“Didn’t think you’d be this serious in class,” Erik teased Emilia as he saw her taking notes on everything the professor said. It was a big change from her usual demeanor.

Emilia smirked “Everyday spells are my specialty, after all!”

Erik laid his head against the desk, his gaze resting on her. “Really? I was sure it would be your magical pillow,” he said teasingly.

She was using her pillow to soften her seat this time. What surprised him most though is how it seemed much smaller than usual, as if to fit the seat properly. It seemed like she didn’t lie when she said it was magical—unless she had been changing pillows all the time which was indeed possible.

“Come on, we’re learning the levitation spell. There’s no time for you to stare at my butt!” she said in an earnest and lighthearted tone that brought Erik into a cough attack.

As he got himself back to normal though, he noticed the mischievous grin on her face. He couldn’t let it stay like that.

“Oh no, sorry pretty face, I was just seeing your very magic pillow,” Erik turned his palms upwards mockingly. “Besides, there isn’t much for me to see,” he smirked. After learning how unorthodox she was, Erik became uninterested in her and now could safely tease her.

Emilia froze for a second, her grin vanishing. Her eyes narrowed as she snapped back, “You really wanna die, don’t you?”

“You two, why don’t you share with the class what you’re talking about?” the professor said, angrily. Different from Professor George, the lady who lectured for this class had a much shorter temperament.

“Oh, we were but talking about the applicabilities of the spell, miss,” Emilia’s voice remained calm.

‘Huh, to think she actually has manners.’

“Then I think that both of you can come down here and show what you’ve understood, right?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

Erik gulped slightly, as he hadn’t quite listened to the explanations. He glanced at Emilia, who only sighed and got up. She brought her pillow with herself of course.

“Hey, we’re screwed. Tell me what she told us to imagine during the class and maybe I can do it,” Erik whispered as she passed through him. He didn’t know her talent but of one thing he was certain—his abilities to learn spells were much better than most. If he knew the gist of it, he could certainly do this spell. The problem was that he didn’t know where to begin when thinking of making an object levitate.

She didn’t respond, however, making Erik grumble as he got up and followed her to the front of the class.

"Levitation is one of the simplest first-tier spells, but it requires focus and precision," the professor said. "Each of you, pick an object and demonstrate the spell," she pointed at her desk.

Emilia shot Erik a side glance, her smirk returning. "Watch and learn.”

Erik rolled his eyes. “By all means, your highness.”

‘Come on, there’s no way she would have the hang of it by now,’ he thought. Soon her ego would be crushed.

Emilia stepped forward, her gaze resting on the objects atop the table. There was a quill, a book, and some kind of Orb. She breathed in and out slowly before extending her hand and muttered the incantation under her breath.

“[Levitation]...”

The quill trembled before lifting into the air, hovering steadily. Emilia waved her fingers slightly, guiding it in the air, making it do turns, flip, and loop around several times before finally pointing her finger down and making it gently go down.

There was a little applause in the class as students were bewildered by her display of talent. Erik himself was left his mouth open by it. The way she made the quill flow in the air felt like she specialized in that kind of magic. First-tier spells were supposed to be easy, but not that easy.

“Very well, it seems like you fully understand how the spell works, Ms. Caldera,” the professor said with a smile. “Now, Mr. Blake, prove that you’re paying attention to class,” her gaze shot at him, and he could feel slight hostility behind it.

Emilia turned back to Erik, hugging her pillow with both arms now that she could.

“It's your turn, don’t embarrass yourself,” she teased, her sharp look made him feel she wanted him to fail.

Erik grumbled in annoyance like before as he scanned the remaining objects. He picked the book, reasoning that since it was the biggest and likely the heaviest object, it was the least likely to embarrass him if something went wrong. Extending his hand, he focused on drawing mana through his pathways as quickly and steadily as he could manage.

“[Levitation],” Erik muttered under his breath, channeling his mana toward the book.

For a moment, nothing happened, and a ripple of muffled laughter swept through the classroom. Emilia arched an eyebrow, her smirk deepening as she hugged her pillow tighter.

Erik gritted his teeth. ‘Focus. Focus. Imagine the book being pushed upward’, he repeated to himself, trying to steady the flow of mana. His hands moved, mimicking the motions he envisioned in his mind.

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Suddenly, the book jolted into the air, soaring nearly two meters high. Gasps rippled through the class. For a brief moment, it hovered unsteadily, as though caught between forces. But before Erik could stabilize it, gravity began to win.

With a sharp breath in, Erik concentrated harder, catching the book mid-fall. Sweat dripped down his forehead as each second passed, marked by the rhythmic ticking of the wall-mounted clock.

‘Come on, just a little more’, he thought, holding his breath as he tried to lift the book higher. It wobbled, quivered, and then came crashing down with a heavy thud.

The sound echoed in the room, and Erik sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. At least it was over.

XXX

Erik’s fists slammed into the magic-hardened dummy, each strike echoing through the open space of the academy’s training grounds. His kicks followed, quick and precise with the impact bringing ripples through the enchanted surface. Sweat rolled down his temples as he focused on keeping the rhythm.

Erik’s thoughts drifted back to his duel with Colin—a hard-fought battle that had exposed his vulnerabilities. As a close-combat fighter, he relied on speed and strength to bridge the gap to his opponents before they could bombard him with ranged magic. But the duel had made it clear that if someone could cast faster than him, he had no effective way to counterattack.

His father’s gauntlets, once restored, would amplify his power, but they wouldn’t fix everything. He needed to address his glaring weaknesses and find a way to close the gaps in his defenses.

Emilia stood nearby, however, she was sitting on her pillow which was hovering roughly a meter in the air. Her playful feet dangled from it and she watched over Erik.

When questioned why she was watching him or if she wanted to spar, the only thing she said was “You always annoy me during class, let me annoy you too,” it annoyed Erik mildly but not enough to say anything.

The simple fact of her resting on a floating pillow however highlighted how skilled she was in magic. That certainly wasn’t the [Levitation] spell as it could only control small objects.

Besides her, stood Clara who had by now become a common watcher. She would shout encouraging words and give him some pointers on the more theoretical side of bodily enhancement whenever was needed, making her a much more welcome passerby.

All of this made him go even harder on this session, each strike was with the intent of breaking the dummy, although it was resistance enough to only dent slightly.

“I see you’re not wasting time.”

The familiar voice made Erik stop his attacks. He cleaned his stenched forehead with his sleeve as he looked over to the side.

It was Colin. Erik’s eyes widened, and he wondered what he wanted before noticing that something was off. His air was neater, his posture straighter, and his expression was more composed than last time. His dark circles contrasted with his bright eyes, showing that things had been rough.

It had been a week since the duel. Rumors were he hadn’t left his room for days and didn’t talk to anyone. Maybe this was the first time he dared to go outside after that pivotal moment.

Colin stopped a few paces away, his gaze steady. “I’ve made my decision. I’ll fulfill my promise and become your servant. I refuse to dishonor myself or my family any further.”

Erik blinked, struck by confusion before a grin took place on his face. He had almost forgotten. Colin had promised to become Erik’s servant if he won the duel—and now it was time for that. Erik wasn’t going to make him follow that promise as beating him was enough for his pride, but this was good.

Erik’s grin widened.“You’re serious about this, huh?” he said, trying and failing to keep the excitement from his voice.

Colin nodded. “I am.”

“Well then,” Erik clapped his hands together, the sound echoing through the training grounds. “I accept!”

“I can’t stop imagining about what you can do—errands, chores, carrying my stuff around…” He trailed off, clearly imagining all the possibilities.

Colin’s expression remained stoic, though his lips twitched ever so slightly. “If that’s what you wish, I’ll do it. I gave my word.”

“Wow… you’re really enjoying this,” Clara said, laughing softly. Despite her lighthearted statement, Erik could see a brief hesitation in her eyes. The trembling gaze avoided the person who bullied and glanced at Erik.

“Right,” he said, this tone his tone was more firm and serious. “But first, you’ve got to prove you’re serious. And by that, I mean apologizing to Clara.”

Colin stuttered for a moment, his eyes flickered and he clenched his fist slightly before sighing. He nodded once again. “I understand,” he said, turning to Clara.

“I… I was wrong,” he began, the words coming slowly, as though they physically pained him to say. “I acted disgracefully toward you, and there’s no excuse for what I did. You didn’t deserve it. For that, I am sorry.”

Clara’s eyes widened in surprise, her hands clutching the edges of her skirt. For a moment, it seemed like she didn’t know how to respond. Her face turned a faint shade of red as her gaze flickered to Erik and then back to Colin.

“I… um…” she started, her voice shaky. She looked down, blinking rapidly as if to hold back tears. After a deep breath, she managed to speak again, this time with a small smile. “I forgive you—if you’re serious about changing.”

Her words hung in the air, carrying a weight of finality. A single tear slipped down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away, looking embarrassed. “Thank you for apologizing,” she added softly.

Erik’s grin returned, bright and mischievous as always. “Well, would you look at that? Colin’s already improving as my servant! This calls for a celebration.”

Emilia, who had been silent for a moment, suddenly shot up from her pillow, hovering a little higher in the air for dramatic effect. “Yes, absolutely!” she declared, throwing her arms wide. “Let’s commemorate this unforgettable moment. Drinks on Erik!”

“What?” Erik spluttered, spinning toward her.

“Don’t be stingy now,” Emilia teased, her grin downright devilish. “You’ve got yourself a servant and a fresh start for everyone. This is the least you can do.”

Clara let out a quiet laugh, her tension easing, while Colin simply sighed, the faintest smile tugging at his lips now that the hard part was over.

Erik groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fine, fine. But don’t expect anything fancy. We’ll hit the cafeteria for snacks or something,” whatever he could get them wouldn’t be much as he only had a couple hundred points right now.

‘Maybe I’ll make Colin get something,’ the thought of his servant buying everything was indeed enticing but food for thought for later.

“Sounds good to me,” Emilia said, leaning back on her hovering pillow with a smug look.

“Perfect,” Clara agreed, her voice lighter now.

Erik glanced at Colin, who nodded silently, his expression calmer than before. As the group began to move toward the academy’s cafeteria, Erik couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Today had been a good day—and one worth celebrating, even if Emilia was milking it for all it was worth whilst not being a part of this.