Chapter 2

Before the young ten-year-old was a huge facility that gave off a castle-like feel.

It was a plot of land given to an aristocrat and a great sorceror by the name of Raufid, a sage who sought to expand the understanding of magic. To have built an entire academy to service the public and cultivate the potential magi of the world, the place was worshipped as a sacred ground to a couple of notable figures of the world.

He wasn't used to such a classy sight. With much hesitation, Katachi entered the building after receiving a leery glare from the gardener. As he set foot into the grandiose hall, his eyes locked onto the first thing he saw – The great interior of the academy.

The elegant, strange design of the place appalled him. The chandeliers were shaped irregularly and some had magic seals on them he would identify if not for the distance between the ceiling and his face. The pillars were not straight ones that normal people used to support buildings, and they twisted and spun in such wayward directions it seemed as if the building was the one supporting them. An orange rug was laid out in the center almost beckoning 'Right this way, guest of honor'.

At a small corner of the eloquent view was a familiar existence that ruined the entire flavor of that wonder.

"Hah. I didn't think an orphan like you would be allowed to attend this school."

He remembered that voice. That accursed and all-too-familiar voice brought him much suffering. There were three people in Mielfeud that constantly picked on him.

The first was Juval, a big brute who was the raw strength of the three. He would grab Katachi by his ragged cloth shirt and drag him to a dark alley. To the pygmy-like Katachi he was a juggernaut who handled the poor child roughly, although he was never aggressive and abusive as his size suggested. He had been here at the academy once, only to be sent back to Mielfeud as a labor man because he wasn't adept at magic.

The youngest was Zirco, the scheming brains of the group. He wasn't necessarily bad, but his mouth spewed forth the lies and slander that garnered the spite of others. He had probably been here at the Sage Raufid Magus Academy for about a year since he was two years younger than Juval.

And the lone figure before him was the savage one in the group who would hurt him physically and mentally, the one who wrought strength from companionship and took pride in whatever superiority he could eke from the shambling Ohdean figure.

K: "Hello again, Dante."

D: "Don't talk to me in such a friend-like manner! You're just a bastard child unwanted by your parents!"

Katachi clenched his fist tightly and took a few short breaths to calm down before relaxing his grip.

K: "I have no reason to take your humiliation here."

D: "Hah! Are you a coward?"

Katachi remembered Mother Rin's words in his heart – They were still immature, so their acts differ little from a fool's. He saw no reason to be dragged into Dante's pace. With that preceding his baseless insults Katachi walked up the steps towards the second level.

D: "You'll never be able to use magic. You'll be sent back to Mielfeud and live the rest of your days as a lame and dirt-poor priest! You'll always be a coward who's all talk and no action! Get back here, you little shit!"

"Shut up!!"

It seemed as though a teacher felt disturbed by Dante's actions and was now scolding him for misbehavior. The teacher placed some sort of seal on the magic circle at the top of his arm, most likely for misconduct or something along those lines.

K: (This is new. The adults actually stood up for me.)

He had never received such treatment from a stranger, not even once. To the child, it was a shock that he was defended by someone else, much less cared for. It made him shudder that he was denied of such overwhelming protection until mere moments ago.

*** ***

"Good morning, child. What's your name?"

Before him was a strange man who stood out from the other faculty. He wore a crisp green fancy uniform with a white under-shirt and red tie. He had a peculiar hat made out of a strange green jelly-like material shaped into a top hat. From what he could remember those beings were called Slimes.

Soft, brainless and resilient towards physical trauma, it was an obscure animated blob which did not share the anatomy one would expect of a living creature. Why the man before him was wearing one as a hat, though, was beyond any realm of reasoning Katachi could surmise.

But it fascinated him. Such a strange creature told of only in the books of old, from a time where monsters existed, sitting there quietly in its own little world... And yet, the terrors it could induce. It was best to leave it be.

K: "I'm Katachi. Kotsuba Katachi. I... turned ten just a week ago."

"A new student, aren't you?"

In his hand was a strangely-shaped snack that resembled a lizard of sorts roasted over a flame and eaten out from its belly.

K: "Is… Is that a newt on a stick?"

"My, how observant. Most students here don't even know what a newt is."

He licked his lips and took another bite from the abdomen. The right leg of the newt snapped off easily as he pulled the stick away from his face. It made a squishy, chewy sound within his mouth which gave Katachi a good number of goosebumps.

"That astuteness will definitely help you in becoming someone great one day. Right then, your perceptual ability aside. Do you have anything to show me?"

K: "I... I do."

Hearing Katachi stammer was not something people heard often. On the other hand, as he was constantly oppressed since young Katachi lacked social interaction with many, aside from Mother Rinnesfeld. It was understandable how he panicked speaking to others.

K: "But... Could you get the teacher standing there to go outside first, please?"

Most students upon meeting a stranger would be jittery if they performed poorly on a first impression. However, Katachi was nervous for a different reason.

"Feeling pressured from eyes watching you? I understand. Take your leave, Yorn."

With a grunt, the huge teacher with a large upper torso squeezed his way through the small space and left the room.

"What could be so important that no others are allowed their eyes upon?"

Katachi's hands felt cold. He extended his palm and approached the desk with it.

K: (Should I do it? He's suspicious, but he seems pretty broad-minded seeing how he just readily accepts me being observant. It's... It's a gamble. Okay. Here goes.)

With a mere thought, a glowing golden character was formed on it. A small amount of smoke appeared from the book right next to the character.

*** ***

"That was a marvelous display, Mister Kotsuba. That kind of power can get you into the best class easily; in fact, you might not even stay in this school for long if you keep growing at this rate."

Katachi was kind of happy at being called a 'mister' but it was not the time to be elated.

K: "I don't want a 'best class', actually. I want a curriculum that can maximize my own potentials."

He uttered it with flawless replication of Mother Rin's words.

K: "The best is a standard set by the one who has achieved it. I would want something to be set for me, not by someone I could never become."

The man's eyes widened a little as he nodded in agreement.

"Interesting. You truly are interesting, Mister Kotsuba. Most children would blindly go for the 'best class' because it offers the greatest diversity in finding their own affinities in magic, but it seems you have your heart set on what you already own, no?"

K: "Yes."

Katachi felt kind of glad to be around the strange man – He was unusually comfortable to talk to, despite dressing in such an awkward manner.

"I understand. Here is a magic circle indicating your official registration into our school."

The green-attired man snapped a glove snugly over his left hand and placed his palm on top of Katachi's arm. A slight burning sensation was felt and a circle was tattooed onto his skin.

"I really love it when students wear clothes as ragged as these. It may be chilly in the long run, but that beats having to roll up your sleeves to place these magic circles. Convenience is a luxury, as they say."

Katachi shrugged his left shoulder a little bit to get a better look at the newly-added seal.

K: (Maybe he's part of the administrative staff or someone of great authority if he can do something like that.)

"Don't worry. That seal identifies you as an Academy student. It wears off when you leave this area and vice versa."

A simple magic circle with markings he did not recognize. Though he felt some discomfort on his skin, there were no marks or scars from the act. He quietly wondered the nature of the spell after deciding against it.

K: (At least it's not permanent or anything.)

B: "In any case, welcome to the Sage Raufid Magus Academy! I'm your principal and the descendant of Sage Raufid, Bertund. There's magic all over the corridors and walls so you just need to close your eyes, think of your destination and walk forward naturally. It will guide you directly, so there's no need to be afraid of getting lost."

Bertund wagged his finger around as a gesture to represent the magic's assumed omnipresence.

K: (It was kind of obvious that he was the principal, now that I think about it. He asked the teacher to exit the office. That means the office belongs to him since he didn't invite me out to talk.)

B: "The magic is unlocked only during the day and it is fixed at night, which means even if you try to sneak out during curfew you'd be redirected back to your room. Enjoy your stay here, Mister Kotsuba. I'll be heading back to work now, so if you need anything just imagine my attire and you will know how to get to me."

K: "Okay."

The circumstances of his unusual attire began to make sense. If there were ever a dire need for his audience finding the green man would be easy.

B: "One last thing – Take it easy just for today and wander about the school, enjoy the scenery, remember the places if you have to. Walking and admiring without thinking of where you want to go is the secret to countering this magic. You'll receive your timetable soon, so enjoy yourself until then."

With a wave, he invited Yorn back into the room and closed the wooden door with a gentle click.