Avoid The Lead!

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Dr. Sylvadeen Florence.

The name on the blackboard sent murmurs rippling through the class.

Sylvadeen Florence was a name associated with groundbreaking ideas, albeit slightly crazy ones according to the High Mages and the Magic Council, a body which governed every aspect of Luxia's Magic.

"He's a madman!" A whispered voice carried across the room.

"But a genius madman!" Another responded in awe.

"He wrote that book at fourteen!" Yet another whispered incredulously, still staring at the window, after the book that had been tossed out.

A book that had indeed been written by Dr. Sylvadeen himself!

Most had heard the story... He had journeyed the world with his father to understand 'Magic'. At fourteen, he had written the 'Theory of Magic' book, and his father, impatient to show off, had quickly sent it to the Magic Council.

The Council had been impressed. The King had been impressed! And before Dr. Sylvadeen knew it, his book had become the standard to teach magic!

But it had been incomplete...

And after years and years of research, a forty-year-old Dr. Sylvadeen had returned with better theories.

Only to be called a madman by the Magic Council!

And this was why, despite his genius, he wasn't even a High Mage.

The anticipation hung thick in the air as Dr. Sylvadeen 'began' his class.

"Forget the nonsense in the book... Nature, my dear pupils, is the root of all magic." He proclaimed, and as he continued, Celia's mind raced.

This was not the usual droning lecture, and it wasn't even the usual theory of magic they had grown with.

"Light magic isn't independent of Nature magic. Why? It's simply the ability to harness the power of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth. To harness the fluid grace of Water, the whispers of air, and then draw on the rich healing qualities which plants release into the water and air, so really--."

"Light magic is linked to Nature magic!" Celia couldn't help but blurt out.

The sudden interruption startled the class, but Dr. Florence merely smiled, pleased with her logic.

"Exactly! You're starting to see the connections!" He praised.

The green-eyed boy in the corner smirked knowingly. ~"Hmph! And you tried so hard to hide yourself!"~ His mental voice teased.

'Tch!' Celia rolled her eyes, determined to ignore him and stay focused, and as the lesson unfolded, the blackboard transformed into a chaotic web of interconnected concepts, each arrow leading to a new revelation.

Celia's mind raced with endless possibilities, and by the end of the lesson, she felt like she had glimpsed an underlying code of magic, and she could see why the High Mages weren't fond of Dr. Sylvadeen Florence...

His revolutionary 'Theory of Magic' would send shockwaves through the world, essentially leveling the playing field for all races.

Elves were considered the magical elite, as they possessed a balanced flow of magic, with their kind capable of wielding any type of magic.

Fairies, on the other hand, were limited to Light and Mind magic, Merpeople to Water and Wind magic, and goblins to Earth magic, if any magic at all.

But Dr. Florence's groundbreaking theory declared that with the tiniest spark of magic, anyone could master almost any kind of magic!

'No wonder those old fogeys hate him!' Celia concluded. 'Their exclusive magic club is threatened by this nerd here!'

But Celia's own mind was made up, and she couldn't wait to learn more.

'Dr. Sylvadeen Florence will be my master!'

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After the Essential Magic Class came the Innate Magic class...

A class which made some students feel special, while others looked on with envy or dismay!

Marigold Wen, the teacher, had eyes as vivid as a summer sky and hair as purple as a ripened plum.

She explained, "The Elf race has a unique advantage - balanced control over multiple types of magic. Other races have a more limited flow."

"The Mer folk, for instance, have water magic, but the eastern royal family has an extraordinary strain of Air magic." She nodded toward the mermaid girl who had created the impressive whirlpool in the assembly hall.

'Oh? That's Princess Larya...?' Celia raised a brow, recalling their rivalry in past lives.

Princess Larya had been a formidable match in both magic and background for Vitav's hand in marriage, and thanks to her royalty, she would have been a better match, if Celia wasn't lucky enough to be an elf!

Larya had always been one of the few people who could make Celia jealous of anything, and Celia wondered how she hadn't noticed the resemblance in the assembly hall that morning!

Even as a child, Larya had that annoying supreme air which came with born Royals!

Reminding herself that she didn't care about Vitav in this life, she sighed and turned her attention back to class.

Marigold continued, "Fairies have Light magic and Mind Control abilities like Charm magic. And as for the goblins..." She sneered. "I'm sure they'll catch up eventually."

'How cold!' Celia thought, but then heard another voice echo her thoughts.

She turned to the green-eyed boy in the corner, who was grinning at her.

~"Hmph! I knew you could hear me!"~ He taunted, and Celia looked away, annoyed.

She'd been trying to ignore him, but his presence constantly lingered in her subconscious.

'Tch!' She refocused on the teacher, now more determined to ignore him!

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The first two classes had been an hour and a half each, but the next class was a two-hour practical class, where they were tested on their level of innate magic.

Those with air magic were tasked with blowing items across the room, fire magicians were required to burn an item.

Water magicians had to move water from one vessel to another, plant magicians were made to grow a seedling, and on it went.

Celia's interest was only piqued when another ice magician came forward to freeze a cup of water, and when the green-eyed boy stepped out and effortlessly grew a few seedlings.

'Plant Magic.' She noted, and then scowled when he smirked at her.

~"Show off!"~ She telepathically said, turning away.

Classes ended by 3pm, but Celia allowed the crowd to dwindle, having no desire to socialise yet.

But as the halls emptied out, she sensed a familiar feeling.

'It's him!' She thought, as the green eyed boy's aura surrounded her.

She wasn't sure how she knew he would approach her, but somehow she did, and she hastened to leave.

However, just before she reached the wide front doors, a tree suddenly appeared in her way.

'Ei?! A tree in the corridor?!' She gasped in wonder, but then scowled as vines lowered the green-eyed boy to stand before her.

"He can already perform such an advanced spell?!" A passing student observed.

"Impressive!" Another piped in, but then a large burly man appeared behind the tree, and they all shook their heads.

"Oh! It must have been his butler that performed the magic!"

"No wonder!" They shook their heads and continued on their way, leaving Celia alone with the boy and his butler.

Being up close made Celia get those same pleasant prickles across her skin, and somehow she remembered the flower field again, and how Vitav had given her the flower.

'Why does he remind me of that incident?!' She pondered, hastily stepping away.

"My name is Taze." The boy said. "Tell me your name and family."

"It's a nameless family of no import." Celia deadpanned, and attempted to step around him.

But the huge butler blocked her path.

"Let me go!" Demanded Celia, but Taze smirked.

"You're the sole heir of the Scarlett family." He grinned. "Heh! Your father nearly brought down the assembly hall on his first day, because your mother didn't get an orb and had to leave!

"Even before that, the Scarlett family never hesitates to show off their superior bloodline, so why have you been hiding yours all day?

"You pretended you couldn't completely freeze a cup of water, yet you used an advanced spell to get an orb in the morning."

Celia was a bit surprised that this tiny urchin had noticed so much!

But she raised an eyebrow. "And so? What exactly do you want?"

"Nothing! I'm merely curious and want to be your friend!" Taze said, holding out a hand, but his sleeve slipped a little, revealing a small crescent-shaped scar on his wrist.

The same crescent-shaped scar Celia had seen on the burly man who had stolen the crystal flower!

She gasped and looked up at the butler, who instantly disintegrated into a clump of vines and then vanished, but not before Celia noticed his black hair, green eyes, and the same scar on his wrist!

'A plant clone!' She realized, and then remembered that it had been vines that entered her window and stole her crystal lily.

'Impossible!' She thought.

Surely a tiny person like Taze couldn't be the one who had stolen her crystal flower!

But as she herself hid overwhelming powers, she couldn't exactly underestimate anyone, and turned to Taze incredulously.

"You sneaky little thief! You stole my Lily!" Celia exclaimed, her eyes blazing with anger.

Taze's eyes widened in surprise, and he stuttered, "H- How did you kno...? Ahem, I mean, I don't know what you're talking about!" He folded his arms, trying to look innocent, but his mind was racing.

'I stole it so easily, and no one chased after me! There's no way she saw anything!'

Celia realized the same problem.

She had chased after the thief in previous lives, not this one, so she wasn't supposed to know anything about the thief's appearance, much less a scar on his wrist!

She groaned in annoyance, her frustration from past lives boiling over. "Ugh, go and die!" She stormed off.

"Ei?!" Taze hurried after her. "Wait! I didn't know it was so important! I can make another one and give it to you! How about an Orchid this time?!!"

"Not interested!" She yelled, then hurried to enter the beautiful white Coach waiting for her.

She wasn't upset that the flower had gone in this life, but the sheer annoyance of her previous lives was now directed at this little thief!

"Aaarrrgh!" She growled in annoyance, making Butler Gray, look at her in surprise.

"My Lady, you're back to normal! I haven't seen you express your anger in years!" He said with a beam.

Celia stared at him, surprised, and then it clicked. 'Ah, I was indeed a spoiled child with numerous tantrums!'

The 'Original Life Celia' had been kind and gentle, but spoiled! Known for throwing epic tantrums when displeased. She never considered it in her previous lives, but her family and those around her must have noticed a change.

She would be her normal self till she was nine, and then suddenly become calmer and more reasonable the day after she brought home the flower.

She smiled at Butler Gray. "Ehehe, it was just a little thief who annoyed me!"

"My Lady, if someone stole your belongings, you can rest assured! The Master won't rest till he has gotten it back for you!"

Celia didn't doubt that, but she didn't even want to glimpse the Crystal flower, so she shook her head.

"It's fine, it's fine. Let's stop by Lady Berry's Confectioneries. I want some vanilla cake!"

"Aye!" He replied, and rapped his knuckles on the coach wall to instruct the footman.

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