Whispers and Glowing Names
The unfamiliar, imposing space weighed on everyone, leaving the students huddled in the chilly air of the small auditorium, whispering and stealing glances at each other.
"Where's this place?"
"No idea. Never heard of anything like it."
"Isn't this the banquet hall? Dad definitely said we were heading to the banquet hall first."
Amid the scattered opinions from the kids who seemed to know a bit more, I glanced at Benedict before leaning toward Rupert and murmuring,
"They doing dorm assignments here?"
Rupert swallowed dryly, looking a tad tense, and gave a short nod.
"Probably... yeah? But it's weird. I heard it was supposed to be all students together."
Benedict, standing on the platform, lightly but heavily tapped the floor with the black wand in his hand, infusing it with thick mana. Tak. The vibration rippled across the rough stone floor, climbing up through the kids' ankles and spreading through the entire hall. In that instant, the blue flames floating near the ceiling flickered and glowed brighter, and silence fell over the auditorium like a bucket of cold water.
"Quiet."
Benedict murmured lowly. He wasn't shouting, but his voice rode the waves to the high ceiling, echoing so clearly it made our ears ring. His cool gaze through the monocle pierced the faces of the whispering kids one by one.
Appare
With that dry incantation, Benedict lightly raised his hand, and countless specks of light rose above the semicircular stone steps of the auditorium. It was like thousands of fireflies waking at once.
"Whoa...!"
Short gasps of awe burst from the still-sensitive kids. The fireflies scattered in different trajectories before settling over the empty seats, forming intricate letters.
"New students, find the seat with your name floating above it and take your place."
At Benedict's cold command, the kids hurried to move. The names hovering in the air glowed faintly like ghostly script, waiting for their owners. I craned my neck and spotted a blue ribbon of light with my name not far off.
"Mine's over there... You two, uh, looks like yours are right next to it?"
"Huh? Yeah. Me and Jayden are side by side."
Sure enough, Jayden and Rupert's names floated right nearby.
"Alright, I'm heading first."
We each found our spots and squeezed into the cold stone seats. As the students sat, the nameplates dissolved like grains of sand and vanished. The lighting gradually brightened. Magic stones embedded along the high arched ceiling and walls began emitting a soft golden glow all at once. A gentle amber light, like old lanterns being lit, bathed the dozens of flushed faces, illuminating them sharply.
Benedict, at the center of the platform, snapped his pocket watch shut with a click and looked up.
"Remain silent and wait until the headmaster enters."
As Benedict retreated into the shadows, the auditorium plunged into a heavy silence.
Uh, over there...
............
"U-um... over there..."
Hm? What's that? Mosquito buzzing somewhere.
"U-um... over there... "
I tilted my head, and then a faint tug at my sleeve. I glanced sideways to see a brown-haired girl with a subtle red sheen, gripping the end of my sleeve ever so delicately with just her fingertips.
Our eyes met, and her clear, pretty green eyes—filled with timid blankness—filled my view.
"H-hi?"
She greeted first in a tiny voice, hunching her shoulders like she feared my reaction. She looked familiar; racking my brain, I remembered—she was the shy girl from the ship yesterday.
"Oh, hey. Hi. Uh, you're... that girl from yesterday... Lily?"
Calling her name brought instant relief. The tension in her face melted away, her stiff shoulders drooped, and her fingers loosened on my sleeve.
"...Yeah. Lily Casting. You remembered."
Lily let out a short sigh. A faint smile of relief curved her small lips, happy I'd recalled her name. We'd exchanged names on the ship yesterday, but she'd clearly been anxious I might've forgotten.
"Phew... I was so nervous... Jane's seat is far away, and you're the only familiar face. Oh, Jane—you remember, the girl with us yesterday?"
At her question, I pictured the sharp girl who'd boldly started the introductions. Unlike Lily's hesitant trailing behind, Jane had taken charge confidently.
"Yeah, I remember. Where's she sitting?"
"Over there."
Lily pointed carefully with her slender finger. Following it, I saw Jane's back—way over on the opposite side, barely visible. No wonder Lily had hesitated but mustered the courage to tug my sleeve.
"...Damn, that's far."
To this shy kid, it must've felt like being stranded alone on a deserted island. Spotting a familiar face next to her had probably given her the guts to speak up.
"Hm..."
I glanced between her slender fingertips and her green eyes still watching me warily.
I should look out for her.
She was like a skittish little bird that usually kept its distance but fled into your arms at the sight of a cat. I pulled a round, gold-foiled item from my pocket.
"Want one?"
Ferrero Rocher, the Italian chocolate I'd grabbed in Canada. Palm oil made it questionable as "real" chocolate, but it was dirt cheap—less than a quarter of Korean prices. I'd stocked up at the mart for bored moments. I wasn't big on sweets, but the crisp texture was decent. Back home, I'd only eat them if gifted; here, they were like grabbing candy.
"Crunchy ch-chocolate. I like these."
"Oh, cool."
I handed her one, unwrapped another for myself, and popped it in. The wafer crunched, releasing rich hazelnut cream. Familiar taste hits different.
As I melted the chocolate thoughtlessly, Lily, who'd been watching quietly, hesitantly peeled back the foil.
Crumple, crumple.
The foil rustled, revealing the treat. She brought it to her mouth like a precious dessert, cupping her chin with her other hand to catch any crumbs, and took a careful bite.
Nom—
A soft crack as her cautious jaw moved. Her wide eyes curved into happy slits.
Munch munch, munch munch.
Like a little squirrel. The faint tremor I'd noticed earlier faded away. Sweetness brought a pleasant quiet.
Then Benedict on the platform drew attention.
Snap—
"The headmaster is entering. Show proper respect."
Clothes rustled noisily everywhere. Lily hastily straightened up from the cold stone, and I followed suit, standing.
Step—step—
With calm footsteps, a kindly-faced old man emerged from the shadows. His blue eyes sparkled through half-moon glasses, warmly scanning each student. The faint smile on his lips instantly turned the hall's chill tension into cozy warmth.
He stopped at the podium, lightly stroking his long beard, and opened his mouth with a soft smile.
"Please sit. The hard stone floor isn't the friendliest welcome, but better than standing."
His gentle voice rode the semicircular ceiling down, settling warmly on the students' shoulders. The kids hesitated before sitting, their rustling clothes rippling like a calm wave around the hall.
"Heh heh—welcome. I am Albrecht Yustil, headmaster of Eldmier Academy. You'll hear this name ad nauseam over your eight years here, so best commit it to memory now, even if it's a bother."
Stripped of the headmaster title's authority, Albrecht seemed just a kindly neighborhood grandpa with no special aura. But that's precisely why... I was certain he was no ordinary man.
Impressive. I couldn't gauge exactly, but compared to that wizard Wilhelm from before, he didn't seem inferior. Or rather, maybe Wilhelm was the impressive one.