an illusion of mind

so far things were going normally, it's been a month since school started, things were going normally, students were given different choices of different classes to pick from the ones that suited them, they still had to attend homeroom of course, and the other mandatory classes like combat class and magic theory.

Regina picked magic classes, there were no illusion ones, and she hadn't picked any weapon specific classes like swords arts classes or spear arts classes, she was already adept at using all and any weapons.

and by all I mean all weapons.

"so, what did you pick?" Regina asked Adam who was just resting his head on his hand.

"just some history ones and general weapon arts, there weren't any dual daggers specific ones." he said without looking at her.

"well I picked magic theory and sorcery class, I also picked the general weapon arts class, so it looks like we'll be meeting a lot more." she said.

at that Adam turned to her, "you're a sorcerer?" he asked his tone slightly surprised.

"nah, I just want to learn about sorcery despite not having the ability for it." she shrugged and smiled.

"what about magic class, do you also just want to learn about magic? I thought you were a close range fighter..." Adam said curiously looking at here resting his chin on his hand.

"oh, that? no, I'm an actual mage, I'm just good in close range with any weapons." she shrugged happily and started talking about some random stuff.

but that's not what Adam focused on, 'I'm not a close range fighter.' these words reverberated in his head for a long time until he was broken out of his stupor by Regina waving her hand in front of him.

"you okay?" she asked.

"yeah, I was just thinking..."

"alright..." she gave him a strange look before she started speaking again, "anyways as I was saying..."

she beat me in close combat despite being a mage? me a fighter that specialized in close range combat was beaten by her, a mage?

his face was showing anger, but his anger wasn't directed at anyone in particular, but at himself, he was angry at himself for being so weak.

I can't lag behind... I need to get stronger...

"hey! you're not listening again..." she called out to him and pouted when he noticed her.

"oh sorry, I was just thinking again..."

"what are you thinking about to be so deeply in thought?" she tilted her head curiously and Adam just chuckled at that.

"you don't have to worry about that." he said waving her off.

"come on tell me!" she prodded at him, and he just chuckled.

"I'm not telling you. so give up."

"ugh! so infuriating... fine, you win." she said crossing her arms and turning away.

"just know that I'm not happy that you're ignoring me so much..." she said pouting.

"come on don't be sad." he smirked poking her sides which caused her to yelp, she glared at him angrily but there was no real heat behind her glare.

"jerk..." she mumbled under her breath.

"what was that?" he asked leaning in closer and cupping his ear.

"nothing..."

Rica watched them bicker from the side, she gritted her teeth and turned away, they looked like a cute couple, and Rica remembered how she defended him back then, how she was angry over him.

alas she could do nothing about it but bite her tongue and ignore it.

"whatever..."

"so what did you pick...?" Arron spoke from the side awkwardly trying to tone down the awkward atmosphere, Rica had been glaring at Adam for a long time now, 'what's with her?' Arron thought to himself, lately she's been glaring at Adam more often, 'it's like she's obsessed...'

"haaa~ I picked war strategy class, and history class, for combat I picked sword arts..." she let out a long sigh and tried to forget about the bastard who was tricking a pure girl like Regina.

they had two requirements, they had to pick at least one combat related class and then they were free to pick three other classes of their own choice.

"oh, well I picked sword arts classes too so we'll be seeing each other often, and for the others I just picked randomly." he srhugged.

at this Rica stared at him blankly, "you what? why would you ever do that?" she said grabbing his shoulders forcing him to look at her.

"w-what is it bad?"

"it is! first of all if you picked randomly you might have picked a hard class that could ruin your chances at staying in the royal class you idiot! and second of all you should have picked a class that you can get good grades in!" she slapped her face letting go of him, "such an idiot!"

Arron just scratched the back of his head, "well, how was I supposed to know that?"

"by asking literally anyone! you could have asked mister grey!" she yelled at him, she let out a long sigh before shaking her head.

"you're such an idiot..."

"... sorry..." he just shrugged.

"hey, what's up guys, what's going on?" David asked approaching them.

"this idiot..." she said glaring at him "picked random classes without checking what they are!"

"... that's... yeah that's totally stupid and idiotic why would you do that?" David said laughing awkwardly.

"... you picked random classes too..." David lowered his head in shame, Rica slapped face again and shook her head, "I'm surrounded by idiots..."

sorcery class.

Regina sat down in sorcery class, waiting for other students to join in, so far she had seen two students from the royal class, one is surprisingly Evelyn, the archduke's daughter and the other is Lina sylva, from the famous magic family that specializes in elemental magic of the silver element.

this was surprising too, because usually mages are not on good terms with sorcerers, and having a girl from a famous magic family attend this class isn't exactly common to see.

after a while the teacher finally opens the door and walks in, "hello class, my name is Sofia Morita and you can just call miss Sofi." she was a brown haired woman that had her hair tied up in a pony tail, her eyes were brown and she had a kind smile on her face.

"I am going to be you're sorcery instructor from here on out." she said smiling warmly.

"to begin the class I will have all of you write down what ability you possess in paper sheet, that way I can gauge how I can help instruct each one of you on how you can improve on it." she said before several sheets floated up from her desk and were handed over to each student in the rows of seats.

miss Sofi sat down on her chair and waited.

after about 5 minutes the sheets flew up from the students and floated up towards miss Sofi again, "that should be about enough time for you to have wrote down your abilities." she said her eyes roaming over the white paper sheets and then she frowned, she brought up a single paper sheet and looked at it.

"Regina Pectos from the royal class." she said looking between the students and the paper sheet.

"present." Regina raised her hand up.

"yeah, I know, but would you mind telling me why your paper sheet is blank?" she said turning the paper towards the class showing an empty surface.

"oh well that's simple, it's because I don't have an ability miss Sofi." Regina said simply, several heads turned towards her.

"then what is she doing here?"

"I heard she's a mage, did she come here to cause trouble?"

"I know she's from the royal class, but they can't just let her go into the sorcery class without a special ability!"

miss Sofia tapped the desk silencing the class, "then Regina Pectos would you mind telling me what you're doing in the sorcery class without an ability?" she tilted her head to the side, she didn't seem angry just curious and a little suspicious.

"well, I was just curious about sorcerers you see, they are so much different from mages and I was curious how they do it." Regina said simply smiling.

"hmm~ but I can't give you a good grade without a special ability, this class is for sorcerers you see." she said shrugging, "so I'm gonna have to kick you out, sorry." she said.

"but teach! couldn't you make an exception?" Regina whined like a child, some students frowned at this behaviour but they didn't say anything.

"no exceptions, to be in the sorcery class you need an ability, sorry." she said shrugging.

"come on! pretty please~ just make an exception this once please~" Regina held her hands forward and pleaded with the teacher, who finally relented.

"fine, if you answer these couple of questions I have then I will let you stay and give you high grades even." she said.

Regina brightened up and her smile widened, "thank you teach!" she said.

several students frowned deeply at this, allowing a mage into the sorcery class, was she crazy???

"I will allow you to stay in the sorcery class, if and only if you solve this problem on the board here." the teacher moved a smaller black board to the front of the class.

"that's..." a student from the side's eyes widened when he saw the problem, "it's the mana poisoning problem... at the port city of Helmfirth..."

"mana poisoning? is it the mana leakage from the sea monsters?" a student asked.

"yeah... the fish import and export had been getting delayed because the sea water had become polluted with the mana poisoned blood of sea monsters... the fish were either dying or becoming sea monsters of their own..."

"is it because of that new dungeon opening up in the dark depths? if that's the case no way she can solve this..." another student asked.

Regina got up and approached the black board and looked at it for a few moments, "I can solve this."

"that's what I thou-" she blinked turning to Regina again double checking, "you can what?!"

"yeah, I can solve this, it's gonna take me a second though." Regina put a hand on her chin and looked at the black board intently.

this was supposed to stop me from having my fun in the sorcery class? haha! as if~

"Regina I think it's time you stop joking around." miss Sofi said putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not joking around teach, this is easy enough." Sofi, was taken aback as Regina slapped her hand away, she seemed concentrated as if she is absorbed into the equation on the black board.

then she picks up a chalk piece and starts writing on the board.

after a while Regina pulls away, and there written in a neat line of text was a formula.

"what is this...?" Sofia approached the board cautiously looking at the formula.

"that is an alchemical solution, use 25 ml per cubic meter of water, so you will have to need a ton of this stuff to fully cure the sea side or the area around the dungeon, you need to take care of that dungeon before another break happens and more bodies end up littering the ocean floor."

"what is this solution gonna do?" Sofia asked, she wasn't an alchemist nor a mage, she was a sorceress, she didn't know any of this stuff.

"it will purify the water of the mana poisoned blood." she said simply holding up a finger.

"now can I stay in this class." Regina said smiling.

"wait here, I need to confirm this with an alchemist." Sofia narrowed her eyes on Regina and walked out of the classroom.