Quest of Automata King

A Test

Gulping down his fear and anxiety down to his stomach, Mui knock the classroom door with his fist. He paused at the third knock, and opened the door slightly so he could see inside of the classroom.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry I was late...” said Mui, bowing down his body a bit and stretch his head inside.

In front of mui is the podium arena of the class, with giant blackboard that facing row of chairs that going upwards. In the area where Chiro lecturing the students, there is also table with chemistry sets consists of vials all kind of shapes, a small burner, and glass bottles closed with cork cover.

When Mui showed himself to the class, Chiro’s attention suddenly shifted. She is in the middle of a lesson, and for someone suddenly barging in and shifted the focus of her student is a little bit annoying.

On the other hand, Emmellia is there too, standing behind the chemistry table. Her role is for helping Miss Chiro whenever she needs to, either it is by demonstrating the lesson she is talking about, or explaining stuff that are more complicated in a languange that her peer could understand more.

Just like everyone in the room, her attention shifted to the figure that suddenly appeared on the door. Her eyes goes wider because suddenly Mui appeared. Moreover, without any sign of serious injuries despite Julius’s confession. Mui himself trying not to make any direct eyes contact with her.

“Wow, fifteen minutes late,” said Chiro. “Never in my history of teaching that I seen slacker like this in my class, well, mainy because I straight up expelled them at the moment they showed up late. What is your excuse boy?”

Miss Chiro smiled. She stopped her explanation to walk closer toward Mui. She smiled alluringly and pressing both of her hand under her full-displayed cleavage. Something that she always do when talking to males, either students, or teachers.

“Watch out Mui, that harlot is not a good news,” said Goettia suddenly inside his head.

“Har— I mean, pardon me miss! This morning I wake up feeling terrible, I can’t even move my body out of bed. At first I thought I’am sick, and decide to take a leave today. But when the afternoon comes, suddenly my body feel much better.”

Chiro staring at Mui, she stopped smiling and now placed her hand on her hip. “Are you sure that is not just a sign of laziness? Can’t move your body on the morning? Are you a snail or something?” scold Chiro.

“Sorry ma’am.” Replied him weakly, Mui takes a step backward and lowering his shoulder, showing submissiveness to his teacher.

“Beside, what is wrong with the cloak? Do you going to cruising, or joining the class?”

Mui lift his right hand and touching his torso that covered in cloak. “Pardon me Miss Chiro. Turns out, my uniforms are not enough with my body size. It is tightening, and displeasure to see, this cloak is just to cover my body, at least until I get new uniforms from the school’s store.”

One of Chiro’s eyebrow lifted. She may be not the most attentive teacher in the academy, but she will know Mui right away. Other teachers including herself called him the ‘small one’, or simply ‘The Devil’. But there is also few that called him with derogatory term such as ‘horn-head’.

Last week, Mui still the skinny-and-small Devil that she knew, but now that she notices, he is a lot taller than what Chiro is remember.

“What do you mean? You get a sudden growth spur or something?” asked Chiro, right now she is not even trying manipulate him with his appearance.

Mui simply lift his shoulder, signaling that he himself did not have answer for her question. Suddenly, the class is filled with giggle and laughter, apparently the small squabble between student and teacher is entertaining enough to make everyone wake up from the usually boring potion class.

Chiro looking at the class with the corner of her eyeball, and then back to Mui.

“I don’t know whatever happened to a Devil’s body, especially added the factor that you are a young man going through puberty,” said Chiro, making the giggle of the class goes laughter. “But class is still class! We value knowledge more than anything here.”

Chiro walk back to her podium. At first Mui thinks that he will get a detention for being late, but suddenly the teacher calling him again.

“As I said before, usually, I would file a expulsion letter for whoever rude enough to interfering my class. But let’s make a exception today. Mui, get to the chemistry table.”

Gulping down his saliva, Mui walk to the direction that his teacher told him to. At that time, his eye meet with Emmellia. Mui remember about her conversation with Betty at the intersection, at it making his body freeze.

“You fine?” asked Emmellia, Mui realized that he stopped in the middle of the way, and it probably will make Chiro angry.

“Uh, yes,” answer Mui with a nod. He does not sure what ‘fine’ is Emmellia talking about. Is she asked about the bullying that Mui received? Or the reason that he stopped in the middle of the way to the chemistry table.

Intimidated by Chiro’s impatient gesture and his classmates attention, Mui looked to the rows of table and chair. Apparently some of they are noticing mui’s change, and they began to whispering to one another.

“Alright now, Mr. Mui-Ken Ikhu,” said Chiro, leaning her back to the wall. “Today we are reviewing about physical-altering potion. I hope you did your homework, because we all curious to know how much did you know about them. Let’s start about quick briefing, shall we?”

Chiro’s silence signaling the start of this ‘test’ that Mui don’t really understand. Mui, did not want to get expelled and humiliated in front of his classmates reply with a nod. He look toward his classmates, and started to speak.

“So, physical altering potion, is a mid-to-high tier potion that give the user ability to change part of their body into other creature, as long as the formula is right. It have many benefit, including on practical function for the workers of certain field,” said Mui.

“Although it have many benefit, the technique also have certain problem too. One of them is being used as a fraud by using someone else’s appearance, on the other hand, a frequently consumption of the potion could also relate to some health condition. For example: stomachache, diarrhea, vomit, and even kidney failure.”

Chiro nodding. “Well done Mr Mui, it looks like you did your homework very well. But now is come to the real test.”

“Over all the physical-altering potion, there is one kind that is highly requested by the government. The right to buy this potion only allowed by the kingdom, although it is not a destructive kind of potion. Do you know what is that name?”

A name flashed on Mui’s head.

“I’m sure that would be Caitsih. The potion to alter one’s pupil into a cat while also give the ability to seeing in the dark,” replied Mui. A satisfied smile on Chiro’s face signalling that the answer that he gives is the right one.

“Now, Mr Mui. I need you to do a demonstration of how to mix a Caitsih, using all the ingredients in front of you,” said Chiro.

“Figures...” said Mui inside his mind.

Mui looked forward to the chemistry table in front of him. The bottles are scattered around, and he did not know what are the liquids that present in those vials. Once again Mui gulp, if he wrong to guess the content of those bottles, worst case scenario his potion will create an embarassing explosion.