13 years prior… at Blueblood Academy.

I was sixteen.

I was a novice mage, which meant that although I could harness magic force, I hadn’t manifested my affinity yet. Once I did, I would become a first-order mage.

“Hey, Rao,” a brown-haired boy asked beside me, pushing up his glasses, “That troublemaker Lin is walking over here, take notice,” he said, his eyes creeping to the side, watching a silver-haired boy with a rough face walking over.

I looked at the brown-haired boy, Lanke, who had warned me of Lin’s presence, “You would think a second-year like Lin would avoid engaging with first-years like us,” I commented.

“Lin’s not ordinary,” Lanke responded, and then chuckled, “That could’ve been left unsaid. We both know that.”

Lin, standing up, walked over to Lanke and I, who were sitting down.

His eyes looked down on me, slamming his hand on the table in front of me. Surrounding students audibly gasped, taking a few steps back. Lin had a history of attacking bystanders who got involved in his business.

“Stormbringer,” he addressed me, and I tightened my grip.

“Don’t call me that,” I pushed gently.

Lin raised an eyebrow, “You can’t make me do anything, Stormbringer,” he shook his head, “It’s useless to try.”

I eyed Lin, wondering what his purpose for coming here was.

“Let’s battle, Rao, you and me,” he smiled, “The child of the Stormbringer versus a nobody like me,” he said, “It’ll be fun, I assure you.”

So he wanted to humiliate me. That was his goal.

Lin wouldn’t take no for an answer.

This silver-haired boy was standing a little close to me. It would be difficult to escape.

Exiting from here, considering the position of the seats… Lanke was in the way.

I looked at Lanke, and he immediately understood my concern, he made some random excuses, “So you have business with Rao, right?” he put on a facade, “I’ll see myself out.”

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He moved out of his seat, opening a path for escape for me.

I smiled… Lanke as a friend… I appreciated his perception. On that front, he was better than I was.

Lanke, escaping from Lin’s view, creeped behind him.

A true comrade.

Lin was a level above both of us… it was exciting to think that, despite that, he would be embarrassed like this…

Lanke smashed the back of Lin’s head, and Lin fell over in front of me.

Lin didn’t give me any other choice. If I went along with him, I would have been humiliated.

The only thing I could do was interrupt his plans, ambushing him decisively.

Lanke’s assistance was crucial.

Lanke, by ambushing Lin from the back, pushed him into me.

I grabbed Lin by the back of his neck, disallowing him from pulling back, and leaving his vulnerable to Lanke.

Getting a few good blows in, Lanke attacked.

Lin broke free from my hold.

From then on, it was a pitiful dog fight.

Lin, desperately staving off the two of us, was unable to display any of his magical prowess,dragged into a physical brawl.

He was on the losing side due to a numbers disadvantage.

“Halt!” a stern man--a mage--appeared from the hall’s entrance, Lanke and I froze, a little worried about being punished.

To our surprise, the stern man walked over to us, grabbing Lanke by his collar with one hand, staring him down.

“Lin,” he said simply.

The normally confident Lin’s face cringed, and meekly said, “Instructor…”

“Didn’t I tell you to train?” he said, his words laced with poison.

Lin was silent.

The stern man responded with silence.

“No?” Lin tried.

Lin was dragged off, desperately clawing at the air, like a defiant cat. Just like a defiant cat… he was helpless to the hand of a human larger than him…

Looking at the stern man, Lanke and I glazed at each other, a little in awe of how easily the man subdued Lin.

***

The desire for improvement… It was a familiar feeling.

It was also easy to exploit.

I scratched the back of my head, sighing… I was resigned to Alaric tainting the village’s status of being untainted by magic.

Why was I so uncomfortable at the thought?

Magic wasn’t just an arcane force to me. It was a prison. Was that the answer?

“If you want to teach them,” I said, “Then teach them,” I muttered, “Just don’t involve me.”

Alaric nodded assuredly.