“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!” 𝑂𝒱𝗅xt.𝒸𝑶𝓂
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 blue-haired boy, 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 blue-haired boy, 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 blue-haired boy 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 blue-haired boy’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 blue-haired boy’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.
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.