Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The chalkboard in Class Seven was cluttered with complex chemistry theories. The pace of today’s lesson was swift, and the students, fully engrossed in their studies, diligently jotted down notes with unwavering focus.

Sienna wrapped up the lecture ten minutes early, just as she had planned, and stepped down from the platform. “That’s all for today’s class. But before you go, I have an announcement.”

A wave of excitement washed over the students. Their spirits were lifted by the prospect of an early dismissal.

“The candidate for early class advancement has been selected. Sirone Arian, please stand.”

Sirone was caught off guard. “Me?” he asked, his voice a mix of surprise and disbelief.

Meanwhile, the children accustomed to such situations wore discontented expressions when they realized that Sirone was the chosen one.

“Sirone, you will be moved to Class Five from tomorrow. Attend the relevant classes as per schedule. The rest of you, let this motivate you to work harder and grasp such opportunities yourselves. Class dismissed.”

The room filled with murmurs as the students expressed their shock, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of wartime announcements. This was not just a simple promotion—Sirone was leaping ahead two grades at once.

“Professor! I object. How can Sirone skip two grades? Besides, he doesn’t know how to use magic,” a student protested.

Sienna was also caught off guard as this was news to her. Etala hadn’t mentioned anything about his magic skills. Maybe she was unaware herself, especially considering that in the integrated classes Etala managed, magic wasn’t always a mandatory skill.

“Is that true, Sirone?” she asked, turning to him.

All eyes turned to him, their gazes silently pleading for him to admit his inability.

“Yes, I can’t perform magic yet.”

“Hmm,” Sienna pondered, adjusting her glasses.

Well, that doesn’t impede his advancement. School policy doesn’t evaluate magic until Class Five. Nevertheless, Sirone’s inability to perform magic was indeed peculiar. If he were to learn the basics now, he could begin using magic. Or maybe it’s not a matter of lacking the ability but rather a choice not to practice magic? But why? If he were a student passionate about magic, he would have tried it on his own, even if the school didn’t allow it.

Sienna then declared, “I may not have all the details, but there are no magic evaluation criteria until Class Five. Therefore, Sirone’s early advancement will proceed as scheduled.”

“This is unacceptable!” Mark, who served as the unofficial leader of Class Seven, exclaimed. He was a muscular student with a strong jawline. “This is favoritism. You’ve said yourself, Professor, that the Spirit Zone isn’t the be-all and end-all of magic. It doesn’t make sense to give special treatment only to Sirone.”

“Exactly!” another student chimed in. “My grades are better than his, any day! He can’t even keep up with our theory classes!”

“If Sirone is advanced early, I’ll demand a student council hearing!” a voice from the back added.

Surprised by the unexpectedly strong backlash, Sienna was taken aback. While she had expected that competitive students would be motivated, she could sense open hostility in the air. Something must be going on here that I’m not aware of.

As Sienna met the determined gazes of students ready to wage war over the issue, she grasped the seriousness of the situation. “This matter isn’t finalized. The faculty will discuss it in a meeting and then announce the final decision. For now, class is dismissed.”

As Sienna returned to her office, her mind was filled with questions. What could have caused such a strong backlash?

In a specialized school like theirs, students were typically well-versed in the academic process, much like a soldier wouldn’t question the chain of command, nor would a fighter dispute the terms of a match. Competing based on skill was an intrinsic aspect of the magic school ethos. If they found it too challenging, they shouldn’t have enrolled in the first place.

As long as the school’s principles weren’t being compromised, Sirone’s choice to prioritize his focus and concentration seemed entirely reasonable to her. It seems to be a matter of sentiment rather than principle. But what could be the root of it...

“Professor Sienna.” Maria, a nineteen-year-old student from Class Seven, interrupted her thoughts.

While Maria wasn’t lacking in talent, being the eldest in Class Seven and having faced four years without advancement, her timid nature caused the school to view her with pity.

“What can I help you with, Maria?”

“I... I need to talk to you about something.”

Maria didn’t hold back. She described the treatment Sirone was enduring and the underlying reasons for the students’ hostile reactions.

As the timid student’s account unfolded, Sienna’s expression grew increasingly concerned. It wasn’t just ill will. There were deliberate, malicious efforts to undermine Sirone’s education.

Maria finished her tale, her voice quivering with emotion. “I’m older now, so I’m not as affected, but I’ve experienced similar treatment. They used to pretend to gag at the sight of me and whisper about me when I was nearby. During that time, I couldn’t concentrate on anything, not even my studies. I truly admire Sirone for staying composed and persevering through such circumstances.”

“To think such things were happening...” Sienna, newly responsible for Class Seven, was deeply shaken by the revelation. “Thank you for sharing this with me, Maria. I’ll take it from here.”

Sirone had just returned from the library, and it was well past midnight. After finishing his nightly routine, he was about to settle at his desk when a knock came at the door. Who could it be at this hour?

Once inside the dormitory, students were not permitted to leave, and it was well beyond the time for staff to be making rounds.

With a touch of apprehension that it might be his classmates at the door, he hesitated before opening it. Then a familiar voice reached him.

“Sirone, are you still up?”

“Professor Sienna?” He hurried to open the door, and there she was, Sienna, standing in the hallway.

“May I come in?” she asked.

“Yes, of course. Please, come in.”

He wondered if it was her turn to monitor the dormitory tonight. Noticing the dampness in her hair, it seemed she had recently left the communal bath.

Sienna entered and took a look around Sirone’s room. It was neatly organized, unlike typical boys’ rooms. She approached the desk quietly and took note of the book titles Sirone was studying.

Interesting. Among the textbooks on his desk were volumes from disciplines not immediately relevant to his curriculum. As expected, he thinks differently. Anyone well-versed would see that these books, while from varied fields, were closely connected. It’s clear he knows he falls short theoretically. He’s not looking for quick fixes. He’s laying a foundation for long-term understanding. A question then came to Sienna’s mind. Why didn’t he receive an education earlier in life?

Her pondering stemmed from her ignorance of Sirone’s background, but it was unmistakable that he had strived to overcome his lack of foundational knowledge.

“Um, Professor, would you like some tea?” Sirone offered.

“No, thank you. I’m here because there’s something I wanted to ask.”

As Sienna seated herself on the bed, Sirone pulled a chair from his desk and sat across from her. Though he had been in many of her classes, it seemed to be the first time he had seen her face up close. It felt quite different from the usual class time. With her hair down, she appeared much more feminine.

Sienna noticed that the boy seemed nervous and was avoiding direct eye contact. She hadn’t expected his shyness. He’s quite bashful, she realized, contrasting with his usual intense focus during class. “I hope our school isn’t too tough for you.”

“No, I enjoy it. I’m having fun studying here.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that the others have been bullying you?”

From the moment she entered his room, he had a suspicion that she was aware of the harassment. Recently, they had been openly tormenting him to such an extent that it would be unusual if she didn’t know.

“I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Sienna, having heard from Maria about the other students’ behavior, found it hard to take his words at face value. “You can be honest. It’s not something to be ashamed of.”

“I’m fine. It’s disappointing not to be able to make friends, but if they don’t like me, that’s beyond my control.”

Looking into his eyes, Sienna recognized his sincerity. “I’m impressed. Usually, one would harbor negative feelings toward their bullies.”

“Of course...” Sirone hesitated before continuing. “I’m human too, and I naturally desire good relationships. But clinging to a relationship to the point of self-denial seems foolish. Even if everyone in Class Seven disagrees with me, they’re just forty people. I’m sure there are others out there who will understand me.”

Sienna nodded, appreciating his clarity regarding the early advancement. I was worried over nothing. Sirone’s resolve was unshakable. “All right. I’ve taken note of your determination. I’ll keep it in mind for the faculty meeting.”

Teleportation

“With this, I conclude my presentation regarding Sirone’s early advancement.”

Sienna finished her statement before Headmaster Mirhy and the professors of the advanced classes, placing the documents about the collective harassment in Class Seven on the table before taking her seat.

As the professors perused the documents, their faces darkened. The reports detailed the continuous harassment Sirone endured, often under the guise that he was unable to perform magic.

“This is deplorable. How can they justify harassing a classmate for such a reason?”

“Unfortunately, such behavior isn’t rare in the lower classes. There are many young students, as well as older ones, who, despite their intellectual maturity, might lack talent. It is a class that often fails to show discernment,” another professor added.

“If this is the case, perhaps advancing Sirone swiftly is the best course of action. Given his potential, he could graduate within four years. Currently, our rival schools are challenging the prestige of the Alpheas School of Magic. The more early graduates we produce, the better.”

Graduates’ ages were an effective metric to showcase the school’s quality. Naturally, if the graduates didn’t excel after leaving, it would affect the school’s reputation. But with rumors of other schools aggressively promoting early graduation, there was pressure to compete. This strategy was a well-worn path for boosting a school’s prestige. The initial focus was on gaining a reputable status, followed by enhancing educational quality.

Given the stiff competition from neighboring schools, the Alpheas School of Magic’s strategy included encouraging early graduation while ensuring a high output of quality students. In this context, the faculty had great expectations for Sirone.

“I have reservations,” Thad interjected, causing Sienna to frown.

They always seemed to clash, as if they were settling scores from a past life.

For the first time, Alpheas spoke up and said, “Please explain your doubts, Professor Thad.”

“Sirone’s talent is indisputable, but the heart of the issue is his inability to perform magic. The students’ discontent stems from there. Shouldn’t we confront that issue head-on?”

Sienna countered, “As I’ve already explained, Sirone’s approach is to broaden his general knowledge before focusing on magic. It’s his personal decision, and the school’s curriculum doesn’t mandate otherwise.”

“It’s not his method I question. My concern is with you, Professor Sienna, showing favoritism toward Sirone,” Thad shot back.

“What?”

“The other students in Class Seven work hard too. While it’s true that there’s no magic in Class Seven’s evaluation criteria, isn’t their sense of deprivation an important issue as well? They may not be as talented as Sirone, but they have more experience.”

“Don’t nitpick! What you’re doing is making an emotional judgment. My decision was based on the school’s regulations. The primary evaluation for lower classes revolves around the Spirit Zone.”

“And what of the student backlash? Their motivation could suffer after this. We’re not here as professors to focus solely on one prodigy, are we?”

“Nor are we here to impede the progress of a talented student due to the misplaced jealousy of others!”

Both stood abruptly, their hands slamming down on the table. It was a scene all too familiar, one that seemed to replay at every meeting.