The first class at the Royal Academy of Magic was Basic Magic Theory.
The lecture took place in a large tiered classroom, spacious enough to hold hundreds of people.
When Bell walked into the classroom, most of the Terra freshmen were already seated.
He found an inconspicuous corner in the back and sat down.
He didn’t want to interact with anyone.
Ever since that night at the clock tower, he had become a walking corpse.
Go to class, leave class, return to the dormitory. His life was a monotonous cycle between three points.
He closed himself off, speaking to no one and looking at no one’s face.
He was afraid.
Afraid of seeing Cecilia’s shadow in the faces of others.
Afraid that any small touch of kindness would become the demon’s next excuse for torment.
He was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, huddling inside the crumbling shell he had built for himself.
Cecilia hadn’t come to find him again.
That monster seemed to enjoy the pleasure of cornering her prey and then admiring its struggle from afar.
She didn’t appear in the theory class.
In the name of her status as a God-given genius, the academy’s high officials had arranged a special, one-on-one elite education for her.
This gave Bell a sliver of room to breathe.
Even if that breath was laughably faint.
“Hey, classmate, is anyone sitting here?”
A cheerful voice rang out beside Bell.
Bell’s body stiffened instantly, and he slowly raised his head.
Standing before him was a tall boy with dazzling red hair.
The boy had healthy, tan skin and a bright, sunny smile without a hint of gloom.
His uniform was worn somewhat casually, with the top two buttons undone, giving off a sense of unruly freedom.
Bell didn’t answer.
He simply watched this uninvited guest warily.
The red-haired boy didn’t seem to mind his coldness and sat down in the empty seat next to him on his own.
“My name is Kyle Granger. What’s yours?” The boy took the initiative to reach out his hand, revealing a row of white teeth.
Granger?
A commoner’s surname.
Bell’s gaze fell on the outstretched hand, but he made no move to take it.
Kyle wasn’t embarrassed either. He withdrew his hand and scratched his fluffy red hair.
“Alright, looks like you’re not much of a talker.” Kyle grinned. “That’s fine, I like talking enough for the both of us!”
He was like a naturally familiar chatterbox, completely unbothered by Bell’s reaction.
“Seriously though, it’s amazing you got sorted into Terra! I thought a pure power-type like me would definitely end up in Ignis, but the Mirror of Truth said my essence is protection. Hahaha, sounds pretty cool, right?”
“Oh, by the way, look over there. That’s Leon Wolfgang, isn’t it? That ice butterfly at the opening ceremony was awesome! Too bad that little kid…”
Kyle stopped mid-sentence.
Because he saw that every drop of color had drained from Bell’s face in an instant.
It was an indescribable, extreme terror.
Kyle keenly sensed that something was wrong.
He followed Bell’s gaze toward the classroom door.
Standing at the entrance was a girl who looked as if she were carved from fine jade.
Cecilia Lucas.
Shouldn’t she be receiving her elite education? Why was she here?
Cecilia stood at the door, her obsidian-like eyes scanning the classroom.
Then, with precision, they landed on Bell in the corner.
When she saw the red-haired boy sitting next to Bell and talking to him.
She smiled.
An innocent, pure, and flawless smile.
In Bell’s eyes, however, it was the precursor to a demon baring its fangs.
“Brother.”
She spoke. Her voice was crisp and pleasant—not loud, yet it carried clearly throughout the silent classroom.
Everyone’s gaze snapped toward Bell and Kyle.
Lifting her skirt, Cecilia walked with elegant steps through the rows of desks and chairs, heading straight for them.
With every step she took closer, Bell’s body stiffened further.
He could feel the curious gaze Kyle was casting his way.
“Is that your sister? Wow, it’s the legendary genius! She’s so cute!” Kyle whispered excitedly to Bell.
Cute?
Bell’s stomach churned.
Cecilia reached them.
She didn’t look at Bell.
Instead, she tilted her head, observing Kyle with those pure, innocent eyes.
“Big Brother, who are you?”
Her voice was soft and sweet, filled with the innocence unique to children.
“I’m Kyle! Kyle Granger!” Kyle was overjoyed to be called “Big Brother” and replied enthusiastically, “I’m Bell’s… new friend!”
New friend.
Those two words caused the smile on Cecilia’s face to deepen slightly.
“A new friend…” she hummed, seemingly chewing over the meaning of those words.
Then, she turned her head to look at Bell.
Those beautiful eyes were filled with grievance and hurt.
“Brother, now that you have a new friend, do you not want Cecilia anymore?”
That same rhetoric again!
Exactly the same!
Bell’s breath hitched, and fear seized his heart.
The surrounding students began to whisper.
“Look, it seems that red-haired guy made Lady Lucas unhappy.”
“Bell Lucas is really something. His sister is so dependent on him, yet he’s out making friends…”
“Exactly. If I had such a genius sister, I’d be pampering her every single day.”
Those discussions were like poisonous needles piercing Bell’s ears.
The smile on Kyle’s face froze as well.
As a commoner, he had never seen such a scene before and was momentarily at a loss.
“No… that’s not it, little miss, we’re just…”
“I am talking to my brother.” Cecilia interrupted him. Her voice remained soft, but it carried a hint of chilling authority that allowed no room for argument.
She continued to stare at Bell, moisture gathering in her eyes as if she were about to cry at any moment.
“Brother, answer me.”
Bell was cold all over.
How could he answer?
If he said “yes,” he would die.
If he said “no,” Kyle would die.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out of his throat.
Seeing Bell’s pained expression, a flicker of pleasure flashed deep within Cecilia’s eyes.
She knew the stage was set.
She sniffled and reached out her small hand, gently tugging on Bell’s sleeve and shaking it.
“Brother, please don’t be mad at me, okay?” Her voice grew even softer, carrying a pleading tone. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you and your new friend.”
“It’s just… my mentor said that even though I don’t need these basic classes, I should come to experience the academy’s collective atmosphere.”
“He let me choose a class myself, and I just wanted to come find my brother…”
As she spoke, she cautiously observed Bell’s reaction.
“Did… did I cause trouble for you?”
Crystal tears rolled down her pale cheeks.
That look—aggrieved, self-reproaching, and cautious.
She perfectly portrayed herself as an innocent, sweet sister who had “rushed over because she missed her brother too much, only to realize she was intruding and felt deeply guilty for it.”
Instantly, the disapproving glares from the surroundings turned into sympathy for her and condemnation for Bell and Kyle.
Kyle stood there with his mouth agape, completely dumbfounded.
He had no idea how things had escalated to this point.
Bell’s heart, however, sank into a bottomless abyss.
He knew she had won again.
Just then.
Cecilia did something no one expected.
She let go of Bell’s sleeve, turned around, and gave Kyle a deep bow.
“I’m sorry, Brother Kyle.”
“I shouldn’t have interrupted you and my brother while you were making friends.”
“Please forgive me.”
Her posture was humble to the extreme.
Kyle nearly jumped out of his chair in fright and hurriedly tried to help her up.
“No, no, no! What are you doing! I don’t blame you at all!”
Cecilia straightened up and gave him a smile that could only be described as saintly.
“Thank you, Brother Kyle. Then, from now on, I’ll leave my brother in your care.”
With that, she turned back to Bell. Her tears had stopped, leaving only a pure, heartbreaking maturity.
“Brother, you and Brother Kyle have a good class. I won’t disturb you anymore.”
She gave Bell one last deep look, then turned and ran out of the classroom with her head down.
That small, lonely figure left many of those present feeling a wave of pity.
Rate on N.U.
