The Blinded Folded Society

It had been a week since she arrived at the academy, most of which was spent in the orientation program designed for new students. The rest of her time was with Sana and her fiancé, Michael Ranger. Michael, the Marquis Ranger's eldest son, was tall and well-muscled. Both Sana and Michael were clearly fond of each other. Leon also accompanied them, and together they visited every school and explored the city.

Currently, they were attending a romantic play. The female actress delivered a magnificent performance, vividly portraying both sadness and love, while her male counterpart, though not as impressive, still did well. The play concluded with the traditional "happily ever after." The four of them stood and clapped, then began to exit the theater. Sana and Michael led the way, holding hands, while Leon and I followed closely behind.

Sana paused at a plaza where people were dancing. She took Michael's hand and signaled for Leon and me to join them. Leon and I joined the couple on the dance floor. Sana and Michael interwined onto one another , holding each other's waists, while Leon and I maintained a respectful distance. Throughout the dance, Leon's eyes were fixed on me, and I could sense his rapid breathing. I understood the cause of his reaction but chose to act oblivious.

As the dance ended, they headed back to the academy when a person approached me—it was Kevin, my classmate.

"Hello, Lady Percillia. Fancy meeting you here," he said.

"Hmm, you're Kevin, right? My classmate from the Magical Formula class," I replied.

"Yes, Lady. It's an honor for such a gorgeous lady as yourself to remember me."

While Kevin spoke, a girl in her late teens approached him, wrapped her arms around him, and cast a look of hidden hostility my way. I was taken aback by Kevin's confidence and noticed the girl's hostility. Unsure of how to respond, I excused myself with Leon.

On our way back, Leon asked, "Who was that guy?"

"He's the one I mentioned earlier—the one announced as a 10th-circle magician," I explained.

"I see," Leon replied, his tone noticeably different from usual. I just laughed.

Back in my room, I couldn't sleep, so I started studying. The next day, during the Magical Formula class, I listened to Professor Ferdinand explain, "The beta here is constant; it's directly proportional to the amount of unicircular mana you release. However, with multicircular mana, it gets destroyed, so we have…"

Although I was already familiar with this material, most students diligently took notes. After class, I went to the library, which was sparsely populated. While idly browsing, I saw a girl rush out in a hurry, leaving her book behind.

Curious, I got up and examined the book she had left. It was related to the Magical Formula, and the problem she was struggling with was evident. One book caught my eye: titled Understanding Correlation Between Beta and Shapes. However, when I opened it, the title inside was Journeys of Change: Stories of Personal Growth and Social Justice. Intrigued, I decided to take the book, solve the problem she was having, and leave a note:

"I am taking one book as compensation for solving your problem. I will return it after finishing reading."

I took the book and left. Shortly after, Alice returned, looking relieved. She approached her table, saw the problem solved, and was surprised. Her expression changed when she noticed the missing book was the one on social equality. Fearing the potential fallout if her peers discovered she had been reading such a book, the noble will not leave her and they will make her academy life a living hell she began frantically searching for the person who took the book.

In my room, as I read the book, it became increasingly ridiculous to me. It discussed equality and a classless society but seemed out of touch with the reality of inherent differences among people. Just then, I heard a knock at the door. It was Violet.

"Lady Percillia, someone wants to see you."

I understood who it was and told Violet, "Just bring her in."

While Violet went to fetch her, I retrieved a ring from a corner of my room and slipped it onto my index finger. Alice entered with Violet.

"Violet, prepare tea and refreshments for our guest," I instructed. I then gestured for Alice to sit. Nervously, she complied.

"It seems you have something on your mind. If you have questions, just ask."

"Lady Percillia, could you return the book you took?" Alice asked.

"Of course, it's yours after all, but only after I finish reading it. In the meantime, why don't we formally introduce ourselves?"

Alice was caught off guard and introduced herself, "Hello, Lady Percillia. My name is Alice Sand." She gave a brief bow.

I was amused and introduced myself in return. Violet soon returned with tea and cookies, which she served to both Alice and me before leaving.

As we drank tea, I said, "You certainly have some nerve, Alice, bringing such a book to the academy."

Alice nearly choked on her tea and, panicking, said, "Of course not, Lady Percillia. The booked was framed by someone who have intentions to harm me."

"Oh, you are on a dumber side huh", than Alice gritted her teeth and dropped on her knees Seeing her desperate reaction, I added, "You don't need to go this far, Alice. If I wanted to expose you, I would have done so already. But that doesn't mean I won't use this information. It all depends on you."

"I will do anything, Lady Percillia."

"Just tell me about this book. How did you come by it?"

Alice hesitated but eventually relented under my stern gaze. "It's from a group that holds gatherings to discuss various topics. Anyone can join and voice their opinions."

"Hm. What are they called?"

"They're called the Blindfolded Society."