Bookbound Bunny

The group followed Beatrice into the main hallways, where they eventually met up with the group of first-year boys led by Professor Elius. Lily quickly spotted both Arthur, due to his colorful bird, and Thomas, due to the cat who was once again sitting atop his head.

The now-merged groups followed the two elders, who led them deeper into the castle, until they reached a gigantic set of ornate doors, far larger than any reasonable person could open, and wide enough for half a dozen students to enter side by side.

As they approached the doors, they opened, revealing an equally impressive auditorium filled with students and teachers alike. A variety of spells and enchantments imbued the room with a warm and inviting atmosphere, one that beckoned the visitor to be lost in its magical majesty.

Beatrice and Elius led them in, causing the already arrived parties to examine and scrutinize the pack as they entered, whispering amongst themselves and clearly pointing out who was in what faction. They eventually took their seats in a section that was clearly arranged for them.

While the first years were all one big mixed lump, Lily noted that the second years onwards had naturally grouped up according to their factions. Some of the students even took it a step further, and their uniforms were colored or accented to match their group.

When everyone was seated, the murmuring continued as the students and staff chatted amongst themselves, that was until Headmaster Fabrelis walked onto the stage. He had a regal air about him, only emphasized by his still wearing formal suit attire and the fact that the entire room seemed to grow quieter as he approached the podium.

[Ha! A sound-dampening enchantment for the auditorium, now that's a classic. I'm glad to see some things never change when dealing with rambunctious students.]

Headmaster Fabrelis reached the podium and cleared his throat, and after spreading his arms wide, he began his speech.

"Welcome, students—new and returning—to another year beneath the vaulted skies of our hallowed halls. It's a new year with untold possibilities, and I do believe this might be one of the most exciting ones yet!

"Last year we narrowly missed out on achieving the top rank of magical institutions, although certainly not without trying, and we've remained steadfast as number two—something I'm pretty proud of with the other schools gunning for us.

"We showed devastating firepower and fighting spirit, and I hope we can keep that burning passion kindled. I do truly believe that this year will be our time to shine, and carve our name solidly as number one!"

The second-year and up students clapped and cheered, which was momentarily unrestrained by the sound-dampening magic. It caught Lily by surprise, as did a few of the other first years, who were not expecting such sudden passion.

The headmaster held up his hand, and the din of the students was muffled once more, before he finally continued talking. His voice was crystal clear as if he were directly in front of every student.

"For our returning students, I'd also like to give a friendly reminder that staying in the dungeon is not an excuse to miss out on classes. While we do provide some leeway for being momentarily trapped or lost in the dungeon, that does not mean you can keep reusing the same excuse over and over. Repeated violations will be investigated, I can assure you.

"Now, for the fresh new faces, I and the rest of the staff give you a warm welcome! Here at Regarth, you do not merely recite incantations, memorize the laws, learn adventuring tricks, or bottle alchemical reagents. You grow stronger, gain resources, sharpen your mind, and awaken your potential.

"You have been placed into your factions: Terravix, grounded and unshakable; Maranix, ever-changing and deep; and Zephyrix, swift as wind and boundless as the sky.

"You are not divided by these names—you are shaped by them. They will challenge you, shelter you, and at times, frustrate you. However, they will also foster your camaraderie and competitive spirit, ideal for those who wish to push their boundaries and excel.

"Remember… magic is not merely power—it is choice. Mana is nothing without will. A spell is only as wise as the heart that casts it. So I urge you: be brave in your questions, careful in your answers, and respectful to the path you tread.

"Finally, eat well, study hard, sleep deeply, listen to your teachers, and beware the dungeon. It can still be quite... temperamental.

"Now, let the year begin!"

There was applause once more, with some of the first years joining in on the clapping as well. When it finally died down, the staff vacated first, and then the students started slowly milling out, except for the first years who were still under the guidance of Beatrice and Elius.

"Right, let's get you lot to your first class," Beatrice said.

"It's the first day of the week, so you're starting with Dungeon Studies, which is arguably your most important subject here," Professor Elius cautioned.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

There was a murmur of the students; everyone seemed excited and eagerly followed after.

"Think we'll see the dungeon on the first day?" Lotte whispered.

"I don't think so… unless the professor believes in a sink or swim teaching method," Lily replied.

"That's a bit of a bummer," Lotte sighed. "I was kind of hoping so, maybe even a practical demonstration so I could get to defeat a monster."

"Why so eager? Not that I'm not… but you seem extra eager."

"The sooner I get into the dungeon, the sooner I can start improving my constitution."

"Is it bad?" Lily asked with a hint of worry. "I thought the dire bear resolved it?"

"That was years ago… and I'm okay, but it comes and goes. Some days are worse than others, so needless to say, I'm hoping to resolve it on a more permanent basis."

Lily nodded. "I'll keep my fingers crossed."

They had finally arrived at their destination and were chaperoned inside. It was a typical lecture-style classroom, with rows of long desks at varying heights, while at the front and center was a podium flanked by wall-sized chalkboards.

The entrance they had arrived at was at the top, with the classroom leading down, and at the bottom was another large wooden door with iron grates sealing it. The majority of the students noticed the strange sight and began whispering and pointing out the oddity, but that wasn't the only peculiar occurrence, as the teacher was mysteriously absent.

Beatrice and Elius paid that no mind and instructed them all to take a seat and wait patiently. Lily and Lotte grabbed a set of seats close to the front, as Lily didn't want to be unable to see anything due to her short height.

When everyone was finally seated, the two adults left the room, closing the door behind them. Immediately, the students began chatting, discussing the class, what the headmaster had just discussed, their factions, or the dungeon.

Lily couldn't help but overhear some of the students singling her out and expressing their confusion about why she was even here. She tried her best to ignore it and continued chatting with Lotte until everyone's conversation was interrupted by a loud banging and clanging noise coming from behind the mysterious door.

The students all turned their attention to it as the banging grew louder, followed by a rattling sound and muffled curses, before a dead silence fell. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, right before a loud bang was heard, and the door flew open.

Yells and screams erupted as an incredibly tall woman emerged. She had startling crimson eyes, which were further emphasized by her pure white hair, tied back into a long ponytail. She wore dark leather armor that might as well have been a full-body suit, and on her back were a pair of weapon handles crisscrossed. Most startling of all, at least for Lily, was that atop her head were a pair of large white rabbit ears.

"Can't believe somebody locked the door, they knew I had a class today," the mystery woman muttered angrily while scowling at the door.

Nobody said a word while the woman proceeded to kick the door shut, with a few more kicks for good measure to ensure it was sealed shut. Each blow was loud, and Lily was amazed as this was the first time she'd ever seen a fully grown Lagia in action.

"Right. So you're the new first years I'm in charge of?" she asked, but then proceeded to continue without waiting for an answer. "Welcome to Regarth! Home to its very own personal dungeon, and what I'm going to be teaching you all about. My name's Alice, and don't bother adding Professor or Miss or any other crap to it. If you slip up, I'll force you to address me as Master Alice or be kicked from my class!"

Something tickled in the back of Lily's mind, but she wasn't sure what. Before she could ponder on the fleeting thought or memory, some of the students began to protest.

"Is this a joke?" one of the boys asked.

"No? I'm very serious. Go ask some of your seniors if you don't believe me, I've got a few of them calling me Master," Alice responded in a no-nonsense tone.

"How can you be our teacher?" a girl asked. "This is supposed to be a magic school!"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear that every year with the new batch... I swear, you'd think they'd tell you kids beforehand for once. Yes, I am your teacher, and yes, I cannot use magic, obviously!"

"Then why the heck are you here?" a pompous-sounding boy demanded.

"Because while I don't have any magic, I was a four-star adventurer!" She reached into a pouch and pulled out a badge, embellished with four golden stars. "I was personally recruited by the walking hairball of a headmaster. Not to mention, I've conquered this dungeon right down to the core multiple times; I'm your best bet at learning the ins and outs if you want to survive and thrive."

The complainers didn't say anything outright, but there were still some murmurs of dissatisfaction amongst them.

"What? You think I can't hear you whispering? These big ears aren't for show, ya know?" Alice said sarcastically, gesturing with her thumb to her large ears that were twitching. "You magic-folk always think you're top of the world, but let me tell you the world is a big place and I can put each and every one of you in your place. If you don't believe me, feel free to step up front and center and use your strongest magic against me! I'll have you on the floor begging for your mommy before you can even wet yourself."

The class was dead silent until Alice snorted. "Damn, guess no one is brave enough this year? Last year was pretty fun when I got to beat up a Dragia. I guess since nobody volunteered, I'll just point out the obvious—if you can't cast your spell before you're attacked, you lose!"

[I think I like her. Casting speed is often neglected by fledgling mages. What good is your spell if you're dead before you can cast it? You'd be better off with a sword. This is just one of the reasons I had you focus on refining only a handful of spells rather than having a large variety.]

The class was whispering again, but this time it was gossip-related rather than a neighing sound.

Rose!? You attacked another teacher! Lily couldn't believe it, not once but twice! Had she attacked other teachers here? What was the point of her going on her trip and learning self-control?

"Is that why she's here?" a boy asked. He didn't sound arrogant; he sounded more curious. "Is she your daughter or something?"

"Well, I doubt she's here to learn magic, just look at those ears," a girl said with a giggle.

"Since when did Regarth allow adventurers to join?"

"What? She's far too small to be an adventurer..."

Alice ignored the additional comments and followed the original boy's hand, and her gaze settled on Lily, noticing her for the first time. Her crimson-red eyes widened like saucers, as if she'd seen a ghost, and she actually flinched, stumbling backwards.

"Nina!?" she cried out.