Chapter 2 - The Academys Worst Student (2)

Chapter 2 - The Academy's Worst Student (2)

“Frey, what are those?”

Lucas looked at the pills strewn all over the bed and replied.

“Sleeping pills.”

“That wasn’t what I meant. What I want to know is-”

“Swallowing five would cause you to lose consciousness, while ten puts your life at risk. I’m aware of what you want to talk about, professor.”

“...”

Dio was astonished. The timid Frey he knew would never cut him off. Moreover, the timbre of his voice was much more powerful than he could remember.

“I’m sorry to have caused you to worry, but it’s not going to happen.”

His voice was firm, a quality not found in the original Frey. Dio was flustered, but soon made a guess.

‘Was it a great awakening?’

Perhaps he did swallow the pills and arrived on the brink of death, only to survive by the will of the heavens. He must have gone through a multitude of inner changes. If an outsider heard this, they would object in fervor. But however rare, some magicians have gained strength after passing through the veil of death. Moreover, raising the level of one’s magic a star higher also results in the strengthening of one’s mental power. The more he thought about it, the more he believed it to be true.

The reality was different, but Dio’s mind was set.

“I’ll need to retrieve the pills.”

“Yes sir.”

Lucas personally picked up the pills scattered on the bed and handed them to Dio. Taking them, he nodded.

“Frey, I won’t ask you how you got this many sleeping pills. However, keep in mind that I cannot allow such behavior twice.”

“I understand, sir.”

Dio intended to leave at those words, but he turned his head and added.

“It seems like something fortuitous occurred. Congratulations.”

Lucas nodded with an unsure expression.

“Thank you.”

“But make sure to skip the practical training session tomorrow afternoon.”Fôll0w current novÊls o/n n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(c/o/m)

“What do you mean?”

It was really an honest question for Lucas, but Dio’s expression became rigid as if he thought he was trying to feign innocence.

“You don’t think you’ll be able to defeat David just because you climbed a rank, do you? He’s well-known for being an excellent 3-star magician. You won’t be able to do it as you are now.”

“...?”

“This guy’s blood vessels were blocked so severely, it’s abnormal.”

It was almost unbelievable that he was a child of a renowned magician family. His blood vessels were tightly clogged, and his sensitivity was hopeless.

“... Though impurities this great cannot be natural.”

He couldn’t tell if someone had a hand in this. It was not improbable, as Frey had a missing memory from his childhood.

“Hmm...”

He decided to put away his thoughts for now. In any case, Lucas was successful in raising his power to the fifth star. Magecraft laid within the realm of the mind, not the body. Though it was obvious that the two could not be separated entirely. However, as long as he remembered himself as the Great Mage Lucas Traumen, it was only a matter of time before he regained his original position.

He was certain that time would be greatly reduced.

‘But right now, five stars is the limit.’

Frey’s body could collapse if he was too rash. How could he waste this body so vainly? Lucas shook his head and waved his hands.

A loud rumble echoed. At that moment, the ground was uprooted and dirt rose from the earth. Transient Spear! It was an advanced spell only 5-star magicians or higher could use with ease. Frey took some of the upturned soil and masked the impurities on his body. There was still an awful stench, but no one would find it odd since he resided near the garbage dump.

He then returned to the dormitory, as cleaning his body took precedence. It was still dawn and not many lived there in the first place, so he was able to wash alone.

When Lucas was done, he began changing into his student uniform. Seeing his face reflected in the dusty mirror, he murmured.

“Well, you’ve got a pretty good face.”

Lucas said it offhandedly, but in fact his appearance had changed a great deal overnight. As the impurities in his body were removed, his skin became dewy while his eyes glistened. Even his unkempt hair was now as silky as a noble’s. Frey was not ugly to begin with. Rather, he was strikingly handsome. However, the usual Frey had always cowered with his back curved, shoulders shrunken, and head bowed.

But now he was different. His waist and shoulders were straight, and his always trembling eyes were firm. Overall, the impression he gave had changed remarkably.

Frey’s appearance now shone as if a diamond in the rough had been thoroughly polished through persistent workmanship. So much that the students who knew him would not easily recognize him. In that sense, Lucas was indifferent.

As he finished changing, he realized that both his stomach and throat ached painfully, evidence that he needed sustenance. His thirst for mana was satiated, so now his body desperately craved a meal. He wanted to eat. Anything would do. He just wanted to chew, swallow, and drink.

‘The cafeteria is in the main building.’

He headed straight to the cafeteria. It was early in the morning, so there were only a few people present. In the past, he preferred quiet meals, but after 4,000 years of being stuck in a space with nothing, more silence than necessary felt uncomfortable. The current low hum was just right. The clatter of dining utensils, the whirring of the busy kitchen, and the low roar of the students’ chatter created a tranquil atmosphere.

Wheat bread and hot soup. Something so simple caused tears to well in Lucas’ eyes as he ate.

‘Delicious.’

It was his first meal in 4,000 years, so he probably would have had a similar reaction even if he chewed on roadside weeds. Lucas ate the soup with care as if it was the best one he ever had. The food at Westroad Academy’s cafeteria deeply moved him, living up to it’s stellar reputation.

With a sigh, he finished his meal. Lucas wanted to close his eyes and immerse himself in the lingering bliss of satiety, but he could not afford it.

He quickly regained his senses and headed to the classroom where his first class took place. The reason why he wanted to attend class was simple.

‘Frey’s knowledge is lacking.’

Since he liked to study, he was a bit more knowledgeable compared to his peers, but he was still like a frog in a well. Lucas needed to figure out how the current world operated. In this sense, his position as a student at the academy was perfect. He intended to use his current status to its fullest until he could grasp the situation and gather enough information.

Lucas decided to live as Frey for the time being.

‘This is it.’

He opened the classroom door and entered not as Lucas, but as Frey.