Chapter 10: The Letter

It's been a week after Enrollment Day, all the apprentices have waited patiently to receive a single letter from the Bozzelli Church. These letters were written by the judges themselves. If you didn't receive one, you simply didn't make it into Umeadora Academy.

The Bozzelli Church handles all Branches letters. If you plan to write a letter to a Wizard, and if that letter possesses a bad omen or a curse. The letter in question will then be purified and then track down the ordinal author.

The author will be put within custody and interrogation. Based on their motives, they may or may not be executed on the spot. While on the other hand, they may get out with just a slap on the wrist. This could happen because of a very simple reason; wizards are not perfect, they may cause harmful things towards others to the point they might have a whole nation against them.

That aside, when the letters from Enrollment Day arrive, all other letters are temporarily halted for the day. Letters from Grandmaster are absolute, they are prioritised before anyone else, even royalty.

"Where do I even go?" Eric said as he entered the church.

Inside were crowds of people, Eric looked around as he felt pressured. The church was a large building, so it wasn't like Eric was cramped. But he was in the middle of the doorway, while everyone else are interacting with each other.

"I wish Master was here..." Eric muttered.

"Already calling quits before the letters fly in?" spoke a voice.

"Who said that?" Eric turned his head around but didn't see anyone.

"Down here mate!" Eric saw a waving hand and turned his head downwards.

There stood a small man who appeared the same age as Eric. He had dirt brown hair, a pair of chartreuse-green eyes, warm ivory skin with brown freckles over his cheeks. He wore a shirt covered with soot stains, large gloves that go up to his elbows, baggy black pants, thick heel boots, and a sliver hammer strapped onto the side of his leather belt.

"Hey, there big guy! Name's Clover Thrash, apprentice of Odin Thrash," Clover said with a grin.

"Hello, I'm Eric Brace. Nice to meet you, Clover." Eric said as bowed his head.

"Woah! Don't lower head towards me, I'm no Master." Clover said as he waved his hand franticly.

Eric tilted his head and he raise it. "I know that, this is just how I greet people."

"Really? You're one oddball. Where you from?" Clover asked.

"The Dood Forest," Eric replied bluntly.

"From where?! How are you alive?" Clover said with wide eyes.

Eric shrug. "My Master raised me in the Dood Forest for six years. Without her, I would have died long ago."

"That's crazy, I bet you had an exciting upbringing!" Clover said with a wink.

"Well, if you count exploring into dangerous territories, surviving from deadly traps and trying not to get eaten whole by overly large monsters. Then yes, I did had an exciting upbringing." Eric said as he made himself to not mention the mutant operations he assisted with Solomon.

"Cricky mate!" Clover gasped.

"What does that mean?" Eric asked.

"What does what mean?"

"That thing you said before, "Cricky". I've heard that word been used before but I don't quite understand what does it mean."

"It's a kiddish way of a swear word," Clover said with an awkward voice.

"Oh. Now that makes a lot of sense." Eric chuckled.

"By the way Eric, were you going leave earlier because you were scared to see if you didn't pass?" Clover scratched the back of his neck.

"No! I'm only nervous because I don't know if I'm in the right place," Eric said sheepishly.

"Are you a wizard who participated in Enrollment Day?" Clover questioned.

"Yes." Eric nodded.

"Then good news! You're in the right place." Clover cheered.

"What a relief." Eric sighed.

"First time living in a city?" Clover asked.

Eric nodded. "Yes, it is so overwhelming."

"No doubt it is, but you'll get used to it," Clover said.

"I hope so," Eric said.

The sound of a bell echoed through the church building. Everyone went silent as their eyes turned towards a man dressed in pure white. His skin was a rich golden brown, he had raven-black hair that was in an undercut style, his sapphire eyes were sharp.

"Master Raymond?" Eric muttered.

"You know him?" Clover whispered.

"He visited my Master a few times around five years ago," Eric whispered.

"I thank you all for your patience, it is now time to send the letters to the apprentices who passed. But before I do, may I remind you all if you do not receive the letter you desire or a letter at all. You must not cause any sort of complaint or trouble towards the other apprentices around you. I do hope you all understand." Raymond said before he was given a stack of letters.

"The bronze letters!" Raymond called.

The letters left out of Raymond's hands as they flew to some apprentices.

"What are bronze letters?" Eric whispered to Clover.

"Every letter is coloured by grades, each letter is graded by the judges. Bronze means you barely made it. Sliver means you passed fine."

"And gold?"

"Gold means you passed and have high expectations from the judges," Clover explained before was given a bronze letter.

"The sliver letters!" Raymond called as the sliver began to fly.

"So I barely made it? That's sort of ironic." Clover sighed.

"What do you mean?" Eric said.

"Nothing. By the way, you didn't get a sliver letter. Are you going to leave?" Clover said.

"No, why would I?" Eric said as he tilted his head.

"Most people give after not getting a sliver letter unless you expect to get a golden letter." Clover chuckled, clearly joking.

"Of course I do," Eric said bluntly.

Clover flinched as he stared at Eric. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Eric said so casually.

Should I tell him that there's only one golden letter given every five years? Clover thought as he hastily attempted to tell Eric the truth.

"The golden letters!" Raymond called.

"What? Golden letters? But there is only one golden letter has given every five years. That's what my brother told me." Clover gasped.

"Really? Is that why people give up after not getting a silver letter? No wonder." Eric chuckled as a golden letter flew into his fingers.

"You got a golden letter? YOU GOT A GOLDEN LETTER!" Clover shouted with a shocked expression.

"Yes, I know. I told you I would." Eric chuckled again.

"It would seem the judges were generous this year," spoke a voice.

Eric and Clover turned their attention towards a young man with a golden letter in his hand, he approached them with an expressionless face.

"Because they have given two golden letters, instead of the one." the young man spoke.

The young man had short jade-black hair, midnight eyes, and vampire skin. He wore a white long-sleeved with a black vest overtop, long black waist pants and black shoes.

Eric's eyes glimmered as a smile formed upon his face. "You're Onyx Devon Bayleigh. You are the necromancer from Enrollment Day."

"Yes, that is me. Your point?" Onyx groaned.

Eric clenched his fists and jumped up and down slightly. "You are so cool!"

"What?" Onyx said as he stared at Eric blankly.

"Your magic is awesome! I'm not even surprised that you got a golden letter too! You're amazing!" Eric said with a cheerful expression.

"You are aware I'm a necromancer, right?" Onyx said.

"Of course do!" Eric said.

"Then you are also aware that my magic strongly involved around death, right?" Onyx said as he felt sweat drip from his forehead.

"Yep!" Eric grinned.

"Why are you so amazed by something terrifying like that? Do you not fear death?" Onyx said.

"What's fear?" this came out the mouth of a child who has been through so many life-or-death situations that he became immune to the fear of death.

"Are you serious?" Onyx said as his brow twitched.

"Death is nothing to be afraid of, we will all die at some point. And when we do, our bodies will return the soil and we will be one with the world tree until we are reborn again. Don't you think that's wonderful?" Eric said with a gentle smile on his face.

"Even if that's the case. What if we say you die at this exact moment, what do you think of that?" Onyx questioned.

Eric sighed with a calm smile. "I guess it would've been my time to go then."

"Are you insane?" Onyx said as he took a step away from Eric.

"Maybe? I don't meet too many sane people that often, so I simply wouldn't know." Eric shrugged his shoulders.

Onyx gritted his teeth and clenched his fist tightly. "When we enter the academy, I don't want you ever interacting with me. Not even once!"

"Through all five years?" Eric tilted his head as he frowned.

"YES!" Onyx yelled as he stormed out of the church.

"That's a shame, I wanted to be friends with Onyx," Eric said as he drooped his head.

"You probably scared him," Clover commented.

"Hmm? How so?" Eric asked.

"He's a necromancer, Eric. Necromancers are occasionally frightened of people who show no fear towards death." Clover sighed.

Eric gasped. "Really?! I had no idea."

"Don't worry about it, Onyx seemed like a jerk anyway," Clover said as he patted Eric's back. "If you want, I'll be your friend."

"Really?" Eric said with a surprised expression.

"Of course. I like you, Eric. That and you definitely need someone to help you adapt to the city life." Clover chuckled.

"Thank you, Clover." Eric smiled.