Five days passed quickly, and Cassian… well, let's just say he didn't seem eager to leave his room.
"Master, you can't go on like this," Adela scolded, already used to his mood swings. "You have to go out today, or I'll tell your sister to come drag you out herself."
Cassian looked at her from the bed, weighing her words. Then he gestured for her to come closer. Adela, wary, approached slowly. The moment she was within reach, Cassian grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto the bed, hugging her like a plush toy.
"One more day, Adela. Besides, the Headmistress seems to be covering for me, and I don't feel like dealing with annoying people," he muttered, clearly thinking about the recent issues.
Sometimes I feel like I should just show what I can do, so I don't have to deal with these minor incidents so often, Cassian thought. But almost immediately, the memory of that person darkened his expression, and his mood sank. I should leave things as they are. Otherwise, the people close to me will start relying too much on my power—and nothing good will come of that.
Adela, who knew her master well, quickly intervened to lift his spirits.
"But don't you want to go see Elizabeth? Or bother Princess Elara? And most importantly… you came to the capital and still haven't visited your stepsister, Rosalind. Don't you think we should see her, considering the trouble you caused her?" she said, referring to what he had done weeks ago to help Elena.
"She's probably buried under a mountain of paperwork right now," Cassian admitted, feeling a pang of guilt.
"I suppose I'll go see her tomorrow. Has anything happened these past few days worth mentioning, Adela?"
"Your fiancée seems to want to talk about something, and that sword-obsessed fanatic won't stop pestering about the same thing," she listed with disdain. "On the other hand, the Headmistress and Elena have been suspiciously quiet. The little princess of the Vitalis family has been gathering people to help her take the position her brother left behind. Oh, and I almost forgot—Julius Sterling finally decided to return to the Academy. He still seems unable to believe he lost to you in a duel, but I don't think he'll cause any more trouble. I assume he'll keep his word."
"Let's hope so…" I said, having finally decided to attend classes today.
"Master, wait, let me help you get dressed," Adela added, moving quickly.
…
The hallways were surprisingly empty for the time of day as I made my way to class, though that didn't stop several people from staring at me as if I were some kind of strange attraction.
When I finally reached the classroom, I looked around for those two familiar faces—but instead found the place deserted. Fortunately, someone passing by noticed my confusion and helped me out.
"The class for mages and warriors of level three and below is being held in the practice hall today, along with the other grades."
I thanked them and changed direction, though the news made me hesitate about attending. I'm not supposed to use magic, and I have no desire to be surrounded by so many people in one place.
And as if to save me—or perhaps doom me—Elena appeared beside me. I looked at her, puzzled, and asked coldly:
"What do you want? I thought we agreed we wouldn't have any contact."
"Even if I swore I wouldn't bother you, I'm still your teacher at this institution. It's normal for us to cross paths—and even talk," she replied calmly.
Suspicious, but not particularly bothered, I nodded and started heading toward the dining hall instead. Seeing this, Elena asked with a hint of confusion:
"Don't you have practical classes today? I've heard you've skipped several already. We won't say anything, but wouldn't it be better if you attended?"
Why does everyone seem to want me to do something specific today? I muttered to myself.
"I was just mentioning it—you don't have to go if you don't want to," Elena said, her indifference clearly forced.
And that's how I ended up here, with hundreds of eyes fixed on me as I arrived late—and, to make matters worse, accompanied by Elena—to a class involving almost every student in the institution.
I didn't let it bother me and quickly made my way toward my "safe people." Sera and Klaus seemed genuinely happy to see me.
"About time you showed up," Klaus teased.
A smile formed on my face before I could stop it.
"You know how lazy I can be," I replied.
"Too lazy! You've missed five full days of classes," Sera scolded, her cheeks turning red as she puffed them out slightly.
"So, what's all this about? I don't usually attend practical classes very often, but I'm pretty sure they don't normally involve so many different grades."
"Oh, today's a special day. The classification exams are coming up, and this year they want to give everyone a chance, so they're pairing students from different grades to work together," Klaus explained.
"Yeah… it's a shame. We won't be together," Sera added, suddenly looking a bit down.
At that moment, names began to be called from the front. Groups of up to six people were being formed, and each one seemed fairly balanced.
"Klaus Traff," a voice called out.
Our friend looked at us.
"Well, looks like it's my turn," he said, before heading forward to meet his assigned group.
That left me alone with Sera, who seemed very nervous. I knew she liked me, but I still wasn't sure if I should take that step with her. After all, it wasn't like with Elizabeth, Adela, or even Elara—they already knew what I was really like.
For Sera, I'm probably someone especially protective and brave—even if I don't have the strength to justify it… or to make up for my excessive laziness.
More names were called. Sera was assigned to the next group, but I immediately noticed her discomfort.
Damian Valois would be with her during the exams.
I took her hand, trying to reassure her. Even though she was a second-circle mage, Damian surpassed her by one level. If he tried anything during the test…
I suppose it's time to get rid of him, I thought, as a cold determination took hold of me.