“A club? You went yesterday to the student council’s president to receive permission to form a club?” Solomon asked Ibyr as they went to school.

“Yes, in this way we would be able to be together after school and at the same time train ourselves to become more powerful to one day be the ones to protect our parents,” Ibyr said with her trademark enthusiastic smile.

“What will the club be about?” Solomon said with dread, knowing Ibyr it would be probably about fighting bare hands against beings powerful as Skully.

“We will be explorers. The Fay Garden’s Explorers!” Ibyr showed a paper with a childish drawing of the club’s name and two happy people, Ibyr and Solomon, holding hands. “This is why I went to the Fay Garden yesterday, it was to prove to the student council’s president that I can go there and bring honor and goods to the school. We just need to find two more members to be accepted as a club. You will, of course, join the club, right? I only made this club for you.” She said with widened puppy eyes, being the way she always gets things from her father.

“I will join the club but you don’t need to act in this way, only Raithe is maybe the one that you can convince by doing that. What’s a Fay Garden anyway? Mister Raithe mentioned it yesterday.”

“The Fay Garden.” She corrected him. “It's the reason this city is called Faystorm and one of the reasons for the Ecrium Empire’s rise. Not everyone knows how important that place is, only some nobles and the student council’s president right now. The Fay Garden is a place where you receive trials based on your own qualities and receive prizes by it depending on how good you are, but to receive the trial you need to pass through random requirements made by The Fay Garden’s ruler. The Dragon Empress received her pure dragon bloodline from there.”

“If this place is so amazing how the people of the school don’t comment about it? Or why would we be allowed to go there? It must a national treasure.”

“Because The Fay Garden isn’t actually part of the Ecrium Empire, it has its own ruler and laws inside of it since before the Ecrium Empire existed. Therefore the Dragon Empress can’t forbid anyone from going there but she can reduce the flow of information about it to make it a secret. So if I, the leader, have the right to go there given by Fay’s ruler, nobody can prevent you, my follower, to go with me.”

“I understand now but by the books I read, the Dragon Empress doesn’t seem like someone that would let something like that inside of her empire without completely controlling it.”

“She can’t do anything about it, she and all last emperors and empresses are obliged by a soul contract to not meddle with The Fay Garden. The Fay Garden’s ruler is really frightening to force the empire’s antecessors to sign a contract that will last until the end of the world.”

Solomon nodded and they passed the rest of the trip talking about the Fay Garden until he noted one thing just before Jord stopped the car at the Imperial Magic School.

“Bessy, why you are so quiet? Normally you always have something to say.” Solomon looked at his ghost friend that had a pensive face.

“... Sorry, I was just thinking about something I saw earlier,” Bessy said without looking at Solomon’s face.

“If you say so.” Solomon knew Bessy long enough to know that she was lying to him but he won’t be the one to ask about it, everyone has a secret they don’t want to talk about, especially a ghost that was only ‘alive’ by the power of her grudge.

“I could swear I already saw that emblem. Where did I see it? Was before magic came back when I was only a child?” Bessy wondered and tightly gripped her hands with Solomon’s magic signature. “Is this the first clue I was searching for? I can’t involve Solomon on this, I need to search by myself.”

Bessy swore with her form becoming slightly less transparent than normal. “But it would really be easier if I could borrow the power of his new parents, they would for sure be powerful enough to enact my vengeance, how can I make them act without knowing it was me that was the trigger?”

***

Solomon struggled to follow the rhythm of his lessons even after receiving specialized help from his parents, he wasn’t more in a second-grade school in Hollowell, he was in the best school in the empire and the difficulty was too much for him.

On the first test if he has luck he will have a three or four out of ten in all of his grades, he would for sure need to take remedial classes and retake his tests if necessary, he won’t probably be expelled this semester and in the next one when he is more used to the speed and quality of the Imperial Magic School he should be able to have average grades.

The math lessons were the hardest for his mind and the physical education was the hardest for his body.

Solomon at the school’s courtyard at break time shuddered, remembering his physical education teacher shouting to him earlier today “come on, scarf boy, put more strength in your hips,” and making him embarrassed in the middle of the class.

“Even so, scarf boy. Why didn’t you take your scarf in the physical education class? Wasn’t it too hot?” Lyn eating from a fancy lunchbox asked near him in the courtyard.

“Believe it or not, wearing this scarf is actually refreshing even when exercising,” Solomon said after finishing eating his lunch.

“Where did you get one of those? The school’s dormitory is too hot, I would die to have something to mitigate the heat.” Irwin, the one with short hair and a sword at his hips, said.

“As expected of commoners, you can’t even handle a little of the heat.” Jack, the Imperial Prince, said. “But Solomon, I also must ask you, where did you get a magical scarf? I don’t know of any artificer that would lose their time messing with a mere scarf.”

“It was… my mother, she made it to me. She has a thing for scarves and said that no son of her would walk through this world without a scarf. I don’t get why she is obsessed with it even though she herself doesn’t wear one.” Solomon said while Irwin and Jack were in a staring contest despite their absurd status difference.

The only reason this weird group was in the courtyard together talking was that Irwin and Lyn were friends for a long date, and Jack came to try to flirt with Lyn and failed.

Why Solomon was still here is unknown to him though, he just went on his own to the courtyard as he doesn’t have friends yet, and without him noticing Lyn followed him, bringing together the other two boys.

Did she follow me because she wanted to be my friend? We sit close so we end up talking more during the small break times but it isn’t still on the level of being friends.

Bessy was still quiet on the sidelines, not caring about anything, making Solomon worry over her.

He was also worried about the boy at the side watching all of them, but he doesn’t seem keen to make his presence known.

“Scarf boy, why when you go quiet you always look to your upper right? Is there something I can’t see?” Lyn asked with a furrowed brow looking to where Bessy is.

“N-No, of course not. I just like looking to the sky.”

“Even inside of our roofed class with curtains in the middle of the class?”

Solomon became silent at Lyn’s question until he remembered how to get out of this situation. “Oh, my cousin is mounting a club to explore a place. Do any of you want to join it? The student council president has already approved it, we only need to find two more members.”

“What place is it?” Lyn asked despite knowing Solomon was only fleeing from her.

“I don’t know if I can talk about it without her consent.”

“But how you will get members if you don’t explain about the place?”

“Today you are really only making the worst questions.” Solomon sighed. “But-”

“Fear not, my dear cousin. I can explain them because of my status.” Ibyr suddenly appeared, how is she hanging from the ceiling and swinging around? “The name of the place is The Fay Garden. There you pass by trials that are not necessarily combat-based ones and receive rewards for it.”

“What? The Fay Garden? Even you being the Divine Hound’s daughter you shouldn’t be able to enter there or divulge about to normal people.” Jack said in surprise.

“Do you I know you?”

“I’m Jack-”

“Anyway, I don’t care about you.” Ibyr interrupted him. “So any of you interested in entering the club?”

Jack fumed in anger and left the place while Lyn looked with curiosity at Ibyr.

Irwin wasn’t too impressed by the mysterious place, he probably doesn’t care about legends or fairy tales.

Lyn reached close to Solomon and said. “I’m a political hostage so I can’t go to dangerous places but if you say that isn't necessarily combat-based, I will join the club since my good friend, scarf boy is needing me.” She took the opportunity to whisper in Solomon’s ears. “I’m counting on you using your cousin to protect me one day if I join and if you want Irwin to join, you only need to suggest a spar of him against your cousin.”

Solomon perceived only now Lyn’s intention of getting near him and couldn’t take the thought off him of how stupid she is to make clear her objective so early, wouldn’t it be better for to her say that when he really considers her a friend? Or she judged his character wrongly, or she was just too impatient with fear of dying to someone.

I hate this.

Don’t put me and Ibry as just an asset for you, I just wanted a normal friend…

Miss Olivia, I wished I could talk with you again, I miss reading books with you before sleeping and cuddling with you humming that sweet song to me.

This noble world isn’t for me.

Solomon stayed silent to Lyn’s surprise with a melancholic look in his eyes.

Ibry looked angrily at Bessy for not noticing her master’s emotions to comfort him. “You two don’t seem fit to go to the garden though, so don’t worry too much about it. We are lacking one member after all. It will be easy to find them.”

“Who is the person you found?” Solomon asked before having Asmo remember him that he is in public and not mull over Bessy and the noble world for too long.

“You shall see…” She wasn’t that excited about it. “Anyway, meet me here after class to us go to the student council president's place to have our club approved. I have an idea of who can be the last member.” Ibyr disappeared just as quickly as she showed up, somehow flipping and rolling at the ceiling.

“Your cousin is quite an interesting person, is being a relative to a God’s champion the reason?” Irwin wondered aloud.

Gods’ champions were existences above normal common sense and logic, they received the favors and very Essence of the Superior Beings to spread their word and accomplish missions for their Gods who can’t descend to Kuntha for reasons beyond mere humans can know.

Assuming Ibyr would be special just for being relative to the only Divine Hound of all Light Gods wasn’t an assumption too far-fetched.

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“Who knows? I’m going back to class now.” Solomon stood up with his extra juice still not finished.

“Why? Let’s talk a little more.” Lyn said with a sweet smile.

The ‘scarf boy’ ignored her and walked to the third floor with worry on his face about Bessy’s current state.

He had to take her by hand to not be left behind, not minding any weird look at him.

Bessy… You are my closest friend, I swear I will help you when you decide to tell me what’s on your mind.

She felt the warmth through her body and calmed herself down as she was close to reliving some nasty moments of her life.

Solomon was indeed the best for her.

“Wow, you definitely messed up. What did you do this time? Did you try to seduce him while he already had a girl or boy in his heart? Or had you broken a promise like always?” Irwin chuckled as he nudged Lyn’s shoulders.

“I don’t think so, although I did hasten the relationship by telling the truth to him and my expectations. Solomon didn’t seem to be someone who would take it so seriously and personally, he probably had something else in his head and didn’t hear me.” Lyn said while thinking. “Maybe something related to the space in his upper right.”

“You again with your illogical fear, you know you won’t ever have true friends if you continue so paranoiac, right? Lyon or your father aren’t going to send assassins to you, maybe your stepmother would but isn’t she still too politically weak?”

“I can’t stop thinking I’m being watched every day and with the dormitory not being so safe I struggle to sleep.” She shuddered. “I can count on you, right? Mister who came back from the army after leaving me alone for years.”

“Still not letting go of the grudge? As expected of you, Princess Fox.” Irwin laughed with cold eyes. “Anyway, let’s change the subject. If you really want to use Solomon and join this club you will have to meet Lyon, are you going to be fine? You two didn’t make peace yet by what I know.”

“You can’t always live in fear is what my mother told me, so… I will be fine, I guess. How I wanted we could back to the time we were only children.”

***

Solomon was only able to take his mind off his best friend’s problems when his favorite lesson began, it was the only subject that he felt comfortable with and actually worthy of being in the Imperial Magic School.

Runic Translation was taught by a nice lady who was also the main librarian of the school.

The subject consisted of the understanding and actual application of runes, words from before the Chaos Age and also before the nowadays Superior beings existed, some suspected those were words from the one True Creator that made all universes.

“Class, now who can translate this to me or at least put it to work in the diagram on the board?” The strange blue-haired teacher said pointing to the board with some triangles smashed together in the vision of the students.

Solomon eagerly raised his right hand with shining eyes, looking so innocent while everyone else just had bewildered faces and Irwin was struggling to not have his head explode with so much information the teacher gave in the last seconds.

“Come on! How can only Sir Solomon know the answer all the time? I’m teaching you guys the same thing as him and I already said the answer early, if you try to remember you will know or at least activate the diagram for the spell.” The teacher sighed and slumped on her table in frustration. “All of you with exception of Sir Solomon will have extra lessons.”

“What?!” Deafening screams surged from the students in exasperation.

“This is unfair!”

“That’s right!”

“Some of us are commoners, how can you expect to us know this?”

“Yeah, Solomon is relative to the Divine Hound, he has a clear advantage here-”

“Silence.” The teacher’s small voice full of anger and killing intent silenced everyone as she looked at them with her bluish eyes devoid of any compassion, her small frame didn’t lessen the effects of her natural pressure and magic overflowing from her that made everyone with exception of Solomon have their heads banged against their own tables.

“If you want to blame someone, blame the director for thinking of you guys’ safety and putting this subject in the first year instead of the fifth year.” The teacher brought out a journal from under her table. “I wasn’t supposed to be telling the truth, but all of you are too annoying to my taste. Of course, with exception of Sir Solomon who had listened to my lesson properly.”

She looked through the journal for some moments before finding what she wanted. “There is, “the Ash Killer strikes again, another community house burnt to the ground.” Not many know but this killer actually uses runic formations to burn all evidence of their action after a certain time, the only way to any of you flee from them would be to use the knowledge learned here to break the formation.”

Solomon gripped his table, could that Nergal guy be the culprit? The method is similar…

She swang back and forth the journal with clear disdain. “You can think this has nothing to do with you, but the director discovered many of their victims were students, do you realize what this means? All of you are in danger, even that pompous prince since he isn’t important enough to have a good bodyguard.

“The director is trying to chase this killer while also giving you guys a chance of survival in the meantime, and what you do?! You complain like spoiled little brats, here we are cultivating talents, not some useless mommy boys and girls!”

Now the classroom was silent for another motive, a cruel reality was put without any consideration for their feelings at them. Many scoffed at the idea of a killer targeting them at first, but soon the ones chosen by this Imperial School were smart enough to understand the truth with their eyes widening in realization.

“Good, it seems we are finally talking the same language now, all of you were carefully chosen so there’s no way you can be this stupid and not take the lessons seriously. And don’t think Sir Solomon had an advantage and knew the translation beforehand. This is a word I myself created from scratch in relation to another principle I just explained. Runics are that beautiful, anyone can create new words and also decipher them.”

She released the pressure on the students. “I also don’t want to hear the ‘commoner’ complaint because not even your dear Imperial Prince with the education of the Holy Empress knew the answer, and being relative to the Divine Hound doesn’t make Sir Solomon automatically a noble.”

Jack could only grunt in defeat as people looked at him in shock.

“Anyway, Sir Solomon. Please give your classmates the answer.” The teacher forgot of retiring the anger from her voice.

“Y-Yes, Teacher!” Solomon hurriedly stood up with dread and sweat on his face.

“Oh, you didn’t remember my name yet?”

“I’m deeply sorry, estimated Teacher, I struggle to remember anything. Please pardon me, I swear I will do anything from now on to memorize it!” Solomon bowed, almost crying at being targeted by his teacher’s wrath.

He never did well in social situations like this where he is in the spotlight, he was just a shy boy that regretted raising his hand.

Solomon was so pitiful right now with his head lowered down and stammering that thoughts of indignation towards him disappeared from his classmates' heads.

“Sorry, Sir Solomon. It seems I scared you a little.” The teacher’s tone and smile came back to normal with her being especially sweet with her current favorite student. “Raise your head, there’s no problem in you not remembering my name, by the files I have it was indeed explained about your memory condition. I really do think is commendable of you learning about Runes despite this.”

Solomon relaxed a little as his teacher came back to normal and used his training action of taking a deep breath and putting his hands on his eyes before answering while Asmo chided him. “Why only now you remember this trick? It would be useful in the last war. And why are you wetting yourself at her mere tone? Come on, you even survived the attacks of a True Dragon in my dream world.”

Solomon ignored Asmo and answered his teacher. “To give the simple resume what you wrote, you used a rune for a new word on the basis of the principle ‘transmutation’ which you had already explained some minutes ago so I won’t repeat it. The Rune in our language would then follow the rules of ‘transmutation’ and be named ‘alquimia’.”

“Splendid, you even explained the root of the Rune.” The teacher clapped with favor, she wasn’t feigning her emotions or being threatened by Perite to do it, she had equal standing to the director normally, if not, even more depending on the situation. An Imperial Prince couldn’t influence her. “Can you then activate the diagram on the board?”

“I can try.” Solomon went to the board and put his hand over it, trying to concentrate and forget the feeling of when he used magic in the war.

No one is going to die with this.

It seems because he used his trick earlier his feelings didn't get in his way and let his magic flow through the diagram.

There were several tripping points that needed him carefully control his magic to acceptable levels.

Imagining his magic as water as always, he gradually activated the diagram after understanding what it can do.

His left hand then got filled with Dark Magic which was a glob of darkness with silver stars before he struck the middle of the diagram to activate it.

The board was completely covered by Solomon’s magic and suddenly it wasn’t white anymore, it was pure black with silver edges.

“Now you guys understand why I already gave the answer earlier? This is simply overcomplicated magic to change colors of objects based on the owner’s type of magic.” The teacher touched the board and made it go back to normal with a finger glowing in white as the rest of the students were making all kinds of curses at their own stupidity.

“Can I go back to my seat?” Solomon asked.

“Yes.” The teacher played a little with the rest of his Dark Magic. “I’m not the magic teacher, but I do think you had taken the right choice to focus on Dark Magic, it is the only magic that exists that focuses on raw instinct and feelings. All the others depend on logic and codes which you don’t seem to be good at. You even have taken a different path from others in your own Dark Magic, so I’m curious about what you will do. Although, I’m sure you won’t abuse it because you’re a good boy with a golden heart.”

Does she know about my necromancy or is talking in the general sense?

The class continued like normal until the bell rang and the teacher said. “Okay, Sir Solomon. Can you leave the class while I give the extra lesson to your classmates? I know you are more than happy to learn more but it will be harder for me to control my powers if you are here.”

Solomon saw the sadistic smile in his teacher and his classmates looking at him as if begging to him stay, Lyn was principally making puppy eyes like Ibyr.

“Understood, Teacher.” Solomon didn’t hesitate to take Bessy with him and leave the class without looking back or hearing the pitiful pleas of his colleagues.

He went to the first floor and at the courtyard, he combined with Ibyr earlier.

The courtyard seemed out of place in this sophisticated school, it only had some trees, benches, and one simple water fountain which some seniors liked to joke about its powers to connect people once far away physically and mentally.

The courtyard was just too simple and had no traces of magic, it was as if the budget was cut down at it or it was just how the director likes to make the school simple without flashy magic or decorations like big floating crystals.

People were hurrying to leave the school or go to their clubs, so the courtyard was empty with exception of two people at the water fountain.

One of them was Ibyr with a grin on her face and the other was a woman Solomon didn’t know yet, probably the other member his cousin found.

She was tall, not as Ibyr but tall enough to Solomon suspect she was at least from the third year. Both her eyes and hair arranged into twintails were technically yellow, but her eyes had a piercing amber coloration and her hair was a brilliant gold that glowed as if with its own life.

She had a gorgeous face but Solomon couldn’t really feel excited about it as it was too perfect and she naturally exuded a charm he didn’t like, maybe they could become friends but anything romantic felt repulsive to him.

Walking closer to them he perceived two interesting things about her, she had a crimson amulet in her neck in the form of a drop of water with a small rune of ‘love’ within it and she also wore a golden bangle on her right arm full of minuscule formations engraved into it.

“Is she the other member you talked about?” Solomon said.

“Yes, she is our senior C-”

“Little Ibyr, how about you let me introduce myself for once?” She interrupted Ibyr and made a curtsy bow to Solomon. “I’m from the third year and specialize in close quarters combat, Force, and Ice magic. I’m Carmilla…” She seemed to struggle a lot with indecision and fear. “I’m Carmilla de Davi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s also a pleasure to meet you, I’m just Solomon, the cousin of the person at your side.” Solomon noticed she was from noble lineage to meet someone so formally, making him also do a small bow in reply, that name though… “Your surname isn’t unfamiliar to me, are you from Ochia?”

“No, I’m from a small village in Atros. I don’t know why you think my surname is familiar.” Carmilla visibly relaxed after Solomon didn’t poorly react to her sensible surname. “You know, the Monster Empire?” She showed her fangs and her ears a little longer than normal. “I’m what that one from Republic Earth who made the Bestiary, an encyclopedia of monsters, called of Vampire.”

Solomon remained unperturbed by the revelation as he didn’t care much for any kind of discrimination or hatred that existed between Races, he was just curious. “But aren’t Ecrium and Atros in war? It would be one thing to exist not sapient monsters in Ecrium as part of the environment, but an intelligent and educated as you wouldn’t cause some problems?”

“Normally, but I paid some taxes and told secrets of the Atros Empire to the Holy Dragon Empress. I’m considered a traitor in my homeland, but here I’m a precious informant. They give me anything I want, so a normal school life wasn’t that hard to get. It’s annoying to deal with Atros’ assassins though.” She revealed an atrocious state secret without caring for the consequences.

“Why then go through all this hassle? We only know each other for some moments so pardon my rudeness, but I can’t see any reason a Monster would betray their homeland.” Solomon was having a hard time figuring out this member Ibyr brought.

“For hope and love,” Carmilla said with a small smile. “I hope to meet the person most important in my life here and this is also why I decided to go to the Fay Garden with you guys. Ibyr told me that the Fay Ruler not only gives Artifacts as rewards for passing the trials, but it can also give all information that exists in the world, I will use it in my favor and localize the person I’m searching for.”

“What? Is that true, Ibry?” Solomon shook Ibyr’s shoulders, desperate to finally find a clue to find the one who saved him and left him in the orphanage. “The Fay Ruler can really answer or give any information that exists? Even to find lost people?” The need for Purson or Dantanlian would be gone.

“...Yeah.” Ibyr never saw her cousin so anxious.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Now I’m really excited about it, let’s do your best!” Solomon’s energy was so overbearing that Carmilla couldn’t help to not comment.

“Ibyr, why did you say your cousin was meek? He seems energetic for me.”

Ibyr shrugged after being released and said to Solomon. “Let’s go eat something first, I feel like we will meet our last member there.”