Biron got up early.
He had been studying in earnest, trying his best to understand his new creature.
After the first day, his teacher had told him to take his time and get to know it gradually.
As for Mirelia, he had also learned more about her family—the Valcyne Family, one of the Big Four in this kingdom.
She didn't speak much about them, but it wasn't hard to find more information. They were mentioned in books about the kingdom's founding—books that could be found in any bookstore or library.
Today was the equivalent of Friday on Earth: Veydra, a day said to be tied to fate and change, or so everyone told him.
He didn't feel any different, but Biron had noticed that certain days seemed to affect the power of summoned creatures. He hadn't tested this yet, though. For his own creature, that special day was Tuesday, the day before he summoned his creature.
He did love him, though.
The small lizard was still the same size, as Biron hadn't been given much mana to spare—at least not yet.
The professors were still just showing them the basics: how to summon their creatures, how to care for them, and most importantly, how dangerous they could be if not properly trained.
Because of this, first-years were only allowed to summon their creatures within the school grounds and in the training hall.
Their insignias tracked any unauthorized use of their summons, and it was important for everyone to follow this rule.
Biron hadn't known that, and after showing his creature to his sister and brother, he was given his first warning.
After arriving on the school grounds today, he walked slowly while looking for the red-haired girl with pointed ears.
Biron had come to learn that she was half Durnhar—a very rare race to find in this world.
Only those who made themselves known, such as the Valcyne family, were ever spoken of openly.
Most Durnhar lived deep beneath the surface, in stone-crafted cities or within mountain halls sealed by enchantments older than most kingdoms.
They rarely mingled with surface folk, and when they did, it was either for trade, war, or binding oaths with long histories behind them.
Biron thought of them as dwarves—only instead of forging weapons, they specialized in enchanting metals.
They produced jewels and artifacts like the one Biron now held in his hand: his magical staff.
"There you are! I thought you weren't going to wait for me!"
Suddenly, Biron bolted toward the girl standing near the doors. She looked annoyed today, not that it was unusual.
"What got you so mad? Was it that girl Selka from the Drayne family testing you again?"
Biron knew the two girls were at odds, mostly because their families were rivals.
[I don't know why she always has to start something,] Mirelia muttered. "I don't even care about my family."
She stomped on the floor, causing nearby students to avoid them, while Biron just chuckled.
"You just have to show her up. Isn't today the first exam? We're supposed to have our first mock battle. Maybe we'll get paired up—I think we'd do well. Your monster attacks from range, and my Torch goes in and tail-slaps them or something."
Mirelia stared at him, then brought her hand to her face with a classic facepalm.
[You've learned nothing from what I explained,] she groaned. [Did I not spend hours telling you how to use your creature? You begged me to teach you, and now you're saying you want it to just use its tail to attack?]
Biron knew she was close to choking him, so he suddenly burst into laughter.
"Don't worry, I know what I need to do. I was just messing with you. You're so cute when you get mad."
Without waiting for a response, Biron ran inside and up into his classroom.
[Good to have you with us, young summoner Biron. We'll be having that mock test today, so do be ready. Also—don't run in the hallway.]
The teacher, Professor Caelis, was already standing by the door, waiting for everyone to arrive.
"Sorry, professor, I was just excited about the exam today. I hope the morning will go by fast." Biron said with a small grin.
As he entered, he spotted Professor Caelis summoned creature resting on top of his desk, creating a soft breeze that tousled Biron's hair as he passed by.
Not long after, he heard the girl behind him—her footsteps heavy, like stomps closing in on him.
[Stop... stop playing with me, Biron,] Mirelia hissed. [Next time, I won't let you go so easily.]
She took her seat after saying that, not wanting to be called out by the teacher again.
"Sorry, I won't do it again. At least not this week," Biron whispered over with a grin. "But hey, it did get your mind off that girl, right? Just remember—we'll defeat her easily. So get ready.
We just have to survive and not fall asleep during the first two lectures."
Just then, the bell rang and class began.
It was long. It was boring mostly because the professor kept drifting off-topic.
He was clearly passionate about summons, but many of the students—especially those who couldn't control more than one creature—had little interest in hearing about rare summons they had no hope of using.
Some, like Biron, were somewhat interested. Creatures with powerful abilities were fun to learn about, though the lessons also included math, science, and even literature.
Biron still needed to learn how to speak the native language of this world. For now, the translation magic helped him get by, but he still had to learn how to write.
After lunch, the two of them were already heading toward the fields.
Today would end with mock battles, which every student was required to take part in.
To better understand how elemental affinities interact, students were paired off to fight using opposing elements.
For Biron, it felt natural to be paired with Mirelia. The combination of fire and earth made for a solid frontline, capable of handling multiple opponents without much trouble.
But Biron knew the real reason he was eager today.
The girl they were set to fight against used ice, and they were mainly teaming up to defeat her.