Omniscient POV
Hayato entered through the gigantic gate. Many other students were crowding the area, as they were also new arrivals, while senior students stood nearby to offer assistance.
Hayato could see the beautiful, massive buildings in front of him. Sylvania Magic Academy was huge.
It was so massive that students normally had to use the Teleportation Portals, which were scattered all over the academy, just to go from one class to another.
It showcased the academy's status, considering how rare it was to find talents capable of building such things, as learning or having aptitude for Spatial Magic was extremely rare.
The whole academy was beautifully decorated, with vibrant gardens and well-maintained landscapes.
Senior students could be seen talking to many of the new students to assist them. Two such students came to Hayato after noticing no one else was approaching him, as Hayato naturally gave off a cold vibe.
"Yo, you must be a new student, right?" asked a frivolous, tall, black, and white haired elven boy. Beside him stood a short cat girl with short lavender hair.
"Hmm... You are?" Hayato asked.
"Welcome to the academy. I'm Mark Evans, and this is Chrissy Lars. Both second years. What about you, kojou (kid)?" asked Mark in a jovial mood, placing a hand around Hayato's neck.
"Hayato... Hayato Nakamura," Hayato replied with a strange stare as he casually swatted Mark's hand aside. After all, they were close in age. So what was with him calling him a kid?
"Good. Nakamura-kun then, take this. It'll help you get familiar with the academy," said Mark, gesturing for Chrissy to hand over the guidebook in her hands, which she did, albeit a bit clumsily.
Hayato took it and opened it, seeing that it also had a generalized map of the entire academy. For some reason, as he looked at it, his glasses caught the sunlight and gleamed, which caught the eyes of both Mark and Chrissy.
"You see, the academy is so huge, every year the biggest problem new students face is with directions. But you can always ask us seniors whenever you need help," said Mark with a proud look on his face. He didn't even mind Hayato's treatment of him. Chrissy nodded silently, seemingly agreeing.
"'Kay. Which way's the Arden Hall?" asked Hayato, referring to the dormitory he'd been placed in, as mentioned in his acceptance letter.
Hearing the name, both senior students had an odd reaction as the expressions on their faces shifted.
"You got placed in Arden Hall?" asked Mark with a strange look.
"Yeah, why? Is there a problem?" Hayato asked.
"Umm... how do I say this... its reputation isn't very good. It's like being placed there is kind of a punishment for regular students, I guess?" said Mark after thinking for a bit, making Hayato tilt his head in confusion.
"We've heard only problematic or strange students are placed there. And the place looks pretty old and creepy, if you ask me. So most students avoid it," said Chrissy, visibly horrified after imagining the building, speaking for the first time.
"You don't look problematic to me. Did you piss someone off or what?" asked Mark jokingly, still confused.
Hayato did seem a bit aloof and cold, but that alone wouldn't get him assigned to Arden Hall—unless he really was a problem child, or had just annoyed the wrong person, Mark thought.
"Maybe... So where's the place?" Hayato asked, without really answering the question.
He had a good idea whether he pissed someone off or not. After all, he did one-up a professor during the interview—just to gauge the level of the faculty.
Seeing that Hayato didn't plan on answering, Mark opened the map and showed him the location.
The guidebook had a lot of pages—some covering important things about the school, and others just maps and general info.
Hayato didn't feel like going through it all to search for it now, so he just asked them instead. He could easily memorize it once he settled in at the dormitory.
After that, Hayato was finally in front of the dormitory, and sure enough, its reputation was well-deserved.
He had to use one of the Teleportation Portals, as the dormitory was very far from the main gate.
As a new student, he still didn't have access to the portals. Thankfully, Assistant Professors were in charge of teleporting new students for now to ensure everything went smoothly.
Otherwise, Hayato would've had a harder time reaching the dormitory—Sylvania Magic Academy was just that massive.
The dormitory in front of him looked like a haunted house straight out of a horror movie. Who knew how old it was? At least the building was large—probably enough to house a lot of students if everything inside was still functioning properly.
The name Arden Hall was written in big letters above the gate. Hayato moved closer and pushed it open. Long, creaking sounds echoed through the air. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if the place really was haunted.
"Why is a dormitory of Sylvania in such a state?" Hayato muttered to himself, thinking out loud.
What he didn't expect was a reply.
"It's been in use since Sylvania first started. I never really liked others touching my stuff, so I just left it as such," came an old voice from behind him.
Hayato turned around to see a short, hunched old woman, her face lined with deep wrinkles.
She had black hair, piercing brown eyes, and wore a classic pointed witch hat—like a witch straight out of a horror movie—looking up at him. A wooden staff supported her as she stood there, leaning slightly on it.
"You are?" Hayato asked. He hadn't even noticed her approach, and the mana he sensed from her was enough to tell him she was no ordinary grandma.
"I am Sumiko Aonami, the supervisor of this dormitory. Are you Nakamura-kun?" asked the old woman in a coarse voice.
"Yes. I'm Hayato Nakamura," said Hayato.
"Give me your acceptance letter," she said.
Hayato took it out of the bag slung over his back. He had already taken some necessities out of his item box before entering the academy to avoid raising suspicion—after all, item boxes were rare, and the fewer people who knew he had one, the better. Sumiko took the letter and inspected it for authenticity.
"Good. Follow me inside. Everyone calls me Sumiko baa-san (grandma). You can use it too," she said, handing the letter back to him.
They entered the dormitory, and to Hayato's surprise, the interior was spotless and looked almost new. It was completely different from how it appeared from the outside.
"Take your belongings to the second floor, room number 203. I'll go fetch the key," Sumiko said, walking off.
Hayato made his way up the stairs, taking in the clean and spacious interior. It was a sharp contrast to the eerie, decaying exterior.
'Maybe it was just that baa-san's personal taste,' he thought.
But that outside appearance alone was definitely scaring off students. He quickly found room 203 and waited in front of the door.
Then, the door across to his—room 204—opened, and out stepped a boy with distinct features.
The boy was almost as tall as Hayato, with fair skin and hair styled in layered spikes—dark at the base with a gradient of pinkish-purple on the undersides and tips, giving him a flamboyant, otherworldly appearance.
His sharp, strikingly handsome face was framed by golden-yellow eyes that carried an intense gaze, though his left eye was hidden beneath a black eyepatch adorned with the silver carving of a dragon, adding to his dramatic and unique look. He looked human.
Then came a laugh. A deep, dramatic laugh, loud and echoing.
"You've finally arrived… O Wanderer of the Forsaken Star!"
The voice rang out dramatically as the boy stepped into view, his hand clutching the eyepatch over his left eye as if restraining some sealed terror.
His black and pinkish-purple hair fluttered with his exaggerated movement, golden-yellow eyes gleaming with intensity.
"How noble of you to step foot into this untamed land, far beyond the crumbling radiance of the Empire spoken of in the ancient scriptures!"
"O Noble One, the seals… they tremble in your presence!"
He struck a theatrical pose, extending his arms as if unveiling a grand stage behind him.
"Welcome… to my Sanctuary! May the Cursed Moon bear witness to this destined meeting!"
Hayato blinked. "…What?"
Hayato couldn't help but give a blank stare at the spectacle. He certainly didn't think his first day at the academy would include dealing with someone like this.
"…What are you?" he asked bluntly, his stoic expression barely hiding the hint of unease. Something told him being neighbors with this guy wasn't going to be pleasant.
"Who am I? Ha ha ha… I am Virion Arvallost—the Eternal Vessel of the Eclipse Dragon of the Twelfth Night, bound by fate and shadow!
So, are you the one foretold in the omens—the final piece that completes the convergence? Hah… destiny whispers your arrival to the sealed ruins. An honor, indeed, to meet you at last, O Wanderer—"
Hayato's eye twitched. His calm facade wavered ever so slightly as he stared at the dramatic lunatic in front of him. Was this some kind of elaborate prank? A cursed dormitory, a dramatic nutcase for a neighbor—what next?
Thwack!
A loud smack rang out as Sumiko's stick cracked down cleanly on Virion's head.
Before Hayato could even process it, she was already there, holding a set of keys like nothing had happened.
"Arvallost! Stop scaring the new kid!" she barked. "He's a first-year like you. His room's across from yours, and he'll be staying here from now on."
Hayato stared silently at her, then at the boy, now rubbing his head with a resigned expression.
He really didn't like the sound of that.
Virion turned with a pained groan, rubbing his head. "Old witch... I told you not to interrupt me mid-sentence..."
She glared. "And I told you to stop calling me that."
"Why would a witch hate being called a witch?" muttered Virion under his breath.
Turning back to Hayato, she sighed. "Don't mind him. Delusional brat's been here for only a week and is already like this. Just ignore his nonsense. Here's your keys."
"Can I change rooms?" asked Hayato instantly.
"No. The rooms are fixed," replied Sumiko. Hayato looked at Virion, then looked resigned.
"This floor is only for first years. For now, you two are the only ones here. There are other students too, mostly fourth and fifth years, but they're not here right now. And don't ever cross over to the girls' part of the dormitory next to this," Sumiko warned as she explained the dormitory rules.
She didn't mind anything as long as they didn't cause her any problems. From the fourth year onward, students usually had to go on large-scale expeditions, so they were out of the dormitory most of the time—even now.
This dormitory also housed female students, with a large wall separating both sides. Their entrance was located on the opposite side.
Sumiko warned against crossing it, saying she would know instantly. There was a kitchen with ingredients stocked at all times so anyone could cook and eat whenever they wanted, or they could just go to the cafeteria. She explained all that.
With that, she shuffled back down the stairs, muttering under her breath.
After getting a general idea about all this, Hayato walked past Virion without another word and opened the door to room 203. As he stepped inside and dropped his bag, he heard footsteps behind him.
"O Wanderer of the Forsaken Star! You have yet to reveal your name," said Virion, tilting his head with a serious look. "What does the world call you?"
"Stop calling me by that weird name," said Hayato, a slight hint of irritation in his voice.
Then he closed the door right in Virion's face. He had no intention of entertaining this chuuni any further.
"I suppose it was wrong of me to assume your name..." Virion said, voice low and dramatic. "I acknowledge my error. Open the door, stranger. Let us parley."
Virion persisted in staying there until Hayato opened the door again, face blank.
"My name is Hayato Nakamura. I have stuff to unpack. Now, leave!" he said loudly.
He figured it was better to just answer the guy than deal with the constant pestering.
"It seems you're not in the mood to speak right now. Very well, we shall converse when the time is right," Virion said, turning dramatically before disappearing into his room, leaving Hayato to sigh in relief.
The room was pretty spacious, with a bed, bookshelf, table, chair, pillows, and quilts—mostly what a student needed.
Hayato stood there, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow was the opening ceremony. And it seems, this year was going to be very long.
Even though the room looked clean, he needed it cleaned properly. So before bringing out his things from the item box, he called for his contracted spirit cum maid.
"Kursh," Hayato called out.
The red necklace on his neck shimmered—a long, faceted crystal pendant shaped like a narrow prism, with sharp edges and pointed tips at both ends—geometric and refined, like a diamond shard made from mana crystals—as a figure suddenly emerged from it.
A tall, beautiful sheep girl appeared, seemingly in her mid-twenties, with ruby-red eyes and long, flowing, beautiful black hair.
She wore a backless, stylish maid outfit in white and blue, its design both elegant and alluring. She hovered gracefully in the air.
"My, my, danna-sama. Is this going to be our new love nest?" asked Kursh, both hands covering her face in embarrassment as she twitched in place.
Sigh
Hayato couldn't help but sigh again.
Trivia:
1. Sumiko means longevity and beauty in Japanese. Aonami means blue wave.
2. In a historical context, danna-sama meant master. In modern usage, danna-sama is a very respectful way to say husband.
[Images]