping in Gram's room ever since... platonically, obviously.

Sitting in the assembly hall, I find myself a little ashamed. I never thought this would happen when I asked Clara to help me argue against the principle.

Clara stands on the stage, stood at her new podium. I should've just accepted the punishment.

"Hello, Lumin Academy students! I am Clara Holliday, S rank witch and past student of Lumin," She introduces herself simply, smirking as she looks at the crowd. She makes a sad face that I can tell is fake, just barely hiding a devious smile. "Unfortunately, Principle phallic- I mean, Principle Faelas had to resign after an incident involving his conduct with a student."

I feel like there were definitely better ways to phrase that. It sounds like he was put on the registry with that phrasing. Also, what strings did she pull to do this??? Honestly, it feels like she was kinda itching to hurt that guy...

"I shall be stepping in as the new principal of Lumin Academy from today onwards," Clara states, nodding slightly.

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Galatine POV...

Leaving the assembly hall, I strut to my room. This assembly was of no importance to me whatsoever, a large waste of time. My yellow dress flows as I walk, a symbol of elegance indicative of my royal lineage.

I, Valory Merrin, stick out amongst the crowd due to my attire, a shining jewel amongst a rough of dirt. I am royal and infallible, second only to the king's lineage.

You know what I feel like doing? Hurting people... bad people, but still. Walking through the hall, I can hear my heels clicking beneath my feet. I stop near a window sill, looking out and across the campus. It's a nice day, albeit colder than usual. They say a cold front is coming in from the south this time of year.

Across the center of the campus lawn, I can see the other side of the campus buildings. Tall, regal, elegant and sophisticated... sure, the design isn't Victorian, but it's still impressive.

I look at the roof now, admiring the craftsmanship there and... is that a girl on the roof? It's hard to see since it's a bit far, but that's definitely... someone. They give me that weird feeling again... but she's not looking at me, so...

Whatever, it's not my problem nor is it my business. I am a strong and independent noblewoman uninterested in affairs besides my own.

I keep walking down the hallway, accidentally tripping a little and rolling my ankle. Silent screams... I can't let the pain show! I keep walking, trying to suppress the tears approaching my eyes. It hurts so baaaaaad! Why did I wear such high heels?!?! Kill me now!!

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Arthur Ishviel POV...

Waking up the day after the assembly, I get up from the floor and need to get dressed. Gram is already awake and ready to go, as always.

"Gram, look the other way," I command, pointing to the wall.

He gives me a thumbs up and turns, crossing his arms. It's a chill morning with no home invasion whatsoever. I change my clothes relatively quickly, now wearing some basic greys. A long sleeve shirt and some basic pants, however now sporting a satchel at my side.

"You can look now," I say, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

He turns and stretches a little, just barely yawning.

"What's with the purse?" He asks, looking down at the satchel on my hip.

"It's not a purse, it's a satchel. It's very convenient and helps me carry around my papers," I correct, lifting up the satchel and shaking it slightly.

I... wait, I carry my work around with me now... and I do my work... and I come to class prepared every day? This... this is improvement. I put my hands back on my hips, smirking for a reason only I know.

"Eh, makes sense," He says, nodding slightly. He walks past me and opens the door, exiting first. "C'mon, let's go."

I nod and follow, nodding just being a secondary instinct at this point. My hair is all messy right now because I just woke up... I feel a little embarrassed.

I spot Variel a bit away from us, also walking to class. She raises her hand to wave to us, before stopping.

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Variel POV...

Man, it's so weird. All this scary stuff has been happening at once and it's so annoying! Walking out of my dorm room, I sigh. This morning sucks... my dorm is so far from the classroom and it's such a long walk.

Oh hey, is that Gram? He looks like he handles mornings better than me... barely. His shirt is awkwardly tucked into the front of his pants and he has a food stain on them as well... friendly guy though.

Hey wait, is that... is that Arthur coming out his room behind him? Why would they be in the same dorm? And Arthur's hair is all messy, like someone's been grabbing it... I lift my hand to wave, only to stop midway. I'm a little flustered, having an epiphany.

I basically never see them apart from each other...

"ARE YOU TWO GAY?!?"

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