Eleven - I thought I was the protagonist

After lunch in the cafeteria, Leylin followed the crowd toward a small arena inside the ship. The place was built like an amphitheater, with seats that seemed to overlap one another in three sections of rows. The air was filled with excitement and anticipation, as mages of all levels gathered to witness the competition.

At the entrance, staff members would come from the shadows as if traversing through the walls to guide the spectators.

"This way, sir." A woman bowed slightly and gestured towards an entrance on the left. Nodding, Leylin followed her through the hallways on the back area of the grandstands.

On the way there, he passed through many stores selling all kinds of food, drinks, and toys that could improve the visualization of the battle. There were crystals capable of transmitting the battles through holograms, masks that allowed one to see the battle from inside the arena as if he was a drone, and much more.

As Leylin approached his seat, the first row caught his eye. It was reserved for the professors of the various academies, and it was a lavish display of luxury. The seats were made of soft leather, intricately patterned with gold thread, and decorated with glittering gems. The professors themselves were dressed in fine robes, adorned with glittering jewelry and other ostentatious displays of wealth and status.

Women in revealing clothes and blushing served the men with fine wine and fruits, while men in similar attire served the women. Of course, it wasn't the case for everyone, some Offical Magus had strange tastes and would instead prefer those of the same sex or even those from another race.

The second row was reserved for Level 3 acolytes, and it was a stark contrast to the first row. The seats were slightly more comfortable, but still not as grand as those reserved for the professors. The acolytes themselves were dressed in robes of a similar style but made from simpler materials, giving them a more understated appearance.

Finally, Leylin arrived at his seat in the third row. It was comprised of small, folding metal chairs, which were barely comfortable. The new acolytes were all gathered here, and Leylin could feel their energy and excitement as they eagerly awaited the start of the show.

Walking through the various rows of all the sections were men in suits, they carried plaques with them that read 'Bet on a school of your choice.'

Even open gambling was allowed, the sight of which really made him sigh in wonder. Back in his previous life, such things would be frowned upon and looked at with eyes of disdain, but here, people couldn't care less about it. The mere sight of such a bloody fight was enough to lift their spirits and cause the mood to soar toward the sky. It was truly an interesting sight.

Looking out from his seat, Leylin took in the sight of the open arena. It was surrounded by walls of shimmering magic, containing the energies of the mages as they demonstrated their skills. The arena floor was dotted with glittering crystals, which glimmered in the light of the floating lamps overhead. The overall atmosphere was one of magic and wonder, as the spectators were transported to a world of excitement and enchantment.

The smell of the enticing food and the sweat of the new acolytes were like drugs in the air, adrenaline was pumping in his vein merely from being around in this cheerful atmosphere.

Thinking about it now, his lips couldn't help but twitch, that damn senior sister of his! Didn't she say it was a small competition? Why did it feel like the battle of the ages? Even a world cup didn't feel as magical as this 'small' competition.

By coincidence, he managed to spot George all the way on the other side of the Arena, he had his arms around the neck of a girl with supple breasts and a blushing face. Clearly, the fellow struck again and captured another prey with his charm.

As for the people around him, he didn't know any of them. Feeling a little bit lonely, he couldn't help but sigh. Kassa had disappeared, Lisa was nowhere to be seen, and the other members of the Furze Alliance choose different academies and took the other ships, it was unlikely for him to know anyone else here.

Just as he thought that he would have to watch the competition alone, a girl appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of him.

"S-sorry, can I take this seat?" The girl stammered as she asked.

Taken back by her sudden appearance, he looked up and was mesmerized by the sight of her eyes. Her irises were the color of golden honey, shining with an inner light that seemed to be beckoning him to dive into their depths. The moment he did so he felt like he was caught in an illusion, the world around him spun as numbers floated around him, bits and pieces of information both written and illusory, having no shape but being comprised of logic, reasoning, and understanding seemed to spin in this illusory world.

It was as if her eyes held a world of knowledge and wisdom, and the way they seemed to sparkle and dance made it impossible for Leylin to look away.

Her eyes were wide and curious, and it was clear that she was taking in everything around her with intense interest. The power contained within her eyes was palpable, and Leylin could feel as if something had stripped him naked in front of her eyes as if no secrets could be withheld before them.

Her eyes were like a gateway to the world of magic, and as she looked at Leylin, he felt like she could see straight into his soul. It was both exhilarating and a little bit intimidating, but he couldn't help but be drawn to her all the same.

"Uh, sure." Leylin finally managed to reply, gesturing to the empty seat next to him. "Go ahead."

The girl smiled gratefully and sat down, still looking around with interest. "Thank you." She said, still sounding a little bit nervous. "I'm sorry if I interrupted your thoughts, I just couldn't find any other seat."

"No problem, it's good to have someone to watch the competition with," Leylin replied, and the two of them sat in silence for a few moments, taking in the sights and sounds of the arena.

Finally, the girl turned to Leylin and said, "By the way, I'm Marceline. What's your name?"

"I'm Leylin." He replied, and the two of them smiled at each other.

Secretly, he was pondering about what had happened earlier. This girl was probably the weirdest existence he had ever met since being reborn in this world. He could understand Oficial Magus having a strange effect on the world and the people around them, but what about her?

The illusion he saw earlier was definitely real, and it probably had something to do with her eyes.

But he couldn't understand, something like that... wouldn't it make her the prime subject for experimentation? Why would the lord magi even allow someone like her to exist? 'This type of individual carrying a special ability... could it be that it's more common than I think?' No, he shook his head, if it was indeed the case, magus wouldn't be reputable for doing horrible experiments with people to discover their secrets, it must be something else...

While caught in his thoughts, he barely noticed when the host of the competition appeared. He was a man wearing what looked like a tuxedo, carrying a cane in his hand and a hat covering his face. Raising both hands, he chanted something obscure that was impossible to understand. The sound of the crowd was instantly muffled and only his voice could be heard throughout the arena.

"Welcome! Ladies and gentlemen! It's my honor to announce that the Rite of Passage has started! This time, the competition will involve Ennea Ivory Ring Tower, Mercifura Academy, Wetland Gardens Academy, Hand of Femke, and Eldrida's Conclave Academy! We will begin with the newly recruited Acolytes of each side before proceeding with the Level 3 Acolytes that accompanied them during their journey! As always, may the best academy win!"

As those words were said, sound returned to the arena, followed by the thunderous applause of the crowd.

"I-incredible! So this is Sonic Shroud! I never expected it to have such an incredible mechanic behind it!"

The one who exclaimed at the end of the speech was the girl sitting next to him. Curious he raised an eyebrow. What was she talking about? Does she know the name of the spell used by that magi? But... wasn't her a new acolyte as well, how could that be possible?

"You seem oddly familiar with it."

Hearing Leylin's words, Marceline blushed slightly and retracted her neck almost like a turtle trying to hide inside its shell. Swirling the strands of her on the left side of her face with her finger, she spoke with her eyes lowered. "H-hm, that's correct. I have read about it in my family library. Sonic Shroud is a spell for public speeches that can be used once you reach the level of a Rank 1 Official Magus.

"This spell works through the manipulation of air pressure within an enclosed space. By controlling the movement of air molecules, the spell creates a localized area of low pressure which muffles sound from reaching the surrounding areas. At the same time, the spell enhances the sound of the caster by directing air molecules towards their voice, amplifying it."

Hearing her explanation, Leylin's eyes opened wide as he stared at the host who had just used the spell, what the heck?! Spells had already reached such an inconceivable level of complexity? He never that the science behind a Rank 1 spell would be so advanced to the point where it would even mention air molecules and the manipulation of air pressure, moreover, to achieve this level of control, it can be seen how well-developed the sciences were in this world! It's no wonder that mages were the equivalent of scientists if knowledge directly gave someone power.

"Eh, but there's something wrong here, you mentioned the mechanic behind it. What does that have to do with the explanation you just gave me?" Leylin gave her a suspicious look, his eyes focusing on hers as a theory slowly brewed in his mind.

"Oh, that... You see, my full name is Marceline Lumineux..."

Hearing those words, he gave her a quizzical look. Was that supposed to mean something?

Seeing his confused look, Marceline let out an 'oh', how could she have forgotten? He was someone born and raised on the Chernobyl Islands, of course, he wouldn't know anything about her or her family. Smiling apologetically she gave a more detailed explanation.

"I descend from one of the three main families backing Ennea Ivory Ring Tower, the Lumineux, also known as the House of the Obsidian Gaze. Our family has a long history. A thousand years ago, our family was founded by a Morning Star Magus whose name was lost to history, the biggest inheritance he left behind was those eyes... We believe that he used to specialize in Transfiguration, which was how he crafted them and made it possible for it to be passed down through the bloodline. It allows me to do many things, but the most interesting is to see the magic through another perspective, I can see the mechanics behind the spell, and how it manipulates the world... for you the sound might just have disappeared, but I saw the lines, the circles, the changes in the wind and how it was all connected."

Hearing this bombastic information, he looked at her speechless. "You! Do you go around telling your secrets to everyone?!"

Tilting her head, it was her turn to be confused. "What do you mean? It's not a secret, we are very well known in the light faction."

Hearing this, Leylin couldn't help but cough in embarrassment. It turns out that he was really a bumpkin... To think that it was common knowledge... sigh... If the original Leylin had chosen this academy, he would have probably been underwhelmed by the countless genius in it. Gulping he couldn't help but secretly pray, if anything, he hoped he wouldn't have to compete with many people carrying the template of a protagonist, his weak heart wouldn't be able to withstand so much stimulus.