'Did he just… no way'
「 Did your father just offer to adopt her?! 」 Stellar too was shocked.
'So, it would seem…'
Araxie was stunned to the core, her mouth slightly opened, unable to process the duke's words. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
"Ow!" She yelped, then looked back at the duke. "I… am not dreaming?"
The duke scoffs, lowering his hand. "No, you are not dreaming."
Araxie's eyes began to fill up with tears as she collapsed on the floor. "I… would like to… thank you! Thank you!
This wasn't just any offer, but the first offer made to any beastkin to join any official noble family. Araxie's kind has always been treated as animals all their existence but today… for the first time in history.
It changed.
…
Arcane Collegium, Class of the Ascendant sun.
Arthur walked into the hall, heading for his seat.
Then he noticed Derek and his friends sitting and laughing on his chair.
Arthur stopped directly in front of them. "What are you doing in my seat?"
Derek looked up and smiled. "Oh, Anaxagoras… didn't see you there."
"Move…" Arthur said, giving a deadly stare.
"Okay! Okay! No need for that look… you could kill someone with that." Derek hurriedly left the chair, signaling his friends to leave.
'Tsk… those guys get on my nerves.' Arthur thought, sliding into his chair.
Jamie spotted him from her seat and came over. "What's wrong with you? Why all grumpy?"
The memories of the characters placed in them slowly became natural, their previous behaviors and habits changed to fit the character they were made as.
Arthur looked up at her, forcing a small smile. "I'm alright, just tired."
Jamie touched his forehead out of nowhere to check his temperature. "You're a little warm."
Arthur felt like a baby being taken care of by his mother.
"I'll be fine…" Arthur reassured.
"No, you won't. You're getting a fever! We'll deal with this when we get home." Jamie commanded and left for her seat.
Arthur smiles again but this one was genuine. 'It's as Acheron says, Jamie will always be Jamie.'
…
Derek wandered through the senior wing, where students who are considered the best students in the academy, set to graduate in the next few weeks.
He slowed his pace when he saw one of the seniors, Alackster Lewin, turning all the chairs in his hall upside down through an open doorway.
"Senior! Is there something wrong?" Derek pretended to care.
Alackster didn't look up, his hands frantically moving through another row of chairs. "My grimoire… someone took my grimoire!"
Derek's eyes lit up but he quickly hid it with a concerned expression. "Your grimoire was stolen? That's awful!"
Slam!
Alackster slammed a chair on the floor, scattering it to pieces. "I left it in my storage compartment and now it's gone!"
There are three rules even mages must follow in the academy: one, you are not to have romantic affairs with any students. Two, respect every professor equally. And third but not the least, Do not take another mage's grimoire.
The third rule was even more important than the rest, a grimoire is a mage's lifework, their book of all the spells they can perform. Taking it away from them renders most mage useless.
Derek stepped in. "Do you have any idea of who might have taken it?"
"No…" Alackster's eyes turned cold. "But if I get a hold of whosoever…"
Wind started forming at his fists, the impact shifting the chairs around him away.
Derek's face curved into a malicious smile. "Actually... I think I might have seen something."
Alackster's raging eyes turned towards him. "What did you see!"
"Well, I don't wanna accuse anyone wrongly but..." Derek hesitated, playing his role perfectly. "I saw one of the Anaxagoras, Arthur, acting suspicious near this area. He was acting nervously."
"Anaxagoras? Are you sure?" Alackster stopped the magic condensing in his fist.
The Anaxagoras was a very rich and wealthy family, one of the top five most important nobles in the kingdom, they had thousands of rare and legendary relics and even grimoires from other famous mages. Why would they need his?
"I mean, I could be wrong but... you can check with him, he is in class right now." Derek shrugged.
Alackster did not say another word, storming off, heading for the class of the ascendant sun.
Derek grin grew wider as Alackster left. "Perfect... that's for meddling in my business..."
...
Class of the ascendant sun.
The brief lecture had just ended. Arthur and his classmates had already begun moving out to the field to test their spells.
Arthur sat at his desk, organizing his items.
The classroom door opened.
Alackster Lewin walked in, his eyes scanning all the students. They landed briefly on Arthur who sat on the far end of the hall, near the window.
The students stopped their chattering as soon as they noticed him. He went over to Arthur's seat, maintaining his calm demeanor.
Alackster stopped beside him.
"Arthur Anaxagoras, am i correct?" He said, already sensing the arcana energy of the grmiore.
Arthur looked up slightly, dropping the book he was holding. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Senior Alackster."
Alackster scoffed, placing his hands in his pockets. "My grimoire went missing earlier today... from my storage compartment."
"I am sorry to hear that... but I do not see how I can be of help."
"Someone mentioned seeing you around the senior wing during the lunch period. What were you doing?"
"That's not possible," Arthur raised an eyebrow. "i wasn't even in the academy during lunch."
"Is that so..."
Thud!
Alackster flipped Arthur's desk upside down, a leather bound grimoire with golden linings around the cover tumbled from beneath. The sound of it hitting the ground seemed unnaturally loud.
Arthur's face went pale in an instant. "Wha..."
Every student in the hall gasped.
Alackster bent over to pick up his grimoire, dusting it carefully. "Still claiming you didn't take it?"
"I-I didn't take it... I swear!" Arthur's voice rose slightly. "Someone must hav..."
"Must have placed it there? Grimoires don't walk on two feet, why don't you just accept it rather than shaming your family name."
Arthur's expression changed, his eyes became cold. His voice dropped dangerously quiet. "Don't insult my family..."
"Or else what?" Alackster laughed.
Before Arthur could reply, Wind erupted from Alackster's hand. With a simple gesture, Arthur was risen off the floor, an invisible hand wrapped around his neck, strangling him.
"You may have a strong background..." Alackster placed his hand on his face. "But don't for one second think that's going to stop me from punishing you for stealing my grimoire"
Arthur's face turned red, his attempts to resist only made the grip tighter.
Students around him backed away.
On the far side of the class, Jamie was still taking her nap, undisturbing by the events going on when suddenly... her eyes snapped open.
❰ Mirror Guardian activated ❱