52 Has Anyone Told You That Your Handwriting Sucks?
Ever since Ethan had been enrolled in Brynhildr Magic Academy, he longed to be able to use Magic as well.
He didn’t want anything grand, or to become as powerful as the true Pillars of the First Years, who were hailed as geniuses. All he wanted was to be able to use magic, no matter how insignificant it was.
This was why the Chesmire Cat’s words managed to sway his heart, prompting him to ask how he would be able to make his dream come true.
“Then, what should I do in order to use Magic?” Ethan asked.
“Before we go to that part, let me ask you a question first,” Chessy replied. “What can you sacrifice in order for you to use Magic?”
“I don’t like to sacrifice anything.”
“Silly boy. Don’t you know that popular saying, Nothing ventured, nothing gained? Since I am giving you the opportunity to learn magic, you need to give me an equivalent exchange.”
The blue-haired boy felt stumped as he thought about the things that he could sacrifice for magic. After thinking long and hard, Ethan realized that there were very few precious things in his life that he possessed.
His Family’s love, Chloe’s company, and being a student of Brynhildr Academy. For Ethan, these were the three precious things he possessed that he wouldn’t give away even if it meant that he would lose the chance to learn magic.
“Chessy, don’t bully Ethan, okay?” Luna said softly. “You already know that Duds can be desperate when it comes to learning magic, and you still tease him in this manner. How about instead of sacrifice, you ask him for a favor instead?”
“A favor?” The Chesmire Cat pondered. “Well, now that you put it this way, a favor isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Very well. If you want to know how to use Magic, I will ask a favor from you.”
Ethan sighed in relief internally after the Chesmire Cat changed his mind. He then gave Luna a glance of gratitude, making the angelic beauty smile at him.
“What favor do you want from me?” Ethan asked.
“How about you give me your Firstborn?” the Chesmire Cat asked back.
“That’s not a favor, you’re asking for a sacrifice,” Luna commented from the side.
Chessy clicked its tongue because it thought that the Half-Elf would agree to its exchange. However, since Luna was there, it then decided to think of a favor that it could ask Ethan in exchange for the information that would allow him to use magic.
“Okay then how about this,” Chessy said after a few minutes had passed. “When there comes a time that my life is in danger, I will need you to save me. Of course, I won’t ask for anything unreasonable like risking your life in order to fight a dragon or anything.
“However, you must do everything in your power to save me, even if it fails. If you can promise me this, I will tell you how you will be able to use magic.”
Ethan pondered a bit before nodding his head. “Understood. If there is something that I can do to save your life, I will definitely do it.”
“Great! Now we have a deal.” Chessy smiled. “But, verbal promises are no good. You must write our agreement in a piece of magic paper, and create a Blood Oath. Then and only then will this deal come to pass.”
As if waiting for that moment, Luna procured a Magic Scroll from her storage bag and handed it to Ethan.
Chessy didn’t look surprised after seeing the Magic Scroll in Luna’s hand. In fact, it was expecting her to have it. This was one of the reasons why the Chesmire Cat agreed to the angelic beauty’s proposal to accept a favor, rather than demanding that Ethan sacrifice something.
In the past, the chubby black cat and Luna had a similar agreement, and their contract was made with a Blood Oath.
“What should I write on it?” Ethan asked as he spread the scroll on top of the table and dipped his writing quill in ink.
“Just keep it simple,” Luna commented. “Write something like. I, Ethan Gremory, do hereby swear to help save the Chesmire Cat, if its life comes to be in danger, to the best of my ability. In exchange, the Chesmire Cat will teach me how to be able to use Magic. Is that good, Chessy?”
The Chesmire Cat nodded “Well, it’s a bit rough on the edges, but it will work. I’m fine with this agreement.”
Ethan wrote what Luna had said word by word. He then gave it a second readthrough before handing it to the Chesmire Cat, so that it could read its contents.
“… Has anyone told you that your handwriting sucks?” Chessy asked before shaking its head. “You should practice more in your Calligraphy Classes.”
Ethan could feel his cheeks burning due to embarrassment because of the chubby black cat’s words.
Calligraphy was indeed not his strong point, and the same could be said for his drawing abilities. At most, Ethan could only do stick drawings, which was something that he wasn’t proud of.
Luna giggled after seeing that Ethan’s face had turned beet red. This was the first time she saw Ethan look this embarrassed and, for some reason, it tickled her heart knowing that the handsome teenager had shown her something that he rarely showed to others.
Chessy heaved a long, and deep sigh before raising its right paw. It then started to chant something.
After it finished its incantation, a small drop of blood appeared on its paw. It then pressed its paw firmly on the magic scroll, living its footprint. 𝞸𝔳𝗅xt.𝓒𝒪𝓂
The mark that the Chesmire Cat had left glowed briefly for a few seconds before turning crimson, leaving a red mark on the Magic Scroll’s surface.
“Your turn,” Chessy stated. “Just prick your thumb with a needle or something to draw blood then you leave your fingerprint behind.”
Ethan nodded and did as he was told.
A few seconds after he put his thumb print on the Magic Scroll, the latter rose in the air before shrinking, and forming into two drops of blood.
One of the drops of blood flew to Ethan’s chest, while the other flew to the Chesmire Cat’s chest.
For a brief second, Ethan felt as if cold water had been poured over his head, washing through his entire body.
It felt so refreshing, and magical at the same time, making him wonder if this was the effect of the Blood Oath.
“The Oath has been sealed,” Chessy announced. “Now, it’s time for me to tell you how you can awaken the magic power inside your body. Of course, there is a chance that this won’t work because you are a Dud. But, like I said earlier, we won’t know until we try.
“Ah, I forgot to mention this but you need someone’s approval first to make this awakening ceremony work. I didn’t do it on purpose, I simply forgot to tell you because of how horrible your penmanship is.”
The corner of Ethan’s lips twitched after hearing the Chesmire Cat’s lame excuse. Clearly, the chubby black cat did it on purpose, making Ethan feel as if he had been tricked!
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Author’s Note:
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