“It’s you!”
Ethan shouted as he pointed at the silver-haired young lady that was mounted on top of a creature, who was half eagle, half lion.
“Ah, Professor Ophelia, perfect timing,” Professor Njal said with a smile. “The candidate you chose is about to get sorted. You must be looking forward to it, right?”
Professor Ophelia’s body stiffened after hearing Professor Njal’s reply.
She had done her best to arrive at the academy as soon as she could, and the moment she arrived at the plaza, the blue-haired boy, who had accidentally picked up her niece’s train ticket was about to place his palm on the Appraisal Stone.
At that time, the only thought in her mind was to stop the boy at all cost, so she subconsciously shouted with all of her might. Now that she succeeded in stopping the Sorting Ceremony, the next thing that appeared in her head was the question…
What now?
“I’m sorry for barging in on this special occasion in such a manner,” Professor Ophelia said as soon as she regained her composure. “But, there is a very important matter that I need to address with that boy. Young man, come with me, please.”
Ethan sighed in his heart because someone had come to his rescue. However, before he could even take a step to head in Professor Ophelia’s direction, an old, yet firm hand, rested on his shoulders, preventing him from taking a single step.
“Professor Ophelia, that can wait until Ethan finishes the ceremony,” Professor Rinehart replied. “It is very rude to stop the school’s tradition just because you say so.”
“H-Headmaster, I am not stopping the tradition. I just want to have a talk with the boy… err.. Ethan.”
“You can talk to him after the ceremony ends. Or, is there something that you’re not telling us, Professor, hmm?”
The Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy eyed Professor Ophelia with a gaze that made the latter shiver. It was as if she was a small mouse that came face to face with a cat that was about to pounce on her if she uttered another word.
Because of this, Professor Ophelia was at a loss on what to do. 𝗈𝒱𝗅xt.𝗰𝓞𝐌
Seeing that her Aunt couldn’t do anything, Alice stepped forward to tell everyone that the boy was only an ordinary person, and accidentally rode the wrong train that brought him to Brynhildr Academy.
However, before she could even say anything, the tip of Professor Ophelia’s wand touched her back.
“Silentium,” Professor Ophelia said in a tone that was barely a whisper, preventing anyone from hearing her.
Immediately, Alice lost her voice and was unable to say what she was going to say no matter how much she tried to speak.
“Dear, it’s no use,” Professor Ophelia whispered in Alice’s ear as she motioned for her niece to stop. “We can’t do anything right now.”
Professor Ophelia lowered her head in resignation because the Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy was someone that she couldn’t cross no matter what.
Seeing that the Headmaster was adamant to let Ethan finish the ceremony, she could only accept the fact that she would be punished severely for letting an ordinary mortal enter the grounds of the Academy of Magic.
“Go ahead, Ethan,” Professor Rinehart said with a smile. “Don’t worry. All you need to do is place your hand on that Appraisal Stone and it will be over.”
“B-But Headmaster. I think it is best if I talk to Professor Ophelia. It seems that she really has something very important to tell me,” Ethan replied.
“You can talk to her later,” Professor Rinehart stated as he pointed at the Appraisal Stone behind Ethan. “Come now, the Ceremony has already been delayed enough. There are other first years waiting for their turn.”
Ethan gave a side-long glance to Professor Ophelia, but the latter had her head lowered, not making eye contact with him. Only the silver-haired beauty, who was now unable to talk, glared at him, making him subconsciously take a step back.
“Don’t worry, Ethan,” Professor Rinehart patted the boy’s shoulder. “You’re thinking too much. Everything is going to be fine.”
Before Ethan could even give a reply, the Headmaster of the Academy flicked his wand. A second later, Ethan’s hand moved by itself and placed it on top of the Appraisal Stone, making the blue-haired boy scream internally.
No blazing flames rose up in the air.
No magical creatures appeared to dance in front of everyone.
No magical lights of various colors spread in the surroundings.
All that everyone could see was nothing.
The Professors all frowned. Some of them even squinted their eyes in order to see if there was some kind of magical effect coming out of the Appraisal Stone that they were just unable to see.
A few seconds passed with still nothing happening.
Professor Ophelia sighed in her heart as she looked at the boy who wasn’t supposed to be in the academy, looking awkwardly at the stone in front of him.
At that moment, the black bracelet that had been given to Ethan by the middle-aged lady, who was selling snacks in the train, vibrated.
The vibration was very subtle that even Ethan wasn’t able to feel it due to how anxious he was feeling.
Suddenly, a faint spark appeared above the appraisal stone. The spark lasted for only four seconds before disappearing completely.
“A Dud?” Professor Njal blinked in confusion. “Professor Ophelia chose a Dud?”
The sound of murmurs spread in the surroundings as Professor Rinehart chuckled and patted Ethan’s shoulder.
“Looks like the Dud Manor is getting a new member today,” Professor Rinehart announced.
Over a dozen individuals started to clap their hands and cheer for Ethan. Clearly, they were very happy that they were going to have a new member who would share their suffering.
Yes.
They were the members of the Dud Manor.
The Manor that was designated for those who had very little to almost non-existent magic powers.
Professor Ophelia, who saw this, felt as if she had been spared from being executed by the guillotine.
A Dud might be the lowest member of the magic society, and was almost no different from ordinary humans. However, a Dud is still considered Half a Wizard or Witch, so the Professor who had resigned herself to her fate, felt elated.
‘Fortunately he is a Dud,’ Professor Ophelia looked at the blue-haired boy who now stood stiffly beside the other four Pillars. ‘Thank the Gods.’
Ethan, who stood at the same place as the other Pillars of the Academy, didn’t share Professor Ophelia’s happiness. In fact, he was feeling very awkward as he endured the gazes of the four people beside him, as they looked at him weirdly.
“Filthy Dud.” Langston snorted. “To think you would share the same honor as me. How infuriating.”
Truth be told, Langston wanted to spit at the blue-haired boy, but since he was a candidate chosen by a Professor, he didn’t dare to do so.
Although he was a member of a Ducal Family, inside Brynhildr Academy, he couldn’t offend any Professor, especially someone like Professor Ophelia, who had recently became an Honorary Magistratus.
“Now that the Pillars have finished being sorted, may I ask all the First Years to fall in line,” Professor Rinehart stated. “All of you need to be sorted, and after that, we will begin the Initiation Ceremony. I look forward to everyone’s performance.”
Ethan, who was still in a state of shock, and confusion, noticed someone in the long line of First Years, who was staring intently at him.
‘Eh?’ Ethan blinked as he looked at someone he knew very well. ‘What is she doing here?’
The young lady with light-brown hair noticed Ethan’s gaze at her and immediately raised her clenched fist, which made the blue-haired boy subconsciously take a step back.
He didn’t expect that in a Magic Academy that was several miles away from home, he would meet up with his cousin, who often bullied him, whenever she visited their farmhouse during her summer vacations.