[Matthew]

Almost all the students taking this math course, had already all the requirements to go out in town to look out for a way out of the orphanage, so if they are not helping with the younger kids they should be getting ready to go out.

Miss Cleo not being here is not surprising, she’s always running all over the place to get things done. It’s not like she’s the only adult in charge, but she’s definitely the most active one.

For my part, I should be going in my way to help on some chores. I’m not really sure what I was supposed to do today, but it wasn’t a thought that crossed my mind in this exact moment. I had something else in mind.

The hooded girl had me pinned against the wall, holding me tightly from my shirt and glaring at me with not exactly friendly eyes. Not a good position to be in.

She is a head taller than me and a lot stronger too apparently. I had already tried to get free from her. Not the smartest choice. One should know when to pick a battle, and this wasn’t that moment at all.

“Talk” The first words she said. Her voice was soft, a little low, and especially threatening. I felt a chill down my spine.

“What do you want to know?” I said not afraid. Or at least I hoped it didn’t show on my face.

Her grip on my shirt strengthened “How did you know I was a beastkind? What did you do a while ago?... What are you going to do now?” Her voice started strong, but with her last question her voice starred a little.

Her second question was related when I used my ability on her. I wanted to know her potential, but she apparently sensed I did something, because the next thing I knew I was already against the wall.

Her potential was just too great, she will definitely become an influential person in the future. I wanted to make her my friend by all means. Which brings a problem I hadn’t thought before, how do I make friends?

I don’t remember nothing about my interactions with friends or family from my previous life, and in this one, the people I could call something close to a friend are some of my roommates, and it’s not like I put any effort at all in interacting with them, it just kind of happen. Maybe if she becomes my roommate she would be my friend eventually, with time and stuff. But she’s a girl, Miss Cleo wouldn’t allow it.

My thoughts were interrupted by a certain someone, who shaken me up a little bit “Answer me!” She said with an angry tone.

I had no choices “Would you like to be my friend?” Yep, a direct approach, ignoring her questions and hitting her with something else. In the absence of a better plan, it’s better to just go for it. I think. Maybe I could have thought of something better if this fox girl were not in a hurry. I was getting somewhere with the roommate idea.

Her eyes showed surprise, but her wariness took over immediately “What are you…”

“What is happening here?!” Another person appeared, it was Camille. I don’t know if her timing was good or bad. It has yet to be seen. She walked towards us and stood close with her arms crossed in front of her. She wasn’t as tall as the fox girl, but she tried her best to look intimidating anyway.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m just getting to know Luna here” I introduce the fox girl to Camille. Her name was something she hasn’t told me before. She loosened her grip over me and the surprised look she had when Camille arrived, turned to a confused one “So, do you need something Camille?” In this moment, I was already free of the grasp of Luna and tried my best to act like everything was ok.

The ‘intimidating’ figure of Camille relaxed and focused on me “I was looking for you. Miss Cleo said there was someone looking for you”

Who could be possibly be looking for me? I knew no one outside from here, the only person I’ve ever known who don’t live here would be that church woman. But she has no reasons to look out for me. I was 1-year old at that time, and she had already run an affinity test on me.

“Do you know who is looking for me?” I asked, hiding my doubts and thinking some excuses just in case I need to escape from here.

“No, I don’t know. But it was an old looking man. Maybe some merchant who’s looking for a young apprentice to help him out“ She wondered for a while, and then in an instant she reacted “Whatever! Let’s go!” She took me by my hand and started to drag me along with her.

Not a fan of being taken this way, but at least I was relieved that it was not someone from the church the one looking for me. They tend to wear a certain type of clothes, so if it was one of them even Camille should be able to recognize them. I was really counting on it.

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“Wa…Wait!” The fox girl called me out before we moved out from the room. She was still in the same place, clearly confused on what she was supposed to do.

“Don’t worry, when I’m finished I will look out for you and we’ll talk more, ok?” Just before going out I glanced once more towards her and whispered “I will keep your secret I promise” If what I heard about the beastkind is correct then she should have been able to hear that.

Once we were out in the hallways I could see much more movement compared to before. It was time for the majority of classes to start. So, many older kids were leading the younger ones towards their classrooms.

“Matthew” Camille called me. She was looking ahead, still holding my hand, and quickly advancing thru the other kids.

“Just call me Matt” It was awkward if she called me like that, no one except the adults call me Matthew.

“Matt… are you sure it was everything ok with Luna?” She asked me

Even if she’s just a kid, it seems that it will not be that easy to fool her “Miss Cleo asked me to get to know her. It went a little bad at the beginning, but when you arrived we were getting along pretty well” I said. At the end, the best lies are the ones with some mixed truths.

“Yeah, she asked me the same thing… Matt just be careful with her, ok? I know we just meet today, but I wouldn’t like something to happen to my little math teacher” She said with a little smile.

Luna was clearly a suspicious person, there were not that many kids who covered their body with a lot of clothes to that extent. Besides she wasn’t the most approachable girl here. But, why would be Camille suspicious of her? I don’t want to overestimate my great talent to read people here, but I thought that she wasn’t the cautious kind of person.

“Why? Do you think she’s dangerous?” I really wanted to know. If someone suspect her, she could be in real danger. A beastkind girl among many human kids who lost their family and beloved ones against her kind, would not be too nice.

At that time, we were already outside our destination. Miss Cleo’s office. “I don’t know. But Brook thinks she’s hiding something and he’s not usually wrong” She said and then just waved me goodbye and walked away in a hurry, like she had something to do.

I should alert Luna about Brook, the little I know about him makes me believe he is the kind of person who will investigate about something until he’s satisfied about it. But more important than that, I was really happy that I was right about Camille’s character, she wasn’t a wary person just like I thought.

Getting over myself. I concentrated on the matter before me. I knocked the door and waited until I heard someone’s voice telling me to enter.

Inside the room, there was the always beautiful Miss Cleo. She changed her clothes, before she was wearing a plain shirt and pants, now she was wearing a nice white shirt with long sleeves, and a long green skirt. It really showed her nice figure. Besides her was a middle age man, his looks and plain clothes made me think he was just a normal citizen, there was nothing remarkable about him.

 “Welcome Matthew, please come I want you to meet this person” Miss Cleo indicated to the man besides her “He’s Carl Blosom, an enchanter”

I felt relaxed. After Camille’s description of the guy, I didn’t expect nothing bad, or so I thought, because the relief I was feeling told me otherwise.

I went close to him, and presented myself “Hello Mister Carl, I’m Matthew. It’s a pleasure to meet you” The custom in this world when meeting an older person is to give a light bow. Which I did right now.

“Oh! This kid has some manners!” He said towards miss Cleo.

“Of course, little Matthew knows how to behave himself” She smiled at me

“There should not be any problems then” He said, and then turned his attention to me “Look boy, I’m looking for someone to help me out in the shop I will be opening in this town, someone to learn the art of enchantment… I’m not interested in taking care of you or anything like that. You will not be living with me” He emphasized, and then pass me a paper that he had in his breast pocket.

Thanks to our eye contact I was able to get basic data about him. There was almost no new information, but it was reassuring nonetheless. I could activate my ability and get to know more about him, but after my experience with Luna I decided to withdraw from doing so.

“I’m basically offering you a job” He explained, and then indicated to the paper in my hands “The paper I just give you is a contract. There you’ll find all the conditions there are for the job”    

Confused by the sudden offer, I couldn’t help it to ask “Emmm I don’t understand…”

Before I could continue I was interrupted by him “Why you? Why now? Don’t bother. Let’s just say I am an acquaintance of the lady next to me, and I may owe her one or two favors. Besides if everything I heard about you is truth, you will be perfect for the job”

I just looked at miss Cleo confused. I couldn’t understand this development. Why is Miss Cleo doing this? What am I supposed to do now? The offer was crazy good, and I would be able to go out like I wanted, but it was just too sudden.

While I was thinking what to do, Carl had other plans. He told me to think about it, and to give him an answer by tomorrow morning. And then he just said his goodbyes and left the room.

I wanted to ask him more questions, but I didn’t really know what questions to ask. Besides, thinking more about it, there was someone else who had the answers I needed.

“So, are you happy little Matthew? You will be able to go out from here like you wanted” Miss Cleo said.

Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to help me? “Why?” There were many question in my head, I couldn’t decide the way to approach it.

She sighed and came close to me. Before I knew it, she was on her knees, facing me “You are a smart kid, maybe even too smart for you own good. Also, you are very responsible and you’ve never have caused major problems here” She was talking to me with a little smile on her face “But still, you have two big flaws” She said showing me two of her fingers in front of me.

“One of them has to be that I have no affinities for magic, right?” I had already accepted this. The wonders of being a mage, the ability to shoot fireballs or produce a water shield, was not something I still want to have. Yeah sure, I really hope one day I will believe that.

“Yes, that’s one. This is a dangerous world, we are even living in times of war right now. Strength is something everyone needs to survive. It’s not safe for you to go out of here, alone, at this age” She explain me.

“So, you contacted that man because you wanted me to be with someone you can trust… But why?” I still didn’t understand her.

“And that’s your second flaw” She flicked my forehead with her index finger “Why are you so distrustful? I bet you were thinking all the time about the reason I’m helping you. Well guess what, I don’t need a reason. I just wanted to help my best student a little bit” She give me a big smile and then hug me.

“…Thank you” It was really thoughtful from her. I had meet her just for 2 years, to think that it was enough time for her to feel some emotion, or sympathy, for me, was a little heartwarming.

“You’re welcome” Once out of her embrace she continued “Telling you to trust people is not really a good advice. But not trusting anyone is not the answer. You’ll need friends to survive in this world, people in which you can trust” Then, she stands up, moved towards her desk and sat down.

I already knew that I needed friends, in fact all my plans once out of this place were related to get to know reliable people and, of course, make money. But, maybe my approach wasn’t the right one. I should reevaluate my plans.

“Now little Matthew, think about what I just say, and remember to read carefully the contract you had there. You need to take a decision by tomorrow morning. I don’t want to influence you, but I think you will not have a better opportunity. Became an enchanter isn’t a chance you want to miss” Miss Cleo said, and then she makes a gesture clearly telling me to go.

She was right, being an enchanter was one of few magic related professions available to me “Thanks again… I will definitely think seriously about it” I said and walked to the door.

“Ah! Wait, I almost forgot” Miss Cleo call me out “How did it go with her? You know, the hooded girl… Did you find something ‘interesting’ about her?” She asked me with a smirk on her face. Yeah, she definitely knew about Luna.