Blessed by the Dead

Chapter 5

As I wake up, there's a strange sound coming from below. For a second I want to sit up and get up but I quickly remember that I'm sleeping on a bunk bed. And so, I look down first. Colette is cutting through something with a knife. It's making a weirdly pleasant sound as she does.

"Hi?" I call out.

"Oh hey! Sorry again." She replies. Then she explains that she fell asleep listening to sand cutting asmr and couldn't wait to try it. I'm still so sleepy that I don't even bother asking where she got sand from at 7am.

But well, the day starts more casually than yesterday. There's no morning assembly, just classes. I grab one of the candles from my desk and we head out.

As we eat, I nervously look around the dining hall. Colette notices and asks me what's wrong.

"Well, do you think he dropped out because of what I said?" By he, I mean Wilhelm, of course. I did tell Colette what happened and she was just as surprised at me by the story. Even if he possesses a low amount of mana, zero effect from the tea should've been impossible and suddenly I wonder if his unpleasant comment was right. Did another place of my body change color and we didn't notice because it was covered? Still, I highly doubt he would've visualized my left elbow or right breast turning purple, he doesn't seem like that much of a scumbag.

"Nahhhh." Colette munches on her cereals. "If he dropped out, then it must've been because of whatever the teacher told him afterwards. Also-" She pulls out her phone. "I got too curious and looked him up when you were asleep."

I take another bite into my toast and look at her, my gaze questioning her findings.

"So, I looked in the student lists. And since he's with us in group A, it was easy to find. His full name is Wilhelm Rosenfeld." She types something on her phone then turns the screen to me. "Look at who his uncle is."

I almost choke on my toast.

"The chancellor of Germany? That can't be right."

Why in the world would someone from that kind of family want to learn heartcraft?

"Not only that, I also tried to find where he studied before coming here, and get this: he was homeschooled." That might have been too invasive but I would lie if I said I wasn't curious at all.

"Mh. That could explain why he's so antisocial, I suppose?"

"I don't know. Wouldn't it be shitty of him to think he's above us despite wanting to study in the same field as us? Do you think it could be possible that his family wants him to do that?!" Colette asks, shoving another spoonful of cereal into her mouth, but it does sound very unlikely and I doubt it.

I would imagine that from his family's point of view, it would be better to send him to law school or even military service if he doesn't want to study. If he's doing this, it would make more sense that he's doing it willingly. Though I can't imagine how and why a boy from a family like this would want to be in our field.

As we finish our breakfast and head for Mr. Mertens' sculpting class, Colette looks curiously at my bag.

"By the way, what's up with the candle you took this morning? In fact, what's up with all these candles?"

I smile mischievously at her.

"I'll show you in a few minutes." And honestly, I'm the one who should be asking her where she pulls out these ASMR props from.

As we enter, unlike Mrs. Lambert who came almost late to her own class, Mr. Mertens is already in the classroom, chatting happily with the students, and quite loudly at that. Well, I say "chatting" but really, he's showing off all the sculptures that are displayed in the classroom. Not only his, but the ones from his adored students as well. This is quite sweet.