“What nonsense!” Will snorted, “It’s true that the book is already out of print, but that book was about the glory of past emperors, it said so in the news papers two weeks ago!”

“That’s two points for neophyte Patrick.”

Will’s face went dark when the professor spoke up.

“What?!”

“Wilson, you got the title of the book wrong,” the professor said in a cool tone. “I also suggest you do some reading about the philosopher Sarkazein to know why he was beheaded fifty years ago,” he added. “We now have Patrick with two points, and William with one.”

“That’s great Patrick! Just one more to go!” Arman cheered with my friends.

“Next question is...”

“Wait a minute,” Will interrupted. “I-I want to change the topic!”

Prof. Novil looked at me.

“I shall allow it.”

“Then the next topic will be mathematics!”

“Oh my, isn’t Will from a family of engineers?” I heard people around us whisper.

“He’s the top mathematician in his grade level!”

“Silence, please,” Prof. Novil called out to the dining hall which was now full of students. “Now, for the 4th question, in the equation 4x + 8x = n, what is the value of x if n is equivalent to 72?”

As usual, Will beat me at raising hands. He was still mumbling when the professor called his name.

“...is the answer 6?”

“Correct.”

“Now, it’s head to head!” said Elliot who had his fingers crossed.

“You can do this, Pat!” called Arman with his hands clasped together, while Cat stared nodding with his small hands balled into fists.

“Next question.”

I took a deep breath.

“Find the length and the width of a rectangular plot if its perimeter is equivalent to 832 feet, considering its length is equal to seven times its width.”

I did the solution in my head and was about to raise my hand when Will’s arm shot up.

“The width is... 52 and the length is 354.”

Prof. Novil stared at Will.

“Wrong.”

The students let go of the breaths they held.

“Patrick, if you answer this correctly...”

“The plot is 52 feet wide and 364 feet long.”

Now, the professor stared at me as the people in the hall held their breaths once more.

Slowly, the professor’s lips curled into a smile.

“We have our win-”

The rest of his words were drowned by the cheer of the people around us.

“That means I’m now Pat’s apprentice!” Cat said happily.

“Neophytes are not allowed to have apprentices,” Will told him coldly.

“True, but they have the right to grant a fellow neophyte apprentice their freedom,” Prof. Novil stated, “and on this day, two neophytes just won their fellow student wards their freedom.”

“I want a rematch!” said Turin who seemed to have regained consciousness.

“I demand another round as well!” Will also insisted.

“Do you two wish to challenge Elliot and Patrick in fair battle once more?” the professor asked them.

“Yeah! I want another battle, and this time-”

“Then, as stated in the Rules of Fair Battle in ‘The Holy Royal Indicum Empire Book of Law’, you can challenge Elliot and Patrick as soon as they have recuperated and regained their physical and mental strength,” the professor continued, cutting Turin off.

Prof. Novil then faced Elliot who was prancing around with Arman and Cat.

“Neophyte Elliot, have you recuperated from your last battle?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t really feel that good, professor,” he groaned, holding his cheek that had turned quite red. “I don’t think I’m in any condition to fight anymore.”

“Then you have a right to decline Turin’s challenge.”

Prof. Novil turned to me next.

“How about you, Patrick?”

I took a look at the darkening horizon outside the window.

“I’m afraid I am now mentally tired as well.”

I still need to go to the library after all.

“What do you mean, ‘mentally tired’?!” Will snapped at me.

“Then the two challenges have both been declined.”

“But professor...”

“If there are any other challenges for this evening, then please step forward.” The professor looked around the dining hall.

No other student came forth.

“I therefore declare that the challenges have come to an end,” concluded the professor.

Senior Turin and his friends left the hall begrudgingly, while the rest of the students continued to cheer.

Well, at least now, we can go to the library as planned.

“The Library closes at 7.”

We stared at the same student who chased us out of the library yesterday.

“But it’s not even seven yet...” I tried to reason out.

“It’s a quarter to seven. It’s the same thing. I’ve already cleaned the floor. Come back earlier tomorrow.”

And with that, the double doors of the library were slammed at our faces once again.

“What do we do now, Pat?” Cat asked.

“We’ll be screwed of we don’t bring a mask to Prof. Novil tomorrow!” Arman said. “Did you see how strict he was even with the seniors?!”

“Don’t worry, I still have a plan,” I told them. “Let’s hurry back to the dorms first.”

We made our way back towards the east gardens where our dormitory was located, and was greeted by malicious stares as soon as we entered the building.

All the seniors seem to be glaring at us.

“That’s him? But he’s just a tub of lard!” we heard them snicker.

“And to think that undead imp actually has a functioning brain?”

We ignored them and made our way to our room in the third floor, but even there, we felt eyes throwing daggers at us.

“Didn’t he mention Prof. Novil’s name when he first entered the grand hall?” someone said. “He’s probably the professor’s bitch, that’s probably how he won in a battle of wits against senior Will!”

Arman seemed to be offended by this, as the turned around and opened his mouth, but Elliot touched his shoulder and shook his head at him.

“Let’s not start any more trouble,” he told Arman whose face was turning red with rage.

“How dare they call Pat a bitch!”

Arman exploded when we entered room 328.

“Just because they lost so badly, they think picking on a person’s appearance would make them look any better?!”

“Thank you for getting angry on my behalf, Arman,” I told my friend, “but fighting is never the answer. Didn’t all this trouble start with a simple quarrel?”

Arman pouted at me, unable to say anything.

“Sorry...” he apologized. “It’s just infuriating how they slander you and call you a bitch! When it’s obvious that the professor really genuinely likes you because you’re so smart!”

“Um... okay... please don’t tell them that.” My smile wavered.

“But it’s true, Pat!” said Cat.

“Yes, it’s quite obvious,” agreed Arman. “Did you see that smile he gave before he dismissed us from class earlier?”

“What smile?” I asked.

“The same one he gave you when you told Arman that there was another mask left in his room,” said Elliot.

“Oh, I saw that, too!” Cat piped in. “It’s the same smile my nanny makes when she knows I’m making stories up.”

“It was also the same smile he gave when you answered the last question in the challenge earlier,” Elliot added.

“See?” Arman said with a smirk.

“He was just... probably... intrigued about me,” I reasoned. “There’s no way he actually likes me...”

“Oh, goodness, no, of course, not!” Arman quickly agreed. “That would be unthinkable! It’s just those seniors trying to smear your image!”

“Well, it’s not like anyone would believe that the professor likes you that way, right, Pat?” Cat asked bright eyed.

“Right,” I tried to smile.

“So, what will you do now, Pat?” Elliot asked. “How can we help you in any way?”

“I would have to make do with what I already have...” I told them. “For starters, I plan to give the ‘mask of flesh’ spell a physical form. I would need something that could cling to your skin as a base, though...”

“Oh, I’ve got such the thing! Wait right here!”

Arman left our room and came back minutes later, carrying his bag full of fragrant oils and other cosmetics.

“This is a concealing cream I put on when I need to walk under the sun.” He handed me a small compact full of an oily white cream. It smelled of roses and felt cool to the touch.

“This would do. How many do you have?”

“Just three compacts. I’m hoping my friend would be able to send me more before the month is through.”

“Then I shall start with this.”

The three stood before me, expectantly.

“Um... I prefer to work in silence on my own, so...”

“Oh, of course, we’ll give you some space then!” said Elliot. “We can have some snacks while you work on it!”

He took out a platter, gave me some cookies, and brought the rest to his study table where they plan to play cards.

I went to my own table and took out the big almanac from my drawer. I turned the pages, not bothering to pull the hidden magical tome out, and went to the chapter which contained the ‘mask of flesh’ spell.

“Oh, my gosh, is that a genuine magic book?”

Arman’s face popped up at the end of the book as I was trying out a spell.

“A magic book? Where?” Cat asked curiously.

I touched my finger to my lips and smiled like I used to do whenever our youngest call for me in the library.

Cat covered his mouth with both hands while Arman nodded and pulled him away.

“It’s 8, we’ll be off to the baths for now,” Elliot whispered loudly.

I nodded in reply.

I now have peace and quiet in my solitude.