After that awkward assembly, the first years were shown their chosen homerooms. Coincidentally Ludio was also in the same room as me. The teacher has not arrived in the meantime so pretty much I should see who is in my class for the next 4 years. The classroom was filled with different types of personalities already forming their own cliques divided into vertical columns depending on the adept type of their discipline.

  From the entrance to the windows, the near entry there are six columns of seats each two belonged respectively to the psi-adepts, the next two in the middle with Chi-adepts, and finally, the last two where I would sit, which seems that there are few more seats left that were at the far end, obviously grouped by the Mana-adepts. Though Non-adepts did not have any close tables to group up together, they were scattered around the classroom blending in out of pure survival.

  “You’ll take the seat at the very end, I’ll sit right beside ya,” Ludio commanded me as we went and sat.

  Looking around me, there were girls in class that seemed very strong and out of my league. Especially the one in the middle section with the black short hair and slanted bangs with an athletic and endowed body that makes any person gaze at her beauty. Actually, now that I see her, there are also a bunch of others of both male and female with attractive looks. While being friendly towards her, they are seemingly being overprotective of her as four boys with clean complexions of good looks seem to simultaneously converse with them and create an inner circle preventing others from getting close to them.

  One of them, a man with amber hair slicked back, swept up with a menacing gaze at anyone who would try talking to them. Out of the four of them, he seems to be the most overprotective of her. But at the same time, he does not appear to be that close to the group while the rest are paying close attention to the girl in the center.

  Over on the side of the Psi-adepts, the one that caught my eye was a beauty in the front row that could rival the other. Loose wavy bob with a top-to-bottom layer of brown and yellow, she nudges and chats next to her with a man with gray hair that is covered partially on his left eye with a nonchalant expression. He seems like a normal and mannered individual, but for some reason, whenever I see him there is a feeling that tells me to not mess with him or get involved with him.

  Behind him was a short ebony girl with a timid posture and puffy ponytail looking back and forth at her desk and the man in front of her. She was about to raise her hand to him, but shyly backed off and got a little flustered.

  Over my side, there were a few that caught my attention. There was a girl of a serene appearance with smooth long white hair as she was sitting there waiting for the lecture to start. Her lavender eyes suddenly move in my direction, and I divert my gaze from her and focus on someone else.

  The second I turn my eyes...

  “you have got to be kidding…”

  While not noticing my presence, the girl with the red twintails was about a few seats in front of me. I would have not guessed that this was just fate and only a coincidence that she was there. Our last “conversation” did not go as smoothly and there might be some situations in the future with her that could screw me over. I would wonder if I could at least apologize to her again.

  “...So, is there anyone you’re interested in?” Ludio startled me as he was right beside me looking in the direction where I was looking.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just notice you were just staring at those girls,” he says while giving a shitty grin.

  “I... just noticed that there seems to be a distinctive amount of girls in our class.”

  “Well, if ya want to know who is who, then I could give out their information, for the right price… And just to let you know, it can be anybody.”

  Ludio's response caught my attention, not the part about the price for information about each girl, but the fact that he even offered such a ridiculous thing in the first place. Why and how did he have such details is beyond me, and I wouldn’t want to know either. Maybe I should ask what he knows first before getting any more conclusions and not suspecting anything suspicious.

  “So uh, what kind of info do you have?” I inquire hoping that they are just random and somewhat indecent comments like any teenage boy would when trying to get together with a school crush.

  “Oh you know, I got stuff like their measurements, personal information, where they live, hobbies, what kind of food they like, preferred type, their embarrassing secrets, and many more. you got to be specific on what you want to know...”

  I could only pretend to smile at the fact that he was not specific on the measurements, but all the other stuff pretty much overkills any imagination of a teenager. I would not even want to know if he has any stuff about the guys or even me.

  “... At least that is what I would have known, but for right now, I could only give you their basic background and also their body measurements, if ya want it… just to let you know” He still smiles while twitching his eyebrow, simplifying a gesture of knowing my “intentions”. “So Alder,” Ludio leaned onto my desk and waited for me to say something. “As a good friend, I’ll give you a freebie, who do you want to know and be specific about what details you desire?”

  Well if I have a freebie, maybe I could use this opportunity to know more about the misunderstood redhead and fix this mess before any more problems arise at any time.

  “...how about that one,” I pointed towards the back of the red-headed archer girl.

  “Hmm… Ah yes, her name was Seraphina Feuer, she is pretty much a talented shooter that belongs to a long line of prestigious individuals under the fine arts of causing things burst into flames. Would you like to know about her-”

  “Please, I don't want to cause any crimes…” I stopped Ludio from continuing any further.

  “...Alright, I guess I can say that she can easily see things and jump to conclusions about something that seems questionable without letting the other justify,”

  That… seems very accurate.

  “That seems to be the case…” I confirmed his explanation with actual experience.

  “And also she has quite a fiery personality. From what I know, she is known for beating the crap out of people that may or may not have wronged her and making them submit to her. Simply put, she is noble with tons of pride. Though, that is to say that she is trying to prove to others her strength.”

  “Huh, what makes you say that?”

  “ Well, she is in a long line of warriors and sorcerers, so if I were to compare her with her siblings, I would rank her as the lowest of the low. And I think that’s all I have for her at the moment.” Ludio finishes his analysis.

  The lowest of the low, huh? The way that she presents herself during the terrorist attack did not present her as such…

  But most of it seems to connect partially accurately to what Ludio surmises. She didn’t beat me up, at least physically. Thinking back I was actually apologizing to her about the mishap until the whole terrorist debauchery that occurred. Well with this information I know what I am dealing with. Only one way to find out if I could get through her thick skull to convince her of that problem.

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  “I heard that people who tried to make compromises with her don’t have a happy ending.”

  Ludio and I move our heads toward the seat on my left. A boy with not a unique distance and a calm collected smile. With copper shimmer hair and a clean uniform, he sits waiting for one of us to say something.

  “I mean sure, she can be a bitch, but you never know until you try,” Ludio was the first to respond.

  “Of course, there is always an effort to try something that can potentially fail miserably,”

  Both Ludio and the guy looked at each other with cold stares, and I felt the tension in between them. But a few seconds later they both chuckle and smile at each other as if nothing to their dialogue matters.

  “Anyway, I apologize for inserting myself into your conversation. My name is Nemo Ambros,”

  “Ludio,” he puts his hand on my shoulder. “...And this is Alder,”

  “Well Alder and Ludio, I was wondering why you guys are talking behind her back? I mean, I don’t know her personally but I wouldn’t discuss anything bad while she’s here…”

  “Heh, this guy chose her among the other pretty girls,” Ludio pointed his thumb to me. Then he asks me “I also wonder why he wants to know about her...”

  Both of them smile with curiosity. I wanted to tell them what had happened, but the whole event with her was absolute misery, and talking about it while she is here would bring that misery with it.

  “Oh wait, now I remember,” Ludio spoke up. “You laid your hands on her!” he says and laughs at my mistake of the day.

  “So that’s what happened...” Nemo says while looking at me with pitiful eyes. “I uh, my condolence for what is gonna happen,”

  Confused at what he meant by that, I asked, “What are you talking about?”

  “You do know that I can hear you, right?” Seraphina is right in front of us without us noticing her presence. Looking around at that moment few of the students including the gray-haired fellow eyes turned towards us and the girl in the middle began watching what was about to become.

  “So you guys are badmouthing me without my notice, huh?”

  “I wasn’t saying anything bad about you. I just want to know something about you,” I said with honesty.

  “Yeah, the stuff they say that I am a ‘bitch’!” She interprets with a hostile gaze at us three.

  “W-Well that is just a presumption which I do not agree with. But I want to know how we can fix this situation.” I try to reason, but it doesn’t seem to be working.

  “I don’t think you have any right or ability to be able to fix the problem since you are the one who started it.”

  “First of all, it was an accident, and second I did apologize!” I remind her.

  “Y-Your apology was not that significant as I don’t see any sincerity in your words.” She says while her face reddens as if she might not remember what happened and tries to justify her point of view.

  “You should apologize to me again, but show more effort,” she demands, still blushing and making an awkward expression upon saying “more effort”.

  My opened mouth lets out “You're seriously demanding me to do it again?!”

  “Of course, I am telling you to do it again!” She iterates.

  “I already apologized to you, why do I need to do it a second time?”

  “Heh, there’s even a clip of you guys online. Pretty hilarious don’t you think?” Ludio adds to the conversation and presents the screen of his smartphone with a video of me and Seraphina.

  Ludio chuckles while in the face of the angered Seraphina, whether or not the video he presented actually helps my case is one thing, the other is him creating another problem, which only not supports, but instead maybe groups the three of us together and makes it worse. One could only tell from what Seraphina is feeling right now.

  “...That was just for the assault… This one is for getting too personal with me and the placement of your hand!” She justifies her claim but then adds something even more embarrassing, “Not only you should apologize, but the two of your ‘friends’ should also follow suit and kneel before me...”

  “Hold up!” Ludio stops her demands. “Yeah, I’m not doing that for a bitchy noble such as you.”

  “Hah, say that to me one more time, and you’ll see what a member of Feuer would do to those that retaliate against us,” she threatens Ludio, but he doesn’t shiver in fear or back down.

  “No,” Ludio retorts, “Alder has already apologized and would do it again but more dignified than what you're proposing. And leave Nemo out of this he ain’t got anything to do with us!”

  “He is the one that changed the direction of the conversation into defaming me with lies! He does not get any pardon from me.” She tries to keep Nemo, who did add into our talk, but in my view, he is just a bystander that just got involved out of curiosity.

  Nemo then tries to resolve this argument that would turn into a fight, “Please calm down Miss Feuer, I’m sure that we can find something else than doing what you want us to do. We’re in a classroom full of people that may not get involved in this potential disaster...”

  “Nemo, get a hold of yourself, you did say that she does not take kindly to compromises,” Ludio reminded him of what he said.

  He is right as I turn to Seraphina who was really not in the mood of talking but more of going full first-degree murdering us.

  Looking at the situation now is pretty much us three against a lion. Take into consideration the fact that two of them are Non-adepts and one untrained Mana-adept dealing with a fiery archer girl that would do more than riddle our bodies with flaming arrows. I could feel the menacing aura of mana exerting through her body as if I was being devoured by a beast.

  “So that’s how you're gonna play...” Seraphina crackles her knuckles, “ALRIGHT LET’S PLAY YOU SCUMBAGS — ”

  A flash of bright inferno conjures out of her hand and suddenly becomes a bow of ember. She pulls the string and readily aims at me in point-blank range.

  “HALT!”

  Before Seraphina was going to charge in and go full incendiary on us, the girl with serene hair with the color of a clear moon made the hothead hesitant from continuing. Out of her seat, she walks right towards her looking between the eyes as though showing a bit of animosity towards a noble.

  “I do not think that a noblewoman such as yourself would be very... petty for things that you demand from these ‘scumbags’. Although I would not recommend starting any fights on our first day of class.”

  While still holding the string with a bit of hesitation, Seraphina is in frustrated confusion as someone else has gotten involved in our problem. “I’m sorry, but who are you?”

  “Claire Lunis,” She answered, “...I want you to stop what you were going to do.”

  “Stop? Do you want to stop me from enacting justice on these three? Yeah, not gonna happen, they need to be punished for such accusations!”

  Respond in absolute determination as she stretches the string with a fire arrow that is still aiming at me…

  “That would be a problem.”

  “What is wrong on my part?”

  “Well… you first got the attention of everyone in this room. Demanded outrageous things that no one wants to see…” Feeling a bit flustered from Claire’s reasonable explanation, she then continues, “And then, pointing your weapon at them can lead to a lot of problems. From there, the school would be the ones to judge your actions.”

  Feeling relieved that not only did Seraphina realize the fault she has committed, but also mended the problem that caused this whole mess, and finally I could reason with her.

  “Tch…” Seraphina relaxes the bow and lowers it, but she still grumbles. “Then how am I supposed to deal with them?”

  “Hmm…” Claire ponders with her hand clutching her chin.

  Right now is the moment that I can tell them I would apologize to her but also not belittle myself for any dignity that I have left in me. I would bow to her as she is a noble and ask for forgiveness right in front of everyone, just like during the crosswalk. But just as I was about to say and do it…

  “How about having Alder be a servant to Sera and pay anything that she would want for about a week?” Ludio answers first with a smug grin.

  “What?!” I yelled in shock as that kind of idea is even worse than kowtowing to her. Why he even suggested it is beyond me! That traitor!

  “That… is not a bad idea,” Nemo complimented his ridiculous answer, another traitor…

  “...Well everyone, is that a better choice or if anyone else has a better idea now would be a good time to say it,”

  With Claire taking the lead, everyone other than the gray-haired guy whispers to each other. But it all ends with nods and thumbs up.

  “Heh, looks like everyone is agreeing, albeit a bit too abnormal of a compromise. You two…” Claire points to Ludio and Nemo. “...You’re off the hook for the meantime, I hope we don’t have to deal with something similar in the future. Especially you, Mister….”

  She directs her attention to Ludio and waits for his smirky response.

  “Ludio Oona at your service. And what ya’ talking about? Me being a nuisance? Hah, I’m just protecting my rights from that b-”

  Nemo while smiling elbows his sideline to stop any further dialogue from him. Ludio immediately understands what the reason is.

  He then again says “...From people that try to force others, that’s all…”

  “...Right…” Seraphina replies with a sense of doubt in her tone and then turns back to me with a smile on her face. “Looks like it's a clear-cut deal, you don’t have to call me master. I am not one of those kinds of nobles, just do as I say and carry the things I’m gonna buy, okay?”

  The look of that “innocent” smile makes this terrible day not get any better. From tripping on her, the near-death experience with the power terrorists and finally being forced to serve under this lioness for a week. Tell me this has to be the worst first day of school or if not that, then the most terrible set of events happening to a normal student such as myself.

  I was so distraught that I pretty much ignored everything that Ms. Stregnis, our homeroom teacher with a fair body and brown wavy hair, gave instructions of what the school is like and how the course system accommodates each of the power disciplines. Though that is what I was told. At that point, it just becomes chatter as I have to contemplate the ordeal of serving this “righteous” woman that a few minutes ago almost tried to turn me into a crisp.