Otherworld Academy Vol. 1 Capitulo 5
Chapter 5
Dinner went well, and Levi found that Glint was useful when it came to explaining some of the world around them. For one, Glint allowed Levi to get a basic understanding of the difference between the mana vapor technology and the pure enchantments. Enchantments, Levi learned, were mana directly imbued into an object and focused to produce a specific effect. The mana and the object were bound through the enchantment ritual, though the magic of the enchantment created the effect, not the object itself. Mana vapor, however, used the indirect application of magical energy. Levi didn’t need a big explanation of how the vapor worked to move things mechanically—he had seen steam engines in museums and at trainyards. The vapor, though, carried magical energy in it, and thus when piped against a trigger plate it worked as fuel for a weak enchantment that was easily replaced. He understood the theory, but he didn’t have a damned clue how it actually worked.
By the time they returned to the Raven House, Levi was exhausted. He found that the big meal had left him tired, so he bid Glint good night before he dropped into his bed and passed out. When he woke up, he realized he had slept in his uniform, and he checked the dressers to find new clothes. Fortunately, there was a second set he could slip into—he gave up feeling surprised at the perfect fit. Once he was dressed, he took up the cane; he couldn’t help his shrug when it extended to its full length. He had to admit it looked good, and he liked the way it felt in his hand. The click it made when he walked out of his room and down the hall was strangely soothing. In the main room he saw Glint and a few others gathering. Glint offered him a wave and Levi responded in kind. He felt a flare in his forearm, and when he looked, the glowing Raven caused words to scroll beneath the mark. Introduction to Magical Creatures: Crane House. What the hell is that? he asked himself.
He looked at Glint and the imp smiled, his huge eyes wide. “That’d be your first class—you’re the only one who can see it. Our schedules are generated by the Director, or so we’re told.”
Levi nodded in understanding, then he took a deep breath to dedicate himself to this new world. “Okay, so where is Crane House?” he asked.
“Ooooh, do you have Introduction to Magical Creatures? I’m in that class as well, so I can walk with you.” Levi smiled, relieved he wasn’t going to dealing with all the “new guy in school” bullshit on his own, or at least he hoped. The pair started walking, and Levi looked around as they strode down the hall.
“Are there rules about dating other students, or any demerits crap I should be worried about?” he asked. Glint looked up at him and laughed.
“Levi, we’re all adults here. There are other schools for children with powerful magical aptitude. Adults are adults, and nobody is going to try and tell you who you can date. However, some of the Houses can make things difficult if the house mistresses don’t approve. Crane House gets pretty uppity when it comes to pedigree or some nonsense. They think they’re all geniuses, even when proven otherwise. There are even rumors some of the teachers have occasionally dated a student or two, but I don’t believe that myself. The Director and the house mistresses would have to throw a fit if something like that happened, if only because of the conflict in the grading system.” Glint closed his lips as if the mention of grading had bothered him.
“How do they grade us?” Levi asked, his hand rising to push his glasses up on his nose as he took in the expression. “Are there like multiple-choice tests or something?”
The imp shifted, his hand reaching up to adjust the goggles over his horns, and his expression turned down. With how wide his mouth was, it was an impressive look. His ears flicked upright, then drooped again before he took a deep breath and began. “No, almost all of the tests are two parts. We have to write essays to explain our understanding of the materials, and then we have to perform a practical demonstration of our abilities. You can technically pass a class just on your knowledge, but if you can’t pass the practical you get denied some of the more advanced classes that require the stuff as a foundation.”
Levi supposed that made sense. Although… “They don’t teach people the fundaments even if they don’t have the power to work in the field?” he asked with a thoughtful frown. Glint flicked his ears up as he shook his head, which caused the bat-like appendages to flap.
“No, they do, but there are special courses for people who show promise. The Crane House provides all sorts of classes on theoretical knowledge, and Wolf House offers courses on experimental studies. Is that what you mean?” Glint asked. His large eyes widened as he took in a beautiful woman with the features of a silver fox walking by.
“Yeah, that is what I meant,” Levi confirmed. The fox was distracting, and they spent the rest of the walk discussing the lovely variety of coeds they saw moving down the halls. Levi discovered that while Glint could appreciate some of the more appealing women, he had some truly… strange tastes. He spent nearly five minutes talking about the beauty of an ogress’ ankles. Given the woman was nine feet tall, Levi wasn’t sure how that date would go, nor did he want to picture it.
Another thing Levi noted was that the Houses seemed to take their color schemes very seriously. Once the men entered Crane House territory, most of the decorations started gaining an icy blue or silver coloring. The number of pale birds on tapestries was unreal. Levi was relieved to discover that they’d be having class in a room that opened to the outside. The stained-glass windows of the Academy meant he hadn’t really seen the school grounds yet. As he looked through the wide-open back wall of the room, he saw the expanse of hills around the building. Taryl proved to be a lovely place. Levi claimed a seat in one of the raised desks in the back. The room sloped down, and the back wall held a corral-like fence that showed the beautiful kept lawns. He could see a few trees, though the colors were odd, and the air smelled fresher than he had ever encountered.
The teacher was not what he’d expected. The figure was average height and weight, but his white beard reached the top of his boots, and his head gleamed like a polished egg. The old fellow had wrinkles upon wrinkles, and his dusty black robes were covered in grass stains and dirt. His ears flopped down onto his shoulders, and appeared to be the same white as his robes. The man had buck teeth that almost reached his chin. It took Levi a moment to interpret he was looking at a very, very old rabbit-man of some kind. Glint passed him a few blank sheets of parchment and a writing stick with a crystal tip just as the old fellow began to speak.
“Students, some of you are new, and I’m afraid you’re going to have to catch up. Today we’re going to be talking about the sylvan squirrel. This small, timid mammal comes from the forests of Sylvus Prime and is considered remarkably bright. Scripper, as I call this little guy, is quite friendly,” the professor began, then took a small cage out from behind his table. He set the cage on top and opened it to reveal a gray-furred ball of fluff with a cream-white belly. The animal didn’t look bigger than a baseball, but its black eyes were huge. “Scripper here has been at the Academy for almost thirty years, and was rescued by my class on an extended trip. He’s the only one of his kind that has ever been captured, as far as our records indicate.”
The round animal began chittering and wagging a paw in the air; Levi stared, enraptured. The tiny head and little hands didn’t break its round profile, nor did the hind legs. He’d expected a large puffy tail, but instead Scripper had a little knob of white. Levi squinted and cocked his head to listen closer, losing his focus on what the professor was saying.
“—Scripper does love nuts, as is stereotypical—” the man was saying when Levi raised his hand, interrupting the lecture.
“Excuse me, professor? She says her name is Susan, and she’d like you to respect her life choices,” Levi blurted out before he could stop himself. He was just as surprised as everyone else when the squirrel jumped into the air and spread its hands and feet. Skin stretched tight between the limbs formed a gliding surface, and wind rustled its short, silky fur. Levi wasn’t sure where the wind was coming from, but Susan was flying straight at him and landed on his shoulder. The squirrel climbed into his hair and started waving a small fist at the professor while chittering loudly. “Uh, what is going on?” he finally asked.
Instead of looking cross, the professor stared intently at Levi for several long moments. He took out a monocle that hung from a silver chain then placed it over one of his dark eyes. After a second, the old rabbit nodded his head.
“I stand corrected,” he announced. “This young beast tamer seems to have made a connection with Scri—Susan. From the way she’s nesting in his hair, I rather expect she won’t be allowing me to take her back to the pens tonight. Well, good luck, young man. I expect a paper on the care and feeding of sylvan squirrels in one week.”
Glint looked at Levi like he was impressed, though several students were giving him the stink eye. Levi had no real idea of what was going on—he wasn’t even sure how he knew what Susan wanted, except he definitely felt like he could grasp the meaning behind her chittering. It wasn’t really language, though it was communication. Levi couldn’t decide if getting some kind of paper assignment in his first ten minutes of class was a reward or a punishment.
When he looked over at Glint, the imp just grinned wide. “Don’t sweat it. I’ll show you where the library is,” the imp promised.
That settled the question for Levi—he was definitely being punished.
