"Hey… you guys wanna see the rest of the room?"
"No."
All three answered in perfect sync, without even looking at him.
Leon sighed dramatically, spinning the pen in his fingers like a man abandoned by his friends and forced to sulk in style.
That's when Caelir's sharp eyes caught sight of the pen.
"Wait a second... Leon, do you know what that pen is?" Caelir leaned forward, pointing.
"Huh? No idea. It was already here when I moved in." Leon twirled it again lazily.
Caelir's expression lit up like a scholar who just spotted a rare species.
"I think it's a mana pen. My dad's got one in his office. Let me see that."
Leon tossed him the pen, and Caelir scribbled on a piece of paper.
The ink flowed effortlessly.
"Yep, it's the real deal. A mana pen. You use your mana to write, and it doesn't need ink—ever. As long as it's not broken and you've got mana, it writes endlessly."
"Whoa, that's awesome!" Aaron's eyes gleamed. "Leon, bro, why don't you gift me that pen? I was just thinking I need a new one!"
"Aaron... do you even know how to write?" Reinhart deadpanned. "Even if you do, I'm pretty sure a regular pen will last you a lifetime—with ink left over."
Aaron visibly twitched. Why is he always targeting me...
Caelir added casually, "Also, these are pretty expensive. Around ten gold coins per pen."
Silence.
Mouths dropped open.
"TEN?! FOR A PEN?!" Aaron choked.
Reinhart's eyes sparkled. He was definitely calculating how many meals he could buy with that.
"Ahem. Leon," Reinhart suddenly said, switching to a smooth salesman tone,
"I recall I don't have a pen. At all. And this pen could greatly benefit me.
It uses mana, which could be physically stressful for you… so why don't you give this pen to me "
"Reinhart, do you even know how to use mana?" Aaron snorted.
Caelir nodded gravely.
"The pen does need mana control. It won't work otherwise."
"Huh—" Reinhart was gearing up for a brilliant retort when—
Leon just handed him the pen.
"...Eh?"
Reinhart blinked. Even the others looked shocked.
On the other hand, Leon was not too bothered by the pen, as this pen was created through his ability.
If he could create one by accident, then he could definitely make more in the future—once he learned how to properly use his ability.
Reinhart, still holding the pen in his hand, looked at it with deep emotion. Something about the gesture had touched him more than expected.
Maybe it was the way Leon had gifted it so casually, or maybe it was the warmth that lingered from the magic it was made with.
Either way, Reinhart decided this called for something special.
"Well, it's a happy occasion," he said with a grin, "so I'll deliver my special gossip just for you."
Leon immediately turned to him with a deadpan look.
"My aunt's father's sister's only brother swore that he had seen a—"
"…"
There he goes again.
Leon and Aaron had long since built up resistance to this tactic.
Reinhart's gossip was infamous for beginning with convoluted family trees and ending in utter nonsense. But Caelir… Caelir was still new.
His face contorted with visible confusion, his eyebrows scrunched together as if trying to untangle the absurd logic of the relation. "Wait… your uncle's what?" he mumbled.
Unfazed, Reinhart continued, "He swore he saw a man flying over the town he was in."
Caelir blinked. Then slowly, his expression shifted to one of realization. "Ohh, I see! Your uncle might've seen a Master Mage. Master Mages can fly in the sky, after all."
Aaron's jaw dropped. "What? Mages can fly?" He scratched his head in confusion. "I thought only wind mages could do that!"
Caelir shook his head with a knowing smile. "No, all mages can fly—but only after reaching a certain level. It's not about the element; it's about control and mana mastery."
Aaron, still processing, raised another question. "Then… can Grand Mages fly too? My homeroom teacher is a Grand Mage. Does that mean he can fly?"
Caelir chuckled. "Yes he can, Let me tell you about the mage classification system. That'll clear things up."
"The first level is Apprentice Mage. That's when you first awaken your element and start learning spells.
After that comes Novice Mage, then Adept Mage, Master Mage, Grand Mage, and finally, the legendary Archmage."
He continued, "You can always read more in the library if you're curious. But just so you know, mages can usually fly starting from the Master Mage rank."
The information hit the trio like a wave.
Aaron's eyes were wide, Reinhart had gone quiet (a rare sight), and even Leon, who was typically composed, looked a little surprised.
Caelir glanced at the time and sighed. "Well, I've already stayed longer than I should have." He straightened his uniform. "Got some things to take care of."
He gave a nod and a small wave. "Take care, all of you," he said before stepping out of the room.
Reinhart stretched. "Welp, time for me to get back too. I need to organize my desk again. Thanks for the pen, Leon." He gave him a wink before walking out.
Hearing the two leaving, Leon glanced at Aaron, who was still lounging comfortably on the bed like he owned the place.
Aaron, noticing Leon's gaze, turned his head and bluntly asked, "What?"
Leon, seeing his clueless expression, sighed and replied, "Nothing."
For a moment, the silence returned—only broken by the faint creak of the bed under Aaron.
Then, as if remembering something, Aaron suddenly sat up. "Ah right, I should head back to my room too. I've got some very important business to attend to."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Important business?"
Aaron stretched his arms and yawned exaggeratedly. "Yeah… very important. It's called sleep. My bed's been lonely without me."
Without waiting for a reply, he waved lazily and shuffled toward the door. "Don't miss me too much."
Leon watched as Aaron left the room, closing the door behind him.
Now alone in the cozy silence of his room, Leon stretched out on his bed. He had half a mind to visit the library… maybe read up on some spells or the academy layout… something productive.
But the bed was warm. Dangerously warm. And soft—way too soft.
"…I'll go later," he mumbled, sinking deeper into the mattress.
The bed seemed to hug him tighter, pulling him into its plush embrace. Within moments, Leon's eyes fluttered shut, and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.