“Ryou, I heard? That you are dueling with Alan this time?”
Cain-sama wore a concerned expression while asking me.
This happened when the entire school cohort was present at the auditorium, before the Magic History lesson started. The normal Cain-sama would usually be with Henry-sama and it was rare for him to come find me.
Henry-sama was the upper cla.s.sman representative who did a speech at the School Entrance Ceremony.
Henry-sama was the gentleman acting with glittery n.o.bility when he gave his speech during the Entrance Ceremony as the representative for the upper cla.s.smen. Even though he might be a handsome guy from royalty and was a mage, he committed the crime of overshadowing my beautiful speech, and so, he rubs me in the wrong way.
The same handsome Cain-sama was often seen together with Henry-sama showing that they were close friends. They became eye-candy for the girls around them.
That was the same Cain-sama who came to find me regarding the duel.
“Cain-sama, how do you do? Yes, as you say, Alan and I are going to have a duel. We have not decided on the day but could you as like before, be our judge please?”
Cain-sama seem to brood over my request.
“Ryou, it’s best not to do it. Alan has since, trained his body diligently, and polished his magic skills. You will only get yourself injured.”
He spoke with worry and sat on the seat to my left calmly.
As per usual, Alan had set up camp on my right. Towards Cain-sama’s arrival, Alan flinched slightly and opened his mouth.
“C,Cain-anisama! I am not going to injure her at all!”
Oh, so you are actually afraid of getting me injured. How kind of you, boy.
Sorry but I did not plan to show any mercy so please do not hold a grudge.
“See, from what Alan said, I would be fine. I missed those times and wanted to just have some fun. Please do not treat it as a big deal.”
I sent a perfect smile to Cain-sama.
Cain-sama tilted his head slightly in frustration, but in the end, he gave his approval.
“I got it. Alan, Ryou is a girl so please do not hurt her. I shall also accept being the judge. In fact, I hope that you two do not duel without my presence. Remember to call me before dueling.”
Cain-sama softly reminded us while agreeing to be our judge.
As I have mentioned, I have not fixed a day for the duel and so, I avoided revealing the exact date. For a definite win, I have to make elaborate preparations and the environment has to carefully considered as well.
-----------------------------------
The preparations for the duel went smoothly. All that was left is to wait for the right opportunity.
As ever, just like goldfish’s faeces, or should I say, proudly as goldfish’s faeces, Mr. Alan followed me everywhere. As I made him wait for me, I realised that there was one big problem.
My first objective -- the make female friends plan has not inched forward one bit at all.
It has already been a month and I expected to have a swarm of friends by now.
Why? I ransacked my mind for the possible reasons and the only imaginable candidate was Alan.
I was always accompanied by my child and there were no opportunities for others to talk to me I suppose……
However, as much as I hate to admit it, Alan had shrewdly found himself a male friend. A spirit user, Ritz-kun. Even now, Ritz-kun was seating next to Alan. A sweet looking boy with bright brown trimmed hair.
During the magic lesson for mages in the fifth period, the rest of the regular students would attend a lesson to learn the greatness of the mages who have been cordial towards non-mages, and so, Alan and I went our separate ways. During that magic lesson, the cheeky Alan managed to get himself a friend.
Compared to me who have been hankering for a friend to this extent, Alan managed to beat me to it despite being a stalker. I wonder if it is because of something I lack…...even though I possess such elegance.
The first period’s lesson ended and the only people left in the auditorium were the first years. I looked around gently but what I got were just the, “s.h.i.t, our eyes met!” reaction from the other students.
What is it? What is with everyone? There isn’t a myth that says that staring at my eyes would cause them to turn into stone, right!?
Like, I wish this was just my hallucination but, were the other students really vigilant against me? Or in other words, I could feel fear in their eyes. But I don’t remember doing anything that warrants that kind of reaction.
Could it be that I am too beautiful……? Indeed, I devoted myself to improving my image with Kou-okaasan’s guidance but even for my hair, it was just normal oil that gave it some gloss though.
I didn’t think that my gorgeousness was so captivating that it got to the level of scary. In my opinion, there were more beautiful people in our surroundings too…...maybe they were misled by how I behaved or something……
*
After the first period ended, Cain-sama gave a bright smile and said, “Ciao!” before leaving the auditorium. Cain-sama belonged to the Knights Faculty and was a fourth-year student. He moved to the training grounds together with the other seniors who were in the Knights course.
I would have to make my decision for my course when I become a third-year student.
There are four different kinds of courses. The Knights course, Cleric course, Merchant course and the Magic course. It was compulsory for people who can use magic to take the Magic course but the others are able to make their own choices. I have yet to come down to a decision.
Since I have already acquired healing techniques from Kou-okaasan, I do not feel like taking the Cleric course. I want to join the Magic course but I can’t. Therefore, the only remaining choices were the Knights course and the Merchant course.
The Merchanting course was about brushing up on arithmetic skills and it seems that the first year and second in the course would all be on learning the fundamentals. Throughout the course, no specific skill would be taught to the levels of mastery but it feels that it was an internship for the real-life. Learning the ways of a cook, a seamstress and all other kinds of practical skills, that was where its charms lie. Kuwamaru-aniki picked up the skill of making coins in this course and from it, learned to make a dagger in the process.
However, it was mainly about learning the fundamentals and nothing but the fundamentals so it was, you know, kinda……
In contrast, there is the Knights course, and I kinda feel that building up the physical body was better. One’s muscles could never betray oneself. As the name suggests, sword techniques would be taught in the Knights course. Sometimes, horse-riding skills, weapon maintenance skills or even dissecting animals skills would be learned but, the course was technically, all about building physical strength. It was a course filled with muscle-heads.
Kou-okaasan prefers muscle-heads so she suggested that I join the Knights course.
I still have 2 years to choose so I still had lots of time to consider.
In these two years, we would be learning the basics, such as arithmetics, writing, reading, history and geography. These were all nearly part of the scope of the entrance examinations but the mages did not have to take the examination to enter the school and hence, in order to ensure the field was levelled, the school introduced this form of general education.
There were spots of illiterate children among the mages, though it was still rare.
Just a while ago, during magic history lesson, there was a student that had been selected by the teacher to read the text in the textbook but the female student was not able to read it fluently and had been nervous throughout. She was a cute student by the name of Charlotte. A freshman, just like me.
Coincidentally, she was from a pioneering settlement in the Gwyna.s.sus region. She was not born from a family of aristocrats and thus, when she was proven to be a mage, she could only pick up the basics of reading words before enrolling in school. Hence, she entered school without studying extensively. As such, there were rumours that said she got in through connections. (TN: not sure what it really means, exact sentence: そのため、色々とご苦労されているという噂だ。)
Since we shared the same roots, I set my sights on making her my friend.
She had olive brown hair that was tied into two pigtails, had black pupils and further compounded by her j.a.panese-like outfit, I could sense a deep affinity with her. My hair was blond in colour though.
I wonder if I should try to talk to her, maybe we could be friends.
B-but, I am nervous! Would saying something like that from the start be ok?
“Excuse me, I would like to be your friend!” That would come across as amazingly sudden I guess.
“If you are willing, would you like me to coach you in your studies?” Saying that would obviously make me sound too arrogant.
“A-ra, Charlotte-san, you have once again lost face during lesson time? How embarra.s.sing that you can’t even read words adequately. Could you stop doing that. You will make everyone think that this year’s batch of students are all idiots.”
Just as I was worried endlessly, Katrina Gwyna.s.sus from the top most influential clique among the current first-years, brushed me aside and spoke directly to Miss Charlotte.
An eye-catching beauty with silver winding hair. She spoke with such intensity. The Gwyna.s.sus region that is currently governed by her family was a region known for its affluence and power. The Ruby Fallen territory was next to it and could be called it’s neighbour.
I want to get along with her as well. Nevertheless, hold up, Miss Katrina.
The child you spoke to was the very person, that I had wanted to talk to. She was the very person who I had wanted to talk to after I had practiced in my head. The very person who I hallucinated talking to practice after practice!
Such a low move to s.n.a.t.c.h her like that!