Kyle's Greeting, As in the Original
As in the original story, Kyle approached Maness with a greeting. The bizarre sight drew the eyes of all the students. It was the official first face-to-face between Class 1's top student and the notorious delinquent.
Maness stared into Kyle's eyes as he extended his hand. His light brown hair, reaching down to his eyebrows, swayed in the gentle breeze, and the kind smile visible beneath it was more than enough to win anyone over instantly. Maness pondered the boy who had a knack for putting onlookers at ease.
What to do? Normally, he should spit out something like "get lost." He figured doing the exact same thing wouldn't hurt. He was already branded a delinquent anyway. But there was no need to antagonize him outright, either. Maness pulled his hand from his pocket. The students swallowed dryly as they watched it trace a slow path through the air. He might slap away Kyle's outstretched hand. Or maybe flip him off with his fingers for humiliation.
The students knew how good-hearted Kyle was. Even when they badmouthed Maness behind his back or tried to stir up trouble, he'd just smile and say things like, "He must have his reasons," defending the delinquent. But if he rejected the one person who ever took his side, right in front of everyone? From then on, they could treat that monstrous guy like he didn't exist.
But, "Nice to meet you."
Maness defied the students' expectations. Relief spread across Kyle's face as he shook the offered hand.
"See? He's not a bad guy."
"You were hoping I'd curse him out good, huh?"
"No way. I just want to get along with everyone."
The students could only stare blankly at the sight of the two bathed in sunlight like a halo of harmony. One who had seen Maness's superior looks as a devil's gift even glimpsed something different in him for a moment. But the subtle admiration was fleeting.
"We're gonna be together from now on, so why not ease up on the tense vibe?"
"No."
Maness withdrew his hand from the grip and slipped it back into his pocket. A line. Keeping just the right distance was key.
"I like being alone."
"Still..."
"Kyle de Pantia."
Stating his own family was vanity. Having someone else state it was drawing a line.
"Don't make me say it again. I like being alone."
A firm answer. Kyle retracted his hand, now adrift in the air.
Kyle, his embarrassment plain as day, soon flashed an awkward smile.
"If that's how you feel, nothing I can do about it."
Maness turned his gaze to the window. That settled it. They were never destined to walk the same path anyway. In the future ahead, there was no room for a Maness Pictri.
"K-Kyle!"
The owner of the frantic voice came running, calling for Kyle. It was the guy who'd exchanged memorable first impressions with Maness yesterday. Morras quickly hid behind Kyle's back.
"I told you not to get mixed up with that guy!"
"He's still a classmate we'll be with all year."
"He's not your average psycho, okay? Best to just ignore him."
"Morras, even if you felt killing intent from him and fell on your ass, people can..."
"I've told you a million times, that's not it!"
Now it looked like Morras was dragging Kyle away. Maness let out a hollow chuckle at the sight of him trying to check the trading company heir this way.
"You sure have it rough."
The only one to hear that mutter? Conien's golden eyes flickered as he suddenly opened them.
*
"What are your impressions?"
In the staff lounge on the first floor of Letos Hall. Hiteri had left the classroom earlier than his allotted time, so only two men occupied the room. He sank into the sofa specially made by the imperial artisans to let faculty recover from fatigue as much as possible, then washed down his lemon tea.
"I thought he'd be a straight-up delinquent, but he showed unexpected composure."
"Is that so?"
"Not many freshmen can meet my eyes and speak clearly."
Across from the viper sat a man with squinting eyes and a knowing smile.
"That's not all, is it?"
"Traces remain. He's reached the Mana Well."
"Without formal training?"
"Who knows. Learning magic outside the Magic Tower or magic academies is illegal, but it's rampant anyway."
The squinting man gazed out the window. He had no hobby of idly staring at the scenery outside, but the lounge was different. Listening to the students' lively chatter filtering through the window paired perfectly with his tea's refreshing bite.
"Maybe he found the well on his own?"
"Tch, that's why we call them damn geniuses. You think he is?"
"Low chance, but not zero."
Clink. Hiteri set his cup down on the saucer. His expression hardened as he stared at the man who'd reached 6th rank at the youngest age in history.
Soon, exhaustion tugged at Hiteri's lips in a subtle upturn.
"Slippery fox."
The casual jab earned a trademark sly grin from the man before he rose.
"I'd love to chat more with you, Professor, but time's up."
"Yeah, get lost."
"Such a foul mouth."
The man gave a brief nod and headed for the door. Just as he reached for the knob,
"Don't get too hung up on the past, Metaph."
Metaph froze for a split second.
"You know it's unavoidable."
His voice dropped low, unlike the playful tone up to now—a sigh? Regret? Hiteri savored the words left behind with his cooling lemon tea.
*
Class 1, once hushed in silence, regained its energy. They'd been tiptoeing around one delinquent until now, but thanks to Kyle, the stifling mood had eased a bit.
"Shall we begin class now?"
The chatter died down one by one. His voice carried mana, piercing straight to their brains without passing through their eardrums.
"Finally giving me some attention, are we?"
The voice's owner was already at the lectern. Squinted eyes that made you question if they were open, neatly combed purple hair. The mysterious man seemed to have entered the classroom some time ago, judging by his words. Yet not a single student had noticed him until now.
"Jumping straight in would be no fun, so one question: Why didn't any of you notice me enter?"
Silence. The students couldn't bring themselves to speak, ashamed they hadn't even stood properly despite the professor being there.
"One more thing: I aim for a leisurely life, but I can be impatient at times."
Half-threat, half-joke—one student shot up her hand.
"Because we failed to uphold the virtues expected of model students and were too busy chattering with classmates."
Maness eyed the bold student. Fiery red hair cascading to her waist, exuding a vibrant energy, burning eyes that screamed her personality. Fitting for Iris Jerman, who would one day become a great mage.
"Your name?"
"Iris."
"The lady of Jerman Duchy. Good job not name-dropping your family despite the impressive background."
Class 1 had learned their lesson after getting reamed by Hiteri. Iris bowed deeply in thanks at the professor's praise.
"Fine answer, but not the right one. I didn't ask to scold you."
The professor, hands behind his back, twitched the staff in his right hand. That's when the students realized why he'd asked. They'd kept eyes on him the whole time. But it was as if thick fog shrouded just where he stood, diluting his presence.
"Wide-area perception manipulation. A must-master spell for any illusion magician aiming for 6th rank."
Admiring murmurs rippled through the class. Maness felt excitement bubbling inside him too. Hiteri had shown chalk tricks earlier, but this professor demonstrated magic in action, impossible not to be hooked.
"That's what magic is. It lets you twist situations to your advantage, turn uncertainty into certainty. Beyond convenience, it's a power that can save lives—or end them."
The professor's smile deepened, hands still clasped behind him.
"If I'd harbored impure thoughts like some anti-magic cultist, you wouldn't have even realized you were dead."
The classroom froze like a sudden cold snap. These students, dreaming only of bright futures since enrollment, heard such grim words for the first time.
Clap! As if savoring the mood, the professor held the tension a moment before clapping to snap them out of it.
"Sorry for the grim talk on our fun first day. With so many of you aspiring mages, I just wanted you to recognize magic's dangers."
Like Hiteri before, he used his staff to manipulate the chalk. Soon, "Metaph" was scrawled huge across the blackboard.
"Registered as a 6th rank mage in the Magic Tower."
Cheers erupted, thawing the icy room at the professor's introduction.
*
"I said magic can be dangerous at times. Yes, Iris?"
"Yes!"
Iris thrust her hand high again at Metaph's call.
"Just answer."
She lowered her arm sheepishly at his reaction.
"Magic carries danger. This isn't something you learn only in the Magic Tower or academies—it's what you've been learning in daily life all along. What do I mean?"
"That magic can only be learned in the Magic Tower or magic academies."
Metaph smiled in satisfaction at her immediate reply.
"Excellent. You've been thinking that since I showed my spell."
He wrote her exact words on the board with floating chalk, of course.
"As the student said, learning magic outside the Tower or schools is taboo. Not from monopoly or discrimination, but pure danger. So, one might think: Why not just learn low-rank spells useful for real life?"
Unclasping his hands, Metaph stretched out his arm, palm wide. A small flame bloomed there in an instant.
"With basic ignition magic like this, you'd never freeze anywhere. No need for firewood either—unless your mana runs dry."
Laughter rippled through the students at his playful jab.
"But fire is fire. Even a tiny spark holds the potential to burn a mountain. In an extreme situation, this spell brings pain, not warmth."
Crackle. Metaph clenched his fist. The flickering flame vanished into his grip, and dry swallows echoed around the room. He showed the demo first, then made them imagine the worst. His teaching was brutally effective.
"No need to worry. That's why magic academies exist—to prevent that. While at Snowrobe, just focus on honing your skills."
To lighten the mood, Metaph dove into the main topic with a bright voice.
"Then, let's start 'Basics of Mana Manipulation.' We'll begin by finding your Mana Well?"
Maness unclenched his itching fists at the long-awaited words. Now the real fun began.