Chapter 101: Where The Anomalous Are Found

It was so early that a dense, white mist still covered the ground and trees.

Carriages arrived at the academy; finally, the gates were open.

Enormous gates, gilded with imperial symbols, ten meters high, guards on both sides.

The academy was gigantic, its architecture impossible to describe in a few words.

A mixture of castle (towers, battlements, a disused drawbridge), church (stained glass windows, bells at the top, statues of saints), campus (extensive gardens, fountains, stone paths), and military center (visible training arena, shooting ranges, fortified walls).

Buildings connected by suspended walkways, some covered, others open to the sky.

Golden domes gleaming with the first rays of sunlight.

Flags waving, symbol of the Empire, varied colors of noble Houses.

The feeling it brought was that the world had opened up.

Students arrived, nobles in luxurious carriages, adventurers on foot with backpacks, servants carrying trunks.

Wherever the carriages stopped, there were servants waiting to receive them, uniformed, organized, checking lists.

Haru was on top of the carriage, sleepy but contemplating the view.

The Valtherion guards descended, leaving luggage with servants there.

Servants knew just by looking at the carriage’s coat of arms: Valtherion. They were already on the list.

They didn’t need to ask for identification.

Haru climbed down from the top, still sleepy, yawning.

Guards saluted him, fists to their chests, heads slightly bowed.

After all, Haru held a position above them: Isabela Valtherion’s bodyguard. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Then they officially handed Isabela over to Haru. Now his work would officially begin.

"Our mission ends here," the leader said.

"We’ll report back positively."

The other looked into Haru’s eyes.

"Don’t die, boy."

Haru looked back, tired but serious.

"I’ll try."

They looked at the others, Isabela, Kira, Yukihime.

They bowed, a respectful reverence, climbed into the carriage and left.

Haru observed this, a brief silence.

"Will we see them again...?" Yukihime asked.

"Of course we will..." Isabela replied.

Then the servants began to guide them to the boarding school.

There were lines, students organizing themselves, teachers calling names, magical announcements floating in the air.

Magic everywhere, floating lights, smaller portals transporting luggage, simultaneous translation spells.

Kira was frightened, clinging to Haru, ears lowered, tail between her legs, eyes wide.

Yukihime, delighted, saw other children her age arriving too, laughing and running.

Isabela, nervous but maintaining her posture, back straight, chin raised, hands crossed in front.

Haru, however, dead tired, dragging his feet, eyes half-closed.

They arrived at an area with a huge holographic map of the academy, rotating and showing each building.

And there it was time to separate for now.

"Well..." the servant said, "...You will stay in different wings. The girls in the girls’ wing, you in the boys’ wing. Once there, you can rest until 8 am, when today’s scheduled activities begin."

The recommendation there was clear: students who would be part of the boarding school should always arrive early to get used to the environment, get settled, and familiarize themselves with the space, but it wasn’t mandatory...

And today was the first day of boarding school; however, the academy hadn’t started yet, only the boarding school.

Veterans looking at newcomers, some smiling amicably, others assessing them like predators. Then they parted ways.

"See you when the sun rises..." Haru said grumblingly, grabbing Yukihime’s head and deliberately messing up her hair.

...

"The Academy values social adaptation..." the servant said, walking. "...purposefully mixes origins."

"You can do absolutely anything you want with your rooms, as long as it’s within the regulations. It will be explained today."

Then servants left him at the dormitory door, a dark wooden door, number engraved: 217.

"Have a great rest..."

Haru thanked them and entered.

The room was absurdly spacious. It had two beds, one on each side, thick mattresses, clean white sheets.

Study desks, one for each, with comfortable chairs, a magic lamp, empty shelves waiting for books.

Built-in wardrobes in the walls, enough space for clothes, weapons, equipment.

A large window overlooking the balcony, a view of the men’s courtyard and, in the distance, another building separated by a wall.

Not yet personalized, bare walls, polished wooden floor, smell of newness.

It was beautiful, well-maintained, clean, worthy of nobility.

But someone was already there; he hadn’t been the first. That face wasn’t unfamiliar to him.

Haru remembered: it was Flavius’s son. Golden

Silence. They stared at each other.

"So you’re the one, Haru..." he said.

"Unfortunately."

"Of all the guys I’ve had to share a room with..." Haru thought. "This will only end when we show who’s the Alpha here..."

"Seriously..." Golden said, "...let’s just not stress each other out."

Haru pointed. "The bed by the window is mine."

"I didn’t even want it anyway..." Golden said, finishing tidying the wardrobe and hanging up his cloak.

Haru didn’t put his clothes in the wardrobe, he just went straight to bed and lay down.

He opened the system, but all it showed was...

[SYSTEM UPDATING...]

◊ Functions: BLOCKED

Everything was blocked, it only showed this for 2 seconds, then disappeared.

"Chronia said she returned the curse..." Haru thought. "I just wanted to check my status and the curse. But apparently... I just shouldn’t get into trouble until that update arrives."

He looked out the window.

There were students meeting in the courtyard, talking, laughing, some already training.

From there, two courtyards could be seen:

The courtyard of that (male) wing and the courtyard in front, which looked like a sacred building, separated by a high wall.

There were nuns and monks already doing chores, cleaning, praying, carrying things.

"Don’t they feel cold...?" Haru thought, pulling up a blanket.

But then Haru saw a silhouette, a posture similar to Lilithine’s.

He immediately stood up and opened the window that led to the balcony.

"It’s her!" he said loudly.

But she didn’t seem well; she was sitting on a bench reading a book, with tired gestures.

Haru jumped from there...

Golden, seeing this, exclaimed, "Crazy guy! At least close that door! Cold air coming in, you son of a bitch!"

Using ignition in his feet, Haru landed in the courtyard like nothing and started running towards the wall to jump over and meet Lilithine, but when he reached the wall, before jumping,

A whistle sounded.

He turned around; it was a supervisor waving a signal that he couldn’t jump over the wall.

"Fuck it..." Haru thought. But he also didn’t want to draw attention on his first day.

He looked here and there, then started to leave that wing to enter that place.

He searched for the entrance, found a gate leading there.

It was written: "SACRED WING, CATHEDRAL HERITAGE"

He could see Lilithine sitting there, pale, with a tired expression, wearing gloves she hadn’t worn before.

But the gate was closed; they hadn’t opened that wing yet.

Then he called over a guy nearby, a young saint passing by.

"Hey... hey! Can you call that nun over there? Lilith...?"

Lilithine looked up naturally, their eyes almost meeting.

But Father Elias appeared, grabbing her shoulder, saying something Haru couldn’t hear...

Lilithine nodded and went inside.

Haru froze upon seeing that figure there. He only remembered the Father’s voice saying names, "Rey... Ke..."

He shuddered all over.

And the Father was coming right there, walking straight to the gate.

Haru stood there staring at him coming.

"Wait, what am I doing!? What if he detects my aura, it’s all over..."

He wanted to leave, but when he turned around...

He bumped into a saint with books that was coming there, they collided and books flew, falling to the ground.

"Oh, sorry!" They both said at the same time.

Haru helped pick up the books hurriedly, grabbing, stacking, his hands trembling slightly.

When he finished...

"Is everything alright?"

Father Elias’s voice.

Haru’s heart began to beat, strong, fast, almost bursting from his chest.

He stood up slowly, going into defense mode, muscles tense.

The spirits inside him began to scream, overlapping voices, chaotic. His gray eyes began to shine, slightly, almost imperceptibly.

The priest looked at Haru with indignation and disapproval...

He put on his hat, adjusting it.

"You young people should start watching where you step. Otherwise, accidents like these happen..."

"That’s true, Father..." the saint with books said.

Father Elias put on his hat completely and started walking, passing Haru as if he didn’t know him.

Meanwhile, Haru stood there, his heart pounding, his breathing controlled with effort.

"What a beautiful way to start the morning..." the young saint said.

But Haru had already disappeared.

Meanwhile, Llithine was cleaning the altar when a saint arrived: "A student is calling you outside..."

When she went out and looked at the gate...

She only saw the man with the books entering, the priest leaving, and the gate closing again.

She coughed slightly.

She asked the one who gave information: "Who? Where is he?"

"Huh... he was right there. A strange guy, black hair, looked clumsy..."

Lilithine didn’t say anything, just thanked him and went back to her chores.

Haru went to get some water...

He started walking back to the men’s wing, lost in thought.

Until Seline passed by, talking to Blandina.

"I already told you that guy is very handsome!" Blandina said excitedly. "And today he’s going to open the academy!"

Seline stopped, looked, she saw: the canteen.

and recognized it immediately. "Why is he carrying that...?"

"What is it?" Blandina asked.

She noticed where Seline was looking, she saw Haru entering the courtyard of the men’s wing.

"Hey! But isn’t that your canteen that you were looking for last night!?"

"Ah! That’s right! It’s the young man I gave water to yesterday..."

"Hey!" Blandina shouted.