Haaaaaaaah………The squeak of chairs as students shift restlessly in their seats. Laughter and casual chatter interwoven with hushed murmurs. Teenagers speaking boldly, carefree, their conversations flowing without regard for the day ahead. Occasional glances lingering on me, curious about my presence.

  Yep. I didn’t forget it. I didn’t forget what it felt like to be at school. I guess it’s for real now.

  I’m really back at school………..ugh.

  You don’t sound too excited.

  “School wasn’t something I enjoyed back on Earth. It’s not like I’m going to begin enjoying school all of a sudden. And you know what? Typically someone who’s reincarnated into a different world is probably banging hot elves by now. But here I am, probably seconds away from hearing a lecture on how the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. ”

  ……..Hot elves?

  The classroom was tucked away at the back of the town hall, which was marked by two wooden doors. Tall, arched windows lined the walls, flooding the room with sunlight that wove through the shelves standing beside them. These sturdy shelves, clearly having been here for a long time, contained several worn, rugged books. The students sat on small wooden chairs, each with only a modest table in front. In terms of the formation of the seats, they were situated in rows that went from wall to wall. At the front of the room stood a chalkboard, with a few sticks of chalk resting idly on Ms. Lonnie’s desk—a much larger table laden with books and writing utensils for the students.

  I stood near the edge of a shelf, patiently waiting for Ms. Lonnie.

  “Students, quiet please.” She put her hat down, allowing her hair to flow more freely.

  The entire classroom was filled with a hush.

  She must be a good teacher for them to all go silent like that.

  “Before we start, I’d like to introduce a new student.” She waved me over with a smile.

  Awkwardly, I waddled over to introduce myself. I stood tall, facing the entire class. I mainly saw puzzled looks on their faces, along with the amused expression on Rune…….Man, he’s so fucking ugly-

  However, I did see the excited and proud looks of both Arthur and Elaine. Arthur gave me a big thumbs up with a grin, while Elaine merely smiled. It felt reassuring that they were there. I don’t really think of myself as a shy person, so I don’t exactly know why I was feeling so awkward……..again, it’s as if my body’s affecting my mental state.

  “This is Beric Bome. He’ll be joining us from now on. He’s also the brother of both Arthur and Elaine, so I expect you two to help him adjust to school.”

  “Yes, Ms. Lonnie.” They both voiced out.

  “Now, while he may be young, I expect you all to treat him just as how you treat each other. Beric is very intelligent for his age, so be kind and respectful to him.”

  “Excuse me, Ms. Lonnie.” A male voice suddenly interrupted. The voice of course belonged to Rune…….This fucking ugly piece of sh-

  “Yes, Rune?” Ms. Lonnie’s smile stuttered.

  “Is this a joke? To allow a 3 year old to attend this school?”

  Seriously? He’s still trying to start something?

  This kid needs to get off your dick.

  “Actually, Beric is 5 years old.”

  Rune almost fell out of his chair from laughing. “Oh, really? My apologies. Let me correct myself. Are you letting a five year old attend our classes? There, is that better for you?”

  For starters, that chair you were leaning on almost broke. It’s not like this school is some multi-million foundation. Stop trying to gatekeep a school that’s barely hanging on.

  “Rune, I assure you, Beric is perfectly capable of-”

  “Are you serious? You’re actually fine with allowing this kid to be here? This isn’t some daycare for the babies of the village. We’re here because we want to learn magic and history, to become great people who can serve in the royal kingdoms. Isn’t it clear to you that this five year old is not going to be able to keep up with us. Unless, you want us to slow down? Is that what you want? Are you going to give Beric special attention, all because he’s somewhat bright for his age? What about us? What are we supposed to do? Is it now our responsibility to watch over this kid while we’re also expected to study?”

  ……..Damn, I hate that he’s not even wrong. I’d probably react the same if some little kid appeared in my high school class……..but it’s invalid because he’s saying it.

  True that.

  “Listen, Rune. Your studies will not slow down. Beric will not get in your way and-”

  “Oh, great. That’s great, very great.” Rune stood up, the palms of his hands gripping his desk. Looking right at me, he said, “So let me get this straight. Beric here is some child genius who can study magic and history. He’s also the brother of Arthur and Elaine, the same siblings who shouldn’t even be here. Arthur’s the worst student in this entire class, and Elaine’s just an antisocial girl who can’t do anything but read. But yet somehow, this genius Beric was born into the same family as them? Bullshit!” He slammed the table. “Arthur and Elaine are only here because you pitied them. You know that they have no magical talent whatsoever, and yet you still wanted to teach them. And now, this kid here is supposedly a genius? No, that’s a lie. You wanna know what I think? I think you were paid by their family.”

  The students around gasped.

  ? Dramatic much?

  “Seriously. They’re gasping as if it’s some show.”

  Ms. Lonnie sighed. “Beric’s family did not pay me. I simply heard from the elders that Beric should be attending the classes as well. I respected their wishes upon hearing their explanations. As for Arthur and Elaine, they have special qualities that go beyond what you see in class.”

  That seemed to shut up Rune. His eyes narrowed as he stayed quiet. It looked like he was going to sit back down, until…..”That’s the story they gave you?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Rune snickered. “I guess that makes sense. You are Elfrida Lonnie, the promising sorceress who came from Myrkwind. It only makes sense that when you failed to secure a job, you resorted to being a teacher in a commoner’s village like this. You must’ve been really struggling to accept money to let in duds like Arthur huh? It’s alright Ms. Lonnie. I’ll ask my grandpa to raise your pay. In exchange, you can just teach me advanced forms of magic like-”

  “Do you want proof?” Ms. Lonnie’s voice became cold.

  “Eh?”

  Eh?

  Eh?

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Rune’s previously cocky face turned into a confused and awkward look, an expression that I too now shared. What did Ms. Lonnie mean by that?

  Ms. Lonnie turned to me, and I swear that I saw a vein popping on the side of her head. “Beric, would you mind showing Rune your wolf summon?”

  She’s really putting you on the spot here.

  “Well, this was going to happen eventually.”

  Summoning Shade, a thin coil of dark smoke spiraled around my raised hand. Hints of purple and blue flickered within the wisp, reflecting the essence of my summons. The haze then condensed into a silver cloud, shifting and molding itself into the form of a large wolf. As the transformation completed, the smoke dissipated, unveiling Shade beneath.

  “New friends!” Shade’s tail began wagging when he saw the amount of new people. His body had a slight twinge, which I knew exactly what it signaled.

  “Heel, Shade. Stay next to me for now. They’re not used to you yet.”

  “Oh…….” Shade’s ears drooped and his tail stopped wagging.

  I patted his head, trying to keep a calm demeanor. It was important that I did

  since the entire class erupted into chaos. Most kids screamed in terror, while some were frozen in shock. A few even leapt off their chairs and made a run for the doors. Elaine simply nodded her head, while Arthur beamed in arrogance.

  Didn’t he literally pass out last time?

  Rune’s mouth hung open, which is why he began coughing when a fly entered it. Rune’s sidekick Orion seemed to be the only one unperturbed by it.

  Interesting.

  Shushing the students and trying to calm them down, she assured them that it was okay. “This is Beric’s bonding magic.” She squatted next to Shade. “May I pet him?”

  “Sure.”

  Shade whined in pleasure and contentment. He was really enjoying her petting him.

  “I like her smell.” Shade’s nose sniffed the air around Ms. Lonnie.

  “As you can see, this is his wolf summon……what’s his name?”

  “Shade.”

  “Shade.” Ms. Lonnie then stood back up. “There. Is that enough to convince you all of Beric’s capabilities?”

  One female student raised her hand.

  “Yes, Matilda?”

  The blonde girl stood up. “I thought bonding magic was an advanced form of taming magic. Don’t you need a Core Reset for it?”

  Ms. Lonnie smiled. “Good remembering. You can choose today’s reader.”

  Arthur seemed to shiver in fear.

  Addressing the class, she said, “Matilda is right. Beric would need a Core Reset……..which is exactly what he did.”

  The class erupted back into chaos. Everyone began spewing out questions. “How’s that possible?” “How can a kid like Beric do it?” “Isn’t he way too young?” “Why does he specifically have bonding magic?”

  Ms. Lonnie prioritized calming down the class before answering their questions.

  Rune finally recovered from his coughing fit. “But, Ms. Lonnie, that’s impossible. How would Beric even know what a Core Reset is? And how could he even successfully execute one?” He turned to Elaine. “Did you tell him?”

  Elaine shook her head. “Nope. It was all him.”

  “What?” Rune’s face somehow became even more ugly.

  “It’s happened before. Some people are born with an innate sense for their soul. They’re able to instinctually sense their soul flows, and they are capable of comprehending how to ascend their soul without prior knowledge. While it may be rare, people have been born with the instinct to meditate on their own, even as infants.” Ms. Lonnie explained.

  “What?” Rune still couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

  “What is it? Are you surprised that a five year old achieved a Core Reset before you did?” Ms. Lonnie couldn’t contain her smirk.

  Arthur erupted into laughter, and he was joined by a few of his friends.

  I myself almost let out a laugh.

  That’s crazy. Keep cooking, Ms. Lonnie. ??

  “….……Did you just send an emoji?”

  Rune quickly glared at Arthur and his friends, but before he could continue, Ms. Lonnie said, “Now, are you going to sit down? You’re holding up the class.”

  “But-but-” Rune stammered.

  “If you don’t sit down and be quiet, I’ll give you extra homework.”

  Yikes.

  Rune angrily sat down, glaring at me this time.

  I smirked at him.

  His face became red.

  “Now, Beric…..let’s see…..” Ms. Lonnie’s eyes scanned the tables, looking for an empty seat. “Perfect, you can sit next to Matthias.” She pointed to a table at the far right, right second to last. It was next to a black haired boy.

  Huh. I didn’t notice him at all this entire time. That’s weird.

  Recalling Shade, I walked over to my seat, leering at Rune on the way.

  I made sure he saw me.

  Arriving at my seat, I helped myself up and adjusted my seating. Due to my body, it was a bit hard to see the front, but I could bear with it.

  “Hello, Matthias. How are you?” I asked the boy next to me.

  Look at Mr. Social Bug over here.

  “Shut up.”

  Matthias turned to face me. His light almond skin contrasted with the faint eyebags beneath his eyes, emphasizing his skeleton-like frame. His weary black eyes fixed on me, their depth unreadable, while his dark hair hovered just above them, barely kept in place.

  “........Good.” He quickly turned back to the front after that.

  ………Okay? That’s it?

  I followed his lead and I looked back at the front, waiting for further instructions. It was clear that there was no purpose in trying to converse further with Matthias. He simply didn’t wish to talk, and I could respect that.

  Ugh, I hate people like that. When someone’s going out of their way to talk to you, the least you could do is respond with the same. There’s no benefit in just embarrassing them by staying silent. It’s just selfish if you ignore them.

  “I don’t know about that. For our silent friend Matthias here, it may be better for him to ignore me.”

  I glanced at Matthias' clothing—tattered and worn, with scattered holes dotting his boots. From his appearance and demeanor, he seemed like the type no one really noticed, a quiet presence fading into the background. With his weak presence and clear lack of money, he was an easy target for bullies like Rune. And given Rune’s obvious hatred for me, Matthias would be wise to keep his distance. There was no reason for him to get caught up in something that could hurt him even more.

  It was reasonable and logical. I would do the same……..Rather,

  I have done the same.

  While we waited, I found my eyes occasionally glancing at the silent figure next to me. What I didn’t see at first were his eyes. Rather than focusing on the front, his eyes seemed to doze off, as if he was thinking deeply about something.

  Daydreaming.

  I could tell, since I did exactly that when I was a student back on Earth.

  It’s normal to daydream, after all. When the class didn’t start and there was nothing to do besides wait, what else could one do but daydream? Sure, one could talk to his friends. But that wasn’t possible for someone like Matthias. Reading a book? Not for poor kids. The only thing that they could do was use their mind to dream up a different place. Anything but this hellhole that was forced upon us.

  …….I wonder if Matthias is the same, if he’s a part of the silent majority.

  You know who I’m talking about, right? Those who move through life beside you, their presence so ordinary that they fade into the depths of your restricted eyesight. Your gaze is fixed on your own future, too consumed by the fears of life to notice the countless others walking the same path. Their struggles are muffled beneath the unending screeches of success and failure, their quiet pleas for help lost in the noise. Or perhaps you do notice—but you choose to turn away, trusting that someone else will intervene. After all, there are plenty of them. “Silent majority”. Let them help each other. Why should you be the one to do something? Why should you take upon the risk of change? But that is precisely the problem. They are always there—the silent majority—shadowing your every step, sharing your aspirations, your burdens, your fears. If you refuse to reach out when one of them stumbles, so will the rest. One by one, they will be swallowed by the silence. And do you know why?

  Because you are the silent majority.