*P.O.V by Elaine*
Suddenly, my body was enveloped by a strange energy coming from that sinister mana; I don't know whether to call it dark or not, but while I felt some awe in front of the professor's strange ability, I felt no danger coming from it.
Instinctively, just before I ended up engulfed by that purple energy, I closed my eyes for a few seconds. As soon as I opened them again, I was shocked to discover that at that moment I was no longer inside the training room, instead I was standing in front of another building; the latter was a large 10-story, pink-colored building with a well-maintened infrastructure; this building, moreover, was located in a beautiful setting, which was a garden with a lawn landscaped to the smallest detail and an expensive-looking fountain.
Of course, it was nowhere near the castle I lived in, but at that moment I couldn't help but admire that beautiful landscape.
I looked around carefully, and all around me I saw many girls of different ages wearing the academy uniform, in a mix of red-purple and black colors; those girls, the moment they saw us suddenly appear before them, started to look at me with eyes full of surprise, which was normal, given the flamboyant way in which the professor and I arrived there.
"This is...the dorm?"
"That's right, this is the girl's dorm. From here to the next 5 years, you will live here." said Durmuss, who without wasting further time, walked towards the entrance to that beautiful palace. "Come on, follow me."
As we walked toward the dormitory, I kept looking at those girls; at first, I thought their looks were at me, at the newcomer who was there to steal their spotlight; but then, as I looked more carefully, I realized that those looks were not at me at all, but rather, they were at the professor; their looks were a mixture of disbelief, surprise and confusion.
I wanted to ask why they were looking at him with those intense stares, but at the same time it was none of my business at that moment, and I had to focus only on one thing.
Upon entering the palace, we found ourselves in front of a lady sitting in front of a table, who, although we had entered, did not pay much attention to us, concentrating on reading a magazine;
The lady in question was an elderly woman, with gray and long hair, held with a rubber band. Despite the now wrinkled skin, she still had her own charm, and she wore red glasses that looked just right in hand. She wore a long black burgundy skirt, accompanied by a light white shirt and a mustard yellow button sweater;
"Hello, Mrs. Agatha." said Durmus, making a slight bow as a sign of respect.
The old lady rolled her eyes slightly, and after recognizing Professor Durmus, a smile appeared on her lips.
"Oh, Professor Durmus! How nice to see you!" said the lady, who energetically got up from her table, heading towards us - "I haven't seen you around here in a long time!"
"You are right, Mrs. Agatha. I've been busy lately, that's why I couldn't come here to enjoy your strawberry cakes!" Durmus replied, with a slight smile on his lips.
I was a little amazed to see that smile on his face; when I first saw him, he had seemed to me a very stern and cold man; but now, seeing how he acted, I had a new opinion of him, namely, of a man who posed as a tough guy, but who in reality, hid a sweet side.
The old lady turned her gaze towards me, and after observing me for a few seconds, she smiled a little. - "Are you sure that you can talk about your vices in front of this girl?" said the woman in a sarcastic tone.
The man immediately recomposed himself, returning to a more serious expression, although his cheeks were slightly reddened from embarrassment.
"E-Ehm-Ehm! ... Anyway, this girl's name is Lucy Blazestorm, and from today she will be part of our academy."
"Oh..." - The woman looked at me again, this time more carefully – "If you personally brought her here, it means she has a very good talent, doesn't it?"
"..."
"I will take your silence as a yes!" - replied the lady who, approaching me and taking me a little by surprise, took me by the hand pulling me – "Come on, miss! I'll show her her room!"
"W-Wait! My suitcases-!"
"Don't worry about your suitcases! They'll take them to your room later! Follow me!"
*****
Mrs. Agatha, full of energy, shows me every corner of the dormitory in the smallest detail: inside the dormitory there was a small canteen, with the possibility of going even at night to eat; a study room with a small library inside, shared bathrooms and a small swimming pool;
After doing so, she finally took me to the eighth floor, where my room was located; Mrs. Agatha took me to the last room at the end of the left corridor, thus opening the empty room that would become my home for the next 5 years;
The room was pretty and minimal, with the walls colored pink, the floor made with fine wood and a view that gave way to the beautiful garden of the dormitory;
"I hope the room is to your liking!" said the lady who, in the next instant, left the room to go to the ground floor.
"Wait!" - I exclaimed, wanting to ask him some questions; - "Is there any dorm rules I should watch out for?"
"... No, there are no particular rules... The important thing is to respect your surroundings and your neighbors, and most importantly, don't use magic outside of the training rooms or in areas outside the academy's predetermined zones!"
I was a little surprised by that answer; I believed that, an academy with such prestige, had some iron rules like curfew or something similar, and yet there was none of that.
"You seem surprised by my answer..." - said the woman, who noticed my perplexity. - "Well, i think is pretty normal for the newcomers to be puzzled about the rules of the academy; many believe that in this academy there are extremely strict professors, or that there are very harsh rules. In truth, there is none of this, since according to the Principal, magic is synonymous with freedom and creativity. Restricting students, in this case, would be equivalent to limiting their creativity, and consequently, also their evolution into real wizards."
I looked at the woman with a little skepticism, not really agreeing with this line of thought.
"But aren't y'all afraid that some students may abuse this freedom? Don't you think that by doing so, they can stay on their laurels?"
The woman sketched a smile, shaking her head slightly – "We believe that the real wizards, are the ones who learn from mistakes, Miss Lucy. Instead of imposing strict rules, we try to cultivate personal responsibility. The students who are here are the best, and we trust that they will be able to honor the trust we place in them..."
What I felt was a totally new way of teaching; although I was a little wary of this method, I thought of the fact that this was the best academy in the world, and that perhaps this was the secret of their fame.
"It's really... A unique way of thinking. Thank you for your time, ma'am."
"No problem! If you need me, I'll be at the front desk! Have a good rest!" said the woman, cheerfully heading for her workstation.
I closed the door, and after observing the room well, I threw myself on my bed, which I found pleasantly comfortable. I thought about everything that had happened lately, and despite the hard, indeed, terrible moments, I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel...
[Mom... Dad... I will avenge you soon, so that you can rest in peace. Wait a while... Wait...]
Slowly, my eyelids became heavy, and a few moments later, I fell asleep,this time, without thinking about any danger.
*Elaine's P.O.V. End*
After the initial state of euphoria, Erwin felt excruciating pain in the center of his chest, forcing him to fall on his knee.
Slowly, all the adrenaline in his body dissipated, and the wounds caused by the two punches to his sternum flared up heavily, to the point that the boy had difficulty to breathing; it was almost a miracle that he had not ended up knocked out, and at that moment he felt very lucky to have managed to beat his opponent, somehow.
As he let himself anad to the ground in pain, he thought back to the technique he had just used; he did not use instinct, as he had done against Rudolf or Elaine, but used his past experience with Ron, reproducing the same technique that proved crucial to emerge victorious from that fight.
During the last instances of that fierce battle, Erwin had no absolute certainty that he could replicate the technique to perfection, nor was he sure of its success, but the moment he analyzed Arnold's last attack, he saw a more unique than rare opportunity to try that move.
[... Is that what he meant when he said I was just a little bird?] Erwin thought with a small smile, finally beginning to understand Ron's words when he was little.
Leonard, who saw the boy in trouble, got up of his own free will, then approached Erwin.
"Let me help you!"
The professor reached out his hand towards Erwin, and suddenly, from Leonard's palm, a strange golden mist came out, which went to cover Erwin's entire body;
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The boy did not immediately understand what the elderly man in front of him was doing, but suddenly, he noticed that the immense pain that had pervaded his body, began to mitigate, leaving room for a strange feeling of warmth.
"For the broken bones, I can't do anything about it because I don't have the right tools here, but I can relieve the pain you feel..." - said the professor, looking at the boy with satisfaction, after his incredible test. - "Can you get up?"
Erwin tried to get up, and although he still felt sick from his cracked bones, he was definitely better at that moment than he was before.
"What was that thing?" curiously asked Erwin, who was incredulous to discover that such magic could exist.
"What I used with you is a skill called "Mana Sync", and it allows me to use my mana to cure other people! You know, in addition to be a professor of this academy, i'am also a Chief Medical Director of the hospital of this academy!" - replied Leonard proudly, slightly inflating his chest.
"Oooh..."
Erwin at every minute that passed in here, he discovered things that made him happy; he was aware that there were many things to discover, but certainly, he didn't expect to see so many interesting things in a single day, and this was nothing compared to what he would discover from here on.
Leonard, after making sure that Erwin was all right, went to treat Arnold, who was in even worse shape than Ron's student; Arnold was still lying unconscious on the ground, and Leonard noticed from the boy's twisted expression that although he was unconscious he was still in terrible pain.
Leonard immediately began to check the hip that had suffered Erwin's violent punch. The doctor lifted the boy's shirt, and was surprised to see that in addition to a severe purplish-colored hematoma, all the ribs on that side were destroyed, leaving the man completely dumbfounded.
[... What kind of strength does Erwin have?!] thought the professor perplexed, incredulous that Erwin, with a single punch, had managed to make this kind of damage.
Without wasting further time, Arnold passed his mana to the boy, as he did with Erwin, and after just a few moments, Arnold regained his senses.
"...ARGH!"
Arnold had attempted to get up, still confused by what was happening, but the moment I tried to move, a terrible pang pervaded every corner of his body, thus risking putting him offside again.
"Don't make abrupt movements, Arnold. I've relieved your pain, but some of your ribs have suffered a bad fracture, so try not to move too abruptly..."
After that, Leonard helped the boy get up, then slowly heading to the jury of professors.
"I take the boy to the infirmary, he needs immediate care." Leonard said with a serious look.
"Okay, his health is more important..." said the principal, looking at his student almost with a sorry look.
The two then headed towards the exit, with Arnold staring at Erwin for a few seconds before leaving the gym; the two looked at each other, with Erwin wanting to say something to console his "enemy", but at the same time, he thought that everything he would say at that moment, would be felt as a mockery.
Arnold was visibly frustrated by the defeat he suffered, since, in addition to having lost to a mere freshman, he had lost to an opponent who could barely move; however, this did not change the fact that, unlike Erwin, he was really inferior in terms of the use of martial arts, and this made his defeat less painful, although anger and regrets were still present, since he knew that this defeat would have serious repercussions for him.
Then, as he approached Erwin at a slow pace, he thought that leaving this academy could be a sign of a new beginning....
"... You know, about what you said before... You're right, your fighting skills are formidable."
Arnold then turned around, leaving the training room helped by Leonard, no longer looking back.
Erwin watched his opponent leave; in his eyes, he could see the sadness in his eyes, but at the same time, he saw in his expression a strange note of relief. It was strange what he saw, but he didn't pay much attention to it, as at that moment, he was more concerned that, in all likelihood, he would never see him again.
[I'm sorry...]
"Erwin, could you get closer to us?" Professor Martha suddenly asked to a distracted Erwin, who responded a few seconds late.
"Oh... Immediately" – said Erwin, who approached the jury of professors with decisive steps.
"Listen, Mr. Eda." - the principal began in a calm voice, looking Erwin straight in the eye – "Right now, both Professor Leonard and Professor Durmus are missing. So if you don't mind, is it okay to know the outcome of your exam later?"
Erwin was displaced by this request, but at the same time he understood the reason for this choice, since in fact, there were only three professors left.
Even Brenin, who had remained impassive until then, was puzzled by that choice, as for him, his admission to the academy was obvious.
"Oh, Ok. I don't have any problem..."
"Well then!" replied the principal, who then turned his gaze to Martha – "Professor Martha, why don't you accompany Mr. Zephyr* to the men's dormitory, so that he can be placed in a free room, so that Mr. Eda can also rest, while waiting for the outcome?"
*Zephyr is Brenin's last name*
Martha looked strangely at the principal because of that strange proposal, and for a few seconds she didn't answer.
"Martha?" said the principal, perplexed, who noticed the woman's disay;
"Oh... Oh! O-Of course, I will personally accompany him to an empty room!"
Slightly embarrassed, the woman quickly got up from the chair, then headed for the boys; " Follow me!"
The two boys nodded, and followed the woman to the men's dorm; as they walked out of the gym though, Erwin, out of the corner of his eye, saw a strange expression on the principal's face, with his eyes turned right towards Erwin; it was as if at that moment, the academy principal was sorry.
The moment the principal crossed his gaze with Erwin ,so as not to increase doubts in the boy, he immediately changed his expression, sketching a forced smile. Erwin had a strange feeling, but did not pay much attention to it, thus averting his gaze from the elderly gentleman.
Yilenia, for her part, waited for Martha and the two boys to leave the room, before saying a word;
"Mr. Principal, I'll get straight to the point: I think that guy is hiding something from us... Why didn't he show us his element?" Yilenia said dryly, with a very serious look.
The principal began touching his beard, taking on a slightly more serious and thoughtful expression this time, worrying Yilenia slightly.
"It's the same question I asked myself..." -finally said the old man, rising from his chair and beginning to stretch slowly. - "...And I came to the conclusion that in truth, it's not that he didn't want to show us his element, he just couldn't."
"He couldn't? .... But wait, then..!!"
"That's right, the boy is unable to control any magical element" said the principal, touching his beard again;
Yilenia was shocked by this response; throughout the fight, despite Erwin demonstrating an out-of-the-normal ability, she continued to wonder why the kid did not use his element, even at the most critical moment for him. He believed that perhaps, that was his way of rising in front of the professors. But she would never have expected that kind of reasons.
"Excuse me, Mr. Principal, don't you think you are wrong? The boy, besides having enormous talent in martial arts and an incredible strength, the quality and quantity of his mana are remarkable for his age.... It is impossible that he does not possess related elements.... Those without elements cannot possess that kind of mana."
The principal gave a small sigh, expecting such a reaction from the teacher; "You see, over the years, I have managed to refine my mana to levels that for me, until 30 years ago, was unthinkable to reach; when you reach this level, everything becomes clearer around you, and you see everything in a different light... It's like reaching a second awakening..."
"... What does this have to do with Erwin?" asked Yilenia, who saw no logical link between the two matters.
"Ohohoh! Let me finish!" The principal burst into a small laugh – "You see, since I have attained this sort of 'second awakening,' I can perceive the mana around me differently: for example, in Brenin's mana it is possible to sense a breeze and apparent calmness, characteristic of those who control the wind element; in contrast, in Lucy I sense compactness, coldness and maleability, characteristic of the water and ice element..."
"Can you really understand all this... just by reading the other people's mana ?"
"Yeah! It's like when, through mana, we manage to understand the intention of a person in front of us. It's the same thing, but i'm able to feel more stuff, i guess" – replied The Principal, trying to make a comparison as similar as possible – "However, as for Erwin... In his mana I did not sense any of that. I wasn't sure if he was really without an element, however, I had my answers after seeing him fight."
"If this is the case, then the choice should be easy, right?" - said Yilenia suddenly coldly, who at that moment, in addition to being convinced by the principal's words, had lost all the interest she felt in that boy, despite his talent for the fight was remarkable. - "We can't accept an elementless. Not in our academy. There is no point in wasting time and money breeding a defective product."
"Don't you think you're overly tough?" replied the principal in surprise, who certainly did not expect this sudden change of attitude;
"No, I am a realist, Mr. Principal. Although there is no rule against their registration, it is now well known that the wizard without the ability to control the elements have no future in this world."
The principal looked at the woman with an indecipherable expression; an expression that made the woman uncomfortable, which became a little restless. Then, however, the principal sighed, then heading towards the exit of the gym.
"...Really? I don't think so..." - whispered the principal, who despite the doubts he felt, seemed amused – "Ms. Yilenia, I will the only one who will decide about the boy's future. I will communicate my decision in the late afternoon."
Yilenia did not particularly like this choice, since in this case, none of the professors had a say; but she trusted the principal, and therefore hoped that, after careful reflection, she would make the most appropriate choice.
"Okay, Mr. Principal. I hope your doubts will be resolved then..."
END OF CHAPTER 25.1 - GOALS