Early the next morning, Lilith woke up. She stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before remembering what she had to do today.
She quickly got ready and headed to the bulletin board in the main hall.
By the time Lilith arrived, many freshmen were already there, and the area in front of the massive bulletin board was packed with people.
Taking advantage of her height, Lilith wove her way through the crowd.
She quickly found her name.
“Lilith, First Mage Tower, Class A, Mentor Arret.”
“Class A... sounds like an elite class,” Lilith muttered, her gaze sweeping over the list of classmates.
Sure enough, Karl’s name was on it as well, along with several other students who had shown decent talent during the testing.
As the mentor, it seemed Arret was in charge of the group with the highest potential.
After checking the list, Lilith headed toward the First Mage Tower.
The First Mage Tower and the classroom were both easy to find.
When she reached the room, she pushed the door open and walked right in.
The classroom looked fairly normal, not as extravagant as she had imagined.
Lilith’s eyes immediately locked onto a specific spot.
“That’s the one. Back row by the window—the throne of leisure and sleep.” Lilith went straight to the seat and sat down.
Not long after she settled in, students began trickling in.
Most were nervous, carefully selecting their seats.
Karl and his small clique entered as well, heading straight for the central seats in the front row.
Before sitting down, Karl pointedly turned around to scan the room. When he spotted Lilith in the back row by the window, he gave a cold snort and turned back around.
Lilith let out a yawn, clearly unaffected by his childish provocation.
About ten minutes later, once the classroom was mostly full, Arret pushed the door open and walked in.
“Good morning, students.”
Arret walked behind the lectern, set his book down, and scanned the room.
“I am Arret, your mentor. For a long time to come, I will be responsible for guiding you through the gates of magic.”
“I know that by sitting here, you are all among the best of your peers, possessing enviable talent.”
Arret’s voice was clear and steady. “But please remember, hard work is what matters most.”
Lilith lowered her head, clearly struggling to keep a straight face. “This is the same kind of empty motivational talk from my past life. If hard work were that useful, what would we need geniuses for?”
“This morning, we will not be doing practical magic.”
Arret opened the thick book. “We will be studying the application of magic.”
With that, Arret began his lecture.
Lilith rested her chin on one hand, her face inching closer and closer to the desk.
Finally, with a soft thud, she fell fast asleep.
As Arret was explaining a concept, his gaze swept over the class again.
When he saw the figure in the back row by the window, now completely slumped over, his lip twitched imperceptibly.
He had noticed early on that this genius student was distracted from the very beginning.
But he hadn't expected her to actually dare to sleep during his theory class.
He cleared his throat lightly, injecting a hint of magic resonance into his voice.
Several other students who had also been drifting off immediately sat bolt upright.
But Lilith, in the back row, simply shifted into a more comfortable position.
Arret: “...”
He looked away, deciding that out of sight was out of mind, and continued with his lecture.
Geniuses had to be indulged, he supposed.
As long as she didn't mess up the practical classes, she could sleep if she wanted to.
Karl, in the front row, happened to look back and saw the sleeping Lilith.
He was stunned for a moment, and then his face twisted into a look of unmasked disdain.
“Hmph, just a lucky brat after all.”
And so, the morning of the first day of school passed in such a strange atmosphere.
Arret finished the scheduled material and dismissed the class. The students stood to bow and began to leave one by one.
Lilith lifted her head groggily, a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth.
She reached up to wipe her mouth and looked blankly at the classroom, which was already more than half empty.
Arret happened to be looking right at her.
Lilith jolted, fully awake now.
“Oh no, I overslept.”
She quickly sat up straight. Seeing her transparent attempt to hide what she’d done, Arret found it somewhat amusing, but he kept his expression stern.
He closed his book and walked over to Lilith’s desk.
“Student Lilith.”
“Present!” Lilith stood up immediately.
“Was there anything from this morning’s theory class that you didn’t understand?” Arret asked, his tone calm.
Lilith’s brain went into overdrive.
Understand? She hadn't heard a single word.
“Uh... well, about the stability of magic circuits...”
She tried to recall whatever he had mentioned right before she fell asleep.
“Oh? Go on.”
“...” Lilith drew a blank. She had no idea what she didn't understand because she didn't know anything at all.
Seeing the young girl’s embarrassment, Arret finally couldn't help himself. He let out a soft sigh, his tone softening.
“This afternoon is the practical magic class. I hope you will listen attentively then, Student Lilith.”
He didn't scold her, but his meaning was clear.
Feeling like she had been granted a divine reprieve, Lilith nodded vigorously. “Yes, Mentor! I will definitely listen carefully!”
“Go on then. Go get some lunch and rest well.”
Arret waved her off.
Lilith quickly grabbed her book, stuffed it into her space, and bolted out of the classroom.
She didn't breathe a sigh of relief until she was outside the Mage Tower.
“It seems this mentor has a pretty good temper,” she muttered, scratching her head. “But I definitely can’t sleep during the practical class this afternoon. I have to give the mentor some face.”
She patted her stomach. “Anyway, food first! I wonder what the academy’s cafeteria is like.”
She headed toward the cafeteria, putting the morning's theory class completely out of her mind.
After all, the afternoon was the real show!
In the practical class, she would finally get to touch real magic!
As for theory, there was no need for that.
Rate on N.U.
