Lunch

Teacher Fawkes walks in the hallway and headed towards the faculty room.

'I still did not find more promising students, most of them are too lax in their studies and became too reliant on their magic powers.'

The commoner and nobility students don't get along most of the time, but there are few exceptions to the rules.

The 'Class 1 - D' contains the large number of commoner students.

There was a reason he became a teacher of 'Class 1 - D'. He wanted to see if there's even a single student who will show talent despite their environment. It was meant to test their mentality and fortitude. In a tournament, everything can happen and it is their job to adjust to situations if everything doesn't favor them. But there was one thing that never change.

The chess rules.

He had seen many people getting defeated by being reliant on their magic powers. It was the worst mentality that a chess player would have, the moment you run out of magic and didn't have the foundations of being a chess player, you lose.

He sighs.

'The current student council members aren't enough to win this tournament.'

He remembers the disastrous loss against the Itecegia's School of Nobility on the annual tournament last year as got the last place. Not that he blames the student council, but they aren't good enough. They had given their all, but still the opponents they faced are strong. He already seen two promising 'Class 1 — A' students who just became a student council member but they are still greenhorns. He need someone that is so strong that there will be no shadow of doubts to win the tournament.

After the disastrous loss in the tournament, there are some members of the student council despaired and quit. They know that their current ability had peaked, and there was no room for improvement left so they create this tournament to test promising student who will take their position after they graduate.

'Those two students had the ability and are still growing, but we need someone who will polish them further. Someone who will lead the new student council.'

Teacher Fawkes had seen their ability and knows that if they were given enough time, they can show their prowess in the tournament and win the championship. But there's only five months left until the annual tournament begins. The kingdom already had a pledge that if the school got the last place again, they will cut their budget off and essentially from there the school is already finished.

'Let's not think about it for now, I must be strict from now on.'

***

"My back felt so stiff."

Dave complained. He was sitting for the last four hours and when they got outside the classroom; he stretches his back muscles for a bit. As he heard a creaking sound on his back, he felt his back lighter.

"Ah, much better."

John also felt it, but he exercised daily, which made his back resistant.

"John let's go."

"Sure."

John replied.

"The lessons were interesting. Teacher Fawkes really teaches the student well."

John complimented.

The way he delivered his discussion makes you more attentive as he includes a bit of fun, which eases the boring side of the discussion of the topic he discussed.

"Teacher Fawkes knows the history well, but he was also well versed in chess"

Dave commented.

As he liked the history subject, it impressed him in the detail he included.

Both of them walked outside and moved towards the main cafeteria.

The weather was hot and most of the students are already finished with their classes.

Dave rants about cute figurines he found in his 'quest' and John listens. It was interesting that Dave isn't ashamed in talking about his hobbies that would make girls back away from him thinking like he's a pervert. But also, John didn't find it uncomfortable in his company as he can relate himself with his hobby in the previous world and also Dave provide a bit of cover in order for the other students not to take notice of him.

It was a brief walk, and they had arrived in the main cafeteria of the school. All the students here are queuing up and eating on their table.

John found it amazing that the school really had the facilities that can cater to the student's needs.

They both walk and queued up the line.

The line cleared up much faster as they had many staff handling and catering to the students. Both of them show their ID's and the staff waited for their orders.

Both of them found an empty table and sat.

John noticed the difference between him and the other students.

"The food here is much better."

John saw the cuisines served on the student.

He can order excellent dishes even if he is a rank F student.

"Oh that, I forgot to tell you about it. This is the reason I want to eat at this place."

"I see, then why did we even got to eat there last night?"

"This is only for the lunchtime tho."

Dave replied.

"Oh…" John had a disappointed look.

He can tell that the premium cuisines here are delicious.

But the students cannot use their money or authority over the school to buy things. It really kept a tight regulation but also stimulated the ability of the student to compete.

'A clever approach.'

John praised with the ingenious idea behind it. '

The student council really knows how to abuse human emotions.'

John thought as he looks besides him.

He saw Dave was already drooling with the average cuisines. Dave quickly ordered his lunch.

He ordered a chicken leg, bread, rice, soup and juice. He hums happily as he ordered John to move fast.

John also ordered his food. 'I guess I will go for a pasta, tomato sauce, chicken, rice and juice.'

John finally decided and let the staff handle his order.

It confused the staff why would he wanted specifically wanted to order a plain pasta and a tomato sauce. The staff then complies and puts his order on the plate and move on.

John receive the plate and saw that it really look the same as spaghetti.

'I guess this is good enough. The texture isn't ideal but as long as it taste good.'

John then followed Dave, and they both sat on an empty table.

"John, what is that?"

Dave got confused why John's pasta got a tomato sauce on it.

"Oh, this?"

"Yeah, like why would you even put a tomato sauce on pasta?"

"Wait? Is this the first time you saw this?"

John had a look of disbelief.

He knows that Dave should be knowledgeable in many things and surely he knows that putting a tomato sauce on pasta is practically a spaghetti.

"Yeah. It looks horrible though."

Dave looked at the horrid mess as John stirred the pasta with the tomato sauce.

John shakes his head and just ate his spaghetti.

'You guys really don't know how to make a spaghetti. Now, let me the culture individual teach you the wonderful taste of spaghetti.'

"Here, try this."

Dave looks a bit disgusted at the gooey mess as John picked up Dave's fork and rolls a bit of spaghetti.

"But it looks 'gooey'?"

"Just try it."

John continued to eat his spaghetti.

'Honestly not bad. The sauce should be sweeter to be fully called a spaghetti.'

John complimented as he ate.

Dave looked at John as he ate the gooey mess of pasta.

'It doesn't hurt to try a bit.'

Dave put the fork in his mouth.

Dave had a wide looks in his eyes as he tasted that wonderful dish.

'What is this? It is so good!' He felt the sweet tomato sauce and the firm spaghetti exploding in his mouth.

"What is this, John! It is so good! Give me more!"

John felt a pity as he looks at Dave who was ready to pounce at him.

"Hai, here you go, you poor soul."

John motion his hand as he looks like a God giving mortals the miracle they need.

Dave looked at John as he heard his prayer.

'Oh my God, how did you create such a wonderful dish.'

John retracted his actions in shame.

'Ahhhhh, so shameful.'

John reddens and hurriedly diverted the situation.

"Dave, I have been meaning to ask you this question. How do you use magic?"

***

Dave heard John's question.

"Wait, you didn't have your magic core tested yet?"

"Yeah, I wanted to ask this question last night, but I was tired last night so I left this question for tomorrow."

"I see."

Dave replied.

"You already know the 'Magic Theory' right?"

"No."

John replied.

He had already searched everything in the mansion about magic, but he didn't find a single book about it.

Dave thought about where to start. He can see that John is new to the Magic as he didn't have a clue about it.

"Let's start from the basics"

"It was said that magic is a supernatural forces of nature where every living beings can harness the power upon calling it. But first let me give you an example."

{I call thee upon the magic of light, come forth and glow — Glow}

Dave chanted as his fingertips had a glowing look.

It amazed John.

'Holy sh*t! It's real!'

John had an excited look as he saw that Dave just produced a light in his fingertips.

"Each person had a magic core in their body wherein the mana will be stored. The usage of magic will depend how much can a body store mana on their magic core. I can only sustain this for at least an hour."

"Teach me, Dave"

Dave smiled.

He could see the excited looks plastered on John's face.

"I'm not finish discussing yet. We'll get to that point later after I discuss."

"Where was I? Oh yes, you can see that I had produced a light magic in my fingertips right?"

"Yes!"

"This leads to my next discussion, why can I use light magic?"

John had a puzzled look.

What is magic? How does one use magic? What is the relationship between them?

'Let me think for a bit, Dave can use a light magic. Light? Ah! So there is an element and their affinity.'

"Let me guess, you had a light affinity?"

"Correct!"

Dave nods.

"Each person had a different affinity to elements. As you can see, I am a light magic user and I can only use light affinity magic. There are six basic elements in nature which are the water, fire, earth, air, light, and darkness. But there are also unique elements are rare as they don't belong to the six basic elements."

"As the time past, we now classify the magic is now depending on their rarity. The water, fire, earth, and air are classified as the common elements as most people have an affinity to that element while we consider the light and darkness element to be a rarity."

Dave discussed as he was proud that he was a light element user.

"But what about those unique magic elements?"

"We know nothing much about their ability as their user doesn't get how to use their ability, they are disregarded and even if they do it is said they will die after a few usages of their magic."

Dave replied.

He had read books about magic countless times and he always found it interesting about the unique magic element.

He thought the unique magic element holds a biggest secret of how the magic operates.

"That's the basics of magic lessons. Let's go together later and have your magic element appraised so you can use magic."

"Sure!"

Dave nods.

He was happy that he got a friend who understand him.

'John, you are the first friend I truly have. Well, technically the first.'

Dave looked at John who was immersed in his imagination.

John imagination ran wild!

'I had never thought in my life I will get to use a magic'

True.

John right now is trembling from excitement.

'Like who the f*ck wouldn't be? It's f*cking magic, you know!'

John fell in love the moment he saw magic on the TV. He wondered how the heck they did that?

'I want to have one too.'

John had researched many things about magic, but none came close to the real actual magic. All the shows he saw on the TV was a f*cking hoax.

'That's not magic f*cking dumb piece of sh*t scammers!'

John got angry for tricking him. He thought he can do it too, and he even bought a magic hat, clothes, and a magic stick to do what they have done but nothing came out. He even once tried on the school backyard to practice his magic, but he got laughed at for believing those crooks.

John had a fuming face as he got home. He felt cheated, humiliated, and his belief that magic exist gone like the wind. He felt so terrible that day in his room and after the event he got matured and became more realistic on the things he perceived.

And since that day he swore that he will make those crooks pay for making his belief in magic exist gone.

He got bored watching those crooks doing those things on TV, but nothing is more hateful than watching the audience awe in their scams which made his blood boil.

'You plebeians, can't you see the trick behind it?'

He complained in his mind as he watched those crooks making fun of those stupid masses.

'I can even do that with my eyes closed'

He grits his teeth and turns off the TV.

He was getting annoyed with those blatant scammers and just browsed on his computer to look for fun. And that's when he got his NEET lifestyle, when he saw anime, manga, and novels.

'F*CK YEAH! OHHHH! AHHHH! I am so happy that magic exists in this world'

John wanted to cry.

He can't wait to have his magic element affinity tested and awe the sh*t out of the plebeians.

'HUHUHUHU! Worship me heathens.'

Dave watched him as he was in a delightful mood.

'It can't be bad leaving you with your own imagination'

Dave misses a certain someone in his mind.

"Yeah, I hope she doesn't find me."

***

In a certain room on a summery day.

A female figure was lying on the couch as her stomach growls.

"I'm hungry now."

"Hey, Elaine wanna go eat with me?"

Besides her, a female figure was reading a book.

"No, I already ate."

"What?! Why didn't you tell me?"

"You got absorbed in your work so I didn't bother."

The female figure besides her replied indifferently.

"This damn work! I will take my lunch now. Bye-bye."

"Take care."

The female figure who read the book with deep concentration spoke as she continued her reading.

'Let me see a checkmate in 8 moves. No, I need to search for more.'

The female figure thought as she saw, and search for variations that can reduce its checkmates moves.

She paused for a moment to think what she will do later.

'History later huh, I don't like to go attend that boring class and I already know all there is to know about it.'

She ponders for a bit and finally continued reading.

***

The female figure was walking outside the building as she saw the main cafeteria.

"Yeah, let's just eat here. I'm so hungry now."

She sighs as she hurried to the counter. As she arrives the students on the counter saw on her shoulder the 'Council' mark on her student uniform and they immediately gave way to her.

'Hehehe, so this is the privilege of being a student council member. Neat!'

After she arrived at the counter then ordered the premium cuisines on the menu and look for a table to seat.

'Now where should I seat? Hmmm, is that Dave?'

She walks closer towards his direction and saw that it was really Dave.

'He's having fun talking with his classmate.'

As she got nearer, she heard that Dave spoke about her in which she grins wickedly.

"Heh."

***

"Yeah, I hope she doesn't find me."

Dave smiles as he thought he was free.

"What did you say Dave~?"

"Uggah!"

Dave got a deep fright as he felt his spines shiver.

He looks like someone who his tail step upon.

'Don't tell me?!'

Dave felt his body gotten colder as he was afraid to look behind him.

"Dave~?"

'Oh sh*t! I'm screwed!'

Dave wanted to cry.

This is the worst!

Dave wanted to run away from here fast.

"John, I need go on the bathroom. Be back quick."

John who was eating peacefully saw Dave was having a cold sweat running on his forehead and told him he wanted to go to the bathroom.

He looked at the figure who suddenly butts in and sat besides Dave's seat.

"Dave~, I will seeeeeeee you later if you leave right now."

"Yes, ma'am."

Dave obediently sat back on the seat beside her.

"Hiya there, nice to meet ya, I'm Kai Machennes."