08

Kai, still a little dazed, nodded slowly, trying to digest such a drastic change in Seraphina's attitude. He wanted to ask, but hesitated. This was a serious matter.

Kai and Seraphina walked down a narrow, dark secret passage. The atmosphere was tense, though Seraphina tried to break the ice with a faint smile. The sound of their footsteps echoed along the hallway. Kai was still thinking about Seraphina's sudden change in attitude. Doubts gnawed at his mind; asking questions felt risky.

"Don't be so uptight, Kai. Acies aren't as bad as you think. Yes, the training is hard, but you'll meet a lot of great people there, and you'll learn a lot of things that will help you," Seraphina said, her smile still thin, but feeling more genuine.

Kai just nodded slowly, his eyes scanning every corner of the hallway, his hand silently reaching for the hilt of the sword under his robe. Caution. He didn't fully trust Seraphina yet, even though she had helped him.

"Does... does anyone know about... about me?" asked Kai, his voice almost inaudible.

Seraphina paused. Her gaze was hard to interpret. Her expression turned serious. She let out a slow breath before answering. "For now, it's just the Commander, Miss Lilia, and me. So, you can rest easy as long as you use the potion Miss Lilia gave you."

Kai nodded, but his face was still tense. "I understand that very well, huh. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I agreed to this plan because of my revenge. I'm still not sure about that oracle or something." She bit her lower lip, showing her hesitation.

Before long, they arrived at the main gate of Acies Academy. The imposing building was made of solid stone, decorated with intricate carvings. The atmosphere was more lively and bustling than the hallway earlier. Hunter's passed by, practicing, or discussing.

Kai stepped into Acies Academy, Seraphina beside him. He was mesmerized by the crowd. Hunters were practicing with weapons, some were practicing magic, and some seemed to be experimenting with Alchemy.

"Not only Alchemy, but magic too? "Kai muttered as he walked, his eyes glancing left and right to observe his surroundings. His eyebrows were raised high, showing his surprise.

"You know about magic? Ah, I'm so stupid to ask this. I almost forgot you're a half-vampire, so there's no way-" Seraphina trailed off, covering her mouth with her hand, as if regretting her carelessness. She glanced at Kai with a worried expression.

"No..." Kai shook his head softly, his eyes widening in disbelief. His expression was a mix of shock, confusion, and slight disappointment. "...I don't know how to use magic. I know about magic from seeing Alfred's subordinates and when the vampires attacked the village first. There, I saw humans using magic... and if only I could use magic back then..." Kai clenched his hands into fists, his fingers turning white from the pressure. His head bowed slightly, as if burdened by regret.

"Kai, sorry to break your hopes, but humans do have mana. However, they use magic through artifacts, unlike vampires who can master magic without artifacts." Seraphina gave Kai a sharp look, then closed her eyes for a moment, "So whatever you did in the past was neither right, nor wrong."

"Yeah, you're right. There's no point in dwelling on the past. All I have to do now is... get revenge," Kai clenched his fist, his fingers turning white from the pressure. His gaze was sharp, showing strong determination.

"Oh yeah, Seraphina, can you use magic too?" Kai asked, his eyes still showing determination, but also curiosity.

"Ah yeah, of course," Seraphina smiled faintly, taking a deep breath. She pulled out a pistol-shaped artifact from her pocket, showing it to Kai. "I use this artifact. Looks like a gun, right?"

"Ah, that pistol," Kai nodded, recalling the artifact he had seen before.

"Exactly," Seraphina pointed the pistol, a dim light appearing at the barrel's end. "Basically, I channel mana as 'bullets' and turn it into magic through this pistol."

Kai examined the pistol closely, trying to understand how it worked. He nodded slowly, showing his understanding.

"Well, you'll figure it out yourself later," Seraphina put the pistol back in her pocket.

"Oh right, what's it like to be a student here? Do I need to take some kind of test?" Kai asked, his voice sounding a bit hesitant.

"Well, that's usually how it goes," Seraphina smiled slightly, looking at Kai with an expression that was hard to read. "But since you got in on the Commander's recommendation, you can enter without a test, and your registration papers were taken care of by the Commander before you met him."

Kai paused for a moment, looking at Seraphina with a sharp gaze.

"You two are late," she said, her tone flat. Lilia crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation.

Kai was momentarily shocked, his eyes widening, then he pointed at Lilia, "You were the one in that room earlier, right?" he asked seriously, "So if you're here, does that mean Seraphina will be in this class too?"

Lilia crossed her arms again. "Lilia. At least you remember my name. While you're in my class, keep that in mind." She shot a sharp look at Kai with her blue irises. "Right, since Seraphina is assigned to keep an eye on you, she'll be in this class too, and also." Lilia glanced at Seraphina, a slight smile forming on her lips. "Just think of it as a repeat of last semester."

"Repeating the semester? Oi, Seraphina, aren't you...?" Kai looked surprised, his eyes rounded.

"I'm not what you think I am, in fact, it's better to be. I was allowed not to participate in the semester because of special treatment." Seraphina smiled sarcastically. "And, this is also an alibi to keep an eye on you, Kai." He raised his eyebrows by one side, defiantly.

"I understand that supervision, but I don't want to stand out by being seen as close to a popular disciple like you." Kai pointed at Seraphina with his index finger, his eyes narrowed sharply. He came forward slightly, bringing himself closer to Seraphina.

"Oh Kai, turns out you know that...~" Seraphina chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling. She leaned in, as if wanting to whisper.

"It's pretty obvious, you know, throughout this journey. Everyone's been staring at you. Anyone would know you're the popular student." Kai approached Seraphina, looking at her with a sharp and meaningful gaze. He pointed at Seraphina with his index finger, showing a bit of annoyance.

"Alright, you two," Lilia sighed deeply, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. "Huh. Class is about to start, so..." Lilia looked Kai up and down, her eyebrow slightly raised, as if judging. "Oh, I forgot you don't have a uniform yet. For now, it's fine to wear that robe, but next time wear your uniform." Lilia turned her back to both of them and walked into the classroom.

"Hey, about the uniform, since you joined suddenly, yours might get sent tomorrow." He smiled, then glanced at the classroom door that was getting crowded. Just as he stepped into the class, he immediately caught the attention of a few students who started whispering, then looked at Kai for a moment, "Kai, don't you want to come in?"

"I'll go in through the other door. It would look suspicious to walk in with you." Kai turned and walked straight to the back door without another word. He seemed cold and indifferent towards Seraphina.

"Aha... Don't you want to be close to me that much?" She stepped closer to Kai, giving a mischievous smile while gently touching Kai's arm, as if trying to reassure him.

"Shut up! Hurry up and get inside, I'll catch up later!" Kai gave a quick nod to Seraphina, then walked calmly and confidently towards the back door. He didn't look back.

Kai entered the classroom, trying to slip in quietly. As expected, many eyes were on Seraphina—just as planned. However, Kai's goal of not standing out vanished instantly. Seraphina, deliberately, turned to him, smiling while waving her hand. Her hand movement was graceful, but her smile was a bit teasing. Kai's eyes accidentally met hers.

Kai was fuming inside, his hands clenched tightly under his robe. "Did he even hear what I said?" he muttered, his face flushed with anger.

Suddenly, the whole class's gaze shifted towards Kai. He felt like he was under the spotlight, all eyes on him with curiosity and a hint of mockery.

"Who is he? Why is Miss Seraphina smiling at that guy?" someone whispered to their friend, looking at Kai with a curious expression.

"Hey, have you ever seen him at the entrance exam?" a different person furrowed their brow this time, trying to remember Kai's face.

"What the heck is that? Why is he wearing that ugly robe?" This student chuckled a bit, showing disgust towards the robe Kai was wearing. He pointed at Kai with his index finger, drawing the attention of other students.

All those whispers were heard by Kai, he ignored their words while glancing outside through the window. Suddenly, there was a sound of a chair being pulled next to Kai. He jumped in surprise and quickly turned around. A blue-haired woman, with eyes matching her hair color, smiled gently at him.

"Can I sit here?" the woman asked softly, her eyes shining kindly.

A guy looked from top to bottom, sizing up the woman with a sharp gaze. "It's up to you," he replied shortly, his voice flat and expressionless.

"By the way, what's your name? Oh right, my name is Cl—..." Before the girl could fully introduce herself, Lilia entered the classroom. She walked in quickly and confidently, carrying a thick stack of books in both hands. The books shifted a bit, almost falling, but Lilia managed to hold them tightly.

"Alright everyone, please be quiet, class is about to start." Lilia tapped the desk with the thick book she was holding, her voice loud and authoritative.

(To be continued)