Kurenai’s First Friend at the Royal Magic Academy!?

After a long ride in that carriage, though it had been a comfy one, I arrived in front of the gates to the academy.

Wooooah.

I’ve never seen such a big yet elegant building! Is it really okay for me to be here?

“You must be Miss Kurenai?”

As I was admiring the architecture, a man wearing a butler uniform approached me from the side.

“Yes, and you are?”

“Edmund. I’ll be showing you around today.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Edmund.”

“Follow me, please. We’ll be starting with your room at the dorms.”

“Yes, sir.”

While nervously following Edmund, my heart was pounding so much that I didn’t even notice the stares and whispers surrounding me.

“Is that her?”

“Did you hear the rumors?”

“By herself?”

“But she looks so plain.”

Walking through the dorm, I saw many other students and their extravagant rooms, until he stopped in front of a plain wooden door.

 “This is your room. Leave your belongings in here for now. Moreover, make sure to keep the room clean.”

It was smaller and simpler compared to the other rooms. Still, it was my own room!

Placing my belongings inside, I wondered if I’d be allowed to decorate it a little.

Maybe bring in a few flowers or some medicinal herbs-

“Ahem. Let’s continue.”

Hehe.

“I’m sorry. I got lost in thought.”

Afterwards he showed me around the academy, where my classroom was and where magic practical studies would be held.

I even got to see what they called the dining hall, where apparently everyone ate together. All the food looked so amazing...

It was quite a lot to take in and so exhausting... So, I quickly got back to my room and jumped onto my bed.

“It’s just as glamorous as I expected... Except, nothing beats home!”

“...”

“I miss them already... so much.”

The next day I got up early, put on the uniform that a maid brought me the evening before, and headed to class.

On the way to the classroom, I noticed how most people talked to each other in groups, with only a few being on their own.

Other than that, the next few days were booooring, consisting of mostly studying the logic behind how magic works. The only thing I hoped would be fun, the practical magic application, was even more basic! It was all just stuff that Tomoko had already taught me.

What made things even worse was that everyone seemed to avoid me, making me feel even more lonely. Hence, I started to look for other classmates who seemed left out, one girl in particular caught my eye.

She sat beside me in class, a quiet girl, possibly super shy, who always kept to herself.

I should approach her!

“...”

But how do I do that!? What if she doesn’t want friends? What if she just wants to be left alone...

Ugh!

I ruffled up my hair in frustration.

In the end, I couldn’t find a way to approach her.

Then, on a particularly hot day, the scholar made us run laps to build up our dexterity.

Taking it easy, I stayed in the middle of the pack, noticing her dragging far behind everyone else.

Hehe. Reminds me of Hikari... She also struggled at first with her non-existent stamina.

Two hours later with three breaks in between, since all of those nobles really needed them... We finished, with most collapsing at the finish line while gasping for air.

After I wiped away the sweat, everyone had already left back to class.

She’s still not here? Did she give up along the way? Couldn’t blame her, after all, our next class is starting soon.

But just then I heard distant running steps, slow but steady.

I’m glad...

Despite making it barely in time, she did pull through. The only issue was she didn’t have any time to wipe off her sweat, so she had to attend the next class all sweaty.

Regardless, she didn’t give up! Now I really want to talk to her!

“E-ehm...”

“You two! Head to your next class!”

“Yes!”

“Y-yes...”

Argh! I almost managed to talk to her! Why did the scholar have to interrupt us!? Such unfortunate timing...

Burying my head in my arms on the table, I anguished over the failed opportunity to make my first friend.

“What’s this disgusting smell!?”

Hmmm? Disgusting smell?

I raised my head.

Sniff, sniff.

Weird, I’m not picking up any strange smells.

Looking around curiously, I noticed a boy standing in front of the timid girl, my seat neighbor.

“Hey! I’m talking to you.”

He shouted at her with his arms crossed, looking down on her with pure contempt.

“...”

Her head drooped, and she clenched her hands tightly together in her lap.

What’s his issue?

“What is your name?”

“...”

“So first you show us a miserable display of endurance, then you barely make it in time for the next class? And on top of that, you come here smelling like a dirty peasant!?”

“...”

Witnessing that made my eye twitch.

Is he seriously berating her!? Especially after they barely performed better?

“Don’t cause any unnecessary ruckus... You never know who’s watching. Especially at the Royal Magic Academy that’s filled with nobles of varying rankings.”

Remembering the warning Tomoko gave me, I held myself back.

“Does anyone know this disgusting peasant’s name!? It seems she’s also unable to speak.”

As he shouted that through the entire class, one of his friends responded while standing behind him.

“Her name is Asako.”

So her name’s Asako... what a cute name!

“Oh, how fitting. So even her parents knew she’d be a sweaty mess.”

Somehow that made his friends burst out laughing. The least funny joke imaginable...

Her head drooped even lower, and she started to tremble.

How come no one intervenes? Where’s the scholar?

Scanning the room, I noticed that Edmund, who was the scholar for the next class, just stood there writing something down, ignoring the entire interaction.

“So, Aseko. Maybe we should help you out? We are quite gracious, you know?”

He asked her with the biggest grin possible.

“H-help how?”

She mumbled.

“Shouldn’t you at the very least be looking up at me while talking to me?”

“...”

Are they seriously all just going to watch this play out?

“Could it be that you are just too shy? How cute. Don’t worry, we are so gracious we’ll forgive you for your poor manners. On top of helping you out.”

Clenching my fist, I remembered those knights.

Poor manners? Discipline them!? Who are any of you to act so high and mighty!?

My chest tightened, and a small burning sensation arose again.

Snap.

Just as the boy snapped his fingers, it happened. One of his friends who snuck behind her cast the Waterfall spell right over her head, soaking Asako completely.

I’m sorry, Tomoko.

“Hey! What are you doing!? Don’t you think this is going waaay too far!?”

I exploded, slamming my hands on my desk and shooting up.

“What’s wrong with being a little sweaty from all the effort she put in!?”

“Calling a failure ‘effort’ is the biggest excuse possible.”

Walking over to her, I took out a cloth and wiped some of the water away before glaring back at that boy.

“At least she puts in effort!”

“Who are you again?”

“I’m Kurenai!”

“Oh. The peasant who refused a formal invitation from my father. It seems your parents still failed to teach you proper manners.”

Father? It can’t be... He’s Count Vandegard’s son!?

Pffft.

“Like father, like son, huh?”

“It seems at least you have an eye for greatness.”

Is he serious?

Raising an eyebrow, I genuinely questioned his intellect.

“...”

“Not surprising that you’d be speechless in the face of Alaric Vandegard! The oldest son of the Hero Count Vandegard.”

More like, I wish I didn’t know that...

Turning back to Asako, I continued helping her wipe off the water.

“Are you okay, Asako?”

“I-I’m fine... thank you.”

“What, too shy to speak to me now as well?”

His eye twitched as he asked that, with quite a priceless annoyed look on his face.

But I just kept ignoring him, so he decided to walk close to me and whisper into my ear.

“Don’t worry, you will find out soon enough the difference between someone who has power and status and someone like you, who has nothing.”

Afterwards, he turned around and strutted away.

I know I promised Tomoko... but I just had to do something...

So I used a spell to gather some water near his crotch, making it look like he peed himself.

While that made everyone chuckle and him flush like a tomato, he did shut everyone up with a glare.

Hopefully that’ll make him stop...

Yet, that didn’t stop them at all...