Matilda

Matilda sighed as she looked at the building plans. The plan was to convert half of the second floor into a kitchen for the bakery. The two of them did not need six rooms, and they could eat on the third floor.

The truth was that she had suspected that Ray wasn’t human for a long time. Jorenson’s guide wasn’t easy to acquire after all. What were the chances that a human had red hair, bright blue eyes, no hair, a susceptibility to disease, an outstanding mana affinity together?

And if that was not enough, there was the thing that had first told her that she may be raising something that wasn’t human. Ray, as a young baby, hadn't cried. No, he had sung. On the day she had found him, a baby lying on the forest floor, he had started singing. A beautiful tune that haunted her to this day.

But it was also something that no human could ever sing. A human’s vocal cords simply did not have the capacity to do so, let alone a baby’s. And she had been presented with a choice. To give the child to an orphanage where he would be found and killed by Xnarthan in no time, or take care of him herself.

A day later, she had approached Ariana to help her file for adoption. The process had been easy, the Empire was overburdened with orphans and wanting people to adopt. Ariana had agreed, and that was that.

Matilda had considered sneaking him to the Elves, or the Satyrs at times, but had always found one excuse or another to do so. The truth was that she had considered Ray her son long ago.

Matilda would be lying if she said that his actions did not worry her at all, but she would also be hypocritical to be too harsh on him for doing the exact same thing as her. Though her condition had not been so harsh, she did the same thing back then.

But it was all for naught. At least Ray had gotten admission into a good College through Ariana, she did not have that luxury. Not back then. But she had survived anyway.

But that was enough reminiscing for today, she had work to do. The builders would come in and renovate things this week, but they would need to be watched. The Commoners district was full of thieves that would love to relieve her of her money.

And Ray would start school today, he would need books and materials soon. The Alchemic College started its year right after the Mage academy program’s test ended, so Ray had already missed three days.

And he would need control over his new powers too. Matilda had observed his powers in action and was confident that he could do little with the mana he had, but that would not last for long.

The System would give him more mana as it had given her, and he would get even more going to a school. The [Learning] skill meant that his class must consider learning important. And then there was her other plan.

The Empire, like most tyrannic institutions, had a rebel problem. Not a very big one, the control the Empire had on the ways to get mana was too great for the rebels to grow too powerful, but there was one.

A woman called the Rebel Queen ruled it, but she had not been seen, ever. The woman existed only in myth and rumor, to most people, that is. The Xnarthan suspected her of having ties with the Elves and Satyrs, which had led Matilda to discover her while looking for ways to contact the Satyrs.

Now that she was in this woman’s territory, and hoping to gain from her efforts, it would be wise to pay a visit to one of her locations again. The rebels were bound to get increasingly powerful under the System, and Matilda had no good opinion of the Empire.

The pain of being cast out of the only home she had ever known just for not having a suitable element still burned her. Not to mention the marriage.

What did her Master say? ‘Knowledge is the weapon of the weak. The strong go into the unknown and make do without it.’ Well, she had to agree with him there.

As much as she wanted to deny it, she could hardly beat a Fire Mage in a straight-up fight. The trick, of course, was to never be in a place where she had to fight one. And knowledge helped her do that. Matilda heard secrets so easily it scared her.

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The majority of them were assumptions based on facts she collected, but assumptions that had an eerily good track record of being correct. After all, that was what the Rebel Queen had hired her for all those years ago.

“Ma, it’s time.” Ray said, popping out of his room, dressed in his usual white shirt and black pants. Matilda silently added getting him a fashion sense to her to-do list. Just because Anita said that it was a good combination did not mean he could wear the same things every day.

“Yes, I am coming, dear.” she answered, folding the map and keeping it away. The two of them exited the building and made their way towards the main square. The square was the meeting point of several gang territories in the commoner’s district, and the place where the school bus would pick Ray up.

The school bus came, a large cloud construct driven by an irritated man that seemed like he would like to kill her. The man’s lip curled in distaste as Ray boarded, his anger at having to pick up someone from the Commoner’s district clear. Matilda merely scoffed.

A couple of decades ago, she had thought the same, but she had learned better. Well, Ray was off, and she had work to do.

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Ray

Ray looked at the approaching school nervously. The other students had been cold to him for the most part, but he was used to it. What occupied his mind was Alchemy. Ray still had no idea how Aunty Arian had gotten him admission here.

The College was one of the more prestigious graduation possibilities through the Mage Academy program. The only Alchemy focused school on the Elven continent, its graduates provided most of the continent's Alchemic needs. Just studying here was something to be proud of.

The bus finally arrived and Ray got off, heading towards the gate. The school was situated on a cloud construct for safety purposes, there had been a few too many incidents for it to be allowed to be near civilization, and the Dean had objected violently to it being subjected to dishonorable locations outside the capital city. So here it was, in the air above it.

“Oh? What do we have here, a new face?” a voice said from beside Ray. Turning around, Ray came face to face with a short, sharp nosed man.

“Yes, sir, I just gained admission. I have my admission notice here. I was delayed due to certain health difficulties and could not attend till now.” Ray said, handing it to him.

“Yes, yes, as long as the Dean does not care.” the man said, opening the scroll. The man’s face clouded with disgust as it spit on the page. “A paid seat. A student grade one at that! The school is falling to such lengths.” the man spat.

Ray once again felt heat rise up his cheeks, ashamed at the situation. A paid seat, so that was how Aunty Anita had got him in here. The man threw some items at him, calling them from some unknown space.

“Here, take it. I don’t expect you will stay here long, but I have to give it to you anyway.” the man said, going away. Ray could feel the other students staring, shaking their heads at him as he walked through the gate, clutching the items against his chest.

But eventually he had to raise his head and look for where he had to go. And realize that he had no idea where that was. Now more nervous than ever, Ray looked around for someone that could help him. But he didn’t even have any idea who everyone was.

Looking through the items, he recognized a light blue robe, a manual, and some kind of key. But no map. Or schedule. Ray looked around, observing many students around him. The majority had gray robes, but some had blue like him, and even fewer white.

Ray followed a group of blue students, hoping that he was going in the right direction. The group led him to what appeared to be the entrance of a classroom. A white robed girl was standing there checking their keys for something before sending them in. Ray followed suit, copying them.

The girl looked at the key, her eyes glowing. And then slowly raised her head to look at him.

“Can you tell me why is it that you are trying to sneak into Ms Davison’s class on your first day, Mr Rosenmund?” the girl asked. Ray floundered, trying to come up with some excuse.

In the end, deciding to tell the truth.

“I, um, have no idea what I am doing. The man at the landing pad gave me these things and told me to get going.” Ray answered. The girl sighed, looking exasperated at the situation.

“Well, I doubt Ms Davidson is going to have any more students, so I suppose I will deal with you.” the girl answered.

“Now, based on Krrichlakhs reaction, I assume that you are a paid student?” the girl asked.

“I, um, have no idea.” Ray said. The girl held out her hand, clearly asking for something.

“The admission letter.” the girl demanded, holding out her hand. Ray handed it to her.

“Hmm, yes. I see that you are. The admission letter of a paid student is, unlike a normal letter, golden. The entire thing is by design, I’m afraid. The College has been facing a rather stringent financial crisis and decided to accept a few students on paid basis every year.”

“But the Dean also does not want the College’s graduate level to drop, and has instituted some rather stringent ways to stop any paid students from graduating and bringing dishonor to the school. I fear you aren’t going to make many friends, Mr Rosenmund.” the girl replied.

Well, at least life was consistent. Ray did not have any friends before, and he wouldn’t have any now. But he did wonder if Aunty Ariana knew about this when she gave him the letter.