55 Surprise, Surprise! (1/2)
To their surprise, it was not the two habitual faces that described what they will soon encounter. No, it was actually one of the magus that were present the first day they arrived, the definitely not old Sarah Meridil. She was wearing the same outfit that could be described as provocative and since they were in front of the facility where everyone ate, countless men were staring at her. That didn't bother her, in fact, she was even happier the more men were stripping her from their gazes. The amount of attention she gained from the kids was not that high and only some of the oldest boys were affected by her charm.
But while she was visibly in her element doing that, she was still responsible of the children in front of her. After waiting for the last arrivals, she began to count to see if everyone was here. Noticing nothing unusual, she used the same trick that Oscar used and created a small stone platform under her feet. Like last time, the impressible public she had in front of her reacted in awe at her doing. For the Magus, it was nothing at all, but the kids were, for most, still having a hard time casting the basic spells of the 1st Circle.
”Alright, before doing anything else, good afternoon little kids.” She opened her arms and waited a bit. At first, everyone was a little perplexed by the situation, until Leilade realized that the magus was waiting for an answer. Profiting off the fact that she was close to Leodagan and his group, she murmured at his ears ”Good afternoon Magus Meridil.” The surprised boy couldn't help but blurted the same words loudly, prompting the rest to do the same.
”Thank you, thank you, but you know I am not that old, you can call me by my name next time.” She was obviously grinning to be in the center of the attention and it was no wonder that Alexander Arastil was in charge of punishing others. The kind of person Sarah Meridil was couldn't do that job and was more effective at managing such a giant academy, albeit she had some issues regarding her narcissist personality.
”Anyway, the last days, you have been able to discover the wonderful world of magic and maybe even started to cast some spells successfully. Some are more talented than others, but if you are hardworking and perseverant, you will still become a great magician. Because of that difference between two mages, it is normal to neither impede those that innately are faster to master their inner mana nor abandon the less fortunate ones. Because of this, from now on, you will be able to become the personal students of a mage residing here.”
This time, even Leodagan, Jorien, and Owen were shocked. The rest couldn't really understand, but they knew that the first year of equality was an institution in this academy. Everyone, from a very long time, had been under this single rule that promoted the fact that they were all citizens of the Massalia Kingdom. Then, to just disregard it entirely, something very important must have happened. The first thing that popped into the minds of the three children was the appearance of the princess Istuienn, that could change the balance of powers between nations. But that would happen only in a few decades, and to just gain one year was not worth the outrage.
”As for how they will choose you, don't worry, you won't have to pass more tests or put your hands on anything else. While you were with teacher Oscar, we were able to see your behaviors. I am very pleased to see so many enthusiasts and curious children reunited together. I am sure that most of you will be as happy to meet your new teachers very soon. Normally, this should have happened only after the second year, so you will meet a lot of older faces. But don't worry, your older brothers and sisters will be extremely nice with you.”
She winked at the still stunned kids. They were only told that a wonderful surprise was coming, not something that big. At the same time, all were hoping to be chosen or, for some pessimists, hoping to not be left out. At the same time, one peculiar boy was sweating a lot all of a sudden. He was not the sharpest tool in the shed and his comportment probably displeased a lot of magicians. Only his talent was the saving grace, but when he looked at the blond princess right next to him, he couldn't help but guess that they will be separated. His eyes crossed the path of Leodagan and he saw his smug face mocking him openly.
For the trio, that thing was just a simple formality. Either the grandfathers of Jorien and Owen or the father of Leodagan will explain to them what was happening. They knew that they were very busy, so they will probably be under the supervision of one of their disciples. It was a weird situation, but the number of people that could teach them was extremely few, due to their parents being such important magus.
”Now on, you can keep doing whatever you wanted to do in this beautiful day and either enjoy your last free afternoon or profit of this occasion to reinforce your knowledge. The way you will be contacted will be via your card, so you won't have to worry about being lost. As for where you will end up, it depends on your mentor. Some will be in one of the numerous rooms of this facility while others will be in their own laboratories. Some of them will be old, with long white beards and will try to pose as a venerable elder, filled with wisdom. Don't be fooled, they are as prone to make mistakes as a youngster like me. Now go, little kids, enjoy your last moments of freedom, MWHAHAHAHA.”
Right after that theatrical laugh that was only making her chest bounced more, the frivolous woman unleashed a terrifying spell that created a dense smoke around her. After coughing a lot and when the dense cloud dissipated, none of the kids was able to spot the trustworthy principal. All around them, numerous adults were just laughing at that sight or, for some grumbling elders, shaking their head in despair. It has been nearly a decade since Sarah took the seat of principal, and since then, she never changed from one iota of what she was previously.