"That was amazing, Chloe. As expected from you."
I blinked, tilting my head. As expected from me? I had no idea what he meant by that, but a compliment was a compliment.
"Hehe, thanks," I said, scratching my cheek.
We parted ways soon after, heading toward our next class physical training. It was a mandatory course for first-years, but I didn't mind. If anything, I was eager. It was a chance to hone my swordsmanship against new opponents. The kids back at the village weren't pushovers, but here? This was a new proving ground.
The atmosphere changed.
Water dripped steadily from rusted pipes, echoing through the hidden chamber. The stench of damp stone mingled with something fouler bloodstained circles etched into the ground, arcane symbols pulsing faintly. Shelves of books lined the walls, their spines cracked, some chained shut, others radiating a quiet malice.
Professor Nikolas stood opposite Lycos.
For a long moment, silence. Two shadows measuring each other.
Then Nikolas slammed his fist against the wall, the impact reverberating. His eyes narrowed, voice sharp. "Why did you interfere? You had your orders!"
Lycos didn't flinch. His arms were folded neatly behind his back, his gaze vacant yet unwavering. "I only take orders from the Author, not you. He needs that girl for his plans. You were about to destroy his importance, making you the hindrance." His tone was calm, almost careless. "You might as well thank me."
Nikolas's teeth ground audibly. His glare sharpened, venom in his stare.
"You little—" He stopped himself, stepping closer instead, lowering his voice to a whisper by Lycos's ear.
"Listen well. You are nothing but a tool for the Author. Remember your place in the hierarchy. The Author would've discarded you if not for me. You're just a mindless lapdog."
Meanwhile, I was exactly where I always was in class: the middle row. The perfect spot. Bright enough for a little sunlight to reach, dim enough to keep from drawing attention, and just safe enough to avoid being the professor's first choice to call on.
Comfortable. Ordinary.
Or so I told myself.
"Hey, Chloe~"
I froze. My heart skipped a beat, followed by an immediate oh god no. Groaning inwardly, I forced my lips into a fake smile. "H-hey."
Of course it was him. The bothersome hero, Kaioh Ryo.
Normally, he had an entourage of girls trailing behind him, singing his praises like he was some sort of divine gift to mankind. But today? Blessed silence. No gaggle, no chattering. Just him. Honestly, good riddance.
"Didn't expect to see me here!" he said with that blinding grin.
I turned my head away, hoping he wouldn't notice my doubtful look. "Yeah, me too…"
"You don't mind if I sit here, right?"
Panic surged through me. No, not again. Not here, not now!
"Uh—uhm!" My eyes darted frantically, looking for a lifeline. And then, like fate itself answered my prayers, I spotted Lycos seated above me on the top row. When had he gotten there? Didn't matter. He was my only hope.
Without hesitation, I grabbed his collar and yanked him across the desk, my voice shrill and desperate. "Well you see, Lycos is already sitting here!"
Sweat rolled down my cheek as I forced a strained smile. Lycos blinked, staring blankly at the scene. His expression screamed Why am I in this mess? but thankfully, he didn't resist. He just… went along with it.
"…."
Kaioh's face twisted in disgust, his earlier confidence slipping into disdain as he glanced at Lycos. "What a freak," he muttered under his breath.
Then, louder, so everyone nearby could hear:
"Picking someone with black hair… you realize interacting with them is a sign of bad omen, right?"
"…"
Kaioh looked almost astounded by my act, his eyes flicking from me to Lycos. His face twisted in disgust, like he'd just sniffed spoiled milk. What a freak, he thought.
"Picking someone with black hair… you realize interacting with them is a sign of bad omen, right?"
I'd heard the whispers before, but hearing it said out loud again grated on my nerves. Even commoners gossiped about black-haired people like they were cursed. The prince had sneered at Lycos the same way.
Lycos hadn't done a single thing wrong, yet he was treated like dirt just for looking different. It irritated me more than I wanted to admit.
I scoffed. "So what if he has black hair? I actually find it kind of… unique. And bad luck? Please. Nothing bad has happened yet, has it? You're just being petty."
Wait. Did I just… compliment him? I shook my head quickly. Never mind that.
Kaioh's smile twitched, the corners of his mouth stiff as he tried to hide his irritation. "So be it," he said, turning back around and heading for another seat. But his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
How annoying, he thought, that black-haired bastard taking what will be mine! I'll humiliate you and show my superiority. I won't make the same mistake that Prince did.
I let my forehead drop to the desk with a loud thunk, bruising my head in the process. "Why me, out of all people…" I muttered. "First the prince won't leave me alone, now this oblivious person. This day couldn't get any worse."
"Oh, Chloe~"
I froze. Oh no.
A familiar voice echoed across the classroom. "Well, well, well…"
I looked up and, of course, it was none other than Lilia. "What are you doing here?" I asked, already dreading the answer.
"It's mandatory to take physical training," she said sweetly, "so I didn't have much of a choice to come. Even for a spirit mage like me." She paused, her eyes sliding from me to Lycos. That devious smirk, the one I know way too well, spread across her face.
"Well, well, it seems you two are already starting to get to know each other after the incident."
My cheeks flushed bright red. "There is a misunderstanding—"
"Don't worry, my dear friend," Lilia interrupted me without missing a beat, "I won't ruin this for you… or maybe I will interrupt the two of you!" she said casually, smirking still firmly in place. She sauntered off, glancing back at me with that look I hated so much.
"Uggghhhh!!" I groaned internally. Please, someone just kill me now.
The bell rang and saved me from my own mortification. The teacher entered and, without a word, scribbled his name across the huge chalkboard:
"Elliot Kin."
"Good evening, students," he said, his tone already tired. "I am your Professor Elliot Kin. As you see, the students next to you will be your partner for this semester. If you don't like it, deal with it!"
I paused, frowned, and slammed my head on the desk again. "I need to keep my mouth shut," I muttered. Then I glanced over at Lycos. "…Maybe it won't be so bad."
Kaioh looked somewhat irritated, glancing over at me, Lilia, and Akaline, who were sitting together, effectively forming their own little squad. Class started, and we were immediately herded out to the campus training yard by Professor Elliot Kin.
"Alright, you little shits! Today's lesson: joint sword arts and basic weapon training. You'll be facing off against your partner. As you should know, sword arts a branch of mana, so everyone here should already know how to resonate with it."
I let out a long, sarcastic sigh. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun."
Since firearms weren't allowed, Lycos opted for a single dagger. A… dagger. As a main weapon. Unusual, but somehow fitting him. Daggers were typically secondary weapons, not the centerpiece of someone's fighting style. The weapons were made of wood, at least, so nobody would get hurt.
Lycos stepped in front of me, assuming a reverse dagger stance. In a flash, he dashed straight at me faster than I'd ever seen anyone move. My eyes struggled to keep up.
"!"
Instinct took over. I held a simplistic yet solid stance, blade raised just enough to block his first strike. He backed off, then side-dashed, slashing to my left. I blocked again. Then again. And again. His attacks flowed like water, striking every blind spot I had.
I have no time to counterattack. I can barely follow him! I thought, heart racing. This isn't just a fight. It's like going up against a wild animal!
"–Keuk!"
The yard went quiet. Even Professor Elliot stopped pacing. Everyone else was frozen, watching the commoner versus the black-haired boy. Lycos was like a predator: stalking his prey, testing their guard, baiting them with subtle feints… and always waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
I spotted a slight opening as he backed off. I lunged, striking at him. My eyes widened as he dropped onto all fours, moving like some animal hands and feet shifting in impossible angles.
Maneuvering… like that? He baited me! And I fell for it!
I tried a sweeping kick, but my legs betrayed me. I hit the ground with a splat.
–thud–
"Ow…"
Before I could fully recover, he jumped on top of me. The dagger hovered just inches from my head. His face was dangerously close. My instincts screamed to panic. My heart thudded in my chest.
Our eyes met. Just… silence. For a couple of seconds, the world seemed to pause. Then he stood up and extended his hand.
I blinked, hesitated for a fraction of a second, and then took it—accepting his help up.
A beat of awkward silence followed. Everyone around us was staring. My face instantly turned crimson. Great. Absolutely fantastic.
I quickly turned my gaze to Liliah, who was leaning casually against the wall, that all-too-familiar devious smirk plastered on her face. Of course she's enjoying this.
Lycos, oblivious as ever, didn't even notice the attention. I couldn't help but think: this boy prefers firearms over swords. Imagine how much more dangerous he'd be if he actually used one.
Back and forth, for the next couple of hours, he kept beating me over and over. Slowly, I started figuring out his moments, his attack patterns but with no a veil, he switched things up here and there, keeping me on my toes.
I still hadn't landed a decisive strike against him. How annoying!
Finally, the bell rang. Mercifully, the class ended. I trudged back to my room, body aching in every joint, muscles screaming for mercy. I collapsed flat on my bed, letting out a long, defeated sigh.
"What an odd boy," I thought, remembering how many times I got my ass kicked today. "This isn't my village anymore… I'm actually going up against decently trained students."
Though, thinking back to that one noble kid… I really hope he won't cause me trouble after what happened.
I let out a long sigh. "Just what I needed—more problems."