Volume 2 Chapter 28: Embarrassing Past

To explain how Fiona and I ended up in our current relationship, I have to revisit my rather embarrassing academy days.

The Magical Nation of Nail.

Nail is an allied nation to the Kingdom of Elist. As the name suggests, it’s known for its research in magic weapons, spells, enchanted tools, and other mana-based abilities.

Unlike Elist, where the general population is mostly human, Nail’s residents are largely demonfolk. Yet, they gather talent from all over the world to conduct research day and night.

In Nail’s capital, the Magic City of Nail, there’s an institution called the Nail Academy of Magic. That’s where I met Fiona.

The Nail Academy of Magic is a four-year school open to anyone with mana.

In other words, anyone can theoretically attend.

But it’s not cheap; there are enrollment fees, tuition, and dormitory fees due to its strict residential requirements. You need a decent amount of money to enroll—it’s a tough world.

I was able to attend thanks to the academy’s scholarship system.

Nail Academy serves as both an educational and research institution. While they collect funds from general students and provide education in return, they also actively recruit those with unique abilities by waiving their fees.

Scholarship students are placed in a special class, where they attend lectures and participate in academy experiments. Additionally, graduates are required to produce a research outcome from their four years at the academy.

However, the experiments aren’t inhumane. Students are assured safety, can refuse participation if they wish, and are compensated if they do participate. I took part a few times, like a money-grubber, but it was mostly simple things like blood tests.

The academy even allows scholarship students free access to all facilities, so they’re ridiculously privileged.

The academy seems satisfied just to observe the growth of unique individuals, and if they gain something more from it, all the better. With plenty of people eager to study mana manipulation, the academy operates smoothly.

Graduating from Nail Academy is an excellent credential for finding a job.

Although, some of us graduate with honors and still make no effort to find a real job.

I was accepted into Nail Academy as a scholarship student at thirteen because I could handle two magic weapons. And I’ll admit, it got to my head.

The thrill of visiting the big city for the first time and the satisfaction of being treated well went straight to my head—I became rather insufferable.

It was like that phase every guy goes through; a kind of illness, you could say. An unforgettable cringe-worthy period.

“So… this is my castle, huh? Not bad.”

I remember saying that in a show-offy tone, gazing out over the sprawling grounds and the various buildings in front of me. Cringe level: high.

After successfully tuning out the academy staff’s speeches during the entrance ceremony, I was the first to rush off to a specific place, shovel in hand, while other students were socializing on their way back to the dorms. I had no intention of mingling.

“This academy lacks something crucial—a fishing spot.”

With that proclamation, I began digging up the artistically landscaped courtyard visible from the chic cafeteria, using my amateurish body enhancement abilities at the time.

Since I’d be spending four years here, I wanted a nearby fishing spot.

There were fishing spots outside the academy, but leaving campus required a permit, and dorm curfews were strictly enforced—it was a hassle.

Even during my initial campus tour, I’d already been planning to make a fishing pond. I thought the courtyard was a good candidate, spacious enough and all.

“What… are you doing…?”

After a while, someone called out to me in a trembling voice as I enthusiastically dug up the garden.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

I didn’t even bother to look up, answering without glancing at the speaker. Back then, I thought being aloof was cool. I must have been unbearable.

“Obvious!? What the hell are you doing to my garden!?”

“Bwah!?”

The academy headmaster’s furious punch stopped me in my tracks.

He charged over and socked me without hesitation. I tried to shield myself with Guardian, but I could barely control one layer at the time, and his fist shattered right through it.

I’d thought he had a gentle nature, so I was shocked. But looking back, I was clearly the crazy one.

I’m probably the only person who ever provoked the headmaster’s wrath.

At this point, my inflated ego was close to shattering, but sadly, I managed to cling to it.

I told myself it was understandable because he was the headmaster, and I’d surpass him someday anyway. I cried myself to sleep in my dorm room that night.

The next day.

For the real start of my academy life, I purposely arrived late to homeroom. I was aiming for a “special” entrance.

When I dramatically opened the door to my scholarship class, everyone looked at me with annoyed expressions. There weren’t many of them, probably fewer than ten, with a wide range of ages. Seating was unassigned, so they each sat wherever they liked.

“S’up.”

I mumbled a greeting with an attitude, taking a seat by the window at the back, propping my elbow on the desk to stare outside. At the time, I thought it was a cool way to make an impression.

“Scholarship students are given a fair amount of freedom, but if you’re going to attend, please try not to be late next time, alright?”

“S’up.”

They gently corrected me without much fuss. Even now, it’s embarrassing to remember.

“Why were you late?”

After homeroom ended, a petite girl with silky, long, yellowish-white hair and jade-green eyes approached me. I remember her striking beauty.

It was on another level from the typical attractiveness of demonfolk, almost like a work of art. Even now, I think she rivaled the manager in beauty.

“….”

I glanced at her briefly, then went back to gazing out the window, unsure how to answer. Back then, I wasn’t used to talking to girls. I was embarrassed. I’d barely spoken to anyone besides my younger sister, so I thought acting cool was the best approach.

But that was a mistake.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you hear me?”

“You’ve got an attitude problem, don’t you?”

As she tilted her head curiously, maintaining my silence, another voice spoke from behind her. I glanced over to see a half-beast girl with black cat ears and a tail glaring at me.

Half-beasts are rare individuals born from humans and beastfolk. It’s uncommon for different races to have children, and typically, the offspring inherits one parent’s traits.

But occasionally, someone is born with both sets of characteristics.

With the beastfolk’s physical abilities and humans’ magic weapon power, plus their unique appearance, they enjoy quite a bit of popularity among some humans.

At the time, I was in a mild panic from being approached by two stunning girls: one as beautiful as a work of art, the other a charming half-beast. Pathetic as it was, that was who I was back then.

“Come on, maybe it was just bad timing,” the girl with jade-green eyes tried to soothe the situation.

“I’m capable of handling two magic weapons,” I blurted out, trying to impress them with an utterly meaningless boast, even as she was attempting to calm things down. I was such an idiot.

“And… so what? Are you bragging?” the half-beast girl responded, narrowing her eyes in obvious irritation.

I began to panic.

“Uh… that’s all.”

I didn’t even know what I was trying to say. Young and insecure, I had no idea how to talk to them. I tried to look cool by turning away, only for the half-beast girl to slam her hand on a desk, making me jump. I was terrified.

“Are you saying you’re better than us? Ignoring us because you think you’re superior? That’s infuriating, you know?”

“…”

“Say something!”

“…”

“Don’t ignore me!”

“………”

It wasn’t that I was ignoring her; I was just too flustered to say anything. Deep down, I was always a timid person pretending to be confident. Underneath it all, I was a fragile weakling.

As I stood there, on the verge of tears and regretting my attempt to act cool by arriving late, she crossed her arms and gave a decisive nod.

“Alright, let’s settle this outside. I’m going to knock some sense into you.”

“… Please, let’s not.”

I genuinely didn’t want this to escalate.

“Shut up! Get outside!”

“Now, now… you two, let’s try to be civil…”

With murmurs filling the classroom, the two of them walked out. I thought about running away, but my younger self still had a shred of pride.

“Oh, fine,” I muttered, shrugging my shoulders and following them out, my heart pounding.

We went out to the schoolyard, with classmates and a supervising teacher as our audience, and what ensued was an impromptu sparring match where I was promptly knocked to the ground.

“Wow. Weak.”

The half-beast girl muttered, sounding almost baffled.

At first, I made a decent show. When I activated Guardian, the audience got excited, and for a brief moment, I felt invincible.

But that was where my moment of glory ended.

By activating Guardian—which only provided defense—I had already shown my fear. And, unable to control it properly, I was quickly outmaneuvered by the half-beast girl and defeated in no time.

The crowd fell silent at how abruptly it ended, and I was at a complete loss for words. My inflated pride had been thoroughly crushed, and I finally understood just how foolish I’d been.

“I… I lost…”

Staring up at the clear blue sky, I choked back tears and muttered in defeat.

“Didn’t your whole attitude just change?”

“I… was just showing off.”

“I see…”

“I’ll do better.”

“Yes, you should.”

The half-beast girl knelt beside me, poking my cheek with her finger, deepening my embarrassment.

The teacher didn’t even try to stop her; he seemed too busy trying not to laugh.

“So, you lost to me, right?”

“Yes.”

“So… what should I do with you?”

Her previously stern expression softened into a mischievous, charming smile. A chill ran through me. I remembered hearing once that cats often toy with their prey.

“Please… have mercy.”

“Aw, but I don’t wanna.”

Seeing her pout playfully, I resigned myself to my fate. This was all my fault, and I decided to accept it.

“That’s enough.”

At that moment, a voice of salvation reached me.

Cautiously, I opened my eyes to see the girl with yellow-white hair standing nearby.

“Can you stand?”

“Oh, yes.”

I reflexively took her outstretched hand and stood.

“Hey, why are you stopping me?”

The half-beast girl complained, looking unsatisfied, though she didn’t seem intent on pursuing me further. I felt immense relief.

“That’s enough. You’ve made your point, haven’t you?”

“But, El, didn’t it annoy you when he acted all high and mighty?”

“No, I was never angry to begin with. He wasn’t really looking down on us, right?”

“Uh, yeah.” I nodded repeatedly, relieved.

“See, Mina, you misunderstood. He doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

“He looked exactly like that kind of person to me.”

“Yes, sorry.”

I immediately bowed under her sharp glare. I understood; I’d probably punch my younger self, too.

“Please don’t apologize. If I hadn’t approached you first, none of this would’ve happened. I’m sorry.”

She looked around at the gathering crowd and addressed them in a clear voice.

“Some of you were laughing at him… but from now on, I won’t tolerate anyone ridiculing him further.”

The teacher, who’d been laughing the hardest, suddenly straightened, nodding along. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but I kept quiet.

The crowd began to disperse.

“What a letdown.”

The half-beast girl grumbled, folding her hands behind her head and walking away without another glance.

“Thank you so much!”

I straightened and bowed deeply to the jade-eyed girl, finally awakened to reality. She turned but didn’t look at me directly.

“Stop it… I said it was my fault, didn’t I?”

“No, it was all my own doing!”

“Don’t make this awkward… it’s…”

“But—!”

“I said, stop it!”

Startled by her stern tone, I lifted my head. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

“Sigh… Sorry about that. Well then, let’s call it a favor you can repay someday. Just be at ease around me, alright?”

“Oh, okay.”

“No need to be so formal. We’re schoolmates now.”

“Oh, uh… got it.”

“What’s your name?”

“Uh, it’s Noil Arlens…”

“Noil… good name.”

Is it? It’s a pretty normal name, I thought, but I kept it to myself.

“My name is Elshan Farseed. Just call me El. Well then.”

She raised a hand and began to walk away, then stopped as if remembering something.

“Oh, one more thing. Next time, I’d appreciate it if you were the one to initiate a conversation.”

With those words, she left.

That was the most memorable moment of my first year at the Nail Academy of Magic.