Reader Mage-Stubbing August 10! Chapter 2: 2-Welcome, Merlin Tyrrell

Read chapter 2 of Reader Mage-Stubbing August 10! by A_Random_Turtle on NovelPedia.

Merlin was not a picky eater. His mother always teased him, using how he’d always competed with Po, their tabby cat, for her food when he was little. He also wouldn’t delude himself that he wasn’t hungry. In fact, saying he was famished would be an understatement. However, he could not muster up an appetite. And there was only one reason why even a spoon of the sumptuous food placed before him was yet to end up in his mouth. You’re a Deficient Mage… Merlin took a deep breath and sighed. It was his fourth at the table, and perhaps his hundredth since he and Nora had left the Consortium Guild. Which was why Nora losing it was justified. Her spoon clattered on her plate. “Merlin!” She pursed her lips. “That’s enough already. It’s not the end of the world, you know? Eat your food or I’m calling Mom.” “Easy for the A-Class Mage to say~” Merlin pushed his spoon once more into the hill of chicken curry on his plate, then poured all he’d scooped back. Rinse and repeat. Merlin had always been good at handling disappointments. He’d lived through countless ones while in middle school, be it asking a crush out, or trying his luck at a lotto. There were even deeper ones like his parents not coming home for his birthday, but that pertained to both him and Nora, so he didn’t want to include that. His parents were surgeons, and so they spent a good chunk of their time within the medical wards. He had never been annoyed at them for missing a couple of birthdays—they were saving lives, and he respected it—but he had still been disappointed nonetheless. Perhaps that was why becoming a Deficient Mage did not fill him with so much disgust that he hated himself. It was almost like he had been expecting it. Well, not exactly, but he had not really thought of ending up an S-Class Mage—not even becoming a C-Class Mage had crossed his mind. But…a Deficient Mage? If he was to be honest, he was just one step away from bawling right here, in front of Nora. He couldn’t recall the last time he had done that, but this seemed like a good time to relive old and distant memories. Playing with his food was what was keeping him sane. And even though he didn’t know why, at least it kept him from crying. That was what mattered. He sighed again. Nora dropped her spoon once more. “Can you stop being all gloomy?” she said. “It’s not yet put to paper that you’re not gonna be admitted. We still have the assessment to get through.” “...Which a Deficient Mage has never passed in the ten year history of Prestige Academy,” he replied in an instant. “I’ll be no different, Nora.” “You don’t know that.” “I’m the only one who knows that.” Silence descended upon the table. Merlin wondered if it was because of his pun, considering the situation, but… Eh; what did it matter? “Whatever.” Nora rolled her eyes, as though she’d had enough. Merlin knew his sister, though. All he needed to do was just sigh once more. And as he did, her spoon fell from her hand again. “Look, Merlin. I’ll only say this for the last time. Eat your food, and after that, go into your room and fill in your details for the assessment. What’s the point in giving up without trying?” Merlin glanced at her and clicked his tongue. “You sure sound like Mom. I wonder if you’ve noticed that?” “Just…eat,” she clicked her tongue. “And if you sigh one more time, I swear, I’ll shove my spoon up your nose. You know me. I’m not kidding.” Merlin raised a brow at her, his expression plain. Because of what she’d said, he in fact wanted to sigh again. Her expression when she was angry was making him feel a little bit better. Maybe just one more time… But as he readied himself to do that, his phone, face-down on the table, vibrated. He reached for it. “No phones at the table,” Nora warned, her feline eyes on him like she was a predator. “Where are your manners?” “What if it’s Mom?” Merlin shrugged. “You’ve been ignoring her ever since your evaluation. Also, we both know she calls, never sends messages,” Nora said. “And besides,