Scarlet Love

Chapter 2

"Alright, my first question: you say I need to adapt here, but I must say that's nearly impossible since I know nothing about this place. So how do you think I should adapt?"

"Leo, it's actually quite simple. Just pretend you've forgotten everything. The Central Academy will place you in the first grade, letting you start everything from scratch. You can slowly learn how to 'become' yourself," Libby said quite casually.

"I think it would be easier if my family took me back and I lived an ordinary life."

"Heh," Libby said, reclining next to Zhang Xiaoran, "You're not ordinary, so how can you live an ordinary life? You're the heir of the Rorendor family. St. Douglas needs you."

"Are you saying my family is that important?"

"Well... not exactly important, but the Senate needs every available talent."

That night, a doctor named Kroll came to examine Zhang Xiaoran, accompanied by several old men in white robes and a middle-aged man who looked like a university professor. As expected, Kroll concluded, "Leo Rorendor's body is perfectly fine."

But when Zhang Xiaoran told them he remembered nothing, it caused quite a stir. The outcome was just as Libby predicted: Zhang Xiaoran was placed in the first grade to relearn everything.

That night, under the moonlight, Zhang Xiaoran smiled slightly in his bed.

"Oh, tomorrow will be a new day. You don't seem anxious at all," Libby said in a disappointed tone, appearing before Zhang Xiaoran.

"Everything's starting anew, right?" Zhang Xiaoran's mouth curled up. "I get another chance at life. Besides, as a scholar, I love exploring the 'unknown.' And must you always follow me? Can't I have some private time?"

"Thanks, I was waiting for you to say that!" Libby snapped his fingers and disappeared.

The next morning, Zhang Xiaoran opened the door only to be hugged tightly by someone who crashed into him.

"Ah, it's great that you're awake, Leo! I heard you'll be in the first grade, so we can be classmates!" The boy with curly brown hair and a childish face seemed about fourteen or fifteen.

"Who are you?" Zhang Xiaoran asked, noting the boy seemed familiar.

"What? You don't remember me? I'm Quincy from the Sandra family! We used to play together before you came to the Central Academy. Remember the time we snuck near the Boundary Forest and got caught by our parents? I almost got grounded!" Quincy sighed. "No wonder they said you hurt your head..."

"..." Zhang Xiaoran didn't know how to respond. "Don't be sad, okay? Although I need to get to know you again, I believe we'll still be good friends. I don't remember anything, so I'll need your help from now on."

"You don't remember anything?" Quincy exclaimed. "Leo, I told you before that Issa Ladewindt was bad news, but you insisted on liking him—"

"Who's Issa?" Zhang Xiaoran caught an important name. "Does he have anything to do with my injury?"

"A jerk! He..." Quincy clenched his fists in anger.

"If he's a jerk, then I better not know who he is," Zhang Xiaoran raised an eyebrow. "Quincy, let's go to class. I have no idea what we're supposed to learn."

As they walked across the hospital lawn, they noticed streams of water cascading from the sky and disappearing into the air. Occasionally, people rode unidentified flying creatures overhead, similar to the guide spirit, Libby.

"Ah... if only we could contract a flying beast, then we could go to the Central Library," Quincy said longingly. "This year, I must have my own flying beast."

"What's contracting?" Another new term confused Zhang Xiaoran.

"Wow, you don't even know about contracting? It's our 'Sun Clan's' innate ability," Quincy sighed. "It seems your head is really messed up. In this world, many spirit beasts have no fixed form but possess various powers. We can act as their power conduit, but to use their power, we must contract them."

"How do you contract?" Zhang Xiaoran was surprised by these terms that seemed straight out of a fantasy novel. It seemed he really needed to adapt to this world, starting by being called "Leo Rorendor."

"When your mental strength surpasses that of the spirit beasts, you can control them..." Quincy scratched his head, troubled. "It's a feeling you can't explain. Once you learn it, you never forget it..."

"Although I don't quite understand, I think it's like learning to ride a bike. Once you get the hang of it, you never forget, right?"

"Exactly... but what's a bike?" Quincy looked curiously.

"A bike... it's..." As Zhang Xiaoran, now Leo, was struggling to explain the two-wheeled vehicle, a group of people in similar robes approached them.

"Oh, isn't this Leo from the Rorendor family?" The black-haired boy in the lead had a malicious smile. "Looks like Ladewindt has no interest in your blood..."

"Marse, what are you talking about? Even if Ladewindt had no taste, he wouldn't choose this guy," a girl chimed in, clearly intending to humiliate Leo.

Sigh, such childish antics. Leo thought it was funny he still encountered them in this other world. He smoothed his hair. "Sorry, everyone knows I hurt my head and forgot everything. Or do you prefer bullying someone who knows nothing?"

"Hmph, amnesia is a convenient excuse! Otherwise, how could you still face staying at the Central Academy after Ladewindt publicly rejected you?" As the class bell rang, they lost interest in further conflict. The black-haired boy led his followers away.

Leo raised an eyebrow and turned to Quincy. "Although I think this Ladewindt person is out of my life, I seem to have underestimated his influence. Quincy, I need you to tell me who he is, what connection we have, and why I got hurt!"

Quincy, startled by Leo's determination, hesitated before saying, "Well... it's nothing much... you admired Issa Ladewindt and wanted him to drink your blood. But he said he would only do it if you jumped from the Blood Clan's academy roof and survived..."

"The Blood Clan's academy roof?"

"Over there..." Quincy pointed to the upside-down Gothic castle floating in the sky.

"That's no different from suicide! And I did it?" Leo shivered, realizing his notoriety.

"Yes..." Quincy nodded reluctantly.

"But why did I want that Ladewindt person to drink my blood if I admired him?"

"Because Issa is from the Blood Clan. Drinking blood helps them recover when injured... and it's also their way of making love..." Quincy looked awkward.

Leo shivered again in the warm sunlight. "What kind of world is this? You say they drink blood—are they vampires? They can't leave their coffins during the day, turn into bats at night, and can be killed with wooden stakes..."

"Leo..." Quincy sighed. "You really need another check-up from Dr. Kroll tonight. It's hard to believe you've forgotten such basic knowledge. The Blood Clan is immortal compared to us Sun Clan members. For instance, Ladewindt has lived for over 1,700 years. Unless they suffer severe injuries and don't get blood or choose eternal sleep, they keep living. So, they rarely have a chance to lie in coffins. As for turning into bats... maybe some tribes can do that..."

As they talked, they unknowingly walked into a grand hall. Black tables and white chairs stretched like piano keys, and colored glass windows refracted the sunlight faintly. Everyone sat in orderly rows. Far away, a mentor was teaching how to contract small defensive spirit beasts. Leo thought no one but the front row could see the mentor's face. All information was conveyed by voice, but Leo couldn't understand any of it. He turned to ask Quincy for help, but seeing Quincy engrossed in taking notes, he felt embarrassed to interrupt. He dozed off until class ended. When the morning class was finally over, Leo's stomach growled with hunger. As Quincy finished his notes, they left the classroom, only to run into the same group from earlier.

"Oh, Marse—it's the amnesiac Leo again. We meet him so often~" The girl had a mocking smile. Leo felt she deserved a good smack. Honestly, Leo didn't believe in the hypocritical rule that men shouldn't hit women. If society preached gender equality, then annoying people shouldn't be gender-specific. He just didn't know what the rules were in this world.

"Yes, it seems we need to give him a proper welcome," said Marse, the black-haired boy, stepping toward Leo.

Quincy immediately jumped in front of Leo, glaring at Marse. "What do you want?"

"Get lost, first-grader!" Marse rudely shoved Quincy several meters away. Quincy fell, clearly in pain. Leo hurried to help him up.

"I wonder if Marse likes me, a brain-damaged person, to the point of arranging these 'coincidences' repeatedly?" Leo said dryly.