Admission Ceremony (3) - 22

Just like the protagonist, everybody's gazes immediately fell on me.

But, unlike those gazes of admiration, they were gazes that sized me up, trying to find any weaknesses.

Well, there was also the fact that I was wearing an inari mask with its smile exaggerated, but I would hope that that wasn't the only reason.

Their gazes followed me as they whispered their thoughts.

I put my hands on the apparatus, and started injecting my spiritual energy in.

A few of the cards trembled for a second, before both The Magician and The World flipped over.

Silence abounded over the training area.

"My, my, it seems like we have an abnormality here, Xion, what should we do?" (Mr. Sherriden)

"Just let'm choose."

"Alright, so what do you want 1?"

"I'd like to be sorted into the Magician's House."

"Sorted into the Magician's House!"

The newly appointed magicians clapped whilst the other houses looked on in envy.

I looked at the first rows and almost laughed at the sight.

Although I couldn't see their expressions, there were a few nobles whose necks had turned red and their veins were popping out. They were probably fuming over the fact that someone much shorter than them was the number 1 ranked this year.

"Silence!" (Mr. Sherriden)

"Number 1 will now make an announcement."

The atmosphere then changed, as everybody became curious because something like this had never happened before.

"Alright everyone, I'll keep it short, I'm a mixed blood."

Total silence, most didn't even dare take a breath.

Then, an uproar, so loud that my sensitive ears felt as if they had a knife plunged into them.

"What the fuck is a mixed blood doing up there?!!!!"

"Get down you damn bastard!"

"Son of a whore!"

"Dirty Mongrel!"

I just stood there stoically, waiting for the fervor to die down.

"SILENCE!" (Mr. Sherriden)

"Even though he's a mixed blood, he still did better than all of you. He even made it through the Train of Purgatory without using a single stigma! AND HE'S 13!"

"So stop spewing any more nonsense and move your sorry asses if you don't want him to still be ahead of you by midterms!"

That rightfully shut everyone up, as a smug smile slowly crept up my face.

"Alright, alright, I know I'm not welcome here, but you won't figure out who I am anyways when I put on my regular mask, so you just might end up becoming my friend. It's such a cute little story isn't it?"

"Well anyways, moving onto the actual topic, I've been asked by the Empress to personally hold classes for 10 of you. It'll be called Class 1: An Introduction to Fighting a Demonic Human."

"I've personally picked each and every one of you that will be in the class based on a number of factors, so consider yourselves the elite of the elite, even if you may not be in the top ten."

"So Ranks 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, Class 2 Rank 1, Class 3 Rank 1, and a special guest, you'll all be meeting up with me in training room 1 in the Class 2 area to pick your time slots for my class in two days."

"I think that was it, oh yeah! You guys can just call me Ashen and I'll recommend this to not just the 10 stated, but to all of ya'll, that you should watch the replays of the admissions exams of me and Class 1 Rank 2, it might help you achieve some enlightenment. Well, see yah!"

As I walked past Mr. Sherriden, I said, "Please inform Class 2 Rank 1 and Class 3 Rank 1 that they will have a course change."

"I'm not your messenger." He said through gritted teeth.

"Well, give the task to one of your subordinates then."

"Fine."

I was starting to like doing this as he couldn't retaliate anyways as I was under the empress' protection, and Xion controlled the mask system, so he couldn't track me anyways as I would just blend in with the other students. I also had my Skin Transformation powers too, so the chances that I would get hurt were really little, as the most dangerous part had already passed.

I clapped as I was taking my next step down the stairs.

"Clap!"

My skin suddenly turned black before bursting into butterflies that flew up towards the sky.

As everyone was busy staring at the spot, trying to figure out what I had done, I was already in my new dorm room, in the Class 1 Magician's House.

I looked around at the plain room.

"This place really needs some accessories, doesn't it?" I said to no one in particular.

'My first class is in two days, so I can spend tomorrow at the market!'

With happy thoughts, I went to bed.

...

Waking up, I quickly brushed my teeth before throwing on my school uniform.

Not wanting to use my abilities yet, I decided to run.

I quickly arrived at my destination, Market Street.

Situated in the center of the valley, it was the busiest place outside of the class areas.

Walking past stall after stall, I couldn't help but admire the products.

The rising sun also gave a good vibe to the market as I strolled around before stopping at a clothing store.

You see, although one needed to wear their school uniform and mask when they were on campus, you could wear anything you wanted in the dorms and other places.

Entering the small store nestled in the alleyway, I was immediately hit with an intoxicating smell of wood and new clothes.

I took a look at the clothes on the rack and couldn't help but sigh at the author's sense of fashion.

They had created it so that the trending clothes to wear right now were from the late 1800s in England.

So, the shop was filled to the brim with large brown overcoats and frilly dresses.

I looked around for a while before I finally saw what I wanted in the back.

It was a wizard's robe that was dyed a blackish-purple and had silver linings and silver designs.

Above it was a wizard's hat of the same color, with the same silver designs and a cross with a diamond in the middle of it hanging from the tip.

(A/N: Just look at the cover image if you can't envision it.)

As I marveled at the designs and the material, I took a look at the price tag.

...

Someone, please catch me.

I almost fainted from shock at the price tag of 200,000 Lams. (1570.25 USD)

I mean, I had been given 500,000 Lams from the empress for this month's teaching, but this was still a painful amount of money for me to pay!

'And I still need to buy a cane too...'

I quickly paid with my mask that had turned into a blank metal card, a feature that was available to all students, before quickly tossing the clothes into my watch (that has the soul gem in it) and crossing the street to the store the sold canes.

"Tinkle!"

As I walked into the store, the clerk looked up at me.

"What can I get you dear customer?"

"Any sturdy knob handle cane will do."

The clerk expertly took three canes that matched my height off the wall before presenting them before me.

"The first option is a black cane made of darkwood from the Dreary Forest. The core is made of sterling silver and the inlay is the same. It would cost you 50,000 Lams."

"Cough, cough."

"The second option is a fiery red cane made of emberwood from the Brimstone Forest. The core is made of pure gold and the inlay is made of platinum. It would cost you 75,000 Lams."

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough."

"The third option is a grayish-purple cane made of royalwood from the forest behind her majesty's palace. The core is made of Osmium (the densest metal in the world) that has been turned into a soul gem and the inlay is made of a thin layer of Rhodium (the most expensive metal in the world because of its toughness). It would cost you 150,000 Lams."

"Choke, choke."

I wiped the edge of my mouth before mournfully buying the third option.

"Excellent choice! The artisan has named the cane "Hestia" and hopes that you will continue to call it that."

After successfully paying, I hugged the cane tightly before putting it down and testing it out, using it instead of putting it in my watch.

'Why does this book's fashion have to be so expensive!' I cried out to the world, thinking that any cane would have been the same without this exorbitant price tag.

I left the store and went around and bought a few more things before returning back to my dorm.

I was now, 375,000 Lams poorer.