A new year at Nine Petal Academy means a new crop of students, including a boy who can't control his magic, a thief, an angel, and even a suit of armor? Adela, Lei, and their friends are tasked with welcoming the new class of first years and helping...
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Carter hummed as he strolled into the room with Lei and Yuzuki trailing him. How casual of him. At least he didn't look to have had as hard a time as Huo. Must've been because of those headphones of his. Maybe I could go shopping with Yen to find some for Huoyin. Though, first I would have to get his head size. Inviting wasn't much of an option given how crowded the mall tended to get at the start of the school year.
Huo looked up from his bowl. He had been eating slowly.
Sarah stroked his free hand.
"Didn't expect to be beaten here!" Carter exclaimed, walking over to the three of us.
Sarah glared at him and put a finger up to her lips.
"It's fine, Princess. I am feeling better now," Huo said. He leaned back in his seat and sighed.
"Are you sure? You still seem tired," I asked.
He nodded and reached into his backpack, taking out a book. His eyes skimmed through the pages. Each page flipped in quick succession.
"Uh, is he pretending to read?" Carter asked.
"Maybe?" Yuzuki said, blinking.
Sarah shook her head and put her hands together, moving them like the wings of a butterfly.
"He flies?" I asked.
She shook her head but then nodded.
"Oh, he's a fast reader," Lei said in a low voice.
The princess smiled and nodded.
"Wish I could do that," Carter said, sighing. "Would make studying quicker."
Huo closed the book and opened it back up to the first page.
"Huh? He's reading it again?" Carter said, blinking.
Huo looked up. "Can all of you stop staring? Trying to read here. Go gossip elsewhere."
Lei sat down and pulled out a manga from his own backpack.
"Orantu?"
Lei glanced back at Huo. "Yeah! It's my favorite manga! I've read it a million times by now! Wish I could meet this Asamu guy." He lowered his head.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
He gripped his chest. "Asamu... guy sucks as much as you," he mumbled.
I stepped back as Lei's eyes glowed gold. The abysmal had awakened already?
Lei blinked and smiled. "Haha! And here I thought only Kun sucked at pseudonyms."
I sighed. "Lei. Didn't we tell you not to speak to your abysmal?"
He lowered his head. "Sorry. He seems to like to do that when I read this. Huh? Wait, my abysmal knows the author of this? Who is this guy?"
I gasped. Asamu... Could the writer be Queen Setsuko's father? While in Zionia, one of the pictures was of a man called Osamu. And the creator of Lei's manga was said to be from that realm. But, if so, what was their connection? Friends or foes? Hmm, the way he talked about him suggested friends...
