Alone In The Crowd

Lith returned to the classroom with another Warp Steps, and so the first period started with only a twenty minutes delay.

Professor Trasque winked at him with a kind smile, sending him back to his desk before starting the lesson.

The three girls had been forced to stand up alongside the chalkboard the whole time.

"There's no reason for you to get comfortable since you are going to leave us soon." Trasque had a cold smile the whole time, he seemed to be taking great joy from their misfortune.

As soon as Lith returned, the three girls were called into the Headmaster's office. Only then did the Warp Steps close and the lesson began.

"First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Jian Trasque, and I was born a commoner." He took a long pause, letting those words echo through the class, taking a mental note of whoever made a disgusted or disapproving face, for future reference.

"Back in my days, I got rejected by the Fire Griffon academy. I was forced to join the Association as a home-schooled and then worked my way up as an adventurer, until I managed to get my specializations.

My talent has been acknowledged to the point that I was offered a position as a Professor in this academy, and the Fire Griffon Headmaster got fired for being an incompetent old fool. If any of you shares his vision, feel free to join him."

Trasque pointed at the door.

"No one? Well, then let's start with the good stuff. Theory of Combat Magic, you'll be asking yourselves: what the heck does it even mean? You all are proficient in the first three tiers of magic, what could I possibly teach you?

"The answer is: how to keep you alive by revealing the true value of the severely neglected chore magic. I know, its name is horrible, but since the dawn of academies, chore magic has helped examiners to separate the wheat from the chaff.

"Have you ever asked yourselves why it was the first thing they required you to perform? Because here, inside one of the great academies, from now on you'll learn how to love and respect it with its true name: the first magic.

"First magic is the reason why a mage can live long enough to have children. Sure, is weak, but do you really believe you'd have the time for even a tier one spell if someone tries to stab you? The answer is: no, you wouldn't.

"Without first magic you would die, wasting all the time, effort, and money that your parents and the academy have invested in your formation."

The lesson proceeded with Trasque making examples of different life and death situations and how to survive by using the simple tricks of first magic.

Most of the class was furiously taking notes, only Lith and a few others of the over two hundred attendees would look around, surprised by the ignorance of their peers.

'Can you believe, it, Solus? Those noobs are actually taking notes with a frigging pen instead of water magic! Now I understand why this course is mandatory for all. I doubt many others have spent the last eight years hunting and refining their skills.'

'First magic.' Solus pondered. 'For a second I expected him to call it true magic. Most of the tricks he is explaining, you invented them back in the crib. If all his lessons are like this one, it will be quite boring.'

After two hours, the lesson came to an end.

"And that's it for the explanations. This part is covered, although less charmingly, in the first twenty pages of your book. For the next lesson, I expect you to know them inside and out, together with pages twenty to fifty.

"The best way to learn the theory behind a fight is to experience it first-hand, so we won't be meeting in a classroom again, only in the training rooms. From the fourth year onwards, you are required to get your hands dirty.

"You will study in your free time if you need to. The same stands for all classes, the first lesson is explanatory, then comes only practice. Those who don't keep up will fail and be expelled. Remember that there are no second chances, always give your best."

All the students had worried expressions. Reading and memorizing from a book to take an exam every three months was one thing. It was another thing entirely being constantly tested, day after day, pushing you to your limit.

Since the next lesson was also a mandatory course for everyone, the class wouldn't change. There would just be a short break before the next Professor arrived. Lith immediately took out the Ballot, just to stay on the safe side.

As Linjos had predicted, Lith's desk was avoided like the plague. All the students threw him looks filled with contempt and disgust, even the commoners from the last rows.

'Well, at least they all agree on something.' He thought.

Lith stood up to stretch his legs a little bit, and he noticed that wherever he went, people would make way for him, keeping themselves at least two meters (2.2 yards) away.

'That's actually pretty sweet. I wish I had a Ballot whenever the metro was too crowded or every time I got stuck in a line. He travels best who travels alone.'

Lith checked out his schedule. Professor Nalear was in charge of Principles of Advanced Magic.

'Another cryptic title. It's too bad they have yet to give us our books, or I would already have stored them inside Soluspedia. I don't have the time to read it the old-fashioned way. Damn, I hate riddles.'

When Professor Nalear entered the room, Lith's heart skipped a beat.

She was in her mid-twenties, around 1.7 meters (5'7") high. Her face had an oval shape with delicate features and her honey blonde hair with shades of purple were pulled back in a pony-tail.

She wore almost no make-up, accentuating her natural beauty. Despite her robe being completely buttoned up, it was not baggy enough for Lith's highly trained male eyes to be incapable of measuring her three sizes.

With every stride she took, he was able to appreciate her soft curves more and more.

'Wow! She is stunning!' Solus commented. 'After the swimsuit model Professor Trasque, I'd say that Linjos had quite the taste in picking the new staff, right Lith? Lith?'

Solus was worried, her host head was empty. She could only hear some kind of white noise.

'Lith, are you alive or what?' She mentally screamed, making him regain his rationality.

'Solus, I'm in trouble. The woman that just walked in is a 10/10 on my personal scale. I never believed a real 10 could actually exist in real life! And even worse, this stupid body has just decided to experience its first crush!'

Solus was flabbergasted.

'Are you crazy? Right here and now? With all that is at stake, you want to become the teacher's pet?'

'Do you think I have any choice? I know that a twelve-year-old boy has less of a chance with her than a snowball on the Sun, the problem is that my body doesn't give a damn! It was only a matter of time before hormones would screw up my teenage life.

'I need your help to keep my cool and avoid acting like an idiot. It's a lost cause, but at least we can do damage control. Please, I want to avoid shameful memories like those from high school!'

'I'll do my best.' Solus assured him, soothing his chaotic thoughts and draining the excess mental energy.

"Good morning, boys and girls. My name is Valesa Nalear, nice to meet you all."

Her voice was nothing special, but to Lith's ears it was a choir of harps and violins.

While looking around, she noticed that some spots in the classroom were packed, yet there were still lots of available seats around Lith. When she asked for an explanation, Lith raised the Ballot in his right hand.

Her upper lip curled up in an expression of disgust.

"Despicable." Her words sounded like she was trying to spit something disgusting out of her mouth.

The whole class erupted with mockery and laughter. Feeling that they had the teacher's support, many students threw some trash at Lith, despite the Ballot.

Lith felt his heart sink. All the warmth he had felt until a second ago, the silly hopes and dreams of friendship bordering on love that he had nurtured, burst like a bubble. Only cold and darkness remained inside of him, making even that pain feel good.

'That's right.' He thought. 'Do you see now, stupid pubescent body? That's what happens when you lower your guard. Wishful thinking bears only sour fruits made of tears and disappointment.

'The silver lining is that I managed to put an end to this mad crush fast, sparing me countless humiliations. I must remember it, and remember it well. Rule #1: trust no one. Always expect the worst out of everybody, and you'll never be disappointed.'

The class was still laughing, when Professor Nalear roared:

"Silence!���

When the shower of garbage ceased and order returned to the classroom, she spoke with a voice full of rage, her green eyes reduced to two fiery slits.

"I wasn't talking about him, but about you filthy maggots!"

'Or not!' Lith thought, surprised by that sudden turn of events.

She looked at the various groups of people all over the class, glaring at them with fury, while a blue aura emerged from her body, making her robe move like she was amid a storm.

Her hands moved too quickly for the eyes to see. Even Lith's heightened senses could only perceive a blur. Suddenly, one of the guys that had thrown trash at Lith was suddenly pulled toward Nalear.

He was floating in mid-air, desperately holding his neck, gasping for air.

'Isn't that spirit magic?' Lith thought, shocked. 'It closely resembles my Spirit Choke, I can barely spot any difference. Could she be a true mage too?'

"You b*stards!" She roared. "Do you have any idea what the likes of you pulled me through during my academy years?

Because I was a pretty girl and my father was just a lowly knight, you guys always tried to turn me into your plaything, harassing and molesting me every single day. But the worst abuse always came from my so-called 'girlfriends'."

Her hands moved again, pulling another of those who had thrown trash, but this time it was a fifteen year old girl, wearing heavy make-up.

"Always calling me a sl*t behind my back, spreading rumors and trying to lure me into traps to give their male friends the opportunity to 'have some fun'. And all that only because I was more talented than them, so they needed to 'put me in my place'.

"The only reason I am still alive and sane up to this day, is because I too took a Guilty Ballot!"

The two youths in mid-air had started to turn purple, their eyes shedding tears of fear and desperation.

"What's the matter?" She mocked them. "Aren't we just having fun among friends? According to your rules, might makes right. Not only am I a Professor at this academy, but I'm also an Archmage, which puts me at the level of an Archduke."

She looked straight into the boy's eyes, grabbing his throat and lifting him up with only one hand.

"That makes your father's Marquis title a joke. I could kill you right here and now, and then claim you tried to r*pe me. Not only would no one dare to doubt my word, but I could also ask for satisfaction, personally wiping out all your filthy family!"

She then did the same to the girl, her feet dangling in the air in search of support.

"And what about you, ugly b*tch? Why are you not laughing anymore? Why don't you go cry to your mommy, Duchess Baran? I want to see her face when I rip your heart out in front of her eyes and make her eat it raw as an apology for being weaker than me!"

Only when their faces turned blue from the lack of air, did she let them go, throwing them away like trash. Professor Nalear immediately conjured water, washing her hands as if touching those two could stain her very being.

'By my maker!' Solus was blown away. 'Now I finally understand! Headmaster Linjos didn't choose his staff based on physical appearance. He replaced the old professors with talented people that have been victims of the system in the past!

'This way not only is he sure to have someone that can truly empathize with the victims at his service, but also people who will never back down in front of the abuse of power. They are all hell-bent on revenge, if they cannot change the system from inside, no one can.'

Despite their symbiotic link, Lith wasn't able to hear a single thought Solus had sent to him. He watched the events happening in front of him in a daze, his mind blank, incapable of accepting reality.

"Please, marry me." He suddenly blurted out loud.