Prologue
The scent of mint and dark wood surrounded me the moment I stepped onto the stage, it wasn’t all overpowering and it wasn’t unpleasant as I thought it was. He moved closer to whisper in my ear, his breath brushing along the nape of my neck, with each word my heartbeat rang louder in my ears, almost loud enough for another to hear. In that moment there was only one thought which filled my mind–
[F*** This SON OF B****! Just my luck having to see his face. Does he have nothing better to do? Why is he still alive and breathing..?]
♣
The enormous hall seemed almost empty with only a few professors, some guests and a few other students inside, receiving honors on behalf of their sororities and fraternities.
Hewas one of them, while I was being penalized for raiding the hunting range at an ungodly hour behind the school grounds without permission apparently–
“This is just to show there is absolutely no difference between the high born and low born, you know they can’t do that anymore... though you are just going to go rogue again the moment your mother leaves, right?”
Is what he whispered to me.
Honestly, I wasn’t even planning to show up until I heard my mother would be a guest today. She had been planning to reprimand me for neglecting my academics and this was the perfect chance to catch me off guard, she was even the one who suggested my punishment to the school. If only that old woman would stop being so meddlesome–
She glared at me as if she had heard loud and clear my ‘mannerless’ comments.
[Scary...]
“A new student will be joining us in the first years class, she is from the summer program and extremely promising–”
[A commoner...]
“... Why are you telling me this?”
I looked to my side to take a better look at his expression, as always it was his insufferable, fake grin.
“I thought you would be interested in who would replace you since you are bound to be kicked out with the amount of demerits you have”
He shrugged, as if it was the most obvious outcome one could think of. Then he stepped forward to receive his award.
“You think so?”
I said loud enough for him and for everyone near enough to hear.
“Then maybe I should free you sooner.”
He looked over his shoulder as if to understand what he had just heard, his expression was still the same as always but his confusion was clear as everyone else’s.
With a red and black flicker from the tip of his finger rose a smoke-like creature in the shape of a snake as soon as he touched the award meant for him and crawled up his arm to his neck, strangling him in an instant.
From the corner of my eye I could see my mother fuming with rage as I ran out the hall and professors gathered around Vernon to dispel the curse.
“He is no mage if he can’t handle that much...”
On my way out I passed a girl.
The girl in a white dress, she looked around my age and had pale skin like that of someone who hadn’t been in the sun for far too long. With short brown hair her placid expression looked rather dull for the extravagant dress.
[Isn’t the new girl supposed to be a commoner? What’s with the dress?]
I stopped running once I was far enough to not be bothered anymore.
Ah, they might need to call for a healer... of course, if I remember correctly I don’t think there was one around in the hall earlier.
“Rest in peace, Toothpaste smelling bastard.”
