Chapter 14 - Red Hair

After buying the book of invocations, Basara soon found an alchemy store where he could buy the cauldron and the mystical ingredients. He also found the Ring of Focus there, and all these items cost the same as the book of invocations, which made him realize that, although the old store owner had made it sound like a reasonable price, in reality, a gold coin was a high value.

In any case, there was no going back. Basara would not go back two or three streets to demand a better price for the book, not least because he wouldn't even know how to bargain for a fair price.

'Perhaps it would be a good idea to study a little about this world and ask Moka a few questions when opportunities arise,' he thought as he walked.

Coincidentally, at that moment, he heard a "Blang" — the sound of the clock in the square he was passing. He looked up and saw the huge clock tower. His eyes widened in shock as he realized he was late.

"Shit! It's already 8:55!"

Basara didn't know exactly how long it would be before the academy gates closed, but at that point it made no difference — he was already late. As he ran, his uniform swayed in the wind, and the weight of the summoning book and other items in his side bag weighed him down a little. Luckily, some things he had bought, like the iron cauldron, would be delivered to his home, so he wasn't carrying them at the moment.

The Ortigia Academy was only a few minutes away from the city center, but time wouldn't wait for him to arrive. Fortunately, Basara was fast, so it wasn't long before he finally spotted the large iron gates of the academy's main entrance. The place looked empty.

'I can't be that late, right?' he thought.

There wasn't a single student in sight. The vast courtyard was deserted, and the silence only increased his urgency. He hurried along the paved path to the academy's imposing main building, a castle of Gothic architecture, with tall towers and arched windows. As he crossed the threshold, his footsteps echoed through the wide corridors. The school had a chilly atmosphere, but Basara didn't care about any of that any more, as he was so focused on not missing the second day of the semester.

He ran down a few more corridors. As he was still a complete novice and this was only his second day, he naturally got lost.

Basara felt confident that his classroom was in the West Wing, as he remembered reading that in the letter, so he passed the lute board and continued looking for his classroom. As he passed several doors that didn't look familiar, he found one that seemed to be the right one. Without thinking twice, he turned the handle and opened the door. He was ready for a hasty apology to the teacher, but as soon as he opened the door and was about to enter, he almost collided with someone.

He was ready to take a step back and apologize, but then he raised his head and that someone made his world practically stop.

Standing centimeters away from him was a girl with long red hair, shiny and silky, like the few he had ever seen in his life. Her face was white, almost pale, but her eyes were an intensely bright blue that contrasted with the tone of her hair in a way that left him breathless.

Basara felt something. It was as if an electric current had gone through him the moment their eyes met.

She was... stunning.

Basara couldn't stop his heart from racing even faster, but now it wasn't just a rush. It was the first time he had felt something similar to what he had only seen in movies.

'That can't be it, can it? What was it called again? Ah, yes... Love at first sight...'

He could barely contain his excitement as his heart continued to beat faster. Apparently, the girl was about to open the same door as him, but she intended to leave the classroom while he wanted to enter.

"Sorry!" they said at the same time, each taking a step back to let the other pass.

The moment they saw the other stepping back, they both stepped forward again. Perhaps they both wanted to be kind and go their separate ways quickly, without disturbing the other. However, they almost bumped into each other again and luckily stopped in time once more.

She laughed, and it sounded like music to him. "Sorry, I was just leaving," she said, pointing ahead.

"Oh, right!" Basara stepped aside, allowing her to leave the classroom.

As she passed, he looked into the classroom he was heading for and saw only several wooden boxes stacked full of books.

"Okay, I guess I got mixed up in the corridors..." he muttered.

"Wrong classroom?" she asked, standing next to him.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," he admitted and took a step back. His eyes roamed over her beautiful face. "By the way, I'm Basara Toujou." he said, trying to break the ice.

"Rias Gremory." she replied elegantly, tilting her head slightly. "Are you new here, Toujou-san?"

"Yes, I started yesterday and I'm a first year. And you?"

"I'm a third year... Which means you're my kouhai."

"That makes you my senpai." He crossed his arms and nodded.

Her smile widened. "It seems you're lost, doesn't it, Toujou-kun? If you're a first-year, you're in the right wing, but your classroom is on the fourth floor, not the fifth."

"Ah, so I was almost right... I was only wrong by one floor." commented Basara, laughing a little at himself.

"Don't worry. I can show you the way if you like. I don't want my kouhai to get lost again and get a scolding after the disciplinary committee." she said, putting a hand in front of her mouth and laughing briefly, just enough to make his heart race once more.

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