Author's Note:

We made it to chapter 5! *shoots out confetti* (~￣▽￣)~

I honestly did not think I would get as far as I did with this story. I think that as soon as Tanaka gets kicked out, I would have to start dividing my attention between my other stories and this one.

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After his one-hour nap, Tanaka found himself inside the carriage that would be taking him to Evadne Magic Academy, his head lying peacefully on his maid's (Clarisse's) lap. Despite his fruitful rest, he still felt quite drowsy and his caretaker was more than happy to indulge him in his lethargy.

"Young Master Thomas... Are you not really doing well in your classes? Do you need a tutor?" Well, sometimes she would indulge him in his laziness.

"...No," was Tanaka straightforward answer, his voice muffled against the skirt of Clarisse's maid uniform.

"No, you're not doing well, or no, that you don't need a tutor?" Clarisse clarified, obviously not letting go of the matter.

"...No tutor," Tanaka promptly declared, seemingly final in his decision.

"Then young master should be doing better in school," the maid argued as she tapped her finger a few times on the child's plush cheek. Tanaka didn't respond back to Clarisse statement and since she wasn't given a reaction, the maid could only sigh. "I know it's difficult for young master to be a five-tiered and to be barely able to use your magical talents, but if young master works hard, I believe that young master would do well."

Tanaka made sure to hide his grimace from his kind caretaker. Though Clarisse's belief in him was uplifting and moving, the problem laid not with his work ethic (despite having none), but the fact that he has a five-tiered magical aptitude. About 70% of the human population in this world are five-tiered. It's the most common aptitude that anyone can have. Less than 5% of that 70% can use magic though, and even fewer can use it functionally. Suffice to say, these five-tiers are the 'muggles' in this world. Practically non-magical for all intent and purposes, though Evadne Academy had once proclaimed that everyone, despite their tier-rank, has the potential to use magic.

Eh. Politics.

In reality, Tanaka was pretty sure that he was the only student in Evadne Academy that had been evaluated as a five-tier magician. Everyone else was either a three-tier or higher. It made him stand out from the rest of his peers in the worst way possible.

'Useless Tom' was a nickname everyone had agreed to. Even his professors would call him by that nickname as if it was his actual name instead. Every time he attended his classes, every time he walked through the gates of Evadne Academy, Tanaka was only met with sneers and disdain.

The only reason the school board would even acknowledge his presence, much less be considered a student of Evadne Academy, was because of his family's influence. To be a useless, five-tier magician and have the gull to attend one of the most prestigious magical academies in Ariadne-- isn't that too shameless? The majority of the student body's opinion of the infamous Thomas Rosetta is as low as their opinion on commoners. Maybe even worse since they have to see him every day.

It really made the original Thomas seem pitiful.

Tanaka, on the other hand... since he found the negative atmosphere to be troublesome, as soon as he entered into his usual classroom, he ignored the graffiti on his desk, pulled out his ruined textbook, laid it on the surface of his desk, and promptly fell asleep using his book as a pillow.

The classmates who were waiting gleefully for his indignant expression: "........."

The professor teaching the class: "......"

Usually, in response to being bullied or humiliated, Thomas would immediately puff up in anger. He would demand the culprits to reveal themselves and give him compensation. Of course, no one would admit it (since they all had done some form of bullying to the poor boy) and just laugh at his suffering. And when Thomas would start yelling at his fellow peers for enjoying his situation, the professor would immediately intervene, accusing the talentless boy of being sensitive and over-reactive. Afterward, Thomas would have no choice but to hold back his grievances, knowing better than to create a scene for his father to find out.

It doesn't help that Thomas is smaller than the majority of his classmates. Even most of the girls are taller than him. Contrary to Tanaka's belief, Thomas is not around 10 years old like he had originally thought. At 4'5 feet (138 cm), Thomas is actually thirteen years old, soon to be fourteen in the fall, and since this is the age where everyone would be getting their growth spurt, many children his age dwarfed him in comparison. It made him seem very easy-to-bully and even more unattractive to many nobles.

But as of recently, it seemed that Thomas just didn't give a damn anymore. Any snarky or venomous remarks were ignored or brushed off. Any attempts at bullying were dodged and evaded. And when they tried to corner him when the professors were distracted, Thomas would have already disappeared. No matter where they looked, they would not be able to find him until the end of the day when his servants came to pick him up.

The change in Thomas' demeanor had baffled a lot of students, especially his classmates since they had known him longer and were well acquainted with his fiery temperament.

Well, regardless of Tanaka's (Thomas') status in the academy, while dealing (i.e. avoiding/ignoring) the bullying was rather troublesome, having a five-tier aptitude made it nearly impossible for anyone to pass Evadne's weekly practical exams.

Every Friday before the start of the weekend, every student no matter their year would have to showcase their magical abilities. Usually, a simple spell, such as forming an elemental ball (which could be made out of fire, water, etc.) would allow the magician to pass with a C. Anything more complicated or intrinsic would give the caster a higher grade. The more complex the spell and the more area it could affect, the more importance placed on the student.

Thomas had failed every single practical (so far that Tanaka actually heard from his less-than-subtle classmates), which dragged his average to a C since the practical was weighed more than any of his other scores. Tanaka just didn't even bother trying when he first had to show off his so-called magical prowess and just told the judges to give him an F, shocking both the professors and the students that could hear him. Tanaka was just glad that he had more time to sleep since the practicals would take up the whole day, therefore he could just sneak out and find a place to nap (or just rest on the bench of the stadium where the practicals are being held at-- either one work).

Ah... speaking of naps...

Before Tanaka could close his eyes once again, Clarisse tapped his cheek once again with her finger. "Young Master Thomas, are you listening to me?" Hearing the insistence in Clarisse's tone, Tanaka considered staying quiet for a moment before letting out an indulgent grumble. He heard his maid sigh in response and couldn't help but feel a little guilty at the helplessness and concern in her voice. "I do understand if young master is a little... unmotivated, but Evadne Academy is one of the best magical schools in the continent and it would only be beneficial for young master if young master continues to study as a student of Evadne."

Tanaka nodded at Clarisse's lecture rather absentmindedly, her words barely reaching. Seeing the disinterest in her young master's reaction, Clarisse couldn't help but feel troubled and unsettled.

As the main caretaker of the young master, Clarisse knew more of his academic progress in detail than what his parents had already heard. She knew that her young master had been sleeping during lectures, ignoring the assignments handed by his professors, and skipping classes without a single warning for the entirety of last week. If his lackluster behavior towards his education continued, it wouldn't be long before her young master's average became an all-time low and she could already foresee the day he would be expelled out of the academy.

And once that happened, she feared the consequences that would be forced upon her young master by the Master. The Master had already been severely disappointed by his youngest son and was several times more harsh to him in comparison to his other children. Being born with a five-tier aptitude, though it was no fault of Young Master Thomas, only built a deeper chasm in their relationship. For years, Young Master Thomas had been working hard to seek approval from his father and the rest of the Rosettas only to have finally given up.

Clarisse could imagine the Madam's gleeful expression all the while since she despised the youngest son, which she considered as proof of her husband disloyalty. Obsessively, she would constantly try to make sure her children were much more loved and spoiled than the bastard child originally conceived without her knowledge.

Almost rather desperately, afraid for the child's fate, she pleaded, "Please, young master. You cannot afford to be expelled. I know it's difficult..." A five-tier in a school full of students who were two-tiers above? She would have to be mentally ill if she didn't predict the ridicule her young master had to suffer every day. But with someone of her position -in which she had none- she could only bear with it and cry tearlessly. "But young master is very bright and..."

Clarisse didn't know what she could say to motivate her young master. What right did she have to do so anyway? Even if she had raised this insecure and lonely boy since he was practically a toddler, he had always brushed off her worries. She did not think she had a large place in his heart.

However, her young master abruptly turned his head on her lap and looked up at her with clear and tranquil eyes. "...Clarisse wants me to do well in class?" the child softly inquired, turning his body around to curl further into her lap.

"I..." Clarisse hesitated on her answer, subconsciously combing her thin fingers through his curly brown hair. Young Master Thomas used to demand her to style his hair just like his father but as of last week, he had completely abandoned the gel and allowed his natural hair to flow. She had never realized how soft his locks were. "I just want young master to be happy."

"Does Clarisse wants me to do well in class?" the young master asked persistently once again, leaving the maid a little speechless. She was not sure what answer her young master had wanted of her.

"If young master does well in class, I would be very proud," she settled, still speaking from her heart.

Young Master Thomas seemed to be pondering something as he stared up at her emotionless face, but he then buried his face into her stomach and mumbled an 'okay'. She wasn't sure what to make of that answer. Suddenly, the young master changed the subject matter:

"Can you use magic, Clarisse?" Young Master Thomas asked abrupt, causing the maid to blink in astonishment.

"Y-Yes. Yes, I can," Clarisse answered truthfully, seeing no reason to withhold such information from her young master. It was not a secret in the first place so she was very free with her response.

"What tier are you?"

This time, Clarisse was more reluctant to answer since the subject of tier placement was usually a sore-spot for the youngest Rosetta, but she answered nonetheless. "I have a three-tier aptitude with a water-based element."

"Oh. That's amazing," the young master blurted out without any resentment or bitterness. After all, if 70% of the population consisted of five-tiers, then the remaining 30% are either four, three, second, or first-tier. Of that 30%, 20% would be four-tier while 5% mostly consisted of three-tiered magicians. Two and one-tier are even lower than that. Either way, being three-tier was definitely impressive by anyone's standard.

Clarisse felt a little startled hearing the sincerity in her young master's voice since she wasn't expecting the child to be so calm about it. When she looked down onto the face of her charge, she saw his large eyes peering up from her lap full of innocence and curiosity. Something inside of her melted considerably.

"Henry can use magic too?"

"He can. He's actually a second-tiered magician with an earth-based element."

...That's really impressive. Tanaka never thought that the gentle and strict elderly butler could be so powerful. It was even more baffling since his (Thomas') father would always end up dismissing the older gentlemen and treat him rather impatiently. Then again, maybe it's because of the fact that Henry is two-tier that prevented his father from just kicking out the elder altogether. It would have been very stupid if he did in the first place.

"What about Conrad?"

"A third-tier like me. But he has a rare wood-base element that allowed him to be more in-tune with plants."

Huh, it seemed that a lot of the servants employed by the Rosetta's are very impressive...

"What about Fifi?" Fifi was the head cook's main apprentice who adored Tanaka like her own baby brother. Whenever he ended up taking a nap inside one of the kitchen cabinets, Fifi would always be willing to hide him and allow him asleep until she had no choice but to give him up to Amir, since it was impossible to hide anything from the cold and handsome man.

Not because she was smitten by his looks or anything (even though she would be the first to admit how fine the butler looked), but because before she could get a word in, Amir would already be targeting Tanaka's sleeping/hiding spot and took him away before she had a chance to blink.

"Fourth-tier, I believe. Fire based."

"Sven?"

"Fourth-tier also but surprisingly, he has a light-based element. It's often very good for healing."

"Sven knows healing magic?"

"Low-level ones. Enough for scraps and small bruises."

Tanaka nodded slightly in response, his expression for some reason considerate. "What about Amir?"

Clarisse couldn't help but smile slightly at the way her young master had pronounced her colleague's name. There was always an accent that would come out habitually whenever Young Master Thomas would call out the dark-skinned older man, and it would always sound natural even if she didn't recognize where the accent came from. Regardless, Amir had always seemed extra indulgent with the young master whenever the little one would call him out like that.

"... I'm not sure, to be honest," Clarisse admitted with a pondering hum. It had been a year since Amir was hired as a personal butler for Young Master Edward and while Clarisse had a good sense of the other's personality, she didn't know much of anything else about him. "Amir has never shown off his magic before, but he's probably very talented since he has been assigned to serve Young Master Edward."

The Rosetta's had a certain standard they wanted their staff to meet. The more talented the server working under them, the better their reputation. Such a thing is more common among the high-ranking noble families and is considered very trendy nowadays. Like commodities, they would be shown off to others and the more impressive the server, the more status one would have.

Generally, these servers would have no choice but to endure. Though there were some cases where the server ended up being a higher tier than their masters, the reason they couldn't fight back was due to their lack of education towards their magic abilities.

Magic Academies were often expensive and inaccessible to those of lower class. Being self-taught is nearly impossible since no-one really understood how magic functions and came to be. Also, even if they were to attend classes, there was no guarantee they could use magic no matter their tier. This was why Evadne Academy rarely accepts five-tier potentials; because the likelihood of a third, second, or first-tier being able to use magic is higher.

Either way, to catch the eye and approval of both Young Master Edward and the Master, Amir most likely had to be impressive in many aspects to be the personal butler of the favored son.

Her young master stayed quiet for a few minutes as if absorbing the information given to him before speaking up once again, "Luca?"

"Luca? The delivery boy?" Clarisse questioned with some bafflement in her voice. She had been indulging her young master's curiosity by answering all of his questions, but she couldn't help but wonder where all of this inquisitiveness came from. "He's five-tier. No magically aptitude so far that he was tested on..."

Hearing her answer, Tanaka suddenly closed his eyes and hummed. It seemed that he was done with his inquiries and would not ask anything further. Clarisse could only look down at her young master with mixed feelings.

Originally, she thought she knew her young master very well but recently, he had become very hard to read and unpredictable. Clarisse didn't know how to feel in regards to her young master's secretive nature.

Though Tanaka wasn't trying to be secretive or anything. He was actually trying to confirm something. It was only through Clarisse's honest answers that he suddenly came to a realization.

For the past week, he had been feeling... prickly. Or something along that line. At first, he had thought it was just his introverted nature rearing its ugly end, but he soon found out that it might actually be something tangible or something outside of his reserve character since he could somehow feel and distinguish Clarisse even when she was outside of his room. Or outside of the manor, in some cases.

Because of this strange sensitivity to others, he had been able to avoid most of the servants in Rosetta manor while he disappeared to his new napping spots.

Then, he noticed that everyone's presence differed from each other. He had only recently found out that the differences were parallel to their individual tier-rank. The higher the rank, the more... presence they have.

While Sven had a rather unnoticeable aura around his figure, Clarisse was like the sun on a cloudless day (maybe the difference between third and fourth-tier was large?). Clarisse had this tranquil-like feeling that surrounds her constantly, so very much like her elemental base. But in comparison to Henry, her presence would be like a drop of water in an ocean. Henry's presence, at first, was an oppressive feeling that had suffocated Tanaka, and he remembered panicking when he first met the elderly butler because he was ignorant of where this pressured had originated from. It was not until Amir had picked him up and calmed him down, after many attempts from Clarisse herself, did he feel like he could breathe again.

Amir... was an enigma to Tanaka, and Clarisse's answer didn't help. There always seem to be something repressed beneath the young butler's skin. Something powerful and horrifying and Tanaka could only imagine it to be more overwhelming than Henry's own magic. Whenever he touched the dark-skinned man, Tanaka could feel it humming almost violently beneath his fingertips and whenever he leaned against the other, it would wrap around him as if it had wanted to consume him.

But despite the sinister nature hidden behind the butler's cold and professional attitude, Tanaka found himself unafraid and unintimidated. Unhesitantly, whenever the older man would indulge him, Tanaka would reach out without even flinching as the mysterious aura wrapped around him. Though it would sometimes reach his defenseless throat and dig into the more vulnerable parts of his body, he wandered closer to Amir regardless, finding peace within his scent and his warmth.

Despite the dangers, there was something familiar about Amir. Tanaka wasn't sure what, but it made him very open to the butler nonetheless. Any possibility for the other to hurt him fell from his mind.

Tanaka took a deep breath and released a yawn, his eyes practically narrowed to slits as his senses felt the passing people going about their day outside of the carriage. The presences made his eyes twitch, slightly overwhelming him, and the closer they drove to the academy, the worst it was going to get. The center of Evadne, where the academy was located, held the biggest pool of magic users and Tanaka had been trying to desensitize his hypersensitivity for the past week.

And by desensitizing, he meant sleeping it off and ignoring everything around him.

Either way, he had no choice but to bear with the ability to feel everyone and hoped he doesn't suffocate somewhere in the middle.

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Author's Note:

I already have the next several chapters planned out, yay~

If anyone had any further questions about the plot and the world of Ariadne, please hold them until chapter 6~ <3

You guys are all so lovely with your support and comments.

Also next week, I have finals for my master program that I needed to concentrate on, so no updates starting from the upcoming Saturday. Until then, I'll try to post as many chapters as I can give you guys~ ( ' ▽ ' )ﾉ

Also, I'm just going to drop this off here~



So, I was scouring the internet trying to find a good reference picture for Tanaka and this adorable thing popped up on my screen~ <3

Unfortunately, the child in the picture is a few years too young for the image I have for Tanaka, but the sentiment and cuteness should be the same~ So imagine a taller Tanaka with less baby fat if you could lol.