「You mean magic duels?」

Straf chimes in, and Aria's glare snaps to him.

「Duels are just a small part of it. Battle magic is more complex than just one-on-one mage battles. It's about the proper application of timing, appropriate choice of spells, and maximizing impact…」

She explains while staring into Straf's bored eyes, but partway through her explanation it shifts to Cycelia, and softens.

「…But yes, I teach dueling, too.」

The big-hatted woman smiles at her with a little nod.

「…So, why the comically oversized hats?」

He asks another question, staring at the inexplicable belt on the woman's gigantic hat.

「Traditionally, protection against the weather… But it's a status symbol now.」

Aria replies, only momentarily glancing at Straf while mostly looking at Cycelia.

「Status symbol?…」

Cycelia asks, tilting her head.

「Mhm. This may not be as prominent for mages not concerning themselves with battlefields or duels, but any self-respecting mage ought to wear a hat at least twice the size of their head.」

Aria nods in response, and explains.

「But… Aren't they hard to wear? Especially one like yours?…」

Pointing her dainty finger at the professor's massive hat, Cycelia asks with her brows furrowed.

「Oh, they take some time to get used to. The whole point is that they're hard to wear, Ms. Vindict. The larger the hat, the greater the mage.」

「Huh? Why?」

She blinks in confusion at Aria.

「A mage wearing a large hat presents herself with a large disadvantage. It's a sign of confidence, and status. If you wear a hat that's too big for yourself… Well, you need to be ready to prove you are worthy of wearing it.」

The teacher shrugs her hands, and returns a smug smile towards Cycelia.

「Well, thank you Ms. Aria-」

Cycelia bows her head with gratitude again, and Aria rolls her eyes.

「My, you're really going to insist on that?」

She lets out a sigh, and asks with a little sardonic smirk.

「…Thank you Aria, I'll return it when we no longer need it.」

Cycelia corrects herself, repeating her grateful nod.

「Oh, you can keep it. It's just some trash I had lying around in the storage. I think it's older than us all combined.」

She waves her gloved hand dismissively, and then crosses her arms. Her defined cleavage becomes even more prominent in her low-cut dress-like robes.

「I see. Thank you again.」

Cycelia nods, and turns to the exit. Straf opens the door for her.

「Mr. Katastrof, a second of your time, please…」

Aria calls out, gesturing him to come back with her finger. Cycelia looks at her with a surprised expression, then looks at Straf's bored face with more of the same.

「Go on, I'll see what she wants…」

Straf nods his head towards the student-filled hallway, and Cycelia reluctantly steps out.

「Can you make it back to the room? Do you know the way?」

Straf asks, leaning on the doorframe with his arm.

「Yes, I'll be alright.」

She nods, then glances past Straf's shoulder at Aria's stern face through the doorway.

「Alright.」

Straf nods back, and closes the door behind her. He turns around, spreads his arms while approaching Aria, and places his hands in his pockets.

「So? What do you want?」

He asks, looking at her beauty mark-dotted face.

「I have received some… Unsettling reports. Were you the one shoving students around yesterday?」

Aria asks with a stern tone and gaze.

「And what if I wasn't?」

Straf asks back, and the professor's mouth scrunches to the side. She lets out a frustrated sigh.

「I have received two separate duel requests regarding this mysterious shover. You are not a student, so this complicates things… And even if I were to humor them, the term hasn't even begun.」

She explains, crossing her legs.

「So? How does this concern me?」

He scoffs and shrugs. Aria clicks her tongue in frustration.

「…If you would happen to be this mysterious pusher, I would have to ask you for your consent, since you are merely a guest.」

She replies, staring at Straf's bored face. He chuckles, and a smug grin appears upon it.

「Hey, you can send any asshole my way, I don't mind. Just have some glue on hand, so you can put them back together into one piece. Are we done here?」

Straf asks, spreading his hands once again, before returning them to his pockets.

「…Were you the one who left the water runes active in the boys' bathroom?」

Aria ask with an accusatory glare.

「I wouldn't know anything about that-」

「Don't lie to me. I've heard someone matching your description was last seen in that bathroom.」

She cuts him off, with an incredibly harsh tone. Straf clicks his tongue.

「So? How do you even know it was me?」

「The culprit was wearing the Academy's uniform, was tall, broad-shouldered…」

「And?…」

「…And handsome… Or so I've heard.」

Aria says, looking aside with her arms crossed.

「…And?」

Straf asks with his mouth aslant, shrugging his broad shoulders in his uniform blazer.

「Do you have any idea how much mana you've wasted?」

Glaring at him, Aria scrunches her mouth and lightly tilts her head, careful not to capsize her titanic hat.

「I fail to see how that's my problem. Your toilets don't flood the bathroom when they're flushed, why didn't you have the taps turn off after a minute or so?」

Straf asks, shrugging his shoulders as he points his hand at the closed door to the hallway. She angrily lifts her gloved finger, her mouth open and ready to deliver a scathing reply, but she remains silent.

「…Shrewd suggestion, Mr. Katastrof. I will forward it to the headmaster.」

Her mouth slowly closes. She replies after a few seconds, lowering her hand and crossing her arms in impotent frustration once again. Straf silently shrugs, and heads for the exit.

「…Why does he hold you in such a high regard?」

Aria loudly asks, just as Straf is about to open the door. He looks at her over his shoulder with bored eyes.

「When I asked him about it, he was very evasive. When I asked about Ms. Vindict, he also praised her, and when I asked why, his answer was very clear and concise…」

She continues, looking at Straf with her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

「…Did you know? They still haven't melted that mountain of ice she left. They're not even sure if they'll get it done by next exam date. But you?」

The professor says, standing up from the desk. She approaches Straf in a slow step while he silently listens.

「I've asked other professors. You engulfed the exam target in a small ice boulder. Impressive, but it falls a little short of Ms. Vindict, doesn't it?」

She remarks, staring into Straf's eyes with a serious face as she stands next to the door with him.

「Well, what can I say? Maybe Lia guards herself, and I have a cushy job?」

Straf scoffs, smirking at Aria. He pushes the door handle downward, but her gloved hand grasps his, stopping him.

「So why is the headmaster seemingly more interested in you, than Ms. Vindict? What did you do, that he refuses to tell me about? It makes no sense to me.」

Aria says, and lifts her hand off Straf's, crossing her arms while staring into his eyes.

「Well… Maybe he gave me extra points, because he just likes broad-shouldered, handsome, humble men like me?」

Straf opens the door, and steps outside. The professor's jaw drops in silent shock.

「…Have you thought about that?」

He scoffs with a grin on his good-looking face, and closes the door behind himself.

Ca-cluck.

For a few moments, Aria blinks in sheer shock at the door, unable to even move. Then, she begins shaking her head.

「What an… What an outrageous…」

She mutters, walking herself back to her desk, while continuously shaking her hatted head…

…

With his hands casually in his pockets, Straf is navigating the student crowd, violently shoving his shoulder into them whenever they get even remotely close to obstructing his path. Like a bulldozer, he mercilessly clears the way for himself, until someone in the crowd recognizes him from afar and stomps over to him.

「You!!」

A young man with a blond combover angrily shouts, pushing his way through the crowd towards Straf.

「Aurelius! Wait!」「Aurelius, he's not worth it!」

Two men his age shout at the man, rushing to catch up behind him. Straf looks on with a mildly confused grin on his face.

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「You! Who do you think you are!? You dare shove a member of House Adalor by his face like some commoner trash!?」

The irate blond man yells, pointing his finger at Straf's face. The members of his troupe finally catch up, and stare at Straf with nervous grimaces on their faces.

「…Who? Buddy, my day barely started, and I've shoved roughly 270 people already. You'll have to be more specific than that.」

Straf explains with an amused sneer.

「Me! Yesterday! You grabbed my face, and shoved me out of your way!」

The angry member of House Adalor screams, with his voice cracking into higher pitch as he erratically points his finger to himself, then Straf.

「…Oh.」

He utters out, after a few seconds of thinking with his brows furrowed.

「Well, that's your own fault. I was asked to be nice, so I'll give you a chance to get out of my way right now.」

Straf adds, shrugging his shoulders. He gestures his hand for the young man to move aside.

「Move aside? As if! What is your name!? Tell me!」

The young man demands, glaring up at Straf with his fists on his hips. Straf looks at his companions, and their nervous gazes momentarily turn to the blond man. The fear in them is almost palpable when their eyes return to Straf.

「Nonoyo. Nonoyo Biznis.」

Straf replies with a deadpan expression.

「Hmpf! Well, Nonoyo!… Ms. Aria already knows my intent, but I'll say this again…」

The young man says with a snide grin on his face.

「I am Aurelius of House Adalor, and I officially challenge you to a duel! You better accept, lest you're a cowardly worm, and will die in shame when my family resolves this disgrace in another way!」

Aurelius points at Straf's face, speaking in a loud and clear voice. His companions visibly cringe behind him.

「But know that I am merciful!…」

He declares with his index finger extended.

「…If you drop to your knees, kiss my boots and grovel for mercy, I may forgive you!」

The young man exclaims, and points his finger at his shoes. Straf looks aside at the bathroom doors, then his bored eyes shift back to Aurelius.

「A duel, huh? Alright, buddy.」

Straf says, spreading his arms with a grin.

「Good! I will wipe the floor with-」

「Let's go right now.」

Straf wraps his arm around his neck, and opens the bathroom door, pulling Aurelius in.

「Huh!? Now!? I don't think that's allowed- Wait, this is the bathroom, not the dueling grounds…」

Aurelius aptly notes, as he disappears within the bathroom with Straf. His two companions look at each other with frightened eyes, then rush in.

「Aurelius!」「Aurelius!」

They exclaim in unison, and the door swings shut behind them.

A few minutes later, Straf casually exits the bathroom alone, whistling a whimsical tune with his hands in his pockets. He takes a turn, and heads for the girls' dormitories.

「Pft! Pft! Blech!… Pft!」

A minute or so later, Aurelius stumbles out of the bathroom, spitting onto the floor, his blond hair and shoulders completely drenched in water. His two companions run out after him.

「Aurelius! Calm down, just think it through!」

「Don't be hasty, keep a cool head!」

They plead, orbiting him as he continues spitting.

「He'll pay for this! I'm going to kill him! I was going to have mercy, but it's over now! He's going to regret ever crossing my path!」

Aurelius screams, clenching his fist as water drips down his forehead.

「Calm down, Aurelius, please!」

「Nonoyo! You are a dead man! Dead! You just don't know it yet, you idiot!」

He continues screaming in a random direction, angrily shaking his fist.

「Nonoyo! Noonooyooooooo!!」

Shaking his fist, Aurelius screams at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking into a higher pitch from rage…

…

Half an hour later, Straf returns to Cycelia's room.

Crreak…

「I'm back.」

Straf announces as he closes the door behind himself. Cycelia is sitting on her bed, looking at the empty oil lamp.

「Ah, it took you a whi- Hmpf.」

She initially smiles, then crosses her arms and turns her head away.

「Come on, you're still doing the I'm upset act?…」

Straf sighs, and sits down on his bed as well. He looks at the unlit lamp.

「No oil, huh?」

「…No. We'll have to look for some in the city.」

Cycelia replies, without as much as glancing at Straf.

「…Would you like to do that tomorrow?」

She asks with her pink lips in a pout.

「Yeah, we might as well.」

Straf shrugs with his hands, and they drop back down with a noisy pat on his green uniform pants.

「Very well.」

Cycelia bluntly replies with a cold tone. A brief silence begins.

「Tsk… Come on, Lia, quit it already. How about I get you something at the cafeteria again?」

He says, spreading his arms as he placates Cycelia. Her emerald eyes momentarily glance at him.

「…You can't bribe me with food.」

She declares, staring at her baggage in the corner of the room, away from Straf.

「I wasn't trying to. I just want you to stop sulking. How about we go to the cafeteria, and then continue exploring the Academy for the rest of the day?」

He asks, and Cycelia idly taps her fingers on her arms without replying.

「…So, what about those books that you've ordered? I hope you didn't forget to pack them.」

Straf looks at her baggage with her, then turns his eyes back to Cycelia.

「…I didn't. I just didn't unpack them yet.」

She bluntly replies again, and shrugs.

「You know you should be reading them, right? What would you do if the Academy exam was theoretical, written?」

「Urk!…」

Straf asks, and Cycelia lets out a grunt.

「…I'll read some tomorrow, after we get the oil for the lamp.」

She shrugs again, and glances at Straf once more with a pouty frown.

「So… Do you want to go? If you want to rest for the day, I'm fine with that, but-」

Straf spreads his arms, scrunching his mouth.

「Let's go.」

Cycelia taciturnly replies, and walks to the door.

「…Explore the Academy?」

「To the cafeteria.」

Crrrreak…

She says, glancing over her shoulder at him as she opens the door…

…

In the evening, Straf and Cycelia return. Straf retraced most of his path with her, and only the adjoining Academy buildings remain an unexplored mystery. Cycelia lets out a fatigued sigh, and heavily drops down into her bed. She unlaces her boots, and slips them off.

「Well, at least we've got our bearings now, right?」

「Yeah…」

Cycelia lies down on the bed, and stretches with a groan.

「All these stairs are tiring me out. The palace is nothing compared to this.」

「Yeah, they could use an elevator around here.」

Straf scoffs, chuckling a little as he lies down as well.

「What's an elevator?」

Cycelia asks, rolling over onto her side.

「A thing that would save a lot of time here. Maybe I'll get annoyed enough to show you one.」

Straf shrugs his hands, smirking back at her.

「Mmhnn… I'm really sleepy again. If we're going to the city tomorrow, I'll sleep early- Hmpf.」

Cycelia angrily huffs out of her nose, wiggles underneath her blanket, and rapidly turns towards the wall, away from Straf.

「Goodnight, Lia. Sleep tight.」

He says, resting his head on his forearms as he lies on his back. A brief silence begins.

「…Goodnight, Straf.」

Cycelia replies, albeit with a tinge of manufactured anger…

…

After the sunset, well into the night…

Sitting in his meditative pose, Straf opens his eyes. He senses an unfamiliar presence, and the one he has felt before is gone, filling him with a vague sense of unease.

「…Lily?」

He asks, looking at the closed window. There is no response, and the room would be completely silent, if not for Cycelia's quiet, steady breaths. He looks around, and nothing appears out of place.

「Hm…」

He hums, rubbing his chin. His brows furrow, but nothing comes to mind as the cause.

「Whatever. Magic.」

He shrugs, and closes his eyes again, continuing his [Cultivation]…