Phoebe blinked at him, tilting her head slightly in disbelief.
"Wait… you can't draw mana circles?" she asked, voice caught somewhere between shock and amusement.
Kael scratched the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed.
"Well… yeah," he muttered. "Kinda skipped that part…"
Phoebe turned around dramatically and mumbled under her breath, "Damn… how could a high-ranker be so dumb?"
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"You know I can hear you, right?"
Without turning around, she replied casually, "Yeah, I know."
She spun back toward him with a flick of her brown hair, arms folded.
"Seriously though, how did you even get into this school without knowing basic mana circle theory? You're Kael Vernier, right?"
He nodded.
"How do you know me?"
Phoebe smirked.
> "Well, your facial features are… pretty unique. I have a friend who won't shut up about the time you brushed her hand during lunch. She said she's never washing it again."
Kael laughed awkwardly.
"I knew I was handsome… but not that handsome."
Phoebe chuckled softly. "For a high-ranker, you're actually pretty humble."
She tilted her head again and gave him a more curious look.
> "Anyway… you not knowing how to draw a mana circle is crazy. I mean, I get that you're a short-range fighter, but still. Especially since your sister Belle, right? She's famous for being a prodigy in both long and short-range magic."
Kael sighed.
"Yeah, well… trying to be that strong and smart isn't easy. One of us had to slack somewhere."
Phoebe's smile returned.
"Well, as long as I get my reward… I don't mind teaching you."
Kael nodded, relieved until a single thought stabbed through his brain like a dagger.
Wait…
I don't actually have an Arcane Class Mana Crystal…