Chapter 21

  Changes In Perceptions

  Strength, it can’t be given.

  Rather strength is earned, forged under pressure and perseverance. People always ask for strength, when really they should be asking for a world where strength is not needed.

  Unfortunately, this world, this new world with magic and political machinations around every corner does require strength on many different levels. For some people strength is being able to stand up to bullies. For me, my strength comes from going to school, knowing that I will forever be harassed by Mr. Wallace and Narco.

  Just getting onto the marble steps that lead up to the entrance cause my frustration to rise, knowing that the dog has hated me since day one. I don’t even know why, it’s not like I ever did anything to him. It’s just the awakened DiVoratore bloodline that all animals seem to instinctively hate.

  Looking up ahead, I can tell that the dog will already be agitated. For up ahead are Icky and Johny, now that Johny is being fostered by the DiVoratore, it appears that those two no longer need to hide their feelings for each other. I know now that they are not blood related but were all parts of families that were ultimately adopted by Madame Bloom, kind of like a boarding house for promising misfits, apparently. No doubt such conditions will make it easier for stronger bonds to form, and this could be the equivalent of two foster kids bonding together in a boarding house, but I still don’t like it.

  Now that they are out of the Bloom household the restraints that had been holding them back have been shed, allowing me to see their holding hands as they enter school.

  “WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!” Of course, Johny instantly sets Narco the inept security dog off.

  “Relax Marco, that’s a DiVoratore, they are allowed in,” Mr. Wallace chides his pet and instantly the mutt quiets down.

  Hearing that, I just shake my head and realize I have nothing on me that is contraband. The only thing of true value are my tomes from Madame Bloom, my new Master. Which I do have the authority to defend with combat, should anyone try to confiscate them. Realizing that this is my first day of being an Apprentice, I suspect that this detail might not have made it down to Mr. Wallace. For a second, I imagine throat punching the guard when he tries to take my tomes from me. Then the subsequent follow up where it turns out Mr. Wallace tried to take training aids meant from a Master to an Apprentice.

  Realizing that self-defense is an ultimate excuse, I can’t help but let a slight smile crest my lips as I feel empowered entering the school.

  Immediately upon seeing me, Mr. Wallace tenses up, no doubt ready to once again escalate his blatant lack of any real authority. I stare at him, deliberately slowing down my walking speed, so that I can speed up more easily and flow into my strikes.

  Yet, to my surprise Mr. Wallace just looks more constipated than ever, flicking his hand holding the dog leash. An obvious provocation attempt if I ever saw one, but to my surprise, Narco just sits there with his wide brown eyes staring at everyone coming in.

  “Seems he has grown some brains,” I state and begin walking away.

  “What’s that!” Mr. Wallace angrily calls out, my eyes catching his body shifting to follow me in my peripheral vision.

  “Grr!” Then just as I am prepared to defend my tomes with said tomes, the dog again begins to alert. Though the direction is off. Narco’s growl seems to be shifting away, again my mind is more aware of sounds thanks to passive effects of my new Music Resonance Skill. Letting me know that I am not what is triggering Narco.

  Turning back, I see that Narco is in fact growling at someone who hasn’t even come into the building. Seeing my opportunity, I leave the hallway and head to homeroom a few minutes early.

  Walking through the halls, I can’t help but see how everyone going down the hallway stops, turns their heads to my right, looks, then seems to recognize something and move on. For a moment, I wonder what could be so interesting to draw everyone’s attention. It isn’t until I get close that I see the intrigue, for there to the right is a small alcove barely big enough for one person to hide. But in this case two people have managed to fill that spot, if clumsily.

  Looking over, I can’t help but get disgusted. For there in the corner is Johny and Icky. Granted they aren’t doing anything, but it is clear that they are talking intimately. Again, it is not that they once shared a roof, but rather that they are acting so intimately in public.

  Either they are sharing family secrets or trying to make the Bloom family tree resemble a chain linked fence. Honestly, I don’t know what answer I would be more disgusted by.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Passing by I realize it is likely the latter, based on what I am able to gather from their conversation.

  “Yeah, the old hag finally comes out of retirement and decides to train someone, and of course it would be her,” Icky calls out. Hearing that, I know exactly who they are talking about, as the old hag almost has to be my Master, Madame Bloom. While the her that was spoken like it was caustic on her tongue was definitely me.

  “Don’t worry, it’s only a little longer before—” Johny begins to say, but abruptly stops himself as he sees me, and realizes I might be able to hear him.

  “Before?” Icky calls out, only for her to follow Johny’s gaze to me.

  “Don’t let me stop this little love fest thing you have going on. I am going right over here,” I reply while not missing a step and continuing to my class.

  They are quiet for a moment, but again they likely don’t have any spatial awareness. Nor do they seem to understand just how corners can echo and throw sounds across the hallway, as I hear them clearly as I get a few hundred feet away.

  “Before it happens,” Johny replies, clearly thinking that I am not able to hear him. I can’t help but wonder if this is all thanks to the passive effects of my Music Resonance Skill. Then I think, if this is how much better my ears are now, then exactly how much better are Madame Voyou’s ears?

  “Oww, how much longer,” Icky pouts annoyingly.

  “Not too long, just wait.”

  “Mmm, okay,” Icky pouts. With that it seems like they are about to prove me wrong and do both equally disgusting things I imagined. Sharing secrets, among other things to be shared. As they are now staring closely at each other. Seeing their closeness, I take the last few steps and enter homeroom. Finding my typical seat in the back open, I head there and begin to prepare for the day.

  “You’re late,” Mr. Zion the homeroom teacher calls out.

  I just glare at him.

  Ding-dong-ding.

  That is when the late bell starts to ring.

  Scamper.

  I can see that Mr. Zion is apparently angry about having to teach me today. But seeing as two other students rush in during the chimes. He looks like he is ready to give us all detention out of spite. Then for the first time ever, Icky came in last, seeming to save us all from having to go to detention.

  Sigh.

  “I’ll let it pass this time, but do try to be on time from now on,” Mr. Zion spoke.

  As this was homeroom, the brief reprieve before when classes would actually begin, I decided to use this time to take out the first of my tomes and begin going over the materials presented.

  Life Mana Amplification.

  The tome for its part fairly straightforward, eve if it is a bit dry. Still the concepts and numerals seem to make sense.

  Clip-clop-clip.

  I hear the staccato rhythm of crisp shoes echoing off the marble floors. The sound is my first warning, as it lets me break free of the ratio of energy traversals that are being presented, when I look up to see Icky coming straight towards me.

  “Nan-nan let you take the texts out of the library?” Icky asks, half shock, half anger filling her voice. Seeing her, I close the book, but make sure to clasp the hard cover over my fingers in case I can end this distraction and get back to my golden ratios.

  “Why hello there Icky,” I begin and give a slight pause before continuing, “good morning to you too. I am fine. How was your night? Good? Oh, that’s great.”

  I give a slight pause after that, mimicry of how an actual cordial conversation should go. Icky for her part looks like she is about to have a stroke, as her face glows a dark purple with rage.

  “Wait, you have a question, yes, now that we are cordial, why not ask your question. I have nothing but time to waste answering your inane questions,” I continue and then go for the kill. “Do I have a book, obviously it is right here. Rest assured, you are not hallucinating. Did Master Bloom give it to me, yes, yes she did.”

  “Wha-I, gah! It’s Ithica!” Icky comments.

  Hearing her start and stutter through so much, it takes me a second to realize what exactly she is getting at. Finally, I realize she means her name, it is Ithica, not Icky as I apparently referred to her as. Realizing this is likely going to continue unless I shut it down, I continue.

  “Whatever you say Icky. Now if you are done asking obvious questions and wasting both our times, I suggest you get back to your seat and practice breathing.” I reply.

  “Wha!” Icky begins, but is quickly cut off by all of the other students in the class, who all choose that moment to react to our rather loud squabble.

  Boisterous laughter.

  Icky pauses and looks around, her fist clenched as if she is ready to throw hands. A fact that I am ready to react to. Mentally I map it out. With my hand already in the book, I flip the book up at an angle intercepting the punch with the book. Then once the book was assaulted, I will then retaliate to neutralize the threat to the book within my care.

  Beating up someone as weak as Icky might not be the most amazing of feats, but it is something I have been waiting for, for a while.

  “This, this is not over!” Icky demands, clearly calling an end to this little farse of a meeting. Though I can’t help but twist the knife once more as she goes.

  “Go on, get back to your little kennel over there,” I say with my free right hand, making a shewing motion.

  “A kennel, you saying I’m a dog?” Icky begins.

  “If you aren’t, then you certainly have acting like a B. down to a science.” It’s petty I know, resorting to this level, but I refuse to be a punching bag in two lifetimes. This time, I will stand up for myself.

  “Ms. Bloom!” Mr. Zion calls out from the front of the classroom. With that Ithica and I both turn to face him, at which point he realizes the mistake he has made. For a moment he looks at me with a slight form of contempt, but it is quickly masked. “Lady Ithica, will you please take your seat and not disrupt the Apprentice in training.”

  Wow, that is a complete 180 from earlier. Did he scan me while I was not looking? Or was it something else? Looking up, I see that he has a note at the front of his desk that was just delivered by a student who often works for the front office at this time. I guess they came in while Icky was drawing my attention? Odd, I should have heard them.

  Still there is Mr. Zion with a clear yellow note from the office. One that is now causing Mr. Zion’s hand to tremble slightly.

  Seeing his obvious reaction to the note, and the sudden lack of overt favoritism to Ithica, I can only guess that the sheet has something to do with my new class. A Class that I am still not certain what is going on with.

  For it can only be used to slot Life attuned Skills, but I can only slot four Skills currently. But according to Master Bloom, it is best this way, as it applies the full synchronization bonus I would get for having seven healing slotted Skills together, even though I only have four Skills. It makes no sense, and I am too tired to understand her ravings comments. As she too was showing the signs of being extremely tired.

  However the difference between the two of us, she can use this time to take a nap. While I have to use this same time to try and not punch every current and former Bloom house member in the face. Along with, the security guard, my homeroom teacher. You know what, this is going to be a testament of my patience today.

  Almost glad that I am banned from going to Bloom Park until I learn these two Skills.

  Finally, after a moment of looking betrayed by even the normally overly supportive teacher, Ithica seems to drop her shoulders in defeat as she turns around to go back to her seat. Even the pace of her shoes hitting the ground are a defeated clopping sound, like one might expect from a grazing cow.

  With her gone, I take a quick scan of the classroom, and see the odd yellow note that Mr. Zion got from the office get placed on the corner of his desk. I make a mental note to check out the contents of said note, if I get a chance.

  But for now, I use these moments to get back to my golden ratios and try to delve into the scientific explanations of magic. More importantly, I try to learn how to adapt the knowledge of these pages into a Skill that I can both synchronize with and equip in one of my two open Class Slots.

  Times like these, that I wish people here cultivated coffee.