-Chapter 18: The Academy {Frederick}-
The classes I decided to take were Offensive & Defensive Magic, Detoxification magic, Status Curing Magic, Swordsmanship, Close-Quarters Combat, World History, and the History of Magic.
I wanted to take Detoxification magic in case I get drunk and I need to sober up quickly. I also wanted to take the History of Magic out of pure interest of the history of what this world is made of. Offensive & Defensive for protection and a better understanding at the spells used, and World History to learn more about this world.
I immediately signed off my name, circled the classes I requested, and turned in the form. A few other first year students were also turning their forms in at the same time I was. We then made our way out of the auditorium, and out into the main grounds for the tour that would be happening in 30 minutes.
The tour will be supposedly led by an alumni, one of which was promoted to an Imperial Mage, who was granted permission to do this tour by the King of this country. That's pretty cool, if I may say so.
As more and more people came out, some still having their forms so they could decide through the night, some started talking to others, trying to make new friends, or meeting up with friends they already knew. I saw Alexis and Saito exiting the auditorium, so I walked up to them and said, "Hey, are you two already done with selecting your classes?"
Neither of them had their forms. Saito and Alexis looked down to me, since they are both quite a few inches taller than me.
Alexis then said, "Yeah, I figured I would take Close-Quarters Combat, World History, and Swordsmanship. What about you, Saito?" Saito responded, with a quiet voice, "I took Archery, Offensive & Defensive Magic, and the History of Magic."
I then said, "So, I'll be in your classes since I took World History, the History of Magic, Close-Quarters Combat, Offensive & Defensive Magic, and Swordsmanship. I hope we can get along."
Alexis enthusiastically replied, "Yeah! Me too!" Saito nodded his head. Saito, now that I can see him in proper lighting, he's quite the pretty boy. He's got hair down to his upper shoulders, coloured a flaming red. The typical fantasy fan will only think of them having golden, blonde, hair. But, in reality, it probably still depends on your genetic inheritance.
After all, that's science for ya.
As the minutes went by, Alexis, Saito, and I talked away. We became very good friends in just a short amount of time.
Then the time came for the tour. All of the first years made their way to the field, and we were told to line up. Saito was behind me, Alexis was in front of me. A man then walked to the front of all of the first years, and said, "Welcome to the Ryubia Academy! My name is Frederick Larine, the tour guide that was assigned for this year's campus tour. As many of you may have heard, I am an imperial mage, and it's all thanks to everything I had learned here at the academy. Now, shall we begin?"
Mister Frederick then got the 22 first year students, and he took us to the main building. In front of it we stood, and Mister Frederick turned to us, saying, "This building contains the main classes that are conducted in magical research and other arithmetical courses. This building also contains the history classes."
He then said, "We will now be splitting up from here, going in different groups, based on what classes you have decided on taking. Now, more magical based classes on the left, fighting based classes in the middle, and other classes on the right." People started to form those three groups, and he looked at me weirdly. He then said, "You there, fox child, you're with me." Huh?
A human male child whispered close enough for me to hear, and he said, "Wow, I knew beastmen were troublemakers, but I didn't know that it would happen this fast!"
Dickhead… I went up to Mister Frederick, and stood by his side. Mister Frederick then started mumbling, presumably an incantation, and the mana inside him, and around him, started to shift around himself. A few seconds later, three clones of himself stood in front of him. The students were amazed, and I did not expect it at all.
Each of the clones then went to one of the groups, and took them to the designated areas where each type of class was held. He then told me, who was still standing next to him, "Shall we move somewhere more private? There's something I need to ask you."
This totally isn't suspicious. Yeah, totally. We then moved into the main building, into the main offices, and into one of the offices that was vacant. Well, it was someone's office, but I say 'vacant' because there was no one inside.
He then shut the door behind us, and said, "You're like me, aren't you, Pearl?"
How does he know my name? What does he mean…
I then asked, "I know not of what you mean." He then smiled and said, "Reincarnation." Is he a reincarnator?!
I used [Appraisal] on him, and his stats were all glitching out. All that showed was his name, and his title… Only his stats were out of the ordinary. I then asked, "Elaborate." He sat down, and said, "Kei, death, being reborn. All of that shit."
He is a reincarnator, isn't he? I then said, "So, what if I do?" He then said, "How interesting… I noticed that when I used [Appraisal] on you, your status wouldn't show, your stats were glitching out, and your name was just 'Pearl' with the title {Magic Genius}."
Fuck.
I then said, "So, what are you gonna do? You know, about us both being reincarnators?" He smiled, then said, "Nothing much, I just wanted to confirm my suspicions, and have a talk with someone who also came from Earth." I then asked, "What do you want to talk about?"
He responded, "Just about things you've done here, and what was happening back on Earth when you first came here." Is that all?
I then said, "Before that, I wanted to ask you something. You said Kei… not Kai. Were you reincarnated by someone else?" Frederick then told me, "Your universe's [SR God] didn't tell you? Oh, well, okay. Since reincarnation happens so often, mainly with animals, and other-worldly things, there are millions of iterations of the God of Soul Reincarnation. But, it's like a collective consciousness. They all know about the other reincarnators, but they won't know exact details, except for the iteration that dealt with the reincarnators. My universe's God is Kei, your's is Kai, no?" I then said, "Oh, well, yeah. Thanks for the explanation! Now, back to what we were talking about before this."
I then said, "I'm still a bit suspicious of you, so why don't you start?" Frederick then said, "Fair enough, I am the one who engaged this conversation first, after all." Frederick then said, "My name is Frederick Harine, a 42 year old man that worked as an instructor for a college, which I will not state where or what I did. One day, I was killed by one of my students. That student was always late to class, and he never did much work. I don't hate him, but I wanted to kill him for a little while after my reincarnation."
He took a breath, and then continued, "I was certain I was dead, but then I woke up in a room, a white room, and Kei was waiting for me there. He welcomed me, let me talk to him, and he gave me this body, and sent me down here. I spent thirteen years learning magic, and I loved every moment of it."
He then told me a bit more. He said that he's been studying magic for 13 years… He doesn't look older than 20! I then told him that he looked too young, and he replied with, "I guess I was gifted with a body that doesn't crack with age? I've wondered about it."
He then went and asked for my story. I then told him, "I was your average, every day, 17 year old high school student. One day, after I went shopping after school, I suddenly died for unknown reasons. I woke up in the same place you did, and Kai told me all about this world. The thing is, when my soul was being transported to the right spot for my reincarnation, it felt a strong connection to this body, and it took it over after the original owner had died. She was just 10 years old, and her father killed her. I then met him and… I don't want to talk about it. Later, I developed a magic spell, and a magic eye to replace my injured one. Then I got to C rank in the adventurers guild, and here we are now." I kept out my gender being switched, and even my gender from before. I decided to entirely avoid it all together.
Frederick then asked, "So, you're the kid that got [REDACTED]?" I then told him, "Don't bring it up, please…" Frederick understood, and dared not ask further. He then said, "Sorry…"
A few minutes later, we finished the conversation, and he wanted to now take me on the tour. So, now, we are heading to the magic history, and world history, classes to check out the rooms, so I can map the locations in my head.