I Refused To Be Reincarnated

No one answered the lady for a moment, then a soft creaking came from the luxurious chair behind the counter. Wood twisted into limbs, and pads swelled into a torso.

Quintella's pink eyes widened as the fabric turned into a long blue robe, and a human face formed from the backrest. Reflexively, she hid behind Adam, gripping his coat and blurting out, "The chair transformed into a man!"

The man chuckled, tucking locks of dark hair that had been decorative straps a second ago behind his ear. "Did the chair turn into a man, or did a man turn into a chair?" He raised a playful finger, his eyes curving. "Three pages about shapeshifting theories and their daily applications on my desk by tomorrow. Hahaha! Don't tense up so much, little lady. It's a joke—a joke."

"Spare us your infamous sense of humour, Matthew, and proceed with the registration." The lady waved, already stepping away, but not before nodding at Adam one last time. "I welcome you in advance, students. May wisdom guide your pursuit of magic."

"Thank you." Adam began to cup his fist in a cultivator salute. His pupils constricted when he realised what he was doing, and, mid movement, he brought a hand to his chest, the other behind his back, and gave her an elegant, noble bow while cursing the habit he developed in the Jin Long sect. "I hope we'll have chances to speak again, miss..."

"Astride," she answered, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I suggest you consider what you hope for carefully."

Adam watched her leave the building, a brow raised.

"She's right, student." Matthew leaned toward Adam, forcing him to snap his head back. "The college is not a place for hope and dreams, but to study. Astride prides herself on managing the disciplinary committee as its vice leader." His voice turned somber. "Which means meeting her officially is bad news—really bad news."

Frowning at Matthew's closeness, Adam stepped back. "Students learning in a college is a given," he started, crossing his arms over his chest. "But they aren't emotionless devices. To not dream of applying what they learn would defeat the initial purpose."

"Suit yourself if it helps you learn."

Matthew's shrug baffled Adam into temporary silence. The discussion was shut down just like that?

"The college staff are not conversation buddies. Believe whatever you want, but know that you'll be sanctioned for every unfinished task, every late arrival, and every wrong answer," Matthew snickered, extending his palm toward Adam, gaze piercing like needles, smile fading. "You'll discover how things work here soon enough, but first, the enrollment."

Behind Adam, Quintella raised a hesitant hand. Her voice slightly cracked through her forced smile, yet carried an undeniable hint of nascent courage and note of definitiveness. "Me first."

Adam met her gaze, seeing not naive eagerness, but the determination he had seen in Julius' eyes each time he had swung his wooden sword at dawn—the determination he had seen in his own eyes each time he felt himself weak, clueless, insufficient.

With a soft nudge and a bright smile, he let her shake Matthew's hand.

Instantly, Quintella gasped as sharp mana prickled her palm. A drop of blood pearled, vanishing into Matthew's bracelet. The ethereal window of the blood registry condensed from solidified mana, a seaside azure from Quintella and Adam's angle, but filled with records on Matthew's side. Origin, Prestige, each check-up from the first time in Port Vaelora—everything was laid bare.

"House Laurentius Lux Aeterna?" Matthew murmured, frowning. "A particle name that traces back to before the Great Resettlement, back when nobility was acquired through meritorious deeds. I thought they all disappeared..."

Something akin to interest lightened his dark eyes. "Alright, student Quintella. I see nothing wrong with your record. You only need to pass a few tests for me. Nothing too hard, don't worry. It's just to personalise your classes before we can proceed with payment."

Quintella clenched her fists, puffed her cheeks, and nodded. "I'm ready!"

Matthew handed her a crystal, the same one Julius had used decades ago to assess his mana and affinity. Quintella held it almost religiously against her chest as if to imbue it with her essence, even though she had never learned how to.

"Show me the stone." Matthew chuckled, and when she did, a slight frown creased his brows. Pink clouds floated around a lone string of mana. She was as weak as a newborn when it came to magic, but her affinity forced all traces of playfulness away from his tensing jaw. "Dream affinity." His voice was solemn. "The last record dates back to fourteen thousand years ago."

"D-Did I do well?" Quintella's stutter pulled him back to his playful character.

He gave her a genuine smile this time. Her affinity was too unique to overlook. "Not too shabby. In fact, I see great potential in you—enough to offer you a mentorship. Follow me, and we'll tread the path of knowledge together."

As Matthew stretched his palm, Adam stepped in front of Quintella, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse me, but don't you think it's inappropriate?" He glanced at the empty forms on the desk meaningfully. "We'll consider your offer though, and return with an answer after becoming actual students and experiencing campus life for a week."

But inside, he cursed about not wanting to deal with mentorship bullshits again.

"Right." Matthew scratched his head, handed Adam the crystal after wiping out Quintella's mana, then refocused on the girl. When he spoke, his voice sounded unusually gentle, like the chime of a bell.

"We can skip the second test since I doubt you've learned any spell yet, which is better in my opinion. You are unstained by wrong practices and habits, a blank page only awaiting the right mentor to guide you. But magic alone isn't enough. You need powerful muscles to progress, especially the heart, which needs to handle the strain of creating and supporting magic circles. So get down and give me as many push-ups as you can."

"Huh?" Quintella gasped while Adam's fist tightened around the crystal's smooth surface.

Unlike the magical world's academies that dismissed physical training, even viewing sweating nobles as a disgrace to their status, Brineheart's college seemed to emphasise it as much as actual magic. It made sense. He had learned about the magus wiping out mana cultivators. But not here. And by allying powerful physiques with devastating spells, the college formed an elite as dangerous as cultivators.

While he pondered, Quintella took position, palms pressing against the ground. She lowered her body, chest almost touching the cold tiles. With a determined huff, she pushed, muscles heating, veins throbbing. She rose a centimeter, then two... then collapsed, unable to support her weight.

Matthew shook his head, sighing. "You have much to learn..."

Adam reacted the same way, wondering if he should have enhanced her strength along with her beauty back when he cured her. Of course, he knew the answer—no.