Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable in this story. They are owned by Kore Yamazaki. I just play with her characters.

Author's Notes: One scene in this chapter was inspired by Chapter 48 of the manga. Spoiler alert.

Chapter 2: The School of Sorcery and Magecraft

Elias Ainsworth was not a morning person. So when his alarm clock rang at 7 am, he wondered why he had set it at that time in the first place, before knocking it down off of the side table to silence it. Ah, a meeting at 8. There was a faculty meeting today that he was asked to attend. It was far be it from him to refuse anyway. The school year was starting, and the agenda will probably be about the preliminary preparations. It was the same every year. While laying on his stomach, he stretched his back and arms then finally sat up from his bed. First, a shower, then breakfast.

He entered his bathroom, undressed, and switched on the shower, the heat of the water almost scalding to a normal human, but he always had high tolerance for heat. It was the cold that he was sensitive to, for some unknown reason. He proceeded to wash his body with soap, gently lathering his plum-colored skin. Then he used the same for his wolf-skull of a head and the two golden horns on top of it, his mind wandering to the classes he had to teach this year. He seemed to remember Renfred telling him he had an additional class to teach. A middle school level one, a basic introductory course for Magecraft. He breathed out a long and heavy sigh through the hollow of his snout. He deemed the whole thing troublesome. For the past ten years, he'd been teaching Magecraft in the College, but they were for the undergraduate levels, mature students who had deep-seated interest in the art itself and respected its delicate nuances. Teaching children—well, he never liked children in the first place—but this was like letting them play with fire, while he had to prevent an accident from happening. Just what was the College thinking? He didn't know, but he deemed himself already fortunate that he was allowed to teach anyway.

He stepped out of the shower in a bathrobe, feeling clean and more alert. Then he went to his kitchenette to prepare some tea and toast his bread. He tapped his fingers on the counter while waiting. When the two slices of bread popped out of the toaster, he quickly wolfed down on them, his English breakfast tea following after. Then he went to his wardrobe and donned his clothes: black trousers, a white oxford shirt topped with a black vest, and his black, embroidered robe. Afterwards, he gazed himself at the mirror, unsure of what to think of himself. Well, this was how he dressed everyday, and it was not as if he owned other styles of clothes. He grabbed his bolo tie and his red veil from his desk, and with magic, he put them on. Then he put his human glamour on: a man in his late twenties with red eyes and chest-length, wavy white hair. With one last look at the mirror, he left his quarters and started to make his way to the faculty building.

xxxx

"Thank you for telling me about your preparations for this school year. Well then, let us now move on to the last two items of our agenda for today."

Liza Quillyn, the Headmistress of the College, announced during the meeting attended by the faculty members of the College. At the start of the meeting, Elias already took note of who was present. There was Renfred, of course, because he taught Advanced Sorcery and was the Head of Research Labs. Narcisse Maugham for Languages. William Blake for History of Magic and Sorcery. Gideon Liones for Magical Theory, and Harriet Patrickson for Instruments and Artifice. Helga Ingrid for Ancient Runes, and Nile Walker for Magical Creatures. The ones absent were Sinatra Francisco for Astronomy and Annie Foster for Magecraft, the former being famously quite the nocturnal and the latter… well, Elias didn't know. Annie was also a Magus who teaches Magecraft like himself, and though they occasionally talked about their commonality, Elias never enquired much about her affairs.

But this was not the whole faculty of the College though, Elias mused. Simply put, they were the faculty for the middle school level. And he wondered why he was really there when he had been teaching undergraduates for ten years.

"As some of you may or may not know, Annie Foster, our professor for middle school Magecraft transferred to the American College. This has caused a revision in our curriculum as we currently lack the resource to handle the change. So, for this school year, middle school Magecraft classes will be suspended except for those who are in the final year. This will be handled by Professor Ainsworth." Quillyn stated and murmurs and whispers grew loud in the room. Elias himself was quite surprised. He already had a heads up from Renfred that he will be teaching an additional class this year, but the reason for it was not mentioned to him.

"Are you sure about that, Liza? You know the students in that middle school batch. Most of them are from the Seven Shields, heirs even. And you are putting them in Ainsworth's hands? Have you forgotten what he is?" Blake protested, his contempt blatant. He was always like that, never failing to show his disgust for the Magus. Still, Elias had to agree with him—he didn't even want to teach middle school level in the first place. But he had no right to refuse the Headmistress.

"I most certainly have not forgotten, William. Nonetheless, Professor Ainsworth has been teaching undergraduate Magecraft for ten years now with stellar results from his student evaluations. My decision is final, and I see no reason to worry about it." Quillyn calmly countered. The History of Magic and Sorcery professor was about to say something more, but Quillyn raised her hand to cut him off. "Now let's move on to our final agenda. I'm pleased to announce that the College has taken in a Sleigh Beggy child, both to provide protection and to further our studies. Professor Renfred, please take the lead."

Renfred stood up and began handing a sheet of paper to all the staff present. It was a profile of the Sleigh Beggy they were talking about, complete with a picture and basic statistics. Renfred then cleared his throat and began to explain, "As the Headmistress said, we have taken in a Sleigh Beggy child. Her name is Chise Hatori who is originally an orphan from Japan. She is fifteen years old and will be studying alongside students who are in the final year of middle school this year. Alexandra already did a basic preliminary check-up with her. Ms. Hatori's body hasn't started a breakdown yet, but she scored 97/100 at the Santorio magical output scale while conducting a crystal flower experiment…" Renfred paused and gasps of astonishment and shock filled the room. A 97 in the Santorio scale was quite a feat. Even Magi who were already Masters couldn't even achieve it from such a simple task as a crystal flower experiment. "Now, we have placed a magical binding on her made by a quality Artificer which would be enough to control the excessive discharge of her magical energy. However, we recommend everyone here to be cautious when dealing with her, especially those of us here who have laboratory exercises that require performing magic."

Elias looked at the profile of Chise Hatori with curiosity. A Sleigh Beggy, a being with an unlimited supply of magical energy? It was such a rare thing to encounter one in this world nowadays, more often because they die before they even reach adulthood. He wondered how the College found her. He then realized that she would be in his middle school Magecraft class. Did she have a Sight? That alone would make her very valuable to the Neighbors. She would have such ease and talent in doing Magecraft, a queen bee that could command worker bees. But there was something in her green eyes, Elias noted, that felt blank and lifeless.

"Well, does anybody have questions?" Renfred asked everyone in the room. A hand was raised, and Renfred immediately acknowledged it.

"What happens if her magical bindings stop working? I know it might not happen, but I just want to be ready. I have laboratory exercises in my subject." Harriet Patrickson enquired, her concern very rational. Her subject was Instruments and Artifice after all, and there students learn how to imbue magic to various tools and instruments.

"According to Alexandra, when she conducted the crystal flower experiment with Ms. Hatori, half of the floor of the infirmary was covered in a bed of crystal poppies. I suppose almost the same will happen at some point, should her magical binding stop working. With the excessive magic that she may release, potential harm may happen to her or to those around her. That is why we at the Research Labs stresses that you should be cautious with her. If such event happens, contact us and the infirmary right away." Renfred explained, and each professor nodded in agreement. "Any other questions?"

The room fell silent, and Elias knew that at last the long meeting was about to end. Quillyn said her final remarks and adjourned it. Everyone started to rise, and Elias folded the paper in his hand and stuffed it to his pocket. Finally, he was about to enjoy some free time again. What should he do? It was about time to borrow a new book from the library, perhaps another novel about humanity or a treatise on philosophy. But as he was exiting through the conference room door and when everyone was out of earshot, Renfred called out to him.

"Ainsworth."

Elias stopped in his tracks. He knew the tone of that voice, and in that instant he wished that he could just disappear into nothingness.

"We need to talk."

xxxx

"Over here, Chise!" Alice called out while waving her hand. Chise immediately turned to her and walked towards her direction. They had agreed to meet over for an early breakfast in the main education building's cafeteria on the first day of classes. To be honest, it was such a relief to Chise for she was feeling nervous ever since she got out of her bed. Seeing a familiar face before heading to classes, a terribly unfamiliar environment, seemed to have calmed her down.

"Looks like the uniform suits you well." Alice remarked as they sat down, placing their food trays on the table. Chise was wearing the College uniform of brown long-sleeved robe and a darker knee-length skirt.

"Thanks. I also wore a uniform back in Japan for junior high. So this feels nothing new somehow." Chise said as she sliced her sausage and stabbed it with her fork. She took notice of Alice's attire of black trousers and black oxford shirt though and decided to ask.

"Oh, those in high school don't wear the uniform anymore. Thank god, really! I hated that robe and skirt." Alice laughed, before taking a mouthful of baked beans. "So, do you know your schedule already?"

"Yes, Mr. Innis arranged it. I've got classes from 9 am until 4. Here let me show you." Chise rummaged in her backpack and found the piece of paper she was looking for. She handed it to Alice for her to see.

Alice looked at the paper as she was drinking her coffee. On it was a table indicating the class subject, time, room number, and professor. She scanned through the rows and noted nothing significant. History of Magic and Sorcery, Magical Theory, Instruments and Artifice, Ancient Runes, Magical Creatures, Astronomy, and Magecraft. Yup, they were normal middle school level subjects under the normal professors, alright—until she saw the name of the professor at the last row of the table. It was Ainsworth. She almost spit out the coffee she had in her mouth in shock.

"W-Why, what's wrong?" Chise expressed her concern on Alice's reaction.

"N-Nothing! It's just that you have a different Magecraft professor than I had." Alice mumbled almost incoherently, desperately trying to keep her thoughts to herself. Ainsworth teaching in middle school? She heard he was only allowed to teach undergraduates.

Chise looked at the name of the professor in the same row as the Magecraft class. "Hm? Elias… Ainsworth?"

"Y-Yeah. Have you never heard anything about him?"

Chise shook her head. Should she have? The few people she had contact with didn't say anything though. "Why? Is he a very strict and scary teacher?"

Alice bit her lip before she could divulge anything more. Strict, she didn't know. But scary? She remembered the goosebumps she had when she first heard the rumors about Ainsworth. "Well, more like it!" She scratched her head as she told a white lie, thinking that Chise will eventually hear about it some time too.

"Hmm. Mr. Innis seemed keen on making me take this Magecraft class though, with me being a Sleigh Beggy and all."

"Maybe you might like the class if Tory thinks you have talent in it." Alice handed back the paper to Chise then munched on her buttered toast.

"Did you like it when you took it?"

"No, I was hopeless in it! The Neighbors didn't like me at all. " Alice laughed and she began to tell tales of her mishaps in not just Magecraft but in all of her middle school classes. They ate together and talked until the school bell rang, signaling the start of their classes. Alice noted that the worry in Chise's eyes seemed to have faded, but a trace of nervousness still lingered around her. "Don't worry, Chise. You'll be fine." She said as she gently placed a hand on the Sleigh Beggy's head, before they parted ways.

Chise smiled, thankful for the warm contact that seemed to soothe her nerves. She didn't know why, but she felt like Alice was her friend now.

"Thanks, Alice."

xxxx

Chise stood with unease in front of the classroom door of History of Magic and Sorcery. She had already double-checked—no, triple-checked—her paper and the sign on the door to see if it was correct. Still, she can't make herself open the door. The students along the hallway began to disappear into their respective classrooms. It was really time to get inside. She breathed a sigh. Well, it was now or never…

"Oh, are you Ms. Hatori?"

Chise heard a male voice behind her and saw a man who had white hair and looked to be in his sixties. He was fat, had a round belly, and was wearing a suit made of brown tweed. He also towered over her like most people she had met so far. She also wondered how he knew her name.

"Professor Blake. Of History of Magic and Sorcery. The staff was briefed on your arrival." The man extended his right hand as he introduced himself, and Chise took it. It was clammy, but he had a firm grip. "Now go on, it's time for class." Blake patted her back and moved past her to open the door. Chise followed close after, and as soon as they both entered the room, the chatter of the students died down.

"Alright, settle down." Professor Blake instructed and the students who were standing returned to their own respective seats obediently. Chise though felt rooted to the spot where she was standing in in front of the class. She didn't know what she should do. Professor Blake looked at her for a moment before he addressed the class again. "Now, I know all of you already, and you know me. We have though a new student who will be a part of your batch. Ms. Hatori, if you could please introduce yourself."

"Um…" Chise started but couldn't form the words. Every student was looking at her, and she felt her palms sweat. She then took a deep breath, remembering how she did self-introductions in her junior high before. "I… I'm Chise Hatori. I'm fifteen years old. I'm from Japan. Pleased to meet all of you." She bowed deeply as she said her last line, but as she did the contents from her backpack came out and fell to the floor. The whole class laughed as she scrambled to pick up her books, notebooks, and pens from the floor. Chise felt her face turn red, she must have forgotten to zip her bag shut when she was eating breakfast with Alice.

"Come on, enough everyone. Enough." Professor Blake chided while helping Chise pick up some of her things. When they were finished, he told her, "Go find a seat, dear. And we'll begin."

Chise nodded and looked around the classroom for an empty seat. The class seating was different from what she was used to in Japan. Instead of having individual desks and chairs per student, the desks were grouped per two. She found empty seats beside some students but as she walked nearer, they gave her the impression that they didn't want her to sit beside them. She was already at the center of the aisle when she saw a blonde boy wave his hand.

"This one's free." He told her, gesturing to the seat beside him. The seat was at the very back, but Chise didn't mind. He was wearing a warm smile, unlike the others, and it was enough invitation for her to go to him.

"My name's Lian." The boy extended his hand for a handshake, as Chise sat down. She took it, and Lian smiled again looking straight to her eyes. "Lian Scrimgeour. It's nice to meet you, Chise."

Chise nodded and smiled back, feeling a lot better despite her previous embarrassment. "It's nice to meet you too, Lian."

Professor Blake was doing a roll call and the other students were raising their hands and confirming their attendance. When he was finished, Professor Blake began writing on the whiteboard. "Now, the Second Great War, can anyone here tell me what they know about it?"

Everyone opened their notebooks and began to write. Chise did the same, and though she felt that the school day didn't start out right for her, she looked back at Lian and began to think that it might not be that bad after all.

xxxx

It turned out that Lian Scrimgeour was in all her classes. She learned this when they exchanged their class schedules list, after their History of Magic and Sorcery class was finished. Chise felt immensely relieved, realizing that she finally has known at least one acquaintance. For the rest of her classes, she sat beside Lian who didn't seem to mind that she was always near him. She deemed that he was very nice, polite, and friendly. During lunchtime at the cafeteria, he also introduced her to some of their classmates that he knew. She met the St. George twins, Isaac Fowler, Veronica Rickenbacker, Philomela Sargent, and Zoey Ivy. They all greeted her warmly, but she had a feeling that they were wary of her, the new girl. As the day went on, she decided not to mind it though. It was always like this, even in Japan when she would be passed from one relative to another and she had to transfer to different schools. She always felt ostracized, never mind the terrifying creatures who always tried to bother her enough that she was perceived as having a tantrum or a fit. Still, she surmised that at least, in the College, that one aspect was gone now. The strange creatures she saw here did not scare her anymore, and even if they did, no one would chastise her now by being so.

Soon it was the last class of the day: Magecraft. On the way to the classroom, Lian told her how much he wanted to take this class. Chise told him that she was looking forward to it too, but she kept quiet about the fact that she was a Sleigh Beggy. When they reached and entered the classroom, everything was different though. Instead of desks and chairs, there were ten high tables, each with one unlit candle in the middle. The few students who were already there were standing awkwardly and silently in the middle of the room, their bags neatly placed at the back.

"The two of you make it ten. I guess that's it then." A deep male voice resonated from the far corner at the back of the classroom. Chise looked up to find the owner of that voice and her eyes fell on a tall, slender man who had long white, wavy hair and was wearing nothing but black garments. The man, who used to be leaning on the wall when they walked in, motioned to the front of the classroom. He looked at both Lian and Chise with a smile. "Go on. We'll be starting shortly."

Lian and Chise nodded and they joined the group of students who were standing in the middle of the room. The man cleared his throat to get everybody's attention, and then he started, "Good afternoon, middle schoolers. I am Elias Ainsworth, your teacher for this Magecraft class. I doubt we'll be encountering each other outside of the classroom often, but it is still nice to meet all of you." Elias paused for a moment, scanning each faces of his students. "To be a Sorcerer requires a lot of natural talent. But to become a Magus requires even more. The core of this talent relies on your ability to form an affinity with the Neighbors, or the Fae. Both Magecraft and Sorcery involve manipulation of magical energy, so theoretically, it is not impossible for a Sorcerer to be able to cooperate with the Fae. But remember this: each Fae has their own personality much like how all of you have. They will not do everything for you, but to be an effective Magus you must learn how to utilize their power.

"Well, this may be difficult to imagine at first, so for today, we will do a practical lesson. I have enlisted the help of some of the Fae living in the College." Elias said, and as if on cue, eight magical creatures appeared beside him. Four were salamander-looking and they sat on Elias' shoulders, some on his head; the other four were female fire sprites, small but floating mid-air with trails of fire. The whole class gasped in awe at the sight of them. "Some of you may be suited for Magecraft. Some may be not, but the easiest way to find out is to actually try it."

A hand rose from the students who were gathered in front of Elias. It was Violet St. George, and Elias turned to her direction to acknowledge her. "Professor, have these Fae been living in the College all along?"

"Of course, they do. They do not favor the same places and often keep to themselves, but they are indeed in the College." Elias answered. "Any other questions?" Elias waited for three seconds, and no student raised their hand anymore. He then walked to the nearest high table at the front. "Very well. The task for this practical lesson is to light a candle using a Fae's help. Let me show you a demonstration."

He then took a deep breath as he stilled himself. He had done this type of introductory lesson for ten years with ease and no incidents, but they were for undergraduates—older students who were careful with his instructions. He didn't know why, but he had a nagging feeling in his gut that something might happen today. Nonetheless, he was determined to continue. He beckoned the orange salamander Fae on his shoulder to travel to his right forearm. Then he held it close to his human face, the salamander fae welcoming it and almost kissing his forehead. "Nettles in the shadows, a wheel of hollies," He started with his own incantation, his concentration unwavering as he slowly released a fraction of his own magic. "Bless me with a gentle blaze, light my path with your flame."

The salamander fae then responded by nodding its head to the direction of the candle wick and lighting it up with a tender fire. The whole class gawked in wonder at such a simple feat. This was after all the first time they saw an actual Magus in action. All their previous Magecraft classes before were just centered on theory.

"So that's how it's done. I used my own incantation, but you don't really have to right now, since the task is just simple. I have prepared several candles, so spread out and find one. Remember, if the fae displays signs of disapproval, just give up and do not offend them. There is no use forcing your way into a Magus's power." Elias instructed, and the students immediately dispersed to their respective high tables. The Fae too spread out, as Elias stayed in the middle of the room to be able to observe diligently. This was the part that was too dangerous to be careless with.

Chise chose a table at the far back of the room. A small female fire sprite hovered over the candle with a smile on her face. "Hello, there. It's nice to meet you." Chise started, unsure of how to greet the small fae without offending her.

"Aren't you quite the find? It's been a while since I've seen or talk to a Sleigh Beggy. Centuries even." The fire sprite revolved around her, so quickly that Chise's eyes found it hard to follow her.

"Y-You know what I am?"

"Of course, I do. All of us do. The lovely scent of your magic draws us in. Too bad yours are bound though, but we can still smell you." The fire sprite landed on the thick, black, metal magical binding wrapping Chise's left wrist.

"Do you have a name then?" Chise asked as she lifted the fire sprite close to her face, remembering how Professor Ainsworth did in his demonstration.

"Ooh, you sure are a kind one. That makes you more attractive, Sleigh Beggy. Ten times that bonehead has asked me to come do this, but you are the first to ask my name." The fire sprite leaned to kiss Chise's forehead as a thanks. It was warm due to her flames, but also fleeting like a feather momentarily touching her skin. "My name's Bael."

"I'm Chise. Chise Hatori. I'm pleased to meet you, Bael." She said with a smile. Then she looked at the candle, remembering the task at hand. "Um… can you please light the candle for me?"

"Easy peasy. And here I thought you'd never ask, dear Robin." With a flick of her small hand, Bael lit the candle with a gentle flame.

Chise sighed in relief. Her task was finally complete. So, it wasn't as hard as she thought at all. It was like talking to someone of higher status, or a complete stranger you'd like to ask for help from. She just had to watch her words and be respectful with regard to her request. Just as Professor Ainsworth said. She then felt a presence behind her, and a hand patted her shoulder. It was the man she was thinking of himself.

"Excellent work." Professor Ainsworth remarked with a smile, while looking straight at her green eyes. Chise blushed at the praise, half of her knowing that she owed it to the fact that she was a Sleigh Beggy.

"You bonehead! If you had told us that there'd be a Sleigh Beggy here, then many of us would've answered to your invitation, you know." Bael flew close to Professor Ainsworth's face and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I only need a few of you. And I don't need all of you flocking towards her." Professor Ainsworth spoke to the fire sprite, albeit with a familiar bantering tone.

Chise shifted uncomfortably, noticing that the two were talking about her in third person when she was there with them. She then realized something from their brief banter. "Um… you know too?" She asked Professor Ainsworth hesitantly.

"I've been… alerted about your condition, Ms. Hatori. All the staff have been—"

"Hey, come on! What the hell is wrong with you? Would it kill you to just help me a little? Are you really sure you're a fae and not just some lizard with a funny paint jo—"

It all happened in an instant. Elias immediately pushed to the ground the student who was mocking the salamander fae for it grew twenty times its size and threw a huge blazing fireball. Elias took the brunt of the flames, feeling his human face scorch so hard he had to revert to his refined wolf-skull form. When the salamander finished breathing fire and was about to do a second one, he immediately grabbed it by its neck. "Enough! You've already avenged yourself. Return to your original form." Elias commanded, voice deep and growling, and the salamander complied and returned to its original size.

Elias breathed out a heavy sigh. His gut instinct was right. Something horrible did happen today. The good thing was he was there to prevent further damage. He looked around and saw the student who mocked the salamander trembling and crying. Elias didn't care to ask his name anymore, knowing that he would never come back to his class ever again. The Magecraft professor looked around to find all his students staring at him. Then he touched his face, realizing he was still in his refined wolf-skull form. "I want to keep the chatter to a minimum, so I use a human glamour. Yes, this is what I look like normally. Don't worry, I'll turn back soon."

Elias turned his back for a good three seconds, and his face was suddenly human again. The whole class was still silent, whether due to the accident or his wolf-skull, he didn't know. But he took it as a good opportunity to say his thoughts. "Now you've observed what happens when you anger the Fae. Many Magi have met their ends this way. Those who think they have the affinity for this, raise your hand. Everyone else, find another class to replace Magecraft. I trust that I don't need to explain why. Today's lesson is over."

Every student shuffled their feet, their shock from the class' incident still on their minds. Still, they took their bags from where it was placed at the back of the classroom, and one by one exited. Chise too felt like she was in a daze. She looked at Lian who looked unusually sad and disappointed. She was about to ask him what was troubling him, but he exited the room immediately without a word. Now it was just her and Professor Ainsworth in the room. He was leaning on the blackboard with his arms crossed while looking at the floor. He didn't even notice when she was a few feet in front of him.

"Um… are you hurt?" Chise asked, her worry more evident than her hesitation to ask. When Professor Ainsworth looked up to her with a raised eyebrow, she suddenly stammered, "I-I mean, you took a great hit of—of that fire and…"

"I'm quite fine, Ms. Hatori. Thank you for your concern." Professor Ainsworth wore a quizzical look but still smiled at her. Then his head turned upwards, wondering if he should say what he wanted to say. She will be reminded, but… "Bones… do not burn so easily." There, he said it anyway.

"Right. I'm glad." Chise answered back, finally understanding what he meant. "Thank you for the lesson. See you next time, Professor Ainsworth." She said to him warmly, before exiting the Magecraft classroom completely.

It took him a while to digest what she had said, and when he did, a small smile spread across Elias's human face. Next time. So she was continuing to study Magecraft. That Sleigh Beggy. He didn't know why, but he felt relieved. And after the incident that had just happened today, it was a welcome feeling for him.

xxxx

Additional Notes: Some names of the professors and their respective subjects were made up by me. The manga does not fill you in much on that, so I used my imagination. Elias' classroom scene though was inspired by the manga. I just tweaked and tuned it up a bit to fit this story. Also I'm modeling this story's College education system like a normal school: six years of primary, three for middle, and three for high school. Then the undergraduate lasts for four years. I just think it's easier to do it that way. I think it is different in the manga, though I don't really remember how it works there.

How is this story so far? Feel free to drop a review to share your thoughts. Thanks for reading!

BlueNachturne: thank you for your kind review in Chapter 1. You were the first to do so, and I appreciate it.