The talk quickly turned to the familiar summoning that would be happening that afternoon.
Going by the gossip that Wolfe could hear, every First-Year Witch wanted to draw an exceptional Summon, especially the ones for whom a good Familiar could make the difference between becoming lower Nobility and being relegated to the status of Commoner.
For them, their entire future rode on their ability to increase the rate their power was growing at. The difference a familiar made was contingent on two basic things. First was the species. Some could have more mana drawn through them than others, and some transferred mana that was easier to absorb for the witch. The second factor was compatibility, how well the Familiar suited the Witch, and that was impossible to tell until they were bonded, at least as far as Wolfe understood.
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For Cassie, she would have the Noxus Family backing her, so she would hold some sway no matter what title they officially gave her, as long as she finished out the first year without incident.
“So, Wolfe, what made you choose our table when you had your pick of the room?” Asia asked.
“I got here early yesterday with Cassie. She’s a friend from the city and Ella’s roommate. I see you’ve met her already. Ella and Cassie have both been very kind and helpful since I arrived, and it made a good first impression. Then, the Student Council President’s Assistant, Murk, recommended Ella as a friend. Two unrelated references is a pretty good start.” Wolfe replied, then leaned over to whisper in Asia’s ear.
“Plus, she’s pretty cute when she blushes.”
That made the dark-haired Witch burst into laughter. “I think we will get along very well, Wolfe Noxus. This weekend, the pool will open, and we will start swimming practice again. You should join us.
The school doesn’t do sports teams, but we still unofficially do. Keeping in shape is important, but most of the Witches hate to work out, so even gym class has been eliminated. They just made the facilities a free for all unless a group of Witches reserves them.”
He was going to ask more about the training facilities, to see how they compared to the Gyms he had been going to since he was a child, but the warning bell ended their conversation.
“Alright, let’s get a move on. The last unofficial sorting of the entrance exams is the Familiar Summoning, and we will do that in the practical skills classroom.” Ella informed him, then pushed Wolfe to stand up and grabbed Cassie by the hand.
The main classroom for First Year Class A Witches was at the far side of the academy, next to the stairs that led down to the potions rooms, which were safely placed in a bunker beneath the school.
“Everyone take your place next to one of the marked summoning circles and be careful not to smudge or damage them. Wolfe, I presume? I am glad you showed up, though you have the day off. Grab that paint pen in case some idiot can’t follow instructions.” The teacher announced as the first of the students entered.
That made some of the Witches chuckle. Then they realized that the new teacher’s assistant would be kneeling at their feet to fix the circle if they made a mistake, and the summer dresses of the Academy uniform ended mid-thigh on most of the Witches. Not a great combination for their modesty.
The teacher’s order got all the Witches shifted into straight lines, with Ella and Cassie near the back corner and an incredibly tiny Witch in a fuzzy pink hoodie at the front next to where Wolfe was waiting for additional instructions while he tried to memorize the inscription circle drawn on the board.
Some of the girls were giggling with each other and shuffling their feet, so Wolfe tapped the whiteboard, then held up his marker, making them all look at their feet and suddenly stop moving.
“Not only a strong fighter, but off to an excellent start with Student Compatibility. I will have to thank the Noxus Family for sending you here.” The teacher told Wolfe with a smile.
“Now, I personally drew the circles, so there should be no mistakes. If you see any scuffed or missing sections, let us know. The correct summoning circle is on the board.” The teacher instructed the mere ten students of Class A.
“Mine appears to have an incorrect rune,” Cassie informed the instructor, and Wolfe went to make the correction, holding a copy of the circle in his hand.
The paint must have been running out at the end. The rune was only half-formed the first time it was drawn, then the attempt to fix it introduced an error in the shape. Wolfe quickly wiped it away with the provided enchanted solvent rag and drew a new one, then double-checked the circle, finding no more errors.
A few more issues were found and fixed, including a gap in the inner circle on Ella’s inscription, and then the teacher wrote a chant on the board.
“I expect you all can manage this. Even without an Aura, summoning a familiar is possible if you can use magic. The result depends on both luck and innate talent, as you need the talent to create a strong enough spell to be successful and luck to get a truly useful and powerful Familiar.
The most common are mice and cats. Mice are mostly considered to be useless and poor quality Familiars, but they are still infinitely better than a failure, and should be nurtured with care. If you get an all-black cat as a Familiar, they can often speak human languages. Some other species gain abilities as well, and we will go over them if they are summoned.
The spell takes time and focus, keep repeating the chant and focusing on the most important aspect of your Familiar. The one thing you truly want in a companion. Continue until mist fills the circle and your Familiar appears. If anything happens, it is working. Just keep at it until it finishes.” The teacher instructed.
Wolfe returned to his spot at the front, out of the way of the Class and took his seat. If this was his job for the year, he wasn’t complaining. Compared to being a courier, this job was incredibly easy.
Chanting filled the room, some loud, others nearly silent. Most of the circles had mist in them already, and after a minute of waiting, the teacher went to check the ones that didn’t show any signs of change, making small alterations to the circles.
The clouds didn’t seem to change sizes either, except one in the front, which fluctuated wildly. The other just increased in density within the same area, making Wolfe think that they represented the size of the Familiar that was being summoned.
It was all going smoothly until the fluctuating spell cloud seemed to explode, and Wolfe was wrapped up in a gelatinous substance. The effect broke the concentration of a few nearby students, but the slime quickly retreated from Wolfe, then gave him what he took for an apology in the form of forming itself into a wave-like shape and collapsing, which looked like it was giving him a bow.
Other than those whose circles started late and the ones who had to start over, things were moving along smoothly, and the Class A witches were beginning to see the results of their Familiar Summoning.
The girl known as Mary, who managed to obtain a fluffy pink hoodie to wear to class, summoned a large, long-haired dog with snow-white fur. She was so happy and loud about her victory that the teacher was forced to use a spell to isolate her from the class so she didn’t disrupt the others’ hard work.
One after another, the Familiars appeared, mostly mundane small creatures, though Christa Abilene summoned the most hideous little green Goblin. Wolfe didn’t see what happened between them, but she was currently beating it with a rolled-up stack of paper.
Someone should likely remind her that it was a Familiar. She should be able to just order it around.
Wolfe began to feel a steady demand on his mana storage and a constant drain of energy through him to somewhere in the room as a pair of large, exceptionally dense clouds in the back, which seemed to be Cassie and Ella, began to fluctuate and go out of control.
That wasn’t necessarily a bad sign, Wolfe thought. The last time the Familiar Summoning spell did something weird, the summoner got a cute slime. The draw on his power was more than a little uncomfortable, though, and rapidly getting worse.
Not that he could just openly say anything about it. At least not in a room full of witches who had likely learned since birth that male magic users were evil and needed to be exterminated.
“Wolfe, carefully stand up and take a step this way.” The teacher ordered him, bringing Wolfe to his feet.
He didn’t see anything wrong, but the teacher looked rather intrigued in a way that spelled trouble for Wolfe. Then, the world around him seemed to twist, and he was standing in the back of the room between Cassie and Ella, who had been moved into the circles they were activating, replacing the dense black clouds of smoke inside the inscriptions.