The Nightmare Wizard
Chapter 93: A Walk Around the School

Chapter 93: Chapter 93: A Walk Around the School

The night passed as William slept soundly. After analyzing the collar and reading the rules, he drifted off without realizing it. In the morning, his collar vibrated, though it wasn’t a physical sensation but a direct signal to his mind, like a faint hum. Feeling it, he took out his collar and saw a symbol flashing. Opening it, he found a photo of Lía and Neri having breakfast in the cafeteria with a message that read: "We’re waiting for you in the cafeteria for breakfast."

William smiled nostalgically; it felt like a cell phone notification from his past life, bringing back bittersweet memories.

Leaving those saddening thoughts behind, William quickly got dressed in his robe and washed his face. As he left his room, he saw several students heading towards the second-floor stairs. He watched them for a moment before checking his collar, which displayed a map of the school and his real-time location. While this implied all collar users were being monitored, William lacked the power to change it or even know where to begin to examine the data, so he decided to put it out of his mind for now.

The cafeteria was a few minutes from the dormitories. Unlike yesterday, the streets seemed full of life, with many Level 1, 2, and 3 apprentices walking in all directions—some looking calm, others hurrying somewhere. Upon reaching the cafeteria, he quickly spotted Lía and Neri among the handful of people present.

"Hello, girls, how did you sleep?"

Lía stood up and kissed William before sitting back down. The expressions of several people in the cafeteria didn’t escape William’s notice. He quickly understood what was happening: Lía wanted him to mark his territory to ward off annoying pests. Some looked ready to fight, but when they saw the two stripes on William’s sleeve, they decided to stay put without a word.

"I fell completely dead yesterday. And you? How did you sleep?" Lía replied.

"I stayed up reviewing the rules, and before I knew it, it was already morning. Fortunately, they woke me up, or I might have missed breakfast today."

The three continued eating, sharing laughs and enjoying a harmonious conversation. William asked Neri:

"Since yesterday, I’ve been wondering... Who controls these collars? They have all our information, even when we don’t input anything."

"The collars are a mystery, to be honest. Perhaps only the academy’s high command knows who they belong to. As for your data, all that information is hidden in your subconscious. As soon as you connected with the collar, it read your mind and transferred the information. Although what they collect is quite limited. According to the professors, they don’t collect more than what you see in your personal status. That’s why people trust them so much."

"It’s incredible to me that these kinds of artifacts exist... but I suppose it’s quite common for you."

"When I arrived, I was also surprised by all of this, but eventually, you get used to it. Plus, they’re quite useful for many things," Neri responded while eating a piece of bread with her coffee.

"I was reading the rules, and it doesn’t say anything about specific courses or subjects. When will we know what kind of subjects we’ll be taking?"

"You’re lucky in that regard. Generally, the nobles begin their magical education six months before you. Because of this, they send some Level 3 apprentices to teach you, but it’s not enough. Anyway... the first official day of classes is tomorrow. You should receive a notification on your collars in a few hours with the subjects, classroom locations, professor profiles, and the teaching material you’ll be using. They always send it with less than a day’s notice to prevent cheating. The courses change order every year, as do the professors and the content. But there’s always someone who tries to gain an advantage."

"Then we arrived just in time. What a relief," William said, taking a deep drink of wine to finish his breakfast.

"I’d like to ask something... if it’s not an inconvenience," Neri said.

"Of course, if we can answer, we will," William replied.

"Why were you attacked yesterday? I asked many acquaintances, but I couldn’t find out the reason."

Neri’s question took William by surprise; he hadn’t expected it. But he answered truthfully anyway:

"I guess it’s not a secret, so I’ll tell you. They were pursuing us for the Kraken’s Jewel of Life."

The answer made Neri’s mouth drop open in surprise. She hadn’t expected it to be about that item. After thinking for a moment, she nodded, as if she had found the answer to a very difficult question.

"I see... that explains everything..."

Her statement left William and Lía confused, staring at her, waiting for her to continue.

"First of all, I should introduce myself. My full name is Nereida Hallwick. I am the heiress of the Hallwick house. I apologize for not having said it before, but it wouldn’t have changed anything. My family doesn’t support its descendants unless they reach the rank of Mage. That’s why, throughout my life, I have fought on my own, and I don’t like others to think that I get everything thanks to my last name."

Neri’s words surprised both of them. They hadn’t expected her to be someone important, but they understood her dilemma: she didn’t want to be pigeonholed as someone who obtained everything effortlessly.

"Don’t worry, we wouldn’t judge you in any way," William said calmly.

"Thank you... I really hate it when they think that. But anyway... A few years ago, my grandfather—who is a member of the Council of Elders—said in a family meeting that they were looking for a way to expand the academy’s power. If they succeeded, they could annex the entire Alliance. If I’m not mistaken, they want to use the Kraken’s Jewel to obtain something... I still don’t know what it is, but I’m sure it has to do with that."

Neri’s words were dangerous. If anyone else from the Alliance found out, they could accuse her family of conspiracy. But William and Lía were also grateful for the trust Neri showed them by sharing that information.

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