While Aran is spacing out in the corner of the hall, Huck found him after a brief searching. He approached Aran who is seemingly distracted by the girl who just passed through him. Curious about what happened, Huck called him.
"Aran!"
"Oh, are you done exploring?" Aran asked, still while looking at the girl.
"Yeah, it is bigger than what I have expected. By the way, where are you looking at?" Huck shattered his fixed attention to the girl and turned to him.
"Oh nothing, someone just bumped me and then fled away in an instant."
"Heh... Did that person even apologize?"
"She did, but not really in a manner of what we usually do. I didn't really care about it, it seems like something is troubling her." Aran answered.
"'Her'? So it is a girl? Are you a chick magnet, Aran?" Huck chuckled, he kept teasing him by asking about how does he get girls all the time in a non-coincidental way. If Lisa heard this, he would have gotten an immediate punch.
"What are you even talking about...? Of course not, it just happens all the time." Aran shrugged him off. Both of them leaned on the wall together while seeing everyone passing through the Main Hall.
The central area of the whole place was designed in a roundabout way where it is easier to see where the rooms are located. There are stalls occupying the side area of the hall and the path that leads to the second building were in the middle of each side.
"So how is this place?" Aran broke the silence.
"Well, as I said earlier, it is quite big. There is actually more room on that floor up there. Each section's room is plastered with some good wallpapers and the windows and curtains are quite tall as well. It seems like they have really inserted that much budget to build up a place like this." Huck answered.
"I wouldn't be surprised. There are two more branches of this academy on the west and east side of our region. Master Rin told me that they are planning to build more in the future to continue the education for warriors like us. Though, I imagined it would be difficult to process such things because we might get a downfall of representatives from the actual workload." said Aran.
"Wait, can't hear you. Let me just... What do you mean by that?" Huck couldn't hear Aran's small voice so he moved a little bit closer to him to hear what he is saying.
"Well, if they were to establish more branches of academies for fighting and nurturing young slayer candidates, it would be hard for the natural workers like those who hunt for food to gather more workers. Most teens today are more interested in becoming slayer candidates rather than working for the economy of the whole kingdom. Risking their lives over the quotient of reproducing necessities and important needs is going to be imbalanced at some point in the future." He explained.
"I see, so we wouldn't get the ratio to reciprocate the amount." Huck revisioned the exact thought.
Certainly, inside the Kingdom of Ruth, the number of workers to be dispatched lately was getting diminished as the year goes by. This is because of the sudden influx of people wanting to be more of an adventurer or a Slayer Candidate. Without the necessary manpower to balance the state of the Kingdom's daily economy, there would be a major downfall of marketing and necessities inside.
"If that's how you put it then yes, it would be pretty easy to work as a warrior, but we also need those who can work for the sake of bringing in the most basic factor and need in our daily life. Representing them in an early age of combat is redundant and it wouldn't benefit that much in my own perspective."
"But then, we also need someone to work on the farm, right?" Huck raised another question.
"That is exactly what I am thinking. Sooner or later, the board members of the council should raise their expectations a bit more in the future and apply only those who have the real potential in becoming slayers. We can't just leave those natural selections." Aran answered.
While they were immersed in their conversation, the purple-haired man gathered everyone once again in the middle of the hall for another announcement.
"Everyone, please settle down and listen to me one last time. Since most of you are already familiar with the premises of our academy, we will now start the orientation with each master in your section. You may now proceed to the room where you are registered and please sit down after you enter. You may wait for your instructor or master and while you do that, please practice the correct and respectful etiquette in order to stabilize the environment. We will now close the other rooms and open the section doors." After concluding the exploration of the academy, he prepared the guards to open up the doors so they can enter the sections they were assigned with.
"Where's Lisa?" Aran asked.
"I'm not sure. I guess she'll be going straight to the Section B Room. I didn't get to see her after we parted."
"Oh, okay."
Huck and Aran casually followed the line for those who are registered under Section C and the rest did the same.
Upon entering Section C, Aran was greeted by the vast hill of chairs and long tables that seems to extend on the top within the backside of the room. The conditioned room filled with fresh air coming from the laminated window took their attention. The beautiful sunlight passed through the window reflecting its flare through the wares.
"Wow..." Aran mumbled as he looked around.
"What do you think? It is pretty good, right?" Huck glanced around as well. His lips curled upward. Both of them are excited.
"Yeah, this is really astonishing." He replied.
Moving in, all of the candidates that are registered under section C finally entered the room and the door slowly got closed by the guards. Each of them tried to scatter around to find a good seat.
Huck went in on the left side near the third row and called Aran to offer him the seat beside him.
"Aran!"
Aran sat next to him and leaned his body backward to refresh himself. He sighed pretty deeply.
"Hmm? What's the matter? You look kinda tired." He glanced at him. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and leaned his arms on the table then he started to talk.
"Well, it is not an everyday occurrence that you get to experience something extraordinary with a lot of people." He answered. Huck was not able to fully understand what Aran told him.
"I'm sorry, can you dumb that down for me? I didn't really follow..." He requested.
"Sorry, well, it is kinda hard for me to show up within a bunch of people like what we are dealing with right now. I'm not used to crowds and I tend to throw up if they are a bit close to me." He continued.
"Wait what? That sounds pretty dumb..." Huck chuckled after hearing his answer.
"Believe me or not, it is the truth. I'm not really a playful person when I was still a kid, and Lisa is the only company I've had for more than seven years. The reason why is because I am a book person who loves to use his free time reading and studying so I didn't actually get to experience hanging out with peers and it makes me sick whenever I see people enjoying their youth in front of me." said Aran.
"Oh, well that makes sense. But then I think that suits you better. If you were to be something like uh... Let's say a charismatic guy who is very popular and talented then I would be really left out at this point. Like, it is pretty hard to get closer to the people's favorite, you know what I am saying?"
Huck willingly shared his thoughts. However, upon entering their conversation in a direct topic about peers and pressures, some guys on the top of the row caught Huck.
"Well Huck, you say that much but you didn't realize you were the star of this section. Hahaha! Listen to those who are above you." Both of them stopped their conversing for a brief moment. Murmurs have started to circulate throughout the entire section room.
"That's him, that guy on the third row near the left side. That's him!"
"Woah, the Prince of the Iron Fist is here! We're lucky to be in this section after all!"
"Emma, You should go talk to him..."
"No way! I'm really embarrassed."
"No freaking way, the Iron Fist is currently staying in our section!"
Aran looked at him with an intended smirk, trying to assimilate his facts. He returned the glance to Aran as well but he can't help but feel flustered about the fact that he is quite famous for holding the title.
"W-Well... I think that one couldn't be an excuse... for some reason you piss me off." Huck exclaimed while twitching his body in embarrassment.
"Hahaha! I am not really opposed to it, to be honest. It is a good thing that you are popular here. Though, If you are going to be meeting with your fans, I suggest that you should leave me and pretend that we are not friends at all..." Aran said, his eyes were downcast.
"Wait, what do you mean? Why would I do that?"
"There's no particular reason, to be honest. Compare to you, I'm pretty much just a useless piece of trash who doesn't know how to socialize. Let alone, if I were to come with you and hang out with the others, it would be such a mortifying stance to me. Also, some people are disgusted with my presence so I would rather avoid getting that much attention just because you are my friend." Aran answered as he laughed.
"You seem too happy with that, but I'm not. There's no way that I would leave my friend or companion behind. I won't force them to like you, and I won't force you to like them either. But Aran, at this point in time, you need to have friends as well don't you think? You think too lowly of yourself and that is irritating me. You beat me in the examination and I made a fool of myself for discriminating the weak against you. And after hearing what happened with your parents, you were left alone, that is enough reason for me to stay on your side. So don't worry, man! You don't need to be lonely at all, you have me. And who knows, maybe they will like you as well?"
Hearing all of that triggered the start of breaking Aran's solidified nature of coldness that has been frozen in his soul for quite a while. He grew up without any friends aside from Lisa, he made to assure himself that he is okay even without that many companions. Because of his pessimistic view of himself, he failed to realize that there are actually more people who care about him. And hearing Huck's word finally shattered that feeling as he realized that he needs to be more open to him.
"Huck..." he whispered his name. He moved his head for a little bit and started laughing.
"Hahahaha! I didn't know that you have a good soul! Hahahahaha! I thought your brain is just like your body!" He laughed so hard that Huck got flustered after saying such manly and considerate things.
"Hey! Don't make fun of me!" He countered him.
While they are immersed in their friendly conversation, a woman appeared right beside them.
"Hou...? so you two are actually registered in Section C..." She commented as she observed the two. Aran stared at her.
She appears to have long purple hair with her bangs slanged on the left side of her forehead. She also has a ponytail on the backside of her bun. She wore a light-purple coat extending a bit closer on her thigh and is partnered with a belt that keeps its consistency and a vest that covers her arms and shoulders. On her back, she holds a dual-bladed scythe that has a weird-looking shape on its blade. Despite her menacing weapon, her beauty is something to be talked about.
"Umm... Can I help you?" Aran asked her. Her smiling face shifted from the center to Aran himself. He twitched his body as soon as he received her attention.
"Hmm? Nothing, I was just wondering how the two qualifiers who miraculously survived the examination are holding up." She said in a sassy tone.
(I don't like where this is going...) Huck averted his gaze.
"Oh... Well, we're okay, I guess. I and Huck are friends now. Nice to meet you, my name is Aran Crossford." Aran didn't seem to be annoyed with the woman's tone. He extended his hand in front of her, trying to shake her hand.
Confused by this, she sighed and finally let down herself in disappointment. She took Aran's hand and shook them.
"Heh... You seem to be a nice guy, my name is Eunice Einfield. Nice to meet you too. I am sorry for interrupting you guys." She apologized.
"Mm! That's okay." Aran smiled as he replied.
"Mind if I sit beside you?" She requested.
"Yep, sure!"
Huck scooted himself on the left side of the seat to give some space for her. Aran moved away as well so she can take the seat on the end of the right beside Aran. After sitting, she leaned back and pressed herself while stretching her arms. Her voluptuous chest suddenly bounced. Aran and Huck were both petrified by this view.
(Wow... I mean no! What the hell are you thinking?! Aran!) He crossed his head and slapped his face a couple of times.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Huck Revera..." Huck extended his hand as well to shake Eunice's.
"Nice to meet you. I didn't think that I will be meeting the Prince of the Iron Fist here. It is such an honor to meet you." She said. Engaging herself with their conversation, the three became friends quickly.
"Yeah, and it is also an honor to finally meet the top notcher of the section C examination." Blurting out the sudden revelation, Eunice kept her expression in a playful manner.
"Huh?! Huck, what do you mean by that?" Aran was the most surprised out of them.
"Eunice Einfield is the Top 1 Examinee who passed under our section, Aran. I was the second one. You didn't get to see the other side of the list so you don't know." Huck answered him.
"Wait... She is the strongest under Section C?!"
"Yeah, with a final average of 98.53. She is one of the most versatile fighters in this Academy." Huck applauded as he sighed.
"Heh... It is not that much far off compared to your average, Prince of the Iron Fist. You got 97.89" Eunice returned back on her competitive attitude.
"If there's only a way to come back in the past, I would have requested to have a fight with you instead." Being the way he is, Huck's personality drastically changed upon baffling Eunice with his provocation. Their sense of gaze suddenly turned into a glare that might leak at any moment. They pressed their bodies while Aran is in the center of his seat being afraid of the two. They both clicked their tongue as their face get closer.
"Hey, look at that!"
"What is happening?"
"A fight?"
"The top 1 of the class is clashing with the top 2."
"Wait, that girl is the top 1 of our section?"
"I'm pretty sure the iron fist won't let this slide."
(This is bad! If I don't stop them, they will be breaking the early rule of this academy. I need to somehow distract them.)
The way Aran remembered the rules is the same as studying a particular magic sequence. Aran blurted out something out of the blue.
"Hey, come on... Please don't do that. We should be waiting for the master to come in by now. If you guys don't stop, the academy board will expel you instantly." He softly said in a convincing tone.
Realizing that they have been carried away by their emotion and competitiveness, a sudden beat twisted their brain, relentlessly stopping them from getting frustrated. Huck leaned back on his seat grumping into his own anger. He shifted his gaze from Eunice to the grass outside. Eunice did the same but with a slight pout. Her tone is more aggressive than usual.
"Hmph!" Both calmed themselves. After settling, Aran leaned back on his seat and sighed in relief.
(These two are going to be trouble...)
Finishing up the disturbance within the room, the door of their section opened slowly. Everyone sat down in their seat.
A woman who wears a long dress extending from the very bottom of the floor entered. She has a lovely atmosphere around her. Aside from her long light-blue dress, she also wears a witch hat with a red gem on the top. Her aura is brimming with confidence. Her beautiful brown hair waved, slaying everyone's affection even men and women.
Reaching the table on the front, she placed down the book and started speaking.
"Ehem..." Her charming presence alleviated as soon as she let out a subtle cough to intervene in everyone's collected manner. Aran, Huck, and Eunice dropped their jaw, unable to speak with each other.
"Good Afternoon, my Dear Candidates. My name is Julia Primrose. I am a former member of the Council. I recently moved to the Magikill Federation as an executive advisor. I will be here as your grand instructor for our subject of 'Magic Activation'. The reason why you are assigned here on Section C is partially dependent on one factor and that is because you are more adept and skilled with your combat skills. That being said, it also means that all of you are incapable of using magic power or activating a magic sequence. It would be a waste if you were not to use it, I presume? Well, that is why for our lesson for today, we will be talking about the basic concept of Magic."
while introducing herself, the candidate can't help but feel mesmerized by her charming beauty and matured tone. Some of them are even drooling themselves.
"I am glad to be right here teaching all of you..." She bowed. By doing so, the candidates stood up from their seats and bowed themselves.
"Nice to meet you, Master! We are looking forward to your teaching!"
"Wow, the enthusiasm of these guys really depends on the person..." Huck noticed the exceeding excitement of the whole Section C.
"Yeah, and this is the first time that I am going to learn the concept of magic. I am really looking forward to it." Aran replied.
And thus, their studying session has finally commenced.
***
Arriving at the city hall, were Commander Bill and the two knights who have had direct contact with the Masked Magician earlier this morning. They were in a carriage parked at the location near the front hall. Upon arriving at the gate, the two full-body armored knights saluted on the commander's presence and they opened the gates to let the carriage in.
"We're here..." Commander Bill stepped outside of the wagon.
Inside the main office of the city hall, Commander Henry is working on a paper filed with so many reports. He was adding them to his worklist, trying to sign all of them in one go. One representative of the knight council appeared on his door knocking.
"Come in..."
The knight stepped in and saluted.
"Pardon me for entering, the Commander in chief from Croalea city wishes to see you, Commander Henry." The knight reported.
"Bill? I see, so he finally arrived. Tell him to head directly to my office. I will be waiting for him." he instructed him.
"Yes, Sir!" The knight left the room and closed the door.
A few minutes have passed, Commander Bill entered Henry's office.
"Henry..." He called him.
"It has been a long time... Bill." Shaking his hand, Henry raised his hand pointing to the couch to offer them a seat.
"Take a seat. I am glad that you are doing well."
The other in contact sat as well while fidgeting their fingers.
"Yeah, same here," Bill replied.
"So, what's with the sudden visit?" Henry brought up the question.
The two commanders gazed at each other with their serious expressions being held. The atmosphere dropped on its own, refracting the coldness and intensity of the room while they are trying to find the words.
"We are here... to ask for your cooperation."
"A joint operation? Why? Is it necessary?" Henry was shocked about the request.
"Yeah. A mass murderer from the western city have escaped during a pursuit in action and was seen heading towards the capital. This individual seems to have a powerful capacity to advance tier magic knowledge and is adequately skilled in killing people with his own hands. We have tried to capture this criminal back in Croalea but we're powerless to apprehend him. He inflicted major damage with our knights and guards. There is no guarantee that he will do the same again but this time, he will do it here in the capital. I wish to have a joint operation with the central department in order to capture or execute him." Bill stood up from his seat and bowed in front of Henry.
"Bill... You know how this will affect your department's performance right? How did this happen?" Henry was reluctant to accept. Accepting that Bill didn't manage to cover up the apprehension made him look down.
"We know that... We are aware of the consequences and the truth itself. However, our ranks have nothing to do with our excessive sought for help to capture this killing machine. We don't care anymore about our ranks, if we failed, we failed. But all of that can go to hell after we have successfully destroyed this being." Bill said.
The two knights who are on his side stood up and bowed as well.
"We are aware of our consequences, so please we ask for your assistance on this case. We will provide any information we have for the sake of this operation and give the full entitlement to the central department." The other knight said.
"Please raise your head." The three of them raised their head slowly. Henry sighed.
"There's no need for you to become wary, Bill. No... for you as well. We won't leave this on the council, if they don't know the real source of the problem then they won't be able to identify which department is responsible for the negligence, isn't it?" Henry made a remark that startled them.
"Huh? What are you talking about, Henry? You can't do this, you might lose your stance as well on this case." Bill countered his suggestion.
"Relax. That's not going to happen. There are two reasons why you shouldn't worry about the demotion. First of all, dependence on each department is held if the said case is prior to the fact that it is difficult to assess and resolve. It is stated on the board that a joint operation is valid if the case is considered to be threatening for the whole city or even the kingdom. You mentioned earlier that this being is a killing machine, am I correct?"
"Yeah, that's correct..."
"Then we have our first evidence to seek for cooperation. The council won't be able to dispute our joint operation and admonish our rank over something that is trivial and dangerous as this case. Besides, this particular criminal made his own way on the capital. The Croalea department is not responsible for the decision of where the criminal might head next. If the council has its own rule, then we have our own as well." Henry explained with a smile on his face.
"So what do you guys think?" He asked them.
"Yes! We're glad to accept your projection!" They responded.