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I woke up early in the morning as always, and go do my usual thing...ha?   Fudge! I am all out of things to smelt! Correction, I go through 2 excruciating hours of withdrawal! I then get some breakfast and head back to the smithy towards the counter.   “Hi, has there been any reply to my request?” I inquire.   “Ah, yes missy! We got a response from Advanced Disciple Gregon, he will be available only in 5 days. Is that alright with ya?” asked the dwarf.   “That would be great!” I excitedly exclaim.   “Alright, I will notify Gregon of ya’r acceptance” confirmed the dwarf.   “Thank you very much! I’ll be on my way now” I reply   After bidding farewell, I head off to the Adventurers Guild. Once I get there, my first order of business is to see what Rank G or F quests are available.   Looking at Rank G, it seems to lack combat quests altogether. Which I guess is not a surprise, considering that most Rank G do not even have a non-combat class. Most of the quests are just doing miscellaneous things.   Only at Rank F do I see quests that start to touch upon combat. In particularly, the two quests I see are [Collection: Horned Rabbit Pelt] and [Collection: Dire Fox Pelt]. If I collect 5 pelts, I will be rewarded 1 silver coin + market price. The market price of course depends on the condition of the pelt.   Well... [Horned Rabbit] is probably a no-go. It isn’t hard in general as they are pretty weak, even for monsters of their level. That said, according to the information from the library I read. These critters seem to have some of the highest fatality rate among new adventurers. Why? Simply because due to them being pretty weak, people let their guard down and before they know it, they quickly plunge at you with their horn! In sense, they are similar to the [Hell Boar] where if you can dodge or block the first attack, they are generally simple prey. But otherwise they can kill you pretty quickly, that is assuming you have poor armor though which most early adventurers do.   While I do have confidence in my speed, I am not stupid enough to take needless risks if I don’t have to. I will wait on hunting them until I get myself a chest-piece at least. So I guess [Dire Foxes] it is.   Like the herb quest, this one seems to also be repeatable. So I don’t need to head to the counter and instead make my way out of the guild, and out of the city towards the nearby forest.   I then put my [Sense Smell] and [Sense Presence] to use. Since I have been avoiding monsters at all cost, I am not exactly familiar with all their scents. But it isn’t much of a problem really. This forest has 3 main monsters, [Forest Goblins], [Dire Wolves] and [Dire Foxes]. Generally speaking, more than often, [Dire Wolves] and [Forest Goblins] travel in groups. While [Dire Foxes] do not. So all I need to look for is a scent of an individual mammal with fur, and wa-lah!   It did not take me long to locate a [Dire Fox] using this method, and with the help of [Eagle Eyes] I managed to get a visual. Thus letting me [Identify] it. It seems to be Level 8.   It would be nice if I had a true stealth ability... since it also has [Sense Smell], sneaking up on it normally is not going to work. So I guess I’ll have to shorten my distance the old fashion way.   I activate [Sprint] and rush at it with my dagger! It did not take long for it to notice me, and it tried to run away using its own [Sprint]. Probably to flank me from a different angle. Of course I would not let it do so. I activate both of my [Throw] skills focusing on speed and accuracy, I throw a rock right at the direction the [Dire Fox] plans on retreating. This causes it to momentarily stumper and change directions.   This was exactly what I was waiting for, as I already activated [Charge] aiming right at that spot! I then activate [All-Observing-Eyes] and loading my dagger with [Penetrate] and [Impale], as it gets off the ground mid-jump I [Thrust] the dagger right in its neck!   My dagger shreds through the fox’s neck and we travel like that almost a meter, and eventually the fox flings off and flies away due to the momentum smashing into a tree.   [Critical Hit] You have dealt 363 damage to the [Dire Fox]!   The [Dire Fox] then tried to get up, and it did barely only to collapse right after. It did not take long for it to die due to excessive bleeding.   “...”   Was a level 8 monster always this easy?   No, this is probably due to all the recent improvements that I mustered. My level has almost doubled, increasing my ability across the board, my skills have improved and not only in levels but in understanding and quality. With my super high [PER], I was able to judge minuscule details. With my improvements from [SPD] and my [Runner: Accelerate] ability I was able to quickly pick up speed and shrink the distance. And lastly with my [POW] and [Trainer: Strengthen] I was able to pull out a more powerful blow…does this mean…   I have become awesome?!?!   No! Lets not get to conceit here..I already know full well letting my guard down is the quickest path to self destruction! This monster was what? 5 levels below me! Not only that, if I think about it logically, there was plenty that could have went wrong. My high [PER] skill may help with making predictions and all, but that is about it. If I made a mistake and it went the other way, I could have opened myself up for an attack from behind! If anything, this strategy was pretty reckless! So lets not get too ahead with myself…   But it is true that I became a lot stronger than before...so maybe I can compromise and say I become a tad awesome? Hehe.   Now then I put my [Disassembly] skill to use, after removing the blood I start cutting up the fox separating what is worth its salt. Unfortunately, due to the limited size of my [Item Box], I can’t carry much with me. I really need to find a way to increase this skill… Then an idea comes into my head and an evil grin appears on my mouth...yup, that should definitely work!   Now that I know that skill level is not the only thing that matters, I pay close attention to my [Disassembly] skill in action. Trying to find ways to make it more efficient. It took me an entire hour just to disassemble it, of course part of it was due to me being extra careful on my first real disassembly since getting the skill.   I continue to seek out [Dire Foxes] while at same time collecting herbs.   After about half an hour, I locate yet another [Dire Fox], though this one was only at level 5. This time around, I am going to try a bit of a different strategy. I won’t exactly say this one is the safest one either, but due to this [Dire Fox] being more than 2X below me in level, it was a perfect opportunity to learn more about the [Dire Fox] attack methods. And at same time build combat experience.   I just walk out normally and wait for the [Dire Fox] to notice me. When it does, it runs away into the bushes. Of course it can’t fool my [Sense Presence] with my high [PER] as I notice the [Dire Fox] circling around me. When it gets behind me, it rushes straight at me! I quickly turn around and [Charge] straight at it while activating [All-Observing-Eyes]! The fox momentarily opens its eyes wide from shock, but that only lasts a fraction of a second as my usual 3 skill combo stabs it straight in the eye, thus killing it instantly.   [Critical Hit] You have dealt 330 damage to the [Dire Fox]!   Yup, awesomeness confirmed! What’s that? I am just picking on the weak? A Catgirl gotta do what a catgirl gotta do! Plus, it attacked me first so it is righteous self defense * snicker *   I again disassemble the fox, but this time around I cut the time down to only 15 minutes!   The problem is that at this point my [Item Box] is running low on space...So there is no room to fit any more [Dire Foxes]. Thus I instead focus the rest of the day on just collecting herbs. Once it gets closer to dinner time, I make my way back to the Adventurers Guild. Prior to reaching the guild, I made sure to take out the [Dire Foxes] out of my [Item Box], then enter the guild.   Time to begin my new “Operation: Cat Wants a Larger Box”!   I walk towards the material deposit counter line, and in about 10 minutes it is my turn.   “Hi, I’d like to cash in 3 [Violet River Grass], 2 [Sleepy Jasmine], 1 [Dire Milkweed] and 4 [Lavender Ginger Roots] for the quest, I also would like to put down 2 [Dire Fox Pelts] towards my quest completion, and also sell some [Dire Fox Meat]” I say as I put down the materials on the counter.   “Lets see, that would be 30 iron coins for the herbs, plus 10 iron coins for the quest reward for a total of 40 iron coins. The [Dire Fox Meat] would equal a total of 12 iron coins, and the [Dire Fox Pelts] based on their condition, I can give you a total of 40 iron coins. So your total is 92 iron coins. I will note that for continuous quests, the holding period is 7 days. If you fail to deliver the other 3 [Dire Fox Pelts] within that holding period, your quest progress will reset. Please place your hand on the orb” notified the dogkin at the counter.   After placing my hand on the orb and taking my iron coins, I then proceed to my next order of business.   “Uhm...I heard that the guild supply officer and guild master have this awesome skill called [Item Box], is that true?” I inquire with the most innocent expression and voice I can muster. I even used the [Voice Manipulation] skill for the extra effect.   “Yes...” replied the dogkin.   “Then would it be possible to see it? Just once would do!” I plea with desperation,   It is once said that no one can resist a pleading cat...the ultimate killer move!   “...Why are you making those stupid faces? The guild master and supply officer are busy, they have no time for the likes of you. If you have nothing else you need, there are others waiting” rebuked the dogkin.   Guh! Thats it! I officially hate dogkin! They are all freakin’ jerks! And it isn’t me being biased cause I am a catkin or anything, I just haven’t met one decent dogkin! Its like they exist for the sole purpose of aggravating me!   I storm out of the guild completely pissed!   I bet you if I was one of those literature heroes, he’d be like “What’s that, you just came to town and you want to meet them? Sure I’ll cancel both their schedules for the entire month to make time to see you. Just see them at your own convenience as our guild only exists to serve you and only you. We are completely incompetent and can’t do anything without you after all! I don’t even know how our town lasted hundreds of years without you!”   “Stupid dogkin!” I mutter fuming on my way back to the Blacksmithing Guild.   I ate dinner which tasted worse than usual today and grouchily went to bed.

The next day, I kind of was thinking about going around and seeing if I can complete more of the quest by attaining more production skills. But as soon as I started the morning [Smelting], the voices in my head kept saying “Just one more! Come on, one more!”, I almost ended up missing breakfast...I am not addicted, okay?   I am perfectly in control here, I am not in anyways being manipulated by this warm and joyful feeling, got it? I can step out at any time I feel like it, I just chose to continue [Smelting] out of my own will, understand? Just one more and I’ll go…   Then I came to a rather shocking realization! I already made all 10 of my [Bronze Ingots]! I am totally out! Suddenly I felt totally helpless, which I assure is NOT withdrawal symptoms, okay?   I’ll be totally fine if I can just smelt one more ingot...just one more…   Wait, I can get this feeling back if I start smithing! I still have that [Bronze Ingot] and I can claim a new quota of 2 [Copper Ingots] and 1 [Bronze Ingot]!   No! No! Stop! Guuuh! What the hell is wrong with me!?!?! I had a plan and I can’t break it now! Well maybe a little...NO!   I take a few deep breaths and try to calm myself down the best I could.   I need to first review where I stand...It seems that during my reckless obsession with smelting, I was finally able to break through the quality score of 5 without the use of my Unique Skill. Since I have completed all of my assigned quota, made my own hammer, hit a bottleneck of smelting and gotten a hold of 2 [Bronze Ingots]. It is time to move to the next part of my plan. Smelting one more...NO!   I walk up to the distribution counter and hand over my quota, at same time receiving my [Bronze Ingot] and 2 [Copper Ingots].   “…One more thing. I would like to sign up for a private lesson from an Intermediate Disciple for tomorrow?” I request.   “Hmmm… ya definitely still have ya’r privilege for receiving a private lesson for this month. Do ya have any special requests?” asks the dwarf by the counter.   “Well...it probably goes without saying the higher [Blacksmithing] level the better...but if it is possible...preferably not a human?” I plead in a timid voice.   He takes a look at me for a short while…   “* sigh * I’ll see what I can do for ya missy...” relents the dwarf.   With that, I waited for dinner resisting the non-addictive urges and went to sleep for the day.   ...   After waking up, I somehow managed to wait till after breakfast and headed for the counter. There I received permission to enter the Intermediate Discipline area and I was then guided to one of the dwarves who seems to have been waiting for me.   “Hello there missy, My name is Doran. I will be your instructor for today” the dwarf informed.   “Hello, my name is Shiro. Thank you for accepting my request” I respond politely.   “So where can I assist you missy?” asked Doran.   “Uhmm...well… see I made this [Copper Blacksmithing Hammer] the other day, but the quality is rather lacking and I want to attempt at making a [Bronze Blacksmithing Hammer]. So I would like to practice on the [Copper Ingots] I got, then try making one out of bronze” I reply.   Doran takes a moment and looks at my [Copper Blacksmithing Hammer], then after pondering for a bit.   “Let me first show ya how to make one and explain all the details. From then on ya can try to make one ya’rself” said Doran as he took out some [Bronze Ingots] and began forging a hammer, while explaining to me all the intricacies.   It took him no more than an hour to finish smithing the hammer. From his explanation and demonstration, I gained a completely new insight into [Blacksmithing], for more reasons than one...   Your skill [NP][Blacksmithing] has become Level 4 You have acquired a new skill [CP][Blacksmith: Enhanced Smithing] Level N/A [CP][Blacksmith: Enhanced Smithing] Level N/A   Improve the speed of your smithing related skills by 10% + 1% for every level in your non-combat class + 0.5% for every point of [PER] Improve the quality of your smithing related skills by 10% + 1% for every level in your non-combat class + 0.5% for every point of [PER]   I was literally smiling ear to ear! Even left as-is, this was well worth it!   After being told all the details, shown how to do it step by step and the huge increase in my skill’s ability. It was now time for me to try.   I first started by making a [Copper Blacksmithing Hammer], unlike before where it took me 4 hours. Now my speed easily doubled due to my high [PER] stat! So I was done within only 2 hours.   The results were also pretty good if I don’t say so myself.   Copper Blacksmithing Hammer   An average blacksmithing hammer made out of copper   +3 STR -3 AGI +1 ATK+1% improvement for Blacksmithing   [Made by Shiro] Durability: 250/250 Quality 5.2105/10.0000   Doran was pretty darn impressed with my progress.   Now that I have made that, next order of business was attempting the [Bronze Blacksmithing Hammer]! This time it took me about 3 hours to get it done, far from the 1 hour it took Doran. Though part of it taking Doran an hour was also in him explaining stuff to me as he went along. The results overall though were better than I originally expected.   Bronze Blacksmithing Hammer   An average blacksmithing hammer made out of bronze   +13 STR +2 DEX -15 AGI +2 ATK +3% improvement for Blacksmithing   [Made by Shiro] Durability: 500/500 Quality 5.1012/10.0000   Thus my brand new hammer was born!   I still had 6 hours left on my private tutoring, so I wanted to take the most advantage of it.   “Uhm...Doran, I was thinking. Since I am doing well with the process of smelting and smithing Bronze, can you show me how to smelt Iron? I want to see if I can request myself to move on to Iron...” I inquire.   “Sure, no problem missy...at this rate though it somehow feels like ya’r gonna surpass me fairly soon” Doran smilingly joked.   Doran went out and brought back some [Iron Ore], then began to smelt it as he explained tips and tricks to look out for. While those things were surly helpful, what I was really looking out for only appeared after about 3 minutes.   Your skill [NP][Smelting] has become Level 5   Congratulations! You have completed the class quest [Creationist: Improve your production skills] +25 PER has been attained   Class quest [Creationist:Improve your production skills], has been reset.   After he was done making the [Iron Ingot], while explaining all the details, about an hour has passed. He then took out another [Iron Ore].   “I can only let ya attempt this once, if ya succeed with a quality score of at least 3.5, I can request for ya to be moved to making Iron. If not, ya will have to wait for next month to try again” Doran warned..   “Okay, I’ll give this a shot!” I exclaim excitedly.   This time around, I really give things my all! Even using my [All-Observing-Eyes] almost to the full limit. There is no way I am missing out on the opportunity to get access to Iron after all!   After spending a whopping 4 hours on trying to get it just right, the result came out rather positive.   Iron Ingot An okay quality iron ingot. Used in the production of metallic goods   Quality 3.9281/10.0000   “...”   Doran remained rather speechless for a good 5 minutes. Before finally coming to.   “Ya know... I was at first jokin’ about surpassin’ me soon, but ya know what? It just might happen missy...I feel like I am at a complete loss. I’ll file a request for ya to get promoted to Iron as promised” Doran relented.   After a short chat about things here and there, the private lesson soon came to an end.   I took my two [Copper Blacksmithing Hammers] and deposited them at the counter. Since I can’t exactly sell them, my hope is that someone in the future who doesn’t have their own hammer will use them. Thus filling me up with that joyful happy feeling, which I repeat I am not addicted to!   I then headed for dinner as I contemplated on what to do next. From what Doran has said, since I already completed my quota for the week, I can’t exactly get a completely new quota. But I can get a partial quota which will consist of 10 [Iron Ingots]. And after completion, one will become mine.   Considering the circumstances, it should take me no more than 2 days to smelt the [Iron Ingots]. Then the day after that, I’ll have pretty much free. So I’ll go hunting for some herbs, which I can use both to make money and at same time save up for making potions with my [Alchemy]. Then, the day after will be a new week, but first order of business would be to visit the monthly selections of the Builders Guild.   Only after that will I be able to truly able to start fulfilling my new quota. I will then spend the 2 [Iron Ingots] into making an [Iron Blacksmithing Hammer], and as far as the [Bronze Ingots] go, I will finally start to make some combat gear for myself.   I should also consider signing up for the last perk, which can only be used once a year. That perk being getting private guidance from an Advance Disciple. From what I heard those tend to have longer wait times. I really need to get that done before the competition, as I really want to get promoted to Intermediate Disciple so I can start making money and also get access to better ores, and the competition is the fastest way to achieve that goal.   With my plans made up, I head off to sleep.

  After about an hour of waiting in the armory, the middle aged man finally showed up. After a short inspection of the swords, he then signed off on the contract and handed me the remaining 510 gold coins. From then on he packaged all the swords together and before I knew it... they disappeared. , Your skill [NA][Item Box] has become Level 2   What do you know! Things get better and better! My small 1 cubic meter item box suddenly expanded to 3 cubic meters! I wish I could delay him for 5 more minutes and see if I could get him to do it again so I can get more levels, but I would not dare even try ticking off my best customer…   I thank him many times over and after he leaves, I head back to the counter and reluctantly part with 494 gold 46 silver coins… ouch…   Still… I was now left with 43 gold and 14 silver coins! I AM FREAKING RICH!!! IT’S PARTY TIME!!!   Of course it was already getting kind of late… so I had to postpone it for the next day… Well, that does not stop me from dreaming on how to spend the money though…   Thinking about for a bit, I decided to spend up to 13 gold and 21 silver coins on luxuries such as change of clothes, fancy dinner, and a nice warm bath! The remaining 30 gold coins, I will save for a later date.   So while daydreaming about my promising future, I ate dinner and retired to bed.   ...   The next day, I woke up as always at 5 o’clock, but instead of like before where I would wait till breakfast, I left the Blacksmith Guild early. My first order of business is getting some decent clothing! While I personally would like to go to the tailor shop, things are complicated because they won’t let me in looking like I do now.   So instead, I head towards the leather goods shop. My goal is to buy a full set of leather gear. While I technically can make a full set of steel gear for myself. There is only one problem… wearing metal is pretty uncomfortable despite the high protection. This I found out the hard way after using my bronze helmet for quite a while. In comparison, my leather boots which are plated with bronze are very comfy!   Of course there is downside here… if I use lower quality leather, the overall item becomes worse. So this time around, I plan to just buy a full leather set of comfortable clothing, that will act as both my casual wear and also as padding underneath my combat gear.   It did not take me long to arrive at the leather goods store due to its close proximity. Once there I walk through the door.   “Hello there missy, I’ve been seein’ ya here pretty often these days. So what can I do for ya?” asked the dwarf.   “Yes, I’d like a leather shirt, pants, boots and helmet. Preferably, ones that have the best comfort and most presentable. Of course by presentable I mean in casual terms, nothing that would make me stand out too much please...” I requested.   “Hmm… lets me see what I can do for ya missy” said the dwarf and walked into the back.   A few minutes he came back with a bunch of things in hand and showed them to me. After sorting through the stuff, I ended picking a set of light brown matte leather which had a clean modern look. It also had a hood just in case I needed to leave behind my mantle.   The total cost of the items was pretty high at 1 gold and 15 silver coins, it had no stats but the comfort and design was pretty good giving it an extra premium feel. It was also light enough to wear under my gear while being durable. Since it was near my size overall, it only took half an hour to refit it to my fit.   After putting on my new clothes, since I looked somewhat more presentable, I headed for the tailor shop. Personally I am not too fond of the place but its the only place I can get the things I need.   I arrive to the shop and open the door.   “Welcome!… You again?” said the shop owner lady while glaring at me.   Somehow I don’t feel all that welcome… but I have to endure!   “I-I would like to order s-some clothes, I have t-the money if need b-be” I replied and took out some gold coins to show.   “I don’t know where you stole that money, but we don’t serve beastkin in our shop… now get out before you get your fur on our wares!” declared the shop owner lady.   Seriously?!?! I guess it is hard to forget THESE people still exist ha… But even so, I have to swallow my pride just this once…   “P-Please… I-I did not steal the m-money, I am a r-respectable Intermediate Disciple at the B-Blacksmithing Guild... I’ll b-be willing to p-pay a premium if n-need be” I pleaded.   She took a short glance at the gold coins with a greedy glint in her eyes, then after pondering it for a bit...   “What exactly do you need made?” reluctantly inquired the shop owner lady.   “A f-few pairs of comfortable u-underwear...” I respond slightly embarrassed.   Yes, the thing I am looking for to the point of swallowing up my pride is some comfortable underwear… Wearing the same ragged underwear for about 2 months is really getting on my nerves... They had some underwear in the second hand shop, but something about that doesn’t sit well with me. I could have maybe asked Tanya to tailor it, though based on my skill level 1 and my high [PER] it tells me that it would be too difficult for her to work with any quality material.   “Hmm… alright, if you are willing to pay 4 gold coins each. Though the one making them will be my apprentice, I ain’t touching no filthy beastkin” the shop owner lady sneered.   TALK ABOUT A RIPOFF! It is like I am being overcharged 10X!   “U-Under the c-condition I get to see the p-process” I declared.   If I am going to be overcharged, might as well make something out of it! Preferably so that I don’t ever have to come to this place ever again!   “Sure, I don’t care” declared the shop owner lady.   After some consideration, I put down 8 gold on the counter to get 2 pairs made.   “Mary, go take care of it in the back, and make sure she leaves through the back and never comes through the front door ever again. Last thing I want is my shop’s reputation to be tarnished” said the shop owner lady.   “Yes mistress, as you command” replied Mary after stopping her thread weaving by the corner.   I was then led to the back of the shop and had my measurements taken, she then began making my underwear.   Your skill [NP][Tailoring] has become Level 2   Only after seeing that box did my mood slightly improve. Of course I was pretty cautious and paid detailed attention to what she was doing. Not only was it to learn how to make the stuff myself, but also to insure I don’t get jibbed by them secretly putting in lower quality materials.   Your skill [NP][Tailoring] has become Level 3   After a total of 3 hours, she finished both pairs. Level 3 seemed to have been her limit, and she unfortunately did not have enough non-combat class levels to net me any sort of class skill…   Once I received my 2 pairs of underwear, I quietly left through the back vowing to never return.   From there, I went to the main street and off to the side I visited a bathing house. The cost of entry was 1 silver coin, though I was told I could not use the main bath and had to use the smaller side bath. The reason I was that beastkin were separated out due to their fur… It’s like everyone is on purpose trying to ruin my day?!?!   Regardless, once I washed up and got in the warm bath I was in paradise… its been so long since I had one… I made sure to wash up properly, including brushing my white furry tail to its pristine, smooth condition. You'd never know when I’ll get another chance after all.   After spending an hour enjoying the bath, I reluctantly get out, dry myself and put on my new comfortable underwear. Finally for the first time since coming to this world I feel squeaky clean!   Afterwards, I asked around the area for a good place to have lunch, and found just the spot.   It was an expensive place where it costs 3 gold to rent out a private room, where a chef makes the food right in front of you kind of like teppanyaki I would say. And it was extremely delicious!   You have acquired a new skill [NP][Cooking] Level 1 Congratulations! You have completed the class quest [Creationist: Improve your production skills] +25 PER has been attained   Class quest [Creationist:Improve your production skills], has been reset.   In more ways than one * grin * I specifically requested a dwarf chef of course since I couldn’t exactly eat in comfort in front of a human one… He was pretty surprised to see a Beastkin rent out a room in such an expensive place, especially one as young as myself.   He cooked for about 30 minutes getting my Cooking skill to Level 4. Though unfortunately it was not enough time to get any class based skills. But its okay, if I keep selling my wares at this rate, I’d be able to treat myself to this place at least once a month, if not sooner!   I also noticed something else. When someone with [Cooking] skill makes food, there seems to be some benefits via temporary stat buffs.   From then on, I decided to walk around town and see the sights. I was contemplating visiting the art store to see if I could get [Sculpting] but decided against it for the time being, not wanting another repeat of the tailoring shop and thus ruining my day.   On top of that, the improvements I get from [PER] increases has started to decrease in efficiency. As I learned when I got the [IPR] stat, it is more complicated than it originally seems. Unlike stats like [STR], [AGI] and etc which are more complete. Unlocked stats are often times incomplete, so you need other stats to balance them. So effectively, there was a bunch of things I was missing that was too much for me to process with my [PER]. Only with increases to my [INT], [WIS] or [IPR] will I be able to comprehend all the information my [PER] picks up.   In that sense, it was also good that I picked up [END] which helped balance the [POW] stat that I got.   After walking around and exploring the town, visiting the park and relaxing here and there. I then went to the best steak house that allowed beastkin for dinner. The cost was an astonishing 1 gold coin just for 1 steak! But the steak was the best buttered steak I have ever eaten! * drool *   It also seems like ever since I became a Catkin, my desire for meat has taken a sharp increase as well…   Now that my holiday was out of the way, time to get serious. My next order of business is 2 things. The first one is obviously to get more customers and sell more stuff. The second order of business is to attempt to make a [Holy-steel Blacksmithing Hammer]! Unlike my previous hammers which lasted me a few days to maybe a week or so at most, this one will be quite different. Considering the almost impossibility of getting my hands on mithril and the difficulty in making something out of it. The [Holy-steel Blacksmithing Hammer] will most likely be my limit for quite a long time. So I need to put in extra effort to insure it comes out well.   When I came to the blacksmithing guild, I put down 14 gold and 40 silver to get 2X [Iron Ore] and 2X [Coal Ore] with quality score of 8. Which is the best quality score available in this town.   I then cast [Light Magic: Holy Light] on the [Coal Ore] using almost all of my mana and then went to sleep for the day. With that my first holiday officially ended.

Once I feel like I am in the clear, I take a moment to catch my breath. That was too dangerous...I almost died there for some reason I don’t even know!   I am starting to rethink this whole civilization thing! Maybe I am better off in that cave...a powerful monster might come out any time but here I feel like I am surrounded by powerful monsters everywhere!   As I was thinking that I suddenly heard a voice of a women from behind me…   “Hey, you there, are you looking for a place to work? If so I got a good place, you can work at my place. I know how hard it is for beastkin as beastkin are not really liked around these parts. But that doesn’t speak the same for everyone.”   I instinctly take a step back and get a cold sweat thinking someone came after me to finish me off. After processing what she said, I slowly calm down, but do not let down my guard. I may be 12 but with all my traveling I know a thing or two about lowering your guard in hostile places. The easiest time to be taken advantage off is right after you’ve suffered a setback. Like encountering a loan shark after losing big at a casino.   Her behavior is simply...suspicious…   That said, there is still a possibility that I am over-thinking things and may end up losing my only real chance of getting a place to stay along side information. Lets query about it some more...no matter what I wouldn’t want to offend her either by saying no...this is a world where someone will try to kill you with a mug in the middle of an Inn the moment you come in. So counter to my original conjectures, I doubt people around here will have issue murdering me in broad daylight in the middle of the street either.   With my back to the corner I decide to probe some more:   “Wh-What kind... of-of...pl-place is it?” I say with a clearly shaken and apprehensive voice.   The women notices my fright and responds to me with a more gentle tone “My family runs a stable, as long as you are willing to work I can get you food and a place to stay, maybe even some coins if you do a good job. We already have a foxkin working in the stable, but more help would be appreciated.”   Hmm...I take a moment to process that and think things over. Working at a stable is not as good as working at an inn...but it is still a good option. I can get in contact with people, especially merchants and get lots of information. Not to mention if a person is leaving town and I ask them a stupid question that makes me look suspicious in any way, I won’t have to worry about it. So while not my first choice, it is still a good option.   BUT! That is one thing and this is another. Can I trust this person? For all I know she will take me into a back alley, chop me up and make me into cat stew! Who knows if some people around here think catkin is a delicacy! I already got one lesson in being complacent. So I need to be extremely cautious like I have never been before! “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”!   While there is little I can confirm about how accurate her statement is, there is one thing I can confirm if she is lying or not. I use [Identify]:     Mary Zinger Gender Female Race Human Class Level Age 28 years Status ? Human 12 HP ??? MP ?? Stablehand 3     Well she at least is not lying about working at a stable. But still...I can’t let my guard down. But for now, lets accept her offer. Since I walked all over this village during my inspection, I know there are 2 stables here. If I see her lead me in any direction that is not straight to one of those stables, I will bolt out as quick as I can.   “Really?...misses?” I ask.   “Ah, sorry my name is Mary. Mary Zinger. And yes my offer still stands.” she replied.   “Then I will take you up on your offer! Thank you very much!” I reply back enthusiastically.   Once she got my confirmation, she began to lead me towards the stable. I kept my guard up to the max and watched both her and the surroundings. We kept walking for a few minutes towards the smaller of the two stables in this village. So far there have been no detours.   When we came to the stable, she stopped and told me to wait here. As she went inside to notify her family. While it is possible that this is just etiquette in this world. I can’t afford to risk it when my life is on the line. So I up my caution from 100% to 120% ready to sprint out at any time. I also activate [Smell Sense] to better take in my surrounding. Which by the way was both a good idea and a bad idea. The stench of the horses is pretty bad! But I can’t afford to let up!   In a few minutes, I began smelling a new scent which was not that of a human nor a horse. I take a look and an adorable young brown haired foxkin walks out of the house! Not to let the cuteness overwhelm me, I do my best to keep my guard up. I need to take in every possible scenario in this hostile place, for all I know that is a human dressed up foxkin to trick me! Yes, I am that paranoid at this point!     Amber Gender Female Race Beastkin - Foxkin Class Level Age 10 years Status ? Beaskin - Foxkin 5 HP ??? MP ?       Confirmed! Cutest thing ever confirmed!   Wait she is 10 years old and higher level than me?!?! seriously?! How come I feel so defeated?!   Okay, focus! This might just be my chance. She is level 5 and a 10 year old...which means she somehow leveled up 4 times which I doubt was by fighting monsters. While asking an adult how to level up might be strange, asking a 10 year old is much easier. I can just trick her by pretending to quiz her to see if she knows. A child would no way find that suspicious. I got this in the bag!   While I was busy dabbling in my own little world, the Foxkin girl came up to me and said:   “I was told to bring you around and show you where to work, afterwards help you wash up and get you some food”   For a 10 year old she sure gets down to business fast..she didn’t even introduce herself or ask for my name..you are making older sister sad…   The foxkin brought me around the back of the stables and showed me where we need to clean along side other things we needed to do. We did so for about 2-3 hours. I tried to strike up a conversion with her to get to know her better and maybe get some conversation going. But outside of work related stuff, all I got was:   “...”   I guess in this world there is not much room for a childhood...which was the same in the middle ages where everyone works and works from morning to dawn. It probably is even harder for beastkin around here.   After we finished up the foxkin Amber who has by the way yet to introduce herself brought me to a well and helped me wash up. I kind of went through mud, blood, alcohol, you name it. So my white hair was already looking more like grayish brown rather then white. While there was no bath or the like and the water was cold, I still felt very refreshed washing myself up after all this time. Not to mention the odor was really getting to my [Smell Sense]. I hope when I level up this skill I’ll be able to eliminate some odors completely. Cause knowing how much I stink does not make feel very comfortable.   By the time I finished washing up, the foxkin Amber who I repeat has yet to introduce herself has already come back, she left prior to me since she had far less dirt on her overall. She was carrying 2 bowls of what smells like some kind of soup * growl *   After handing one to me she took a look at me and muttered.   “White...”   This was the first time she ever said anything to me outside of work! I took this opportunity while tasting the soup to strike a conversation. Even if she is strict about working without any distractions, it should be fine while eating right? Right?   “Yup! Its all natural 100% white! I got into a bit of a bind getting here so it turned out that way...by the way my name is Shiro! What is your name?” I say in a proud matter of fact tone.   “...”   The foxkin girl continued eating her food while contemplating something for a while...I hope I was not being too awkward I innerly thought. Social conversations are not exactly my forte…   After what felt like a minute contemplating   “Amber...” she suddenly said.   YES! PROGRESS!   Now what? Oh yes, I need to strike up a conversation and get some information! Important stuff like “Can I pet you? Or can I rub your fluffy tail?”...errr..FOCUS! That is not what I need to ask, I need to ask information about this world. After that I can ask to pet her and rub her tail!   While I was foolishly deluding in my own world, Amber finished eating and went to put away her bowl. Losing my chance to continue my conversation, I dejectedly finish my soup as well.   For the first time in this world I noticed that it started getting darker. With one sun gone and the 2nd one setting, it grew closer to nightfall.   Today has been a really long and stressful day...and I can safely say my hair turned white because of it. I giggle at my lame pun as I start to feel rather sleepy from all the work and stress I have done today...I can...hardly keep...my eyes..open… * yawn *   I try to get up to follow Amber but strength leaves my body and fatigue gets the better of me.   * collapse *

My name is Daniel, I work as a contractor for managing quality control at factories. Due to the nature of my job, it involves that I travel around the world insuring factories are up to the client’s standards. Not only do I have to travel a lot, I tend to have long hours and sometimes even have to stay overnight.   I also have a wife and a daughter. My wife’s job also requires her to travel a lot, so we don’t often see each other. My daughter is 4 years old, and is mostly taken care of by the babysitter due to our occupations.   The thing me and my wife share as a hobby is infatuation with Japanese culture. More specifically, things like Anime, Manga, light novels and etc. Unfortunately, our jobs even get in the way of that as well. Of course, I always watch an anime while on a plane, or read a manga or light novel while heading to work by bus or train. But even then, time is very limited.   Not to mention those environments are not exactly great for enjoyment of content. But today is a very good day! Not only did I get to leave home early today, the newest anime movie of THAT came out! Yes, THAT! The thing fans have been waiting a whole 10 years for is now available for my viewing pleasure!   The theater system I put together that hardly ever got used did not go to waste! I can finally enjoy some quality anime time!   I arrive home in full excitement at what is to come and open the door.   “Daddy~!” screams a little 4 year old girl and runs straight for me.   “Hohoho! Haven’t you gotten big Shiro?” I exclaim as I pick her up.   “Are ya gonna leave again daddy?” she questions.   “Nope, I got the entire day off today!” I reply in excitement.   “Yey! Lets play then daddy!” she beckons.   “Err...okay...in just a moment...let daddy watch his anime movie, then we’ll play, ok?” I plead in desperation.   “NO! I WANNA PLAY NOW! PLAY WITH ME DADDY!” she screams and starts banging against me with her small arms.   This isn’t looking good..I have been waiting so long for that to come out! I need to think of something fast!   “How about this, want to play watch anime with daddy?” I question in the most sincere voice I can muster.   “NO! I wanna play with the dollies!” she insisted.   During this time I have already sat down in the theater room while holding her in my arms.   “How about this, play watch anime with daddy, then we’ll play with the dollies?” I appeal as I turn on the remote.   “No! Play dollies now! You always say you will later and you don’t!” she cries.   At this point the anime starts rolling in the credits.   “Just watch with me for a few minutes ok? I’ll even get you that ice cream that you like...” I say attempting to bribe her.   “Mmnn!” she grumbles.   After a few minutes after the anime starts playing, she gives in and she hesitantly watches it with me. By the time the movie ends, she seems to be semi-hooked on it. She is definitely going to end up as a tsundere isn’t she?   Though this gives me an idea to maximize efficiency. If I can only interest Shiro in things like anime and etc, then wouldn’t that be hitting 2 birds with one stone? She’ll be happy I am spending time with her and I’ll get to watch my anime and the like. I guess this is why I am one of the best QC managers in the world, looking for efficiency in everything hehehe.   Now then, lets start by replacing her bed time stories with light novels…   What can possibly go wrong?     [2 years later]   ~~~~~ ...And with 1 slash, the greatest hero Satou beheads 5 gods all while checkmating the 5th dragon god king in chess. Yes, Satou is that OP! His awesome slashes are so awesome that he can do anything! ANYTHING! Then why is Satou facing off the 5th dragon god king in chess? That is because Satou who is a Japanese is averse to killing due to the peaceful mentality driven into Japanese at an early age.   And with the end of the match, he beheads 3 more gods annihilating them in an instant with just 1 slash! Doesn’t make sense? Illogical? All of that means nothing in the face of Satou’s slashes. He can even slash reason itself! HE IS THAT OP!   Satou then opens a portal and heads back to his base located on a hidden island. With him are 3 new girls who just joined his party. 2 of which are princesses.   “I am back” Satou exclaims. “You just stepped out for like 1 minute and you got 3 more added to your harem? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! I MEAN THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I MEAN JUST YESTERDAY YOU VISITED A VILLAGE AND GOT 50 GIRLS TO JOIN! AND GUESS WHAT?!?! 5 OF THEM WERE SOMEHOW SECRET HIDDEN PRINCESSES!!! WTH! DO PRINCESSES GROW ON TREES OR SOMETHING?!?!? I MEAN HOW MANY ARE YOU PLANNING TO ADD TO YOUR HAREM?!?! THERE IS ALREADY 10,403 GIRLS THERE! AND SOMEHOW 1,582 OF THEM ARE FREAKIN’ PRINCESSES! DO SO MANY COUNTRIES EVEN EXIST?!?!?” Arisa screamed through mind transmission in futility.   “Rest assured Arisa, I will make all 10,587 of them happy!” Satou assured with absolute confidence.   “Ha...you don’t say...WAIT! WAIT A SEC!?!?! 10,587?!?! SINCE WHEN?!?! WHERE THE HELL DID 184 OF THEM JUST COME FROM?!?!” Arisa bellowed via mind transmission in utter shock.   Ignoring the background noise, Satou stared at the sunset and swore. Yes, that OP Satou swore! That same Satou who can do ANYTHING swore! That he would make all 11,023 of them happy!   “ARGH!!! WHEN?!?!?! HOW?!??! WHY?!?!? … ARGH! WHATEVA I GIVE UP!” Arisia roared via mind transmission in complete bafflement.   Because OP Satou can do anything! ANYTHING!   ~~~ “The end...” I say as I finish reading the light novel chapter to Shiro prior to bed.   “Alright, time to go sleep, good night sweetie!” I bid my farewell for the night.   Only to be grabbed by Shiro.   “What’s wrong?” I ask.   “Don’t go daddy! Stay with me...” she pleads in a trembling voice.   “There is nothing to be afraid of sweetie… Daddy guarantees no boogie-man is gonna enter this household, so go get some sleep” I urge.   “...will...the hero come?” she asks.   “That’s right sweetie! The hero will come and chase the bad boogie-man away!” I assure.   “HIIII!!!!” she screams and gets under the covers, then extends a trembling arm gripping my cloth will all her strength.   “PLEASE DADDY! DON’T GO!” she cries while tears come out of her eyes.   Ha? What in the world is going on here?   “Ahmm...sweetie….what exactly do you find scary…can you tell daddy?” I inquire.   “Nh..the hero...is scary” she mutters while shaking.   Okaaaay….   “And why do you find the hero scary? Can you tell daddy?” I ask in puzzlement.   “Nh...I-I h-heard the scary hero...c-comes to take away little girls c-calling them lolis to add to h-his harem...” she explains while completely trembling.   Hmmm...it might just be my imagination...but somewhere, something may have gone a bit wrong…   Nah...I am probably just over thinking things...when I was little, I also was scared of strange things...it is probably just a phase she is going through...kids and their odd imaginations… but more importantly...there is a serious issue I need to address.   “Okay sweetie, I’ll stay with you till you fall asleep. Though can you do daddy a favor?” I request.   “What is it?” she questions.   “Can you not mention the word harem around mommy? Or something real scary will happen.” I respond.   “S-Scarier than a hero?” she queries.   “Yes, much scarier!” I insist.   “O-Ok, I won’t say it to mommy...” she assures.   Good, that should do it! As for the rest, what’s the worst that can happen?   [2 years later]   “I am home!” announces my wife as she enters the door.   “Hey honey! How’s it been?” I inquire.   “The same old same old you know” she responds. “Where is Shiro by the way?” she asks.   “Ah, she is reading manga and light novels, she really loves the stuff” I explain.   “No I do not!” screams Shiro from the neighboring room.   Sigh...she is such a tsundere…   “Then why are you reading them?” I respond in a teasing voice.   “Cause I am trying to find all of the hero’s weaknesses! Duh! And when I grow up, I’ll become a demon lord and wipe out all the heroes in my dungeon! Muwahahahaha” Shiro boasts.   “...you are not having her read anything strange are you?” asks my wife.   “Of course not honey...I know better then that...she is just at that rebellious age..” I assure.   “An 8 year old?” my wife asks while frowning her brow.   “You know...kids...they think of the silliest things...” I explain.   I mean what’s the worst that can happen?    

The next day, me and Kuina were back to the usual herb gathering in the nearby forest. During this time I was thinking about what to do about the [Slave Collar] and how to get around the [Order] that was issued the other day. Unfortunately, I do not have much to go by at this point.   In conclusion, I need to ask Kuina for more information about the collars.   As I was thinking that suddenly my brain froze up for a second and unintentionally I let out a noise that best describes my predicament as I wobble and almost fall unconscious.   “Ewwwwwwwwwww….” I squirm as I cover my nose with one hand while holding my head with the other from the headache.   The most foul stench I have ever smelled entered my nose and lets just say [Smell Sense] Level 4 did not do me any favors.   I quickly turn it off, and after my senses which blanked out for a second returned more or less, I take a look around vigilantly.   Kuina picks up that something is wrong and also gets into alert position. Then suddenly her face breaks down a bit as she closes her nose.   “Ugh! A [Stink Beetle]! We should get out of here” she complains.   Contemplating on what I should do and the pros and cons. I soon notice the sound of footsteps. Looking in the direction of the footsteps, I can barely make out a dogkin running through the forest while panicking. I can still barely make out who it is, but from the looks of it, the dogkin is the smaller one who I first saw being scolded by the middle aged man on the first day I was brought in. Not too long after I saw a rather big beetle the size of a medium sized dog flying after him while buzzing and letting out a yellow like smoke around itself.     You have acquired a new skill [RA][Stink Bomb] Level 1   While inwardly swearing to myself to never use that skill even if my life depended on it, I turn to face Kuina.   “It seems that dogkin is in trouble, we better go help!” I urge.   Not giving a chance for Kuina to respond, I activate [Sprint] and close the distance while preparing my spear.   “W-wait! What the hell are you doing! Come back here!...Ugh!” she yells in a bewildered tone.   Not willing to lose the justifiable opportunity to get stronger, I ignore her and continue to rush forward. As soon as I get closer, the dogkin notices me.   “H-help! Please! I am being chased by a monster!” he wails helplessly while running and stumbling about.   I soon pass by him and close in on the [Stink Beetle], when I get in a decent enough range. I activate [Charge] while using [Thrust].     You have dealt 232 damage to the [Stink Beetle]!   My momentum from both the [Sprint] and [Charge] while using [Thrust] impales the [Stink Beetle] and pushes it back into a tree.   Despite that large amount of damage, my face still had a large frown on it due to the unbearable smell. On the bright side, since I took that critical hit prior with [Smell Sense], my sense of smell has somewhat been numbed. Even still, I could smell the unbearable stench. On top of that, due to the large impact and the poor quality of my weapon, a crack forms on my spear.   Noticing the limited remaining durability of my weapon and not willing to be subjected to this smell for long, I decide to hurry this up as quickly as possible. Right as the [Stink Beetle] bounces off the tree I spin around backwards and activate [Slash], slamming into the [Stink Beetle] as hard as I could with the side of my spear.     You have dealt 86 damage to the [Stink Beetle]!   With that my spear shatters into pieces. While pushing the [Stink Beetle] slightly away.   As I prepare to use [Charge] and [Claw Swipe] to land the finishing blow. Suddenly Kuina jumps out and finishes off the [Stink Beetle] with her rusted dagger.   With a deadpan expression I rudely wonder if Kuina is doing kill stealing on purpose due to the finisher exp bonus. But quickly put that thought aside.   At that moment Kuina glares at me as she yells “What the hell is wrong with you!?!? Why do you keep doing this! Are you a retard!?!?...wait don’t answer that...Ugh! Why do I have to be done one stuck with such a retard?!?!”   “The dogkin from our group was in trouble so I went to save him” I explain as I look around in search of the dogkin only to notice he has long run away.   Not even a word of thanks I inwardly complain as I walk away to get some distance from the foul stench.   “So what?!?! That is his problem, not ours! That is no reason to get ourselves killed! It is everyone for themselves in this world, we don’t have the leisure to be worrying about others! Unless you want to be the first one killed!” she reprimands following right after me.   “It is not like we don’t get any benefits as well… We get experience from killing monsters and that helps us survive does it not?” I respond.   “What the hell is your retarded brain thinking?!?! You’ll die 100X over before you make any sig...” She counters only to stop mid sentence and stare blankly at the air.   “What’s wrong?” I ask cautiously, hoping not to draw in any more ire than I already have.   “...I…leveled up...” she mutters to seemingly herself   Seeing this as an opportunity to sell her on the benefits of fighting monsters together and getting stronger, I quickly press on.   “See! We can kill easy monsters like this one and level up, thus making us stronger and more likely to survive! With my [Smell Sense] at Level 4, finding weaker monsters should be a breeze! By the way, if I remember correctly you should have hit level 10! What non-combat class are you going to take?” I inquire.   “Isn’t it obvious? I am going to get the [Runner] class, it is the only non-combat class I can get that increases my comba… wait a second, stop changing the topic! You just got lucky these few times and you think you can just rush in there and kill monsters?! For the last time, if you have a death wish, do it when you are alone! Don’t involve me in it retard!” she yells.   From that point on she gives me a whole hour lecture, which felt like an eternity, about how retarded my actions were and etc...etc...frankly speaking it went in one ear and out the other after about 10 minutes or so. Hence I don’t even remember most of it, but I can probably guess the content with ease.   After giving Kuina some time to cool off her anger, I think back on my original goal of trying to get information out of Kuina about the [Slave Collars]. And I just have the perfect way to do it.   Honestly speaking, I think me and Kuina have gotten somewhat closer these last few days. If in the beginning her glare would be like 100 daggers, now I’d say it is more like 99? Maybe Kuina is a tsundere? I mean how could she not have opened up to me after so much that we have been through together?   While thinking that, I decide to implement my plan and turn to Kuina.   “Hey Kuina...” I casually beckon.   “Again, who let you call me by my name retard?!?” she interjects while glaring at me.   …ok...I need to calm down... just remember she is definitely being a tsundere...yup...no need to let it get to me…breath in and out slowly...alright...I got this...   “I want to ask you a few questions about the [Slave Collars], in exchange, I’ll swap my larger food portions with your smaller portions for 5 days!” I attempt to persuade her.   She looks at me with a somewhat perplexed expression.   “You aren’t lying to me are you? There is no take backs or what not...” she asks with some suspicion in her voice.   “I swear! All I want to know is how the [Slave Collars] work, and how [Orders] work. I don’t want to somehow mess up in the future and get that terrifying [Punishment]...pretty please...” I beseech.   “Alright...fine I’ll tell you what I know...but no take backs! If you change your mind at any time, I am going to get in your way collecting herbs and make sure that you definitely get a [Punishment]” she threatens.   “We have a deal!” I say excitedly while nodding my head in confirmation.   Finally I can get the information about the [Slave Collar] that I have been trying so hard to get my hands on! And with that information, I can finally plan my escape! Things are getting better and better by the day!   …

Alright, first things first. I use my newly acquired [Identify] skill on my dagger.     Ancient Mithril Dagger A dagger made out of mithril which has been lying around for many millenniums. It is so old that it began to deteriorate out of old age, which is saying a lot considering mithril is known for its longevity. Due to the deterioration, the properties of the dagger have been significantly weakened.   [Unidentified] +3 STR +2 AGI +2 INT   [Identified] +6 STR +4 AGI +4 INT +1 DEX   Durability: 25 / 15,000     What?!?! Well it seems like in this world things that are not identified are not able to pull out their full potential...Though now it seems I have a new headache to deal with * sigh *. While the increase in stats are appreciated, finding out this is a mithril dagger is not making me happy at all. Now I need to rethink my entire plan for when going to civilization.   At issue here is that a Mithril Dagger is most likely something that is very expensive. Even if the dagger can’t be repaired, even just the raw materials of the mithril probably is worth a fortune. Now what would you do if you found out a 12 year old cat girl who is only level 4 is walking down the street with a treasure like that. That is begging to be robbed! Now of course I can sell the dagger as per my original plan, but things are not so simple now. For one, I don’t know the currency of this world or the value of things in this world. For all I know, the place I am selling it to will completely rip me off, and if I say no deal for whatever reason they might take it from me by force. If this was a normal dagger that would be one thing, because even if I get ripped off, as long as I get enough money to last me a day or two, during which I can get myself a part time job. But selling a mithril dagger seems like a loss with added risk. Of course not bringing the dagger has its own risks as I would end up with lower stats to defend myself.   Though can I really defend myself if I get attacked? As I said even a beginner farmer should still have stats way above me. At best I could use the [Charge] skill to run away. In comparison, if I have a rare treasure and some thief combat class who has a skill that can detect hidden treasure takes an interest in it, my chance to run away would be 0. I know I am being overly paranoid, but this is a new world. I am not some protagonist who can just wing things through hoping a miracle will prevent my throat being sliced…   I guess I have no choice... I will hide the dagger somewhere safe outside of town and then pick it up when I plan to go hunting… The wooden spear should be good enough around town. I will get a feel for the currency and market prices of this world, then once I get some strength, see if I should keep or sell the dagger.   Now then, I have well over 30 hours left until I gain back my stats. While I would like to have trained my skills, with the drawback of my Unique Skill...that would prove to be impossible. So my only option of using time efficiently is try to raise individual stats. So lets do some training!   For the next few hours I do all kinds of rigorous training from push-ups, to jumping jax to running around the cave back and forth. I do so for over 15 hours, with some breaks for rest and food of course here and then. Unfortunately I failed to get any improvements in any attributes which is quite disheartening. At this point it is pretty tiring and I want to take a nap. Interestingly enough, despite it getting a bit darker, it is no where near night. Is this world on a 24h clock like Earth? I wish I could get a better look at the position of the sun to tell how things are and get an estimate, but the forest is too thick to get a good view. And I am not curious enough to wander too far away from this cave into a clearing. As the saying goes “Curiosity killed the cat”.   I sleep for around 9 hours and when I wake up surprisingly it is still bright outside. Seriously, how long is a day in this world?! Well anyways, lets not get too distracted. In a few hours, my debuff is going to disappear, which means I have to set out today. I have contemplated the possibility of staying in this cave and leveling up until I can get to level 10 and get a non-combat class. But I quickly turn that plan down, because I seriously lack information. I don’t even know how to get a class. Not to mention that a strong monster can come to this cave at any point, more so since these corpses are beginning to rot and smell.   Even under the ideal scenario where none of that happens, I don’t know if in this system there is a thing like nutritional value. I can’t imagine an all meat diet for days or months being healthy under normal circumstances. And even if it is not a concern I have no way of preserving the rat corpses and would have to risk experimenting with the fruits and other animals. So I need to get information about what I can eat and what I can’t, which can only be done in civilization. Not to mention... I am starting to feel rather lonely...   The next few hours were rather uneventful. I did not bother training because if I did not manage in 15 hours I doubt I’ll manage in a few more. And this day is going to be a long one . So I need to conserve my strength the best I can. I will have to save the training for another day. Instead I spent it preparing the best I could. Finally I got the message I was waiting for!     [Overload] debuff removed!   With my stats fully restored, I leave the cave.   Now of course I am not just going to go walk in a random direction blindly. To find civilization, I need to look for a road, river or some trail. Once I find one of those I can follow them. I climb what seems to be the tallest tree in the area standing on a small hill. With the help of my claws, and my improved strength, I find the task far easier than I remember it.   At the top of the tree, the first thing that I notice answers one of my curiosities from the other day. Because what I see there is two suns! I am not sure how life can exist on this planet with two suns around because from what I remember hearing those conditions tend to cause a lot of instability in a solar system, but hey I am not a rocket scientist, so I shrug my shoulders and move on to my main objective.   As I take a peak around me, surprisingly I notice that a road from a distance of what I’d estimate to be 2-3 miles away. I get off the tree and cautiously make my way toward the road. Obviously I am using my trusty [Smell Sense] skill from time to time.   After about an hour or so I make it to the road. Looking in both directions, I can not make out anything, even after climbing a nearby tree. I tried studying the tracks or using [Smell Sense] to try to see if I can figure out which direction is closer or has more people going. Unfortunately I was getting nowhere fast, so I decided to rely on my “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” skill and hope my high [LUK] stat pays off.   When I pick a direction I proceed, but not directly on the road but a bit away from the road. Because a maiden walking alone on a road is like begging to trigger the kidnapped by bandits flag. And personally I already had more than enough near death excitement for two lifetimes.   And while I don’t think there will be too many monsters near roads, on a road I don’t have much cover making myself a sitting duck. So instead I just move parallel to the road a few meter away. I move in this way for about 3 hours. And for the first time I smell the scent coming from behind by the road. A minute afterwards, I begin to hear the sounds of a carriage.   My first impulse is to jump out and meet the carriage and see if I can get a ride to town. But I hold myself back and instead watch the situation. I have to remember that this is a new world and who knows what the situation is around here. For all I know they skin Catkins around these parts. Again, better safe than sorry.   As the carriage comes closer and closer, I begin to hear some voices of people chatting in some weird language.   “????? ??? ?????”   “?? ????? ???? ??????”   Not being able to make out what they said, I begin to panic. I forgot about the most crucial thing! God didn’t give me no language cheat and I don’t know the language of this world! Crap! I’m a total idiot!   While I derail myself, the carriage gets closer and closer, close enough for me to see it. The carriage is being escorted by 4 guards, one on each side. And on front of the carriage are 2 men who are chatting with each other.   “??? ????? ??? day...”     You have acquired a new skill [LP][Trillan] Level 1   Hooray for Unique Skill cheat! Now I can finally make out what they are saying!!   “… ???? tomorrow. Come to ???? ????. Alright?”   Or….maybe not…   “????. We have a deal then!”   Your skill [LP][Trillan] has become Level 2   Or… maybe to?…   I tried to follow the carriage the best I could. Which proved rather difficult, because not only were they moving pretty fast for my taste, it was also harder for me to move through the dense forest. I also have to be careful so that I don’t get mistaken for a robber and attacked out of nowhere, so I had to also keep a good distance.   I was only able to keep up with the carriage for about 15 minutes, but it was enough to get me [Trillan] language skill to Level 5. I also noticed a quirk in my Unique Skill. I am still not 100% sure as I had little time to check. But it seems there is a limitation where I can only get 1 skill every 5 minutes per person. Which means I should be very careful about revealing my Unique Skill. Since I can’t control what skills I can and can’t learn. An opponent can waste my 5 minutes by throwing me a useless skill to learn. With that duly noted, I continue towards what I hope is a town.   After a long and tiring 10 hours of walking. Without triggering any flags. I finally manage to make out a village.    

Next day, I managed to smelt 10 of the ingots prior to breakfast, which got me +1 PER for completing the [Creationist: Ingot Creation] quest. The remaining 10 ingots I put in extra effort to insure maximum quality, as these are the ones that will be mine to use. Thus putting 4 hours into their production.   Overall the result was rather satisfying, after fulfilling my quota, I received my 10 [Iron Ingots] and 3 [Coal Ores] and began to produce 3 [Steel Ingots], taking about half an hour on each ingot. From then I began to produce 1 [Steel Sword] and 1 [Steel Dagger] taking up 5 hours, both came up with a quality score that surpassed 6!   The next 3 hours I decided to make the remaining [Iron Ingots] into weapons to introduce lower cost items for those who can not afford steel. While I do think it is a waste as I could have used it for my equipment and all, at this point I just want some money! I want normal clothes! some good tasting food! A freaking warm bath! So while it may seem like a poor long term decision at first glance, for the sake of my sanity it is a good investment…   With that decided, the 7 [Iron Ingots] were made into 1 [Iron Sword], 1 [Iron Spear], and 2 [Iron Daggers].   Once I was done, I went to the exhibit hall and put out my wares. Setting up my disguise I began my pitch.   “SELLING ABOVE AVERAGE [STEEL SWORD] AND [STEEL DAGGER]! IRON BASED WEAPONS AS WELL AT 25% DISCOUNT!” I yelled.   It seems this time around I am getting more looks… come on someone please buy something! Pretty please!   Half an hour passed… An hour passed… no luck…   I lost myself due to the frustration…   “LIMITED TIME OFFER! 50% DISCOUNT ON ALL GOODS!” I screamed.   From then on I got a lot more interest as people took notice and looked… but that was it… they all looked and no one bought a freaking thing! What in the world is wrong?!?!?   The exhibit came to an end just like that and I drooped my ears and shoulders in utter disappointment… then I felt the presence of someone walking towards me so I looked up to see a human man in his mid 30s, who by the look of his attire was a fellow Disciple.   “Having a hard time selling ha?” asked a human.   I felt a bit uncomfortable... but steeling myself to get over the trauma I responded back. “O-Only a l-little, I-I’ll do better t-tomorrow!” I insisted, seemingly trying to convince myself.   “Good luck with that, your not going to do any better tomorrow or after tomorrow or any day” replied the human.   Darn human making fun of me!   “A-Are you looking down on me?!?!” I exclaimed.   “Ha ha ha, It’s not that, we all know you are skilled in blacksmithing. It is hard to ignore the results of the competition after all. In my opinion, you are probably more talented than all of us… but at same time that is your downfall” explained the human.   “I-I don’t understand...” I replied, somewhat perplexed.   “I am sure you don’t. See... the items bought by adventurers have a deep profound meaning to them. Unlike many other products, the entrust their lives to their weapons and armors. I mean last thing any adventurer wants is their weapon to snap on them at a critical juncture after all. So adventurers tend to be cautious when buying their equipment.   And there is one stereotype every adventurer knows. That dwarves make the best equipment! Which is why equipment that is not made by dwarves is looked down upon.   Now I know what you are thinking, can’t they just check the quality score and see that they are good equipment? That is a common mistake made by smiths or other non-production professions. Long story short, they can’t! We take our abilities for granted, but very few adventurers have the ability to discern goods they buy. So instead, they go to trusted sources to get the best equipment.   Dwarves who have a reputation for being honest and making the best equipment is a prime choice for adventurers. So the only way to sell our goods when we are not a dwarf is to hit up a dwarf and have them sell our equipment while sharing commission. Once our reputation builds up, those adventurers who purchased our stuff will be more open for a second purchase, especially if we offer a discount from time to time.   But this is where things get complicated for you. Not only are dwarves know for honesty and making good equipment. They are also known for their pride! And even more so the pride in their equipment! To put it simple, no dwarf is going to sell your equipment on your behalf. Don’t get me wrong, they don’t have anything against you. They just can’t let go off their pride that is all.   But I’ll do you a favor! I’ll help sell your above average equipment, and you give me 100% of your profit. Then when adventurers get used to your gear, you can sell to them directly” offered the human.   Grrr… I have some pride too you know! That is pretty much extortion! And to be honest, I for some strange reason don’t feel very comfortable about selling the equipment I worked so hard to make unless I personally hand it over…   “No way!” I replied.   “Suite yourself, you’ll come back begging” said the human and walked away towards the cafeteria.   Ugh! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!   Just when things were finally starting to look up for me, god comes up with new ways to screw me over!   I went and had dinner and fell asleep in a terrible mood. Even when I woke up in the morning I felt horrible.   I contemplated going out and doing some quests or something to get my mind off things, but no luck… I could not muster the will to go anywhere… I just wanted to roll in my bed all day and pretend reality did not exist.   My mood got even worse after the exhibit market, as again nobody bothered to buy anything even at 50% discount. I almost screamed out that I was going to just give them away for free just to shut up that cheeky human… But luckily I resisted. If I give it away for free, it does not count towards my quota and chances are the adventurers will just use it as a throwing weapon or something. Who is going to trust a weapon given away for free after all?   Only the following day did my mood finally improve with the start of a new week, and a new quota. I smelted all 50 [Iron Ingots] on that day which made me really blissful! Oh smelting, you will never betray me! You are my only friend in the whole wide world! The +1 PER for completing yet another [Creationist: Ingot Creation] quest added to the thrill as well!   I didn’t even bother going into the market that day, not wanting to sully my good mood.   Unfortunately, you can only be in denial of reality for so long… So the next day I was forced to finally cope. Despite the futility, I still made 1 [Steel Sword] and 1 [Steel Dagger] out of my [Steel Ingots] and 1 [Iron Sword], 1 [Iron Axe], and 3 [Iron Daggers] from my remaining [Iron ingots], I even made use of my [Sculpting] Level 2 to improve the looks a tad bit making them stand out more. Since my [Sculpting] was somewhat lacking for iron and steel, I did end up losing some quality. Though not too much since my ridiculously high [Blacksmithing] level and high [PER] stat helped make up for some of the deficit. So I was still able to barely retain a quality score of 6 on my wares.   Now normally this would be a stupid thing to do, because once your quality score goes to 6 and above, every fraction of a point is worth stats. So effectively I am throwing stats out into the garbage. But if they can’t see the quality score anyways, does it matter? Might as well make it more visually appealing, thus increasing the probability it catches someone’s eyes.   I don’t want to give up just yet… Just imagining that human’s smug face saying “I told you so” pisses me off!   Congratulations! You have completed the class quest [Creationist: Weapon creation] +1 PER has been attained   Class quest [Creationist: Weapon creation], has been reset.   I’ll give it at least this week, if I fail to sell anything this week, then I’ll look for other options. Maybe I’ll get lucky and someone who can see quality will notice my wares, who knows… but giving up is not the solution. I’ve come way too far to just give up now!   With that mindset, I again headed for the exhibition market.

I woke up the next morning in a really good mood, despite not exactly being a morning person. There are a few reasons why I am in such a mood which is independent from the training. Because at night while having trouble sleeping, I came up with an idea to get past my sluggishness in improving my [Smelting] efficiency.   The first thing I did was the usual smelting in the morning, and again I was stuck at 3.99 quality. But that was fine, because my true plan comes later.   I went to eat breakfast and headed out of the Blacksmithing Guild. I have until 12, or a bit more than 4 hours of free time. And I plan to use that time efficiently.   My goal? It is simple, if I think about it, production classes are tied down by a stat called [PER]. If I raise my [PER], I should be able to make better use of my skills and find my flaws even without help from others. While it might be hard to do with actually smithing things, smelting in comparison is much simpler.   And the best way to raise [PER] outside of leveling is completing the class based quests. I am right now 3/5 into my [Creationist: Improve your production skills] quest. So I need 2 more skill levels to get +25 [PER].   Since I can’t access the Intermediate Disciple areas, my goal is to see if I can nab some skills by visiting the Alchemists Guild, Builder Guild along side other shops that do not have guilds and pick up skills such as Tailoring, Leatherworking and etc.   I do not have much time so I put together the most efficient route to get things done. The closest place is the store specialized in leather goods. I also came up with the perfect way to approach things as well.   It takes me about 2 minutes to reach the shop and I enter it.   “Hello! How can I help ya?” spoke a dwarf at the counter.   “Uhm, yes. I am a discipline at the Blacksmithing Guild, and I was planning to make a belt with a leather belt as the base. Is it possible to view the creation of the belt so that I can take into account its creation process in my design?” I inquire.   “Aren’t ya a hard workin’ missy” complemented the dwarf “But unfortunately I can’t really help ya. Most of the shops products are sent by the Hunters Guild in the next town. While I can make a belt with my skills, my primary job is sellin’ and reparin’ the goods” he added.   “Is that so…I understand, thank you for your time” I say in a dejected voice and leave the shop.   “Sorry I couldn’t be of help missy. If ya ever need some leather, feel free to stop by any time!” said the dwarf as I went out the door.   The next order of business is the Builders Guild, which is located more to the side. From my understanding, the Builders Guild has the widest range of production skills due to their overall wide range of expertise. It takes me about 10 minutes to reach the guild.   I walk in front of the elf receptionist at the counter.   “Hello, I am interested in joining the Builders Guild in the future. Though, I want to become a bit more familiar with the job flow first. Is there any place I can view things like constructions or other projects and the like? It can be from a distance if access is an issue” I plead in my best impression of a pleading kitten possible.   “A beastkin huh...” muttered the receptionist at the counter in a rather pitying voice.   “Please…” I beg.   I feel a bit ashamed, but gotta do what I gotta do.   “* sigh * I would like to help you but the Builders is off access to non-members. You can visit during the monthly selections a bit over a week from now, there will be plenty of things on display then… Hmmm… If it is only about viewing the job flow, there is a construction going on by the western wall. You can get some familiarity there, but make sure to keep a distance and not to do anything to disrupt the construction work, ok?” Relents the receptionist.   “Thank you very much!” I say, and head out of the guild.   Taking note of the construction location, I leave the eastern commercial district and head west. While my goal is the construction, there is one other place I need to stop by on the west side.   While the north and east are mostly lower class areas, the west is more of an upper class area. And only a few stores are allowed to be here. Before stopping by the construction, I head towards one of the few stores in the area. That would be the tailoring shop.   After finding the shop, I open the door. Sitting there was a human woman at the counter, and off to the side was another one spinning some thread.   “Hello, how can I hel-” said the woman sitting at the counter, but suddenly stopped mid-sentence.   She took a look at my attire and frowned.   “If you are looking for clothing, I suggest going to the used clothing store in the east district, now get out of my shop!” she implicated with a rather stern voice.   I was feeling rather embarrassed and uncomfortable for multiple reasons. But at same time I was in a dilemma. The reason was pretty simple.   You have acquired a new skill [NP][Thread Weaving] Level 1   The dilemma was obviously, “do I try to stall 5 minutes to see if I get another level or not”.   Though by the looks of it, for every second I remained in the shop, the more ticked off the woman seemed.   Despite being so close to completing the quest, I could not tolerate the glare and quickly left. It is not a total loss, and I have an idea to make up for it.   So with no further ado, I head for the western wall to view the construction.   When I come near the wall, I notice a large area sealed off via wooden barricades. I come as close as I can to those barricades and activate [Eagle Eyes], scanning the surroundings.     You have acquired a new skill [NP][Carpentry] Level 1 Congratulations! You have completed the class quest [Creationist: Improve your production skills] +25 PER has been attained   Class quest [Creationist: Improve your production skills], has been reset.   Yummy! Of course I am not done just yet!     You have acquired a new skill [NP][Stonemasonry] Level 1   I greedily walked around the barricades while using [Eagle Eyes] to get as much skills as I could manage. In the end, I managed to get [Carpentry] to level 2 and [Stonemasonry] to level 3. Unfortunately, by that point I ran out of time.   I was hoping on stopping by the Alchemist Guild as well, but got too distracted trying to gobble up skills here. Overall though it has been a good haul! It is not like this is the last day or anything, so there will be plenty of opportunity.   Of course there is one thing I wanted to do on the way back to the Adventurers Guild. I stop by again next to the tailoring shop and walk in.   “Uhm... excuse me... I left in a hurry but can you tell me where the second hand clothing shop is?” I inquired.   The woman at the counter stared at me for a few seconds blankly then after a while came to.   “You again! I told you to get out of my shop! You are scaring away the customers! Do you want me to call the guards?!?!” she bellowed.   “...” My eyes opened up wide in shock.   Then I came to and quickly made my way out of the shop.   My surprise was of course not due to how that human acted. I kind of expected that really. My shock was more due to the blue box I got and what happened after.   Your skill [NP][Thread Weaving] has become Level 2 Congratulations! You have completed the class quest [Creationist: Improve your production skills] +25 PER has been attained   Class quest [Creationist: Improve your production skills], has been reset.   Your [PER] stat has exceeded 100. The quality of the [PER] stat has improved.   The moment that appeared, the whole world seems to have changed as I began to notice things that I have never noticed before. My eyes became sharper and keener to even the slightest of details.   Though, while I would love to explore the full implications, I was running out of time so I quickly head for the Adventurers Guild.   I just barely managed to make it to the guild on time and was guided by the receptionist to the training grounds located in the basement.   When I got there, I saw a wolfkin standing there, who according to [Identify] was 34 years old with classes of [Trainer] and [Rogue], along side stood 3 human boys of varying ages, none of which had a combat class though.   At first, I was a bit skeptical on why a Rank C adventurer would bother training 5 people for 6 hours for a measly 10 silver coins. Considering even a Rank D quest would net over double that amount, not to mention a Rank C quest can get them up to 10X that. That is just from the reward, excluding monster materials. I also somehow doubted the Adventurers Guild would make up the difference either.   Only after my visit to the library did my question get answered. The peculiarities lie in the [Trainer] non-combat class. It is one of the few classes which give combat stats for a non-combat class. The way to level the [Trainer] class is by training others. Thus there is an incentive to take up others and training them. This also kind of explained why that middle aged man held on to all the slaves, while his companions had none. It also explained why he used that weird tone like he was a drill sergent rather than a master. I guess these peculiarities matter?   Though what makes this whole thing even more lucrative for me is the [Trainer] class has the unlock-able stat of [POW]. Which is exactly the stat I was looking for! Well kind of. [POW] is similar to [STR], but unlike [STR] which also increases your stamina and endurance, [POW] is more like raw strength.   That said, it is a bit of an odd choice for a Rogue. Unless maybe they specialize in one shot penetration maybe?   While I was contemplating these things, the wolfkin rogue noticed me and called out.   “So everyone is here I see? All right then, my name is Zack. I will be your trainer for today! The first order of business is I need to figure out your abilities. The guild has provided me with information about your levels, but I am looking for things deeper than just levels. I am looking for your skills, your tendencies and habits. Then I will see how they can be improved. If there are no questions, then one of you come up and face me. You can use the training weapons provided by the guild. The rest of you, sit in the corner somewhere”   Not wanting to be the first one up, I move myself to the corner away from the others. The reason is that I don’t feel very comfortable around humans. I know this place makes non-criminal slavery illegal. But still, I always subconsciously feel discomfort whenever I approach humans.   The oldest of the three humans who had a total level of 24 scoffed and picked up a training spear.   “Lets see what you got beastkin” said the human. Then suddenly thrust the spear forward.   Zack seemed to pay it little mind and easily deflected it with his training dagger.   “Is that all you got?” asked Zack.   Your skill [NP][Dagger Mastery] has become Level 2   Ooh! Profit already! The human continued attacking non-stop, but all his attacks proved to be completely useless. After about 10 minutes of dueling, Zack changed from defensive to offensive, deflected the spear and then held his dagger to the human boy’s throat.   “That will be all, next!” Zack announced.   “Shit!” spat the boy as he made his way back towards the others.   This time, the second oldest boy went up to fight, his level was 15 and he used a sword. Unfortunately, it seemed like he really lacked any decent skill as I did not get anything from the entire 10 minute exchange.   “Next!” Zack yelled.   After a brief pause, the youngest of the three got up. Despite being only 14 years old, he carried himself in a proud manner. Though to be fair, he had a rather high total level of 18. Interestingly enough, he did not go for any sort of weapon per say. He put on a pair of gloves and leg guards and took up a stance just like that.   In the next instance, he quickly threw a fist at Zack. And for the first time, Zack showed a rather surprised face, but regardless he easily deflected it.   You have acquired a new skill [NP][Close-Combat Mastery] Level 1   In this way the fight turned into a melee as the young boy continued to dish out punches and kicks left and right. Still, it was not enough to make Zack lose his cool, but you can clearly see that he was rather impressed. After 5 minutes into the fight I got a slight hint of why that was.   Your skill [NP][Close-Combat Mastery] has become Level 2   After the 10 minutes passed, just like the previous two he easily dispatched him.   “Very impressive talent you got there, if you keep this up, you’ll have a very bright future” Zack commented to the boy.   Then he turned his face and looked at me.   “You coming or what?” he questioned.   “Uhm… Yes!” I replied and got up.   I normally would prefer a spear due to my higher mastery and more experience using it. But looking at the training weapons, the spears are way to big for me…   So instead I ended up taking two daggers and went in position to face him.   The question is, how much strength should I use? I really don’t want to stand out too much, nor do I want to show my abilities to others, but at same time if I don’t push him to use some skills, I can’t attain them. I also am kind of curious at how well I would do against a Rank C adventurer. So how about I give it some skill, but not show everything?   Alright then lets start, I imbue one of my daggers with both the normal and racial [Throw] skill. This time I focus the racial skill on power as accuracy means little at this range, and like that I [Throw] one of my daggers at him.   Not surprisingly, he deflects the dagger though makes a rather confused expression. I use this fraction of a second opening and activate my [Charge] skill while imbuing the dagger with [Thrust].   Zack’s eyes open widely, but his astonishment only lasts for fraction of a second, as suddenly his dagger makes a weird motion and blocks my attack.   I was hoping to get him with that, but as expected of a Rank C adventurer, something like this isn’t going to cut it. Maybe if I did a [Meteor Rush] that may work, but even then I don’t know. Regardless, things were still proceeding to plan.   Now using my newly acquired [Close-Combat Mastery], my [Jump] skill and my forward momentum, I jump over him while upside down in mid air to get him by surpri-   “Wah! Wah! Wah! Wah!”     You have taken 25 damage. You have been stunned for 0.5 seconds.     “Ouch!” I yell as I land on my back to the floor.   Okay... maybe that wasn’t such a good idea… Things don’t exactly work out like they do in the movies now do they it seems…   I thought that maybe I could perform that move where I jump over the opponent like a ninja, and then attack from behind would be possible with my skills, but not only did I mess up on the [Jump] skill jumping too far, the fear of falling and getting dizzy seems to be in full effect! How in the world do those heroes in literature and movies suddenly become capable of these scary things?!?!   The bright side is that [Toughness] and stats in general help a lot, if I did this back on Earth, I’d probably be in the hospital for months.   After coming to, I took a glance at Zack and he seemed to be looking at me strangely… suddenly...   “Hahahahahaha!” “Did you see that beastkin? Talk about total failure, what an idiot! Hahaha” “Pathetic”   It seems the peanut gallery is getting a kick out of my misfortune…   As I was feeling embarrassed and dejected from my epic failure of a performance. Zack suddenly changed his glare at the boys, and bloodthirst came out! Instantly silencing them. He then turned back to face me.   “That is all I need to see, lets move on” Zack said.   Feeling a bit left out, I opened my mouth.   “But...I...”   “If you are worried about not facing me for 10 minutes like the rest, fret not. I only needed to see where you stand. There was nothing wrong with your overall performance and I got to see what I needed to” Zack interjected.   Having nothing more to say, I get up and go back to the corner. I guess I’ll have to take solace with the blue box I got during the fight.   Your skill [NP][Dagger Mastery] has become Level 3   This also confirms one of my earlier suspicions. If someone uses a skill at a lower skill level, I can’t get that skill until they actually use it at same level or higher. Which complicates things quite a bit, especially since the skills have to be used in actual combat.   That said, there is another thing I have to consider. I need to intercept a [Trainer] skill in order to unlock the [POW] stat, and due to the limitations, that might prove rather difficult.   According to the book I read, the [Trainer] skill improves strength based techniques in similar way to how [Runner] improves speed based techniques. The issue is that a Rank C adventurer’s strength even without skills is already overkill, especially when they have a [Trainer] class which enhances just that.   And my mission during the next 5 and a half hours is to have him use such, and not on blank air or a test dummy but on a valid target! Even worse, there is a possibility that I pick up some other skill instead!   * sigh *   Now I am feeling even more dejected...

** POV Allen Gower **   Today is a night day, so we will most likely have to close up early. Which unfortunately is not good for business * sigh *   Well, overall today was a slow day anyways. Probably an hour or so and we will close up. As I was thinking that I notice someone approaching the entrance. It would be nice if it was a customer, but it is Mike for the 3rd time this week * sigh *   He is probably here again to burrow money by pawning his slave until he gets enough money to pay back the loan he took out a month back to try to keep his failing business afloat. Personally I don’t mind since it is very obedient and hardworking. But he simply wants too much for it. There is a right price for everything.   As Mike opens the door I greet the enthusiastic Mike with a non-enthusiastically remark.   “What’s up Mike? If it is about pawning your slave again, I am not giving you a copper more!”   Mike though does not lose his enthusiasm as he takes a large bag off his back and puts it on the floor.   “It is not about that! I have a proper slave to sell you this time, and I think it is a rare find!”   “Is that so?” I reply still non-enthusiastically…I somehow simply can’t imagine Mike having a rare find. Still he continues and opens up the bag and a sleeping head pops out of it.   “Look at this catkin, isn’t it super rare?!?! It has this rare white hair! It was super naive and trusting hahaha! I bet you it is probably a beastkin royalty or something! You can probably easily sell it for 1 gold or more to a noble or something!”   I activate “[Appraise: Humanoid]”   * sigh *   “Mike, do you take me for a fool or something? How long do you think I have been in this business?”   Mike looks at me with a dumbfound face and asks   “What do you mean Mr. Gower?”   “First of all, beastking royalty is not white nor is it a catkin in the first place. Second of all, the catkin you brought is a measly level 4 which is below standard if I do say so myself. An average 12 year old should be at least level 5 if not 6. Third of all, while I have not seen a white haired Catkin before, I have seen other beastkin including Catkin with exotic colors. The exotic colors does not mean they are rare or unique in any way. Quite the opposite actually. Exotic colors are unnatural in beastkin who live and camouflage themselves in the forest. Having an exotic color is like asking to be hunted down. Whenever you see an exotic color on a beastkin, it generally means there is something seriously wrong with it. Considering this one is such low level and is so naive and stupid. I would guess retardation. And even if it was a unique beastkin, not only would I not get a gold for it, I would lose more money transporting it, there is no nobles here for hundreds of miles in this remote village. At best, I can give you 1 silver for it”   Finally the enthusiastic smirk disappears off Mike’s face.   “Come on Mr. Gower! I really need the money! Give me at least 5 silver for it. My wife told me to sell it no less than 5 silver...”   Again with the begging * sigh *   “If you don’t like it, you are free to sell it to another slave merchant...oh wait...there isn’t any in this town! Hohoho”   I always love pulling out my favorite catch phrase. This village has recently started growing rapidly and I am the first to capitalize it while locking out the competition.   Mike looks at me with a dejected face and says:   “You know you are going to go to hell for this! I am trying to feed a family here!”   To which I nonchalantly reply:   “I am just an honest hard working man doing his job. Either way you are interrupting my business so make up your mind 1 silver, take it or leave it.”   Mike begins to turn red from anger but calms himself down and gives in.   “Fine...1 silver it is”   I turn to Rick who has been sitting and reading by me this whole time and ask him to prepare the slave collar and the payment. To which he nods and goes to the back. After less than a minute he brings in the slave collar and the payment.   He goes over to the tied up sleeping catkin and attached the collar. He then takes off the command seal and pours a bit of mana to it. When he does that the catkin begins to shrivel up and releases an ear piercing scream.   “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!”   The sudden scream shocks Mike, but to me and Rick it is an every day thing so we already had our earplugs on. The screaming and thrashing continued for about a minute and stopped with the catkin fainting again while foaming in the mouth and bleeding from her eyes.   I hate it when they do that… Cleaning that up is such a pain... * sigh *   “What the hell?!?! That shocked me” Mike exclaimed.   To which Rick replied:   “Yes, that is normal. The slave collar directly attacks the slave’s mind, the more they resist the more painful it is. That is necessary to insure full control. Personally if it were up to me I would take out their voice-box prior to placing the slave collar on bait. But despite it having no real use, customers would just claim it now is damaged goods and want less for it. So we have to put up with the annoyance. Since the collar has been placed, here is your 1 silver”   Mike receives his 1 silver and grits his teeth. He seem to have remembered his anger and kicks the catkin on the floor while muttering “Damn you for getting our hopes up! Must be nice doing what your told without having to worry about making end meet”   At that I exclaimed.   “Hey there! That slave is not your property anymore! If you damage my property you will have to pay for it!”   To which he jumps back in fright and quickly leaves the shop.   * sigh *   “Rick, take it to the back and place it with the others” I say.   “Yes, sir! I do wonder, if this slave is mentally retarded, why even buy it?” he questions.   “And that is why you will always be a greenhorn in this business. Sure if this was a dogkin, I would not buy it since dogkin’s primary use is as a tracker. A retarded dogkin is same as a dead dogkin. But for bait like a catkin, it is another story. The more simple minded they are the better bait they are.”   Receiving my explanation, Rick wipes the stains away and takes the catkin in for holding.   Today is such a slow day…   * sigh *   After about an hour passes I get ready to close down when suddenly I see a customer head for the door. But not just any customer. A business like smile appears on my face.   “Why if it isn’t my favorite customer Mr. Razer… Do you need to restock on bait again?” I ask.   “Yeah, the previous 2 hit the bucket a bit early. So I need a fresh batch. This time though I am hunting a [Hell Boar] so I don’t mind if they are the disposable kind as long as they serve their purpose” He responds.   “I see… Then I might just have the right thing for you. I recently got this 12 year old level 4 white catkin which I think would serve as perfect disposable bait” I suggest.   “You mean that retarded white catkin that has been hitting the rumor mill lately?” he asks.   “Yes, that one. But don’t worry despite being retarded it is more than capable of taking orders. If anything it would be easier to control” I assure.   “I see… despite it’s low level it is worth a shot as disposable bait. How much for it?” he inquires.   “Only 2 silver” I respond while robbing my hands and smiling.   “Hmmm...alright...I’ll take it. Anything else you have?” he confirms.   “Excellent choice! We also have a 14 year old level 7 rabbitkin with improved jump skill for only 3 silver which should prove useful” I add.   “Sounds good, I’ll take that as well” he exclaims.   He pays me 5 silver while Rick goes to the back and retrieves the slaves and the command seals. Mr. Razer takes the command seals and his’s dogkin slave picks up the slaves and then carries them out the door. With both of them gone I close up shop.   If only more customers were like Mr. Razer... * sigh *  

I woke up from what I would call the best sleep I have ever had since coming to this world. While the beds were nowhere as good as the ones I had at home, it beats sleeping in caves and on floors any day. You don’t realize how much you miss the things you take for granted until you lose them…   The sleep was so comfortable, that I ended up oversleeping. By the time I crawled out of bed, which I didn’t want to but still had to drag myself out, it was already noon.   So effectively, the plans I had for today kind of ended up as a wash. Of course that doesn’t mean I can’t do what I can. I walk down to the receptionist counter. Which was rather empty this time of day.   “Excuse me please, can I see the samples of the local herbs in this area?” I ask.   “Sure, no problem, give me a sec” said the receptionist who came over to the counter.   She then went over and took a box, then brought it to me.   “T-thank y-you” I said with a semi-shaking voice as I receive the box.   The problem? For the first time since coming to this town, I interacted with a human.   I know that slavery of beastkin is not allowed here and I can’t exactly blame all humans for the action of some. But I can’t help it that my body tenses up whenever I come near a human…   Putting those thoughts aside, I examine the herbs in the box. The most common herbs, [Dire Milkweed], [Lavender Ginger Roots] and [Violet River Grass] were all there. But there was some new herbs as well.     Red Cave Moss Moss that grows near or inside caves. Often used as a catalyst for making potions and in other alchemic formulas.   Quality 1.2/10.0 Blue Hoya   A plant that grows in warm areas. Used for the making of wax.   Quality 0.9/10 Sleepy Jasmine   A shrub that grows in warm areas. Often used in the making of low level sleeping poison.   Quality 1.0/10   Ever since I got my new class, now my [Identify] is breaking things down into decimals...is this a byproduct of [Creationist: Analyze Everything] or my [PER] stat, maybe both? I wonder...   I make my way out of the guild while eating the last of my provisions and head for the gate. Getting out was definitely quicker than getting in, but it still took a good half hour.   Once out, I began searching for herbs. And as I feared, the amount of herbs was rather lacking. At this time, I did my best to avoid monsters since I knew it was not safe to hunt alone, especially due to not being familiar with the area. Today was simply a getting to know the area tour.   By end of the day, I barely managed to collect 7 herbs, 1 [Violet River Grass], 1 [Sleepy Jasmine], 2 [Dire Milkweed] and 3 [Lavender Ginger Roots] . This place is freaking brutal for collecting herbs! Even these were far harder to get than I anticipated. But I guess with a town so big and so many dogkin, it isn’t that surprising ha? Every dogkin that escapes and comes here probably thinks about making ends meet via collecting of herbs.   Once I made it into town, I head back towards the guild. Only stopping by a vendor to buy a pair of meat skewers for a total of 1 iron coin. The taste is as one would expect, pretty bland...but still much better than what I ate so far in this world. I guess seasoning is a luxury in this world.   In the guild, I decide to cash in the 7 herbs I got, plus the [Violet River Grass], [Dire Milkweed] and [Lavender Ginger Roots] I saved from last time. The reason being is that these 3 herbs are quite available here despite the extra effort, and I need all the money I can get. After selling the herbs, I managed to collect 37 iron and 50 copper coins. Which puts my total savings at 71 iron coins.   Well 63 iron coins to be more precise once I again paid for a bed to stay at the guild.   The next morning, I reluctantly had to get up early. The reason is because today was the monthly selection for the Blacksmithing Guild. The 5 dwarves who stayed with me in that room seem to have gotten up earlier and were preparing things. They then headed downstairs at around same time I did.   Walking towards the Blacksmithing Guild, I noticed the population of dwarves rapidly rise. And they were all headed in the same direction…   How competitive is the monthly selection I pondered, getting pretty worried.   When I arrived, there was at least a small village of 50 dwarves standing there waiting to get in. Of course dwarves were not the only ones there, I saw a few humans and 1 elf as well. Though I was the only beastkin in the group.   After about an hour of waiting, a rather sturdy built dwarf came out of the blacksmithing guild and stood in front of everyone.   “All right then ladies! We will now begin the monthly selections! I hope ya not be wasting my time! Follow me!” yelled the dwarf in a loud overbearing voice addressing a crowd mostly made of men.     You have acquired a new skill [NA][Voice Manipulation] Level 1   As we came in, the dwarf pointed at an open area.   “Each of ya take a spot, take the [Copper Ingot] provided, and make me a dagger within 3 hours! Ya can use ya’r own tools or the ones provided, just don’t be blamin’ ya’r tools for ya’r own failure!” he bellowed.   We each took up a spot as instructed, which contained a single ingot and some tools for smithing, but unlike others who began hammering away from the get-go, I stood their dumbfounded.   Wait...aren’t they gonna at least instruct us on what to do at the very least?!? I guess I’ll have to learn as things go along...   I began to observe the dwarves around me to see what they were doing, in about a minute.   Your skill [NP][Blacksmithing] has become Level 2 [Creationist] quest unlocked!   With that, the process began to become a bit more clearer. While I would have liked to look at what this whole quest business was, now was not the time.   As such, I began to imitate what I saw others do as I scanned around looking for who seemed to be the best smith in the group of 50. In a short while I found the best smith and began to take note. And as expected, a minute after another blue box appeared.     Your skill [NP][Blacksmithing] has become Level 3   Unfortunately, that was as far as it went. No matter who I looked at after, none of them would raise my level. So I was forced to make due with what I could.   The process was far harder than it appeared. At issue was that I simply lacked the strength. While my level is rather high and being a beastkin gave me decent strength, it simply paled in compared to a dwarf who got a whopping 5 STR per level. I was barely at the STR level to make due.   I did my best to replicate what I saw, and barely managed to finish it by deadline of 3 hours. With finally being done, I took a moment breather and took a look at-   [Creationist] quest unlocked!   …what that is all about…   So lets see, “Quest Menu” probably?     [Creationist] Improve your production skills Improve your production skills, by either gaining a new production skill or enhancing an already acquired production skill.   Type: Continuous   Status: 4/5 Reward: 25 [PER] [Creationist] Weapon creation Produce 10 weapons with at least a quality score of 1.   Type: Continuous 1/10   Status: 1/10 Reward: 1 [PER]   So is this how one raises their unlocked stat? Through doing all sorts of quests?   As I was looking over the quest information, I noticed 5 dwarves come up and began examining the results. Each dwarf was responsible for evaluating around 10 attendees. The dwarf on our side began his evaluations.   “Crap...Junk...Garbage...Barely passable...Why did ya even bother comin’?...Decent enough...My grandma who has neva smithed in her life can make better!...Horrible...Terrible!...” muttered the dwarf who suddenly came to the last person in the group, me.   My stomach began to tighten from nervousness…   “WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?!” shouted the dwarf.   “HEY RON! COME OVA HERE! I wana to show ya somethin’ ” added the dwarf as he shouted the other way.   … Could this be … “that” event? The one where my awesome skill leaves everyone speechless? I wonder in anticipation.   “What is it Sam?” said the other dwarf who came over.   “Look at this! Isn’t the best piece of junk you have ever seen?!?!” exclaimed the dwarf acting as my examiner, as he hands the dagger to the other dwarf.   “Ya are right! This is definitely the best crap I have seen in my entire life!” replied Ron.   “…” ... I wanted to say something but no words came out of my mouth…   “Come here guys and take a look at this!” announced Ron bringing in more examiners to look at my dagger.   From then on, a round of praises and insults began to fly in the same sentence. After being taken aback for a while I finally put together my resolve…   “Uhmm...S-So does this mean I pass or fail?” I ask the examiner Sam.   “Hmmm...” pondered the dwarf, then asked “What is ya’r [Blacksmithing] level missy?”   Just to be on the safe side…   “My [Blacksmithing] is at level 2...” I reply. In a soft hesitant voice.   “DON’T YOU DARE LIE TO ME MISSY! … I’VE BEEN A BLACKSMITH LONGER THAN YA BEEN ALIVE! I CAN TELL YA’R AT LEAST LEVEL 3!” he bellowed.   “Hii! S-Sorry!” I apologized in fright at the sudden outburst.   “I don’t know how in the world ya got ya’r [Blacksmithing] to level 3 and made somethin’ like this! Ya are definitely talented for ya’r age, but this here is all weird...It feels like ya have spent ya’r entire time leveling [Blacksmithing] by randomly hitting a piece of metal. For a copper dagger, it is perfect and at same time completely flawed! Like ya have neva seen a dagger in ya’r entire life and just tried makin’ something that looks like one, and at that ya got perfect marks!   Maybe ya should go for a [Sculptor] instead of a [Blacksmith]?” Sam questioned.   “S-So does that mean that I failed?” I asked while drooping my shoulders.   “Hmm...Here is what we will do...I shall let ya in as a temporary disciple, ya have until the next monthly selection to make a proper dagger. If ya can’t by then, ya will be forced out!” Sam responded.   And like that, I became a temporary disciple of the Blacksmithing Guild...

The next morning, I filled up my [Coal Ore] with more holy power. Then instead of having breakfast, I decided to leave early again and headed for the Alchemist Guild. I figured since I am waiting on mana anyways, might as well practice making potions. I also reevaluated the necessity of mana potions now that I know I can use mana to enhance my gear. But first I’ll start with the health potion. Unfortunately, I missed the second round of selections for the Alchemist Guild this time around due to the huge order, not that I am regretting it or anything.   I paid 50 iron coins and rented out a mini-lab at the Alchemist Guild for 5 hours. It was more expensive than I initially thought, but still within my affordable range.   I began processing a [Dire Milkweed] which took me about half an hour to ensure highest quality while also paying attention to the details. From then on, I spent 2 hours making a potion. Since my first attempt, my [PER] stat has increased by quite a bit. Not only that, I also got things like [IPR] and some level ups to help me! Add in my prior experience and the results weren’t too bad for a second attempt.   Lesser Health Potion A semi-poor quality lesser health potion. Used to restore health.   +18 HP +17 HP/min for 5 min   [Made by Shiro]   Quality 2.8764/10.000   At the very least the potion was over 3X better than my first attempt to say the least.   Of course I also received a new quest due to breaking through the quality score of 1:   [Creationist] quest unlocked! [Creationist] Potion Making Make at least 10 potions with at least a quality score of 1.   Type: Continuous 1/10   Status: 1/10 Reward: 1 [PER]   Since I had another 2 and a half hours, I made another attempt at making yet another potion, and the results were even better.   Lesser Health Potion An okay quality lesser health potion. Used to restore health.   +22 HP +20 HP/min for 5 min   [Made by Shiro]   Quality 3.3982/10.0000   This concluded my 5 hours at the lab, based on what I feel from my [PER] and my experience, I can tell that as-is, reaching a quality score of 4 would be impossible without more insight. So there was no point of continuing on making [Lesser Health Potions] for the time being.   I get 2 meat skewers by the stalls since I am low on time today and head out of the city towards the forest. My goal this time is similar to before, [Dire Foxes] and herbs. Except this time around I have no plan on cashing in any of the herbs. Frankly put, it isn’t worth it at this point. I did it before because I needed every coin I could muster but now the situation has changed.   Looking at the costs at the alchemist guild, an average [Lesser Health Potion] sells for 1 silver coin! But when I cash in that [Dire Milkweed] via quest, I would only get 3 iron and 50 copper coins, and that is including the cash-in reward. Talk about a ripoff!   Of course I can’t exactly sell my potions anyways, since selling potions requires certification from the Alchemist Guild. But regardless, now that I have some money, I’d rather store the herbs and practice with them when I have the opportunity.   As for the [Dire Foxes], I have 2 reasons for hunting them. The first reason is that I plan to take the meat and try the [Cooking] skill out a bit. And the second reason is that I want to test out that mithril katar! Especially the magic option… I always wanted to try magic, but got cheated out with only healing magic!   Also, since my [Item Box] increased in size, I can now store all 5 [Dire Foxes]. So collecting them will be a lot more convenient than before.   It did not take me long to spot a [Dire Fox] and I employed the same strategy I did before, I let it notice me. Have it sneak up and [Sprint] at me as I quickly turn around and [Charge] straight at it aiming for its eyes with [Wind Blade]!   “Eh?” I reflexively mutter.   That was kind of unexpected… hmm…   I look around and see the [Dire Fox] right behind me… cleanly split into 2…   I probably should be extra careful about using that magic option… It seems to be quite... overkill... especially when I actually need the pelts. Not to mention, one wrong step and I feel I may accidentally injure myself…   From then on I focused on killing [Dire Foxes] while collecting herbs on the side. I managed to finally kill 5 [Dire Foxes], but still had 3 hours to spare till the exhibition. So after finding a safe spot near the town, I made a fire and attempted cooking the fox meat. After half an hour of making the [Dire Fox Meat Skewers], the results were okay I guess?   Dire Fox Meat Skewers A semi-poor quality dire fox meat skewers. Used to sedate hunger and temporarily raise stats   +5 Stamina for 24 hours   [Made by Shiro]   Quality 2.5193/10.0000   Of course I also got the accompanying quest along side it.   [Creationist] quest unlocked! [Creationist] Food creation Produce 100 food servings with at least a quality score of 1.   Type: Continuous 1/10   Status: 1/100 Reward: 1 [PER]   From each [Dire Fox], I get about 10 servings of meat and each serving is about 2 meat skewers. I managed to cook 10 meat skewers or about 5 servings. I ate 2 of the [Dire Fox Meat Skewers] and stored the rest for a later time. I only managed to collect 5 herbs this time around since I got distracted pwning with the mithril katar. Either way, I decided to head back and cash in the [Dire Fox Pelts] and some of the remaining [Dire Fox Meat].   After doing so I returned to the exhibit market, and tried selling my remaining [Iron Axe] and [Iron Spear], even going as far as offering 50% discount, but unfortunately no luck...   * sigh *   After dinner, I again proceeded to load holy power into the [Coal Ore] and went to bed.   ...   The next 3 days passed pretty similar, the only difference was that I spent only 3 hours in the Alchemists Guild and attempted [Lesser Mana Potions] instead. Unfortunately luck was not on my side as not only did I fail to get above quality score of 1. The results in themselves failed to restore any mana, or even if they did, it was noted to have some negative side effects. After I finished making the potions, I would proceed to gathering herbs and hunt [Dire Foxes]. From then on, I would proceed to cook the [Dire Foxes] into skewers. Unlike my other production skills, Cooking quickly got to quality score of 5. The reason being is that I have some prior experience cooking in the previous world, not to mention [PER] also helps me with my sense of taste, thus allowing me another way to judge the flaws in the food. I can’t exactly chew on my swords and no way am I gonna attempt drinking an alchemical made potion with unknown negative side effects.   When I was done cooking the foxes, I would cash in the quest in the guild and then head for the exhibition hall in my futile attempts to sell my axe and spear.   Effectively, same old same old.   Then finally came my quota day! And I happily smelted the 50 [Iron Ingots] in 1 day! Thus receiving my reward of 10 [Iron Ingots] and 3 [Coal Ores]. This of course meant that I finished my [Creationist: Ingot Creation II] quest. But the shocking thing came right after.   Congratulations! You have completed the class quest [Creationist: Ingot Creation II]   +3 PER has been attained Your [PER] stat has exceeded 300. The quality of the [PER] stat has improved.   Again my eyes began to change as things became more and more clear, the details I could not notice before became so apparent like they were always there. After that, instead of smithing something out of my reward, I instead took a rest and got used to my new and improved eye-sight.   I then repeated the hunting regime for 3 more days until I felt that I saved up enough Holy Power to begin the next phase to my plan.   The following day, I began my hardest struggle yet! I began the work day smelting the first [Holy-steel Ingot], the ingot smelting process took up the entire day as I was extremely careful! I also noticed something interesting with production jobs. That the most intensive and critical part of the entire process is the finalization. It is the point between the item taking form and being registered into the system.   I took advantage of that knowledge and made sure to activate [All-Observing-Eyes][Overload] for a few seconds at the end! This not only improved what I saw, it also helped me raise my supporting stats such as [IPR], [INT] and [WIS] to fill in some of the gaps in my unusually high [PER]. Of course the increase in [PER] also helped as well raising my skills a bit.   To improve the outcome, I even made sure to go out and eat the best food that increased my [INT] and [WIS] at the cost of 1 gold coin per serving! Any little thing I could think of to help me, I took advantage off. That includes spending my 1 remaining Free Point into INT.   Taking full advantage of stats is also one of the reasons why I chose to make a Arm-Blade Katar. the fact that I could use it without my hands is not just limited to combat and works just fine during smithing as well! I wish I could have made other items to increase [INT] and [WIS], but unfortunately it could only be done with items that have high compatibility with mana.   Finally, after spending an entire day on it, my first [Holy-steel Ingot] was complete!   Holy-steel Ingot A semi-superior quality ingot. Used in the production of metallic goods   Quality 7.8583/10.0000   Unfortunately I ended up dropping from a quality score of 8… but regardless the results could be said to be extremely good! Beyond excellent even!   The next day I repeated the same process yet again, taking up yet another day, but with a tad more experience at the finalization process.   Holy-steel Ingot A semi-superior quality ingot. Used in the production of metallic goods   Quality 7.9212/10.0000   I was still not able to keep the 8 quality score but regardless, it was a decent improvement considering the difficulty.   With my 2 ingots done, the next day I began to smith the hammer! I poured everything I had and more into the completion of this hammer! I could not afford to slack or lose focus for even a moment!   I spent the entire day working on it since 5 o’clock. When I felt I was almost done, I activated [All-Observing-Eyes][Overload] and began the finalization process! But unlike before a few seconds were not enough as I raced against time to finish my hammer!   Time was ticking but the finalization process was not done… 10 seconds passed…   20 seconds passed…   30 seconds passed… I was half way into my [Overload] but it was still not finalized…   40 seconds passed…   50 seconds passed… I was getting desperate at this point but I did not lose focus! 55 seconds passed… 56… 57….   58…   59...   I barely managed the final hit right at the end of the final second of the minute…   * collapse *   …   …   ...   “Ar – - y – – - ka- - - m - - sy” I heard a voice.   I barely open up my eyes and see the dwarf that is always at the counter looking over me and saying something… ouch!   My head hurts like hell!   After a bit I was finally able to make out what he was saying.   “Are ya okay missy?” repeated the dwarf.   “Where am I...” I muttered still a bit confused.   “We are at the forge, I was about to close up the place when I saw ya collapsed on the floor” the dwarf explained.   Why was I here... and why was I on the floor… pondering for a bit, a sudden realization hit me!   “THE HAMMER!” I yelled out.   “Hammer?” asked the dwarf somewhat confused.   I took a look around and set my eyes on my beautiful new hammer! It was pure white, which is why I will call it Angelica!   You have surpassed your limits of Blacksmithing and created an item down from the bottom of your soul! Due to the workmanship, effort and bond that you share, the item has been granted a name!   [“Angelica” the Holy-steel Blacksmithing Hammer] has been born!   Level up! Creationist: +2 to all unlocked attributes +5 MP +5 Mental +2 PER   “…”   What does that mean?     “Angelica” the Holy-steel Blacksmithing Hammer   A Holy-steel blacksmithing hammer created by a catkin who put her very heart and soul into making a hammer to help make her dreams possible. Her close bond with the creation process and her will to push the item beyond her abilities has granted it a name.   +61 STR +49 DEX +37 INT + 36 WIS -150 AGI +19 ATK +61% improvement for Blacksmithing +24% improvement for Blacksmithing magical items +31% improvement for Blacksmithing holy magical items +93% penalty for Blacksmithing demonic magical items   [Grant Holy Power] Imbue an item with holy power. Items which are magical but not demonic will gain holy power. None magical items may gain a 1 time magical use ability (200 holy power is consumed) [Passive] Absorb holy power around your surroundings ( 1 Holy Power per hour ) [Restriction] Holy Power can not be refilled through means other than passive regeneration   Bonus: 5% improvement for Blacksmithing Naming: 25% improvement to all stats (exceeds the limit), durability loss is halved   Holy Power: 350/400   [Made by Shiro] Durability: 5000/5000 Quality 6.1204/10.0000   I could not believe my eyes… not only that… I felt a close bond with Angelica beyond of what I felt with anything before! It was like literally screaming “hug me”… so I did…   Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr~   Before I knew it I started puring from how comfortable it felt…   Then my eyes met with the dwarf...   “Hii!?!?” I yelped.   He saw me! He saw me! He saw me! Those thoughts filled my mind as I tried to come up with some sort of excuse, then hide somewhere where no one would ever find me!   Noticing he had my attention.   “If ya are done, I’d like to close up” said the dwarf seemingly paying little mind to my embarrassing display.   I hurriedly nod in rapid succession and bolt to my room as fast as I could! Then I quickly jumped into bed, trying to hide from the world in my embarrassment! I cuddle up to Angelica as my only bastion of security…   Purrrrrrrrrrr~   Like that I fall asleep without even eating dinner, curled up in a ball around Angelica…

Mornings like always without ingots to smelt were nothing to write home about. The only saving grace was that the new breakfast like dinner was also better. I patiently waited till 12 o’clock, and then headed to the Senior Disciple area. From there, I was guided by Tagon downstairs into a large basement.   Standing there was... Santa?   “This is Grandmaster Clauson. He is the leader of this Blacksmithing Guild so make sure to show ya’r respect!” warned Tagon.   I knew it! Santa!   The Grandmaster was literally an old chubby man with a long white beard and looked exactly of what one would think of Santa Claus... except shorter.   “Yes sir!” I responded.   Now I wonder what kind of presents Santa will have for me… I promise I behaved very well… though I technically did murder someone… but he was a bad guy! Definitely!   Shortly after, we came over to the Grandmaster.   “So this little missy is the winner of the competition now is it?” Grandmaster Clauson inquired.   “Yes, Grandmaster” replied Tagon.   He then took a hard look at me causing me to tense up due to the pressure. Remembering the warning I get my act together.   “My name is Shiro, I greet Grandmaster Claus! It is an honor!” I said while slightly bowing down to show respect.   When I see Tagon frown, I suddenly remembered I was in another world, and for all I know bowing down is not a sign of respect but a form on insult so I begin to inwardly panic. Only then did it hit me... Oops! I said Claus instead of Clauson!   Luckily it did not seem like the Grandmaster cared one way or the other.   “Shiro ha? It is always nice to see new young talent. So what would ya like to be made for ya’r commission?” asked Grandmaster Clauson.   I thought about this for quite some time, and came up with one conclusion. That I will get my dagger fixed and remade into a Arm-Blade Katar. Why an Arm-Blade Katar? Simple, an Arm-Blade Katar still counts as a Dagger so my [Dagger Mastery] still works, but now I can free up my hands. This means that I can use a spear at the same time, or use attacks like [Claw Swipe] as well. Throwing things also becomes more convenient. I can even use potions without having to put away my weapon.   There are not too many people who specialize at virtually everything, so this kind of combat style only works for me.   “I would like to remake this into an Arm-Blade Katar focused on agility, while still having some other stats” I replied while taking out my [Ancient Mithril Dagger]   “This is?!?!” Tagon interjected in shock, then got himself together and continued “The rules were pretty clear that you are only allowed to use your own materials!”   I quickly try to refute his claim.   “B-But this is-”   “No excuses! The rules are set in place for a reason! No exceptions!” Tagon interrupted.   Tagon did not seem like he would relent or even listen to me at all!   “It’s ok” said Grandmaster Clauson.   “Are ya sure Grandmaster? We should not bend the rules as it would set a bad precident” Tagon cautioned.   “The dagger in question rightfully belongs to the little missy. According to my intuition, the little missy had it even before coming here” Grandmaster Clauson explained.   Intuition? Is that some sort of skill? Though I didn’t get any notification of getting any skill… hmmm...   “If… the Grandmaster say so...” Tagon relented and then left the premises.   Grandmaster Clauson then took the dagger off my hands and began inspecting it.   “By the looks of things... this dagger came from a Dungeon... Though... this dagger in question seems to be quite old… Us smiths have always been dreaming about replicatin’ the abilities of a dungeon in our smithing. Sadly to say, we are still far far away… hmmm… strange… my intuition is telling me that I have seen a person smith a dagger in the past in similar style… But... I don’t remember anyone producing a dagger of this quality… not to mention, the notion in itself would be quite ridiculous as no mortal could smith something like this to begin with… I must be getting old...” Grandmaster Clauson murmured to seemingly himself.   While I would love to hear some more philosophy… can we get down to smithing cause my time is kind of ticking! And I’m sure you have plenty of presents for me! Of course I can’t actually say that…   “I look forward to the Grandmaster’s teaching!” I interjected hoping to kick start the lessons.   “Ah! Yes, sorry about that little missy, lets get started” Grandmaster Clauson replied.   The Grandmaster went towards the forge, and began to smelt down the dagger and reforge it. After about 15 minutes, I got my first blue box!   Your skill [NP][Smelting] has become Level 8   Congratulations! You have completed the class quest [Creationist: Improve your production skills] +25 PER has been attained   Class quest [Creationist:Improve your production skills], has been reset.   When he was done smelting and reforging the dagger into an ingot, he then began smithing it. I looked for about half an hour but the process was way over my head...   Your skill [NP][Blacksmithing] has become Level 7   Only then did some insight begin to seep in… But still it seemed like a pretty complex process regardless… to get more information I activated [All-Observing-Eyes].   “Those eyes..” murmured Grandmaster Clauson.   “Eyes?” I reflexively responded.   “Your eyes… it is as if they have seen all things in this world...” Grandmaster Clauson followed up.   “Hii?!?!” I quickly deactivate my skill… ”I-I don’t know what ya mean..” I add, playing ignorant while sweating profusely.   “Don’t worry little missy, I won’t tell anyone that ya have a Unique Skill. I happen to have one myself actually, so ya’r secret is safe with me… My [Discerning-Eyes-Of-Inuition] let me see things no one else can see. They are very convenient, as they let me know things I normally would not know. But at same time, to get these eyes I had to pay a terrible price. It is sad to know one young as ya’rself had to go through similar circumstances to attain something like that...”   From then on he told a story about his past as he continued smithing. I paid careful attention to his work, but at same time listened in on the story, interested how others could have attained Unique Skills. 20 years ago, he was a smith for his party of 10. They ventured into a dungeon and ended up being trapped in an endless maze. Out of the 10, 6 of them died from the endless onslaught of monsters. When they were at wits end and trapped in a dead end, his Unique Skill awakened, and they managed to find a secret passage outside the maze.   It was a pretty sad story and a harsh reminder how strength is the only way one can live in this world… another hour has passed and only then did another blue box appear.   Your skill [NP][Blacksmithing] has become Level 8   From that point on, my insight into mithril expanded tremendously. While there were still many parts I did not understand just from looking, Grandmaster Clauson luckily helped fill in a lot of it.   Finally, 3 hours have passed and for whatever reason, I did not get any skills… Somehow I get the feeling that this was the limit of his [Blacksmithing], but I should still have gotten some class skills right? Though no luck at all… Was there not enough time maybe?   As I was pondering, Grandmaster Clauson finished the arm-blade katar and brought it before me.   “I did my best to insure the weapon is usable to ya, but even then using such a powerful blade has limits. Now then let me add some finishing touches… I am not a specialist in this, but it should bring no harm. ” said Grandmaster Clauson.     You have acquired a new skill [NP][Rune Crafting] Level 1   I took a look at the final product.   Wind-Tempered Mithril Arm-Blade Katar of Minor Agility   An average quality katar made out of mithril, reforged from an Ancient Mithril Dagger while minimizing the loss to quality. It is tempered with the power of the wind.   +50 AGI +25 STR +25 VIT +20 DEX +15 INT +15 WIS +700 ATK   [Wind Blade] Surround the blade with wind magical energy doing magical damage to those cut by it ( 50 Magic Power per minute )   [Passive] Absorb magic power around your surroundings ( 1 Magic Power per minute )     Bonus: +10 AGI   Magic Power: 100/1000   Rune Crafting: Mana Storage: 0/25   Restrictions: Minimum Level: Level 15 - Penalty: 50% reduction in stats Level 30 - Penalty: 10% reduction in stats Level 35 - Bonus: +5 AGI Level 40 - Bonus: +10 AGI Level 50 - Bonus: +20 AGI   Owner Restriction: Shiro Benefit: +10 AGI | Penalty: 90% reduction in stats     [Made by Clauson Angersmith] Durability: 12500/12500 Quality 5.7310/10.0000   “...”   HOLY SHIT!   Someone pinch me... I am not dreaming right? It is hard to imagine that the dagger I had all along had that much potential… Though thinking about it logically, considering Mithril is above Holy-Steel, that should have been a given to an extent… What is even more terrifying is that technically speaking, it should have been better as a dagger, so one can only imagine what kind of abilities it truly had prior to being damaged.   Though I wonder… How long does it take for mithril to be damaged in the first place? Anyways, lets get to that later.   “Thank you very much Grandmaster Clauson!” I exclaimed.   “I hope it will serves ya well, and that ya have learned a lot from all this. Though somehow, my intuition tells me ya learned more than I can imagine. Ho ho ho” laughed Santa… err… I mean Grandmaster Clauson.   “Yes! I learned quite a lot, thank you very much!” I replied with sincere gratitude.   I really did... not only did I get 2 level increases in [Blacksmithing] and a level increase in [Smelting], I also learned a lot about Mithril. I also learned that there are limits set to how powerful items can be. The total item stats can not exceed 3X your base stats. Also, a single item can not give more stats than your current level * 5 + 10. If you go above those numbers, unless the item for special reason exceeds the limit or is a special item such as a blacksmithing hammer, you will have a huge strain on your [Mental]. Lastly, I learned that powerful items can be limited through multiple minimum level restriction options to give more flexibility.   I really wish I got some of his class skills though, but even so, I got quite a lot from all this.   “Ya’r time is up, lets go!” yelled Tagon as he came from upstairs.   “Yes sir!” I replied.   I take one last bow towards Grandmaster Clauson, aka Santa Claus and make my way out back to the Intermediate Disciple area.   Since there is still 3 hours left till the exhibition market, lets get some smelting going!   In that 3 hours, I somehow managed to smelt out 30 [Iron Ingots]! I am not sure how, but I think the skill that helps with the making of steel has an indirect effect on smelting iron, since it is a component of steel. Though I don’t get the feeling that it helps with the actual smithing of iron.   After I wrapped up, I headed for the market. My goal this time around is to see if I can sell that [Steel Dagger]. While it is nothing special, since it is made using my personal materials, I can set my own price and sell it at a discount. Then sell my better ones at competitive prices.   I arrive at the market and sit down on the floor. With my mantle covering my head and special usage of [Blend Stealth] to cover only parts of my body, I do my best to cover up that I am a beastkin. Since discrimination still exists here in this country, it is best to limit all possibilities of losing customers. I then activate [Voice Manipulation] to make my voice louder and at same time more manly. Who knows how many people here might discriminate based on gender as well…   “COME NOW COME ALL! STEEL DAGGER SELLING FOR 25% DISCOUNT! ONLY 3 GOLD!” I yell to the best of my ability.   I then wait patiently with excitement… I mean 3 gold… Even if I have to part with 70% of it to the guild, that is still 90 silver coins in my pocket! It almost makes all my efforts up to now seem meaningless…   …   Half an hour passed but no one stopped by… strange… are they maybe underestimating me because I am young or something? Lets try this again.   “STEEL DAGGER ONLY 3 GOLD! QUALITY GUARANTEED OR YOUR MONEY BACK!” I yelled.   People walked by and took peeks now and then, but no one bothering picking up the dagger at all… strange…   I tried for the entire 2 hours and not one person even bothered to look my way… Can they see through my disguise? No I don’t think that is the case… Is it maybe because I only have 1 dagger and it looks odd? Add in my disguise and maybe it just looks a bit shady?   I pondered through dinner and into bed but could not think of anything… Maybe I’ll try smithing some above average stuff tomorrow and see how things go. lnv Just an fyi, Rune Crafting does not count as a production skill. It counts as an enhancement skill. In same sense, Sculpting = Production, Painting = Enhancement I decided to draw the line of production at something physically being made or remade. Otherwise there could be the case where anything can count as a production skill...[Thrust] is a production skill because it can make holes lol. So I decided to draw the line at physically producing an object in respect to change of shape. And since I know someone is going to ask, yes Cooking is production.

With the arrival of the next day, we tidied up camp and continued on towards the next village. After traveling for around 8 hours, we pick up a new scent. We tracked down the source of the scent for a bit more than an hour and came across a [Terranian Deer]. Like most monsters, the moment it saw us, it quickly charged at us. Of course to the middle aged man, something like this was not really a challenge. With a thrust of his spear, the large [Terranian Deer] collapsed.     Your skill [RA][Charge] has become Level 2 Your skill [NA][Thrust] has become Level 3     The fact that the middle aged man can just one shot all these things is pretty impressive. I wonder how high his skills really are… so far other than [Throw] I have yet to reach his bottlenecks. Either way, that strength is pretty reassuring to have… Well at least until I steal all of it * snicker *   After that we continued on and within about 5 hours, we made it to the neighboring village. This village was even smaller than the one prior. I am not an expert at making estimates, but I would guess no more than 50 people live here?   As we entered the village, a young man of 27 years of age who looked like a hunter with a bow on his back and a knife on his pants came to greet us.   While staring at him for about a minute…   You have acquired a new skill [NA][Eagle Eye] Level 1   “You must be the Rank C adventurer sent by the guild I presume?” he inquired.   “Yeah, are you the one who issued the request?” the middle aged man prompted back.   “That would be the village chief, I am merely a hunter who acts as the village guard” the young man responded.   “I see... were there any recent attacks on the village? On the way here I did a preliminary inspection and I did not see any unusual activity. Can you provide me with any more information about the request?” the middle aged man followed up.   “Hmm...The last few days have been fairly quite. The intervals of the attacks tended to vary, but you are going to have to ask the village chief. While I may be acting as a village guard, to be more precise, I am more of a temporary or backup guard. In the previous attack, our guard was injured so until he recovers, I am acting as a full time guard, normally I just hunt game” explained the young man.   “Is that so...Then bring me to the village chief” said the middle aged man.   “Right this way” replied the young man.   We did not travel long until we came across what seemed to be the largest building in the village. Which isn’t saying much since all the houses here are pretty small. The middle aged man was invited inside the house, while we were forced to stay behind. After about 2 hours, the middle aged man came back out and told us to make camp to the side. He will apparently stay at the village chief’s house and obviously no one is going to shelter beastkin. And like that, we retired for the day.   The next day, we sold some of the stuff we brought while stocking up on some minor supplies. We were then escorted out of the village by the chief and the young man. It seems like over night they were discussing some sort of plan of action and details, but unfortunately we were not there to be privy of the details, and the middle aged man didn’t seem to be interested in explaining them either, even to Ryo. The only detail I managed to piece together from the conversation while heading out of the village was that they made a time table plan of investigation and mapped the locations where we would be investigating at and at what date. They also agreed that if any new information arrives, to bring it to the middle aged man alongside a minor restock of supplies. In this way we would save time going back and forth to and from the village.   With that out of the way, we went on our way. Now with a vague map, the middle aged man guided us around the forest to investigate. We moved from spot to spot making camp, then we trackers went out to look for anything suspicious and at same time collecting herbs. The middle aged man also did his own investigation and killed monsters from time to time. Unfortunately I was not there since he acted independent. Once we scouted a perimeter for any suspicious activity, we then made it back to camp. Then packed up and relocated the camp to the next spot marked on the map. This went on for 3 days with nothing really out of the ordinary.   And there was very little productivity since I did not see the middle aged man fight, and it wasn’t exactly a situation where I could fight monsters either. Kuina has been especially on guard to make sure I don’t do anything “stupid”. The best thing that I managed to accomplish was finding those [Terranian Iguanas] from a distance. Since Kuina could not see them, I was able to find ways “around them”. It would be nice if I could “accidentally stumble” into them, but unfortunately the weakest one was Level 14. They were also pretty rare. Either way, it was enough for me to raise my [Blend Stealth] to Level 4.   Unfortunately, unlike the [Terranian Iguana] who already has brown skin and with help of [Blend Stealth] can make itself almost unnoticeable, for me it is not that simple. Aside from human skin tone being nowhere close to the brown of the iguana, my white hair stands out quite a lot. At best, I can stand in a room and if a person walks in, they probably won’t notice me. But if a person walks in a room and starts looking around for me, they would be able to find me with little issue.   Not too long after that, we made it back to camp. When we arrived, we began to pack, getting ready for moving to the next zone. About 5 minutes into packing, I smelled a horse and human coming our way. I turned around in the general direction and it seems Ryo noticed it as well.   “Someone is coming, from the scent it looks like they are from the village” Ryo notified.   “Is that so?” said the middle aged man, “It is a bit early for the scheduled report so most likely something has happened...Just in case, hurry up with the preparations to move” he added.   In a few minutes, one of the villagers drove in franticly screaming.   “Sir Razer! Sir Razer!”   “What happened?” asked the middle aged man.   “M-Monsters! The village is under attack!” the villager yelled while barely catching his breath.   “Calm down and start from the beginning” said the middle aged man.   “Y-Yes! About 2 hours ago, the village was attacked by 7 [Terranian Deer] and about 20 [Giant Rats]. We tried to fend them off the best we could but with our guard still injured, they quickly overwhelmed us forcing us to hide in the village. I was sent out by the village chief to ask for help, please help us!” spoke the villager with a sense of urgency.   “Hmm...I see… Though my guild request only asked for investigating the cause, nothing about protecting the village...” murmured the middle aged man while taking a contemplating pose.   “Please help us! At this rate the crops will be completely destroyed and our houses might be reduced to rubble. If it is money, we can pay if it is in our ability!” pleaded the villager.   “Generally...I don’t take these kind of unofficial requests...the guild is pretty strict on these things you see...but if you are willing to pay five time the standard rate per monster, I may consider an exception...” said the middle aged man mocking a hesitant voice.   “Five times?!?! We already barely managed to put up enough money for the investigation! Are you trying to rob us?!?!” yelled the outraged villager.   “Not my problem… I am already doing my job for the investigation as you can see… It is already a pretty tiring job. If you want me to do extra work, obviously you have to pay a premium for it” explained the old man now mocking a tired voice.   The villager gritted their teeth but eventually had no choice but to give in due to the urgency.   “Fine! Have it your way! But no villager better be hurt! And minimize the damage to the village as much as possible!” spat the villager.   The middle aged man got on his horse and shrugged his shoulders “I can’t make any promises other then killing the monsters… Unless you are willing to pay more that is...” said the middle aged man with a wicked smile.   The villager turned all red and looked like his head was going to explode, but held it in and relented.   “I am going ahead to the village! Finish packing up as fast as you can, and as soon as you are done follow me back to the village. This is an [Order]” yelled the middle aged man.   And like that, he and the villager made haste back to the village.   We hurried up the best we could, but it still took us about half an hour to pack up all the stuff. Once done we followed after them…  

It took us about an hour to locate the [Woodland Ant]’s nest. When the nest was found, Ryo did some recon and found out that we are dealing with about 31 worker and soldier ants.   With that knowledge, the middle aged man came up with the plan.   “Here is how we are going to do it. We have 6 bait and 5 trackers. Ryo will be on point for any stragglers and the retard will come with me. So we have a total of 3 usable trackers. You will divide yourselves into 3 groups of 2 bait and 1 tracker per group.   The first group will consist of the 2 foxkin and will head for the ants first. Once you gather their attention, head east. You can use [Sprint] but make sure you do not run away too far and lose them or they will come back to their nest.   The second group will consist of the 2 bunnykin, after about a minute passes and the first group of ants are out of immediate sight. You are to run towards the remaining ants and use the [Jump] skill to jump over them. Then run to the north dragging them them along. This is the most important job so don’t mess up!   The third group will consist of the 2 catkin, after those get out of sight, you are to use rocks to pull away the elites and few others that happen to remain and drag them away from the queen. You don’t have to worry about grabbing all of them, just get as many as you can and take them east.   I will then approach from the south and finish off the [Woodland Ant Queen]. Once she is dead, feel free to bring them in one by one or if they run away that is fine too.   When I give the signal, we will commence the operation.   This is an [Order]!” announced the middle aged man.     We moved in closer and took up our positions. When the middle aged man gave the signal, Kuina and the other foxkin walked towards the [Woodland Ants].   It did not take long for the [Woodland Ants] to notice them and they began running towards them while making hissing noises. When they got close enough, Kuina and the other foxkin activated [Sprint] and ran east. The [Woodland Ants] chased close by after them.     Your skill [RA][Sprint] has become Level 2     By the end it seemed like 13 [Woodland Ants] separated from the nest. Once they were out of immediate sight, the middle age man gave the second signal.   With that signal, the 2nd group of bunnykin ran forward and activated [Sprint]. Once they approached the ants, they activated [Jump] and flew over the [Woodland Ants].     You have acquired a new skill [RA][Jump] Level 1   The higher level bunnykin seemed to be a bit ahead on both the [Sprint] and the [Jump], thus made it to the other side of the [Woodland Ants] a second quicker. The second bunnykin jumped a bit behind and at lower altitude and accidentally ended up tripping on the head of one of the ants on the way down of the jump. So while the first bunnykin continued running on forward, the later one fell over and rolled.   He then desperately got up and reactivated [Sprint] but it was clear to see his legs had injuries which slowed him down. Never the less with will power he trotted forward the best he could as he dragged the ants to the north.   “Tch..it better not mess up the plan” the middle aged man grumbled.   With the 2nd group out of visible sight, we confirmed that 10 [Woodland Ants] have followed them. This leaves the remaining number of ants protecting the queen at 8.   And with that the 3rd signal was given.   The 2 catkin ran towards the remaining ants though visibly slower due to lack of [Sprint] ability and started throwing rocks at the remaining [Woodland Ants], then made their way to the west. This promoted 5 [Woodland Ants] to chase after them, one of which was larger than the rest. Most likely the soldier ant.   After confirming that the ants were out of sight, we began to head for the queen who was guarded by 3 larger ants. These ants already seem to have taken up a vigilant formation around the queen. “Alright, so far it is going well. Retard, your only job is to use your [Smell Sense] and tell me if any of the groups start heading back ahead of schedule...you better not mess this up….or there will be a severe [Punishment]” he threatened.   Pfft! Who is scared of your [Punishment]?!?! I want to stick out my tongue and give him a piece of my mind. But I know full well he could behead me with just a lift of a finger. So I keep it to myself...for now...   So instead I nod and we proceed closer and closer to the ants. In no time, the [Woodland Ants] notice us and one of them rushes forward while the others stay back to protect the queen.   The middle aged man pays it little mind and rushes forward thrusting right through the [Woodland Ant], thus killing it instantly and continues to run straight for the queen and her 2 guards.     Your skill [NA][Thrust] has become Level 2 Your skill [RA][Toughness] has become Level 3   At this point both guards begin to rush forward as the queen begins to retreat. Though he pays it no mind and spinning the spear flings both guards to the side as he chases towards the queen.   “Hey retard! Distract those with some rocks while I deal with the queen!” he yells.   WHA?!?! I thought I got out of being bait! Grrr…   Well this doesn’t seem too hard, I can get some EXP and these ants don’t seem to be that fast, at least not anything I can’t handle with [Sprint] at Level 2.   So while the middle aged man continues to rush towards the queen, I use my [Throw] skill and fling rocks at the 2 soldier ants. Unfortunately due to their rather decent armor, I only end up doing less than 10 damage per throw.   The 2 guardian ants only stop for a second to glance at me before ignoring me and continuing towards the middle aged man to protect the queen. But that short difference was enough time for the middle aged man to catch up with the queen and with a sweep of the spear knock her off her feet and tumbling on the ground.   The queen tries to get up and face him in combat but right as she gets up, the middle aged man lands on her back impaling her with the spear. She lets out a shrill of pain and tries to shake him off her back. But the middle aged man keeps his balance and again thrusts the spear in the back of her neck, killing her almost instantly.   Of course prior to her death, I used this opportunity to also get an “accidental” throw on the queen when the 2 soldier ants approached to get some free EXP from her.     With the death of the queen, the 2 guardian ants let out a shriek of their own and begin to redden. Then rush at the middle aged man with infuriating vigor.     You have acquired a new skill [RA][Berserk] Level 1   The middle aged man pays it little mind and with 2 quick swings of the spear kills the 2 soldier ants. He then gives a signal to Ryo which Ryo then relays again with a whistle.     Level up! Enlightened Race: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX     A short time afterwards, I see Kuina run back with the other foxkin slightly behind her. And with her comes 10 [Woodland Ants] chasing right after. The middle aged man just moves forward and starts massacring the ants. It took him no more than a minute or 2 to quickly slaughter all 10 of them.   With them dead, Ryo sent the second whistle signal. And soon came the bunnykin followed by 6 [Woodland Ants], except only one of the bunnykin actually came back. Of course this group of ants was dispatched even quicker.   And finally the last whistle signal was sent. With it came the 2 catkin followed by all 5 of the remaining [Woodland Ants]. Probably with a soldier ant leading them, they were less likely to split up or lose track. And like the last group, it was but mere child’s play for the middle aged man.   Though luckily, the entire exchange took over 5 minutes so I got a last parting present in the last sweep.     Your skill [NP][Spear Mastery] has become Level 2     Now that the ants were all cleaned up, we were ordered to use rusted knives to remove the legs of the ants. There was simply too many corpses to drag back to town so we had to be picky on what we could and could not take. The legs were the easiest things to remove from the corpses without the risk of damaging the materials due to lack of [Disassembling] skill. Though I say easy, but in reality it was extremely difficult due to how tough these things were, even at the softer joints. Though it was slightly easier for me then others because I secretly used the [Slash] skill.   Ryo and the middle aged man handled disassembling the more expensive materials. Especially the queen. Of course sneaking a peak at Ryo while he was disassembling made things a lot easier for me.     You have acquired a new skill [NP][Disassembling] Level 1   Then not too long after, the middle aged man added a cherry on top!   Your skill [NP][Disassembling] has become Level 2 Unfortunately 5 minutes later did not yield any more increases from neither Ryo nor the middle aged man. That said, today has been a very delicious skill-fest, and I am more than happy for it! It was a good thing I decided to stay for the time being. Of course this is only until I get my revenge on the evil mind controlling magician!   Of course it’s not all positive, neither the middle aged man nor Ryo even bothered to ask the remaining bunnykin what ended up happening to the other one. Like they don’t care at all. At one point during the harvesting of materials I managed to sneak out on a restroom break only to find the bunnykin has been brutally mutilated and shred to bits by ants. It was a cruel reminder on how harsh this world really is... From there I hurried back to the rest as my [Smell Sense] picked up some remaining ants lingering around.   It took us a few hours to disassemble and pack all the materials. After which we were forced to carry it. How I wish there was a skill for carrying heavy baggage! Well there is [Item Box], but I can’t exactly use that in public now can I?   Once we traveled for about 6 hours, we set up camp and were allowed to rest till end of the day.

The shame! The shame! The shame! With my stupid assumptions that when the [Slave Collar] is put on you, you become a slave. I have literally become a slave willingly! Ugh! I feel like a heroine in a harem! How can I ever live with myself?!?! * sob *   Suddenly I hear Kuina talking about collecting herbs to meet the daily quota…WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I CONTINUE ON DOING THIS WILLINGLY!?!?!   Then I realize something...rushing things is exactly what got me in this situation in the first place! I should for now continue things as-is, then come up with a strategy going forward. If I rush things now again, I’ll get myself in a deeper hole.   So I reluctantly agree, and we resume our hunt for herbs. While I try to think of what I should do moving forward, that becomes impossible as all my head is filled with embarrassment and self deprecation. I am stressing out so much that even finding herbs has become rather difficult. By the end of the day, I just barely managed to get the 15 herb quota.   After reluctantly surrendering my dinner to the thrilled foxkin, and barely managing to get some sleep with all the floating thoughts of what just happened. The next day I finally managed to cope with it, at least to an extent that allowed me to think properly...hopefully…   So while me and Kuina travel through the forest to collect herbs, I come up with a plan on what to do going forward. As much as I would love to leave this place ASAP, I have no place to go. And no way to secure food. And since I am not being used as bait, I can easily stock up on skills from both monsters and the middle aged man’s group. I noticed from Kuina that level is not everything, and skills play a big role too. So the fastest way to get stronger is to increase my skills. If anything, I can run away any time.   So all I have to do is pretend I am still a slave...guuuh! So simple..and yet...so hard… Oh I know! I’ve been mind controlled by a super evil magician! That’s right an evil mind controlling magician! And now that I have broke free of his mind control I need to fake still being under control to exact my revenge! That’s right! There is no way I would willingly become a slave without some sort of mind control, damn you evil magician! I’ll get you for this muwahahahahahahaha! As I subconsciously begin to let loose an evil grin.   Noticing that Kuina is giving me a strange look...I adjust my posture and move on with my planning. Now that I know that I’ll stick here for at least a short while, until I exact my revenge on the evil mind controlling magician, I can move forward with my plans.   Other then gaining of skills, there is 2 things I can do in the short term. The first thing would be retrieving my dagger. Now that I have [Item Box] and can’t receive a random [Order] to hand everything over. The other thing I can do is stock up on herbs. While Kuina is watching me, I can still manage to sneak in a few herbs from time to time while she isn’t looking or claim they have been accidentally damaged. That should be fine for the short term until I come up with more long term plans.   With that in mind, I begin to head towards where I hid the dagger while collecting and sometimes secretly snatching herbs as I go along.   The tricky part here is how to get the dagger without Kuina noticing. I doubt the old fashioned “I gotta use the restroom” trick is going to work in an open field that I hid the dagger in. Talk about my plans backfiring! So I’ll have to go for the 2nd oldest trick in the book despite it being more risky. But I don’t have much of a choice.   When I get to the clearing where I hid the dagger, I pretend like I notice something and begin digging.   “What the hell are you doing? Don’t tell me that now that you think you have a nose of a dog, you now also have the urge to bury bones like a dog?” she inquires.   * sigh * I knew this was gonna happen...but as long I can secretly sneak the dagger in my [Item Box] without her noticing, I am willing to take a slight hit to Kuina’s high evaluation of me.   “No! I think I noticed something an just wanted to check it out! It doesn’t matter as long as I make 15 herbs right?” I retort.   She shrugs like she does not care and I continue digging. Though I am careful not to dig out the dagger completely and that a light layer of soil remains. When I get to that point and I confirm the dagger, I prepare for phase 2. Which involves distracting Kuina so that I can quickly take out the dagger and store it.   “Look Kuina a monster!” I exclaim while franticly pointing at a direction behind Kuina.   Kuina stares at me…   “...”   She isn’t turning around at all…About a minute passes and my finger begins to lose strength under the pressure…   “Do I look like an idiot to you?” Kuina questions while knitting an eyebrow.   “Ahmm… No?” I respond.   “Do you think I did not notice you secretly stashing away herbs while we are walking here? I am not blind you know! And now let me guess you are trying to bury them right? I don’t know how your retarded brain works, but tell you what. If you surrender 5 more days of your larger food portion, I’ll look the other way.” said Kuina.   Somehow I get the feeling my evaluation has dropped to an all time low… Even I know that if herbs are left alone without being processed they begin to lose their quality, and this does not even include things like worms and other insects which eat decaying foliage... I can deny this ridiculous notion here and now, and clear my good name… But I can’t do that without revealing the dagger... So my only option… is to play the retard...guh!   I hesitantly nod and Kuina lets out a grin.   “I didn’t see anything, you have 5 minutes” she notifies me as she turns around.   I quickly retrieve the dagger and store it in my [Item Box]. Then cover up the hole.   I finally got the dagger! I should be happy... I really should... But somehow I feel empty... I have this nagging feeling like I lost “something” that I could never take back during this exchange…   With my shoulders drooped in feelings of utter humiliation and extortion… we finish up the herb gathering quest and we return to base.   When we enter the base, we are greeted by Ryo.   “Took you long enough, report to the boss and get ready for tomorrow. We are leaving the base and heading north, the boss plans to do 2 quests from the guild on the way. We won’t be back for at least a week if not more” he announces.   Following his instructions, I report to the boss by showing the quest details and handing over the money. Then again reluctantly exchange dinners with the rather pleased Kuina and turn over for the day in mental exhaustion.   The next day, we were lined up outside the base and given supplies to carry. This time all the beastkin were brought along, though the middle aged man’s companions were not present.   We traveled by the road heading outside the village by foot while the middle aged man drove a horse for about a day. We then set up camp in the forest. The beastkin including me were assigned shifts for night watch in groups of 3. While the middle aged man slept in the tent.   The next morning, we were briefed on the subjugation target this time around. It was the [Woodland Ant Queen]. Unlike typical ants that tend to make burrows, [Woodland Ants] build their nests around trees. Though like other ants, when you have a queen, you also have worker and soldier ants. Since this is a new colony, the numbers should be relatively small, but still too many for a single adventurer to deal with. Especially if the queen decides to run while the soldiers and workers buy time. Since unlike typical ants which build nest burrows which they guard with their lives, [Woodland Ants] have no issue abandoning their area if need be, making them a tricky target to subjugate.   The plan this time around is that the bait will lure the soldier and worker ants away. While the middle aged man will sneak in from the side and kill the queen. The role of the trackers is to coordinate the bait with the exception of me who will help the middle aged man avoid conflict before he reaches the queen. Something about me being too retarded to do something as complex as coordination...grrr!   With that, we set off into the forest and begin tracking the [Woodland Ant]’s nest...  

The next day, I woke up not wanting to let go of Angelica at all… Though since my stats were lowered by 50%, I had a pretty good excuse to do nothing anyways… That said, I did not forget to fill up one of my [Coal Ores] with holy power for later use...   I even skipped out on breakfast and instead ate the [Dire Fox Meat Skewers] I saved up. Interestingly enough, it seems that heat was somewhat retained when it was stored in the [Item Box]. Though I am not sure if this is a time freeze kind of thing or time is just slowed down. I'll have to experiment with it later.   Since I had nothing to do during these 2 days, I decided to put together some plans moving forward. Frankly put, as much as I love blacksmithing things, I am kind of at a dead end. There is very little room for improvement anymore outside of level ups. And I can’t level up my Creationist class because no one is buying my stuff. Which means to go forward in the most efficient way possible, I need to create gear for myself and go out there and fight myself. In this way I can raise both Creationist and my racial level at the same time.   The safest way to accomplish that is making myself a full Holy-steel set… The question is… how do I go about it? For a steel item to count as holy-steel, it needs to retain at least 100 Holy Power. Any less than that, and the holy power will not be balanced and disappear. If that happens, at best, you will get a steel item with only a one time use ability.   That said, I currently lack the mana and materials to make a full Holy-steel set...   I will get them both over time… but if I think about it overall, it would take me at least half a month to put together a full protective set, if not more. The other option is to hurry things along by the use of money.   Effectively, I would buy the ores I am missing, and get mana potions to make up for the lack of mana. The downside with this approach is that I have no reoccurring income, if I decide to spend my money now, I would be taking a pretty large risk. Of course food and shelter is provided for me, but I do want some luxuries from time to time…   Hmmm… lets just calculate exactly how much money I would need. Since I am making equipment sized for a child, I need less ingots than making full sized adult gear. Which is a good thing I guess...   Helmet – 2 ingots Chest piece – 4 ingots Pants – 3 ingots Boots – 2 ingots Bracers – 2 ingots   That should probably provide me with with full protection... From what I heard, one can wear and get stats from up to 25 items. But there is a catch, without some exceptions like naming that breaks the limit. You can not exceed 3X your base stats with gear. Hence a low level person can’t just equip super powerful gear and one shot everything. Though one could argue becoming 3X stronger in itself will get you quite an advantage.   There is also a limitations on how powerful a single item can be, hence my mithril katar had to be specifically level limited to be usable. Though those limitations are somewhat lifted when talking about items that assist in production such as Angelica.   This item advantage though is a relative one, as monsters have superior bodies to us humanoids, thus evening each other out.   My plan right now is not to get all 25 items though, but to maximize my safety, so the pieces I need to make should offer full body protection. Those alone should be enough to increase my stats close to 3X fold. Though I want to be sure to stay under that amount or the equipment would put a huge [Mental] strain on me.   Now then, back on track. I need a total of 13 ingots. I already have most of the iron portion and have 3 [Coal Ores]. Now that I think about it… Today is a new quota day isn’t it? Unfortunately I’ll have to wait till my weakened state from [Overload] wears off, so I can’t try out Angelica until then… no fair...   * sigh *   So anyways, I can safely say I will have all the [Iron Ores] and 6 [Coal Ores]. That means I am 7 [Coal Ores] short. Since it will take me some time to make the stuff anyways, I can say it is more like 4 [Coal Ores]. If I am fine with quality score of 5, the cost would be about 2 gold and 40 silver coins for the ores. I am not too worried about exceeding the quality score at this point because it makes little sense in terms of cost to performance ratio. I’d rather make an extra piece if need be then to spend double or quadruple to attempt a higher quality score.   As for the MP portion, each item needs a minimum of 100 MP per ingot. Which turns out to a minimum of 1300 MP. I can use the special option on Angelica to fill up 2 ingots with 200 holy power each. So the actual total I need is 1100 MP. Assuming my 30 MP and my regeneration rate, if I continue my trend of filling up 2-3 times, I should be able to manage at least 60 MP per day. So it would take 18 days to get that much MP. Of course during that time Angelica will refill 1 more times so the actual amount is 17 days. That said, these numbers are the bare minimum, and I would actually need more to account for loss.   A [Lesser Mana Potion] goes for 20 silver coins and recovers 10 MP instantly plus 10 extra MP every minute for 5 minutes. Aka, enough to refill me 2X over. If I take 3 [Lesser Mana Potions] per day, I should be able to use 240 MP per day. Thus lowering the time I need to fill them up with MP to only 5 days. So I think about 12 [Lesser Mana Potions] should be enough…   That brings the total I would need to spend for both ores and potions at 4 gold and 80 silver coins.   Now that I think about it… that is far less than I originally expected.   As far as the time it would take to make the stuff, with the help of Angelica and the experience I gained working with Holy-steel, I should be able to make all 7 items in about a week I would say...   The faster I make my gear, the faster I can level up and the faster I can kill stronger monsters and do higher level quests. If I save myself 10 days, I could probably make back at least half the money during those days with ease.   Yup, lets go with that strategy then!   Since I still had time in the day and nothing to do, I went to the counter and bought 4 [Coal Ores], then I headed out towards the Alchemists Guild.   On the way to the Alchemists Guild I also stopped by to buy some more of the best food which gives INT and WIS. The 7 servings cost me an additional 7 gold coins. Now normally you would think that I would be better off buying higher quality ore for that money, but that is not the case. Since even if I bought ores with quality score of 6, I would still end up with a quality score of 5 Holy-steel item. And since anything at quality score of 5 is subject to the law of averages, the benefits are non-existent.   The food is more than enough to help insure I don’t drop to a quality score of 4, and since it raises stats that support PER, I actually gain far more insight into smithing. So it offers both short term and long term benefits. This is all a matter of optimizing efficiency, not because I am being biased towards the more delicious option... It just so happens that the better option is more delicious, that’s all… yup! No bias at all~   After buying the food and the 12 [Lesser Mana Potions] at the Alchemists Guild, my savings dropped to a pitiful 1 gold, 26 silver and 15 iron coins. It was just a few days ago that I was so rich… where did it all go?   Once my shopping was done, I went back to the Blacksmithing Guild and had some dinner, filled some [Coal Ore] with Holy Power, and went straight to bed.   ...   The 2 days passed, and my weakened state was now gone, thus I could finally take Angelica for a spin! So like that I went to smelt some ores!   The bliss I got when using Angelica was even stronger than when I used Johnny, Tommy or Carol! It was out of this world!   It did not take me long to smelt the 50 [Iron Ingots], thus I claimed the 10 [Iron Ingots] and 3 [Coal Ores] as my reward. And like always, I managed to get my +3 PER for completing my [Creationist: Ingot Creation II] quest.   After finishing smelting, I had dinner and went to bed. Next week is going to be hectic! Either way I am pretty positive about the future as things are going now! Thinking about that, in due time sleep overtook me.   …   …   …   …   ...     * GASP *   I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night as a strange feeling overtook me. I was panting like crazy and had a cold sweat...   WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT?!?!   I took a quick glance around me but nothing seemed strange… then I noticed a blue box   Level up! Creationist: +2 to all unlocked attributes +5 MP +5 Mental +2 PER Level up! Creationist: +2 to all unlocked attributes +5 MP +5 Mental +2 PER   What exactly happened just now… that was no nightmare… what is this... feeling… I understand the feeling of a level up… and this is similar… yet different…   If I were to try to somehow describe this “feeling” that I am going through to the best of my ability… it’s like finding out you won the lottery, and coming home and finding your pet is dead…   This mixed feeling of happiness… and dread…   * shiver *   Why is this happening?… Is it because I got 2 levels ups at once or something? No, I don’t think so… There is no way that level ups would give you the feeling of loss… it’s not possible… something happened but I just don’t know what…   Is it maybe my high PER stat warning me about something? Kind of like predicting the future or something like that… but it somehow doesn’t feel like that… It feels like the loss already happened...   I used my hand to wipe away my sweat only to notice for some reason... tears are dripping down my face… why…   I shrivel up in bed confused and frightened by this strange sensation that I have never felt before… Slowly but steadily the bliss from the large amount of XP faded and only dread remained… then eventually all that was left was a hollow emptiness...   I could not pinpoint the source of this emptiness in my heart, so I huddled Angelica with all my strength and in due time fell asleep.

Now that I have made up my mind, I come up with a strategy to handle the situation as quick as possible.   First of all, lets see if I can settle this the easy way by just injuring the wolf and make a run for it. I take a rock out and [Throw] it at the [Dire Wolf] while they are sniffing around trying to find me. Unfortunately the rider notices the rock and deflects it with his sword. Though that was not the end of it, as I also used [Throw] on the [Iron Axe] right after with my other hand. Unfortunately the [Dire Wolf] was already aware of the situation and dodged to the side...   I guess so much for the easy way… Left with no choice, I use [Plunge] and shoot myself straight at him. Now normally I’d be pretty darn scared about pulling something like this off, but I have full confidence in the equipment that I made as I activate the magical options on all of my equipment. I also activate [All-Observing-Eyes] and time begins to slow down.   I can clearly see that the rider is slowly recovering his balance from deflecting my rock, and begins to swing his sword at me horizontally. To which I respond by adjusting my [Holy-steel Healing Dagger] in my left hand and using [Parry] to block his assault. As I continue to close in mid-air, I activate the wind blade on my katar, while imbuing my favorite triple combo plus adding [Punch] as well to the mix!   Due to feeling resistance of his blade either intentionally or subconsciously, the goblin rider tilts to my left by pushing against his blade and my dagger. Thus instead of me hitting him straight in the neck, I end up shredding right through his shoulder, completely dissecting off his left arm.   Only then did I realize I was too impatient trying to finish him off as quick as possible by chaining skills. If only I waited a bit more before deciding, I may have been able to simply [Slice] his neck instead. But it was unfortunately too late for regrets.   “Gauh!!” screamed the goblin rider as he fell off his wolf.   Though I had no time to worry about that as I also plummeting towards the ground. In a last ditch effort, I decided to [Throw] my Holy-steel dagger at the wolf behind me, but I did not verify the results, as both my hands prepare for impact. As I came right at the ground, I made sure to align my katar at an angle to create a slight air cushion from the wind. Of course overall that was mostly negligible, but it bought me a fraction of a second to better align my body as I crashed into the earth rolling.   Luckily my equipment did a good job at absorbing most of the damage, so I quickly get up and assess the situation. To my surprise, the first thing I saw was a face of a [Dire Wolf] jaws heading straight at me! By reflex, I try to jump back in fright and without even thinking I used [Punch] with my right hand smashing my katar and fist right at its upper face!   “Hewgh!” cried the wolf as my wind blade katar penetrated it’s skull.   I successfully manage to avoid being mawed to death, but still get pushed back due to the momentum of the wolf’s large body. As much as I would like to keep lying down, I force myself up as quickly as I can and see the [Dire Wolf] pretty much going crazy biting and clawing everywhere. Since I am too close I strafe to the right and get some distance.   At that point I notice the goblin rider has already gotten up and was within 3 meters distance, charging at me with his blade. Normally I probably would have panicked and acted foolishly, but luckily due to my [All-Observing-Eyes] still in effect, I had much more time to think things through as my body reacted slower. With that in mind I activate [Charge] going straight at the goblin.   My actions must have surprised him because he took a fraction of a second pause. During that time I close the distance slightly to his left making it hard for him to swing his blade or defend. I then activate [Slice] right at his head. The goblin though seems to be somewhat experienced, as he turned his body and dodged the metal of the blade which passed by just a millimeter above his nose as he swung his blade at my exposed back!   “Gauh!!!!!!!” yelled the goblin from shrieking pain as his sword fell out of his hand and he grabbed his face.   While the goblin definitely had plenty of combat experience as far as fighting with normal weapons go. Magic weapons seemed to be outside his battle expertise, as my wind blade extended slightly beyond my katar slicing right through his eyes!   Not giving him a chance to recover, I turn around and [Plunge] straight at him with a [Thrust] of my katar stabbing him straight in the neck, thus finishing him off.   I then turn my attention back to the [Dire Wolf], who still seems to be enraged and thrashing a random tree. Using this opportunity, I deactivate my Unique Skill and use [Presence Sense] and [Smell Sense] to figure out the situation.   To my relief, with the exception of the two heading this way, it does not seem to be that any more reinforcements are coming for now. Since that is the case, I take a deep breath and go pick up my dagger and axe as I think of the best way to approach things and recover some of my stamina.   Since they will be here in about 2 - 3 minutes, I decide for the time being to ignore the [Dire Wolf] who seems to have gone mad, and I climb up a tree closest to the route they are coming from, then activate [Blend Stealth] as I wait while using the healing option on my dagger to recover a few HP.   My inner scaredy cat screams to urge me to run away and not take any extra risks, but my logic says I should make the best of the situation. Frankly speaking, my [Smell Sense] is higher level than a [Dire Wolf], as long as I am careful, I should easily notice any reinforcements that may come before they notice me. While the goblins do cover their smell, the [Dire Wolves] do not, so it should pose minimum risk.   Looking on with [Eagle Eyes], I notice that the 2 that were approaching was a level 17 [Forest Goblin: Wolf Rider] and a level 11 [Forest Goblin: Scout]. I wait for them to come closer and when they are pretty much right under me distracted by the scene in front of them of a berserk [Dire Wolf] and dead goblin. I reactivate [All-Observing-Eyes] and jump down at them!   Aiming my wind katar, I strike right in the back of the [Goblin Scout]'s head, killing him instantly. The reason I aimed for the scout first is because unlike the riders, according to the information I read the scouts tend to run away on contact. To prevent that I get rid of him first.   I then look up and see a pretty pissed off goblin, as he grabs his sword and strikes right at me!   Your skill [NA][Slash] has become Level 2   I use [Evasion] to dodge to the side and [Throw] the Holy-steel dagger right at him. This rider who seems to be missing a [Dire Wolf] was clearly lacking experience, or was too enraged to react because he fails to dodge the attack and it ends up stabbing him right in the upper part of his chest.   “Huck!” tried to scream the goblin but could not make a proper sound due to the dagger jamming his wind pipe.   As he looks down to confirm the source of the pain, I [Charge] straight at him and [Slice] off his head with my katar.   After taking a short pause to calm down, I walk to the ravaging [Dire Wolf] and using [Jump], landing right on its back and [Thrust] the Holy-steel dagger into the back of its neck. The wolf tries to resist to the best of its ability, but surprisingly or not the [Wolf Riding] skill helps me retain my balance as I continue to stab it to death.   After I confirm that it has died, I then make sure there is no enemies in the vicinity using my senses.   With no enemies detected, I sigh in relief and collapse on the floor from both physical and mental fatigue.   Level up! Creationist: +2 to all unlocked attributes +5 MP +5 Mental +2 PER   “5 more levels...” I mutter to myself.   After getting about 2 minutes of rest and catching my breath, I went on to collect the loot. For the 3 goblins, I cut off their ears which acts as proof of subjugation, and then proceed to disassemble the wolf. Though I chose to do a more basic disassembly then usual since I don’t exactly feel comfortable staying here for long...   When I am done, I quickly head back towards town while at same time conserving my stamina. Once I confirm I am closer to town, I decide to cook some [Dire Wolf Meat Skewers] as a celebration for my victory. Now that I had more experience cooking things, my ability has improved a decent amount.   Dire Wolf Meat Skewers An average quality dire wolf meat skewers. Used to sedate hunger and temporarily raise stats   +2 STR +2 AGI +1 DEX +20 Stamina for 24 hours   [Made by Shiro]   Quality 5.0249/10.0000   To be honest, I kind of regret not bringing more [Dire Wolf Meat] due to the lack of space storing all the stuff. Regardless, I still had enough to fill up my stomach and save a few for the next few days.     With my mini-celebration complete, I head back to the Adventurers Guild.   When I arrive there, I stand by the material exchange counter and wait for my turn. It took about half an hour but I made it to the material counter. There I cashed in [Collection: Dire Wolf Pelts] and [Collection: Dire Fox Pelts] receiving 10 silver and 75 iron coins for those quests. I also cashed in the 10 [Dire Wolf Fangs] which sold for 1 silver and 25 iron coins. Thus earning a total of 12 silver coins.   Not too bad, considering how long it took me to earn that much just a few weeks ago. Though best of all, it ain’t over yet!   From the material counter, I then head over to the receptionist counter. Subjugation quests must be turned over there instead. I wait shortly for an elf receptionist, and come over to the counter.   “Hello, I would like to cash in the Rank E quest [Subjugation: Forest Goblins] and Rank D quest [Subjugation: Forest Goblin Wolf Riders]” I said as I put the 6 ears I collected onto the counter.   “Let me see, please place your hand on the orb for processing” the receptionist requested.   I did as I was told and the orb glowed as the receptionist processed my request.   “Just to inform you, for the [Subjugation: Forest Goblin Riders], I can only process one request per day, so I can only credit you 38 silver coins and 6 Guild Points” informed the receptionist.   “Hmm… so can I cash one in now and cash the second one tomorrow?” I inquired.   “I am sorry, but that is not possible. We do a scan of the monster material and your guild tattoo and match the signatures. If the monster was killed during a certain day, we match it with that data and confirm your credit. So there isn’t much I can do” explained the receptionist.   “Is that so…” I dejectedly responded.   “Though... I wonder... did you really kill 2 [Forest Goblin Wolf Riders] all by yourself?” questioned the receptionist.   “Uhm… yes… why?” I asked with slight hesitation.   “Well… here is that thing, would you be interested in taking the Rank D exam?” offered the receptionist.   “Rank D exam? But I am only Rank F...” I replied.   “Well actually, as of this quest completion, you have a total of 20 Guild Points. So you are now a Rank E adventurer. The moment you became a Rank E adventurer, you are able to take the Rank D exam.” responded the receptionist.   I see… I am already at Rank E ha? Though...   “Isn’t it a bit early to take the Rank D exam right after getting Rank E?” I queried while being somewhat confused.   “I think I know where you might be misunderstanding. To get Rank D you still need to get 20 Guild Points. The only thing is, unlike previous ranks, where you can get more points doing higher rank quests. That is not officially an option at Rank E, because to do Rank D quests, you need to pass the exam. There are of course exceptions like in this case, where you brought in a Rank D monster that pose a threat to the town. Otherwise, even if you kill a Rank D monster on the list, we will not offer credit for it.   That said, it goes without saying you need to pass the Rank D exam to actually get Rank D as well.” informed the receptionist.   “I see… but I still have some time till I get to Rank D, so not sure if I am ready...” I timidly replied.   “There is no problem on that front, in terms of actual difficulty, the Rank D exam is only at a level of a Rank E quest. For someone who can defeat [Goblin Wolf Riders], it should be little issue. If you are willing to take the exam now, I’ll even wave the 1 gold coin entry fee normally required” insisted the receptionist.   That sounds quite generous of her… what is the catch?   “It sounds tempting… but why is the Rank D exam so simple? And is there a reason for the special treatment?” I inquired.   “Well… here is the thing. To conduct the exam there are a few things that we need. The first thing we need is the availability of a Rank B or above adventurer. The second thing we need is an even amount of people to take exam that fits its criteria. In this case the amount of people we need is 10. The problem is that currently where we stand, we only have 9 people. So we need one more person to proceed with the exam. We tried to get more people into the exam, but most people prefer to take the exam with their party members. So finding individual adventurers to fill that number is a bit troublesome.   Of course if we give it a few days, we will probably get someone, the issue is the Rank B adventurer will not be available then. There can also be changes in the mission parameters if we let things go for too long as well.   The current Rank D exam is effectively to take down a group of bandits. Most of these bandits are below level 20. The only ones to watch out for are the core members of the bandit group, and those will be handled by the Rank B adventurer.   Though like all quests and exams, I can’t exactly guarantee your safety, that said, the Rank B adventurer will do his best to insure no one gets hurt. The goal of the Rank D exam is not really to measure strength. At Rank D, there are things as escort quests and large group quests. In such quests, you will often be required to kill people or cooperate with strangers.   The point of the exam is to insure that when someone hires an escort through the guild, the escort will not chicken out or refuse to cooperate with others. During the exam, you will be required to fulfill a simple assignment in a 2 man team. If you complete that assignment, you pass. Most people who are interested in becoming Rank D take the exam soon after becoming Rank E anyways” explained the receptionist.   Hmmm… difficulty level of a Rank E… while at same time I can get a bunch of skills from Rank E or soon to be D adventurers and then there is that Rank B adventurer… Oh and I may be able to get some skills from the bandits as well…   Personally I don’t exactly have an issue killing bandits. If it were innocent people, that would be one thing. But I know better than to feel sorry for those low life scum who would readily take my life given the chance. From my perspective they are no different than pink skinned goblins!   I am also curious about what happened back then when I killed that middle aged man… so it would be an opportunity to test the waters as well… The fact that I did not feel anything at all was a bit too... odd...   Either way, I don’t think killing human bandits will be a problem… and as far as coordination go, while I can’t exactly say I am that great is socializing, at same time I have little problem working with others...   There is also that 1 gold coin I would be saving...   The temptation is strong with this one, but at same time it is like screaming “flag”. But then again the skill galore…   And I’ll be able to take up Rank D quests, which can pay up to half a gold coin each… that might not sound much since it is about what I get paid to make a steel item in terms of profit. But my luck selling items has been abysmal… I wonder if I could interest some of those adventurers taking the test into buying something... * evil grin *   Anyways… lets not get too distracted! From a risk perspective, I am wearing some pretty good Holy-steel gear specialized in defense. Considering my high speed, in worst case I can just run to the Rank B adventurer no? And since the guild scouted this mission in advanced, the probability of something happening should be low right? Or am I just jinxing myself? Ugh! So hard to decide… a part of me is screaming run away and don’t take any unnecessary risks, but at same time isn’t not becoming stronger faster a risk in itself as well?   What I need is a balance of safety and risk. Aka, minimum risk with maximum rewards. Isn’t a situation where I can get a bunch of skills, especially from a Rank B adventurer in a controlled environment not an example of such? Lets first ask a bit more information before deciding…   “Can you tell me a bit more information about what a typical mission entails, who the Rank B adventurer is and is there a deadline for deciding?.. oh and also what is the typical fatality rate?” I inquired.   “Sure, no problem. In a typical mission like a bandit subjugation test. You will be divided into groups of 2. These groups can not be with your own party members, and have to be with a stranger.   Each of the groups will then be in charge of securing a room or section. If you secure the part you are responsible for, you pass regardless of how the others do. In the end, the mission is guaranteed to be a success due to the presence of the Rank B adventurer. The difference mostly lies in how many bandits might run away or if some treasure would be taken by said bandits during their escape.   In this case, the Rank B adventurer is Daron Valse. He is a [Shadow Rogue] and is pretty well known adventurer.   As for fatality rates, I don’t exactly have those numbers, but giving a wild guess I would say about 1% if not less? In terms of difficulty it is Rank E after all… and typically taken by Rank E adventurers confident enough to aim for Rank D. Most fatality rates mostly come when people hesitate or fail to cooperate. But even then, once the boss is taken care of, most bandits choose to run away rather than fight.   As far as deadlines go, I prefer if I could get an answer today… We still have to give a 24 hour advance notice to all parties involved. So if I can get an okay today, the exam would be set for the day after tomorrow.” informed the receptionist.   Shadow Rogue?...Does that mean what I think it means?!?! I can actually get real stealth!   “Count me in!” I exclaimed.   “Great! Then please come by the guild after tomorrow at 6” said the receptionist.   From then on we discussed a few details here and there, got the process for being promoted to Rank E out of the way and with all that done, I left the guild.   Since I have some time tomorrow, I should make preparations just in case…   With my plans made up, I headed back to the Blacksmithing Guild for a nights rest.

Finally the day I get my private lesson from the Advanced Disciple came! Since I had nothing to do in the morning, I contemplated what I should do with my 2 [Bronze Ingots]. Eventually I concluded next time, I should make a visit to the leather goods shop and buy some boots, then plate them in Bronze. I do not have the [Leatherworking] skill, but the majority of it will be done using [Blacksmithing]. I only plan on using the leather as inner padding for the boots after all. Which should probably not be too hard... My feet end up hurting like hell some times when walking, and especially after using [Charge].   Then after breakfast, I stop by the counter and pick up my permission slip. From there I head to the Advanced Disciple ward.   “Ya must be the new impressive Junior Disciple I’ve been hearin’ about?” said Advanced Disciple Gregon.   “I don’t know about impressive, but I do my best!” I reply with modesty.   “So what exactly are ya interested in little missy?” Gregon questions.   “I want to learn to smelt steel!” I exclaim with excitement.   “Smelt steel ya say...Alright little missy, but I must advise ya. A private lesson with an Advanced Disciple is nothin’ like one with an Intermediate Disciple. To be taught somethin’, ya must first pass a test!” Gregon warned.   “Okay...what is the test?” I inquire.   “It is really simple little missy, smelt this without losing over 0.7 quality score” Gregon notified while handing me an ore.   Iron Ore An above average quality iron ore. Used in the smelting of ingots.   Quality 6.7013/10.0000   * gulp *   The ores I smelted before had the quality score of only 5.0 - 5.9...this is the highest quality ore I have ever seen...It’s literally begging me to smelt it * drool *   I take out Tommy, my [Iron Blacksmithing Hammer] and begin to smelt the [Iron Ore]. Of course I also use the help of my [All-Observing-Eyes] here and there to insure perfection to the best of my ability. After an hour, I finish and hand over the [Iron Ingot] for evaluation.   “Lets see… 6.5… Impressive little missy! Ya really are quite talented! Okay then as promised, I shall teach ya to smelt a [Steel Ingot]” Gregon announced.   He took some high quality [Iron Ore] and some high quality [Coal] and began smelting them together. After about 6 minutes.   Your skill [NP][Smelting] has become Level 6   Exactly what I came here for! Other than being taught of course…   He explained the entire process to me step by step, so it took him about half an hour to smelt it. During that half an hour I got another surprise.   You have acquired a new skill [CP][Blacksmith: Smithing Perfection] Level N/A [CP][Blacksmith: Smithing Perfection] Level N/A   You now have a chance of improving an item beyond its initial quality score when using smithing skills.Improve your chance of improving an item when using smithing skills by 5% + 0.5% for every level in your non-combat class + 0.25% for every point of [PER]   I almost threw up in shock! They ain’t advanced disciples for nothing!   “Now it is ya’r turn to try smelt it! If ya can’t get a quality score of at least 3, then consider this the end of ya’r lessons!” Gregon cautioned.   “No problemo~” I reply nonchalantly.   Frankly put, my experience, skills and stats have gone up by quite a bit. As long as the knowledge is provided and demonstrated, adding in [All-Observing-Eyes], getting a score above 3 isn’t too difficult.   I begin producing my [Steel Ingot], spending on it an hour and a half for good measure, it was finally complete! And I hand it over to Gregon.   “4.2… How?... little missy, are ya sure this is ya’r first time smelting steel?” Gregon inquired dumbfounded.   “Yup~! Next, can ya teach me to smith using steel?” I insist.   “* sigh * Alright then little missy, ya gonna have to pass a new test then. Take the [Iron Ingot] that ya made, and make it into a dagger. But make sure ya’r quality score does not drop below 6!” Gregon demanded.   This might actually prove to be a bit difficult… I was shown how to make a hammer, but not daggers… Of course I have seen plenty of daggers being made by others over the time since it is the most common thing made. Reason for that being because it only requires 1 ingot to make, so it is quite a popular item. On top of that, Doran did give me some pointers here and there. ..but still...   I begin making the dagger, the process was extremely difficult. My senses told me the final result will end up at around 5.9999, I was pretty much there but the barrier was too large to cross no matter how hard I tried. But I still did not give up, if this was just a few hours ago, I would agree that it was hopeless. But things are bit different now! After spending 4 hours on making the dagger, I was finally done.   Iron Dagger   An above average dagger made out of iron   +3 STR +3 DEX +3 AGI +3 VIT +60 ATK   [Made by Shiro] Durability: 480/480 Quality 6.0000/10.0000   That was too close for comfort...If it wasn’t for [Blacksmithing: Smithing Perfection] and my high [LUK] stat, I would have failed 100%…   Of course, I was also well rewarded for my hard effort…   Level up! Creationist: +2 to all unlocked attributes +5 MP +5 Mental +2 PER   Yey! About time! Now then...   “Here ya go~!” I excitedly exclaim showing the dagger.   “… little missy… Are ya sure ya aren’t an Intermediate Disciple from some other guild?” Gregon questions in a perplexed tone after seeing the dagger.   “Uhm...pretty sure...So will you show me how to make a hammer out of steel?” I inquire.   “Fine! Ya win little missy! A promise is a promise!” Gregon relents.   He takes the two [Steel Ingots] that we made and begins to forge a hammer out of steel while explaining the differences between making things out of steel and iron. It took him 2 hours to smith the [Steel Blacksmithing Hammer] due to explaining all the stuff to me.   And of course I was well rewarded in more ways than one!   Your skill [NP][Blacksmithing] has become Level 5 You have acquired a new skill [CP][Blacksmith: Imbued Smithing] Level N/A [CP][Blacksmith: Imbued Smithing] Level N/A   You now have a chance of giving bonus stats to an item when using smithing skills. Improve the probability of your smithing skills to give bonus stats by 5% + 0.5% for every level in your non-combat class + 0.25% for every point of [PER] Improve the probability of your smithing skills imbuing the stats you desire by 10% + 1% for every level in your non-combat class + 0.5% for every point of [PER]   The rewards were much sweeter than I thought!   “Now then, it is ya’r turn! Unfortunately though, this private lesson only allocates a set amount of resources, so we only have 1 [Steel Ingot] to work with, so ya’r gonna have to settle for making a [Steel Dagger] instead. Ya need to get a minimum quality score of 3 to continue the lessons” Gregon explained.   “Okay! I’ll give it a shot!” I respond.   I take the provided [Steel Ingot] and begin smithing it into a dagger to the best of my ability. I spent about 4 hours on making the dagger just right...   Steel Dagger   A slightly below average dagger made out of steel   +5 STR +4 DEX +5 AGI +4 VIT +88 ATK Bonus: +1 AGI [Made by Shiro] Durability: 887/887 Quality 4.4361/10.0000   “...”   “...This is madness! How in the world am I suppose to believe this?” Gregon bellowed in confusion. “I mean just gettin’ 4.4 in itself is already astonishing! But to get a bonus option as well?!?! How is anyone suppose... to believe... this?...* smirk *”   Suddenly in the middle of his raging he suddenly let out a greedy smile.   “Hey, ya’r name is Shiro if I remember it correctly? How about doin’ Uncle Gregon a little favor? As ya know, the quarterly competition is commin’ up soon, all Uncle Gregon wants ya to do is win. And in exchange, Uncle Gregon will give ya some extra free lessons and the materials ya need. How does that sound?” Gregon asked in a soft familiar tone as he hands me some ore.   Why are you calling yourself my uncle? You’re not my uncle...   Iron Ore A semi-superior quality iron ore. Used in the smelting of ingots.   Quality 7.1002/10.0000 Coal Ore A semi-superior quality coal ore. Often used in the production of smelting steel.   Quality 7.2518/10.0000   * gulp *   “Yes Uncle Gregon! I’ll do my best!” I agree in excitement, clearly not being bribed!   “Good then! Make sure to come by after tomorrow. While I can’t exactly provide ya with the same private training as today, ya can watch me work and I’ll explain my work to ya, Okay?” Gregon confirms.   “Sure...Though since there is still some time today, mind if I ask a few more questions?” I inquire.   “Of course! Ask away!” Gregon affirms.   “I was wondering about how enchanted, demon and holy steel is made and is there anything special required to make it?” I ask.   I always wondered how it differed from regular steel ever since I first heard about it...   “Well… there are multiple ways to make magical steel. The most common is Enchanted-steel, it is made when [Coal Ore] or [Steel Ingots] are infused with mana over a long period of time. Of course, it is possible for already made steel items to also become Enchanted-steel, but that is far rarer and takes far more time. The majority of Enchanted-steel and mana infused coal comes from dungeons, as dungeons tend to have a lot of condensed mana afterall. This is also why many magical items come from dungeons as well.   Demon-steel and Holy-steel is more complex though. In essence, it is the same as Enchanted-steel, but in reality it is much more difficult. Demon-steel comes from being exposed to a specific type of dark attribute mana called miasma. Which can be found in some dungeons or areas of corruption.   While Holy-steel in same principle is only made when exposed to a type of light attribute called holy. Most of it comes from churches where lots of holy mana is released consecutively over a long period of time. The other places it comes from is being exposed for a long time to holy areas, such as the World Tree for example.   These magical items come in 2 tiers. Magic items which store mana and need to be refilled from time to time. And magic items that have permanently embedded themselves with mana and can absorb the mana around themselves to refill themselves.   As far as smithing them goes, the process is in theory not too much more complex than normal steel. But the difficulty lies elsewhere...Since the ore and ingots contain magical power, the trick is to prevent it from leaking out during the smelting and smithing process. The more mana you can retain, the more powerful the magical item is. This is why if a smith plans to make a powerful magical item, he will be sure to smith it in a place with lots of mana, to minimize the leaking and also infuse extra mana from the surroundings.   As far as Demon and Holy steel goes, it is the same as enchanted steel for smithing. Except the smith themselves has to be able to control that attribute, making them even more rarer.   When ya come after tomorrow, one of the items I’ll be smithing is a low end magical item. So ya can see it then.” Gregon informs.   From then on due to limited time, I just continued to ask questions and get tips on things I found difficulties with until it was time for dinner.   After dinner, I went straight to bed, and as I was trying to fall asleep, I contemplated on what to do for tomorrow. While it is tempting to smith my [Bronze Ingots] into gear, I decided against it. Since I was going to watch Gregon work after tomorrow, he may provide me with more insight into smithing. So if I wait a bit, that would help me overall. On top of that, if I make a [Steel Blacksmithing Hammer] first, I will get even more improvements.   So the best thing I can do for tomorrow is see if I can raise my [PER] even more while at same time buy the base leather item for my boots. Since now I do not have to worry about raising money for materials, things have become a lot easier.   As I was about to fall asleep, an idea came to me. So I gave it a try and what do you know... * evil grin *   Like that I fell asleep satisfied.  

Today marks the first day of my new life! After the long bitter wait, and the less than pleasing breakfast. I went towards the counter to get permission to enter the Senior Disciple area, ignoring the loud commotion from the monthly selections that are going on. Once I got my approval, I headed there as quickly as I could.   I soon met up with Tagon who greeted me. “Hey there missy! From today on ya are now an Intermediate Disciple. I will now explain to ya everything ya need to know...”   He then explained a bunch of things about being an Intermediate Disiple, to summarize the 7 major points:   1) I will be moved to a new room which has an occupancy of 2 people instead of my current 4.   2) The times for food are the same, but the cafeteria is a better one in the Intermediate Disciple area. There will be small snacks available at 12.   3) Quota for the Intermediate Disciples requires that I smelt 50 [Iron Ingots], if I reach that quota, 10 [Iron Ingots] and 3 [Coal Ores] are mine.   I now also have a monthly quota, but not for smithing but selling of items. The requirement is that all Intermediate Disciples must sell at least 5 items per month.   4) There are many new privileges which I now have access to. As long as I have a prior order, I can make use of the Blacksmithing Guild’s materials. If I plan to smelt my own ore, I can get access to [Iron Ore] which has a quality score of 5 and [Copper Ore] and [Tin Ore] with quality score of up 7. I can also get access to [Coal Ore] up to quality score of 5. If I chose not to smelt my own ore, I can get [Copper Ingots] and [Bronze Ingots] with quality score of up to 7, or [Iron Ingots] and [Steel Ingots] with quality scores of up to 5.   That said, there are limits. I can only withdraw 100 iron or copper ingots/ores per month. I can also get the accompanying tin and coal along side it. Anything beyond that is my own responsibility.   5) At 18 o’clock, the exhibition hall opens up for 2 hours. During those times, the public has access to the exhibition hall. Only during those 2 hours are we allowed to sell our wares. Any item we make using the guild’s resources, after subtracting material costs, we are allowed 15% of the profit. Any item made using our own resources, we are allowed to take 30% of the total cost. The rest must be paid to the guild.   We are also allowed to take order contracts during this time. Though it is warned that contracts carry the reputation of the guild and if one fails to complete a contract in an orderly fashion, there are strict punishments that are as severe as being suspended.   There is also a restriction that the displayed items must have at least a quality score of 5 or more, the exception being for order contracts, where guarantees would be based on the contract.   6) Like before, we can receive guidance from an Advanced Disciple. But now we can get it once per quarter. We can also get guidance from a Senior Disciple once per year. That said, we are not allowed to take guidance less than a month and a half apart from each other. So getting access to a Senior Disciple will unfortunately have to wait a few weeks.   7) Promotion to Advanced Disciple happens during a test once a year.   8) I am also required to offer guidance to Junior Disciples. Though I can decline for one month, the following month would be mandatory.   Lastly, I was told about the privilege for winning the competition. To get a commission and tutoring from the Grandmaster himself!   This will happen tomorrow at 12 o’clock, and I am responsible for bringing my own materials. Accepting materials from others is forbidden. The commissioned item will be made within the 3 hours, and will be soul bound to me. Thus preventing backhanded sale of the item.   I already have an idea for what I want, and coincidently I have the materials so it is not a problem.   Lastly, as far as quotas go. Since I fulfilled the quota as a Junior Disciple, I am not required to fulfill the Intermediate Disciple quota for this week… but the option exists if I want to. And it goes without saying that I most definitely want to!   After explaining all that, Tagon brought me to my new room and left.   The urge within me was screaming to go smelting as fast as possible! But before that, I have something else that is pretty important. Prior to the main course that is the Grandmaster, there is still the appetizer which I have not forgotten about!   I make my way down the hallways. My interest lies in Algon, the [Steelsmith]… maybe, just maybe he’ll have some delicious class only skills to share. On that note, I head down to the Intermediate Disciple's forge.   “Did ya hear? The town’s hero is finally comin’ back to town” said a dwarf in the hallway to another dwarf standing next to him.   Ha?   “Yeah, I heard. They are suppose to come sometime this week or next week based on the rumor” replied the other dwarf.   NO! NO! NO! Anything but that! After I finally found a comfortable place for myself, last thing I need is some darn hero messing things up!!!   Wait… calm down… I am over-thinking things... So what there is a hero coming? It has absolutely nothing to do with me, and I’ll stay away as far as possible to be extra sure… There is no reason to fret… Yup, it’s all good! Lets go get me some skills and then smelt some ingots to cheer myself up!   I find my way into the forge and search for Algon, the [Steelsmith]. Luckily, he was fast at work already. Once I got into a good position where I could spy on him without being seen, with help of [Eagle Eyes] I monitor him carefully.     You have acquired a new skill [CP][Steelsmith: Enhanced Steel Smithing] Level N/A [CP][Steelsmith: Enhanced Steel Smithing] Level N/A   Improve the speed of your smithing related skills by 30% + 2% for every level in your non-combat class + 1% for every point of [PER] when making steel based items Improve the quality of your smithing related skills by 30% + 2% for every level in your non-combat class + 1% for every point of [PER] when making steel based items   So that was his secret! He is pretty much 2X better at making steel items than anyone else!   Lets see what else he has! I continue watching and as expected another one appeared.   You have acquired a new skill [CP][Steelsmith: Steel Smithing Perfection] Level N/A [CP][Steelsmith: Steel Smithing Perfection] Level N/A   You now have a chance of improving an item beyond its initial quality score when using smithing skills on steel.   Improve your chance of improving an item when using smithing skills by 20% + 1% for every level in your non-combat class + 0.5% for every point of [PER] when making steel based items You now have a chance of giving bonus stats to an item when using smithing skills on steel. Improve the probability of your smithing skills to give bonus stats by 20% + 1% for every level in your non-combat class + 0.5% for every point of [PER] when making steel based items   Wow… talk about a cheat! …Though technically speaking, I don’t have a right to say anything in that regard…   I continued to watch after that for quite a bit, and that seemed like it was the end of it. So I went about my own business.   Personally, I really want to put all this to the test, but thinking about it a bit more... it will have to wait for another day. Since tomorrow is my tutoring with the Grandmaster, I will definitely get some skills then. So I should wait. Instead I should smith the 2 [Bronze Ingots] I got.   As for what to make, there is no point in making body armor since I don’t have enough. Well, unless I make chainmail. But considering I could make steel, there is simply no point. Instead I’ll make a lesser piece like Bracers.   So like that, I began making of the Bracers. Since I had a lot of free time, I worked on them until 17 o’clock trying to get them as best as possible. The results?   Bronze Bracer of Greater Agility   An above average bracer made out of bronze that has been specialized by its creator to fit a young child.   +7 AGI +34 DEF Bonus: +1 AGI Restrictions: Minimum Level: Level 15 – Benefit: +1 AGI | Penalty: 90% reduction in stats   Owner Restriction: Shiro Benefit: +1 AGI | Penalty: 90% reduction in stats [Made by Shiro] Durability: 139/139 Quality 6.9937/10.0000   Both Bracers came out the same as far as stats go. And I surpassed the original material quality so it was all good. Though considering the time I spent on it, the results were not too surprising, even if it was my first time making Bracers.   From there, I went to take a look at the exhibit hall. While I don’t plan on selling anything today, I still wanted to get a feel for it.   When I came there, what I saw looked like a sort of equipment bazaar. The smiths sat on the floor by the walls, and people went around looking at all sort of equipment. There was a lot of yelling from the noise of the customers to others trying to advertise their wares. I also took a look around the wares and came up with one conclusion.   I totally got this!   My wares will most definitely be better, so if I sell at the same price, I will rule the entire market! muwahahaha!   After that, I went to have dinner in the new cafeteria, and surprisingly or not surprisingly. They also served broth!   That said, this time around shockingly enough it actually had some flavor! It seems that some spices were added which was definitely a welcome addition. It was nothing to write home about, but still better than anything I ate so far.   I then went to my room and went to sleep. Even the beds were slightly better. So far things are looking pretty good!   I smile brightly at the days to come.     Announcement I would like to know which cover people prefer. There are 2 aspects to consider, the overall looks/preference and what grabs your attention(attraction). Keep in mind that attraction should be considered in both larger size and smaller size. (Since small size shows up on places like NU, some detail can be lost in smaller version) Old Cover and New Cover (left to right)   Shrunk versions:      

Out of over 50 people that came, only 12 managed to pass the monthly selections for the Blacksmithing Guild. Me being one of them, or at the very least temporary being one of them.   All 12 of us were brought into a room, and in front of the room stood a dwarf.   “So ya are the new recruits ha? I am Advanced Disciple Gregon! I shall be in charge of ya lot! From now on, here is what ya need to know as Junior disciples...”   We spent about 5 hours being lectured by Gregon about the details of this and that. All of it could be summarized into 8 simple points:   1) We will each be assigned a room and share that room with 3 other people   2) Food will be given twice a day at 7 o’clock and 20 o’clock   3) We are required to smelt 20 [Copper Ingots] and 10 [Bronze Ingots] per week, these ingots must exceed the quality of 1. We are allowed only a 10% failure rate. If we fail, no dinner for a week. If we succeed, 2 [Copper Ingots] and 1 [Bronze Ingot] are ours to practice with.   4) If the quality of our smelting and blacksmithing is good enough, we can ask for special permission to instead smelt 20 [Bronze Ingots] and 10 [Iron Ingots]. In doing so, we can keep 2 [Bronze Ingots], and 1 [Iron Ingot]. Above that, we need to become an Intermediate Disciple.   5) As a Junior Disciple, we are forbidden from publicly selling our wares. Private sales are allowed, but we have to hand over 90% of it to the guild. To sell publicly, we need to at least become an Intermediate Disciple.   6) We are allowed to receive private guidance once a month from an Intermediate Disciple and once a year from an Advanced Disciple.   7) To become a Intermediate Disciple, there are 2 methods. The first is to pass a test given once a year, and the second method is to win in the competition.   8) The competition is held once every 3 months, and is held between the Junior Disciples and Intermediate Disciples. During this competition, not only do you have potential to become an Intermediate Disciple, you also have a chance at being kicked out, as this competition is also used to gauge how you have improved. If they do not see much improvement during the competition, you will be marked as untalented and thrown out of the guild.   We were also required to sign the 2 year contracts, and given some general information.   After being shown to my room along side 3 other roommates. The first thing I did was head to where the ores were being smelted.   The reason being quite obvious…   You have acquired a new skill [NP][Smelting] Level 1 Congratulations! You have completed the class quest [Creationist: Improve your production skills] +25 PER has been attained   Class quest [Creationist:Improve your production skills], has been reset.   And just like that, my [PER] pretty much doubled!   I spent around 2 hours staring at everyone to make sure I pick up the highest level smelting I could get. Which ended up with me getting [Smelting] to Level 4. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the limit in this area.   The issue is that the blacksmithing guild is divided up into 4 areas. North, West, South and East. Right now I am in the south area which is limited to Junior Disciples only. To get better skills I need to move to a different area, but those areas are forbidden for Junior Disciples without special permission.   Now that my smelting skill has reached such a level, I went to the counter and retrieved the first of my copper ores to begin smelting. When I was observing the others doing smelting, I wasn’t only looking to gain their levels but also paying attention to what they were doing, otherwise it wouldn’t have taken as much as 2 hours to take just their skill levels.   With the assistance of [Smelting] at level 4 and what I learned while watching, I smelt my first [[Copper Ore] into an ingot.   Copper Ingot A poor quality copper ingot. Used in the production of metallic goods   Quality 1.23/10.00   Hmmm...well at least it surpassed the quality threshold of 1 that is required for our quotas...I am also seeing an extra decimal appear, is that due to my increased [PER] stat?   As I was thinking that…     [Creationist] quest unlocked! [Creationist] Ingot creation Produce 50 ingots with at least a quality score of 1.   Type: Continuous 1/10   Status: 1/50 Reward: 1 [PER]   Somehow I have this feeling of production being a total grind fest… * sigh *   Since the test and lecturers took up the majority of the day, not wasting any more time, I get more [Copper Ore] and smelt another ingot. This time around, being more familiar with the process, it took much quicker and the results were much better.     Copper Ingot A semi-poor quality copper ingot. Used in the production of metallic goods   Quality 2.04/10.00   While I was rather happy with the improvement, I was still less than fully pleased. Based on the lecture given, the average [Copper Ore] has a quality score of 5. Considering my skill level, there should be no reason why I could not smelt an ingot with similar quality score.   Since it was already getting close to dinner, I smelted my last ingot for the day and managed to get a quality score of 3.26. So my improvement rate is at least quite phenomenal, but still a long way to go… Copper is just the lowest level metal after all.   Like everything else so far, metals are broken down into ranks:   Rank G: Copper Rank F: Bronze Rank E: Iron Rank D: Steel Rank C: Enchanted/Demon/Holy Steel Rank B: Mithril Rank A: Adamantite Rank S: Orichalcum   Yup, a long way to go…   And my lack of strength is not helping either. I really need to level up or raise my [STR] stat...My arms are hurting like hell from just this.   I hand in my 3 [Copper Ingots], and head towards the cafeteria for dinner. The food was broth which was less than spectacular, as all things I have eaten thus far in this world. After that I headed off to bed while thinking about what I should do for tomorrow.   If not for my lack of strength, at the rate I am improving, I should be able to smelt 20 [Copper Ingots] per day. But due to my lack of it, I can probably at best smelt only 10. So my top priority should be raising my strength maybe?   The thing is that training stats has proven pretty unreliable. So the only reliable way to gain strength is to level up. Unfortunately the XP I am getting from smelting and smithing things alone is minuscule. Even if my ingots are used by others to smelt things giving me extra XP, it is far from enough.   So I would need to aim for raising my racial class if I want to gain strength...So should I go herb hunting tomorrow and attempt to trap some low level monsters? Though I would have preferred to do that at least after making better equipment…Who knows what can happen in combat...   Wait! There is another option isn’t there?!?! If I can somehow find someone who uses a skill that helps unlock another attribute, I may be able to improve my strength significantly in one go. Similar to how [AGI] and [SPD] have overlaps, there should be an attribute that overlaps with [STR] as well.   The question is... How would I find someone with such an attribute and learn it? My Unique Skill is limited to only when used on a valid target, so I can’t just go to a training ground and watch them hit target dummies with skills. I already tried when watching the middle aged man during training, and no dice. Of course if I can watch someone dueling with another person, that would probably work.   How about this...tomorrow, I’ll make about 2 [Copper Ingots] in the morning, then head to the Adventurers Guild. There, I will inquire the receptionist details about how often they have duels or other combat sessions going on under the pretense of wanting to learn live combat. From there, I will head to the forest and collect some herbs. Then when I come back, smelt 2-3 more ingots and call it a day.   Not to mention, if I can make over 40 iron coins tomorrow, that would put me at just enough to be able to access the library. Then I can visit it the day after and read up information about this world. If there are any books on blacksmithing, I can also improve on my ability in that way too.   Speaking of improving on ability, I should also probably use that private lesson from an Intermediate Disciple. But that should probably wait until next week. Judging from the smelting, I still have room to improve even on my own.   With my plans for the short term made up, I fall asleep.

  I have been walking for over a day now towards the south east. Still feeling dejected and glum, regrets fill my heart to the brim. But I realize there is nothing I can do anymore… all that is left is to move forward... I use my [Smell Sense] plus my new racial skill [Hearing Sense] to avoid all monsters the best I can.   As I traverse the landscape, I run into a small uninhabited cave. I know it is uninhabited because my [Smell Sense] is not picking anything up… so unless there is a monster who can somehow hide their scent, it should be in the clear. Either way, I am too tried to move for much longer...If there is such a monster...then it will be the end of me… Nothing I can do...   I am just glad that I stored some extra food in my [Item Box] from the monsters we killed during the investigation. Luckily that detestable middle aged man was not too stingy on food during the investigation due to all the monsters we killed. Of course it wasn’t from the goodness of his heart either, the meat was going to rot anyways and kept piling up. Since he did not want to waste time going back and forth too much between the village, he just let us take all the remains as we pleased. That was the first time in a long time that I actually ate to full.   Using the last bits of my stamina, I put together a few basic traps and methods of alarm outside the cave and lie down ready to collapse.   But then I remembered something important. I am now over level 10 aren’t I? Which means I can get my first non-combat class. I am really not in the mood for it now, but I know that I should at least give it a look.       Runner   A profession specialized in running. You will gain experience from running.   Unlock Special Stat: SPD Stat Bonus: +4 AGI +5 SPD Stat Bonus per level: +2 AGI +1 SPD   Skills: [CP][Runner: Accelerate] Herbalist   A profession specialized in processing of herbs. You will gain experience from collecting and processing herbs.   Unlock Special Stat: PER Stat Bonus: +3 INT +1 DEX + 2 WIS +5 PER Stat Bonus per level: +2 INT +1 DEX +1 WIS +1 PER   Skills: [CP][Herbalist: Analyze Herbs] Manager   A profession specialized in management of materials and personnel. You will gain experience from managing resources and others.   Unlock Special Stat: LDR Stat Bonus: +4 INT + 4 WIS +3 MNT +7 LDR Stat Bonus per level: +3 INT +3 WIS +2 MNT +2 LDR   Skills: [CP][Manager: Boost Morale] Animal Trainer   A profession specialized in the training of animals. You will gain experience from raising and training animals.   Unlock Special Stat: AFE Stat Bonus: +2 AGI +3 INT +6 WIS +2 MNT +6 AFE Stat Bonus per level: +1 AGI +2 INT +3 WIS +1 MNT +2 AFE Stat Bonus per 10 levels: +1 LUK   Skills: [CP][Animal Trainer: Animal Affection] Unique Job: Creationist   A profession specialized in the creation of all things. You will gain experience from producing, building and making things. You will also gain experience based on how “worthy” the user of the produced item is.   Unlock Special Stat: PER Stat Bonus: +5 to all unlocked attributes +5 PER Stat Bonus per level: +2 to all unlocked attributes +5 MP +5 Mental +2 PER Stat Bonus per 10 levels: +2 LUK +3 DEX +3 PER 50% Increase in attainment of all production skills   Skills: [CP][Creationist: Analyze Everything]     “Talk about a sour reminder...” I mutter in sadness as I see the [Runner] job..   No! I need to get my act together and move on! Focus...   So from what I remember, the jobs are suppose to be based on what we did prior to hitting level 10. I can understand Runner since that one seems to be common among those used as bait. I can also to an extent understand herbalist since I have the skill and I have been using [Identify] on herbs quite a bit.   But why do I have Animal Trainer and Manager? Those seem to be some pretty high level jobs and I don’t remember training any animals or managing anything. I doubt me pocketing some resources into my [Item Box] qualifies right? Or is it the [Item Box] itself that opened the class up? As for Animal Trainer, the only animal I have ever trained even to the slightest was my old cat Shiro. Did that count somehow?   And then there is that Unique Job of creationist… I remember the receptionist lady saying something about Unique Jobs sometimes appearing...and she said most of them are crap and it is very rare to get a good one. But WOW...that looks so OP! Beyond OP even! And not only is it crazy OP, it is even more OP with my Unique Skill. Since I can unlock other attributes such as [SPD] from gaining other classes’ skills. Unfortunately it does not work on [LUK], but even then I still get two points every 10 levels!   The only thing that is useless is the 50% increase on attainment of all production skills. Since I can’t really attain them through normal means. But it might be possible that higher level skills are harder to get with my Unique Skill, and it might increase the possibility of getting them maybe? I still to this day don’t understand why I did not get [Horse Riding] skill…   Interesting enough, it seems that most non-combat classes are pretty poor as far as combat goes, unless you plan to go mage build? Very few give you any attack stats...Of course it is possible that there are some and I just don’t have them. If I remember correctly, the middle aged man had [Trainer] class, that probably had some combat stats on it considering the name of the occupation.   Now lets take a look at that [Creationist: Analyze Everything] skill.     [CP][Creationist: Analyze Everything] Level N/A   Allows the skills that specialize in identification to see other details that would normally not be seen that are specialized for the creationist class. +3% for every level in your non-combat class +1% for every point of [PER]   I don’t get it…   I guess I would need to find out what it does, but even without it, the Creationist class is definitely pretty darn good…   So with no further ado, I pick the [Herbalist] class!   Joking!   Obviously I go with [Creationist]! It isn’t even a competition!   That really wasn’t all that funny was it… * sigh * … I am already tired, I’ll check on that skill tomorrow...assuming I’ll make it through my sleep safe and sound…   “Good night..” I mutter and fall asleep…       Status Name Shiro Race ?eåstki? - Cat Class Level Gender Female Status [?or???] Beastkin - Cat 12 Age 12 years Free Points 0 Hunger 100/100 Creationist 1 HP 470 / 470 (0.58/m) STR 56 +6 INT 28 +4     MP 15 / 15 (0.032/m) AGI 71 +4 WIS 26     Stamina 160 / 160 (3/m) VIT 58 +10 MNT 41     Mental 180 / 180 (0.41/m) DEX 42 +1 LUK 100         SPD 19 PER 26     Skills [LP] English 5 [NP] Spear Mastery 2 [RA] Berserk 1 [RP] Night Vision 2 [NA] Slash 1 [NP] Blacksmithing 1 [RA] Smell Sense 4 [NP] Dagger Mastery 1 [NA] Throw 1 [U] All-Observing-Eyes N/A [RA] Throw 1 [NA] Blend Stealth 4 [NA] Identify 5 [RA] Sprint 2 [NA] Impale 1 [RA] Charge 3 [NP] Herb Processing 1 [NP] Crossbow Mastery 1 [RA] Claw Swipe 1 [NA] Item Box 1 [NA] Bash 1 [LP] Trillan 6 [NA] Thrust 4 [NA] Penetrate 1 [RP] Toughness 3 [RA] Stink Bomb 1 [CP] Runner: Accelerate N/A [RA] Meteor Rush 1 [RA] Jump 2 [CP] Creationist: Analyze Everything N/A   Announcement This concludes Volume 1, intermissions are next!

...    I was only awakened from my stumper by the voice of that detestable middle aged man…   “Guard the perimeter with your lives, this is an [Order]! Ryo, which bag did you pack the potions in?!?!” yelled the middle aged man.   I took a brief look around and it seems I somehow spaced out through the remains of the battle. From the looks of things, the orc general and the archer have been defeated, and thankfully no one else seems to have died somehow. Though the middle aged man appears to have taken quite a few new injuries.   “It is in the big bag on the left” replied Ryo then headed to the front to take up guarding the perimeter along with the rest.   The middle aged man walked up to the bag and began to forage through it looking for the potions. His condition seemed to be pretty serious.   He was standing about 2 meters in distance facing away from me...that...that evil magician...the one who took away Kuina…   My eyes became sharper and my body began to redden up. If I had any thoughts of taking a step back, with the activation of [Berserk] they were now gone, along with most of my sanity as anger overflowed, all that remained was hatred! The only reason I barely remained sane is due to my high [MNT] stat.     Due to overcoming a large mental hurdle: +1 MNT   My body began to slightly emit white smoke as my [Stamina] began to fall sharply to almost nothing and the [Ancient Mithril Dagger] appeared in my hands. If there is any reason I remain unnoticed, it is due to my [Blend Stealth].   Soon, the middle aged man found the potion he was looking for, and like a predator who just found his prey a small opening was created. And in that small opening I closed the distance with [Charge]. When I closed the distance short enough I unleashed [Meteor Rush]!   At that point my speed transcended beyond any normal possibilities, this was not only from the combined speed of [Charge] and [Meteor Rush]. Due to the gift Kuina left me [Runner: Accelerate]. All my skills that increase speed were improved.     [CP][Runner: Accelerate] Level N/A   Increase speed of all skills by 20% + 1% for every level in your non-combat class + 0.5% for every point of [SPD]   With that, my skills like [Charge] and [Meteor Rush] improved by 21%. As I accelerated, huge pressure was put on my body far more than any roller coaster I have ever felt.   Due to overcoming a your limits in speed: +1 AGI   And as I got close enough, I let out a [Thrust] aiming right at the weak point shown by [All-Observing-Eyes][Overload] in the back of his neck! If the middle aged man was not focused on the potion or was a speed based type, my efforts would most likely be fruitless. But the situation was in my favor as the dagger reached his skin.   At that point my [Penetrate] skill activated. This skill helps lower the defense of the opposing target. While humans unlike monsters have weak skin, that is only relative. The middle aged man is so high level, despite him not even being a [VIT] build, his [VIT] stat most likely is higher than all my combat stats combined! This is also why I spent all my remaining free points into [STR] as every little bit counts.     Due to overcoming a large hurdle: +1 STR   As I barely penetrate through his skin and reach blood, my [Impale] skill activates. And the force I exert increases by a huge margin! That is the power of the [Impale] skill, if you get a solid hit in, and reach blood, it significantly increases your attack power. But regardless of hit or miss, if [Impale] is used, your body is frozen up for half a second.   Now that I have reached his softer insides, and with help of [Impale], my dagger quickly shreds through!     [Critical Hit] You have dealt 291 damage to the [Bruno Razer]!     And just like that…   he died...     Level up! Sentient Creature: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX   Level up! Sentient Creature: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX   Level up! Sentient Creature: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX   You have acquired a new skill [RA][Hearing Sense] Level 1 Non-Combat class has been unlocked!   Level up! Sentient Creature: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX   Level up! Sentient Creature: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX   You have taken 345 damage. You are critically injured!   I force deactivated my [All-Observing-Eyes], and stood there. I could not move even an inch. Not only did the [Impale] freeze me up for half a second, the consequence of [Meteor Rush] is being unable to move for half a minute!   And thus I was locked in a prison of my own mind! As the reality of what just happened began to catch up to me…   A very terrifying reality that I could never have imagined…   While I have already killed monsters in the past…   The emotions of killing a person… killing the evil mind magician that has been tormenting me… getting revenge for Kuina… all those emotions… were not there…   What I felt was… emptiness… complete emptiness…   This emptiness was far different then the emptiness of revenge or the like… this odd emptiness… felt… mechanical in nature. It did not feel like I killed a person or an enemy, it felt more like an automatic can opener opening a can. Like a scripted process… Absolute emptiness… devoid of anything and everything...   And this terrified me.   I have not met any god when I reincarnated, I do not know anything about myself… Other then becoming a Catkin...was I somehow altered down to my psychology? Am I even Shiro or just a being who happens to have Shiro’s memories?   These thoughts flooded my head and in this cage of my mind, that 30 seconds felt like an eternity…   Once the 30 seconds passed, I was finally able to free myself and began to move...but my body was shacking and my insides were melting…   * bleh *   I threw up blood and extreme pain overtook me.     You have taken 20 damage from internal bleeding.Due to overcoming a huge strain on your body: +1 VIT   I quickly grabbed the [Health Potion] that the middle aged man dropped and chugged it down like my life depended on it! Because it kind of did!   The potion did not heal my injuries automatically, but was thankfully able to offset the damage of the DOT from the critical injury to an extent. Just in case, I grabbed another potion and chugged it down. I then put all my free points into [VIT]. I also took off the middle aged man’s mantle which gave +10 [VIT]. I would have taken other gear but they were way too big for me to equip, not to mention some of the gear had restrictions.   After maybe 2 minutes, despite still being in tons of pain...I was able to stabilize myself more or less.   I then turned around and saw all the beastkin staring blankly at me with wide open eyes and gapping mouths.   I got my act together and decided to explain the situation. While things seem calm around now, there most likely are more of those orcs around. There is no way those 5 would have been able to injure that middle aged man to that extent, not to mention some of the arrows in his body do not match the crossbow. So we need to get our act together and move quickly! “I’ll make this brief, my [Slave Collar] was defective and with this we are now all free!” I emphasize with an exited voice.   Then I look around for their reactions in expectations...but, so far most of them continue staring blankly without making any noise…   “YOU RETARD!” Ryo suddenly shouted.   “Eh?” said I stunned in surprise.   “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?” Ryo continued to yell.   “What do you mean what have I done? I got rid of the despicable man who has been imprisoning us and now we are free!” I retorted.   “Free? You retard! Who asked you to free us in the first place?!?! In this world there is no room for beastkin! The humans who rule this continent hate us! Unless we are under humans, there is no future for us! Bruno may have not been the best of guys, but he treated us fairly and did not abuse us for no reason like many others do, and now with your retarded “freedom”, you have doomed us all! Because not only do we have no place to go, once the humans learn that we killed our master, we will all be killed!” he roared in fury.   “Eh? Eh!?!? But…but...he used us as bait! So many of us died because of him! Kuina died because of him!” I responded the best I could caught completely off guard by the revelation.   “Kuina? Hah! You are the one to talk retard! You think I don’t know? I received reports from Kuina about your little “excursions”, on how you put yourself and her in danger facing off monsters and almost getting both of you killed! Weren’t you using Kuina’s high level and experience to help level yourself?” Ryo pressed on with a sarcastic and accusatory grin.   I wasn’t using Kuina...was I? Sure I wanted to level up... but it was a mutual benefit was it not? And deep down all I wanted was… * sniff * ...   “That is not true! I never put her in danger and leveling ourself was the only way to survive! I wanted to be friends!” I bellowed in a desperate anger.   “Friends? Survive by getting a few measly levels? Are you being serious retard? If anything, I’d argue it was your fault Kuina died in the first place! Last I checked the one who forced her into leveling up was you, and got her the [Runner] job. If not for that job, there was no way she would have made it in time to block that attack with her body! The one who killed Kuina was you retard! And now, with your retarded antics you want to get us all killed?!?!” he shouted.   Eh?!?!   Suddenly with that realization...doubt and guilt began to spread in my mind as I began to feel helpless…   Due to being taken aback by the revelation, for the first time since the conversation, I took my eyes off Ryo and onto the other beastkin in hopes of maybe someone providing me something...anything...but all I could see was hostility in their eyes…   Inwardly, I begin loathing myself for my foolishness as guilt begins to overtake me.   “...”   Seeing I had nothing to rebuke him, he turned around towards the other beastkin.   “Let’s go everyone! There might still be monsters around so we better get out of here as fast as we can. Grab all the supplies you can carry that won’t slow us down too much” he announced as he began walking towards the supplies.   “Oh retard, one last piece of advise from your senior. I suggest leaving this country and heading south east. We are next to the border so the walk should only be a few days at best. You are probably not going to make it...but it is your only choice at this point...Because when push comes to shove, we are going to blame Bruno’s death on you and there will be no place in this country for you as you get hunted down. Good luck retard, you’ll need it!” he informed as he began packing the supplies that fell out of the bag, when Bruno searched through them.   I took another look around at the other beastkin who already started taking heed of Ryo’s order while at same time glaring at me with disdain.   “What are you waiting for! Scram retard!” screamed one of the other dogkin while the others agreed in murmurs.   Feeling completely dejected and helpless...I took one last look at what remained of Kuina… ”I’m sorry...” I lightly muttered as tears began to fall uncontrollably from my cheeks, and just like that I slowly trotted towards the south east all alone…   …   lnv Poor Shiro :(, 2 more chapters for today after this

If there is one thing I realized from this event is that I can’t keep going on this way. As things are, I am going to die 100%. I don’t think this is the first time they used beastkin as bait.   My original plan was to stay under the radar and find an opportunity to escape, but as things are going I am going to end up dead before that time comes. So there are 2 options for me. First option is I can increase my value and get them to invest resources into my benefit, while not revealing all cards and use that to make my escape. Or raise my benefits just enough that they won’t use me as bait but still stay under the radar overall. Both choices have their ups and downs.   The first choice has benefits as it gets me protection from strong people while I increase my strength. But the downside is that I would have to reveal my abilities. The chances of getting out would also be slim because I know very little about this world, so them tricking me is more likely then me tricking them. I can literally end up a slave for my entire life. Which I definitely do not want! The second option benefits is that I can gain some advantages while at same time not revealing my cards. That said there is the risks that they would get suspicious or use me as secondary bait. I really don’t have enough information…   Hmmm...wait a second...right now we are heading back to base and the master is not here. Isn’t this a perfect opportunity to collect some information? Particularly, I am interested in the situation of the dogkin. Why didn’t they use them as bait like the rest? And they also got more food during breakfast too... I also want to figure out how levels in this world work. Hopefully they are more talkative then Amber…   The problem is...everyone’s mood is pretty down...It feels kind of awkward to start a conversion under these conditions...But I can’t afford to lament any longer, every second can mean the difference between life and death! The question is who do I ask…   I take a look around the members walking back to base. And decide to talk to the younger one of the catkin who is 11 years old and level 6. They are the youngest one of the group not counting the dogkin. And maybe as a fellow catkin things would go smoother.   I slowly walk up to her and say   “Hey..can I ask you something?”   She looks at me with a blank and tired expression and replies.   “What do you want...retard?”   WHA?!?!?!? Okay that started out right away on the wrong side of the road…   “I am not a retard! I am Shiro!” I somehow exclaim despite being extremely tired myself.   I thought the dogkin might be have a thing against catkin, you know the old dog vs cat rivalry. But this is absurd...even a fellow catkin is calling me a retard..what did I do?   “ye...ye...what do you need? I am beat make it quick...” she says.   I want to say a lot of things and get to the bottom of this. But right now the most important thing is getting the information I need to live.   “I was wondering why we were all used as bait while the dogkin were excluded?” I inquire.   * sigh * “...you really are a retard if you don’t know the most basic things. Dogkin start out with a racial of [Smell Sense] at level 3. Which means they are useful for tracking monsters and also for gathering herbs. Since they have value, no one is going to use a dogkin as bait. Especially since Catkin, Foxkin and Bunnykin are faster. So they use us as bait. If you were thinking something stupid like I have [Smell Sense] too so I can do just as good a job. I suggest you give up on it while you are ahead retard, the difference between Level 1 and 3 is huge. Anyways..if you are done...leave me alone...” she responds.   GUH! Again with the retard thing...They don’t even know me and they call me retard...But again I need to control myself and focus on the real questions I want to ask. I can take a few insults if it means staying alive. Since they already thinks very little of me, might as well go for broke and ask “that” question. I have a feeling I’ll regret it but what is the worst that can happen?   “One more question please!...how does one level up without fighting?” I ask quickly.   “...”   As expected… but it was worth a shot …   “...retard” she murmurs.   ...Well if she is not going to answer what I need I might as well get to the bottom of this! It is really irking me!   “Why do you keep calling me retard? What did I ever do to you? Call me by my name Shiro!” I exclaim.   “Isn’t it obvious? You are called a retard because you are a retard! Do I need to spell it out for you?” she responds.   I am really getting nowhere fast...while I was thinking that…   “What is going on back there? If you have the time to talk, move quicker back to base!” shouted the dogkin boy leading the group.   “Sorry Ryo! The retard wanted to know how someone levels up!” she yelled back.   * giggle * * giggle * * giggle * * giggle *   All around me I hear the beastkin trying to suppress their laughter…   Why do I keep jinxing myself...now I am certain everyone thinks I am a retard...I droop my shoulders in utter defeat.   Like this we make it back to base without me getting a proper answer.   But it was not all losses. I did get an answer to one of my most important questions. The fact that the dogkin are not being thrown away as bait is already offering me a way to improve my chance of survival. Of course I am not going to reveal that my [Smell Sense] is level 4. But I can pass it off as level 3 just fine. Maybe I can also get some extra herbs and sell them for money secretly. There is the whole [Order] thing, but I come from a society where everything is behind a legal binding contract. I am sure I can find a loophole given time.   After we arrive to the base and eat “lunch”, if one were to even call that lunch. I decide to put the plan to action. I am going to first try approaching that lead dogkin named Ryo. I know he does not think highly of me but if he says no, there is no loss. But if I piss off that middle aged man, he might use that [Punishment] thing. I instinctively get a cold sweat and shiver in fear.   Alright, begin “Operation: Secure moderate safety”. I walk up to Ryo and say.   “Ryo, I heard if you have [Smell Sense] Level 3. You can do herb gathering and tracking instead of being bait. Is that true?” I inquire.   He frowns and says “What of it?”   “I happen to have [Smell Sense] at Level 3!” I say in a proud voice.   “You don’t say...” he says in monotone pretty much ignoring me.   “You don’t believe me do you?!?! I can prove it if you want!” I exclaim.   * sigh * “Retard, I don’t know who put you up to this….actually...sure have it your way. If you want to gather herbs and act as a tracker all you need to do is see the boss” he replies in with a tired voice which changes mid way to a condescending one..   At that I freeze up for a bit and tremble.   “What’s wrong? I thought this is what you wanted?” he beckons.   I have a really really bad feeling about this…   He grabs my hand and drags me to see the middle age man then throws me there on the floor. The middle aged man is playing cards with his 2 companions and when he notices our presence he asks.   “What’s up Ryo?”   “This retard here says she has [Sense Smell] Level 3 and wants to be a tracker and collect herbs” he replies with a grin.   “Is that so~?” the middle aged man inquires in a playful tone.   I suddenly hear laughter coming from his companions...I really have a bad feeling about this…   “Hmmm...Since we made a killing on the [Hell Boar] subjugation and have some time to kill...why not...play a little game~? It is simple really...tomorrow you can go out with the other dogkin and gather herbs. Gather 15 herbs by end of the day, if not, not only will you starve that day, [Punishment] will be given.” he exclaimed.   I shrivel up at the word [Punishment]...I don’t ever want to feel that terrible pain again...But before that there is something important I need to say. I steel myself and reply.   “B-But...T-the d-dogkin only need t-ten...” with a shaken voice.   He lets out a villainous smile.   “You are a catkin though with a nose of a dogkin right~? So you should be able to gather herbs faster. Or are you saying you lied to your master..if so..then maybe some [Punishment] is in order...” he affirms.   I let out a cold sweat and tremble...this is so unfair! But before I voice out my protest I realize there is nothing I can do about it...I grind my teeth and reply.   “T-That is s-so unf...P-Please d-don’t p-punish me….I-I’ll do as y-you command m-master...I-I’ll gather 15 t-tomorrow..” with a frightened dejected voice.   “Very good!” he laughs “I’ll be looking forward to it. Ryo, tomorrow, show the retard what herbs it needs to look for. And assign another bait to look after them. We don’t want it dying on us while doing something stupid.” he adds.   “As you command boss!” he assents.   He then takes my wrist and drags me away. While we head back to the beastkin holding area, I hear the middle aged man and his companions beginning to bet on how badly they think I will fail…Good thing I didn’t say my [Smell Sense] was at level 4 or they might have said something crazy like “Your smelling is double that of an average dogkin? Then get me 20 herbs”. Then I’d be totally screwed…   Either way, I can’t afford to mess this up...anything but that [Punishment]...I shiver...But this is also an opportunity to get some freedom and find a loophole out!   …

In a few hours, we arrived at a rather large town. It was surrounded by large stone walls and people were lining up at the gate. From the composition of the people, I saw that only about half were humans, while there were quite a lot of dwarves, some elves and yes beastkin.   “Well this is as far as we can bring ya missy. We have to make a report to the higher ups. Just line up by the gates with the rest, unfortunately I can’t help ya skip the line so ya are on ya’r own from here. Since ya have that Adventurers Guild tattoo, ya should have no problem with identification. I’ll be seein’ ya missy and wish ya luck!” said the dwarf as he made his way towards a separate entrance in the walls.   So now, the moment to make a decision has come… do I go inside the city or do I try to make my home in the wilderness?   Hmmm… It wouldn’t hurt to just check things out right? Right? Just a little... I can leave any time…   Seemingly convincing myself, I get to the back of the line and wait. The wait lasted over an hour, which would have normally been pretty boring. But I used [Hearing Sense] to eavesdrop on conversations and see what I could learn. I know eavesdropping is not a good thing, but I am pretty desperate here!   When I reach the entry booth, sitting there seems to be another dwarf.   “Please present ya’r identification” said the dwarf.   To which I comply and show the identification on my Adventurers Guild tattoo. He then writes down some details, then starts staring at me for some reason.   “May I know the purpose of ya’r visit missy?” he inquires.   ...uhmmm...what is the purpose of my visit? Tourism I guess? Since all I want to do is take a peek... Though considering the people standing in line, somehow I have a feeling something like that would sound rather weird...Oh, I know!   “I heard that there is a Blacksmithing Guild in this town and there are selections soon, so I want to join!” I respond.   “Is that so? If it is the Blacksmithing Guild, there is definitely a selection comin’ up the day after tomorrow. Ya can find the guild if ya head down to the center of town, then turn east towards the commercial district. From there, ya can’t miss it” informs the dwarf as he writes something else in his booklet.   Well that would save me the time looking for it, so that’s a plus. As I was about to leave I just remembered something. If the guards are being so helpful why not try to get a bit more info?   “Can I ask if you know a cheap and safe place a person can stay? Also some place where one can gather information?” I inquire.   “Hmmm...if that is what ya want, that would be the Adventurers Guild. As long as ya don’t mind sharin’ a room with a dozen people or so, they have cheap places to stay for adventurers such as ya’rself. Ya can find the adventurers guild in center square.   Similarly, they have a library that adventurers can use, though ya probably knew that being an adventurer and all. So if ya’r lookin’ for more information, try the bookstore which is located at the southern end of the main road” says the dwarf.   Oh yeah! The Adventurers Guild library! I forgot all about that due to it not being accessible to slaves! That is definitely my top priority! I am glad I decided to come here! “Thanks mister!” I happily exclaim as I head towards the Adventurers Guild.   The town seems to be pretty darn large with traffic heading in all directions. It is larger than all the villages I have seen combined and more! As I head for the Adventurers Guild, I curiously look around and take in as much as I can. From the looks of things, I have seen plenty of beastkin walking around, and none of them seem to be used as slaves. Of course looking at them overall, I see they are worse off financially than the other races, but never the less, better than slavery!   Could this mean that I can finally settle somewhere? And then focus on leveling up in a safe manner? The whole thing feels so surreal to me…   With those thoughts, I make it to the Adventurers Guild.   I open the door, and take a look around. The layout is similar to the previous Adventurers Guild, so I can get straight to business. The first thing I do is head to the quest area and look in the Rank G section for the repeatable herb quest. And as expected, it is there as these herbs are rather common and are used in rather important recipes.   Knowing that, I head for the material selling station while taking out the herbs I stored up in [Item Box]. I stored a total of 15 herbs there, 10 of which I plan on selling, and the other 5 I plan on keeping for experimenting with alchemy when I pick that up. I would have normally stored up a lot more herbs, but not only is my [Item Box] rather small, I had to make room for food. At end of the day, considering I planned to escape eventually, not to mention how poorly we were fed, storing food took precedence.   I make my way to the counter and place the herbs there.   “Lets see what we have here, 2 [Dire Milkweed], 3 [Lavender Ginger Roots], 1 [Vile Nightshade], 2 [Black Lobelia], 2 [Violet River Grass]. That comes out to 32 iron and 50 copper coins. Adding the 10 iron coin bonus for the quest completion, that would be a total of 42 iron and 50 copper coins. Can you please place your guild tattoo on the orb?” said the dogkin at the counter.   Now that I think about it, there have been a lot of dogkin in proportion to other beastkin. Is it because a high [Smell Sense] helps improve survival rate when crossing countries?   I place my tattoo on the orb claiming credit for the quest, then take the money given to me, which by the way I am super excited about because this is the first time I actually get to actually keep my income!   With that out of the way, I head upstairs to find the library.   Like in the previous guild, the library was on the 3rd floor. It seems like this is some sort of standard format or something? I open the door to the library and see a few bookshelves. Frankly speaking, it was pretty underwhelming. Regardless, beggars can’t be choosers.   As I enter the library, I end up being stopped by female elf.   “Hello, you seem to be new around here. I am the librarian Kesha, nice to meet you” said the elf.   “Uhm...yes...my name is Shiro, nice to meet you too” I mutter caught a bit off guard.   “Since you are new around here, let me explain the rules. The library is open from 6 o’clock to 21 o’clock.   Taking books in and out of the library is prohibited.   Eating and drinking in the library is prohibited.   You are required to put down a down-payment of 1 silver which acts as insurance in case any books are damaged. You also have to pay 1 iron every day you plan to use the library, which goes towards the maintenance of the library” Kesha notifies.   What?!?! I have to put down 1 silver just to enter the library? That is so messed up! It is like information is being kept away from me on purpose! Next I’d bet by the time I get the 1 silver the library will mysteriously burn down! Guh! Okay...okay...lets not jinx myself and raise any flags...lets first ask some other information.   “How much does it cost to use the sleeping room in the guild and is it possible to put equipment as down-payment for the library if you don’t have 1 silver?” I inquire.   “The cost to use the beds at the Adventurers Guild is 8 iron. And I apologize, but we can not accept equipment as down-payment” Kesha responded.   Well it didn’t hurt to try at least...anyways, I’ll see what to do about the library a bit later. It is definitely important but I need to think a bit of where I stand.   I have a total of 42 iron and 50 copper coins. A bed costs 8 iron coins, food at stalls cost about 1 iron coin based on what I’ve seen coming here. Though it might be cheaper if I go off main street. Assuming I eat 2-3 times a day, it should be 10 iron coins per day. So as it stands, I can only last 4 days. If I sell the herbs I kept for alchemy, I can probably stretch it to 6 days.   So I have 2 options at this point, I can go adventuring out and collect herbs. With my ability I should be able to collect at least 10 - 15 herbs a day. Of course normally I’d be able to collect more, but this being a larger town makes finding herbs a lot more difficult. Though I don’t exactly know the difficulty of the monsters around this area. But 10 – 15 herbs should be doable. So I should earn around 50 iron coins a day give or take. Subtracting living costs, I should be at 40 iron coins per day assuming weather permits of course.   I can also kill monsters via traps from time to time, gaining levels for my race. Of course all this puts a risk to my life regardless how small it is.   The other option is that I can apply to be a disciple for a profession for 2 years. If I apply for that position, I won’t have to worry about food or shelter. I may also be able to extract information from fellow disciples about this world in casual conversations. I could also make a lot of money selling the things I created. And naturally, I would be able to level my [Creationist] class.   While at this point, I probably still make more from my race class per level vs my [Creationist] class in terms of combat. If I can unlock more attributes, and get to level 10 and unlock more skills, the tides would easily switch in favor of [Creationist]. Especially since I can’t level my racial skills myself.   Both options have their ups and downs...wait..wait...thinking about it logically, can’t I do both?   Lets say I become a disciple in the Blacksmithing Guild. I can get access to metal and make both gear and traps to help level my racial class. Normally, a person who joins the guilds spends their entire time leveling up their trade skill. But to someone like me, that is pointless. I only need to make about 5 or so equipment a day to sell, then I can go look for herbs to collect and monsters to kill! The best of both worlds!   Not to mention, if I get high enough [Blacksmithing] level, I can maybe fix that mithril dagger which from both cost perspective or combat perspective would be worth quite a lot.   It is getting a bit late for today, so I should probably retire for the day. And starting tomorrow I’ll go look to see what herbs are available in this area. Then the day after, I’ll go to the monthly selections for the Blacksmithing Guild.   With my mind made up, I head for the 4th floor which according to the sign is where the beds are. I pay the 8 iron coins and enter the room used for sleeping, which is divided by gender.   In the room I see a bunch of makeshift beds all over the place, and 5 dwarves occupying the beds. Besides them I see lots of bags full of equipment.   After studying the dwarves a little, I move to an isolated corner and take a bed there retiring for the day.

The next day, Ryo brought me a rusted knife and a box with multiple herbs in it. In the box contained 5 different plants. I make sure to remember their smell and use my [Identify] on them.     Dire Milkweed A weed that tends to grow next to high traffic areas and grass fields. Often used in the making of low level health potions.   Quality 1/10 Lavender Ginger Roots   A herb that grows next to trees. Often used in the making of low level antidotes.   Quality 1/10 Violet River Grass   A grass that grows by the side and bottom of rivers. Often used in the making of low level mana potions.   Quality 1/10 Vile Nightshade A shrub sometimes found in forests and fields. Often used in the making of low level confusion poison.   Quality 1/10 Black Lobelia A type of flower that grows in forests. Often used in the making of low level paralyzing poisons.   Quality 1/10   Behind Ryo is the oldest of the Foxkin who is standing by. After I confirm that I remember the scents he turns to her and says.   “Take care of the retard and make sure she does not get herself killed. Be sure to be back before dinner.”   “Do I have to?” she asks while looking at me annoyed.   “This is an order from the boss, so make sure you do it properly” he reprimands.   “Yeah..yeah...lets go and get this over with retard.” she responds.   GRRR!   “Why does everyone keep calling me that?!?! My name is Shiro!” I exclaim.   “I don’t really care what your name is. Why do I need to remember someone who is not going to live past the next hunt? Especially when you stand out like a sore thumb. If you manage to live through 10 battles, then I’ll ask for your name. Either way lets go, of course if you want to stand here all day I am fine with that too. The one who is going to get punished is you not me retard” she points out.   Guuuh! I really want to get to the bottom of this but she is right. My neck is on the line here and I can’t afford to waste anymore time. Not only do I need to get 50% more than a dogkin. I am also not familiar with the area. [Identify] helped a bit in knowing where things usually grow, but I have no clue about the geography of this area.   We leave the base and head outside the village into the forest. I first spend an hour making another wooden spear for protection using the rusted knife and then I activate my [Smell Sense] and begin scanning the area. I pick up some scent and begin to move. Like this we walk for half an hour through the forest.   I would have liked to start a conversation to see if I could get some information from the foxkin girl. But [Smell Sense] Level 4 takes up a lot of [Mental], if not for my high [MNT] stat I may not have be able to have it last through the day. And I have a feeling any conversation with her at this point isn’t going to end well for my [Mental].   Surprisingly enough she is the one who starts up a conversation first, of course the contents of the conversation though are not so surprising.   “So how long are you going to sniff pretending to be a dogkin? I have [Smell Sense] level 1 as well and am well aware you are not picking up anything. So why not just give up and accept your punishment?” She asks in a less then pleased voice.   “We are almost there...” I nonchalantly respond.   She rolls her eyes and ends the conversation. After 5 minutes we arrive at our destination. Over there are 2 small [Vile Nightshade] shrubs. On one there are 3 bulbs and on the other there are 2. For a total of 5! I start picking them off and placing them in a bag.   “That was just blind luck!” said the ticked off voice behind me.   I just shrug it off and ignore it, not willing to start a pointless argument. Once I finish collecting, with no help from the foxkin I might add. I continue on in a different direction following my [Smell Sense]. Within 2 hours I mange to collect 2 [Dire Milkweed], 3 [Lavender Ginger Roots] and 1 [Black Lobelia]. I am on a roll! I have already collected 11 within less than 3 hours! Which makes me really happy, contrary to the foxkin following me who seems really irked.   There is still about 10 hours till dinner time. At this rate I may be able to get 15 of them and have extra to spare. Maybe make some money on the side and hide it. The question is I do not know the limits of the [Slave Collar], for all I know it triggers if I try to deceive the master or the like. I need to get some information on that as well.   Regardless, with the foxkin here, I can’t exactly do that anyways. Even if the collar does not have such options. If that middle aged man asks her to tell him what happened, I doubt she wouldn’t be willing to rat me out. It isn’t like I don’t want to trust her and all, despite how she is acting towards me. But I know all too well how terrifying the collar is. So for now I’ll wait till I am allowed to do this alone. Then figure out a loophole in the collar and make money on the side.   As I was thinking that, the foxkin suddenly stopped me.   “Stop! We shouldn’t go any further in this direction. Past this point the probability of a monster showing up increases dramatically. Normally, I don’t care if you go there and get yourself killed, but I am under the orders to make sure you don’t get yourself killed doing something stupid” she exclaims.   I nod and turn to walk in a different direction. With a plan made up, I on purpose start slowing down the rate at which I find the herbs, finding one about every 2 hours. As time goes on, the foxkin girl becomes more and more smug. And randomly says things like “Told you it is beginners luck”. By the time we get 15 it is time to return for dinner. Of course she was not too thrilled about me making the agreed upon quota.   Standing next to the entrance of the base is Ryo who seems to be waiting for us.   “I hope you are not planning on making excuses prior to your punishment” he says.   For the first time since coming here, my face breaks out into a grin. Just imagining the look on his face is going to be epic!   “No excuses! I made my quota just fine!” I say in a proud voice while showing the bag.   He makes a crooked astonished face which by the way I make sure to commit to memory and then he turns to the foxkin.   “She didn’t cheat by stealing them or asking others for help?” he asks in an accusatory tone.   I feel offended…   “No, it was just blind luck!” the foxkin exclaims somewhat ticked.   It’s like everyone hates me or something...what did I do to them?   “Anyways, we will report to the boss, you are dismissed” he says while grabbing me and dragging me to the middle aged man indoors.   You know… I can walk just fine by myself without being dragged there...I am more than capable of doing that on my own..no need to get rough! I ain’t scared of him. Especially now that I met my quota.   We come to the main room where he is again playing cards with his companions.   “Boss, she finally came back” said Ryo.   The middle aged man turns around and stares at me. I shrink back and start trembling…   “So how did it go, was she able to find at least one?” he asks in an amused voice.   “No boss, she managed to somehow get all 15. I asked Kuina if she somehow cheated or something but it was a negative. So she somehow managed to pull it off” replied Ryo.   The middle aged man freezes up for a second trying to process the information and his bemused attitude disappears.   “How is that possible? You ain’t kidding me right?” he inquires for confirmation.   “I don’t know how but it’s right here” Ryo replies while handing over the bag with the herbs.   The middle aged man looks over the bag while pondering something. During this time the woman in the group interjects in the conversation.   “Maybe she is some kind of mutation variant? She might be retarded but started out with high [Smell Sense] skill” she explains.   GUH! STOP CALLING ME RETARDED! I think I use up more [Mental] per day from people calling me that over looking for herbs! That is how pissed off I am at this point! Of course I know better than to actually voice out my complaint here…   “That might be the case...” replied the middle aged man then after pondering for a bit added “Alright. I’ll let you be a tracker and see how you do. You will collect 15 herbs per day. If you fail to do so, there will be [Punishment]... Ryo, tomorrow, take the the herbs to the adventurers guild and sell them, bring the retard along as well and get it registered in the guild. You know the drill. Also, make sure Kuina goes as well to keep an eye on the retard”   “Yes boss!” Ryo responded.   Did he just say adventurers guild?!?! And they are going to register me into the guild?!? While I am totally stunned, this also isn’t the way I imagined to be registered...I mean being registered as a slave...this isn’t how its suppose to be!   Wait! Maybe I have this all backwards and this is the reverse route...where a dashing hero will show up wanting to add me to his harem. Listen to my story, free me from slavery while giving me a legendary weapon and lots of other awesome loot. To which I will go “My Hero!”. Then when we leave town I’ll say “Thanks again! I will always remember the favor! Well then...It’s about time we split ways. I doubt we will ever meet again. K thx bye!~ Sayonara~ Adios~ So long and thanks for all the fish~”... a girl can always dream...   Anyways, back to reality. If I register for the guild I wonder if more options will open up to me...I also hope I don’t trigger the old fight in the guild flag...I definitely don’t stand a chance if that happens...   …

We were woken up the next day at 5 o’clock, at this time everyone begins preparations for the day. I too hesitantly make my way out of bed and head for the smithy.   Prior to breakfast, I manage to smelt 2 more [Copper Ingots], with the best one having a quality score of 3.87. It seems my progress has stalled…   Well...whatever...I head for breakfast which was again broth, though a different type...Do they know anything except for broth over here?!?!   And in such a sour mood, I headed out of the Blacksmithing Guild to the Adventurers Guild...only to be greeted by rain…   Does god hate me or something?!?! Did I do something to them? At this rate, by the time I get 1 silver saved up, the library will really burn down… * sigh *   Giving up yet again, I decide to just smelt copper for the rest of the day...and as expected, someone up there really hates me...Despite the hard and gruesome work due to my lack of strength...after making 8 more copper ingots, the best quality score I managed was only 3.98... Aka, I am stuck!   Should I ask for help? I really don’t want to waste my chance with an Intermediate Discipline on just smelting...Smelting was suppose to be the easy part...so I can imagine I’ll need far more from smithing…Should I ask a fellow Junior Disciple? Or will I just embarrass myself?   While I have not gotten to know anyone yet, not even my roommates, I really don’t want a repeat of last time where they look down on me for not knowing the basics…   Lets give it one more day...maybe I’ll find something in the library as well to help me.   The next morning was a repeat of the prior, where I made 2 [Copper Ingots] in the morning, this time getting a quality score of 3.99. Seems like breaking into 4 is going to be a problem after all...Luckily, this time around after breakfast, the sky was pretty sunny.   So with things finally looking a bit brighter, I walk to the Adventurers Guild. Of course good things can’t last for long, because when I got there, it was flooded with people picking up requests...as one would expect from the morning rush...   I really wanted to ask the receptionist a question about the whole dueling thing. But I guess that will have to wait till later, I don’t want to waste time waiting in line for an hour or 2. Dejectedly giving up, I head out of town towards the forest.   Unfortunately my body is aching like hell from all the strain I put in yesterday, but regardless I press onwards. I can’t afford to take a break just yet.   My goal this time in the forest is simply herb collection, to make enough money to access the library. Of course I also want to see if I can find all the new herbs as well. As for fighting monsters, that will have to wait until I at least get better gear. Taking the situation with the monkey as an example, if I had a helmet, then I wouldn’t have been stun locked to near death.   Speaking of gear! Now that I think about it...there is a third way to get higher strength isn’t there? That would be gear! Unfortunately my mithril dagger is pretty useless despite it giving strength because I need to hold it in my hand to use it. Without that, I do not get the stat bonus, but I can’t hold it because my hands are occupied with either the hammer or maintaining balance.   If I can make or buy equipment that gives [STR] for each part of my body and get a better hammer than the default crappy one provided, which gives nothing. Then I can probably raise my strength enough to be able to make things more efficiently. So after this, I’ll also stop by the nearby equipment shop and see what kind of stats to expect and what kind of prices these things cost as well. It would be good to know market price of equipment anyways when I get promoted.   My trip around the forest netted me a total of 12 herbs for the day. With both my [Sense Smell] and [Sense Presence] there was no exciting and unforeseeable events that happened. If anything, what was unforeseeable was that even after storing the the [Blue Hoya] and [Sleepy Jasmine] in the [Item Box], I still managed to collect a total of 42 iron and 50 copper.   Knowing my luck, I expected to somehow be 50 copper short…   The library is on fire isn’t it? Isn’t it?   Though when I came back to the guild to cash in the quest, to my surprise, the library was not on fire!   After cashing in the quest at the material exchange, I head for the information desk.   “How can we help you?” asked the elf receptionist at the desk.   “Uhm...I was wondering...is there any training grounds where I can get live combat experience? Of course preferably in a safe manner...I am also fine with viewing it from a distance like duels or etc” I inquire.   “If you are looking for something like that, then I would suggest signing up for our training courses” responded the receptionist.   “Training courses?” I question.   “That’s right. Once a week, the Adventurers Guild holds a training course ran by a Rank C adventurer for adventurers below Rank D. The cost of the training is 2 silver per person and lasts for 6 hours. There is a limit of 5 spots per week. The next training course is scheduled in 2 days and we have 2 spots open, are you interested in signing up?” responds the receptionist.   Grr...are you trying to tempt me away from my library?!?!   Do you think you can bend my iron will with 6 hours of stealing a Rank C adventurer’s delicious skills? Oops...I almost started drooling…   Stop for a sec! Lets think logically here, do I really need to chose one or the other? Isn’t there another option?   Frankly speaking, the cost of the library is not 1 silver coin, but 1 iron coin. I only need 1 silver as a deposit. Which should mean I can withdraw my deposit after I am done with the library? While there are many things I want to research in the library, the things that I need immediately could probably be done in 1 day. After I do the training, I could eventually save up another silver coin.   The bigger issue is timing, if I want to spend the entire tomorrow in the library. That leaves me with no time to get the remaining 96 iron and 50 copper coins. Even without the library, getting that much around these parts would be tricky…   If only I had something I could sell...there is no way I am selling the mithril dagger at this point...There is the mantle, but I have a use for it ...If only I brought some monster parts from those that were killed...wait a sec! I did bring a few monster parts didn’t I?!   I check my [Item Box] and yes, they are there! [Woodland Ant Legs]! How could I forget?!?!   “Yes, I’ll be interested. But can you give me a bit of time to put together the money?” I plead.   “Sure, no problem. I am here when you are ready” replied the receptionist.   I head straight for the material exchange again and take out the 6 [Woodland Ant Legs] that I stashed away. Each leg sold for 32 iron coins, netting me a total of 1 silver and 92 iron coins. And I also sold the [Sleeping Jasmine] and [Blue Hoya] that I stored for 10 iron coins. Giving me a total of 3 silver, 7 iron and 50 copper coins.   Somehow I have a feeling all the mental exercises I have been doing for the past few days have been for naught… Is this where that saying of “If you mind it you lose” comes in?   Anyways, I signed up for the training and put a down-payment for the library, with those two things out of the way, I head back to the commercial district.   Before I enter the Blacksmithing Guild, I do a bit of window shopping and look at the prices of equipment. Particularly, armor that increases [STR].   Looking at the armors though, I came to another realization of a slight problem...SIZE! Looking at all the combat equipment in the shops, they were simply too big for me!   So it seems unless I make it myself, the only options to buy are belts and weapons. Looking at the belts, I saw the following which gave [STR]:   Horned Rabit Leather Belt of Strength An average belt made out of horned rabbit leather   +1 STR +2 DEF Durability: 20/20Quality 5.12/10.00   Price: 1 silver coins Copper-Plated Leather Belt of Strength   An average belt made out of dire fox leather and plated with copper   +1 STR +12 DEF Durability: 50/50 Quality 5.31/10.00   Price: 5 silver coins Bronze-Plated Leather Belt of Living Strength   An average belt made out of dire wolf leather and plated with bronze   +3 STR +2 VIT +25 DEF Durability: 100/100 Quality 5.48/10.00   Price: 27 silver coins Iron-Plated Leather Belt of Strength   An average belt made out of dread wolf leather and plated with iron   +8 STR +2 VIT +50 DEF Durability: 200/200 Quality 5.26/10.00   Price: 1 gold 10 silver coins Steel-Plated Leather Belt of Strength   An average belt made out of dusk boar leather and plated with steel   +15 STR +4 VIT +1 AGI +100 DEF Durability: 500/500 Quality 5.17/10.00   Price: 5 gold 25 silver   While many thoughts go through my head at how expensive the equipment is to how nice those stats look...I end up at one remaining thought...If [Steel-Plated Leather Belt] goes for over 5 gold, how much would my 2 metal tiers above [Ancient Mithril Dagger] go for if repaired?   I definitely need to level my Blacksmithing...But in terms of purchasing, the first thing I probably need is a better hammer...In terms of affordability, only these 2 fit the bill:     Copper Blacksmithing Hammer   An average blacksmithing hammer made out of copper   +3 STR -3 AGI +1 ATK+1% improvement for Blacksmithing Durability: 250/250 Quality 5.03/10.00   Price: 2 silver coins Bronze Blacksmithing Hammer   An average blacksmithing hammer made out of bronze   +13 STR +2 DEX -15 AGI +2 ATK +3% improvement for Blacksmithing Durability: 500/500 Quality 5.25/10.00   Price: 10 silver coins     So next thing I should probably do is save up for the blacksmithing hammers…or maybe attempt at making one myself?   With that thought in mind, I make my way to the Blacksmithing Guild for dinner, then head to bed right after.  

Today has been-ith a great bounty!   Thine-self and thine brethren have gloriously vanquished our foes and attained provisions.   As we approach-ith our most sacred of dwellings, I seethe a most vile scene!   My brozza from another mozza has been-th viciously stabbed to death by the most vicious of creatures! My brozza who wouldn’t even hurt-ith a fly was murdered-th ruthlessly and cowardly! Blast the monster! Me and my brethren shall embark-th on a righteous holy crusade to seek-th retribution against the vile creature!   We surround-th the vilest of creatures and bare-th our mighty weapons against its vile horrid presence.   My most bravest of the brethren rushes-th to put and end to this vile creature, with a righteous and valiant charge!   But the vile cowardly creature fleas-th and assaults-th thee ozzer brozza in the most cowardly of ways! What cowardliness!   While injuring my honored brother, he courageously attacks-th back at the vile cowardly monster, only for the cowardly vile creature to avoids-th his righteous glorious blow and like a coward the vile creature claws-th into his belly. How vicious this vile creature is!   But this vicious cowardly vile creature was not satisfied-th just yet! It hopped-th on my brozza and tore-th through his neck unjustly killing-th my brozza! Has thee no mercy?!?! This vicious vile creature’s transgressions can not stand-th!   And I stand-th for it no longer! Thine honored self charges at the cowardly vicious vile creature and injure its arm, only for the cowardly vile creature to flee-th yet again, assaulting-th another of my brethren! What cowardliness!   And like that, another of my honored and courageous brethren fell-th, as the vicious cowardly vile creature shred-th through his eyes! Does thy viciousness and cowardliness know no bounds-th vile creature?   While Thine was shocked-th by the overall hatefulness of the creature, one of my honored brethren attempted-th to vanquish its evil presence. But the vicious vile creature quickly countered-th and my honored righteous brozza only managed to knock-th the vile creature over!   My honorary righteous brozza attempts-th to finish off the hateful creature only for the cowardly creature to exploit-th him and cowardly attack him in the eye!   Thine could take-th it no longer and I assaulted the vicious creature pushing-th it down, only for it again to cowardly escape-th and murdering-th yet another of my brethren in the most cowardly of ways!   The vicious cowardly hateful vile creature then charges straight at me and assaults-th me in my eye and flings me into my last remaining brethren.     You have taken 329 damage. You are critically injured and severely bleeding   When I come-th to barely standing up, I notice the vicious cowardly hateful vile creature has ended the last of my brethren! And my glorious self has been-th critically injured!   But gods have-th mercy! The vicious cowardly hateful vile creature has collapsed-th on the floor and is unable to move! I move towards the hateful evil creature and with the last-th of my glorious strength, I prepare-th the final blow to end this monstrosity! Thine has avenged you my brethren! Even if thine shall join-th you and my ancestors in Valhalla, thine will take-th thee vile creature with me! Or so I swear-th in the name of Von Zon Allon Don Ron Zekaron Shon van Dan Jen Mellaren the 32nd Junior Of Vaizaron! As I move-th my glorious righteous hand to finish it off!     You have died due to excessive bleeding.   …   [Non-Canon]   “So you wish to enter Valhalla based on the glorious battle you have fought?” said the mighty existence standing before thine.   “But of course! Tis was a glorious battle of valor!” Thine affirms in confidence.   “Let us see here … * click * click * click * … According to our records, you and 5 of your brothers... surrounded and mercilessly attacked a level 1 little girl?” the mighty existence inquired while frowning his brow.   “But tis was vile and vicious!” Thine insisted!   “You don’t say...” the mighty existence replied in a dismissive voice.   “Next applicant!” he then shouted. lnv With this, Volume 1 is done, Volume 2 next.

The next day, we got back up and were forced to again carry the heavy materials and the baggage. Since everyone here was under [Order], they didn’t even bother doing the material count. Of course it was possible that these materials only had moderate value so the middle aged man did not care much about it, and the expensive materials were carried by Ryo. Either way, I managed to sneak a few pieces into my [Item Box] when I was 1000% sure no one would see. I don’t work for free you know... Even with lightening my load a bit, it still was rather heavy due to carrying both the materials and baggage.   After a grueling 10 hours of walking, we ended up coming to a small village. It was about maybe a third the size of Diara Village? There was no adventurers guild here, but luckily there were shops here where we could sell the materials. Which definitely helped with lightening our loads.   I was hoping on picking up some sort of merchant skill when we were in the market, but unfortunately there was no luck. Were they not using any skills? Or did I just have bad luck? Speaking of odd things though, I did not get a skill for horse riding either when I saw the middle aged man and others riding a horse...strange...   When we started going for the Inn though, I noticed a shop by the side with a man sitting smashing a hammer against a metal object on an anvil. And to my delight...     You have acquired a new skill [NP][Blacksmithing] Level 1   Unfortunately I could not stand there for 5 minutes and see if I could get any more levels, so I had to move on. Maybe if I get another chance to pass by I would find out.   When we arrived to the Inn, the middle age man bought himself a room, and a few spots in the stables. One spot for the horse, and the others for us. Either the middle aged man is being cheap, or Inns around here don’t even allow us access. Which would really make things difficult when I plan to go on my own.   Prior to going to sleep, Ryo gave a bit of a heads up on where exactly we are going and why. There have been some strange sightings and monster attacks between this village and the next village over. Our job is to investigate the forest between the two villages. Considering the distance between the two villages, there is a large area to explore. So this will be our last chance to sleep under a roof for a long while.   Since this was a special request, it was hard for the middle aged man to turn it down. And since he was on his way here anyways, he decided to get the [Woodland Ant Queen] nearby.   The nature of the investigation it seems is due to the large amount of monsters that have been attacking both villages. The villages previously sent some lower level adventurers but they never heard back from them again.   That does sound quite worrying and makes me wonder on what I should do. These kind of vague investigations rarely end well based on my knowledge. But then I probably shouldn’t conflate literature knowledge with real life ones ha? I don’t think anything could kill that middle aged man, but him using us as bait when it gets dicey is something he most definitely could do. I saw it first hand with the [Woodland Ants] subjection where he had me distract those ants despite me not being bait anymore.   But on the other hand, there is plenty of advantages here as well. The most obvious advantage is that if we plan on staying in the wilderness for a while, that means fighting a lot of different monsters. And if it is anything as fruitful as the [Woodland Ant] subjugation, I can get both skills and levels with minimum risk. If it gets to a point where he uses the beastkin as bait and runs, I can just run away as well. With my [Sprint] at Level 2, I can probably get away pretty fast, add to it [Charge] and [Jump] and I have a pretty solid escape arsenal.   As the saying goes, the greater the risk, the greater the reward? But then lets look at it another way, if I do run away now, where would I go? If I try to go to a village, they will try to enslave me again. This time there would be no guarantee that the [Slave Collar] would be defective. If I go to the forest, I risk being attacked by monsters, especially when I am sleeping. So it isn’t really a choice between going to the wilderness or not, but to be exact. Going into the wilderness with strong protection or going there without protection.   Not to mention, the party sent before consisted of Rank F adventurers. In comparison, the middle aged man is a upper tier Rank C adventurer. The difference in strength is worlds apart. It would be safe to say the middle aged man has more levels than the entire Rank F party combined.   To put it in some context, the [Woodland Ant Workers] were Rank E monsters. He slaughtered 10 of them in less than 2 minutes. Considering from what I heard prior, he is one of the strongest adventurers in this region, along side his companions. There isn’t a safer spot I can think of to farm levels and skills.   When things are put simply like that, I have no choice but to follow…   .   The next day, we left at around mid-day due to the middle aged man stepping out for last minute supplies. Unfortunately, I was not brought along so I could not get some more of that sweet blacksmithing skill. Blacksmithing is the production skill I am the most excited about because it may allow me to repair the dagger. One can only imagine how powerful that mithril dagger would be once it is fully repaired. But as expected, Level 1 blacksmithing is nowhere enough to repair something made out of mithril. I tried to take a look at it while everyone was sleeping just in case and couldn’t figure out anything at all. There is also a possibility that there is another skill that is necessary for repairing other than blacksmithing. So I am out of luck for the time being.   Contrary to how we came to this village by road, this time around we traveled exclusively by forest. Probably as part of the investigation. Which made traveling a bit slower and harder. Though on the bright side, the trackers including me got far less luggage to carry. Since our assignment is to look for monsters. The initial goal is to complete our [Smell Sense] and become familiar with the local monster scents. Once that is done, we will search for the source of the anomaly.   Personally, I couldn’t be happier than going on a find monster skill hunt… err.. I mean smell hunt… Of course Kuina and the other non-dogkin are less then pleased about the development due to being forced to carry about 50% more baggage. Taking a quick glance at her, I notice she is already glaring daggers at me… It is not like I am the one who came up with this idea… If you have a problem, take it up with the middle aged man ok? She is most definitely a tsundere! No doubt about it…   Though the trackers also have another job as we move along, pick up any herbs we see. Apparently the middle aged man is pretty stingy and does not want to give up the herb revenue while we are passing by.   We travel for about an hour and do not come across any monsters so far. Which is pretty normal, all things considering. Only after 2 hours did we finally pick up some scents. To be more accurate 3 scents. We first target one of the scents, which seems to be a mammal scent and head towards it.   It took us about 30 minutes to reach where the scent originated from, and standing there next to a tree is a weird looking beaver. According to [Identify] it is a [Terranian Beaver]. It does not take long for the beaver to notice our rather large group and start running for us.   I simply can’t wait to see what skills I’ll get!   In response, the middle aged man takes out a dagger, and flings it at the [Terranian Beaver] killing it instantly.     You have acquired a new skill [NA][Throw] Level 1   Okay… I did not see that one coming… I do appreciate the [Throw] skill despite me already having the racial one as I can combine the two. The bigger issue is that I did not think of a possible downside to being protected by someone who is “too strong”. The fact that the monsters don’t even get a chance to use their skills! If he just kills them too fast, I am out of luck…   With that sad realization, we head for the next scent which seems to be some sort of reptile?   It takes us about an hour to reach it due to some detours we needed to take due to crossing a river and etc. But we finally arrived where the reptile monster should be. The scent of the monster seems to be coming from the tree. But we see nothing hiding on top of the tree or next to it. Is the tree some kind of reptilian monster? It looks like a normal tree to me...   Obviously though we keep our distance from it, just because we can’t identify it does not mean we should carelessly go into its attack range. Though if the middle aged man gets impatient, he might just send one of the beastkin he uses as bait to check it out.   To have a better view, I activate [All-Observing-Eyes]. With my improved vision, I look around the tree carefully and notice something. I keep staring at the anomaly for a good half a minute and what I have been waiting for appeared.     You have acquired a new skill [RA][Blend Stealth] Level 1   Yey! My survival skills are going up! But as always, fate will never let me have my 5 minutes as the middle aged man begins to get irritated. Since I am not going to get another skill level from it now, might as well as make the best of it… I take a rock and combining by two [Throw] skills, I throw it at the [Terranian Iguana] which blended in rather perfectly with the tree. The [RA][Throw] is weaker than [NA][Throw] but allows for more control, since I am a good distance away I make sure [RA][Throw] is focused on accuracy over more damage. While [NA][Throw] will do most of the damage, in this way I combine the two skills.     You have dealt 34 damage to the [Terranian Iguana] !     Since [Blend Stealth] requires a target to be perfectly still, it quickly gets thrown out of stealth on impact. Once spotted, the pissed middle aged man charges forward and with a strong motion impales the [Terranian Iguana] to death.     You have acquired a new skill [NA][Impale] Level 1   Ooh! Nice, yet another skill! The skill fest continues!   Unfortunately the 3rd smell is all too familiar with me, it was a [Giant Rat]. So there was no skills for me to gain there. The middle aged man again killed it by throwing a dagger, and unfortunately [Throw] skill did not seem to rise.   We continued for about 3 hours through the forest and did not find any other new scents while avoiding monsters. Afterwards, the middle aged man ordered that we set up camp. It was somewhat early to do that, but we found a rather safe area and wanted to take advantage of it. So with that we retired for the day.  

“Yup, today is a good day to die...I am totally screwed...”     Level up! Enlightened Creature: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX   “…I finally leveled up but does not change the fact that I am screwed...”     System Announcement!You have killed a monster that is stronger than you and leveled up after killing it...condition metYou have killed a monster that is stronger than you with less than 10% HP remaining...condition met You have ended up in a situation that has less than 0.01% chance of survival...condition met   “No gee sherlock…no need to rub it in my face how screwed I am!...Putting a number on it doesn’t make me feel any better either!”   As I was remarking about the system spelling out my death sentence...the [Giant Rats] got closer and closer and began to surround me...     System Announcement! Enough conditions have been met, the system will now attempt to analyze your entire being. And will attempt to generate a Unique Skill to reward your achievement. There is no guarantee that a Unique Skill will be generated and is solely depended on analyzing your entire existence as a whole.   A Unique Skill is both a blessing and a curse. When one accomplishes an achievement but at same time is put in a scenario with near 0 chance of survival. The system allows the being to value their entire existence and pay an eternal price of their future potential for the slim chance to turn things around.   Generating Unique Skill...Please wait...     “…”   At this point I stare blankly at the window and not sure if I should feel happy or feel worse like salt is being poured on my wound...It is like its trying to give me a shred of hope only to disappoint me in the end...     System Announcement!Your existence has been evaluated and has been found qualified to receive a Unique Skill.   You have gained a new Unique Skill [All-Observing-Eyes]   1. Passive – You are now capable of learning all skills regardless of race or qualifications. With the exception of Unique Skills. Any Unique Skill that is learned will be turn into a [Neutral] degraded version called a [Special Skill]   2. Passive – You are now able to learn and improve your skills just by observing them being used on valid targets. The probability of learning a skill increases depending on how many times you have seen it during your entire lifetime. The probability decreases depending on the difficulty of the skill which vary from levels to other qualifiers such as racial requirements and etc.   3. Active – You can awaken the [All-Observing-Eyes], when the eyes are awakened, you are able to see all weak points, you are also able to predict moves of your opponents based on your lifetime knowledge of the creature attacking. Probability of skill acquisition doubles. Your perception of time is also distorted and you are able to perceive time 100% + [MNT] slower. Your vision is improved by 300%. For every minute you activate this skill, after the skill is deactivated you will lose 20% (-1% for every 100 MNT) of your total [Mental] and your vision will decrease by 10% for 24 hours. [Overload] When this ability is overloaded, you use up 5 minutes worth of the skill in just 1 minute. Effects of the skill is doubled and all stats are raised by 20%. Once the ability expires, maximums of all your stats are reduced by 50% for 48 hours.   4. Sub-skill – You are able to now use [Identify] Level 5   5. Passive – You are now unable to learn skill books, receive heritages through normal means or train skills normally.     And here I was hoping for immortality...Oh well, if I am going to die I am going to take these giant rodents down with me at the very least…I put my free attribute point in [AGI] which will probably benefit me the most in this fight and scream:   “[All-Obeserving-Eyes]! [Overload]!”   And with that time slows down by 242%. My stats rise dramatically and my vision sharpens so that I can see even the smallest motions. The first to attack is the giant rat from the front, it rushes me at a rather fast speed which I barely dodge even with my improved perception and speed.       You have acquired a new skill [RA][Charge] Level 1     Noticing the notification, I quickly activate the [Charge] skill aimed at the second [Giant Rat] behind the first to gain some distance. With my Charge I am my dagger barely manage to stab it in the right eye. Unfortunately the attack was not as solid as the first rat I hit despite the improved stats but still did decent damage.     You have dealt 67 damage to the [Giant Rat]!   The [Giant Rat] in retaliation took its left paw and began to swipe it at me at a fast speed which I managed to quickly move out by a hair’s breath and spin around.     You have acquired a new skill [RA][Claw Swipe] Level 1   Taking this opportunity I use my left hand and [Claw Swipe] the rodent’s soft underbelly.     [Critical Hit] You have dealt 112 damage to the [Giant Rat]!   As the rat flips over I spin around and then quickly land on the rat stabbing the rat downwards right in the weak spot of the neck!     [Critical Hit] You have dealt 165 damage to the [Giant Rat]!   With that the first out of the five rats died. Feeling a slight sense of relief I let my guard down only to notice another rat charging at me. I quickly try to dodge and activate charge to attack another rat in the back like I did the first. Unfortunately due to my carelessness the rat that attacked me slightly grazed my arm.     You have taken 8 damage.   While lowering my guard is definitely a death flag, my biggest concern though is my dropping Stamina consumption. While Racial skills tend to be weaker than normal skills and have lower Stamina consumption as well. That does not mean they are free. Another benefit of Racial skills is you can override cooldowns which can be seen on how quickly I just used [Charge] a second time which normally would not be possible. The downside is that Stamina consumption increases exponentially. Which is why I need to make each hit count! During my charge I position my second hand on the dagger and carefully aim at the weak spot shown to me by the [All-Observing-Eye]. I put all my weight into it and stab the rat right in the eye at the perfect angle that the dagger goes right into its brain.     [Critical Hit] You have dealt 320 damage to the [Giant Rat]!   Level up! Enlightened Creature: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX   While the level up and 1 hit kill was certainly very welcome. My dagger getting stuck in the skull was certainly not! This opening caused me to be jumped on by a rat from the side. I quickly activate [Claw Swipe] with my other arm, hitting the rat on its chest but unfortunately that did not prevent the rat from knocking me over and landing on top of my thigh. Luckily that was enough for me to pull out the dagger and to prevent it from landing another bite on top of me. Despite that, the impact still managed to damage me by 15 points. In return, my [Claw Swipe] did five times that at 75 damage!   Obviously this situation would not last for long as the [Giant Rat] prepared to do its own [Claw Swipe]. But I wasn’t just sitting there doing nothing either as I was already swinging the blade right into its eye! While that was not enough to kill the Rodent or even deliver a critical hit. It was enough to push the rat to the side and get up.   Right at that moment to my surprise a rat charged me from the back pushing me towards the floor. Having a [Giant Rat] jump you from the back is worst case scenario! As it would leave me completely defenseless. Noticing that there is another [Giant Rat] a bit to the front, I brace the timing and activate [Charge]. At this point I have long surpassed my limits and my Stamina is almost drained completely. If not for the level up, I would not be able to use any more skills. So I’ll have to make the last one count.   As I charge the [Giant Rat] I again aim for its eye as I did with the previous rats. With the added push of the rat from behind I charge at faster speed than normal going for a heavier impact.     [Critical Hit] You have dealt 255 damage to the [Giant Rat]!     While this may seem like a good amount of damage at first, it is not so great for me. I need to save the last skill for charging the healthy rat from behind. If I don’t do that I don’t stand a chance. And I can’t afford to waste Stamina on a [Claw Swipe] to finish this one off. Which means I have to take a very risky move that might be the end of me. I duck to the ground and do a flip, after the flip I activate [Charge] and rush the last remaining healthy rat, fully expecting a [Claw Swipe] from behind.   To my surprise, it does not come. As always I ain’t gonna complain if it is to my favor. For this charge I go about things a bit differently and lift both my feet off the ground in a charge. My aim here was to not only stab the healthy [Giant Rat] in the eye but also to kick it backwards so it knocks into the other rat behind it. This is where my [LUK] stat must be shinning because not only did I succeed in operation “Bowling Rat” pushing the rat to trip the ray behind it while it rolled. I also got a very hit in despite focusing less on aiming this time around.     [Critical Hit] You have dealt 329 damage to the [Giant Rat]! You have dealt 10 damage to the [Giant Rat]!     At this point my [Stamina] has already hit near zero. I can’t do any more skills or move around too much. My only hope is to kill this rat under my feat and hopefully it will be enough for a level up. I tighten the hold on the grip with both hands and stab down into the eye of the rat who tumbled below my feet. I put all my concentration to insure I land a good blow.     [Critical Hit] You have dealt 276 damage to the [Giant Rat]!   I barely manage to do enough damage to kill it. That brings three rats down, two injured rats to go. Since the remaining two rats are a decent amount away from me I use this slight second to access the situation. Things are not looking good as I only have 10 seconds left on my [All-Obeserving-Eyes] [Overload]. And I do not have the [Stamina] to use any skills. I look at the rat to the side that I thought would [Claw Swipe] me from the back. Only to realize it is already dead.   Ha? When did I kill it I only did 255 damage? Wait... maybe it was lower level than the rest? That would make sense considering that rat was mostly staying to the back. Talk about luck! Maybe things are finally going my way! One more left! I take a look at the last rat who is getting up and glaring at me and slowly take a step forward to shorten the distance…   Suddenly my foot gives out and I fall to the floor...   You have taken 5 damage.   I try to get up but can’t move a muscle. I quickly check my Status only to realize my [Stamina] has hit 0. I can’t move a muscle. I look forward and see the rat limping toward me. It seems to have somehow injured its foot. But slowly and steadily the [Giant Rat] moves closer and closer to me. Within a few seconds he stands towering next to me and ready to [Claw Swipe] me to death.   “So this is how it end ha...at least I gave it my all and took four of you out with me...”   As I prepare to take in my ever coming death. My [All-Obeserving-Eyes] [Overload] comes to an end and I blackout…

My name is Shiro, I got this weird name from my parents who are just infatuated with Japanese culture. They say they named me after the snow that fell the day I was born. I also have a white cat who so happens to have the name of Shiro. What are the odds? Considering the cat is older than me by a year, I often wonder with their terrible naming sense if they named me after a cat. Of course they franticly insist that I was named after the pure white snow on that day and by no means after a cat. I mean they do realize that we live in the age of the Internet right? I can freakin’ check what the weather was like 12 years ago! And guess what?! There was no snow that entire December at all!   Of course good luck bringing that up to them, because the moment I do they always end up in a hurry or busy! Now that is not to say they aren’t busy or in a hurry to go places though, you see my parents are unfortunately rarely home. They travel around from place to place for their jobs. Which often led me to transfer from place to place. Recently though they decided since I got a bit older, it is best if I make some actual friends. So they decided to buy a house near Yellowstone and leave me with a babysitter. Personally I am kind of upset about the whole thing. My dream is to travel around the entire world and have an awesome adventure! Who wants a boring life sitting in one place their entire life? Men were born for adventure!   For better or for worse the babysitter they got is fairly lazy, more so than that lazy cat who wouldn’t even lift a paw if a mouse is literally right in front of him! I mean talk about lazy! The babysitter as well just comes over and mostly lies down and relaxes all day leaving me to my own devices. I could probably blow up the house and they wouldn’t care. Which kind of makes me feel a bit dejected. But there are perks because I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want without being hounded day and night like some of my friends. Of course when I say “friends”, I use the term loosely, for you see despite my current enthusiasm I am generally pretty timid around others. Not to mention I am a bit tomboyish, so I have little in common with the girls in my class. Most of them see me as a bit “weird”. So while I do have “friends” which I hang out from time to time, it is more in tune with friendly acquaintances.   While I would like to have some true friends, I know it is kind of hard for a person like me. My timid outwards personality aside, my dream of traveling around the world on an adventure kind of makes finding actual friends who are willing to travel with me rather scarce. Despite my classmates being children of the age of around 12 like me, they consider my dream to go on an adventure “childish and unrealistic”. I have a hard time imagining what kind of childhoods these people had... *sigh*   Speaking of adventure, I am right now on a mini-adventure. It is now the middle of the night and I snuck out of the house. Of course when I say snuck out, I actually mean walked out the front door. And as expected the babysitter showed zero care! Talk about irresponsible...Seriously! Either way I am in a really really good mood today, because today will be an experience of a lifetime! A large meteor shower is going to take place in a short while. This meteor shower is going to directly hit Earth to boot! Of course the composition of the meteors is made out of ice, so there is no real risk of any sort of extinction event you see in the movies. *lol*   I brought my portable telescope along and know just the spot in the park for best viewing away from the crowds. When the first one falls, I am going to wish for a life of adventure! I can’t wait!   [2 hours later]   Alright! Telescope is fully set up and the meteor shower should begin any minute now! Ooooh! I see it, I see it! Awesome! They are entering the atmosphere and are burning up! ...So cool!   Wait...what is this?! They are not burning up at all, what the heck? They should be made of ice and burn up quickly but it does not seem that way, what in the world is going on?!   * rumble * * rumble * * rumble *   The ground is shaking...oh sh*t one is coming right this way!!!!! OMG! OMG OMG! I don’t want to die! Please god don’t let me die, please, please I’ll do anything! I am too young to die! Argh! I still have a lot of things I want to do! I still have things I want to tell my parents! Is the cat going to be fed properly without me? Argh! What the hell am I thinking, Do I really want my last dying words to be worrying about a cat?!   I really want to go on an adventure…   *BOOM*   ….   …   ...   So..cold…   … Where am I? ...     … Who am I? ...     … What am I? ...     … What is an I? ...   ….   … What are these questions? ...     … What is the concept of a question? …     … Concept? …   … What? …   … Is? … … Language? …   … ↈↇꜯⱹⅬⱢʤʣʊʆʘᴥʯʕɯɫɥȾȬȪↂↁ …   ….   ….       “Breaking news!”   “The meteors that were thought to be made out of ice were actually made out of some kind of crystalline structure!”   “These meteors are not breaking up in the atmosphere as first envisioned and are causing serious damage throughout the world! Authorities are urging citizens not to panic and to stay indoor or go to the local bomb shelter if available. This is not a drill, I repeat this is not a drill!”   “We will have further news as soon as...whats that? Hmmm...SERIOUSLY?!?!”   “Viewers, it saddens me to inform you all that an unprecedented situation has occurred. Due to the meteors high energy density, it seems to have obscured radio telescopes around the world. I regret to inform you all...that..that a giant asteroid is following right behind the meteor shower. And is scheduled to impact Earth within an hour… May god show mercy... ”   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- . ….   ...   Congratulations!   You have awakened as a Level 1 - Dungeon Core     …   Must expand...Must protect…Must summon monsters...Must cultivate DP...processing…   …   …………………………….   …   … 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 DP…     System Error!   System is in danger of crashing!   Utilizing all available means to mitigate the anomaly..   Isolating area outside system for containment...     … Mana …   ...   … Adventure … Cat ...     Anomaly has been neutralized. System has been rebooted.   …     “Ugh… My head hurts… what happened?! I remember there was a meteor..then I had some important job to do? … then a chalic... ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”   * collapse *   …

When I wake up the next day, I do my usual routine of making 2 [Copper Ingots], and have breakfast. With that done, I head straight for the Adventurers Guild’s library.   Paying the 1 iron coin entry fee, I finally feel a sense of relief that I would finally be able to get information about this world! Now before I start reading, my first order of business is to take a look around and see what they have, this way I can use my time efficiently.   Looking around, as I kind of expected, there was not much variety of books in this small library. And obviously they wouldn’t have something as convenient as “Common Sense For Dummies” ha…   Putting my disappointment aside, now that I get the gist of what information I can access, I proceed with taking my first few books. The topic in question is geography and history. Spending about an 5 hours skimming through the books. I learned that there are 5 continents in this world, the books did not cover much about the other continents other than their names and some general information. For example, the beastkin originate from [Watchamacallit Continent]...I mean seriously what an odd name for a continent…   Other then the basic information about the continents, they had a bit more detail about the continent I am currently on, [Adaress Continent]. It seems this continent has a whopping 87 countries on it. Though most of these countries are rather small.   Out of these 87, there are 4 countries which are much larger than the rest. These countries are also the most powerful countries. In order of strength, Hyfa Empire, Avian Kingdom, Zarion Empire and Shargon Kingdom.   Right now, I am in the Avian Kingdom and the country I came from seems to be the Hyfa Empire. These two powerhouses seem to share the center of the continent, while Zarion Empire occupies the north, and Shargon Kingdom aka the dwarf kingdom occupies the south.   Another important information is while the Avian Kingdom is considered the 2nd strongest country, its situation is a bit unique. Apparently, this country is protected by a deity called the Dragon God, who lives in the Sacred Mountains in this kingdom. In the almost 2000 years this kingdom has existed, it has won and lost many wars, but it has never been the one attacked due to the protection of the Dragon God. So without worrying about defense, it allowed this country to gain a lot of wealth.   The information also confirmed that the slavery of beastkin was banned in this country, but is common in other countries. The books also had a few vague maps of this country, which I did my best to memorize.   I tried to see if there was any information about skills, production, magic and the like, but unfortunately most of that was rather vague. At best it just tells you this skill exists or what to look out for and etc. It also has basic info on what consumables and items to pack when traveling. After jotting some of it down in my mind, I moved to the next step of looking up information about monsters.   In particularly, my interest was about monsters in this area. And as expected, there was a journal documenting the basic information I was looking for.   The surroundings of the city of Hallion has 3 points of interest. The first point that I have seen is the forest. In it are 3 dominant monsters. [Forest Goblin] which ranges from level 9 to level 12 for the scouts, and level 10 to 16 for the warriors. While other stronger Goblins to exist, they are mostly remain in their villages located somewhere deeper in the forest and rarely come close to this town.   Then there are [Dire Wolves] which range from level 8 to 15. I never got around to seeing the [Red Wolves] back in Diara village, but maybe because I was looking for solo monsters and these travel mostly in packs.   Lastly there are [Dire Foxes] which range from level 5 to 10.   The next point of interest is the Hallion Mines located to the north. This seems to be where most of the ores come from, and most likely where the [Cave Moss] is located. The mines themselves seem to be pretty huge and lead deep into the mountains. Some of the mines are infested with [Kobolds], with scouts going from level 11 to level 15. Throughout the mountains there is also the danger of [Saber Mountain Lions]. While encountering one is rather rare, the reports say their levels range from around 45 – 55, making them Rank D to C monsters.   Finally, the last point of interest is the plains to the south. Monsters there include [Ravenous Coyotes] which go from level 10 to 13, [Horned Rabbits] which range from level 4 to level 9. And lastly, [Venomous Rattlesnakes] which range from level 6 to level 8.   Now that I know the composition of the nearby monsters, there are a few I should be able to hunt safely, especially if I get some equipment.   I also took a look at information about these monsters, from some of their skills to which parts can be sold. Other then that, I also looked around for information about less common monsters not to get any surprises. I even took general note of monsters from nearby towns just in case.   From there, I moved on to reading about all kinds of classes, both combat and non-combat. There wasn’t much information other then a few general things, but regardless it had a lot of useful information that I was looking for.   Once I was done compiling this information, already 10 hours had passed since coming here. This leaves me with only about 2 hours till I have to head back for dinner.   The final thing I took a look at is information about religion. The last thing I want to do is offend some religion and end up being hanged as a heretic. Unfortunately, due to the small size of the library and most of the books being tailored to adventures, the information was very sparse. Regardless I barely managed to piece some of it together.   The biggest religion in the world seems to be something called [Hell’s Dungeon]. Though some insist on calling it [Divine Dungeon] and the like. Interestingly enough, there are actually 2 religions concerning [Hell’s Dungeon]. The first religion sees the Dungeon as some sort of pathway to the gods. So when a person is about to die, or already died, they are lowered to [Hell’s Dungeon] to meet the gods. Some warriors even see it as an honor to die challenging [Hell’s Dungeon].   The other religion also worships [Hell’s Dungeon], but in a different way. They also see [Hell’s Dungeon] as a holy place, but in a different way. Instead, criminals and war prisoners are sent into the dungeon as sacrifices for atonement. So while both religions worship the same thing, their views are complete opposite. Ironically, while there have been many arguments between the 2 largest religions, they never actually fought with each other in fear of offending the deity of [Hell’s Dungeon] .   According to information, while there are plenty of small dungeons here and there. [Hell’s Dungeon] is a humongous dungeon that can be accessed from almost anywhere in the world. It is said that the monsters in that Dungeon are as powerful as Rank A and above. No person has ever conquered it in history, and some even say it is unconquerable as it is a home of the most powerful deity.   Personally, I don’t know about a deity, but that screams “last boss” to me. I really hope the god that reincarnated me does not have any silly plans of sending me there to face that “last boss”. Cause I will decline in a heartbeat! I don’t even want to set foot in that place let alone go face off some all powerful deity.   Then there is the Dragon God religion, which is mostly followed by this country, and a few small countries in this region. This religion seems to be pretty straight forward, and personally sounds pretty fishy to me. There are not much customs to this religion really, there is only 1 requirement. Every year, you are required to offer an offering to the Dragon God. The offerings are collected at every town and sent to the Royal Castle. Then it is offered to the Dragon God.   How is that not an exploitation scheme?   The last major religion is mostly followed by the elves. Not much is written on it, but their subject of warship is the [World Tree] which seems to be located on a large island near [Watchamacallit Continent]. It is said that the [World Tree] is protected by a race called the [Golden Elves]. Not sure how it differs from other elves though…   By the time I finished sorting through the information about religion, I only had half an hour left. So I took a look around to see what other general information I could find. One interesting tidbit I learned reminded me how backwards this civilization is in some sense. I mean according to one of the books, this world has 2 suns, and these suns rotate around the planet. Hahahaha...good old Geocentrism, I wonder if they also think the world is flat?   On that light note, while giggling at the silliness of the backwards civilization, I make my way out of the library and head back to the [Blacksmithing Guild] for dinner. Tomorrow, I have to give it my all since it will be a Rank C all skills you can eat!   With all the excitement, I had trouble sleeping, but in due time, sleep overtook me.

The next morning, Me, Ryo and Kuina set off for the Adventurers guild. When we arrived there, the guild was rather empty with a few people here and there.   We came over to the desk and were greeted by a 28 year old women wearing glasses who seems to be a receptionist.   “Hello, how can I help you today?” she asked.   I was a bit taken back as it was the first human I saw in this world who acted remotely courteous towards beastkin. Of course being as cynical as I am, it might be just a show of professionalism.   “We would like to register this one to the guild” said Ryo as he pushed me forward.   “Alright” she says pulling out a card, then “do you know how to read and write?” she asked.   “I do not” I exclaimed.   “I see, that is no problem. I will fill in the information for you. I just need your name, age, race, level and proof of identity. I should note that we will be conducting a mandatory appraisal for verification” she added.   “Okay...My name is Shiro, I am 12 years old and of the Beastkin - Catkin race. My current level is 5. As for proof of identity, I don’t know what that is” I replied.   “Here is her proof of identity” Ryo interjected while taking out a paper.   So there is such a thing in this world like I thought...I wonder what happens if you don’t have one…   She writes down all the information on the card.     Your skill [LP][Trillan] has become Level 6. [Reading and Writing] unlocked.     “Alright...[Appraise: Human]…Everything seems in check. Now I am required by guild policy to give you a breakdown and answer any questions you might have that are related. When you start out, you will be a Rank G adventurer. As an adventurer you can pick up requests that are on the board to the right. Once you pick a request you bring it to the counter. You can pick up any request in general, but any requests above 2 ranks would need special approval. So as a Rank G adventurer, you can pick up a Rank E requests or below without issue. There are also cut of points for Rank D, Rank A and Rank S. To take requests of those ranks you need to pass a special test.   There are 4 types of requests, normal requests which are your typical request. Continuous requests, which are repeatable and have no limits such as herb gathering. Special requests, which are specifically requested of you in private. And lastly there are mandatory requests in case of emergencies, which often happen when there is a flock of monsters attacking a nearby city which the government can not handle or needs assistance. Not participating in a mandatory request can lead to suspension and in some cases imprisonment by law.   When you complete a request you will get points. 1 point for requests of same rank, 2 points for requests of 1 rank above and 4 points for requests 2 ranks above. Once you reach 20 points you will get a promotion in rank.   You will be given a guild tattoo rune which will store all information. If the tattoo rune gets destroyed, there will be a fee to restore it. This tattoo can also be used to share information with others. In the case of slaves, you can share information about requests you completed to your owner.   We also have a few services available in the guild. The material selling station to the left where you can sell herbs and monster parts and we have a class change orb on the 2nd floor. We also have a library on the 3rd floor but it is not accessible by slaves without supervision from their owner.   Do you have any questions? If not, all you have to do is sign here on the card. It can be scribbles or anything of the like even if you can’t write” said the receptionist in a machine like manner.   Thinking about what was said, I decide to take a long shot.   “Yes, I have a few questions…. How do you level up without fighting and how do you choose a class?” I ask in as innocent voice as possible.   “...”   The receptionist looks at me blankly as though she does not understand the question.   * slap *   I suddenly hear a slap from behind, and I turn around to see Ryo face-palming.   “Don’t mind her nonsense. She is a bit retarded” said Ryo to the receptionist.   How envious I am of those literally works where a protagonist can just come up to anyone and use them as a human encyclopedia as they please. “You want me to reveal top secret information that can destroy the country if known, that I have not even revealed to my own family to someone with no background or history? Hell I knew you for 2 whole days so here is all the details. I even included it on a silver platter for your convenience“..how enviable… * sigh *   “… while the question is rather...weird...since it is something even a child should know… guild policy requires me to answer all questions prior to registration as long as they are remotely related...even if they are...odd ones...” she says in a perplexed tone.   THERE IS A GOD!   Ryo is shaking his head in annoyance and Kuina is pretending like she doesn’t know me but who cares! I am finally getting a REAL answer! It’s not like I have any reputation to lose at this point..so...Bonzai! Bonzai!   “When you do any sort of work, you get experience. When you get enough experience you level up. It generally takes about 2 years to get a level doing work. Though you can get more experience depending on how well you do your work, or if you have achievements in your work. When you reach Level 10. You get to pick your first non-combat job.   The non-combat job options will be related to what work you did prior. For example, if you do herb collecting. At level 10 you will often get option for [Gatherer] job, and if you are well versed in the herbs you collect you might even get [Herbalist]. Though generally to get [Herbalist] you need to actually work with the herbs. But the chance is there regardless how small.   After you get level 10 you will stop getting experience for doing work that is not related to your job.   There is also often an option for a Unique Job which appears for those eligible for multiple jobs or meet other criteria. Often times it is called the “Jack-of-all trades” job because it lets you get experience from doing multiple things. On the downsides the bonuses and skills of those jobs tend to be poor.   Of course there are exceptions, sometimes you can get a specialized Unique Job like the famous [Sacred Blacksmith] which allows the forging of holy weapons. There are also people who have multiple talents that mix, for example a person can have a talent for [Herbalist] and [Alchemist] to create a combination job which is can do both well. But these are extremely rare.   This is why the class change orbs exist. Some people try out jobs like Unique jobs and find it does not fit them, so they change their jobs via the Job Change orbs we have upstairs.   And when you reach level 25 of combined racial job and work job, you can get a combat job.   Does this answer your questions?” she confirmed.   With finally getting the answer I have been waiting a while for and in a good mood I reply.   “Thank you very much miss!..”   I then feel the impatience and frustration of Ryo behind me and decide to be a bit mischievous…   “...That was exactly what Ryo wanted to know but was too embarrassed to ask...” I exclaim while beaming with the best smile I could make.   Suddenly I get a cold sweat as I feel blood thirst from behind...EEEK...I think I went a little too far…   “Hurry up retard! I don’t have all day! I have other matters to attend to” he yells while losing his cool.   “Yes!” I responded by reflex.   “If that is all your questions, please sign here” said the receptionist while handing me a card and an odd pen.   I take the pen which seems to draw some of my magic power and I sign the paper with my name. Then hand the paper and pen back to the receptionist.   “...”   After the receptionist checks the card, she frowns and looks at me at a rather strange way while I see temper building up. The professional receptionist facade is slowly but steadily cracking. Did I do something wrong?   “I thought you said that you didn’t know how to write...wer..were you making a fool out of me?!?!” the receptionist threatened.   OOPS..   I let my guard down again!… I am guessing I can’t get away with saying “I learned it just a minute ago” now can I?…   I need to do some damage control pronto!   Lets see...maybe the old fashioned knocking on my own head while sticking out a tongue while smiling and going “teehee” would work...sure sounds like a great idea!   IF I HAVE A DEATH WISH!   While my mind was panicking on how to deal with this situation and coming up with ridiculous nonsense. I suddenly felt a large impact on my head and fell to the floor face first.     You have taken 64 damage.   Looking up I see Ryo’s fist.   “Sorry about that, this one was born a bit retarded. She probably only knows how to sign her name. Can we finish the registration and move on?” he explains.   The receptionist looks at him somewhat unconvinced but seemingly not wanting to draw anymore attention decides to accept it. She takes my hand and places a tattoo rune on the back of it.   Once that was done, we exited the guild and Ryo instructed us to bring the herbs to the guild when done, then went back to base while me and Kuina proceeded to the forest outside the village. …  

Announcement Steel your hearts! :(, I'll release a few more chapters today so if you aren't in a hurry, wait a few hours We traveled through the forest for about an hour heading for the village. At that point, I noticed something with my [Smell Sense] . I took a look at Ryo and it seems like he noticed it as well, as he began to slow down his pace while contemplating something. After about a minute of contemplating.   “Stop for a second...” said Ryo.   “What’s wrong?” asked another dogkin.   “...”   It seems like those with only Level 3 [Smell Sense] have not picked up on the situation at hand. Thus making it difficult for them to resist [Order] telling them to head for the village. But Ryo knows the situation that is unfolding in front of us, or to be more precise, heading for us.   What my [Smell Sense] is telling me is that heading our way is 6 presences. One of those is the middle aged man, the other 5 I have never smelled before...But one thing I do smell that makes this situation so tense is the smell of blood…   This is definitely not looking good… The problem is that I do not know whose blood I am smelling, as I have never smelled the middle aged man’s blood before. But I am sure Ryo has, but him choosing to keep quite is not helping the situation…   In less than a minute, suddenly all the dogkin began to panic. I am guessing they realized the situation.   “Ryo!”   One of the dogkin could not take it anymore and called out to Ryo to make a decision. But Ryo seems to remain hesitant. I can understand his concern…   Technically speaking, we can retreat at this moment. While there is an [Order] for us to go to the village, the middle aged man did not say to go the village even if it kills you. Which means the base condition of not killing yourself takes precedence over the [Order]. They are still pushed to go to the village, but they can now take a different path to the village, even if it is a longer one in order to assure safety.   If the middle aged man is running for his life, then that might be the best option. That is of course if he ends up dying here. If the middle aged man finds out that we ran away though, I doubt he will spare any of us. Even if he doesn’t kill us, it would be living hell. On top of that, even if we run, I doubt we would get very far as the rate they are moving is faster than my [Sprint] at Level 2. While my [Smell Sense] is not exactly good enough to detect speed coming towards us, by comparing when we noticed it vs the other dogkin, I making a rough estimate.   After plenty of hesitation, Ryo finally comes to a conclusion.   “Drop the luggage and hide! We will observe the situation. Prepare some rocks and if necessary, we will set up an ambush!” Ryo urged.   For now I do as told and wait a bit. After about a minute. I momentarily activate [Eagle Eyes] and my [All-Observing-Eyes] to assess the situation, with the combination of both eye improvement skills, they are now barely in my view.   What I see in my view is the middle aged man and… he is heavily bleeding... There are what seems to be arrows in his back with multiple cuts all over. Chasing him seems to be 5 Orcs, or to be more precise, 4 [Mountain Orc Elite Warriors] and 1 [Mountain Orc General]. Based on their level, the warriors are about mid-tier D Rank monsters and the general is a low-tier C rank monster.   Normally, the middle aged man should be able to beat them considering his strength. But considering how heavily injured he is, at current condition I would guess 50/50? Of course I am no combat specialist, but the middle aged man is over 15 levels above the general. And if we join in the fight, our odds would probably be 90/10 in our favor? But again these are just wild guesses.   If all the beastkin ran away, I may be able to slip out. But since they chose to stay, me leaving alone would be rather difficult. Even though I am not bound by the [Slave Collar], I don’t have anywhere to go and everything is hostile towards me. And if I chose to run, that middle aged man may hunt me down. Considering he moves faster than [Sprint] at Level 2 means that my chance of escape from him is slim. On top of that, despite the enforcements of the [Slave Collar] not working, my collar still seems to react to his commands. So there may be a function for tracking down the collar.   There is also another issue to consider, if the middle aged man decides to fight. That would definitely be in our favor. But what if he just decides to run past us and use us as bait? Frankly speaking, without worrying about the middle aged man, they can probably get rid of all of us in less than a minute. Considering the limitations on stamina and the condition of the middle aged man, he is unlikely to abandon us as he would not get far. Other then maybe Ryo, the Orcs can literally ignore us. So it would be in the middle aged man’s interest to fight with us. But who knows what people will do in desperation.   This is a huge risk no matter what option I chose... So here is what I am going to do, for now I will wait here with the others and see what happens while using [Blend Stealth]. If I see the middle aged man retreat or get to the point where he is about to be killed, I’ll use that opportunity to use [Charge] and [Sprint] away, find a hiding spot and [Blend Stealth] until the danger passes.   With my mind made up I go to the farthest away tree I can manage without looking suspicious and wait.   It did not take long for the middle aged man to come into normal visible sight. Using my [Eagle Eye] I take a closer look and notice his slave ruins seem to be slightly glowing. Which adds more credibility to my suspicion that we could be tracked. I do wish Kuina could have told me these things...or maybe she also didn’t know?   Obviously chasing close from behind were 5 orcs.   “ATTACK THE ORCS AND ACT AS MY SHIELDS! THIS IS AN [ABSOLUTE ORDER]!” yelled the middle aged man.   What in the world is an [Absolute Order]?!?! What’s with all these surprises?!?! I’ll definitely have a word with her when this is over since I paid well for this information!   As if on cue the beastkin came out of their hiding spots and began to throw rocks as they moved forward towards the orcs and got as quickly as they could between the middle aged man and the orcs. By the sudden surprise of the ambush, the orcs paused for a second and during this split second the middle aged man turned around and unleashed an attack I have never seen him do before. His spear suddenly blurred and divided impaling 2 of the orcs at the same time.     Your skill [NA][Thrust] has become Level 4   I slightly frown...I do enjoy the [Thrust] skill don’t get me wrong but I would have preferred the cool looking skill…   One of the orcs took the hit to the throat and died instantly, the other one took the hit in the shoulder and just fell over. But right after an arrow flew out and impaled the middle aged man in the thigh.   “Shit!” the middle aged man cursed.     You have acquired a new skill [NP][Crossbow Mastery] Level 1     The sudden hit from the arrow threw the middle aged man somewhat off balance. And one of the orcs with a large club tried to run and hit him. Though found himself blocked off as the smallest dogkin got in the way.     You have acquired a new skill [NA][Bash] Level 1   In that instant I froze up as I saw the dogkin turn into red paste and blood splattered everywhere. Terror filled my very bones as the realization of what I just saw steeped in. A beastkin of around my level was killed in just one hit! Only one hit! The scene was so terrifying for me that I could not even move, despite wanting to run away, I can’t move due to fear! Thank god I activated my [Blend Stealth] prior…   Of course despite my situation, the battle continued on. Ryo stabbed the injured orc that was on the floor with his short sword right in the wounded area. While the middle aged man recovered and stabbed the orc that killed the dogkin in the eye killing him. In the meantime, one of the bunnykin jumped right at the archer.   Your skill [RA][Jump] has become Level 2   Only to be brutally shot down mid air and fall to the ground. This is ridiculous, does [Absolute Order] make them like mindless kamikaze zombies or something!?!? They are literally jumping into death!   At this time the orc general tightly gripped his great axe and quickly charged at the middle aged man. The middle aged man tried to move his spear, but it got stuck in the skull of the previous orc.     You have acquired a new skill [NA][Penetrate] Level 1 You have acquired a new skill [CP][Runner: Accelerate] Level N/A Due to a special action, a new special [SPD] stat has been unlocked   Like that, I got my first class based skill… But I had no room to rejoice…   That is b-because…   ..K….Ku...Kuina was s-shred in half from neck to thigh…protecting the middle aged man!!!!   As I watched in complete disbelief, Kuina’s lifeless corpse rolls on the floor...my focus began to blur and my mind became blank as the battlefield slips away from me... Announcement Poor Kuina :(, I'm going to release a few more chapters today to get past the tragedy(Don't like tragedies but do notice the tragedy tag! Next volume will be lighter than this volume)

I suddenly woke up when I felt a splash of cold water. When I looked around I was in some sort of old basement with prison like bars and towering over me is what seems to be a dogkin boy in his late-teens. I try to remember what in the world just happened when I notice the blue notifications and reality hits me.       A [Slave Collar] has been forcefully equipped on you. You were exposed to an extreme mental pain: +1 MNT You have taken 35 damage.   Suddenly the memories of the excruciating pain that felt like my skull and brain were drilled through resurface and I shiver none stop. I only come to when I hear the voice of the dogkin boy in front of me.   “Get up! We have work to do follow me!”   I am at first confused but as I slowly calm down and follow the dogkin. I somehow get the gist of the situation. Despite on my insistence on being vigilant and keeping my guard up I messed up big time! Ugh! I can’t believe I was so stupid and fell for the oldest trick in the book! I am so ashamed… I wonder if Amber knew and was in on it…or was she a victim like me…* sniff * ... What is done is done! There is no use crying over spilled milk! I need to think of what to do moving forward, not lament on the past.   I take in my surrounding as I follow the dogkin to see if there is anything I can use. Shortly I am brought into a large room which has multiple beastkin standing. And a middle aged man sitting in on a stool. Next to him I see a small dogkin kneeling on the floor. Then a stern voice comes out of the middle aged man.   “I am pretty sure I told you to get 10 herbs per day. Why did you only bring back 9?” he asked in a cold tone.   “I AM SORRY! I AM SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! T-There was monsters which I ran to avoid and by the time I got away it was too late because of the night day! I AM TERRIBLY SORRY!” The dogkin answered in a panic.   “I don’t need to hear your excuses. Regardless the reason, if you do not bring back 10 herbs, punishment is in order.” The middle aged man exclaimed.   “PLEASE! ANYTHING BUT THAT..NO! I’LL GET 10 TOMORROW! No, I’ll make up for it and get 11 tomorrow so please, anything but that!” the dogkin pleaded.   “Are you telling me what to do? [Slave Collar: Punishment]” the middle aged man exclaimed.   A glowing symbol shinned on the middle aged man’s hand.   “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”   The dogkin boy grabbed his head and screamed out in agonizing pain. Suddenly I got cold shivers all over. This traumatizing scene felt all too familiar...So that means if I disobey...I will feel that terrifying pain again? As I was agonizing over what was to come, the dogkin who led me here took out a small basket and spoke up.   “Each of you, take 1 small piece of bread, that will be your breakfast. Then prepare to head out in an hour. For those new here, I will brief you on your roles on the way”   I follow the other beastkins lining up for bread and take a small piece of bread as well. The portion was slightly larger than the size of a mini-donut. Which part of this is breakfast?!?! * munch * ...ugh! And it tastes bad too...   But for now I can’t afford to complain and need to look for an opportunity. There is a total of 4 dogkin including the one giving out orders and the one on the floor. Then there is 2 catkin, 3 foxkin and 1 bunnykin.   Once the hour passed, we were lined up outside the house and given small bags, as the middle age man met up with 2 more people. A man and a women around the same age.   We then proceeded to leave the village. After about an hour of walking, the 1st middle aged man spoke up.   “Alright, start collecting stones, dogkin start sniffing for the [Hell Boar]” he ordered.   Hell Boar? Somehow I do not like the sound of that…     Your skill [RA][Smell Sense] has become Level 2 Your skill [RA][Smell Sense] has become Level 3   While having a very very bad feeling, I follow the instructions and collect stones in the bag. I also keep an eye on the dogkin while they are sniffing. I finally got my [Smell Sense] to Level 4 after observing the leader dogkin and it stopped going up after that.   The dogkin began to lead us on a trail of the [Hell Boar] while I also secretly used my [Smell Sense] to follow as well, don’t want to be the last one to respond to an ambush after all.   We then arrived at a scene where a humongous reddish boar the size of a truck who had steam coming out of its body and was currently smashing against a tree. On top of the tree is a panicking monkey trying hard not to fall off the tree. I feel a huge amount of dread at the overwhelming strength of the boar.     You have acquired a new skill [RP][Toughness] Level 1   During this time, the 3 humans begin to break down the strategy.   “Alright then, we will go with the usual strategy for the [Hell Boar]. We will circle the [Hell Boar] with bait and after it rushes attack it while it is weakened” the middle aged man said.   “Alright, you heard the boss. Now go!” exclaimed the dogkin.   Not knowing what to do and not wanting to mess up, I for the first time spoke up.   “What are we using as bait?” I ask frantically.   The dogkin turns toward me with a perplexed look.   “Oh, the retarded one. Isn’t it obvious...you” he replied with a casual tone.   WHO ARE YOU CALLING RETARDED?!?...wait...wait...more importantly...what did he just say...it can’t be...did I mishear? Suddenly my face became as white as my hair. They want us to act as bait for THAT THING! Are they trying to kill us?!?!   I wasn’t the only one to freeze up...the foxkin, bunnykin and the other catkin had similar looks on their faces. The only difference was it didn’t seem like they were that shocked about the whole thing as I was.   “We don’t have the whole day here, you have 5 minutes to get in position, surround and start circling the boar and start throwing rocks at it. If you do not, there will be punishment. This is an [Order]” he decreed.   At the same time a bunch of symbols began to glow. With terrified faces, everyone reluctantly moved forward and began to surround the [Hell Boar] from a distance then slowly but steadily closed in the perimeter. Fearing the excruciating pain from the collar, I also followed while praying for my life.   I put the 2 free points I had saved up for a rainy day into [AGI] in hopes of raising my chance to live if even by 1%.   As we got closer and closer eventually the [Hell Boar] who has long broken down the large tree and was eating the monkey noticed us. And began to look around. We began circling the boar in a rotation to try as best we can do divert the obvious upcoming charge if even by a millimeter. All while shaking in fear and throwing rocks at it.   The [Hell Boar] suddenly started to become more and more red. And more steam began to come from it. I suddenly got a very very bad feeling about it. As I was watching I suddenly got a notification.     You have acquired a new skill [RA][Meteor Rush] Level 1   The [Hell Boar] suddenly looked in our direction and let out a loud noise.   “SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”   * rumble * *rumble * *rumble *   Of course even before that, the moment I saw the ridiculous sounding skill I activated [All-Observing-Eyes][Overload] and [Charge] to move as fast as possible! I mean has anything involving “meteors” ever ended well for me?       Due to overcoming your movement limits: +1 AGI     Suddenly the humongous [Hell Boar] disappeared and in its place I saw a trail of fire.   Before I noticed I was smashed by a large force of burning wind and recklessly flung in the air. Landing dozens of meters away.     You have taken 302 damage. You have been stunned for 3 seconds.   When I came to, I looked up and what I saw looked akin to a war zone. The whole place behind me was smashed into bits and pieces. Trees shattered, fire burning everything around. Blood all over the place and bits and pieces of body parts which seem to be the bunnykin who was a few meters behind me. The [Hell Boar] itself is standing still in a mini-like crater.   I stood there staring in total shock. Even as the 3 humans began to attack it from behind and I was getting notifications left and right, I could not come to.     You have acquired a new skill [NP][Spear Mastery] Level 1 You have acquired a new skill [NA][Slash] Level 1 You have acquired a new skill [NP][Dagger Mastery] Level 1   Suddenly I felt something wrong and I came to. I forcefully deactivate [All-Observing-Eyes][Overload]. I do not know why, but something tells me if I fall unconscious here it would be really bad. It seems that if I use the skill for less than 1 minute, the penalty will be proportional to that. As I only used 10 seconds, I will only suffer [Overload] debuff for 8 hours. I slowly get up and do my best to get as much distance as possible while keeping an eye on the situation. Surprisingly, with all 3 humans attacking the boar and doing heavy damage, the boar is not moving at all.   Only after about 30 seconds passed from the charge did the boar began to move. But at that point it was severely weakened. The fight lasted about 3 minutes after which the boar finally fell.     Level up! Enlightened Race: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX     I got another level up, but looking at the scene from hell I could not be happy at all. At this point the leading dogkin gathered all the surviving beastkin and the middle aged man spoke.   “Since we found it earlier than expected, all Dogkin, I expect you to fulfill at least half your quota for the day. All bait, go back to base and be there within 5 hours. This is an [Order]!” the man shouted, then turned to his companions and said ”Lets go ahead celebrate our victory guys! I know a good new place!”. With that, the middle aged man and his companions sprinted back to the village.   I took one last look around the hellish battlefield. And noticed that there was also a foxkin lying there with missing feet and arm. But he was still barely alive and moaning.   “That foxkin is still alive” I exclaim while pointing.   The dogkin takes a glance and says “Leave him. He is already useless as bait”   I looked at the dogkin with an dumbfounded face.   “Weren’t we ordered to all come to base? Wouldn’t that be a breach of an order?” I interjected.   “Yes, and he will die for disobeying it. What point are you trying to make retard?” he looks at me bewildered as though looking at a child who said something silly. And then walks away.   Totally bewildered and left with no choice due to my powerlessness, I dejectedly follow back to base.   …

  I continued to walk for a few more hours, when my [Smell Sense] picked up a bunch of presences. The total number was 8 I think and they were on horseback.   I hope its not bandits…either way, I better make some distance and find a good hiding spot. If they are on horseback that means they can close in on me faster than I can react.   And like that, I began to run away.   But to my dismay the 8 people continued to head towards me, and it seemed like they are moving faster than before!   Did they somehow catch on to my presence and are chasing me?!?!? This isn’t good! I need to find some safe spot and hide ASAP!   I continue to run frantically with [Sprint] and occasionally use [Charge] to close in more and more distance. I try my best to find a suitable hiding spot, but to no avail! Looking back with [Hawk Eyes] and [All-Observing-Eyes] I can already barely make out the 8 chasing after me!   At this rate they’ll catch up to me in less than a minute! And looking forward, I see no obstacle I can use to widen my distance, nor any decent place to hide! At this point, them catching me is a certainty!   If they catch me, will they enslave me again?!?! or kill me?!? I shudder at those thoughts.   There is not much I can do, at best I may be able to improve my chances by maybe 10% max!   I simply have no choice… As I run, I try to get out of line of sight and then duck to the side, afterwards I quickly climb a tree and activate [Blend Stealth] hoping for the best… At this point it is in fate’s hands…   I did not have to wait long until the 8 men surrounded the tree, as one of them pointed at me.     You have acquired a new skill [RA][Presence Sense] Level 1   Well that explains how they found me so easily! I gritted my teeth. Talk about not fair!   Looking carefully, they were all wearing a similar uniform. Were they part of the same organization or some sort of soldiers?... Could it be that soldiers were sent to hunt me down since I killed a Rank C adventurer?!?! I frantically panic due to the sudden turn of events, looking for any possible way I can make my way out of this desperate situation.   One of the men, a short chubby one with a large beard rode forward in his horse.   “Howdy there missy! No need to be afraid, we are just the local patrol” he beckons.   No way am I gonna believe anything he says! I already learned my lesson the first time! Not to mention, even if he is the patrol, that is exactly who I want to avoid at this point! I glare back in futile resistance...   “* sigh *… Look there missy, I understand ya’r worry...judging by the slave collar ya must be a runaway beastkin slave right?” he inquires to which I instinctively cover up my collar and begin to panic even more.   “* sigh *… Ron, ya handle this missy over here. She is a fellow beastkin so she’ll trust ya more right?” he added.   Like hell I am falling for that one! I see one of the middle aged men with dog like ears come forward, and his horse stands besides the bearded chubby man.   “I don’t know if that would do much good… When beastkin fall into slavery, with some exceptions, it is everyone for themselves. So it is not uncommon for there to be betrayal amongst compatriots...plus...that one there is most likely retarded...” said the dogkin.   “I AM NOT RETARDED!” I yell by reflex, then quickly cover my mouth.   “Ho...so she can talk!” exclaimed the bearded chubby man.   “...err...sorry that I offended you...That was not my intention. Just to set the record straight, we are the Avian Kingdom patrol. I do not know how much you know about our kingdom, but in the Avian kingdom, outside of criminal slaves, general slavery is banned. So if you are running away from the rest of the continent, this place is rather safe for beastkin.   The reason it is so, is because the official religion of the Avian kingdom is the Dragon God Religion. The Dragon God’s avatar supposedly looks similar to a dragonkin or lizardkin...so it would be pretty bad if those who look similar to the religious deity to be used as slaves. That of course does not mean that discrimination against beastkin does not exist in this country, unfortunately it still prevails even here. But at the very least, you do not need to be worried about being returned to slavery.   Even if you committed some sort of crime or etc, unless it is an international crime, there is nothing for you to fear.” the dogkin explains. Hmmm...that does sound pretty lucrative...but I can’t afford to let down my guard…   “T-Then why are you here and why did you chase me?!” I question.   “We are a patrol missy, we make sure the border is secure and at same time clean up any dangerous monsters. We chased ya precisely because ya ran, finding that suspicious, we went to check what was up. We don’t mind bringin’ ya to town if ya want, but ya will have to wait until the end of our patrol, and we are required to run an [Appraisal] on ya as well.” the bearded chubby man replied.   Well their story seems fine on the surface...and they are wearing armor with a mark on it, indicating they are at least part of some upstanding organization. Frankly speaking, if they wanted to take me by force, I wouldn’t last a second. Especially against that bearded chubby guy who is even stronger than that middle aged man who enslaved me...   But lets just add a little more caution to the wind.   “I get you are a patrol, and you want to run an [Appraisal] on me, that is fine...But why bother bringing me to town and not just let me be on my way? What’s the catch?” I inquire. “Frankly put missy, we don’t care either way. It is up to ya. As long as ya submit to an [Appraisal], that is all we really care for. Just as soldiers, it is our responsibility to insure the safety of civilians. Despite us sweepin’ these places regularly, there is still plenty of monsters around. So I figured to offer ya some respite. Whether ya take it up is up to ya.   Of course, there are some circumstances ya have to understand. We can’t just bring ya straight to town. Our main job is patrollin’ after all, so ya would have to wait till the end of the day. We also can’t lend ya a horse or carry ya on one due to regulations. Ya would have to follow us from behind to the best of ya’r abilities.   We can also only bring ya to town, despite ya’r circumstances, things like food and shelter is not in our responsibilities…   What will it be missy?” asked the bearded chubby man.   So they are not going to drop everything they are doing for my convenience and provide food and shelter free of charge without question? How I envy the heroes of literature...anyways lets not get too distracted...   What should I do? The temptations are pretty strong here, especially if I want to level my non-combat class…   Looking at it from perspective, I did accomplish my goal of confirming that I am in a new country. So at least I don’t have to worry about being pursued…I have considered the possibility that these people are fakes and just pretending to be a patrol, but in reality they hunt slaves that escape. But considering their level and classes, that doesn’t seem to be the case.   And again, considering the difference in strength between me and them is night and day, they wouldn’t even need to bother to convince me if they really wanted to take me. Not to mention, I don’t see any [Slave Collar] on the dogkin… so maybe I should at least take them up on the offer to bring me to town? From there I can decide where to go.   Last but not least, if they bring me to patrol with them… I wonder if I can get some awesome skills? Decisions...decisions...   “A-Alright...I’ll come with you..” I relent with slight hesitation in my voice.   “Okay, then. Come over here and stand by this elf here missy. He will do the [Appraisal]” said the bearded chubby man while pointing at the man who I happened to get the [Presence Sense] skill from.   Now that I think about it, I have focused mostly on their levels and classes and paid little attention to their races. The bearded chubby man is a dwarf, and the guy who tracked me is an elf ha? Well I guess that is no surprise considering there are beastkin in this world...   I slowly get down from the tree while contemplating these things and stand next to the elf.   “[Appraise: Human]” said the elf.   Then he took a piece of paper, and wrote something down, then passed it to the dwarf. The dwarf took a look at it while pondering a bit.   “I see...Well things seem to be clean on this end, so ya are free to come alon’ missy. Though ya are a pretty decent level for ya’r age aren’t ya? Ya don’t see too many 12 year olds hit level 13 already. Unfortunately, It seems like ya chose a non-combat class already, which may be a demerit” said the dwarf.   “What do you mean by demerit?” I inquire.   “It is quite simple missy. As mentioned before, discrimination still exists for beastkin even around these parts. This makes getting a job and making a living much harder. Which is why most beastkin that escape here end up joining a craftin’ guild. In doing so, they can sell their wares through a 3rd party and make a livin’.   While a class like [Blacksmith] or [Alchemist] may be a bit too difficult to get, due to needing to raise the skills for it. Something like [Herbalist] or [Builder] should be attainable. So now ya are forced to risk ya’r life in the Adventurer’s Guild to make ends meet and then save enough for a class change” explained the dwarf as me and the patrol traversed through the forest.   “So what exactly does someone get for joining a crafting guild? Is there any conditions or requirements?” I question with curiosity.   “Well...the town of Hallion has 3 craftin’ guilds. The Alchemists Guild, Builders Guild, and Blacksmithing Guild. The conditions to join is that ya must show up during the monthly selections and pass a test. The test depends on what position ya wish to apply. For something like a [Herbalist], the test is rather simple as most early positions require that you only know how to identify basic herbs and able to process them to an extent.   Positions like [Blacksmith] and [Alchemist] are a bit more complex as you are required to show off ya’r skill already.   If ya pass the tests, ya become a disciple of that guild and sign a 2 year contract. The guild provides things like basic shelter, food, trainin’ and some materials for its disciples, the amount varies depending on your achievements in the guild. In retrospect, ya must give a commission to the guild for every sale regardless of who provides the materials. Of course the amount of commission does vary depending on who provided those materials.   If ya sell outside the guild without paying ya’r dues, there are severe consequences” warned the dwarf.   That sounds rather interesting, I can level up my non-combat class while at same time provide for some necessities…Maybe for once since coming here, I’ll finally get some stability! While the guild taking commissions and the contract is not to my liking, at this point I’d take almost anything as long as I am not being used as bait, nor having to worry about being killed in my sleep.   “When is the monthly selections, and will they discriminate against beastkin?” I probe.   “Lets see… If I am not mistaken, the Blacksmithing Guild will be holdin’ selections the day after tomorrow. The Alchemists Guild will hold selections a week after and the Builders Guild will hold their selections 2 weeks after. And ya don’t have to worry about discrimination, at least as far as Hallion is concerned. The Blacksmithing and Builders Guild is run by dwarves, and the Alchemists Guild is ran by an elf, so ya don’t have to worry about being discriminated by the humans” assured the dwarf.   “Hey! Hey! What’s with all the human hate?” queried one of the humans in a teasing voice.   “Shut ya’r trap! Or I’ll cut ya down to a gnome!” yelled back the dwarf.   “Sorry about that missy, these guys are a bit insensitive, they no mean no harm” the dwarf added.   “You are the one to talk!” retorted another.   “Quiet down now! I am picking up on a presence!” interrupted the elf.   We all stop and turn towards the elf waiting for further information. Of course, I was waiting on something else entirely….     Your skill [RA][Presence Sense] has become Level 2   Yup, there it is!   “There seems to be about 10 monsters ahead, they are traveling in a group” notified the elf.   I also activate [Presence Sense] but it seems out of my range, so there are still more levels for me to gain. I then activate [Smell Sense] and pick up on their scent…   “Orcs” I mutter...did the follow me?   “What did ya say? Do ya know something?” pressed the dwarf.   “Well..uhmmm... where I was before, it was attacked by [Mountain Orcs]. Due to that I was able to escape...” I inform.   Of course I am not going to tell them the full story.   “Is that so? All right, ya stay here and we will go eliminate the Orcs. After which, we shall head back early to make a report and have it investigated” announced the dwarf.   While I am a bit hesitant to meet up with those Orcs, especially after what has happened a few days back...That said, it should be safe with this strong group...and I want to steal some skills! Of course I can’t say that, so I involuntarily nod.   With that the patrol rushed on their horses to intercept the orcs, leaving me behind.   Of course I wasn’t going to just let free skills slip away from me that easily! So once they gain some distance, I activate [Sprint] and chase after them to the best of my ability. I can always come up with some sort of excuse later, like being afraid of being alone with orcs around and etc * snicker *   ...Though to be fair, I can’t say that I ain’t a bit worried to be alone with orcs around...   When I arrive at the scene, I hide behind a tree with [Blend Sense] and observe the battlefield.   And as expected, it is a complete massacre. With charging spears, the patrol easily land-slided through their formation. While the dwarf smashed them to bits with his over-sized hammer. In the meantime, the elf provided support via a bow.   Of course in that moment, the delicious skills started rolling in! I normally don’t like spam, but this kind of spam I’d take any day of the week! You have acquired a new skill [NP][Hammer Mastery] Level 1 You have acquired a new skill [NP][Shield Mastery] Level 1 Your skill [NP][Spear Mastery] has become Level 3 Your skill [NA][Impale] has become Level 2 Your skill [NA][Penetrate] has become Level 2   Suddenly I feel a huge headache and my eyes begin to spasm out!   “Arghh!” I scream in pain.   After about a minute, the pain begins to subside and my vision begins to return to normal.   It seems like I overdid it, as there seems to be a limit to how much I can get at once...I should be more careful next time...because if this happens in actual battle, I might lose my life.   I then take a look at the battlefield and see that they have already finished up all the orcs and headed for me.   “So ya came after all missy?” questioned the dwarf.   “Uhmmm...yeah...I was worried that...”   “Don’t worry missy, it isn’t a problem if ya came or not. It was only for ya’r protection after all, so ya should be more careful next time. I can understand how traumatizing this may have been for ya, so lets leave quickly” said the dwarf.   … It seems like he thought that me collapsing in pain after seeing the battle was due to some sort of trauma...well no skin off my back, so I do not see any reason to correct him…   With that we headed towards the town of Hallion.

…   The next thing I notice, I am in a dark place isolated from everything...this dark place feels very eerie but at same time very familiar...I try to move my body but I could not...Am I dead again? I try to look around to see if there is anything of note around me but see nothing...just endless darkness...I should be feeling some kind of feeling from all this but for some strange reason I feel nothing...It is like I have lost all emotion or sense of being...Suddenly a white light begins to illuminate the place..and for the first time in a long time I begin to feel something to the tune of loss, but at same time hope. As I try to reach for the light, the light suddenly explodes and I abruptly awaken. Only to find myself in some sort of cave…   “What happened...did I die and get resurrected for a 3rd time?”   I take a look around and notice I am in the same cave that I fought the [Giant Rats]. I look around and see that there are corpses of the rodents lying around in blood..I try to get up but find it rather difficult. I look down and see that there is a rat corpse lying on top of me...I struggle and push the corpse off me and get up. Looking around to confirm that everything is safe I take a look at the system messages I see in the corner.     You have successfully survived a battle with less than 0.01% survivability. Limit Break 1 / 3 achieved!   Level up! Enlightened Creature: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX   You are suffering from mild Hunger, all attribute maximums reduced by 20%. Recovery reduced by 50%   So it seems like I somehow didn’t die and manage to live?   “Status”       Status Name Shiro Race Ɓęåśŧķĩŋ - Ċāť Class Level Gender Female Status [Ḿḯḻḓ Ḫṹṇᶃᶒᵲ] Beastkin - Cat 4 Age 12 years Free Points 1 Hunger 35/100     HP 75 / 310 -155 (0.063/m) STR 21 +3 -14.7 INT 13 +2 -9.1     MP 10 / 10 -5 (0.0057/m) AGI 27 +2 -18.9 WIS 11 -7.7     Stamina 40 / 80 -40 (0.39/m) VIT 21 -14.7 MNT 24 -16.8     Mental 50 / 100 -50 (0.072/m) DEX 19 -13.3 LUK 100     Skills [LP] English 5 [U] All-Observing-Eyes 35h [RA] Claw Swipe 1 [RP] Night Vision 2 [NA] Identify 5     [RA] Smell Sense 1 [RA] Charge 1       Hmm...my stats have gone up a bunch but despite that I feel weaker due to the penalties of [All-Observing-Eyes][Overload] and [Mild Hunger]. Looking at the cooldown timer, I have been out for about 13 hours. Considering how much time I spent traveling through that catacombs on top of sleeping, it is no surprise that I am feeling pretty hungry. I really need to secure myself some food..The question is where?   Before that, the first thing I need to do is rationalize the situation. Right now my stats are terrible and I need to wait 35 hours to recover my stats. By that point I will obviously starve to death. So I am between a rock and a hard place...going to fight means death and staying here means death. That said, it is not all doom and gloom. Since I have been sleeping here for 13 hours and the corpses have gone untouched means that there is most likely no other rats around this part. Adding to it that this place seems like where the rats are nesting, I would assume there is unlikely to be any danger within the vicinity for the time being. Of course at same time it most likely means that civilization is not anywhere close by either.   Putting those thoughts together, it should be rather safe to venture slightly outside the cave as long as I don’t go too far. So my best bet right is to make this place my base for now, build some basic traps and secure some food. That said, there is still one big risk with this plan. While I can probably secure some fruits, mushrooms or vegetables outside and I can probably get supplies to make a fire to cook these rats. Since this is a new world, I don’t know if any of those things are poisonous. So effectively, whatever I eat I would be gambling my life.   Though even with those risks, I think it is a safer bet than going out there while my stats are reduced by 70%. Even a single [Giant Rat] can easily kill me at this point, and I somehow doubt [Giant Rats] are the king of the jungle around here.   With my mind made up, I venture outside the cave and take a peek around. When I reach the end of the cave I see that the cave is located in a burrow surrounded by vast forest. Once I make sure there is no danger in the vicinity, I proceed to collect large branches and begin to cover up the burrow. While I am doing this I pick up any sort of nuts or fruits that I find. I also find a long flat stick and some vines. My goal is to make the burrow into a sort of bunker, than make a makeshift spear which I can attack from the bunker with little risk to injuring myself. While I don’t think I’ll kill anything this way it should be enough to discourage many predators if they happen to come my way. Unfortunately due to my reduced stats, dragging the branches is harder than it would normally be.   After about 2 hours I finally manage to put together the burrow defenses and sharpen a basic spear. Once that is done I go back in and begin to drain the blood and skin the [Giant Rats]. While I am sure that some of this rodent’s materials can be sold for money, I honestly don’t know which parts, and despite my familiarity with working with the knife due to my “adventuring”, I doubt my disassembly is good enough to not damage the materials. My only priority at this point is to procure meat from the rats. This process takes me about 15 minutes and once I am done I again leave the burrow and prepare a fire outside to the side the old fashion way. Luckily I have plenty of experience setting up fire in this way from all my mini-adventures and despite my lower stats I am still stronger than what I was back on Earth which makes the process easier. With the fire started and the meat skewers set up to cook, I quickly run back and hide behind the burrow defense. Who knows what kind of creature would be lured by the smoke. While animal based monsters will probably distance themselves, there is a probability of humanoid monsters with some intelligence following it.   Thankfully even after 15 minutes, no monster has shown up. So I sneak back out of the burrow, take the meat skewers and put out the fire. All the meantime I am drooling...but I know that I have to resist these urges despite how hungry I am…   Now normally I would find rat meat pretty disgusting...for some reason I can’t think of it anything more than delicious meat. Is it because it looks and smells like any other meat skewer? Or is this my inner-Catkin talking? I use [Smell Sense] on it to see if I can locate any odd odors * growl * ...err...bad idea… hold it in stomach just a little bit more …   I build a simple trap using the vines and a few sticks and place it in an area where I have seen a lot of small animals such as squirrels and foxes or at least looks similar to them...probably…I then gain distance and wait for an animal to take the bite. Which apparently does not take long. Within a bit over a minute a bunny like creature takes the bait and starts chewing on the meat. Once I see he is half way done I quickly spring the trap to which the bunny like creature begins to trash violently but ultimately is unable to escape. I pick up a few stones and go back closer to the enclosure to wait out half an hour.. during that time a few foxes tried to approach and snatch the bunny but I used rocks to scare them off. After confirming the rabbit is still fine, I let him go by cutting the vine. I then finally proceed to take a small bite of the meat skewer which has already gotten cold. The flavor is rather bland unfortunately but due to my hunger offsetting my taste buds, it actually tastes better than it is.   After the first bite, I wait another 30 minutes while keeping an eye on my health and status screen to make sure I do not get some sort of poison. And after finally confirming it is safe once more, I gobble it all down like a glutton. Of course I make sure to save a few to eat for tomorrow just in case.     You are now well fed! [Mild Hunger] debuff removed!   Once I am done I feel energy refill myself as some of my stats are restored.   Now I know what you are probably thinking. “Why in the world did you eat a [Giant Rat] when you caught yourself a bunny?”. The answer is simple really, and no it isn’t because I developed a new taste for rats if you are wondering. Not only is there little food on the bunny due to it being rather small compared to the rats which will even shrink more once I disassemble it. The biggest issue is I have no clue if the rabbits are poisonous or not. That might sound a bit weird but it is actually quite logical. You see, this is a new world where I know absolutely nothing. For all I know in this world all snakes are non-poisonous and all bunnies have lethal poison. This isn’t my old world so I can’t make any assumptions more than I have to. I mean with these bunnies having 3 ears you can never know... And testing if the bunnies are poisonous is much harder than testing if the [Giant Rat] is poisonous. While the foxes eat the bunnies, those bunnies are part of the fox’s diet, so it is more than possible for the fox to have immunity to a poison the bunnies might have. Just like how a Honey Badger is resistant to venom of a snake. In comparison, I am pretty confident that a [Giant Rat] is not part of a bunny’s diet. So if they had some sort of poison, it would be easily apparent.   Now with all the urgent issues out of the way, I can finally start planning on how I plan to proceed in this new world.

I woke up fully rested and for better or worse alive, I don’t know how many hours I have slept but I do feel somewhat refreshed. I still have some lingering thoughts about what happened that day, but I put that behind me and move on. I need to get out of this country as fast as possible!   And like that I proceed forward. A couple of days come and go as I make it through the dense forests. At one point I even wonder if I am going the right way or if there is anything to where I am heading in the first place.   Now that I think about it, there is no guarantee Ryo did not just send me on a wild goose chase... But at end of the day, I don’t really have anywhere to go. And at this rate my food supply will not last long…   I tried my [Identify] skill to see if with help of [Creationist: Analyze Everything], I can get a bit more information about things, but found it somewhat useless as seen.     Ancient Mithril Dagger A dagger made out of mithril which has been lying around for many millenniums. It is so old that it began to deteriorate out of old age, which is saying a lot considering mithril is known for its longevity. Due to the deterioration, the properties of the dagger have been significantly weakened.   +6 STR +4 AGI +4 INT +1 DEX   Durability: 24 / 15,000 Analysis: Made of mithril     Talk about “no duh sherlock”! The information it gave me was pretty much all over the place of mostly things I already knew to begin with. I probably need a higher [PER] or higher level to make any actual use of it. Until then, I am stuck with captain obvious.   Putting that aside, the question comes down to what exactly do I plan to do moving forward. Do I attempt to make contact with civilization again? Or do I try to somehow make it out in the wilderness?   So far, I did my best to avoid monsters through detecting them early with [Smell Sense] and [Hearing Sense]. And sometimes even running away with [Charge] and [Sprint] or hiding via [Blend Stealth]. With this reservoir of skills, I was able to somehow avoid fighting for the time being.   Now sure, I will be able to gain levels if I fought. But back then I fought because I had no choice, now though things are a bit different. There is no reason to take any extra risks, unlike before I do not have a second person looking out for me, so who knows what kind of situation might arise. I also do not have a 100% safe place to sleep and rest after a fight. So the risks are even higher.   Of course that does not mean I have given up! The most efficient and safe method is to utilize traps! The ideal would be if I make a trap and get XP for my production class, then when killing the monster who fell in the trap get XP towards my racial class. I would then get an extra bonus for utilizing my trap! Talk about hitting 3 birds with one stone!   So even if I remain outside of civilization, I should be fine? Probably?…   Well either way, it does not change the fact that I still need to find a town. Even if I plan to avoid civilization for the most part, there are a few things that I require. The first thing is learning if I have left the country I was in...wait a second...what country was I in? Ugh! I only know the name of the village but not the name of the country!   This puts a huge damper on my original plan on spying on merchants to get information...I may be able to manage if I come across a merchant in the middle of the road that I am positive I can defeat and say something like “I came from Diara Village and got lost while heading towards a neighboring country to the south east, do you happen to know the directions?”.   Though there is definitely a risk in that...If there is now a bounty on me, then it would provide a hint for tracking me down. Not to mention the merchant may refuse to even talk to me...I can threaten him, but if there is no bounty on me, there will surely be one after.   There is also the option of killing the merchant after I get my answers… But can I really do something like that? Sure I killed that middle aged man...but I still believe he deserved it… killing someone innocent… Can I really do that?   Lets get back to that thought at a later time… There is also other benefits of getting close to a town. For one, the amount of monsters near towns and villages are less abundant, so even if I decide to stay away from civilization, I would be more likely to find a safe place to sleep.   And if the town is the size of Diara Village with low security, during night days I can probably sneak in and snatch some stuff with the help of [Night Vision] and [Blend Stealth]. Maybe on some days I can stay hidden somewhere with [Blend Stealth] and steal some production skills as well!   On top of that, if I get attacked by a powerful monster that I won’t be able to run away from. I can kite it to town and get assistance. Now obviously there is no way I can get away with doing that without some repercussions, this isn’t a video game where you bring the boss mob to town and NPCs take care of it for you and then just let you go scot-free.   But even still, I’ll take 80% chance of being killed to 100% any day...Speaking of which… the amount of monsters have decreased quite a bit the past day… does that mean I am closing into a town? Though knowing my luck, I might be closing in the territory of a strong monster instead…   No! No! Lets not jinx myself and trigger any flags...I’ve had enough BS already!   Either way… I am still hesitant on joining civilization… and there is definitely issues with just living in the wilderness… unlike animals, monsters actively seek you out and try to kill you. So I think a good compromise would be a hybrid of both… live in the wilderness not to far from town…   And if I can sneak in and steal some production skills...and with some luck maybe I can do THAT cheat! You know the good old golem cheat! If I can make golems to protect myself during both sleep and hunting, that would be awesome! Of course there is a possibility create golem is a magic skill rather than a combination of blacksmithing and enchanting… It could also be both…   Well anyways… lets not get too distracted…   And just like that I made up my mind on the path forward.  

After taking a minute break by the room exit, I decide to go further down the hallway. As far away from the sleeping giant cat as possible. While I am a bit nervous if there any more dangerous monsters down the hallway, I can’t imagine any of them being scarier than that sleeping panther boss. And now I at least have a dagger to defend myself.   I continue down the hallway for at least another half an hour which was mostly empty with the exception of a few giant plants here and there, during that time I tried to identify the dagger to see if it did anything or what kind of dagger it was but no no avail. Trying to use things like “Appraisal”, “Identify” and etc obviously did nothing since I had no such skill. The only hint I got what the dagger did was comparing the status screen before and after. The dagger seems to give: +3 STR + 2 AGI +2 INT. Which is a pretty decent boost to my stats if I don’t say so myself considering how worn out this dagger looks.   At the end of the hallway, I come to a room which seems to split into five paths. Using my [Smell Sense] skill, I sniff each hallway to try to see where there is fresh airflow. I was a bit worried on how accurately I’d be able to discern that but luckily it was pretty obvious based on the odors coming from each path. So without hesitation I follow my nose. I travel down the passage for about an hour and a half, and the terrain seems to have changed from catacombs to a large cave. Along the way I met other creatures like large bats and slime like creatures. But strangely enough, none of them have attacked me. Not that I am complaining or anything. Now generally slimes are usually a beginning monster that is easy to level up on. But that is only in game theory. In reality slimes are resistant to physical attacks, other than their nucleus they are pretty much untouchable. And trying to kill a slime by attacking their nucleus with a short dagger is like serving yourself on a platter. Personally, even if I meet a low level monster, unless it is half dead lying there I’d rather not fight it at this point. I have no armor at all and if I get heavily injured while knowing where I am, I am guaranteed to die. This isn’t a game where the protagonist takes heavy injuries after a fight and then walks out and collapses on the road only to be saved by a passing merchant. In reality, thieves will pass by, steal all you have an waste you right there. I mean this is a world of swords and magic which generally means middle ages where life was cheap.   My plan as far as leveling is pretty simple, realistic, and level headed. When I come to town, I will sell this dagger, find a part time job that provides some housing and slowly build up my stats. Since I managed to get +1 MNT from that incident, I imagine other stats can be trained to an extent. Once I raise my stats a bit, I will build traps and kill weak monsters via traps. You might call me playing dirty or being a disgrace of an adventurer or even a scary cat. But I’ll call you a total retard! It isn’t even about shying away from a fight but simply common sense! I am right now Level 1. To get a non-combat profession you need to be level 10. Which means that an adult in this world is at least level 10 if not more. Even if we assume in the most unlikely scenario that a normal Level 1 Catkin starts out with all stats at 1. By gaining 9 Levels their combat stats should be at least: 28 STR : 37 AGI : 28 VIT : 19 DEX which is a total of 119 combat stats. My total combat stats without the dagger is only 52. Effectively, a new Catkin farmer is over 2X stronger than me right now! And if they have same stats as me at Level 1 they would be 3X stronger than me. Sending me to fight in this condition is like sending a newborn baby with a dagger to fight! If you want to go commit suicide playing hero, go on without me, I am fine as I am thank you very much.   Though I really do wonder why the monsters here are so docile. If this was a real dungeon the monsters would be swarming me rather than ignoring me. Maybe this used to be a dungeon in the past but the dungeon died and the monsters just roam free in the ecosystem that existed for a long time? Looking at the worn out dagger, though I am not a specialist I’d estimate it is at least a thousand years old. I also see no indicator of any kind of human traffic. Which makes me wonder where exactly am I? I hope I am not in some place hundreds if not thousands of miles from civilization. That would be pretty devastating.   As I was thinking that, I suddenly come to a dead end in the cave. Worried, I use my [Smell Sense] again and pick up air flowing through a somewhat small hole behind the foliage which I may be able to barely fit in. I decide to take a short half an hour break to recover the best I can and then proceed to climb through the hole.         As I reach the other side, I hear a somewhat loud hissing noise. As I take a glance I see a giant rat staring right at me making hissing noises. This is the first time that anything so far has made an aggressive motion toward me. Maybe it is just being territorial and if I quickly leave it will leave me alone just like all the others.   As I take a step forward, the giant rat quickly jump on top of me and bites me in the left shoulder and I fall to the floor with the giant rat on top of me.     You have taken 35 damage. You are now Bleeding.     “Ouch! That hurt! Let me go! I don’t want to fight!”   Not listening to my helpless please and not willing to let me go no matter how much I try to push it away. I instinctively hold tight on the dagger and stab the giant rat in the neck!     You have dealt 15 damage to the [Giant Rat]!     Despite my feeble attempts and hitting it to the neck, I barely do much damage due to my poor aim and its tough hide, it also does not help how dull this old dagger is either. In a panic I continue to stab at it again and again!     You have dealt 15 damage to the [Giant Rat]! You have dealt 14 damage to the [Giant Rat]! You have dealt 18 damage to the [Giant Rat]!   Due to my frantic attacks, the rat seems to have loosened its hold on my shoulder slightly giving me a ray of hope. But to my dismay the rat bit down even harder than ever!     You have taken 82 damage.     In less than a minute, I am almost half way through death door! Why does he hurt so much while I do so little damage?!?! This isn’t fair! I am a freakin’ cat, being done in by a mouse is like the worst death I can think off! Of course during this time I continue to stab at its neck the best I can but at this rate it is pretty clear I don’t stand a chance!     You have dealt 19 damage to the [Giant Rat]! You have dealt 22 damage to the [Giant Rat]!   I need to come up with a strategy and quick! Looking at the damage it seems that my damage is increasing little by little over time. And I doubt it is because I am doing better with using a dagger as I am stabbing like mad. Not to mention despite stabbing it in the back of the neck it isn’t taking much damage overall due to its thick skin at the back of the neck. Me stabbing it over and over at same spot is weakening its hide defenses, but not quickly enough.   As I was thinking that...the [Giant Rat] sinks its claws into my body.     You have taken 12 damage. “Argh!” With that, my HP has officially dropped below half. But it was not done just yet, after sinking is claws it extended it’s left arm and did a sudden slash for my body at high speed right as I stabbed it again in the neck.     You have dealt 25 damage to the [Giant Rat]!You have taken 96 damage.   “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”   The pain that I felt was astronomical! At this instant I knew that I was going to die again. With less than 10% HP left I was effectively a goner. But even so if I am going to go down then I will take this bastard down with me! I aim my knife and stab it straight in the eye!   “Hssssssss”   [Critical Hit] You have dealt 73 damage to the [Giant Rat]!   For the first time, the giant rat fully let go of my shoulder and fell ton its back to the floor hissing in pain. I did not lose this opportunity and jumped on top of it and continued to stab it on its soft underbelly.     You have dealt 35 damage to the [Giant Rat]! You have dealt 40 damage to the [Giant Rat]! You have dealt 32 damage to the [Giant Rat]! You have dealt 56 damage to the [Giant Rat]!   With that the rat finally stopped moving…     With the battle done I take a look around to see where exactly am I since I got distracted by the giant rat and check to see if there is some place I can rest. But as I turned by head I finally fully took in the surroundings. I was in a small cave system and about a few dozen meters I could see the exit of the cave to the outside. Of course life is never really that simple because between me and the exit there are five hissing [Giant Rats] staring me down in attack position.

“Mmm...”   The first thing I notice when I open my eyes is a strange looking ceiling. Like I am in some kind of catacombs or something.   “Where… am… I?”   I slowly get up an look around. I remember having a headache for some reason and collapsing but now I feel somewhat refreshed. Well until I notice how eerie the place around me really is…   Is this some kind of prank? … Wait I died didn’t I? Don’t tell me it is one of those cases where they take you for dead and bury you and you end up waking up… That would really suck… Speaking of which despite it being so dark I am able to see the details pretty well...odd…   * ROOOOOAAAAAAAAAR *   * rumble * * rumble * * rumble *   Ugh! I quickly grab the sides of my head to cover my ears from the terrifying roar from the far distance only to find that it is not helping at all. Why?! I am covering my ears so it should help reduce the ringing noise… MY EARS! WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE MY EARS! MY EARS ARE MISSING!   Ok, calm down… deep breath... stay calm... Think logically, my ears can’t possible be missing because then I would not hear any noise at all. So in worst case, just my outer ears are missing and not the ears themselves...though somehow that doesn’t make me feel much better…   I slowly feel the side of my head as I subconsciously move my hands upwards. I suddenly feel a warm soft fluffy sensation, but at same time feel rather ticklish...Quickly, I realize there is something sitting on my head and I start to panic, as I try to discern what it is by trying to shake it off. That is when I realize that there is something long sneaking right behind me…   “S-Snake!”   I quickly rush down the stone hallway to distance myself from the snake, while at same time swerving my head left and right trying to shake whatever it is on my head. As I turn around, I notice the snake is literally on my tail! At this rate I am not going to get away from that white snake. I steel my courage and smack the snake with my hand.   “Ouch!”   Due to the sudden pain I quickly jump and duck for the floor, I turn around to try to see if I could fend off that white snake only to notice it missing with no hint of it in sight. In its stead I see an odd blue box.     You have taken 1 damage   …   Okaaay… I am dreaming ri..ght? This is no time to be in denial… Breath in and out slowly… Lets quickly take in the facts. I know that I died when that meteor hit… And since I am feeling pain, I can’t just shrug it off as a dream… Don’t tell me it is like one of those ridiculous scenarios where I get reincarnated in a different world of swords and magic and get a whole breakdown when I say or think of the word “Status”… hahahaha       Status Name Shiro Race Ɓęåśŧķĩŋ - Ċāť Class Level Gender Female Status [Čơƞƒűşëď] Beastkin - Cat 1 Age 12 years Free Points 0 Hunger 100/100     HP 249 / 250 (0.12/m) STR 12 INT 10     MP 10 / 10 (0.01/m) AGI 15 WIS 8     Stamina 48 / 50 (0.6/m) VIT 12 MNT 20     Mental 38 / 70 (0.2/m) DEX 13 LUK 100     Skills [LP] English 5 [RA] Smell Sense 1     [RP] Night Vision 2           Ha… ha… * sigh *     I guess I can look at the bright side… I think I figured out why my ears are missing and the identity of that “White snake”… I turn around to look at my back and see a wiggling fluffy tail. Yup that confirms it!   Setting aside my urge to grab the tail, I quickly confirm that I am in a safe spot and begin reviewing my “Status Screen”. A few minutes later, I pretty much got the gist of it.   To summarize what I learned, as far as attributes go:   [STR] gives you more muscle strength which also helps improve your endurance a bit [AGI] improves your speed and reflexes plus flexibility [VIT] helps improve your defense, increases regeneration of [Stamina] while at same time reducing its consumption. It also helps with overall endurance and HP regeneration. [DEX] helps you with accuracy and control [INT] improves your mana regeneration and allows you to solve problems faster [WIS] reduces the mana consumption of spells and helps with memory [MNT] helps reduce consumption of [Mental] and helps you resist psychological attacks [LUK] is a bit odd in that it helps you slightly push probability in your favor. You can’t normally raise this attribute though.   Now there is also consumable stats as well:   [HP] is your life points, when you reach 0, you are dead. [MP] is how much mana you have and is used for casting spells and other various uses. If MP reaches below 10%, it will put a strain on [Mental] [Stamina] is how much short term strength you have. Every action consumes stamina, more so with skills. If your Stamina reaches 0, you will not be able to move at all. [Mental] is one I am not too familiar with from my experience with games. But from my understanding based on the information display about it, any form of thinking or mental stress has an impact on consumption of [Mental]. My Mental is at 38 probably due to all the headaches I had and the confusion state. Casting spells and some skills also reduce Mental. Mental hitting 0 means going unconscious.   My race is Beastkin, more specifically a Catkin variant. In terms of level up. It seems that you need to raise your race class to level 10 before you can get a basic job based class. And level 25 if you want a combat based class. Each class gets their own bonuses from leveling up. In my case I get the following:   Sentient Creature - +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental Beastkin - +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI Catkin - +2 AGI +1 DEX   Every 10 levels, a new class skill opens up as well.   Unfortunately, I did not get too much information as far as skills go, such as how to acquire or trains skills. And me doing a few punches in mid-air did not seem to grant me any skill in punching. The markers on the skills seem to represent as follows:   [LP] Language Passive [RP] Racial Passive [RA] Racial Active   This has me seriously worried about a possible language barrier... I doubt people speak english here now do they? Possible god who reincarnated me, where is my language cheat skill?   * sigh *… I guess I’ll have to go out to find out..   I currently have 2 actual skills, one is my [Night Vision] racial passive which improves my visibility in the darkness by 200%, which explains why I can see so well despite being so dark here. My other skill is a racial active skill called [Smell Sense]. It helps increase my sense of smell by 100% at the consumption of 0.1/s [Mental]. Of course there is a risk of higher [Mental] consumption in case of it is being used in areas with high odor.   With all that out of the way it leaves me with one last concern about my “Status Window”. What in the world is up with my Age, Race and Status? Has my confusion somehow caused it to weird out on me or something? Or is it because I was 12 when I died but since I have a new body my age is now in limbo? Same for my race which should have been human but now I am a Catkin?   While I would love to spend the entire day thinking about all the possibilities, I need to come to terms with reality and prioritize! I have been preparing for adventuring my entire life despite how short it may have been. The first priority should be to secure food and a safe place to stay. And this place looks to have neither.   “Storage!”   “Open Storage!”   “Inventory!”   “Item Box!”   “Open Sesame?”   * sigh * As I figured… I have no convenient storage magic cheat either. Which means I have no food or any other survival gear. My only weapon is my teeth and claws, and I don’t even have a skill to help assist those at all! And I am under no delusion, if god is too stingy to give me a storage cheat, he certainly did not make my claws and teeth indestructible. So if they break, I am so doomed that it ain’t funny!   Oh by the way, I am pretty sure that it is a god who reincarnated me or something along those lines because it simply makes no sense that I am suddenly a 12 year old in the middle of some sort of catacombs. And considering that I am wearing virtually no gear and level 1, it pretty much rules out the awakened memories scenario. So putting two and two together, that is the only logical conclusion I could come up with so far.   Well anyways… enough distracting myself, I need to find myself out of here ASAP! After that, I can decide on what to do. Since the direction I came from is a dead end, I so far only have 1 way to go. Which in itself is a blessing, because if this place is one of those dungeon like places and I chose to go deeper in, I’ll be totally screwed…   Since I have decided on what to do, I proceed to go down the only hallway I see. As I move through the hallway, I notice a bunch of exotic creatures, from giant toads to lizards. This so screams dungeon to me, but I am still not 100% sure. My biggest confusion is they don’t seem to be attacking me or even paying attention to me at all for some reason. So either god gave me some concealment cheat or maybe, just maybe they are herbivores that just happen to fill up this place?   I can of course try attacking one to test that theory, but I am not that stupid. I know in most games and literature you read the protagonist goes “Opportunity for easy XP~!” and comes up with some ingenious surprise attack to get them by surprise. But in my opinion, half of them are crazy! You only live once! I understand that in this world I might have to fight to survive, but there is a time and a place for everything, and this is no time for a clueless suicide. If they are going to ignore me, better for me. Once I get out of this place and get some information, then I’ll consider the easy safe way to power level. Maybe that is why god did not give me any cheats, he probably only gives them to those with a few screws loose and willing to entertaining them, in comparison, I am just plain old boring, sorry.   I continue to cautiously walk in the tunnel for what feels like 2 hours, while briefly using my [Smell Sense] skill every 5 minutes or so just in case. I finally end up in what seems to be a big room, and my [Smell Sense] is telling me there is a creature in this room that is significantly different than the ones I met in the hallway. Unfortunately even with my improved [Night Vision], I can’t really make out what the creature is due to how large this room is. It also seems the creature’s skin color is black which isn’t helping me any. At best, I can tell the creature is sleeping. Though my [Night Vision] does help me see is the glistening dagger that is lying not too far on a nearby pedestal.   Which puts me in my first dilemma since coming here. What do I do? I obviously can’t turn back since its a dead end. So my only option is to sneak past this creature who I am hoping is also a herbivore. Come on [LUK] I am counting on you to make it a herbivore! Pretty please with a cherry on top... With my futile plea out of the way I start considering my other option, to grab that dagger on the way out. The worst possible scenario is if this place is a boss room or if I have some sort of conceal on and the moment I grab that dagger I am forced to engage in combat with whatever that is which seems to be at least 5X bigger than me!   I can of course leave the dagger there, but if I do that who knows what kind of things may show up. And if this giant creature does end up attacking me, my odds would probably be better with a dagger regardless of how futile it is. * sigh * I guess this is where the saying goes “You only die twice” or since I am now a Catkin is that nine times? Dear god, please make my cheat that I have 9 lives! Though somehow I have a feeling that even that might not be enough.   Coming to a conclusion, I decide to make the final judgment on whether or not I should go for the dagger once I get closer to the pedestal. Which is closer to both the exit and the mysterious sleeping creature. Maybe if I get closer, I can make a more sound judgment if I should take the risk or not. With my heart beating like mad drums, I slowly and steadily tip-toe closer to the pedestal. Within about a minute, I get close enough to the pedestal to touch the dagger. And for better or worse, I can now make out the giant sleeping creature…   Eeeeekk!!!!   What is lying in front, a few meters away from me is a GIANT PANTHER! I quickly cover my mouth with both hands to prevent myself from squealing in terror! Dear god, please tell me in your world giant panthers are herbivores? Right? Right? Or at the very least friendly to fellow felines like Catkin maybe? A girl can only dream… * sigh *   Now is the moment of truth, do I go for the dagger or not? I do a bit of soul searching and decide to go with the most ridiculous option possible. Go with my instincts. Now I know what I said about not taking stupid risks, and denouncing those less than sane protagonists that needlessly throw their lives into the fire like moths. But truth be told, I don’t think I have much choice here. No matter how you look at it, this is a dungeon, and this is either a mini-boss or a boss of some sort. Why else would a giant panther be just lying there next to a dagger on a pedestal. And if that is the case, then there is a possibility that beyond this room the monsters are going to be aggressive. If I can get my hands on a decent weapon from a sleeping boss regardless how low the odds its better than trying to wrestle a weapon out of a non-sleeping monster.   With my mind made up, I decide to go for the dagger. Just this once I will be that idiot protagonist, but never again… are you happy god? And then when I grab the dagger, I will sneak up on the panther and murder it in its sleep...NOT! I might be doing something relatively crazy, but I am not that stupid. If I did that I’d be dead faster than I could cry uncle. It would literally make me into mince meat in one strike. Grab dagger and run, end of story!   I slowly reach for the dagger with my right hand, with every inch it feels like my heart is beating faster and faster. With what felt like hours, though lasted only a few seconds, I finally place my hand on the dagger. Looking at the monster, it seems like it is still casually enjoying its sleep without a hint of waking up. With a slight sigh of relief, I raise the dagger slowly towards myself. At that moment I hear loud snort. With trembling eyes, I slowly take a look as my face turns pale white as my hair! Because in front of me I notice the giant panther moving. OMG! I AM GOING TO DIE! Again…   The giant panther started to move around as I stood there frozen solid. Inside my head I am contemplating whether I should not move, hide, or just make a run for it? Though due to my immense fear I could not move even if I wanted to. The panther continued to move little by little and then much to my bewilderment stopped again to sleep. IT WAS FREAKIN’ REPOSITIONING ITSELF IN ITS SLEEP! ARGH! DAMN YOU! I LIKE LOST 5 OUT OF MY 9 LIVES ON THAT ONE!   Okay, I need to keep it together… I should just be glad he did not wake up, be thankful for that at least. With the dagger in hand, I continue to slowly but steadily make my way out of the room. Once I made it out of the room, I collapsed on the floor breathing heavily. I think my [Mental] went down by half just from that alone! At this rate, my hair is going to turn white from all this stress… oh... wait…     Due to overcoming a large mental hurdle: +1 MNT   Argh...thanks but no thanks!

As soon as Michael regained control over his emotions, he hurried to go home to figure out all the specifics of Glory. It was wonderful, a tech program from a world of sword-flying immortals, with what Michael expected to be a functioning AI.As he walked down the stairs, he heard voices coming from the floor below, and realized that the exam in room 204 must have come to an end. Michael didn't anyone to see him in the school an hour after his dismissal, so he hushed his footsteps and even quieted down his breathing. "And that Russian kid? Ridiculous! Everyone knows that history teachers are some of the most strict and ruthless here! He must have stones of steel to talk back like that!""Pffft, what stones, his face in the end was so pitiful, I wanted to give him a few bucks"."Yeah, he looked more pitiful that a beggar on the streets!""Guys, come on. He did it for all of us, you know? He wanted to do something good, not to attract attention. If you ask me, you should be thanking him" this voice sounded slightly familiar to Michael, but he couldn't place it at all. It was one of the children in the room with him today, but Michael felt that he heard that voice more than just once.The footsteps of younger kids didn't even fade yet, when softer, lower voices appeared, as older students followed energetic kids out of the school."That's what you call a speech! So grand, so majestic!""I don't think he can become a student here, but I guess I could make note of him for my dad, that kid is sure to grow up to become a skilled public speaker. What was his name again?""Mikhail Severniy. Just remember as Michael Northern and then translate into Russian"."Thanks, that's much easier".'Well,' thought Michael, 'That's why I changed my name as well. Hard to interact with people when half of them can't remember your name and the other half butchers it with their pronunciation'.After everyone else left and there were no other sounds of footsteps, Michael made his way down and passed a security guard with a straight face. As he went down the set of stairs in front of the building, he saw all the facilities that belonged to the school.Over 30 buildings, including several school buildings, a café and a restaurant, three shops, a small concert hall, teachers' and students' dorms, living quarters for other personnel and their own classrooms for some of them, several sports facilities, and many more. The school provided its students with whatever their hearts desired and demanded almost nothing in return except for academic excellence. Of course, for the rich and powerful, no rule was unbreakable, and the school was somewhat divided between actual talents and geniuses on the one hand and rich kids that struggled on the other hand. There were measures for making sure the rich kids never felt like that though.Michael walked along the football field and the running track towards the gates that separated this little oasis of imagination and nurture from the gray outside world. There, outside of the school territory, were several buildings which also belonged to the school, parents' living quarters among them. For many of the rich students, their parents were too busy to spend their days close to their children, so they assigned servants and nannies to look after them. For those who weren't that excessive financially, and chose not to rely on the school's caretakers, they moved to the school together with their children.In his past life, Michael used to live in the students' dorms on workdays and spend time with his mom on weekends. His mother worked as a clothing store manager nearby after transferring to another company from Russia, but kept her job seniority with the school's assistance. Now, they were both still here temporarily, uncertain whether they would have to move back to Russia or stay here for several years. That depended on Michael's exam results. Of course, Michael was aware that he would have to bring home bad news.But even though he was heartbroken about not being able to go to school with his friends all over again, his attention lay with Splendid Glory and its promises of a bright future."Alright, Glory" he murmured softly, "How do I cultivate exactly?""Link between host and infofield is already established. Host can cultivate directly"."Uhmm, Glory, I've never cultivated before. I have no idea how to do it, directly or otherwise".A short silence followed, which didn't concern Michael. He knew that Glory simply had to take time to answer some of his more complex questions."World Tree cultivation is very close to host's memories of meditation. Host should assume a comfortable position and follow a set of relaxation techniques. Set can be purchased for 10 glory points. Then, Glory will stimulate host's infolink to receive energy from infofield"."Excuse me, purchase for glory points? I don't have any glory points! Glory, are you a pay-to-play program? I was cheated! I thought you were here to help me cultivate!" Michael exclaimed in dismay."Glory is a program designed specifically for cultivation. Process of cultivation does not require any glory points"."Then what are they and why do I need them?""Glory points are a clear representation of host's interaction with infofield. Cultivation is a process of receiving energy from infofield. When host strives to become a perfect being, infofield recognizes the attempts and pushes more energy into infolink. Glory presents this excess energy as glory points. Host can manage glory points freely"."Well, if I don't need them for cultivation, aren't they unnecessary?"After a short pause, Splendid Glory responded with what Michael thought sounded like a ridiculing undertone, "Host, glory points are necessary to cure LZD1"."Great" he responded helplessly, "So what do I do to get points?""Host has to learn by himself".Well, that was unexpected. Seemed like this program had some more rules.Michael approached a small block of flats near the school gates. The grey building would've become his weekend home for the following few years if he hadn't messed everything up. He entered the building using the key he found in his pocket. After going up to the eighth floor, he turned right and inserted the key into the door.It didn't budge.'Something's not right' he thought. This was the apartment where he lived with his mother for 6 years, he couldn't be wrong. He took a closer look at the key chain in his hands. The keychain had three keys, for the building, the apartment and the mailbox, and also a tag that said "803". How could it be 803? He lived in 805!He tried to use the key to open apartment 803, and the door opened easily. Michael heard some noises inside – his mother was vacuum cleaning the carpet. He took off his shoes and entered the guest room.His mother wasn't young anymore, but she looked much better than he remembered. Even though she was already close to 50, she didn't look her age. Her hair still retained its lush chestnut color, and there were no wrinkles on her face. She was slim in a healthy way, but her hands were a bit rough because of the hard work she had to do when Michael was younger. When she heard the door close, she looked at her son and smiled brightly."Misha, how was it?" she asked in Russian, still getting used to speaking English every day. She could explain herself when she had to, but Russian came much easier to her. On the other hand, she hired a tutor for Michael to teach him English when he was only 5 years old.She was always like that, giving everything to her talented son, trying to build a bright future for him with her two hands, believing in him even when he had trouble landing a job after university. She passed away shortly before Leon announced himself at Michael's door and gleefully explained that Michael would never be able to find a job, he would make sure of that. To her last day, Michael's mother believed that her son would be able to find success and happiness.As he saw his mother's bright smile, Michael almost broke down in tears. He held her in his arms and hugged her tightly, saying "I'm not sure, mom. It was really tough. Let's just wait for a few days and see". He couldn't break her heart, not after she left everything she knew in order to move so far away to provide him with the best education he could get. There and then he swore to use everything in his disposal to make money, to make sure his mother wouldn't have to work another day in her life. "I love you so much, mom" he whispered."Oh, Misha, it will be alright. Worst case, we'll go back to Russia and you can go to one of the schools for gifted children there" she said with emotion."Ding! 5 glory points earned for filial piety. Host is a good son! Please, work hard in the future" agreed Glory.

Michael stood on the edge of the roof, wind roughing his short dark hair. He was panting of exertion after climbing over twenty floors without an elevator. His face looked expressionless and stoic, but terror was hidden deep within his eyes. Michael lifted one leg over the edge and kept his balance for a second. Wind here was sharp and cold, even in summer, as if pushing him back from taking this final step of his life."Goddamn Leon," Michael whispered softly. He was really left with no choice in life. Because of his weak body, he couldn't go to work like most people. And even if he could, Leon held back no effort to make sure Michael wouldn't hold a job for long. So, he had to stay at home and survive, cut off all contact with people, spend his days reading, gaming and watching TV. But after ten years, his parents' money and what he could earn from selling his apartment, came to an end. Then, some goons knocked on his door this morning and announced that the small flat was no longer for rent. There were only two options: live on the streets or keep some dignity. That was why Michael found a tall building with access to the roof.'I swear, if only I was born healthy, if only I had a chance…' he thought. He took a deep breath, forbade himself to close his eyes and gently shifted his weight.His overstretched clothes fluttering in the wind, Michael heard a buzz in his ears and saw the ground approaching fast. Grey asphalt was coming closer and closer……Meanwhile, a strong current, millions of times stronger than the one on that roof, stirred a few leaves on a small branch of the World Tree. Two leaves, each representing a separate world, most alike on the same branch, drew closer. They touched in a single point and then settled again."Caw, caw!"…Crack!Michael grabbed his pulsating forehead. Falling to his death was so painful! Wait, painful?He opened his eyes. Instead of grey asphalt before him was a wall laid out with sea-blue tiles. He was standing in this room when he should've been lying there…"Are you all right?" someone asked.He looked to his right. There was a young man of no more than 16 years, with a face that seemed familiar. But just as Michael tried to remember where he could have seen this boy, he was interrupted, "Bro, do you mind? Trying to do my thing here."Oh, right. He was in the washroom. And he just maintained eye contact with this boy for over five seconds."S-s-sorry," he stuttered, unused to actually talking with people, and looked away. He felt a certain heaviness in his lower abdomen. Right, he was here for a reason. As he satisfied his body's immediate need, accompanied by the sound of the boy zipping up and leaving with hurried steps, he realized something."Wait, my little brother has shrunk so much! And where is my goddamn belly?" After years of slovenly lifestyle and inability to work out, Michael's weight exceeded 250 pounds, but now he turned slim and fit. His hands were smaller and thinner, he was dressed in formal suit pants and a shirt, with a wool vest over it.He glanced in the mirror above the sink near the door. A childish face with parted dark hair looked back at him."That's me. That's me when I was a boy."He looked around and realized that this washroom was exactly the same as the one in his school. He approached the door and turned the handle. There it was, the familiar floor, the walls, the classroom doors. The boy he met before was already nowhere to be seen.The day Michael jumped was August 15th. Judging from the way he was dressed now, he still wasn't a student here, and considering the date, he should be in the middle of entrance exams. Question was, what exactly was going on?He was alive. He was in school. He was 14 years old, almost a 9th-grader. These were all reasons to celebrate, except Michael couldn't adapt to the change so quickly. One thing was certain – that his school years were the best of his life. Michael was a good student when he was a teenager, very intelligent and determined. His greatest shortcoming was his genetic defect, LZD1, "laziness disease". It was not yet discovered in 2008, but in 2028 where he was just a few minutes ago, it was well-known. Not because of its widespread, but because it was easy to ridicule. Only those few people in a million who had it, realized how terrible it was, living with a constantly depleting supply of energy.The disease manifested in youth, and by the age of 20, few people who had it could run a kilometer. Even walking around and concentrating for more than an hour were real challenges. In fact, it took Michael an hour to climb those floors before the jump. LZD1 was his greatest enemy, the reason his life was destined to be ruined. He was only happy his mother died before the disease was discovered and didn't blame herself for giving birth to him like that.Oh, if it is 2008, then his mother is still alive! And father too! And Alice, Leon, Pavel and so many others are still children...Suddenly, a sound of footsteps broke his train of thought, as a plump middle-aged woman entered the floor and headed towards classroom 204. "Sorry I'm late," she announced energetically, entering the room."That means it's the second stage of the exam," muttered Michael. First, there were written tests on English, Maths and two more subjects of the student's choice. Then, a week to prepare and deliver a research paper from a set of prearranged topics. Those lucky few who passed, had to attend a week of trial classes. Michael remembered well that his research paper was on Alexander the Great, a Macedonian king who lived in three-hundred-something BC. And his second exam was exactly in classroom 204!Not hesitating any longer, he hurried to enter the classroom. Everything else could wait.'So what if I don't remember the details of my own paper? This daddy here is a 34-year-old highly educated man! I come from the future! I rode in hovercars and enjoyed virtual reality games! Competing with children? Too easy!'

When all the students left classroom 204, the four adults stayed behind. There was no reason to put off the big decision, and Jones was eager to be done with the chore. His colleagues, Mr. Apoll and professor Kamyshov could lose what meager interest they had, and then he would have to rouse it again."Well, Helen, did you like anyone especially?" he began, with the intention of removing the head librarian from the discussion."Oh yes, I enjoyed several reports very much. To name a few, Marco Reed had a very impressive paper for a 7th-grader, I even doubted he wrote it himself at first. I won't go into detail about the younger kids, I think that's up to you to decide, but the older ones weren't as impressive…" she pursed her lips in thought."What is it?" nudged Jones."Mikhail Severniy. I- I know!" she defended herself against the scalding looks Apoll and Kamyshov gave her, "I noticed that his speech was unnaturally eloquent. His wordplay was not on the level of a normal child. I think, disregarding his behavior, he is someone our school could benefit from"."There is no way I'm voting in favor of that little punk!" rebuked Kamyshov, straightening his tie, "If he talks back before his first day, what will he do later?""Alright, let's put off that discussion. Thank you for being here today, Helen. You've been very helpful"."Anytime, Mark".After the librarian left, Jones made sure to change the topic, lest old Kamyshov would explode.The younger Mr. Apoll who looked like he hadn't taken a shower in a week, took a few minutes to shuffle some of the 5th-7th-graders' reports around and made three piles, for kids to accept, to refuse and to consider further. Professor Kamyshov did the same with the older students. All Jones had to do was supervise. He taught 8th-9th-graders seeing as Kamyshov was used to teaching in university and Apoll was actually good with kids when he wanted to be.Looking at the piles, almost all students were rejected. They didn't get that many 5th-graders this year, most of them preferring Maths department and Biology department for their second part of the entrance exam. All other grades were already formed, so the principal suggested small quotas for 6th grade and above, to be filled only with the most talented applicants."I see you've decided on our7th-grader here, Marco Reed?" Jones inquired after seeing neat stacks of reports."Yes" hummed Apoll, "His report was something else, don't you think?""I would agree with Helen here. It is indeed something else. There is no chance he wrote it himself. I'm not sure that a cheater is what we need"."Be serious here, Mark. Some of the children we chose most likely accepted help from their parents as well" laughed Kamyshov."You think so? I don't. I'm confident that every child we chose to accept wrote his report himself" Jones replied with a poker face, "In fact, there is one more that caught my eye".He fished several pages stapled together from a pile or rejects."Mikhail Severniy. I think that kid is going places"."Please, Mark, you know that I would never agree to this. He is disrespectful, he is a loudmouth and many students thought so too. Did you see their reactions?" asked Kamyshov."You mean those we rejected? They were so happy they had one less competitor for the quota they were jumping out of their pants! His report is decent, simpler than Marco's, but then even 10th-graders' reports were simpler than that cheater's. And his impromptu speech was eloquent indeed. A bit rough around the edges but I doubt I could compose a better one even if I had more time.""There is nothing you can say that can make us change our minds. I vote in favor of Marco" rejected Kamyshov, stubborn as a mule."Same here" echoed Apoll."You guys are ganging up on me! Two against one, huh?" in response to the two's confident smiles, Jones frowned deeply.…After fighting off his mother's attempts to feed him, Michael went to his room to talk to Glory without looking like a lunatic. He fell on his bed, exhausted in the best way, not because of his body's condition, but after a long day of physical and mental exertion. "Glory" he began, "What was that? How does me loving my mom make me a cultivator?""Perfect being does not only mean power and longevity, host. Following along with the virtues established in your world is also a way of bettering oneself. Host has an impression of many virtues, such as kindness, helpfulness, generosity. All of these ideals will draw positive response from infofield"."So I have to run around helping people now? Get cats down from trees, helping grannies cross the road, washing dishes and taking out the trash – does all that count?""In case of uncertainty, host is recommended to try"."Don't you troll me, Glory!" Michael put his hands behind his head, "How valuable are 5 points anyway? What can I buy with 5 points?""Access restricted. Host, please reach cultivation of 1-stage, 1-star to open the shop"."Wait, how can I cultivate without the relaxation technique that I have to buy in the shop?""Basic set of relaxation techniques is provided without access to the shop"."Fine. Then tell me, Glory, what exactly is the World Tree?""Access restricted. Host's cultivation is too low"."Whaaa?!"After several attempts, Michael wanted to bash his head against the wall. Glory betrayed no information. Whether he asked about the soul seed, the potential system upgrade, the number of cultivation levels and how much energy was needed to reach the first one – his cultivation was too low. When he asked how he could provide Glory with more energy, it responded that it drew its energy from his infolink which strengthens when he cultivates. Basically, yes, it wanted him to cultivate first. Again.The only real result he got from that discussion was when he asked whether Glory was an AI."Glory's intelligence may be described as artificial".That meant that Glory was not an organism and was indeed a program. On the other hand, he was pretty sure of it already."Glory, what would be the quickest way for me to get the other 5 points needed for cultivation?""Host should do his best to better himself"."Glory, you sure are tight-lipped about everything I'm interested in"."Host is mistaken. Glory is not equipped with lips".'Great, I'm being trolled by a freaking space Siri'.A sudden phone call distracted him from his thoughts. His mother left the house to sightsee a bit, so he had to take it. However, he didn't want to. At this point, anyone who knew this phone number had to work for the school, which meant that this call would deliver the bad news Michael knew he would get sooner or later."Good evening, is this Michael Severniy's residence? I would like to speak to him"."It's me. Good evening, Mr. Jones"."Ah, Mikhail. Hello. I'm just calling to personally inform you that you, my friend, have passed the second exam. And let me tell you a secret, you would have to try very hard to fail the third part" Mr. Jones sounded nonchalant, but Michael could tell he enjoyed delivering good news.Wait, what? He got in?"Aaah, wow, this is so unexpected, sir. I- I didn't think I would pass after I lost my cool so spectacularly this morning".Jones laughed on the other end of the line, "Yes, my colleagues and I discussed this in detail and it turns out as the head of the History department, in the end it's up to me to decide who passes and who doesn't. They chose Marco Reed and I chose you, and we passed you both"."So it's you I have to thank for this, sir?""There is no need for thanks, Mikhail. Let me just leave you with something to think about. First of all, as you are being enrolled in 7th grade, your history teacher will be Mr. Apoll. And you are not his favorite person at the moment. And one more thing I hope you realize is that you owe me now. After the school year starts, please, pay a visit to me one day in my office, room 211. We'll have some tea and biscuits, discuss some great historical figures. Get to know each other a little bit"."Oh, sir, I'm not sure…""That's settled then. My door is open for you anytime, Mikhail".Listening to the beeping sounds, Michael thought about what had happened. Mark Jones's invitation sounded like a pedophile's, but he was indeed interested only in tea.He wasn't a bad person, that Jones, just that he was a bit too honest and never knew how to compromise. He enjoyed operating on a system of favors, which he was not shy about. Anyone could hear "you owe me now" or "I owe you, what do you want?", be it a teacher or a student. Rumors of his openness were popular, with some older students swearing that they were able to buy a good grade from him with a bottle of wine. Others cursed him for not only refusing the bribe but also adding "I will not report you to the principal, but you owe me now".Michael was never one of Jones's protégés, but he heard some of his classmates talking about it. Jones helped them while they were at school and shared some of his contacts with them after. In return, he expected introduction to their contacts and fulfillment of his requests. The key was to never get in too deep with Jones, because if he felt cheated, he would stop at nothing to get back at you.An example of getting in too deep was enrolling in school thanks to him."Ding! 20 glory points earned for enrolling in a good school. Good education is important in becoming a valued member of society. Host, please study hard in the future"."Oh, Glory, you colossal troll".

By the end of Michael's tirade, his words got louder and louder, almost breaking into a shout. When he finished, the room stayed silent for several more seconds. Younger students couldn't fully understand the extent of Michael's provocation, so they didn't dare speak first. Some of the older students gloated, while others cheered, but none broke the silence. Ms. Helen seemed frightened, sneaking looks at her colleagues. After all, she had no real power in this room and was here primarily to make up the numbers. Mr. Jones invited her here, as if expecting the other two teachers to be absent-minded. In fact, he was slightly smiling at the moment, the fire in his eyes ignited by Michael. Unlike the other two, his gaze had no malice."That was… something" he finally uttered, realizing that if he let his colleagues speak, he would be inviting more problems to come. Older professor dressed in a suit and tie was staring venomously at Michael with a red face and the unkempt younger man with a patchy beard was pursing his lips, holding back curses. They clearly took the boy's words personally."Mikhail, thank you for your report. I'm sure questions are unnecessary at this point, so let's skip those. At the same time, your speech was disruptive to the whole process, so I will have to ask you to leave the room" Jones continued.Michael's hands trembled, as he realized only now what he had done. Defying the teachers, scolding them? That would be tolerable if he was a student, but not before actually enrolling. And now his dream of reliving the best part of his life was gone forever. As he found himself taking uncertain steps towards the door, he looked around the room, searching for a friendly face, hoping for a show of support. But the children's faces were uncaring, mocking, or they were too timid to provide help. There were no familiar faces among the kids, meaning not many of them became students here and none became friends with Michael 20 years ago. As he touched the door handle, Michael suppressed the urge to apologize and beg for forgiveness. He felt that he wasn't any worse than the teachers present, and his pride, while beaten and tattered in his past life, still held true. He quietly left the room and closed the door."Very well. Let's do our best to stay concentrated on our exam here" Jones tried to keep up appearances. "Next up is Marco Reed, please, come down to the blackboard". Jones quickly stood up and headed to the door, leaving the room with "I will be back in a second. Let me just give him a piece of my mind". Two other teachers exchanged a content look, happy that their superior took their side in the conflict. Marco Reed also smiled unpleasantly with his thick lips. Meanwhile, Michael berated himself again and again for speaking, for standing out, for confronting the teachers, for not holding himself back. However, what's done was done. He could not take back his words of ridicule, and he paid for them dearly. With this, his only chance at living happily for a few more years was gone.Even now, Michael could feel his limbs filling with lead, his movements becoming heavier and slower. This 14-year-old body was still not ruined by LZD1, but the genetic disease was there, and Michael could feel the phantom pains which he was long used to. After all, even if he became 20 years younger, what's the use if the end can only be the same?And he cursed himself for being so emotional, for going crazy after feeling strength in his muscles for the first time in ten years. Even though Michael had few real-life experiences, spending over half of his life confined to a bed or a chair, his past life had been a series of highs and lows. He once felt the greatest love, the all-encompassing happiness, and later – heart-burning hatred and soul-freezing helplessness. After being forced to live uselessly in an apartment for ten years, Michael released his bottled emotions for the first time – and suffered for it."Quite an interesting thing you did there, Mr. Severniy. Of course, you realize that it won't do you any favors, right?" a voice sounded behind him. Turning back, Michael saw Mark Jones who hid his hands behind his back in a careless manner."Don't misunderstand, I really enjoyed your speech. Those guys needed a wake-up call with the way they were behaving, and I think your little outburst helped. I just hope you will think before you do something like that the next time, Mikhail".Michael looked at Jones warily. He wasn't close with this man before, but he knew of his habits and quirks, and Jones was not the type of man to say such things for no reason."For now, the only thing you can do is go home and await our decision. Of course, your chances are not great. There is not much that can be done" Jones sounded very satisfied with himself, like a cat toying with a mouse. He looked away and waited until Michael kept on his way out of the building before speaking up again."Do you think you could become one? A great man. Do you think you possess something most people lack? Do you think among millions it's you who is worthy of more than most?" His question forced Michael to turn again, this time with more momentum. Man turned boy didn't need another second to find his answer."If only I could, Mr. Jones. If only there was a chance. If only things were different…" he stopped. He said something similar before he jumped and look where it got him. There was no use for hope when he knew the future. Michael hurried to leave, afraid of breaking down in tears before this person.Jones continued still, "I like to think that nothing is impossible, Mikhail. Maybe one day you could become a great man as well". This time Michael didn't turn his head and left the floor directly.But his feet took him up the flight of stairs as soon as he knew that he was out of Jones's reach. Instead of heading for the exit, he went up, floor after floor, to the roof. His thoughts muddled, he suddenly found himself on the ledge again, staring down at the ground. This school building was only a few stories tall, but it would be enough for a young boy.'I thought I would do better this time, but it seems I'm just as useless now as I was before. My decision was right in the end. This is the only thing I'm good for, for making a nice wet spot down there. Damn it!' Michael's thoughts ran faster than he could catch them, his emotions spiraling out of control. He lifted one leg over the ledge in a practiced movement."Fuck" he exclaimed, "Alice, I'll see you in my next life! Leon, you sick fuck, don't let me meet you again! This daddy will not be merciful then!" and with these words, Michael once again took the final step in his life.He was so emotional in this moment that he didn't notice a small shiny silver stone-like object that suddenly appeared in the air out of nowhere. As it began to fall, it felt drawn to Michael's shout and, just as he lost his ground, the stone-like object hit him hard in the forehead. The impact was so great that it threw Michael back and he landed on his butt on the roof again, groaning in pain."Goddamn it! This daddy can't even suicide properly!"

The classroom was much brighter than the hall, and it still looked the same as it was many years ago. There was a desk in front of a large blackboard – that's right, interactive boards weren't yet widespread in 2008 – and four rows of desks stood on elevated steps. Walking from the blackboard to the end of the class seemed like climbing half a flight of stairs. That design was similar to college classrooms, but there was no need for doing so in this room, which could hold at most 40 students.Now, the teacher's desk was close to the door, with another one standing next to it. Four adults were sharing the two desks, one of them the woman who just entered before Michael."You're here. Come in, let's start already" hurried him one of the teachers, with a patchy beard and uncombed hair.Michael tried to sneak in without alerting too much attention to himself. Even though he somehow appeared in his own body, he had no memories of what his younger self was doing before he went to the washroom. Maybe his report was already over and done with."Welcome. You all have passed the first stage of the exam and had a week to write a report on a topic from a set we prepared for you. Let's begin without further interruptions. When we call your name, come down here and deliver a speech that you've prepared with your report. Let's do our best not to interrupt the speaker. After you finish, we'll ask you some questions, and the other students are free to do so as well. I don't think I need to explain that we will also evaluate your participation and questions" said Mr. Jones, a middle-aged man with black skin, soft facial features and an elegant jawline.Michael didn't pay much attention to Mr. Jones and glanced at his three colleagues instead. The shabby-looking younger man with unkempt appearance was checking something out on his phone, uninterested in the process. Sitting next to him, an older balding gentleman was hiding his face in his hands. The plump woman, on the other hand, was gingerly looking at the children with a kind smile. Michael remembered how on the day of his report, he thought that Mr. Jones was speaking because he had the least authority among them. He had to act when others were left to their own devices. The person who looked the most impressive was the older gentleman, and Michael tried his hardest to impress him, but the man didn't even look at him. Desperate, he delivered the rest of his speech to the kind-looking woman, who received his attention eagerly.Ironically, it was Mr. Jones who was the head of the History department, and two other men were his subordinates. As for the woman, she had no say in any of this – she was the head librarian, for God's sake! The youngest children began to deliver their rather simple speeches – they were 12, 13 years at most, who would expect anything from them? But now, Michael's face was getting red with shame as he was staring at the report in front of him. It was titled "My favorite historical person – Alexander the Great". It described Alexander's achievements and his military exploits in length, ending with a banal idea that Alexander excelled in diplomacy as well as war.'There is just no comparison between a child's and an adult's intelligence' Michael thought. Of course, he was just a child himself back then, but this topic – 'My favorite historical person' really caught his attention. It was the simplest one, with no analytical skills needed for preparing it. Just search the name on the Internet – and there you go, so much information, so many ideas.Meanwhile, as Michael read through his own paper as if for the first time, the 9th-graders' turn to report came up. The whole affair barely took 5-7 minutes per person. The teachers were unenergetic, and though the kids did their best, they just couldn't draw their attention.And for some reason, this angered Michael. As a grown man put through the same ordeal as these boys and girls aged 12-14, he couldn't stand the disregard these men had for the kids. The librarian, Ms. Helen was doing her best supporting the students delivering their reports. She was asking questions and displaying her care, while the old gentlemanly bastard was checking his nails, not speaking a word since the start.Don't they know most of these kids never had to do this kind of task before? What normal 8th-grader has to do research and report on it in class after? And while the school certainly wasn't normal, many of these children were!And then it happened."Severniy, Mikhail!" Mr. Jones announced. He had long noticed this boy, dressed way too formally for a child, not a wrinkle on his pants. This showed great parental care, but Jones saw way too many children like that. Most of the time they were useless lazy little shits, who would never amount to anything in their lives other than becoming heirs to their parents' fortunes. And voila, the kid didn't move a muscle since the exam started, not participating, not even attempting to ask a single question.Mr. Jones called again, "Severniy, Mikhail!"Oddly enough, the boy didn't react. But Jones remembered clearly that before they had to wait for Helen, when he checked attendance, this Russian boy answered to the name."Mikhail! Are you just going to sit there like an idiot? Do you know what your name is? Or maybe you've already forgotten it after half an hour?" That was the kind of man Jones prided himself in being. He was direct, he was honest, and he never had to lower himself to any of the rich kids in the school. If he wanted to call someone an idiot, he felt it was his right. If he wanted to make fun of a child in front of the class, that was his power.Hearing such rude words, everyone in the classroom seemed to wake up. A small boy snickered, "Those Russians are so slow", and his desk mate added, "I hear there are way too many Russians in this school".To be fair, Michael hadn't heard his birth name for many years and hadn't introduced himself as Mikhail for the same amount of time. The fact is, ever since he enrolled in this school he changed his name to Michael North so that it would be easier for people to pronounce it – 'Severniy' meant 'northern' in Russian. Then, after he returned to his homeland to attend university, he just kept the name. It stuck.All his friends already knew him as Michael anyway. Why change a good thing?That was why at this moment he got a bit lost, but bravely stood up as he recovered."I know my name very well, sir. I just wanted to check if anyone would notice if I didn't move. I thought some people would keep staring at the wall blankly until it was time for lunch".Someone behind Michael gasped, and for good reason. None of the history teachers seemed like easygoing men, and Michael's words were downright insulting. Jones was struck stupid, his jaw dropping in an inelegant manner, his mouth wide open. Anger barely flashed in his eyes when Michael took back the initiative again."Is it my turn? Good! Let me tell you about Alexander the Great! Let me tell you about the man who had the talent and the capability to conquer the world when he was younger than some of the people in this room.In my paper, I've provided a lot of basic information about Alexander, and his name was already mentioned today by some of my colleagues. Very well, let's not dwell on the dry facts and move on to the real question. Why was he called the Great?It is a common consensus that his nickname is an ode to his military talent. That cannot be refuted – after all, the man is known as one of history's greatest generals to this day. However, that is not the man I want to speak about today. I have no interest in the general, in the man who slashed a sword at a famous knot or the dubious sexual preferences of the man who went paranoid after losing a male companion.Today, I call him a tyrant.Here is a boy who tames a wild stallion at the age of 12, gains experience in ruling his father's kingdom and leads a military campaign all before turning 18.Here is a man who becomes king at the age of twenty and immediately has to suppress an uprising caused by his father's death. Alexander executes his own family members before their attempts at the throne are not only realized but even conceived. He marches on to Greece, to Egypt, to Central and South Asia, to Persia, to India and only turns back to accommodate his men.Today, I call him a uniter.Whichever land he conquers, he doesn't touch its customs, he doesn't change its culture and he only replaces the ruling few. Tutored from a young age by the legendary Aristotle, Alexander grows to love the arts and literature. He enjoys reading books and adopts his teacher's fascination with philosophy. Alexander may be called brash, but he is intelligent and shrewd, proving his mind's excellence primarily in war, never losing a single battle in his short yet eventful life.Not to say that his men obey him unconditionally, but they love him deeply. He considers himself a god among men, hailed as the son of Zeus, the son of the king of gods, and, what really amazes me, his men support the claim. Alexander takes this belief to his grave, even when dying in agony like an ordinary man. Here is the man I admire. Not the general, not the scholar, but the one who leads the cavalry charge. The boy who cannot sit still when he sees an untamed wild stallion. The youth who grasps hold over the kingdom he inherits, crushing his opposition. The man who sees the city of Gaza that cannot be sieged and takes it after a few weeks. The king who feels he cannot stop until the world belongs to him.Because his blood is too hot to sit still. Because by birth or by strength, he believes he deserves it.I don't know if the world should belong to him, but only a man like that deserves to be called 'the Great'".

"Wait, Glory, how can you give me points when I still haven't been formally accepted? Don't I need to start classes first?" Michael probed. A short silence followed."Host is mistaken. According to infofield, host is already a student at his school"."Wait, what? You can collect information like that?""Host is connected to infofield where all information in host's world is stored".That opened so many possibilities, none of which Michael could use."Access restricted. Host's cultivation is too low"."Well, what are the requirements for accessing the infofield?""Access restricted. Host's cultivation is too low".'Great'.It took Michael a few minutes to return his attention to his talk with Jones. 'No need for thanks, but you owe me now! Damn! What a bastard. And he talks like that to a 13-year-old kid' thought Michael as he lay in bed after calming down. Even though he wanted to celebrate somehow, he forced himself to be smart about this. He had already made a mistake during the exam and didn't want any more unforeseen problems.A few things tugged on his mind, like the different apartment he was in, Jones's plans for him, or Marco Reed, who he didn't remember seeing before. In Michael's past life, there was a girl who followed his report, not this toady Marco."Perhaps some things just went differently in this timeline. Can that happen, Glory?" he spoke to himself."Splendid Glory is a program designed specifically for cultivation"."Yeah, I know. Well, no use wondering about those things. I guess Jones became interested in me after my speech, which outed me as too smart for my age. He should've also noticed the disparity between my speech and my report. Uh, that's fine, I can just say that I watched too many inspirational movies the night before or something. No one can identify me as an adult anyway".Michael jumped up and stretched his arms and legs, performed a few simple exercises – a privilege for a man with LZD1. Then, as he felt blood rush through the veins, he said, "Glory, I'm ready for those relaxation techniques now"."Purchase confirmed. Host, please assume a comfortable position and perform breathing exercises described in the first technique step by step".Michael felt his head spin as new knowledge appeared in his mind where there was nothing before. He almost lost his balance and had to sit down on the bed. He saw images, heard sounds of breathing, even felt something circulating in his body. He didn't only get the knowledge of the techniques, he also got an idea of what cultivation should feel like.Michael got on the bed with his feet, took off his socks and leaned his back on the wall behind. With eyes closed, he imagined a stream of water. It appeared from nowhere and made a lap around his room before forming a ring in the air. The ring of water looked solid, but it was easy to see the sparks of small currents hitting each other, their speed slightly unequal. Keeping the imaginary ring in the air, Michael started breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. He felt his body become more sensitive, every nerve sending enhanced signals to the brain. He felt how heavy his own clothes were, how they constricted his blood flow and movements. He felt his own weight, pressing down on the bed. For a second, he thought the bed would collapse under his enormous weight, but the sensation left as quickly as it came.As Michael controlled his breathing and got accustomed to the bothering sensations, he imagined a trickle of water detach from the ring and enter his body. When it touched him, Michael immediately hit his head against the wall and groaned in pain. He broke the meditation just like that.A few seconds later, strange energy coursed through his limbs, hiding somewhere in his head."Host, congratulations on reaching cultivation 1-stage, 1-star. Glory point shop enabled. Host, please familiarize yourself with the shop".That was it! A single touch of that water was enough to let him advance to the first stage of cultivation! Weird thing was, Michael didn't feel different from before. He jumped a little, did a sit-up, a push-up, waved his hands and even tried to move a book with his mind. Nothing happened."Glory, are you sure that I've become stronger? I feel the same as before" he whined."Host's strength has increased"."Is that all? I don't even feel it".Splendid Glory decided not to grace Michael with a comment."Fine, open the shop for me then! Let's see the goods!"Before his eyes, a small menu appeared. Glory promised before to present information through visual cues, and this was finally it. The menu had only two tabs, Disorders and Mind.Michael tried to wave his hand, but it passed through the menu. As Glory was lodged in his brain, he decided to click a button with his mind and accessed Disorders. There were all the health problems Glory found during the scan, from bad eyesight and flat feet to LZD1. As he thought about LZD1, a few options appeared: Enhance, Alleviate Symptoms and Cure. All three were greyed out. "Glory, how many points would it take to cure LZD1?""Current estimate is 20.000 glory points, host"."That many? So when you said that at some point I would be able to cure it, you meant that I would have 20.000 points by then?""Host is mistaken. As host's cultivation progresses, his immunity to diseases will rise. The cost of curing LZD1 will decrease accordingly. Prognosis of 2-stage, 5-star cultivation did not take glory points into account".That meant Michael could use points freely because sometime the cost of curing the damn thing would become zero. That was very comforting.He checked other disorders, and they also had the same options which were all greyed out. "Fair enough, one session of cultivation isn't enough to move my messed-up vertebrae or relieve me from allergies. Glory, what does the Enhance option mean?""Health disorders presented have been identified as such compared to the rest of host's planet's population. Glory is not qualified to determine whether they are malignant or beneficial. Host is advised to cure malignant disorders and enhance beneficial ones"."For now, let's not enhance my flaws. I don't want stronger allergies or flatter feet, thank you very much".In his imagination, Michael expected Glory to say, "You're welcome, host", but it didn't. It seemed, the AI in that thing had better character than he thought.Then, he went to the Mind tab and saw a single ability there, lit up in white. He got all excited for a second, but after reading the description, he jumped from the bed and exclaimed unhappily, "Glory, what is this?! I wanted a superpower, not to be on time for classes!"'Mind Alarm Clock. Basic mental technique. Allows one to wake up at predetermined time. Cost: 10 glory points'."Host, more abilities will appear in the shop with each increase in host's cultivation. Currently, there is only one ability accessible".It took Michael a few minutes to calm down. After jumping back in time and receiving this otherworldly lucky chance, he was excited about making a new life for himself. Unfortunately, Rome wasn't built in a day and after touching the stream of energy he attracted, he only got access to this technique.Waking up at a certain time was a widespread ability that many people possessed. Even Michael's mother could wake up early before an important day and knew not to oversleep. It was simple, almost all people who trained their minds could do it."Fine, fine. We'll take it one step at a time. Glory, I'd like to purchase Mind Alarm Clock".His head span much less this time, as if better prepared for intake of information. Several images appeared in Michael's mind, flashing and flying about.And then, he realized that it would be much easier to fall asleep and wake up now. And waking up at a time he presets would be effortless."Alright, Glory, thanks. I guess it's not as useless as I thought"."This time, host is welcome".

It took Michael a minute to collect his wits and realize that something hit him in the forehead. He tried to look around to find that something, but the roof was totally empty. Michael even carefully looked down from the ledge, but there was nothing on the ground. His forehead felt fine, and the skin wasn't bloody. Everything seemed to be in good condition. Then what hit him and stopped him from doing something stupid?'Perhaps I'm cursed' thought Michael. 'Yes, a rare curse, to be unable to jump from a roof'.His destructive tendencies quenched, Michael headed back down to the building, to take a look at his forehead in the mirror, just in case. Now that he could think clearly, he realized that the door to the roof was open, same as the door to the storage space nearby. It was probably because the school year hadn't started yet, because in his memories, these doors were usually locked.Michael made his way down to the fifth floor and sneaked into a bathroom. The school halls were empty, and there were no cameras installed yet, so he wasn't afraid of meeting someone. And even if he did, he would simply make up a reason why he was here with practiced ease.As Michael looked at himself in the mirror of the fifth floor's bathroom, he thanked fate that he didn't meet anyone in the halls, because this would be a bit difficult to lie about. On his forehead, pictures appeared like on a movie projector. He caught a few, a Tom and Jerry cartoon, a cooking show, the apartment he spent years in, his mother's elderly face, a footage from some revolution documentary…The pictures changed so quickly Michael felt his head spin. He touched his forehead again, but it betrayed none of its secrets, his fingers only obstructing the view. So, he decided to wait for something to happen, because it would be silly of him to walk home now, with Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits album cover staying on his forehead for a few seconds before conceding skin space to some beautiful Shutterstock photos.After spending a bit over half an hour in one of the cabins playing with his cheap phone just in case someone would come in, Michael started getting impatient. He already deduced that something unnatural was happening to him, perhaps a whim of a higher being. Could it be he was saved by an otherworldly creature?In any case, that was a question for later. Now he needed to get rid of the images on his forehead. After half an hour, those images slowed down a lot, and adopted a theme of good and bad, with every single image, sound and idea he ever encountered being displayed in a more evaluating manner. Good deeds lit up in white smoke after staying for several seconds, while bad things disappeared quicker, crumbling in piles of ashes.Michael tried to wash his face and made Dr. Strange challenging Dormammu in a Marvel movie look slightly wet.Soon, Michael noticed that some ideas exploded in both white smoke and black ash – the more ambiguous ones, like killing a villain that couldn't be contained or a detective letting go of a gentleman criminal who only stole from the rich and gave to the poor. All the images relied on Michael's ideas and values, with several staying on his skin until he thought whether that action was slightly more good or bad. Michael was never a violent person – he never had the chance to become one – but he generally considered ideas of all-forgiving superheroes to be faulty. He believed in the law of "to show mercy to your enemies is to be cruel to yourself". For example, he was adamant that if he had a chance to kill Leon in his past life, he would gladly give his own life for a single low success rate attempt. He believed that a person's intentions should be taken into account. Anything was fine in self-defense as long as it didn't go beyond the attacker's intentions, and even then, punishment should not be too harsh. At the same time, there was no use putting mass murderers and supervillains behind bars. He who passes the sentence should swing the sword, and as long as superheroes were the only people who could deal with supervillains, they should be the ones to decide what to do with them.As Michael was thinking this, his forehead finally cleared up. He exclaimed happily, rubbed it for good luck and turned towards the door to leave, when he was interrupted by something that would change his life forever."Welcome to Splendid Glory, host" he heard from somewhere. Michael looked around, but the bathroom was just as empty as before."Who is it? Who said that?""Splendid Glory is a program designed specifically for cultivation. Current status: dormant, passive mode, upgrade not initiated. Would host like to activate Splendid Glory?" the same voice sounded. Now Michael could tell that the voice was a mix between male and female, somewhat mechanical but with adequate intonations where they were needed. He didn't know what was happening, so he decided to be cautious."No! Not yet! Don't activate. First, tell me, where are you? Why are you here? What do you want?""Attempts at locating host's energy field and soul seed were unsuccessful. Splendid Glory is currently located in host's brain. Splendid Glory cannot provide information, not enough energy. Splendid Glory is a program designed specifically for cultivation".This answer took Michael a while to decipher, until he realized that the voice answered all three of his questions in order. First, he didn't possess an energy field and a soul seed, whatever those things were, and that was probably why the thing lodged itself in his brain? Is that even possible? Michael hoped there was no extra empty space in his good old brain-box, which wouldn't matter only if the thing wasn't entirely corporeal.Secondly, Splendid Glory suffered from a lack of energy, and was unable to analyze why it chose him as a host. Was it because he was shouting profanities, or because he was standing on the roof when it appeared in the air, and he was the closest to it?And finally, it just repeated that it had been designed for cultivation, which told him nothing. Of course, in his life he read several Eastern novels about cultivation, and understood the concept, but in his world, there were no demonic beasts, sword-flying immortals and endless competitions for the youths. The fact that he had just failed one of those escaped him."Splendid Glory, can you explain what cultivation is, please?" he probed."Cultivation is a process of ascending from a single leaf to the greatest heights of the World Tree, escaping the shackles of one's mortal body, becoming one with the World Tree. Would host like to activate Splendid Glory?".The World Tree? Michael vaguely remembered the legend of Yggdrasil, the world tree in Norse mythology. What was more important, Glory's answer about cultivation seemed very similar to something from novels and TV shows."Not yet. Can you describe how you can help with my cultivation?""Upon activation, Splendid Glory establishes a link with infofield of the host's world. This link allows host to exchange various types of energy directly with the infofield. Then, whenever host attempts to become a cultivator, results of his interaction with infofield are presented in a clear manner through visual cues. Would host like to activate Splendid Glory?"That… sounded weirdly plausible. While Michael wasn't a religious person, he was aware of several miracles of faith. Something like this infofield could explain how miracles happened, if all people in the world were connected through it. At the same time, if many different worlds and cultivators existed, then maybe gods or a god existed as well…Michael still had some reservations about the idea of following the voice's suggestions, but there was one argument which could sway his opinion instantly. Holding on to a final sliver of hope, he asked "Glory, I have been diagnosed with LZD1, a genetic disease. If I become a cultivator, what are my chances of healing?"Almost a minute-long silence ensued. Michael clenched his fists so tight they hurt, when he heard the familiar voice speaking a long string of messages."Host initiated self-scan. Scan is impossible in dormant state. Implicit agreement to activate Splendid Glory recognized"."World Tree branch recognized. Leaf recognized"."Establishing a link with host's world's infofield… Link established"."Splendid Glory activated. Current status: active mode, upgrade not initiated"."Host, welcome to Splendid Glory!""Splendid Glory recognizes 'Glory' as host's way of address"."Host's self-scan initiated… self-scan complete"."Cultivation level: 1-stage, 0-star cultivator"."Glory points: 0"."Warning, health abnormalities detected. Host, be advised, health abnormalities need to be addressed or they will get in the way of cultivation"."Health abnormalities detected: spinal curvature, multiple allergies, imperfect eyesight, flat feet, chronic nose and throat problems, chronic shortness of breath"."Genetic abnormalities detected: imperfect bone structure, imperfect muscle structure, D-grade genetic disease recognized from host's memories as LZD1"."LZD1 is diagnosed incompatible with successful cultivation"."Treating LZD1… failed. Not enough energy"."Alleviating LZD1 symptoms… success, 30%"."Suggested course of action: cultivation, Glory's energy gathering. Evaluating energy necessary for curing LZD1… success"."Prognosis: LZD1 is expected to be cured completely upon reaching cultivation 2-stage, 5-star".Michael listened to the slightly mechanical voice with awe. Now, his jump 20 years in the past seemed very insignificant compared to this Splendid Glory. Not only could he be fully cured of LZD1, he would also be able to become a superhuman being!He was wrong before, there was no curse that didn't allow him to jump off roofs. It was clearly a blessing that changed his life for the better whenever he tried to jump off one!'Should I try and jump again? Nah, two times is enough. Also, I always appear in toilets afterwards…'

The outage left Sigulf and the others speechless for a moment. "Aahh, darkness is so sca---" "...I know you're wanting Celina's attention, but acting cutesy doesn't suit you at all." Chelsea interrupted Sigulf while sighing. "Tch, so I have been found out." "He's not even denying it!" Alba retorted. "A, ahahahahah..." Celina gave a nervous laughter. "Well, it's not like I don't understand. Normally we would have been practising, but here we are." She stood up and went to open Sigulf's room curtains. "Rise and shine! ...or so I wanted so say, but there's not much sunlight out there either." "Seriously though, shouldn't this academy have a spare generator or something?" Sigulf asked. "We do have them, but nevermind that. For a mere thunder to disable our school's generator is a bit..." Chelsea responded. "How does a magitek generator work anyway?" he added. "...could it be... That someone is sabotaging us?" Alba's suspicion made the other immediately look at her. "Eh!? I was just---" "Well, just in case..." Sigulf said as he rose and went to the door. Slowly opening it, he then took a peek of the vicinity. 'Few students here and there... I guess most of them are still in their rooms.' "Anything out of the ordinary?" Celina asked. "As far as I can see, no." Sigulf reported. "Ah, Sigulf, wait. Can you let the door open? You know, what's with the AC and all." Chelsea requested. "Oh, yeah, you're right. Then--- Hey, wait a sec. Why are you getting cozy here?" "What, are you telling us to leave? It's not like we have anything else to do." "Come on, Siggy. It's fine, isn't it? At least until the lights are back on." Alba joined. "Uhh, but what if I have something to do?" "Like?" "Err, um... M, maybe a healthy guy's private time?" Sigulf said in embarrassment, eliciting blushes from the girls. "Y, you just say the darnedest thing to make us leave, right!?" Chelsea retorted. "S, Sigulf, seriously, you..." Celina sighed, still fighting back her own flushed cheeks. "B, being too horny, especially this early, is not good for a duellist! We have to exercise after all!" "Eh? I, I don't mind, but what are going to do?" "Mm, how about paired sit-ups?" "Oh, sit-ups. Yeah, sounds good to me?" "...were you thinking about something else?" Alba accused. "I, I'm not...!" --------- Outside, Ilma was minding her own business when she noticed the racket coming from Sigulf's room. "...why is he so loud?" A bit annoyed, she decided to head for his room. "Oh, Hiltunen-san." "Huh?" She turned around and saw Yuu, slowly approaching her. "Hm? You looked a bit surprised. What's the matter?" he continued. "The dog was so noisy, I thought he's having a room party with you guys. But since you're here..." "'Dog', huh..." Yuu laughed dryly at her nickname for Sigulf. "Oh, right. Come take a look with me. You be the meat-shield if something happens." "...I don't think Sig-kun would be doing something outrageous, though." He complied nonetheless, and followed Ilma, carefully approaching Sigulf's room. "---can do better than this!" "There, there! Need more pressure, Siggy!?" 'Girl voices? I think I have a good guess why...' Yuu mentally sighed. "No no no, I don't see what splits and flexi--- Owowow!" "..." "B, be gentler wil--- Oh, hey." Yuu and Ilma watched with blank expression as Alba and Chelsea pushed Sigulf downwards, most likely to make him do a split, while Celina was standing nearby, understandably looking worried. "I was expecting something like this, but..." Yuu sounded exasperated. "Being greedy and having three girls in your room is a bit..." "...nevermind that you actually know better, why is your default response have to be that?" Sigulf retorted. "Because you haven't exploded." the smaller boy cheekily gave a thumbs up. "Also your reaction is amusing. Maybe we can be a manzai duo?" "Why you..." "Lack of morning practice makes you guys gone weird or what?" Ilma asked, surprisingly not being sarcastic somehow. "I guess...? I mean, if you look at those two..." "I don't want to hear that from you, what's with acting cutesy in front of Celina..." Chelsea countered. "But it's cute, right?" "...n, not really." "Aha, you stuttered there." Sigulf pointed out, seemingly a bit smug at the fact. "What's that, you want your body to be more flexible?" "Oi..." "You guys are seriously carefree..." Ilma exhaled. "At least nothing worth reporting here, I guess." "But, Hiltunen-san, I thought you were cranky too from not practicing?" "Wha...! Sh, shut it! You don't have to point out everything!" "Wait, why are you mad there?" "Oh! That's right!" Celina finally remembered. "Since you two are already here, maybe I should call Amakawa and the others." "Eh? Amakawa-kun?" "Um, is it something to do with the Council?" "Actually, not quite." she explained while taking out her phone. "I was thinking of a... friendly visit to the Pacific this weekend." "How's the signal?" Chelsea said, taking a peek to Celina's screen. "Oh? Looks like it's weaker than usual, but nothing bad. I---" she was interrupted by a notification ping. "From the Principal?" Sigulf and the rest's interest got piqued. "Something urgent?" he asked. "Let's see... 'This morning's lightning has interrupted the mana flow of our school's reactor. While no visible damage reported nor risk of possible explosions expected, it would took a while to re-stabilize it.' So it says." "I see. Hopefully it doesn't take---" "T, that's not the problem here!" Alba interjected. "That thing can explode!? ...and where is it anyway!?" "Ahahah... Well, since the Principal said there won't be risks..." Chelsea tried to calm her down. "Still, a bit ironic that in this day and age, with such advanced technology, we still have outages." Yuu wryly chuckled. "By the way..." Sigulf spoke up again. "When will you two stop pushing?" "Oooh, right, you wanted to go lower, right, Siggy?" "I heard it could improve your fighting skills too." Ilma sarcastically joined. "Now, now, girls. Give him a break already." Celina mediated. "Chee... Fine, fine..." Chelsea feigned her reluctance, finally letting him go with Alba following suit. "Haa... As I thought, only Big Sis Celina understands me..." "Fufu, what do you mean by big sis? There, there..." she consoled while brushing his hair. "Boo, boo! Sig-kun go explode!" "...was he always been like this since---" ""Yes."" both Alba and Chelsea curtly answered Ilma. "...perkele, he's been spoiled rotten." --------- Minutes later, everyone has gathered in Sigulf's room. However... "..." "...what?" "I know it's not strictly Council-only, but why are they here?" this time, Sigulf pointed out the presence of Siegward, Masaki, Arthfael and Carole. "Eh!? I invited them, but..." Minato confessed. "Seriously..." Eurypha exhaled. "You're too nice... N, no, that's not a compliment, alright!?" "I haven't even said anything..." "Now, now, you know what I always say. The more the merrier!" Chelsea exclaimed. "Back to topic..." "Ah, right. So, this weekend, you want to visit the Pacifics, with accommodation and expenses provided by your mother, right?" Eurypha reiterated, to which Celina nodded. "As for who's going... Well, I guess it's easy to see the four of you are in. Now about the others..." "And about what we will do there... Well, it's slightly dependant on how many of us will be going," Celina explained. "But, in general, we will observe and learn about how they fight without standing out too much. Of course, it would be nice if it turned into a duel anyway. Oh, and don't forget to enjoy what their campus can offer, I guess." "Hmm, I see. Well, I kind of expected something like that..." Eurypha said while crossing her arms. "Feels like picnic. With extra steps." Siegward blurted. "But I'm in." "Oh, someone's motivated." Masaki quipped. "Anything to hit the Pacifics back, really. Or at least, the learning and experience that could help me with that." "...never thought you would say something mundane yet true. I don't hate that." "...oi, what do you mean?" "Nothing~" she dismissed. "But that actually sounds interesting. Would you mind if I join too, Miss President?" "Oh, not at all. Welcome aboard." "Hmm... Then as a part of the Knight Circle, I shall be joining as well." Arthfael announced. "How about you, Miss Delacroix?" "Hm? If the Captain is going, then I--- N, no, no, no! I mean this is a good learning opportunity, so of course I'll be going too!" Carole quickly corrected herself. "Then, I guess I'm going too." Minato joined. "I'm not sure why, but I feel like I have to... Something is going to happen over there." '...strange. As silly as he sounds, I do feel like he's on to something.' Sigulf thought. "Don't you dare flirt with Kannomine and the others. You'll disrupt their studies." Eurypha warned. "I, I won't! Why are you suspecting me on that!?" 'Ah, that too... Well, not exactly flirting, but you know...' "Ahem. Sooo... So far that makes 9 of us... A bit more than their previous team." Chelsea counted. "Anyone else? How about you, Eury?" "Eh? Hmm... I think I'm going to sit this one out." her answer surprised Carmen and Ilma. "I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries, but in your absence, I think someone has to fill in for a while, and..." "Ah, it's okay. That's not against the rules." Celina reassured. "Huh? Wait, I thought it's weekend?" Walter noticed. "You guys still have duties?" "Not really, but you'll never know what will happen, anyway. And even if nothing happened, I'd still make some unofficial report, just in case." "I see, I see..." 'Huh, she's that serious when it comes to the Council. I guess I have to step up my assistance to Celina a bit...' Sigulf noted. Carmen and Ilma looked at each other before the former decided to speak first. "Wellll, in that case, I guess I'll be staying too~" "...same. I'm not in the mood for some outing." "...hee, that's very unusual for you two." Eurypha eyed them suspiciously. "I know, right? I actually wanted to go with Minato, but then, maybe Little Eury would need hel---" "Who do you call Little!? And how about you just g---" "Really!? Theeen, Min---" "Wait, no! I mean, you two stay here and help me! No buts!" "Sheesh, make up your mind already." "...tch, paska. I haven't said a thing..." '...they didn't progress much, I see.' "Eeeh, then Lindy and I will be chilling around here." Laine said, while Lindorm simply nodded. "And, uhh... Miss Fire, if something happened, send your report to us." "Miss Fi--- Ahem. Understood, I will keep that in mind." "As for Kunoichi, you don't mind doing some scouting, yeah?" "Oh, of course." Masaki slightly bowed. "Please leave it to me, Lill-senpai." "...huhuhu, 'Senpai' actually has a nice ring to it." "Good for you." Lindorm commented. 'She's that happy...' Sigulf mentally remarked. "So that leaves me and Armst--- Oh, the lights are back on." Yuu pointed out. Outside, some students expressing relief could be faintly heard. "Oh, you're right!" Minato exclaimed. "The rain is still not letting up, though." "Can't be helped... But, first things first; gotta turn on the AC." Sigulf responded while reaching for the remote. "Phew, definitely much needed with so many of us in one room." Celina commented. "Right, so... Me and Armstrong-kun. Hmm..." "Well, passing through America sounds nice, but eh, I'll save it for another time." Walter said. "I want to use weekends to rest, and maybe train a bit, so..." Yuu added. "...what are you planning?" Eurypha questioned. "Eh? Err, helping you...?" the bigger boy responded. "Really?" "Ah, but they can be of use, if needed." Ilma suggested. "Kanzaki for running errands, Armstrong for manual labour." "Huh, now that you mentioned it..." "Oi, oi... Seriously?" "Now, now, you two. Don't slave-drive like that." Chelsea gently chided. "Unless the situation really calls for it." "That's not reassuring at all...!" Yuu retorted. "But well, don't worry. I'm confident in my raw strength, after all!" Walter grinned. "If you need something, just holler, a'ight?" "Hmph! If anything, I'd rather have no incidents at all. Your gorilla muscles wouldn't be needed, most likely." "Oh, so I levelled up to gorilla, huh?" he laughed. "That's not supposed to be a compliment..." "How so? King Kong is big and strong!" "Ugh, this guy..." Celina giggled at the 1st-years before looking back at her phone. "So the members are decided then. I'll send you more details later, but unless there's a change of plan, remember that we will be departing at Friday, 6pm." "Roger that." Sigulf answered. "Well then, thanks for com--- Oh, wait, what am I saying? This is Sigulf's room..." she chuckled upon realizing the fact. "Yeah, everyone just end up crashing my place..." he scratched his head. "At least Yuu can't make his usual joke anymore." "Eeh, I wonder about that. Just because we have a special meeting today, doesn't mean you can't bring other girls on a different day." Yuu replied. "Why you..." "Speaking of which, didn't you forget something, Siggy?" Alba said. "Eh?" "You know, something like, showing hospitality and cook for us all..." "...no, you just made it up now. And I'm definitely not cooking for all of us." Alba immediately protested, making some of the others laugh, but Sigulf chose to sigh and ignore her. '...' He took a glance towards Celina. She noticed his gaze and gave a warm smile, making Sigulf inadvertently let out a light laughter. 'An outing to the Pacific? This should be fun...' "Ah, there they are, going into their own world." Alba comically grumbled. "...stop it." --------- Chapter 7 "Wolf Days", end. Main story continued on Chapter 8.

Less than half an hour of the Liner’s smooth cruise, Sigulf and Celina finally stepped out into the station. “This place is…” “Looks nice, isn’t it? From what I know, this island is run and managed by the Academy committee. Think of it as an island-wide public park.” “It’s certainly nice. Looks perfect for picnic. It’s just…” “Hm?” “It’s much less crowded than I thought.” “Ahahah… Well, people prefer to spend their day off either on our entertainment square, or go all the way to Europe’s mainland.” Celina laughed wryly. “Not to mention you are not allowed to draw your Arms here.” “Eh, really? I thought people might practice here.” “They are worried the landscape might get damaged from the intense training.” “Oh, that makes sense. But… Then again, we are here to relax in the first place.” “You’re right.” She smiled. “Then, let’s look for a good place, shall we?” “Sure!” ——— They decided a spot upon a hill where a large oak tree stood nearby and laid the blanket there. “And here it is, Celina’s special beef Wellington! Don’t forget to try the asparagus and potato too!” “Whoa, every one of them looks delicious.” “Fufu, feel free to help yourself.” “Well then, I’ll take your offer…” Taking a piece, Sigulf then cut the food smaller before munching it. ‘Mmm! This is so good! Even the vegetables too! As expected from her!’ Celina’s chuckling made him stop and carefully swallow down the beef. “What is it?” “It’s amusing to see you eat happily like that.” “Ah… That reminds me, I said something similar to you before.” “Ufufu, you certainly did. I guess both of us gets to be more honest with the help of some good food.” “Ahaha, can’t really deny that…” Celina poured some milk tea before offering it. “Would you care fore some?” “Oh, sure.” Sigulf took the cup and slowly drank it. ‘Ahh, this mild sweetness… So calming…’ For a while, Sigulf and Celina enjoyed their early lunch. ‘…hn?’ The combination of good food, warm tea, and gentle breeze, however, was so comforting that he inadvertently yawned. “…ah, sorry.” “Oh my, ufufu. Are you sleepy? Then…” Celina looked for something inside the basket and took out a small cushion. “You’re well prepared, huh?” “I thought something like this might happen.” She giggled while handing it over. “Eh? Is it really alright? I kinda feel bad…” “No, I don’t mind. Isn’t it one of the points, after all? To relax and get some rest.” “Well, if you say so… Then excuse me for a short nap…” “Alright, ufufu. Sleep well.” As soon as Sigulf lay down though… “…hm?” “Eh? Is something wrong? You looked so serious.” “No, it’s just that I feel like I forgotten something important… Was it an important event?” “Event? Hmm… I couldn’t think of any international holiday for this day…” “Yeah, that’s the problem, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling…” ‘What is it anyway? …oh, well.’ His eyes felt heavy, and Sigulf soon drifts into sleep. ——— “…ngh?” For some reason, Sigulf felt warmer all over, making him slowly stir up from his short slumber. ‘So comfy… How long did I— Eh?’ Something lightly holding him back from waking, so he has to raise his head a bit. ‘What is— Eh!?’ “…mmh.” Celina, seemingly has fallen asleep as well, unknowingly circled her hand around his waist. “…!?” ‘What is this situation!? C, calm down, it’s not on purpose…!’ Thankfully, she’s not actually hugging him. Sigulf gently moved her hand away as not to wake Celina up before sitting upright. “Haah…! This is too much for my heart…!’ He took a glance upon her peaceful sleeping face. ‘…so cute.’ “Nnh… Sigulf…” ‘Ah, she said my name…! What kind—‘ “Focus…” ‘…of course she would dream about training. It’s just so her…’ Even so, Sigulf couldn’t help but to smile. ‘I know that upon entering this island, I smell no danger, but…’ He took off his jacket and laid it upon her as a makeshift blanket. “You’re too defenseless sometimes, Celina…” Seeing her snuggling comfortably somehow relieves him. “…now, what should I do while waiting for her to wake up? Maybe I’ll have some more tea…” ——— “Nnh… Sigulf…?” “Oh, hey. Good morning. Though it’s way past morning now, I guess…” Celina slowly rose up, still rubbing her eye. “My bad, I must have fallen asleep… Even though I’m the one inviting you here…” “No, it’s alright. You must be tired too.” “Fufu, I guess so. …hm? Ah, this is—” “Oh yeah, it’s mine.” She finally recognized Sigulf’s jacket before handing it back to him. “…t, thank you.” “Don’t mention it. So, uhh… Want some tea?” “Ufufu, yes, please.” ——— Finally finishing all their food, Sigulf and Celina packed up, and rode the train back home to Academy. Along the way, they sat side by side and chatted happily. “I’m surprised you could finish them all.” “Ahahah, they were too good, I couldn’t help myself.” “But I guess it’s a good thing to know. That means it was worth all the effort to make it.” “Thank you. It definitely is.” “My pleasure!” Almost half an hour later, and they made it back safely. “It’s almost 2,” Sigulf checked his clock. “And we still have the rest of the day, but…” “I guess it’s the end of our picnic today.” “Yeah, I suppose so.” The two shared a chuckle. “So, um, thank you for today, Celina. It was very nice of you.” “Oh please, don’t mention it. It was a good motivation and reward for both of us, after all. Either individually or as the Raven Banner.” “Motivation and reward, huh… I kinda get that.” “Yes, and…” Celina hesitated and went slightly red. “About next time… For the cocoa soup…” ‘Ah, so she’s—‘ “I’m looking forward to it.” “Sure, leave it to me! …but when?” “Now that you mentioned it…” Celina said, slightly widening her eyes. “Hmm, I wonder if there’s any— …oh, right. I believe end of the month will be alright.” “End of this month? What is— …ah. Aah, I see. ‘That’.” “Ufufu, good that you remember. Exactly, ‘that’.” Sigulf can only gave out a bitter laugh. ‘Mid-terms…’ “Now that we have set another goal, let us make sure so that we will perform well on the mid-terms. And then…” “Yeah, it’s cod and cocoa time!” “Oh, I see you’re having fun. Care if I join?” “Whoa!?” Sigulf nearly jumped at the sudden intrusion. “Wait, Master?” “Miss Hrimgard!” “Don’t forget me!” “…why must I come along?” It turned out that Vigdis, Melanie, and a reluctant Eliot was waiting for them at the gate. ‘Ack, this is gonna be long…!’ Sigulf thought. “Heya, Cel! Aaand… Sheesh, where were you, lad? I was looking for you, only to find out you weren’t even at your room!” “Well, that’s… Yeah, I admit I forgot to contact you, but why didn’t you call?” “…ah.” Sigulf and Eliot sighed at the same time. “W, well, that’s beside the point! Sooo, did you have fun?” “Err…” “No matter how you look at it, it’s clear that you two went on a date, right?” Melanie added. Their teasing made the younger pair blush. “Hee, so you finally asked her out, huh? Not bad! As long as you don’t forget to train, that is!” “Um, actually, I was the one who asked him out.” “”…eh?”” In front of the surprised Vigdis and Melanie, despite her rosy cheeks, Celina managed to keep her poise for some reason. “I asked him out to celebrate our first outing as the Raven Banner; specifically during the fight against the Rhine Paladins. And… This is just my view, but I believe we did well, so there’s the aspect of reward too.” “Hmm, I see, I see…” Eliot noted calmly. “Fair enough.” Despite that, Vigdis was anything but calm; she grabbed Sigulf and shook him out of happiness. “Sigulf aaaaaaaaaaaa—“ “M, Master!? Calm down!” “Shush, Viggy. You are making a scene.” Melanie assisted. “Oops, sorry! I was overcome with happiness, hehehe~” “So you’re doing it as a way to strengthen your teamwork.” Eliot continued, seemingly ignoring Vigdis and Melanie. “Well, that might work.” “Boo, boo! You’re not romantic at all!” Vigdis protested. “…what do you expect me to say?” Their comical back and forth earned chuckles from Sigulf and Celina. “Putting that aside… Bartram, the Council’s program for this year is to hold a tag duel tournament as the main event, right?” Celina was slightly surprised by his question, but she answered nonetheless. “It is, Sir. Is there any problem?” “Not at all… I just wanted to ask… Are you really serious about this?” Another short pause. But this time… There was no doubt. Her eyes were unwavering. “Absolutely.” Satisfied, Eliot lets out a smile. “Looks like there’s nothing more to be asked.” “Eh? Eh? What is it?” “Hmm, I’m guessing he’ll modify class material to accommodate for that.” Melanie tried to explain to a confused Vigdis. “Ah, I see… Curriculum and other boring stuffs….” “…I am a teacher. That’s a part of my job.” He sighed in exasperation. “Oh, so we’ll have more lessons about tag dueling?” Sigulf finally spoke. “If I can finish it earlier, then maybe. And that’s more the reason for me to go back.” “Eeeh, already? Elly, you’re not fun…” “Would you pester your disciple all day long? Come on.” “Fiiine…” Vigdis finally conceded, and Sigulf exhaled out of relief. “Not so fast, young man! Whenever I have the chance, I’m going to ask you every detail!” “…what detail? I don’t think there’s more to be told…” “Well then, catch you later, you two!” Melanie said. “Stay safe, and ‘be safe’!” “…w, what? What’s that supposed to mean?” “Ah, right, I almost forgot.” Eliot remembered. “Bartram, Hrimgard, one last thing.” “Yes?” “Are you sure you two aren’t seeing each other?” “E, eh!?” “I thought you aren’t interested in this!?” “Now, now, don’t be so snappy towards your homeroom teacher.” He dismissed. “See you later in class.” The old schoolmates finally left, leaving a tired Sigulf and Celina who can only laugh wryly. “Lively as always…” “Yeah, seriously…” Even so, both of them can go home feeling fulfilled.

Last Monday of the month rolls in, and Sigulf prepares for the morning with a renewed vigor. “…alright! Let’s do our best this week too!” he spoke to his reflection in the mirror. His fulfilling weekend, and the solo practice session in the automaton center energized him. With light steps, Sigulf exited his room and expecting the fine days ahead. ——— Except when he did reach the road, Sigulf could feel some of the other students stared at him not in a friendly way, giving him a bit of déjà vu. ‘…whatever I did again?’ At first he tried to chalk it because he did go out with Celina, but then again… ‘…no, felt like it was more than that.’ ——— And even then, in the class when Eliot congratulated their victory, Sigulf couldn’t shake off the feeling. ‘I knew it…’ “Sig-kun, what’s the matter?” Yuu asked, noticing him being tense. “…no, it’s nothing.” ——— On the lunch break, Sigulf asked the Council duo and Alba whether they know anything. “People have been looking funny at you again?” Chelsea reiterated. “Now that you mentioned it… It kinda felt like that.” Alba mentioned. “Well, I haven’t heard anything from Laine and Lindorm, but…Isn’t it obviously because you went on a date with Celina?” “…if only that’s the actual sole reason.” “So you can brag?” “Wha— It doesn’t even cross my mind! And how could you come up with that anyway?” In spite of Sigulf and Chelsea’s silly little argument, Celina opted to stay silent, partially to hide her embarrassment, and partially because she seemed to be thinking of something. ——— On to mock duel session, and as there are still 3 pairs left, Sigulf have to watch from the sidelines, making him even more conscious with some of the hostile gazes. “…” “I think I figured it out. But… Maybe you kinda deserved it.” Yuu said. “…huh? What?” “Oh, don’t feign innocence, Sig-kun. News already spread that you went on a date with Bartram-senpai. It’s already a crime against humanity.” “…you’re exaggerating. And that can’t be the reason, can it?” Sigulf sighed. “That said… Shit, I forgot to check the board. Did they post about it there?” “Wha— So it’s true!?” “Sshhh! …so they posted something or what?” “Actually, no. But words flew fast, people doesn’t need it in the first place. Still… Sig-kun, you traitor.” “…from what?” “From the ‘Cool but Courtless Club’.” “That’s rich, coming from you.” “Come on, after Smirnov-kun came and left, the girls have been gushing about him…” Yuu lamented. “I, I see… Sorry to hear that.” “…well, putting the partial joke aside, I do think it’s not the main reason. But it’s still could be used as an additional fuel. You better be careful.” “…I see. Thanks, Yuu.” “Eh, it’s nothing. So, what kind of magic did you use to charm her, exactly?” “…it’s not as simple as it looks. And no magic involved.” ——— Fortunately, the afterschool Council hours proved to be the much-needed break for Sigulf, as their members didn’t share the animosity, and all of them were more focused on working towards the Autumn Tag Tournament. ‘So I think it’s limited among fellow 1st-years… But for now, let’s concentrate on Council duties.’ And thanks to it went without a hitch, the members were able to wrap up earlier. “Okay, should we regroup with Laine’s team now? Or… Would you rather have a tea time first like usual?” Chelsea asked. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I think I will pass. There’s something I wanted to look at the library.” Celina replied. “What!? The milktea lover declines a teatime!? Unthinkable!” “…w, what? I believe I don’t give such a strong impression.” “Well, kind of. So, what are you looking?” “Some information and references about tag dueling. You two want to come along?” “Eh?” Sigulf was slightly surprised by her invitation. “I don’t mind, but is it alright with you?” “Aren’t you the one wanting to study more about it?” “…so I take it as an okay.” “Because it is.” Celina laughed. “How about you then, Chel?” “Eh!? Me!?” “Why not?” “Well, umm…” Chelsea hesitated, and for good reason; Celina looks visibly confused, less so with Sigulf. “Mmmaybe not today, I don’t feel like hitting some books, so…” “I see—“ “Anyways! I have to go, Laine’s team might have something to report. Enjoy yourselves!” “Ah, Chelsea, wait! …she left.” “…yeah.” Silence, and Sigulf began to feel uncomfortable. ‘…damn, that much? She’s avoiding us…’ “So, that leaves you and me.” Celina chuckled wryly. “Ah, right.” “It can’t be helped, I guess. Let’s go, then.” ——— Quickly leaving the school grounds, Chelsea sighed to no one in particular. ‘It’s hard to stop her when she looked that happy…’ ——— Having finally reached the library, it was eerily quiet, even more than the hallways. As Sigulf and Celina entered, only the school librarian remained. “I’m kinda amazed they still keep physical books.” he commented. “A backup or two won’t hurt. And there’s the special sensation when you flipped the actual pages…” “Special sensation, huh… So you think we’ll find something related to tag duels?” “Must be. While it is true that tag duels are not quite the norm and often thought to be not the most prestigious, it is nowhere near a rare occurrence.” “Hmm, I see…” “…ah, should be around here. Let’s take a look.” Following her lead, Sigulf began looking for the books as well. Even so, he couldn’t help but to steal some glances on her. ‘She’s really dedicated, even went to look for additional info for tag duels, but…’ Her hair swayed slightly as she shifted position. Celina was too busy searching to notice Sigulf’s glance. ‘She could’ve done this on her own, so why me? Does she—‘ He quickly shook his head. ‘…no, you wish, Sigulf. Don’t be stupid. Stop staring and move your hands already!’ Though feeling a bit disheartened, Sigulf decided to concentrate on book searching for now. ——— ..or so he thought, but as soon as they gathered the books and started studying… “Hmm, we should keep this in mind and try it on our next practice. Oh, how about this one?” “U, umm…” ‘S, so close, so happy… But so dangerous…!’ “Sigulf?” “Y, yes!?” “Are you lis— …ah.” (Un)fortunately for him, Celina quickly realized the situation and took a bit of distance, being red faced in the process. “…m, my apologies. I’m still not tactful enough when it comes to matters like this…” “I, it’s fine. A, anyways! Can we continue…?” “Y, you’re right. Let’s not waste any more time.” ——— Their heart throbbing study session goes on for a while until they have to leave the school grounds as per the rules. The sky has already painted with an orange shade, and the two walks side by side on their way home. ‘It wasn’t bad… In many meanings. But more importantly, I feel less agitated compared to this morning. So she—‘ “Sigulf.” Celina suddenly called him and cut his thoughts. “Yes?” “Are you… Really worried about the 1st-years’ hostility?” Sigulf stopped walking at her question. “Eh… Ah… Yeah, if only because I feel it would be troublesome later.” he answered, a bit unsure. “So, umm… Our library visit just now, is it—“ “Admittedly, yes.” She answered. “Partially, at least. On the other hand, I do want to improve our tag duel knowledge. …I hope that didn’t bother you?” “Ah, no, not at all. I’m grateful, actually.” ‘That, and… Well, no students here in their right mind would challenge her out of the blue and hoping to win.’ “Good to hear. But still…” Celina took a step closer towards him. “I know I did say to you that you should tell me whenever you need help, but… I think that won’t be enough now.” “Hm? What do you mean?” “Sigulf!” she suddenly exclaimed and grabbed his hands, making him blush. “If anything happens, then fear not! I shall protect you!” “…e, eh?” “Ah…!” ‘W, w, what did she say just now!? I mean, okay, she looked very cool at that moment— No, no, no! This is not the time for—‘ “I, I’m sorry!” Celina quickly jumped away, predictably embarrassed at her own impulse. “B, by the Gods! W, what has just gotten into me!? Ah, p, please don’t take it the wrong way! I didn’t mean to—“ “N, no, no, no! It’s okay!” Sigulf interrupted and reassured the stammering Celina. “I mean, uhh… I’m not mad at your intention, it’s just…” ‘…calm yourself down first.’ He mentally reprimanded himself. Pausing for a moment, Sigulf took a deep breath before continuing, “It’s alright. I’ll be fine. Especially when it comes to one-on-one. I won’t lose.” “Sigulf…” ‘Ah, just now, he looks so—‘ “Celina?” She snapped out from her stupor due to his voice, and doing her best to hide her blush which began to creep. “…yes, you’re right. You’re strong, after all.” Celina agreed with a warm smile. “…but when it comes to one against many, then it’s whole another story, right?” “Ahahah, well… You got me there.” “Fufufu, I wanted to try all the new tag knowledge in actual duels too.” ——— And thus the day ends peacefully for both of them. The night shifted into the next sunrise, and Sigulf was hoping today would lessen the hostile air among the 1st-years. “…” Too bad it didn’t come to pass as Sigulf found his way to the class blocked by some students near the front gate. ‘Nidhoggr damn it… Already?’ “Sigulf Hrimgard.” One of the students addressed him. ‘…yeah, strong déjà vu.’ “…what is it?” “I’ll make this short. On behalf of the other students, I challenge you to a duel!”

During the week, everyone gave their best during practice, whether it’s for singles or tag duel. It looks like all the students are well prepared for the upcoming midterms. …or so it seems. ——— Saturday afternoon, Sigulf’s room. “Uuugh…” “…so?” After Chelsea came up with the idea during one of their post-council teatime, Celina agreed to do a group study session for the exams. As expected, Sigulf gladly tags along. However… “Gaaah, I don’t get it! Why do we have written tests in the first place!? I thought we are duelists!?” “Oi, oi, isn’t it too soon to give up?” Turns out it was Alba who has problem with her studies, and Chelsea wanted to help her out. “Mm, I feel you. It’s totally pointless and irrelevant.” “…Master, don’t encourage her.” And yet for some reason, Vigdis is with them. ‘More importantly, why my room of all places?’ Being the only male made him quite self-conscious. “Do your best! You can do it!” Chelsea cheered. “Augh… All this thinking made me hungry… Siggy, go cook something…” “So that’s the reason!” “Well, everyone knows you can cook.” Vigdis grinned. “Oh, by the way, I’d like some snack too.” “Not now…” he sighed. “I’m working on a problem here.” “Oh? You got a subject you’re bad at?” “It’s math.” Celina clarified. “I’m tutoring him on it.” “I suck at numerous numbers… I’d rather do history or language.” “What, so Siggy’s not bright after all. Wahahahahah!” “…I don’t want to hear that from you.” “Fufu, now, now, let him finish first.” “Seriously…” Celina’s assist was well-appreciated by him. Sigulf immediately returned to concentrate. “…hmm. This is… …alright, I think I’m done.” “Let me see…” She moved closer the check on his work. ‘Ah, she smells nice—‘ “Boy, don’t you dare play dumb so she can tutor you all the time.” Vigdis narrowed her eyes. “Why would I!?” “Suspicious…” Chelsea accused. “Suspicious~” Alba echoed. “…are you girls so hungry, you can’t think straight anymore?” ——— So they decided to take a short break, and Sigulf, with Celina’s help, made them some fish fingers and fried potatoes for snack. “No more complains, alright?” “Yeeesh~” “Shush, Alba, don’t speak while you eat.” Celina simply laughed at their interaction. “You know, I’m actually surprised my boy managed to be fine outside of duels.” Vigdis said. “Wha— So you didn’t believe me? I do pay attention in class; I don’t have the time to gaze wistfully at the cherry blossoms outside!” “…who would even do that?” “Um, Amakawa?” Alba guessed. “I mean, his seat is just right beside the window…” Sigulf crossed his arms and began thinking. “…somehow I can picture him doing that.” “I know, right? For some reason, it fits.” “What are you guys even talking about?” the older woman can’t help but to laugh. ——— Things calmed down minutes later, and the students put their focus back on studying. Even Alba who has begun to get the hang of it. “Hmm, I see, I see…” With Chelsea’s guidance, Alba made some progress. “Hmm…” Sigulf didn’t have as much difficulty and was content with Celina and Vigdis watching over him. “Celina, about this part here…” “Where, let me— Ah.” She inadvertently knocked Sigulf’s eraser and it bounced under his bed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” “No, it’s fine. I can—“ Celina was too fast, however, and already searched under. That’s when Vigdis realized something. “Err, son? You might don’t want her over there…” “Eh? Why—“ She slides out not long after with his eraser… and something that looked like a wrapped magazine. “Umm, is this yours?” “Ah…” ‘Shit! That’s the magazine from Armstrong! I completely forgot about it…!’ “Ohoho, what’s this, what’s this?” Chelsea was the first to react, followed by Alba. “Uwaa, Siggy, you perv…” “…do you even know what’s inside?” “””It’s porn, right?””” “…well, okay.” “Caught red-handed, huh?” Vigdis said, looking a bit apologetic. “If it’s even that…” “Amateur.” Chelsea sighed. “Forget the wrapping, why didn’t you hide it somewhere less obvious?” Sigulf blinked. “I’ll give you that one about the hiding place, but I wouldn’t wrap something I bought for myself.” “…what? Are you giving this to someone?” “Uhh, no, it’s the other way around.” Chelsea wasn’t convinced, so she turned to Vigdis. “Yeah, it was a gift from his friend.” She defended. “Hmm…” “Seriously, you don’t even believe me?” “But who would even do that? Nevermind that you didn’t throw this away…” “Mm, is it Armstrong?” Celina suddenly guessed. “Uh-huh.” “Figures.“ “…him, huh. No surprises there.” Chelsea sighed. “And so! What should we do about this? Should we tear this open?” “Shouldn’t we just return it to Sigulf?” Celina suggested. “It’s his anyway.” “It’s— …well, yeah, it was given to me.” “What, aren’t you curious?” “Eh!? W, well…” “…wait, why are you the one being flustered, Cel?” “Forget about it;” Sigulf interrupted. “If it’s such a problem, why is it allowed in the first place?” “Isn’t it obvious? It’s for some self-relief.” “Self-rel—“ Sigulf, Celina, and Alba went red(der) due to understanding what Chelsea meant. “W, what are you getting embarrassed for!? I’m getting embarrassed too!” “Oh, you kids…!” Vigdis cackled at the sight. “You haven’t even opened the damn wrapping!” “That doesn’t matter! If there’s no problem, then…!” “Then what?” “…on a second thought, you can keep it.” “I don’t want to, though. I just want to mess with you.” “But you are the one who’s actually curious with the contents, right?” “This guy…” Under the comical situation, Sigulf let out a triumphant grin. “Both of you, enough. Shouldn’t we return to studying for the midterms?” Celina interrupted, sounding rather exasperated. “You are not fun…” Chelsea complained… and tore the wrapping anyway. “Waaaaaahh!” “D, don’t suddenly scream! Sheesh, Alba, you haven’t even seen anything yet…” Chelsea took a good look at the cover. “Oh… Oooh…” ‘…dammit, Armstrong.’ Judging from the cover, it seems to be a magazine dedicated for those who have blonde fetish. “…” Chelsea glanced at the covergirl, then to Celina, and finally to Sigulf before narrowing her eyes. “What?” “I swear…” She didn’t follow through, though. “Huh, it’s less racy than I thought…” Alba muttered. “Well, it’s just the cover. I mean, just look at this.” “Waa…!” “Whoa— Hey, what are you doing!?” Sigulf was obviously more excited than Celina and Alba when Chelsea showed the contents, so Vigdis had to cover his eyes. “It’s still too soon for you!” “Huh? But what about them?” “They are girls, looking at other girl’s body, so…” “Ah, that makes sense.” “You concede too fast…” Meanwhile, the other three were busy looking at the pictures. “I think this is the first time I read a lad magazine…” Celina mentioned. “If it’s even th— Whoa, whoa, whoa.” “W, why must she spread her legs like that!?” Alba screamed. “S, spread what!?” Sigulf reacted. “Oh shit, I can’t cover his ears!” Vigdis cursed. “Oookay…” Chelsea finally closed the pages. “This is legit porn, not just a lad mag.” “Uhh, so?” Vigdis finally lets Sigulf go while Chelsea hands the magazine back. “I’m not going to confiscate it, so here.” “Oh, no need to be so reserved. You can have it.” “Eeeh? I thought Armstrong gave it as a present for you?” “Yeah, but feels like you enjoyed it more. You even opened it before me!” “…Sigulf.” “Allow me to be stubborn this time.” “Ah-hem.” Celina cleared her throat. “Enough, you two. We will go back to study. And no buts, no if!” Chelsea was about to protest. But she got immediately shut down. “Aww, fine…” “Oi, don’t just throw it back to my bed.” ——— All four managed to regain their composure somehow, and made it through the session. “And I guess that’s all for today’s, and our first, group study.” Celina announced. “Good work, everyone.” “Yaaay!” Chelsea cheered. “Aah, my brain’s tired…” Alba rested her face on the table. “Good job! I know you can do it!” “O, oh, thanks…” “Want another glass?” Sigulf offered some drinks. “Gimme the cola.” “Sure, help yourself.” Alba took the half-full pet bottle for another serving, while the Council duo opted for apple juice. “Hm? Where’s my—“ “Obviously, I have no beer, so here, have this barley tea instead.” “Oh, come on!” The girls laugh at Vigdis’ whining. “So, what about tomorrow?” Sigulf asked. “Are we going to study again, or…?” “Mm, I believe it’s better to give it a rest on the day before.” Celina answered. “So we’ll train like usual tomorrow morning.” “Roger. Swinging my axes feels more natural to me.” “Agreed…” Alba raised her hand. “I miss morning practice already…” “You might still have to review a bit more, though.” Chelsea pointed out. “I, I know…” ——— The three girls finally excused themselves, leaving Sigulf with his master. “…” Back in his room, Sigulf stared at the magazine left behind. ‘I swear, if anything bad happened, Armstrong got to—‘ “Oh, are you finally going to read that?” Vigdis teased. “…no.”

With things seemingly finally settling down, school life at Atlantic goes on as normal. And so, a couple of days later, on a calm afternoon in the council room… “…so Fukube joined us as another info seeker? I’m actually surprised she accepted.” “Yes. Considering her skills as a shinobi, I believe it would suit her well. Not to mention Laine and Lindorm looks pretty happy too.” “Lindorm’s alright, but as for Laine, isn’t it because so she can slack off a bit?” “Ahahah, that’s just like her…” Sigulf chatted with both Celina and Chelsea during their daily paperwork. “How about Heidenreich? Did he…?” “No, he predictably refused, preferring to use his time to train.” “Reminds me of someone I know well…” Sigulf quipped. “Sheesh, even his reasoning is so similar. He’s so into defeating you…” Chelsea sighed. “…wait a minute. He… I, into Sigulf? O, oh my…!” “…Chel, focus.” “O, oh, my bad! I got carried away there, ohohohohoho~” “…what was going on your mind, anyway?” Sighing, Sigulf put his attention back on one of the papers. ‘Looks like the autumn event will be alright, despite the previous paladin incident.’ “Hm? What’s the matter, Sigulf?” “You know, I kinda thought we don’t really practice tag duels in class, do we?” “Oh, well… It can’t really be helped. Our school’s main and basic curriculum is about the singles after all.” “I guess so… But still…” “Do you have something on your mind?” “Eh, no, nothing much. But maybe like—“ “Does it have something to do with living together?” “…eh?” “Ah, now that you mentioned it—“ Celina’s reaction made Chelsea nearly faceplanted instead. “Hold on, were you seriously considering that!?” “E, eh? Is that any problem with it? I mean, if it’s to strengthen the bond between partners—“ “Cel. Boys and girls. Living together. Under one roof. On the same room” “Boys—“ For a moment Celina’s cheeks went red. “W, wait a minute! Nobody said about that! Or why should it be a boy-girl pair!?” “…eh? Ah…” Now is Chelsea’s turn to panic, making Celina and Sigulf suspicious. ‘…did she think I bring it up on purpose?’ Sigulf thought. ‘If anything, I became curiou— W, wait, no, that’s not good either!’ “W, well, okay, maybe you, or anyone else in this room, won’t. But what if some other pair does? I, I mean, when a boy and a girl got into a room, especially lovers, they w—“ “E, even so, that’s not our business, is it!?” “M, maybe, but…!” Even Sigulf, who stay mostly quiet, got embarrassed. ‘W, what are they talking about!?’ “E, enough!” Celina finally said. “Why are we talking about this!? Let’s go back to finish our papers!” “R, right! That would be wise!” Sigulf agreed. As hard as it may be, all three forced themselves to regain their composure and resumed their council duty. ‘…but, sharing a room, huh?’ Sigulf’s fingers didn’t stop typing on the keyboard. ‘The school would’ve done so from the first day if they allow it. Not to mention our dorm is so big, it could give every student their own room anyway…’ Having managed to calm down somehow, Sigulf huffed and continued working. ——— Later that night, Sigulf wasn’t feeling particularly sleepy, so he decided to kill some time by watching TV while drinking some milk tea. ‘Hmm, not bad, but as expected, I can’t replicate the one Celina made yet.’ The sudden ringing from his phone pulled his attention away from the animal documentary he’s watching. ‘Who could it— Wait, Celina?’ Sigulf immediately answered. “H, hello?” ‘Shit, what am I being nervous for!?’ “Oh, hello. I hope I don’t disturb you?” “Ah, no, no, it’s alright. I was just relaxing.” “I see. That’s good to hear.” “So, uhh, what is it?” “Oh right! I almost forgot. So, umm, thank you for the hard work. And…” “Eh? Ah, um, you’re welcome…” ‘She hesitates? What could it be?’ “I know this is a bit sudden and we have the usual practice, but… Are you free tomorrow afternoon?” “…eh?” ‘W, w, w, wait! Isn’t this—!?’ “And yes, before you ask, you could say that this is a… D, date invitation.” “…!!” If it was somewhere else, Sigulf would have shouted his lungs out. “Sure, let’s go!” “Thank you…!” Sigulf could hear her sounding somewhat happier. “So, we’ll meet at the station at 10, and… Oh, try not to eat too much after practice, okay?” “Eh? Oh, okay, I’ll keep that in mind.” ‘Station? Don’t eat too much? Are we eating somewhere?’ “Ufufu, I actually just wanted to celebrate our first fight as Raven Banner.” “Aah, I see, I see. Now that you mentioned it…” “Yes, I think it needs some sort of commemoration.” She chuckled. “Well, then I would be happy to accompany you.” “I’m glad that you accepted. So… Since I have to prepare a bit, see you tomorrow, then.” “Yeah…! Good night!” “Good night, and sleep well.” Sigulf stared at his phone’s screen after she hung up. ‘Sleep well, huh…’ He lets himself falls face-first to the bed. ‘But I’m too excited now! How am I supposed to sleep tonight? Aaaaaaah…!’ ——— And so, the next morning, during their tag duel training… “Raaah!!” “Kh…!!” Alba has to braced herself more than usual, due to the unexpected spike in Sigulf’s strength. “…what’s gotten into you? I thought you’re supposed to be drowsy?” “Heheh…!” “But since you’re focused to Alba, then—!” “I won’t let you!” “Whoa…!” Chelsea was about to ambush the blade-locked Sigulf when Celina suddenly dived with her great spear and interrupted her. “Aww, Cel, would let me pass and take on Sigulf this time, please?” “Oh, if that’s what you wanted, then sure.” “Eh, really? Yaa— Waaah!?” To her surprise, Sigulf has already disengaged Alba and blitzed all the way back to strike Chelsea. “As expected, a tough defense…!” “Cel, why you…!” “Ufufu, sorry, but I’m—” Swinging her spear behind, Celina blocked Alba’s incoming attack without even looking. “—a bit busy here.” “Tch, are you kidding me…?” Even so, at this point, the 1st-years have grown enough to get accustomed with fighting against their seniors. ‘Alright…! I can’t feel even better than this today!’ Sigulf thought. “Let’s go, Fenrir! It’s time to hunt!” ——— As per Celina’s advice, Sigulf only ate a bit during post-practice breakfast, though it did made Chelsea worry. “Wait, will you be fine like that? You are not on a diet, are you?” “Umm, no. Why would I?” “Eh? If you’re not eating, then I’ll have that—“ “Oi, nobody said I’m not! I just feel like snacking!” “Sheesh, will that even be enou— Wait, Alba, why are you ignoring your salad?” “Geh…! Oh come on, it’s fine once in a while, isn’t it?” Celina merely giggled at their interaction. ——— Few hours later, obviously after taking a nice bath and getting dressed, Sigulf waits for Celina, sitting on a bench near the Ocean Liner’s station. ‘Aah, she’s the one who invited, but I’m still nervous all the same…! Does this mean that she likes me? Wait, wait, wait! It could be the other way around; she asked for a date in order to know me more! Uuugh, what should I— …oh, right, I haven’t even see my Master—‘ “Sigulf?” ‘…ah, here she is.’ He instantly stood up, still struggling to calm down. “Ufufu, sorry. Did I make you wait?” “Ah, no, not at all. It’s fine.” “Glad to hear that.” Sigulf took a better look at her outfit; an ensemble of long-sleeved white blouse and a high-waist blue skirt. ‘She’s so cute…!’ he thought, and instinctively covered his mouth. “H, hey now, if you stare like that…” “Ah, s, sorry! It’s just… Those look very good on you…” “Th, thank you…” ‘The least I can do is being truthful to the maiden…!’ Looking down further, her belongings caught his attention next. “Is that…” “Oh, yes. I made lunch.” She smiled while raising the basket. “Well, it’s mostly beef Wellington, with mashed potatoes, smoked asparagus, and mixed vegetables as side-dishes…” “Aah, I see. So that’s how it is…” “Good thing we didn’t eat much before, right?” “Well, kind of… But why didn’t you tell me?” “Eh? What do you mean?” “It doesn’t feel fair you cook all that for me, and I bring nothing in return. I mean, I can’t cook that much, but at least I can make some baked cod, pancakes… Or even a cocoa soup.” “O, oh, sorry. I wanted to surprise you, that I— Wait a minute, cocoa soup?” “Yup. Sounds good, huh? It’s one of my favorites. Soo, should we save it for next time?” “I would love to!” “Hahaha, well, next time it is.” Sigulf can’t help but to smile at her enthusiasm. ‘…wait, did we just agreed on another date?’ Getting embarrassed again, Sigulf and Celina entered the station. “Oh, let me carry those.” “Ah, thank you, but I’m fine.” “I, umm… I insist. I didn’t get to prepare anything today, so…” “Well, if you say so.” Celina giggled. “I’ll take up on your words.” She gave the basket and picnic blanket, continuing, “A gentleman, aren’t you?” “E, eh!? N, no, I’m not!” “Wait, why are you getting flustered at that?” she laughed. “I’m a raider in wolf’s pelt, remember? There’s no way I—“ “Oh, you. Those two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, you know.” Sigulf can only scratch his own cheek while her laughter calmed down. ‘Uuu…’ Not long after, their sea-crossing train came; it was smaller, definitely different from the one used to connect the Academy and the Europe. “Alright, here it is. Let’s go, Sigulf.” “Yeah.” Just as he sat down, Sigulf finally realized something. ‘Where are we going, anyway? Ah, well…’

A chilly morning breeze swayed the branches of a nearby tree. One of its older leaves got plucked off and slowly descends towards the ground… if not for two silver glints which quickly rip it to pieces, followed by a loud clang. “Grh…!” “Very good…! Feel the air while keeping your focus! Let the beast inside you out little by little!” “Yes, Ma’am!” Another weekend workout with the usual four. Though it’s clear that Celina still has the upper hand, Sigulf too has showed improvements in both strength and speed. “She sure speaks… Flowery?” Alba commented, sitting in the sidelines. “Yeah, she could be like that when got carried away…” Chelsea responded. “They seem to be in higher spirits that usual. Did something good happen?” “Well… Let’s just say Sigulf said something that makes her happy…” “Wha— Did he—“ “No, no, no. It’s… Err, maybe not quite close… Maybe.” “…I don’t really get it, but in short, is he—“ “Yeah, he definitely likes her, aaand she doesn’t seem to mind.” “Hee…” ‘I actually figured it out, though…’ “Shouldn’t you boot him out from the council? Or… Is he slacking during his duties? I’ll give him a good smack if needed.” “I can’t just do that…” Chelsea sighed. “He actually did okay, if not merely passable and nothing extraordinary. I’m actually surprised he still managed to keep-up with practice, if anything.” “Bashing things seems to be his calling.” Alba joked. “Ahahah… Yeah, it seems so…” “Hmm, I see, I see. So Siggy is—“ “Hey, Alba.” “Hmm?” “Are you… Really fine with this?” She didn’t immediately answer, and took a sip from her water bottle instead. “That should be my line. Are you?” “What do you— I—“ Words failed her. Chelsea couldn’t come up with any answer and conceded in the end. “…I’m not.” “I see… Soo, which one is it? Siggy or—“ “I, it’s not like that! …I think. It’s just…” She didn’t continue right away, obviously hesitating. “Don’t worry. I’m listening.” “She’s my dear friend. And I wanted the best for her, but… But I’m not even sure that he’s the ‘best’ for Celina…” “Yet something prevented you from acting against it.” “…yeah.” As if enjoying their own world, Sigulf and Celina were so immersed with their sparring, failed to notice Alba and Chelsea’s conversation. “Whenever I see her smile like that… So happy, so full of life… Giving her all in fights with and because of him… I lost my heart to stop her.” “…I see. It’s certainly… Sucks.” An axe blow successfully parried by Celina. But by this point, Sigulf has grown enough to expect her counter-attack, and continuing their blade exchange. “I wonder… Maybe I’ve been too over-protective of her all this time…?” “Umm, I’m not really good with this, and you’re the one knows the most, so…” “…yeah, I know.” “But if you did, then yeah, I’d honestly find that strange. Why would you bodyguard a fighting monster like her in the first place?” Chelsea can’t help but to chuckle at her words. “Ufufu, a ‘monster’, huh… You sure she’s not a ‘War Goddess’?” “I refuse to call her that.” Alba bluntly answered. “…though, monsters or gods, I’ll take them down all the same.” “You’re ambitious.” Chelsea said, finally smiling. “Yup, and I have to! First, the North Sea, and then the whole world!” “…if you keep it up, I know you can do it. You have the passion and talent, after all.” “Eh? Oh, umm… T, thanks.” “No, I should be the one thanking. Thank you for listening… You were cool.” “Wha—“ Alba went red at her compliment. “N, naaw, what are you talking about? Don’t make me blush! Ahahahahah!” “Ufufu, there you go back to your usual self. Should I hug you in appreciation?” “N, no way! Back off this instant!” “Aww, don’t be like that!” “Ufufu, it’s good to see you two are having fun.” “Ah, Celina…!” Both girls were slightly surprised as Celina and Sigulf made their way. “Thanks for the hard work!” Chelsea quickly stood up and passed them their water bottles. ”So…?” “I broke a good sweat, it feels very nice.” she answered. “Don’t you think so, Sigulf?” “Mng?” He can’t really answer with his mouth full, so he nodded vigorously instead. “Ah, sorry about that.” Celina apologized with a giggle. “Drink carefully.” Alba quipped. “Survived another harsh regiment, huh?” “…phew. Yeah, I was a bit surprised actually.” Sigulf finally managed to respond. “Hey, you’re supposed to retort there.” “Too tired, and hungry, to. …so, what did you two talk about?” “Oh, you wanna know?” she asked, glancing at Chelsea first before back to him. “Not telling!” “Eeeh…” “Ufufu, so I guess we are good to call it a day.” Celina concluded. “Let’s get some breakfast.” ——— Later, outside the café where they had breakfast… “Eh? You are not going back to the dorm?” Celina asked. “Yeah, I think I’m going to look for my Master first.” Sigulf answered. “Hmm, do you know where she might be?” “No, but… I think I have an idea… Is there any other secluded, spacious spot in this island?” “Secluded and spacious spot… I can only think one certain cape, a bit of distance from where we usually trained. Are you sure she’s there?” “Considering her, and her needs, well, maybe…” “Why don’t you call or message her first?” Chelsea suggested. “Don’t you have her number?” “Well yeah, but I want to surprise her.” “…there’s always the chance she won’t even be there, you know.” She sighed. “Classic weird Siggy.” Alba chuckled. “I, I know… That’s why I’ll go alone.” “Oh, is that so?” “Yeah. So… Thanks for today’s practice, and umm… See you tomorrow?” “No need to be so reserved.” Celina responded with a chuckle. “I will go with you.” “Ah, is it alright with you?” “Sure. I feel like stretching my legs a bit more. How about you two?” “Hmm, I don’t mind, but…” Chelsea slightly tilted her head and turned to face Alba. “Fine by me. Still too early to rest… And I want to greet her too.” The younger girl answered. “…then it’s settled!” ‘Hm? Somehow, they sounded different…’ “So, should we buy some snacks for them?” “Just a bit. And make it cheap? I’m sure they already brought some.” “Uwaa, Siggy, you cheapskate.” ‘…well, I guess it’s fine like this, right?’ ——— While his hunch was right, when Sigulf and the rest arrived though, Vigdis’ rehab of the day has already wrapped up. “Ah, we’re a bit late.” “Hmm? Oh, hey, Sigulf!” she waved. Sigulf approached his Master, and saw that both Eliot and Melanie accompanied her. “How did you know that we are here?” “Umm, I asked Celina first, for possible places. I mean there’s no way you’d do it in a crowded place.” “Aww, now I feel bad that you’ve already came all the way… Is this for us?” “Huh? Oh, yeah, but—“ “…mineral water?” “The cheapest. I figured Sir Fortier and Miss Alderliesten already prepared first, so…” “…miser.” The last one made Melanie had to hold back her laughter, while Eliot merely sighed. “I’ll take it if you don’t want to.” “Oh, don’t worry, Sir. I bought 3.” “Siggy is really awful, he won’t even treat us parfait.” Alba joined. “What!? Son, you’ll never be popular with that attitude!” “…you do know I don’t have that much money to begin with, and those parfaits don’t come cheap, right?” “Boo, boo!” Alba and Vigdis’ eyes met before they proceeded to high five. “Yay!” Celina chuckled at the sight before she greets them. “Good morning, Miss, Sir.” “Ah, good morning.” Eliot replied. “Sorry for the trouble. So, how’s their training?” Celina put her hands on Sigulf and Alba’s shoulders. “I believe they have shown improvements, particularly in defending and speed, respectively. We just have to keep this up, while slowly raising the intensity whenever possible.” “Ah, I see.” Both of the 1st-years look slightly embarrassed but happy nonetheless. “Hmm, so, did Elly ask you to be their supervisor or something?” Vigdis questioned. “Elly—“ Celina had to refrain from laughing, especially at Eliot’s shock. “No, it’s just that we have trained together for some time, so might as well help them in that respect too.” She explained. “Though, I’m sure Chelsea has the better understanding when it comes to Alba.” “Eh!? Oh, yeah, right. I sparred with her more, after all.” “Hee, I see, I see~” “Umm, Miss Vigdis?” She felt a bit uncomfortable as the older woman scanned her face, as if looking for something. “Ah, no. It’s just, somehow you look… Sparkly? Happier? Yeah, I guess that’s it.” Vigdis cheekily grinned. “Did something good happen?” “E, eh!?” Celina went red remembering memories from couple days ago. Not helping matters is Sigulf who followed suit and looked away, which only incited Vigdis and her old classmates. “Ooh? What is this, what is this?” Melanie asked. “A maiden falling in love? Tell me about it!” And Eliot, despite wearing a cool expression, bluntly said, “What, so you two started dating? Then congrat—“ “Wait, wait, wait! No, it’s nothing like that!” Sigulf quickly interrupted. “Really?” the Frenchman slightly raised his eyebrow. “Hold on a sec…” Vigdis said before sniffing the air. “…huh? Eh!? He’s not lying! What could this possibly mean!?” “Wait, what? So you can do that too!?” Alba expressed her disbelief. “I thought it was just Siggy trying too hard to be cool!” “…what? So you didn’t believe my nose?” “It’s as if you’re not even human…” Chelsea sighed. “…not human? Now that’s an interesting thought. Maybe I’m a Jotunn, after all?” “Oh! Which means, that makes me one too!?” Vigdis realized. “Should be. Now, we should find whether we can shapeshift into a gigantic wolf or—“ “Alright, alright.” Melanie suddenly clapped her hand. “Can we save the mythology lessons for another time? I’d rather hear about what’s going on between you two.” “Eeh!?” ‘Damn, she’s not interested!?’ “But didn’t he already told you there’s nothing to it!?” Celina responded. “Well, yeah. You two aren’t dating, that we unexpectedly found out. But I’m sure the story doesn’t end there. Sooo, mind telling me more?” “Mel, don’t push them too much.” Eliot reprimanded, though with much nonchalance, earning a wry laughter from Chelsea. Meanwhile… “Hm? Oh, what is it?” Vigdis patted Alba gently on the shoulder, looking sympathetic. “Are you… Alright?” “Ah…” She was surprised and quickly realized what Vigdis was getting at, but she immediately regained composure. “I’m alright, now. But thanks for worrying, Miss.” Alba answered with a smile. “Oh, that’s good to hear.” Vigdis exhaled out of relief. “You sure are strong.” “Of course!” she let out a lively grin. “I’m the one who will surpass you and your disciple, after all!” “Now that’s a big claim!” Vigdis laughed. “I have to make sure my boy train even harder then!” “Hee hee, we’ll see about that!” The two immediately caught up with the rest of the group, where Chelsea and Eliot tried their best so Melanie doesn’t pry too much into the embarrassed Sigulf and Celina’s private lives.

Afternoon class, a new cycle for the mock duel session. As much as Sigulf wanted to fight, Eliot’s randomizer wasn’t on his side today. ‘Oh well, I guess I have to watch from the sidelines and learn…’ Arthfael was the one got picked, and this time, he managed to come up as the victor thanks to his own swordsmanship. “Winner, Arthfael Penndreic!” Pointing his sword to the audience, he then declared, “I offer this victory to House Penndreic, and to the whole circle of knights!” Among the round of applause, Sigulf noticed him smiling thinly towards his direction. ‘…ah, I see. Just as how I plan to surpass both Alba and Amakawa, he too…’ ———- The last bell rings, signaling the end of new week’s first day. As Sigulf was just done with his preparations, Alba approached him. “Yo, Siggy? Don’t forget the parfait, okay?” “…you do know I didn’t even agree to that.” “Why are you such a bore? Come on, let’s do something together after school, like classmates do! We’ll wait for the Council duty, too!” “Err, I don’t think that’s the problem here…” “Alba-san, Alba-san.” Yuu joined. “You know, while you do have a point on three of us rarely hang around, don’t you usually train wit— Mmph!?” “Waaah…! Sshh…!” “What, is it ‘that’?” Arthfael sighed. “I thought you already know that ‘Sigulf Hrimgard trains with Academy’s top 3 girls every weekend’ is an open secret already?” Sigulf and Alba froze instantly. “…I didn’t want to consider the thought.” He responded moments later. “Then I guess you already know their reaction?” “Kind of…” ‘Well shit, I’m not Amakawa, guys…’ “How troublesome…” Alba sighed. “It’s not like we can just bail out like that…” “We won’t. It’s because we know they are the best, we dared to train with them.” “…yeah, you’re right. If any of them have any complaints, then I guess it’s time to talk with our blades, right!?” she agreed, hitting her own palm with her other knuckle. “You know, sometimes I envy your carefreeness…” Arthfael pointed. “Among other things, of course.” “Huh? Well…” “Excuse me.” Another voice joined them, and all four turned to see the source. ‘Ah, it’s the Heidenreich guy…’ Accompanied by Masaki as ever, Siegward looked a bit hesitant before entering the class and approached them. “Hrimgard…” “Yo. Are you… Feeling better already?” “Hm? …ah.” He understood what Sigulf was getting at. “…a bit. No need for concern.” “I see… So what’s the deal today? Is it—“ “Yes.” Siegward answered bluntly. Sigulf went silent, making Masaki, and for some reason, Alba and the others too, tense. “On two conditions.” He finally said. “One, Council duties come first for me. Two, join us after that for some parfait.” “I don’t mind…! I— Wait, parfait? But I don’t really like sweets…” “Oh? That’s too bad… Well, I guess just one condition is alright…” “…what? So you agreed?” Masaki reacted in a slight disbelief. “Wait, wait, wait!” Alba suddenly hopped towards Sigulf. “Does th—“ “No, pay your own.” He immediately cut her off. “Aw, man…” “Now, now, Alba-san. At least we all get to hang out together.” Yuu reassured. “That’s that… Anything else?” Sigulf returned his attention back to the class B pair again. “It’s more than enough…! I… Thank you.” He simply shrugged in return. “I wanted to fight today, but… That reminds me, why didn’t you challenge Alba instead?” “…eh?” Short beat from the addressed two until Alba finally responded. “He’s right! Why are you so adamant on fighting Siggy!? Are you saying he’s stronger than me!?” “…I have my own reasons.” While the two began to comically argue, Sigulf not so subtly made his getaway. “Mustn’t be late, mustn’t be late…” he hummed. “…sometimes I can’t believe him.” Yuu exhaled in exasperation. ——— Today’s Council papers weren’t exactly numerous, so the usual members decided to do it at a leisurely pace. “By the way,” Celina said in the middle of their work. “Did you work things out with your classmates?” “Eh? …oh, right. Parfait. Well, kind of. Somehow I managed to convince them to pay on their own, then we’ll go after my duel.” “Oh, I presume you accepted one? Who was it?” “Heidenreich.” “So his ban has been lifted, it seems…” Chelsea added. “Yeah, it’s been few days since then…” ‘…hm? Wait a sec. Maybe I should ask her to join? I remember that she likes sweets…’ “Ah, right. I almost forgot.” Sigulf continued. “Would you mind to join for the parfait? With Chelsea too, of course.” “What did you mean by ‘too’?” “Err… Just in case you object, because of too much sugar and all that…” “U… W, well yes, I’d rather avoid eating that! …but once in a while is fine, I guess.” “Oh, it is. Alba’s there too, by the way.” Sigulf slyly remarked. “…why did you mention that?” “Ufufu, it’s nice to see you two interact like that.” Celina pointed out. “Eh!? Ah, well… Ahahah…” As soon as she done laughing, Chelsea discreetly sends him a cold glare. ‘…she really doesn’t like me, huh?’ ——— With today’s paperwork all wrapped up, Sigulf and the Council duo heads towards the central park. Celina did invite the other members, to which some of them agreed to meet up later. ‘The Council is really full of beauties…’ Sigulf noted. ‘Those two… Roxanne and Nadine, wasn’t it? …wait, what am I thinking?’ “What’s the matter?” Celina asked. “No, it’s nothing.” ——– Seemingly waiting in the meantime, Siegward stood up when he saw Sigulf has finally arrived. “You’re here.” “Yo. Sorry for the wait.” “Don’t worry, it was my request in the first place. By the way…” “Yeah?” “How did you know this is the place?” “Huh? Is there any other places? Well, actually there are, but this one fits the most…” “I see… I actually forgot to tell you where we should meet…” “…yeah, I realized that.” Sigulf took steps closer, ready to fight. “Are you not going to ask my reason?” Siegward asked. “I did. But I think I have a good guess why…” “Is that so… Then, no more words…!” Watching him from under a nearby tree, Masaki can only sigh. “Why must he act so tough?” On the other side, Celina and Chelsea took a step back to give them some space. “So it begins… Good luck, Sigulf. Do your best.” Celina encouraged. “Yeah…!” Taking his usual pose, Sigulf summoned his axes before getting into combat stance. “Fen-dwelling Wolf… The Devourer of Wotan…” Siegward growled. “Then let’s see how I stand against it…!” He brought his hands forward, as if holding a two-handed sword. Bright golden aura surrounded him at the same time as his chanting. “Wrath is thy name, vengeance is thy blood, and glory is thy game. By Volsung Wolves’ honor…! Cleave, Grimm!” In his hands, a steel zweihander took form. Even under the setting sun, its blade and the golden wolf head emblazoned on it gleamed brightly. “Aah, I see. I remember that in the story, the Volsung clan was associated with wolves.” Chelsea mentioned. “And one of those ‘wolves’ slew a dragon… Interesting.” Celina added. “Come, Wolf of the North…!” Siegward challenged. “Let’s go…! I’ll show you how we hunt!” “Single duel, confirmed.” The system announced. “En garde… Begin!” No hesitation whatsoever, only fury which drives both boys into all-out rage right from the start. One was born from his natural inclination towards fighting, another from the desperation to prove and redeem himself. “Kh…!” ‘So heavy…! As expected from a great sword wielder…!’ Sigulf momentarily disengaged and then launched a flurry of swings, forcing Siegward to trade steels. “Ugh…!” ‘But I’ve faced Alba many times! Therefore…!’ A well-timed strike forced an opening in Siegward’s defense, even if just for a moment. “Shi—“ “There!!” A successful hit urged Sigulf for a follow-up, but Siegward still has the strength for an emergency cover. “Damn, I won’t let you…!” “Tch…” Meeting a temporary hindrance, Sigulf leapt away to safety. “Battle points, down by 10%.” ‘Not a bad start…’ Sigulf thought. ‘But I need more…!’ Sigulf came in charging once again, starting another blade clash. “Knowing that he’s outclassed, yet still carried on…” Masaki muttered, still watching. “I guess that counts for something…?” “Gah…!” “Battle points, down by 15%.” Passing by his opponent, Sigulf scored another hit. And just like before, as he turned around to continue his assault, Siegward has already recovered to block. “You won’t let me win that easily, huh?” “As if…!” Mustering his strength, Siegward finally managed to knock Sigulf back, catching him by surprise a bit. “Whoa…!” “This is…!” The Grimm was raised high, ready to be brought down. ‘Don’t tell me…!’ “—THE END!!” A mighty downward swing, followed with a large shockwave and booming crash. Sigulf couldn’t imagine what might happened if his speed wasn’t enough to evade on time. ‘…no joke. Slow as it might be, I don’t even know whether Alba could pull that one…!’ “…as expected from the A-class.” Siegward said. “Next time, I’ll make sure to ‘chop’ your legs off…!” “Then try…!” With a grunt, Siegward lifted his sword and changed his stance, before rushing for the offense. “Now’s my turn!” Taking a step-lunge, he pushed forward and launched a piercing attack. ‘Here it comes…!’ Sigulf anticipated it and took a sidestep. However… “Heh…” ‘!?’ Without stopping his momentum, Siegward twirled his whole body. He shifted his grip on his blade and aimed for Sigulf’s legs. “Watch out!” Celina shouted. “Raaahh!!” “…to be able to swing like that, must be some crazy strength. But…!” “!?” Undeterred, Sigulf opted to run as fast as possible, dashing straight past Siegward and avoiding his zweihander completely. “I, too, am confident with my legs’ strength!” “What!?” “And now…!” Before he went too far, Sigulf kicked the ground as hard as he can and launched himself back towards Siegward. Like a bullet with immense speed, Sigulf spun himself mid-air with his Fenrir ready to strike. “Deyah!!” “Uargh…!” Siegward’s reaction was a bit too late. Sigulf has successfully landed two consecutive blows and knocked him down. “Battle points, down by 30%.” In spite of such maneuver, Sigulf reached the ground safely, albeit with some after-effects. “Ugh, dizzy… I need to get myself used…” “That honestly looked impressive.” Celina commented. “Maybe I should give it a try too?” “Isn’t it a bit too impractical?” Chelsea responded. Meanwhile, Siegward slowly rose back to his feet. His hand trembled a bit while struggling to hold his Grimm. “Curses…! Not yet… I’m not done yet…!” Sigulf shook his head and returned to his fighting stance. “Alright, let’s see this through…!”

On a certain calm morning, a young man was enjoying his peaceful breakfast. “Itadakimasu.” After bringing his hands together as a gesture of appreciation, Minato then started eating his food. “Mm, it’s good…” he commented. “Still, it’s nowhere as good as Kaa-san’s yet. Speaking of which…” Minato paused for a bit and took a glance at a photo besides his room’s TV. It was taken around a few days before he came to the Academy, together with his father, mother, and stern looking grandmother. “I wish he would come home a bit more often…” he sighed. “Or at least call Kaa-san…” Minato’s father, Taketo Sanada, is widely known as the strongest freelancing duelist. His adamant refusal to join teams and sponsors, as well as his preference for fiery red outfits, has earned him the nickname ‘Crimson Ronin Sanada’. It was during his early days that he met a kindly young lady named Shizue Amakawa, and after they got married, Taketo decided to take her surname. ‘Well, it’s not like Tou-san never show up or make a call at all…’ Minato mentally noted. ‘Not to mention he always sent some money back even though Kaa-san said we are doing fine. But he never said where he is either…! Of course Baa-sama would be cranky…’ He knows well that his grandmother, Taeko, doesn’t quite like the concept of dueling, thinking of it as a showy spectacle sport instead of pure martial arts. That said, she too had her part in training Minato, thrashing him and his kendo with their Amakawa-ryuu Naginata-jutsu. ‘…Baa-sama was really strong.’ he slightly shuddered at the memory. ‘But in the end, she didn’t oppose my decision on going to dueling school, and I have to thank her for that—’ The TV anchor’s voice talking about the weather pulled him back to reality. “Ah, right, can’t stay all morning here.” Finishing his self-made breakfast combo, Minato then brought his hands together again. “Gochisousama deshita…!” ———— When Minato stepped out from his room, he was immediately met with the sight of his usual companions. “Ah…” “Oh, good morning, you three!” Minato greeted the girls. “You sure are early.” “Hmph, what are you saying? We all—” “Oh, of course. I just wanted to see your face~” Carmen quickly cut Eurypha off. “Eei, this again!? Stop jumpi— I, I mean bothering him!” “Shut it, you two. And let’s go to class already.” Ilma said coldly… while not so subtly dragging Minato away for herself. “And that goes for you too!” “Oh, you sneaky little—” “G, girls! I can walk by myself!” ——— It was after the three girls relented that they finally went to school. Having dropped their belongings and greeted the Principal along the way, Minato’s group stood by on the front gate. “Good morning, Miss Hestianus!” “Yes, good morning.” Eurypha greeted some girls back. “…haa, how long should we stand around, again?” Ilma complained. “Come on now, it’s not even 5 minutes yet.” Carmen pointed out. “Pull yourself together.” “Tch, you aren’t my caretaker. And I can use that 5 minutes for… …anything with Amakawa, really.” she said the latter in a suspiciously low voice. “Oh ho, too bad for you, then.” “Hmm? What are you two talking about?” Minato asked innocuously. “”Nothing.”” “Eeh…?” Eurypha was about to interrupt when someone familiar approached them. “Oh, Miss President, good morning—” She kind of stopped midway upon noticing the boy beside her. “Good morning, all of you. What’s wrong?” Sigulf coming together with Celina isn’t all that unusual considering the two have been going out for a while. Nor the fact that Chelsea and Alba are bound to be not too far around. It’s just that… “…what’s with him and that icy stare of his?” Ilma whispered to Carmen, as if echoing Eurypha’s sentiments. “…maybe he had a bad breakfast?” the redhead guessed. Minato can only laugh dryly. He too can’t tell what’s going on Sigulf’s mind. ‘…and Hrimgard-kun is quite competitive.’ Minato noted. ‘Yet…’ He looked back at the seemingly stoic Icelander. ‘At least I know that he meant no ill will.’ “Good morning, Hrimgard-kun!” “Yo. Morning.” Eurypha and Carmen gasped rather dramatically, while Ilma simply widened her eyes, earning a chuckle from Celina. “…why are you girls surprised there?” Sigulf sighed. “It’s not like I never talked to him at all.” “Well, I was half-joking, but you know…” Carmen merely shrugged. “I told you to tone down that murder-stare and try to smile more.” Chelsea said. “I know you’re probably thinking of something mundane, but…” “But my normal face is rather grim anyways… …a, and Celina being the only one to see my smile is enough.” They continued on, with Eurypha getting second-hand embarrassment, while Carmen laughed at Sigulf’s attempt to show off, and Alba vehemently agreed with her. ‘Haha, I see he’s really loved—’ However, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the three girls immediately stared at Minato. “Eh? What?” “””Just a hunch, but if only—””” they replied in unison. ‘S, so scary…!’ Sigulf gave him a pat on his shoulder. “I never thought that I would say this, but good luck, Amakawa.” ‘Eeh!? Even Hrimgard-kun too!?’ ——— During the middle of lunch break, right after finishing their food, Minato was seen fighting on the yard, drawing some spectators. “Kh…!” “What’s the matter!? Defending won’t get you anywhere!” Occasionally, some students would step to challenge him, wanting to measure themselves as well as him being Sanada’s son. ‘Such aggression…! But…!’ Seemingly being pressured, Minato was carefully reading his opponent’s moves. Slowly but sure, the gaps become visible to him, and then… “…! There!” “Wha—!?” Minato parried at the precise timing and it knocked his opponent off balance. Wasting no time, he quickly pursued and gave a heavy horizontal swing. “Haaah!!” “Uagh…!” The hit landed cleanly, thrashing the other fighter away. “Battle points 0, cannot continue duel. Winner, Minato Amakawa.” Amidst the cheering, Minato dematerialized his Arms and helped his opponent up. “Agh… As expected, you’re strong. Good fight.” “Thank you, and likewise!” As he returned to his friends, Minato looked at his right hand. ‘I can go 100% just fine, but 120%…’ he thought. ‘Closest I can think was that duel against Eurypha, and even then it went nowhere…’ “Yo! Good showing out there!” Walter congratulated. “Hm? What’s wrong?” “Oh, no, it’s nothing. Just a bit tired.” Minato dismissed. ‘I wonder when will I be able to unleash Sky Fencer’s potential…?’ ——— After school, Minato and his group were out patrolling like usual when suddenly, a lady from the cafeteria called them over. “What is it, Obasan?” “Oh, sorry to disturb you during your duty, but…” she handed him a package. “Looks like this was mistakenly delivered to us. Now normally I don’t mind returning it myself, but there’s still some work I can’t just leave it be, so…” “Aah, I see. Don’t worry, please leave it to us. We’ll take it from here.” “Thank you, and I’m really sorry!” the lady gestured. “I’ll make it up for all of you later.” “Haha, you don’t have to.” Minato laughed before taking a better look at the package. “Well then, let’s see… The record store?” “It’s quite the distance from here.” Eurypha mentioned. “Hm…” “What’s wrong?” “I don’t know, but somehow… This whole thing feels familiar…” “Eh? What do you mean? If it’s just delivery, I’m sure we did it few times before.” “Not quite that, but… I just can’t put my finger on it…” “Heh, whatever. Would be funny if it turns out the record store got the wrong item too.” Ilma sarcastically retorted, earning her looks from the others. “…what?” “You worry too much. There’s no way that would happen, right?” Eurypha replied with a sigh. “Come on, let’s just get this over with.” However, when they finally reached the store… “Ooh, thank goodness! I was wondering where our package went!” the clerk exclaimed. “However, looks like another place’s item came here instead—“ “…wait, what? Seriously?” As it turned out, there are other instances of mistaken delivery and Minato’s group had to visit another 3-4 different stores across the island before reporting back. “O, oh my, talk about bad luck.” The café lady responded. “Haah, haah… Why did you have to jinx it before we began!?” Eurypha blamed Ilma. “How is it even my fault?” she countered. “Although, paska… This is probably the first time I hate to be right about something…” “Now, now, at least it’s over without incidents…” Minato tried to calm them down. “Looks like I troubled you more than I thought,” the lady said while looking apologetic. “So allow me repay it! …well, we’re about to close soon, but I think I can arrange something.” Minato was about to decline, but after exchanging looks with the girls, he decided not to. “Thank you!” Carmen exclaimed. “Well then, allow us to take on your offer!” “Great, can I have a glass of be—“ “Hiltunen-san.” ””Ilma.”” The other three cut her off before she can even finish. “…perkele.” ——— Night falls, and after some light workout followed with a warm bath, Minato decided to chat for a bit before going to bed. “Fumu, fumu, I see…” Reika said while nodding, visible from Minato’s monitor. “Sounds kinda tough, but you did the right thing de gozaru.” “Ahahah, that reminds of the typical fetch quests on RPGs.” Misha added. “…ah, now that you mentioned it, maybe it was that.” Minato realized. Ever since the Pacifics’ early visit, Minato has decided to make a chatroom between them and the Council members under Victoria’s permission. “By the way, Minato-dono, is it just us for today?” “I guess so. Everyone seems tired. Well, Rosales-san did actually say something about beauty, though…” “H, hmm…” “Eh? What’s wrong?” “No, it’s just when you talked about Rosales-dono, you seemed to be having fun…” “Eeh? Really? I didn’t—“ “You didn’t notice? Looks like what Hestianus and others said were true after all…” Misha sighed. “Uhh… What did they say?” Reika and Misha paused for a second before giggling. “Ahem. Well, Hestianus-dono often said that you are an insensitive idiot. And maybe a closeted, shameless pervert de gozaru.” “Ahahah… But don’t worry, they also said that you don’t mean bad and is quick to help people.” “Uwaa, how mean… And why does the good part feels like an extra?” Minato lamented. ‘But… For them to actually praise me… Wait, I think Rosales-san could do that just fine.’ “Goooood eveninnng.” Mei suddenly greeted, her face appeared on the monitor. “Oh, Mei-dono!” “Wen-san, good evening.” “Yo. …wait, you all still awake? Not gonna sleep?” “Eh? Is it time already?” Misha asked. “Well, almost. But you know Sir Houjou will nag about it later.” “U… You are right, but… Just a bit more, Mei-dono!” “I know you two really l—“ “”Waaaaaahhhhhh!”” both Reika and Misha quickly panicked and interrupted her. “What’s wrong!?” Minato asked out of worry. “Nothing, they are just overreacting.” Mei sighed. “Oh yeah, Hrimgard— Well, he’s not here again, huh?” “Mei-dono, are you sure you don’t fancy him?” Reika questioned. “You sure often ask about his whereabouts…” “…why is that the first thing that came on your mind? I’m not like you, you know.” “W, what do you mean by that!?” “Well, I don’t like him that way. I don’t think he’s even my type.” “Then, what’s your type?” Mei blinked before her expression suddenly went anxious. “…wait, what’s my type, again?” “Shouldn’t you figure it out yourself!?” Reika retorted, earning laughter from Minato and Misha. ‘Haha, they sure got along pretty well.’ “…hm? Wait, Anil, you were there?” “Eh— Uoh, you’re right!” True to what Mei said, Anil was present all along, though he seemed to be watching contently while enjoying his masala chai. “Seriously Anil, you should’ve said something…” Misha laughed dryly. “Oh, sorry.” Was his only response. ‘I knew that Kumar-san is so silent outside of Duels, but being unnoticed is another thing…!’ Minato mentally noted. ——— Finally saying their goodbyes, Minato then let himself fell unto his bed, feeling tired. ‘Phew, a lot happened today, but it wasn’t all bad.’ He thought. ‘I get to chat with the Pac— Hm?’ Minato noticed the light from his phone and went to check it. ‘A message… From Rosales-san? Let’s see…’ ‘Good night, dear Minato ❤ Hope you get to see sweet dreams XOXOXO ‘ Attached is a picture of Carmen in a night gown, deliberately showing off her cleavage. ‘Bwuh!? H, how am I supposed to— Wait, that’s not the problem here!’ Minato was about to give her a piece of his mind, but somehow he changed his mind and laughed it off instead. “Seriously… I’ll reprimand her tomorrow…” He glanced outside, looking at the night sky. ‘Tomorrow, huh… Right, the sun will rise again, and I’ll do my best as usual!’

Even though surrounded, Sigulf focused his attention somewhere else. ‘Where’s Amakawa and his groupies? I thought they were— Ah, there they are.’ In the distance, he saw Eurypha arguing with some students blocking their way. Minato obviously supported her, less so with Carmen, and Ilma merely yawned out of boredom. ‘…well, at least I know some of them tried.’ “So, what’s your answer?” the boy interrupted his thought. “I refuse.” Sigulf quickly retorted, earning overly dramatic gasps from the other students. “…well, I figured you would say that. So you think we aren’t worth your time?” “…I didn’t even think that far. I just don’t see why.” “I see… Well, it’s true that we were on the same side regarding the nobles. But things have changed now. And do you really need a reason, as a duelist?” “As much as I enjoy a good fight, I’d like it better when it’s well-spirited. Didn’t feel so coming from you.” The boy exhaled, slightly exasperated, but decided to stay calm. “I heard Norsemen doesn’t take kindly to insults. Do I have to insult you first before you agree?” “So I hear. But I think it’s more of the Aesir and maybe Vanir’s way. I honor Fenrir, remember?” “…an outsider even within your own community, I see.” “Well, something like that.” The students began to feel anxious as Sigulf haven’t budged at all; clearly he’d rather get into the classroom before the bell rings. “Besides,” Sigulf continued. “Did you say ‘on behalf of the students’?” “Huh? Yes, I did. What about it?” “Did you decide that on your own or… Are you the strongest among them?” “…” The students began talking among themselves. “Hey, he’s right!” another boy protested. “What makes you think you’re our leader!?” “What!? It was my idea! And no one challenged him in the first place!” ‘Eh, it worked…?’ Their argument began to escalate, and Sigulf eagerly waits for an opening. “Well, yeah! But that doesn’t automatically make you better than the rest of us!” “Ugh, you guys…! Then what do you want!?” “I suggest you sort it out among yourself by dueling.” Sigulf suddenly said while raising his hand. The students instantly went silent and looked at him. ‘…shit, did I just blow my chance?’ “That… Actually makes sense.” “Yeah, it is! Enough chit-chat and I’ll show you who’s the better one!” ‘Oh, praise Loki.’ The students summoned their Arms and prepared to fight each other, giving Sigulf some needed chance to get away. “I’ll be the one to defeat Hrimgard on other’s behalf!” the second boy proclaimed. “I… I won’t forgive him for making a move on our Council President!” ‘…well of course someone gonna bring that up.’ “Are you stupid!?” the first boy countered. “You intend to fight him with that excuse!?” “Oh, speak for yourself! Didn’t you get depressed upon hearing the news!?” “I, it was temporary! Our main purpose here is to fight; everything else comes second!” ‘Oh well, let’s get away while I can.’ Sneakily but surely, Sigulf took some distance towards the school building… Until someone stepped out from the crowd and blocked his way, again. “Hey. Where are you going?” A gray-haired Japanese girl, wearing a long scarf that nearly covered her mouth, stood in his way. “…Big Sis?” “…w, what?” “There…!” “What the—!? I won’t let you!” Despite the initial confusion, the girl still managed to react fast enough and prevented Sigulf from passing through. “Ah, that was close…” “…did you seriously think I would fall to that?” “You’re right. It’s not like I’d suddenly have a long lost Asian relative or something.” ‘…that, and she’s actually kinda fast.’ “Hmph, don’t put me on the same level as them.” “So you’re the one inciting those guys.” “I’ll leave it to your imagination. Although…” the girl turned her attention towards the mild chaos which is the duels between some 1st-years. “I know angry mobs tend to be unreliable, but not to this extent…” ‘…yeah, can’t really disagree with that.’ “Well, whatever.” She continued. “Now I’m here, and there’s nowhere to run. Fight me.” “Damn, why are you guys so persistent about this…” Sigulf sighed. “We’re all running late by each second, you know?” “…and that’s where you are worried? Must be nice being the Academy’s golden boy.” Sigulf paused for a moment before narrowing his eyes. “I think I can see what’s all this about…” “Ah, you caught on. Very nice. So I guess you understand too that you stand out, and being the Faculty’s favorite.” For a while, Sigulf wasn’t sure on how to respond. “What can I say? Or do, for that matter.” “…you’re right, actions and skill speaks louder after all. Nothing you can say. Absolutely nothing you should say. So stand your ground, and fight me! So I can show that the A-class elites are nothing to be afraid of!” “…you’re serious about this.” “Anything for glory, Hrimgard-san.” She emphasized the honorifics, in an almost mocking tone. He can feel her intent, sharp like numerous blades about to pierce, ready to summon her Arms anytime soon. ‘…can I talk my way out here? Let’s just try this one…’ “Really!?” Sigulf suddenly shouted on purpose. “Another duel request this early!? I’ll be late for class!” “What are you—“ At his yelling, the other 1st-years who were fighting each other promptly stopped and turned to her direction. “Fukube, what is the meaning of this!? Are you planning to steal the glory since the beginning!?” “!? Hrimgard, you…!!” Sigulf merely shrugged before walked easily past her. Behind him, the mob finally reached Fukube and complained, beginning their argument. “What are you doing, jumping the gun like that!?” “I ask you back: why are you fighting among yourselves?” However they will continue was no concern of Sigulf. ‘Man, couldn’t they at least ask for it after school?’ he thought slightly tiredly. ‘It’s THE free time for everyone. …hm?’ Realizing someone else’s gaze at him, Sigulf stopped walking. ‘He…’ Silvery long hair and equally chilling blue eyes. It seems the boy was watching from afar before shifting his attention to Sigulf. “…” “…” “…Big Brother?” “…no, I’m not.” “Yeah, I thought so.” ——— For some reason, though, the boy said nothing after that, making Sigulf mildly wondering as he decided to enter the classroom. And due to the morning’s incident, the hostile students seemed to shift their attention towards Fukube instead, giving him a bit of breather. “Tch, so you got away…” Alba grumbled while enjoying her own lunch. “Wha— You was there all along?” “Yup. Too bad it went nowhere. It was a bit funny.” She gave a cheeky grin. “Why you…” “So that’s what actually going on…” Celina joined. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. If only—“ “Eh, no, well… I’m fine, at least, so it’s okay.” Sigulf quickly reassured. “More importantly, how about you two? Did they do anything?” “No, we only heard about the commotion, but…” “Now, now, Cel, no need to be so hard to yourself.” Chelsea said. “The boy himself said he’s alright; that’s what important for now.” “But… Hmmh…” Celina still looked unconvinced and unsatisfied, apparently thinking of something. ‘She’s so serious… I wonder what she has on her mind…’ ——— After class, Sigulf was preparing to leave the room when suddenly he could hear the corridor outside became a bit louder. ‘Huh? What the… Wait, don’t tell me—‘ And sure enough, Celina appeared on the door and waved at him. ‘She actually came all the way here…’ he thought, while waving in return bashfully. Predictably, most boys in the class were outraged, but Sigulf ignored them, and quickly scrambled to Celina. “I hope I didn’t bother you.” She said. “A, ah, it’s alright. I appreciate it, actually.” “Good to hear. Well then, let’s go. We still have some work to do.” “I’m in your care.” The boys’ lament intensified as Sigulf left together with Celina. And even though for different reason, Minato’s group was somewhat surprised by what they just saw, almost forgetting that they were supposed to go patrolling. “It’s not like they are going out… Are they?” Eurypha asked. “Hmm… No, but it’s not entirely impossible either.” Carmen answered. “Seriously?” Ilma responded in disbelief. “But… Huh, kinda makes sense. Admittedly, none of them are as thick-skulled…” “Aah, right. Why are some men either ridiculously dense or indecisive…” “I have to agree with you two this time…” The three girls collectively sighed, confusing Minato. “Wha— Dense? Who?” Meanwhile, back in the hallway, Fukube was hiding behind a pillar and watched as Sigulf and Celina went farther. “Tch… Damn, he got protected by the President. I forgot he has Council duties…” ——— After Council teatime as usual. Sigulf, though he tried to relax, ended up eating more chocolate macarons than usual. ‘I need sugar…’ At first, Celina looked at him, seemingly wanted to correct his table manner, but she has something else on her mind and decided against it. “I’m sorry I end up dragging you here…” Celina said instead. “Mh? Oh…” “I knew you said you’ll be fine, and I believe you have the capability to do so, but still… I can’t help but to get worried…” “Cel, you worry too much.” Chelsea sighed. “I mean, just look at him, gobbling on all those sugar!” ‘…I dunno how that makes sense, but—‘ “She’s right. And don’t worry, if it goes down to 2 on 2, then let’s fight as a team like you said.” “So he said. Why are you that concerned, anyway?” Her pause made Sigulf and Chelsea slightly surprised. “Cel?” “…I have been thinking lately…” “Mm-hm” “That I often found myself worried about Sigulf…” “…well, you kinda are.” “I, I know… And I think… I began to realize that he is important to me…” “”!?”” ‘Wa, wa, wait! What’s with this— Oh Gerdr, could it be…!?’ “That he is…” ‘…!’ “Like a little brother I want to protect.” Silence. ‘Brother… Brother… Brother…’ Sigulf froze on his seat, and due to the shock, he failed to notice that Chelsea is trying her hard not to burst out laughing. ‘Aah, after all that, and I’m her little brother figure…’ Chelsea suddenly regained her composure and pointed out, “…siblings don’t go out on a date, Cel.” “E, eh!? A, ah, y, you’re right! W, what was I saying again!?” Celina stammered. ‘…ah, so cute after all.’ “W, why did you point that you!? Now I’m strangely conscious about it…” “If you are conscious, then that could mean things…” Chelsea sighed. “Eh?” “…no, it’s nothing.” Before any of them could follow up, someone knocked on the Council’s door. “Yes, come in.” Celina responded. The door opened, and Sigulf instantly recognized their visitor. ‘It’s her…’ “Oh? You are…” “Pardon the intrusion. 1st-year, B-class, Masaki Fukube.” She introduced herself. “I’m here to challenge Sigulf Hrimgard.” “…I see.” Sigulf finished his snack and stood up to face Masaki. “Very nice of you to wait until we are done.” “Don’t worry, I have time to kill. And mobs to defeat. So, Hrim—” “You wanted a fight? Then you shall have it. I’ll crush you.” Sigulf growled. His sudden intensity surprised Celina and Masaki, but Chelsea gave a knowing look. ‘Ah, I see he’s a bit frustrated…’

The sound of approaching footsteps made Victoria look up from her work. “Oh, it’s you. Good day.” “Good day to you too, Ma’am.” Pleasant voice and welcoming smile, but none of the usual seductive mannerism, which Sigulf noted to be uncharacteristic of her. “Taking a nice break?” she continued. “Eh, yeah, something like that.” “Have you eaten? Don’t worry, it’s on me.” He already had breakfast, but he found it a bit hard to deny her. “…well, then I guess I’ll have a light snack.” Victoria called the waitress while Sigulf sat down nearby. “So, is there anything I can help you with?” she said without setting her sight away from her work. “I found it a bit curious that you seek me.” ‘Ugh, she’s right… I obviously had my reasons, but it’s still embarrassing…’ “…I’m sorry, I just thought you looked troubled, so…” Sigulf’s answer made her pause, before letting out a chuckle. “Oh my, what have I done? Making my own student worried by seeing me in such state… I am the one who should apologize. I didn’t mean to be dismissive.” “Ah, it’s alright.” He quickly reassured. “If only there’s something I could do…” “Thank you. Your concern was more than comforting.” Sigulf scratched his cheek bashfully, trying to look away. ‘I guess I can’t really hate her… What would my Master say?’ “Well, you might have guessed it, but…” Victoria sighed. “It’s about yesterday’s incident.” “Just as I thought…” “Worry not, you and the rest of the Council did the right thing. Good job.” “Thank you very much, Ma’am.” “What I am slightly worried at is on how the public will react on the long run. That being said, no security can properly filter one’s True Arms like conventional weapons.” “Hmm…” “We did receive the Pacific’s formal apology, as well as an explanation of their situation, but to think their Ace freshman is such a loose cannon…” She suddenly stopped as she realized something. “My bad, I’m sure you don’t want to hear me ramble on.” “No, no, it’s fine! I’m all ears here.” Sigulf responded. “…unless it’s actually confidential.” Victoria slightly widened her eyes in pleasant surprise before laughing. “I’m glad to hear that, but don’t you think it should be directed to someone else?” “Eh? Ah…” ‘I think I knew who she meant… Maybe she’s right…’ “Please don’t worry. This is something I can handle as the Principal. I’m sure she will need your help more than me.” ‘We all still have the common goal as the Council, after all.’ “I’m sor— Wait, I don’t think an apology is appropriate here…” “Ufufu, it’s alright. I do appreciate it. I’ll make sure to ask for your help too when the need rises.” “Yes, Ma’am!” Sigulf answered, getting uncharacteristically enthusiastic. ‘Ah, I think she got back to her usual mood… That’s nice.’ Unbeknownst to them, Vigdis was watching with tranquil fury from the corner, with only Melanie holding her back. “What. Is. He. Doiiiiiing?” she growled. “C, calm down. We don’t want to make a scene.” Melanie pleaded. ——— Needless to say, when Vigdis do finally caught up with Sigulf, she refused to let him go the whole afternoon. “…why do I have to cook this much?” “Aaand cleaning up… Aaaand the laundry…” “What the— You do know I have class tomorrow?” “Shut uuup! Hic… You… You made me sad…! Now take responsibility!” “Are you drunk aga— Whoa! D, don’t hug me while I’m cooking! I, it’s dangerous!” “Nooo! I won’t— Hic… I won’t let go until Stark’s charm magic disappears!” “What magic!?” From her comfortable seat, Melanie watched the master-pupil with an amused grin. “Be strong, boy.” ——— The next morning, a new week begins, only short of few days from the upcoming month. Eliot didn’t want to miss his chance to open his class with a speech. “Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to congratulate you all on making it to this point!” His words were met with the students’ approving applause before he continues. “How was it? I’m pretty sure a whole month was more than enough to get yourselves accustomed both physically and mentally. …though, it seems some got too comfortable. I mean, I know this island is very easy to live in, but… Anyways!” He shifted his position, still addressing the room. “You must’ve heard about the two incidents this week alone. Regardless of what your stances are on these issues, they only convinced me on one thing. That we definitely must raise the bar even higher on our training. No ifs, no buts, no groans, no complaining.” “””Yes, Sir!””” “That’s the spirit! I know none of you are willing to be taken lightly by the Pacifics… or staying under our Top 3’s shadow all the time.” Eliot emphasized the last one with a knowing grin, making the rest of the class set their gazes on Sigulf, Alba, and Minato. ‘Uwaa, must he draw attention on us like that?’ Sigulf thought. “That goes for you three too.” He goes on. “Let it be your motivation to fight even harder. Now, you are the Top 3. But the next moment, who knows? So fight, and give it your all. To not disappoint the school, your peers, or your family, whichever suits you… But one thing for sure; Fight hard, to not disappoint your own self.” “”“Yes, Sir!””” “Alright, I think I got a bit carried away there. Without further ado, and with renewed zest, let us begin the class!” ——— Afternoon break’s bell rings, and the whole classroom was getting ready for lunch. “Aaalriiiight! Time for the last month’s updated poll results!” Walter excitedly shouted. “…or so I wanted to say, but I guess everyone’s have their minds on something else, huh?” True to his observation, the other students were more interested in the last two incidents. The boys gather around Minato and invites him to eat together, while the girls went to Alba’s seat. “Oi, Amakawa! Join us, will ya? Maybe we’ll know about your duel secrets, too! Hehe…” “Miss Hunter! Would you please join us?” The two were confused and slightly embarrassed from the attention. “Seems to be it.” Eurypha commented before turning back to face him. “…what, you guys are still doing that?” “What, don’t you too?” “It wasn’t me!” “Eh, well, okay, I guess… Wanna know the results?” “…why would I?” “Reeaally?” Eurypha got flustered a bit as he hit the mark. “J, just a bit, mind you!” Walter cackled before taking a look at his phone. “Let’s see… You actually surpassed Rosales here…” “Really…!?” “In my heart.” He winked. Eurypha promptly froze for a moment before storming away with disgust to join the other girls. “…what were you thinking?” Arthfael sighed. “C, come on! That’s just mean! I didn’t even go raunchy there!” “Maybe, but the timing and delivery… You are not smooth at all.” Yuu added. “So, how did she fare, actually?” “Number 2, just below Hunter. So I wasn’t lying when I said that…!” “Hee… Reason?” “The guys have been appreciating her work as a Council member. Oh, and surprisingly Hiltunen too, even if just a bit.” “I see… Well, despite her… Problems, she can be cute too, remember?” “Eh? I guess so.” “Too bad you blew our chance to know our standings with the girls.” “…yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry about that…” The three continued chatting and approached the rest of the boys, leaving Sigulf alone in his seat. “Oh right, I almost forgot. It’s lunch time.” He stood up and left the room on his own. “Ah…” Alba was a bit concerned and glanced at him, but the other girl calling for her made her sped up her pace. Meanwhile… “Hmm… Feels like I forgot something…” Yuu muttered. “Eh? Now that you mentioned it…” Arthfael responded. “…well, whatever. Come on, let’s go, Sig— …eh?” “He’s not here…?” “I completely forgot to invite him…!” he clutched his head. “I thought you don’t like it when he, umm… Hogs the Council duo for himself?” “And that’s why we have to drag him here!” “You…” “Hey, Penndreic, Kanzaki! What’s wrong? Hurry!” Walter called. “Ah, sorry, be right there! …well joking aside, I hope he doesn’t take this personally…” ——— On the rooftop, few minutes later… “So, Alba’s not here because she got invited by the class?” “Uh-huh.” “And you didn’t, so ending up all alone?” “Err, I guess…?” Chelsea sighed. “Sometimes I wonder what you are thinking… Will you really be okay like that?” “Sigulf, do you… Hate your classmates?” Celina joined with a question. “Eh? I don’t think so… It’s just…I’m not sure on what to do…” “How about you start with ask them nicely?” “…that didn’t even cross my mind. I was too busy thinking about the last fights and what Sir Fortier said, just like everyone else.” “Fights? Aah, I think I understand… And what did he say?” “The usual encouragement. Fight the hardest for yourself.” “Hmm, I see, I see…” “Hey, don’t just concede like that!” Chelsea retorted. “Sheesh, why are you so alike in the strangest places? Especially when it comes to duels…” “Ahem.” Celina purposefully cleared her throat. “…in any case, while it’s good that you don’t resent your classmates, and I know some people prefer to have more time alone, don’t you think it would be better to talk it out with your friends? I’m sure that would do well as fellow duelists.” “Eh? But aren’t you two my friends too?” Sigulf’s answer made them went silent momentarily. ‘…did I just say something wrong?’ “Friends…” Celina mouthed. “Right, friends…” Chelsea, on the other hand, gave a nervous laugh and said, “Eeh, maybe, I guess?” “Wait, what?” “You weren’t sure on that?” Celina suddenly followed up to the surprise of both Sigulf and Chelsea. “Eh!? …were you?” “Admittedly, I didn’t realize, but…” She turned to face Sigulf and impulsively grabbed both of his hands. ‘Eeeh!?’ “My apologies, but don’t worry now. Like I said before, you can confide on me, whether it’s about duels or not. That’s how friends should be, right?” “R, right… Thank you…” “My pleasure!” “…Cel, your hands.” Chelsea pointed. “You are getting too excited again…” “Ah…! I’m sorry!” She quickly backed away while getting red. “I, it’s alright…” ‘Aah, her hands feel nice after all… Wait, that’s not the problem here!’ ——— Still minutes before lunch break ends, just when the three are about to go back in, the rooftop door suddenly opened, and reveals Yuu, Alba, and Arthfael who were slightly out of breath. “Ah, there he is…!” Alba said. “Eh? Why are you guys here?” “Sig-kun, we— …what, you have already finished, huh?” “Oh, yeah. What’s wrong? What’s with the rush?” Yuu scratched his cheek, looking hesitant. “We actually wanted to invite you, but…” He bowed deeply in remorse. “I’m sorry! I forgot and was in a rush…!” “…eh?” Sigulf couldn’t really believe his ear. He sniffed the air and immediately knew Yuu wasn’t lying. But still, all he could muster was, “…wait, you did?” “…wait, you didn’t even realize?” “Uhh, no…?” There was a short beat before Alba and Arthfael finally exhaled out of exasperation, while Yuu approached Sigulf and strangled him like usual. “Don’t make us worried like that…! I thought you got mad or something…!” “Hey, hey, cut it out…” “Siggy, you’re surprisingly an airhead outside of fights…” Alba added. “I take offense to that.” Celina let out a laugh as she watched. “Oh, I see. I see how it is. Such good friends you have.” “Well, yeah…” Sigulf answered a bit bashfully. “Still, sorry, guys. And thanks.” The three 1st-years smiled before Alba continued, “If you treat all of us parfaits, then sure!” “…nevermind all the trouble, how would our schedules match anyway?” “It’s fine, it’s fine, we can work it out!” “Umm, Hunter? I suggest we have something else besides parfaits.” Arthfael suggested. “That amount of sugar couldn’t be—“ “Whaaat!? You’re not fun! Then what would you suggest?” They began lightly arguing on their actually undetermined after school escapade, while Sigulf can only sigh. ‘They won’t listen, huh?’

After seeing his friends off, Sigulf closed the door and sighed out of relief. “Well, I guess that’s that.” he muttered. “Can’t forget to prepare for Friday. Now with all this rain, how should I chill for today…” But as Sigulf turned around… “…eh?” “Umm…” Celina was still in his room. “Ah, s, sorry! I thought that you had left…!” He returned to open the door again, but a tug on his shirt stopped him immediately. “C, Celina…?” “I, it’s alright…” she stammered while shaking her head. ‘C, could this be…!?’ Celina paused for a moment, gathering her breath and courage, before finally saying, “I want to stay for a bit longer, if you don’t mind…” ‘…! Wait, isn’t it still morning!? But…’ Slightly anxious as she was, Celina waits for Sigulf to calm down and make his mind. ‘Aah, if you look at me like that…’ In the end, Sigulf braced himself and decided to give in. “…not at all, sure. You want me to make some milk tea?” Celina’s expression brightened upon hearing his answer. “By all means, please.” “Well then…” Carefully, Sigulf locked his door. ‘It’s fine like this, right…?’ ——— Meanwhile, outside Sigulf’s room, not long before… “But man, going all the way to Pacific, huh?” Alba exclaimed. “Somehow I’m getting excited! I don’t think I’ve ever traveled that far…!” “Fufu, I know how you feel.” Chelsea agreed. “Speaking of which, I think we can discuss about lodg— …Cel?” She stopped when she realized that Celina isn’t even there. “What’s wrong?” “No, I thought she’s with us…” “Huh? She’s not?” Laine joined while looking around, with Masaki, and for some reason, Carole joining. “Weird… If she went ahead, we should have noticed.” “Then…” They came to the same conclusion and stared at Sigulf’s room. ‘’’Those two…!’’’ the girls thought in unison. ——— After a couple of tea, Sigulf and Celina snuggled cozily against each other. “Mmh~” Celina leaned her head on his left shoulder, while Sigulf gently brushes her golden locks. “You’re quite needy today, huh?” he chuckled. “You don’t like needy ‘big sisters’?” “I don’t mind, actually…” Sigulf said softly before kissing her temple. “It’s a nice change of pace from the usual.” “…I…” “Hm?” Her expression softened and she hugged Sigulf tighter. “Celina? What happened?” “I’m sorry… I was jealous back there…” “‘Back there?’” “You know, when Chelsea and Alba pushed you down…” “…a. Eh, wait, but—” “I know it’s not your fault… Yet to think I still got upset… I really have to train more…” “A, ahahahah…” Sigulf holds her head closer, still tenderly caressing her hair. “It’s alright.” he reassured. “I understand. And, um… I’m actually happy when you got jealous; that means you just love me that much.” “Sigulf…” Celina’s expression quickly turned into a pout, however. “Wait, you won’t make me jealous on purpose, right?” “No, I won’t…! I don’t have a deathwish…” ‘What was I thinking? Sheesh…’ “Really? Then…” “Eh—” She raised her face while still maintaining a close distance. “I want you to prove it to me…” Her voice came out almost like a whisper. Her cheeks were flushed rosy red from anticipation. He can feel her warm breath against his skin. ‘Kuuuh…! What’s with her today!? So cute…!’ Despite practically screaming inside, Sigulf somehow managed to appear calm, and pressed his lips against Celina’s. “Mmh… Sigulf…” He holds her shoulders close, as if to relieve her doubts. It’s only after a while that Sigulf backed away from her. “…is it enough?” Celina shook her head, which slightly surprised him. “No… I want more…” This time, she took the initiative, giving another shock to him. “Mh…!” Ever since that day, every kiss they stole, particularly during the Council after-hours, was definitely chaster. But today… There was undeniable yearning within her kiss. “Sigulf, wait…” “Eh— Nh…!?” One after another, what Sigulf thought as a moment of respite was actually a chance for Celina to go further. Again, she planted her own lips on his, yet this time… ‘S, s, she used her tongue—!?’ His mind went blank; the sensation was too much for him. Sigulf didn’t notice nor remember when Celina managed to push him down. ‘I, I never knew kissing could be so—!’ At that very moment, all he wanted… All they wanted was to taste, and to be intertwined with each other. ‘Celina…!’ His hands reached her shoulders, both of them were enthralled on coiling, exploring each other. Every passing second, they grew increasingly desperate and ravenous. “Pwah…!” And when the air inevitably ran thin, they finally separated. “Celina… You…” She looked away, seemingly embarrassed as her actions finally dawned on her. “Y, you know… I saw it in a movie once… I wanted to try it with you…” Celina tried to explain. “And…” “And…?” “Because I’m the older one here, I thought that I should be the one to take the lead…” ‘Hngh…! So cute…!’ “Was it too much? Have I… Disappointed you?” “N, not at all…! If anything, that was really hot.” “I, I see… Ufufu…” Looking relieved and rather proud, Celina shifted her position on top of Sigulf. “Saying such flattering things… You shouldn’t tease someone older, you know?” she stared down at him. “I hope you’re ready for the consequences…” Sigulf can only gulp, his gaze was still fixed on her visage. ‘By Gerdur, she’s so beautiful…’ Instinctively, his hand grabbed her waist, eliciting a giggle from Celina. “Fufu, looks like someone hasn’t had his fill.” she cooed. ”Want to try it again?” “Yes, please…” Without saying anything, Celina lowered her face, and they savored each other once more. “Nnh…!” Sigulf impulsively reacted by holding Celina close, running his fingers through her tresses. The gesture seemed to please her, as she ended up pressing her body even deeper. ‘Ahh, so addicting—!’ With barely a pause, Celina snuck a hand beneath Sigulf’s shirt, slowly trailing from his stomach, upwards into his chest, and then… “Nh…!?” “O, oh my…!” Celina noticed as she pulled away. “I take it that you’re sensitive around here?” “Ce, Celina…! Wai— Hyan…!?” “Fufufu, to think you would let out such a cute voice… Wait, I, I think I enjoyed this a bit too much…” ‘Eeeh!? W, what is this!? Getting teased like this is so embarrassing…! …but it felt kinda…’ Sigulf was pulled back to reality by the warmth on his lips; Celina gave him a tender yet affectionate kiss before softly caressing his left cheek. “I love you, Sigulf…” ‘Ah, that smile… That warm and radiant smile of hers…’ Sigulf returned her smile and intertwined his fingers around hers. ‘She’s really the best…’ “I love you too, Celina…” ——— Meanwhile, right at Sigulf’s door… “…heard something?” “No. Was it always this soundproof?” Chelsea and Laine, now joined by Minato’s groupie for some reason, tried to eavesdrop using some glass, while Alba, Masaki, and Carole watched, though with different reactions. “A, are you seriously going to listen?” Alba questioned. “Ssh! This is a juicy knowledge concerning the Prez!” Laine argued, followed by Carmen and Eurypha’s nodding. “Well, if we could learn her weakness or two, it would be good though…” Masaki scratched her cheek. “O Lord in the Heavens, forgive us for indulging in our youthful d, desires…!” Carole prayed while making a sign of the cross.

A new sunrise on Sunday. Far across the ocean, some Pacific students were discussing about the latest incident, or rather, the boy responsible for it. “…how was he?” “He’s been strangely calm for some reason.” “Really? Now that’s… Quite scary.” “Hmm? Why’s that?” “You know, he would normally be on edge, training violently and thrashing stuff…” “Aah, I get what you mean… Still, as much as talented he is, Ashfield is far too unruly. Maybe we should look for and develop another prospect.” “…I don’t know about that. I’m still willing to bet on his abilities, but—“ Little did they know, the young man in question has his mind on something else entirely. Inside his detaining room, Jack was sitting on the floor and gazed outside, apparently resting after some practice. “Alba Hunter…” he mumbled. ——— Meanwhile, back on Atlantic’s artificial island… “Wha—!?” “Huh? What’s wrong?” “I’m not sure…!” Alba said, reaching the back of her neck. “I just felt something chillingly creepy!” “I don’t really get it, but…?” “Hmm…” Chelsea frowned, thinking. “I’m a bit worried, but for now, let’s just focus on the training at hand.” “”Yes, Ma’am!”” ——— After practice, when the four were having breakfast at the usual café… “Oooi, Sig-kun.” “Hm? Oh, hey…” Sigulf raised his head to see Yuu coming over at him. “Morning! Worked some nice sweat?” “Yeah, as usual…” Sigulf answered a bit uncertainly while eyeing his track outfit, making Yuu confused. “Hm? What’s with that look?” “I’m actually surprised you bothered to train on a day off.” “…well, duh, I have to. All alone at that. Unlike you, who get to have fun…” he retorted, relentlessly poking Sigulf’s side with his finger. “H, hey! Stop it! I’m eating!” “Ah-hem.” Chelsea deliberately cleared her throat. “Kanzaki, you do know it’s improper to disturb one’s meal time?” “Oh, my bad, Kensington-senpai! By the way, you and Bartram-senpai looked lovely as always.” She nearly coughed in reaction, while Celina merely gave a wry chuckle. “Where did that came from!?” “From the bottom of my heart~” he obviously lied. “Oh, I almost forgot. Can I borrow Sig-kun for a moment?” “…don’t try to headlock me again.” Sigulf quickly said. “I won’t, I won’t! …maybe.” “…well, as long as you don’t disturb the others.” “Understood! I’ll return him later!” “Excuse me…” “It’s alright, take your time.” Celina replied to Sigulf. Yuu lead him not too far away from the girls and began whispering. “Sooo… How far did you go with Bartram-senpai?” “What, so you wanted to know about that… I think I’ve been better lately, on fighting against her speed—“ “…you do know I’m not talking about that.” “…aren’t we Duelists?” “…well, okay, we are. So I change my question: have you gone on another date with her?” “No. Not yet—“ “What!? Why!?” Yuu asked, almost raising his voice. “…because I haven’t got the moment? There’s the B-class, and then Ashfield—” “Maybe, but you can’t keep on waiting…! It’s not even has to be a date; you can ask her to have some tea together. Or coffee.” “But we always had afternoon tea after council—“ “…oh right, I forgot. You damned riajuu.” “Reea what?” “It’s a bit troublesome to explain.” Yuu dismissed. “But anyways, it’s not like there were only two of you, right?” “Yeah, Chelsea is usually there.” “I thought so…” “…so, what?” “I don’t know, ask her for something else that is not tea or coffee?” “…but what? Uuugh…” From their table, the girls watched them continue their secret conversation. “They got so serious, it looks fun.” Celina giggled. “I wonder what they are talking about.” “Probably just pervy things.” Chelsea responded. “You know, boys.” “Hrrrm…” Alba crossed her arms. “Siggy being Siggy, I don’t think he’s really like that, but… Yuu might influence him…” “Then shouldn’t we stop them…!?” “W, whoa, I was just kidding, Cel.” the brunette quickly clarified. ——— Their breakfast ended without any incidents, and all of them decided to walk home together. Except… “Yuu.” “Yes?” “Why are you walking a bit far behind?” “Ooh, that. Well, I can’t really walk that fast after a heavy exercise.” “Are you alright?” “I’m fine, please don’t worry!” “…well, if you say so.” Sigulf sighed. “By the way, you said you were practicing on your own? Why don’t you—“ “Oh, is this an invitation!?” “…I was going to ask why you don’t invite someone else, but…” “Chee, Sig-kun, you’re not fun…” “But maybe he’s right…” Alba said. “Is it possible for him to join us?” “Hmm…” Chelsea looked unsure. “Our practice will get bigger, then… What do you think, Cel?” “Hm? I actually don’t mind.” Celina answered confidently. “As long as he is up to it.” Even though she was genuinely considering, if anything, it unnerved Yuu. “…on a second thought, thank you, but I think I’ll train on my own for now…” “Oi, oi. What’s with that?” Sigulf asked in slight exasperation. “So you’ll look for someone else?” “Maybe, but Armstrong-kun is… Well, Armstrong-kun. As for Amakawa-kun… He is out of the question.” “Why? It’s not like they are going to butcher you immediately, are they?” “I’d rather not risk that. Although, now that you mentioned it… Hmm… Two of our class’ big 3 girls are there… What should I do?” “Wha— You still remember that?” Alba responded, nearly stumbling her own steps. “Of course we won’t forget. Yay to our Heroine-san!” “Umm, yay?” Sigulf followed, though being uncertain. “K, knock it off…!” “Oh yeah, whatever happened with that?” “The poll? I don’t know, haven’t heard anything from him.” Yuu explained. “Maybe he actually stopped for good?” “Hmm…” ——— Having finally reached the dorm, everyone returned to their respective rooms. Sigulf did additional exercises even after all that before taking a bath, if only to try to clear his mind. ‘Man, I know I have to ask her out again, but… I wanted to fight, and there’s still more of them coming…’ ——— Staying inside his room didn’t help much, so Sigulf decided to go outside again, to get some fresh air. ‘…and here I am, already checking on possible places to visit.’ He sighed. Sigulf took a stroll along the amusement area, looking at the buildings around. ‘Cafes are… Well, as long as we eat something new, I guess it’s okay? Cinemas… Might try. Game centers… No, we already went there, unless she really likes it somehow. Shopping… What would we buy?’ He suddenly stopped walking as he realized something. ‘Come to think of it, I don’t know much of her yet.’ Sigulf thought. ‘What are her hobbies? I knew she enjoyed the fighting game, but… Or is it related to the plushes? She did look overjoyed at those…’ He sighed once more, setting his gaze upwards. “…I want to know her more. I have to.” Sigulf muttered. “Then do so?” “Whoah!?” Sigulf jumped out from his spot, to see Lindorm was already behind him. “Good day, kinsman.” He greeted. “Lindy, don’t scare him like that…” Laine came along, sighing at her friend. “Eh? But I—“ “…no, it’s alright. Since when you are here?” “From when you said you wanted to know her more.” “Geh…!” “You can do it.” He encouraged. “Oho?” Laine got her interest piqued. “Wolfboy likes someone?” “Isn’t it the President?” “Wha— Wait—!!” There was a slight pause before Laine narrowed her eyes. “…seriously? Why did Amakawa, and then you, have to brought over your silly love stories to the Council?” “…sorry about that.” “Eh? It wasn’t allowed?” Lindorm sounded genuinely surprised. “Actually there’s no such rules…” she sighed. “But imagine if the two focused on their love pursuits instead. Our jobs would be much harder…” Sigulf wanted to retort, but decided not to. ‘Reasons aside, she’s not exactly wrong… Now how do I limit the thoughts? Uuugh…’ “Don’t say that.” Lindorm said while gently poking Laine’s shoulder repeatedly. “Shouldn’t we help our juniors?” “I dunno about th— Wait, stop that.” He said nothing but obliged nonetheless. “So, uhh…” “But seriously… The President, of all people? You better don’t neglect your duties and screw up, a’ight? Help her for real.” “Yes, Ma’am! My apologies!” ‘I guess I’m safe for now…?’ “Man… Did she know about this?” “No idea. Can’t really tell…” “…did you ever send her any inappropriate messages? I mean, I did give her number to you…” “I did not!” ——— It took a while with Lindorm’s goading before Laine relents and lets Sigulf go. Still, she left some words of warning. ‘Remember what I said. Don’t cause her inconvenience.’ ‘…I have to take this more seriously.’ He thought. Sigulf took a long look at Celina’s number on his phone before putting it back into his pocket. ‘Some other time for sure.’ He was about to resume his stroll when a figure sitting on the roadside café across him caught his attention. ‘Isn’t that—‘ “…” Just like before, the Principal was working outdoors. One thing that’s a bit different was the air around her. ‘Something’s feels off…’ Curious, Sigulf dared himself to approach Victoria.

Another challenge coming for Sigulf, ignoring the fact that the sky is slowly going darker. “Siegward Heidenreich…” “Oh, my bad. I forgot the proper introduction. Siegward Heidenreich, 1st year B-class, same as Masaki before me.” “Stop. Calling me. With my first name.” she retorted from the sidelines, though Siegward heed no attention. “Are you a knight?” Sigulf suddenly asked, which caught Siegward off guard. “…what? No, I’m not. What makes you think so? Even though I said earlier I am a Germanic warrior.” “Eh, just making sure.” “…to be fair, I get that a lot.” He sighed. “Any other question?” “Yes, I have.” Celina joined, instantly getting everyone’s attention. “The President…” “I understand that you wanted to help you ally. However, by doing so, you just made lightly of her skills, as well as violating the sanctity of duels. What you have to say about that?” Siegward paused for a bit. “…I’ll admit that it might not be smartest move I pulled. However, I believe doing that out of my friend’s wellbeing outweighs it.” “…friend?” Masaki snapped in mild annoyance. “And that gave you the right to made her disqualified?” “Worry not, even I don’t know whether I have a chance against Hrimgard or not, and she may do the same if she sees the situation calls for it. Furthermore, aren’t you, Hrimgard, and I warriors? Should we even bound by the knights’ rigid ways?” “True, I cannot speak for all warriors…” Celina responded. “But know this! We, the Bartrams, have our own warrior’s code! One of which is not go against the sacredness of duels! You, or anyone else, are free to flee your own fight. However, imposing your own standards and gleefully acting like all warriors are lawless brutes…!” Even though her tone was raised not by much, Sigulf and everyone else could feel her emanating fury. ‘Whoa, so overwhelming!’ “C, Cel!? You might want to calm down!” Chelsea urged. “…I see. Fair enough.” In spite of seemingly conceding with Celina, Siegward showed no signs of backing off either. “…after all that said, and you still want to go?” Sigulf asked, sounding slightly exasperated. “Did you expect otherwise?” “…have you tried Alba or Amakawa?” “Oh, don’t worry. Some of our guys did.” He reassured “However, do note that Hunter is well loved as commoner’s heroine, so admittedly it was a bit hard for them. As for Amakawa… True, just like you, some have beef with him because he is rather close with two of the most popular 1st-year girls.” “I’m not that— Wait, two?” “Hm? Hestianus and Rosales, am I correct? Is there anyone else?” ‘…figures Hiltunen didn’t make it.’ “Anyways, despite that, his reputation as the famed Sanada’s son has discouraged some from trying. So that leaves you, the one who stood out without the adoration or pedigree factor.” “…shit. So they took me lightly…” “Some of them at least. For others, including me, we don’t care as long as we got the fame.” “Fame, huh…” “Right, isn’t that what drives the Fenris wolf before his binding by the Aesir? So, why won’t you fight? Don’t you love it?” “Yeah. On my own terms.” “Quite egoistic, aren’t you? Or should I say arrogant? Thinking that—“ “’We aren’t worth your time’?” Sigulf quickly cut him off, surprising him. “Coming from one who interrupted his friend’s match, that’s rich. Alba knows what she’s saying; you are not. You are just guilt-tripping so you can issue challenge over and over at your convenience, but when it got rejected, you would simply just cry being disrespected.” Siegward said nothing in response, though still keeping his neutral expression. On the other hand, Celina and Chelsea looked slightly surprised for some reason. “Sigulf…” “Since when he’s so eloquent?” “…wait, that’s where you are surprised?” “He… Has a point…” one of the students said, earning a glare from Masaki. “And how’s that different from disrespecting us?” Siegward finally continued. “Nobody’s talking about your individual skill. It’s the fight which matters to me.” “Oh, it is. And it’s very true to us. You do know that outside of the annual free-for-all, we don’t really have inter-class duels?” “You can just challenge someone—“ “Which you just declined—“ “Because on the other hand, I don’t have the obligation to automatically accept any and all challenge.” The rest of the students began talking among themselves, while Celina wore a serious expression. “This is…” “You don’t need to look tense like that, we don’t even know whether they are going to fight or not…” Chelsea pointed. “Can we go home already?” Masaki sarcastically asked. “…Masaki, help me out here.” He whispered. “It’s Fukube to you, dumbass.” “Are we done here?” Sigulf asked him. “You make it sounds like your life depends on it.” “Well, he kept going on about surpassing you before, so…” Masaki tried to explain. “Shush. Well, she’s not wrong. But I have another goal in mind.” “”What?”” Sigulf and Masaki expressed their mild shock at the same time. “Something you didn’t tell me?” she followed-up. “Sorry about that. But yes, actually, winning or losing, I want to bring him to our side afterwards.” “…wait, what?” “Didn’t you and Amakawa join the Council to curb the old-thinking Nobles? While your, and other likeminded Nobles, actions are in our favor, I… always found it suspicious to have it backed by the same class they are fighting against.” “…seriously, that’s why?” Sigulf sighed. “How do you even know they are the same kind of people?” “Why do you even trust them in the first place?” “By observing their actions, not just some pretty words? Also gut instinct. And this nose. It knows.” “…said with quite the confidence, I see.” “Let me guess, you tried this with Alba and Amakawa too?” “Not by myself, but yes, we did. Predictably, Hunter refused because she wanted to train. As for Amakawa… Let’s just consider him already bound by Hestianus and Rosales.” “So, the reason for picking me is…?” “Because you are different. I can see it. You are wild, and should be unbound. You have no obligations whatsoever to stay under the Council and their so called noblesse oblige.” “So called— Why you…!” Celina has to rein in the furious Chelsea from going to his spot. “Let him.” “But, Cel…!” “But with us, you’d be freer.” he continued. “We can fight for the Academy on our own terms. Not to mention we shared the same Germanic roots. So what do you say? Let’s have a friendly battle, and no matter who win, we’ll then fight together, side by side.” “No. I refuse. I’ll fight, win, and go home to sleep.” Sigulf’s quick and seemingly unthinking answer shocked Siegward. “…I see. This is unfortunate. And disappointing.” “What the— Did you even hear what he said!? You just got your duel and you call it unfortunate now!?” Masaki pointed out. “Priorities, Masaki. Priorities.” He responded before putting his focus back to Sigulf. “Truly disappointing, a supposedly wild wolf turns out to have already abandoned the common folk…” “It’s just you.” Sigulf countered. “I’ve always been fighting for myself.” ‘…and Celina, and my Master too.’ “Guys, forget it.” Chelsea said, apparently has calmed down. “You won’t be fighting.” “Eh? Why’s that?” “Are you trying to stop us? Too bad, but I’d rather got injured trying than to giving up this chance just like that.” “Ugh, that’s not even what I am getting at…!” “Let’s go, Sigulf Hrimgard!” he ignored Chelsea’s warning. “Prepare y—“ “Denied. One of the participants, Siegward Heidenreich, committed a foul which ended up in disqualification. Please wait until the suspension period ends, or seek for another duelist.” The system announced. “…what?” Awkward silence fell upon the field. “How… How long is the suspension period?” “Three days, at the very least. Could be longer.” Chelsea curtly answered. “…I, I see.” His allies weren’t sure on how to react, while Masaki approached him from behind and applied a choke hold. “We need to have a talk after this.” She growled. “A lengthy one.” “Guhk… Very well…” She loosened her grip slightly and glanced toward Sigulf. “Too bad it has to end like this. But don’t worry, one of us will challenge you again for sure.” “…damn, talk about persistent.” “Because we have to.” Masaki responded, finally letting Siegward go. “Come on, let’s go. Show’s over.” There were obvious hint of disappointment, but they can only follow Siegward and Masaki back, leaving only Sigulf and the Council duo behind. “…” Dematerializing his Fenrir, Sigulf squatted with his head hung down. “I’m tired…” “Um, thanks for your hard work…?” Celina approached him in worry. “Are you alright?” “…I need a drink.” ——— The three went over to the nearest vending machine, where they enjoyed some cola. “Ah, when was the last time I drink this?” Celina admired the blue can with sparkly eyes. “Just don’t drink too much of them.” Chelsea advised. “I, I know.” Their interaction lightened Sigulf’s mood, who was silent most of the time. ‘…hm? Isn’t that—‘ “What, so you guys are still here.” “Alba!?” Chelsea hurriedly approached her, which made the ponytailed girl slightly nervous, though she stood her ground. “Are you alright!? Did you get hurt somewhere!?” “I, I’m fine, geez! …wait, you guys got challenged too?” “Well, it’s just Sigulf there actually…” He waved at her, still sipping his cola. “Yo, Siggy. So how many of them you got?” ‘Man, she’s going to brag about this, isn’t she?’ “…just one. By disqualification, at that.” “Bwahahahah! I win! I kind of lost cou— Wait, what!? Don’t tell me someone actually defeated you!?” “No, no. They retreated after that one. Let’s just say they have a strange sense of honor…” “Huh, I don’t really get what you’re saying, but now that you mentioned it… They are being nice when asking for the duel… Makes me kinda feel bad mowing them down…” “Being nice, huh… Good for you.” “Wait, they weren’t?” “Well…” Alba gave a triumphant grin and poked Sigulf on his cheek many times. “Hahaa, I see Siggy is not well liked. Maybe because you went on a date with Celina?” “I, I’m pretty sure it isn’t— …wait, how did you— Oh, right, the news is already everywhere.” “W, well, duh! Do you think I’m not up-to-date with the current on-goings?” ‘I can’t say I spied on him before…!’ she thought. “I see the Gallowglass is a solid team.” Celina chuckled. “It makes me a bit jealous, to be honest.” “E, eh?” Another awkward silence, making Celina quickly realize what she has just said. “W, wait, did that came out wrong?” she asked with red cheeks. “Kiiind of.” Chelsea responded. “D, don’t worry! We knew what you meant! Ahahahah…” Alba immediately reassured. ‘Ah, too bad… I still have to try harder and step up.’ Sigulf thought. Finishing their drink, all four returned to the dorm before the sky went completely dark.

The squeaking of water faucet could be faintly heard just before Sigulf exited his bathroom. “Phew…” Having taken a warm bath, Sigulf sat down on his bed and checked the phone. ‘…man, I should be thinking about dueling, not her.’ Melanie’s earlier pestering bugged him, though she did have a good reason. ‘Not to mention we actually trained well…’ He took a deep breath and holds his phone firmly. ‘A few messages won’t hurt, right…?’ His fingers moved, tapping the letters on his screen. ‘Thank you for today’s training,’ Sigulf typed. ‘It was a good experience.’ Sending it, he anxiously awaits her reply, which came not long after. ‘Likewise, the pleasure is mine. I never thought our practice would be so refreshing, for the lack of a better word.’ Sigulf exhaled in relief, before reading her continuation. ‘Is there anything else I can help you with?’ Beat. ‘…well, of course she would ask.’ He thought while typing his reply. ‘Are you free tomorrow?’ so his message reads. Another short yet restless wait. This one took longer until a beep notified him. ‘Could it be that you are asking me on a date?’ ‘Uwaaa, how embarrassing…!!’ Sigulf thought mortified, covering his increasingly red face. Of course he had no way of knowing that actually Celina was equally embarrassed as well. ‘Enough, might as well come clean…!’ Calming himself down a bit, Sigulf sent his response. ‘Well, something like that. Or are you busy at the moment?’ ‘Oh, not at all. In fact, I’ve wanted to do a small celebration. It’s just that I need you not to tell everyone else.’ He was doubly puzzled, especially by the last bit. Nonetheless… ‘If it’s something I could do, I’m listening.’ ——— Slightly past midday, and Sigulf found himself inside last time’s parfait parlor, together with Celina. “So, umm…” “Y, yes?” “I knew it’s a bit strange since we kind of celebrated. The fight with Heidenreich, I mean. But…” Celina didn’t, or rather couldn’t, immediately answer. “Is wanting to have more parfait a big deal?” “I thought you’re going to laugh, so…” “I won’t, I won’t. Or more like, why would I?” “Because maybe you will think of it as unexpected? Just like the plush…” “Oh, that. Don’t worry, it’s not funny. Cute would be more appropriate.” “C, cute?” Celina asked with rosy cheeks, something Sigulf quickly realized. “Eh!? Ah, I mean…! …well, yeah, it’s a cute hobby.” He replied, scratching his cheek and looking away. “I, I see…” ‘W, what’s with this situation!?’ Both parties tried their best to calm down their awkwardness, and even made the waitress slightly hesitant to deliver their parfaits. “Umm, excuse me, here are your orders.” “O, oh! I’m sorry, and thank you.” Celina finally responded. ‘Ah, good old vanilla flavor.’ Sigulf noted hers. “Ah-hem.” She cleared her throat. “We already did it before, but once again, here’s for your victory. And today, it’s just the two of us.” “T, thank you…” he blushed a bit, hoping that she wouldn’t notice. “Well then…” Celina took a spoonful of her own parfait to her mouth. “Mm! So delicious!” “Ahahah…” “H, hey! I thought you said you won’t laugh…!” “It’s not like that…! Seeing you happy just now… I guess it’s infectious…?” “I, is that so? I think I get what you are trying to say, but…” Sigulf can’t say anything, so he reassured her with a vigorous nodding. ‘By Gerdr, her smile is priceless…!’ “By the way, is that blueberry flavored?” Celina asked. “Huh? Oh yeah. Want to try?” “Sure, let’s trade.” “Ah…” They scooped each other’s desserts before tasting them. ‘I don’t think there’s indirect k, kiss involved, but… This still feels quite…’ he thought while enjoying the vanilla taste. “Oh, this is quite good too. I see you like blueberries.” Celina commented. “Actually, I have no idea. I picked them just because it’s… Well, blue. And I’m curious.” “Wait, really?” she held back her giggle. “Really. Luckily, it turned out well.” “Ah, that is true.” Celina said, continuing to eat her parfait. “Mm-hmm! I can’t get enough of this flavour!” “Hahah, I guess I know what to get on your birthday. P&P.” “Hmm? What do you mean?” “Plush and parfait.” “Oh, you don’t have to go that far!” she chuckled. “Besides, my birthday is still later on October.” “October, huh…” “But before that, I believe we must deal with the tournament first.” “Now that you said it…” The tone got slightly serious, but not in a bad way. ‘And it’s not just for me. We all have to make sure the tag tournament succeeds…’ Sigulf thought. “Does it make your blood boil?” Celina suddenly said, as if reading his mind. “Honestly, yeah.” Sigulf laughed. “I guess that’s why we are here. More sugar for more energy.” “Oh, true. Though, I believe Chelsea would disagree…” she giggled. “Ah, right, health concerns and all. That’s just so like her.” Celina picked up another scoop and enjoyed it, which Sigulf watched with a thin smile. ‘Aah… I think watching her eating happily is more fulfilling than finishing my own parfait…’ ——— Sunday morning, just as Sigulf and the others were warming up… “Ah, figures. I knew you guys would be around here!” “Eh? Master?” Sigulf looked up from his position to see Vigdis came over, accompanied by Eliot and Melanie. “Pardon the intrusion!” the nurse greeted. “Hope we don’t disturb.” Eliot sighed. “Oh, we don’t mind,” Celina, who was assisting Sigulf, stood up. “But I thought you have a rehabilitation program with Sir Fortier?” “I do, but at the same time I wanted to see how’s my boy doing.” She explained. “…he’s not slacking off, right?” “Of course not.” Sigulf retorted, rising to his feet. “I have to catch up with the top two, you know?” “And so I won’t leave you far behind, though that’s fine too.” Alba forcefully added. “Oh, yeah, that. Maybe.” “What do you mean ‘maybe’!?” her outburst earned the other’s laughter. “Eei, it’s sparring time! You and me, now!” “Eeh? But I want to fight against Celina…” “No buts! Come and fight me!” “Ufufu, don’t make her wait.” Celina encouraged. “Do your best!” “…well, it can’t be helped. Gotta show my Master, too.” “Good luck, Sigulf! Show me what you got!” Vigdis cheered him. “Hey, come on. We have our schedule too.” Eliot said. “Ah, wait!” Half-reluctantly, Vigdis followed Eliot and Melanie to start her own program, while Sigulf faced off against Alba. “Don’t blame me if I humiliate you in front of your Master!” Alba taunted, brandishing her claymore. “You wish. Do your worst.” Sigulf snapped back. “Heh! Well then…!” “Ready? Go!” With Chelsea’s cue, the two immediately locked their blades fiercely. “Tch, why are you so fast…!?” “And why are you so tough…!?” “Perks of having a big sword!” she grinned. For a while, Sigulf and Alba proceeded to exchange strikes. ‘Ah, I see he’s doing well. I guess it’s because of her…’ Vigdis thought. “Vigdis, focus.” Eliot reminded. “Yes, yes, sorry.” ——— Leaving behind the café where they all had breakfast, Alba grumbled along the way. “I still don’t get it! How’s it possible for you to keep defending?” “That’s my line. I don’t want to keep this stalemate.” Sigulf responded. “But isn’t it fine?” Melanie joined. “That means you’re both equally strong. You have to thank Celina and Chelsea for that.” “Ah, no, we didn’t really—“ Chelsea said, slightly stammering. “Don’t worry, I think it’s because there’s no serious stipulation.” Eliot stated. “How about fighting seriously sometime?” Sigulf and Alba suddenly stopped in their tracks. “…now, why are both of you being unsure?” “”I don’t want to show my real strength this soon.”” Both answered at the same time, earning giggles from the ladies. “…yeah, I have a feeling it’s something like that, but still…” “…hm? What’s that?” Sigulf noticed something in the distance, making the others follow his sight. “They are…” A group of people, dressed regally like knights marched towards the Academy. Though, judging by their displeased looks, their intention seems anything but good. “I guess the break must come later.” Eliot concluded. “Let’s go.” The rest of the group nodded and followed suit. ——— The noble knights stopped right before the school gates, where their leader makes an annoyingly loud speech. “—and thus, I demand that the Principal—“ “Uwaa, just when I thought they gave up…” Yuu commented while watching from the sides. “Hmph, bunch of idiots. This is none of my business.” Ilma dismissed. “Hiltunen-san, you do know they are the type who will pester you endlessly…” “…seriously? Tch…” While the knight leader rambles on, a certain young noble spotted Yuu from his spot. “Ah, aren’t you the Godforsaken peasant who was with Hrimgard!?” “Geh, it’s the Mushroom Head!” “H, how dare you calling me that!” The nobles instantly looked at his direction. “Hmm? Do you know him, Karel?” the leader asked. “Not quite, father.” The noble student answered. “I do, however, hold a grudge against his leader.” “Hmm…” “Hey, Sig-kun is not my boss or something.” “Silence! You are guilty by association! Therefore, I, Karel van Rijn, shall judge you accordingly!” “…how troublesome. Well, since it becomes like this— …Hiltunen-san? Eh?” Yuu looked at his surroundings, only to see Ilma is nowhere in sight. ‘Uwaa, she just left me alone like that…’ Karel grinned and summoned his mace while approaching Yuu. “You have no one to save you. Beg for forgiveness or else!” The smaller boy can only sigh at his would-be opponent. “You’re seriously underestimating me… And overestimating yourself.”

Around the central park, the crowd has already begun gathering. School staff and students alike excitedly waiting for the inevitable clash. Even the stall shops got into the action, trying to sell their snacks to the onlookers. “Hmm…” “What’s the matter, Mei-dono?” “I know there’s still some time, but I don’t see Hrimgard anywhere…” “Are you that worried?” “Hahah… As if.” Sure enough, Sigulf and the others were someplace else, which is actually not that far from the park. “Hm! Hah!” “Looking good! There was no hesitation in your swings. You have to keep it like that during the fight.” “Yes, Ma’am!” On a separate alley, Sigulf was practicing his movements, while Celina and Chelsea watch. “I think he’s good to go.” Chelsea commented. “Now, if only he can make sure he’ll get delegated…” “Hey now…” “Don’t jinx it.” Celina chuckled. “In all seriousness, though, worry not. Sir Fortier will pick him.” “Hmm…” Sigulf’s phone suddenly beeps and it caught all three’s attention. “What is it?” “Ah, it’s my Master. I think Sir Fortier told her. And… Wait, she’s coming by tonight?” “So, more the reason for you to fight and win, then.” “Yeah, I guess so…” he laughed “Should I go for few more swings?” “Sure, just enough to keep your shoulders warm.” “Understood!” ——— Nearing half past 5, Sigulf and the council duo finally showed up at the park. “Oh, there you are.” Victoria said upon noticing them. “Ah, Ma’am! Good evening!” Celina saluted, followed by the rest. “Good evening. So, where have you been?” “I needed some time for a bit of exercise.” Sigulf answered. “And they helped me with it.” “Aah, I see. A private coaching session. Was it… Fun?” “P—“ Sigulf went slightly red, while Celina, looking slightly annoyed, cleared her throat and retorted, “Ma’am.” “Ufufu, but I wasn’t wrong, was I? I know it’s important to keep your bodies warm, after all.” “Err…” ‘She’s definitely aiming for that…’ “Well, in any case…” Victoria suddenly unbuttoned her coat. “Wait, Ma’am! What are you— …ah.” “Here, wear it to keep your shoulders warm.” She handed her coat to Sigulf, and obviously still modestly dressed. “Did you expect something else?” “M, Ma’am… Aren’t you cold?” he asked, still clutching her coat. “Ufufu… Thank you for worrying, but it’s alright, I’m used to the sea wind.” ‘…duh, what was I thinking!?’ “Well, enough of that for now. I expect a great fight from you.” She waved while rejoining the rest. “Y, yes, thank you, Ma’am…” “…Sigulf.” Celina suddenly called him. “Sigulf!” “Y, yes!?” “Focus.” “…ah.” He calmed down a bit, took a deep breath, and exhales. “Feeling better?” “Yeah…” “Good. Now, let’s go. Don’t make our guests wait.” “Understood…!” “You guys done already?” Eliot asked. “Everyone was waiting, you know. And watching.” ‘…well, of course they would. Damn, Alba looks pissed…’ “…and, Ma’am, please refrain from doing that again.” He continued, this time sighing in exasperation. “Oh, my. Is it bad to encourage our own students?” Victoria chuckled. From the other side, Reika looks with disbelief. “…are they always like that? I feel like being underestimated…” “I don’t think so. It’s just… Well, it seems that Dog Boy is a working magnet for older women.” Mei snickered. “I… See…” “We still have few minutes left, but…” Eliot glanced at his watch before looking at the Pacifics. “Do you mind if we start now?” “Not at all.” Kouji answered. “We’re all set.” “Very well. You heard them, ladies and gents.” “Ooh, they are finally starting!” one of the spectators exclaimed. “Alright, we shall begin the inter-school battle between the Atlantic against the Pacific!” “Acknowledged.” The system announced. “Commencing team battle, Atlantic versus Pacific. Please select your representatives.” Loud cheering immediately meets the system’s confirmation. “Here it comes…” Sigulf muttered. “Hmm, since we are the ones issuing challenge, I guess it’s only fair if we go first…” Kouji said. “Anil, would you go first?” The Indian boy simply nodded and prepares himself. “Then… Armstrong, get yourself ready.” Eliot commanded. “Aaaalright! Time to show them what I can really do!” Walter pumps his fist eagerly. “Don’t blew it, ape.” Eurypha responded. “Hey, that’s just mean!” “Affirmative. First match, singles. Anil Kumar versus Walter Armstrong. Both duelists, please proceed into the fighting area.” Advancing forward, they boys meet each other on the park’s center. “Sorry, bud, but I need the win. The ladies are cheering for me.” Anil said nothing and shot back a defiant glare. “Now, gentlemen…” “Your oaths!” “”We, Duelists, swore to abide by the rules, respect the judge’s decision, and fight with all of our might, in honor of our opponent, and for the glory of one own self!”” ‘Ah, so it’s a modified, more universal version of the creed.’ Sigulf paused just as he suddenly realized something. ‘…wait, did he just recite that clearly?’ “I never knew he could talk that much…” a boy commented on Anil, as if to agree with Sigulf’s surprise. “Maybe it’s just for occasions like this?” “And now,” Eliot continued. “Summon your True Arms!” Walter took his position and took a deep breath. ‘I can’t lose here… I gotta look cool!’ As he began chanting, a brown aura circled around his feet. “Dreams, hopes, and liberty! This courageous fists of mine shall grasp all of them! Let’s show ‘em, The Pioneer!” A huge gauntlets with steampunk aesthetics materialized, neatly equipped on both of his arms as soon as he finished. “Come on!” Walter shouted. Anil didn’t respond and merely goes straight to summoning, accompanied by a swirling green aura. ‘Wind elemental. So, just like Hiltunen…’ “Radiant wings of the sun… Instill thy courage and prowess unto this self… Swoop down— GARUDA!!” The sudden explosion in both of his energy and voice surprised almost everyone. In his hand, a stylized firangi has formed. The most curious thing, however, was how Anil took his battle stance, as it looks like Japanese swordfighting style. “What’s the meaning of this…?” Minato wondered. ‘Hmm, interesting…’ “Ah, that Anil. He should’ve talked more. Dude got a nice voice.” Mei commented. “…that’s where you are pointing out at?” Reika retorted. “Alright, one-point match, 300 seconds!” Eliot announced. “Are we clear?” “”Yes, Sir!”” “Well then…!” “En garde.” The system gave the cue, prompting both fighters to prepare themselves one last time. “Begin.” Both boys instantly rushed towards each other. Predictably, Anil was faster among the two, but as Walter seemingly managed to throw the first punch… ‘There can be only one thing…!’ Just as he thought, Anil backstepped at the last moment, avoiding Walter’s strike. However, as it wasn’t a full-force punch, Walter managed to stop it and throw another with his left, catching Anil off guard. “…!” Anil raised his Garuda barely in time to defend, and still knocked away from the blow. “Then, how about this!?” Walter gave chase and threw out another punch, which Anil narrowly evaded. And another one, to be evaded again. Walter didn’t let up and unleashed a barrage of punches. “Come on! You can’t win if you keep evading like that!” “…!” Suddenly, Anil saw an opening, jumped, and kicked Walter’s gauntlets as hard as possible to stagger him, while using it as a platform to somersault away to safety. “Wha…!?” As soon as he landed, Anil quickly took an offensive stance. “Here… I… GOOOOOOOO!!” With fury comparable to a cyclone, Anil charged towards Walter, delivering an upward slash which Walter barely managed to guard against it. “Gh…! Where did all that power comes from!?” But his momentum didn’t stop there, as Anil jumped and performs a somersaulting cleave. “UOOOOOHH!!” “Guh…!” Walter blocked the attack, but it still pushed him away a considerable distance, a jarring difference from what Anil’s firangi would suggest. “W, what the hell was that!?” Anil’s unexpected display of raw power and hot-blooded ferocity shocked almost every spectator. “Mei-dono, this is…” “Hee, never thought he’s that kind of guy. Amusing!” Having reeled from the blow, Walter fixes his fighting stance. “Daaamn… Talk about hiding your power…!” “COME!!” “Tch, then you shall get it…!!” Answering to Anil’s challenge, Walter dashed forward and throws a right straight. However, instead of backing down, Anil swung and clashed his Garuda with Walter’s Pioneer. “…!” For a while, they’re evenly matched, but Walter began to overpower him… Only for Anil to pull back, and unleash a spinning slash. “…!?” Walter raised his left arm to block and succeeded, but it puts him in a disadvantage now, as it gives room for Anil to unleash a hail of sword. “HAAAAAH!!” “Tch…!” Walter struggled to defend against Anil’s unrelenting assault, until… “THERE!!” “…!?” A well-timed strike forced Walter’s guard open. Anil didn’t waste the chance and flashed past Walter. “UORYAAAAH!!” “Gwah…!!” “Battle points, down by 15%.” The system announced. The crowd went into an uproar as Anil landed his strike. “Ah, we got the first strike.” Kouji mused. In spite of all the noise, Anil said nothing and turned to face Walter, getting back into stance. Walter, meanwhile, took a jump away for some space, trying to regain his composure. “Shit, he’s strong…! But I refuse to lose here…!” Walter growled. “Ape… What are you doing?” Eurypha cursed from the sidelines. Walter got no choice but to brace himself as Anil comes attacking once more with full force.

With full alert, Yuu watched closely as Karel made his way. “I see you have chosen to be defiant… Then…!” The noble boy suddenly jumped at him, which got blocked by Yuu’s uchigatana at the last second. “Hey! I haven’t agreed with it yet!” “Silence! Your insolence won’t be tolerated any further!” One of the knights asked their leader who seemed to be contently observing. “Sir, will this be alright?” “Heed no attention. My son will surely handle this.” He scoffed before focusing back to the Academy building. “Ah-hem. SO AS I HAVE—“ “Pardon me, Sir, but you are being a nuisance.” “Who dares to interrupt!?” a furious subordinate shouted, followed by the gazes of his peers. At the opposite end was the group of Eliot, Sigulf, and the others, finally catching up with them. “Hrimgard…!” Karel promptly disengaged from Yuu. “So you finally showed up!” “Oh, it’s the Mushroom Head again.” Sigulf noticed. “W, why you…!” He was about to attack, if not for his father raising his hand, telling him to stop for the time being. “…and who might you be?” the leading knight asked Eliot. “Eliot Fortier. This Academy’s teaching staff.” “…Fortier?” The older man turned to his fellow knights, only to be met with unknowing shook. “A commoner who gets to taught the nobility in the ways of the blade? Preposterous. What have this Academy became?” he continued. “Tell your employer, that I, Pepijn van Rijn, demand an audience!” “Pepijn?” Sigulf asked. “Is he that—” “Yes, that Pepijn. He’s a pro duelist.” Eliot confirmed. “I see that even you commoners know of my fame.” Pepijn bragged. “Then you should have realized the gravity of this situation. So why don’t you—“ “Unfortunately for you, Sir, I must refuse.” “…excuse me?” “You didn’t even went through the proper procedure, how can I allow you to see our Principal? Besides…” Eliot took a step forward fearlessly. “Some of my students are here, and I can’t allow anyone, anything to harm them as long as I stood by.” “Wow, Elly is so cool…!” Vigdis whispered. If not for the circumstances, Eliot would have lost his composure and stammered. “Hmph, even my son?” “Oh, do not worry. While Karel isn’t even on my class, he is still a student of this Academy. Thus, more the reason for me to reeducate how wrong his mentality is.” “How dare you talk about the young master like that!” one of the junior knights roared. “Sir, your permission!” “Very well, you may teach those peasants a lesson, Roeland.” ‘…why does this situation feels so familiar?’ Sigulf mentally retorted. “Will you cut it out already?” Melanie stepped forward, looking slightly irritated. “You are being nothing but the shame of Dutch!” “Shame of— Watch your mouth, woman! No one speaks like that towards Sir Pepijn!” “Well, why don’t you make me?” Melanie summoned her Arms, a metal staff, out of thin air without any incantations. “Safe mode…?” “The Sea Goddess Nehalennia… But She doesn’t need full strength to fight a paladin-wannabe like you.” “You accursed heathen…!!” Roeland lost his temper and immediately rushed towards her. “Melanie!” Chelsea warned. “Don’t worry! This…!” “Wha— Oof!“ With one skillful swipe, Melanie easily disarmed him, while the follow-up instantly knocked Roeland out cold. “Is how you do it!” she proudly said, pinning his body down with her staff. “I, impossible!” one of the knights said in disbelief. “She defeated Sir Roeland!?” “As expected of our school nurse!” Vigdis cheered. “T, the school nurse!? Are they mocking us!?” “…Haastolf!” Pepijn commanded. “Yes, Sir!” Another younger knight came charging, prompting Melanie to get herself ready again… if not for the blitzing shadow which proceeds to thrash him in a single strike. “Guah…!?” “…hey now, Vigdis. That’s not very nice to interrupt a duel.” Melanie jokingly sighed. “It’s alright, it’s not even acknowledged, is it?” she grinned, having summoned her twin axes. “E, even Sir Haastolf!? Now what!?” “Who are you? You don’t even look like a teacher here…” “The name’s Vigdis Hrimgard!” she declared, pointing one of her axes towards Pepijn. “As soon as I’m cleared from rehab, I’ll take back the world by storm!” “Another one of this kind… Olivier!” By his command, yet another noble strikes. And just like before, he was easily dispatched, this time courtesy of Eliot. “Guh…!” “Now, Sir Rijn…” he calmly said, still brandishing his sword. “I suggest that we duel for real, instead of having you throwing your pawns away indefinitely.” “You…! You are not worth my time! Circle of Twelve!” Exactly 12 knights emerged from behind Pepijn. They immediately drew their Arms and advanced, with 3 of them locking blades with Eliot, Vigdis, and Melanie. “Know your place, young one!” one of them taunted Eliot. “Well then, do your worst…!” “Sir!” Sigulf shouted. “Come on, girls! We must—“ “No, all of you stay back!” “What!? Elly, are you saying they aren’t strong enough!?” Vigdis questioned. “They might or might not be able to handle these knights, but that’s not the problem here…!” He couldn’t elaborate further as the duel escalates, while the remaining 9 approached Sigulf’s group and formed a barricade. “None of you shall interfere.” “Huhuhu, be in despair when your masters fell before our might, whelps!” “You certainly are taking them too lightly.” Celina stated. “Remember that our Academy values effort, talent, and imagination, not bloodlines or heritage.” “You… Aren’t you the daughter of the Bartrams? What were they thinking, aligning themselves with the peasants… Trying to play hero?” “Call it however you wish. I simply act on our House’s principle, on what I perceive as right. It is my own justice!” “So are you saying what we do are mistaken? Foolish little girl, we won’t take your slander. We’ll send you back home crying!” “Is that a challenge? Then—“ “Wait.” “Sigulf…?” The Icelandic boy stepped forward, accompanying Celina. “If you’re fighting, then I’ll go too. Please, let me fight by your side.” She was slightly surprised by his proposition, but accepted nonetheless. “Very well.” She smiled. “Show me the results of our practice!” “Yes!” “Umm, I thought Sir Fortier advised against it?” Alba raised her hand. “…let’s just say that I’m bad at backing down from a fight.” “Sheesh, you guys…” Chelsea sighed. “I guess I have to make sure nothing goes wrong after all. Are you up to it, Alba?” “Of course! Time to teach these old bones some lesson!” “Hoo, so you are Hrimgard’s boy… You sure owe Young Master Karel a lot.” “Blame him for acting all entitled like that. He should’ve practiced more instead of flaunting his nobility.” “Silence!” The older knight suddenly slammed his halberd, missing its mark. “Hm!?” “Not even a proper opening?” Sigulf commented while evading. “They are just like that, the worst kind of aristocrats.” Celina added. Both of them quickly summoned their weapons, again without any chanting whatsoever. “Fools! Children shouldn’t underestimate their elders!” “Worry not, I perfectly calculated your capabilities from that one strike. This state should be more than enough.” “Such insolence…!!” Two knights rushed at Sigulf and Celina. He could feel it well, them being faster and stronger than before. Yet still… “Hey, Celina.” “Hmm?” “Do you have any ideas for our team name?” “You are asking that now? Ufufu, right, I wonder what it should be…” “Imbeciles! It’s ov—“ Faster, much faster than the nobles could imagine, Sigulf and Celina slashed their way out and knocking their enemies down in the process. “Uargh…!” “Raven Banner. What do you think?” “Ah, do you mean…” “Yes, that one. When your ancestors came to Britannia, they carried those flag, and it is said that if the banner flies, then victory is assured. Considering that ravens do hold some importance in our culture…” “Yeah, it fits. I like the sound of it. And it’s the symbol of your House too.” “I know, right?” she chuckled. “C, curses!” the knights rose to their feet. “Don’t think this is already over yet!” “Oh, looks like this would take longer than I thought. Are you ready, Sigulf?” “Yes! Let’s make Raven Banner’s debut a fine one!” They engaged the nobles once more, while Alba and Chelsea watched, having taken a short breather. “Looks like they are doing good!” “Then we mustn’t fall behind!” “Alba, wait!” Chelsea called and stopped her. “Why don’t we think of a name too?” “Eeh? Really now?” “Why not? Don’t you find them cool?” “…well, a bit, admittedly. Any suggestions?” “That’s right… How about United Crown?” “Make it Bannockburn.” “…Albaaa, I’m serious.” “Hey, so am I!” “T, the nerve!” their opponent slowly stood up. “These children were too busy thinking of names while fighting us!” “Oh, shit. Here they come again!” “Hmm, March Law? Border Reiver? Guess I’ll have to think about it later…!” In the meantime, Eliot is still fighting against Pepijn’s knights. “You attacked the students? You do know what that meant, do you?” he growled. “Nonsense.” Pepijn dismissed. “Peasants need to be reminded of their place. And often times, harshly.” “Yeah, I agree, Father!” Karel cheered. “Now if only I can reach Hrimgard…!” “As if I’d let you…!” Yuu retorted. As their scuffle goes on, another group of students, some dressed in light armor, has arrived at the scene. “Is that…” “Halt! Knights of the Rhine, cease what you are doing!” “It’s Penndreic and Amakawa!” “Sorry, it took a while to gather everyone!” Minato said. Among them were the usual three girls, the pair of Lindorm and Laine, and a mix of both noble and common students. “Ah, Hiltunen-san, you’re back!” Yuu said happily. “Like hell I would run away. And no, I’m not here for you.” Ilma snapped back. “Eh? No one said anything of the kind, though?” “You…” she glared coldly in return. “Hmm? What’s between you two?” Carmen coyly asked. “…you want me to carve you open?” “You two, enough.” Eurypha reprimanded. Meanwhile, Pepijn was surprised by the young knights before him. “Penndreic? You are Uthyr’s son? Madness! This is madness! You too, what are you thinking!?” “It’s pretty simple, Sir.” Taking a step forward, Arthfael summoned his Caledfwlch and planted it in front of him. “I believe this is how a knight should properly behave.”

After they finally finished with practice, the three then proceeds to have breakfast on a certain café. “…” Sigulf silently eats his full English breakfast, looking at nothing in particular. Chelsea looks a bit concerned, but before she has the chance to speak up… “Are you alright?” Celina asked the boy. “Eh…?” “Is something’s wrong with the food?” “No, not at all. It’s good…” “You must be tired, right?” Chelsea quickly interrupted. “I mean, it’s your first time against Celina and all…” “Eh… Aah, yeah, that.” “I see…  Well, we have the rest of the day to recover.” “Right…” They didn’t continue their conversation, and as soon as Chelsea engages Celina in a small talk, Sigulf returns to eating his food wordlessly. ——— Having finished their breakfast, the three left the café. “I guess that’s all for today.” Celina announced. “Good job, everyone.” “Yaaay!” Chelsea cheered. “Thanks for having me.” Sigulf said, despite still being a little unenergetic. “My pleasure.” Celina replied. “Will you join us tomorrow as well?” “Wait, ‘us’? We’re not going to rest tomorrow?” Chelsea asked in surprise. “What are you talking about? With those eager 1st-years around, we can’t afford to fall behind. Especially with Alba.” ‘Alba, huh.’ Sigulf thought. ‘Since then, I wonder how she has been training. But…’ “Well, even if you say so…” Chelsea replied to Celina. “I…” Sigulf suddenly said, pulling the girls’ attention back. “I’ll think about it.” Both looked mildly surprised, but Celina quickly regained her composure and said, “I see… Well, in any case you feel like it, I’ll be waiting at the usual place.” “Understood.” “Very well, then. Have a pleasant day.” Giving a slight bow, Celina parted with Sigulf and heads back to the dorm. Chelsea did the same without saying a word before catching up to Celina. “…” Seeing them off in the distance, he remembers his first meeting with them. ‘It’s kind of like that time. It’s just…’ Sighing, Sigulf turns around and decides to go the opposite way. ——— Sitting alone on a park bench, Sigulf stares at the sky above. ‘Aah… Dammit. I can’t keep feeling down like this all day.’ “Hey, handsome. What’s with the long face?” Sigulf froze upon hearing the voice that suddenly calls him. ‘I know this voice…’ Standing from his seat, Sigulf turns to face the source. “…what are you doing here?” “Aw, come on. That’s not the way to greet your Master after such a long time.” An auburn haired woman in her late 20s, wearing a navy blue sports jacket and ridiculously short pants. It’s Sigulf’s master and legal guardian, Vigdis Hrimgard. “Hiya, boy! Doing well?” “…it’s not even a week yet.” “It’s fine, isn’t it? I’m worried sick about how my boy will fit in his new school life.” “You don’t have to worry that far… Wait, where did you get the money?” “The neighbors gave me extra. ‘Tell Sigulf good luck’, they say.” “They are too nice… Not that I’m not thankful.” Sigulf remembers well how she does part-time jobs around their small fishing village, helping everyone in need to provide additional income for both of them. ‘Good thing she didn’t do much physical labor.’ He thought. ‘Or at least the ones taxing on the legs.’ Vigdis suddenly opening her arms wide caught his attention. “Master…?” “Now, give your mom a hug!” “…you’re not even my mother.” He sighed. But Sigulf stepped forward and hugs her anyway, if not a bit reluctant. “You should be more honest!” Vigdis laughed before finally releasing him. “Something’s bothering you?” “Well…” ——— “Ahahahahah! So you were sulking because a girl bested you in a sparring!?” “Ugh… Why are you laughing?” “Eh, I wonder why. Why did I find that funny?” “…are you drunk?” “Strange…” Vigdis mumbled. “I swear I haven’t drank any today.” Sigulf merely sighed. “But you know,” she continued. “It’s not like you are not familiar with losing. I barely moved during our spars after all.” “It’s a little different…” Sigulf responded, glancing at her legs. “Ah, you perv. You like my thighs that much?” “Wha— I was worried about your legs…!” he screeched. “…it’s a charm point, though.” “Thanks.” “…you could’ve pretended to not hear that one.” Vigdis laughed again before continuing, “But it’s alright. My legs are fine.” “I see… Good to hear then.” “So, about that girl… Is she hot?” “…of all things?” “I’m the one asking questions here, young man.” The boy sighed again. “Well… She is.” “Like smoking hot?” “I… guess…?” “Hmm… Nice milk jugs?” “Yeah, v— Wait, what are you trying to make me say!?” Vigdis cackled at his reaction. “Oh, boy, I get it now. Yes, yes…” “Gununununu…” “Got any pictures? Or names?” “Well obviously I haven’t taken one, so… Celina Bartram.” “Aah, Bartram.” Vigdis said as she took out her smartphone. “That kinda explains stuff.” “How much do you know them?” “Not much unfortunately. I knew someone from that family was few years my senior. Probably her mom. Heard she’s crazy strong, but never got to fight her.” “…” “Don’t suddenly get gloomy now! We’re talking about you here!” Vigdis said as she pulled Sigulf closer. “Wait, is this her?” “Let me see…” Vigdis showed him the Academy’s homepage, displaying an archived web article about Celina. Perfect grades, dominated the free-for-all tournament, and finally got elected as the Council President. All during her first year. “It’s her, all right…” “Hee… I can see why you are smitten.” Vigdis grinned. “Lots of rivals, then.” “I’m well aware of that…” Sigulf said, remembering the boys’ grumbling upon entering the café with the council duo. “But I see… Bartram’s daughter, huh. Hmm…” Seemingly thoughtful, Vigdis looks upwards, thinking. “What’s the matter?” “Naah, I’m just thinking, maybe you should try to stick with her a little more.” “I kinda guessed you would say that.” “What, are you giving up already?” “No! It’s just… I’m looking for alternatives.” “Well, that’s not exactly wrong…” “What do you mean?” “You are fast, Sigulf. I know that much. Years of running, trying to circle me around will do that. But unless there’s some crazy coincidence, from your story, she’s faster than you even in safety mode, right?” “Y, yeah…” “That’s why stick with her. It’s alright if your body can’t keep up at first, but get your eyes used to her movements. Step into her world. Enter a whole new world of speed. …you get what I’m trying to say?” “I guess…?” “Sooner or later, you’ll be familiar with her tricks. But so does she. And that’s where you should learn and practice with your fellow 1st-years. You know, to mix-up things. Surely you have strong competitors as well?” “Aah…” ‘She’s right. I know very well who’s to be cautious against.’ Sigulf thought, remembering some of his classmates. ‘Especially her…’ “Well, I don’t think I summed it up nicely,” Vigdis laughed. “But you know what I mean. I’m a little worried since you could be so one-track minded.” ‘To have a better awareness of your surrounding.’ “…yeah, a friend said something like that before.” “I see. Good friend you got.” The two fell silent for a moment, feeling content at gazing towards the faraway horizon. “Feeling better?” Vigdis asked. “Sort of.” Sigulf answered. “It’s simpler than I thought…” “Everything’s simple enough.” She laughed. “It’s alright if you need some time to recover after a fall. What’s important is, as long as you don’t give up, as long as you don’t throw away the will to move forward, then you’ll be fine.” “I guess so… Thank you, Master.” “Oh, don’t mention it. I just don’t want to see my boy feeling blue.” Vigdis said as she stood up. “Eh? You’re going home already?” “No, no, I’m planning to go back tomorrow, so…” “Wait, where are you planning to stay then?” “Huh? Can’t I just borrow your room?” Sigulf paused for a moment. “…you do know that would cause problems, don’t you?” “Eeh? Even when we used to share a bed back then?” “That was years ago…!” “And to think we used to take baths together…” she sighed. “Aah, my boy has grown into a cold teenager…” Sigulf’s face got red as he remembered his childhood with Vigdis. From her signature hot pants she wore around the house to… pretty much anything else. ‘Was she was always like this? …oh, wait. She is.’ “A, anyways, please don’t. Why don’t you ask Sir Fortier, instead? I thought you two were friends?” Vigdis blinked. “Ah, right! Why didn’t I think of that sooner? Silly me.” “…will you be okay, Master?” ——— A phone call and few minutes later, Eliot arrived on the scene, looking surprised and a bit annoyed. “Hiya!” “…what are you doing here?” “That was exactly my question, Sir.” Sigulf added.

The first day of midterms has finally arrived. Some students, Sigulf included, got into the class earlier. “Morning… …wait, what’s with you guys?” “Uugh…” Yuu, Walter, and Siegward don’t look particularly energetic. “I’m guessing they played until up late.” Arthfael sighed. “Man, why must you bail earlier?” Walter protested. “To avoid exactly this.” ‘Looks like I made the right call…’ Sigulf thought. “Seeing Siggy being calm somehow pisses me off.” Alba joined. “…what’s that supposed to mean? We did study together, so shouldn’t you be the same?” “Oh, worry not. I’m sure I can handle the test just fine! …well, maybe. Ahahahahahah…” “…that actually sounds kinda worrying.” ——— A couple of hours later, the class gave their collective sigh of relief when their written exam ends. ‘Well, that went smoother than expected. I have to thank Celina…’ Sigulf thought. “Phew, it’s finally over…” Alba muttered. “I think I managed it, somehow.” “Good work, Alba-san, Sig-kun.” Yuu added. “Oh, hey.” Sigulf responded. “You look confident.” “Hey, hey, being sleepy won’t really stop me, you know. I am smart, after all.” “…is that really something you say yourself?” “Alright, alright, no more talking about the test!” Walter announced. “Let’s go play somewhere!” “Eh? But I thought we still have duel exams tomorrow?” Minato asked. “It’ll be fine! A little break won’t hurt!” “Hmm, but…” “Fortunately for us,” Eurypha interrupted. “We still have Council duty after this, so no thanks.” “Wait, seriously? Even during mid-terms?” “We don’t goof around, duh.” “Tch, oh well, guess we have to make do. Who’s still with me?” Sigulf felt there’s no further need to pay attention, so he packed his belongings. “Alba, Yuu. Catch you later.” “Huh? Oh, sure. See ya tomorrow!” Alba waved. “…he’s so eager to see Bartram-senpai.” Yuu snickered. “Yeah, ridiculously easy to read.” ——— On his way to the Council room, Sigulf caught up with Celina. “Ah, President. Good… Umm, morning?” “Oh? Ufufu, good morning. What’s with the formality?” “Ahahah… Well, I wanted to thank you for the study session.” “I see it went well for you. Fufu, don’t mention it. But don’t you think it’s a bit too soon? We still have the duel exams tomorrow.” “Eh, yeah, I guess so. But you did coach us too all this time, so…” “Confident, aren’t you? Then let the results speak tomorrow.” She smiled. “Right…!” ——— Due to the midterms, the Council had their work began, and end, earlier. Then again, their to-do list this week was less than normal. “Sigulf, can you work on this part too?” “Oh, sure. Leave it to me.” Sigulf was typing leisurely when someone’s phone suddenly rang. “Pardon me.” Celina apologized before checking the screen. “…the Principal? Yes, it’s me. …hmm? My mother? …understood.” “Did something happen?” Chelsea asked with a slight hint of worry. “Ah, no, it’s alright. Ms. Stark wanted to talk about future plans, with my mother for some reason.” “Oh, Auntie is there? Should I come along?” “Thank you, but I think I will be fine.” “Well, if you say so…” Celina excused herself, leaving only Sigulf and Chelsea on the room. “…” ‘Ah, this is rather awkward…’ Sigulf thought. “Let’s continue while we wait for her return.” Chelsea said. “Roger that.” “Oh, but, umm… You don’t mind if we work while we converse, right? There’s… Something I need to talk to you about.” “…I see. I think that goes for me too.” “Really? Then, in that case…” Chelsea took a breath, looking for the right words. “I don’t like you. Or at least, I don’t like you as much as the others do.” “Oh…” “…you don’t seem to be surprised. I guess you have figured it out.” “Well yeah. It’s… About Celina, right?” “It is.” As much as he wanted to focus, Sigulf couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable. “So, umm, what about it?” “…what if I told you to give it up?” “I… Might ask her first. But most likely I’ll refuse.” “Yeah, I thought so…” “Let’s just say I could be stubborn too… What’s with the question anyway?” “Good news for you. She doesn’t hate you, so I lost the heart to stop her.” Sigulf blinked. “Oh. Oh, okay, then—“ “So don’t you dare hurt my best friend. That’s the least I could ask.” If Chelsea’s that serious, then it’s obligatory for him to return the sentiment. “…I promise, I won’t.” “Good.” Chelsea finally smiled. “Now with that out of the way, let’s get our focus back.” “I… Kind of get it, and kind of not…” “Don’t think too hard about it. You don’t have to like me; you may even hate me if you want. But don’t let it get on her way. Let us both do our best to support her. What do you say?” “Aah, I see, I see. Well, why not? I’ll help Celina in the best way I can, and I won’t hate you either.” “Yes, that’s mor— Eeeeh, what!?” she was surprised and had to pause working. “Why? Even though—“ “Err, because it’s a waste? I mean we are Council mates. You are her best friend. And you are a part of our morning practice all this time.” “That’s… Well, yeah, but it’s not like I’m doing it for you. You do know that, right?” “I know. I can see where you are coming from. It’s for her sake.” “Then—“ “It’s more the reason. How am I supposed to hate that?” “…oh. I get it now. You don’t hate me, but still dislike me all the same! Right?” “Eh? Not even that. To be honest, I… I’d rather we stay amiable with each other.” “…” Chelsea was stunned… and slight redness began to creep on her cheeks. ‘W, what is this guy saying!?’ “T, that came out strange, huh?” Sigulf sounded rather embarrassed. “I dunno how to convey it properly, but I hope you understand.” “…alright.” “Hm?” “It’s fine if I take it as something for Council’s sake, right?” “Sure, I don’t mind.” She sighed out of relief and began to pick up the pace once more, but not without stealing some glances towards the white haired boy. ‘I think… I understand a bit now… What Celina saw…’ Chelsea found out it’s hard to dismiss the thought when her cheeks got warmer. ——— Celina returned not long after, and all three finished the day’s work in no time. “It’s slightly past midday now.” Celina noted. “Should we get some lunch?” “Oh, are we eating outside? Sure!” Chelsea answered happily. “Ah, but what are we doing after that?” “Hmm, you’re right… We ended up finishing earlier than usual…” “Umm, how about we train for a bit?” Sigulf suggested. “As long as we don’t overdo it, we should be fine tomorrow, right?” “I see someone’s eager.” Celina giggled. “Sure, it should be fine. What about you, Chel?” “I’m all for it! Should I get Alba?” “The more the merrier, or so you said.” The blonde teased. “Though, she might be already out there practicing.” “Hey, hey, what’s that supposed to mean? Oh well, let’s have a lunch first before we train. And Sigulf, you’re sparring with me later!” “Sur— Wait, what, why?” “What, are you scared?” “No, I’m just surprised you offered.” “…that’s not really an offer, but hey, I’m a good, caring older sister! It’s only natural I look after my cute junior, especially one with a sub-par defending.” “O, oh, than— Wait, sub-par? That bad?” “Admittedly, not really. But it could use some work.” “…well, alright. I’ll be in your care.” “Then it’s decided! I won’t hold anything back, so prepare yourself!” “Ahahahah…” Seeing them talking cordially brought a smile to Celina’s face. ‘Thank goodness… And I’m glad Chelsea looks happier compared to before…’ “Hey, we can’t stand here all day!” Chelsea remembered. “Let’s go, you two! Better grab a seat while we can!” “”Right…!”” ——— The next morning, second part of the mid-terms. All students have gathered inside the duel room behind each respective class. “En garde…! Begin!” Sigulf and the others eagerly waiting for their turn to fight. “Ooh, now I’m getting fired up!” Alba said. “Don’t hold it against me when I beat you, yeah?” “Oi, that’s my line.” Just before the 5-minutes mark, the duel ended with a definite victor. “Ah, it’s over.” Yuu commented. “It’s about time.” “A round of applause for our combatants!” Eliot gave the cue. The students complied while the two made their way back. “Alright, without further ado… Next!” Eliot started his Randomizer, and his students silently wait with baited breath. “Come on… Who is it? Who’s next?” Alba muttered. Beep. “Eurypha Remi Garnetia Hestianus.” Eliot announced. Minato and his circle immediately looked at her. “Versus… Sigulf Hrimgard.” “Ooh…!” the rest of the class gasped. ‘Against her, huh…’ Sigulf thought. “Oh, it’s your turn. Do your best, Sig-kun.” “Yeah.” “Augh! But I wanted to…!” Alba lamented. “Fufu, I’m sorry Hunter, but I might overtake you here.” Eurypha said. “Don’t screw up. Just don’t let your guard down.” Carmen warned, and possibly encouraging her. “Hmph, you don’t have to tell me that!” “Don’t worry, you can do it!” Walter cheered. “Hmph…!” Before Eliot even prompted them to, Sigulf and Eurypha have already reached the center of the room. “Truth be told, I would have preferred to face Mina— Amakawa instead. We still have unfinished business, after all.” “Ah, that one, huh.” “Yes, that one. However…!” She slowly raised her hand and pointed at him. “Whether it’s Amakawa, Hunter, or you… I refuse to stay in the shadows and keep playing second fiddle to any of you!” The audience instantly cheered at her words. “…I see. However, I refuse to back down here. You have to fight for it…!” “Very well! As fellow Council members…!” “May the best fighter win!”

A day after the incident, everything returned to normal and peaceful state. That is, save for one minor detail which everyone noticed. “The school feels a bit more spacious now, don’t you think?” “Few students who are aligned with House of Rijn resigned, after all.” “Huh, so they bailed after thinking they couldn’t do as they please anymore…” Lunch break with Celina, Chelsea and Alba as always. Sigulf brought up the topic as they enjoyed their food. “Soo, how many of them called it quit?” Alba asked. “Unfortunately, not that I know of.” Celina answered. “I’m only aware that the Principal is considering sending special invitations.” “…wait, seriously? Is it that much? Wait, are we going under quota for students? Are we going to close or—“ “N, no, no, no, it’s nothing that severe.” Alba dismissed. “If anything, I’m sure there will be more candidates than the invitation itself.” “Wait, why are you worried about that?” Sigulf pointed out. “Finally decided to join the Council?” “Wha— No, not that. Am I not allowed to care?” “Then, isn’t it more the reason to join?” Chelsea added. “I mean, if you are concerned about practice schedule, Sigulf could keep his just fine.” “Join us. It’ll be fun.” He raised a thumb up. “U… I’ll think about it…” “Well, putting that aside…” Sigulf continued. “What’s next for us? Making sure the autumn tournament goes smoothly?” “That, and preparing for the second, and actual visit, from the Pacifics.” Celina nodded. “Ah, right, the Pacifics… Can we pay them a not-so-friendly visit before that?” “Not-so-friendly visit…” the blonde giggled. “As much as I wanted to, I don’t think the Principal will just give her permission.” “That’s too bad… It’s not about the budget, isn’t it?” “Not at all.” Chelsea shook her head. “It’s all principle, being currently the number 1 dueling school. You know, think of us as the reigning champion or something.” “I get that, but is there really no other way?” “Without her permission, there wouldn’t be special dispensation, would it?” she sighed. “And without official letters, how would we inform them beforehand? Sneaking in? Then that means we can’t even use their guesthouse—“ “A, alright, alright, I understand…” “Cel, you should say something too… I mean, I do understand how it feels to fight more—“ “Sneaking in… …hm? Oh, my apologies, did you say something?” “…I can’t believe you! Were you just considering it!?” Alba, and even Sigulf, couldn’t help but to snicker. “But seriously…” he said again. “Absolutely no way? Not even for information? We haven’t even heard from them since last time.” “…alright, admittedly I’m curious too. I heard some rumors that they employed an ex-pro duelist as their new, special coach.” “What, so there is something after all… Any details on that?” “Sadly, no… But at least now we know their action after the inter-school match.” “I still want to know more, but…” Sigulf scratched his head. “So we just study and train like usual?” “Yes, like we always do. One of this school’s well-known anecdotal saying was ‘Do your best. By then, no matter what your opposition do, it would not matter in the end’.” Celina said. “That’s… Ridiculously simple…” Alba responded. “But not exactly wrong…!” “It kind of is.” Celina chuckled. “Don’t overthink, just practice and fight as hard as you can. By doing so, you won’t be underestimating your opponent at the same time.” “Huh, right… If we do, we won’t be even practicing in the first place.” “So, the usual menu at weekends, huh…” Sigulf noted. “I don’t really mind, but I still hope I get to fight them at their home ground.” “…Sigulf, you just wanted to travel, don’t you?” Chelsea narrowed her eyes. “Err, yeah. Something wrong with that?” “…the least I can suggest is to wait until just before summer holiday.” She sighed. “Ah, and it’s still months away…” Celina muttered. “Too long… Even though I too want to go on a journey…” “Cel, please… You are the President. Have a bit of self control. We still have the upcoming tag tournament, remember?” “But of course. There’s no way I’m forgetting that.” “That’s good to hear. And don’t even think of sneaking out.” “Ah, you know me too well.” she smiled. “Ceeel…” Their lighthearted back-and-forth earned Sigulf and Alba’s laughter. ——— After class, the Council duo went to give the Principal some report, accompanied by the shadow Council team. “I see…” Victoria said after scanning the papers. “Thank you and keep up the hard work. Looks like we can look up for this autumn.” “Certainly, Ma’am.” Celina responded. Sigulf silently noted that Victoria was acting normal. As in, not in her usual teasing manner. ‘…man, I do have that kind of image on her. Even though she has valid reasons to be this serious…’ “…Sigulf? If it’s something I’m allowed to disclose, then I would be happy to answer.” The rest of the students turned at him, slightly surprised. ‘…it’s written all over my face, huh?’ “Yeah, it’s about yesterday. And maybe its aftermath.” “I see…” Victoria paused, seemingly thinking to pick her choice of words. “First thing I could tell was that ultimately, the students don’t have to worry. Beyond that, however… Obviously there are disagreements.” “Eh? About the nobles?” “Oh, no, less about them, actually. The ones who stay do agree that they have strayed too much and need to be ejected. Although few do think that we were being a bit too harsh. And there’s the one about the resigning students… But I presume you have already heard it from Celina and Chelsea.” “Ah, yes. They did tell me.” “That’s good. Back to your question, it boils down to our current stance against the Pacific.” “Ah, we talked about it too during break.” “Fufu, is that so? Well, to keep it simple, half of us agreed that being attacked was the very proof that we are currently on top. Defending is harder than winning, some said.” “I see… So that means—“ “The other half, meanwhile, thought it’s because we are being defensive that Pepijn and his men saw it as a sign of weakness and attacked us.” “So they took it as them disrespected us. Hmm…” “In any case, I’m sure you are well-aware on my stance and I definitely will not budge. If we stay at the top of the game, then there is no need to play theirs. But out of curiosity, which course of action will all of you take?” “Eh, us?” Eurypha asked in surprised. “Hmm, I wonder…” The students began discussing at her pop question. “I think the Principal is right.” Minato said. “We should focus on our own strengths and schedule, first and foremost.” “Oh, you are surprisingly sensible, Mina— Amakawa.” The Greek girl agreed. “Yes, we shouldn’t get provoked and proceed as usual.” “What do you mean ‘surprisingly’!?” “…seriously?” Ilma retorted in disbelief. “That’s chickensh— cowardly. Eye for an eye. They mess with us, we pay them back.” “You’re exaggerating… Did you forget how well it ended, all things considered? Not to mention we won.” “I won’t say cowardly, but at the same time, I’m afraid I have to disagree with Minato this time.” Carmen joined. “Eh?” “It’s not just about winning, dear Eury. It’s about the action and pride. Surely we too must show them much more clearly on our capabilities?” “Do not call me that! And listen—“ The four continued to argue which amused Victoria. “They are so into it…” Chelsea commented. “Was it like that with the board, Ma’am?” “Something like that.” She chuckled. “So, what’s your opinion on this?” “I was against it, but it’s more from the legal side of things. If you have no intention of sending us, then so be it. I won’t risk showing up unannounced and got into trouble later.” “Ah, very good. A consensus among you three, I believe?” The lack of immediate response from Chelsea surprised Victoria. “…these two beg to differ.” “Really?” Sigulf and Celina exchanged looks while giggling. “Yes, we just wanted to fight more people.” Sigulf admitted. “We know there are more to be learned by crossing blades with them.” Celina added. “Goodness, since when you two become so similar to each other?” Victoria sighed with a tired smile. “Will you really be alright?” “Worry not, Ma’am. Our duty comes first.” “Yes, certainly.” Chelsea joined. “I’ll give her the utmost assistance, just in case.” “Then I expect good things from you.” Victoria chuckled. “…you know, I expected Hrimgard to have simple reasoning, but never thought the President would be too.” Eurypha commented. “Battle-crazies, these two…” Chelsea replied. “Why, thank you!” “Cel, that’s not supposed to be a compliment…” ——— With their report done, the students got dismissed and decided to grab some crepes before going home. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Chelsea said, while enjoying her own crepe. “It is.” Eurypha replied. “Both our groups were surprisingly busy with duties.” “Oh, that’s right!” Minato remembered something. “Now that the nobles are out of the way, what are we going to do next? Are we back to normal patrolling?” “Well, something like that…” Laine answered. “We’ll never know whether someone out there would need our help with something.” “I see…” “Oh, looking around for task? That’s just like some video games.” “…” “…what?” “Why are you here?” Sigulf directed it towards Alba, who joined them despite not being a Council member. “Hey, hey, sugar is good for refilling your energy.” “And like I said, the more the merrier.” Chelsea joined. “Though, it would be better if you become a member!” “Err…” “Miss VP is right.” Carmen added. “Why don’t you? I’m sure you will be a great addition.” “Well… I did consider, but… I guess I just don’t feel like it.” “Let it be, Rosales.” Eurypha said. “She has her own ways. Plus, she’s not a troublemaker, so we don’t have to worry about her.” “Thanks for offering, but sorry.” “That’s too bad, but it can’t be helped…” Carmen conceded. “Aww, why must you be like that?” Chelsea complained, and not-so-gently shook Alba’s shoulders. “…will you stop? I’m eating here.” “You know, I gave it some thought, but…” Minato spoke again. “About helping others…” “Hmm?” “It’s the right thing to do, but why don’t we try to help each other as well?” “Eh? What are you going at?” Eurypha asked. “Uhh, are you going to ask our problems and try to solve it?” Sigulf guessed. “Right, that’s exactly it!” ‘…this guy is so optimistic.’ He thought. “Hmm… It’s normal if some people refuse to open up,” Celina said. “But since now we are fellow Council members, I think it’s fine, even if just a little bit.” “You have a point, President…” Eurypha said, crossing her arms. “And it might help too with our growth as a Duelist.” “Right? So why don’t we start?” “Wait, already?” “Yes. So, umm… Do you three mind sharing with me your troubles?” There was an awkward pause, followed by the three girls gazing exasperatedly at Minato. “””You know, there’s this insensitive boy—“”” “What’s that supposed to mean!? And what’s with that look!?” Chelsea can only laugh at the sight, while Celina was mildly confused. “Now that’s quite the problem.” Chelsea commented. “Maybe we should try it too.” Celina concluded. “Sigulf, is there anything that bothered you recently?” “Eh? Me? I wonder…” Sigulf scratched his head. “If it’s real problems, then I couldn’t think of any. Just the usual ‘I want to get stronger!’ and such.” “Ufufu, is that so? That’s good to hear.” “I guess…? But rather than that, how about you?” “Oh, me?” Sigulf nodded enthusiastically. “Fortunately, nothing for the time being. But still, thank you for your concern.” “I see… Well, I guess that’s kind of expected.” “This is harder than I thought…” Laine muttered. “I can only think about buying replacement guitar strings.” Lindorm added. “…so that’s your problem. Oh well, wanna grab it later?” “So, so, what about you, Alba?” Chelsea commented. “Something bugging you?” “Yup.” She answered quickly. “It’s the three-way stalemate between me, Siggy, and Amakawa. How come we’re actually evenly matched for so long!?” “…that’s a surprisingly real problem.” Ilma reacted. “Train harder! …or so I wanted to say, but yeah, there’s had to be something more.” Chelsea responded. “Oh, speaking about training…” Minato said. “Aren’t you four always practiced together on weekends?” “…ah, right, yeah.” Sigulf realized that the fact has become an open-secret since a while ago. “What about it?” “Why don’t we train together some time?” “”Next Saturday?”” Sigulf and Celina asked at the same time, making them look at each other and became embarrassed from it. “…ah, they even got the timing.” Eurypha commented. “Ah, no. I was thinking something like a training camp.” He explained. “Though, they are usually held on summer, so…” “I see, a Council training camp… Chelsea, what do you think?” Celina asked. “That sounds like a g— Ah, wait, but Alba—“ she glanced at the ponytailed girl. “Don’t worry, Senpai. Then we’ll make it not limited for Council members only. I was planning to invite Hunter-san, Penndreic-kun, Kanzaki-kun, Armst—“ “Wait a sec.” Ilma interrupted. “Why them too? I can stand Hunter and Penndreic, but—“ “…Hiltunen-san, they are friends. They even fought together against the Paladins.” “Tch, fine, whatever…” ‘…isn’t it a bit too fast to concede?’ Sigulf mentally retorted. “Huh, you sure I could come?” Alba asked. “Sure! Like Kensington-senpai often said, the more the merrier!” “Oh, you! Do I often say that?” “Actually, you kind of.” Celina giggled. “Well, it might be too soon, but I think we can consider it for our additional schedule, right, Chelsea?” “Of course! It’s one of the better options taken as a group, after all.” “Insensitive as always, but… I must admit that I don’t hate your idea.” Eurypha said. “A practice session with an even bigger group, huh…” Sigulf noted. “I wonder how that would feel…” “You too? Fufu, actually it would be the first time for me as well.” Celina responded. “I think I got a bit excited for it now.” “Haha, well, I guess that goes for me too.” ”Oh, oh! Then that means we’ll have barbecue too, right!?” Alba raised her hand. “Why are you— Well, it’s a standard for camps…” “Don’t be such a killjoy, Siggy! We’ll have fireworks too! And water gun fight!” “…is it even related to dueling anymore?” “Err, fireworks are a given, but I’m not so sure on water guns…” Minato added. “Whaaaaaat?”

A group of student knights and rookies standing against actual ones aligned with a noble house. Such sight would certainly catch a normal passerby’s attention. ‘This will definitely make the news, won’t it?’ Sigulf thought. “Insolent whelp! Where do you think you are looking!?” “Whoa…!” Yet another near miss from the senior knight’s halberd. “Sigulf, be careful.” Celina advised. “Sorry… It seems the old fart does get faster.” Rallying behind Arthfael and Minato, students from different years stared boldly against the Rhine paladins, while the Penndreic heir spoke against them. “Before things escalate further, Sir, I demand you lay down your Arms and leave at once!” “With all due respect to your father,” Pepijn emphasized the last bit. “We refuse. What makes you think we would concede in the first place?” “I was hoping you would still remember a knight’s honor…” “And I was hoping you’d still remember the very foundation of this school…” “It was always about duel of chivalry, not aristocratic and nobility domination you’ve been forcing!” “Hmph, idealistic and painfully naïve. Our views won’t meet after all…” Pepijn raised his hand, signaling his knights. “Rest of the Twelve and the others, show these children a painful lesson. Roeland, Olivier, Haastolf, this is no time to sleep.” “””Yes, Sir!””” “Karolingische Paladijn… Judge them.” With a shout, his underlings rushed out first, while the Atlantics stood their ground. “I’m sorry to drag you into this, Amakawa.” Arthfael apologized. “It’s alright, I too can’t stand by idly, letting this happen…!” Minato brandished his Sky Fencer and got into fighting stance. “Let’s go, everyone! Bartram-senpai, Hrimgard-kun and the others, please hang on a bit longer!” “Wha…?” Sigulf nearly stumbled upon his words. “He’s just worried. Don’t take it personally.” Celina responded. “Ah, right…” “How dare you two…!!” Another strike successfully defended by Sigulf before he regroups with Celina, though he doesn’t seem too thrilled by this. “Playing defensive doesn’t feel right…” He quipped. “Can’t we just release our Arms now?” “Are you sure?” Celina asked back while evading a powerful swing. “Not going to hold on for a bit?” “…know something I don’t?” “Not quite, but I got a hunch…” she trailed off, eyeing the uncharacteristically defensive Eliot and Vigdis. “I see…! Well, at least it’s not about keeping secret moves, but…!” “Hm!?” An unexpected and powerful deflect by Sigulf pushed one of the knight away, giving them some space. “Better be safe than sorry, right!?” “Very well. Then I shall cover you!” Twirling her spear once, Celina rushed towards the knights. “Fool! Even if you are Bartram’s daughter, in the end you are still just a little girl!” “Oh, I wonder about that…!” Suddenly braking, she then spun around while swinging her weapon with full strength. “De-yah!!” “What!?” Her blade struck their halberds loudly. While it didn’t break through their defenses, the force and razor wind was more than enough to knock them back. “Sigulf!” “Right!” Sigulf immediately crossed his axes and began chanting. “Hunt… Slay… Be victorious! Break free from your bindings and run wild, Fenrir!!” A burst of invisible energy emerged from Sigulf, and his Fenrir glinted as if receiving new life. But he’s not done just yet. “Limiter: Laedingr, release!” Another explosion, and his Arms glows pale blue. “What is he— Eei, get out of our way, child!” “Fufu, I see that you are scared.” Celina taunted. “But worry not, it is nothing but his first stage.” “What!?” True to what she said, Sigulf didn’t go into the counter-offensive and opted to continue reciting instead. ‘A bit of a waste to use it here, so let’s crush them as fast as possible…!’ “Limiter: Dromi…! Release!!” “Oh…!” Three times in a row Sigulf unleashed raw energy. And this time, the aura surrounding his weapons begun to look sharper and jagged, while it took a darker tint of blue. “Grr…!” Instinctively growled, Sigulf then assumed his combat position before vanishing from sight, a cue well understood by Celina. “Here he comes…” She promptly disengaged from the paladins by backflipping away to safety. “Hey! W—“ Celina only gave them a dangerous smile, as an unseen force struck the Dutch knights and almost landed a clean hit. “Guh…!? What’s going—“ With axes in each hand, Sigulf stopped their enemies’ halberds and prevented them from going any further. “You are not going anywhere…!” “I, impossible! He stalled us both!?” “Where did he hide this much strength!?” Landing safely, Celina smiled at the sight of her duel partner. “Ah, to see you fought ferociously like that… Makes me want to go all-out as well!” She switched out from her fighting stance and it made the senior knights slightly more desperate. “No! We must s— Ugh, why you…!!” “Didn’t I tell you? So stay still!!” “Thank you, Sigulf…” Celina said almost quietly. Even before she unleashed her True Arms, everyone on the field could feel the sudden spike of power coming from her. “This is…!?” Pepijn murmured. ‘Finally I got to see it…!’ Sigulf thought. “The War Goddess… Has called for harvest!” A dark blue, almost black aura manifested, spiraling around her before rising high to the skies. “As the blood raven shrieks…” Celina began. “All shall fall above this garden of blades. Soar towards glory, Badb!!” Like being blown off by a storm, her aura dispersed upon Badb’s reawakening. ‘No matter how many times we sparred, her pressure is overwhelming as always…!’ Sigulf thought. Indeed, no matter how short it was, every fighter on the field had to freeze against her presence, save for the exceptional ones. “The War Goddess… Is here.” Lindorm murmured. “Whoa, it’s sure been a while…” Laine added. “Is this President’s…” Eurypha asked, both amazed and surprised. “So this is what Hrimgard-kun faced most of the time…” Minato said. “B, by the Lord…!” Pepijn expressed his disbelief. “How is it possible for a mere child to wield this much power!?” When the situation calmed down for a bit, Celina returned to her duel position and stared coldly at the Rhine paladins. “Very well, gentlemen. Shall we resume? Who wants to fall first?” “Y, you…!! A shock tactic like that won’t work against us!” “A shock tactic, you say…? Then how about you come and try us for yourself?” “Wha—“ Unexpectedly, Sigulf jumped away from his enemies and landed in front of Celina, assuming a bestial posture. “What’s the matter? If you are not coming, then…” “…!” Not having the proper time to react, the senior knights can only saw the eerie blue eye trails from Sigulf before clashing steel once more. “Kuh…! Impossible! They are just students! How—“ The older men now found themselves being forced to defend as opposed to before. Between Sigulf’s furious assault and Celina’s masterful strikes, it’s only a matter of time until their defense breaks. ‘This… Feels incredibly good!’ Sigulf thought in-between attacks. ‘My body feels so light… It just obeys what my brain tells. It’s as if we are beasts playing with our prey…!’ Not too far from them, the Chelsea-Alba pair gets to study their dangerous fighting. “That looks kinda fun!” Alba commented. “Should we—“ “No, wait.” Chelsea quickly interrupted. “Let’s not get too hasty on that.” “Wait, what? Why!? Is it about keeping your best moves secret again?” “Partially that. The other is… Well, just observe.” “…ah, I see. Can’t be helped, no showing off this time…!” As Chelsea pointed out, even though technically most of the Atlantics have inferior skill, Sigulf and Celina’s limiter release, as well as Minato and Arthfael’s constant encouragements kept their morale high. “Come on, everyone!” Minato rallied. “Let’s keep this up!” “We shall show them! Our honorable way of duel!” Arthfael followed suit. “Kh…! How could you be this persistent!?” Roeland cursed. “What are you doing!?” Pepijn shouted. “They are mere peasants! How can you get pushed back like that!?” “Looks like your delusions began to shatter, huh?” Eliot provoked. “How about we fight for real?” “Hey, that’s not fair!” Vigdis protested. “Leave him to me!” “Guys, be a bit more serious…” Melanie sighed. “Silence! I still can turn this back around! I—“ “Guah…!” A well-timed swing from Sigulf finally broke open a paladin’s defense. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Celina swiftly got into position. “Now!” “The first honor… Shall be mine!” “Hold it right there. I think that’s enough.” “…!?” With machine-like precision, Celina stopped her spear at the last moment, nearly hitting the knight’s armor. “…she sure took her time.” Celina sighed while withdrawing her Arms. “Is that…” The source of the voice casually strode unto the field with her usual grace, taking a good look at everyone involved. “My, what a rowdy way to start the day.” Victoria commented. “Ma’am, you are the one who’s taking this too lightly…” Eliot retorted. “Geh, it’s Stark…!” Vigdis realized. “Oh, good morning, Miss Hrimgard. I see you are doing fine.” They exchanged fake smiles, something Sigulf quickly noticed. ‘Even at this situation, they’d rather be hostile with each other…’ he mentally noted. “You…! So you finally showed yourself, Stark!” Pepin yelled, pulling the attention back. “…oh, it’s you, Sir Rijn.” Victoria responded, now putting a much more genuine contemptuous expression. “What business you might have with us?”

Sunday morning. Today, the group decided to do some singles practice. “Ooohh!!” “Deeyah!!” As it appears, Sigulf get to spar with Alba. “Rrgh…!” Being almost evenly matched, they engaged in a deadlock. “Seriously, how can a guy who prioritizes a date came this far?” “Wha—!? What’s that— Whoa!” If not for his agility, her sudden attack would have struck him clean. “…was that on purpose?” “Ah, so you noticed?” “You… You know what, that’s actually a good distraction tactic.” “I know, right?” “Yeah, hehehe…” “Wahahahahah!” “…what are they doing?” Chelsea commented. As if to answer her question, Sigulf and Alba bashed their blades against each other in the blink of an eye. “Not fast enough.” She smirked. “And you’re not strong enough.” Celina, meanwhile, was content with observing their practice. “Hmm, would her tactic work in an actual fight?” she wondered aloud. “Eeehh… Maybe if the opponent is hotheaded enough…?” ——— The day passed peacefully, and Monday comes rolling in. “Good morning.” “Good m— …hmph!” “…what?” Upon realizing it was Sigulf, though, Yuu turned away in apparent annoyance. “Let me guess, is it about Celina and me…?” Yuu glanced at him and finally dropped the act. “Well, of course. The news would make the rounds eventually.” Sigulf can only sigh. “Hey, hey, shouldn’t you be happier? You get to be close with the school’s top girl, you know?” “Stop poking my arm… And what about you? Did you really lose your fans because of Smirnov?” “Eh, well… Partially, it is.” “Oh? Then there’s another?” “Hmm… I guess I’m not telling you.” “…huh? What’s that supposed to mean? Even though you know about my problems…” “Hehe, sorry, sorry. Want to take a guess?” “Uhh… You actually began training with Amakawa’s group? So you don’t have time with your fans anymore?” “What, so you knew after all…” “Eh, half guess, half deduction. I mean, if you rejected Celina’s offer— Come to think of it, I’m surprised you actually did.” “Oh, that? I was being considerate, actually.” Yuu grinned. “Wait, really!?” “Well, kind of.” “Uh, thank you, I guess…?” “You’re welcome. That, and… Our skill is closer to each other than to Council’s top two. Slower but safer.” “Oh, right. That actually made some sense.” “It is. If anything, the fact you keep up with her training… I thought you get thrashed every time?” “Initially, yeah. But hey, I do grow from the experience.” “…Sig-kun, are you a masochist?” “I’m not…” ——— Eliot entered the class after the bell rang. Addressing them, he introduced a few more newcomers, presumably from the special invitations, before getting into the main topic. “I’m sure you all already know, but as a friendly reminder, take note that we will have our midterms at the end of the month.” Predictably, most students began talking among themselves. ‘The whole mess with the nobles made me almost forgot…’ Sigulf thought. ‘Good thing Celina brought that up.’ “Sir.” “Yes, Amakawa? Is it about the exams?” “Um, yes. Would you mind sharing it with us? Not the written one, I mean.” “Hmm, well, it’s not a confidential issue, so I don’t mind. Nothing special; just the standard, singles match among any two of you.” Now the students gave him full attention. “So, winning would contribute additional points?” “Oh, obviously. But remember that it’s not the absolute everything. You might obtain higher grades from losing a well-fought duel than winning a lousy one. Try to do both.” “I see…” “That said, considering the recent interest in tag duels, I’ve been considering changing things up a bit. For starters, we’ll have tag lessons for today’s afternoon class. And maybe more in the future, without forgetting normal duels.” Save for Sigulf and few others, the rest of the class were rather surprised. “Ah, so that’s why he asked Celina about the event…” “But, changing things up, huh? Does that mean we’ll have a tag duel for our exams instead?” Walter asked. “Or a battle royale, even!?” “That seems more suitable for our finals, but interesting idea you have there, Armstrong.” Eliot responded. “Wait, for real?” “If the Principal approves, that is. Maybe some of you consider a battle royale doesn’t make sense for duelists, but think about it. All those running and continuous fighting is a good way to test and build your stamina, don’t you agree?” ‘…he’s not exactly wrong, but it doesn’t sound exciting when he put it like that.’ ——— And so, during the day’s second half after lunch… “Alright, everyone. Time to get paired and warm up. I give you 10 minutes before the mock duel. Good enough?” At Eliot’s cue, everyone began to look for sparring partners. “Guess I’ll just— Wait, where’s Yuu?” Turns out the smaller boy had already gone to Minato’s group. “…” “Pfft, got abandoned by your bestie?” “…and how about you?” Sigulf asked the approaching Alba. “I could pair with anyone if I wanted to, but seeing you being so lonely, I guess I don’t mind lending a hand~” “Okay, but what’s your actual reason?” “…damn you. You do know well all three of us usually stick together.” ‘She didn’t even mention Arthfael? I kinda feel bad…’ “Well… It’s fine, isn’t it? Gallowglass hasn’t seen some action in a while, after all.” “Heheh, damn right! So, any ideas who will we be facing?” “Let’s see…” “Mind if we volunteer?” “Hm? Oh…” Sigulf glanced towards the Siegward-Masaki pair. “Ah, it’s you two.” Alba recognized. “Fukube and, umm… Heidi?” “Wha—“ “…excuse me?” Sigulf and Masaki tried to contain their laughter, while Siegward widened his eyes in disbelief. “Hey, I can’t call you ‘Sieggy’, alright? One Siggy is enough.” “Even so—“ “No need to be so upset, it’s just a rather cute nickname. Right, Heidi?” Masaki grinned. “…I’ll get back to you one way or another.” ‘These two are good friends, yup.’ Sigulf noted. ——— After the 10 minute mark, everyone was very eager to fight. Eliot then chose random two pairs to demonstrate. However… “Aw man, after all that and we didn’t get to fight…” “It can’t be helped. Let’s just observe for now.” Standing at the sidelines, Sigulf and Alba watched while Siegward and Masaki made their way. “It’s our A-class debut, huh? Then let’s make it a memorable one. Don’t fall behind.” “You don’t have to tell me that.” The two faced off against their would-be opponents, full of determination. ——— The match was closer than initially thought, but the combination of Masaki’s trickeries and Siegward’s brute strength carried them on. “That’s enough! Winner, team Nightshade, Siegward Heidenreich and Masaki Fukube!” Eliot declared. “Phew… We did it. And I’m surprised you actually thought of a name.” “What, I thought that was more your thing? You know, your whole trying too hard to be cool.” “…theatrics, Masaki. It’s important.” “Yeah, yeah…” The winners returned after their post-match handshake earned the others’ applause. “They are not half bad.” Yuu commented. “Oh, you’re back.” “Hey, Sig-kun! …you aren’t mad, are you?” “Eh, less mad, and more… Well, you seriously have some business with their bunch, huh?” “Eheheh, something like that.” “I see… Good luck with that.” “Oh? Coming from you, that sounds surprisingly sincere.” “…what did you expect me to say?” Yuu merely laughed it off. “Hrimgard.” “Hm? Oh, yo.” The Nightshade pair approached them. “We’ll get stronger, so you better prepare yourself.” Sigulf knew Siegward would say something along that line, but before he got any chance to respond… “Interesting. But unfortunately, I am the one who will take him down.” Arthfael interrupted and stepped in. “You…” “The latest Penndreic heir, a knight in training. And just like you—“ “Wields a sacred weapon instead of blessed by the spirit itself.” “Ah, so you knew. Exactly; the Caledfwlch in my case.” “Hmph…” The two got into a staredown and attracted the class’ attention. “Ooh, what is this, what is this?” Yuu wondered in slight amazement. “That idiot is too belligerent for his own good…” Masaki sighed. “Now hold on a sec!” Alba suddenly shouted. “How dare you taking me out of the equation!” Arthfael blinked before wearing an apologetic expression. “My bad, but that wasn’t my—“ “I’m not interested.” Siegward’s curt answer was all she needed to shot him back a dangerous grin. “You got guts.” ‘Ah, it’s been a while since she looks like that.’ Sigulf thought. “My zweihander shall surpass your claymore.” The tension rose even further, and another group’s dissatisfaction only added fuel. “Um, hello? Excuse me?” called out. “Don’t you even try to forget that Minato and I are still here. Oh, and maybe these two too.” “Don’t treat us like some extra!” Eurypha screeched. Siegward glanced and gave them a dismissive look. “Hmph, bourgeois.” ““Wha—“” “…don’t put me on the same page as them.” Ilma growled. All of them ended up busy arguing on who’s the stronger fighter. “Don’t you have anything to say, Sig-kun?” “Eh, I don’t feel like it. Besides, if they end up fighting, that’s another opportunity for me to study their styles.” “Uwah, talk about sneaky. Bartram-senpai will be disappointed, you know?” “…pretty sure she won’t.” “And you!” Alba pointed back at Sigulf. “Don’t act like you aren’t involved!” “Oops, I got found out.”

It was midday when the three finally left the shop. “Nnngh, that was fun!” Chelsea exclaimed as she stretched her back. “But you bought nothing.” Celina pointed out. “That’s exactly why! Don’t you think trying many of them is fun itself?” “Well, I can’t really deny that…” “I know, right? Although,” Chelsea switched her attention towards Sigulf. “I guess it’s a bit too much for our little Mr. Pervert here.” “…sorry.” He apologized while turning his face away out of embarrassment. “Sheesh, if that one gave you a nosebleed, I’m worried about what would happen if you see us in swimsuit.” “U, us?” “S, swimsuit?” “…wait, why are you reacting too, Cel?” “Why would he see us in swimsuit?” “When we inevitably go to beach some day? You don’t even plan to for, say, a Council-only gathering?” “You do know I don’t even swim in public pool.” Celina sighed. “What are you even embarrassed for? Even though you have this.” Chelsea replied as she suddenly grabbed and fondled Celina’s breasts. “Ah, wait! Where are you—“ ‘Th, this is…!’ Sigulf was stunned by the spectacle for a moment before regaining his composure. “Wait, stop right there! And you called me a pervert earlier!” Sigulf retorted. “Whoops. Sorry, I got carried away. Remove it from your memory, okay?” “…how?” “Anyways!” Chelsea said, trying to change the topic. “It’s already lunch time. Should we go eat somewhere?” “…you’re running away.” Celina said while still covering her chest. “It was in jeeest! Please don’t be mad. I’ll treat you something, okay?” “…I wonder. Maybe you should go eat at the usual place. Sigulf and I will look for an alternative. Seems safer.” ‘Wait, could this be…!?’ Sigulf thought, trying really hard not to show his delight. “I, impossible…!” Chelsea said in shock. “D, did I just ruin our friendship?” “…not really, it was in jest. Well, kind of.” “Celinaaa! I know you’re my best friend!” “But I don’t know what will happen if you do it again.” Celina said with a chilling smile, enough to make Chelsea took a step back. “Y, yes, Ma’am!” ‘Whoa, even Chelsea got scared.’ “And Sigulf, that goes for you as well. Understand?” “…I’ll keep that in mind.” ‘Well, it’s not like I can or will do that casually. That’s asking for a suicide…’ “Good!” Celina continued. “Shall we make our way then? There’s some place I want to try.” “Eh? We’re not going to eat at the usual?” Chelsea asked. ——— To Sigulf’s mild surprise, they end up stopping by at the café he frequently visits. “It’s here, huh. So where do you two usually eat?” “Lordshire. It’s that one.” Celina informed while she points at a building quite far from there. ‘Wait, isn’t that where I ate with the Principal?’ “Would you like to have lunch there instead?” “Ah, no, that’s not it. Here is fine.” “Hm? Well, if you say so…” “Any reasons, Cel?” Chelsea asked. “I always wanted to try a burger.” There was a momentary silence before Chelsea spoke, clearly holding back her laughter, “P, pardon me…? A burger?” “Yes. What about it?” “It’s not like Auntie forbids you to from eating one, is it?” “True; Mother did say that as long I don’t over eat them and balance it well, then it won’t be a problem. Yet, I end up never tried one for some reason.” “I, I see…” “I suppose you’re not a stranger to burgers as well, Sigulf?” “Huh? Well, a bit. I did eat few of them; hot dogs are way more common in Iceland after all.” “Ah, I see. I guess I’ll try them too.” “…will you be okay?” Chelsea asked with worry. “No need to worry. As long as I don’t overdo it.” Celina reassured. “Let’s go then.” ——— When their orders finally arrived, Sigulf swore he could see Celina’s eyes sparkled with joy. “Ooh!” Celina gasped while she eyed her food. “And this is… The famed Icelandic hot dog…” “I’m… glad that you’re having fun.” Chelsea laughed dryly. “Well, let’s try the burger first.” Celina took a bite and munched, while Sigulf and Chelsea anxiously waits for her reaction. “…how was it?” “It’s strong.” “S, strong?” “I like it.” Celina said before she turned her attention towards Sigulf. “Would you like to try?” “Eh? But—” “It’s alright. You said you rarely eat them, don’t you?” ‘That’s not the problem here… Oh well, as long as I bite on a different side…’ Sigulf relented and took a bite before commenting “…it’s good.” “Fufu…” “C, Cel? Why are you—” Chelsea hesitantly asked. “Hm? Do you want some too?” “…nevermind then.” Chelsea said before trying the burger as well. “Ah, it’s juicy.” ‘Of course she noticed…’ Sigulf thought. “And now, for this one…” Celina said before chewing the hot dog. Again, the two eagerly awaits her response. “So…?” “This is so good!” Celina gleefully exclaimed. “The lamb tastes so fresh! How lucky of you to get to eat this often!” “Glad you liked it. It’s organic, free-roaming Icelandic lamb, after all.” Sigulf responded. “I see. Chelsea, you have to try this too!” “I haven’t even started— Oh well, here, let me have a taste.” Chelsea replied before end up reacting “Hm!? You’re right, it’s delicious!” “I know, right?” ‘Ah, there goes the hot dog… No more safe spot to bite.’ “Hm? Could it be you want some as well?” Celina suddenly asked as she apparently noticed Sigulf staring at it. “Eh!?” “Wait, wait, wait! Cel, don’t!” Chelsea quickly interrupted. “Huh? What’s the matter?” “You… don’t even realize it, do you? Okay, the burger was barely safe, but…” Chelsea began to whisper while leaning towards Celina. Hearing her explanation, Celina’s expression went blank for a moment before turning red. “I, I’m sorry, Sigulf! That wasn’t my intention! Please don’t take it the wrong way!” she apologized, while Chelsea merely sighed. “I, it’s alright. I understand.” Sigulf responded while trying to drive the thoughts away by focusing on his lunch. ‘Ah, but I never thought she could be so cute when embarrassed… Wait.’ ——— “Thank you for your patronage! Please come again!” The three left the cafe behind, satisfied with their lunch. “Despite looking deceptively simple, that was good!” Celina said happily. “Do you know any other I might have to try?” “Wait, you still want to eat?” Chelsea asked with worry. “Hm? If it’s just dessert, I’m pretty sure we can handle it.” “…yeah, I can see where the fat goes.” Chelsea replied while staring at Celina’s chest. “Stop it.” Celina retorted while covering them. “I haven’t done anything, though?” “Well, anyways,” Sigulf interrupted, trying to steer away the conversation. “How about we try some crepes, then?” “Aah, crepes. I’ve always been curious with them. Do you have any recommendations?” “I’m not sure. I always picked the chocolate one.” “There’s a stall around the park, right? Should we go there?” Chelsea asked. “To the park we shall be, then.” Celina decided. “Oh, and Sigulf, you’re not allowed to buy the chocolate one this time. You have to mix it up.” “Eeh…” ——— Before long, they reached the crepe stall nearby the park. Celina bought the chocolate one, Chelsea’s blueberry, and Sigulf chose the vanilla cream crepe after some mulling. “For a moment, I thought you’re going to pick the melted tuna.” Chelsea pointed out. “Maybe next time. Gotta keep the dessert sweet.” Sigulf replied. Meanwhile, Celina is amazed with the crepe in her hands. “Ooh!” “Oh dear…” Chelsea laughed. “Sigulf, this is your favorite, right?” “Eh, yeah…” “Well then…” Celina took a bite and her face quickly light up. “This is so delicious!” she exclaimed with joy. “That’s great to hear.” Sigulf said before munching his crepe. “Ah, this one’s good too.” “Really? Then— …oh, wait, I can’t just ask for a bite, can I?” Having understood what she meant, Sigulf went slightly red while saying, “Y, yeah. That would be… Troublesome.” “Ah-hem.” Chelsea purposefully cleared her throat. “You can try mine, though. And buy another vanilla cream if you really want to.” “Next time.” Celina sighed. “I have to finish this first, and I doubt that I can have another one.” Both girls traded a bite off their crepes, before Chelsea said, “Hey, this is pretty good! I can see why Sigulf likes this one.” ‘Ah, how nice… Wait, don’t. Hold it together, myself.’ Sigulf mentally reprimanded himself before taking another bite. “Oh, Sigulf.” Celina suddenly called him. “Hm?” “You got cream on your cheek.” “Eh? Here?” “Almost. Wait, let me wipe it. Keep still.” “Eh—” Sigulf didn’t have the time to fully process what just happened as Celina approached him, wiped the cream with her thumb and licked it. ‘Her touch feels so pleasant… Waaaait.’ “There you go.” Celina said. “Wait, Cel, did you just…!?” Chelsea asked in surprise. “Hm? I was just—” Celina paused before realization dawned upon her face. “…don’t tell me—” “…eeh, technically, maybe not. Maybe. I guess…” “Now you’re making me uneasy…!” Celina retorted while being slightly red. Meanwhile, Sigulf can only freeze in silence. ‘This is already too much. Please no more nosebleeds…’

The next morning, Sigulf woke up strangely feeling refreshed. Getting out form his bed, he tried to move his body a bit. “Huh, I guess running wild like yesterday got its benefits too.” Satisfied, Sigulf begun his preparations for the day. ———- During his way to the school, Sigulf noticed that people are still looking, though now with much less malice. “Ah, it’s the guy from the noble duel…” one of the girls could be heard by him. ‘Well, at least they don’t hate me as much.’ Sigulf thought. ‘…still tickles, though.’ Sigulf suddenly stopped walking midway as he noticed the blue, puffy ponytail in front of him. ‘It’s her…’ Noticing his presence, Alba turned to face him, her eyes widened a bit. ‘Now what? A duel this early?’ he thought, taking his hands out of the pockets as she approached him. Surprisingly, she merely raised her hand and greeted, “Yo.” “…yo.” He returned her greeting warily, noticed that she’s chewing on something. Alba reached for her pocket and offered some chewing gums to Sigulf. “Want some?” “…what the— Meat flavored chewing gum?” “Uh-huh. Gotta kill the salad’s aftertaste.” “…no thanks, I’m good.” “If you say so.” Alba turned around make her way for the school. Hesitant at first, Sigulf then caught up and matched her pace. “I wonder how can you quickly forget the taste.” “I don’t think it was that bad… Granted, still not mutton or cod…” “It is though. I swear, if I have to eat those again…” “You’ll what?” A familiar voice made them both froze before turning around. “Geh…! It’s her…!” Alba exclaimed. “Yes, what about me?” Chelsea responded with a scary smile. Standing beside her, Celina looks a bit unsure while greeting, “Umm, good morning.” “A, ah. Good morning…” Sigulf greeted back. “This is no time for greetings!” Alba retorted. “Shit, I won’t let myself got poisoned again…!” “Ah, hey, wait!” Chelsea tried to stop Alba from running away to no avail. “That said, she’s really fast…” “Seems you got hated already.” Celina commented. “Aww, that’s too bad…” the brunette lamented, before she turned her attention towards Sigulf. “…w, what?” “You’ll be a good boy and eat some vegetables, right?” “Good boy!? Err… Are carrot, broccoli and potato enough?” Chelsea thought for a while before responding, “Hmm, not bad. But you might want to add something more, like tomato. It goes well with a bit of cheese.” “A, alright…” Celina sighed at her best friend’s antics. “You’re bothering him, Chelsea. Let’s go already.” ——— As the three reached the school gate, they noticed a crowd not far from them. “What happened?” Sigulf wondered aloud. “…wait, isn’t that Hunter?” “Ah, it seems she got stuck there. Good, I haven’t done lecturing her yet!” Chelsea said as she chased for Alba. “Oh dear…” Celina sighed before she and Sigulf followed her. Getting closer, Sigulf could finally hear that the crowd is asking Alba questions. “Could I have a word on what your paired name is?” a female student which strangely dressed like she’s from the newspaper club asked her. ‘…we have those here?’ Sigulf mentally retorted. “Eh!? Well, I haven’t really thought about it…” she answered. “Ah, maybe Gallowglass?” “Gallowglass, huh? That’s a fitting name.” Chelsea commented as she suddenly grabbed Alba’s shoulders from behind. “Waaaugh! It’s the Salad Hag!” “Fufufu, you have nowhere to run now~” “It’s Miss Bartram and Miss Kensington!” someone from the crowd pointed out. “Good morning.” Celina greeted all of them. “Miss President!” the news girl called to her. “Your thoughts about yesterday’s incident, if you will!” “Hmm…” Celina seems to be thinking at the question. “It is indeed an unfortunate event, to think such disgraceful act occurred this early… Therefore, it’s a new task as the current President to make sure no dishonorable conducts shall ever happen again on this Academy.” “Ooh, as expected from our new President!” “On the other hand,” she continued. “These two has set an example on how no one should be afraid. Your social background doesn’t matter here. It’s your passion that counts.” The crowd cheered at her mini-speech, while some turned their attention towards Sigulf and Alba. ‘That’s quite the grand one…’ Sigulf thought. ‘Wait, now they are looking at me.’ “And here he is! One of the stars of yesterday’s duel! The Berserk Baron of Blizzard Beasts!” ‘…that’s my nickname now?’ “A word about yesterday, please!” ‘…like I have anything to say here.’ The girl and the crowd eagerly await his response. “It was… fun.” “…yes?” “The intense atmosphere, the adrenaline rush… My blood never boiled like that before.” “A, alright…?” As Sigulf left for the class, the girl swore she could see a dangerous glint in his eyes. “A blood knight through and through. I guess that’s to be expected from a Norse raider. Or their descendant.” She commented, only barely noticed that Alba tried to sneak away. “Crap.” “Ah, wait! We still have a lot of questions for you!” the girl said as she chased Alba, followed by the crowd. “It’s pretty nice to see the 1st-years are so energetic like that, don’t you think?” Chelsea commented. “I have to agree with that.” Celina replied. “That said…” “Hm?” “He was a bit strange just now, wasn’t he?” “Now that you mention it…” ——— Meanwhile, Sigulf has finally entered the class and reached his seat. Yuu was about to greet him when the Icelander suddenly slammed his face to the desk. “Sig-kun!? Are you alright!?” “Mumblemumblemumble” “…what?” ‘I know I love to fight, but for Loki’s sake, why the fuck did I blurt that?’ Alba arrived later, seemingly managed to shake off her pursuers. “Whew… Somehow I made it.” She said, trying to catch her breath. Sigulf looked up to see her. “Yo. Good job.” “Not ’yo’, dammit. How dare you left your own tag-partner like that.” “…since when? It’s just for that one-time.” Not long after, the bell rings and Eliot entered the class like usual. “Before we begin,” Eliot opened after the class calmed down. “I’m sure you all heard about yesterday’s 2-on-2 duel already. Well, in any case, allow me to congratulate the winners. Hrimgard and Hunter, would you two stand up, please.” Most of the class gave them a warm applause. Alba looks slightly embarrassed, while Sigulf, still looks kind of surprised, muttered a “Thank you, Sir.” “Now with that out of the way,” Eliot continued after the two sat down. “It seems we can put the hurdle higher from now on.” Some of students groaned at his suggestion. Eliot simply gave a slight smirk. ——— At lunch break, just as Sigulf about to head towards the rooftop, he heard some commotion coming from the other way. ‘People are gathering there. I wonder what it is about…’ Curious, Sigulf got closer to take a look. Upon noticing him, some students reacted. “It’s him…!” “…he’s kind of scarier up close.” ‘…what?’ Sigulf tried to get a better view, finally realizing it’s a newspaper spread on the notice board. “Let’s see… ‘The Gallowglass triumphs against the Nobles! Start of a New Era!?’ Hmm, then… ‘The Beast of Hel rises! A dawn of bestial terror!?’— …wait, what the hell?” He looks at his own photograph, staring coldly, dead straight at the camera. ‘I made that face? And when did they take it? Talk about discreet.’ “Pfft… Bahahahah!” A familiar laughter made everyone turned around. “Oh, it’s the heroine, Alba Hunter!” one of the mobs pointed. “What’s with that face?” she pointed at Sigulf’s photo. “…I was nervous. Wait, what are you doing here?” “You made that kind of face when you are nervous?” Alba laughed again. “U, unbelievable!” a student exclaimed. “She finds it humorous instead of frightening!” “I guess it’s true… The match for Nordic ferocity is Scottish craziness…” another added. “Hey, I take offense to that!” Alba retorted. Meanwhile, Sigulf took one last look at the photo before heading for the stairs. ‘…I have to think of a better expression. And pose.’ ——— “Munch munch munch…” “…” “So you eat here to avoid people, huh? Nice view from here, though a bit cold.” “Well, yeah… And again, what are you doing, following me here?” “Huh? I dunno. I just kinda wanted to.” “You’ll regret it…” Sigulf sighed. “Eh? Why?” In the end, Alba followed Sigulf all the way up to the rooftop, much to his dismay. “Ah, he’s— Wait, Alba’s here too?” “Oh? Good afternoon.” Recognizing the voices, Alba looked up and nearly choked on her food. “Is this what you meant!? Why didn’t you tell me sooner!?” “Dunno, kinda don’t want to.” “Why you…” “Sheesh, why must you be so unapproachable?” Chelsea pouts. “It’s not like vegetables are going to poison you.” “I told ya everyone got their own dislikes!” Alba retorted. “And don’t suddenly get so friendly with me!” Chelsea looks devastated at her outburst. “Cel… It seems I really got hated…” the brunette lamented. “There, there…” Celina comforted by patting her best friend’s head.” “U, ugh… I won’t be deceived…!’ “Ah, you can tell?” “So you were faking it after all!” “You’ve got the chemistry already, though.” Sigulf commented. “Oh, shut up.” ——— After Chelsea laid out the blanket, everyone sat down and eat their lunch. “…” While munching her food, Alba looked at the other three warily. “Hm? What’s the matter?” Celina asked her. “I just wondered how did he get along with you two, eating together and all.” “Eh, this? We always have or lunch here, though.” Chelsea responded. “And I just stumbled upon them, looking for a peaceful spot.” Sigulf added. “Hmm…” Alba still looks unconvinced. “Not going to look for another spot?” “Oi, what’s that supposed to mean?” Celina remembered the similar dialogues from back then. “No need to. We like it here, after all.” The blonde replied. “Wait, are you… Are you telling us to go away?” Chelsea followed with her question, looking worried. “Eh!? No, no, that’s not what I meant! …well, as long as you don’t mess with my menu, I guess.” “You’ve been really mean towards her.” Sigulf commented half jokingly. “…you are really enjoying this, huh?” “But I guess that could be said for you as well.” Celina suddenly said. “Being chummy with him, I mean.” “Huh?” “Could it be…!?” Chelsea added. “You use the pretense of rivalry to hide your feeling of love!?” “…what are you talking about?” “Oh, too bad, her reaction is too weak. I guess it’s not, then.” “Testing me for fun, aren’t you!?” Sigulf, meanwhile, seemingly content with watching their banter while he eats. ‘I guess it’s not so bad having a lively lunch like this once in a while.’ He thought. ——— After the lunch break is over, everyone returned to their respective classes to proceed with the sparring session. On 1st-year’s A-class, before they begin, Eliot had a message for Sigulf, Alba, and Minato. “Come see the Principal after class.” Most of the students wondered about what it is about. ‘Should be yesterday’s duel…’ Sigulf thought. ‘But Amakawa? Is it about day zero?’

A short walk and few minutes later, the Hrimgard master-pupil pair was already browsing for some clothes. “So, so! How about this one?” “Err… Not quite what I have in mind.” “Hmm? What’s not to like?” “Long sleeves—“ “You can just roll them, though?” “…and the fabric’s too… Soft?” “Eh? You want them hard? So it’s like—“ “Perhaps he meant something like a military jacket?” “Ah…” The voice made them shift their attention. Sigulf immediately recognized her. “Good morning, Sigulf, Miss Hrimgard.” “Oh, good morning, Ma’am.” Sigulf slightly bowed towards the approaching Victoria. Vigdis kept her cautious stance, though. “Out shopping? I see you are interested in fashion too.” “Eh, well… Maybe a bit…?” Sigulf scratched his cheek, not really sure on how to answer. “How about you, Ma’am? A break from work?” “Oh, how nice of you to ask. Yes, for the most part. I still have to check some stores’ administration and management.” “I see… Even on day off…” “I have to. But thanks for caring. Though…” she put her finger on her own lips. “I suppose I could use some—“ Vigdis quickly pulled Sigulf in and hugged him tightly. “…oh my, I suppose everything is going well, Miss Hrimgard?” “Oh, don’t worry. Everything’s under control. By the way, fancy seeing you here too, Miss Stark. Fufu…” “Ufufu…” Both were smiling and chuckling towards each other. But Sigulf knows well it’s an incredibly cold one. ‘Not again… And everyone’s looking…!’ “M, Master…! Can we go already? Clothes, remember?” “Whoops, sorry. So, um, you wanted something similar-but-not-quite like a military jacket? You should’ve said so from the beginning.” “I think I have a rough idea on what it is.” Victoria added. “Mind if I help you?” “Oh, thank you very much, but—“ “Sure, why not?” Vigdis immediately looked at him with shock. “E, eh? What?” “Why, son!? Whyyyyyyyy!?” Victoria merely chuckled in triumph. ——— After things calmed down, the three resumed Sigulf’s new clothes hunt, which end up took shorter than initially expected, thanks to Victoria’s help. “Hmm…” Sigulf looks down on his new outfit. “Something’s wrong?” Vigdis asked. “Somehow, it doesn’t look right…” “Maybe because you button it all? Try unbuttoning half of them from the top.” Victoria suggested. “Eh? You mean like— Oh!” “You’re right! It looks better now! You look cool, boy!” “R, really?” “You certainly are. You look fine in those.” “T, thank you…” Getting praised by two older, beautiful women is a bit too much for Sigulf. Still, he can’t deny that he likes it. ‘…and it’s nice to see them not going at each other like usual.’ “You are welcome.” Victoria winked. “So… I see you like this style of clothing. Now I know what to get for your birthday.” “My, how generous! But please don’t worry about that. We can manage it by ourselves, thank you very much!” Vigdis immediately countered. “Now, now, what are you getting apprehensive for, I wonder?” “Oh, no, no~ I’m just making sure my boy is safe from dangers on this academy~” “Ufufufufufu…” “Ohohohohoho…” ‘…never mind.’ ——— Moments later, the three exited the store, with Sigulf now holding a medium sized bag in his hand. “You sure it’s okay to buy three of them?” Vigdis asked. “I mean, I know you liked them, but—“ “They are not the same though…? Different colors, slightly different style…” Sigulf responded. “Hmm… But don’t you think you will need another set?” Victoria joined. “Like, say… A formal suit?” “A formal suit, huh… But I don’t think—“ “Oh, don’t worry. I would gladly pay for it. How’s that sound?” “Eh!? But I can’t—“ “What are you trying to pull!?” Vigdis interrupted. “Oh, no, nothing at all~ I’m just thinking it would be nice to see a dear student of mine grow up nicely, fufufu~” “I, it’s alright…” Sigulf quickly said. “I’m happy with the sentiment, but… Let me earn it on my own.” “Oh, is that so? Good to hear, then. And quite the nice mindset too.” She praised, and gently brushed Sigulf’s hair affectionately. “U, uu…” “Gununununu…! Stop being nice to him!” “Ah…!” Vigdis refused to lose and forcefully gets her hand in, brushing his hair as well. ‘…aahh, feels like my mental age is getting younger~ …wait, it’s too dangerous!!’ “C, cut it out, you two! Everyone’s watching!” “Oh my, I’m sorry about that. Fufu~” “Mu… What happened during my absence that Siggy-boy became colder to me, and preferred Stark instead?” Vigdis pouts. “You want to know?” “Nothing! At all!” he immediately cut her off. “Anyways! Lunch, lunch! Why don’t we get them!?” “Let’s leave it at that for now.” Victoria chuckled. “Well then, about our lunch— …no, I’m sure you won’t let me pay, will you, Miss Hrimgard?” “Well, yeah…!” Vigdis pulled Sigulf closer. “If he’s to grow up, then would it be better if you don’t indulge him, Miss Stark?” “Oh, that’s a nice one. Now if only those words have a little bit more weight on them…” “Ugh…!” ‘…haaah. This is kinda nice and all, but when will I have time for something duel-related?’ ——— And thus, after some discussion, they decided to have lunch at some middle of the road restaurant. The presence of the Headmistress obviously turned people’s heads, but Victoria opted to ignore them and chat with the Hrimgards instead. “So, Sigulf…” Victoria began while putting down her cup. “Are you seeing someone?” “Eh!? Well…” “…wait, is it even your business?” “Hmm, you might be right, it isn’t. But whether to answer or not is his choice, no?” “You…” “No, it’s alright. I mean, well… I’m not seeing anyone…” “Ah, I see. I’m sorry to hear that.” She somehow sounded genuinely sympathetic. “So, were you trying to dress to impress?” “…yeah, something like that.” “Hmm…” “What is it to you?” Vigdis interjected. “Curiosity. Plus, I’d like to know who I am up against.” “You’re the damned Principal…! What are you thinking, acting like that towards your student…!?” “Oh, and what is this ‘act’ are you talking about?” Vigdis didn’t bother to reply and slammed the table, standing in fury. Other cafegoers immediately looked at their direction. ‘Shit shit shit! Why things went like this!?’ “…relax, Miss Hrimgard.” Victoria chuckled despite all that. “If he said no, then I will stop. I am not the one who would force things.” Vigdis calmed down a bit, yet still wary of her. “…Sigulf?” she glanced towards her disciple. “Err…” he can only scratch his cheek, slightly looking away. ‘Sorry, Master…!’ “O, oh, come on! You can’t be serious! What will Celina say!?” “M, Master…!” “Ah, so it is Bartram after all he’s interested in. Not surprising.” ‘…too obvious, huh?’ “And knowing that, what are you going to do about that?” “…Miss Hrimgard, I believe you have misunderstood me. In addition to loathe being forceful, I too despise to disturb or disrupt anyone’s business, especially my own students.” She sighed. “It’s just that I prefer… A more proactive approach.” “…how is that supposed to make things better!?” Trying to ignore the two, Sigulf silently sipped his drink in exasperation. “Well, with that out of the way, I believe I have few words of wisdom for Sigulf regarding this.” “…eh? Really?” “Really. And before any of you asked, have my words: I only expect one thing in return. …although, it would be lonely if he did choose her.” “…that one thing is the one concerns me the most.” “Why, you don’t have to worry. I simply ask him to commit, that’s all.” “Umm, I don’t really get it, so would you please elaborate?” Sigulf asked. “Right… Since we are talking about Bartram here… Well, I’m sure you have figured it by now, but you have to commit yourself to studying the art of dueling.” “O, oh…” “Falling in love is nice and all, but please don’t forget the first and main reason you are here. Because, even if it’s against you, the moment your performance fails or worse, then I wouldn’t hesitate to take some necessary actions.” “…” No playfulness or flirtiness in her voice. Even Vigdis went seriously silent, as she knows that she can at least agree with the points Victoria trying to convey. Although… “By worse here… You don’t mean it’s related to our grades, right?” he asked again. “Correct. Do you remember… What our council is trying to do?” “Yeah…” “Fufu, then I believe I have nothing more to say. You are strong; both because of your own talent and her teaching.” ‘…but power tempts, and that small taste of power is what makes those nobles act like they are. …is what she is trying to say.’ “…thank you, Ma’am. I will keep them in my mind.” “My pleasure. I like it better when you shine, after all. Especially when it comes from your own hard work.” Victoria winked. “…just when I thought I would have a better opinion of you.” Vigdis sighed. “And what, if it’s about the importance about hard work, Sigulf already heard it first, numerous times even.” “Oh my, looks like I was beaten to the punch again. I must say, I’m a little bit jealous with how strong your love is.” “W, well, duh…!” Vigdis huffed her chest smugly, making Sigulf blush a bit at the sight. “I’m his Master, after all!” “Ufufufufu…” “A, ahahahahah…” ‘Their loves are heavy…’ Sigulf thought. ——— After their luch, Victoria excused herself earlier to resume some work, leaving Sigulf and Vigdis on their way to the dorm. “…you look a bit restless there.” “…my hands are itching for some swing.” “Her words really got to you, huh? Well, as much as I can’t really stand her, she’s right. You gotta try hard, especially for yourself.” “Yeah…” “…hey, mind if I ask something?” “Sure, what is— It!?” Much to his surprise, Vigdis was giving him a scary smile. “So, why don’t you mind her presence a bit?” “T, that’s… That’s bec— Owowowowow!” Vigdis pinched his cheeks and pulled them repeatedly. “Yes, yes… I know she’s classy, gorgeous and busty, unlike old me… Sob, sob…” “What are you saying, Master!? You are plenty cute yourself!” “But not as hot as her, right?” “…you are already cute on your own way— Owowow! S, sorry…!!” It took a while before Sigulf finally got forgiven, and could spend his day practicing at the automaton center.

Saturday early morning. Like everyone on the island, Sigulf eagerly anticipated this day, though with a bit of anxiety for his case. “…huff.” He took one good look at the mirror. ‘I shouldn’t overthink, but still…’ “…I can do this!” Leaving his room behind, Sigulf makes his way through the still quiet hallway. ——— The chilly air of early April didn’t slow Sigulf at all as he jogs towards the hill. ‘I see no one’s here yet.’ He thought, noticing the surrounding training grounds. Arriving at the destination, Sigulf stopped when he saw Celina and Chelsea talking under a big tree. “Ah, there he is.” Chelsea said upon seeing him. “Good morning.” Celina greeted. “I see you are early. A bit cold, isn’t it?” “…good morning.” Sigulf replied. “Y, yeah, it is…” ‘…shit, I’m totally nervous now.’ “Now, that we’ve gathered,” Chelsea said, pulling Sigulf’s focus back. “Why don’t we get started?” “Sure.” Celina replied. “Strike while the iron’s hot, they say.” “Alright, then! Sigulf, don’t fall behind, OK?” “…I’ll do my best.” ——— Done with 5-minute warm-ups, the three then proceeds to stretch their muscles. “…” While trying to do a forward bend, Sigulf silently take a peek at Celina and Chelsea. ‘Don’t fall behind? No, I’m sure she meant the main exercise after this.’ Unfortunately, Sigulf took too long and Celina noticed that his form isn’t perfect yet. “Hm? Do you have any troubles?” “Eh? …no, not at all.” “No, that won’t do.” Celina quickly sprung up, seeing Sigulf haphazardly tries to fix his posture. “Here, let me help you.” “?” Approaching him from behind, Celina put her hands in his back and began pushing gently. ‘Don’t tell me…?’ “Relax.” Celina said, almost whispering. That was certainly music to his ears. She leans forward, pushing Sigulf even more… Oblivious that her ample bosom is touching him. ‘…ah, this is without doubt.’ Finally touched the ground, Sigulf managed to mutter, “Thank you very much.” “Huh? Um, you’re welcome…?” ——— In the end, their stretching session passed without any problems. The three then prepare themselves for the sparring session. ‘That was dangerous…’ Sigulf thought, his mind is still fixated with the lucky incident. ‘Damn, I must focus. I could be fighting anytime soon.’ “Sooo, who wants to volunteer?” Chelsea asked. “Hmm… Since Sigulf is our guest, why don’t we have a demonstration here?” Celina suggested. “Eeh? But then Sigulf will be able to formulate a battle plan against us…” Chelsea objected. “Wait a minute. Is it your objective from the beginning!?” Sigulf blinked at her accusation. “Now, that you mention it…” “…so you didn’t even think about that.” “What are you even saying?” Celina sighed. “We are not going to end practice this soon, are we?” “Mm… Then how about this?” Chelsea responded. “How about you spar with Sigulf while I watch?” Sigulf froze at the suggestion. ‘Already?’ “Eh? Well, I don’t mind, but—“ “I’ll fight.” Sigulf said before Celina finished her line. “You…” “It’s decided then.” Chelsea said. “This will be a good learning material. Fufufu…” “So that’s your goal after all…” Celina sighed again. ——— Standing face to face at the middle of the hill, Sigulf and Celina silently listened to Chelsea’s explanation. “300 seconds. The usual victory conditions. Umm, any objections?” “Not at all.” “Mm.” “Alright, get yourselves ready!” Celina then extended her right arm aside, and summoned her great spear without any invocations. Familiar it may be, Sigulf noticed the spear itself looks dim. ‘Safety mode.’ He mentally noted. ‘It’s not like we can carry dummy weapons around, so it’s understandable. But…’ Summoning his Fenrir wordlessly, he gets into fighting stance. ‘This means I can’t even release Fenrir’s limiter as well.’ His body tensed. A lot of things began crossing his thought. ‘I have no choice…!’ “Begin!” On Chelsea’s cue, Sigulf instinctively kicked the ground with all his strength… And found himself facing Celina head-on. “!?” “Hoo…” Sigulf reacted barely on time and swung as hard as possible, clashing his axe with Celina’s spear. ‘Evenly matched…!? No…!’ The two quickly broke away from each other, taking some distance. ‘It’s not that we’re actually evenly matched.’ Sigulf thought. ‘I gave my everything just to defend against that, but she—‘ “Shall we continue?” Celina asked with a confident smile. ‘This is dangerous…!’ Watching from the sidelines, Chelsea can only sigh, “Oh, that Cel. This is supposed to be a friendly sparring…” Meanwhile, having found no other options, Sigulf decides to charge in once more. ‘Can only gamble on this feint…!’ Accelerating as fast as he can, Sigulf got closer and closer to Celina. ‘She’s not moving? But…!’ Inches away from Celina, he finally noticed a movement. ‘Now…!’ Braking for a split second, Sigulf circled from Celina’s left side, only for her to spin clockwise. “Haah!!” ‘Just as I thought! Then…!’ Anticipating her counter-attack, Sigulf gained speed and jumps over her spear, encircling her once more. “!?” “Now!!” Sigulf rushed towards Celina’s undefended side, however… “Then I’ll have to do… THIS!” “Wha—!?” In a display of inhuman strength, Celina gripped her spear with her other free hand, and increased both the force and speed of her rotation. “Kh!!” Caught off guard, Sigulf shifted his focus at the very last moment. He managed to guard against her strike, but still thrown away from the force. ‘So strong…!’ Although he managed to land away safely, Sigulf certainly can’t calm himself down now. ‘No tactics… No trickery… Just pure brute strength…! And this is still in safety mode…!’ Sigulf thought. ‘Is this the S-Ranker? The War Goddess!?’ Cold sweat trickles down his temple as Celina began to approach him. ‘So this is how it feels like to be hunted… Talk about ironic.’ “It’s my turn now.” Celina announced. “En garde!!” “!!” Lunging forward, one powerful pierce managed to broke Sigulf’s guard. Skidding past right him, she turns around and charged again. “It’s not over yet!” “Gh…!!” Sigulf only had the time to defend, and one spinning slash from Celina knocked him away yet again. “Hoo… You managed to block that one, I see. However, you can’t keep defending forever!” With one single bound, Celina leapt high to the air, with her spear pointing straight towards Sigulf. “Eeh!? Wait, you’re going to use that!?” Chelsea expressed her disbelief. “You might want to reconsider!” “Prepare yourself!” Celina shouted, seemingly didn’t hear what her best friend said. ‘Whatever it is, here she comes!’ Suddenly accelerating with unbelievable speed, Celina darts like a meteor. “Haaah!!” “!!” A loud crash could be heard at the same time with their impact, while the resulting dust obstructs Chelsea’s view. “Aah… People are going to hear that…” she lamented. “Wait, is Sigulf okay? Are you alive!?” “Don’t…” “Eh?” “Don’t think I would be killed that easy…!” Chelsea sighed in relief when the dust clears, seeing Sigulf somehow managed to guard against Celina’s strike. “Oh. I see.” Celina said, mildly surprised. However, with Sigulf down on his knee, the difference is already obvious. “Gh…!” An attempt by Sigulf made Celina jump away. Standing up with some difficulty, Sigulf readjusts his stance. ‘Her breathing barely changed…’ Sigulf mentally noted. ‘I think I still have some juice left, but for how long?’ In the end, having found no other solution, Sigulf decides to attack until his body gives in. ——— “Alright, that’s enough!” Chelsea announced. “Gah…” Sigulf grunts as he fell, lying in the grass. Even though Chelsea didn’t specifically tell the results, even though he managed to survive until time ran out, deep down he knows who the real winner was. ‘She’s strong… I can’t land a hit in…’ Still trying to catch a breath, Sigulf stares at the blue sky above. ‘Master… I still have a lot to learn…’ “Are you alright?” Celina’s concerned voice made him look up. “Here.” Celina said as she extends her hand. A mix of emotions began to well within Sigulf. Was it anger? Regret? ‘No. Stop. Don’t be foolish.’ With a little reluctance, Sigulf grabbed her hand and gets up. Chelsea clapped at the view. “Good work, you two! Here.” Chelsea continued and handing out drinks to both of them. “Ah, thank you.” “Thanks…” “We’ll have a 5-minute break, and then I’ll spar with you. You okay with it, Cel?” “Sure, why not?” “…uwah, you didn’t even hesitate there.” Celina chuckled, with Chelsea followed suit moments later. Sigulf simply watched the two in silence, leaning his back against the tree. “Oh, that’s right. Sigulf, would you mind watch over our sparring?” Chelsea asked. “Eh… Aah… Um, sure.” “Thank you!” The two girls return to talk with each other, but as for Sigulf, his mind still can’t focus properly.

Eliot wasn’t sure on how to react at this ‘reunion’. “Umm, Sir?” Sigulf called out to him. “Ah, at ease. We’re not on class.” Eliot responded. “If you say so, Sir…” Turning his attention back, Eliot faced a wide-grinning Vigdis, with her arms wide open. “Huuug~” “W, why would I do that!?” “Chee, so cold… Even though it’s our mini-reunion after years… And you never even visited once.” “You never gave your address in the first place…!” “Eh, I didn’t? Ahahah, sorry, sorry…” Eliot sighed at his old classmate, while Sigulf silently observes. ‘Hee, so he can lose his composure like that…’ “Well, anyways,” Eliot said. “What business do you have here?” “Oh, that’s right! Think you can lend me a room for a day or two?” “…huh?” “Umm, she’s planning to leave tomorrow, Sir.” Sigulf added. Eliot looked at Sigulf for a moment before turning his attention back to Vigdis. “…don’t you think it’s still a bit too soon for a guardian visit?” “Nothing’s too soon for my boy. My instinct said he needs a bit of emotional support, anyway!” “Instinct, huh…” “So, so, can I have a room?” “You…” Eliot sighed. “Well, I suppose we can lend you one guest room. I’ll just have to fill the papers first.” “Eh, you’ll do it!?” Vigdis asked in delight. “Only for this time! Sheesh, call me in advance next time…” Eliot grumbled before looking at Sigulf. “Sorry Hrimgard, but can you accompany her in the meantime?” “No problem, Sir.” “Alright. I’ll call you again later.” Eliot said as he heads toward the office, leaving the master-pupil pair. “…so, now what?” Sigulf asked. “I want to see your room!” “…” “Oh, are there any mini marts around? I want to stop by first.” “No alcohol allowed in my room.” “Boo, boo!” ——— There are not many people around as they arrived at the dorms. Most of the inhabitants are either having fun somewhere else or still asleep. Still, few students who are actually around gave Sigulf and Vigdis curious looks. “Hee, this takes me back!” Vigdis said as she takes a good look on her surrounding. “Ah, that’s right… How was it back then?” “Mostly the same. It’s just the dorm looks and feels fresher now, obviously.” She answered. “Ah, I think that was my room!” “Hmm…” The two continued until they reached Sigulf’s room. Using the card key, he unlocks the door and turns on the light. Vigdis quickly jumped at the chance to examine his room. “Ooh, it’s cleaner than I expected! Ah, so you still cook your own food. Good boy, good boy! Could it be…!? Porn magazines under the bed!?” “None. And please don’t shout that kind of stuff.” “Hm!?” Vigdis suddenly stood up and sniffs the air. “What? Something smells?” “I can’t… I can’t smell a girl’s perfume!” Sigulf went silent for few moments before finally retorted, “Well of course not!” “What have you been doing, sonny?” “…I thought I’m here to ‘see the world and get stronger’?” “Yes, and then you got smitten with the noble’s hot daughter.” Vigdis smirked. “Kh… I have no words to return…” “Ahahahah! It’s OK, I understand.” She said as she plopped down to the bed. “It’s a good thing that you take dueling seriously, but don’t forget to enjoy your youth too! I mean, why don’t do both?” “Well… Wait, that’s my bed.” “Oh, you’re right.” Vigdis responded before she suddenly dives to sniff it. “Aah, Sigulf’s scent… Haa, haa, haa…” “What the fuck!?” “It’s a joke~ Why are you getting flustered?” “…you don’t even need alcohol to get drunk, do you?” ——— Meanwhile, Alba was passing by Sigulf’s room when she heard the voices and laughter from inside. “Huh, never thought his room would be noisy.” She commented. Alba was going to leave, but then she changed her mind. “…damn, now why am I getting curious?” she muttered before knocking the door. Sigulf opened the door not long after, and seems surprised by her visit. “Yo.” Alba greeted. “Oh, hey. What’s up?” “Not much. Just found it curious that you got a visitor.” “…is it that strange for me?” “Well…” “Oh, Sigulf.” Vigdis joined the conversation as she appears from behind. “Is it your… friend?” “Umm, hello…” There was a moment of silence, much to Sigulf’s confusion. “What’s wrong?” “…don’t you think you’re being too greedy? Wanting another girl even though you already have a girlfriend?” “What!? What are you even saying, Master!?” “What!? Siggy has a girlfriend!?” Their sudden outburst made nearby onlookers stop to see what’s going on, followed by an awkward silence and realization among the three. “””…eh?””” ——— “Ahahahahah! Sorry about that, Alba!” “No, it’s alright…” With Sigulf managed to clear the misunderstanding, the three then withdrew inside, agreeing to have a drink first. “Why are you always jumping to conclusions when it comes to stuff like this?” Sigulf sighed before sipping his cup of cola. “But I am genuinely worried about you, Siggy.” “Not you too…” Alba can’t help but laugh seeing the interaction between master and disciple. “But you know,” the Scottish girl said. “I’m surprised Siggy’s master is a beautiful woman. And a graduate of this Academy as well.” “Oh my, thanks for the kind words~” “Eeh, that was my honest impression, though. At first I imagined a macho old man missing an eye or something like that…” Vigdis laughed at her words, while Sigulf simply nodded, saying “Mm, I can see where are you coming from.” “Quite the lucky dog, aren’t you, boy? To have a cute tag partner like her…” “Eh!? Me, cute!? …umm, thanks, I guess?” “I wonder where are you going with that remark…” Sigulf sighed. “I can’t help it! Surely she’s more than just your special very first friend?” “Even though you just apologized to her?” “Err, sorry to break it, but the honor of being Siggy’s first friend goes to Yuu.” Alba corrected. “Yuu?” “Our classmate. A Japanese dude.” The boy clarified. “Ah, that’s too bad…” “Oi…” “Huh, at first I thought it was him crashing your place.” “Well, I don’t see the reason why. It’s not like I got any interesting stuff here.” “You don’t have a hobby or something?” “Exploring the wilderness around my village, reading books about animals—“ “Peeking on older women’s bath…” “…Master.” “…uwah, pervert. Maybe I regarded you too highly all this time.” “And you believed her!?” None of the girls have the chance to react however, as there was another knock on the door. Standing up, Sigulf goes to see the visitor, which was none other than his homeroom teacher. “Master.” The boy called to Vigdis. “Eh, Eliot? How did you know I’m here? I’m touched!” “Simple deduction, you know.” Eliot sighed. “Where else would you be? Here, your card key.” “Thank you!” “Don’t lose it. And return it before you go home tomorrow.” Eliot said as he about to turn around. “Eeh? Going back already? Have a drink first, at least.” “Don’t be silly. I still have a few paperworks to do.” “Chee, no fun.” “Why you… …I’ll think about it when I’m done.” He sighed. “Well, catch you later.” “See ya.” Vigdis watched over Eliot for a while before she returns inside and closes the door. “Paperworks on day off. A bit rough.” Sigulf commented. “Well, it’s not like I don’t understand…” Vigdis added. “…is it just me, or did Sir Fortier acts less cool than usual?” Alba noted. “What, you kids thought he’s cool? He’s always like that.” Vigdis laughed. “Ah, right, you two go all the way back then, after all.” “Yeah. Sort of prickly, competitive, and above all… He’s a real hard-worker.” Sigulf and Alba watched silently, noticing that his master said the last part with such nostalgia. “…eh? W, why are you two suddenly fell silent!?” “Nah, it’s nothing.” Sigulf dismissed. “Never mind that, what are we going to do now? You bought a freaking 3-liter cola.” “I don’t mind though? It’s my favorite brand, I still can drink more.” Alba responded. “Oi, don’t kill yourself…” “Ah, can I have some food as well? I’m hungry.” “…it’s not even lunch hour yet.” “Ah, me too!” Vigdis added. “You still remember how to cook?” “You do know I can only make basic beef dishes, right?” “That’s more than enough for me.” Sigulf sighed. “It can’t be helped… Just give me some time.” “Yaaay!” both girls cheered and high-fived. “Help me with the plates. They are around there, along with the spoons.” “Aye aye, Sir!” Alba saluted before moving to assist him. “Siggy, can I use your Personal Terminal?” Vigdis asked. “…for Loki’s sake.”

Across the ocean and continent, where another group of young duelists trained… “Haah!” “Tch… How annoying…!” Two boys, namely Jack and Ralf, were testing each other’s strengths. From the sidelines, the recently-hired freeloading middle-aged Japanese man calmly observed. “Hmm… I see, I see…” Armed with a cadet saber, Ralf pressed on the offence. “An opening…! There!” However, it’s evidently clear that Jack still is the stronger one. “What a joke…!” “Wha—!?” “Time’s up! That’s enough!” If not for their coach’s intervention, Jack would have followed up on his successful parry. “…tch, again.” “Phew, so it’s still not good enough…?” Winning by another timeout, Jack seemed even more upset than Ralf was. “Alright, good work, y’all.” The older man commended. “Ralf, that was close, but don’t be too hasty next time.” “Yes! I’m sorry, Sir!” “And you…” “…what? Are you gonna say I have nothing to improve on?” Jack mocked. “Almost. But well… It’s up to yourself whether you can still grow or not.” “…the hell? Then what’s the point—“ “I coach the others too, not just you.” He quickly cut off. “Oh, really? Then why’s—“ “You can’t lie to yourself. You do know how the others, especially Ralf, have grown.” “…” “And you do know the reason that—“ “’That I can’t get any stronger’? Hah, nice joke. One full of shit, at that. Like I’d listen to some fraud like you.” “Oi, Jack! That’s not how you speak—“ Kouji, who was watching their practice together, scolded him. Unfortunately, the younger boy paid no attention and walked away. “…man, he’s really a handful.” The Japanese man sighed. “My apologies, Sir. He’s…” “Eh, it’s not your fault. …so, you know something about him? Like, what’s his problem?” “Well…” Kouji paused, looking for the right words. “I don’t think I have much, but as far as I can tell, he’s an orphan. But…” “He either lived on the streets, or spent his days on some juvenile home?” “It’s the latter. I heard he often got into fights before entering illegal duel rings.” “Ah, figures. So I guess this Academy heard about his skills, now matter how unruly he is, and—“ “…yes, precisely. I am the one who was tasked to handle him.” “Uwah, talk about saintly.” The man responded. “That must have taken a toll on your patience. Don’t you ever get pissed at him?” “I’d rather not get too emotional about it.” Kouji answered. “I believe in his strength, his potential. And so, I too, want to believe that I can…” “…I see. That’s admirable of you, but still, I do think of you being… Too nice? Yeah, I guess that’s it.” “Too nice, huh…” “Yep. …or so I said, but my son is kinda like that too! Can’t leave a troubled person on their own! What was I thinking again, lecturing others for being too nice? Hahahah!” “Ahahah, but I must say, that’s a good mentality for him to have.” “I’m positive, he must’ve gotten it from his mother and grandma.” The coach nodded somewhat proudly. “—1000…! Alright!” Mei said. “Sir, I have finished my set!” “Oh, you’re done? Good work, good work.” “Then I can— …huh? Where’s Jack?” “He left earlier.” Kouji sighed. “Tch… That guy… I haven’t even sparred with him recently.” “Wait, really? Hmm…” the man pondered. “In that case… Ralf, are you done resting? Can you spar with Mei?” “Eh?” Ralf raised his face upon being addressed. “I don’t really mind, but…” “But what?” “No, I mean, will it be enough, training against me?” “Naah, it’s OK. Don’t worry about that.” Mei accepted the coach’s suggestion and raised her wolf teeth mace, pointing it at him. “Truth be told, I’m curious about you too. Show me what you hide.” “Alright then…! Let’s do our best!” “Oh, in high spirits, aren’t you? Okay, get in position.” With his order, Mei and Ralf immediately took some distance and readied their weapons. “Ready…? Fight!!” In a split second from his cue, both students are already engaged in a deadlock. “So fast, yet strong…! But I won’t lose!” “Likewise…!” Leaving them to train, the man squatted and watched calmly once more. “But, he’s really intriguing, isn’t he? That Ralf kid, I mean.” “Ah, he certainly is.” “Even though he’s classified as a B-class duelist, being able to stall Jack long enough, as well as his rapid growth lately… You sure the school didn’t make some mistake?” “…I’m baffled about that too.” “Seriously… And… The one in charge of him is…” “It’s her.” Kouji motioned towards the opposing side of the field, where a tall blonde girl observed Ralf’s sparring with a serious expression. “Oh, yes, yes. Her… Samantha Baker, wasn’t it? You don’t seem to like her. You got some history?” “Eh? Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s just that she’s my fiercest rival, both in dueling and mentoring…” “Aah, I see, I see… So I guess she doesn’t trust your faith in Jack, huh?” “…unfortunately, yes.” “I see… Well, I guess no matter where you are, problems are bound to show up. Just like the Atlantics.” “Oh, speaking of which, is it about the nobles’ invasion few days ago?” “Yeah, that one. Pretty ridiculous, huh? I know their school has that kind of tendency, but…” “On the bright side, the students managed to repel them somehow. And considering the invader’s status, the like-minded nobility will think twice before pulling it again. …or so I heard.” “You’re not wrong. The attackers claimed descent from the famed Charlemagne; at the very least, they have the skills to back it up. Of course, people will talk about it, especially when they got pushed back. …though, with some teaching staff’s help, to be honest.” “Hee, I see…” “…strange. That was exactly one point I hated about my alma mater, but now I become their opponent, I couldn’t help but to feel glad when I hear about it.” “Ah, that’s right, you did mention about you attending Atlantic Academy before.” Kouji pointed out. “How interesting.” The man finally grinned while still watching Mei and Ralf’s sparring. “When will we pay them another visit?” “Hmm, normally it would be before summer.” “Kaah, that long!? I can’t wait anymore!” “It can’t be helped.” Kouji chuckled. “Oh, and still about the Atlantics, I heard they sent out some special invitations due to some of their students resigning.” “Oh, right. That too. Invitations, huh… Hmm…” ——— “…!?” “Huh, what’s the matter, Amakawa?” Walter asked “I’m not sure, but suddenly I got a bad feeling…” ——— The next morning, a couple of familiar faces showed up early in the A-class. “Looks like I’ll be in your care. Hope we can get along.” “Oh, so you two got promoted.” “Yeah. Better watch your back, Hrimgard, or we’ll steal the glory right in front of you.” It seems like that the school has decided to grant Siegward and Masaki a promotion, partially due to the slight decrease in attendants. “Hrimgard-kun sure is popular.” Minato laughed. “…and what about the rest of us? Or Hunter?” Eurypha asked. “Oh, don’t worry, Miss Hestianus. We too have no intentions to lose against you.” Siegward assured. “Hmm… Is that so…?” “So you are the ones who attacked Hunter and Hrimgard before… The whole Pacific debacle.” Carmen added. “Um, yes. That was us.” “And so the reason you didn’t came against us was something like… Hrimgard is more similar to you than Minato or the rest of us?” “Eh, that’s just him, trying too hard to be dramatic. I simply thought there’s no way I can fight Amakawa head-on with you three around.” “…Masaki, please.” “…did she just count me among the three?” Ilma realized. “Hmm, fair enough. Hearing your side of story, I kinda feel sorry for you now.” “I know, right? I have to keep up with all that…” The B-class newcomers sighed at the same time, though for different reasons. ‘Talk about complicated friendship…’ Sigulf thought. “Now, now, no need to be so gloomy or edgy, since we became classmates.” Walter interjected. “If anything, this is calls for an afterschool party! Right Amakawa? Hrimgard?” “…huh?” “Eh? Oh, of course!” “Wha— …well, I know he would be up for it.” Eurypha conceded. “Isn’t it a bit too soon?” Yuu asked. “But, well, I see no harm in it. Are you going, Sig-kun?” “Well, as long as I done my Council duties first.” “Oh, sure. Or was it more like the chance to—“ “Oi, I do my job seriously too, you know?” “Hm? Wait, what about me? Why don’t you ask about me?” Alba suddenly asked. “Eh? If it’s you, Alba-san, as long as there is food, you will come, right?” “You… …w, well, you’re right, though.” “It won’t be the usual you without scarfing down a whole munchy box.” Sigulf nodded. “Hey, hey, I needed the ener— Waah!? Wait, what are you doing?” “Oh, sorry! Didn’t mean to surprise you.” Carmen apologized while holding Alba’s sides. “I’m envious, to be honest. How can you keep such slender figure? Is your training really that rigorous?” “Eh? Umm, I guess?” “…wow, scary. So she took it like normal practice routine. Hmm…” “No, no, looking at her, even I found it mysterious too…” Sigulf pointed. “What do you mean by that!?” “Rosales-san, are you concerned with your… Umm, body?” Minato asked. “Duh, of course. It’s normal to be a bit self-conscious, isn’t it?” “Eh? But you are already charming enough to me.” Almost immediately, Minato regretted his natural honesty. “Mi, Minato…” “Ah, n, no, I mean—“ “T, there’s no other way to interpret it, is it there!?” Eurypha retorted. “N, no flirting allowed!” “Aah, that reminds me, I haven’t demanded a compensation for your indecency…” Ilma joined. “Oh, come on! What’s with you two!?” “…are they always like that?” Masaki asked in a whisper. “Welcome to class A. You’ll get used to it.” Sigulf answered.

Pepijn van Rijn, leader of the knights, stamped his way to Victoria while his subordinates backed off and opened the way. “Business!?” he snapped. “Don’t you dare feign ignorance with me! It is because of you, a commoner like you! That this academy’s sacred foundation got tarnished!” “Spare me from that nonsense again.” She quickly retorted. “Frankly, I cannot fathom how the likes of you could delude yourselves for so long, that your old way of thinking is this school’s principle in the first place.” “It was all there in the contract!!” “Oh, yes it was. None of them matched the interpretation you wanted to believe.” Irritated, Victoria snapped her fingers and a hologram appeared on the thin air, presumably showing the aforementioned contract. “T, this is forgery! This—” “Nonsense. It was always the same from since the founders agreed and signed upon it. Now tell me, how did ‘teaching knightly honor and martial prowess to our students’ translates into whatever outdated system you are trying to force?” “It is obviously for the children of nobility and knights! We could care less about the commoners!” “Which is, again, something you just made up. None of the passages stated something of such.” Students and knights alike watched silently as the two continued to argue. “…resuming the duel wouldn’t be a good idea, would it?” Sigulf whispered to Celina. “Indeed. The chaos would spiral out of control, so it’s better if we restrain ourselves for the time being.” Evidently their debate hadn’t settled anything. Both Victoria and Pepijn vehemently refused to back down. “Is there anything else? Any other fabrication you would like to speak? Or you know… If you are that dissatisfied, you can always withdraw your share.” Victoria suggested. “This is not some godforsaken stock market!!” Pepijn lashed back. “I knew it…! You poor peasants have corrupted this academy to the core!” “…how could he wholeheartedly believe all that!?” Alba commented in disbelief. “Unfortunately, some people are like that…” Chelsea answered. “Enough!” he continued. “There is only one way left to settle this! Victoria Stark, it’s a duel!” Not giving any reactions at first, Victoria then lets out a sarcastic smile. “Oh, and this is coming from a man who commanded his legion to attack some students without provocation?” “Silence! Every commoner here are mere weeds that must be uprooted! You, and every peasant children, are the cause of this problem!” “Hilarious. But very well. I accept your duel.” Almost everyone was surprised at her answer. ‘I get to see how the Principal fights…!’ Sigulf thought. “…ah, there goes my target.” Eliot said. “There, there. You already did well.” Vigdis playfully pats his head. “So, what do I get when I win?” “…excuse me?” “I asked, ‘What do I get when I win?’. I am not interested on your conditions. The moment you dare to challenge me, Victoria Stark, is the moment your loss has been decided.” A provocation so blatant and straightforward. Yet, due to Pepijn’s anger, it all worked well. “C, curse you…!!” Without even proper rituals, he immediately summoned his True Arms. Like son like father, it was a blunt weapon, only a two-handed hammer instead of a simple mace. “You godless heathen!! I shall crush you for good!!” “Godless…” Victoria chuckled, and sounded strangely nostalgic. “Ah, school memories…” She extends her right hand sideways, the same moment Pepijn already charged at her. “What the— The duel’s not even authorized yet!” Sigulf pointed out. “It’s alright, she will be fine.” Celina reassured. “Watch and learn.” ‘…eh!?’ Even if for a split second, Sigulf’s eyes managed to catch a glimpse of it, the moment when mechanical and futuristic fitting gloves materialized on her hands. “Hmph!” Slightly hunching, Victoria took a quick step forward and swung her right hand outwards… Effectively slicing through Pepijn’s hammer, much to the students and knights’ shock. “Arghk…!” Pepijn hit the ground and unable to get up, clutching his whole body. “It’s over…” Melanie stated. “F, Father!!” Karel cried. The other paladins were equally aghast, however none of them dared to approach their reeling Grand Master. “I have always called this one Blade Breaker, but… Looks like I have to think about a new name.” Victoria chuckled at her own gloves before turning her attention at the nobles. “Anyone else want to try?” “U, ugh…!” None could muster their courage to challenge Atlantic’s top-person. “…well, what do you think, ladies and gentlemen?” Another set of holographic screens showed up, this time displaying some people who presumably are the board of executives. “It’s just about time.” A blonde woman holding a cup of tea said. “It’s as if he orchestrated his own fall.” ‘…hmm? Why does she looks—‘ “Ah, it’s Mom.” Celina quipped. ‘Now everything makes sense…!’ Sigulf took a good look at her mother, and indeed she does look almost identical, with her proper bun hairstyle being one difference. ‘She looks less… Cool? And more cold and strict… Although this situation might be the cause…’ “It is unfortunate…” a wise looking older man from another screen added. “Our school does put emphasis on tradition, which is of noble virtues. But alas, it seems that Pepijn and his paladins here have distorted their interpretation wildly…” “Not to mention, his actions can’t be good for PR and business.” Another man agreed. “Yes, this school started as one institution to teach knightly honor and prowess… To both the nobles and commoners. How did he think his way wouldn’t scare potential sponsors and entrants is beyond me.” “W, wait…!” Pepijn said, still struggling to get up. “Y, you were watching all this time…!?” “…why wouldn’t we?” “You set us up…!!” “No.” Victoria corrected. “You set and played yourselves.” “Wha—“ “And that is what baffles me the most. Didn’t you ever consider that someone will record your wrongdoings? Or did you seriously think everyone will be too afraid and let you do as you please? Talk about wishful thinking…” “Kh…!” “Well, enough of that. Now, since I have won our duel… Ladies and gents, your judgment?” “Oust him. No further consideration needed.” Celina’s mother decided. “Likewise, he has failed on attending his responsibilities.” “I vote for the same. No complaints here.” The rest of the board followed suit, unanimously choosing for Pepijn’s ejection. “Thus, it has been decided. Now, if you will…” “Ugh… Uuugh… Even though… I just wanted to restore this Academy’s glory…” A complete loss. Initially reluctant, the paladins finally braved themselves to approach and carry away Pepijn to safety, while Karel can only stood powerlessly. “T, this can’t be…” Victoria dematerialized her True Arms before looking to the screen again. “Ladies and gentlemen… I thank for your time and cooperation.” “No need to be.” The elder man responded. “Although, I am regretful to see a fellow knight stooped so low… Let this be a lesson for us all, so we don’t repeat the same mistake.” “Hmph. As long as we stay true to our ideals, then it won’t be a problem. Show people what you can really do, and they will have no other choice but to concede.” “You never change, Bartram…” another woman responded. “Although, I guess that’s a tried and true method.” A glance of satisfied smile could be seen on Mrs. Bartram’s lips before she ends her transmission, followed by the rest of the executives. “And so, young paladins…” Victoria addressed the opposing side. “What are you going to do from now on?” “You do know what this means, right!?” Roeland snapped back. “Oh, do not worry. If it’s about funding, then many other families and corporation are more than willing to be new sponsors. If anything, it is more tedious to screen them and decide which one is the best-suited to this Academy’s spirit.” “Tch…!” “…and about today’s incident, the evidence is there. From your misguided ideals to unneeded aggression, as well as what your kind did since decades ago, though I guess that’s already an open secret.” “W, wait! You broadcasted that to the whole world!?” “…it puzzled me endlessly that your circle underestimated technology so much in this age.” She sighed. “Are you technophobes or something?” “I… We…” The Rhine Paladins finally lost their strength and will to fight back, and with Pepijn and Karel in tow, slowly gaited back towards the station. “Looking at them, it’s kinda sad in a pathetic way.” Vigdis commented. “True.” Eliot agreed. “They are by no means weak, being more experienced than our students. Yet…” “Their blind conviction ends up being their own undoing.” Melanie concluded. All the students get to take a breath of relief after their unexpected defensive combat. “Good work on holding out, everyone.” Victoria congratulated as she approached everyone. “And my apologies for not being earlier.” “…did you plan all this?” Vigdis questioned. “No, of course not. I’m not a seer. I merely adapt and revise according to circumstance.” “…what?” ‘The fact that she’s not lying makes it scarier…!’ Sigulf thought. “Well, I’m sure all of you have many questions right now. So, anything else?” Sigulf and Minato raised their hand at the same time. “Oh, it’s you two. What is it?” Both boys are slightly surprised at each other, but continued nonetheless. “Gakuen-chou, what did you do to him?” “Ma’am, how could this happened despite— Wait, what? Seriously?” An awkward silence as everyone gets focused on Minato. “Eh? Did I say something strange?” “Mina— Amakawa, you seriously don’t know!? How did you make it this far!?” Eurypha retorted. “You didn’t teach him in class?” Victoria glanced at Eliot. “I thought it was a given…” he scratched his head. “Well, anyways, everybody knows that True Arms came from our soul.” “Right…” “Normally it won’t break that easily. That’s why it usually disappears after a duel ends. Easily put, it also depends on your mental state.” “Ah, I see!” Minato said. “And since… Rijn-san? Was rather unstable…” ‘…Rijn-san? This dude is too polite…’ Sigulf mentally pointed out. “Yes, that’s correct. And there’s a high chance that his own Arms rejected him. …not to mention our Principal is monstrously strong in the first place.” “H, hee… But wait, does that means it will be impossible to fight again?” “It’s still possible, but wouldn’t be so easy. Like I said, it depends on your mental state, which means it would also affect your Arms’ recovery. And even then, it wouldn’t take a short while. Considering the last duel’s outcome, though…” “I see… Thank you for the explanation, Sensei.” “I can’t believe you…” Eurypha sighed. “Ugh, s, sorry… I’ll study harder…” “I guess that’s it about Arms-breaking. As for your question…” Victoria eyed Sigulf just before Laine and Lindorm raised their arms. “I guess it’s better if we explained it…” she volunteered. “First things first, even as info-gatherers, some things can’t be trespassed. There’s no way we can eavesdrop on them 24/7, including at their own bedroom or bathroom, nuh-uh. That would be a breach of privacy.” “…you got a point there.” Sigulf responded. “…though to be fair, it’s still unexpected for us. Yes, we did prevent them from gathering other students. I mean, did you recognize anyone besides the Mushroom Head? It’s just… We never thought they would contact non-students for this…” “They are getting desperate.” Lindorm added. “Calling for outside forces, huh?” Alba responded. “So, do we still have to deal again with this?” “Hopefully not.” Victoria answered. “On one hand, they are not the whole like-minded nobility; just a circle among many. On the other, their circle is among the respected upper echelons, if only for their lineage. With their failure, as well as having evidence and other nobles on our side, surely this will dissuade them.” “They better be…” SIgulf sighed. “I’d rather focus on autumn’s tournament and the Pacifics.” “Ah, forward looking, aren’t you? Ufufu…” “Still, to think they claimed lineage from Charlemagne…” Arthfael murmured, sounding rather upset. “I wonder what would the Holy Emperor said if he saw them. He’s—“ “Verden.” “Huh?” Sigulf’s sudden, and serious, utterance caught the students off-guard. “Pardon me?” Arthfael wanted to make sure. “The Saxon blood will never forget.” It took a moment before Arthfael realized what Sigulf meant. “…oh, I see. Then let’s agree to disagree here.” Sigulf grinned, albeit not in a sincere and friendly way. “Too bad. Looks like we can’t really be friends.” “You two!!” Chelsea suddenly reprimanded and chopped the top of their heads with her bare hands. “Oww!! W, what was that for!?” “You’re overacting! What were you thinking, fighting against each other at a time like this!?” “Err…” “Kensington-senpai, you don’t understand…” Yuu tried to calm her down. “Hmm? What is it, then?” “This is how we men bond. By passionately engaging in rivalry, on the matters of duels and whatnot. Yes, you could even call it… Man’s romance.” “B, bond? Man’s romance…!?” Chelsea suddenly went red at her own conclusion and fantasy, making Celina and the others worried as well as a bit scared. “…what are you trying to say to her?” Sigulf asked. “According to my observation, stuff like that is the best way to distract her.” Yuu sheepishly answered. “You…”

A couple days later, the sound of trickling water outdoor caught Sigulf’s attention as he was changing. ‘Ah, it rained…’ He did see the forecast beforehand, so it’s not like he’s unprepared. ‘Still, got to be careful. Hope the wind’s not strong.’ ——— Probably because of the weather and the grey skies, but when he arrived, his class felt less lively than usual. ‘It’s like natural reaction…’ Even so with a certain ponytailed girl, who has her face glued on the table. “…you okay?” “Mm…” “Alba-san, could it be that you don’t like rain?” Yuu joined. “Why would I like them? I can’t really train, and when I think about that, I got disheartened…” “So that’s your real reason…” “Wait, don’t we have the Automaton Center?” “Yeah, I tried them once, but it wasn’t much fun. I’d rather practice in the open and imagine how my opponent would move.” “Oh, right, gotta agree with the last one.” “Now I want to see what will happen when we approach summer… There’s more rain on that period, or tsuyu as we call it.” “Ugh, that sounds awful… I mean, why don’t you think so?” “Hm? Well, I never really thought about it.” Yuu slightly tilted his head. “I actually like rainy day.” Sigulf confessed. “As long as I don’t get wet, that is.” “Eh? Seriously? You actually enjoy them from inside?” “Why not? It’s relaxing, and… I don’t know, melancholic?” “Bfft…!” Alba tried to hold her laughter. “Don’t try too hard to sound poetic, Siggy.” “I’m not! I mean… The color gray looks good, and well-matching with blue, so…” “…now that just sounds depressing, if anything.” “…how so?” “Hmm, now that I think about it, I have to agree with Sig-kun this time.” “Eeh?” “You don’t understand, Alba-san. There is always a sense of beauty and romanticism within rain. Imagine you are on a room only with someone you like. Because the rain gradually makes the air colder, in search for warmth, you—“ “Stop!! I, I don’t want to hear the continuation…!!” Alba screeched with reddened cheeks, leaving Sigulf to sigh. “…what are you trying to tell her?” “Oops, my bad. I shouldn’t tell things like this in front of a lady.” He giggled sheepishly. “Your gentleman points just dropped to rock bottom.” “O, ouch, don’t say that…” “Well, in any case, I’d rather have a rainy day than scorching summer heat.” “Oh, right. You’d just melt like a snowman…” Alba responded. “For real. Even if our summer was cool. I have no idea how’s the summer here… Or Japan.” “…wait, don’t just take it seriously.” “Good thing we have ACs, right, Sig-kun?” “Ah, indeed. One of the best things humanity has invented.” The two proceeded to share a high five. “…somehow I felt left out.” Alba pouted. “There, there, Alba-san. Then how about we grab something to eat after school together?” “Uhh… Shouldn’t you be hitting on someone else?” “Wha— I was genuinely worried though…” Yuu slumped his shoulders, earning a snicker from Sigulf. ——— In spite of what she said before, Alba’s showing on the mock duel session proved otherwise. “Uryaryaryarya!” “What, so she’s doing alright.” Sigulf commented from the sidelines. “It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s times like this that she shined the best.” Arthfael replied. “Oh?” “Pardon me, but please don’t get it wrong. I have no intention to get in between you two.” “…what’s that supposed to mean?” ——— Even after the bell rings, the rain didn’t let up, though it’s a minor inconvenience for Sigulf, considering his indoor duties. “Ah, so Alba is practicing against the automatons.” Chelsea said during their work. “Finally, yeah. She was against the idea, initially.” “Hmm…” “Is Amakawa out patrolling like usual?” “Yes. I believe Lindorm and Laine have already briefed them. You know, to brought umbrella or raincoats in case like this.” “I see…” “And before you thought of anything, yes, both of them can be serious too. Sometimes…” “…wait, what? It didn’t even cross my mind…” “Oh, you don’t?” Celina laughed at their interaction. “It’s good to see the weather doesn’t affect you two.” “Of course, I’m the vice-president, after all.” “…a bit actually.” He meekly admitted. “The air’s so comfy…” “Sigulf, no.” Chelsea quickly reprimanded. “Oh, you too? Feels nice, doesn’t it?” “…and Cel, don’t pamper him.” “I, I’m not…! Come on, let’s finish this, so we can enjoy the rain while having some tea. What do you say?” “Yes, Ma’am!” “…wait, we are not going home? And don’t agree with her just like that.” ——— Even though the rain only receded a bit, the council still carried on nonetheless, and finished today’s share of work before long. “Hmm…” Sitting side by side with a cup of warm milk tea in their hands, Sigulf and Celina calmly watched the rain outside… while Chelsea not-so-discreetly sat nearby just to make sure nothing funny happens. “This is a pretty fine rainy afternoon, if I must say so.” Celina said. “Yeah, it’s just so relaxing…” Sigulf agreed. “I see you enjoy rain too.” “The very least I could say is that I don’t hate them. Whether it’s sunny or rainy, both are the gifts of Mother Nature, after all.” “Mother Nature’s gifts…” “Right. That’s why I simply accepted them as they are. As the blessings Nature gave to us.” “Hee…” “…I hope that didn’t come out as awkward to you?” “A, ah, no, not at all. I could understand well what you meant. It’s just…” “Hmm?” “I don’t know… Maybe I got captivated by the way you talk about it… Ahahah— …ah.” ‘…shit, I just blurted that out!’ “O, oh, what are you saying?” Celina went red and turned away, while Chelsea silently became cautious. “How about you? From the way you said it, seems that you don’t mind them either.” “Yeah, I kind of like them. Cool air, and how everything looked gray and blue… …although people tend to say that sounded bleak.” “A, ahahah… It certainly gave that impression, sometimes.” “Seriously… Even though the sound of raindrops can be comforting, and makes you forget your problems for a while…” “…oh, that might be too.” “Eh? Did I say something strange?” “Eh? I think it’s the other way around. Do you… Have problems recently? Would you mind sharing it with me?” “Eh!? …ah. Aah, I see, I see. Sorry…” Sigulf scratched his head. “’Problem’ is too strong of a word. I was just thinking about the Pacifics… You know, the incident before.” “Oh, thank goodness, you made me worried for a moment.” “You should have said ‘lost in thought’ or something like that…” Chelsea sighed. “U… Sorry about that…” “Ufufu, as long as everything is alright.” Celina assured. “But… The Pacifics… I know how you feel.” She took a pause to sip her milk tea before continuing. “Considering our Academy’s position, I guess it’s only natural that people expect us to be on the defensive and dared them to try again, but…” “Yeah, I wanted to get back at them… And see what they have to offer.” Sigulf too, took a short breather, enjoying the continuous rainfall in near silence. “…it’s weird we’re talking about invading other school while relaxing with a cup of warm tea.” “Ahahahahah… Now, don’t make it sound like a sinister ploy.” The two chatted away happily, leaving Chelsea to pout alone. ‘…what’s with them, being like that? And Celina is too defenseless… Hm!?’ She suddenly straightened up in her seat, realizing something. ‘Could this be… Jealousy…!?’ Chelsea put aside her cup and began thinking seriously. ‘But I thought I don’t like Sigulf…! Wait, does this means… I have the hots for Celina!?’ She clutched her head in panic. ‘B, but I only see her as a dear friend! And what about Alba!? Wait, why did her name came up!?’ Unknown to her, Sigulf and Celina are already watching her with worry. “…what’s with her? Is she… Alright?” “I… Frankly have no idea, and a bit afraid to ask.” ——— After Chelsea has somehow calmed down, the three decided to leave the building. ‘The rain hasn’t stopped yet, but we can’t stay inside forever.’ “Are your umbrellas alright?” Chelsea asked. “The forecast said nothing about strong winds, but just to be sure.” “It’s all good, Ma’am.” Sigulf said half-jokingly. “Okay then, let’s go home.” Celina responded. A peaceful, if not quiet way return, with the constant sound of rain drops being their only companion. ‘Damn, this is so cozy, I got a bit sleepy…’ “Say Sigulf,” Celina suddenly said and breaking the silence. “Do you ever let yourself get drenched?” “Eh? Well, once. I got scolded by my Master after that…” “Oh really?” she giggled. “Yeah… I was a kid so I didn’t think much of anything back then, but… Now I would mind if I get all wet.” “Ah, I see… That’s too bad.” “Cel…” Chelsea joined. “Don’t tell me you’re considering to…” “…” “…seriously?” she sighed. “Let’s don’t take risks and get sick here.” “I know, I know. I won’t. I still have to coach Sigulf this weekend, after all.” “Ah, right… I was being too reckless against Heidenreich…” “You did.” Celina chuckled. “So I’m going to be harder next time. Are you up to it?” “Of course, Ma’am!” “That’s the spirit.” ‘…well, at least they share a common interest.’ Chelsea thought while sighing. When they finally reached the dorm’s front gate, the rain was almost lifted. “Ah, just in time.” Sigulf said. “Too bad we don’t get to see any rainbow…” Celina responded. “Oh, right. That’s too bad…” All three looked up, watching as the sky and clouds slowly cleared. “…do you mind if we wait a bit longer here.” “Not at all.” “Just be careful not to catch a cold.” Chelsea added. “Ufufu, I know.” They waited excitedly as the sun begun to reappear until… “…ah! There it is!” “Waah…” Even within the orange tinted sky, they could see the multi-colored arc formed above. “On a grand scale of things, rainbows are nothing unusual. Yet seeing them still gave me joy, however simplistic it is.” “Yeah…” “It’s beautiful…” Sigulf glanced aside, enthralled by her visage as she admired the sight. “Not as beautiful as you are…” “…eh?” “Ah…!” ‘Shit! Again? Me and my mouth…!’ The air quickly turned awkward, prompting Chelsea to take steps closer. “A, ahahah! Now, now, Sigulf, you shouldn’t say those things easily, you know!” she said, trying to clear the situation down. “…Sigulf.” “Y, yes?” “Do you… Really mean it?” Sigulf dared himself to look at Celina. Her cheeks are rosy red, yet her eyes are filled with expectation as she looked straight back at him. ‘There’s no way I’ll back out… Or pretend to be deaf…’ “…yes. I do. I do mean it…” “I see…” Celina faced away at his answer, making Sigulf’s heart sunk at first. But it soon turned into relief as soon as he saw a small, bashful smile formed on her lips. “Thank you…” “You’re welcome…” ‘…Celina.’ Chelsea stopped at her tracks, and watched them wordlessly. ‘If she looked that happy, then how am I supposed to stop her?’ ——— Meanwhile, with an atmosphere so different from the trio, far across the ocean, few hours earlier… “…” “Haah… Damn…” “Winner, Jack Ashfield!” A free duel just outside Pacific’s school building. Jack stood victorious before his opponent. However… “O, oi, are you kidding? He’s from the B-class, right? But he survived a fight against him…!” one spectator said in disbelief. “Ssh! Pipe down! A loss is a loss, even if it’s by time out…!” another chimed in. Jack opted to ignore the commotion and approached the kneeling boy. “Ralf Caldwell… Who the hell are you, really?” “Huh? I am… Me…?” “Tch…” ‘To think I won by a mere time out…!’ “Ah, duel of youngsters. So full of passion!” “Huh?” Still in sour mood, Jack turned around to see the source of the voice. “Whoa, no need to look that scary.” An Asian middle-aged man, whose nationality Jack can’t determine nor he cared about, wearing a rather fine suit if not for the way he messily wore it. “…what do you want?” “Oh, straight to business? I like it. Then… Do you want to get stronger? I’ll train you to greatness. …boy, I always wanted to say that!” “Hah, you? Training me? What a joke—“ “Not just you actually. That potential boy over there too. And maybe a few others.” “…who the hell do you think you are? Get lost.” “Uwa, don’t be rude against your elders. Your parents never taught you? I know your school lost against the Atlantics, but—“ That’s it. Two of Jack’s buttons pressed at once. He raised his blade. He’s definitely going to shut his mouth for good… Or so he thought. “Jack, watch out!” Kouji warned. “!?” Just as he about to rush him, the man has already blitzed right behind Jack. “Wha—“ And before he even has the time to process what’s going on, the man already circled back to the starting point. “Come on, at least let me finish, will ya?” “You…!!” Needless to say, Jack was furious. But like every other student, he knows that he is outmatched, as much as he hated to admit it. ‘He’s a duelist, no doubt about it…!’ Kouji thought. ‘And he’s not just a good one…!’ “Sir.” He called out, trying to cool down the tension. “You said that you are willing to coach some of us.” “Ooh, finally someone calmer. Good, good. You kinda remind me of my own son.” ‘Son?’ “Yeah, I did say that.” The man continued. “So, am I accepted?” “About that, it all depends on our Principal’s judgment.” “Yeah, I thought so…” “If you don’t mind, I can show you the way. I too want to hear about your conditions.” “Conditions, huh? I’m not here for the money, at the very least.” “Oh?” “I just need warm foods and a comfortable bed.” “…pardon?” “Ehh, let’s just say I accidentally blew up my money… Heheheh…” “I see…” “…Sir, are you sure about this?” Mei asked, obviously wary. “He might act like that, but you should be able to feel it. His skills are real.” “So, that’s my side of story.” The man said again. “Now, would you mind guiding me to the Principal?” ——— Chapter 5 “Blod Eld Daud: Fire Meets Ice, Part 1”, end. Continued on Chapter 6.

The following morning, in the classroom… “Eh? Misha is a boy!?” “Kyaaa, so cute!” “Your hair and skin looks silky smooth! What do you use for that?” “U, umm, I use these brands…” Most of the girls are positively fawning over him, leaving some of the boys, particularly Yuu and Walter, lamenting their situation. “Oh come on! Even the guest got lucky!” “I have to agree, Armstrong-kun. This doesn’t look good…” “You know, you might fare better if you clean up your act.” Arthfael sighed. “Shut up…” Sigulf, meanwhile, observed silently from his desk. “Thank goodness they took it nicely.” Minato spoke to him. “Huh? Him? Yeah, I guess…” For some reason, Minato didn’t say anything and simply stared at him. “…what?” “You know, sometimes I don’t get what you are thinking.” “Why so sudden?” “Eh? Well, how should I put this… I mean, I always see you being so stone-faced, but… You’re unexpectedly warmer than you look.” Sigulf blinked, trying to comprehend what Minato just said. “Oh, did you mean yesterday? That’s just coincidence since he was kinda stuck there.” he motioned with his chin towards Misha. ‘Plus, pretty sure I’m actually a fairly easy to read guy.’ “Ahahah… I guess so… But then again, you didn’t ignore him even if you could.” “…chalk it up to personal policy.” Sigulf dismissed. “…well that, and my Master did send me here so I could interact with people. So I could be more of a man, and human, she said.” “Oh? Your Master is a woman?” Minato got his interest piqued. “What kind of person is she?” “Eeh, I wonder if could tell you about that…” Without them realizing, Minato’s girls, and Alba to a lesser extent, were shocked by their interaction. “They… Spoke normally…” “Just like actual friends…” “…I thought that Island Dog hated him?” ——— On the practice session, everyone goes to train with their partner, whoever the Randomizer chose in Sigulf and Minato’s group case. Still, Sigulf can’t help but notice that the air surrounding the Pacifics was a bit different since they started. ‘Maybe it’s just me… For now, let’s focus on her.’ Standing before him is an ecstatic Alba, happily swinging around her dummy weapon. “Finally, we get to spar again!” she cheerfully said. “Want to see a sneak peek on how much I’ve grown?” “Okay, let’s begin.” “…boo, you’re not fun.” Alba pouted. “Why so lukewarm?” “Err… I’m not. The atmosphere kinda forced me to be serious.” As for Minato, he gets to face Walter. “Armstrong-kun, let’s do our best!” “Alright! My best, and my pent up anger, I’ll crash it all to you!” “Let’s do this! …wait, what?” Meanwhile, Yuu finally got paired with Reika. “Yuu-dono… You feel a bit different…” “Fufufu, and I still have even more, you know? Too bad this is not an actual duel.” “Hmph, I wonder whether those will be enough to defeat me!” Nearby, Carmen was waiting for Mei to finish her warm up stretches. “Hmm… The Captain herself, I see… This will be interesting.” “Captain, huh? That got a nice ring to it. And you’re… One of Sanada’s girls, aren’t you? …wait, will you too deny that?” “Of course not!” Carmen stated. “And not just ‘one of’! I am his woman… And he is mine~!” Her thinly disguised provocation earned a major reaction, Eurypha’s included. “No, you’re damn not!” she barked. “Stop telling lies!” The Greek then turned to face her sparring partner. “…sheesh, seriously. Don’t listen and believe her, okay?” “E, eh? Umm, sure…” Misha responded. “Then, can we begin?” “Oh, right. Sorry about that. Come on…!” And not far from them, Ilma was a bit puzzled, knowing she have to train with the ever-silent Anil. “…” “…” “…say something, will ya?” Anil shook his head. “What, cat got your tongue? …wait, don’t tell me you’re mute for real?” He simply tilted his head. “…perkele, I hate people like this.” ——— With the 15th mock duel came to a close, Eliot goes to announce the end of this week’s class. “Good job making it through, ladies and gents!” he congratulated. “I guess you’d rather I make this short and quick, am I right?” The students sheepishly laughed at his jab. “But before I dismiss you to another relaxing weekend, I believe our friends from the Pacific here have something to say.” “…!” “Thank you, Sir.” Mei thanked him, taking a step forward. “I know some of you already can’t wait to call it a day, so I’m sorry for that.” She continued. “Since I’m not good at fancy words, I’ll get straight to the point. First, thank you for your hospitality and having us.” She slightly bowed, followed by her teammates, and earning a round of applause from the Atlantics. “…then, second and last,” Mei said, raising her face. “As the representative of the Pacific, I challenge your school to a team battle.” Now this one got them a bigger reaction. Surprise, but also excitement. “Ooh, they actually gone and said it!” Walter responded, getting pumped. “Figures…” Sigulf muttered. Everyone began talking to each other, but promptly silenced when Eliot spoke up. “We don’t mind accepting your challenge, but would you mind to elaborate on that?” “Hmm… That’s right. Normally, 5 single matches would be ideal, but considering the absence of one of our fighters, we’ll make it 2 singles and a tag duel.” “Wait, are you sure, Mei-dono? We haven’t done them before…” “It’s alright, just think of it as a single match in a narrow space.” “…” “I see,” Eliot responded. “Houjou doesn’t take a part.” “Unfortunately, no. He’s here as our supervisor.” “Very well. How about the time and place?” “5:30. Is the central park good enough?” “Of course. A spacious enough outdoor area. It will surely attract onlookers.” “Then…!” “We accept your challenge.” Eliot confirmed before turning to face his students. “You heard them. Get yourselves ready.” “Yes, Sir!” “Alright! With that, it’s time to end today’s class for good! Everyone, you’re dismissed!” ——— The sudden declaration of Pacific’s challenge sent everyone abuzz. Almost all student excitedly wondering how it will go, with some hoping they would be chosen to represent the Atlantic. Except… “Hmm…” “Umm, Sigulf?” “Yes?” “Are you sure you should be here helping us, instead of… You know.” Chelsea asked. “It’s alright, they did gave us until 5:30, after all. I think they took Amakawa’s schedule into consideration.” “Well, that, and I would advise against heavy exercise before it anyway.” Celina added. “Though, you still could slip few light stretches in-between.” “Will do. I’ll finish this quickly first.” “You sure are diligent in the unexpected places.” She laughed. Sigulf tried to look away, scratching his cheek. “…I did say I wanted to help, so…” “I know. That’s why allow me to help with something too in return.” “Eh? But you two already did. What’s with the usual weekend practice…” “Outside of that, I mean.” Celina clarified. “…speaking of which, you might end up getting another duel before our next practice.” “Is there any problem with that? I mean, versus Pacific or not, I’d still up for it.” “Oh no, no problem at all. It’s just… I’m thinking maybe we should practice normally just for tomorrow.” “Eh? Is it because of today?” “A bit of that and… Would you mind getting rewarded if you end up fighting and winning?” Sigulf and Chelsea went momentarily silent. “”Eeeeeeh!?”” “…w, what? And why did you react too?” “I appreciate it, really. But it’s not like—“ “So you don’t mind, I hear you.” Celina quickly concluded. ‘She didn’t even give me a chance to be humble…’ “C, Cel? You might want to reconsider…” “Hm? Don’t worry, I set limits.” “…ah! Of course you would! What am I thinking… Ahahahah…” ‘That goes without saying. Still… Now that I remember, what’s with her?’ “So, is there anything you want?” she said to Sigulf. “Or… Do you have any ideas on what we should present to him, Chel?” “E, eh? Why me?” “Umm, I kind of thought you understand boys better.” “Compared to you, yeah, at least. Oh well, let me think…” “Err, can’t I politely refuse here? I don’t want to burden you two…” “And that’s why. Knowing you, I believe it will be within the realm of possibility. So, please, don’t hold back and tell us.” ‘…she trusts me that much even though I joined the council to court her. Gah, I’m so ashamed of myself…’ “Now that you mention it… Yeah, it’s not like you would ask her for a date out of the blue, right?” Chelsea instantly regretted it and covered her mouth as Celina suddenly went silent. “…umm, Cel? Hello?” “D, date…!?” Celina went red. “I, it’s alright!” Sigulf tried to reassure her. “I know that’s a bit too farfetched…” Celina calmed down a bit and looked at the boy in the eyes. “…you know, if by ‘date’ you mean a lunch like before, then I wouldn’t mind…” “…eh?” “I mean, you’ll be coming along, right?” she turned towards Chelsea. “Me? I wonder about that…” she gave a wry smile. “O, oh, you’re not up to it? Then—“ Celina shifted her attention back to Sigulf. “I’m sorry, but since Chelsea seems reluctant, would it be alright if you go on a date just with me?” “Eh!? Why—“ “Yes, please!” Chelsea tried to say something, but Sigulf quickly answered. “…ah.” ‘…damn, I responded on impulse.’ Sigulf was worried on how she would react, but to his relief, Celina chuckled instead. “If you fight and win, that is.” He finally managed to muster his confidence and returns a smile. “Yeah.” Celina extended her hand which Sigulf gladly accepted. “Then you shall have my words.” “Right. I’ll win, and then… Let’s go on a date, Celina.” “I prefer it to be called a fancy lunch.” She teased. “Ahahah…” They shook hands, and Sigulf could feel himself getting fired up. ‘Funny, I don’t even know whether I would be considered, but… I feel like I can do it…!’ “Ah-hem.” Chelsea cleared her throat, surprising the two. “I’m glad you two have come to an agreement, but let’s not forget our work at hand first.” “I’m sorry, you are right.” Celina laughed wryly. “Alright, let’s finish this as soon as possible. You might need a few coaching before the fight.” “Roger!” The three of them quickly returned to their paperwork. Chelsea, though, doesn’t actually feel content and stole a glance at Celina. ‘Oh, Cel… Will you really be alright like that?’

In the end, the group parted with Alba and returned to the council room. “Oh, there they are. Preeez~ Vice-preeeez~” Waiting in front of the door, Laine waved at Celina’s group. Lindorm simply took off his headphones. “I’m sorry. Did I make you wait?” Celina apologized. “Nn? Naah, it’s cool.” Laine reassured, before looking at the rest. “Claymore’s not here?” “Claymore…” Chelsea laughed wryly at the nickname. “Well, unfortunately, she’s not.” “Aah, that’s too bad…” “Then again, she does have the same objectives like us.” Celina added. “Sooner or later, we’ll see her again, so you don’t have to look that down.” “Heeey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Celina simply shrugged at Chelsea’s feigned annoyance. ‘Is it just me or do I smell a slight hint of sadness here?’ Sigulf thought. He doesn’t have the chance to continue though, as Sigulf felt the mostly silent 2nd-year Norwegian is staring at him for some reason. “…what?” Lindorm didn’t respond. “Oh? It’s unusual to see Lindy interested in someone.” He promptly cleared his throat at the nickname. There goes the tense atmosphere. “Something on my face?” Sigulf asked him once more. Lindorm regained his composure and simply replied, “Well met, kinsmen.” Sigulf blinked before getting what he meant. “Oh. Fellow Norse.” “Aye. Bergen. You?” “Bolungarvik.” Lindorm paused for a moment. “A village?” “Uh huh.” “Hmm…” “So the Vikings have gathered.” Laine suddenly added. “What were they called… The Great Heathen Army?” “Uh, yeah. What about it?” “Tag team name? Just like your and Alba’s Gallowglass.” “Eh, I don’t have plans for that yet…” “Brothers should fight together.” “Brothers…?” “Well, you see, Lindy here is weird like that. Next, he’ll prolly make you join his band.” Lindorm cleared his throat again at Laine’s comment. ‘I kinda can see that… Bet he plays black metal…’ Sigulf mentally commented. The sound of door being opened pulled the three’s attention back. “Let’s continue while we have some tea. What do you say?” Celina offered. “Oh, right. Sure.” Sigulf quickly replied. ——— The sound of water being boiled could be heard as Chelsea prepared the tea. Nearby, the rest of them are sitting on the sofas; Sigulf and Minato sat across Lindorm and Laine, while Celina’s seat is on the third, middle sofa. ‘They got something like this, huh? Lux.’ Sigulf mentally commented as he observed the student council’s very own beverage station, comfortably located at the corner of the room. At this time, no one from outside the group remained on the main section nearby, where, presumably, the usual work takes place. “Oh, that’s right. Sigulf, Minato, what would you like to have?” Chelsea called out, catching the boys’ attention. “Eh? Mm… Milk tea, please.” “Err… Do you have oolong?” “I think we still have some. Cel and the others will have the usual, right?” “Mm-hm.” “Okay, just give me a minute.” Chelsea said as she resumed brewing the tea. ‘Tea and— Wait, she’s already eating.’ Sigulf noticed as Laine already enjoyed some of the assorted snacks. “Ah, feel free to take those.” Celina informed them. “Ish good.” Laine added while munching. “Well then…” The boys reached out to grab their snacks; Sigulf took a chocolate macaron, while Minato picked a pack of potato sticks. “Oh, your taste is quite unexpected.” Celina commented. “Who? Me?” Sigulf quickly responded before Minato got a chance. “Yes. Never thought you are the type who likes sweets.” “Well… I get that sometimes.” “Legit thought you’ll get something that goes well with black coffee. Just like him.” Laine added while motioned to Lindorm. The boy in question simply cleared his throat, again. ‘I really give that kind of impression, huh?’ Sigulf thought. “Sorry to keep you waiting!” Chelsea announced, getting everyone’s attention. “Here’s your tea.” “Thank you.” Celina replied as she took her cup. Sigulf took a peek at her tea. ‘Ah, it’s milk tea as well. Kind of expected, but still…’ “Brother.” Lindorm suddenly said, pulling Sigulf out from his reverie. “This is not an adequate replacement of our ancestor’s drinking horn and ale, but—“ “Err, what?” “Psst!” Laine interrupted without even trying to be discreet. “Play along.” Sigulf sighed, while Lindorm ignored her and continues, “To celebrate this meeting between Norsemen, let us raise our drinks for the Old Gods.” Sigulf half-reluctantly follows Lindorm’s lead. “”Skal.”” “Ooh! That’s quite the display!” Minato commented. “I assure you, we don’t actually do this for everything.” Sigulf responded. “Good for you, huh?” Chelsea chuckled. “Ah, that’s right! Senpai, aren’t we going to have a briefing or something?” Sigulf blinked at Minato’s words. ‘Shit, he’s right.’ The Icelander realized. ‘I got carried away by the comfy tea party.’ “Well, actually, there’s not much to be briefed on the first place.” Celina said while putting down her tea cup. “What do you mean?” “As you might have known, one of the duties are patrolling while gathering for some information. And it’s done whenever possible, including the school hours. But—” “Nope, nope. I’m not letting anyone join our squad.” Laine quickly interrupted. “—so she said.” “Wait, why!?” Minato protested. “Because we suck at papers, that’s why.” Minato wasn’t sure at how to respond, while Lindorm glared at her and said, “We?” “Can you?” “I composed many hymns for the Old Gods.” “Writing a black metal song is different from handling formal documents.” “…” ‘Ah, so he conceded.’ Sigulf thought. “But still, isn’t it strange?” Minato continued. “What is?” “Aren’t you short on people for this? It’s just—“ “The two of us? Are underestimating us?” The sudden change in Laine’s tone made the atmosphere tense. It was nothing like the usual her. ‘Is this the trait of the secret unit?’ “…maybe I am.” Minato answered, surprising everyone. “Oh?” “Still, I think this position needs more members, even if it’s just one person. As small as this island is, wouldn’t it yield better information gathering with more people?” “…well, you kind of got a point there.” “Then—“ “But how about the paperwork?” “That’s… Then I’ll do them both!” “You know you can’t”. Laine sighed at Minato’s tenacity. “Besides, what is it for you?” “Because I love this school!” “…huh?” “After I fought Hestianus-san, and see the other duelists, I realized how much love they have for dueling! But as long as the nobles—“ “Whoa, wait wait wait. You do know you are here for not even a week, right?” “Huh? Yeah, I know. What about it?” The tension disappeared, and Laine went speechless for a moment before saying, “Lindy, how do I talk with guys like this?” Lindorm simply shrugged. “Now, now. Why don’t you give him a chance? A trial-week, perhaps?” Chelsea suggested. “A week is a bit— Oh, well.” Laine finally gave up. “But you better listen to us, a’ight?” “Yes! Thank you very much, Senpai!” ‘The passionate type, huh.’ Sigulf mentally noted. “Brother.” Lindorm suddenly called out to him ‘…oh, for Loki’s sake.’ “Will you join us as well?” “Eeeeeh? Come on, Lindy.” Laine half-protested. “One new-recruit is already a bit too much. ‘sides, who gonna help the Prez?” ‘! That’s it!’ “Now that you mention it…” Chelsea said, remembering what Victoria told them. “But—“ “Cel, are you going to deny help again?” Chelsea cut her best friend off. “It’s not that.” She sighed. “It’s just… I’m afraid it will be too boring for him.” “…I don’t mind, actually.” Sigulf suddenly responded. “Eh?” “If it’s just clerical duties, I think I can handle it just fine.” ‘Plus, I know well why it wouldn’t be boring.’ He mentally finished. Celina paused for a moment before finally saying, “You have my gratitude.” “It’s alright. I just want to help.” Sigulf replied. “So, I guess that means you’ll have a 1-week trial with us then.” Chelsea added. “Yeah. I’m in your care now.” “Eeh, make it longer.” Laine interjected. “We don’t want to teach yet another rookie.” “Don’t say things like that.” Chelsea pouted. “You were too free, so let’s make it a bit organized since we got new members.” “So it was ‘do what you want’ situation before?” Sigulf asked “Well, it’s not official in the traditional sense after all.” “Ah right… Kinda understand that.” “So… What do we do next?” Minato brought up the issue. “Since there’s no more paperwork for the day—“ “You are free to go home, while we go to patrol.” Laine cut Celina off. “And teach our rookie a thing or two. …right?” Celina glared at Laine. “Eep…! S, sorry, Prez…” “I know!” Chelsea exclaimed. “Why don’t we have a patrol together?” “Whaaaaaat?” Laine protested. “After we divided the role just now?” “Make it effective starting tomorrow.” Celina sternly said. “Plus, you’re not the only one who wants to unwind after a day’s school.” ‘…so it was for unwinding?’ Sigulf mentally retorted. “Alright, save your banters for later!” Chelsea said. “You all done with your tea, right? Then let’s go!” “Oh well…” Laine sighed. “Amakawa, listen to what Lindy said, ‘kay?” “I thought it was ‘our’ job?” Lindorm protested. The group then finish what they can before getting up, preparing themselves to leave the room. ‘So I’m with Celina and Chelsea for the time being.’ Sigulf thought. ‘Gotta try and do my best, then.’

On their way to the clothes shop… “So, are you really going to check some clothes?” Sigulf asked. “But of course! We should look fresh as well. You better tag along.” Yuu replied. ‘Well, he is kinda fashionable…’ the taller boy noted. “But it’s not like we’re wearing them on duels. At least not until we turn pro.” “True, but the satisfaction of having such stylish getups… The happiness that comes from it factors into our battle performance too.” “I, is it…?” “Well, I don’t really know. But it won’t hurt just to check. You got nothing to do, right?” “I guess so…” Sigulf looked down at his outfit and asked, “Is this not good?” “Hmm… Not actually bad. Just a bit too plain. A band t-shirt or something?” “Nah, just a stylized wolf.” “Hee…” “Well, my master did say something about getting some new clothes.” “Master?” “My legal guardian.” “Aah. Well if he did say so…” “She.” “…oh? Is she beautiful?” “Eeh? Well… If you could look past her sexual harassments, then yeah…” “…so you lived under the same roof with a beautiful master who sexually harass you? Lucky bastard, I’m jealous.” “I’m… not sure if it’s something to be proud of.” “It is!” “…how?” ——— When they reached the shop’s front entrance, Sigulf realized that it’s bigger than he imagined. “Spacious. Just what do they have?” “Pretty much everything, I heard. From designer brands, the usual streetwear, to discount section.” “…to raise your battle spirit, huh?” “Yup.” “Oh well, I guess I’ll just see the discount section.” “…oi, seriously?” ——— Entering the building, the boys part way with Yuu goes to check some shirt, while Sigulf decided to take a seat around the streetwear corner. ‘I did say I got nothing to do, but I still feel out of place…’ he thought as he began to look around. ‘Oh, they have band t-shirts and some accessories… Hm? Isn’t that—‘ A long haired boy with his headphones on, checking both the t-shirts and leather bracers. ‘No guesses on who he is.’ Looking around, Lindorm then noticed Sigulf, before taking off his headphones and approached the younger boy. “Well met, kinsman.” Lindorm greeted. “Yo.” Sigulf answered. “Strange to see you here.” “Likewise.” “Nothing to do. Just accompanying her.” He explained while motioned towards across the room. Following his direction, Sigulf recognized Laine, happily picking her clothes. “We’re on the same boat then.” “You with someone?” “Him.” Sigulf pointed sideways towards Yuu’s direction. “Oh. So you’re that free.” “Sort of… Got a bit tired from morning practice and not sure what to do next. So, I might as well tag along and… Window shopping?” “Hmm…” Laine returned a while later, and upon noticing Sigulf, she greets him. “Yo. Looking for some clothes?” The girl asked. “No, just looking around. Though, maybe I’ll grab some cheap inners.” He replied. “You bought quite a lot.” “This? They looked nice, so I couldn’t help myself. Probably will help my portfolio too.” “Part-time model.” Lindorm added. Laine flashed a v-sign while keeping her neutral expression. “I see…” “Just ask me if you need advice on coordinating your style. Or the vice-prez, when she’s available.” “I, I’ll think about it… Wait, why the vice president?” “Oh right, she’s actually likes shopping. Like, really much. Usually I go with her whenever she’s free. Vice-prez got quite the eye when it comes to clothes, too. She’s doesn’t model part-time, though.” “Hee…” ‘Come to think of it, she’s quite pretty to pass as one… But I guess she’d rather dedicate herself to dueling and council duties.’ Sigulf thought. “Laine…” Lindorm suddenly spoke up. “Hm?” “Almost lunch.” “Ah, you’re right.” Laine said as she checked her watch. “Well, I think I already bought all I need. Shall we grab some food, then?” Lindorm simply nodded. “So how about ya? Wanna join us?” “Thanks, but sorry. I had an early lunch today.” “Oh, OK then. See ya later.” “Good luck with your training, brother.” Lindorm added. “Mm.” Patting Sigulf’s back, Lindorm then joined Laine on their way out. “Need help?” “Naah, I can handle this. Thanks for offering, though.” Sigulf silently watches as they exited the shop. “…Yuu’s not finished yet, huh? I’ll buy some inners first, then.” ——— Yuu finally returned minutes later, mumbling, “Mm… Nothing to buy for now. Maybe I’ll check again later…” “Oh, welcome back.” “Yo. …wait, did you—“ The stuff Sigulf bought caught Yuu’s attention. A discount, 5-in-1 pack of white, long-sleeved inners. “It’s dirt cheap.” Sigulf said, somehow looking happy. “Sig-kun…” Yuu said as he grabbed Sigulf’s shoulders. “Yes?” “When’s your birthday? I’ll buy you a shirt or two.” “…you don’t have to go that far. It’s January the 21st by the way.” ——— Just like Lindorm and Laine before, Sigulf turned down Yuu’s lunch invitation. Now alone outside the shop once more, he pondered what should he do next. ‘I’m still not hungry… Should I grab some light snacks instead?’ The boy then looks towards his own shopping bag. ‘…ah, right, I forgot Armstrong gave me a strange magazine.’ Sigulf mentally lamented. ‘I guess I better go back to my room. I wanted to check the records store or the game center, but I don’t want to meet Celina with this around…’ Being preoccupied with his own thoughts made Sigulf unaware with a certain someone who sneaks up behind him. “Boo.” Whispered the person right in Sigulf’s ear. “Hng!?” Taken by surprise, Sigulf quickly jumped away and turns around. ‘The principal!?’ “That’s too strong of a reaction. I’m a bit hurt.” Victoria said. ‘What is she doing here? …forget that, was that an acceptable behavior from a principal just now?’ he thought. “Err… Can I help you, Ma’am?” “Oh, no, no. Not at all. I’m just taking a short break while looking for good place to eat.” ‘Break? Busy even on weekends, huh…’ “You however, looked a little bit lost.” ‘…that much? Then again, I don’t have anything on my mind either. Well, except for tomorrow…’ “So, how about this? Join me for lunch, Hrimgard.” Her out-of-the-blue proposition was met by Sigulf’s short silence. “…yes?” ——— “Hmhmhm~” “…” Sigulf ends up accompanying Victoria’s lunch. ‘Turning down my friends for her… I’m the worst…’ he mentally lamented. ‘That said, I didn’t know there’s a café like this. Looks so damn expensive… And not much visitor. I wonder if Celina eats here too…’ “Surprised?” she suddenly asked while still focused on her own tablet. “…kind of.” ‘And she’s still busy in the middle of lunch… Well, I guess that’s to be expected.’ “So, I suppose everything is going well on the council?” Victoria asked again. “I… guess. Nothing bad has happened so far.” “Hmm… Well, either the nobles are still recovering, or gave up already. Of course, it would be better if they call it quits. Not that you guys can’t just curb them again.” “Well, yeah…” Sigulf remembered how the Gallowglass triumphed even against three teams. Now they have Amakawa and his groupies. Probably with Penndreic and the rest of reasonable noble students as well. And that’s before counting the 2nd-years. At this point, it would be better for them to forget it. “…” Sigulf’s tone made Victoria pause her work. She then took a good look at his face. “What is it?” “Ah, I see…” she said. “It seems to me that you need more… stimulation.” “…pardon me?” “Yes, yes, it would be a waste of your fighting talent.” Victoria continued. “You showed a satisfying display of might, after all.” ‘Well, of course she’s talking about that. Her choice of words, though…’ “May I know what do you mean by that?” “How should I put this…” Victoria said, putting her tablet down. “To be honest, I’m a bit worried that this lull will degrade your performance.” “…” “I believe I have mentioned about your background check, haven’t I?” “Yes, during the recruitment. What about it?” “Well, you, just like Vigdis, weren’t related to either knight or well-established duelist families.” She explained. ‘She casually drops Master’s name. Just as I thought…’ “Yet, here you are,” Victoria continues. “Showing exceptional performance during the exams and your first week here. And I guess that makes it triple for her, who graduated without a single loss.” ‘So, she’s worried in her own way? That’s… a bit reassuring. I guess…’ “But who’s to guarantee that you will achieve the same heights as her? What if you meet a snag along your path? One mustn’t lose their drive to improve and get stronger.” ‘Ah… I think I get what she’s trying to say, but…’ “Don’t worry, Ma’am.” Sigulf responded quickly “Truth be told, I hit a ‘wall’ this morning.” “Oh?” “At first I felt like that I’ve lost my way,” he continues. “But then I came to realize that as long as I keep getting up and try again, there’s no wall that can’t be climbed. Or broken in any case.” Victoria said nothing for a moment and stares at his face, making him slightly uncomfortable in the process. “…Ma’am?” “I see.” She finally responded, slightly smiling. “That’s good to hear.” ‘Whoa, I never thought she could smile this beautiful… Wait, what am I thinking!?’ “Looks like Vigdis beat me to the punch on giving you a pep talk.” ‘And she even guessed that…’ “But still,” Victoria continued, sighing. “Having a friendly competition to improve yourself is good and all, but don’t you think a bigger problem would give a better result? Maybe I should just spur some trouble myself, so you guys have something to work…” “…I believe it would be better if you don’t, Ma’am.” “Ah, now you’re retorting.” “I’m… sorry?” “Oh, no, no. It’s alright. It simply means you’re having an easier time now. You don’t have to be that tense with me, after all.” “I… suppose so…” ‘Well, she’s not a bad person. She’s just… Flirty? Against her own student, to boot.’ “Worry not. Giving the best for this academy and its student is my responsibility in the first place. Miss Bartram, Miss Kensington, the rest of the Council and I will ensure that. So I would like you to never forget giving it all and doing your best, whether as a student here or as a pro duelist in the future.” “I’ll keep it in mind, Ma’am.” ‘I think my opinion of her have improved—‘ “Of course, if you can keep your momentum and do well along the year, I wouldn’t mind giving you some… special rewards.” ‘…or not.’ “Ufufufufu…”

The sight of Misha fidgeting restlessly actually perplexed him, but considering he has his own business, Sigulf decided just to pass by and greet. “Ah…” “Yo.” Sigulf didn’t say anymore and entered the restroom, thinking it was nothing big. …only to see that Misha is still there at the same spot when he exited. “…err, you okay?” “Eh!? A, ah, um, I’m fine… Don’t worry…!” ‘Doesn’t look like that to me, but…’ “Oh, Hrimgard-kun, Smirnov-san, what’s the matter?” Minato’s voice made them shift their attention. “I want to know too.” Sigulf shrugged. “You?” “I forgot something so I have to run back here.” He explained. “Hmm…” “Uu…!” “Smirnov-san!? Is something wrong?” Sigulf tried to have a better look at the white-haired student. “…what, so you wanted to pee all this time? Toilet’s right front of you.” “Th, this is…!” “Or… Is there any reason you can’t enter the restroom?” “Eep…!” “Eh? What are you—“ “I, I’m sorry! Please don’t tell anyone!” Misha finally blurted before running in. “Ah…” “Smirnov-san!? Wait, but that’s the men’s…!” Minato gave chase, while Sigulf opted to stand by and watch. “Kyaaaaaah!?” “Eh, what happ— EEEEEEEEEH!?” “I’m not surprised…” Sigulf muttered to himself. “Shit, I almost forgot!” Mei cursed, showed up running to the scene. “Was that Misha just now?” “Uh-huh.” “…damn. Who’s the other one?” “Amakawa.” “…figures.” ——— Not long after, both of them finally appeared from inside, with Misha sobbing and Minato looks extremely remorseful. “Please don’t cry…” “So I guess our teachers already know that he’s a guy.” Sigulf commented. “Misha is the pet form of Mikhail after all.” Mei added. “You don’t seem surprised though.” “A bit actually, but then again, I have my suspicions.” “I see…” “How about yours?” “Actually most of us already know.” “Hm? Wait, then what’s the problem?” “Look, just because they all know, doesn’t mean it’s not embarrassing for him. Our guys were considerate enough not to share the restroom with him, and we always make sure no one else is around when he has to use it.” She explained. “…well, except I forgot this time.” “Err, I don’t really get it, but okay…?” “Uuu…” Misha continues to cry. “Misha… Please stop crying…” “But… But it was so embarrassing… To be seen like that… Peeing while standing and wearing girls’ clothes…” “S, Smirnov-san…” ‘…I’d rather say nothing here, or else, a landmine will explode.’ Sigulf mentally commented. “I’m really sorry!” Minato continued, while bowing deeply. “Please let me make up for it! I… I’ll take responsibility!” There was an awkward silence. “”…what?”” Even Minato realized what the implication was. “W, wait! No, no, no, that wasn’t what I meant!” he quickly corrected, getting red in the process. “I’m not sure if this will be enough, but… If you have problems, then just ask me about anything.” ‘…how is that supposed to solve stuff?’ “R, really?” Misha calmed down a bit. “Anything?” “Yes, have my word on it.” “Then… Would you protect me?” “Eh? I don’t mind, but from what?” “Bullies?” Mei tried to explain. “I mean, being a crossdresser and all… And he might be able to fight 1 on 1, but bullies tend to gang up, so…” “Oh, I get what you are saying. Then leave it to me! …though, hopefully our guys will be understanding enough.” “A, Amakawa… Thank you…!” “Y, you’re welcome. And ‘Minato’ is fine.” Sigulf was trying hard not to grin. “…that said, what about you here?” Mei turned her attention to Sigulf. “You wouldn’t bully him, right?” “I don’t bully.” He shrugged. “I punch people on the face. And with him, I have no reasons to.” “…well, that’s strangely reassuring. But words about this won’t spread, yeah?” “Err, that’s the problem. Our newspaper club works ridiculously fast.” “Shit…” “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. …I think.” Minato tried to console Misha who began to look worried again. “So, uhh, any reason why you crossdressed in the first place?” Sigulf asked. “Hobby?” “…seriously? You’re asking that now?” Mei raised one of her eyebrow. “No, it’s alright, Mei.” Misha said. “Yeah, something along that line… Let’s just say I like how it looks.” “Hee…” ——— In the end, Sigulf decided not to dig any further and returns to the council room, paperwork and all. After all, whatever happened, surely Minato and Mei could handle it. “I’m back.” “Oh, hey. You took a bit longer than expected.” Chelsea noted. “Umm, digestion problems?” “Err, no. There was a bit of accident with one of the Pacifics.” Celina managed to connect some of the dots. “…Amakawa? Oh dear, I hope they are alright…” “…which one was it?” Chelsea can barely hide her curiosity. “Smirnov.” Both of them widen their eyes. “O, oh…” “S, so it could trigger with boys too, huh…” Chelsea mumbled. “Maybe I should have him stick around with Sigulf… Ah, but maybe I must dress Sigulf cutely first?” “Stop it, I can hear you, you know.” Sigulf retorted. “Wait, you already knew, huh?” “It was in the documents after all.” Celina clarified. “Yeah, should’ve guessed so…” ——— After about half an hour or so, the three of them managed to wrap up the day’s share of paperwork. “Alright, that’s all for today. Thank you for the hard work.” “Yaaay!” “Whew…” “So, milk tea like usual, right? I’ll make it.” “Eh?” Both Chelsea and Sigulf were a little surprised, considering it’s usually the brunette who brews the tea. “Cel, may I—“ “Oh, it’s fine. You just relax over there.” “…well, if you say so.” Chelsea somehow relented, leaving her awkwardly silent with Sigulf. “…” ‘Shiiit, there’s no way I can ask her here…’ He tried to focus on the snacks before him to divert from the thoughts, but just as he tried to reach for one of the chocolate macarons… “”…!?”” His hand gently brushed with hers. “I, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to…!” Sigulf retracted his hand. “N, no, no, no! I, it’s alright! Please help yourself!” “Eh!? I can’t do that! You reached first—“ “Ah, umm…! Oh, don’t worry, we still have lots of them here! See?” “…o, oh, you’re right. What was I thinking…” “A, ahahahahahah…” Both of them reached for the snacks once, this time with some hesitation, before finally eating the macarons. “…” ‘God save the Queen…! Calm yourself, Chelsea!’ she mentally reprimanded herself. ‘He just touched my hand, nothing more!’ ‘…all this time, I barely noticed since she’s always with Celina, but…’ Sigulf thought while stealing a glance. ‘Now that we are like this and I got a better look… She’s… B, beautiful…’ “Sorry to keep you waiting.” Celina announced as she brought their milk tea. “What’s wrong you two?” “I, it’s nothing! Really!” Chelsea quickly answered, hastily taking her cup and then a sip from her tea. “Ow! It’s hot!” “A, are you alright?” the blonde looks concerned for her best friend while passing Sigulf’s. “You shouldn’t rush like that…” Celina sat down and began to sip her own drink. “Ah, it’s so relaxing… Teatime after work is real pleasant, don’t you think?” “Couldn’t agree more.” ‘Especially with you around…’ “So, how did you find our guests from Pacific so far?” “Obvious, but they aren’t much different from us. A fun bunch.” Sigulf said. “…though I guess that can’t be said for… Ashfield, wasn’t it?” “Aah, right, Jack Ashfield…” Celina responded. “Their number 1 rookie.” “…well, I can’t really comment unless I meet him in person.” “True. For now, let’s focus ourselves against the ones who are willing to visit us.” “Right. …speaking of which, what about Houjou?” “Interested, I see. He’s strong. Quite the match for Chelsea.” She said while glancing to the girl in question. “Eh? Oh, yes, she’s right.” “You didn’t fight him?” Sigulf was a little surprised. “She won’t let me.” Celina sighed. “Now, come on, Cel. We don’t want to uncover our Ace in the hole that quickly, do we?” “But he’s their Ace. And we already trained with Sigulf and Alba anyways.” “…it’s a bit different.” Chelsea dismissed it. “Besides, you do know I should be the one to defeat you.” “Ooh? Are you saying I would lose to him?” “Oh, no, no, no. That’s not what I meant, honest. Ohohohoho…” ‘…sly.’ “Umm, so do you think you have a chance against him?” Sigulf asked. “Hmm…” Celina paused to take a sip. “I wouldn’t know until I face him in a real fight, but… I am confident that I can take on him.” “I see… As expected.” ‘I know they are in a whole different class, but still…’ “Don’t worry, you still have a year more than us.” She tried to reassure him. “…or so I wanted to say, but I believe you wouldn’t just settle for that, correct?” “Eh? W, well…” Celina chuckled. “Well then, how about we train even harder this coming Saturday and Sunday?” “Would you?” “Of course. Honing your body and skill is never a bad thing. Just don’t forget to rest as hard as you work later.” “Alright then, weekend it is.” “Ufufu… Chelsea, I don’t even have to ask you, right?” “Eeeh? How mean! You’ve been ignoring me!” she pouts. “Eh!? I’m sorry, that wasn’t—“ “…well, it’s not like I can leave you alone. And I have to be even stronger, so…” “It’s decided, then.” Celina smiled. ‘Another training scheduled, and taking it up a notch… I must get stronger!’ “Oh, that’s right. I almost forgot!” she remembered something. “Sigulf,” “Yes?” Celina raised her cup. “Welcome back.” “Ah…” Normally, the gesture would look flashy to Sigulf. But this time… Her smile looks warmer than how it should be, captivating him. “Thank you.” “My pleasure.” “…” While Sigulf and Celina exchanged delightful looks, Chelsea watched in silence. Only this time, it’s not just the boy, but also her longtime best friend as well.

The stand-off between Sigulf and the unknown boy caught the attention of nearby onlookers. “What’s going on here?” “Isn’t that the 3rd-year’s… And that’s the 1st-year who defeated Penndreic’s heir, isn’t he?” Soon a small crowd formed, curious about what the ruckus is. “You wanna get down to business, right?” Sigulf said to the boy. “Then spit it out. I don’t have forever.” “Hah, talk about uncouth. I guess that’s to be expected from a lowborn.” “Lowborn…?” Yuu questioned. “You seemed to be not realizing your position here.” The noble continued. “A 1st-year… A lowborn even! Dared to humiliate… Dared to tarnish the name and reputation of a noble family! Surely you don’t think we’ll pretend that nothing of the such happened, do you?” ‘So it’s something like this, after all.  Figures…’ Sigulf thought. “But worry not.” The noble rambled on. “We’re actually willing to overlook all this fiasco… Assuming you would grovel before us and be my… personal servant for a year.” “…that’s totally out of the question, isn’t it?” Yuu commented. Sigulf was silent for a moment, before he finally said, “Let’s go, Yuu. We’re just wasting our time here.” “Are you sure? Not going to… Ah, take him head-on?” Yuu asked. “What’s this? You ignored my goodwill of forgiving you, and decided to turn your tail instead? How unsightly.” The noble taunted him. “Can’t be helped.” Sigulf responded. “Master did say idiocy is contagious. Especially if it comes from a modern-day palace jester.” “…I don’t know if it’s a good comeback or not.” Yuu commented. “You… You sure know how to run your mouth, huh!?” ‘Eeh!? He actually got provoked!?’ Yuu surprised at the noble’s fury. “You two! Get him!” With the noble’s command, two boys came charging at Sigulf. The white haired boy jumped away, evading their punches. “Sig-kun!” “It’s alright. I can handle this.” “By yourself!? At least let me—“ “Yuu.” Sigulf cut him sternly. “This is my fight. I can’t let unrelated person got involved.” “…dammit, quite the stubborn one, aren’t you?” “That, and I know I can take them down anyway. Be it duel or good old fistfight.” “Don’t get so full of yourself…!” the noble growled. “You! Challenge him to a duel!” Complying his superior’s order, one of the assailants issued a challenge for Sigulf. “Here it is…!” Yuu reacted. “Then—“ “On behalf of Sigulf Hrimgard, I accept your challenge!” “Huh!?” Much to everyone’s surprise, someone has intruded their confrontation. Sigulf eyes widened as he recognized her. ‘It’s the Scottish girl! …Alba Hunter wasn’t it?’ “You!” the noble protested. “Who do you think you are!? Outsiders should mind their own business!” “I’m not just an outsider!” Alba responded. “I am Alba Hunter! The Highland’s Finest! And, soon the whole North Sea!” “…does the name Hunter rings a bell to you?” the noble whispered to one of his underlings. “No, Sir. We don’t remember any Hunter dynasties.” “Yet another commoner, I see…” “Besides, you!” Alba continued, pointing her finger at the noble. “I could ask the same question! What do you think you are doing, bullying your own underclassman!?” “I’m not being bullied here.” Sigulf retorted. “Hah, another loony lowborn! No matter, I’ll gladly teach you to know your place!” “Bring it on! You’ll regret looking down on— Hm?” Alba turned around as Sigulf tapped her shoulder. “What… Are you doing?” “Huh? You’re going to fight those clowns, right? Then I’ll join!” “Wha— Who did you call a clown!?” the noble responded, though both Sigulf and Alba ignored him. “…no. I said, this is my fight.” Sigulf replied to Alba. “Why would you join anyway?” “What are you saying? If there’s a fight, then it’s a duelist job to join it! Besides, I thought you were getting bullied?” “I’m not.” He sighed. “Now would you kindly back off and watch from the sidelines? I can deal with them myself, thank you very much.” “No, no, no, no way! I’ll fight here and—“ “Err, guys? Guuuys.” Yuu interrupted. “You do know you can just fight as a team right?” Both Sigulf and Alba blinked. “You can?” “You don’t know? It’s here on the student’s manual! Just take a look.” Yuu said, showing his Personal Organizer to the two. “Oh, you’re right!” Alba exclaimed. “I see…” “Hey, what are you guys doing!? Don’t delay the fight any longer!” their opponent getting impatient. “Give us a moment!” Yuu replied. “Now, you two get it? Easy, right?” “I guess so…” Sigulf sighed. “I don’t have any choice, either way.” Breaking the huddle Sigulf then stepped forward. “System, requesting to join duel on Alba Hunter’s side.” At Sigulf’s announcement, Alba grinned. “Now we’re talking! You hear that? Then let him in!” “Acknowledged.” The system announced. “Sigulf Hrimgard joins as Alba Hunter’s teammate.” “What? A 2-on-2 duel?” the noble sounds a bit surprised. “Then… Hey you, accompany him!” The other boy promptly joins, finalizing the preparation. “Aaalright, time to run wild!” Alba exclaimed, all fired up. “You were on the North Sea exams, weren’t you?” Sigulf suddenly asked. “Ha, so you finally remembered!” “No, I don’t. You didn’t even hide the fact that you know my name, though.” “Ah, that… Wait, you know my name as well!” “…you actually introduced yourself in front of us. Of course I would know.” “Oh, right… Well, whatever!” Sigulf sighed. “You better tell me stuff once we’re done with this.” “Can’t be helped. You don’t remember, anyway!” Alba then raised both of her hands and begins chanting, while translucent white aura swirls around her. ‘This is… Non-elemental, just like Amakawa?’ Sigulf thought. “To be fearless! To be free! To be proud as our song echoes across the highland mountains! Stand tall, Braveheart!” As Alba finished chanting, an ornate Highland claymore materialized in her hands. She then brought her sword down, getting into combat stance. ‘…what’s going on here? Just by summoning her True Arms, the air around her somehow feels different…’ “Come!” Alba challenged, now with a slightly feral grin on her face. “Twin axes and a claymore? Hah, how befitting of barbarians!” the noble mocked. Sigulf ignored him and summoned his Fenrir, followed by the noble’s men. Both sides then fell silent as they wait for the cue. “En garde.” The system voice announced. “Begin!” Just as the noble’s henchmen are about to move, both Sigulf and Alba are already jumped in front of them, weapons raised. “Wha—“ “DE-YAH!!” Sigulf and Alba brought their weapons down, knocking away the opponents. “Battle point, down by 35%.” “Come on!!” Alba shouted. ‘She can move that fast with a claymore…’ Sigulf thought. “What are you guys doing!?” the noble seemed furious at his lackeys. “Stand up and fight them!” Even though both of the underlings are clearly unnerved by now, they have no choice but to charge at Sigulf and Alba once again. “Trying the same trick again!?” Alba shouted as she held her claymore horizontally. She then stepped forward, catching their opponents by surprise and succeeding in her sword bash. “Now!” With her cue, Sigulf jumped over from behind Alba and brought his Fenrir down. “Gahh…!” “Battle point, down by 20%.” Sigulf struck both of the opponents simultaneously, knocking them away. “Come on, you’re making this too easy!” Alba taunted. “Impudent wretches…!” the noble growled. Meanwhile, the crowd got even bigger as the fight goes on. Joining them is Arthfael Penndreic, who just realized what’s going on. “This is…! Hey, you! What’s the meaning of this!?” Arthfael asked furiously at the noble. “Penndreic!? Can’t you see!? We’re taking back the nobility’s lost honor!” “I want nothing of this! I can settle this on my own terms!” “Silence! It’s your fault in the first place!” the noble accused him. “You lost to this punk! Now, you should just stand back—” “Aargh!” The lackeys’ scream cut the noble off as they went flying through the air once more. “Oi…” Alba addressed him. “This ain’t the time to indulge in your ego. We’re tearing through your chumps as we speak!” “Guh…!” the noble slightly panicked as he realized his duelists are down to 20% battle points. “S, sir, they are too strong!” “What are you saying!? The duel’s not over yet!” “Tch, what a waste of time…” Sigulf mumbled. “Limiter: Laedingr, release.” “Oh?” Alba seemed intrigued at Sigulf’s action. As his Fenrir glows pale blue once more, Sigulf wasted no time, instantly charging towards the noble’s men. By the time they managed to stand up, Sigulf’s axes are already right in front of them. “Give it up.” Again, Sigulf struck both of his opponents at the same time, this time with a loud crash. “Battle point 0. Cannot continue duel.” “Useless imbeciles…!” the noble cursed at the loss of his men. Alba, meanwhile, simply whistled at the spectacle. “I see… A strength and speed boost, huh? Wild.” Standing straight, Sigulf glared at the noble right at his eyes. “So, are we going to continue this charade?” he growled. “…curse you, lowly commoner!”

Two days later, their exam results were finally announced. Sigulf included, everyone was willing to postpone lunch to see it. “Think you did well?” Alba asked. “Mm. Pretty positive.” “Hee… Confident, aren’t ya?” she gave a smug smirk for some reason. “Ah, but don’t get upset if I came up above you, okay?” Sigulf raised one of his eyebrows at her. “If.” “Heheh, don’t worry! You’re in for a surprise.” They gathered in front of the bulletin board, where the results were displayed through hologram. Of course, Minato and the others were present. “Hmm, so that’s where I am…” “Aw man, it’s lower than I hoped…” Some students reacted accordingly. Sigulf immediately began to look for his name. ‘Alright, let’s see…’ “Ooh!?” another boy exclaimed. “Isn’t he the number one!?” ‘Huh?’ Everyone’s attention instantly shifted to Minato; Sigulf opted to check the board. ‘Ah, they’re right…’ ‘Amakawa, Minato’ was shown on top of the list, though no score details were shown. “As expected from Amakawa!” Walter enthusiastically patted his back, making Minato laugh sheepishly. “Mm, that’s more like it.” Eurypha nodded, trying not to look too happy. “I know you can do it, Min— Amakawa!” “Oh, so skilled both in and out of the arena!” Carmen hugged Minato. “What exactly can’t you do, Minato dear?” “C, Car— Rosales-san!” “W, what are you two doing in public!?” Eurypha shrieked and tried to pry them away. “Shut the f— Shut up, you two.” Ilma complained… but not so subtly trying to get her own piece of Minato. “You’re not one to talk!” Unsurprisingly, the other boys can only grumble. “Dammit, no wonder the girls are into him…!” they lamented collectively. Sigulf sighed at them and put his attention back at the board. ‘If he’s number 1, then…’ His name was displayed right below Minato’s. “Hmm…” ‘It’s far from a bad result, but I still feel conflicted…’ “Wait, what? You are 2nd?” Alba was a bit surprised. “Then that means—“ ‘Hunter, Alba’ came up after ‘Hrimgard, Sigulf.’ “Gah…! How can this be…!? To think I would lose to Siggy…!” “…I was more surprised on how confident you were.” “Hey, building some confidence is never a bad thing.” “Is that how it works?” “Um, maybe? But still… “ Both of them returned to read the list. “I don’t think I fought bad…” Alba continued. “Me neither. But then again, there’s the written exam…” “Eh? I thought those aren’t that important?” “Well yeah, but when our fighting skills are about the same, the difference on paper test’s results would matter, however small.” “…ah, I see.” She realized. “…hm? Wait, but then that means I didn’t really lose to you, right?” “Eh? Well… If you want to see it like that…” “Heheh… I see, I see!” ‘She looks so happy…’ “Ah, so there you are. Good afternoon.” “Hm? Oh, Celina and Chelsea. Good afternoon.” Sigulf slightly bowed as the usual Council pair approached them. “Uooh, it’s the President and the VP!” a boy pointed out. “What are they doing here?” “You idiot, of course they want to see their exam results too.” A girl retorted. ‘Attention grabbing as always. Not that I don’t understand…’ “So, I guess you did well?” Chelsea asked. “Um, right. It’s all thanks to you two.” Sigulf answered. “That’s good to hear. Glad to be of help.” Celina chuckled and then gave him a knowing look. ‘Ah…’ Sigulf could notice the faint blush on her cheeks; he knows it’s about their promise. Still, he had to quickly recover from his own reverie. “Hm? What is it, Siggy?” “It’s nothing. So, how abou— Oh, right, I probably don’t even need to ask, do I?” “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” she let out a jovial giggle. “Well, you’re not wrong, though.” “So, top two?” “Top two.” “I guess that’s to be expected.” “Why, thank you.” Celina smiled. ‘S, so bright…’ “That said, it’s still not over yet.” Chelsea added. “We secured a good base, figuratively. Now we have to defend it right into the finals.” “Right, finals…” Sigulf muttered. “And it’s coming in less than two months.” “Finals, huh…” Alba crossed her hands. “Can I just ignore my studies to focus on dueling?” “You can’t.” Chelsea lightly chopped Alba’s forehead. “A bit of theory and general knowledge won’t hurt.” “Ugh, fine, fine…” “You too, Sigulf.” Celina said. “If you need additional tutoring, please don’t hesitate to ask me.” “Eh? Oh, um, thank you. I will.” ‘Did she notice…?’ Sigulf took one more glance at the board. ‘Number 2… It went better than I expected, but… Next finals, I must overtake him.’ “Alright, enough about exams, how about we move to the rooftop first?” Chelsea clapped. “We don’t want to let our food gone cold.” “Oh, you’re right. I almost forgot that I was starving!” Alba agreed. “Then, shall we?” “Yeah, let’s go.” “Meeeeeat!” “Oi, oi…” Sigulf continued to chat with the three, trying to ignore the other boys’ stares. “…maybe we were jealous against the wrong guy?” “Why not both?” Another collective groaning from them made Minato confused. “Eh? What’s with them?” “…I envy your obliviousness.” Walter sighed. ——— After school, just as Sigulf was done with Council duties, his phone beeps. ‘Message? Who could it be—‘ His eyes widened. “Sigulf? What’s wrong?” “Uhh… The Principal asked me to see her.” Celina narrowed her eyes. “…she said nothing of such to us.” ‘Nevermind that, the fact that she somehow has my number…!’ “Uh oh, what do you do now, Cel?” Chelsea asked, and for some reason sounded slightly bit excited despite the situation. “I’m going with him. If he doesn’t mind, that is.” “Oh, not at all. I think it’s more reassuring that way.” “Well then…” ——— A knock at the door followed by a muffled “Come in.” signaled Sigulf, Celina, and Chelsea to enter the Principal’s room. “Excuse us…” “Ah, it’s you. Please, come in.” Sigulf observed that Victoria doesn’t seem to mind the Council duo’s presence. ‘I kinda thought she would be slightly surprised or something…’ “Would you like to have some tea?” she continued. “Oh, thank you, but we just had some earlier.” “I see… Then—“ Victoria took a step closer. “Miss Bartram, Miss Kensington, and Mr. Hrimgard. First, allow me to congratulate you in regards of your midterms.” “Eh? O, oh thank you…” “Now, since I think it would be better to get straight to the point, I would like to personally reward you for your achievements.” “By ‘you’, I presume it means Sigulf?” Celina pointed out. “Precisely.” ‘She doesn’t even deny it!?’ Sigulf mentally retorted. “Although, I don’t mind indulging both of you, if you want to.” Victoria continued. “E, eh!? Ah, thank you, but we are good, ahahahahah…” Chelsea laughed uneasily. “Is that so? Then—“ “I have another question.” Celina raised her hand, still keeping her composure. “Oh, sure. Go on.” “May I ask why are you doing this?” “Why, isn’t it obvious? Because he is special. Just like you two.” “…” ‘…wait, I shouldn’t be too happy hearing that.’ Sigulf thought to himself. ‘And what kind of excuse is that?’ Celina wasn’t even sure on how to react at this point. “I can’t believe you…” she sighed. “You are not being subtle at all.” “Ohoho, I sincerely apologize about that.” Victoria said, still with confidence somehow. “But if I have to be serious, then rest assured. If he said no, then I won’t pursue matters any further.” “…you don’t have to say that much, Ma’am.” “Oh my, I thought having a bit more clarity is preferable? Ufufu…” ‘Oh boy, how should I even feel at this situation…?’ Sigulf thought. “So, how about it?” Victoria asked again. “Do you have something in mind?” “Umm, well…” “…Cel, aren’t you going to stop him?” Chelsea said. “I can only give advice, not dictate him. It’s not really different from how I motivate him.” “Well yeah, but…” At this moment, Sigulf wasn’t thinking clear. But he has to. And so, amidst his inner turmoil, he came up with something. “Do you set limits?” “Oh, absolutely. Some things are still… Inappropriate at this level, after all.” ‘…I don’t have to imagine that, yeah.’ Sigulf took a deep breath, Celina silently watched him, and Chelsea had become more worried than excited. ‘He couldn’t be asking for a date, right!?’ Chelsea thought, remembering a similar scenario with Celina. “…alright.” Sigulf finally said. “I’ll take on your offer.” Chelsea gasped, and maybe a bit over-dramatically. “And what would it be?” “Would you mind coaching us during weekends? Or at least whenever you have spare time.” Silence. A slight surprise on Celina and Chelsea. And then a soft chuckle from Victoria’s lips. “Ufufufufu… I see. So that’s what you wanted… If these two ladies don’t mind, then sure.” “Eh? Seriously? Umm, what do you think?” Chelsea turned to Celina. “I have no objections here.” She responded, and this time, with much less tension for some reason. “Well, if Cel doesn’t mind, then I’m okay too, I guess.” “Then it’s decided.” Victoria smiled. “But are you sure you want me to teach you? I’m a busy woman; I might not be able to show up on occasion.” “It’s alright.” Sigulf nodded. “Every knowledge counts.” “Ah, that’s good to hear. Then you don’t mind if I go all out, do you? I might be scarier than Lady Bartram—“ “Thank you for your concern, Ma’am,” Celina interrupted. “But I assure you both of us are well-adapted to my dear mother’s regiment. And Sigulf here is a special fast-learner, so I’m sure he will be fine.” Sigulf looked at Chelsea in a slight confusion. “Let’s just say that Auntie is scary…” she laughed wryly. ‘Hee…’ “My, I guess that’s expected from this Academy’s finest. Ufufufufu…” “Oh no, Ma’am. You flatter me. Ahahahahah…” Laughing they may be, Celina and Victoria couldn’t quite hide their brewing rivalry. ‘Heavy… Women’s loves are heavy…’ Sigulf thought. Chelsea gently elbowed him. “Don’t get too happy by yourself there.” “Ngh…” ——— Excusing themselves, the three finally heads back to the dorm. “Well, it went alright. But I’m still surprised that you accepted.” Chelsea mentioned. “Her vices notwithstanding, she is still an outstanding fighter in her own right. It will be a good experience for us too.” Celina answered. “That might be, but is it really necessary? Especially for Sigulf.” “Hm? Me? Well, I don’t really know either…” “…what? Then why did you—“ “It’s just that my target doesn’t stop at Amakawa. Or Alba. Or that Ashfield guy.” “Eh?” Sigulf turned around to face them. “I want to surpass you two, too.” “…I see.” Celina closed her eyes and smiled. “You don’t look surprised at all.” Chelsea commented. “I figured that might be the reason. Not that he’s hiding it.” “…you sure trust him so much.” “Trust him…” Celina gazed at Sigulf’s face, making him blush a bit. ”For the most part, yes.” “Most part?” She said nothing and approached the boy, before pinching and pulling his cheeks, though not too forceful. “Fweh!?” “Seriously, you…” “W, what are you two doing?” Chelsea questioned. “I wonder too…” She finally lets go and rubs his cheek as some sort of consolation. “I’m sorry about that.” “Eh? O, oh, sure. It didn’t hurt, anyway…” “I see… Then let’s go back…” “Yeah…” Celina quickly walked away with Sigulf following not long after. “E, eh? Wait, what’s going on? Hey, wait, you two!” Sigulf wished he could pinpoint exactly and tell the catching up Chelsea. One thing that he’s certain, though, is that Celina was blushing madly and she’s futilely fighting it back.

Minutes later, the mock duel is underway, in which Alba was chosen as the representative. “Gaaah!” “Battle point 0, cannot continue duel.” “That’s enough! Winner, Alba Hunter!” Unfortunately for her opponent, the Scottish girl’s skill is too much to overcome. The class promptly cheered at her victory. Alba then took the chance to spin around and pointed her claymore towards the audience, smirking all the while. ‘Hmm, another one.’ Eliot mentally commented. ‘This year’s newcomers are interesting, to say the least.’ After helping her opponent stand up, Alba returns to join the rest of the students. “Nice fight, Hunter-san.” Yuu congratulated her as she approached. “Thanks!” Alba responded, before she looks at Sigulf’s direction. Sigulf made a face as if to say “What?”. Alba simply returns it with a grin. ——- After class, Sigulf, Alba, and Minato heads to the principal’s room. Despite having ideas why they are summoned, the three of them still looked cautious. ‘Hm? Isn’t that…?’ Sigulf noticed the student council duo, seemingly have the same destination. “Ah, you three!” Chelsea said as she noticed them as well. “Good afternoon.” Celina greeted them. “Good afternoon!” the three replied in unison. Celina shifted her attention towards the black haired boy. “And you must be…” “Ah, right! My name is Minato Amakawa! Nice to meet you!” “Nice to meet you too.” The blonde responded, still maintaining her neutral expression. “You might have known already, but I’m the student council president, Celina Bartram. And here is my vice-president, Chelsea Kensington.” “Pleased to be your acquaintance.” The brunette said, slightly bowing. “No, no, the pleasure is mine!” “I guess that’s it for the introduction. And now…” Celina continued before knocking. “Come in.” a woman’s voice could be heard from inside. Celina opened the door and allowed the newcomers to enter first. It was a fairly large room, with bookshelves on one side, while trophies and medals adorned the opposite. The principal sat right across of them; her seat is turned around, facing the view of the ocean. “We have brought the first-years.” Celina reported. “Thank you, Miss Bartram.” The principal replied, still not moving from her chair. The newcomers didn’t say a word, still looking tense. “There’s no need to be so nervous.” She suddenly continued, as if she was reading the atmosphere. “I called all of you here not to… punish you.” “…right.” Sigulf responded warily, catching a hint of seductiveness on her words. ‘If I’m not mistaken, her name… Victoria Stark, wasn’t it?’ “First things first, Hrimgard and Hunter, congratulations on your victory.” “Thank you, Ma’am.” The pair replied. “Next, thank you for coming here, even though you might have plans after school.” “Not at all. It’s alright, Ma’am.” Minato responded. “I see. Well then…” Victoria continued. “I believe you already have some ideas why I gathered you here?” “Is it related to yesterday’s duel?” Sigulf tried to take a guess. “For you two, yes, partially.” She answered. “As for Amakawa, despite what happened before the first day, the faculty has agreed that your potential is worth keeping.” “My… Potential…?” Minato questioned. Sigulf took a glance at him. “Correct. Thus, by weighing those factors, Miss Bartram and Miss Kensington have proposed to scout team Gallowglass for the student council, while I personally recommended Amakawa here.” ‘The student council, huh… That’s a bit unexpected, but…’ Sigulf thought, now taking a glance at Celina. “Wait wait wait!” Alba suddenly said, slightly surprising the boys. “What does that have to do with the council!? I don’t think I can handle all those papers and documents!” Victoria chuckled at her response. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. If it’s for clerical duties, then I believe we have more than enough members already. That said, considering Miss Bartram’s personality, feel free to help with those if you want to.” Celina cleared her throat at that one, while Chelsea laughs wryly. “Then what do you mean?” the Scottish girl questioned again. “Hmm… Considering what I have in my mind, maybe ‘official member’ of the student council wouldn’t be a correct term.” “Huh?” “Say, have you met Mr. Svartrotter and Miss Lill?” Minato looked completely oblivious, while Sigulf and Alba processed it in a few seconds. “Aah, the metal guy and the mermaid girl!?” Alba exclaimed. ‘…I kinda can see the reasons for those nicknames.’ Sigulf thought. “Correct.” Victoria continued without breaking her composure. “Those aren’t technically members of the council. Yet, being there yesterday, I’m sure you know what they did.” “They assisted the council.” Sigulf answered. “That’s right. Thus my proposal is this: having you three under my authority to perform student council duties as special members.” Alba looks even more confused while Minato simply commented, “So, like a ghost member? Wait, that doesn’t sound quite right…” Sigulf raised one of his eyebrows slightly. “May I know what the duties are?” “Hmm… Considering yesterday’s results, it would be good if in the end your duty is a simple afternoon patrol. However, just in case they haven’t learned their lesson, then you are allowed to fight on the council’s behalf.” ‘Curbing the nobles, huh.’ “Oh, and the aforementioned paperwork. And you might want to help with the festival preparations as well.” Alba didn’t really listen to the last bit, though, as her eyes sparkles with joy. “Ooh! Now I see!” “I can get behind that.” Minato added. “Wait.” Sigulf interrupted. “If it’s just to intervene with a duel-proposal, I thought we don’t have to be a council member first?” “Ah… Now that you mentioned it…” Alba added. “You’re not wrong. Proposing, and accepting or refusing a duel is free here. However, I believe it would have more weight when you are a council member or the approximate equal of it.” Victoria answered. “…so, ‘the position of authority’.” “Precisely.” “Is it alright if I accept your words as it is? I mean, what’s so different with the noble’s ‘position’?” Sigulf words made everyone tensed, while Chelsea looks worried. The principal chuckled instead. “My, you asked a lot, don’t you, young man? Not that I hate it.” “Eh?” “You do remember what those nobles kept saying, right?” Victoria continued. “That’s what has happened here in last few years. That the nobles have forced their ‘position’, their ‘authority’ over everyone else. They have betrayed the founding principle of this academy.” The rest silently listened. “If you are still not convinced, then rest assured. I did a background check after all, thus why I approved Miss Bartram and Miss Kensington’s suggestion, while I specifically picked Amakawa for this. In other words, fight their given ‘authority’ with your earned ‘authority’. Well, if they decided to strike back that is.” “…and what if I failed? Or came to abuse said authority?” Victoria laughed at his words. “Oh, are you doubting my judgement? And you know as well you won’t. But, in the worst possible case, I’ll take responsibility for it.” ‘Vague…’ “So, how about it? Would you help us to guide this academy back on its right path?” Celina and Chelsea waits for their response. “You know,” Alba suddenly talked. “It sounds nice and all, but how are we supposed to know that you are sincere when you face the other way all the time?” There was a short silence and the atmosphere got a bit lighter. ‘…shit, she’s right. I guess that’s what bothers me.’ Sigulf thought. “My apologies. How rude of me. Very well.” The principal finally turned her chair and stood up. At first, Victoria looked at the first years with a confident smile. When she set her eyes on Sigulf, however… “Oh my.” “…huh? What?” “Even though you have quite the attitude, seeing you in person…” she muttered. “…pardon me?” Victoria said nothing as she approached Sigulf and inched her face closer, taking a good look at his face. “!?” “What!?” Alba and Minato can’t hide their surprise. “Hmm…” “Ma’am, what are you—“ Celina protested as she and Chelsea approached them. ‘She’s… Too close…’ Sigulf thought. ‘But looking her up close, she’s gorgeous, in a different way from Celina. And she smells nice… Wait, what am I thinking right now?’ “I see.” Victoria said as she backed away from Sigulf. “A fine young lad. I can see why you two… wanted him so bad.” “…huh?” “What do you mean, Ma’am?” Celina asked, slightly irritated while she and Chelsea now took a defensive position. “Hm? I thought it was you two who suggested him?” ‘…is she even talking about that in the first place?’ Sigulf mentally retorted. “Well, in any case, they have yet to make their decision, so I’ll ask again. Would you help us to guide this academy back on its right path?” The first years looked at each other, before Minato finally speaks. “There is still too much stuff I need to know, but… If it’s for everyone’s greater good, then I’ll join!” “As expected from you. Hunter?” “I’ll pass.” The students, especially Chelsea, were surprised at her answer. “Hunter-san!?” “Oh?” “I don’t hate the idea, but I’d rather do it on my own terms. And, well, practice when I have the time instead of patrolling.“ “Is that so… Then so be it. And… You?” Sigulf said nothing as he seemed to be thinking. ‘Alba not joining was a bit unexpected. …Still, I can’t let Amakawa join the council alone.’ Sigulf sighed before he finally answered, “I still don’t think that this counts as earned ‘authority’. But very well, I’ll take your challenge.” “My, how distrusting.” She chuckled. “Still, I am grateful.” At that, Celina sighed out of relief. It’s finally over. “Well then,” Victoria continued. “Mr. Hrimgard, Mr. Amakawa, welcome aboard. Miss Hunter, it’s unfortunate, but I sincerely hope that we’ll keep sharing the same interests.” “Huh, yeah, sure.” Alba responded nonchalantly. ‘She really hates the English or something…’ “I guess that’s all for today. Again, thank you for gathering here. Miss Bartram, if you will, about the details for later.” “Understood.” “Alright, you are dismissed.” “Thank you, Ma’am!” the students responded in unison. ‘Whew, it’s done…’ Sigulf thought. ‘So next is briefing from Celina, and— Huh?’ Just as he was about to turn around, his eyes met with Victoria’s and— ‘!?’ His heart skips a beat. ‘Did she just—‘ Sigulf blinked in disbelief. “Hm? Is something the matter?” ‘…just my imagination?’ “…no, it’s nothing.” “I see. Well, take care.” Sigulf followed the rest to exit the room. ‘…she didn’t just wink at me, did she?’ When Celina finally closed the door, the principal is all alone now. “Fufufu…” Victoria chuckled. “My, such a fine young lad you have raised, Vigdis.” ——— Outside, after making sure they are far enough, Celina and Chelsea suddenly turned to face Sigulf. “Eh?” “Are you alright?” “A, are you alright, Sigulf!? Did she touch you somewhere strange!?” “What!? …oh, I’m alright, thanks.” Chelsea sighed out of relief, while Celina softened her expression. ‘My heart is still not alright, though…’ “But the principal… She is really… Something, isn’t she?” Minato commented. “True. Back in our first year, she was nothing like that. Always calm and stern.” Celina added. ‘So why…’ Sigulf wondered. “Putting that aside,” the blonde continued, now looking at the Scottish girl. “Are you sure about this, Alba?” The girl in question kept his neutral expression. “I guess…” she replied. “I like it better when I have more freedom.” Her answer made Chelsea looks a bit sad. “Oh, come on!” Alba groaned. “It’s not like we’ll never meet again! This island isn’t that big anyway!” “…really? We’ll meet again?” “Uwaa, that’s so out of character for you…” “Right? Even I think so too.” “Why you…” “You know,” Sigulf interrupted their banter. “I don’t see the reason why wouldn’t you join. Is patrolling really that bad for you?” “Like I say, I’d rather use any available time to train, so yes, it’s not good.” “Ah, about that…” Celina suddenly spoke. “I know it’s officially a shared task, but most of the time, Lindorm and Laine will insist so that they are the ones doing the patrol.” “…eh?” “Come to think of it, yesterday’s 4-man patrol was one after a long time, right?” Chelsea added. Alba fell silent. “Beginning to feel lonely?” Sigulf teased. “…shut up.”

The atmosphere got heavier as both sides continues their staredown. Sigulf slides into his battle stance; his eyes glints dangerously like a wild beast ready to strike. Alba swung her claymore lightly a few times, followed with her cracking a feral smirk. “En garde.” The system announced. The noble clenched his fists as a single cold sweat trails down his forehead. His duel partner simply adjusted his own collar the last time. “Begin!” Dust flies as the duelists kicked the ground as hard as possible, charging towards each other with fury. The loud sound of steel clashing followed suit. Both parties pressed their offense with all their might, accompanied by sparks scattering from their True Arms. “Rgh…!” Sigulf grunted as he engaged in a deadlock with the noble. ‘Gotta hand it to them. They are not all talk.’ The noble gritted his teeth, giving his all to push Sigulf’s Fenrir back. ‘My pride… Our pride is on the line…! There’s no way I’m losing here!’ His eyes are burning with determination, even as Sigulf intensified his pressure. ‘If you are pushing with such force, then—!’ The noble suddenly pulled his sword back. Unfortunately for him… “I can smell the air, you know.” Sigulf said, backing away at the last moment and managed to avoid the noble’s bait. ‘Shit, he read that!? And what did he me—’ The noble didn’t have time to finish his thought, as his body barely reacted in time against Sigulf’s sudden axe strike. Even though he managed to block it, the force still knocks him away. “Sir!” his lackey called out with worry. “Hey, now! I’m your opponent here!” “Guh…!” Alba pushed her opponent slightly off balance, before she continued with a powerful upswing. Just like his boss, the boy got knocked away without damage. “It’s not over yet!” Alba roared while she charged; Sigulf wordlessly followed after. ‘D, dammit…!’ the noble mentally cursed as he guarded against Sigulf’s attack. ‘They really won’t let us catch a breath!’ The endless barrage from Sigulf-Alba duo left no opening for counterattacks, forcing the nobles to stay on the defensive. ‘Which one is it…!? Is it another feint!? Or will h—‘ “There.” “!?” Using the noble’s moment of uncertainty, Sigulf brought his Fenrir down and broke his opponent’s guard. “Shi—“ “Gotcha…!” “Sir!” All of a sudden, using the momentum from Alba’s strike, the lackey propels himself and tackled the noble away. Slash! “Gwah…!” “…” The Fenrir struck the lackey instead, sending him flying backwards. “Battle point, down by 20%.” “Y, you…!” the noble looks genuinely surprised before regaining his composure. Getting up quickly, he charged once more at Sigulf. “Revenge!” “Tch…!” Barely recovering, Sigulf managed to block his attack at the last moment. Before Sigulf had a chance to react, the noble jumped away. “Are you alright!?” he asked his lackey. “I, I’m fine, Sir!” his men responded with surprise. “Don’t give up! It’s not over yet!” “Man, it’s like we are the bad guys here…” Alba commented. “We should put those peasants at their place!” “…nevermind. I take it back.” Meanwhile, as the duelists clashed once more, Yuu still observed from the sidelines. “I’m surprised those nobles can keep up with them.” he commented. “Still, for how long?” The nobles got more aggressive, seemingly had enough with defending. ‘That being said, those two going on an all-out rampage…’ Yuu thought. ‘It would be much easier if it’s just that; a blind frenzy. Yet, this is Sig-kun. Can’t underestimate his instincts. And that Hunter girl is much stronger than I anticipated. I have to think of a countermeasure for later.’ The crowd’s voice got louder, catching Yuu’s attention. “…more people come to enjoy this one-sided affair, huh?” Yuu laughed bitterly. “Ah, well. It’s their own fault.” “Gaahh…!” “Battle points, down by 25%.” “S, sir!” Sigulf managed to land a hit on the noble. His lackey caught him as the noble was reeling back from the hit. “N, not yet…! I can still…!” Before the noble can finish, the sound of high heels clacking could be heard approaching the area. “Hey, is that…” As the source of the sound showed themselves, the crowd went into a commotion. “I, it’s the student council!” one of the mobs exclaimed. ‘Celina!?’ Sigulf finally diverted his attention. “I see you guys are still on it.” Celina Bartram and Chelsea Kensington have arrived on the scene. “Geh, the Sassenach duo, huh…” Alba muttered. ‘Wait, why are they drawing their True Arms? Did something happened?’ Sigulf thought. As he noted, the student council wields their weapons; the jagged raven spear Sigulf saw before, and a sword plus round shield combination respectively. Behind them, Sigulf noticed a pair of students he doesn’t recognize; a boy and a girl. The long haired boy with a grim expression wears a huge, oversized gauntlets. In place of the humanoid fingers are five equally big blades, making it looked more like draconic claws. ‘A claw user? And a big one at that.’ On his side is a blonde haired girl, who somehow looks like she’s been spacing out. Her True Arms took the form of a harpoon spear with a steel chain attached to it. ‘This one’s a bit unusual. Those chains… Probably she can use it to swing the harpoon.’ The noble looks unnerved once more, now he’s facing the student council president herself. “I believe you have an explanation for all of this.” Celina said, addressing the noble. “Wait a minute. Please listen to me, Bartram. This is—“ “’To regain the nobility’s lost honor’, am I correct?” she cuts the noble off. “Actually, I believe nothing has been lost.” “Surely you jest!? This guy—“ “Or there’s nothing to warrant an attempted physical assault towards this 1st-year.” Now’s Chelsea’s turn to cut him off. “Prez, Prez.” The harpoon girl suddenly talked. “Or how he sent his minions to… Stall us? Buy the time?” ‘He did that!?’ Sigulf thought, now glaring furiously at the noble. ‘I kinda thought she will be fine, but still…!’ The noble gritted his teeth in anger, while his lackey looks unsure on what to do. “Why, Bartram? As a fellow noble, you of all people should have understood!” “Don’t worry, I do understand what’s happening here.” “Then—“ “If anything, it’s people like YOU who humiliated the nobility.” “What…!?” “Instead of improving your own self, you used your status as an excuse to laze around and look down on others. Truly, you should be ashamed to even consider yourself a member of this Academy.” Celina’s words clearly infuriated the noble. “How dare you, betraying your own lineage and siding with those peasants!!” “I am not siding with them. I am merely adhering to the principle of this Academy. To judge every one duelist based on their performance and passion, regardless of their societal standing.” “And that’s coming from the daughter of a sponsor!? You’re a raving mad hypocrite!” “What the…!?” Chelsea got furious at the noble’s accusation and was just about to step forward, if not for Celina stopping her. “That may be true.” The student council president simply replied. “As long as I cannot provide any evidence that I passed on my efforts, you are free to say anything you want. However…” Celina stepped forward and twirled her spear before getting into her battle stance. “I have a suggestion. How about you try and see for yourself, whether my skills are genuine… or not.” All of a sudden, a massive and unseen pressure envelopes the whole area, mostly affecting the duelists. ‘What’s… this…!?’ Sigulf thought. ‘This is totally different from back then…! Did my arms… just tremble…!?’ ‘Holy shit… I heard she’s the Academy’s strongest… But not like this…!’ Alba thought while struggling to stand straight. ‘Even Sig-kun and Hunter went like that…’ Yuu commented, partially feeling the pressure. ‘So this is the rumored ‘S-Ranker’…’ “S, sir, what should we do…?” the lackey asked his superior. “We’re still fighting, and there’s no way we can face Bartram…!” A mix of emotions flashed in the noble’s face, but in the end, he decided to brace himself. “Bartram!” he shouted. “After I’m done with them, you are next!” “S, sir!?” “Hm, very well.” Celina responded as she twirled her spear once more, back to standing by. “Then I shall see the end of this duel first.” The pressure dissipates, allowing the duelists to move unhindered once more. “Cel, is this really alright?” Chelsea whispered to her. “If they are genuine, then it should be.” The noble turned his attention towards Sigulf again. “Unforgivable…!” he growled. “You dared to cross your boundaries! Thus, I—“ A sudden hard strike from the Fenrir landed straight in his face, sending the noble flying. “Sir!! Why you…!!” The lackey dashed straight towards Sigulf, only to be intercepted by Alba. “The hell are you going!? I’m your opponent!” “Out of my way, woman!!” Sigulf’s sudden burst of fury made most of the spectators cheer, except… ‘Sig-kun!? What’s gotten into him!?’ Yuu thought. ‘He’s nothing like this yesterday…!’ Arthfael mentally noted. ‘Is this another trick up his sleeve, or…’ Sigulf, on the other hand, keep landing his attacks mercilessly, not giving the noble a chance to even perform an emergency recovery. ‘Why…?’ the white-haired boy thought in-between strikes. ‘Why am I like this? Am I… angry?’ The noble managed to block an attack and slipped away, though now he has difficulty standing. Sigulf stopped for a moment before continuing his pursuit. ‘Is it because of him?’ he thought, while getting few strikes in. ‘But here I am, dominating him. So…’ It was after he met Celina’s gaze that he realized. ‘Ah, I see… So that’s how it is…’ Sigulf suddenly stopped moving, catching Alba and her opponent’s attention. “Hrimgard! What are you doing!?” Sigulf stood still, looking towards Celina’s direction. ‘I was angry…’ Sigulf realized. ‘I was frustrated towards myself.’ Seemingly not paying attention, the noble got up. ‘Standing on the same level as her… How foolish I am. She just easily showed how huge the gap between us.’ The noble finally got up, and charged towards Sigulf. “This is no time for sightseeing… HRIMGAAAAAAARD!!” the noble roared while closing on him. “Sig-kun, watch out!!” “…!” The noble managed to land a clean hit. “Battle point, down by 30%.” “And now— !?” However, Sigulf only flinched a little, and before the noble could react, Sigulf grabbed his arm first. ‘…and that’s why, more the reason for me to win. To close the gap one step at a time. To reach the same heights. To stand by her side…!’ “I can’t lose here!!” With his free hand, Sigulf brought his axe down and lands a decisive blow. “Aaargh…!!” His opponent got hammered to the ground by the sheer force of the Fenrir, before finally lying unconscious. “Battle points, 0. Cannot continue duel.” The announcement earned a loud cheer from the crowd, while the lackey knelt in defeat, losing his will to fight. Alba pulled away from him, watching Sigulf silently. ‘He…’ From the other side, Chelsea sighed in relief, the unknown pair withdrawn their Arms, and Celina slightly smiled at the spectacle before her. “Just as I thought.” She mused. “They are genuine.”

The dust settled, and for a while, it seems all the excitement begins to dissipate as well. However… “Hm…?” Going to check on Sigulf and Alba, Celina noticed that both of them still haven’t withdrawn their True Arms. “…” Alba said nothing as her slow steps broke into a dash towards Sigulf, who is still standing motionlessly, ignoring the lackey as he grabbed and took the noble away to safety. “This is…! Watch out!” “!?” Reacting to Alba suddenly swinging her claymore, Sigulf twirled and retaliated with his axe, only for both of them to stop at the last moment possible. “…is this how you tell things?” Sigulf asked her coldly. “You tell me.” Alba responded, while cracking a smirk. The spectacle earned some gasps from the remaining spectators, which in turn, changed the mind of others who were about to go home. “What… are they doing?” Arthfael asked, clearly looking perplexed. Yuu, meanwhile, seems to be unfazed. “Hee… Talk about classic. Let’s observe how this will turn out.” He commented. Alba then hopped back, getting into her fighting stance. “Well, I promised you earlier. So, allow me to reintroduce myself!” she said while retaining her air of confidence. “I am Alba Hunter, the Highland’s Finest, the Greatest Blademistress of Scotland, and the Future Champion of North Sea!” ‘…her self-proclaimed title got even longer.’ Sigulf mentally retorted. ‘Still, with her skills, I can understand.’ “But…!” she continued. “To take the first step, I must pay back my loss, therefore—“ “Wait, wait, wait.” Sigulf interrupted. “What loss? I didn’t even fight you, else I would’ve remembered.” “That’s true. We didn’t cross our blades back then. However, a loss is still a loss. You are ranked above me after all.” Sigulf blinked before he finally processed what she said. “There’s a rank system in the first place? I just look for whether I passed or not…” “There is. They posted it on the bulletin board. Or you can dig on their website.” “Even if you say that,“ Sigulf sighed. “I don’t think that’s enough reason…” “But it is for me.” Alba sharply replied. “You are not going to say no and just walk away, do you? Or could it be… You actually thought others are not worth a damn and thus took them lightly?” The last one caught Sigulf by surprise. Her tone filled with seriousness; nothing like the hammy girl with her huge appetite, nor the wild warrior on the battlefield he knows. “I don’t know what’s your motivation is. Or whether you have one in the first place.” she continued. “Aiming for the top is nice and all, but let me give you an advice. When you look up, watch out for your footing as well.” Sigulf was wordless for a few moment before he finally said, “…you are right. I’m sorry about that.” “You’re surprisingly earnest, huh.” Alba commented. “Like you said, I’m aiming for the top. There’s… Someone I want to reach.” He replied. Celina and Chelsea are listening intently to this. “And I’m planning to take the steps necessary for it. But,” Sigulf continued. “If I lose my footing on the way there, I will never reach it after all. So, thanks.” “Heh, I didn’t expect your gratitude for this.” She retorted. “Ah, well, we’re good to go, then?” “Anytime.” He simply replied as he gets into fighting stance. “Aaalright then! Sigulf Hrimgard! I chal—“ Groooowl. With that sound, all the tension suddenly dropped to zero. “Not me.” Sigulf casually commented. “D, dammit… Why must you ask for supply at a time like this…?” Alba cursed while holding her stomach. Some of the crowds groaned, Yuu sighed, and Arthfael can only let out a bitter laugh. “Umm, guys?” Chelsea suddenly called the two. “It might be too soon, but how about we grab some dinner?” ——— In the end, the remaining crowd was sent home with the help of the unknown pair, while Sigulf and the rest headed to a nearby café. ——— “Chomp… Munch munch munch… Crunch!” “…” Almost everyone on the table went speechless as they were treated with the sight of Alba happily devouring her mountain of a meal. “She… Really eats a lot.” Celina commented. “I’m still wondering how she managed to finish them all.” Sigulf added. “Muffle muffle muffle?” Alba tried to say something. “Don’t talk while you eat.” He retorted. Meanwhile, Chelsea stares at Alba’s menu seriously. “Chelsea…?” her blonde best friend asked. “It’s all fat and fried food…” the brunette muttered. Chelsea then suddenly raised her hand and called the waitress. “Yes, may I help you?” the waitress asked as she came over. “Can I have a fruit and vegetable salad for her?” Chelsea’s order made Alba widen her eyes. “Certainly. Is there anything else you want?” “No, that would be enough.” “Very well. Please wait for a moment.” As the waitress left, Alba swallowed her food before protesting, “What the hell’s that for!?” “No, no, no!” Chelsea quickly responded. “That’s not good! Not good at all! Everything is fatty and fried! You could kill yourself before you know it! …umm, Alba Hunter, wasn’t it?” “Y, yes, Alba Hunter…” she replied, surprised at her sudden outburst. “But, they taste shitty anyways! Why would I eat them!?” “You need to have a balanced diet! As the vice-president, consider it one of my duties to remind the others about this!” ‘C, consider…?’ Sigulf mentally questioned. “What are you, my mum? No way!” “Umm,” the waitress called, catching their attention. “Here’s your order, a fruit and vegetable salad.” “Ah, thank you.” Chelsea gratefully replied as the waitress handed the salad. She then scooped a portion of it and offered it to Alba. “Alright, open up.” “W, what?” “Ooopen up!” “Hell no! I’m n—“ “O. Pen. Up.” “A, alright, alright! I can eat on my own!” Alba finally gave up and scooped the salad on her own. She took one last look before munching it. “Bleh… It’s not meat…” “Well done!” Chelsea praised her with a smile. “And now…” she continued as she pushed the salad bowl towards Sigulf. “…oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me.” He lamented. “I see nothing but meat.” “Alright, okay, I get it.” He gave up as well and took a bite. “…mrgh.” “So the fearsome beasts are weak against salad, huh?” Yuu chuckled from his seat. “Hey, anyone got their own dislikes, you know?” Alba protested. “I wanted to check are you guys alright after the duel, but considering your banters, it seems I have nothing to worry.” Celina commented. “…and that includes me?” Arthfael asked, still seems confused on why he’s here. “Of course. Just like Kanzaki, you were a bit more involved after all.” A pained expression crossed his face. “…aren’t you going to say anything?” “Hm? About what?” “I… Was just standing there. Doing nothing. Even though I know those nobles are wrong… Even though I should’ve joined Hrimgard… I’ve failed my own code of chivalry…!” “That might be true. But at least you didn’t join their side either. We appreciate that fact, Penndreic.” “Even so…!” “Are you frustrated?” “…! Yes… Yes, I am frustrated with myself…!” “Then use that frustration to temper yourself. So that you won’t regret anything ever again.” “Miss Bartram…! Yes, thank you very much…!” Sigulf listened silently while sipping his glass of milk. ‘I have to watch out for him in the future.’ He mentally noted. “Sig-kun? What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” ——— The group exited the café and met the unknown pair from before. “Ah, Laine, Lindorm! Where have you been? Have you eaten already?” Chelsea asked them. “Oh, hey, Vice-Prez.” The harpoon girl, named Laine, replied. “Just grabbed a hot-dog. We’re not that hungry yet.” The black-haired guy, Lindorm, said nothing and simply nodded. ‘He… Feels different from when he summoned his Arms.’ Sigulf thought. ‘Is it the same case with Alba?’ “So, you guys done?” Laine continued. “We’re finished here.” Celina answered. “Only the small patrolling needs to be done, just in case.” “Aye-aye, Ma’am.” Laine saluted. Lindorm did the same wordlessly. “Ah, so you still have things to do.” Sigulf commented. “That’s right. Just to make sure no troublemakers remain.” “Hmm… Can I join?” “Hm? That’s so sudden. Why if I may ask?” ‘Good move, Sigulf.’ He sarcastically thought. “Well, the ruckus is related to me after all. And… Well, I ended up not contacting you two like promised.” “Aah, that. It can’t be helped. They actually came and stalled us first.” “…so they went that far.” “True, which made me a bit sad.” She sighed. “Every student here should be based on their performance and will to improve, not their birth background. As the President, it’s my important duty to ensure that.” “Cel…” Chelsea simply murmured, noticing a slight hint of pain in her voice. “So, while we appreciate the sentiment,” Celina continued. “I’m afraid we must decline. At least for now.” “I see… I guess it can’t be helped.” “My apologies.” “N, no, it’s alright.” “By the way, weren’t you guys on your way home? I’m pretty sure you guys are tired already.” Chelsea added. “Eh? I’m still good though!” Alba quickly responded before the others had even the chance to speak. “Right, Hrimgard? Now, I’ve refilled my tank—“ “Forget it, I’m going back to the dorm.” “Whaaat!? Are you running away!? Hey… Err, Kanzaki! What do you think?” “Huh!? Well, I don’t know… I want to rest and review the day…” “Wha— Sassenach?” she turned towards Arthfael. “Sasse…” he looks surprised before he coughed to continue. “Dueling too much in a day would disturb one’s training hours. Thus, I advise against it.” “I can’t believe you guys…” Alba slumped her shoulder in defeat. “There, there.” Chelsea brushed her hair. “U, ugh, to be comforted by a Sassenach…” “Prez? Preeez.” Laine suddenly called over. “Are we going?” “Oh, right, sorry about that.” Celina answered her before turning back to the 1st years. “I have to go now. Take care of yourselves. Oh, and… Sigulf, Alba, congratulations on your victory.” “Ah… Thank you very much.” “Thanks…” “Well then, if you excuse us.” Smiling, Celina and Chelsea finally left Sigulf’s group to join Lindorm and Laine. The Icelander watched them as they made their way. “Well, quite a day, huh?” Yuu commented. “I got to see and learn more today.” Arthfael added. Alba pouts as she poked Sigulf's arm. “You sure you don’t wanna brawl?” “…I don’t. The rush has died down. Might as well hit the sack today.” “Aw man… What am I supposed to do now…” “Um, Hunter-san? Why don’t you swing your claymore a bit more?” “I know…” she sighed. “Guess I’ll just settle for that, today.” Alba then heads for the Training Ground, before turning to face the rest. “But, remember! Next time, we’ll surely fight! And that goes for you two as well!” “Eeh…” “…wait, me too?” Both Yuu and Arthfael looks confused. “See ya later!” The three boys saw her left wordlessly. “She’s… Really a unique individual.” Yuu finally commented. “Yeah…” Sigulf agreed. ——— Meanwhile, on the student council side… “Cel…” “Hm?” “You could’ve just accepted his offer, you know?” “…I can’t. This is something I have to do for myself.” Chelsea sighed. “Goodness, you could be so stubborn sometimes. Aren’t you being too hard on yourself?” “But—“ “Cel. You can’t expect to fix anything instantly. It’s not that long since you became the President, after all. There are steps on everything.” “I…  I guess so.” “There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. That’s why I’m here. That’s why Lindorm and Laine are here. And I guess that’s why he offered in the first place. We share the same vision.” “Chelsea…” “So don’t push yourself too hard. If you collapse, then who am I going to surpass?” she giggled. “…you are right. I’m sorry. And thank you.” “You are welcome. So, should we see the principal later?” “Already?” “Mm-hm. It won’t hurt just to ask, right?”

In the end, Alba excused herself earlier after they have finished eating, saying she wants to give Sigulf “some quality time” with his master. “Well, if you say so…” Seeing her off, Sigulf then returns inside, looking at Vigdis who lies comfortably in the bed. “…” “Oh, wanna join for some nap?” “…Master, at least help me with the plates.” “Yes, yes…” Vigdis responded as she lazily got up. “And what’s the point of borrowing a room if you’re going to sleep here?” “Don’t worry! It’s just a short nap! Ah, can you wake me up later if I oversleep?” Sigulf merely replies with a sigh. ——— Done with washing the plates, Sigulf shifted his attention towards his closet, shuffling around before taking out his towel. “Planning to go out, boy?” “Uh-huh.” “I see. Should I join you on the bath?” “…please stop with that kind of joke.” “But what if I’m not joking?” “That’s even more dangerous!” “Hee… I wonder why it was okay back then, but dangerous now?” “You know the reason…” Sigulf retorted while trying to fight back his blush. “Anyways, just let me take a bath in peace.” Vigdis cackled. “You sure you don’t need someone to wash your back?” “Positive.” “Really?” “…yes, really.” “Oookay then. Enjoy yourself!” Sigulf can only sigh again as he entered the bathroom. ——— Drying his hair on the way out, Sigulf noticed that Vigdis is using the Terminal once more. “Ah, you’re done.” The older woman realized and faced him. “Wait, you got changed already?” “Huh? Yeah, why?” “Tch, I wanted to see how much you’ve grown…” “…not again.” Sigulf groaned. “And there’s no way I go around half-naked with a visitor now.” “I’m not a mere visitor, though? I’m your mother.” “You—“ Sigulf wanted to say something but gave up and sighed instead. “…well, whatever. What are you doing anyway?” “Looking at pro duels.” “I see…” Sigulf stopped for a while and watch the fight together. ‘Master is a duelist, after all… In the end, it’s not easy just to forget dueling like that.’ Saying nothing, Sigulf returned to the bedside and grabbed his blanket before putting it beside Vigdis. “Hm? What’s this for?” “I think it’s better if I lock the door, so if you want to turn on the AC, wear that.” He explained. “Ah, I think I still I have some cocoa left. Feel free to make a hot chocolate or something.” “Hee, what’s with the sudden kindness?“ “I’m… not sure. I just feel like to.” Vigdis chuckled. “Well, thanks. And have fun out there.” “Mm. Later.” Sigulf then heads to the door, but before he reached it, Vigdis called him first. “Ah, Sigulf. Maybe we should buy some clothes for you some other time.” “Huh? What for?” “Don’t you get bored with the usual black T and jeans combo?” “…I’ll think about it.” ——— Once again, Sigulf found himself standing outside with the island’s familiar landscape around. At this time, the sun is already a bit higher. “Good thing I don’t wear my jacket.” He said to no one in particular. “Maybe I’ll just wander around.” ——— As Sigulf made his way without any clear destination, he came across a slightly interesting sight on the park. ‘Isn’t that…’ The boy approached a white haired girl who was surrounded by a cat and her kittens. Said girl noticed his presence and looked up. “You…” Ilma muttered as she recognized his face. Sigulf doesn’t really know what to say, especially when it comes to Minato’s groupies(?), despite being fellow council trainees. “Cats from that day?” he tried to open a conversation. Ilma winced before responding, “That day, huh…” ‘Oops.’ “Hiss!!” the mother cat suddenly screeched towards Sigulf, while her kittens hide for cover. “Oh, they seem to dislike you for some reason. Good, good.” “…huh. Well, I am the wolf, after all.” “And wolves are nothing but wild dogs for hunters, before they got their sorry hides skinned.” “You clearly mistook Fenrir and me as common wolves, then.” “Heh, we’ll see about that, Fjord Dweller.” ‘Yup, quite the personality.’ he thought. ‘And Finns do hate wolves.’ “Huh? Sig-kun, what are you doing here?” Recognizing the voice, Sigulf looked at the source and saw Yuu with Minato beside him. “Yo. Could ask the same thing.” “Ah, about that. Hiltunen-san wanted some help for feeding them, so we think it would be nice if we brought some dried fish.” Minato explained. As if forgetting Sigulf’s existence, the cat and her kittens dashed towards Minato, gathering around his feet. “Whoa, easy now. We have fish for everyone.” Minato said. “They like you already, huh.” Yuu commented. “Well, he saved one of them after all.” Sigulf added. “Tch… Come back here. You don’t want to catch his perversion.” Ilma said towards the cats. “Is that even possible in the first place!?” Minato retorted. “Amakawa, I brought some roe!” “Minato, how about a whole octopus?” “Don’t you girls think you are overdoing it!?” Eurypha and Carmen, who just joined them, brought their own luxurious contributions, earning Minato’s shock. “…what are they doing here?” Ilma questioned. “Eh? I met them on the way, so I might as well ask for their help.” “…tch.” “What? You’ve got a problem?” Eurypha responded. As usual, the tension rises among the three girls. “Here they go again…” Yuu commented. “Tactical retreat.” Sigulf mumbled. “Is it okay to do that? I thought they are fellow council members?” “Better to be safe than caught in the crossfire.” “I… suppose so.” Yuu laughed wryly. ——— Silently making their getaway, Sigulf and Yuu arrived at the entertainment square. “So, where are you going next?” the Japanese boy asked. “No idea. I’m just looking for fresh air after my morning practice. You?” “Hmm… I was thinking either the book store, or the clothes shop. Wanna tag along?” “I guess. I have nothing better to do anyway.” “Alright. We’ll look at some books first. Let’s go!” ——— Just outside the book store, the boys saw another familiar figure from their class; his spiky orange hair is distinct enough to be recognized easily. “Hm? Oh, if it isn’t Kanzaki!” Walter said as he noticed them. “And, err… Hrimgard was it?” “Yeah. And you are…” “Walter Armstrong. Nice to meetcha! …though I’m guessing you knew already from the name register.” “Well, something like that.” “Yeah, I thought so.” Walter laughed. “Amakawa’s not with you guys?” “He’s on the park, being the center of attention as usual.” Yuu answered. “Tch, lucky bastard… Why it’s always him?” “Suggestion, Armstrong-kun. Maybe you should be more… Tactful in your actions.” “What’s wrong with being honest to your own instinct!?” “…what are you guys on?” Sigulf asked. “Come on, man. You could guess easily.” Walter continued. “Speaking of which, where were you yesterday? You didn’t show up.” “Huh? Something’s on yesterday?” “The boys out partying at the game center and karaoke.” Yuu explained. “Then again, you are busy with council duties.” “Aah, I see, I see. Then this is a good chance…” Walter said as he opened his Organizer and showed it to Sigulf. “…popularity contest?” “Exactly! Vote for your best girl! I will announce the results on Monday.” “Hee…” As far as Sigulf can gather, his Organizer showed the photos of their female classmates, Alba and Minato’s girls included. “Can I pass?” “Ehh? Why’s that?” “He’s crushing on our council president.” Yuu snickered. “And maybe our principal too.” “O, oi…!” “Holy shit, are you serious!?” Walter cackled. “You got balls!” Sigulf can only scratch his cheek in embarrassment. “Nah, it’s okay. Even though I prefer girls my age myself, I understand why you hunt for the older ones.” “Thanks… I guess?” “Alright! I’ll turn a blind eye on this one vote for abstain! And as a further sign of goodwill, allow me to buy you something! Kanzaki, you coming with us?” “Eh, I’m going to check for new comic releases anyway, so…” Yuu shrugged. “It’s decided, then! Follow me!” “…why is he getting fired up? I got a bad feeling…” Sigulf muttered. ——— “Thank you for the purchase!” the shopkeeper said as the three boys left the shop. “…” Sigulf said nothing as he stared at the wrapped package in his hands. “Don’t worry! I picked it based on your tastes!” Walter reassured. “Good for you, Sig-kun!” “…this is an adult magazine, isn’t it?” “What else?” Sigulf can only groan, “…why is this allowed?” “Because we need stress relief as well?” Yuu tried to answer. “Don’t tell me you are the same type as Amakawa…” Walter sighed. “Speaking of which, I almost forgot. He hasn’t cast his vote yet.” “Considering him, he probably ran off somewhere else while the girls are too busy fighting.” Yuu added. “Goddamn, I would kill just to be chased by girls…” Walter lamented. “Anyways, he was at the park, right? He’s probably not that far off. Well then, see ya later!” “Don’t forget the poll results!” “Of course!” And thus, Walter made his way, hoping to catch up with Minato and leaving the two boys. “…what’s with him?” Sigulf asked, exasperated. “Not sure. At the very least, I can say that he’s an overly friendly and pushy guy.” “So you’re actually not that close with him…” “Well…” “By the way, Yuu…” “Yes?” “Can you hold this for me?” “Nope. I’m 99% sure the contents are not to my liking.” “Why you…”

The fight goes on, and the crowd got stirred up as Walter guarded against Anil’s attack. “…!” “Kh, not again…!” ‘If only I can get a hit in…!’ Anil backed off a bit before lunging with a thrust. Walter only got the time to clash it with his gauntlet’s knuckle. ‘Damn, I think I have to do that…!’ Taking another backstep, Anil charged in once more, this time unleashing a wide slash. Walter tried sidestepping to the right, but it still grazed him. “Tch…!” “Battle point, down by 10%.” …yet his right fist didn’t stop at all, something Anil realized too late. “…!?” “Eat this!!” With a body blow and a loud crash, Walter sent him flying. Anil recovered at the last moment, but as soon as he landed, he staggered and coughed. “…it hurts.” “Battle points, down by 25%.” The Atlantic students cheered on the announcement, recovering some of Walter’s confidence. ‘I can do this…! I am an A-class duelist too…!’ All this, however, didn’t deter Anil in the slightest, and after cracking his own neck, he took the offence with fury again. “OOOOOHH!!” “Quite the loud one, aren’t ya!?” Exchanging blows, for every one Walter could overpower, his opponent would dish another attack faster than he is. ‘So persistent…! Then…!’ Evading another slash, Walter swayed back and raised his fist. “…!” Sensing danger, Anil tried to backstep… But it wasn’t aiming for him at all. Rather, Walter struck the ground near his feet. “Gotcha!” “…!?” The shockwave was small, but enough to make Anil lose his balance. Walter used this chance to tackle him, and then releases a powerful straight punch. “DORYAH!!” Anil was sent flying from the blow, and he only managed to roll safely after hitting the ground. Even then, Anil still quickly drops to his knee, breathing raggedly. “Battle point, down by 25%.” The cheering grew louder as Walter took the lead, while on the other hand, the Pacifics began to look slightly grim. “…he’s quite good.” Reika muttered. “Well, he’s an A-class for a reason…” Mei added. “Now, what are you going to do, Anil?” Kouji wondered. “I’m sure you’re more than this…” Slowly, Anil rose to his feet, still keeping the same furious expression. “Oh, now you’re getting serious. Bring it!” Walter shouted while grinning. The one thing which was different however, was Anil’s stance, as now he held his Garuda with one hand, letting the tip to touch the ground. “…!” With only a grunt, Anil run as fast as possible towards Walter, with his ground-scraping firangi producing sparks. “Nice fireworks! But…!” Walter charged as well to anticipate his attack. “I won’t let you!” Anil jumped, and twirling his body, his spinning attack clashed with Walter’s gauntlet. However… “…!?” Instead of deflecting, Anil’s sword barely scratched his Pioneer. He put more strength into his own rotation, and like a frenzied top, Anil landed consecutive strikes on Walter’s unguarded side and rear. “Gwah…!” Anil didn’t stop there, and just as Walter managed to turn around with considerable effort, he already swung his blade down. “Argh…!” The attack knocked Walter away, forcing him to use his gauntlets to brake. “Battle points, down by 40%.” “Armstrong-kun!” Minato shouted. ‘That’s a nice combination.’ Sigulf mentally commented. ‘But most importantly…’ ‘How did he spin like that!?’ Walter thought. ‘I know my Arms is heavier, but still…!’ He eyed Anil, who has returned to his fighting stance, ready to strike. ‘Shit, does this means…?’ “Anil figured out his weakness already, huh.” Mei mused. “Big and powerful, but a little low on the mobility de gozaru.” Reika joined. “Yeah, when you’re slow like that, spinning around for coverage won’t be an easy task.” “So it would be wise for Anil not to fight frontally…” Misha concluded. Again without any words, Anil rushed towards Walter. Only this time, he’s solely aiming to outmaneuver him, something Walter painfully aware of. “Dammit, trying to backstab like this…!” Walter cursed while exchanging blows with Anil’s sword jabs. ‘If I keep defending, I’ll lose by time out, but… Attacking him is exactly taking his bait! What the hell should I do here!?’ The clashing of steel slowly grinds Walter’s patience down. ‘Shit, defending ain’t my style! If I have to lose, at least…!’ “OORYAH!!” Walter slammed his fist to the ground, creating a shockwave. Unfortunately, Anil opted to jump slightly forward instead. “Wha—“ Barely evading his punch, Anil then kicked Walter’s gauntlet as a jumping platform. Going slightly over his height, Anil descends in a roll, enough to deliver a single stroke. “Kuh…!” Quickly recovering, Anil stood up and follows with another spinning strike, knocking Walter away a fair distance. “Gah…!” “Battle points, down by 20%. 15% remaining.” Now it’s the Pacifics’ turn to get excited, while the home spectators began to worry. ‘That’s some agility he got there…’ Sigulf thought. “Augh, why did it come to this!?” one student lamented. “Anil, you can do it!” Kouji cheered from the other side. Anil’s expression didn’t change, but determination quickly flared within him. Meanwhile, Walter was breathing heavily, trying to keep his stance right. “Shit, you’ve gotta be kidding me…!” “We don’t have much time left…” Eliot muttered. “It’s… OVER!!” With a loud scream, Anil dashed forward, ready to end the match. “Gh…!” Walter braced himself against his approaching opponent. ‘Where it’ll be!? Where he’ll be coming!?’ Anil suddenly hopped and whirled his body, seemingly targeting Walter’s leg. ‘Down there? Then…!’ But as soon as his feet touched the ground, Anil kicked as hard as he can, propelling him up and catching Walter by surprise with a rising slash. “UOOOOOH!!” “What the…!?” It was strong enough to push his fists back, effectively breaking his guard. Seeing a now defenseless Walter, Anil increased the strength of his rotation, and unleashed a descending, pirouetting slashes. “EAT THIIIIIIIIS!!” “Gaaah…!!” The assault thrashed Walter across the field. Anil, having landed safely, watched in silence. “…we got the lead taken.” Eliot muttered. “Battle points 0, cannot continue duel. Winner, Anil Kumar from Pacific Academy.” The Atlantics were obviously disappointed with the result, while their visitors celebrated in a mix of cheering and sigh of relief. “Dizzy… Too much spinning…” Anil clutched his own head as he slowly got up. Approaching the groaning Walter, he offered his hand without saying anything. “…argh, right. I lost…” Walter said before accepting it and stood up. “Well, congrats. You earned it. You got a crazy style!” Anil was silent, but the glint in his eyes and nodding indicated that he was appreciative of his words. Sharing a handshake and friendly back pat, the two split up to return to their own teams. “Uhh…” Walter said to the group while scratching his head. “Sorry, I lost…” “Armstrong, you…!” Walter winced, seemingly resigned himself to take Eurypha’s wrath, yet… “…get some rest. It was unfortunate.” “Eh? Aren’t you mad?” “I am mad, but what can I do? Besides, the opponent was just good, that’s all.” “Good, huh…” As Walter passes by, Minato pats him in the shoulder. “…thanks, man.” Atlantic’s students were talking among themselves, definitely worried now that their visitors gained the early advantage. “Next duel, please select your representatives.” The system prompted. “Right…” Eliot responded. “Since now’s our turn to announce first… Amakawa, we leave it to you.” “Yes, Sir!” Almost every spectator was surprised with his choice. ‘So it’s him… Either last fight’s my chance, or…’ Sigulf thought. “They really want the win, huh.” Mei commented. “And to think they still got both Dog Boy and Miss Highlander…” “What should we do, Houjou-dono?” Reika turned to Kouji. “Who should go this time?” “Hmm… We don’t really have much choice on this matter, do we?” “Eh? But—“ “Umm, it’s alright…” Misha spoke up. “If it’s my role, even just to hinder him, then—“ “Misha, stop. Don’t say that.” Mei cut him off. “M, Mei…?” “Look, no matter how strong he is, we don’t simply give up before the fight.” She continued. “You’re better than you think. He’s not invincible. Hell, if you win here, it’ll be better for all of us!” “Mei… A, alright! I’ll do my best and win!” “That’s more like it! Now go!” “Right!” With Mei’s encouragement, Misha stepped into the area with confidence. “Second match, singles. Minato Amakawa versus Misha Smirnov.” The crowd cheers loudly as another duel is dawning. “Minatooo! Don’t lose!” Carmen supported him the loudest she can. “Amakawa! You can win this!” Eurypha followed, refusing to lose to Carmen. “…else, I’ll gut you.” Ilma joined in her own way. “The girls are really lively when it comes to him, huh…” Yuu laughed wryly. “Man, it’s not fair…” Walter sighed. “Go, go, Atlantic!” Alba cheered as well. “…hey, Siggy! You should do it too!” “Huh? There’s no reason to.” “Hee… I see you trust him to win now. Since when you got friendly with him?” “…not really? I mean, you do know too how strong he is.” Their exchange continues, as if to forget the tense air surrounding the duel. At the middle of the fight area, the boys faced each other. “Minato, I’m sorry…” Misha said. “But I’ll end the interschool match here!” “Unfortunately, I can’t let that!” Minato replied. “This match… Victory will be ours!” “Very well then…! Have at you! We’ll decide this through the duel!”

Still willing to continue the duel, another pair of the noble’s lackeys stepped forward. “Bastards…!” one of them growled. “Don’t you dare look down on us!” Saying nothing in response, Sigulf simply got back to his fighting stance. On the other hand, Alba taunted them while tapping her claymore on the ground. “I’m not even looking on you guys. I’m looking at the joker backing you!” “Why you…!” Losing their temper, the noble’s underlings charged towards Sigulf and Alba. A loud clang could be heard as Alba blocked with her claymore, stopping them in their tracks. “Hee… You guys are a bit faster than I thought.” “I told you don’t underestimate— Oof!!” “Battle point, down by 15%.” Much faster than they can imagine, Sigulf circled around them before striking with a spinning slash from Alba’s left side, sending both of the lackeys sliding on the ground at the same time. “Hey, now! I know you got super fast and all, but that’s just rude!” Alba protested. “Don’t care. I’ll finish this fast and get at him.” Sigulf replied bluntly. “Chee… No fun.” As they engaged in a small banter, one of their enemies suddenly got up on his feet and attacks once more. “Whoa!” Alba exclaimed as she managed to block on time. “Quit fucking around!!” her opponent shouted. “Oh, what’s this? You talked shit first, and now you’re demanding some respect? As if!” Kicking her claymore, Alba knocked the lackey back and breaking his guard. “Shi—“ Alba strengthened her grip, and seeing her opponent are now wide open, she thrusts her claymore forward. “There!” “Gahh…!!” The thrust from the Braveheart sent the boy rolling. “Battle point, down by 20%.” Meanwhile, the other lackey finally got up, his legs still a bit shaky. ‘Dammit! I know they are A-class duelists, but…!’ The boy straightened his stance. “I won’t lose against lowborns like you!” Seeing her opponent charged again, Alba sighed while she raised her claymore. “Talk about predictable.” With full force, she brought the Braveheart down… only to hit empty air. “Oh…?” The boy made a feint at the last moment, successfully avoiding Alba’s strike. “I know you’re going for that! And now…!” He jumped in towards the defenseless Alba, ready to strike with his sword. “Oi.” “Eh— Aargh!?” “Battle point, down by 15%.” Sigulf quickly intercepted and sent the lackey flying with a swing from his axe. “…they actually forgot I’m still here?” Sigulf sighed. “Hah, I knew you’d cover me.” Alba added. “…no, you didn’t.” “What, are you saying I screwed up?” “Looked like that to me.” The two continued while slowly advancing towards their opponents. The noble’s men, meanwhile, managed to stand up with some difficulty. ‘Dammit, treating this like some game…!’ they furiously thought. The lackeys looked at each other, nodded, and then charged again towards the Sigulf-Alba duo. “Oh, here they come.” Alba said non-chalantly as she realized the situation. Sigulf and Alba braced themselves for the clash, but all of a sudden, one of the lackeys gained speed and dashed past them. ‘What are they trying to pull?’ Sigulf thought as his eyes followed him. Meanwhile, the other lackey simply braked. Alba, being preoccupied with this one, raised her sword. ‘Is it another feint? Then—‘ “You’re wide open!” “!?” Instead of moving sideways or jumping away, the boy dashed right towards her. “Guh…!” His sword struck Alba, knocking her backwards. Bump. “Wha—“ She inadvertently knocked Sigulf off his balance. “I’ve been waiting for this!” The other boy does a 360 and hit both Sigulf and Alba with his sword, knocking both of them aside. “Gah…!” “Kyah!” “Battle points, down by 30%.” ‘Tch, blindsided like this…!’ Both Sigulf and Alba managed to do an emergency roll. The lackeys, meanwhile, gave a smug smirk towards the now crouching duo. “How’s that!? I told you not to underestimate your superiors!” “Heh, I wonder about that! Probably just a fluke!” Alba retorted. Sigulf simply shook his head. ‘Should I release Dromi here? …no, too soon.’ He thought. Sigulf stood up and got back into his fighting stance. ‘They are probably right. We took them too lightly. Plus considering that last one, they probably have some experience as a team. Or at least, fought each other well enough. While I…’ Sigulf glanced towards Alba who got up as well, looking fired up. ‘Got paired with someone I just met.’ “Alright, no more games!” Alba exclaimed. “Time to—“ “Hunter.” “Eh, what?” “Don’t charge alone.” “…you have a plan?” she asked in a lower voice. “No.” Alba nearly faceplanted. “Then what are y—“ “I said, stop messing around!!” “Whoa!” The lackeys suddenly attacked, though Sigulf and Alba managed to jump away. Clicking his tongue, one of the lackeys pressed on with his attack, forcing Alba to defend, while the other boy pursued Sigulf. “Come on, come on! Where did that arrogance of yours go!?” the noble’s underling taunted in-between his attacks. ‘Don’t charge alone?’ Alba thought while defending. ‘I guess he wants us to coordinate our attacks? That sounds deceptively simple…’ Taking a glance, she noticed that Sigulf himself is being pushed back, forced to either evade or block the attacks. “What’s the matter, village boy!? Too scared to even strike back!?” Sigulf ignored his opponent’s provocation while being pushed further towards Alba. ‘This is…!’ Alba realized something. ‘They are planning to flank us like before!’ “Don’t look around, bitch!” “Tch…!” Alba barely managed to block his sword. ‘I don’t know what he’s thinking… But on this situation, I can only try…!’ Both Sigulf and Alba are being pushed further and further, making the lackeys intensify their attacks. “It’s over, punks! Grovel before your superiors!” Both of the noble’s men then lunged forward, forcing Sigulf and Alba to block. “Sig-kun, no!” Yuu exclaimed from the sidelines. “I know.” “!?” The lackey’s grin suddenly disappeared at Sigulf’s words. Before he and Alba bumped at each other, both of them suddenly stopped blocking and jumped sideways at the last moment instead; essentially, pulling the lackey’s force towards each other. “Sh—“ A loud thud could be heard as the boys knocked their heads against each other. Not willing to waste the chance, Sigulf and Alba quickly turned around and charged towards the still dazed lackeys. “Now you are wide open!!” Alba shouted as she, and Sigulf, brought their weapons down with full strength. “Gwah…!!” Their opponents got slammed hard against the ground with a loud crash. “Those idiots!” the noble cursed. “How…!?” One of the lackeys struggled to get up, only to see Sigulf and Alba staring down at him, with their True Arms raised. “Hunt’s over.” “Try again next time!” Without giving them the chance to even get up, Sigulf and Alba unleashed a relentless storm of blades, effectively ending the duel. “Battle points, 0. Cannot continue duel.” The system announced. Yuu sighed out of relief. “So this is how they fight…” Arthfael muttered, still watching the duel. The noble now looked less furious and more horrified as Sigulf and Alba are finally done with their rampage. “Is this you wanted us to do?” Alba asked Sigulf casually. “Using their own tricks against them? That’s pretty neat, if I must say!” “Actually, no. That wasn’t the case.” “Eh? Then—“ “I actually wanted to say ‘coordinate our attacks’. Even brute force can be much better if it’s well-coordinated.” “…so that last one was—“ “…yeah, that was a spur of the moment.” Alba groaned at the revelation. “Well, with that out of the way…” Sigulf continued, pointing his axe towards the noble. “We can try to practice coordinated brute force on him, now.” “Heh, I suppose you’re right!” Alba added, getting into her combat stance. “Y, you uncivilized barbarians!” the noble retorted. “Just what do you think you are doing!?” “Backing off, aren’t ya? After all the nonsense you said…!” Alba returned. ‘Ugh, they are much stronger than I anticipated…!’ he thought. ‘But…!’ “I, I’m not running away! I shall set an example on how lowborns should bow before us, the nobility!” “Whoa, that’s bit admirable.” Alba commented. “Putting the shitty motive aside, that is.” “You! Fight alongside me!” The remaining lackey looks surprised, but complied at his order nonetheless. “Finally.” Sigulf muttered. “Time to end this freakshow.” “You lowly peasants!” the noble exclaimed after he and his partner done summoning their weapons. “I’ll make sure you learn to know your place!”

Sunday morning. One day just before the midterms, and Sigulf and co. had another go at mock dueling. “…” “Please don’t worry about me and carry on.” “…why are you here?” However, Victoria’s unexpected presence made Vigdis, who tagged along again, clearly irritated. “I could ask you the same question, Master. I thought you have rehab?” “Eeeh!? How mean! And here I am worrying about how my dear pupil's doing…” “Err…” “That would be my answer too. Just replace pupil with student.” Victoria clarified. “Yeah, but must you be here too?” “Considering that two of them are the Council’s top two,” she motioned towards the slightly cautious Celina and Chelsea. “One is an exceptional ghost member, and the other is among the most promising freshmen, I wouldn’t say I have no reason.” “Huh? Is she talking about me?” Alba pointed at herself. “Seems so. Good for you, huh?” “Heheh… I see…!” “Besides…” Victoria then punched the empty air blindingly fast. “It’s been a while since the last time I went to train this early.” “Uuugh…” “Now, now, let’s not try to start a fight with her.” Melanie pats Vigdis’ shoulder to calm her. “But…!” “Relax. Unless it’s really necessary, I won’t take a… hands-on approach.” ‘Oh, boy…’ “…Sigulf, focus.” Celina chastised. “Ah, sorry…” ‘She sounded kind of upset…’ “Fufufu, what’s that? Do you need some personal coaching, after all?” “Eh!? Err…” “E, enough! I can’t just stand by—” “If you really want to fight her, you’d better heal your legs first.” Eliot sighed. “U…” “Thank you for your concern, but…!” Celina suddenly slammed her spear to the ground, surprising Sigulf. “I have prepared our own harsh regiment for the upcoming mid-terms, so I believe we’ll be doing fine.” “Ah, is that so? That’s good to hear.” ‘…yeah, she’s rather—‘ “And Sigulf!” she then pointed the Badb towards him. “This is no time to dawdle; we are going all out! Are you clear!?” “Y, yes, Ma’am!” Alba glanced at Sigulf and gave him a smug grin. “Good luck. Don’t get yourself killed.” “…I won’t.” ——— Midday. By some luck, Sigulf survived his morning practice and it didn’t devolve further into another squabble with Victoria. Looking for a change of pace, he decided to have lunch outside. “…” “No need to be so reserved. It’s on me.” “Uhh, no, that’s not—“ However, he met Victoria again by chance and ends up getting invited. ‘…why can’t I say no to her? Master will be pissed if she finds out…’ “Great showing, by the way. You sure have grown enough to hold out against her.” “Ah, thank you. But I still have to work more on it.” “That’s good to hear. So, I assume you are ready for tomorrow?” “Hopefully. Celina did tutor me for the written part.” “Hmm, I see…” Victoria’s expression became unreadable, making Sigulf a bit worried. ‘Did I say something wrong?’ “If you do well on the tests, you wouldn’t mind if I give some kind of reward, would you?” “Oh, no, not at— Wait, what?” “Ah, now that I think about it, it won’t be much of a motivation, I guess. I should have offered much earlier…” “No, no, no! I mean, well, umm… Thanks for being considerate, but I’m good…“ “Oh? If you say so. But…” She smiled suggestively at the boy. “If you ever changed your mind, you know where to find me. I would be very pleased.” “A… Ahahahahah…” ‘…is it alright for her to be that flirty!? And why am I rather happy about this!? I shouldn’t be!’ By the end of it, Sigulf was full from both food and embarrassment. ——— Late afternoon. Sigulf was about to rest when Walter, Minato, and Yuu unexpectedly showed up and invited him for a gathering. “Video games? Well, I don’t have anything better to do, so count me in.” Arthfael and Siegward joined them along the way and they all went into Walter’s room. “Taking a break before the big day might be beneficial, but gaming… Will this be really fine?” Arthfael asked. “It’s alright, it’s alright!” Walter assured. “It’s better to be stress-free before the test, right?” “You got a point there…” “Hmm? Where are the others?” Yuu looked around. “What do you mean? It’s just us here.” “Eeeh? So you didn’t invite any girls?” “…dude, like they would just join a sausage party like this.” “Well, then it’s more the reason to invite them in the first place, isn’t it?” “Ugh… Then how about you do it now?” “But aren’t you the party’s master?” “Guys, enough.” Minato intervened. “Seriously, both of you…” “Don’t you feel a bit lonely?” “Eh? But there’s so many of us here.” “…yeah, I forgot you’re that kind of guy.” Walter sighed. “So what are we going to play now?” “How about this?” Sigulf picked up a case and showed it to them. Apparently it was the same title he played at the game center. “Whoa, so fast… Wait, I think I know this one.” Yuu said. “Oh, you too? Yeah, it looks and plays well.” Walter added. “Never thought I would be serious on a Japanese fighting game—“ “Did you say fighting game!?” Siegward’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Holy— Don’t suddenly shout like that!” “Hrimgard! You and I, best of 3, now!” he continued and ignored Walter. “Uhh, what?” “Unfortunately, I cannot allow that.” Arthfael interrupted. “You’re not the only one who have some business with Hrimgard.” “…huh? What would a knight like you have against a warrior?” “I don’t think it’s out of the ordinary if I too hold something personal.” ‘…what’s with these two?’ Sigulf mentally groaned. “Oi, oi, don’t act like we aren’t here!” Walter protested. “Even I too can’t let that slide.” Yuu followed suit. “…guys, can’t we just decide normally? This is just a game…” Minato sighed. ——— Before the night went too far, Sigulf excused himself earlier, though not without some objection. “Damn you, Hrimgard! Are you running away!? One more match!” Siegward growled. “…you said it earlier. And before that.” “Eeh? This early?” Yuu sounded a bit disappointed. “Uh-huh. Sleepy. Sorry about that.” Giving them a wave, Sigulf exited the room and stretched his back a bit. ‘Well, it wasn’t bad at all… Now, let’s see…’ On the way back, a certain someone’s flowing blonde hair caught his eye. “Ah…” “…hm? Oh, hey.” Returning her wave, Sigulf approached Celina. “Out playing?” she asked. “Eh, yeah. Played a game with the boys. Quite fun.” “Ah, I see. Sounds like you had a good time.” “Ahahah, kinda. How about you?” “Hmm, nothing much. I decided just to have some rest.” “Oh, yeah. Tomorrow is midterms, after all.” Sigulf responded before inadvertently yawning. “…my bad, that wasn’t—“ “Ah, no. It’s alright. Sorry for stopping you…” Sigulf noticed that Celina slightly hesitates, which is rather unusual for her. “What is it?” “I…” She shifted her position, looking for the right words. “I was looking for you.” “O, oh? I was at Lordshire for lunch—“ “Lordshire?” “…ah.” “Fu… Fufufu… I see…” ‘Shit! Why did I bring that up!?’ Though, to Sigulf’s relief, Celina instead tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath. “Knowing her, I think I have an idea why and how…” “A, ahahah…” She sighed, still looking uncertain. “…there something I need to talk about with you. Could you, please?” “Eh? I don’t mind, though…?” ——— Sigulf skipped a beat when Celina invited him into her room. ‘U, uwaa… I think this is the first time I’m in a girls’ room…’ Sigulf nervously thought. He observed the whole room from his seat. ‘It’s so tidy, and smells kinda nice… Well, I guess that’s expected from her.’ “Here you are.” “Ah, thank you.” Celina offered him a warm cup of milk tea, which he immediately sipped. ‘Ahh, good old milk tea. So comforting…’ “So, umm…” “Oh, right, you wanted to talk.” “Yes…” Again, Celina fidgets in her seat. ‘I wonder what is it about— Wait, could it be…!?’ “Sigulf, I…” “Y, yes?” “I’m really sorry…!” “…eh?” “I know we should have practiced properly, but I let my emotions got the better of me and end up overdoing things, and—“ ‘…ah, so that’s how it is. Still…’ “Wait, no. I don’t see why you should apologize. If anything it was I that… Well, getting distracted…” “…you totally did.” Celina slightly sulked. “Err…” “Even so, that’s no reason to get je—“ “Je…?” “…to let it get to myself.” “I, I see…” ‘Celina… Could she be…’ “That’s why I—“ There’s no way Sigulf wouldn’t feel happy, but for the moment, he assured himself not to get too hopeful. “Celina, wait. Let’s just forget it.” “Eh!? But that doesn’t sit well with me!” “Me neither. I wanted to apologize too, for not focusing properly. But if we keep on going on about this…” “…it will never end.” “Yeah, that. And to be honest, I’m sure it was a good workout for us too, so…” “Alright, I understand what you are trying to say. No more of this topic.” “No more.” There was a short silence before the two finally broke into chuckles. “Sheesh, what are we doing?” Celina asked. “I wonder about that too.” ——— As much as he wanted to stay longer, Sigulf decided it’s time to leave in order to avoid unnecessary rumors. “Good luck with your test.” Celina said. “And don’t forget to sleep properly.” “Yeah, you too. Wait, do you even need it?” “Hey, it doesn’t hurt to hear some encouraging words!” “Hahah, I suppose so. Well, good night.” “Good night. See you tomorrow.” When the door closed before him, Sigulf lets out a sigh. ‘At least some things got cleared up. Next time, I have to be more resolute against the Principal. …hopefully.’ ——— Not long after Sigulf left, Celina went back to her own bed. “…” She grabbed a pillow and hugged it close to her chest. ‘I know I did apologize, but I can’t help but to keep thinking about it…’ Celina recalled their morning practice. ‘Getting upset as he flustered around the Principal… How childish of myself… But…’ She clutched her pillow tighter. ‘I… Towards him…’

After successfully getting the last 2 plush and asking for a large bag from a nearby staff, Sigulf and Celina made their way to their final point-of-interest of the game center. “So, here it is, the photo booth.” “Quite the fancy one, isn’t it?” “Yeah. Anyways, let’s give it a try.” Entering the booth together, they are unaware with Chelsea not far behind, who is now barely able to hold herself back. “That Celina…! Too oblivious! I have to—“ “Wait…!” Alba pulled her. “We’ll get found out!” “But I have to…!” “Wouldn’t it make things worse!? What are we supposed to say!?” “B, but…!” “C, calm down…! It’s him. He won’t pull something stupid.” ‘Hopefully…’ she thought. “…you trust him, too?” “W, well… I’ve trained and fought with him longer than you, remember?” “That actually makes me a bit sad…” Chelsea slumped her shoulders. “…what?” “Well in any case…” she sighed. “I’m still not convinced, but… Let’s just hide in the other booth for now…” ——— Inside, Sigulf and Celina were preoccupied with the booth’s panel. “I think this setting is good enough.” “Mm-hm. Then… Ah, Sigulf, you need to smile.” “L, like this?” “That looks ridiculously rigid.” Celina giggled. “Err, how do I—“ “Relax.” “Ah… Right.” Her soft pat on his back was more than enough to comfort him. ‘No need to be so stiff. Just enjoy this moment.’ After getting their photo taken multiple times, Celina is happily doing the finishing touch. “Hmm… Fufu, this looks good.” “…why are you doodling dog ears on my picture?” “Eh? Doesn’t it fit you? Fenrir and all…” she explained. “Want to give a try?” “I guess I’ll pass…” ‘I’m not confident in my artistic skills, anyway…’ “Well, if you say so. So it’s okay with the wolf ears?” “Err, I think…?” Celina chuckled again. “Okay, let’s see… Which frame should we use before we print these…” However, their faces went slightly red upon looking at the available ones. “D, don’t you think they look a little too romantic?” “Try to look at the other pages…!” “R, right…! Do they have something like Siblings-in-Arms!?’ ‘…pretty sure they won’t.’ ——— Finally settled on a rather non-descript blue frame, Sigulf and Celina stepped with an awkward silence. “…Sigulf.” “…yes?” “That was more of a… Couple’s activity, wasn’t it?” “Y, yeah, I guess so…” “My bad… I didn’t mean to—“ “Eh? Why are you apologizing?” “You are supposed to have fun today, not to get embarrassed.” She shook her head. “Reward, remember?” “Ah, that… Well, you don’t have to worry too much about that…” ‘If I knew, I would’ve advised against it in the first place…’ “Anyways, we can’t stay like this all day.” Sigulf continued. “How about we grab lunch to shift gears?” “Already hungry, aren’t you?” “…actually, yeah.” He smiled sheepishly. “Oh, it can’t be helped.” Celina giggled. “Italian?” “Italian.” “It’s decided, then. Let’s go.” Emerging slowly from another booth not long after, Chelsea and Alba carefully peeked at them. “…now what?” Alba asked. “We have no choice but to follow them…!” “The meal’s on you, right?” Chelsea quickly glared towards the grinning Alba. ——— Inside the restaurant, Sigulf and Celina are enjoying their carbonara pasta. However, he looked a tiny bit wary for some reason. “What’s the matter?” “…no, it’s nothing.” ‘Felt like I saw someone familiar… Or maybe I was just imagining things…’ His initial suspicion was actually right, as Chelsea and Alba have tailed them inside, sitting together on the other side of the room. “He almost found us there…” Alba whispered. “Good thing he didn't.” Chelsea exhaled in relief. “Now, let’s wait and see…” Back to Sigulf and Celina’s table, she put down her fork and paused eating. “Say, Sigulf. Didn’t you say that you wanted to talk more with me?” “Oh, right…” “You’ve been awfully quiet.” Celina smiled. “So, what is it?” “Well…” ‘Lots. Lots of things I wanted to ask, but of course I can’t.’ Sigulf thought. ‘So, let’s go with—‘ “What got you into dueling in the first place?” he asked. “I mean, I know your family is famous for that, but…” “Ah, so we’re going with that.” She chuckled. “I don’t mind telling, but I don’t know whether you would find it interesting or not…” “By all means, please.” “Alright. Well, to be honest, I don’t think there was much pressure from my parents. They said that as long I’m being responsible and serious, then I’m free to choose my path.” “Hee, I thought it was more like an obligatory, generational thing.” “It was not. But then again, they did bring me over whenever they have a match.” Celina laughed. “Well, I guess it’s the normal thing to do.” Sigulf commented. “So that’s what convinced you?” “I believe so.” He could see how her eyes began to sparkle, filled with excitement. “I still remember that one time…” she continued. “How my mother stood proudly in the arena, basking in her glory, looking both so beautiful and majestic… At that time and even now, I think that I want to be like her…! To be the mighty warrior like she is!” Still with high tension, Celina turned to Sigulf and surprised him. “Don’t you get the feeling!? Knowing it would be an arduous path, yet we still entranced by it and carried on!?” It took a second or so for her to return to reality. She went red and backed off from Sigulf while covering her face. “I, I’m sorry…! I got carried away, I—“ “I, it’s fine.” He tried to reassure her. “You were cute—“ “C, cute?” “…ah!” ‘Shit, I blurt it out!’ “N, no, no, no! I, I mean..! Please forget it…!” “R, right! L, let’s move on! So, umm…” Another awkward silence. From her seat, Chelsea was not amused. ‘…damn, this is not working!’ Sigulf thought. “Sigulf…?” “Y, yes?” “How about you? Was it similar to mine?” “Ah, right… Duel.” Sigulf took a deep breath, trying to calm down first. “Well, something like that. Sometimes, I watch duels on the TV with the other villagers. Then the kids would pretend they are pro duelists. Myself included.” “Aah, I see.” Celina smiled, but Sigulf could see she struggled not to say something. Probably she thought it was cute. Nevertheless, he continued. “Then one day, Master appeared in our village. At first, I was tasked to take care of her. Then the others decided it was probably for the best if she becomes my guardian in return, so…” “Did… Something happened?” “Yeah… I heard she got into an accident. The one that cut her career short.” “My goodness…” “Her surgery was successful, but apparently the doctor said that the fact she still be able to walk is already a miracle itself, so she was advised against anything that would strain her legs.” “But that means…!” “Yeah, she is not allowed to fight anymore.” “I, I see… I… I’m sorry to hear that.” “It’s alright.” On the other side, Chelsea and especially Alba were quietly listening to his story. “So, what happened after that? Did you start dueling to honor her?” “Maybe. Frankly, I don’t really remember myself…” Sigulf laughed wryly. “At first, she was obviously too depressed, so nothing much I can do. In the free time, I would watch old duel videos and try to mimic it, hers included. I was just a kid, so I don’t really know why, but I keep doing them every day. And then…” “She moved?” Celina asked with her hopes high. “In both meaning.” He chuckled. “I remembered how one day, she suddenly appeared and said my form was awful. And she would train me properly from that day on.” “Oh…” she looked somewhat relieved. “But, how about her legs?” “I was worried about that too. But when we finally sparred at her insistence, I found out the hard way. Turns out she doesn’t even have to move to win!” “Ah, the skill gap was too big after all…” “Yeah… She doesn’t want to give up on dueling, after all. I’m guessing she came up with the uber-defensive style so she doesn’t have to move too much. Though, she still ends up have to stop earlier than normal…” “…it won’t heal that easily, it seems.” “Unfortunately so. Still, thanks to that, I have to find a way to pierce through her perfect 360 defense. Thus, I end up running around a lot.” “So that’s where your speed came from!” she realized. “Interesting… So, did you score a hit?” “Err… No. Even today, I still can’t win against her.” “Too strong, I see…” Celina gave a bitter laugh. “Seriously, she is. But…” Sigulf felt really nostalgic at the memories. She could tell it easily from her face. “All in all, it was good, and life only got better for us from there. If it wasn’t for her, I’m sure I won’t be here now.” “I can see why you love her deeply.” Celina smiled. “…she’s my only family, after all.” Her smile, however, became a slightly sad one upon the realization. “…I see. I have a feeling from listening to your story… So that’s why your last name is—” “Yeah, I was an orphan. I don’t even know who my parents were, so of course I can’t have the proper surname like the others. ‘Hrimgard’ was something she made up.” “How about your friends? You… Were not bullied, were you?” “Eh? What makes you think that?” Celina blinked. “O, oh, my apologies for assuming… I thought—” “It’s okay… But… ‘Friends’, huh? I certainly couldn’t call them that.” “Why is that?” “Just wasn’t that close with the other kids. I don’t hate them; I don’t think they hate me. But then again, when we play together, I only followed them because I have nothing better to do.” “And that’s why you didn’t say ‘friend’ when we talked about fighting games.” “…ah. Yeah, I guess that’s why…” “But… It’s different now, right?” Sigulf quickly understood what she getting at, and he smiled with confidence. “Yeah…! I know I have those whom I could call ‘friends’ now!” “Ufufu, that’s good to hear.” Contrasting the two’s pleasant atmosphere, Chelsea and Alba were leaving their table discreetly. “Come on, let’s go.” “Eh? Oh, yeah…” Even though in a hurry, Alba too knows what Sigulf meant. ‘Just a ‘friend’, huh…’

As the sun goes a bit higher, the whole group finally left the café after done with their breakfast. “It was nice dining with all of you.” Victoria chuckled. “We should do this more often.” The students flinched. “Err…” “My, how cold. Did I really bother you that much?” “Actually, no.” Celina quickly answered. “However, we would appreciate it if you refrain from talking about ‘that’ again.” “Oh, I wonder what you meant by ‘that’. Ufufufufu…” On one side, Celina masked her tranquil fury with a smile. On the other, Victoria didn’t budge and kept her composure. ‘Scary…’ “Putting that aside, don’t forget about your duties tomorrow. Make sure you get enough rest.” “…yes, Ma’am.” “Well then, have a nice day.” The students gave Victoria a slight bow as she left. And when she finally vanished from their sight, Chelsea let out an exasperated sigh. “What’s with her? She’s not even trying to keep it subtle anymore…” “Nevermind that, how did she manage to keep her job!?” Alba added. “As far as I know, she did exceptionally well as the Principal. Not to mention the amount she invested to this school, taken straight from her business’ profit.” Celina explained. “Huh, so she ran one?” “So I heard. …still, she should be able to discern what’s private and what’s not.” “Eh, yeah, that… Wasn’t really good for my heart…” Sigulf said. “What, even if you looked somewhat happy about it?” Chelsea teased. “I, I’m not…!” “…say, Sigulf, you’re not actually considering her… Offer to train together, are you?” “…actually, I am—“ The girls promptly gave him a look of disdain. “…what happened with ‘fight against various opponents to study their style’?” “…well, that’s not exactly wrong, but…” Celina went quiet and seems to be thinking. “Cel?” “Alright, it’s decided.” She suddenly said. “We will double the amount of our practice tomorrow!” “I don’t think that will cover the problem of the Principal’s flirting, though.” Chelsea pointed out, making Celina froze for a split second. “The best way to fight distraction is to keep yourself busy.” “I wonder if it works that way…” “No, it’s alright. Actually, I don’t mind.” Sigulf assured. “I just have to work out twice as hard, yeah?” “Oh, that’s quite the positive way of seeing it. Then I’ll see you hold on those words tomorrow.” “But of course, Ma’am.” Sigulf saluted playfully. “And how about you?” Celina switched her attention to Alba. “I’m in. I’m not leaving until I got my revenge!” Alba exclaimed. “She’s all fired up, alright.” “I’m glad you’re taking this seriously.” Chelsea said gleefully. “Maybe we should pair more often, after all!” “…no, no, no. I’m here to learn the holes on your defense, not to get chummy.” “Shock! Ceeeel, I’m being rejected again… Sob, sob.” “There, there.” Celina comforts a fake-crying Chelsea. “…what’s with you and your tendency to declare hostility right on people’s face?” Sigulf asked. “It’s not hostility! It’s sportsmanship!” Alba retorted. “And, well, it’s more heroic like that…” “I… Kind of get it and don’t at the same time…” “It’s okay, just don’t think too hard about it.” She laughed it off. “So,” Chelsea spoke up, pulling everyone’s attention back. “What do we do now?” “Hmm… Considering we have to prepare for both practice and Council duty tomorrow, I suggest we should call it a day.” “Yeah, I thought so too. We don’t want to be too tired when the guests came.” “But that doesn’t apply for me, right?” Alba points at herself. “Well, yeah.” Sigulf quips. “But no overworking, remember?” “Did that just cross your mind? Bad girl!” Chelsea jumped and grabbed Alba’s shoulders. “I won’t! Sheesh… Why are you that concerned anyway?” “Hm? Do I need any reason to?” “Err…” “Union Crown, confirmed.” Sigulf commented. “No, no, it’s not.” Alba quickly retorted while Chelsea simply chuckles. “So, I guess that’s it for today, then.” Celina announced. “Great work, everyone. Let’s keep up the pace for tomorrow as well.” “”Yeah!”” the first years responded in an enthusiastic unison. “Don’t forget to relax and get enough rest, okay?” Chelsea added. “Well then, if you excuse us.” Celina gave a slight bow, followed by Chelsea, before turning away. But just as the Council duo is about to left… “…hm? Ah, wait a minute!” Sigulf suddenly stopped them. “What is it?” “…we’re all going home to the same dorm, right?” There was an awkward silence before Alba finally facepalmed, uttering, “Duh!” “O, oh, right, now that you mentioned it…” “Cel, get a grip of yourself.” Chelsea gave a wry laugh. “Well, let’s go back together, then.” ——— On the way home, they met Yuu, who apparently just left the dorm. “Yo.” Sigulf greeted him. But there was no answer as Yuu seemingly froze upon seeing them. “Err, hello…?” “Oh, my bad. Good morning!” he finally responded. “You trained until this time?” “We did a bit longer than usual. You know, for Pacific’s visit. Maybe there will be a duel or something.” “Hee…” “How about you? Enjoying day off?” “Well, something like that.” He grinned. “By the way, could you come over here?” “Huh?” Obviously, Sigulf and the girls were kind of confused, but he goes along with it… Only for Yuu to suddenly whipped out his arm and caught him in a headlock. “Gah…! What are you—” “Sigulf!” “Eeh? I wonder why?” he feigned innocence without letting Sigulf go. “I don’t know. For some reason I got pissed looking at you.” “…I think I have an idea why.” “Ah, as expected from you. Not that I’m letting go.” “…enough. Your headlock sucks, it barely hurts.” “…you don’t have to be that blunt, you know.” Yuu protested while finally releasing him. “Umm, I’m not sure what’s going on here, but at least you two are not fighting, right?” Celina asked the boys, sounding slightly worried. “We’re not. I think.” Sigulf replied. “True, true. It’s more like boys bonding over boys talk.” Yuu added. “B, boys talk?” “It’s probably something stupid…” Alba sighed. “Ouch, that’s mean, Alba-san.” “B, boys bonding…” Chelsea uttered while going a bit red for some reason. “C, Chelsea…?” now Celina turned to her best friend out of concern. “But seriously, why did you do that? Suddenly, even.” Sigulf questioned Yuu while trying to keep his voice low. “Why wouldn’t I? I mean it looks like you’re having a harem.” “Har—“ Sigulf promptly went red. “That wasn’t even my intention…!” “And that’s what they always say.” Yuu sighed. “Sig-kun, you began to sound like Amakawa.” “…shit.” ——— Leaving Yuu on his own way and then making it back safely to the dorm, Sigulf finally parted with the girls. “Phew… I guess I’ll need an early nap today.” Sigulf stepped out from the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel before sitting on the bed. “…” He grabbed his smartphone and looks at the screen silently. ‘No messages from Master yet. Well, she’s probably busy…’ Sigulf set his phone aside. ‘…damn, I’m sleepy. I should get dressed first before I hit the sack.’ Seeing no other alternatives, Sigulf decided to spend the rest of the day leisurely. ——— The next morning, on the same usual hill… “Haah!” “Kh…!” As Fenrir and Celina’s great spear clashed, a metallic ring echoed across the field. “Stay sharp!” Celina shouted. “Hasten your reaction speed, and strike back without hesitation!” “R, right…!” With a blinding speed, Celina took a short step back and lunges forward with her spear, forcing Sigulf to block again. ‘No joke, this is intense…!!’ “What’s the matter!? You can’t land a hit if you keep running away!” “I know…!” Gritting his teeth, Sigulf jumped away before rushing towards Celina. Sensing movement from her, he took off by kicking the ground with all of his strength and performs a somersault attack, only for Celina to cleanly block his strike. “Tch…!” “That’s more like it!” she commented. Not far from them, Chelsea watched their duel and sighed. “That’s not even doubling the intensity anymore.” “Hey, where are you looking!?” A sudden downward swing coming her way, though she managed to guard against it. “Whoops, I’m sorry.” “Tch, looking down at me like that…!” Alba expected a shield-push and quickly backs off. Holding her claymore horizontally, she took few steps forward before delivering a large slash. “Oooohh!!” Chelsea read her, however, and simply jumped over the claymore’s path with sword raised high. “Wha—!? Then…!” Still off-balance from her prior swing, Alba decided to launch herself aside, managing a haphazard but otherwise successful evasion. “Oh, that’s a good one! But you won’t be so lucky next time!” “Dammit…! What do I do now…!?’ Under the cold morning air, the first years’ struggle on their intense training against their seniors continues. ———— Signal beeping from the system marks the end of their sparring session. Exhausted, Sigulf lets himself fell to the ground. “Gah…” Nothing else came to his mind. Doubling the intensity wasn’t just for show after all. While he thinks he got a better look on their movements, it’s still not enough to keep up, let alone to score a hit. “Thanks for the hard work.” Celina said upon approaching him. There was a hint of concern under her smile as she hands him a water bottle. “Ah, thank you…” Sigulf responded while trying to sit up. However, he lost a bit of balance and nearly fell sideways. “Whoa—“ “Sigulf!” Celina managed to stop him in time. “Are you alright?” “Y, yeah, I think so…” Celina slowly lets go, while Sigulf quickly downs the bottle out of embarrassment. “Will you be fine for later?” “Don’t worry. I just need some meat and power nap.” “Hmm…” Clearly, she wasn’t convinced, so Celina walks behind him, sat down, and leans her back a bit against Sigulf. The gesture only flusters the boy even more. “Wait, what are you doing!?” “Hm? I thought you needed to rest a bit, so…” “Y, yeah, but…” “But what?” “I’m drenched in sweat…” “So am I.” “E, eeh…” “At times like this, you should just be honest and accept others’ helping hand. This is a mere small favor, after all.” ‘It’s quite a big deal for me though!’ Sigulf mentally retorted. All this made him can’t even think of something coherent, thus he gave up and lets his back relax. ‘…she smells nice. And her hair… I wonder what kind of sham— Wait, stop, what am I thinking?’ Of course they kind of forgot that the other pair is still there. Chelsea looks at them wide-eyed and nearly said something, if not for Alba suddenly downed her drink and approached Sigulf. “A, Alba?” “Yo, Siggy. Still alive after all that?” “As if I would kick the bucket that easily.” He retorted, even though unable to face her. “And you’re out of gas yourself.” “I know. That’s why, lend me a shoulder will ya?” “Huh?” Without giving him or Celina chance to react, Alba sat down and leaned between Sigulf and Celina’s shoulders. “Oh…” “Oi, oi…!” “Come on, don’t be so stingy! It’s fine, isn’t it?” Alba grinned in triumph. Chelsea watched from nearby and can only let out a wry laugh. “Oh, that girl…” The brunette followed suit and plopped herself on the opposite of Alba’s side. “Hey, this looks fun! You don’t mind if I join, right?” “Ufufu, sure.” Celina chuckled. As much as he’d like to, there’s no way Sigulf could relax in this situation. ‘Aah, I can smell everyone. And they all smelled nice…’ Sigulf mentally lamented. ‘…dammit, and I can’t even stop the thoughts now.’ “This feels nice.” Celina suddenly mumbled. Sigulf was caught off guard, but he agreed with her sentiments nonetheless. “…yeah, it is.” Even though the sun just barely rises, this morning doesn’t feel cold at all. ———— Past midday. Dressed in his uniform, Sigulf stepped out from his room. He had already shifted gears, thanks to the much needed late breakfast, short nap and some warm bath. ‘Fully recharged. Let’s do this.’ On his way outside, he met Minato and his girls, exchanging slight nods. “Let’s do our best, Hrimgard-kun.” “Yeah.” Leaving the dorm, the rookies head to the park first, to regroup with the waiting second years. “Ah, there they are.” Laine pointed out before waving at them. “Yooo…” “Good day.” Celina greeted. “Is everyone here?” “Yes, Ma’am!” Eurypha quickly replied with a salute. “Very good. Well then, let’s head to the landing pad and proceed as briefed.” Lead by Celina, the Council members, both official and shadow, make their way to the designated area. Reaching the pad minutes later, the group noticed that the Principal is there, accompanied by the other staffs. They promptly gave her a slight bow, which she returned. ‘So she’s here… Ah, I can see Sir Fortier and Miss Melanie too.’ Far in the horizon, all of them noticed a dark gray object, gradually closing in. American made flying carrier, model LM-CL-0122, though Sigulf wouldn’t know that. The whole group watches silently as the carrier hovered above and slowly descends towards the pad. As the carrier finally lands, the hatch door opened, revealing five figures. To Sigulf’s surprise, all of them seemed to be their students with no teaching staff in sight. ‘What’s the meaning of this…?’ Still, this doesn’t seem to perturb the Principal. “Thank you for coming all the way here.” Victoria greeted. “We welcome you to Atlantic Academy.” ——— Chapter 3 “One Flight from Heimriki”, end. Continued on Chapter 4.

The next morning, Sigulf is on his way to class like usual, while noticing that the air around the students feels a bit lighter. ‘Now come to think of it. Tomorrow’s going to be our first weekend here.’ He thought. As he approached the front gate, Sigulf caught the sight of a certain group. ‘Huh? Isn’t that Amakawa and his groupies?’ Eurypha, Carmen, Ilma and a seemingly reluctant Minato are standing by at the entrance, greeting the passing students all the while. “Good morning, everyone! …hey Amakawa! Pull yourself together!” “…why do I have to do this? I’m still sleepy…” “Think of it as a community service.” “What am I, a convict!?” “Well you did force yourself on me after all… Ufufu~” “And don’t purposefully say misleading things like that!” The spectacle earned few chuckles from the other students, while Sigulf was left wondering, ‘…what are they doing there?’ As he approached them, Eurypha noticed Sigulf’s presence and greeted him. “Oh, it’s you. Good morning.” “Morning. What are you guys doing?” “About that…” she replied, and somehow looking proud. “I asked Amakawa about Japanese student councils. So apparently they have something called the Disciplinary Committee, and I want to give them a try here!” “I… see…? I thought that was pretty much the point of Patrol Division?” “I heard nothing about standing by from early morning, though, unlike the Japanese model of committee.” “From early morning, huh? That’s kinda rough.” “But that’s why! We can’t let our guard down! For this academy’s greater good, or else, we’ll have another pervert like him!” “I told you many times that wasn’t on purpose!” Minato retorted. “All three times? No way, I don’t buy it. You must be monitored!” “Oh, come on!” The pair continues to bicker, leaving Sigulf to think, ‘I wonder how much the Principal told her. It’s still a bit of surprise that she got accepted. Then again, she’s probably different from the rest…’ Seeing their quarrel won’t end anytime soon, Sigulf decided to head straight to the class. ——— Upon arriving there, Yuu noticed Sigulf and greets him from his own seat. “Sig-kun, good morning!” “Morning.” “Hee, I see you’re a council member now.” “Huh? Ah, yeah…” “At first I thought it was unexpected of you, but considering the President…” Sigulf got a bit red at the allusion of Celina, earning a grin from Yuu. “Hmm, maybe I should apply too.” Yuu continued. “What do you think?” “I wouldn’t know. I’m not the one to decide.” Sigulf shrugged. “Yeah, I thought so. So Alba didn’t join? I mean she wasn’t with your group yesterday.” “She declined. Saying she’d rather practice in her free time.” “Hmm… Well that definitely sounds like her.” The sound of a girl sneezing surprised the boys and made them turn their heads. “Huh…? Strange. Did I catch a cold?” Alba mumbled. “Speak of the devil.” Yuu said. “Oh, it’s you guys. You were talking about me?” “Sort of. We were talking about how prettier you got every passing day.” Sigulf answered. “…that was ridiculously unbelievable, it just piss me off even more.” “Please spare me from your wrath. I’m a pacifist.” ——— At lunch break, Sigulf heads to the rooftops on his own like usual. “Oh? There he is. Hey, Sigulf!” A recognizable voice pulled his attention towards the speaker, which is none other than Chelsea herself. “Good afternoon.” Celina added. “Ah… Good afternoon.” Sigulf responded. “Where were you yesterday? Did something happen?” Chelsea asked. “I got dragged by Alba to the café. That, and well… Yuu wanted to know more about tag duels.” “Ah, I see.” Celina replied. “Tag duels, huh… It hasn’t been popular from what I read, but this could be… What do you think, Chelsea?” “Hmm, so she usually eats at the café…” “Umm, Chelsea?” “Ah, yes!? What is it?” “…you weren’t listening at all.” Celina sighed. “Sorry, sorry. So, shall we grab a seat then?” “Wait, we’re not going to eat at the usual place?” “She just wanted to harass Alba…” Sigulf pointed out. “Ruuude. What do you mean by harass?” Chelsea pouted at his words. “That aside, must we really have lunch there?” “Now, now, Cel. You can’t keep yourself out of the student’s eye forever. And what about winter?” “…I guess you have a point there.” “Riiight? So come on, before break ends.” “Even though you brought that blanket?” Sigulf retorted. “This is light enough, though. I can put it anywhere, no big deal. Any questions?” “…no, Ma’am.” Chelsea giggled. “Well, let’s go, then.” Just as Chelsea made her way towards the café, Sigulf whispered to Celina, “…she can be quite forceful, huh?” “Like you wouldn’t believe.” Celina sighed. “Especially when it comes to things like this.” ——— At the café, Alba is happily eating her lunch when someone asked her “Is this seat taken?” “Hrm? No, go a—“ “Hi!” “…” Alba swallowed her food first before finally hissed, “…what are you doing here?” “Why, having lunch, of course.” Chelsea answered. “…just that? Really?” “Mm-hm. I promise won’t lecture you or anything. Pinky swear?” “No no no, no need for that.” Alba quickly dismissed, earning a laughter from Yuu, who is actually sitting across her the whole time. “Oh, good afternoon, Yuu.” “Good afternoon, Chelsea-senpai. …you didn’t even notice I was here, huh.” “Yo.” Sigulf greeted the rest as he and Celina joined. “Good afternoon.” Celina added. “Oh, hey. You’re not eating on the roof like usual?” Alba responded. “She kinda dragged us here…” “Well, that. Actually there’s something I wanted to ask, but…” Celina trailed off. The presence of the student council duo caused quite a stir in the café. “Hey, isn’t that…? To think they would actually eat here…!” “Aah, those two are lovely as usual… My lunch suddenly tastes better.” “…what is that white-hair doing with them?” “Isn’t he a new council member or something? But yeah…” Most of the cafegoers are focusing their attention at them now. “…I can feel their stare.” Sigulf lamented. “This needs getting used to.” Celina sighed, agreeing with his sentiments. “You have to!” Chelsea whispered. “I mean, you have no problem making a speech in front of everyone.” “This is different from that…” “Anyways, let’s sit down first.” Sigulf took the initiative to speak up. “We can listen while we eat.” ——— “Hm? What do we think about tag duels?” Chelsea reiterates while eating her lunch. “Yes. It’s nothing complicated; I just want to hear your opinions.” “Hmm… Tag duels, huh…” Yuu said while thinking. “It’s certainly unusual…” “True. When people say duel, they would think a 1-on-1 fight.” Alba added. “I see. Then, say something happened and you have the chance to join a tag duel. Would you try it?” “Ah, of course. If I have the chance, then why not?” Yuu answered, mildly surprising everyone. “Oh?” “It looks interesting, judging from Gallowglass’ duel. I couldn’t explain it well, but there are more duelists on the field, you have to be more aware of your surrounding, you have to sync well with your partner, and I’m sure there are more strategy involved. It’s more exciting for me.” Yuu finished, with a bit of uncharacteristic enthusiasm. ‘He can be like that too, huh?’ Sigulf mentally mused. “I see. Thank you for your opinion. Then…” Celina continues, glancing towards Sigulf and then Alba. “I never thought much about it, honestly.” Sigulf responded first. “I mean, it happened due to circumstances. And well, I’ve never heard of… ritualistic tag duels before.” “Hmm…” “But thinking back, it wasn’t bad. Quite thrilling, maybe. So if it’s possible, then yeah. A Norseman wouldn’t miss a good fight, like they say.” “I suppose so.” Celina chuckled at his answer. “Alright, thank you for your opinion. And you?” “Eh,” Alba responded while scratching her own cheek. “Same answer as Siggy, I guess. As long I got to fight. Hell, if I can take down two on my own, bonus point for me.” “Well, that was fast.” Chelsea laughed. “…Siggy?” the Icelander questioned his new nickname. “I thought we are tag partners? No need to be so formal.” “So you want Gallowglass to keep going?” “Actually not. But Sigulf is quite mouthful, so…” “…it’s not. Just try to say Sig-Ulf slowly.” “Don’t wanna. Plus Siggy sounds like a pet’s name. Hahahah!” “Why you…” “Are you two always like this?” Celina asked them while slightly smiling. “Ah… Crap, sorry, forgot you were talking!” Alba apologized. “Oh, no, it’s alright.” ‘Ah, she’s really pretty when smiling…’ Sigulf thought, not even paying attention to Alba’s reaction. “So you are close after all.” Yuu pointed. “And after just one tag match? That’s amazing.” “Noooooo, not that. He’s just so bullyable.” “Excuse me, what? I’m not bullyable.” While the first-years are busy bickering with themselves, Chelsea whispered, “Cel, don’t tell me…” “It’s nothing big yet.” Celina chuckled. “I’m just thinking, if it’s possible, why don’t we spice things up for this year’s school festival?”

After lunch break, it’s time for the practice session, and Yuu was the lucky one to participate in the mock duel. “One, two… One, two…” Yuu counts as he lightly stretches. “So it’s finally your turn.” Sigulf mentioned. “Yep! I’m already itching for a fight! Well, that, and I need to make a show too.” “A show?” Alba asked, sounding confused. “Fufu… Well, off I go.” “Good luck.” “Go get em!” Leaving Sigulf and Alba, Yuu heads to the middle of the room to face his opponent. “You guys know the gist already, right?” Eliot asked both combatants. “Your oaths!” “We, the Duelists from Atlantic swore to abide by the rules, respect the judge’s decision, and fight with all of our might, in honor of our opponent, and for the glory of one own self!” “Very good. Now, summon your True Arms!” Taking a deep breath, Yuu then extended one of his arms forward and began chanting, causing what appears to be sparks of electricity to form around him. ‘I see. So that’s his element.’ Sigulf mentally noted. “As swift as the lightning… As impetuous as the rough sea… Show your majesty and raise a storm, Susanowo!” The sparks disappeared, and in his hand, an uchigatana with black sheath has materialized. Smiling, Yuu shifted his body and gets into the iai stance, just as his opponent has done summoning his weapon. “En garde!” Yuu kept his focus on the opponent while slightly adjusting his stance. “Begin!” At Eliot’s cue, the opponent charged with weapon raised high… While Yuu stood perfectly still. “What is he doing!?” one of the spectators pointed out in surprise. “The first strike is mine!” With full force, the opponent brought his weapon down. However… “…!” SHING! Faster than the eye can follow, Yuu quickly drew his blade and reflected his opponent’s weapon. “Wha—!?” “There!” Not willing to give any chance, Yuu quickly reacted and swung his sword diagonally to the left, landing a clean strike. “Gwah…!” “Battle points, down by 10%.” The blow sent the opponent reeling for a short while before regaining his foothold. Yuu simply sheathed his Susanowo, keeping his confident smile. “Tch…!” Enraged, the opponent rushed furiously at Yuu. However, with a strong kick, Yuu suddenly accelerated and caught the opponent off-guard. “!?” Barely braking, Yuu performed a shoulder tackle. In itself, it did no damage, but more than enough to knock his opponent off balance. “Shi—“ Seeing an opening, Yuu drew his blade horizontally, and this time, sending his opponent flying. “Argh…!” “Battle points, down by 15%.” The opponent only managed to do a rolling recovery at the last moment, while Yuu already sheathed his sword again and slowly approached him. ‘He… He’s good…!’ “Well, I suppose this is my turn to be aggressive now.” Yuu said. “Here I go!” ——— “That’s enough! Winner, Yuu Kanzaki!” Without much surprises, Yuu managed to secure an overwhelming victory. ‘A focused counter type.’ Sigulf thought. ‘If I can’t either break through with brute force or bait his movements, it will be hard facing him later.’ Having received a warm reaction, with the girls being enthusiastic somehow, Yuu returns to the rest of the group. “So… What do you think?” Yuu said upon approaching Sigulf. “Nice fight.” Sigulf answered. “Eeh? Just that? Nothing more specific?” “Err… What else am I supposed to say? I don’t see any glaring weak points so far.” “Well, if you say so. Alba-san?” “Eh, me? Hmm… Well that was cool, actually. Reminds me of those samurai you see in films.” “Cool huh… Fufufu, I think I’m getting closer to the right track.” “Huh? What?” ——— Back at the class, Eliot gave the students a short speech before the bell rings. “Well, ladies and gentlemen. Congratulations on your first week here.” Eliot said to the whole room, slightly smiling. “So how was it? I believe you had a good time so far.” The students seem to be agreeing with what Eliot said. ‘Well, this academy is pretty comfy after all.’ Sigulf mused. “Well then,” Eliot continued. “I know you all can’t wait to enjoy the first weekend on this academy, so take care and have fun. Oh, but don’t overdo it and forget your practice. Understood?” “Yes, Sir!” “Good. See you next week!” When Eliot finally left, the class regained its relaxed atmosphere. “Aaalright!” Walter suddenly shouts from his seat. “Who wanna tag along with me?” Some of the boys answered his invitation, Yuu included. Meanwhile, Sigulf packs up and getting ready to leave the room. “Ah, council duty?” Yuu asked Sigulf. “Mm.” “Have to finish them to enjoy weekend, huh. Any plans after that?” “Haven’t thought of one.” “Hmm… Well, good luck with your duties then. See you later!” “Later.” Parting with Yuu, Sigulf passed by Alba’s seat and say, “Yo, good luck with your training.” “Huh? Ah, thanks. You too.” “Drop by at the council’s room as well. Chelsea would be happy to see you.” “…like hell I will.” ——— Just as Sigulf left the room, someone called him. “Hrimgard.” Turning around, he realized that it was Eliot. ‘Huh? I thought he left already?’ “…what is it, Sir?” “No need to be so tense. I just wanted to ask, how was your week? Is there any problems, noble duel aside?” It only took Sigulf a moment to realize what he meant. “Oh. Not at all, Sir.” He answered. “Did Master…?” “Hm? Well, something like that. I think you can handle yourself just fine, but you know…” “I see…” Sigulf knows his Master is probably worried, and nothing’s wrong with that. Still, he thinks it’s a bit too soon. “I guess that’s all from me. Sorry for stopping you.” Eliot said. “Good luck with council duties.” “Thank you, Sir.” Excusing himself, Sigulf returns to his way to the council. ‘Now that I think about it, he looked a bit nostalgic when I mentioned Master, didn’t he?’ Sigulf thought. ——— When Sigulf entered the council room, he noticed that everyone is working enthusiastically. ”Ah, Sigulf!” Chelsea said upon noticing the boy. “Good afternoon.” “Good afternoon.” She returned his greeting while approaching him. “Here’s today’s part. Think you could do it?” Quickly scanning the papers, Sigulf noted that there’s more than the usual. But still nothing he couldn’t handle. “Of course. It’s a part of my job, after all.” “Alright, we’re counting on you!” Making his way, he took a look around. ‘Well, of course Minato’s team is already on patrol.’ His sight then fell upon Celina, seemingly busy with her own papers. ‘It’s better if I don’t disturb her now.’ Celina, however, noticed his presence and gave a smile upon seeing him. Sigulf gave a slight nod in return before quickly turns away, trying to hide his slightly red cheeks. ‘…tension, up.’ ——— Thankfully, the afternoon went by without a hitch. Before long, the council members excused themselves. Sigulf was about to leave as well when… “Ah, Sigulf! Please wait a minute!” “Eh?” The boy turns around to face Chelsea, who is lifting an empty cup. “How about we have some tea first?” Sigulf pondered for a moment before accepting. “Sure. It’s not like I have anything else to do.” ——— The pleasant scent of tea filled the room, accompanied with the sound of water boiling. Waiting for them to be done, Sigulf decides to grab some snack in the mean time. “So how’s it been so far?” Celina suddenly asked. “Your first week here, I mean.” ‘Eliot asked the same question before. Well, I guess it’s normal…’ “Umm… So far so good.” Sigulf answered. “At least nothing to complain about.” “I see… And how about your training?” “…not much, admittedly. Just the ones from class, plus light exercise before breakfast and before I sleep.” “Hmm… You might have to increase your training menu.” “…will do.” “Ah, please don’t get me wrong. I understand why everyone’s training schedule won’t be the same as before, especially for council members.” “Eh? Haa…” Silence then fell among the two, with Sigulf trying to shake the awkwardness by focusing on the macaron in front of him. “Ah-hem!” Chelsea cleared her throat, getting Sigulf and Celina’s attention. “Sorry to keep you waiting, here’s your milk tea!” “Oh, thank you.” Sipping the warm milk tea helped Sigulf calm himself down. “So,” Chelsea continued. “Do you have any plans tomorrow?” “Eh? Well, I’m planning to train until midday. Then I’ll probably take it easy after there.” “Aah, I see…” Chelsea responded before looking at Celina. “What do you think? Should we have him train with us?” “Hm? I don’t mind…” “Is it really okay with you two?” Sigulf asked. “It’s alright!” Chelsea reassured. “Your schedule is similar with ours, anyway. Plus, you don’t want Alba to left you in the dust when you weren’t looking, right?” “Yeah, that wouldn’t be good…” “So, it’s decided then.” “We’ll train at… the usual spot.” Celina added. “Sleep early, don’t be late… Oh, and we’ll not hold anything back.” Sigulf paused for a moment before finally responded, “…I’ll be in your care, then.” ——— Not long after the three finished their tea, the Patrol Squad finally returned with nothing significant to report, barring the usual squabble between Minato’s girls. When Sigulf finally parted with the rest of the secret council members, he’s alone at the school gate, wondering. ‘I guess I got carried away…’ he mentally lamented. ‘Damn, pull yourself together, Sigulf.’ Sigulf then looks around, switching his attention between the dorm and the training ground. “Alright…” Sigulf said, adjusting his backpack. “I guess I’ll have a jog first.”

The beginning of a new week comes. Once again, hopeful young duelists prepared themselves after enjoying their well-spent first weekend on the island. “Good morning, everyone!” Eliot greets the class after the bell rings. “How was it? Did you have fun and rest enough? I hope none of you has gone complacent over the weekend.” The whole class responds to him before Eliot continues, “By the way, thanks to a certain pair, talks about tag-team duels have circulated and reached even the faculty.” Some students turned to see the team in question; Sigulf looks a bit surprised, while Alba seems slightly embarrassed. “Sir, does this means we will have tag-related practices as well?” Eurypha suddenly asked. “Yes, I’ve been planning that down the line.” Eliot answered. “Of course, that’s after we revisit the basics, and let the first 18 pairs to try 1-on-1 duels first.” The students began talking about it themselves, with Yuu engages Sigulf in a conversation as well, though seemingly for a different reason. Alba, meanwhile, tries to steal a glance at Sigulf from over her shoulders. ——— The ringing bell signals the lunch break. Almost everyone was about to leave the class when Walter suddenly shouted and grabbed their attention. “Sorry to keep you waiting! Here it is, the moment of truth!” Some boys who are in the know cheered, while others seem confused on what it is about. “Presenting to you, our very first A-class Girls’ Popularity Contest!” “Wha—“ Most girls are clearly infuriated now, with Eurypha leading them. “Cut it out! What’s the meaning of this!?” “Whoa, calm down, Hestianus!” Walter argued. “What’s with the outburst?” “We never heard nor agreed with this in the first place!” “Come on, this is a high-school staple! Besides, it’s just a pop vote, nothing harmful!” “…really? You sure you guys didn’t talk about our sizes for consideration?” “Geh…!” Walter, and somehow, Yuu, froze at her accusation. “W, wait! So there were… Indecent things in this voting!?” Arthfael asked in surprise. ‘…wait, he voted?’ Sigulf retorted mentally. “I’ve heard enough! Give it to me!” “N, no way!” Walter said while dodging Eurypha’s attempt. “Besides, it’s as if you girls never talked about our junk!” “W, why would I talk about that!?” “Eep…!” The soft whimpering made everyone fell silent, before Eurypha turned her attention towards the source; a girl wearing eyeglasses with a book in her hands. “…did you?” “Err… I’m sorry…!” “You’re not helping our cause!” Eurypha screeched while confiscating her book. Quickly skimming the contents, she sighed before facing Walter once again. “Alright, I’ll admit that I’m being too one-sided here.” Walter exhaled in relief. “Oh, cool. So can—“ “No, I’m still confiscating that! And no, no more popularity contests!” “What!?” “In exchange, I’ll allow you to have this.” “…I don’t think that’s a fair proposition.” “Well? Do you like it when people vote without you knowing?” “What? If anything, I’m curious about the results! C’mon, don’t be such a killjoy.” Walter complained. “You pervert! Hand me that, now!” “No, you first!” “No, you!” Both of them got increasingly heated, with their own supporters only encouraged them even more. “Guys, calm down!” Minato tried to intervene with no avail. ‘Should I say something here? …no, too troublesome.’ Sigulf thought. “Hestianus, time out!” “What!?” “How about we trade at the same time?” Eurypha paused for a moment before saying “…you better not trying to pull something!” “I won’t, I won’t! I promise!” Walter reassured. “Ready, then? 1…” “Wait! …2!” “”3!”” In a blink of eye, the book switched places, while their owners quickly backed away from each other. ‘Using that speed for something so mundane…’ Sigulf mentally commented. “But, how about the results!?” one of the boys asked. “Let’s just hope she didn’t trash them…” Walter answered. “Why would I need this?” Eurypha retorted. “Oh come on, you peeked at men’s result first! Besides, aren’t you curious?” “Ugh… Well…” “That settles it! Alright then!” Walter enthusiastically opened the book, while Eurypha did so reluctantly. Upon seeing the results, however… “Whaaat!? How come I ranked so low!?” Walter protested. “I told you, you should act more… Ah, subtly. You are too vulgar.” Yuu commented, followed by agreement from most girls. “S, shut up…” he muttered while continues to read the results. “Oh, what the hell, you can talk because you ranked 2, you know?” “Me? Number 2? Hee, I’m flattered.” The shorter boy looks mildly surprised while giving the girls a smile. “I wonder who’s the rest of top 3, then.” “Ugh… Penndreic got 3rd…” Some of the girls cheered, with one commenting “He’s a picture perfect knight!” “Huh, m, me? Oh, thanks, I guess?” Arthfael seems not sure on how to react. “And Amakawa is the winner.” This one got an even louder cheer. “Eeh!? Me!?” the boy in question pointed himself out of surprise. “I’m not so sure myself, but…! He’s so courteous and gentlemanly, like when he fought Miss Hestianus! I want to be treated like that too!” another girl shared her opinion. “Aah, too bad, I got beaten by Amakawa-kun…” Yuu gave a wry smile. ‘He’s that popular? I guess day 0 really left such impression.’ Sigulf mentally noted. “Dammit…!” Walter lamented. “How is this possible? Do girls like those types now?” The other boys then gather to see the results, while Walter sulks alone. “Let me see…” Yuu mumbled. “Oh, Sig-kun, here’s your name, around the mid-low.” “Hmm…” True to his words, Sigulf didn’t manage to secure many votes, though he’s actually not bothered with the fact. From the other students’ eyes though… ‘He’s not going to snap, right?’ they thought. “I know you are busy with Council duties, but how about you try to smile?” Yuu suggested. “Eh, I wonder about that…” Meanwhile, on the girls’ side… “Boys… Why are they such perverts?” Eurypha grumbled. “Even though you’re curious with the results? Or are you too afraid to find out?” Carmen taunted. “I am not! Fine, I’ll gladly take that bait of yours!” Furiously opening the book, her expression quickly changed to irritation. “How…” “Ohohohoho!” Carmen laughed as soon as she deduced the situation. “As much as I pity those with poor taste, in the end, it’s proven that I’m the superior one!” “Shut up, this is just a beauty contest!” “Oh, so you concede that I am, in fact, more beautiful than you will ever be?” “Guh…! The one voting for you are probably just horndogs, anyway!” “Yes, yes, stay salty. It doesn’t matter anyway, since he voted for me, right, Minato?” “Eeh!?” “What!? Mina— Amakawa, did you!?” “No, I didn’t! I—“ “Minato, how could you!? So you voted for her instead!?” “No! I can’t even decide on whom to vote!” The ruckus died temporarily before Carmen and Eurypha ganged on Minato. “”That’s even worse!”” “Idiots.” Ilma muttered. “Umm, but what about the actual standings?” one girl asked. “Let’s see here…” another said while carefully reading the results. “3rd place is Miss Hestianus, Miss Rosales came in 2nd—“ “Wait a minute!” Carmen interrupted. “I’m not on top? Who—“ “Umm, that would be Miss Hunter.” The girl motioned towards Alba. “…eh?” All attention now directed to her. “Haah…” Carmen sighed. “If it’s her, I guess I can’t get mad…” “Wait, why your attitude is so different!?” Eurypha protested. “Y’know, the girls in this class are pretty cute and hot, but,” a boy suddenly said. “I must admit that her heroics won me over. Not to say she isn’t cute, of course.” “…as much as I hate to agree with the boys,” another girl added. “If I get to vote, then I’ll choose her as well.” “She inspired us all from that duel on!” yet another girl said. “So, Alba?” “Alba.” Suddenly, most students cheered in unison “Alba! Alba! Alba!” “S, stop it, all of you!” Alba responded with a beet red face. “Good for you, huh?” Sigulf commented. “Shut up…! Sheesh, how can you evade the spotlight like that…” Meanwhile, Ilma was trying to leave the crowd, though Minato noticed her first. “Hiltunen-san, wait! Where are you going?” “Café. This is a waste of time.” “What? Are you dissatisfied with the results?” Eurypha asked. “Eh?” the boy quickly scanned the page. “Umm, she’s here.” The glasses girl pointed the lower portion of the page. ‘This is…’ Minato said nothing as seemingly understands the situation. “Who cares?” Ilma retorted. “This is a duel school. You must be a colossal idiot to think those useless shit matters.” “Wha—“ ‘She sure loves to pick a fight, huh?’ Sigulf mentally sighed. “Hiltunen-san, maybe you are right.” Minato quickly responded, surprising almost everyone. “But that’s not the way to talk to everyone!” “What, because I hurt their brittle feelings?” Ilma gave a sarcastic smirk. “It’s not about that! I know there were some problems, but we are on the same school; the same class! We are all friends here! Comrades in arms who will grow together!” The other students began talking among themselves again, while Ilma’s smirk faded. “…do you seriously think that?” “I am. Besides….” “What?” “I… don’t know why you chose to be a loner, or acting on the edge all the time, and I’m sure you have your own reasons, but… All those swearing and rude actions don’t suit your cute face at all!” There was an awkward silence. “…” Ilma’s expression gradually changed from irritated, to neutral… to red out of embarrassment. “Amakawa… You… You…!” “?” “Y, you dumb stinky head!” “Huh!?” “M, me!? C, c, c, cute!? H, hah! What a joke! D, did you bump yourself!? O, o, of course! You are a b, b, big dummy after all!” “…” ‘Disabling her by kindness? Classic.’ Since Sigulf doesn’t know whether to laugh or facepalm, he decides to rub it in instead. “Hee, so you lost your venom that easily? So ‘cute’.” “S, shut up, Island dog!” Ilma retorted before quickly running away from the class. “Ah, Hiltunen-san, wait!” Minato called to her. Unfortunately, he didn’t go far as two presence of wrath stopped him. “Amakawaaa…! What’s the meaning of this?” Eurypha growled. “I believe you never treated me like that, hmm, Minato?” Carmen said, barely masking her anger. “Wait, that wasn’t my intention!” “No more excuses!” “Oh, not again!” Minato said as he quickly makes his escape. “Come back here, Amakawa!” “Minato, explain yourself!” And as usual, Carmen and Eurypha chased after him. “Well, there they go.” Sigulf commented before checking his clock. “…shit, do we still have time for lunch?” As he turned to see Yuu, though, he seems to be thinking with most of the boys. “…hmm, I think my opinion for her has improved.” Yuu said with a slight blush. “…what?” ——— Meanwhile, on the rooftop… “They are kind of late.” Chelsea said while eating her food. “I wonder if something happened… Though, eating with their classmates is not a bad thing.” Celina added.

Having finished their tea time, Sigulf, Celina and Chelsea finally heads to the Automaton facility and arrived few minutes later. “Here we are.” Celina said. “Let’s show your ID to the employee over there.” When they approached, the employee recognized them and greets from her counter. “Oh, if it isn’t the Council. Good afternoon!” “Good afternoon.” “Can I help you?” “Yes, I’m showing him around the place, and he wanted to try the Automaton.” “I see.” The employee responded, now looking at Sigulf. “So this is the rumored Icelander… Do you have your ID card?” “Huh? Oh, here it is…” he said while handing his card. “By rumors, I hope it’s related to dueling.” “Don’t worry, it is.” She laughed. “I heard this year’s freshmen are exceptional, with you and the other two particularly stands out among them.” ‘The other two… I think I know who they are.’ “Alright, here’s your card. Thank you, and do your best training!” “I will.” Entering the larger section of the building, Sigulf noticed there are some students around, though most of them have just finished practicing. “Ah, that’s one unused.” Chelsea pointed at an empty booth. A holographic interface pops out as the three reached their destination. “Hmm… What should I do next?” Sigulf asked as he scans the options offered. “You can set the timer here, like this. And then what kind of weapon the Automaton will use, its behaviour, difficulty level…” Celina answered. “Huh, it’s like a video game.” “I guess you can say so. Have you decided on something?” “Well then… Normal timer, weapon and behaviour set at auto, and highest difficulty level, please.” “Oh, a rocket start already?” Chelsea pointed out. “I believe you two are better. And stronger.” “Aww, you’re exaggerating…” “Ehh… Anyways, can I begin?” “Yes, you’re good to go. Step inside the area to continue.” “Alright, here goes…” With the preparation finalized, Sigulf took steps forward and watched as the mechanical construct way across him glows before it began moving. The Automaton then wordlessly summoned a pair of swords as its weapon. ‘Interesting. Then…’ Sigulf took his usual pose and summoned his Fenrir without any chanting. “Oh, he’s going with safety mode?” “Well, we did the same thing back in our first year, though.” Back in the field, Sigulf braced himself for the inevitable clash, while the Automaton stood motionlessly. “En garde.” The system finally announced. “Begin.” In the blink of an eye, both combatants have already dashed all the way to the center of the area. ‘So fast.’ Sigulf thought as he glared towards the Automaton’s featureless face. ‘But…!’ Twisting his body, Sigulf evades a horizontal strike aimed at his midsection and then swings his axes upwards. ‘I have faced much faster opponent before!!’ Sigulf’s attack connects and knocked the Automaton off balance. Spinning once more, now’s his turn to unleash a horizontal slash and sent it flying. However… “!” The Automaton managed to recover mid-air and landed safely before charging in again. “Battle points, down by 25%.” The system announced. ‘Well, that’s a machine for you.’ Sigulf jumped away in time to evade its attack. The Automaton followed with yet another swing, not willing to give him a chance to breathe. ‘Trying to rush me down? But…!’ Instead of moving out of the way, Sigulf took a short step forward and quickly swung his axes outside, forcing the Automaton’s arms apart. “Gotcha!” He followed with a powerful kick and managed to make it stumble, before continuing with a downward slash. The force knocked the Automaton away, but again, it recovered and got back to its feet successfully. “Battle points, down by 20%.” The Automaton rushed once more towards Sigulf, seemingly gaining speed. Merely shifting his stance, Sigulf waits in place even as it already approached him with swords raised. ‘Now!’ Taking a half-turn, Sigulf pulled his body and axes away… But its attack didn’t come; the Automaton backed away at the last moment with a mechanical precision, and cancelled its previous swing into a thrust. However… ‘Just as I thought!’ Completing his turn, Sigulf then kicks the ground as hard as he can, somersaulting over the Automaton and its swords. “Raaah!” His X-shaped strike connects, violently hammering the Automaton, before rebounding off the ground. And this time, it did not manage to secure a recovery. “Battle points, down by 20%.” ‘Alright! …ah, wait, Celina and Chelsea totally saw that. I got carried away…’ The Automaton slowly got up and both his eyes and whole body began to glow red. “Oh, come on…” Sigulf growled. The Automaton took a pose and crossed his swords. And less than a second later, it already zoomed across the room, reappearing behind Sigulf. Fortunately, he had already anticipated this. “Predictable!” With one powerful swing, he deflected the Automaton’s swords. While it tries to regain its footing, Sigulf dashed for the kill and vanished. Sensing danger within its computation, the Automaton forcefully stamps one of its feet and swung backwards… Only to hit empty air as Sigulf has already circled it; the same feint he used against Arthfael. “Hunt’s over!” Without any means to defend itself, the Automaton ends up receiving the barrage of Sigulf’s Fenrir, before thrashed away on the last hit. “Battle points 0. Cannot continue duel. Winner, Sigulf Hrimgard.” The system voice announced. “Whew…” Withdrawing his True Arms, Sigulf silently watched as the Automaton loses its red glow. Its swords disappear into thin air as well, before it begun to slowly get up. ‘Poor thing… Of course it would need constant maintenance.’ “Good work out there.” Celina congratulates him. “How was it?” “Hmm… Not bad, but… Yeah, I think I’ll learn more from you two.” “My, quite good with words, aren’t you?” she chuckled. “N, no, I’m serious.” “Oh, that somersault,” Chelsea joined. “Is that a new maneuver of you? Looks nice!” “Geh…! Err, thanks…” “Ah, so we are not supposed to know about that.” Chelsea laughed. “I guess you will be alright then, if you have to fight their representatives as some sort of exhibition. Assuming you keep your pace that is.” “I wonder… Is it possible to intensify or add our training session?” “Hm? Do you mean—“ “You know, something like… Sparring after council duties?” Sigulf asked with uncertainty. “…I guess it’s impossible, huh?” Chelsea looked at him, her expression hard to read. ‘Shit… Why the fuck did I say that?’ “Well, true. I would advise against that as well.” Celina answered. “So the best I can do is extending our weekend practice a bit. Is that fine with you?” “Yes, thank you very much!” “Ah, but that doesn’t mean you can forget or slack on your daily training, alright?” “Yes, Ma’am!” “You don’t mind, right?” she asked her best friend. “Not at all. I’ll gladly stick with you all the way.” “Thank you.” “Don’t mention it!” Celina then return her attention to Sigulf, happily talking about food, but Chelsea carefully watched the boy for some reason. ——— The three left the facility to buy some crepes as previously agreed. On their way to the stall, they met the unlikely pair of Lindorm and Minato. “Good work, you two.” Celina greeted them. “President.” Lindorm replied, while taking off his headphones and then nods to her, Chelsea and Sigulf. “Good afternoon.” Minato added. “Ah, what’s with this combination? So you guys split up?” Chelsea asked. “Yes. For efficiency.” “Lill-senpai and the others should be regrouping here anytime soon, though.” “Hmm… Any troubles so far?” “No. Catfights aside.” Lindorm’s answer made Minato sigh, while Chelsea laughs wryly. “Oh my, that sounds rough. You might want to be careful. Maidens in love can be unstoppable. And scary.” ”…oh.” “Good for you, huh?” Sigulf quips towards Minato. “Come on now…” “Ah, that’s right, one more thing. Did, um, some accidents happen?” “No. Seems it only happened around girls.” “I, I see…” Both Celina and Chelsea took a step back. “Se, Senpai!?” ——— Few minutes later, the rest of the Patrol Squad returned. Predictably, there’s an air of uneasiness between the Eurypha and Ilma pair. On the other hand, Laine and Carmen seem to be getting along well, surprisingly. “Thanks for your hard work!” Chelsea greeted. “So, anything to report?” “Yes, Ma’am!” Laine responded with a salute. “We’ve managed to collect samples of what might be good for summer fashion—“ “Not to mention there were no problems on our end.” Carmen quickly added. “…I see. Well, window shopping is permitted as long as you don’t forget your on-hand duty.” “”Ma’am, yes, Ma’am!”” “And, how about you two?” “Fortunately, nothing.” “At all.” “I, I see…” “Are you three always like that?” Celina suddenly asked, catching them off guard. “Eh!? Well… About that…” “Sooner or later, something must be done.” “…r, right.” “Ah, I think I have an idea.” Chelsea said. “Huh?” “Since we’re done for today, how about we grab some crepes?” “…pardon me?” ——— And so, all of them went to the crepes stall and picked their favorite flavors. “Alright, let’s enjoy our food while gazing at the sunset!” Chelsea cheerfully exclaimed. “Minato, it’s ‘itadakimasu’, wasn’t it?” “Eh? Yeah…” “Well then… Itadakimasu!” “I, itadakimasu…?” Almost everyone was unsure but followed her lead anyway, before chomping on their own crepes. ‘How is this going to help all of us get closer?’ Sigulf took a peek and saw the 2nd-years seemingly took it easier. ‘Well, of course they are used to her antics already…’ His sight continues to trail until he saw something that caught his attention. “Mm, Celina.” Sigulf called. “Hm?” Sigulf said nothing and simply pointed at the left side of his own lips. Celina quickly understood and wiped a bit of vanilla cream with her thumb. “Oh, is this all?” she said before putting it in her mouth. “Thank you.” “You are welcome.” ‘Aah, daaamn, I’m so happy I must contain myself…’ Meanwhile, on the girls’ side… “Hestianus.” Carmen suddenly called. “…what?” “Yours is sweet cinnamon, right? Can I take a bite?” “Wha—“ That was definitely out of the blue for her. Of course there’s no way she will share it, but… Looking at Celina and Chelsea nearby, Eurypha can only sigh. “…what’s yours?” “Green tea.” ‘Huh, I’ll admit that’s a unique flavour.’ She thought. “Just a bite.” Eurypha said while reluctantly handing her crepe. “I know, I know.” Carmen took a small bite and munched for a while, before commenting, “…too sweet. I’ll get fat from this.” “Don’t complain.” Eurypha growled. “Give me yours.” “Yes, yes.” She bit into Carmen’s crepe. ‘Urk… It tastes a bit strange. Does Minato really like this?’ Eurypha thought. ‘I, I have to get used with this taste…’ “…I’ll definitely order some Japanese green tea.” “Huh?” “Sheesh, you guys…” Ilma sighed. “Don’t say that.” Carmen retorted. “What’s yours, Hiltunen?” Ilma paused for a moment before answering, “Coffee. But a bit too sweet for my taste.” She quickly offered her crepe without hesitation, to which Carmen bit on it without a word. “What the— That’s too much.” Ilma growled. “Huh? I thought you don’t like it? Here’s mine, so we can go even.” Ilma shot her a look of annoyance, before taking a big bite. However, her expression lightens a bit upon tasting the flavour. “…not bad.” Ilma commented. “Likewise.” Carmen referred to her coffee crepe. “Really?” Eurypha joined as well and took a nibble. “Huh, I guess so.” “Nobody gave you permission…!” Ilma screeched before she retaliates by gnawing Eurypha’s crepe. “Ah— Hey!” “…sweet. Not in a good way like ES.” “What’s an ES?” Without them realizing, Chelsea watched them happily. “Ah, I guess it worked!” “…is it?” Laine asked in disbelief. ——— After they all have done with their crepes, the group decided to stay a little bit longer. Moments passed as they enjoyed Atlantic’s setting sun wordlessly. “President.” Eurypha suddenly said, finally breaking the silence. “Words of the street said that the Pacific is going to visit next week. Is that true?” “Ah, so news do travel fast. Indeed they are.” Celina confirmed. “What about it?” “No, it’s just… We have to prepare ourselves, both as the host and the home team, right?” “Of course. We must show them our very best.” Eurypha didn’t say anything and merely nodded, before returning her attention back to the sun. ‘Hosts… But I wonder if we’ll be okay on that, considering those three keep fighting for Minato…’ Sigulf retorted mentally. ‘Putting that aside, I wonder what kind of duelists they will bring?’ A gentle afternoon breeze flew by as Sigulf joined the group’s silence before Atlantic’s sunset.

Sun rises over Atlantic Academy as another weekend comes. Despite having difficulty initially, Sigulf managed to drift off sleeping in the end, and thus woke up refreshed to face the day. “Alright, let’s make it count…!” he said to himself. Celina promised him extended practice sessions. That alone hyped him enough. ‘…wait, I shouldn’t be only thinking about that! It’s for improving myself in general, and preparing against the guests in particular, assuming a duel breaks out.’ Sigulf mentally reprimanded himself. ‘…and to catch up with her, obviously.’ He momentarily paused to take a deep breath and calm himself down. “Enough, time to get serious. Let’s go, myself…!” Feeling determined, Sigulf left his room and heads for the usual hill. ——— Sigulf arrived at their training spot minutes later, with Celina and Chelsea talking to each other, waiting for him. “Oh, good morning.” Celina greeted him with a smile upon noticing him. “Did you get enough sleep?” “Good morning.” Sigulf responded while trying to keep his cool. “I think I did…” “Hmm, that doesn’t sound very convincing…” Chelsea chimed in. “How can you survive the bone grinding?” The boy blinked at her words. “…it’s going to be THAT intense?” “Actually, no. …or so I wanted to say. But I believe it would be better if you think of it that way.” Celina answered. “Makes it more interesting, don’t you think?” “…well, might be.” He gave a nervous laugh. “So, shall we begin?” Sigulf look at her in the eye and replied, “Yes! I’m in your good care today!” His answer and enthusiasm surprised Chelsea a bit. Celina, meanwhile, simply chuckled and responded, “That’s good to hear. Prepare yourself then.” ——— After the initial warmups are out of the way, all three are doing preparations for their sparring. “Alright, for now… Should I go against Sigulf like before?” Celina asked. “Aah, about that…” Chelsea raised her hand. “I actually wanted to have a go as well. You don’t mind, right?” “Oh, that’s a bit unusual from you. Well, normally I would not have problem, but I called first.” “…what? You’re not even going to budge for this, are you?” “Hm? Why would I? I want to fight him on his best too.” Sigulf can only watch them with a little nervousness. ‘…calm down, they are not fighting over me. They just love to fight that much, yeah.’ He tries to mentally reassure himself. “OK, then how about we settle this with rock paper scissors?” Chelsea suggested. “…that’s not a contest of strength.” Celina retorted. “Oh, but isn’t luck supposed to be a part of greater strength? Or… Are you too afraid to try?” “U…” Celina was hesitant at first, but she finally relented and brought out her arm. “That’s more like it. Now…” Chelsea said while readying herself. “I’ll use paper.” “…is this a mind game of yours, or—“ “Fufu, it’s up to you on how to interpret it.” Celina said nothing and simply got into position. “…ready?” “Whenever you are.” “Alright, rock—“ “Paper—“ ““Scissors!”” There was the moment of silence as Sigulf and the girls confirmed the results. “…you actually believed me?” “Of course.” Celina sighed. “You are my best friend; how could I not to?” “…alright, I actually feel bad now. It’s as if I’m the villain here…” Chelsea ends up winning as she used rock instead of paper as previously said. “That was a villainous thing to do, wasn’t it?” “Th, that’s why… A, anyways!” Chelsea tried to change the subject. “You don’t mind practicing with me first, Sigulf?” “Huh? Well, I guess…” ‘…yeah, I should be a bit more careful around her.’ Sigulf mentally noted. “Alright, let’s do this! …so, umm, Celina. Can you—“ “It can’t be helped. I’ll watch you two first.” “…augh, how can I make it up for later?” While looking slightly worried, Chelsea stepped to the middle to face Sigulf for their sparring. “300 seconds, standard rules.” Celina announced. “Get yourselves ready.” Without any chanting, both of them summoned their weapons in safety mode before getting into combat stance. ‘Come to think about it, I haven’t even actually sparred against her, right?’ Sigulf thought. ‘A sword and shield combo… Those are usually simple but effective.’ “Think you can go easy on me?” Chelsea joked. “…can’t do that. I have to be prepared against the Pacific.” “Or you just wanted to show off your cool side, right?” “Eh—“ “Begin!” Chelsea’s words, coupled with Celina’s cue, caught him by surprise, not giving him enough time to think over it nor to take a start dash. He only barely managed to block her sudden strike. “Gh…!” “Oh my…” “Sigulf, stay focused!” Celina shouted from the sidelines. “I’m sorry…!” He quickly broke away and took a huge leap back. ‘Right, I should focus on fight at hand! First things first, her fighting style…!’ In retaliation, Sigulf charged towards Chelsea and swung his axes, only to be cleanly blocked by her shield. ‘Just as I thought…!’ Chelsea returns with a slash, forcing Sigulf to guard against it. “Oh, almost…!” Chelsea commented. Sigulf reacted with a strike, but again, it merely grazed her shield. ‘While her attacks are not as strong, she makes up for it with a solid defense.’ He thought in between exchanging strikes. ‘That, and her lower speed means nothing if I can’t get around her shield. Talk about precise reaction…!’ Sigulf jumped away from her thrust and took a bit of distance. ‘…well, that’s to be expected from this Academy’s number 1 and 2.’ Strengthening his grip, Sigulf rushed in once more towards Chelsea. ———— “300 seconds passed. That’s enough, good job both of you.” “Phew…” Sigulf let himself drop down sitting on the ground while his axes instantly dematerialized. ‘As expected, while I have far greater movement freedom and offensive, I still can’t get a hit in.’ he mentally noted. ‘And she only looked slightly tired there…’ “Sigulf, here’s your drink.” “Ah, thanks…” Chelsea had approached him and hands a water bottle with a smile, though he got a feeling that it wasn’t as genuine as it seems. ‘She…’ “What’s the matter?” “No, it’s nothing…” “We’ll have a break for another 5 minutes. And then… Who should I spar with next?” Celina asked. “Me, me!” Chelsea raised her hand. “I can still go for another round!” “Then so be it. Are you fine with fighting last?” she turned her attention to the lone boy. “I don’t mind. I’d rather not overestimate myself.” Sigulf answered. “Plus, I want to study how both of you fight.” “So that’s how it is.” Celina chuckled. “Well, that’s good to hear.” For some reason, Chelsea reacted to her words and glanced at Celina from the corner of her eyes. Before she can follow with it, though… “What, so you guys are here after all.” “!?” Alba, seemingly just done jogging and looking a bit sweaty, came over to the hill. “Err, yo…?” she greeted, albeit a little unsure. “Yo…” Sigulf greeted back, slowly getting up on his feet. “Your muscles okay now?” “Yep! Well, I did limit myself from going overboard. …and Chelsea did have a part in it too.” Alba answered, and somehow mumbled the last part. Unfortunately, Chelsea caught that. “Ufufu, glad to be some help.” “…so,” Alba continued, and upon shifting her attention back on Sigulf, she grinned. “I’m guessing they kicked your ass?” “Badly.” He responded quickly and bluntly. Alba blinked before saying, “…dammit, you’re supposed to get provoked and mad.” “What can I say? You’ll know if you spar with them.” Sigulf simply shrugged. “Wanna give a try?” Alba glanced at the council duo, before saying, “I don’t know, I thought this is supposed to be your super secret cool kids club?” “Ah-hem.” Celina cleared her throat. “…well, it was supposed to be a secret. How did you find out?” “Eh? Last week’s loud boom coming all the way from here… Just connect the dots.” “Loud boom…? Wait, don’t tell me—“ “I told you.” Chelsea sighed. “Why did you use that move anyway?” “But it would be impolite for him if I wasn’t serious!” “But there’s no need to overdo it, though…” “Ugh… So everyone heard that?” Celina asked Alba again. “Yeah.” The blonde covered her face. “I got carried away…” “But wait, there’s nothing from the newspaper club, right?” Sigulf tried to reassure her. “Well, yeah. I think because it’s about you two, the club decided not to publish it. Or so I hear.” Alba explained. “And even knowing this, the boys gave up anyway.” Chelsea sighed out of relief. “Thank goodness, no paparazzi.” “Ah, but if were you,” she continued and shifted her attention back to Sigulf. “I would be careful not to be found out.” “Huh? Why’s that?” “They do know it’s her sparring, but what they don’t know is who was her partner. Most people thought it’s Chelsea, so…” “I’ll be targeted, again, and this time out of jealousy?” “Something like that.” Sigulf facepalmed. “For Loki’s sake…” “I, I’m sure it won’t be anything big…” Chelsea tried to steer away the conversation. “Rather than that, shouldn’t we start sparring?” “O, oh, right. Let’s go then.” “Then I’ll watch you two from here.” “Please do.” So Celina and Chelsea moved towards the center, while Sigulf sat back down at the sidelines. “…you’re not going to spar with her?” Alba asked him. “With Celina? Later, after this. This is a good chance to study them. Assuming I can catch anything, that is.” Sigulf replied. “…I see. You’re really serious about this.” “Hm?” Alba sat down right beside him. It’s a bit too close for his comfort. “Oi…!” “Don’t mind me. I want to see how the top 2 fights as well!” she grinned. Sigulf wasn’t sure on what to say, but he ends up dismissing it and returned his focus to the duo’s sparring. “5 minutes, standard rules. Get ready, you two.” He announced. At his cue, both Celina and Chelsea summoned their True Arms and get into fighting stance. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Celina chuckled. “It is.” “Should we go all out for today?” “Mm, I would rather pass on that. I prefer saving the surprise for the big moment.” Chelsea winked. “I knew you are going to say something like that. Well then…!” “Ready…!” Sigulf gave them the signal. “Fight!!” Faster than Sigulf and Alba can follow, the two suddenly has dashed all the way to middle and locked their blades. Even on safety mode, the 1st-years can feel the sheer impact and vibration from Celina and Chelsea’s steel ringing. ‘It was almost all blur…! By Fenrir, this is another whole level…!’ ‘So this is the summit of this Academy…!? Dammit, I will get stronger! I won’t lose, especially against those two…!’ Celina’s strength and speed meets Chelsea fortitude and precision. On this day, Sigulf and Alba witnessed a spectacle which ignites another flame within.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Mm-hm. Don’t worry. …err, what? Don’t you think it’s too soon? Haah… Alright. OK. Mm. Later, Master.” Sigulf ended the call and promptly back to eating his breakfast. His master, Vigdis, called him earlier, mainly asking how was the first day, as well as a bit of teasing. ‘Well, it’s still the first day. Not much has happened, I think.’ Sigulf thought while munching his meal. Finally done with his breakfast, Sigulf cleaned up his dish. Then he checked himself in front of the mirror one last time, tied his neck scarf, and went out from his room. ——— During his way to the class, Sigulf can’t help but feel that some of students stared at him or whispering something to each other. ‘What’s going on here?’ he thought. This goes on until what sounds like a girl scream could be heard coming from the hallways, which at that point, everyone decided to take a look, Sigulf included. As he arrived along with the others, however… “Ahn, I didn’t know Japanese men could be this frank…” “N, no! You got it wrong!” ‘Ah right, this guy walked on a girl changing before…’ Sigulf thought while suppressing his urge to facepalm. He, and everyone on the hallways, saw Minato on top of Carmen, apparently stumbled one way or another, with his face now buried in her chest. “I, I have to get up somehow…!” Minato said, trying to use his hand as leverage. Unfortunately, it ends up on Carmen’s bosom instead. “Hyan, I’m being violated on broad daylight…!” “!!!! D, don’t say such misleading things!” Minato retorted, his face has gone completely red. Meanwhile, groans of lamentation could be heard from the crowd. “A-ma-ka-waaa…!” a female voice suddenly growled, which made Minato turns back. “E, eh…?” Minato saw Eurypha with her arms crossed, clearly furious. “Just when I thought you are a much better man than this…” she said. “Then I’ll set you straight myself!!” “Whoa!” Minato yelled as he avoided Eurypha’s sudden kick. As he finally managed to get up from Carmen, Minato ran towards the opposite direction. “Wait! Come back here, idiot!!” Eurypha shouted as she gave chase. “That wasn’t intentional!” As the two disappeared, Carmen finally stood up and dusted herself off. “Aww, too bad. I was hoping it would be a little longer…” she said. “Minato Amakawa, huh? Fufufu, I’ll make you head over heels for me!” “Argh, damn! First is Hestianus and now Rosales too!?” one of the mobs lamented, which is then met by agreement. ‘I guess that’s it for morning comedy. Now…’ Sigulf thought as he decided to return to the class. When he entered the room, he saw few of his classmates did the same thing; glancing at him before whispering to each other. ‘Again… Seriously what’s happening?’ Reaching his seat, Sigulf looks at Yuu, who seems to be normal. “Ah, morning, Sig-kun.” “Morning.” Sigulf replied as he sat down. “Hm? Is something wrong?” Sigulf looked around before replying, “…I don’t know. Feels like people are watching me.” “Eh? Isn’t that obvious? You defeated a talented knight, after all.” “It would be good if that’s really the case…” Sigulf responded, still unconvinced. “?” Not long after, the bell rings. Eliot, as well as Minato and Eurypha, entered the class. ‘Hope I’m just overthinking stuff…’ Without saying anything, he decided to focus on the lecture. ——— As lunch break comes, Sigulf stood up and prepared himself to exit the classroom. “Hm? Where are you going?” Yuu asked him. “Rooftop.” Sigulf replied while showing his lunch box. “Wanna join?” “Eh? Isn’t it a bit cold?” “A bit. Well, I’m used to it, though.” “I see… I guess I’ll pass then. Sorry.” He apologized with a bitter smile. “It’s alright. Catch you later, then.” Sigulf left the class, making his way to the rooftop. ——— Like yesterday, there weren’t much people having lunch on the rooftop. ‘Both of them aren’t here yet, huh…’ Sigulf thought about Celina and Chelsea. ‘I’ll just start first then…’ Sitting on the corner, Sigulf began eating his lunch, while gazing at the scenery. ‘The view alone is worth it.’ He mentally commented. “Ah, he’s already here.” A familiar voice said. Sigulf turned his attention and saw the student council duo. “Good afternoon.” Celina greeted him. Chelsea smile and waved. Sigulf swallowed his food first before replying, “Good afternoon.” The girls approached him, before Sigulf stood for a moment so Chelsea could lay the blanket. “There, it should be warmer now.” Chelsea mentioned. Silence falls as they continued with their lunch. ‘I did say I prefer a peaceful lunch, but this is a bit too much even for me…’ “You are by yourself again today.” Celina suddenly pointed out, making Chelsea surprised a bit. “Eh? Ah, right… Actually I invited a classmate. He declined, though. A bit too cold, he said.” Sigulf explained. “I see… That’s too bad…” Chelsea added. “Hmm…” Celina seemed to be thinking for a while. “Say, do you feel people are watching or talking about you?” The question kind of caught Sigulf off-guard. “I guess…” he simply replied. “I see… I assume you are Sigulf Hrimgard, then?” “…yeah.” His answer made Chelsea looks a bit worried, while Celina kept her neutral expression. “So it got something to do with yesterday, after all?” “Most likely.” Celina responded. “But first, congratulations on your first victory here.” “Huh!? Oh, um, right. Thank you very much…?” “You’re welcome.” Celina responded. “And then, we would like you to be more cautious.” Sigulf kept silent, seemingly understands what Celina is going at. “In case something happened, don’t hesitate to contact us.” Celina added. “Is it alright for you, telling me this? I mean, why?” Sigulf asked. “I’m the student council president. It’s my duty to ensure no dishonourable conducts shall happen.” Celina stated. “Besides, I believe you gave your word about… The previous issue. Think of this as an exchange of favors.” “Ah, I see…” “So, what do you think?” “Fair enough.” Celina cracked a small smile at his response. “Very good.” ‘She’s really cute when she smiles…’ Sigulf thought. Meanwhile, Chelsea sighed at the two, both of relief and exasperation. “Come to think of it, Cel…” the brunette said. “We haven’t even properly introduced ourselves.” Celina froze for a moment before looking back at Sigulf. “Pardon my rudeness.” The blonde apologized to him. “No, it’s alright…” “You might remember already, but in any case—“ “This beeeeeeeautiful girl here,” Chelsea interrupted half-jokingly, earning a glare from Celina. “Is the student council president, Celina Bartram. And I’m the vice-president, Chelsea Kensington.” “…pleased to make your acquaintance.” Celina finished. “Likewise, the pleasure is mine.” Sigulf replied. ——— The three finished before lunch break is over and parted ways. Making his way back to the classroom, Sigulf recalled what Celina said. ‘I appreciate the offer. Still, it would be better if today could pass by without hitch.’ Unfortunately, as Sigulf returned to the class, things turned out not quite like he had hoped. “Ah, Sig-kun.” Yuu called. “Some upperclassmen looked for you earlier.” “Shit.” He cursed. “Already, huh…” ——— Meanwhile, on the 2nd-years’ area… “Chelsea, do you think we can finish the council’s papers earlier for today?” “So you are worried, after all.” “It’s a part of our duty.” “I know. Well, leave it to me!” “Chelsea… Sorry for troubling you.” “You’re saying that now?” she giggled. “Still, it’s very nice for you.” “Hm? About what?” “I want to have an underclassman who looks passionately at me, too.” Celina froze for a moment again. “…wait, did he?” “No, I was just messing with you.” Celina sighed.

Silence fell upon the hill as both Celina and Chelsea finally stopped moving. Sigulf and Alba can only hold their breaths at the spectacle before them and would continue to do so if not for the timely intervention of the system’s beeping. “A, ah, right. 300 seconds passed. Great work!” Sigulf announced. The tension between them eased, and both combatants withdrew their Arms. “Aah, as I expected.” Chelsea laughed. “I can’t catch your movement.” “What are you saying? You are doing pretty well yourself.” Celina replied with a chuckle. “I can’t get through your defenses either.” ‘Chelsea looks a bit tired, but she did spar first.’ Sigulf thought. ‘And still they managed to be playful on an otherwise intense training…’ He stood up from his place and approached the girls to hand them their water bottles. “Here.” “Ah, thank you.” Celina said. “I’m up against you next, right? Should we get started already?” “Eh? You sure you don’t need some rest?” “Oh? Getting confident, I see.” “Err, that wasn’t—“ “Ufufu, I know. That was in jest. Give me 5 minutes, alright?” “Oh, yeah, sure…” Meanwhile, Chelsea watches alternately between the two and Alba, who barely moved from her spot. Sighing, she decides to call her. “Hey, you! The girl over there!” “Wha— Who, me?” “Who else?” Chelsea approached her with a sly grin, making Alba slightly wary. “What do you want?” “There’s no need to be that prickly, you know. You are just like a hedgehog sometimes…” “H, hedgehog?” “Well, anyways, I’m sure just watching from there is boring. So, how about you spar with me next? What do you say?” “Huh? Why would I— …hey, wait a minute.” Alba suddenly went silent and seems to be thinking, earning a curious look from Chelsea. “…alright, let’s do it. I have to study how you fight, after all.” “Ah, that’s good to hear.” “But that doesn’t mean I’ll hold back just because you had 2 sets, alright!? I’ll knock your sorry English ass off!” “I… Don’t know where or how I should respond to that, but okay.” ——— Another 5 minutes passed, and Sigulf found himself standing around the middle of the hill, this time facing Celina. Not far from them is the pair of Alba and Chelsea. “So she’s finally up for it.” Sigulf noted. “Are you okay with this?” “It can’t be helped. I figured someone will find out sooner or later.” Celina responded. “Not to mention Chelsea will probably say something like ‘The more the merrier!’” “Ahaha, true. That just sounds like her.” “I can hear you two!” the girl in question retorted. “Oops.” “Ufufu… Well then, let’s not waste any more time and get started. Shall we?” “Alright, let’s do this…!” Both of them shift into their fighting stance, waiting for the system’s cue. “…” It’s been two weeks and an additional two bouts with Celina, yet Sigulf can see his winning chance is only barely rising. ‘But it’s alright.’ He reassured himself. ‘One step at a time. Surpassing should be my endgame. For now, concentrate on improving so I don’t embarrass myself in front of Pacific’s representatives…!’ On almost the same time, Alba watches them silently from her own spot. “Hey, Miss! Focus!” Chelsea suddenly reprimanded her. “…you won’t win against me like that, you know?” Having been pulled back to reality, Alba shook her head. “…right. I should focus on taking you down first!” “Good, that’s more like it! Suits you better!” Chelsea said with a smile. “Don’t think I will go easy on you though!” “As if I need a handicap!” Alba retorted, now with an almost feral grin. When the system’s signal finally came, the 1st-years charged towards the insurmountable walls of their upperclasswomen with burning passion in their hearts. ———— About half an hour or so, after their morning practice has finally wrapped up… “Uuugh… I’m beat…” “…was training always this tiring?” “Now, now, don’t get disheartened. We still have tomorrow.” The four of them went to have a late breakfast at the usual café. “I think I get what you felt now…” Alba mumbled while her chin comfortably rests at the table. “Told ya. Won’t be so smug again, will you?” Alba glanced up towards Sigulf. “…nah, you still deserves my snobbery?” “Huh, and why’s that?” “Because you’re stuuuupid.” “…what? Nevermind that I’m not one; I don’t see any correlations between your statements…” Their exchange earned a chuckle from Chelsea. “So I guess this is the secret behind Gallowglass’ teamwork.” “Huh?” “You know they say, ‘best friends fight all the time’.” “I… Don’t think we fight that much, though.” Alba responded. “Eh, really? Or maybe it is a good thing, after all! You got good teamwork, it made me a bit jealous.” “Umm, so why don’t you try to pair with her?” Sigulf asked. “And make a unit maybe called something like… Union Crown?” “Eh!? Why would I pair with her!?” “Oh! That sounds nice! …ah.” ““…eh?”” Both Alba and Chelsea realized that what they said were the complete opposites of each other. The older girl then started to get teary-eyed. “Uuu…” “Wait, why are you crying!?” “I guess that goes to both of you too.” Celina chuckled. Still, Sigulf barely reacted and tries to steal a glance at Chelsea, hoping not to get caught. ‘Chelsea, could she be—‘ Celina’s phone suddenly rings and surprised all four. “The Principal…?” Celina said as she looked at the screen before answering it. “Yes?” There was no immediate answer which confused her. “…?” Chelsea gently poked her shoulder and pointed towards outside the window. “Oh, I see…” There stood the Principal, who waved at them as soon as she noticed. “Good morning.” Victoria greeted upon entering the café. “I see you all are here.” “Good morning, Ma’am.” Celina returned the greeting. “How did you—“ “Oh, I simply know what my students do and where. Don’t worry about that.” Both Celina and Sigulf looks worried at her statement, while Chelsea can only let out a wry laughter. “Uhm… I presume you just done morning practice?” Sigulf asked her. “Yes. I have to set-up an example after all. Not to mention, shedding a bit of sweat is never a bad thing.” “It certainly is…” Sigulf takes a good look at Victoria while wondering whether she has a personal training space. ‘Now that I think of it, seeing the Principal not wearing the usual get-up feels kind of… fresh.’ He mentally mused. ‘Well, she is a Duelist too after all…’ “My, young man. If you stare at me intensely, even I get embarrassed too.” “Eh!? No, I was just—“ Unfortunately, it’s a bit too late. “…perv.” “Peeeeerv~” “I’m… A bit disappointed there…” “…” There was nothing Sigulf could say under the girls’ judging gaze. ‘I, it’s over…!’ he mentally lamented. “Well, putting that aside,” Victoria chuckled. “Since you are here, there is something I need you to relay to the rest of the Council members regarding Pacific’s visit tomorrow.” “I see. Then what is it?” “They are expected to arrive after lunch, so I need all Council members to stand by, especially the ones concerned with security.” “So slightly past midday… Understood. Is there anything else, Ma’am?” “I guess that’s all for the moment. If any you have something scheduled or a date coming up, I suggest you reconsider the time.” “D, date?” Alba reacted for some reason. “Umm, I’m pretty sure we have nothing else besides morning practice, but thank you.” Celina answered, sounding a bit unsure. “That’s good to hear. Or if you really want to, you can shift your appointments to this afternoon.” “We’ll think about it…” Not long after, the waitress brought their food, as well as giving a slight nod upon noticing Victoria. “Oh, that’s right. Maybe I should order something while I’m here.” She said while pulling a chair. “Are you eating here?” Chelsea asked, slightly surprised. “Yes. You don’t mind, right? Or… Did I disturb a tender moment?” “Oh, no, no! It’s alright, nothing of the such here!” Chelsea feigned acceptance before the other can react. “I see. Well then, pardon the intrusion.” Victoria quickly scanned the menu before making her order. “So,” she faced Sigulf after the waitress went away. “I gather that you have been practicing hard with Celina and Chelsea?” “Eh, yeah… Even putting aside the fact that they are the top 2, they have been really nice and supportive, so…” “I see, I see. Touched by the kindness of the fair maidens, yes?” “Eh? Well…” “…Ma’am?” Celina questioned her. “Fufufu, don’t worry, I understand. Besides, facing various opponents and studying their fighting style is important, don’t you think?” “Right, that too.” “Hmm, if that’s the case, then how about you spar with me some day? I do have access to an exclusive training area, after all.” Victoria invited with a wink. ‘Oh Gerdr…!’ “Ma’am.” Victoria turned to face a smiling Celina… Yet the air around her is anything but. “Don’t you think it’s inappropriate to talk about that on the dining table? With your own student, even?” Chelsea, meanwhile, goes to use a less discreet way. “Alba, guard!” “Grrr!” the Scottish girl growled towards Victoria. “…hey, wait, why am I listening to you!?” Victoria looks a bit surprised but then brushed it off with a chuckle. “Oh my, I think I see what it is all about now.”

It’s lunch time, and Sigulf found himself once again sitting alone in a cafeteria. He’s done checking some of the bookstores, movies, and game centers, content that the weekends won’t be boring at least. ‘They really go all out with the budget, huh.’ He mused. While waiting for his orders, he took a glance at the whole café. He could recognize some of the faces that were present on the duel. The spiky orange-head judge was around the corner with the other guys, talking passionately about the duel. ‘True, I gotta admit now I want to try my hand against Amakawa as well.’ On the other side, there’s a large group of girls. Some of them talked about the duel as well, while the others talked about how “charming” Minato was. ‘Now that I thought about it, there are a lot of girls here. I wonder what made them got into duels?’ Among them, he recognized the white haired girl, who looks rather disinterested with the conversation. She was already like that even since the duel. Beside her is a Hispanic redhead, chatting with the other Minato’s fans. She was also among the spectators, right beside the white-haired girl. ‘Perhaps they are friends?’ “Sorry to keep you waiting!” the waitress’ voice got his attention back. “Here are your orders; cod fillet, smoked mutton, and a big-sized glass of milk.” “Ah, thank you.” “Is there anything else you would like to order?” “Mm… No. This would be enough.” “Very well. Please enjoy your meal!” As the waitress left, Sigulf digs into his food. ‘Aah, good old cod and mutton. So delicious…’ Sigulf’s home was back in Bolungarvik, the northernmost fishing village in the Westfjords, so the abundance of fish is out of the question. For the muttons, you could grab some on the nearby supermarkets, or take a 14km trip to Isafjordur. While Sigulf is enjoying his meal, he noticed a girl, sitting alone quite far from him, eating her unexpectedly large amount of lunch in such a speed. ‘By Jormungandr, will she be okay, eating like that?’ Sigulf mentally commented, as she became a spectacle for the onlookers. The girl wears her dark blue hair in a high-ponytail. On her unzipped military jacket, Sigulf noticed an emblem depicting a stylized, blue unicorn’s head over a cross. ‘I don’t know any club, sponsor, or major families with that emblem,’ he thought. ‘So, she’s Scottish?’ Suddenly, a round of applause could be heard as the girl apparently finished her lunch. Noticing her situation, she gave an embarrassed smile, before making her way out. “Strange girl.” Sigulf merely commented. Looking at his clock, he decides to take it easy as sips his glass of milk. ——— Soon after leaving the café behind, Sigulf dropped by at the grocery, buying some supplies. Eating outside is nice and all, but he thought it would be even better to prepare his own meal. After done with shopping, he wondered what to do next. ‘Hmm… Should I check the training grounds next?’ he thought.  ‘This would be quite the detour, but can’t be helped. It’s not like I have other things to do.’ With both of grocery bags still in hands, Sigulf decided to see the training grounds. ——— When Sigulf arrived, there were already some people training there. Judging by their movements, they must be the 2nd-years. On the other hand, he could see few newcomers like him sparring with their partners. ‘Am I being too laid-back here?’ he wondered as he took a stroll along the path, watching them spar. ‘Hmm, axes don’t seem to be a popular choice here.’ Moments later, Sigulf thought he had enough watching and decided to do something. ‘Watching them makes me want to swing my axes as well.’ He thought. ‘That said, I’d rather practice somewhere secluded.’ After taking a look at his surrounding, he found a rather secluded small hill in the distance. ‘It would need a bit extra effort, but I guess it’s better than to be distracted by the others.’ He thought as he sets off to his next destination. ——— As he arrived there, however, Sigulf could hear the sound of someone training nearby. ‘Someone beat me to it.’ He thought. ‘Still maybe I should take a look.’ Getting curious, Sigulf decided to check the source of the sound. When he finally reached his destination, there he saw a blonde girl, training her moves on her own. Not far from there, her brunette friend watched in silence. As they both wore training clothes, Sigulf couldn’t tell whether they are newcomers or 2nd-years. On the other hand, the blonde’s moves… They were something else entirely. The way she handled her spear was graceful and precise, yet Sigulf swore he can feel the force and impact of every strike. It’s as if she’s less of a disciplined knight, and more of an experienced warrior. Taking a good look at her True Arms, the spear, it was ordinary length-wise. What caught his attention was the bigger, jagged blade, clearly designed both to shred and to pierce. The shaft was adorned by what he thought as Celtic ancient alphabet. Right between the blade and the body, it was decorated by what seems to raven’s feather. All in all, it was a bit mystical to him. After some strikes, the blonde suddenly stopped, before turning her attention right to Sigulf. The brunette followed her sight and seems a bit surprised when she saw him. “Oh my.” “Seems we have a visitor.” ‘…I got so captivated by it, I forgot to be more discreet.’ Sigulf mentally lamented. “Do you have any business with us?” the blonde addressed him. “No, I was just looking for a practice spot.” He answered. “Sorry, did I disturb your practice?” “Ah, I see.” The blonde said while dematerializing her True Arms. “Don’t worry, I was just done practicing myself.” She continued as she, and her brunette friend, approached Sigulf. Now that Sigulf has a better look, her features made him skip a beat. The blonde’s flowing, slightly curled long hair matched well with her beautiful blue eyes. ‘By Gerdr, she’s beautiful.’ He simply thought. “Is something the matter?” the blonde asked her, pulling him back to reality. “…nothing. Nothing at all.” Sigulf responded. “Hmm… By any chance, are you a 1st-year?” now the brunette asked him. “Ah, yeah, that’s right.” “I see…” the brunette seems to be in thought for a moment, before she asked the blonde. “What do you think? Should we look for another place?” “Eh?” the blonde seems surprised at her friend’s suggestion. “Hmm… As much as I’d like to, we pretty much ran out of alternatives already.” “Fair point. But still…” the brunette replied. “Umm…” Sigulf suddenly speaks up, grabbing the girls’ attention. “If it’s about this place, then I won’t tell anybody.” “Hm?” “I mean, I can understand. I do look for a tranquil spot for practicing on my own as well, even if I have to walk a bit farther.” The brunette then asked the blonde, “Hmm… What do you say?” There was a momentary silence before the blonde said to Sigulf, “Can I take your word for it?” The blonde girl looked at Sigulf with a firm gaze, right at his eyes. For a moment, Sigulf seemed to be at a loss of words, before he regained his composure, and answered, “Then, you shall have my word.” At his answer, the blonde cracked a small smile and said, “Very good.” “Ah, Cel,” the brunette suddenly called. “I think it’s time already.” “You’re right. I have to prepare for tomorrow’s ceremony.” The blonde replied. ‘Hm? Does that means…?’ Sigulf wondered. “Well then, if you excuse us.” The blonde added while giving a slight bow before making her way. The brunette smiled and did the same. “Ah, um, right.” Sigulf replied, sounding a bit unsure. As they passed, the blonde left a parting word, “We’ll meet again.” Seeing the girls off, Sigulf stood there wordlessly. ‘She’s so cool and confident. And on top of that,’ he thought, as his face grow slightly red. ‘Beautiful.’ When the two are out of view, Sigulf kept his gaze at their direction for a while before returning to business. Putting his grocery bags under a nearby tree, he took a deep breath, and preparing himself to summon his True Arms. “Alright, let’s have some warm-up.” ——— Sigulf stepped out from his bath. Checking his clock, it’s already half past eight. Drying his hair with a towel, he then sat on his bed, thinking about what happened today. ‘The duel between Amakawa and Hestianus, that strange Scottish girl, and then those two…’ he recalled. ‘Seems I can look forward to this new life.’ When he first arrived on this island, he only thought about fighting to his heart’s content and winning. Yet the duel and the meeting… It’s like it stirred something within him. ‘Especially her…’ he thought. When he finally done changing his clothes, he set the alarm clock, and lies down, looking at the ceiling above him. ‘Amakawa, Hestianus, and those two… Watch me, Master. I’ll stand on the same level as them.’ Although he slept soundly, it’s also the first time in years since Sigulf filled with excitement.

After lunch break, everyone proceeded to the practice session. As Sigulf and Yuu are preparing themselves to spar, a commotion could be heard from the other side. “Hey!! What do you think you are doing!?” “Hmm? Did you drop your eyes somewhere? I’m inviting him for a good sparring session.” “Um, girls…” It seems Eurypha and Carmen are fighting over who will be Minato’s partner. “I asked him first! Go ask someone else!” “Eeh? After what happened yesterday?” Carmen responded, faking her disappointment. “I’m sure a gentleman would take responsibility… After doing this… And that… In broad daylight…” “T, that was an accident!” Minato panicked, his face getting red. “You perverted witch! You’re saying that on purpose! And you, why are you getting flustered!?” Most of the students are now more interested in the two’s quarrel than continuing practice. ‘A catfight?’ Sigulf thought. ‘Wait, what is Sir Fortier doing?’ He looked around, only to see Eliot apparently not giving a damn. ‘Don’t tell me he’s actually amused…’ “Be my partner, Amakawa.” Carmen beckoned. “Or should I call you… Mi-na-to?” Minato got even redder being called by his first name. “Aargh, go disturb someone else, you titty demon!” “Oh my, did I sense jealousy there?” “Hmph, I wonder about that! You probably lack anything else, so you have to resort to sex appeal!” The last one struck Carmen’s nerve. “What was that!? Then how about I show you that I have all brains, beauty, and brutality!?” “Do you even have any one of them in the first place!?” “Why you…!!” “What!? You wanna go at it!?” As their tempers flared, Minato tried to snuck away. Unfortunately, the two girls noticed. “…ah.” Minato quickly make his runaway. Eurypha and Carmen quickly chased him. “Wait, we’re not done yet!” “Minato! Take responsibility!” As the three ran out from the room, Eliot simply said, “You three, don’t forget to return before the 10-minutes time limit.” ‘He’s completely non-chalant about this…’ Sigulf mentally commented. “Pretty nice to be him, huh.” Yuu added. “Being chased by the girls like that.” “…it depends, I think.” ——— Just before the 10-minutes limit ended, Minato, Eurypha and Carmen returned to the room. Eliot then prepared the class for the mock duel. “Any volunteers?” Eliot asked. The number of the volunteers wasn’t that much different from yesterday’s, though this time, some students seems to be aiming for Sigulf instead. ‘Good grief, I can feel their stares already.’ Eliot activated his randomizer, and once again, the students looked tense, waiting for the results. Beep. Much to most of the class’ disappointment, the two chosen were Carmen and a boy. “Well, gotta watch from the sidelines then…” Yuu commented. “So if I got picked once, I won’t fight until the next cycle it seems.” Sigulf added. “Cycle? Aah, I think I know what you mean. So that everyone got a chance first, right?” Meanwhile on Minato’s side, Carmen is preparing herself for the duel. “Fufufu, looks like I get to show what I can do. Cheer for me, okay, Minato?” she said, giving him a wink. “Eh… Um…” Minato responded, clearly looking embarrassed. Eurypha promptly elbowed him in the stomach. “Ow! What’s that for!?” “Nothing, idiot!” Ignoring those two’s antics, Carmen headed to the middle of the room. “Your oaths!” Eliot commanded. “We, the Duelists from Atlantic swore to abide by the rules, respect the judge’s decision, and fight with all of our might, in honor of our opponent, and for the glory of one own self!” both of Carmen and her opponent recited their oaths. “Now, summon your True Arms!” Carmen then her right arm aside and began chanting. A rose-red aura swirled upwards from her feet, encircling her body. “To the Rose of Desire, I plea… Satisfy my lust for victory and dominate my enemies! Bloom gracefully, Venus!” The aura disappeared and an ornate scythe decorated with rose and vines materialized in her hand, befitting her name. ‘A scythe user.’ Sigulf thought. ‘In exchange for a bit of speed, usually they have great coverage. Let’s see how she fights.’ Her opponent was awestruck for a moment, before he regained his composure. “Fufufu…” “En garde!” Eliot announced. Carmen readied herself. “Begin!” ——— Unfortunately for her opponent, Carmen was way beyond his expectations. “Duel’s over! Winner, Carmen Rosales!” The room cheered on her victory. Dematerializing her True Arms, Carmen took a pose and seductively blows a kiss towards Minato. The boy in question went red from her gesture, Eurypha hissed with anger, and the rest of the boys groaned in frustration. “Hmm… Maybe I should try to stumble like Amakawa-kun…” Yuu wondered aloud. “…wait, what?” Sigulf responded. “Why not? I mean, if it could hook you up with someone. Or two.” “…I thought we’re here to fight?” “Eeh? What are you saying, Sig-kun? Since we are on high-school stage now, might as well look for rose-colored youth.” “I don’t really get what are you trying to say…” “Hmm… Could it be that you don’t like girls?” “That’s not the problem here…” Sigulf sighed. “Eurypha or Carmen?” “Can I choose someone else?” “Just what kind of girls do you like, exactly?” “…older girls, I think.” Sigulf said, getting a bit red. “Hmm… Like the student council president? Or even the principal?” “Yeah, somewhere along that line.” “I see… You did stare at them intensely during the ceremony, after all.” “…wait, I did? And you remembered?” “Mm. Totally. Clear as a day.” “…shit.” ——— After school, both Sigulf and Yuu are on their way to the dorms, talking about things when suddenly a group of students appeared before them. “I assume you are Sigulf Hrimgard?” the one who appeared to be the leader addressed them. Including him, Sigulf counted there are 6 boys. ‘Already, huh…’ Sigulf thought. “…yes, I am. What about it?” “I see.” He chuckled. “Then we can go straight to the point, can’t we?” Both Sigulf and Yuu grow cautious. “Sig-kun, this guy…” Sigulf said nothing and simply steeled himself.