Chapter 7

What a horrible, horrible day. Ayisa sat in her chair, wearing the uniform Iris gave her, her eyes on her table. First day in the classroom and she already drew scorn from her teachers for knowing nothing about their subjects. They openly criticized her for her lack of knowledge and Iris for bringing someone like her to the school.

“She's some noble's long-lost daughter,” one of her classmates said after the teacher left.

She pretended to be talking to her friends, but her voice was loud enough to reach Ayisa.

Haru, wasn't it? Ayisa had heard her name called before. The girl had blue eyes and blue hair, quite like Iris’. Unlike her teacher, though, her eyes narrowed in scorn when she noticed Ayisa looking. Her friends laughed with her.

“Those peasants…” the one sitting to her right whispered. “What an annoying bunch. At least they had their grades going for them.”

Ayisa shivered. The last sentence must be directed at her.

“They're right, though,” the person ahead of him said, not bothering to hide his leer. “Doesn't even know what a mitochondrion is for?”

Ayisa held her tears. She knew this would be difficult, but how could she know about the parts of a cell when she had never even seen its picture? How did they get the picture in the first place? Some kind of magic?

The bell for lunch rang. Ayisa stood up, heading straight for the door.

“Where are you heading, girl?” Haru leaned in at the door, her entourage crowding around her. Haru glanced around the classroom, then grabbed Ayisa's arm, pulling her away.

“Wh-”

She pulled her to the still-empty staircase, shoving her against the walls. She closed in, her entourage standing behind her, observing the surroundings.

“Your little, stupid brain doesn't deserve to be here. You're only embarrassing all of us.”

Ayisa gulped, deciding not to point out that the nobles found her loudness annoying. If anything, Ayisa thought Haru would keep her thoughts to herself, or speak about them with her friends. She wasn't prepared for a direct confrontation, not expecting to get into one this quickly.

Haru’s expression darkened, her glare sharpening. Her voice lowered to a whisper.

“We got here through hard work, having proven ourselves. If you can't do that, leave.”

She shoved Ayisa down the stairs. Ayisa caught herself in time, holding the railings to prevent herself from sliding farther down. A few girls from a different class were heading straight for them. Haru sneered, turned around, and cheerfully walked up to her friends. All three looked down on her and left.

Holding back her tears, Ayisa sprinted straight for the library. She headed toward the biology section, picking up a textbook and bringing it to one of the empty tables.

I shouldn’t have gone out yesterday.

Had she spent the day studying, she might fared better.

If I fail… I’ll just embarrass Miss Iris and Layis.

Both had sacrificed a lot for her. Ignoring her grumbling stomach, Ayisa tightened the grip on her book, wishing to memorize everything she could. Her head began to hurt, but she pushed through her pain. She barely started.

“Ayisa?” Iris poked her shoulder. Ayisa turned around.

“Mis-” She covered her mouth.

Luckily, the other students hadn’t noticed. The librarian did glance her way. What sharp ears she had.

“Miss Iris?” she whispered.

“I heard about what happened,” Iris said. “I looked for you in class, but no one knew where you went.” Iris pulled a chair and sat down.

“Yes, I’m trying to catch up.”

“That’s admirable. You’ll be a great person someday.”

Ayisa’s grumbling stomach stopped the conversation, it being louder than their whispers. The librarian leaned on her seat, staring at her. Just how sensitive were her ears?

“... You haven’t eaten lunch?”

“No, Miss. I don’t have time.” She glanced at the textbook. Page fifteen. Out of two hundred.

“You cannot concentrate without food. Come, let’s go to the cafeteria. Don’t worry, I’ll help you study after school.”

•••

After eating lunch, Ayisa returned to the library. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time left before the bell rang. She did what she could, then returned to class for magic lessons. Iris taught magic, but she didn’t teach Ayisa's class.

When she arrived, she didn't see anyone but two remaining students. They brought wands with them, leaving Ayisa by the door.

… Is it in a different class?

Ayisa followed behind, keeping a safe distance. They went down to the first floor, then northwest toward a field surrounded by a chain-link fence. The plaque above the entrance showed ‘Magic Training Field’.

The rest of her classmates waited there. Murmurs began when they saw her approaching. Ayisa stood near the entrance, staring down at the ground.

“Greetings, everyone. It is time for yet another round of magic. Quite exciting, if I do say so myself.”

The teacher wore a striking black suit. It didn’t look like the kind of uniform someone would use to teach magic. While magic didn’t require that much physical movement, the clothes still seemed uncomfortable and heavy. He had tidy black hair, his face was neither young nor old. Ayisa couldn't tell. A gentleman, in a way.

“I heard we have a new student today. Lady Ayisa? May you please step forward?”

They parted, allowing her to walk down the middle, their gazes heavy on her shoulders. She shivered from the attention, forcing her body to move. She walked to the front of the group, standing face-to-face with the man.

“Ah, what a fine young lady you are. My name is Rivernfor, and I have the honor of being your magic teacher.”

“She doesn’t deserve to be called a lady,” Haru murmured. “How disgusting.”

Ayisa flinched under her gaze.

Her gaze sharpened. “That’s all it takes to scare you? You shouldn’t be here.”

“She’s an insult to us all,” another whispered.

“I thought the peasants were bad, but this one is way worse.”

Ayisa gripped the hem of her skirt, keeping her eyes glued at the floor.

“That is enough,” Rivernfor said, his tone heavier than before.

His eyes swept through the classroom, disapproval on his face. The students returned their attention to him.

“Everyone has their own skills and talents. Lady Ayisa, nice to meet you.”

“Ye- Yes, Sir.”

“She couldn’t even reply properly.”

“What a waste of time.”

Rivernfor ignored them.

“You can use magic, yes? I heard high praise about you from Lady Iris. I would like to see what she saw. Here.” Rivernfor handed over a magic wand.

The wand had a glossy black finish, the smooth metal cold to the touch.

“Now, please try showcasing a spell. Any spell would do.”

Ayisa thought of a wind spell. She used it a lot back in the forest. She concentrated, calling upon her mana.

Soul. Wind. Slash. Target. Target. Attack.

She aimed at the red target on the other side of the field. Her wand flickered for just a moment, but nothing else happened.

… Huh?

Soul. Wind. Slash. Target. Target. Attack.

Ayisa panicked, realizing nothing came out. Shouldn't a wand help her with magic? Why was this one stopping her? Could it be faulty? No, it couldn't be. Her teacher was using it.

“So, she can’t even use magic?”

“This is a school of magic, you know. Lacking in other studies might be forgiven, but lacking in magic?”

“Unbelievable.”

Wh- Why won’t it work?

She had done this countless times before. Why did it fail? Why now, of all times?

“I see. Please calm down, Lady Ayisa. That wand is a powerful one, but creating powerful magic also requires a lot of concentration. Please, calm down and try again.”

Ayisa tried, repeating the link in her mind. But whatever she did, nothing happened.

Soul. Wind. Slash. Target. Target. Attack.

Soul. Wind. Slash. Target. Target. Attack.

What’s going on? Why is there no wind?

Each time, the wand would flicker, yet nothing happened. Even the flicker was faint, hardly noticeable.

“Maybe you are simply not used to your new environment. Magic requires a lot of things to be done right, and there are times when even the easiest thing becomes difficult due to circumstances. Do not be concerned. That is what magic training is for. To be consistent, even in times of great difficulty,” Rivernfor said, probably trying to calm her down.

Ayisa returned the wand to him, and he bowed slightly as he accepted it.

“I know you will show your true capabilities one day. For now, let us proceed with our lessons.”

Ayisa returned to the rear of the group, dejected.

•••

“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I don’t deserve to be here.”

Ayisa bowed her head, over and over again. Iris stood in front of her, unsure how to react. Ayisa didn’t expect to bring Iris back to this corner so soon, the same corner where they had talked yesterday. She had failed. She put Iris’ integrity into question from the second she stepped into school.

“It’s better if I don’t exist-”

“Ayisa.”

Ayisa jerked her head. Her teacher let out a sigh.

“You’re not allowed to say that.”

“But-”

“Every child deserves to live. If a child thinks otherwise, then the fault lies in the adults around them,” Iris said, her unwavering gaze on her alone.

“But…”

“It’s your first day here. You haven’t gone to school in maybe years. Of course, things are tough.” She stood up and held her shoulders. “Doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to have a chance.”

“...”

“... I know. Come with me. Let’s go out for a little jog.”