Before the young 10 year old was a huge facility that gave off a castle-like feel.
It was a plot of land given to an aristocrat and a great sorcerer, by the name of Sage Raufid. According to the bamboo books inside the library, Sage Raufid wept at the potential magi dying because of the tides of war. To have built an entire academy to service the public and fish out the potential magi of the world, this place had been worshiped as a sacred ground to the figures of the world.
He wasn't used to such a classy sight. With hesitation, Katachi entered the building.
Setting foot into the grandeur hall, his eyes locked onto the first thing he saw - The great interior of the academy.
The elegant, strange design of the place appalled him. The chandeliers were shaped irregularly, and some even had magic seals on them. The pillars were not straight ones that normal people used to support buildings, and they swirled and spun in such weird fashions it seemed as if the building was the one supporting them. An orange rug was laid out in the center, almost as if saying "Right this way, guest of honor."
At a small corner of the eloquent view, was a familiar existence that ruined the entire flavor of that wonder.
"Hah. I didn't think the orphan would be allowed to attend this school."
... He remembered that voice.
There were three people in Mielfeud that constantly picked on him.
The first was Juval, a big brute who was the raw strength of the three. He would grab Katachi by his ragged cloth shirt and drag him to a dark alley. He had been here at this academy once, only to be sent back to Mielfeud as a laborman because he wasn't adept at magic.
The next was Zirco, the scheming brains of the group. He wasn't necessarily bad, but his mouth spewed forth the lies and slander that garnered the spite of others. He had probably been here at the Sage Raufid Magus Academy for about a year now, since he was two years younger than Juval.
And the one before him was the savage one in the group who would hurt him physically and mentally.
K : "Hello again, Dante."
D : "You scum! Don't talk to me in such a friend-like manner! You're just a bastard child unwanted by your parents!"
Clenching his fist hard, Katachi took a few short breaths to calm down, before relaxing his grip.
K : "I have no reason to take your humiliation here. I'll be off."
D : "Hah! Are you a coward?"
Katachi remembered Mother Rin's words in his heart - They were still immature, so their acts differ little from those of a fool's. He saw no reason to be dragged into his pace. With that preceding his baseless insults, Katachi walked up the steps, towards the second level.
D : "You'll never be able to use magic. You'll be sent back to Mielfeud and live the rest of your days as a lame, dirt poor priest! You'll always be a coward who's all talk and no action! GET BACK HERE WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, DAMN IT!!"
"SHUT UP!!!"
It seemed as though an adult, most probably a teacher in the academy felt disturbed by Dante's actions, and was now scolding him. The teacher placed some sort of seal on the magic circle at the top of his arm, most likely for misconduct.
K : (... This is new... The adults actually stood up for me.)
He had never received such treatment from another, not even once. To the child, it was a shock that he was protected by someone else, and even cared for.
Silently thanking the timely intervention, Katachi continued on his way along the orange rug.
*** ***
"... Welcome, new student. You are?"
Before him was a strange man indeed.
He wore a crisp green fancy uniform, with a white undershirt and a red colored tie. He had a really peculiar sun hat that seemed to be made out of a strange green jelly-like material shaped into a top hat.
From what he could remember, beings like that were called Slimes. Soft, brainless and resilient towards physical trauma, it was often a suitable enemy to train against. Why the man before him was wearing one as a hat, though, baffled Katachi.
But it fascinated him. Such a strange creature, told of only in the books of old in a time where monsters existed, sitting there quietly before him in its own little world...
And yet, the terrors it could induce. It was best to leave it be.
K : "I'm Katachi. Kotsuba Katachi. I... turned 10 just a week ago."
*Cozy's Notes : Discrepancy alert - He believes that he's 10, but he's not.*
B : "Ahh, a new student, aren't you?"
In his hand was a strangely-shaped snack that resembled a lizard that had been roasted over a flame of sorts, eaten out from its belly.
K : "... Is that... A newt on a stick?"
B : "My, how observant. Most students here don't even know what a newt is."
Licking his lips, he took another bite off the area at the abdomen, and the entire right leg of the newt snapped off easily. It made a squishy, chewy sound within his mouth, which gave Katachi a good number of goosebumps.
B : "Your astuteness will definitely help you in becoming someone great one day. Right then, your perceptual ability aside, let's see some magic, young boy. Do you have anything to show me?"
K : "I... I do."
Hearing Katachi stammer was not something people heard often. On the other hand, as he was constantly oppressed since he was young, Katachi probably didn't have much social interaction with people except Mother Rin. It was understandable how he was nervous speaking to others.
K : "But... Could you get the teacher standing there to go outside first, please?"
Katachi was indeed nervous.
Most students, upon meeting a stranger, would be nervous if they performed poorly on a first impression.
However, Katachi was nervous for a completely different reason.
B : "Feeling pressured from eyes watching you? Very well then. Take your leave, Yorn. Let me handle this first."
He had hoped the principal before him would keep the secret.
With a grunt, the huge teacher with a really large upper torso left the room through the wooden doors.
B : "Right then, let's see what you can do, boy."
Katachi's hands felt cold.
He extended a finger, and approached the desk with it.
(Should I do it...? Should I not do it... ? He's suspicious, but he seems pretty broad-minded seeing how he just readily accepts me being observant. It's... It's a gamble. Okay. Here goes...)
Pointing at the desk, a glowing, golden character was formed on it. A small amount of smoke appeared from the book right next to the character.
It was a most peculiar symbol - 定.
*** ***
B : "I have to say, that was a marvelous display, Mister Kotsuba.Usinge it at the age of ten is wondrous indeed. That kind of power can get you into the best class easily; In fact, you might not even stay in this school for long if you keep growing at this rate."
Katachi was kind of happy at being called a "mister", but it was no time to be elated.
K : "I don't want a best class, actually. I want a curriculum that can maximize my own potentials my way."
He had uttered it with flawless replication of Mother Rin's words - "The best is a standard set by the one who has achieved it. I would want something to be set for me, not by some person who didn't even know me."
Nodding in agreement, the principal's eyes squinted a little bit.
B : "Interesting. You truly are interesting, Mister Kotsuba. Most children would blindly go for the 'best class' because it offers the greatest diversity in finding their own affinities in magic, but it seems you have your heart set on what you already have, no?"
K : "Never doubt it."
Katachi felt kind of glad to be around the principal - He was surprisingly comfortable to talk to, despite dressing in such an awkward manner.
B : "I like that positive response. Very well. Here is a magic circle indicating your official registration into our school."
Snapping a glove snugly over his left hand, he placed his palm on the top of Katachi's arm. A slight, burning sensation was felt, and a circle was tattooed onto his skin.
B : "I have to say, I really love students that wear clothes as ragged as these. It may be a bit chilly in the long run, but that beats having to roll up your sleeves to place these magic circles."
Staring at the magic circle closely, Katachi raised his left arm a little bit to get a better look at the newly-added seal.
B : "Don't worry. That seal identifies you as an Academy student. It wears off when you leave this area, and vice versa."
Hearing that, he relaxed his left arm.
B : "In any case, welcome, to the Sage Raufid Magus Academy! I'm your principal and the descendant of Raufid, Bertund. There is path finding magic all over the corridors and walls, so you just need to close your eyes, think of your destination and walk forward naturally. The magic will guide you directly, so there's no need to be afraid of getting lost."
Bertund wagged his fingers around, as a gesture to represent the magic's assumed omnipresence.
B : "The path determination magic is unlocked only during breaks and is fixed at night, which means even if you try to sneak out during curfew, you'd be naturally redirected back to your room. Enjoy your stay here, Mister Kotsuba. I'll be heading back to work now. If you need anything, just form my image in your head and you will know how to get to me."
K : "Okay."
B : "One last thing - Take it easy just for today, and wander about the school, enjoy the scenery, remember the places if you have to. Walking and admiring without thinking of where you want to go is the secret to countering this magic. Your first lesson is scheduled to start in two days. Enjoy yourself until then."
With a wave, he invited Yorn back into the room, and closed the wooden door with a gentle click.
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