Arthur couldn't believe what Dullahan said. Lancelot Fairmont looked more like a snob who would hire bodyguards to protect himself than an ally who would fight by his side.
"Does that mean he can see demons, too?" Arthur asked.
"Not yet," Dullahan replied. "But I can tell that he is a descendant of someone who made a deal with the devil."
"How do you know?"
"I can sense my fellow inner demon inside him. Whether he can awaken it or not, that depends on him."
"But you said that everyone has their own inner demon…"
"Yes, but regular people are slaves for their inner demons. Only descendants of those who made a deal with the devil can form a contract and control their demons in a fight," Dullahan explained. "The kid is a potential threat or ally, so it's better to recruit him as soon as possible."
Arthur couldn't sense anything from Lancelot, but Dullahan should be able to recognize his own kind. That meant Lancelot was definitely one of them.
"I guess it's obvious his ancestors made a deal with the devil. He's been filthy rich for generations," Arthur commented. He had heard about the Fairmonts, business moguls since the 1800s.
They always found a way to make a profit from railroads, to ships, telecommunications, and now stocks and crypto.
Arthur had never heard of a family that could maintain their wealth for over three hundred years. He wouldn't be surprised if they had truly made a deal with the devil to stay rich for a long, long time.
"But how am I supposed to approach him? The girls are like hungry wolves looking at fresh meat. Besides, we come from different backgrounds; I don't think I can even hold a conversation with him," Arthur said.
"Stop feeling small, boy. You are the master of the Headless Horseman. My previous masters were all brave and strong knights, and I'm sure you have that quality too. Just start a conversation with him and see if you can get close enough to him to ask about his inner demon."
"That's like asking a fish to fly and befriend an eagle!" Arthur protested. He thought it was impossible. It was already difficult for him to talk to anyone, let alone the son of the Fairmont family.
"I see you're still talking to yourself, Mr. Penn."
Arthur's head snapped up. Mrs. Hillfire had been watching him. Everyone was staring; he must have raised his voice too much while arguing with Dullahan.
He didn't care about what others thought of him; they already disliked him. But his target, Lancelot, was giving him a quick, annoyed glance.
"S-sorry…" Arthur mumbled, lowering his head. The class returned their attention to Lancelot.
"Boy, you don't seem to be liked by many here."
Obviously, nobody liked a nutjob. Arthur thought, but he stayed silent to avoid getting called out again.
Lancelot sat on the empty seat right in front of him, and Arthur could smell his expensive perfume. He felt even more insecure, thinking about his lack of knowledge about expensive perfumes.
The cheap ones reeked, and the expensive ones were beyond his reach.
Dullahan noticed his master's insecurity. "You have to cast away your fear if you want to make a change, boy. Go and approach him later, like a knight trying to talk to a king—no, a king is too much. Like a knight trying to talk to a rich noble kid!"
Arthur almost laughed at the comparison. But it was true. It was like a lowly soldier trying to befriend a prince.
Nevertheless, what Dullahan said was right.
He had to be brave if he wanted his life to change.
With the idea of having his first friend, Arthur decided to wait until class ended to talk to Lancelot.
**
Today's math class felt longer than usual. Arthur waited for it to end so he could talk to Lancelot and befriend him… somehow.
But as soon as Mrs. Hillfire dismissed the class, most of the girls swarmed Lancelot like flies and pushed Arthur aside.
"Is he handsome in today's beauty standard, boy?" Dullahan asked. "In my previous master's era, the popular ones usually had long hair and well-groomed beards."
Arthur imagined that and had to chuckle. He thought it was a funny image.
If he saw someone boasting a full beard and long hair, he would think they were a hippie, crazy, or both.
The girls heard him chuckle, and stopped bombarding Lancelot with questions. They all glared at Arthur, silently telling him to get lost.
Arthur gulped. He grabbed his books, and left the class immediately.
He had to find a way to talk to Lancelot. He waited until the scion left the class, which took almost ten minutes.
When he saw Lancelot walking by, he quickly started a conversation, "H-hello, my name is—"
Unfortunately, before he could even finish his sentence, Lancelot walked right past him, ignoring him completely.
"Don't give up, boy! Remember, he has a strong inner demon. If we can make him an ally, it will increase your chance of survival!" Dullahan encouraged him, seeing Arthur's spirit drop when he got ignored.
It was difficult for someone who was used to being ignored to suddenly act buddy-buddy with someone, especially with someone out of his league.
Arthur swallowed his nervousness and followed Lancelot.
"I-I am Arthur. W-we were in the same math class—"
Ignored.
"You—y-you're a transfer student, right? I-I can show you around…"
Ignored again.
Arthur knew everyone was watching. It was rare to see the "nutjob" trying to talk to anyone, let alone a transfer student.
But Arthur was persistent. He followed Lancelot as they moved from class to class.
In fact, he was so persistent that he even followed Lance to the restroom.
He waited outside while Lancelot was in a stall. As soon as Lancelot opened the door, Arthur pestered, "H-hello, my name is Arthur. I… I think we have history class next. I-I can show you the way."
Lancelot washed his hands in silence. Arthur, thinking he wasn't loud enough, tried to tap his shoulder.
The moment he did, Lancelot pivoted and aimed a powerful kick towards Arthur's head.
Arthur blocked the kick with one arm, wincing in pain as his hand trembled from the impact. It was a simple kick, but if it had hit his head, he'd definitely been knocked on the spot.
Lancelot raised his eyebrow, surprised that the scrawny kid could stop his kick. He grabbed the sink for support and switched legs, aiming another kick at Arthur's stomach.
Again, Arthur caught the second kick with his palms, but the impact pushed him back, leaving a lingering pain in his arm and hands.
"Not bad," Lancelot scoffed, putting his hands in his pocket. "Not many people can stop my kick."
Arthur was huffing, his adrenaline pumping. Thanks to Dullahan's power, his reflexes were fast enough, but his strength wasn't up to par.
"Why would you kick me? I didn't mean any harm!" Arthur protested. All he wanted was to talk to Lancelot and maybe make his first friend.
Instead, he got two kicks that could have broken his bones.
"You're annoying, and I am in no need of a lapdog," Lance said coldly.
"L-Lapdog!?"
Arthur was crushed. Of all the possibilities, Lancelot really thought that Arthur wanted to be his pet. Was he so insignificant that he seemed like a lapdog?
"I've seen your type many times. If money is all you want, you're out of luck, because I don't have cash to shut your mouth," Lancelot narrowed his eyes.
Arthur was caught off guard, and became speechless. He stared dumbfounded at Lancelot Fairmont, unsure if this was really happening.
"This is getting tense. He even has the arrogance of a king," Dullahan commented. "But you need to calm down, boy. Getting riled up will make things worse."
Arthur tried to calm down, but Lancelot spoke again, "Besides, the girls in the math class told me that you and your grandmother are a bunch of psychos. I do not want to be associated with someone like you. My family's reputation will get tarnished."
"Why you—!" Arthur clenched his fist and lunged without thinking.
He aimed a punch at Lancelot's pretty face, but Lancelot dodged and kicked Arthur's shin.
Arthur, with Dullahan's aid, endured the pain and landed a successful punch on Lancelot's stomach.
"Urk!" Lancelot's eyes widened. The punch in the gut was so powerful he lost his balance and fell to the ground.
He clutched his stomach, in immense pain. It was a miracle he didn't vomit his breakfast. Once he recovered, he glared at Arthur for daring to hurt him.
But the scrawny kid was shaking with his fists still clenched. He was on the verge of crying as he said, "Never talk shit about my grandma. You don't know her."
Arthur turned around and left the bathroom. He was done with trying to talk to the arrogant scumbag.
Lancelot didn't care about the kid's grandma, but he was both impressed and angry that someone had actually been able to hurt him so badly.
"You will pay for this," Lancelot muttered, trying to get up while clutching his stomach.