Chapter 1: Leonardo Montrell

‘Oh, what an exciting day it is!’

The sun’s up high. The sky is clear with the clouds nowhere to be seen and I can feel the wind kissing my cheeks. A perfect day for the masses and a magnificent torture to me.

“Argghhh….. The sun, it burns! Damn it!!” I express my heartfelt emotions with my middle finger proudly raised at the heavens. And like the gigantic motherfucker it is, the sun continues to sanctimoniously glare at my face. I lie down dejectedly on the lush green grass and proceed to close my weary eyes.

“Klopp klopp klopp! Neigh!!” but before I even get my well-deserved shuteye, the sound of screaming horses wakes me up from my sleepy daze.

I slowly cast my eyes to where the disturbance is all about and see a horde of luxurious carriages stopping in front of the Academy Gates. The carriages open and down comes these extravagantly dressed ladies and lads. With their heads held high, they form groups and start to chatter with each other while walking through the Academy Gates.

‘Great, first day of school and the Noble brats are as still as proud as ever. Nothing new here, I better go back to sleep.’

And as I continue basking under the warm rays of the sun I hear a deep unfamiliar voice.

“Hey you over there! Cutting class eh? Get your ugly mug back in class this instant!"

Lifting up my heavy eyelids. I stare back at the nuisance invading my peace.

‘Good god, it's a damn Fire Instructor.’ I stare wide-eyed at the chubby old guy wearing the intimidating red robes of the Fire Division. His name? What was it? I don’t really remem—

“Get your ass in here or I’ll give you some good spanking!” puffed the fatty while casting a raging blue inferno of a Fireball.

How is that a spanking?! Geez is it really time for class already?! Damn, was I asleep for that long? What is this guy even doing here?! I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who comes here. Damn, I better make the act look good. And like the good student I am, I immediately get up, fix my clothes, put on my most innocent smile, and make a convincing bow.

"Ah! I am terribly sorry sir! I was meditating, sensing and trying to become one with nature but accidentally lost track of time." I smile timidly while keeping my head low.

“Excuses! Don’t give me that shit! Who the hell meditates while lying face down on the ground!” retorted old fatty while preparing to throw the Fireball at me.

“I’m sorry! This one made a mistake. I promise to never skip class again!” I franticly bow once more while secretly keeping an eye on the blazing ball of suffering, ready to run the fuck outta here just in case all hell breaks loose.

“Hmph! Get your ass in class. I swear if I catch you one more time you won’t like the consequences!” puffed the old fatty while extinguishing the Fireball.

‘Phew, for a moment there I thought if the sun wasn’t going to roast me, this walking obesity might.’ I quickly sprint out of the garden passing by the teacher with great strides. ‘Tse, you fat dog. I may not have the power to oppose you but I sure can outrun a fat pig like you! Just you wait until we finish my research and I’ll be the one doing the roasting!’

Finally reaching the spacious hallway, I proceed to walking while I silently contemplate things ‘Hmm.. I don’t really remember that instructor teaching here. A new addition maybe? Probably huh? He didn’t even recognize me... AAhhh!! I really just want to skip this class, why do I even have to take this class when I can’t even control nor absorb Mana?’

Mana is the energy most living things use to control the elements and invoke magic. To conjure a simple Fireball, one needs to recite the proper chant while supplying the required amount of Mana to the desired location. To summon a high level Firestorm, one needs a Master Level Mage to control the Magic and a shit load of Mana. Also if a Master Mage casts a Fireball it will of course be stronger than the Novice mage’s.

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‘And I’m the talentless cripple who can’t even use magic yet is still required to attend because of, well, rules... This class is surely just a waste of my time that I could be using for my precious research. I hadn’t even have enough rest from our last session before I got rudely interrupted from my sleep. Sighs’

While I silently consider my horrid luck, I finally reach the door to the Basic Magic Class. In here, different instructors teaches us the Magic Theory of their corresponding element. Each class on this level consists of about thirty to forty members with a total of about thirty classrooms. The class is mandatory until one can properly control Mana and absorb enough of it to reach the Novice level in magic.

‘Which explains why I pretty much always skip this class. Ten years hearing the same shit over and over again might make the normal person ‘snap’ already. It got so worse that I already memorized all the things they teach about Basic Magic in all the Basic Elements just by hearing it repeatedly over and over through the years...’

As I open the classroom door, all of the Noble brat’s gazes turns upon me. ‘Yes yes, I know this failure of a human being who has no ounce of talent has invaded upon your Holy Sanctuary of a Classroom. Now please don't mind me and continue on with what you were doing before I rudely interrupted your sacred ritual.’

As I continue to silently curse my existence, I feel a sudden horrid pain on the back of my head—

“SMACK!” the crisp sound of wood making contact with flesh echoes around the hallway.

"OWWW!" I pitifully cover the back of my head while crouching down to avoid another round of smacking.

"I said back in class you lout or are you planning to skip class again?" I once again hear that deep annoying voice, but this time it has a hidden sign of contempt and disdain which I did not fail to notice. I look behind me and see the fat fire instructor holding a stick, waving it in front of my face.

‘Damn it! How did I not notice this fat guy following me?! Good lord why does he have a stick? What is he going to do with the stick? Oh God no. What’s with that face? Don’t tell me.. This fat fuck is a sadist!? QUICK! Somebody call child protection— ‘

“Go to your seat Leonardo. You have shamed the royal family enough already by cutting class, and at the first day of school no less. You’re days of slacking off are over. Now be a good student and go back to your seat. Though I doubt you could ever be a “good student” and graduate from this class you cripple.” He smirks, looking down at me, mocking me with his ugly grin.

‘Tsk! Looks like he actually knows me and just wanted to confirm my identity.’ as I continue rubbing the back of my head, I can feel the stares of scorn and disgust from the students around me.

“Hehhh... So that’s the Black Sheep of the Montrell Clan huh?”

“AHahahah! He’s already so old yet he is still in the Basic Magic Class!!”

“Pfftt!! Haven’t you heard!? He’s a cripple! He can’t even use Magic. So how do you think will he be able to advance from the Basic Magic Class?! AHAhaha!”

“A pity, why did the Montrell Clan even adopt such thrash? They’re just wasting their resources on him.”

“WAHAHAHAHAHAAH” the throes of laughter echoes around the room.

I block off their voices inside my head and proceed to stand up, walk to my chair and take my seat. It makes my blood boil listening to these damn Nobles. ‘Laugh all you want. I’ll send you all to eternal damnation someday.’ I mumble curses at them while I silently organize my books.

Preparing for another merry jolly good day here in class, I pull my head down and ignore everything else.

‘Ah! Truly a wonderful day it is!!‘