Twenty minutes later, in Cycelia's room…

Crrr-reaaaak…

「Straf?」

In the darkness, Cycelia's head immediately perks up off her pillow.

「Yeah, who else? The wraith?」

He asks as he lies down on his bed, arms behind his head.

「I was worried… You are usually back much sooner.」

She lies her head back down, furrowing her brows a little in the dark.

「I was just busy with something, and got a little too into it… Shit, when will it stop burning?…」

Straf shrugs his shoulders, and rubs his closed eyes with the tips of his fingers as he grumbles under his breath.

「Well, I'm glad you're back now… I couldn't sleep…」

Cycelia replies, and lets out a long sigh. Straf turns his reddened eyes in the general direction of her bed.

「What, you were scared of the dark?」

He scoffs, grinning a little as he quietly chuckles.

「No… I was worried something happened.」

「Nothing's ever gonna happen to me, Lia. If I'd known you''d be biting your nails, I'd be back sooner…」

Straf says, and aimlessly stares at the dark ceiling through the prolonged silence.

「…Have you found any clues yet?」

Cycelia abruptly asks in a quiet voice, shifting a little in her bed into a more comfortable position.

「Nope… I was mostly thinking about stuff today. There's a lot of things that don't make sense to me, and I'm still processing that…」

「I see…」

She nods, though Straf can only see a dark shape move gently.

「…You know, Damian seems to be onto something as well. Since everyone is all better now, well…」

Cycelia continues after a brief pause, taking her medallion into her fingers and toying with it.

「…I wouldn't mind if we had to stay here for a little longer.」

She meekly adds, looking through the darkness in Straf's general direction.

「I would, two months in one place is too fucking long. I bit off more than I can chew… Then again, I thought I'd get to explore the fucking town…」

He replies, and lets out a large, frustrated sigh.

「You would?…」

Cycelia asks in a sullen tone, furrowing her brows.

「Yeah. The Academy is getting boring, Lia. I've already learned magic electricity, and that's as far as I'm willing to go, since at least a portion of it is real.」

「Magic electricity?…」

「Yeah, it's like normal electricity with wires and stuff, but it's these channels instead. I call it electricity, but it's kind of a misnomer. There's frequencies and logic gates involved… I mean, I'm not a programmer-」

「What's electricity?」

Cycelia nonchalantly asks, cutting Straf's confusing explanation off.

「It's like magic electricity, but without the use of magic.」

Straf replies with a shrug of his shoulders.

「…But I don't even know what magic electricity is, let alone regular ele-」

She notes as she furrows her brows heavily, but the sound of Straf snapping her fingers makes her pause.

「That's called a recursive loop, Lia. If you really want to know, I can teach you tomorrow, but…」

He explains, and rubs his chin.

「…Shouldn't you be learning about that bald midget's subject?」

Straf asks, turning his eyes to her dark silhouette.

「Who?… Ah, Professor Reise?… We're doing what we can, but there's just so much…」

Cycelia replies, and lets out another sigh.

「Well… Knowing magic electricity won't help you pass the term, Lia. Stay in your lane and focus on what you have to do, I'll teach you what you want to know when you have the time for it…」

Straf says, and skitters underneath his own blanket.

「…Man, no shit… It really is getting cold.」

When covered, he rolls onto his side away from Cycelia.

「Right?…」

She smiles a little, pulls more of the blanket over herself, and closes her emerald eyes…

…

The next morning, in the headmaster's office…

Knock-knock knock-knock-knock-knock…

Corvus barely manages to take a seat at his desk when he hears a rapid knock in a melodic rhythm. His bushy brows rise, and he interlocks his fingers with his elbows upon the desk.

「Enter!…」

He says in a raised voice, and the door opens. Damian peeks his handsome face in.

「Ah. I wasn't expecting to see you-」

Corvus says, and the handsome student silently holds an envelope in his hand up to show it to the headmaster.

「…Unless you were carrying a message for me. Come on in.」

The old mage nods, and points his hand at the space ahead of himself.

「Pardon the intrusion…」

Damian utters out a fake, courteous apology, and approaches the desk.

「Alone this time?…」

Corvus asks, noting the girls usually orbiting him are missing.

「I'm just here to deliver this before class.」

He replies, and holds the envelope out for him.

「From Professor Arkeis?… Who else?」

Corvus smiles as he spreads his hands, asking a rhetorical question. Damian silently, politely bows his head, and turns towards the door.

「How are things?」

The headmaster asks, causing him to stop in his tracks after just one and a half of steps.

「…They're fine.」

With his hands in his pockets and a face difficult to decipher, the handsome student replies nonchalantly.

「Any plans for the future?…」

Corvus asks, setting the blank envelope aside without opening it. He brushes through his beard, smiling lightly at the young man.

「…I suppose.」

「Hm…」

Damian shrugs, and the headmaster weakly nods his head.

「Headmaster… The barrier issue is still unresolved, correct?」

He briefly looks at the floor, then turns his eyes to Corvus as he asks.

「…That is correct. Has Straf told you?」

The old mage sighs, and leans back as he nods.

「No, it's just something I figured myself. We would be allowed to leave by now, if that weren't the case.」

「Hm…」

Corvus simply hums in response, still nodding as Damian looks at him with the same cryptic expression on his face.

「…You know, Damian… I'm hearing a lot of positive things about you from all the professors. You are one of, if not the best student in the Academy…」

The headmaster leans back in, adjusting his glasses as he places his elbows back on the desk, and interlocks his fingers once more. He looks into the young man's eyes with a serious expression.

「…Well, Straf is a bodyguard…」

He adds, briefly shrugging his hands before interlocking them again.

「So?」

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

「My point is, Damian… I asked you about your plans, because you have a bright future ahead. I was simply curious. I presume you will return to eventually finish next term, and then graduate the second year…」

Corvus explains, looking into Damian's eyes with a gentle smile on his wrinkled face.

「I don't.」

Damian bluntly replies, causing the old man to furrow his bushy brows and lightly shake his head in confusion.

「Hm?… Pardon?…」

「That bright future you speak of… I don't have one.」

He elaborates, and Corvus places his hands down on the desk, looking at him with greatly concerned eyes.

「…That's nonsense, Damian. Every time I see sharp young men like you, I get excited about the future of magic. I am absolutely certain that more than a few discoveries will be attribute to you-」

Corvus spreads his hands, practically pleading with Damian to reconsider his view on himself.

「There won't be. I won't have the time to dig through tomes, or dwell on the whys and hows. I need the Academy's credentials to make money. Sorry I'm a disappointment, but that's how it is.」

Damian replies, cutting him off. He remains the same and almost expressionless as he returns a little shrug.

「…Well, naturally, mages make money, as a matter of course… But what plans do you have for yourself, in that case?」

The old mage asks, furrowing his brows further as he interlocks his fingers, resting his bearded chin on them with concern on his face.

「Let's see… Mages should always be in demand in mercenary armies, failing that-」

Damian looks up at the dark ceiling while the candle flames dance and wobble.

「Mercenary armies?… Young man, you should be a scholar, not a battlemage. Your place is in a study, not on a battlefield…」

Corvus speaks with utter disbelief in his voice, and Damian doesn't even flinch at the old mage's remarks.

「…I've never been in a battle, but I know brutal they are. And while Professor Aria was never in a battle herself, as reserve mage, she has seen a battlefield with her own eyes. It's not a place for men like you…」

He continues, and the young man silently listens, looking at him with his hands in his pockets.

「…Scorched flesh, hundreds in pieces, and promising futures cut short on a random, nameless field… And for what? Aspirations of kings? Spittles of land? Royal slights?」

The headmaster asks, though he does not wait for Damian's reply.

「We are above kings. Their trifle matters mean nothing to us. They should learn magic themselves, kill each other with it, and leave the scholars to think.」

Corvus says, almost growling in anger, though very obviously none of it directed at Damian himself as his gaze remains soft, despite the intense eye contact.

「…That may be so, but kings are good at handing out money hand over fist. I was thinking about becoming a court mage, but openings are scarce… Being an adventurer is pitiful money for the risk.」

Damian replies, breaking eye contact as he looks aside at a shelf of baubles with an absent, preoccupied gaze.

「Gold it is, then? You're willing to risk such a great potential, and such a bright future over gold?…」

「Sure. Why not?」

The young man sarcastically asks, turning his eyes back to the headmaster, though his face remains expressionless, almost grimly so.

「Though the trend seems to be shifting for paper with some ink on it… No amount of gold is worth an early grave. Or worse yet, no grave at all. Why are you in such a rush to make money?」

Corvus asks, spreading his hands in dismay.

「The whole reason I'm here and even capable of passing the exam is my sister. She was taking food away from her own mouth to save some money for me. Even now, I'm bleeding her money to be here…」

Damian replies, and his eyes once again drift upward at the dark ceiling. The headmaster lets out a long, troubled sigh as he listens with his mouth resting on his interlocked fingers.

「…She bought me a magic tome when I was young, and said that if anyone in the village is destined for something more, it would be me. She put all of her trust in me, practically blindly…」

The young man nods, turning his eyes back to the old mage.

「…I need to pay her back. She's getting married soon, and apparently, it's with a son of some minor magnate. She lucked out, because supposedly they both love each other.」

He adds, and shrugs.

「But why now? If she's being married to a magnate's heir, doesn't that mean her finances are secure?」

Corvus asks, shaking his head in confusion as his brow furrow again.

「Not quite… The magnate doesn't approve, but the son caused a stink. Enough for him to reconsider, at least. He said if he doesn't give them a chance, he'll just run off with her…」

Damian sighs, and explains, looking back at the baubles once more.

「…So he gave them a conditional approval… If they manage to start a profitable business, he'll approve of their marriage. If not, his son marries the father's pick.」

「…And that's why you are so desperate for funds?」

Corvus asks, and Damian simply nods in reply. The headmaster lets out another troubled sigh, and begins brushing through his beard, thinking deeply.

「With the deadline he gave them, I'll have some time after I graduate. I'm not an idiot, I know making money is easier if you have money already… And my plan is pretty foolproof anyway.」

The young student continues, shrugging his shoulders as his eyes return to the headmaster.

「That being?…」

「If I survive my first battle, I'll buy a fast horse. From there on, it should be easy. I'll just run whenever the battle begins to turn grim… The mages' positions are usually safe, anyhow.」

Damian nonchalantly replies, looking into the headmaster's eyes with a serious expression while he's brushing his beard.

「What if an alternative appeared?…」

Corvus asks, pulling his hand away from his beard, and interlocking his fingers with concern in his eyes.

「I already considered the alternatives. Adventuring can get me killed just as easy… My party can just slit my throat while I sleep when I have enough money. It's no less risk than a battlefield.」

The handsome man shrugs again, staring at the old mage.

「After I pay back what I owe with some extra, I guess I'll see how far I can take things from there…」

Damian concludes with a sigh, and the two maintain eye contact in silence.

「…What happened in your life that you mistrust people so?」

The headmaster asks after a prolonged pause, looking at him with an almost pitying gaze.

「You don't want to know…」

He replies, and turns his eyes away.

《…Especially considering it's nothing. Nothing really tragic happened that would make me like this. I have no reason not to trust anyone… I just know what people can be like, how unpredictable they are.》

Damian lets out another long sigh as he thinks of the bloodied wooden floor of his village tavern, and looks at the headmaster again.

「Do you trust all your professors, headmaster?」

「…Why do you ask?」

Corvus tilts his head, and the look in his eyes shifts from pity to mild confusion mixed with suspicion.

「…No reason.」

「…A hunch?」

The headmaster continues prodding, leaning in.

「You could say that…」

Damian shrugs, his face never markedly shifting from his expressionless look.

「Is there someone you suspect? Of what?」

Corvus asks, tilting his head further as he begins to brush his beard.

「…Nobody. I don't even have anything to accuse anybody of. I was just wondering if you trust everyone at all times.」

The handsome student nonchalantly replies, shrugging once more.

「At all times? No, of course not… But I know all my professors, and I can't think of any reason why would any of them would wish ill on the Academy.」

The headmaster shakes his head, his eyes turn to the blank envelope at the side of the desk before quickly returning to Damian.

「…I thought as much. I have to hurry to class. Excuse me.」

He bows politely, and turns back to the door, leaving in an unhurried step with his hands in his pockets.

「…Ah, by the way… Straf broke a lot of stuff on the way to demonology. I think you should see it yourself, headmaster.」

Damian briefly peeks over his shoulder, and shrugs before continuing onward. The headmaster's jaw drops, and he lets out a fatigued sigh. He takes his glasses off, and rubs his face with his palm.

「Mr. Damian…」

Holding onto his glasses in his fingers, Corvus calls out with a raised voice as Damian grabs onto the door handle. They look at each other from across the room.

「…I believe you have a bright future regardless of what you say.」

The old mage places his glasses back upon his nose, and interlocks his fingers once more.

「I am always sailing against the wind, headmaster. If I had this bright future you speak of, I'd be born in a well-off family and given a library of magic tomes. I certainly wouldn't be born in a no-name village.」

Damian replies, bows his head once more, and leaves, shutting the door behind himself…

…

In the classroom, ten minutes after the bell…

Damian sits at his usual desk, staring out the window. He looks down at where he saw the green-cloaked ghost, only to see dry and yellowed autumn grass. He lets out a wistful sigh, and briefly turns his eyes to the sun above the Academy's walls, before taking a look at the girls' desk. Tisha, Neela and Cycelia are present, but Straf's seat is empty.

「…Did you break up again?」

「Tisha!…」

With a raised yet hushed voice, Neela chides Tisha's quip as she looks at Cycelia.

「Ah- No!… He's just busy… Again…」

Cycelia shrugs as she replies, glancing at Straf's chair.

「…Tisha being dumb aside, what is he up to?」「Hey.」

Neela asks, and Tisha's golden head perks up with an angry frown on her face.

「I don't know… He just said he'll be busy. He said something about magic electricity last night. I didn't really get it…」

「Magic electricity?」「Magic electricity?… What's that?」

Tisha and Neela ask, tilting their heads at Cycelia.

「I don't know, he didn't really explain… He said something about recursive loops?…」「Huh?…」

Cycelia places her finger next to her mouth as her emerald eyes drift up in deep thought. Tisha lets out a confused utterance, glancing at Neela with a deeply confused face.

「Either way… I think he deserves a break. It must have been hard on him…」

She adds, shrugging once more as she looks at them. Their eyes widen, and their brows rise as the two glance at each other.

「That's right… Straf knew from the start, didn't he?…」

Tisha asks, blinking her blue eyes at Neela.

「…Poor Straf. He's been working non-stop to keep you safe, after all.」

Neela nods, and the two look at Cycelia's face as she grows more and more troubled with each word.

「I know…」

Cycelia nods, resting her rosy cheek on her palm as she props her sullen face up.

《I need to think of a reward for him. But what can I even give him at this point?…》

She thinks, and lets out a large sigh, briefly glancing at Damian. He immediately turns his face back to the window, and Cycelia turns her eyes back to the tiny professor below, focusing on the class again…