After the welcome ceremony, students went outside as the rankings of students and their assigned classes were posted on a large board. Wei An briefly checked the list, not bothering to look at it closely. After scanning briefly without checking his name, he walked away, thinking he passed the bare minimum.
I don't need to check; I passed anyway. Besides, I probably have a decent grade that won't embarrass my family name.
Students who were looking at the board saw him walk after briefly scanning. They all thought that he was being arrogant, but when they looked at the board again to find his name, they were all shocked.
'What the hell? '
'No way. Hah! I guess that's why he's arrogant.'
'So finishing the test fast was because he really was done? I thought he guessed the answers! '
'Hah...would you look at that?'
Wei An had gotten the top rank for both practical and written exams. He had also gotten to the section most of the students wanted, section S. Just then, Prince Shin walked up to the board, seeing the ranks.
"Ah well... this is expected," he commented on the ranks, not caring if the others heard. He had gotten second place, while Wei An had gotten first. After that he left, looking satisfied with the rankings.
'What? The Prince expected the results? '
'Isn't this just rigged? No way that the Duke of Marion's son is better than the prince? '
'Well, it's only a 5-point difference between the prince and Wei An. The duke's son probably just got lucky.'
After the prince had left, students chattered and could not accept the fact that Wei An, who had rumors about him being arrogant and having a bad reputation, beat the crown prince, who was known to be skilled in magic.
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What the hell is up with people? They keep staring at me.
Wei An continued to walk, ignoring the glances that he was being given when he walked past students.
Did I get too cocky and somehow fail the test or something? Well, I would've been kicked out by now if I failed.
As Wei An leisurely continued to walk, there was an announcement. The vice headmaster's voice chimed through the speakers of the academy, calling upon the students to go to their classrooms and familiarize themselves with the teachers before the official lessons start.
Ah, basically a get-to-know-each-other... It isn't mandatory...right?
Wei An decided not to go; he thought that he did not need to attend since he had already done his research prior to the academy starting. He already knew the teachers and the student council, so it was useless to attend. What's more is that he felt as if he would not get along with the students there anyway.
Wei An made his way to the gardens of the academy, where he found himself staring at the scenery. The leaves fluttered as the wind blew; flowers were as vibrant as the clear sky.
Hah...When this happens I really feel like I'm in another world.
Just then Wei An's newly bought bracelet glowed; it showed a faint silver light. Wei An had thought it was just the sun's rays doing their job since the bracelet was crystalized and very reflective. He continued to walk through the gardens without paying any mind to the bracelet glowing. After a while, Wei An found himself in a nearbywell.
Eh? Looks like I've been walking for so long I didn't think to see where I was going. Haah...I'm an idiot.
This doesn't look like it's part of the academy, though? Am I lost?
Well, I guess I found a new place... This isn't so bad.
The well looked abandoned; there were grown-out weeds and vines all over it, and in Wei An's perspective, it exuded something mystical or ancient. The place piqued his curiosity; he walked towards the well, standing near and inspecting it. Just as he got near, his bracelet glowed brighter; the sun's rays had been shielded from the overgrown vines, so Wei An was bewildered.
Well, I guess I was right about this bracelet being unique.
Wei An examined the bracelet; as soon as he took the bracelet off, it began to fuse together, detaching from its band. The bracelet formed a sharp dagger's blade and a handle. As it formed its final shape, it looked like a weapon made of pure light due to how it shone.
The dagger felt cold in Wei An's hands; it was surprisingly light, almost weightless. Wei An tested the dagger out, striking a few times to see how it fits. The dagger shimmered brightly, looking as if it was made out of frozen starlight; it seemed almost invisible from certain angles. It left tiny sparkling dust that looked like stars falling from the sky.
Amazing...
Wei An assessed the dagger's condition; it was sharp and strikingly beautiful to look at. He stayed in that place for a while, conducting experiments on the dagger. He had enchanted the dagger with enhancement magic, making it sharper than it already was. He then tried on a few spells that made the dagger return to his hand if thrown.
Haha... It looks like I found something useful. Well, it's best to keep it a secret anyway. It'll be good to have in case of emergencies.
Wei An finished playing around with the dagger, transforming it back to a bracelet. He was about to leave when suddenly a gust of wind flew by, swirling around and then revealing a figure with long, light golden hair.
Wei An froze in his place, his eyes widening from being caught off guard. The figure then revealed itself fully to Wei An, revealing a young elven girl; she had been wearing the same uniform as the academy, indicating that she was a student. Wei An then calmed himself, taking a step back from the girl; he was still in shock, but his face remained calm.
"Sorry! I, uhm... Did I startle you?"
Obviously! Who the hell creeps up on people like that!?
Wei An then calmed himself down, assessing the situation. Seeing that the girl was wearing the same uniform and looking harmless and apologetic, he relaxed a bit.