The man frowned, sighed in disappointment, looked at me and said:
"Actually, our dining room is on the first floor, Viscount."
"Thank you for the information," I replied, and then he nodded and left, leaving the Director and me alone.
"Well, Maxim, what do you need here?" asked the Count.
"I was looking for the canteen and got a little lost," I replied.
"Uh-huh, I see," he nodded. "By the way, Yegor Nikitich is our master caretaker, and if I weren't here, you could easily have gone without breakfast. He's a former police officer, so he loves all sorts of investigations and interrogations."
"I already understood that."
"That's good. Then let's go, I'll show you the way."
So it happened that instead of arriving at the cafeteria early, I was almost twenty minutes late. So by the time Orlov and I arrived, it was already packed with students. The huge room was very noisy, but when we entered, it became very quiet.
Hundreds of students stared at us with interest, and at that moment I felt like not just a black sheep, but a two-headed giraffe being led on a rope.
Everyone around was in uniform: guys in dark suits, girls in skirts and light shirts. I was the only one wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt with the name of my favorite rock band on it. And I was the only one here who was twelve years old. Everyone else was older.
"Well, here we are," said Ivan Fyodorovich. "Choose a free seat and enjoy your meal."
After these words, the Director left, and under the silent gaze of the students from all over the school, I went to where it smelled so delicious - to the kitchen.
With every step I took, the noise around me became louder and soon I could clearly hear whispers:
"He's just a kid!"
"What the hell is he doing here!"
"Temnikov? They're beggars!"
"What can he do besides brew elixirs!"
"Kitezh will soon turn into a flophouse!"
"What a shame!"
"Oh God, bring the potty to the baby quickly!"
I heard all this, but I didn't care. Although it was unpleasant, there's no denying it. Damn it, I'm not a little kid anymore and I know our family isn't considered particularly wealthy and all that.
All sorts of idiots tell me this all the time. Obolensky will now be lame for not being able to keep his mouth shut. And Gavrilova suffered for the same reason—the toothless wretch! And a few others too.
I looked around, smiling, and suddenly saw the same fat man who had come to see me that morning. He looked at me with an idiotic grin and even blushed to keep from laughing.
Noticing my gaze, he winked at me, and I returned the favor: "Wait a minute, freak, I'll think of something to say in response to your joke…"
Under the watchful eye of the others, I picked up the tray and leisurely strolled past the long row of shiny containers of food. For breakfast, I grabbed a couple of meat pancakes, a muffin, a portion of cottage cheese pancakes with raspberry jam, and two glasses of strawberry juice.
Having chosen a free table, I started breakfast. The Director was right, the food here really was fantastic! I've never had better pancakes.
They were worse at home. And the raspberry jam wasn't bad either. I even regretted not getting two servings. Mom and Dad weren't around, so who's to stop me? Next time I'll definitely get two servings. No, even three. Three is better than two.
While I was eating, everyone else had returned to their food, but their interest in me hadn't waned.
Although I tried not to stare too much, I could feel hundreds of eyes on me. Oh, screw them, let them stare. What idiots.
As I was finishing my second glass of juice, a shadow fell across my table.
I looked up and saw a man of about fifty in a formal black suit. He had a black eye patch where his left eye should have been, making him look like a pirate.
And besides, he had a black mustache and beard. The only thing missing was a parrot on his shoulder.
"Would you like some juice?" I asked him after he had been standing next to me for two minutes without saying a word. "I took two glasses."
"Have you finished your drink?" he asked, almost growling. He's definitely a pirate!
"Right away," I said, finishing my juice in a few gulps. "Done!"
"Come with me," he said and silently stomped out of the dining room.
I stood up and followed him, noticing that everyone else, observing this scene, had fallen silent again.
The silence was now even more oppressive than when we entered the cafeteria with the Director.
It's strange. So why has it become so quiet?
Kitezh Higher School of Magic Canteen
A few minutes later.
The guy who woke Temnikov was named Nikita Bubnov. He was simply delighted with how he'd managed to fool this little fool.
Who knew he'd fall for it so easily? Well, all the new kids do. Especially this one. He should be wiping his nose with a handkerchief, not studying at Kitezh.
"Have you seen the new kid?" he said cheerfully to the other third-years he was sitting with at the same table. "Orlov leads him around the school by the hand so he doesn't get lost!"
His friends responded with a friendly laugh, which was supported by those at the next table.
"I wonder what his Gift is? Blowing snot?" Nikita continued to laugh.
"I doubt it," one of the girls sitting at the same table suddenly snapped at him. "Did you see who came for him?"
"That doesn't mean anything," Nikita waved her off. "I'll never believe that this little kid could have such a Gift. Just think about it—at twelve years old, and suddenly this? The sheer nonsense!"
"Then what do you think he's doing here?" the girl persisted.
"He doesn't do anything yet, but he'll fart and run around! That's all he's good for…"
At that moment, Bubnov jumped up from his chair, his eyes wide, and grabbed his butt with both hands.
A moment later, he farted so loudly, as if someone had just pulled a huge plug out of his ass that had been preventing him from passing gas for the past five years.
Then the sound repeated itself with renewed force, and this time it thundered so loudly that the students sitting nearby felt their ears pop. And then a wave of suffocating stench washed over everything around. The sounds of chairs falling could be heard, and girls began screaming hysterically.
Just a few minutes later, the dining room was empty.