Ingalls lay on his bed of his new room that he would be staying in for the next few years. Ingalls is currently 15 years old therefore, he would be placed in the Year Four’s class. Logically, he would graduate in Year Ten, when he was 21 years of age. However, Ingalls struck a deal with Loukian. If Ingalls manages to get ten best friends by the time he reached 18, Loukian will reinstate Ingalls as an official hunter. Ingalls must also show restraint and prove that he is able to complete missions without collateral damage.
Back when Loukian gave these terms, he had a condescending look.
“You? Ten best friends? The sky will fall before that happens!”
As he is now, Ingalls is a part-time hunter which can only take on missions when the Hunter’s association orders him to. Otherwise, he is nothing but a mere student.
“Arghhh!!!! So vexing… Can’t even go out and shop except weekends and school holidays! So this is boarding school life.”
Ingalls recalled the conversation he had with the headmaster a while back.
~~~~
“Welcome to Erymneus!”
Ingalls gave a tired face. Although he accepted his new life, he by no means have adapted to it. Being led to one of the boy’s dorms, Shia started explaining the rules of the dorms.
“The dorms have quite direct rules. Firstly, never enter the dorms of the opposite gender be there permission or not. Secondly, there will be sound of bells to signal the time to wake up, time for breakfast, the first class, time for lunch, end of class, time for dinner and bedtime. Lastly, never destroy anything from the dorms. Failure to follow the rules may result in severe punishment.”
Shia wanted to feel superior by threatening punishment to Ingalls but he didn’t even flinch.
“Well, this is your room. Unpack everything and report to class tomorrow at first light.”
When Shia finished explaining everything, the headmaster gave her a meaningful look and she bowed and left the room.
“Now Ingalls, i believe Loukian laid down some ground rules for you already.”
“Yeap...”
Ingalls was not one bit respectful to the S-ranked hunter in which many held in awe. This however did not bother the headmaster.
“Now Ingalls, this is serious. I shall repeat the rules that Loukian and I agreed on.
1. Never severely harm any of the students in the Academy
2. Never destroy any of the buildings or historical artifacts of the Academy
3. Never reveal the fact that you are the ‘Calamity Boy’
4. The orders from the Hunter’s HQ take precedent to any school related work
5. As long as the above four are adhered to, the Academy reserves the right to request you to do missions related to the school.”
“Hmmm… What if i don’t follow those rules?”
Ingalls gave a playful smile releasing his sleeping magical powers to form an invisible pressure that started to shake the room.
The headmaster replied in kind. A deadly bloodthirst started to emit from his body. Ingalls started to respect the headmaster more and more. This guy is no pushover!
The two stared at each other while emitting huge amounts of pressure that made the ground shiver with fear. A tremor akin to a minor earthquake started to shake the dorm and those who had no idea what was happening started to panic.
Before the big fight erupted, the headmaster said
“Then Loukian will burn your ‘hostages’.”
“THAT MOTHERFU…...”
The headmaster naturally knew that Ingalls was playing around hence he followed his lead. Loukian has personally assured him that Ingalls had signed a contract in which he could not violate any of the aforementioned rules.
“Well sleep early. Tomorrow is your big day. Try to reach your targeted 10 friends.”
“Hmph!”
The headmaster left the room leaving a disgruntled Ingalls behind him. When the headmaster reached the outside of the dorm, he glanced back and sighed.
“What a talented youth. His mana does not suit his age. If he continues to grow who knows what heights he can reach?”
“Erymneus might be the school that gives birth to a legendary Magic God...”
~~~~
Ingalls lay on the bed as he started to play with his terminal looking up on any information about the headmaster.
“Janus Erymneus… Janus Erymneus… Ahh found it.”
Janus Erymneus. 23rd Generation Erymneus house head. Former S-ranked Hunter. Magic rank: Wiseman.
What Ingalls used to search about the headmaster is a database terminal that is given to every elite hunter that allows the user to search information about mythical beasts, demons, locations, people and even mythical items. This enables the Hunters to complete their missions by planning ahead. Even though Ingalls is no longer a full-fledged Hunter right now, Loukian did not confiscate his terminal.
“Guess he forgot. But Wiseman huh.”
The Magic rank of the person is a measure of power. It starts from:
Initiate → Apprentice → Practitioner → Sorcerer → Wizard/Witch→ Magi → Meister → Grand Meister → Wiseman → Magic Saint → Magic God.
An average person with low magic talent will never get past the Apprentice stage. An elite school like Erymneus however, will not allow their students to graduate if they have not reached the Wizard stage. If a student from any academy, by chance, manage to break through into the Magi stage, they will be the top of their cohort and will receive offers from all around the Treaeul Empire.
The rankings from the Hunter’s associations is purely dependent of your battle ability and if you are able to clear the missions of the same rank. However, there is a prerequisite before achieving S-ranked. All S-ranked Hunters must have a magic rank of Wiseman. Amongst the S-ranked, there are only 3 Magic Saints. Those three, to many, were unreachable existences. But when Ingalls recalled the one he met, he started to laugh bitterly. As for a Magic God, there has never been one since the ancient ages. Legend has it that a Magic God is above the cycle of life and death. He could destroy continents on a whim and raise people from the dead. As far-fetched as the tale goes, many, including Ingalls already treated the Magic God realm as a fairy tale.
Ignoring all that, when Ingalls first joined the Hunter’s association, he was determined to be at the Magi level. Right now, he has reached the Meister level and was challenging the next level. Judging from his magic rank he should have long graduated from Erymneus but his purpose of coming to school has never been to improve his magic rank.
“I’m already at the Meister level. Soon i will break through to become a Grand Meister. Wiseman huh… Give me five years!”
If the headmaster heard this declaration he would laugh it off. It took him 200 years to reach the Wiseman level while Ingalls wanted to become one at the age of 20. A full ten times faster than the headmaster.
Before Ingalls can become a wiseman, an even more daunting task awaited him.
“Ahhhhh!!!! I have to wake up at first light? Damn what is first light? Is it edible?”
Remembering the unfathomable task he had ahead of him, Ingalls started to fear. Even facing ten A-ranked beasts is better than waking up early.
~~~~
POV: Shia Argent
I met that idiotic brat yesterday. The first thing he said when he saw the headmaster and me was “Flat!” How rude! I know i’m a bit lacking and i’m already 26 but… NO NO! I can’t let him get to my head. Hmph! I was kept up all night thinking of how to punish him and now i have the perfect plan. First i’m going to embarrass him during his introduction to the class. I’m going to say he got lost when he was supposed to enrol 3 years ago. He ended up in a magical forest which he then stayed until help arrived 3 years later. Though unbelievable, the class will start to think that he is weird! Hahaha i’m a genius!
I walked down the hallways leading to the homeroom class i teach. Erymneus has five classes per year each with 20 students. Erymneus only has an intake of 100 students per year. Contrary to popular belief, the classes in the Academy are not separated into the abilities of the students. Every year, students are rotated from class to class so that each student will have as many connections as possible. The valedictorian may become best friends with the cohort’s dunce. However, it was alright since this is Erymneus. Only the best of the East can attend here and even the weakest student can become an honour student in any of the weaker academies.
For me, being a teacher of such an academy is my proudest achievement. I became a Witch at 19 years old and at 23 became a Magi and secured a position as a teacher. I became known for my strict teaching methods and the class which i taught always had the highest improvements since i started.
It's a new school year so i’m excited to see familiar faces again. The end of school year holidays were the longest, reaching two months. I wonder how much have my students changed over the two long months. How they have matured. Ahhhh… Thinking about them is so refreshing. That abnormal can just go sit in a corner!
As i was enjoying myself with delusions, i reached the door where i will spend my next year walking through. I calmed myself and gently slid the door open. As that happened, all the students stood upright in attention waiting for me to bow. I felt pride. All 20 of them were so disciplined.
“Good morning. Please be seated.”
I asked them to sit so that we can start class for the first time this year. The 20 of them sat with one fluid motion. One would question if they were machines.
The 20 of them stared at me. I recognise 13 of them. The other 7 i have not taught yet in their first three years. However, something felt wrong.
The 20 of them took out their notebooks and pens so as to record notes from my lecture.
They shouldn’t be so serious. It’s the first lesson and it would be mostly orientation on how the year will go. Well, something seems missing but i can’t put my finger on it.
The 20 of them… 20 of them… 20…
“ARGH! Where’s that brat?!”
I exclaimed to the class. The abnormal in which i was supposed to introduce was not around.
“Brat?”
The class looked at me puzzled. Of course they would. Who would think there was a transfer student today.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Ermm… The first period will be self-study! Please review last year's materials and i will ask you some questions when i get back. Class monitor take over!”
“But teacher, we have not appointed a new class monitor...”
Arghhh big mistake. Now i look like a fool.
“Cyrena! Monitor the class for me! I will be back real quick.”
I shouted out to the blue haired girl seated in the front. She was the class monitor of the previous class i taught so it should be alright.
I left the class and started to run to the dorm.
Damn that kid. Making me lose face on the first day. Even yesterday he called me flat! It’s not like i’m holding a grudge over a kid but he really pisses me off.
I enchanted speed spells on my body and ran all the way to the boy’s dorm where he stayed.
I stormed up the stairs to his room and barged open the door. He didn’t even lock it. How careless can he be. And i saw him snoring like a swine with his head comfortably rested on a pillow while the rest of his body remained warm under the blanket.
“HEY! Do you have any idea what time it is?”
I shouted at him but to no avail. He was rested too comfortably.
Damn this kid!
I tugged away his pillow and all he did was adjust his head posture.
Damn it to hell!!!!!!
I pulled his blanket and then… I saw it.
“ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
He was stark naked beneath the covers. The part of the male which i never seen before was currently staring me right in the face.
“Huh what’s going on? *Yawn*”
That brat was awoken by my scream.
“You… you… Why are you naked?! Pervert!”
“Who the fuck sleeps clothed? And shouldn’t you be the pervert? Entering my room and uncovering me.”
“Do you know what time it is?! You are supposed to report to class 15 minutes ago!”
“Well you see i have my reasons.”
“What reason would a pervert have?”
“See i have only been in this place for less than a day. I won’t even know my directions to class. If i had to find it i will have to wake up long before first light! Who wakes up that early? So i had this epiphany. If i woke up late, there will be no choice but for someone to come pick me up. Therefore, i won’t have to wake up myself as someone, in this case you, will do the job for me! Additionally i won’t have to worry about getting lost!”
“Liar you just want to sleep in!”
“I guess you have more brains than i thought you had.”
“”@!$#$%^!@”
“Woah, even a noble lady knows such colourful language!”
“GET DRESSED!!!!!”
I shrieked. I swear one day i’m going to kill this brat.
~~~~
“Let me introduce you to the transfer student. His name is Ingalls. He is on a commoner scholarship and due to unforeseen reasons, he had no choice but to transfer in this late. Please make him feel comfortable.”
Shia introduced Ingalls to the class. Although she had planned to sabotage his introduction, in the end the play that happened just now tired her out.
“Hi my name is Ingalls. As you can see i’m a commoner and i already got bullied by the noble teacher first thing in the morning. I don’t think i can handle any more bullying from the nobles so please be lenient on me. I don’t intend to cause trouble~”
Ingalls ended his introduction with a hidden provocation. He knew that the moment he transferred there will be some nobles who would want to pick on him. That’s why he insisted that the term “Do not harm students” add a vital term “severely.” Might as well fish some out right now to prevent more problems down the road.
Shia face turned red with anger. Not knowing Ingalls intention, she assumed that he wished to give her a bad name in front of her beloved students.
As expected, some of the noble students started to think that he is easy prey and grinned. They had a new play toy! However, majority sympathised with Ingalls knowing how harsh Shia can be at times.
“Take your seat at the empty table there.”
Shia pointed to an empty table at the back of the room. It was a recent addition as every single classroom was tailored for exactly 20 students. There were 10 tables each with 2 chairs. Making the pairing of students rather evident. Many exercises required a partner and Erymneus has always focused on teaching camaraderie between students. Hence, an odd number of students basically never happened in Erymneus.
The headmaster however felt that it was alright. Who could ever pair up with the ‘Calamity Boy’ in magic exercise?
“Alright class time to test if you have remembered last year’s curriculum. Those who fail to answer one question right will have to stay back after the last class from remedials.”
All the students except Ingalls stiffened into attention. No one wanted to have remedials on the first day of school.
“First question, Petra!”
“Yes Sensei!”
The person Shia called to is a short brown-haired girl. Her petite figure made her look like she was not a 15 year old but rather a 13 year old who has not reached puberty. Perhaps she was a late bloomer but her figure made her less in front of the other kids in the class.
“Since all of you are Practitioners, name the different kinds of spells you can use at your level. If you miss a single one you are out!”
Petra answered without hesitation.
“All magic spells Tier 3 and below. The kinds of spells available are the major elements: Fire, Earth, Wind and Water. Another type would be the basics of mechanical magic which include metal magic. Lastly, we can use taming magic for beasts below D-rank!”
“Very good. However you don’t have to be modest. You have recently been able to reach some Tier 4 magic didn’t you?”
Petra was gobsmacked that her secret was so easily uncovered by Shia. Majority of the class also contained stunned looks. Only a few and Ingalls remained calm.
“Haha, I’ll let it pass since it’s the first day but please don’t forget to tell me your progress. There are times where keeping it to yourself may hinder your future development.”
“Thank you sensei...”
“Next question… Ellard Ludwig!”
“Yes Sensei!”
“Name all the different branches of magic study that will be applicable to you when you reach Year 7. Please elaborate on each one.”
“Errr....”
The blonde haired pretty boy that was called had trouble remembering the sudden question off the bat.
“Ermm.. Yes! Elemental specialisation, Magical Engineering, Magic Knights, Priesthood, Magic Crafting and Magic Study!
* Elemental specialisation only caters to those who are have gained mastery over one elemental magic and teaches them specialised spells for their element.
* Magical Engineering trains students to create tools such as airships and machines
* Magic Knights is a combination of close combat and magic
* Priesthood is for those who want to specialise in healing and exorcism
* Magic crafting is to train students to create potions, charms and magical weapons or armor
* Magic study is the further research of how magic can be applied
That’s all!”
“Well you got all the Majors right what about the minors?”
“Ermmm….”
“Hehehe. I’m joking. It wasn’t covered last year. Class, your homework for today is to find out all the minors and give me a list of your preferred subjects next week. Remember to think hard about your future and work towards it. If you do not enjoy the subject, there is no point forcing yourself.”
“Lastly, let me ask someone who i never taught before. Rheinhart Styne!”
“Yes Sensei!”
“What effects do the DD melons provide?”
“....”
Rheinhart Styne, a bronze-haired youngster kept silent. His insolent look when he looked at Ingalls before turned to a humbled one.
“You don’t remember?”
The poor kid could only nod.
“Hmmm… What about you Ingalls?”
Shia wanted to use this chance to embarrass this brat. From the looks of it, he had no knowledge of theory and solely focused on practical skills. It looked like she won this round.
However, Ingalls gave a succinct response after a second of thought.
“A severe erection.”
“Pffttt!!!!”
Half the class tried to hold their laughter whilst the others were shocked by such an answer.
Shia's face turned red. No one knew if it was from embarrassment or anger.
“Both of you stay back after the last class! Remedial till bedtime!”
“”EHHHH?!?!?!?!?””
Ingalls and Rheinhart had the same response.
_____________________________________________________________________
Author's note: I apologise for the long and content heavy chapter. I'm worried that as the story develops readers will start to get confused over the terminology. If you can't keep up with the bombardment of information just keep this chapter as a reference for future chapters. The next few chapters won't have too much terminology overflow like this one has.
As usual thank you for reading!