Chapter 20 – Questions I Won't Answer
When you accidentally turn the sky black and crush a group of intruding sages with only two percent of your power, people tend to get curious.
And by curious, I mean annoyingly nosy.
The academy hasn't been the same since that day. Every time I walk through the halls, whispers chase me like hungry wolves. Students who used to ignore me now trip over themselves just to ask me the dumbest things.
"Fay, do you eat breakfast like normal people?"
"Fay, what kind of toothpaste do you use?"
"Fay, if you were a vegetable, what vegetable would you be?"
I swear, someone actually asked me that last one.
So here I am, cornered in the classroom during break time, a small crowd surrounding me like I'm some rare beast on display. Ciel is sitting at his desk, trying not to laugh, while Livia looks genuinely worried I might blow a hole in the wall just to escape.
"Alright, one at a time," I say, holding up my hands. "I'll answer what I can."
A boy with round glasses shoots his hand up. "What's your favorite food?"
"Easy. Meat skewers."
"Where do you usually hang out after class?"
"The training grounds. Or sleeping under trees. Both are equally great."
"Do you really not get tired when you use magic?"
I shrug. "I get hungry. Does that count?"
The group chuckles. I can feel them relaxing, which is exactly what I want. Normal answers for normal questions.
But of course, someone always has to ruin the fun.
A girl in the back, voice sharp, calls out. "Then what about that day? How did you make the sky darken like that? What kind of magic was it?"
The crowd quiets. Even Ciel looks up, brows furrowing.
I smile easily, leaning back in my chair. "Trade secret."
The girl frowns. "That's not an answer."
"Nope," I agree cheerfully. "But it's the one you're getting."
The room ripples with unease, like they want to push harder but don't quite dare. I take advantage, standing up and stretching. "Alright, enough Q&A for now. I'm not a circus act."
Ciel snorts. "Could've fooled me."
"Shut up, Ciel."
Livia hides her laugh behind her hand.
---
Later that day, the tension shifts from annoying to dangerous.
I'm called into the faculty office, where a handful of instructors and two people I don't recognize are waiting. The strangers aren't teachers—they're dressed in robes etched with wards, the kind reserved for higher officials. Their eyes are sharp, and when they look at me, it feels like they're trying to peel back my skin.
"Fay Lorian," one of them says, voice calm but heavy. "We'd like to ask you a few questions."
I resist the urge to sigh. "About the infiltration, right?"
"Yes," the other official replies. "You displayed abilities… far beyond your age. Far beyond most mages alive today. We need to understand exactly what happened."
One of my teachers, Professor Helwin, clears his throat nervously. "Fay, this is just procedure. No one's accusing you of anything. We just want to ensure the safety of the academy."
Sure. And dragons only hoard shiny rocks for decoration.
I sit down across from them, resting my chin in my hand. "Ask away."
The first official leans forward. "When the sages attacked, how did you overwhelm them so quickly?"
"I hit them very hard," I answer.
A pause. "Specifically—"
"With magic."
Their lips twitch. "What kind of magic?"
"The strong kind."
Professor Helwin makes a strangled noise, like he's trying not to laugh and panic at the same time.
The second official narrows his eyes. "Are you aware that your aura nearly suffocated the entire academy? That level of output is unheard of. Tell us—who taught you?"
"No one," I say truthfully.
"Impossible."
"Not really. Some people are just talented."
Their gazes sharpen. One of them mutters a detection spell, threads of mana probing toward me. I let it wash over, then twist it subtly so it reads nothing unusual. Just a boy, slightly above average, nothing world-breaking here.
The man frowns, glancing at his partner. "Strange. His mana levels feel… restrained."
I smile pleasantly. "Guess I'm just good at holding back."
They don't like that answer.
The questioning continues for an hour. Every time they press, I dance around the truth. Every time they try to pin me down, I slip away with a grin or a casual shrug. It's like sparring, except the weapons are words and I'm the only one enjoying myself.
Finally, they dismiss me, frustration simmering in their eyes.
As I step out into the hall, Ciel and Livia are waiting.
"How'd it go?" Ciel asks.
I stretch my arms, yawning. "Oh, they asked about my deepest secrets, and I told them about meat skewers."
Ciel bursts out laughing. "You didn't."
"I did."
Livia shakes her head, exasperated but smiling faintly. "Fay… one day, they're not going to laugh it off."
I shrug. "Then I'll just keep not answering."
---
That evening, back in the dorms, Ciel and Livia corner me again. This time, it's not a crowd of students or suspicious officials. Just the three of us, sitting by the window with the moonlight pouring in.
"Fay," Livia says softly. "I know you don't want to talk about it. But… that power. The emblem breaking. Everything. I can't stop thinking about it."
Ciel leans back, arms crossed. "Same. You act like it's no big deal, but I saw the look in those officials' eyes today. They were scared of you. Really scared."
I stare out the window, watching the stars flicker.
"I'm used to people being scared of me," I admit quietly. "That's nothing new."
Silence.
Then I force a grin, looking back at them. "But you two aren't, right?"
Livia's eyes widen, then soften. She shakes her head firmly. "Never."
Ciel sighs, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah. You annoy me, but you don't scare me."
Warmth spreads in my chest.
"Good," I say. "Then that's all that matters."
For now, that's enough.
---
And yet… deep down, I know the questions will only grow sharper.
The world isn't blind. And no matter how many jokes I crack or how many answers I dodge, eventually someone will demand the truth.
When that day comes… I'll have to decide whether to keep smiling, or finally show them what it means to stare into the abyss of creation itself.
But not today.
Today, I'm just Fay Lorian. A boy who likes meat skewers, teaches his friends how to walk on air, and refuses to answer the questions that matter most.
And honestly? I'm fine with that.
End of Chapter 21