Chapter 22 – Encounter

Lynett

“Lynett Maedis Whiteheart! You’re finally here! I’ve been expecting you!” A skinny man heartily exclaimed as he saw me walking in, accompanied by the chief secretary.

He was the headmaster of the Arcane Academy. Seated in his office, he already appeared somewhat tall, but when he got up to greet me, I saw how tall he really was. He wasn’t intimidating, though. He was lanky and his cheek bones gave him a skeletal look. He was also much younger than I expected. Even though he had some facial hair, he didn’t look older than thirty.

“You’ve been expecting me?” I inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, yes of course!” The headmaster replied enthusiastically. “It’s always a pleasure to accommodate a new student, especially one as talented as you! I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“You did?”

“Yes. The marquis he... Uhm, what was your relationship with him again?”

“Niece.”

“Right, niece!” The headmaster repeated. “Well your uncle spoke very highly of you, Lynett!”

That’s a little hard to imagine. I had very few interactions with my uncle but I know he’s not the kind to brag a lot, especially not about me. Although I don’t think that he despise me, he definitely doesn’t hold me dear to his heart. Actually, he went through so many troubles to hide my existence it was hard to imagine him suddenly commend me.

“He told me you were full of surprises!” The headmaster continued. “Even though you never attended a school before, you still managed to get an apprenticeship! That’s very impressive! If you knew how many of our students are trying to get one… We’re doing our best to support them, but it’s not an easy task. Masters are picky about their disciples, especially ones as young as you!”

An apprenticeship? What kind of lies did Uncle Jack tell him? I don’t mind the lies -actually, I‘m even grateful that my uncle made up such a story instead of me- but I would have appreciated if he warned me beforehand.

The headmaster looked at me with bright eyes, full of expectations. “Also, there is something I’m really curious about. May I ask?” He inquired with a candid smile.

“Sure,” I nodded.

“Which deity blessed you?” He asked.

Taken aback by the question, I widened my eyes. I knew people were naturally curious about my eyes, but no matter how much they wanted to know, they never asked anything about them. There seemed to be some kind of taboo around the subject.

“Ah, sorry,” the headmaster immediately apologized, as he saw my expression. “As I thought, it’s a little rude, isn’t?”

I shrugged. I didn’t particularly mind the question, it was just unexpected. To be honest, I’ve never really understood why it was such a delicate matter either.

“You see, I’m a theologian,” he explained. “You could say that my job is to study deities and anything connected to them. And although it’s been going on for years, if there is something that we don’t understand well, it’s when a child is blessed.”

The headmaster marked a pause and nodded to himself, stroking his chin. Then, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth as he patted my shoulder in a friendly way.

“I apologize again if I was too direct,” he said.”But I’m a researcher! It’s difficult for me to hide my enthusiasm after meeting a chosen one, especially one like you!”

I tilted my head to the side. “One like me?”

“You’re Aoban’s sister, right?” The headmaster asked, seemingly not expecting an answer as he continued. “I’ve worked with a lot of chosen ones before, but it’s my first time coming across siblings who were both blessed!”

Ah, right. I had forgotten about this little detail. I knew this was going to raise some questions one day. I don’t regret blessing my brother or my mother, but a family of chosen ones isn’t something that goes unnoticed.

“There must have been some special circumstances, which is why you were both blessed.” The headmaster noted. “I already asked your brother about this before, but he doesn’t seem to know much about it… I was hoping that maybe you could enlighten me on this point.”

I shook my head. “Sorry… I don’t know much either.”

The headmaster dropped his shoulder as he let out a disappointed sigh. “I see… It can’t be helped then.”

I feel a bit sorry for him, but well… As a theologian, this man can be both helpful and dangerous for me. I have to be careful of what I tell him. Besides, even if I wanted to, I’m not sure I can really help him. I’m not a real chosen one after all.

“Headmaster, the form,” Mrs. Kelly suddenly reminded him.

“Ah, right!” He exclaimed.

Recalling the reason of my presence, the headmaster headed to his desk and took out a sheet of paper from one of his drawers.

“It’s not going to take long,” he said, giving me the registration form. “Most of the fields have already been filled. I’m just going to ask you to check, and sign at the bottom of the page.”

I took a look at the form. As the headmaster said, it was almost entirely filled, providing basic information such as my name, my age, or my legal guardian. After checking that everything was correct, I noticed the blank fields at the bottom of the page, which immediately reminded me of the status window. Main-class, sub-class, but more importantly, magic affinities.

I looked up at the headmaster, who was waiting for me to sign. “Uhm… The blank fields…”

“Ah! Don’t pay attention to that,” he said. “Since we have no precious records of your abilities, and since you didn’t pass the entrance exam, you can let them blank for now. We’ll fill them as soon as our teachers evaluate your level.”

Hearing this, I furrowed my brows. Depending on how they were going to do that, it could be bad for me.

The headmaster smiled warmly at me. “You don’t have to worry. If you’re as good as I’ve heard, you’ll have absolutely no problems!” He said, seeing the concern of my face, as he probably thought I was worried about my future performances.

I shifted my gaze back on the registration form. Besides the fields concerning my class and my affinities which were left blank, everything else was filled correctly. I checked one more time that there were no mistakes and signed at the bottom of the page.

“Perfect!” The headmaster exclaimed, as I handed him over the form. “Welcome to the Arcane Academy!”

Mrs. Kelly approached and forced into my hands a small folder. “This contains everything you need,” she explained professionally. “Your time schedule is in there. You will begin your classes tomorrow, so take the rest of the day to familiarize with the school.”

I nodded.

“Take also this,” the headmaster added as he gave me a sterling silver ring, similar to the one Mrs. Kelly showed me. “From now on, you’re a student of this school, so don’t ever take it off. Consider this as your student ID.”

The ring was much larger than I expected. I could’ve easily placed it on my thumb if I tried to. Taking example on Mrs. Kelly and the headmaster, I put the ring on my pinky finger. While no rules stated that the ring was to be placed on this particular finger, placing it on another one would’ve been inappropriate, since each finger had a specific meaning. As soon as I put it, the ring reacted to my mana and started to shrink until it fitted perfectly the size of my finger.

“I guess everything is in order now,” Mrs. Kelly said.

“Ah, right!” The headmaster suddenly exclaimed, as he seemingly recalled something. “Have you met your roommate already, Lynett?”

Remembering about the cute Nomi, I sighed. “Yeah, I did…”

“From what I’ve seen, they’re already getting along!” Mrs. Kelly exclaimed with a broad smile before I had a chance to add anything.

“Really? That’s great!” The headmaster replied. “I guess I was worried about nothing!”

“Worried?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

The headmaster exchanged a quick glance with the chief secretary before turning his attention back on me.

“Well, I guess I can tell you now,” he said. “Your roommate, Nomi Drosriah, she’s a nice girl but… She can have some issues…”

I squinted at his words, trying to guess what he was trying to say. I didn’t have to think too long though, as Mrs. Kelly immediately responded to my curiosity.

“She got into a fight with her previous roommate,” she simply said with a dull voice. “We had to separate them.”

Great. My roommate is a thug.

“Kelly, that’s a bit too direct…” The headmaster scolded the Chief Secretary.

“But well… As I said, you don’t have to worry about that.” He added, trying to reassure me. “If your first encounter went smoothly, I see no reason why the situation would get out of hand, right?”

Except that it did not go as smoothly as he thinks… Even if she didn’t get violent, Nomi openly showed her hostility. Why did they put me with such a bothersome roommate to begin with? They’re sacrificing me, aren’t they? Why else would they put the transfer student with the troublesome kid…

Suddenly, I was pulled out of my thoughts as I heard loud knocking sounds coming from the entrance.

“Ah! He’s here. Come on in!” The headmaster ordered with a loud voice.

The door opened and a boy entered the room. He closed the door behind him, before politely greeting the headmaster and the Chief Secretary.

“Lukas! Sorry to bother you and thank you again for taking time out of your day to come,” the headmaster said.

“It’s nothing,” the boy named Lukas responded.

The headmaster shifted his gaze on me.

“Lynett, this is Lukas, a diligent student of the school. I called him today so that he can show you around the school. I’d gladly do it myself, but I have business to take care of. Besides, I doubt you would want to spend the rest of the day with a boring man like me!” He joked.

I looked at the boy -who was not really a boy anymore. He seemed to be older than me. His face was stern, but when our eyes met, his previous expression completely melted away as a friendly smile appeared on his face.

“If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask him.” The headmaster said.

I nodded.

Accompanied by Lukas, I exited the headmaster’s office. For a while, we didn’t say anything. I simply followed him as he guided me through the academy, seemingly with a particular destination in mind.

Lukas was much taller than me and his face was somewhat familiar. His dark brown hair was long enough to be tied into a short ponytail and his eyes were like two onyx stones. From his clothes, I could tell he belonged either to a noble house or a rich family. They weren’t particularly extravagant, but they were high-quality. It was not something a commoner could afford.

Still, despite his status, Lukas seemed very well-mannered and friendly to anyone. On the way, he was greeted by several students –from the rich merchant’s son to the simple commoner. Obviously, he was very popular.

“You look confused,” he eventually said after a few minutes, breaking the silence. “Is it because of the headmaster?”

I shook my head. “Not really. I mean, he sure is different from what I’ve expected, but that’s it.”

“Is that so? And what did you expect?” He inquired.

“An old man with a white beard.”

Lukas chuckled. “Well, he may not look like one, but he’s totally like an old man. Completely engrossed by his work.”

He marked a pause, as he glanced at me. “Thinking about it, he’s probably going to be on your back for a while. That guy is obsessed with chosen ones, you know?”

I sighed. “Yeah, I had guessed.”

Lukas didn’t add anything. Instead, he gave me a half-smile. I wasn’t sure if he was pitying me or mocking my situation. Maybe it was both.

“And what do you think of the Academy so far?” He asked, changing the subject.

I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I haven’t been here for a long time, but my roommate already hates me.”

Lukas let out a half stifled laugh. “Really? Already? How come?”

“No reasons, really… She’s just a prideful elf who doesn’t like the fact that I’m different from her. I guess I’m not good enough for her.”

Recalling how ridiculous the situation was, I sighed. Having only known mother so far, I had almost forgotten about elves’ infamous reputation for being extremely narcissistic. I guess it wasn’t only a rumor. With a higher affinity to magic, a longer life span and perfect visuals, it’s no wonder elves became so conceited. But if Nomi was truly like the elves I’ve heard about before, then changing her mind will not be easy.

“An elf, huh?” Lukas muttered with a thoughtful look. “It can’t be helped, then. You were just unlucky. Elves and their pride…”

My lips stretched into a small grin, pleased to know that he shared my opinion. We seemed to be on the same page. If possible, I’d love to get to know him more. Having a friend here will be helpful.

“Don’t be too disheartened by this,” Lukas said, trying to cheer me up. “And don’t worry too much about your race either. You don’t look like a half at all, so as long as you don’t purposely disclose it, no one would guess!”

He does have a point. My ears are hidden, and even though my bleached hair is unnatural, it doesn’t particularly stand out. I’m not especially hiding my origins, yet very few people know that I’m a half. Usually, people are too busy to look at my eyes to notice anything else –besides her…

Uhm? Wait…

Suddenly realizing something, I stopped, forcing Lukas to do the same as he looked at me.

“Is there something wrong?” He asked.

“If I don’t look like a half… How did you know that I was one?” I inquired my eyes squinted, full of suspicion. “I don’t think I mentioned anything about it.”

Lukas didn’t seem to be bothered by my question, as he answered right away. “I’ve heard a lot about you!” He explained. “I must say, you’re quite famous in the family.”

What? What is that supposed to mean? Before I had a chance to ask him, Lukas continued.

“Oh, by the way, if you’re going to stay here, I have an advice for you. Try to avoid mentioning that you belong to the Whitehearts. Here, boasting about your family will bring you nothing but troubles. Especially in our case. We’re not exactly well appreciated here.”

We? I could feel an ironic smile playing on my lips as everything started to get linked in my head.

“Sorry, what did you say your name was again?” I asked, half-hoping to get a different answering from the one I expected.

“Lukas,” he simply replied.

“I mean your full name.”

Lukas fell silent for a few second as a wry smile appeared on his face, slowly revealing all his teeth.

“I didn’t mention it?” He asked rhetorically. “It’s Lukas Whiteheart.”

Ah… I knew it. Of course something like that had to happen. I knew I had heard his name somewhere; he’s my cousin, Uncle Jack’s son. No wonder his face looked so familiar. This can’t be a coincidence. Thousands of students and the one who happened to be my guide is him. I can never let my guard down, can I? And here I thought that he seemed like a good guy…

Lukas chuckled, clearly amused by my expression. “You hadn’t realized?” He asked.

“Was I supposed to?” I replied, with a slight hint of annoyance in my voice. “We never met and your name is a pretty common one.”

“You have a point. My bad, I guess?” He said with an unapologetic smile.

He totally did it on purpose. He’s teasing me, I know it. Arcane Academy, Day 1: first contact with the enemy established.

“Don’t give me that look, I mean you no harm. I just wanted to surprise you,” Lukas tried to justify himself, as he saw that I was upset. “I didn’t mean to trick you.”

Yeah, not convinced… Seeing my lack of reaction, he sighed loudly.

“You know, you don’t have to see me as your enemy,” he said, guessing my thoughts. “Is it because of my father?”

I didn’t answer anything, but it was enough for Lukas, as he took my silence for a yes.

“I guess it is… Is he such a bad guy?” He asked, forcing himself to put on a smile.

I raised an eyebrow and drew my head backwards, not sure to understand his question. “Shouldn’t you know better? He’s your father after all.”

Lukas let out a small chortle. “Actually, I don’t! He may be my father, but I only see him twice a year. You’re the one living with him, you know him better than I do.”

Twice a year? Damn, Uncle Jack… What are you doing? I know you’re the head of the household and you’re busy with family affairs, but you can’t neglect your own family like that, especially not to the point where your own son says he doesn't know you.

“So, is he?” Lukas repeated his question, as he didn’t get an answer.

I tried to think of a proper answer. He seemed genuinely curious about him. No matter how much I disliked Uncle Jack, to Lukas, he was still his father.

Thinking about it, there was no real reason for me to think of my uncle as a bad guy. He sure wasn’t a great guy, but he wasn’t necessarily evil either. Actually, among high-ranked nobles, he was a pretty decent person. As far as I know, he never took any hostile actions against me or my family, he provided Aoban an education and I can’t condemn him for trying to sell me off –it was a common practice after all, among both nobility and common people.

Giving a quick glance at Lukas, he was looking at me with round eyes, sparkling with anticipation.

“I guess he isn’t…” I finally replied, after hesitating for a while.

A childish smile suddenly stretched on Lukas’ face. “Really? Good to hear!”

Don’t be so happy… He may not be really evil but that doesn’t make him trustworthy either. Still, Uncle Jack should be ashamed. For his own son to be this relieved to hear that his father isn’t a bad guy… Exactly what kind of reputation did he build?

Lukas’ mood enlightened. He became quieter, seemingly lost in his thought, as he unconsciously increased his walking speed. He was hard to read. When I first saw him, I thought he looked like a serious boy. However, talking to him, I came to understand that he was much more naïve than he seems. There was something childish in his personality. I’m still not sure if I can trust him, but he does look pretty clueless.

As I felt my stamina slowly running out after walking through what seemed an endless maze of corridors, I called out Lukas, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Uhm, Lukas? Weren’t you supposed to show me around the school? We’ve been walking for a while now, but you still haven’t presented me anything.”

“Forget about the visit,” he replied nonchalantly. “Depending on your major, you’ll only use two or three of these facilities. It would be useless to make you visit the whole Academy. Besides, to be honest, I’ve been here for almost six years, and I still don’t know what half of these buildings are for!”

I think they chose the wrong person to be my guide…

“Well, fine but… Where are you taking me, then?” I asked, slightly worried.

Lukas glanced at me, giving me a knowing smile. “To your brother!”