First Year's Peers

Ash widened her eyes in shock at the new quests. Meanwhile, Tarnisha Smithdottir—the beastman with dark curly hair, brown eyes, and two swirly circular horns—explained in a soft voice.

"Every year, there's an Elemental Tournament held between all classes for a chance to have dinner with any of the eight Elemental Emperors or Empresses, the strongest user of each element." Tarnisha explained, as she shook hands with Ashrosaliera, "And for three consecutive years, the winner has been [The Poet], he is expected to reign victorious this year too… His elemental attributes are [Ice] and [Earth]. At least that's what I heard from the older students."

Ashrosaliera was pulled back to reality and focused on the story, but then she started giggling with her hand on her mouth, all sly.

"Why is he even named The Poet? Like, does he recite poems when he's fighting or something? He started describing Ice when he uses his skills?"

Ash said that mockingly and jokingly, so she looked at Tarnisha and Cinderella, waiting for them to laugh with her.

But they didn't.

Ash's laughter died completely as she mowed.

"You gotta be kidding me. He actually does that?"

Tarnisha shrugged with a cute smile.

"That's what I heard."

Ashrosaliera nodded and gave it a good thought.

'He has two attributes? That's rare, he's probably more used to the uncommon [Ice], but [Ice] is weak against [Fire]… I can easily defeat him! One Fireball in the face and anyone's free game!'

The little gremlin's vitality was refilled as she felt the newfound confidence and purpose in life. Extremely excited and ecstatic, Ash, out of nowhere, tiptoed to place her lips on both Cinderella and Tarnisha's cheeks, giving them kisses.

"Thank you, ladies! I'll go get my spot in A-Class now! You said you're in A-Class too, Tarnisha? Make sure there's a seat in the front row for me!"

The two roommates of hers immediately flinched in shock. Still, they witnessed as Ash's quick little feet dashed over to the window where the other beastman with a feline-like tail, Zofia, was sitting.

Ashrosaliera leaned in to smooch Zofia on the cheek from behind, as if they hadn't fought just a day ago or were good friends.

Zofia shrieked, her hair visibly stood on end, and her tail stretched high. She dropped her book on the ground and quickly turned around. But all she could make out was the figure of Ashrosaliera quickly darting out of the room and shutting the door.

"You… shameless! Stop annoying me! I'll kill you!"

With genuine, visible anger in those calm blue eyes, Zofia gritted her teeth while her face shone red. She then turned towards the two other roommates, who could only show confusion about this situation.

"You guys shouldn't get involved with those kind of people! Do you know what she said, or what she did to me?"

"Uh… Do tell us, because I'm concerned about her neurodivergent-like behaviours," Cinderella spoke, wiping her cheek from the kiss worryingly.

…

Ashrosaliera skipped like a carefree rabbit through the academy's staircases, exploring it for the first time. She felt it was quite underwhelming because apart from the ground floor, which was full of noises, laughter, and students walking about, the first to fourth floors were all dorm rooms.

She tried hanging around the fourth floor where the fourth-year students were and asking them about [The Poet]. Everyone knew who he was, but they didn't know where he was, considering he always disappeared after class. What a bummer! 

It got boring real fast for the energetic girl. Ash then headed up to the fifth floor, seeing that it was the cafeteria. She went in to grab something to eat. It turns out she and many others will get two portioned meals per day, as long as they swing by between 5AM and 10PM! Their visit was tracked by the elemental badge on their blazer. Sadly, though, it was only a weekday thing.

"burp~ alright, done! Now, time to find that… urgh~" Ashrosaliera stretched, raising both arms up, all relaxed after finishing a meal, "Find that poet guy."

Ashrosaliera was ready to search for trouble. She wanted to find the strongest student in the academy, challenge him to an honorary duel, and humiliate him in front of everyone! Then she'll be the first in history, an F-Class First Year, defeating a Fourth Year A-Class! And Tarnisha said something about a tournament where the champion could meet any of the Elemental Emperor/Empress?

'I'll go for that too!'

When Ash finished her food and returned the tray, she did some hopscotch on an imaginary playground out of the door.

"One, hut! Two hut! Three, hut! Hut hut hut!" Ashrosaliera innocently hopped.

But when she was about to hit the final checkpoint and self-deemed victory, Ash noticed someone was standing in her way, not moving an inch.

She looked up from the ground and saw a fellow female student, a blonde human with blue eyes. She had earrings, rings, and other shiny jewelry, signs of a noble or at least a wealthy young lady.

"Are you Ashrosaliera?" the stranger asked.

Without verbally answering, Ashrosaliera looked down at the girl's blazer to see a [Water] badge. Ash casually nodded and jumped forward one more step. She finally finished her game at the final checkpoint but bumped into the rich-looking girl in the way, causing them to be shoulder-to-shoulder.

"Hey, you! Lady Naveria is talking to you!"

Right behind her, someone spoke up in a mean tone. Ashrosaliera saw a rather fat and short guy with sweat running down his neck and a bit of loose skin on his face. Ash immediately thought about how his school uniform alone could be used as a blanket, and then she finally noticed his [Earth] badge.

"At ease, pig. I'll talk to her myself," the blonde girl spoke up. "Ashrosaliera, yesterday, did you say something along the lines of 'not some kind of stupid mere B-Rank sorcerer' by any chance?"

Ashrosaliera hadn't spoken a single word this whole exchange. She noticed the fact and wanted to keep it that way, just to see how long she could stay nonverbal, because she thought it'd be funny. So when this "Lady Naveria" asked her a question, she just nodded because she technically said something like that, yes.

The blonde girl smiled warmly and held Ashrosaliera's hand, welcoming her.

"I am Roshia Naveria, daughter of the Viscount and a first-year student from B-Class. That guy is Pusha Varrie from D-Class. Would you mind following us to the 6th floor? I have something I want to show you."