Chapter 8: Farlingstad Magic Academy

I spent the three days before classes began with Emilia, Andrew, and Mark. I didn’t have much else to do, as reading alone in my room felt lonely, and Emilia mentioned that the library was still off-limits until the school officially started. Whenever I ate in the canteen, Emilia would refrain from joining me because of her role as my servant. However, during lunches with just Andrew and Mark, she would join me. It seemed she was very particular about my image in front of others.

During this time, I learned a lot about them. Andrew and Mark had grown up in the same village. Mark told me that he enrolled at Farlingstad Magic Academy because of Andrew. I wanted to ask why, but the sparkle in Mark’s eyes made me hesitate; it seemed like the answer would be quite a story.

As for Emilia, I discovered she grew up in an orphanage. The people who ran the orphanage encouraged her to attend school because she was very talented and intelligent. Being the same age as me, the orphanage handled all the paperwork and procedures for her enrollment. She only needed to take an exam to test her magical abilities. Although she had impressive knowledge, her magical talent was even less than mine, so she was placed in general studies.

Andrew then revealed that the person who tested me at the gate was actually the Principal of the school. This contradicted my expectations from the game, where the principal was depicted as wearing expensive robes and being quite young. In reality, the principal’s appearance was very different.

Today, Emilia and I were walking down a covered path leading to the Great Hall. Like the first day, I was up very early, and the pathway was empty. Upon arriving at the Great Hall, I was awed by the scene before me.

The hall was vast, with various banners hanging on the walls. The thousands of seats were arranged in a semicircular formation, rising in steps as they extended further from the stage. The stage itself had luxurious seats lined up, with the four banners of the great families hanging above.

We chose a pair of seats at the back of the top right corner of the hall to be inconspicuous. With nothing else to do, I started chatting with Emilia. She was wearing the same uniform as me, which made me feel a bit closer to her, though her uniform lacked the clover design.

“Nee, Emilia, are you curious about what they’ll teach us?”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”

“Then, can you tell me what you expect?”

“Hmm… I think they’ll teach us how to read and write.”

Her answer reminded me of how seven-year-old children were taught in my previous life—basics like reading, writing, and math. I grew worried about spending my time that way.

“Then… during the afternoon? Do you have any idea what our schedule will be?”

“I think we’ll be free to do anything in the afternoon, as we don’t have any magic classes like the Elites.”

I sighed in relief at her answer. Emilia then frowned and looked at me with concern.

“Umm… is something wrong, Miss Lumina?”

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“N-nothing… nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking about something.”

I became flustered by her question and panicked, trying to hide my face with my hands.

“… something?”

“I was just wondering if having the afternoon free would be good.”

“Do you have any plans for the afternoon? I think Mark and Andrew won’t be in the stables at that time. Since they’re older, they might finish their lessons late in the afternoon.”

“Ah, well, I was thinking of something else.”

“Something else?”

Emilia tilted her head, a habit I seemed to have influenced in her.

“Well, since the library will be open after this, wouldn’t it be great if we read some books there?”

When Emilia heard this, she looked crestfallen. Before I could ask her what was wrong, I heard her muttering in a muffled voice. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

“Umm… the classes haven’t started yet… so I don’t know how to read.”

I was surprised by this revelation. I gently held her cheeks in my hands, made her look at me, and with a big smile, I said, “Is that all? Don’t worry, I’ll teach you!”

Her eyes widened, and her mouth moved rapidly. Seeing her reaction, I quickly added,

“You have no right to refuse. Since you’re the servant assigned to me by the school, you’ll have to spend your time with me, right? And wouldn’t it be boring to do nothing while I read books?”

“… yes.”

“Then, there’s nothing wrong with me teaching you!”

(I’ll also use this chance to review everything from math to algebra, basic science to physics, and other ways to use magic. It’d be bad if I became unprepared because the lessons I’m going to receive are at the same level as kindergartners.)

We continued chatting, and before we knew it, students began to gather in the Great Hall. The seating arrangement was clear: the Elite Magic Students sat near the front with their respective groups, while we, the general studies students, were seated at the back.

I found this separation amusing and observed the students. Then I noticed a familiar-looking witch’s hat following a boy who seemed vaguely familiar. I focused on them and realized that the witch’s hat belonged to Eclara, the one who had taught me magic two years ago.

“Isn’t she supposed to be searching for a master?” I muttered under my breath. I then turned my attention to the seven-year-old boy with the witch’s hat. He had blond hair and fiery red eyes, with red stripes on his uniform. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him.

Moments later, three more people entered, each accompanied by their own servants. All were around seven years old, which made me think this gathering was for new students like me.

The six of them walked in pairs, each pair wearing matching colored stripes. No pair had the same color stripes as the others. Though they seemed familiar, my memories of the game were hazy since I hadn’t played it in seven years. I might remember them if I heard their names, but since they were part of the elites, our paths might never cross.

After thirty minutes, the Great Hall was filled to capacity with students. A loud noise erupted, silencing the whispers and murmurs. A group of people in expensive robes, dresses, gowns, and suits walked onto the stage and took their seats.

The last person to arrive walked to the podium at the center of the stage. He was the same person I met at the gate, but now he wore an elaborate robe decorated with intricate designs, gold, and silver.

He took a deep breath, surveyed the audience, and began his speech.

“Young students from various parts of the kingdom, I welcome you to Farlingstad Magic Academy…”

I anticipated that this speech would be long and boring, so I asked Emilia to wake me when it was over. She agreed with a wry smile.