"I have decided to go against your advice and officially adopt him. As you know, I run an orphanage and it will be easy for him to adapt into that and learn how to more human than his redcap heritage. Please give the child a chance. I can't kill him now.
Many Thanks, Iago Duskwalker"
-Letter to the Guildmaster II, by Iago Duskwalker
As the rest of the class began to open their eyes to the bright sun of golden hour, shining through the windows of the lecture hall door, it was jarring to find ones self either on the floor or slouched in your chair. Written on the chalk board in front of them were the rushed words: SORRY NYNAE'S ART PUT YOU ALL TO SLEEP. ITS PREDICTED YOU'LL WAKE UP AROUND 4 O'CLOCK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. CLASS IS DISMISSED. At that moment, Daniel remembered what had happened.
The second Nyn had chanted that phrase, a massive explosion of a purplish-grey mist enveloped the entire room, bellowing out of the small girl. Powerful wind currents tossed and overturned throughout the room, some of the porcelains even getting knocked over of whisked away because of it.
"Cover your mouth, quickly!" a voice shouted
"What do you.. what do.. wha-" a body slumped to the floor. Screams erupted
"Stay calm, or you'll breathe more gas in!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't remember it being like this!"
Then, the room went silent. Everyone was still and fast asleep, except from the sobbing girl Nyn and the teacher who had wrapped his entire face up in a dark, shadowy clothe.
"Well, fuck. I'm going to get in so much trouble for this.", the teacher cursed, before turning to the crouching and relentlessly crying Nyn, "Hey, hey, hey... It's going to be okay, all right. Come on, climb onto my back," the teacher offered, turning his back on her and crouching down.
"O-okay..." Nyn cautiously agreed, hoping on the teachers back so excitedly, that he almost fell over himself.
"Jeez, your heavier than expected. Okay, lets go!" the teacher announced marching to the door, quickly opening going through and closing the hall door and finally taking off his covering, "Now that's an art to be proud of, little misses,", the teacher excitedly said, laying Nyn back down and poking her forehead, "Well, I'm going to have to check everyone's in a good position and alright since I kinda gotta leave them there, or I'll get in trouble."
The girl nodded shyly, "Okay..."
"If you want, you can go to the dorms now, since lessons are pretty much cancelled. Anyway, here we go-" the teacher rushed towards the doors before swiftly running back, "Wait, how long does this last for?"
"Nine hours! Waking up at 4 o'clock my ass, its hours after lessons finished!" Daniel exclaimed, while the others students were beginning to wake up.
Despite everyone being confused and somewhat apprehensive of there surroundings, the classroom was tame. Some of the porcelains were helping their classmates up; asking about them; checking if they were okay; it felt like something. Camaraderie. Wait, where's Nyn? Thought Daniel, before realising, Well, I suppose if it were her own art it wouldn't of affected her and she would of walked out just fine. But what about Lanyon? Was he the one asking people to cover their faces? If so, he must of done that pretty quick, if he began to shout for others to do the same. Wait, how did he do it that fast?! It was practically instantaneous, how-
"How's everyone, ya'll okay?" a noble's boy called out, stepping on one of the tables to get a better view of everyone.
"Yeah, I think so!" the reserved girl from earlier replied, getting up from the floor on the other side of the room..
"Well, if that kid wasn't something, that art was mad!" the boy said, "So, I guess we should have our introductions, what better opportunity, amiright?"
"Well, if we're doing that then," the reserved girl finally stood up straight, beginning to approach him, "The name's Sid, and you, rich boy?"
"Well... My name is Astra Freyr, of the family of Duchess Libra," the noble's boy replied, coyly.
"Aren't you a pretty boy, Astra!" a flirtatious boy said coming down the aisle of the lecture hall, "The name's Connor, Connor Harris, son of Gulliver Harris, and won't you be a nice addition to my collection of men to tease, eh?"
The Harris name was not a surname that was easily thrown around, to the point that even Daniel, a boy from a place of the countryside as rural as they come, knew about it. Gulliver Harris; one of the strongest men in the Guild, who, unbeknownst to Daniel, was Platinum Rank 3. In all other ranks of the Guild, the structure follows a similar hierarchy to that of the military, the official force of Alandriel that deals with direct threats to it, rather than the preventative Guild. On the other hand, the Platinums are ranked by number, taking two factors into account; confirmed kills and successful missions. For this platinum, he excelled in successful missions, due to the fact he was a rare kind of Guild Member. Rather than going gung ho on the battlefield, he wielded a sniper rifle, carefully executing various enemies of high ranking without being noticed. In terms of strategy and pure skill, no one in the Guild could come close to Gulliver, who is known by the code-name, The Longshot.
"Y-You're... Your the son of that Gulliver, the Platinum Gulliver?!"
"Yep, bullseye! And you should look like that a bit more often, Astra, you don't strike me as the stoic type," giggled Connor, approaching the jittery Astra and stroking his cheek, the boy instantly recoiling and covering that side of his face.
"Now, what is your name, you monster," Connor said, in a far more serious tone, turning to Daniel, just as he was about to pack up and leave, "Now, now, don't abandon me like that, unless things like you don't know of manners."
Nobody in the class had any clue of what this boy was talking about, but if the son of one of the most powerful mortals alive is calling someone a monster, they should not be taken lightly; for Connor had seen Daniel during the that moment with the teacher, since he has sensed far more sinister presence when compared to Lanyon. One of malice and wrath rather than the teacher's who was simply aiming to frighten rather than threaten. And, while the rest of the classes' eyes were stuck on the teacher, Connor's were place firmly on Daniel, with a gaze of pure infatuation.
"I-I don't know what you are talking about there, but I will answer your request," he said, standing up a bit straighter before answering, "My name is Daniel."
"Are you a noble's kid like that brat over there," he questioned, pointing to Astra next to him.
"No. I'm from the countryside."
"Well then, there's only one other thing left to ask, if you truly are the monster I believe you to be. What are your arts?"
Usually, it was considered disrespectful to directly ask of one's art, since it is often so important to people to the extent that they consider it their own personal possession, instead of physical attribute. Many would be disgusted or gravely offended by this question, especially when asked in an unprofessional manner, but Daniel's face only wore dread.
"I... I don't have an Art."
It was a shock to be sure when someone says they do not have an art, for it was incredibly rare for someone to not have one. But the fact that this someone who was called a monster, didn't have one was an even greater surprise. While the other students were gasping or taken back by it, Connor still held his gaze.
"So, your that much of one, eh?"
No one believed what had just came out of Connor's mouth. How was someone who didn't even have an art and wasn't from noble heritage was even more of a monster than a man of his prestige had initially thought? It was unexplainable, yet to Connor, it made perfect sense. Before anyone could rebuke either of the two who were stuck in rigid confrontation, Daniel had left. His departure was so silent and unnoticeable, no-one had realised he had vanished until it had been too late.