<h4>Chapter 30: A Sweet, Yet Deadly Smile</h4>


    “Hah… you…,” Nicole panted while using one of the Yellow gs in order to support her body. “You’re… a very good… runner.”


    “I am confident in my stamina,” Ethan replied. “Running has almost been an everyday part of my life.”


    “You run everyday?”


    “Yes. That is the only way that I can avoid getting hit by Grandma’s sandals.”


    The pink-haired beauty had run as fast as she could, but she had been unable to keep up with Ethan whose stamina was greater than hers.


    The blue-haired boy, on the other hand, still looked fine, despite the fact that he had run at full speed in order to lengthen the gap between him and the crazy girl, who had nned to hunt him down.


    “Congrattions, the two of you,” Sir Lionel said as soon as his Hippogriffnded a few meters away from the two teenagers. “Only the two of you managed to clear my task before ss ended. As promised, both of you will get 200 merit points each.”


    The Knightly Professor took out his wand and pointed it at Ethan’s and Nicole’s badges that had been pinned on their robes.


    The badges glowed briefly indicating that the transfer had been sessful, making the blue-haired boy smile happily.


    Nicole then lightly tapped the badge on her uniform before pointing her wand at Ethan, transferring their wager of 20 Merit Points.


    “Next time, I will win,” Nicole said before raising her hand to summon her flying broom. “See you in the next ss, Ethan.”


    Without another word, the pink-haired beauty flew towards the Academy in order to get to her next ss.


    “Well then, Ethan, do you want to hitch a ride?” Sir Lionel asked. “I know that you Duds don’t do well with flying brooms, so for your safety I’ll take you back to the Academy.”


    “Thank you, Sir Lionel,” Ethan replied. “It is as you say. I suck at using flying brooms.”


    The Knightly Professor chuckled and helped the blue-haired boy mount his Hippogriff.


    A minuteter, they were both flying in the sky, headed to the academy so that Ethan could go to his next ss as well.


    “You know, I had a friend once,” Sir Lionel said. “He was a Dud just like you. The man had the heart of a lion, the shaft of a horse, and the legs of a cheetah. Although he wasn’t proficient with Magic, he became an elite Adventurer. Unfortunately, he took an arrow to the knee, and was forced to look after his kids back home, while his wife went Dragon ying.


    “Even so, he’s lived a good life. So, when therees a time when you feel that you arecking because everyone around you can use Magic, remember that even Wizards and Witches can’t do everything. Today’s trial was a way to teach them that they shouldn''t over rely on their Magic Powers.


    “Because if they were put in a situation where they were unable to use magic, the only things they have left to rely on are their physical ability and wits. So, hang in there,okay? Show these Wizards and Witches that even a Dud can amount to something. ”


    Ethan felt something warm spread inside his chest because this was the first time that someone had subtly told him that even a Dud like him can do something amazing in a Magic Academy filled with talented Wizards and Witches.


    A few minutester, Sir Lionel ordered his Hippogriff tond at the outskirts of the Great Eagle Forest where Ethan’s ss would be starting.


    “Well then, I’m off,” Sir Lionel said with a smile. “Don’t let a Giant Eagle eat you for lunch, okay?”


    The Knightly Professorughed as his mount soared towards the sky to return to the Training Grounds.


    ‘Such a good natured professor,’ Ethan thought. ‘I wish all the Professors were like him.’


    Just as the blue-haired boy was deep in his thoughts, he heard a familiar voice calling him from above.


    “You’re earlier than I expected,” Chloe said as her flying broom descended towards the blue-haired boy who had arrived before her.


    Although this wasn’t the first time Ethan had seen a flying broom, seeing Chloe sitting on top of it looked surreal.


    “How was your first ss?” Ethan asked. “If I remember correctly it was Potion Making, right?”


    “Yes,” Chloe replied. “It wasn’t that bad. The Moaning Mandragora was weird though.”


    “M-Moaning what?”


    “Moaning Mandragora. Wizards and Witches use them to create stamina potions, and aphrodisiacs…”


    Chloe’s face suddenly turned beet red after realizing what she had just said.


    “Um, we made stamina potions today,” Chloe exined with a flushed face. “Professor Magnolia said that it is still too early for us to make aphrodisiacs, so we will just focus on making stamina and minor health potions this week.”


    “S-Sounds fun,” Ethan replied. “He didn’t take the Potion Making ss because he wasn’t that good at memorizing things. Also, he didn’t have the patience to mix things together to try to create potions.


    The two of them made small talk until they arrived at the clearing inside the forest where the other students were waiting for ss to start.


    “Nicole!” Chloe waved at the pink-haired girl who waved back at her with a smile. However, her gaze became cold when itnded on the blue-haired boy standing beside Chloe.


    The youngdy with light-brown hair didn’t notice the change in Nicole’s gaze. She was busy dragging Ethan towards the pink-haired beauty, who had a sweet, yet deadly smile, stered on her face.


    Ethan did his best to not look at Nicole’s smile, and simply sat beside Chloe while waiting for their Professor to arrive.


    Not far from them, the other First Years from Eques Manor, gave Nicole side-long nces. None of them had forgotten what she had done a few hours ago.


    Each Manor had an unwritten rule that all members must do their best to help each other. Nicole broke that unwritten rule and because of this, they nned to get back at her when the right opportunity presented itself.