Chapter XCVIII - Milly (part 2)

"L-Let me go!"

"The academy will judge your fate... Until then, you are in the student council's custody."

The female said coldly at Alame, hanging in the air thanks to the roots. Behind us, I can see a group of students peeking from behind the walls. When the female turned around towards us, the group immediately ran away.

Plauren started approaching me, and I was wondering what he wanted. His finger pointed at my arms that were being cuffed, and I realized he just wanted to help.

Plauren inserted a key at my handcuff, and the handcuff got opened. After releasing my hand, I tried conjuring a fireball on top of my fingers. 

VWOOM!!!!!

Noticing that I have received the ability to use magic again, I quickly removed the fireball and turned to Plauren next to me.

"Thanks for the help."

I said to Plauren, and the guy only gave me a thumbs up. Before he could say anything, the girl behind him appeared from behind.

"Even if we don't help you, you managed to knock down two of them."

My gaze turned to the owner of the voice. The mysterious female went forward and lifted her hand forward for a handshake.

"Even without magic, you're already very strong… I commend you.

My name's Milly. Head of the student council."

Oooo… the student council president.

She's pretty strong, surprisingly.

"Rize Violet. The new g... Girl."

Was about to say the new guy, but then I realized one small fact that I'm no longer a guy. I took her hand and shook it firmly. On her upper left arm, there's a bright red armband saying 'student council'.

"They managed to punch you?"

Plauren moved his hand and touched my wounded cheek. I slapped his hand away and held my right cheek, casting healing magic. 

My hand glowed for a second, and when I moved my hand away, the wound on my face disappeared.

"... A healing mage!"

Milly said aloud.

"I'm okay, thank you. I was calm when I got the wound, but I didn't expect to not be able to use magic, though."

"Yeah, because this handcuff is actually a magic canceler."

Plauren lifted the handcuff and showed the parts.

"I don't know how she got her hands in these... They are both expensive and… illegal."

"We could always ask her that."

Plauren continued, and Milly turned to the dangling Alame that was behind them. They were chatting as two very important members of the academy, leaving me in the conversation.

"Ah, sorry. You should probably return to your dorm. If we are lucky, we will meet again, tomorrow."

Milly noticed me still listening around, and I'm glad she realized because it was getting a bit awkward.

"In that case, thank you for your help. Milly… Plaudit."

"Plaudit-?"

I walked past them and headed to the dorm, ignoring the gazes around me. I didn't bother going elsewhere because I already had my tour, and it was already getting quite late in the evening. 

Arriving in the dorm, I sat down on my bed and stared at the red marks on my hands, where the handcuffs were. My eyes turned slanted as my brain started recalling what just happened.

To think… there was a tool that can stop the use of magic…

That thing is dangerous. I must never get caught on it again. I had my magic taken away once, and I don't want it to be a regular occurrence.

My mindset was always simple. As long as I have magic, I'm safe. But, to think that there's a tool that can block my ability to use magic... 

… It's highly dangerous.

As the silence in the room, I can hear the ticks coming from the walls. I looked up, and spotted a clock.

A… 

A fucking clock...

I leaped and grabbed the clock from the wall, which is fairly two meters up on the wall above the table. I then sat back down on the bed and stared at the clock.

Oh my god… how nice it is to finally be able to see time.

But, the clock looks weird. The time it shows only goes up until ten. Which means a single day is only counted to twenty hours here. I'm not sure why that is the case, but I think it's because they split the day into ten hours. Which means, an hour is around seventy two minutes here. Unless they also used sixty minutes an hour, then that's even more confusing.

I placed the clock back at the wall. The clock says it's nine, which is fairly close to midnight. Which means, I should probably get some sleep.

But… I haven't read the guide book yet, so I went ahead and did that.

I finished the guide book in only about an hour (normal 60 minute hour), and I got some pretty good information. The class schedules are written there too, so that's convenient.

And the first class for me starts at 8 tomorrow morning, so I went to sleep right after.

Somehow, an incredibly loud noise woke me up. It's the sound of a bell, as per usual in this bell-loving world. I look at the clock, and it says five in the morning.

I checked the book again for my class schedules, and it says class starts at 8.

But somehow, I heard a knock coming from outside.

Oh god, is it them again?

I went to the door and peeked through the peeping hole. And I can see the student council chief, Milly, standing outside with her uniform on.

Meanwhile, I'm still wearing my sleeping clothes. But, I opened the door anyway.

"Wow, you look very different."

Milly commented, and I hurriedly turned to the mirror that is visible at the bathroom next to me. I noticed a few strands of hair standing using the mirror in the bathroom, and I could only chuckle after realizing my state.

"Sorry, I truly just woke up."

"It's fine. Get dressed, Rize. I'm told by the headmaster to look after you for today. Also, we have a ceremony at six."

Headmaster?

Now, this one is legit.

"I-I see..."

A ceremony... Man, how long have I missed that?

Milly then entered my room without me allowing her, and she very easily sat down at the bed.

"You seemed to like making your room comfortable."

Her eyes are fixed on the figurine of the swordsman on top of the table, and I immediately understood what she meant.

"A friend of mine once criticized me for being nonchalant about my room. And since then, I always actively try to decorate my room."

I explained while grabbing my uniform set from the wardrobe, and Milly only giggled hearing it. It was my first time seeing her laugh, and I'm wondering why she is being so comfortable around me.

She knocked on my door at five in the morning, barged into my room, and quickly commented on my figurines. Stuff like this doesn't really happen to me often, but I guess she has a privilege for being a senior.

I went ahead and took a bath, and Mily waited inside the room. After ten minutes, I exited the bathroom with my uniform on. I threw the dirty clothes to the basket that was placed under the table.

Seeing how ready I am, Milly got up and studied my appearance. She then noticed the long clothes covering my arms, which quickly attracted her.

"What's with the long black sleeves?"

"It's... to cover a really bad burn mark."

"... Oh. I'm guessing it's just adventurer stuff?"

Milly guessed as she walked towards the exit, and I chuckled while recalling what really happened.

No other adventurer could experience what I did and survived. It was a 'Me' thing, and only me would ever experience something like this. I would've answered no, but...

"Something like that."

As my guide for today, I will be following her everywhere she wants me to go, and she will guide me through the school's system. A proper guide this time, one that wouldn't end up placing a magic canceller handcuff onto my hands at a tight dark alley.

At least today, I'm not alone.