“Ethan, I’ll ask you straight, are you perhaps feeling depressed?” Henry asked with a smile.
Currently, Ethan was seated in the conference room of the Dud Manor, with a few of its residents in attendance.
“... Yes,” Ethan replied. “It’s hard being different.”
Henry, and the rest of the members of Dud Manor nodded their heads in understanding. They had been paying close attention to Ethan for the past few days, and knew that he was feeling the same feeling they had in the past.
“What you’re feeling right now is very normal,” Henry said. “I won’t tell you to ignore this feeling because as you spend your time here in the Academy, this feeling will only grow stronger with each passing day. Seeing your classmates use Magic, when you’re Magicless is the worst thing ever.
“However, you shouldn’t fret too much because the Dud Manor is here for a reason. Behold, our First Year handy, dandy artifact set!”
Henry placed several things on top of the table and gave Ethan a mischievous smile. The first thing he picked up was a white pearl, and placed it on the palm of his hand.
“Watch closely, Ethan,” Henry said as he presented the white pearl to the young man, who was wondering what his Head Prefect was trying to do.
“Lux Aeterna!”
Immediately, the white pearl lit up and slowly rose upwards until it hovered above Henry’s head, illuminating his surroundings.
“This is a consumable item that can be bought using 1 Gold Coin or 10 Merit points in Terra Manor,” Henry explained. “Now, you might ask, since Wizards can use magic, what’s the point of using these consumable items?
“Well the answer is really simple. There are times when even Wizards and Witches run out of Magic Power. When that happens, they rely on these items in order to cast the basic spells, especially when they are out on a mission.
“This White Pearl’s light can last up to two hours, and you can use it sparingly if you like. Just like a light bulb that you can switch on and off. Pretty nice, right? Although it’s a bit costly, having it around will make you feel that you are casting magic yourself.”
Henry then waved his hand and the White Pearl flew towards the handsome teenager, circling around him like a firefly before landing back in Henry’s palm.
“The next item on the agenda is this Magic Water Flask,” Henry said as he presented a cup-sized water container. “Contrary to how it looks, this thing can actually store up to twenty gallons of water. Wizards and Witches that are doing field missions always carry one or two of these things. This cost 5 Gold Coins, or 50 Merit Points. You can get it from the Eques Manor.”
After placing the water flask on the table, Henry picked up a red wand and held it up for Ethan to see.
“This is what we call a Fire Stick,” Henry explained before pointing it in a direction.
A moment later, a thin flame shot out from the tip of the Fire Stick, similar to that of a flame thrower.
Ethan’s eyes widened in shock because this was the first time he saw something that could actually shoot out flames like magic.
“This one costs around 10 gold coins, or 100 Merit Points,” Henry stated. “As you may already know, not all wizards are blessed with Fire Magic. So having this around can easily help you light a campfire. It is also a consumable item.
“”If you use it sparingly, it is possible to make it last for three to four months. If you use it all the time, it can only last one to three weeks. Still, it’s a good item that every Wizard and Witch should have.”
Henry showed Ethan a few more items, making the young man look at them as if they were priceless treasures. His expression made everyone in the Dud Manor smile because they had the exact same reaction when these items were first introduced to them.
“Although these things are at most cheap tricks and imitations, for us Duds, they are a Godsend,” Henry said softly. “So, as your Prefect. I am giving all of these to you free of charge. Put them to good use, and use them however you see fit.”
Ethan, who had been gifted all of these wonderful items, looked at his Head Prefect and wondered if he was an angel in disguise.
“Thank you, Henry,” Ethan replied. “I will treasure them.”
“Remember this, Ethan,” Henry patted the young man's shoulder with a smile. “It is only during the darkest of nights do we see the brightest stars. There are many other cool things being sold by the students in this Academy. Some of them want to earn some money, while others prefer Merit Points.
“If you don’t find anything good being sold at the other Manors, you can head over to the Magical Trinket Club House. That is the place where creative Wizards and Witches gather. In fact, one of our companions here is the Vice-President of that very same club.”
Henry pointed at an angelic looking beauty with short, pinkish-red hair that was almost maroon in color.
She was considered the flower of Dud Manor, and she was only older than Ethan by a few months.
Her name was Luna.
According to Henry, Luna wasn’t technically a Dud. Her magic was very strong. It was so strong that she could fight a Quatro of Wizards and Witches on her own.
However, there was one problem.
She could only use her Magic on the days of the full moon.
Aside from those days, she was just like a normal person, unable to wield magic. Because of this, the Professors decided to put her in Dud Manor as a special case.
“Luna, can you help Ethan get acquainted with your club members?” Henry asked. “Also, if you don’t mind, can you please give him some discounts on your latest products?”
Luna blinked once then twice before the complexion of her face slowly became beet red.
“Aiyah… I forgot, she’s actually a shy person around new people.” Henry scratched his head. “It can’t be helped. The two of you should get better acquainted so you won’t be too embarrassed to talk to each other. After all, we are in the same Manor, so you will see each other more often than not.”
Luna shyly nodded before giving Ethan a side-long glance. After seeing that the blue-haired boy was looking at her, she immediately lowered her head, and looked at her lap, not daring to meet Ethan’s gaze.
‘J-Just what is this adorable creature?’ Ethan couldn’t help but feel that he wanted to protect the shy girl, who was making him feel over protective. ‘Is this part of her Magic as well? I’m pretty sure that today is not the full moon…’
Henry, who saw Ethan’s reaction, chuckled before whispering something in the handsome young man's ear.
“She will no longer feel shy around you when the two of you get acquainted,” Henry whispered. “Just be careful though. She has a lot of fans in the academy who are determined to protect her smile. If they see you as a threat, they might eliminate you.’
Ethan felt his heart shudder after hearing Henry’s warning. But, after thinking about it, it all makes sense because Luna looked like a very delicate girl, that anyone would want to protect.
Truth be told, he wanted to get close to the shy angelic lady, who could probably melt the heart of others if she smiled.
However, after hearing Henry’s warning, he decided to not get too close to her in fear that he would be attacked by the young lady’s fans club, who were overprotective of the Dud Manor’s little flower.
Luna was indeed a beauty.
Her angelic features had made every member, including the ladies of Dud Manor, want to spoil and protect her at all cost.
Although she wasn’t necessarily a Dud, her unique magical ability was something that could only be used on the days of the full moon. Because of this, the Headmaster of the Academy, Professor Rinehart decided to place her in Dud Manor where she felt welcomed by everyone there.
Now, this same angelic beauty was taking Ethan to their club house that specialized in creating magical items that could be bought by using Gold Coins or Merit Points.
After coming to the realization that he didn’t need to think so hard about how to use magic, the young man boy decided to use whatever means he could in order to enjoy his academy life.
As one of the Pillars of the First Years, he received a monthly allowance of 500 Gold Coins. If his Grandma knew that her Grandson was receiving so much money, she would definitely ask Ethan to send her half of it for “safe keeping”.
This money had been given to Ethan personally by Professor Rinehart, so he had some funds to splurge on the gadgets that the Magical Trinket Club was selling.
‘Even though I can’t use Magic, I can still use magical items,’ Ethan thought. ‘That in itself is a good thing. Although it’s not my own magic, it is still magic.’
Ethan couldn’t count the number of times when he wished he could cast a simple spell like Lux Aeterna.
Fortunately, the White Pearl was able to solve this issue. In fact, Ethan was so happy after receiving the White Pearl from Henry that he almost used up its magic.
The good news was that this was a normal consumable item. This meant that he could buy as many as he wanted from the Terra Manor after he finished visiting Luna’s Club House.
“Um, I checked the calendar and found out that the Full Moon will happen in two weeks,” Ethan said. “I don’t know what Moon Magic is like. Can you show it to me in two week’s time?”
“... You want to see Moon Magic?” Luna asked back.
“I can’t?”
“You can. This is the first time someone has taken the initiative to ask me what Moon Magic is like.”
Ethan smiled because he was now finally able to find a topic that could make the shy lady talk.
“As you know, my magic is nearly non-existent,” Ethan stated. “Because of this, I am very fascinated by the magic of others. According to Professor Violet, all Wizards and Witches are born with their own Origin Magic. I am very curious about what your Origin Magic is like.”
“... I see.” Luna lowered her head.
Although she tried to hide it, the handsome young man was able to see the tinge of red creeping up her cheeks, which made her look more endearing in his eyes.
‘This adorable creature must be protected at all cost,’ Ethan thought.
He didn’t know if Luna was subconsciously releasing some kind of pheromone, but whatever she was releasing, it was enough to make Ethan feel overprotective of her.
Ten minutes later the two finally arrived at the Magical Trinket Club House, where a crowd of Wizard and Witches was busy buying the items that they had for sale.
Just as Ethan was about to fall in line, Luna grabbed hold of his arm and shook her head.
“You don’t need to line up,” Luna said in a volume that only he could hear. “We don’t sell all our stocks in the front store, so you don’t need to go there. I will take you through the backdoor.”
Ethan could have hugged Luna then and there, but knowing how shy she was with strangers, he simply placed his hands behind his back and followed her.
True to her word, Luna took him to the backdoor of the clubhouse, away from the eyes of the teenage boys and girls who were still lining up outside the front of the store.
Naturally, there were people who noticed Luna’s and Ethan’s figures, but after recognizing who they were, they didn’t call out to them and simply stayed in line, waiting for their turn.
“Come with me,” Luna said as he guided her new friend to the maze of the clubhouse. There was a special magic placed in the interior of the club, which made it impossible for non-club members to navigate their way around it.
This was made to prevent theft, and deter anyone who wanted to get the blueprints of the items that were made by their Club Members.
Five minutes later, Luna opened a door where she was immediately welcomed by a lady with long red hair, wearing glasses.
“You’re finally here, Luna,” the lady said. “And it seems that you’ve brought a friend… or is he perhaps your boyfriend?”
“H-He’s not my boyfriend.” Luna immediately reddened. “We live in the same Manor. His name is Ethan.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Little Luna, I know very well who he is,” the lady gave Luna a hug. ”He is one of the Pillars of the First Years, the newest member of the Dud Manor, Ethan Gremory. He’s quite famous in the Academy, you know?”
Ethan, who heard that he was famous, immediately straightened his posture and acted like a refined, elegant, and charismatic young man, which made the red-haired lady giggle.
“You’re more handsome up close,” the lady said with a smile. “How about it? Our Little Luna is still single. She’s also from a good family. You won’t lose out if you make her your girlfriend. So, what do you think, Mr. Pillar? Do you want to sweep her off of her feet?”
Ethan was very tempted to say yes, but because he knew that it would trouble Luna, he simply smiled and nodded his head.
“I’m sure that any teenage boy in the academy would want Luna to be his lover,” Ethan stated. “If someone dares to call her ugly, the entire Dud Manor would be out for blood.”
“Including you?” the red-haired lady asked in a teasing tone.
Ethan nodded. “Yes. Including me. I’d definitely smack anyone who dared to call Luna ugly.”
The blue-haired boy and the red-haired girl then both glanced at the shy, young lady, whose entire face was now beet red, due to Ethan’s words, which she hadn’t heard before in her life.
-----------------
A//N: As you guys may have already noticed, this story, as well as the other story, Kingdom Building Done Right! cannot be seen in my profile. Because of this, I cannot add Author Notes and explain stuff about the novel.
The reason for this is because these two new stories are both non-exclusive novels that I plan to create a webtoon for. Meaning, they are not Webnovel Exclusive stories. Currently, the studio that is working on my webtoon are doing the finishing touches for the Webtoon Logo, as well as Chapters 1-3.
All of them are already drawn, and just needed to be colored. Now, to end this long rant, this novel will have its chapters locked soon. So, enjoy it now, while it lasts. Thank you for reading this far, and I wish that you will continue to read it in the future.
Also, give me reviews! this Novel still doesn't have a star rating. You guys should help, and make it happen. My goal is to publish at least 2 chapters a day, but procrastination and lazyness is preventing me to do that. Give me a reason to publish chapters 2x a day and I will make it happen.
Last, and not the least, thanks for your continuous patronage, and I'll see you all in the next chapters!
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