Chapter 67: I Made New Friends
“Phew… that was quite an intense class, wasn’t it?”
After the Introduction to Magic class concluded, Viola stretched both arms up towards the ceiling. Ms. Carder’s lessons were relentless; if one let their guard down, she would immediately throw a question their way.
“Still, it was easy to understand, right? She really paid attention to the students,” Primula chimed in from the seat next to her. For the diligent and studious Primula, Ms. Carder’s high-level class seemed to be quite enjoyable.
“Yeah, I think so too. If she didn’t keep a close eye on the students, she wouldn’t be able to catch them off guard,” Ruid added. The fact that she pointed out students who were slacking off indicated just how observant she was. She answered questions accurately and clearly had prepared the lesson content well. She was probably a good teacher in her own right.
“The next class is ‘Magic Acquisition.’ We should hurry since it’s a moving classroom,” Yuri said, standing up from her nearby seat and urging Rest and the others to follow. This next class was also a required subject, focusing on acquiring new spells.
Rest, Viola, Primula, and Yuri moved together to a different classroom. The new classroom was the Magic Laboratory, a spacious room reminiscent of a science lab. Several rectangular tables were set up, and they chose one to sit at. After a short while, other classmates began to gather, filling the chairs in the classroom.
“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”
“Pardon me.”
Two students, a boy and a girl, approached the table where Rest and the others were seated. Their names were…
“Ruid Jistal and Jewel Ezel, right?”
“Just call me Ruid. We’re classmates, after all.”
“You can call me Jewel…”
“Got it. I’m Rest.”
“I’m Viola Rosemary.”
“Primula Rosemary here.”
“And I’m Yuri Cattleya. Just Yuri is fine.”
They introduced themselves in turn to the new classmates.
“Oh, of course I know you. The Rosemary and Cattleya families, right? It’s quite the combination. If Crocus were here, we’d have the trifecta of politics, swordsmanship, and magic all in one place,” Ruid said with a cheerful laugh. He was a boy with short chestnut hair and a refreshing appearance. He wore earrings and had a lively, slightly mischievous aura about him.
“R-Ruid, that’s a bit rude, don’t you think?” Jewel, on the other hand, was a girl with long, wavy gray hair and glasses. She had an introverted and generally quiet demeanor, with freckles dotting her nose.
“Are you two acquainted? You seem pretty close,” Rest asked.
“Hey, come on… don’t say that,” Ruid replied, waving his hand dismissively.
“Well… if you say I’m close with Ruid, it’s a bit uncomfortable for me,” Jewel added, her expression souring slightly.
Both of them made faces of distaste simultaneously, which seemed oddly in sync to Rest.
“We just happen to have neighboring territories. Childhood friends… or maybe it’s better to say we have a complicated relationship?” Ruid explained.
“Ruid has been bullying me since we were kids. He’s really mean,” Jewel complained.
“W-What? Bullying? I just showed you the bugs I caught! It’s your fault for always locking yourself in your room and reading books all the time…” Ruid retorted.
“Doing things that the other person dislikes is bullying. Ruid can’t seem to understand other people’s feelings,” Jewel shot back.
“Ah… I think I understand your relationship now,” Rest said with a wry smile. They had a strange dynamic, reminiscent of the cat-and-mouse relationships often seen in American cartoons.
“So, you’re the Rosemary Sisters and your fiancé, right? That’s the talk of the town. The beautiful sisters from a family of magicians getting close to a guy,” Ruid remarked.
“Yes, that’s right. Rest is our fiancé,” Viola declared, wrapping her arms around Rest’s in a show of affection.
“We’re very close,” Primula added, doing the same from the other side.
It seemed the conversation had drawn the attention of other students around them, as a collective sigh of envy rippled through the nearby tables.
“Oh, what’s this about?” Jewel asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Well… Viola, you should know that all the boys in this class have been eyeing you two,” Jewel said hesitantly.
“Many students in the Magic Department aspire to become court magicians. They’re interested in the Rosemary family, known for being a prestigious family of magicians. When they found out the famous sisters were in the same year, I’m sure many wanted to get closer to you,” she explained.
“Ah… so that’s why they were concerned about our relationship with Rest,” Viola said with a wry smile. Primula also looked slightly troubled.
Many students in the Magic Department had likely been vying for the attention of the Rosemary Sisters. They must have been shocked and disheartened when they saw the sisters appear on the first day, arm in arm with a boy.
“It’s a bit embarrassing to think of myself as a trophy…” Rest admitted.
“We should continue to stick with Rest. We need to make it clear who belongs to whom,” Primula said, tightening her grip on Rest’s arm.
The despair emanating from the boys around them intensified.
“You three really get along well; it’s almost enviable,” Yuri commented, watching them with a smile.
“I want a wonderful husband soon too. Is there a good man out there somewhere?” she mused.
“““““…………!””””””
Yuri’s bombshell statement sent ripples of commotion through the surrounding boys. While the Cattleya family may not be as renowned as the Rosemary family, they were still a respected noble house. Many students from noble backgrounds likely hoped to connect with the Cattleya family.
“Y-Yuri…”
“Looks like Yuri has a lot to learn,” Jewel said, her face flushed, while Viola sighed in exasperation.
“Cattleya, you’re not taken, are you…?” one boy wondered aloud.
“Since I have an older brother, marrying into the family is out of the question, but connecting with the Cattleya family would be significant…” another boy mused.
“Ah, ah, Yuri, you’re so adorably foolish and charming…” one boy sighed dreamily.
The chaos sparked by Yuri’s comment spread like ripples throughout the classroom, and it didn’t settle down until the class began.