Headmaster: "You know why I called you both in here?"The Academy...
Headmaster"s office...
Three days after returning home, my school life just starts to get back on track. It"s almost like nothing changed. The only thing I really did notice is that a lot more people are avoiding me.
I expected a heroes welcome but this work fine. Seems like not a lot of people want to be friends with the guy that might"ve been infected with the "Witch"s Burning."
Kanna: "Because of Esnia?"
Headmaster: "Close… Loremaster Hugo and White Mage Achille are coming to check up on you all but that"s not why I called you here right now."
Madelyn: "Then why?"
Headmaster: "This is about your grades, Kanna and Steven."
I always knew my grades weren"t the best but I"m really screwed when it comes to history. The Headmaster had a large ledger that kept track of all the students and their recent grades. He was using it to show us where we"re at.
Headmaster: "Steven, your overall score is 59; Kanna, yours is 65."
Madelyn: "How do you let your grades get so low?"
Steven: "Absences."
Headmaster: "Your history score is at 19, Steven. Absences have nothing to do with it."
Steven: "Tch. I get it… I was raised under a rock."
Math was pretty much carrying me but 3 months" absence really has dropped my score!
Headmaster: "The Academy requires that you maintain an overall score of 70 or higher if you wish to pa.s.s onto the next year."
Steven: "s.h.i.t."
Kanna: "Steven?"
I can"t drop out now that I"ve returned to Everhand. I missed school while I was gone and now I"m remembering how difficult and annoying it can get but this Academy is my chance to live a normal life.
Steven: "There"s going to be a ton of studying."
Madelyn: "Actually… is there some kind of program where they can work at their own pace?"
Livia: "There is, Independent Studies, I"m in it and Steven was for some time too."
The Mage"s Academy…
Independent Studies…
I"m just realizing that all the spells I learned here were from Livia or Kanna and neither of them are teachers!
Livia: "There are even clubs that grant extra credits to a related cla.s.s. An example would be that alchemy would count towards science or math."
Kanna: "I could use the points for math…"
Maybe it"s possible for me to dig my way out by offering to teach Ice. Being a teacher doesn"t sound so bad.
Steven: "What if I made an enormous donation for the study of the arcane arts?"
Headmaster: "Money is not going to buy your way out of this."
Steven: "I"m talking about knowledge."
Headmaster: "I"ll have you know that your a.s.sociates would admonish you if you say something forbidden."
My a.s.sociates, also known as, "Twilight."
He"s making it sound like teaching Ice or Frost would land me in deep trouble even though I didn"t learn it through them.
Steven: "This is a Mage"s Academy, I want to learn magic."
Livia: "The Elemental Schools are your best bet."
Headmaster: "There"s a specific element you"re interested in? The Elemental Schools are performance-based. If you can prove your apt.i.tude with an element then you"ll pa.s.s."
It sounds like a walk in the park!
Steven: "Wind… I want Wind!"
Headmaster: "Are you sure that"s something you want to do? The School of Wind has a high dropout rate."
Steven: "I have a natural affinity to Wind magic. My pool of energy is sufficient and I learn quickly. Kanna and Livia can back that up."
Headmaster: "Livia?"
She smiles.
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Livia: "He"s a sponge when it comes to learning magic. I know he can do it."
Headmaster: "Then let me see your hand."
I handed him my hand and he does the usual "jab my palm with his thumb and figure out how powerful I am" thing.
So many people have done this to me that I wonder how it"s done. Is it like a needle? It would explain the jabbing.
Headmaster: "I see… you"re not lying about having enough magic power. We don"t want any consequences to occur while you"re studying."
He lets my hand go and proceeds to write in his ledger.
Steven: "No, of course not."
Headmaster: "What about you, Kanna? How will you get your grades up? You"re further ahead than Steven so joining a club and focusing on your studies would bring you well over the 80"s, maybe the low 90"s, by the end of the term."
Kanna: "Alchemy Club… I want to be an Alchemist like my mom, so I want to join the Alchemy Club."
Headmaster: "Good. Stop by my office again after cla.s.ses are over and I"ll put in a good recommendation myself."
Livia: "Headmaster, are you sure? You said it yourself that picking favorites is against what the Academy stands for."
Headmaster: "I"m helping a student that was suspected of being afflicted with the Witch"s Burning catch up on lost credits. I"ve done this with other sick students before, n.o.body is picking favorites here, Livia."
As he closes his ledger, a loose piece of paper flew out onto his desk. He realized it was a flyer for another one of the clubs and raises it so we can see it.
Headmaster: "Would either of you also be interested in the Literature Club?"
Steven: "I"m not selling my soul for poetry."
Kanna: "My literature scores are good enough already."
He puts it back down and turns his attention to Madelyn. She came with us to apply as a staff member.
Headmaster: "Now Madelyn… let me get this straight. You came not because you wanted to be a student but because you wish to be a counselor?"
Madelyn: "Yes, like Steven, my past is very convoluted. However, I studied Psychology at UCR in hopes of becoming a mental health therapist. I"m certain the Academy would benefit from a counselor like myself."
Headmaster: "You have been playing subtle mind games, I"ve noticed that. We have positions available for a guidance or discipline counselor. The way you"ve applied isn"t orthodox but I"m sure we can work things out, all things considered. I can start with a few questions and giving you a tour of the Academy."
He leans back into his chair and looks at Livia.
Headmaster: "Right, Livia, could you show Steven to Mistress Alvina"s cla.s.s and return Kanna to Miss Layne"s cla.s.s?"
Livia: "Yes, Headmaster."
Headmaster: "Good, try to get those grades up, you 2."
Steven: "Good luck, sis."
We left the office as Livia guided us up the hallway. All of the cla.s.ses were in session and we could hear the numerous teachers working in their cla.s.srooms. A lot of the teachers were covering the same topic, which showed how systematic the Academy works.
Kanna: "Madelyn wasn"t kidding about wanting to find a job. It hasn"t been a week and she"s already applying here."
Steven: "Madelyn isn"t a freeloader. I know she"ll try to use the money she"s earned to pay Yuuna for letting her stay. Either that or she just wants to live a normal life."
Livia: "She gets things done. I like her for that."
Kanna: "What do you mean by normal life?"
Steven: "Working 9 to 5, living in an apartment, paying for her living. The polar opposite of what she"s been doing for the past 3 months."
Kanna: "What if she wants to move out and live her own life?"
Steven: "I"d be happy for her… unless she does decide to go her own way and leave the group. Then I"ll be sad."
Madelyn does look like someone who wants to live on her own. Though, I know she wouldn"t forget and leave us behind; it"s not like her.
We turn a corner in the hallways and Livia stops in front of the first cla.s.sroom, pointing to the plaque by the door.
"10"
Livia: "This cla.s.s is the School of Wind."
Steven: "Wait, we didn"t walk that far."
Livia: "All elemental schools are in block with the honor students. Wait here for just a moment."
The Elemental Schools are all in block? I wonder what everyone would think if they saw me walking out of block.
When the door slid open, the cla.s.sroom looked far smaller than the theater-like room I imagined.
Steven: "The School of Wind is a smaller cla.s.sroom than I thought."
Kanna: "They"re specialized cla.s.ses, a little bit like remedial."
Steven: "Does that mean we won"t have cla.s.s together from now on, master?"
Kanna: "Kanna…"
She sighs and holds my hand.
Kanna: "I"ll see you during lunch. Just stay out of trouble until then. I"ll give you a reward if you do."
Steven: "What kind of reward?"
Kanna: "That"s a secret."
Woah…
There is no way she can be so naughty! I must be overreacting!
Steven: "R-Right, lunch. I"ll see you then."
Kanna: "Are you blushing?"
Steven: "No."
Kanna: "Yes, you are! What kind of reward are you thinking of—?"
Steven: "Food."