Ms. Elra moved with remarkable speed and dexterity. In mere moments, she returned to the desk carrying a small leather suitcase and a brass key engraved with the number 104. "Here is your uniform, your guidebook, and your room key, Lucky. You are placed in the Sun Dormitory, Room 104," Elra said, offering a smile far warmer than her initial professional demeanor. "Thank you, Miss!" Lucky replied cheerfully, accepting the key. Headmaster Arthur signaled for a staff member to guide Lucky. "The dormitory grounds are strictly for students and staff. Sir, Madam, you may escort him as far as the courtyard's dividing gate." Upon reaching the arched gateway that led to the dormitories, their footsteps came to a halt. The time for farewells had arrived. Marie immediately crouched down and pulled her son into a fierce embrace, her eyes welling with tears. "My baby... ah, I mean, Mommy's little champion has to be good here, okay? Eat plenty, listen to your teachers, and don't stay up too late." Lucky nodded obediently, returning the hug just as tightly. "I will, Mama. I promise." Julian knelt beside his wife, clapping a heavy, proud hand on his son's small shoulder. "Remember our pinky promise, right? Papa and Mama aren't throwing you away. We'll be waiting for you during the holidays to hear all your grand stories. Be strong, and find good friends." "I will, Papa!" Lucky flashed a wide smile, hurriedly wiping the corners of his watering eyes. He had to be strong. He was a big boy now! With one final wave, Lucky turned and marched into the dormitory grounds. He glanced back a few times to make sure his parents were still there before his small silhouette finally vanished down the corridor. His adventure as a student of Clovis Academy had officially begun. The moment Lucky was out of sight, Marie's composure crumbled. "Watching our boy leave makes my heart ache so much," she sobbed softly, wiping the stray tears from her cheeks. Julian offered a serene smile, gently wrapping his arm around his wife's waist to comfort her. "Lucky needs to grow up, my love. He is no longer our little baby who can just play around the village," Julian soothed, staring down the empty corridor, his chest swelling with quiet pride. Meanwhile, Lucky was wandering down the halls of the Sun Dormitory. The polished wooden floors creaked softly beneath his boots. The dormitory felt incredibly alive, buzzing with the chatter of new students running about and greeting one another. Lucky's mismatched eyes scanned the copper plaques on every door he passed. "One hundred and one... one hundred and two... one hundred and three... ah, here it is! One hundred and four!" he muttered cheerfully. With his tiny hands, Lucky slotted the brass key into the lock and turned it. Click. The wooden door swung open, greeting his senses with the fresh scent of pine and clean linens. The room was spacious and comfortable, bathed in sunlight pouring through a large window. Two neatly made beds sat directly across from one another. "Wow!" Lucky exclaimed with a wide smile. He took a step inside, ready to flop onto his new mattress, when he realized something. One of the beds was already occupied. The figure looked slightly older than Lucky, standing around 1.2 meters tall, with short black hair and striking reddish-black eyes. "Ah! Hello! I'm Lucky! Nice to meet you! Who are you?" Lucky greeted amiably. The figure hopped off the bed and stared at Lucky intently. Suddenly, without warning, she lunged forward and pinched both of Lucky's chubby cheeks. "Kyaaa! You are so cuuuute!" the child squealed in delight. "Igh! Wet mwe gwo!" Lucky protested angrily, his voice muffled by the pulling of his cheeks. "Ah! Sorry, sorry! You're just so cute I lost control!" She released her grip, laughing innocently. "I'm Jeanne! Nice to meet you! Hey, you want to be my little brother, right? I'll be the big sister who protects you!" the short-haired girl declared with fiery enthusiasm. "Why do I have to be the little brother? We're the same age," Lucky grumbled, rubbing his slightly numb cheeks. "I was born in January. What about you?" Jeanne challenged. "I... December," Lucky answered truthfully. "See! I told you, I was born first!" Jeanne cheered triumphantly. "Be my little brother, okay? I've always wanted a cute little brother to protect." Faced with Jeanne's undeniable logic, Lucky could only surrender. His ambition to be an independent "big boy" at the academy had been shattered in the first five minutes by the tomboy standing before him. Meeting Jeanne's wide, hopeful grin, Lucky's defenses crumbled. He let out a long sigh, perfectly mimicking his father's expression of defeat. "Hmph. Fine... Big Sister Jeanne," Lucky agreed, only half-willingly. "Yaaay!" Jeanne jumped for joy, giving him another quick hug before stepping back. "Now, as a good big sister, I need to know what my little brother can do! What's your unique ability, Lucky? Tell me so I know how to protect you if any bullies bother us!" Hearing his ability underestimated, Lucky's pride flared. "Excuse me! My ability is super rare, you know!" he shot back. Lucky focused his mind. A dim blue orb of energy materialized, hovering beside him. Without a single touch, Lucky's small leather suitcase lifted from the floor, floated gracefully through the air, and landed perfectly on his empty bed. "My ability is Telekinesis!" Lucky declared proudly. Jeanne's mouth formed a perfect 'O'. Her eyes darted between the blue orb and the suitcase. "Whoa! A blue orb! Rank S potential! That's amazing!" she praised genuinely. Then, she planted her hands on her hips with a smug grin. "But your Big Sister is just as amazing, you know!" Jeanne extended her hand. A similar dim blue orb appeared beside her. A split second later, a dagger materialized out of thin air, resting perfectly on her palm. "My potential is Rank S too! My ability is Melee Weapon Manipulation!" Jeanne boasted with a confident smirk. Lucky's eyes sparkled. "So cooool!" he cheered, thoroughly mesmerized by the sharp blade forged from pure energy. Jeanne beamed with satisfaction. With a fluid flick of her wrist, she spun the dagger before letting it dissolve into a shower of blue light. "Of course! With this ability, no monsters or bullies will dare mess with us. Your big sister can summon swords, spears, axes, anything!" Lucky's annoyance at being forced into the role of a little brother vanished without a trace. Having a big sister who could summon cool weapons wasn't so bad after all. "You have to show me how to use it later, okay?!" Lucky pleaded enthusiastically, completely forgetting his initial plan to unpack. "You got it! Leave it to me! Later we can—" CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Jeanne's words were cut short by the echoing toll of a massive bell, its heavy chimes rolling through the Sun Dormitory. A moment later, a magically amplified male voice resonated down the halls, slipping under the cracks of every door. "Attention all new students of Clovis Academy. Please leave your dormitories immediately and assemble in the Main Hall within fifteen minutes. The welcoming ceremony and orientation will commence shortly. I repeat..." The announcement played once more before the corridors erupted into the chaotic clamor of rushing children. Jeanne leaped to her feet, her eyes burning with a fierce competitive fire. "The welcoming ceremony! All the strongest students will definitely be there!" Without wasting a breath, the tomboy grabbed Lucky's wrist. "Hurry up, Lucky! We need to get front-row seats so we can see everything!" "E-eh, wait a second! I haven't even opened my suitcase yet!" Lucky protested, stumbling forward as she yanked him toward the door. "You can unpack later! Run!" With joyous laughter filling the air, Jeanne dragged Lucky out of Room 104. They joined the rushing river of new students pouring down the red-carpeted corridors, pushing and shoving their way toward their very first stage at Clovis Academy. "Slow down, Sister Jeanne! My legs are short, you know!" Lucky gasped, his feet barely touching the ground as he was towed along. "If we go slow, we'll end up in the back! Great people belong in the front!" Jeanne shot back without looking over her shoulder. The moment they entered the Main Hall, Lucky's jaw dropped. He had never seen a room this vast and opulent in his entire life. Hundreds of children from various backgrounds were gathered—some in simple clothes like Lucky, and others in lavish velvet suits marking their noble heritage. "Excuse me! Coming through! Big sister bringing her little brother through!" Jeanne shouted shamelessly, parting the crowd like a miniature battering ram. She successfully carved a path to the very front row, claiming two seats dead center of the stage. Lucky hurriedly sat down, covering his flushed face in embarrassment as the other students glared at them. "Shh, Sister Jeanne, don't yell..." he whispered in horror. "Relax! If anyone has a problem with it, they can deal with me!" Jeanne declared, patting her chest proudly. At that moment, the hall's lights dimmed, and the imposing figure of Headmaster Arthur stepped onto the stage. The authoritative old man offered a warm smile, yet his sheer presence forced the entire hall into a stiff, breathless silence. "Welcome, future stars," Arthur's voice boomed effortlessly across the room, clearly enhanced by magic. "Today, you are no longer ordinary children. You are the vanguard of humanity. At Clovis Academy, we will not only teach you to master your unique abilities but also how to survive, fight, and protect the weak from the monstrous threats beyond our city walls." Arthur swept his gaze over the sea of students, his eyes lingering briefly on Lucky and Jeanne with a faint, knowing smile. "Use your first year to learn as much as you can, for your class placements will be determined by how fiercely you train. I wish you all the best!" The Headmaster concluded his speech with an announcement that sent a tense buzz rippling through the hall. "Tomorrow morning, promptly at sunrise, assemble at the Main Training Grounds," Arthur commanded, his tone hardening. "We will conduct the Class Placement Exam. Your ranking in this exam will determine your home for the year—from Class A for the elite, down to Class F. Prepare yourselves. Dismissed!" As Arthur descended the stage, the hall erupted into a frenzy of nervous and excited chatter. "Class A! Class A! Class A!" Jeanne chanted, shaking Lucky by the shoulders. "We are going to crush that exam tomorrow and take the top spots, Lucky!" "D-Dizzy, Sister... yeah, we definitely will," Lucky mumbled, his eyes swirling. As the crowd began to filter out, a silver-haired boy dressed in outrageously expensive noble attire brushed past them. He deliberately bumped his shoulder against Lucky's, sneering down at him with undisguised disgust. "Move your cheap rags out of my way, peasant," the noble spat, dusting off his coat as if he had just touched filth. Jeanne's patience evaporated instantly. "What did you just say, white-hair?! How dare you insult my little brother! Let's go, one-on-one, right now!" she snarled fiercely, her palms already glowing with a faint blue light. The noble scoffed arrogantly. "I wouldn't dream of dirtying my hands before tomorrow's exam." He turned on his heel, intent on walking away with an air of superiority. Lucky, who had remained quiet, simply narrowed his heterochromatic eyes. 'Bad kid,' he thought. Without anyone noticing, Lucky tapped into his telekinesis. He didn't aim for the boy's body, but rather for the shiny buckle of his expensive belt. Click. The buckle magically unfastened. Just as the noble took a wide, arrogant stride, his trousers plummeted straight to his ankles, revealing a pair of bright pink underwear patterned with little bears. A momentary silence swept the hall, instantly followed by the explosive laughter of hundreds of students. The noble's face turned the color of a boiled crab. In a frantic, clumsy panic, he yanked his trousers back up and broke into a dead sprint down the hallway, desperately trying to salvage his shattered pride. Jeanne's laughter echoed above the rest; she was howling so hard she had to clutch her cramping stomach. Beside her, Lucky merely offered the innocent, flawless smile of an angel, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. Still giggling, Jeanne dragged Lucky back into the sanctuary of Room 104. The door slammed shut. "Come on, Sister! Show me!" Lucky urged, leaning forward on his toes like a child waiting to unwrap a present. "Alright, alright. Watch closely!" Jeanne puffed out her chest proudly. Her blue eyes flickered, radiating a thin light. The air before them hummed, magically condensing. In a matter of seconds, a ten-centimeter silver dagger materialized from the void, its razor-sharp edge gleaming under the room's lights. "This isn't just ordinary steel," Jeanne explained, weighing the blade in her hand. "The weapons I create are far stronger than normal ones. As long as I understand the structure of the original, I can forge it anytime. But..." She sighed softly, "...the more complex the structure, the longer it takes and the more energy it drains." Lucky gasped. "Wow, that's so cool!" His previously innocent eyes now sparkled with tactical mischief. "What if we combine it with my telekinesis? If you can create a bunch of blades, I can control them from afar. We could make a rain of weapons!" "That's a brilliant idea! My little brother is a genius! Let's try it!" Jeanne cheered. She immediately focused her energy. Shing! Shing! Shing! Three more daggers materialized, hovering above her palm. Lucky immediately went to work. His dim blue orb flared brighter. Splitting his focus, he gripped each of Jeanne's daggers with his mind. Slowly but surely, the blades lifted into the air, swirling around the two of them like a dancing shield of steel. "Incredible!" Jeanne shouted, her eyes blazing. "If we use this tomorrow, that arrogant snob will run away crying!" Lucky laughed brightly. Even though this was just a small practice session in their room, his confidence soared. With his new "Big Sister" by his side, he felt ready to face whatever Clovis Academy threw at them. After their exhausting but exhilarating training, they finally went to sleep to conserve their strength.