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“... You look like a corpse.” the magic theory lecturer said nonchalantly, a cursory glance around the room would reveal him to be the only soul inside. Ellia’s state can be described as less… pleasant to look at, while she cleaned up well, it was obvious she did not get a second of sleep last night.
Ellie re-checked the time and whispered the findings, they arrive merely 2 minutes ahead. “...Oh… it said here…”
“Today’s class is self-study, complete the assignment.” Valmisc finished the sentence for the younger sister, leaning tiredly back. “No need to make those faces, it’s not only your pair that have come here.”
“Um… excuse us.” Ellie steered the mostly unconscious Ellia towards the exit, one would be surprised that she managed to get dressed and walk all the way here.”
“… Hold it.” the lecturer’s voice froze Ellie, steps made before he placed a hand on Ellia’s shoulder, “[Magic Destruction]”
After light of various shades engulfed Ellia, she collapsed, as if she was cut from the strings that moved her, eyes closed into a deep slumber. Thankfully, Ellie managed to catch her.
“Heavy…” she couldn't help but comment.
“Did you cast sleepy spores on her?” The inquiry earned a nod. “Why choose such an obtuse school of magic to learn, there are various alternatives that do the same thing.” he pushed Ellia’s head upwards, inspecting the colour of her neck, though her hair wasn’t particularly long, parts of the back are still covered neatly by them. “Clear poisoning or withdrawal symptom, how long and often have you been using it and at what dosage?”
“Just… yesterday… Once and never before…”
Valmisc took two steps back before breaking into uncontrollable laughter, his expression twisted into what could be described as pure insanity. Yet, Ellie stood her ground.
“Go now. But your little house of cards will collapse soon.”
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“I have no idea what you’re talking about, sir.” Ellie bowed, expressionless, with zero signs of cowardice nor hostility. Moving her sister out of the area with a certain rhythmic pace.
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“Doesn’t hurt any more…? Wait… this feels oddly familiar.” A pair of sapphire eyes greeted her upon her wake, the face of their host most squishable. Though, she must resist the urges to inspect her body a little, at least to see if every parts’ still movable.
“Sis!” Ellie exclaimed happily, though Ellia would glance beyond her little sister, the room wasn’t theirs though there seemed to be any suspicious signs, it looked more akin to an infirmary than the previous one. The time marked a few minutes past noon, alongside the missed announcement from Magic Theory class.
“I missed a lot again…”
“Don’t worry, big sis! You will definitely catch up with my help!”
A bowl of soup was softly placed on her lap. Ellia touched the tip of her tongue with the slightest bit of the liquid. “Bland…” Though her stomach demanded more, had she even eaten breakfast? She couldn’t recall.
Ellie looked as if she wanted to say something, only to be interrupted by her own tablet, Ellia could not quite see her expression, though something seemed amiss. “Um… see you this evening, sis!”
“Wait, don’t we have class together?” “Where even am I?” those thoughts crossed her mind, though she was too preoccupied with consuming the soup, though the latter inquiry would soon be answered.
“Miss Ellia correct?”
A feminine person cleaved their way through the curtains, placing her palm on the area between the heart and neck, and bowed briefly. Her back length hair was as pink as tulip parts bleached to white, emerald-green shiny eyes would mistake some of its ore counterpart. She was attired in a uniform similar to Ellie's though the palette would be inverted to white as base and blue decorations.
“So beautiful…” she accidentally uttered those words out, in her life, not even with fictions painting had she ever seen such beauty. “Be still my heart…” Though she wasn’t particularly attracted to the person, something about her overclocked Ellia’s heart.
The figure let out a chuckle, “My name is Estelle, I’m technically fourth year in this institute, but I could graduate at any time I want.” She inched closer, causing Ellia to quickly place the soup bowl on a nearby drawer and retreated slightly. “As you might know, everyone in close quarter combat class would be assigned a personal trainer… Since you just ate, how about I teach you something else in the first hour?”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
If Neuman’s lecture had taught her anything, the uniform is identifiable as one of the archaic knights. Though to what order or company she belongs to escaped Ellia.
“I-It will be my honour!”
“Don’t be too tense junior Ellia, relax a bit and wait for the time.”
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Once she wrapped up eating, Ellia and Estelle walked together, in destination the withered patch caused by previous necromancy class.
“You know, you’re quite famous even in section one.”
“E-eh?!”
“See, getting struck by lightning is… unheard of… Maybe power surge would be the correct term, since you can’t really be struck by lighting in this dome?” She looked upwards, the sky and fluffy clouds slowly shifted like a panorama as they walked. “Sometimes, I forget that this sky is artificial.”
“… She utterly dominates the conversation… can I- NO! STOP IT HEART AND HEAD!” as her mind focus on overriding her emotions, a brief moment of strange clarity was cane. “Wait, isn’t this strange…? Now that I think about it…-”
“Um senior?” the jovial look from the subject shifted upon being asked, “Um… I was told that our monthly… affairs wouldn’t happen, how does that even work?”
“I was not expecting that question out of the blue!” she stopped and turned to face the big sister, gaze filled with elegant kindness “Actually, it doesn’t work with just us, but for counterparts too, you can imagine the rest… But there are more usefulness to that than not being able to pump out children!”
Seeing such a graceful person talk about that subject so casually was rather odd to Ellia, still it could just be her distorted perception of how one in the city would act or perhaps due to comic books. “I-It’s not permanent, right?”
Estelle thinks momentarily, “Oh sure, just walk out of here and things will return to normal… I have been dispatched outside for a certain mission for two months and in the next, the ‘schedule’ comes back to normal.”
Ellia feigned a happy reception, though she was truly happy that an inquiry of her had been answered. “Senior… could I ask what you will teach me during the first hour?”
The time of the class spans from 13:00 to 17:00, but the time allocation appears to be dependent on whomever the cadet has as their mentor, much like other classes.
“Hm… how about this!” she took off her right gloves in an instant with the help of her mouth and hand, “That… couldn’t be sanitary…” before offering the now freed somewhat sweaty hands to Ellia.
… The open came too close, her grip tightened around Ellia’s wrist, she blinked to reassess the situation, though that was merely an illusion from the sense of touch. Estelle’s palm was as opened as before, yet the sensation of something gripping onto her persists.
“Wait, I know this feeling mana drain?!”
“Based on your surprise face, it doesn't seem like you know it… strange, according to your syllabus it should be taught in the second class of magic theory”
“Oh… we have self study, but I…”
“Don't worry too much, when you're young, you're taught to let it go, right? When using magic items, you would let it flow out of you, but try to keep it in this time.”
Ellia closed her eyes, somehow an odd visualisation of her entire body, streams of mana flooding out of her onto Estelle. Like putting sandbags to stop a massive flood, she could merely make a dent to the entire flow.
“Hm… instead of wishing for the flow to stop consistently, concentrate and focus all your effort in one big blow!”
“…like this?” the absorption was broken as the connection severed, she would have opened her eyes when she noticed that her mana leakage doesn't stop quite yet.
“Re-concentrate, now you have to patch it back up, do it slowly as you did the first time.”
“I got it!” The exclamation earned herself a big pat on the head.
“Good work! You understand basic natural mana control, now you can apply it to actual spells… Put your best hand forward and point like this.”
Ellia imitated the motion, though slightly concerned that the location had some bystanders, they have yet to reach the agreed location after all.
“To cast first order magic, you only need its name and mana correct? Any non-toddlers know how to allow mana to flow out of their body due to the common use of magic items, but try holding it in this time… Try it with ‘Infernum’”
The big sister seemed confused, “I saw a professor modify the spell before uttering the words… which is the correct order?”
“Hm? Oh, that's called reverse composite. Bit more practical, but requires more understanding of how the host spell actually works. I don't have any conduits left, so I can't demonstrate, just say infernum but scream in your mind to not let go beforehand.
“[Infernum]” circles of magic started to form around her, every inch of her body screamed in pain as if engulfed by phantom flames.
“Good good, try to endure it and add even more.” a gentle pair of hands grasped onto Ellia’s arm, directing it. Somehow, the abstract circles of magic concentrated into a smaller point, like a shield between her and her target.
“I-couldn’t take it any more-” upon losing concentration, an accelerating burst of flames appeared from the circles, heading towards a pair of senior and junior. The radius and heat comparable to an eruption of small volcanos. Despite collapsing to the ground, the spell persists in the air, launching more molten rock and flames for another four seconds.
She watched, horrified, as her creation accelerated forward still, defying every law of physics she’s come to know. Her fellow cadet ducked out of the way, though their instructor would easily cleave the flames sundered. They shouted something, Ellia couldn’t quite make out the content, though it won’t be for long before Estelle nudged her forward.
“This is… easy enough? Couldn’t that stand-offish lecturer person teach this? Why the need for theatrics.”
“Hm? You looked troubled…” Estelle once more stopped her step, barely five from the scene she’s fully complicit in causing. “Want a reward~?” she playfully sang before continuing to walk.
“Please Estelle… don’t turn into a weird person, I thought I’ve found someone normal teaching…” with an unconscious glance to the side, she would notice a familiar figure. Arieno waved at her before his instructor knocked him on the forehead.
“Oh dear…” she remarked internally, though the area was not paved and filled with all sorts of tall grass, she thought some of them looked familiar.
“Having trouble walking? The first time I came here I was in a skirt, you wouldn’t believe how badly my adorable plumpy legs were all torn!”
Ellia unconsciously spied the subject, without much in the head or perhaps due to lack of quality sleep, she uttered “I think they are pretty normal size relatively…” She looked to her left, it would appear Madoff too, act as a personal mentor for this subject.”
“Does he not have classes?! Come to think of it… He’s from section two and Estelle is from one... The bingo has been completed…?” a small imaginary victory hymn resounded in her head, before being shaken rather forcefully by Estelle, who seemed to be shedding tears, though that theatrics would fade upon seeing Madoff.
“Do you know that man?”
“... Why suddenly the serious tone? Are they enemies despite being in different sections? Or are they enemies because of that? Ugh, I don’t know any more!” she thought of several excuses but decided to probe more information with a short answer, “Yes…”
“... You should stay away from him.” the answer was so delayed that by the point it reached Ellia’s ears, the two would be closer to the destination than the well-spoken senior. “Some seniors or even your peers might grow to resent you otherwise.”
“She’s waiting for a response, let’s see… Estelle doesn’t seem to have hatred herself, could it be because of his reputation? How does he hold himself, perhaps? I can certainly see someone like that getting bullied… ” with as much innocence sounding face and tone, she said; “Is he a bad person?”
“Not quite, don’t you know? He’s a noble.”
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