I woke up as sunlight streamed into my room through the window.
"Yawn…"
I covered my mouth as I yawned, then forced myself to get up. Today was the day I would officially start studying at the academy.
I quickly grabbed a towel, took my uniform, and headed to the bathroom.
After finishing my bath and putting on my uniform, I left my room. I saw my father reading the newspaper and my mother cooking in the kitchen.
"Mom, what are we having for breakfast this morning?" I asked softly.
"This morning you're having omelet and rice. Come eat before it gets cold," my mother said with a smile.
I walked to the table and ate my breakfast enthusiastically.
After finishing, I stood up and went to the shoe rack.
Once I was done putting on my shoes, I picked up my bag and slung it over my back.
Then I took my slightly worn sword, put its sheath on, and attached it to my waist.
"Son, come here for a moment. Dad has something for you."
Just as I was about to leave the house, my father called out to me.
"What is it, Dad?"
I asked in confusion, raising my eyebrows slightly as I approached him in the living room.
"This. Yesterday, I found this sword in the storage room. It belonged to your grandfather. You should replace your old sword with this one."
My father pointed at my worn sword. The red sword that once belonged to my grandfather looked quite cool.
"Wow, this sword is amazing!"
I admired it, carefully checking every side for damage.
There wasn't a single flaw on it. I then asked my father whether the sword had any special power.
"Does it have any power?"
"It does have power, but… I don't know what kind of power lies within it,"
my father answered while holding his chin and closing his eyes.
I quickly went back to my room, placed my old sword on the table, removed its sheath, and put it onto the new sword.
Then I headed for the front door and said goodbye to my parents.
"Dad, Mom, I'm heading out!"
With a smile on my face, I waved goodbye and rushed toward the academy.
"Yes, be careful, son."
Their voices faded as I hurried away.
. . .
I arrived at the academy corridor. The royal-like atmosphere was impressive.
I hurried to look for my classroom.
"Ah, here it is!"
I muttered to myself as I entered the classroom.
"Wow…"
I was amazed by how grand the classroom was. The desks were arranged like steps, rising upward.
Looking around, I noticed that three students had already arrived. One of them was sitting at a desk.
I slowly walked toward the back seat while overhearing their conversation.
"Tch, what is that 'cursed child' doing here? He's ruining the mood."
"Yeah, he can't even use magic. He only got in because of sword techniques."
"What can he even do against us? Probably can't do anything but swing a sword."
"Haha."
They mocked me while laughing. I was used to this kind of treatment…
but it still hurt a little.
After reaching my seat, I placed my bag down, took out my favorite fantasy novel, and began reading.
Little by little, more students entered the classroom and took their seats.
Each desk could only seat two people.
Every seat was filled… except mine.
"Looks like… I'll be alone until I graduate."
I muttered to myself while continuing to read my novel quietly.
—Thud.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a tall girl with short dark-blue hair and a beautiful face approached and sat beside me.
She must be the last student to arrive… She probably had no choice but to sit next to me.
I thought with a disappointed expression. I had hoped to make a friend, but it seemed nothing had changed.
"Hi! Your name is Satria, right?"
"!"
I was shocked when she suddenly spoke to me and called my name.
Is this a dream?
"Hey, why are you so quiet?" she said with a smile.
I didn't know how to respond. I had almost never socialized with anyone before—this was my first time.
"Ah—y-yes. My name is Satria," I replied awkwardly.
"Nice to meet you! My name is Rania Danasti Putri. Just call me Rania!" she said with a sweet smile.
"By the way, is it true that your magic rank is 'F'?" she asked curiously.
"Yes, my magic rank is 'F'. What about yours?" I replied softly, asking back in confusion.
"Ah, my magic rank is 'A', because I'm a Time Controller!" she answered enthusiastically.
"…"
An awkward silence fell between us.
"I want to ask you something," she said with a neutral expression.
"Do you… want to be my friend?" she asked with a sincere smile.
"!"
I was shocked. A girl wanted to be friends with me?
That felt like one of the seven wonders of the world.
"Of course! I've never had a friend before. Why would I reject that?" I answered enthusiastically.
Without hesitation, I accepted. She was my first friend, and it made me incredibly happy.
But… why did she want to be friends with me?
"By the way, why do you want to be friends with me? My magic rank is lower than everyone else in this class," I asked in confusion.
Hearing that, Rania turned toward me, her lips slightly curved upward.
"Why? Do friendships really depend on someone's status? You should judge friends by their character, not their status."
She answered softly, resting her head on her palm.
Hearing such a sincere answer made my face turn red.
Without realizing it, the novel I had been reading was still open.
I quickly closed the book and put it back into my bag.
Just as I was enjoying the happiness of having my first friend, a female teacher entered the classroom and walked to the desk beside the large blackboard.
"Hello everyone. Let me introduce myself. My name is Evelyn Solenya. You may call me Mrs. Evelyn. I will be your homeroom teacher for Class B. I hope we can work well together."
Her calm expression made the entire class fall silent.
"Today's lesson will be about 'Nulla' and 'Conduit'. Does anyone know what those are?" Evelyn asked as she looked around the class.
No one answered. None of the students knew what 'Nulla' or 'Conduit' was.
"Do you know about 'Nulla' and 'Conduit', Satria?" Rania asked me quietly.
"I do, but… it's difficult to explain," I replied while holding my chin.
"In short, 'Nulla' is the fuel for magic, and 'Conduit' is its core," I explained.
"Hm…"
Still confused, Rania turned her attention forward, waiting for Evelyn's explanation.
"Since no one seems to know, I'll explain it myself. Please take notes," Evelyn said.
I took out my notebook and began writing.
"'Nulla' is raw energy that is extracted and transformed into magic. Everyone possesses 'Nulla'," Evelyn explained while writing on the board.
I carefully copied everything down.
"Not only living beings possess 'Nulla'. It exists everywhere, making it a universal energy."
She stopped writing, signaling the end of the explanation about 'Nulla', then moved on.
"Next is 'Conduit'. 'Conduit' is the core of 'Nulla' and all aspects of the body. It is abstract—its form is not fixed. 'Nulla' and 'Conduit' always exist together. Without 'Nulla', the body can still exist. But without 'Conduit', we would never exist."
I continued writing until my hand began to ache.
"'Conduit' encompasses the soul, mind, emotions, and existence itself."
She turned back toward us.
"Do you all understand?" Evelyn asked firmly.
"In short, 'Nulla' is raw energy extracted into magic, while 'Conduit' is the source and core of that energy," she concluded.
—Ring!
The bell rang, signaling break time.
"That's all for today. You may go to the cafeteria or stay here—it's up to you," Evelyn said before leaving the classroom.
Out of forty students, only about twenty remained—including me—while the rest rushed to the cafeteria.
I stayed behind because I had forgotten to ask my mother for money.
Rania looked at me with a gentle smile.
"You're not going to the cafeteria, Satria?" she asked.
I scratched my head. "I forgot to bring money… hehe."
"Besides… I'm not really hungry."
—Growl
My stomach betrayed me, and I felt embarrassed.
"See? Your stomach is already asking for food. Come on, I'll treat you," Rania said as she pulled my hand and dragged me out of the classroom.
. . .
When we arrived at the cafeteria, we went to the rice stall.
"What do you want to eat?" she asked.
"Um… I-I'll have fried rice," I said, pointing at it.
"Okay!" She let go of my hand and ordered.
"Ma'am, two portions of fried rice, please."
She took out her wallet and paid.
"Here's your change, and the fried rice," the vendor said.
Rania took both plates and carried them.
She pointed at an empty table in the middle of the cafeteria.
"Let's sit there."
I nodded and followed her.
She placed one plate in front of me and the other in front of herself.
We began eating. It tasted quite good.
— To Be Continued —