novelraw Chapter 357: Introduction
Chapter 357: Introduction
Celestia was not a particularly prominent character in the novel The Lost Hero. However, she had a close relationship with the main character, Abel.
Their connection began to show in volume four, when the two accidentally met in the city of Brindel.
At first, they only chatted casually about trivial matters.
However, Celestia gradually began to see Abel as an interesting student, especially since he had already achieved outstanding results at the academy.
As time passed, their bond grew stronger.
Unfortunately, Celestia was not the female lead. Her role in the novel was limited to being someone who was "interested in the male lead," Abel.
From then on, she appeared less and less often until she eventually disappeared from the story completely.
Merlin had a favorable impression of Celestia in the novel.
She was a kind and caring professor. Even though she was still new, she never intimidated her students or abused her position for personal gain.
She was also honest and genuine.
And now, Celestia had become their homeroom teacher. That was clearly good news for Merlin.
Of course, he had no intention of making her a target of his conquest. He simply wanted to build a good relationship with her.
After all, for the next year, Celestia would be his teacher.
"Alright, everyone. We'll begin our first class. But before that, how about we introduce ourselves? After all, we'll be together for the next year," Celestia said gently. "In that case…"
She looked at the students one by one, occasionally glancing at Merlin in the back row.
Merlin noticed her gaze, but he pretended not to.
Celestia smiled inwardly. 'This boy is quite mischievous.'
She averted her eyes and asked, "Who would like to go first?"
No one raised a hand. They all felt shy and hoped someone else would step forward first.
Seeing that no one was willing, Celestia let out a small sigh and pointed at a boy in the front row.
"We'll start with you. Stand up and introduce yourself."
The boy froze. He glanced around at the others, who were staring at him with playful expressions.
Realizing he had no choice, he slowly stood and introduced himself in a timid voice.
"My name is Klein. I'm from the Arcadia Magic Kingdom. Nice to meet you."
He quickly sat back down. Right after that, the student beside him stood up and introduced himself as well.
The classroom remained quiet, filled only with one introduction after another.
However, as the introductions dragged on and grew increasingly dull, Celestia suddenly cut off a female student mid-sentence.
"Don't just give your name and where you're from. Tell us your hobbies and your age too. If possible, share a bit about your background, so we can all get to know each other better."
The girl looked embarrassed, but she didn't dare to object.
She bit her lower lip and said, "My name is Tessia. I'm twelve years old, and I'm from the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria. I come from a farming family."
The moment she mentioned her background, several students burst out laughing.
"Pfft! She's from a farming family. How ridiculous."
"Yeah, that's pathetic. How did I end up in Class 1-A with a farmer? Did the academy make a mistake?"
Their mocking voices were loud enough for everyone to hear.
Soon, others joined in, laughing and ridiculing the girl.
Tessia's face turned red with embarrassment. Anger and sadness flickered in her eyes. She had known this would happen the moment she revealed her background.
Celestia frowned, about to scold them, when a cold voice suddenly echoed from the very back of the room.
"Is it funny to mock someone?"
A terrifying pressure slammed down on the ten students who had been laughing at Tessia.
Their faces turned pale, and their hearts pounded violently.
Under that pressure, they could barely breathe.
Just as they felt they were about to pass out, the pressure vanished.
They gasped for air and turned around, only to meet Merlin's cold, piercing gaze.
"If I hear you mocking those of lower status one more time, I'll finish you off," he said coldly.
All ten of them immediately lowered their heads, too frightened to meet his eyes.
The scene left the entire class speechless.
Even Celestia fell silent, as if she didn't know what to say.
Tessia turned toward Merlin, her eyes filled with gratitude.
Merlin glanced at her and gave a small nod. The girl blushed and quickly looked away.
"Looks like someone's got a new admirer. That must be a blessing, right?"
A voice dripping with jealousy came from his right.
Merlin turned his head and saw Luna.
Catrine and Margaret also joined in, their voices filled with sarcasm.
"You're so thoughtful, Merlin. Are you trying to turn every girl in this class into your fan?"
"It sure looks that way. Brother, you're truly disgusting!"
Each word felt like a knife stabbing into him. Hearing the word "disgusting," especially from his own younger sister, hit even harder.
"Ahem!" Celestia cleared her throat and quickly eased the tension. "Don't insult someone just because of their status. Who knows? The people you look down on today might become powerful figures in the future. Wouldn't that be embarrassing for you? Alright, let's continue with the introductions."
With those words, the other students began introducing themselves.
Perhaps because of what had just happened, even the shy ones grew more confident, openly stating their identities and backgrounds.
And this time, no one dared to comment or mock. Merlin's threat had terrified them so much that they probably wouldn't even sleep peacefully tonight.
"My name is Luvis," Luvis said as he slowly stood up, smiling gently. "I'm from the Knight Kingdom of Batrum. I'm thirteen years old. I was supposed to enter the academy two years ago, but because of the Skywing Crack, my enrollment was delayed. I'm sure some of you experienced the same thing."
He paused for a moment, then continued in a slightly prouder tone.
"As for my status, I come from a noble family. But… well, I can't mention the name. It's a secret."
After saying that, he sat back down and crossed his arms, wearing an arrogant expression.
Merlin looked at him with a meaningful gaze and whispered, 'It seems he hasn't yet, or perhaps already has, realized his status as an illegitimate prince.'
In the original novel, Luvis's identity as the kingdom's second prince was a closely guarded secret. It was never explained when he discovered it. Not even Abel knew.
But according to Merlin, the Luvis sitting before him should have already realized his true identity.
Otherwise, he would never have dared to invite Catrine into his circle.
Forming a circle was no different from building their own power and faction. It had only one purpose: the Battle of the Seven Rings.
"My name is Crystal, and I'm from the Arcadia Magic Kingdom. I'm thirteen years old, and my hobby is studying magic. I'm the daughter of one of the sages in my kingdom. Although my status is quite high, don't hesitate to be friends with me."
After introducing herself, Crystal sat down gracefully.
The male students looked captivated by her, while the girls watched her with admiration.
Merlin stared at her calmly.
'It seems this girl also wants to throw herself into the Battle of the Seven Rings,' he whispered.
It wasn't his concern, but he still had to make sure Luna, Margaret, Catrine, and those closest to him didn't get involved in that battle.
Even if they insisted on joining, he wouldn't stop them. He would simply support them from behind the scenes.
After Crystal, the others began introducing themselves. Before Merlin realized it, it was Margaret's turn.
The girl stood up gracefully and said, "My name is Margaret, and you may call me by that name. I come from the Beethoven family, the academy's primary benefactor. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
She bowed slightly, elegant and composed.
'Damn… this girl is showing off,' Luna muttered irritably.
The others could also sense Margaret's arrogance, but no one dared to mock her.
After all, everyone knew the power of the Beethoven family.
Next came Luna, followed by Catrine, Monica, Liora, and Nysera.
Originally, Merlin was supposed to go right after Luna. But the girls insisted that he introduce himself last.
Under everyone's gaze, Merlin stood up calmly and said casually, "Most of you already know my name, so I don't see the need to introduce myself again."
His words were arrogant, but no one dared to question him.
"I come from the Viscount Clay family in the city of Droswen, in the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria. As for my hobby… hmm…"
Merlin stroked his chin as if thinking, then answered hesitantly, "Maybe sleeping."
Everyone: "…"
"Pfft!" Celestia chuckled softly. "You're quite the joker, Merlin Clay."
Merlin smiled and bowed his head politely.
"Thank you for the compliment, Professor."
Celestia's impression of him improved by a few points.
"Alright," she said, looking around the room. "Since this is the first day, I won't start with theory. We'll begin with practice."
"Practice?" The students looked surprised.
Celestia nodded. "I don't know your abilities or limits yet. So the fastest way is to see them in action. Let's go."