CHAPTER 15 - First day of school.

*Erwin's P.O.V* 

*Knock Knock*

Suddenly, in the middle of the night, i heard someone knock on the door; it was already 11 PM, and Brenin had been sleeping for a few hours now: I couldn't understand how he managed it, but as soon as he laid his head on the pillow, it was as if he immediately lost consciousness; I wanted to know a lot more about Brenin's past, but his character, coupled with his passion for the bed, didn't help me interact with him much, although I still considered him an interesting person.

On the contrary, despite the late hour, I couldn't sleep; I found it hard to believe that I had managed to get into the academy, and in a way, I was so happy about what had happened that, for the fear that it was all just a dream, I had a hard time falling asleep.

"Darn it… I wish I had Brenin's ability…" I said with a sigh, as I got out of bed and headed towards the front door.

As I approached, I immediately thought it must be the caretaker with our uniforms and books, as the Principal had told us earlier.

But when I opened the door, instead of the caretaker, I found myself facing a girl from the academy whom I didn't know: She wore the classic school colors of a red jacket – green pants, with the only exception that she, like the vast majority of girls, wore a short skirt, showing off her slender legs; she wore long socks that went past her knees and high-quality black leather shoes.

Her face was completely covered by the mountain of books and clothes that were dangerously swaying, so at first, I couldn't see her face.

"Um… do you need some help?" I asked, a bit surprised to see a girl in our dormitory, stepping back to give her some space.

"N-No! I-I got this...!"

It was obvious that the girl was having trouble balancing that stack of books and clothes, so it was better to help her.

But before I could intervene, the girl stumbled on the doormat outside the door; she completely lost her balance and crashed into me with her body and the pile of stuff, all of us ending up on the floor in a heap.

[Ahh... I knew something like this would happen…] I thought slightly annoyed, feeling a small twinge in my ribs, which still hurt a bit, although the pain was now tolerable. "Hey, are you okay….?"

At first, I didn't pay much attention, as I looked at the mess around me… but that girl was right on top of me! And now that I could finally see her face... She was quite cute!

Her fiery red hair was tied in a ponytail; she had large emerald green eyes and wore red glasses, with freckles scattered across the middle of her face; her face was small, but at the same time, it was also chubby.

[...Cute!] That was the first thing I thought, my face turning completely red, as having her so close, combined with her rare beauty, made me feel completely uncomfortable.

"Aww… I-I'm sorry!" said the girl, embarrassed and apologetic for what had happened, quickly getting up.

"O-Oh… don't worry…" I replied in a shocked tone, while in my mind I was completely lost in her beautiful eyes, which had mesmerized me.

When I saw her start to gather the items, my brain, which seemed to be under a spell, reactivated, and I quickly started to help her.

"Oh, thank you! You didn't have to help me, I made this mess myself!" said the girl with a smile, looking me straight in the eyes with a penetrating gaze.

"No problem at all!" I exclaimed happily; I felt a euphoria that I had never experienced before, because of that smile that melted my heart; [Darn it... Is this love?!]

After sorting out the mess, I made the girl sit on the chair, and she finally introduced herself;

"I'm… Claire Winchester and I'm in the third year! Nice to meet you!"

"Not only is she cute, but she also has a nice name…" I muttered, now completely infatuated with the girl in front of me: yes, this must be love!

"Huh? Did you say something?" Claire asked perplexed, clearly hearing me mutter something… darn it, what an embarrassment!

"N-Nothing, nothing" – I said in an agitated manner, feeling immensely embarrassed by what had just happened – "I-I'm Erwin Eda; nice to meet you!"

"Erwin Eda, huh?" Claire repeated, smiling and extending her hand – "Welcome to our Academy! I hope you'll enjoy your days here with all of us!"

I hesitated for a moment, then shook her hand, noticing how her hand, unlike mine, was very smooth and delicate. She noticed it too, as she flinched for a moment.

"Oh, sorry for my hand…" I said with a forced smile, trying to withdraw my hand.

But Claire didn't let go, and instead, she turned my hand, inspecting it closely; I don't think she realized that, besides making me very embarrassed, she was also making me start to daydream, already envisioning a future marriage between me and her.

"Your hands… they're small, but at the same time they're big, tough, and calloused… you can tell you work hard!"

No matter what, her smile was completely captivating me.

"Ahaha! I'm glad you noticed" – I said proudly, glad that a girl like her complimented me like that – "You know, training is very important to achieve my goals!"

"Right! If you keep working hard, you'll have no problem in this academy" - replied Claire, who seemed to appreciate the fact that I was a hard worker. - "Anyway, as you may have already guessed, I came to bring you your uniforms and books…" - Claire concluded, her face turning slightly red, perhaps still a bit embarrassed by what had happened.

"Thank you!" I replied, starting to check the books in front of me; I immediately noticed that the books were divided into two colors: yellow and green, wondering if there was any particular reason.

I looked at our uniforms, which from the appearance alone, were made of excellent material; looking at every detail carefully, I realized that our names were sewn onto the jacket. Furthermore, above my name, there was a star, also sewn; did it have any meaning?

I looked at Claire, and at that moment, I saw 2 stars on her jacket, coming to the conclusion that they must have a special meaning.

"Claire, what do the stars in your jacket means?" I asked the girl, trying to clear my mind of doubts.

"Ah, the stars? They indicate your section!" - replied Claire, approaching me quickly – "You see, in your case, one star indicates that you're a student of section C, while in my and Brenin's case, since we have two, it indicates that we are part of section B. Even the books you see have their distinctions: green for section C, yellow for section B, and red for section A.." Claire concluded.

"So… I'm in section C…"

"Exactly!" - replied the girl, pulling out two neatly sealed letters from her purse, handing them to me – "Inside here, you should find all the answers you're looking for, along with the class schedules!"

A, B, C… Those seemed to be the sections present in this academy; Elaine had ended up in section A, Brenin in B, and me in C. I didn't know what significance one section could have over another, but it was clear that there must be some distinct differences.

"Well, that said, I have to go! Sorry for the disturbance!" said the girl with a smile, about to leave; however, I still had many questions, and before she could leave the room, I grabbed her arm, catching her a little by surprise.

"Oh...s-sorry!" I exclaimed embarrassed, letting go, starting to get hot flashes as my gaze met hers… but what the hell was happening to me?!

"Do you need something?" asked Claire, curious, not getting angry at my instinctive gesture;

"W-Well… I'm new here, and I don't know how things work in this academy, nor do I know what these sections are! Also, I-I'm not very bright… so I wanted to ask you if you'd mind explaining everything to me… just for a few minutes, okay?"

"I think that's a great idea…" Brenin intervened, who had just woken up;

"Oh, are you awake?"

"Well, with all this mess, even a daef can't sleep peacefully…" he said yawning, starting to stretch.

[T-This idiot… did he hear everything?!] I immediately thought, turning completely crimson; I wanted to ask him if he had heard anything, but the embarrassment was too much.

Meanwhile, Claire seemed undecided about what to do; she started to ponder; she looked at the clock, and after a few moments of silence, she finally gave us her answer.

"All right… If I explain everything to you, things will enter your heads easily, right?"

"Y-Yes! Thanks, Claire!" I replied completely happily; I didn't know if I was happier to spend more time with Claire, or if I was happier that someone could help me understand the more difficult things; the fact was that at that moment, I was content, and that I would enjoy the situation I had just created anyway.

So, we sat around a table, with Claire ready to answer our questions; at that moment, I was a bit dazed by Claire's beauty, which prevented me from reasoning intelligently; Brenin took the opportunity to speak, who, with his tired expression and red eyes, it was clear that he was still sleepy and wanted to go back to sleep as soon as possible.

"Let's start without wasting time then: I noticed that the boys are divided into three sections, namely A, B, and C, just like the books; what criteria do the professors have for placing a student in one section or another? What are the sections for?"

"Wow, this is a very specific question…" - said Claire – "The functioning of the sections is very simple, namely to separate the most "Talented" students from the less talented ones; obviously, the most talented students are in section A and B, while the least talented are in section C; "

I had a strong feeling that this was the main reason, but I tried to ignore it; if what Claire said was true, then the Principal, along with the other professors, didn't consider me talented compared to the other students. Sure, I understood the reason, but hearing it still had an effect.

"...Darn it." Brenin muttered, who seemed strangely annoyed by all this; In fact, I thought Brenin was among the most talented out there, putting him on a level similar to Elaine's; however, the fact that he had been placed in section B made everything very intriguing, because it meant that there were even more incredible students than him here.

"Besides that, there are also differences among the professors; although the level of the professors is really high and the teachings are almost the same, generally the best professors are found in sections B and A; do you remember the professors present at your exam? Well, they are the best professors of our academy, with a curriculum to envy many wizards and Gifters around the world!"

"I don't understand though; if the teachings are almost the same then why this difference?…." I thought aloud, not understanding the reason for creating such a complicated system.

"Well… I can't answer that, but I can say one thing: one of the differences between the various teachings is the experience of a professor. This not only changes the way we think, but it changes the way you interpret what you learn."

Neither I nor Brenin said anything, thinking that the students in section A must be really lucky to receive teachings from such "monsters". At the same time, I thought that my first goal, namely to become the best stdent in the academy, was becoming even more complicated, creating in me a strange sensation of haste and concern, but also a strange feeling of excitement, because my desire to compete with the other students was becoming stronger and stronger.

Brenin must have been thinking the same thing, as at that moment he had a very far from serene or happy expression.

"Tell me something…" - Brenin intervened, breaking the brief silence that had arisen – "I think I understood how this school works, but I have another question: Is it possible to move up to a higher section?"

Claire remained silent for a few seconds, starting to observe me; at first, I was embarrassed again, but then, looking closely at her, I realized that something was wrong: it was almost as if she was giving me a look of compassion, and that puzzled me enough.

"Is there a problem?" I asked, curious about why she was looking at me in such an almost melancholic way.

"...N-Nothing nothing! I was just thinking!" the girl replied with a bit of a delay, waving her hands and with a slightly squeaky voice; I was sure that something was wrong, given that strange behavior, but partly because I didn't want to insist and partly because I didn't know her well, I pretended not to notice;

"Anyway… yes, it is possible to be promoted to the next section; everything will depend on the results obtained during the written and practical exams, and once a certain score is reached, one can be promoted to the next section during the year."

"Perfect…" - Brenin replied, calming down, heading to his bed to sleep; - "All I have to do is simply outdo the competition…. Nothing easier"

"That boy… is a bit too sure of himself!" Claire pointed out, raising her eyebrows, annoyed that the boy didn't even thank her for her time before going back to sleep as if nothing had happened.

"Ahah, excuse him, it's been a tough day for everyone…" I replied, trying to justify Brenin's ambiguous and not very nice behavior. - "However, is there anything else---"

"I have to go!" replied the girl hurriedly, getting up from the chair as if she were in the grip of a panic attack.

"I forgot to do my homework...S-So...Bye!"

Claire didn't even give me time to say goodbye, as she hurriedly left, slamming the front door with force…

"...Bye." - I hissed, shocked by that sudden change in attitude; I still had many questions to ask her, but if she was really as busy as she said, then it meant that I would find out the rest on my own; I locked the door, and after changing, I headed to my bed, getting under the covers right away; tomorrow was an important day, and I wanted to be as fit as possible! So I closed my eyes, with my mind already projected to tomorrow.

-----

After washing and changing, we finally left our rooms, ready to face our first day here at the academy; for every step I took through the corridors and through the streets of the academy, my heart palpitated more and more from happiness, and my smile grew bigger and bigger.

The morning sun filtered through the windows, tinging the empty spaces of the corridors with golden light as the sounds of student life filled the air. The curious gazes of other cadets danced around us, but my determination was unwavering, and nothing could dim my excitement for the start of this new adventure.

Following the map of the huge campus, we finally made our way to the heart of the academy, where the imposing structure of classrooms stood majestically before us.

"Wow ... it's massive!" I exclaimed in amazement as I looked up to admire the immensity of the building, its brick walls silhouetted against the blue sky. Students crowded around the doors, eager to begin their day of study and learning.

A shiver of excitement ran down my spine as we crossed the threshold of the building, ready to fully immerse myself in the world of learning and personal growth that this prestigious academy had to offer. It was time to leave the past behind and embrace the future with enthusiasm and determination.

As we stepped into the building, we found ourselves amidst a bustling crowd of students, hurriedly shuffling to and fro along the expansive corridor. Navigating through this human tide, we finally reached a signboard strategically placed to aid new students in navigating the labyrinth of classrooms within the building.

"Hm... So, I have to go upstairs, huh?" muttered Brenin, his gaze fixed on the signboard as he located his destination.

"Well, good luck then!" I replied, offering Brenin a fist bump in a gesture of camaraderie. But Brenin's response was met with a peculiar look, and he continued on his way to class, his hand raised hesitantly.

[...We have a long way to go…] I mused to myself, slightly disheartened by Brenin's reaction. Nevertheless, I forced a smile, retracting my fist. While I hadn't expected instant friendship, I had hoped for a warmer reception.

Just as I was about to turn and head towards my own class, my gaze was intercepted by Elaine, who stood before me, her eyes fixed intently on me.

"Hey...?"

"So, you managed to get admitted... To be honest, i'm really surprised..." - Elaine remarked, her tone tinged with a hint of annoyance, disregarding my greeting as she continued to scrutinize me.

"Incredible, don't you think?" I responded with a faint smile, brushing off her sharp gaze as she inspected me from head to toe.

Elaine's scrutiny lingered until it settled on the stars emblazoned on my chest, a mischievous smile gradually spreading across her face, as if she took delight in my placement in section C.

"What's so funny?" I asked, irritated by her amusement, failing to understand the source of her mirth.

"Oh, nothing, nothing... Good luck with your new 'adventure', enjoy it while you can!" Elaine chirped cheerfully before sauntering off towards the stairs leading to the upper sections.

I couldn't quite fathom Elaine's attitude, but her dismissive tone and demeanor hinted at an underlying motive that left me unsettled. Nonetheless, I brushed it off as mere posturing, attributing her behavior to the perceived gap between us.

"Tsk... who does she think she is?!" I grumbled under my breath, vexed by Elaine's demeanor, before proceeding towards my classroom. Unlike sections B and A, our classrooms were situated on the ground floor, prompting me to navigate through the maze of corridors to reach my destination.

Nearly three minutes later, after passing numerous classes, it dawned on me that section C boasted a significantly larger student population than sections B and A. Moreover, I noticed that, after the third-year classes, there were no other upper classes; which was strange, since in theory, we were supposed to spend five long years in this academy. Nevertheless, I paid little attention to these details as I approached my classroom.

Standing before the door, I took a moment to compose myself before mustering the courage to step inside. Instantly, all eyes turned towards me, intensifying the feeling of being scrutinized.

"We have a new face here..." the teacher announced, casting a curious gaze in my direction.

"Y-Yes, my name is Erwin Eda, nice to meet you!" I replied, offering a respectful bow amidst the sea of curious stares.

When I said my name, the woman's look became "strange"; I wouldn't know how to describe it, it was neither an expression of surprise nor curiosity, almost as if she knew who I was; 

"Well, Mr. Eda. I am Mrs. Wilson, and I am the professor in charge of "theory of magic" in Section C. If you need help, just ask." - said the professor, giving a slight smile - "Go ahead and find a place to sit."

I lifted my head, looking for a free place to sit; as I climbed the steps leading up to the seats, I began to feel really uncomfortable with all those stares that seemed to be looking into my soul; no matter how hard I tried to ignore them, at some point it had gotten heavy. 

But there was nothing I could do about it since it was something that, after yesterday, I had already imagined might happen. 

Choosing a seat was difficult, as I did not want to be squared off for the entire 5 hours of class, so I looked for a place away from curious eyes, a place I obviously tht was hard to find; it was only when I gave up that idea that, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the only person who was not staring at me at that moment: a puny, pale-skinned, brown-haired boy was sitting in the corner in the room, in the last row of seats. Unlike the others, he stood with his gaze downcast, intent on reading a book on who knows what subject. Moreover, he was literally sitting next to no one, so I found it convenient for me.

[Finally! Someone who doesn't stare at me as if I were a monster!] I thought joyfully, thus approaching the boy in a hurry. 

"Can I sit here?" I asked him, a smile on my face. 

The boy looked up for a few moments, looking at me with surprised eyes; I didn't understand why, but he seemed almost astonished that I had addressed him. 

"C-Certainly, of course! Have a seat!" he said stammering a little, still looking at me with a shocked look. 

I was a little confused by that weird behavior, but I pretended not to, and then sat down next to him. 

But after I sat down and looked up, the stares of those students who before were full of curiosity were now definitely different, to the point that it scared me a little; I don't know why, but it all started the moment I sat down next to the boy. 

[Perhaps, I am imagining things...] I thought at first, thus ignoring all those looks that were increasingly bothering me. 

"I am Brenin, by the way. Nice to meet you!" I said to the boy next to me, extending my hand. 

The boy looked even more shocked this time, looking at me almost as if he didn't know how to act at that moment. I found him as strange, almost as strange as those students who did not stop looking at me. We stood for several seconds staring at each other like idiots, sI thought maybe, the boy was shy or didn't want to talk, so I pulled my hand back, focusing on something else. 

"I...I'm Oscar..." he said softly, with his gaze still on the book and his face slightly red.

I didn't understand why he was behaving that way, but at least now I knew his name and that was a start!

"Oscar, huh? Nice to meet you! I hope we'll get along!" I exclaimed, giving him two pats on the shoulder.

"Alright, everyone, quiet now!" - The teacher exclaimed firmly, drawing the attention of all the students who finally stopped staring at me. - "Take out your books, the lesson starts now!"

-----

Throughout the night, and during my short walk here to the classrooms, I had imagined my first day of study as the best day of my life, full of interesting and fun things.

Instead, I realized that the reality was far from what I had mistakenly belived; the first hour of class, in addition to being boring seemed to never end, despite the fact that only 50 minutes had passed. 

At first, it even caught my interest, since she was talking about the origin of magical elements, but the amount of anecdotal information said by the professor, was so much and so difficult to understand, that it managed to blow my brain into smoke in very few moments. 

Besides...I found this shit so boring! I was someone who lived for action, and to find myself sitting in a very uncomfortable chair, staring at a person talking, was almost like staring at the hands of a clock going on for hours on end....Boring!

I thought the others must be exasperated as well, and yet, they seemed hyper attentive, and they wrote everything down at the speed of light; especially Oscar, who marked down every little thing the professor said, without losing concentration, not even for a second. 

[They are...monsters!] I thought literally exhausted, scrambling in my chair in search of a position in which I could relax. 

"So, having said that, I ask the following question: where do the magical elements come from? From mana? From prana? Or from something even more complex?" 

The students remained silent, as did I, who had followed virtually nothing concerning the topic.

Oscar, however, raised his hand after a few seconds, drawing the professor's and the student's attention. 

"Yes?"

"...Following what you said, as of today we still don't know why some species develop one element over another. However, being a strictly genetic trait, it is possible that perhaps, our ancestors made some kind of pact with some higher entity."

The answer seemed vague, almost trivial. Yet, the professor smiled, almost happy with such an answer. 

"You see, to date, the things we know about mana are few..." - began the prodess, turning to the students - "if we were to make an estimate, we probably know barely half the things about mana, not to mention the fact that, some of the things we know may turn out to be wrong in the future, as has happened many times in our history." 

"However, isn't it wrong to say that our powers are derived from some deity without refutable proof?" countered one of the students, going against what Oscar said. 

"Well, that's exactly the point! the theory behind the magic and mana always improve by making various assumptions; the important thing, is that such an assumption has a logical basis. What your comrade said, would explain why some people are born with certain elements, combining geneticness and divinity. Obviously, today no one has met an actual deity, but at the same time, what the student said cannot be branded as "wrong." 

The boy wanted to counter, but before the woman's words, he did not know what to say anymore, suddenly falling silent. 

That last part of the lecture, had left me puzzled to say the least; why teach us anything, if then, as she said, new things would probably be discovered over the years, thus contradicting what had been learned now? 

I was the one who thought so, and probably the other students as well, since they had in their looks a certain perplexity about what the woman had said. 

"You still don't get it, huh?" - huffed the woman, somewhat disappointed by our puzzlement - "Listen carefully boys, what we teach you is not useless. On the contrary, it gives you a future foundation so that you can develop and learn magic. True, there are chances that some knowledge will be altered, however, what you now know will not be erased, but will serve as a basis for you to better understand future discoveries. Think of it this way, we magicians are a bit like children: when we are young, we have certain beliefs, but as we grow up, those beliefs that we had change with experience and knowledge..." 

Those words, although I did not fully understand them, vaguely reminded me of the words Ron said to me; obviously the context was different, but the words used were similar. 

Although I was therefore confused, those words caught my attention, so I decided to treasure them, although I was still skeptical about what I heard from the woman. 

"Well, the lesson is over. Have a nice continuation of the day!" said the professor, leaving the classroom and then going to her next class. 

"Phew! I'm already tired of sitting here!" I exclaimed, as I began to stretch my back.

Oscar looked at me out of the corner of his eye, and after a few moments he let out a little laugh.

What, did I say something funny?" I asked slightly annoyed by that laugh; 

"N-No No! It's just that, you know...it's your first day, and it seems strange that you're already tired" he replied in a slightly nervous manner, avoiding looking me straight in the eye and leaving me a little puzzled; the more time passed, the more I realized that there was something wrong with that little boy, judging by his meek behavior. It was as if he was a scared cat whenever I addressed him. And yet, it's not like I'm some kind of ugly monster....

I wanted to understand why he was acting like a scared kitten when my attention was caught by three boys, who approached us. 

"New boy ... could you give us a moment with our friend?" said the boy in the center of the group, addressing me in a slightly arrogant tone

"For your information, 'new boy' has a name, old boy..." I muttered, annoyed by the way he addressed me so brazenly. 

The latter, along with his two friends, began to laugh after a few moments of silence, but it was obvious that theirs was a fake laugh. 

"I'm so sorry if i offended you, pal. I am Marcus Campbell III, son of Senator Lewin Campbell IX.... Nice to meet you. You are...?"  said the boy, extending his hand.

There was something I didn't like about this bastard-from the way he behaved to the way he strutted around with his father's title; I thought there was no more arrogant person than Elaine, but this idiot beat her on all fronts! At least, now she had had the decency to present himself properly!

"Erwin Eda..." I replied, without, however, shaking his hand. The idiot was a little taken aback by my gesture, but then gave me a smile, pulling back his hand.

"Well, Erwin, could you do us the favor of getting up from here? We need to talk to Oscar, if you don't mind." 

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Oscar's reaction, noting how he was very tense, more than before. I don't know what was going on, but from the moment he didn't say anything, I thought maybe he agree to talk to them; it was my first day, and I didn't want to pry into other people's problems. 

"Okay, i get it..." I said, deciding then to get up from my seat and move just far enough away to let them talk. 

"Thank you, Erwin... Oh! Let me tell you something!" - said the idiot, resting his hand on my arm, thus blocking my walk. - "You should stay away from Oscar... Haven't you wondered why he is sitting in the last row by himself?" 

In fact, it was strange that Oscar and I were the only two seated in that row, while everyone else was crammed in the front.... I also thought back to the moment when I sat next to Oscar, and how everyone suddenly looked at me differently, almost as if they were annoyed by it. 

I thought then that perhaps, Oscar had done something bad, but that puny boy did not look like he could accomplish anything bad.

"...Did he do anything wrong?"

"Are you asking if he did something wrong? Of course he did something wrong. That idiot, that dirty individual, is nothing but a miserable peasant who came to steal our place At the academy! He doesn't deserve to be here, that miserable bastard from the 16th district!" 

"...What?"

"Exactly! That one there is just a poor guy, a good-for-nothing who wants to steal our place! I told him to stay quiet and leave, but he doesn't listen to me, even though I've been so kind not to kick his ass too hard----?!"

So that's why Oscar was sitting alone? That's why when I spoke to him, he seemed almost like he wanted to run away? Elaine had told me that the people of the upper districts hated us from the slums, but I thought her words were exaggerated, although from the moment I set foot in the upper districts, the way people looked at me made me doubt a little. But this... went beyond anything I could have imagined, and the mere fact that this bastard spoke like that about Oscar made me so angry that I couldn't hold back anymore, throwing a violent punch infused with some of my mana, sending Marcus flying away from us and crashing heavily to the ground, leaving everybody in shock.

I had completely reacted out of pure instinct, and the moment my anger subsided, I finally realized the mess I had just made, triggering laughter in me due to the nervousness I felt the next instant. 

"Holy shit..." 

*End Erwin's P.O.V*