"Okay, Annabelle, ti's up. Let's get you cleaned up. Blaire, you'll help her," Mom announced, gently lifting Annabelle from her seat.
"Yep!" Annabelle grinned and nodded, before waving at . "Bye, Papa!"
Returning the wave, I watched as Blaire took over, guiding Annabelle away. With a new white bag slung over my shoulder, I turned to the mirror, adjusting my appearance. I gathered my shoulder-length black hair and tied it back with a black elastic band. "I'll probably stand out again," I murmured, admiring myself.
"So sad." Christina smacked the back of my head playfully before heading out. "Bye, Mael! Bye, Mom!"
"Your skirt!" Mom's voice carried from the kitchen, but Christina was already gone. "If I see her at the Academy, she's in for it…"
Grabbing a plate of pancakes that my mom handed , I thanked her and took two, savoring a bite of one. As I turned to leave, Mom's hand patted my hair.
"Mother?" I looked back at her.
Mom gazed at with warmth in her eyes. "Amael, you've grown into such a fine young man. I'm proud of you, and your father would be too."
A smile tugged at my lips as I waved. "Bye, Mom."
"Don't slack off in class!"
"Got it!" I nodded, then headed for the new car she had purchased for , replacing the old limousine. The sleek blue car was waiting, Francis already in the driver's seat. "Did you tell Mom about yesterday?"
"No, Milord. She witnessed it herself," Francis replied.
"Fair enough."
As the car started, we drove toward a massive mana circle on the ground. The car shimred, and suddenly we were transported to Central Vedelia's main road, several dozen kiloters away.
The teleportation circles were becoming a common sight, initially appearing as re protective asures. However, I later discovered their true function – intricate mana circles drawn for us to transport to Central Vedelia, where the Academy was located. Such luxuries were beyond the reach of most Great Nobles, given the complexity and danger they posed. Moreover, these circles were under the control of Central Vedelia, emphasizing their authority.
…
After about an hour, the car ca to a stop on the familiar paved road. Stepping out of the car, I murmured to myself, "Let's start this new year off right." I checked my class schedule on my phone, confirming that it was ti for History Class with Professor Harvey Indi Zestella.
Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I strolled towards the entrance of the academy. The building stood five stories tall, with nurous hallways branching out within. It might seem complex, but I had started to get the hang of navigating through it. The corridors were pristine white, adorned with beautiful paintings depicting scenes from Sancta Vedelia's history and the academy's own story.
As expected, my distinctive appearance and the pendant hanging around my neck attracted more than a few curious glances, but I paid them no mind, my hands casually tucked in my pockets. Before long, I arrived at the door of the classroom designated for our morning session. The doors were open, students filtering in and chatting amongst themselves.
Entering the room, I found myself in a relatively spacious classroom, not quite an auditorium, but sizable enough for around fifty students. Rows of desks filled the space, forming aisles for the teacher to navigate. Oddly enough, most of the seats at the front were empty, while the ones at the back were already occupied. Seems like the aversion to sitting at the front was a universal student trait. But I was here to learn, so I confidently selected a seat on the second row near the window, on the left side. I enjoyed the solitude here, even though I could feel the weight of curious gazes on my back. Ignoring them, I glanced out the window, appreciating the view of the lush gardens below. It was a far cry from the atmosphere at the Royal Eden Academy.
"Oh, it's over here, I think."
"I told you, Victor."
"Are we late?"
Familiar voices reached my ears from behind, and I didn't need to turn around to identify them. Victor, Celeste, and Cylien – and, I assud, Selene trailing along. Their entrance stole the attention away, and suddenly the collective gaze of the class shifted from to them. Victor, the dashing guy, and three stunning girls of different races naturally drew everyone's eyes.
"All the seats at the back are taken…" Victor muttered.
"We're here to study, Mr. Victor," Cylien replied with a giggle, her hand covering her mouth.
"Then let's take the front seats," Celeste suggested, and I heard their footsteps approaching.
No, please.
Just let be.
I had dealt with enough of Jayden and Milleia's antics.
Luckily, my plea seed to work as they occupied seats on the second row as well, but on the right side. Victor took the end seat near the wall, Celeste sat beside him, and Cylien settled in next to Celeste. As for Selene, she opted for a spot on the third row, right behind Victor...
As I sat there, I was in pri position to eavesdrop on their conversation, trying to gauge if either Celeste or Cylien might be the mysterious Prophetess.
The quartet busied themselves, pulling out notebooks and waiting. Selene observed quietly while Victor and Celeste engaged in chatter, reminiscing about the previous year. Cylien occasionally added a comnt here and there, maintaining a asured distance from them. Unlike the openly expressive Selene and Celeste, Cylien exuded a certain cautiousness, perhaps stemming from her elven noble upbringing.
As I observed their interaction, I couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia, my thoughts drifting to my days at school back on Earth with Ephera and the others. It was almost comforting how normal everything seed. Too normal indeed.
"Good morning, everyone." My reverie was interrupted by a vibrant voice that drew our attention to the entrance. Professor Harvey Indi Zestella, with his white hair and blue eyes, strode into the classroom, a friendly smile on his lips and a bag in hand. "Naturally, the front rows are empty," he remarked, shaking his head in mock disappointnt. Placing his books on the desk before him, he began writing his na on the whiteboard. "Harvey Indi Zestella."
The collective gaze of the class shifted from Harvey to Celeste, who seed to be under scrutiny.
"I'll address this promptly, though most of you are probably already aware," Harvey said, his smile unwavering as he moved towards Celeste's desk. "This lovely young lady here is none other than my precious daughter, Celeste."
"D-Dad!" Celeste's cheeks flushed in embarrassnt, eliciting giggles from her classmates.
"But don't worry. I won't be spoiling her or playing favorites here at the Academy. Here, I'm your teacher, Celeste's teacher too. Feel free to ask any questions, and I'll be happy to answer. If you have concerns, voice them to as well. Understood?"
"Yes!" A chorus of nods echoed from around the classroom.
"Excellent. Before we begin the lesson, I need to address sothing that you might already be aware of." After playfully embarrassing his daughter, Harvey returned to his desk and retrieved a stack of pamphlets from his bag. Dividing them into two, he handed one to Cylien and another to , the nearest student. "Please take one for yourself and pass the rest to your classmates."
With a nod, I grabbed a pamphlet for myself, ready to pass the rest to my fellow classmates. However, as I turned around, I realized that the two rows behind were practically empty. It seed that most students had chosen to stay away from the front.
Feeling a bit perplexed, I decided to take the initiative. I stood up and walked towards the more distant students, holding the stack of pamphlets. As I approached the nearest student, an elf, I offered him the pamphlets, expecting a normal exchange.
But his response caught off guard. He frowned at and asked, "What are you waiting for?"
I blinked in surprise. "What?"
He continued with a smirk, "Distribute them to each one of us. It's your job after all… Half."
Laughter erupted from his companions, clearly amused by his confident and sowhat condescending attitude. His deanor made it clear that he held so kind of authority, and his words indicated he was addressing as if I was his subordinate. From the way he spoke, it was apparent that he was either from the Elaryon Branches Family or the Teraquin line, two influential elf noble houses. Given his arrogance and the contempt he displayed toward , I'd wager he was from the Teraquin lineage.
"Hey, he's talking to you," one of his friends chid in, casting a glare my way.
I found myself locking eyes with them, my expression neutral and devoid of any reaction. The more I held their gaze, the more my neutral expression seed to unnerve them, causing their bravado to falter.
"Mr. Amael, what are you doing?" Professor Harvey's voice cut through, and I seized the opportunity to place the stack of pamphlets on the elf's desk. Without another word, I turned and walked back to my seat. Cylien, who was returning to her own seat, glanced at with a hint of curiosity, but I simply ignored her and settled back into my spot by the window.
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