Two boring days finally came to an end.
A middle-aged doctor in a long white coat entered my room, checked my final vital signs, and finally nodded in satisfaction.
"You can go back to the dormitory now, kid," he said, handing me a thick envelope with the academy's emblem on it. "These are your acceptance documents. The Head of the Pure Magic Department asked me to give these to you personally. Looks like you're their new golden child."
I just smiled faintly in response to the joke.
Inside the envelope were a student ID card, a class schedule, a map of the academy, and a dark blue crystal key.
"Room 304, Boys' Dormitory Building C," I read silently.
In the hospital lobby, which smelled of medicine, I paused for a moment to open the academy map. My eyes scanned every line, corridor, and shortcut marked on the paper.
My brain worked quickly. I folded the map back up and put it in my pocket.
Wearing casual clothes—black pants and a white shirt that I had worn before taking the survival test—I stepped out through the automatic glass doors.
The midday sun immediately greeted my face, hot but warm.
I squinted my eyes and took a deep breath. The air outside was much fresher and smelled of freshly cut grass.
The atmosphere outside was unexpectedly quiet.
The main path, which was usually crowded in the game illustrations, was now silent. There were only a few cleaning golems sweeping up dry leaves.
It was only natural. The clock pointed to eleven in the morning. Second and third-year students were in the middle of class, while other new students were probably attending orientation sessions in the main hall.
"A pleasant silence," I thought.
I walked leisurely along the red brick sidewalk, enjoying the rare moment where I didn't have to act or be on guard. The magnificent Victorian-style academy buildings towered on my left and right.
A small explosion sounded from the direction of the magic training building in the distance, followed by colorful puffs of smoke. "Normal" academy life was going on there.
After walking for about ten minutes past the fountain garden, I arrived at the dormitory district.
The Boys' Dormitory C was a sturdy-looking four-story red brick building.
At least, that was my hope before I stepped inside the building.
As soon as I stepped into the lobby of Boys' Dormitory C, the smell of floor cleaner immediately hit my nose.
The lobby was empty, with only a row of old wooden chairs and a bulletin board covered in worn-out papers. However, my calm didn't last long.
"Here he is!"
A middle-aged man in a janitor's uniform who was mopping the floor with an automatic mop immediately stopped his work. His eyes widened when he saw me, as if he had just seen a top celebrity.
"Here is the new golden star of our academy!" he shouted enthusiastically.
Before I could dodge him, the man was already running towards me and patting my shoulder repeatedly with his slightly soapy hands.
"Amazing! Truly amazing! I've been working here for ten years, but this is the first time a resident of Dormitory C has caused such a stir in the school!"
I smiled stiffly, slightly uncomfortable with this sudden physical contact. "Ah, thank you, sir. I just—"
"Just what? Being modest?" he interrupted with a loud laugh. "You're very famous on the School Network, kid!"
I frowned. "The Academy Network?"
"You don't know? Ah, that's right, you just got out of the hospital," the man patted his own forehead. "The Academy distributes Magic Tablets to every student as a means of communication and access to information. Yours should already be in your room."
He pointed toward the stairs with his thumb. "Go check it out. You'll be surprised to see how often your name is mentioned there."
"Okay. Thank you for the information, sir."
I quickly took my leave, half-running up the stairs to avoid further conversation.
I checked the crystal key in my hand. The number 304 was engraved on it.
"Third floor," I muttered.
When I arrived on the third floor, a long hallway with numbered doors welcomed me.
Finally, I arrived in front of door 304.
I pressed the crystal key against the door handle. There was a click and the door opened.
The room was standard. There was one bed, a desk near the window, and a wardrobe. Simple, but sufficient for living.
However, there were two unfamiliar objects that immediately caught my attention.
The first was a large black box with the Winters family crest, the Silver Wolf, on top of my bed. It must be the suit Seraphina sent. She really meant what she said.
The second was a thin white glass plate on the desk.
A Magic Tablet.
I closed the door and locked it. I needed privacy.
I sat down at the desk and picked up the tablet. As soon as I touched it, the screen lit up, scanning my face with a dim blue light.
[Identification Confirmed: Leon] [Welcome to the Royal Celestia Academy Network.]
The tablet interface was similar to the smartphones in my previous world, but it was powered by mana. There were icons for schedules, grades, and a globe icon labeled "Public Forum."
I pressed the forum icon.
My eyes immediately narrowed as I read the headline at the top, printed in bold, flashing letters:
[HOT TOPIC: NEW PURE MAGIC STUDENT KILLS FIRE DRAGON?!]
[Leaked Video: The Last Moments of the Mist Forest (Views: 15,400)]
"Damn..." I muttered.
I opened the discussion thread. It was filled with comments from hundreds of students.
MageFire: "It's edited, right? How could a new student use magic without a wand? Even imperial wizards have to use magic wands."
NobleSword: "I heard he's from a commoner family. He must be using cheats."
VioletRose: "You're all just jealous. Look at his face when he's shooting the camera! He's so handsome! Kyaaa!"
Anonymous: "I have the battle log data. It's not a cheat. He really blew up that dragon from inside his mouth. Crazy."
Anonymous: "I wonder if he's actually a nobleman disguised as a commoner at this academy?"
FireWall: "My father is a merchant who travels around the continent. He once said that there are some regions with wizards who don't use wands and don't even chant spells to cast magic."
I put the tablet back on the table roughly. My head started to hurt again.
Not only were the recordings of people's reactions in the hall scattered, but the battle log data that was supposed to be a secret of the Magic Technology Department had also been leaked.
I took a deep breath, then leaned back in my chair, staring at the dull ceiling of the room.
"My plan is completely ruined," I muttered in frustration.
My main mission from the organization was to be a shadow. To be an invisible protector for Seraphina. But now?
I wasn't a shadow. I was the brightest spotlight. And what's worse, Seraphina had pulled me onto the stage with her.
"How am I going to explain this to the Teacher..." I complained, massaging my temples.
My thoughts about the "internet" were interrupted when I remembered my personal belongings. The suitcase containing clothes and "special" equipment that I had brought from The Numbers headquarters when I registered.
I turned around, looking around the empty room.
"Have they moved it already?"
I reached for the tablet on the table again. I typed a short message to the Dormitory service through the administration app.
Ping.
The reply appeared in less than five seconds. The efficiency of magic was terrifying.
[Dormitory Admin C: Leon's belongings have been placed in the wardrobe before your arrival. Please check.]
I walked over to the wooden wardrobe in the corner of the room and opened it. Sure enough, my worn leather suitcase was there, neatly stored on the bottom shelf.
I pulled it out and placed it on the table next to the tablet.
With a practiced motion, I pressed the secret spot on the suitcase handle. Click. The suitcase opened.
Its contents looked normal to the untrained eye: a pile of underwear, soap, and a few notebooks. But my hand immediately reached into the suitcase's inner pocket, pulling out a small glass jar filled with colorful glass balls.
At first glance, they looked like ordinary marbles.
But they were Bone Communicators—military-grade long-distance communication devices that transmitted sound through vibrations in the skull.
I took a red marble and tapped it as if making a call.
"Signal connected. Identification: Five."
A heavy, hoarse, wet voice came from the marble.
"Master!" I said quickly. "I want to report."
"I saw the news," Hilda replied casually. "You caused quite a stir, kid."
"My plan failed completely, master," I complained. "You told me to be a shadow. To be an invisible ordinary student so I could watch the target from afar. But look at me now? I'm the talk of the academy."
There was a moment of silence on the other end. Then, I heard a small laugh.
"Isn't that good?"
I straightened my back. "What? What's good about it?"
"Think about it, Five. You no longer have to struggle to find a reason to approach Seraphina. With your current status, you have direct access to her social circle. She'll probably even come looking for you."
"The problem is she's already looking for me," I argued, frustrated. "She asked me—no, she ordered me—to be her partner at the Welcome Party."
"Perfect. The best position to protect a client is right beside her."
"Master, you don't understand," I sighed deeply. "Seraphina ... she doesn't need protecting—"
"Enough."
Hilda's tone turned cold and sharp, cutting off my complaint immediately.
"We're not paid to assess the client's condition, Five. We're paid to make sure he stays alive until graduation. This is a direct request from Duke Winters. And the pay could let you retire early. So do your job."
I fell silent. An order is an order.
"Alright. Understood."
"Good. Don't die stupidly at that dance party."
Beep.
The connection was cut.
I sighed roughly, then walked towards the bed. I threw myself onto the soft mattress and stared at the ceiling.
"Protecting criminals from danger..." I muttered ironically.
I closed my eyes, hoping that at least for tonight, I could sleep without being disturbed by dreams of Dragons or one-eyed Gods.
But deep down in my heart, I knew that peace was impossible. Tomorrow was the dance. And I would be on stage with Seraphina.
*****
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