When Did I Become a Hidden Young Master?

After leaving the cafeteria, I headed back to my dorm and went to bed. It had been a pretty uneventful day, however after being brought to a new world I had accumulated a bit of stress. The new world truthfully scared me, it was vast and filled with the unknown. The prospect that my future carried a certainty of battle instilled a sense of urgency. I needed to get stronger, and quickly because the world would not wait for me to get on an even playing field. 

Today's events played through my head as I slept, and I had pleasant dreams of causing trouble throughout the years. 

****

When I woke up, I felt as though I had the best sleep I have ever experienced. I lay in my bed, savoring the feeling of the soft silk sheets of the bed, which was a whole new experience. The dorm rooms were relatively small, only consisting of a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. The bright side, however, was that the rooms were all high quality. The beds were soft, the bathrooms lavish, and the kitchen was fully stocked with nutritional ingredients. Students were able to cook for themselves, and if they ever ran low on groceries they were able to request more from their dorm supervisors. All in all, it almost felt as if I were on a cruise vacation, and it made me feel like skipping class to stay in bed.

However, after another five minutes of indulging, I forced myself to get up from my soft bed. Being a shut in would have to wait, I needed power before then, or money. With enough money, I could just hire strong people to protect me. As I became distracted by the splendors of money, I finished getting ready. 

My outfit was my white and black school uniform, with a golden trim. I felt very spiffy, and was feeling good about my looks. I hadn't looked at myself in the mirror until today, so I didn't realize how I was actually pretty handsome. I looked really good in my school uniform, so I walked with a new-found confidence. As I walked, I saw other students who had obviously stayed up late the night before, celebrating their admission into the academy no doubt. However all I saw were hungover faces and a lot of lethargic bodies. 

I wasn't interested in drinking personally, I had experienced enough of the party culture of teenagers in my previous life, that I now placed more value in quality time spent with others. I ignored those people, and continued walking towards the assembly hall. Along the way I spotted a black escalade driving along the street, which surprised me because I thought that personal vehicles weren't allowed. 

However I simply ignored it, until it began to look like it was coming towards me. It slowed down next to me, and the fully tinted window slowly rolled down. 

"Want a lift?"

It was Aria.

I stood surprised for a moment, until the stares I was receiving became too much to handle, so I simply nodded and entered the car.

"I thought students weren't allowed to have personal vehicles in the academy? So how do you have one?"

I asked, as the car smoothly drove past the other students, who were already spreading rumors about who was in the car.

"I'm a bit special. I have a... 'long' history with the headmaster."

I simply nodded and didn't probe further. Aria was not really a friend of mine, so I just sat in silence unless she talked to me. After a few minutes comfortable driving, we arrived outside the assembly hall. The man who was with Aria opened the door for us, and while Aria walked in with me, he parked the car. Aria and I walked into the hall, finding a pair of seats towards the back, managing to find a quiet area away from others.

"I hate these stupid assemblies, they always just say the same thing and could be done without all the talking. Plus the smell of all these people... So many of them still smell of throw up."

Aria was pinching her nose and covering it up with a handkerchief. I sniffed the air but I didn't smell anything. I took this moment to use my privilege for the first time. 

[Name: Aria Rasputin]

[Race: Origin Vampire]

[Perks: Potential Discerning Sense]

Hm, it isn't a lot of information, but it truly is better than nothing. I had a hunch she was a vampire, just based on her complexion, but the enhanced smelling she just eluded to confirmed my suspicions. The assembly began, and I noticed a light snoring coming from my side, I turned to see Aria sleeping in her seat. The man who I think is her underling, was sitting next to her with a pillow on his shoulder. It seems that he expected this. 

Anyways, as the speakers on stage kept rambling, I began to use my system to inspect the students one by one. Many of them had no perks to speak of, and were of the major races.

Until I laid my eyes on one person who looked incredibly unassuming. 

[Name: Julia Fredricks]

[Race: Gnome]

[Perks: Great Inventor]

'The girl is a gold mine in the making. If I can recruit her early, and support her, she would make me millions in the future... I'll talk to Aria after she wakes up, see if she wants to believe in me since she has the ability to sense someone's potential.'

I stared at the little gnome a few rows ahead of me. She was barely noticeable and from her body language she seemed to be someone with low confidence. Perhaps she didn't know of her gift yet. If that was true, it would be even easier to gain her trust. I began to concoct a plan to 'run into' her, and introduce myself. 

"And so, to wrap things up, I look forward to seeing all of you grow into amazing future heroes. Remember to enjoy your time here at the academy, and remember you are teenagers so embrace your youth!"

The lady on stage was the headmaster, the one who apparently is friends with Aria. I decided to inspect her from a distance.

[Name: Maria Gregori]

[Race: Half Vampire]

[Perks: Sanctuary Magic]

'Half Vampire, I think I see the connection now. Manipulating Aria might prove to be useful in the future, but I did have a clear obstacle. For a while, I noticed that the man next to Aria was incredibly wary of me.'

I decided to play a small prank.

I began to softly hum, just barely audible at first, and slowly rising in volume with the increase in intensity. I willed my magic to make the man fall asleep.

This continued for a while, until finally.

"Mm, don't bother Noctus. Andrei here is a ghoul, he is immune to enchanting magi-"

*Snore*

With a look of surprise, Aria noticed that Andrei had indeed fallen asleep. She looked at me with a hint of fear in her eyes.

"How are you able to enchant him?!"

Aria was deeply inspecting me, when a look of realization glossed over her face.

"Come with me, we will talk more in the car. Also we will head to the club immediately."

I was then dragged away by the little girl before me. I also felt from her grip that her strength was several times that of mine, which hurt my pride when I looked at how she barely reached my chest. Andrei ran ahead, trying to make up for his mistake earlier of falling victim to my magic, and already had the car waiting at the entrance of the assembly hall when we arrived.

We both entered through the door Andrei opened, and after closing the door Aria began to speak.

"You're not human, are you Noctus?"

I simply looked at her with a threatening look. 

"I'm not interested in hurting you or our working relationship, I think you're more useful to me if you are doing it through your own volition... Ah!"

She then looked me deeply in the eyes.

"You're a siren, but don't worry! I have no need for money, and I have heard thousands of your kind perform. I have no need to keep you as a personal singing tool... Instead... Your magic, it's incredibly powerful. Truthfully, enchantment magic is not respected, simply because the output is typically low and it is easy to gain resistance against it. But you, you were able to pierce Andrei's natural resistance, which has been considered immune for millennia, as if it was nothing."

Aria's face was slightly flushed, as she had been speaking with such excitement for the whole time, that she even had to catch her breath slightly. 

"I want to keep my race a secret. Although you have no desire for me, it doesn't mean that others won't... And I don't know how strong my race's magic is supposed to be, since I don't know any members of my own race..."

"Let me confirm for you your power: I have never met a siren who's magic was as potent as yours. Also... I want to ask you something out of curiosity, feel free to not answer: the other day, in the cafeteria, Riley Finch. That was you wasn't it?"

I looked at her quietly, before slowly nodding my head.

"I... Want to trust you. So I will reveal two things to you, that are incredibly private."

When I said this, I looked towards Andrei in the front seat. To which Aria responded.

"He is trustworthy, and as I said he is immune to enchantment magic, so his memories are safe."

"Okay... I am able to see information about people. Such as, I know your true race, and I know your gift..."

Aria's eyes then flashed with a hint of killing intent. However she shook her head and resumed her normal demeanor. 

"It is incredible that you are able to see such information, however I have to warn you that like your race, if others were to discover mind it could lead to a giant war. So best keep that information to yourself, okay?"

"Okay, I don't need to know the details, just that it needs to be kept secret. Also, my eyes are special. I am able to use a unique magic that can induce madness. The boy was annoying me, so I thought I would teach him a lesson."

"Annoyed you? Hahaha, you aren't as thick skinned as you appear. Okay, thank you for trusting me, I will trust you more from now on as well. I think, we can do a lot together. I wonder though, do you have any qualms about manipulating people? I can make sure you're handsomely rewarded."

Morals? I had abandoned those already. I think that the only reason why I was morally respected was because I was restricted by the law. In this world, however, I had not only the strength to do what I want but also the strength to do so without being detected. 

"I don't have any problems. All I want is to live an easy life and make a lot of money. That's the whole reason I am even working for the House."

Aria nodded, as if she understood the pursuit of money very well. Since her identity as a vampire was already known, she allowed me to ask questions about history and the various people she has met. 

"The headmaster? She's someone I met in a village that was razed by war. She was on the brink of death, and I saw immense potential in her so I turned her. She didn't want to endure the full burden of immortality, so she opted for a half transformation. It is curious though, how her magic seemed to cater to the one desire she had most: to be able to protect those around her... However magic doesn't work to our wishes, or desires, it is purely innate. It is fun to think of them as more than coincidences."

"Hmm, it is interesting I guess. Also, there was a girl I saw earlier, who will be worth investing into. Her name is Julia Fredricks. If you're interested, you can become her backer while I work on pulling her to our side."

"Haha! 'Our side'. You speak as though we are some evil organization."

"Are we not something similar? The Pleasure House is simply a front is it not? You clearly employ members of the 'dark' races, which is illegal, so the House has it's own secrets. It doesn't matter too much to me, again I simply want to make money. Speaking of, you have money right? Buy me dinner. School food is okay, but it isn't the same as those expensive restaurants."

"Sigh, you're so greedy, all you care about is indulging yourself."

"Fine. If you manage to impress the owner of the House, I'll take you somewhere nice."

Aria had an amused look, while I simply began to look on my phone at the reviews for the restaurants. I wanted to make sure I chose a good place. After a while, I had made up my mind to go to a steakhouse, just in time as we arrived at the House. 

It was a large building that looked very similar to a theater on the outside. Once inside, the first floor was a high class bar with many girls of different races walking around as cocktail waitresses, while we walked past them I felt the eyes of many patrons fall upon Aria.

"Disgusting..."

I whispered under my breath. In their eyes, she was simply  an underaged teenager, and they were eyeing her like prey. It disgusted me. Any feelings of guilt I felt about manipulating people like this, disappeared. I would rob these people of all their belongings if given the chance. 

Aria smiled at my words, even though she was a person who lived countless centuries, she was glad to see someone still consider somethings sacred or off limits. We walked past the main floor, and made our way to an elevator, which would take us to the second floor. The second floor was styled around a parlor look, however there was a large stage at one end. All the seats and tables were surrounded by walls and fully tinted glass, allowing whoever was inside to have complete privacy. The rooms were clearly soundproof as well, because as we walked by I heard nothing from within.

The rooms were reserved for our VIPs, but only of the entry level. The true VIPs were taken to our third floor, where the entertainment selections were... exotic to say the least. Not all legal either. 

We approached the stage, and saw a large woman in an all black dress sitting in a lavish velvet colored couch. Without turning her head, she spoke to us. 

"Aria, is this the golden goose you were speaking of so highly?"

"It is. He is more exceptional than I originally though, I would like to recommend him to become a core member."

At the mention of the recommendation, the lady finally turned to look at us, turning her attention away from the stage for the first time.

"Interesting, and you understand what has to be done if he fails to impress?"

"Yes, I am prepared, and confident."

The woman smiled.

"Okay, get up there and do your best. I heard you can sing."

I took one last look at Aria, because from their conversation I realized my life was on the line. I sat atop the stage, on the single chair that was there, and began to channel my mana. 

I decided on a powerful emotion. The feeling of being enamored. Not in love, exactly, more infatuated than anything. The feeling of yearning someone, but someone you can't have. So I began to sing a song by a known Casanova: Frank Sinatra. 

"Fly me to the moon~"

As the song continued, my mana continued to pour out. From my estimations, I should have lasted to the end of the song, however my mind was becoming clouded.

As I tried my best to hold on to the end, I noticed the guest begin to come out of their rooms, no longer caring about privacy. Simply wanting nothing more than to hear my voice, unobstructed, and to get closer. The VIPs began to fill the seats around the lady of the House. 

The leady herself? She was standing and leaning against the stage itself. Her eyes were closed, and she was swaying gently with the music. I knew I had already passed her test, but I wanted to give a good performance regardless.

So I began to ween my mana supply, slowly reducing the enchantment effect, to make the audience appreciate it even more after it was gone.

The result? A standing ovation from the entire floor. Many of the patrons rushing the lady to ask her about me. I had been escorted behind the stage already, by Aria, to maintain a sense of mystery and anticipation for my future performances. 

"Well done kid, you know how to enthrall people with a performance. Let's go to the top floor and wait for the owner up the-"

I didn't end up hearing the rest of her sentence, because I promptly collapsed and fell asleep. I had exhausted my mana reserves and passed out from it.