Veronika just nods and was completely unbothered by it. Patricia looks at her with curiosity and concern in mind. "What's your next class?" Gabriel asks them. "Well, Physical Valiantry." "Me too! How about you Patricia?" They turned to her only to find her staring in the air. "Hey? Patricia!"
Patricia snapped out of her thoughts, "Y-yes." She said immediately, not knowing what they have asked her. "The question is not a yes or no question, Patricia. Is something wrong?" Antonietta looks at her. Patricia looks back at Veronika who's approaching their professor. "I'm just curious as to why Sir Rohan wants to talk to her."
"Maybe he just wants to ask her how she's been doing. Based on his words earlier, they have met before and Veronika was his student." Patricia sighs, "But it's more than intriguing that she attended the school before. She also looks different from before. She has longer hair and… her attitude is a lot different than before."
"Maybe we should talk about that outside. We don't want her catching wind of our words." They walked out of the building along with their other classmates. While going towards the door, Patricia could hear some of the words from Veronika's conversation with their Magical Valiantry professor.
"I am glad that you decided to come back after that. Isn't it a bit uncomfortable for you to attend here while…" Veronika sighs, "If I want to secure the best future for me, I need to take it as long as I can. Besides, I just need to ignore them."
Patricia's curiosity sparked more as she heard these words. There's more to tell how she's been for years she hadn't come to school. As they stepped out of the building, Patricia looks at her friends, "Did you hear something in their conversation?" Antonietta shrugs, "I sometimes dazed out when I walk. One of the reasons why I bumped on a certain someone…" "Why? Have you heard something interesting?" Patricia looks around, "Maybe it's best to go somewhere for this."
"Maybe the cafeteria? I am sure few people will be there." Antonietta agrees, "Yeah, it seems what will you say needs to be kept a secret." They head towards the cafeteria and took a seat on one of the tables far from both the entrance and the stalls.
Patricia takes a deep breath, "It's not that urgent nor serious, it's just… There's really more to Veronika than meets the eye." Gabriel nods, "Well, you seem right. People that have those kinds of attitudes do have something to hide from the world. It's the mask they wear to hide the vulnerability they have. Based on my experience, that is."
"Well, that's another topic for another day." Patricia sighs, "She was a student here before that came back who-knows how many years. She came back and from that conversation, something seems to stop her before coming back."
"What is it?" Antonietta looks at her, "Is it something about her financial construct? Because to be honest, this school is now overrun by rich people in the world. Even there are no tuition fees to be paid, it feels like it's your future daily life when we became adults. Minus the jobs and incomes."
Patricia shakes her head, "No, it's about someone that's in the school. Professor Rohan knows about this. He asked himself will she be okay coming back especially with those people still around. She said she will endure it as long as she can, for the sake of having a much brighter future than the one she was in before when she stopped going to school." Both of her friends think, silence conquered them for a minute.
"Whatever it is, she's in a tough patch, we know, but do we need to mull over this? She seems doesn't care about the situation and even she does, she seems okay. We can't be taking her problems as ours or even yours." Antonietta crosses her arms.
"It's just, I feel that I need to… be there for her." Gabriel looks at her, "Do you feel there's some friendship going on with you two? Because if she doesn't feel it, then she doesn't need any help from someone she even ignores." Patricia sighs, "As far as I know, she doesn't have any. She was always out of our dorm and never mentioned any friend or something similar to that."
"So as her roommate, you feel inclined to help her? I am not going to question that, but feel if she needs any of your help." Patricia nods, "Ever since I saw her, I feel inclined to be her friend. It's not just because my mission is to befriend a Mentiel. If she smiles, she will be a lot more approachable. Her face is tame, just like Gabriel said, she must be hiding behind her mask. I am going to help her to have the courage to remove it and show herself to the world."
"I am going to join you." Patricia looks at Gabriel, "I am fine with doing it on my own, but if you want to be her friend as well, I am happy to welcome you." They both looked at Antonietta who looks so torn. After some few minutes, she sighs. "I am not a good tamer of a beast like her. I could help what I could, it's just… I have some fear with people like her. I rather just not… deal with them."
"Understandable, Anne." Antonietta looks at Gabriel, "Anne? Me?" Gabriel laughs, "Yes, my nickname to you is now Anne! Antonietta is a mouthful and a bit weird for me to say at least." He looks at Patricia, "And I will call you Pat, or do you prefer Trisha?"
Patricia smiles, "Pat will be sufficient for me. Now we are on the topic of nicknames, we could call you now Gab." He chuckles, "Much obliged. Besides, that's the only nickname I had for years. It will be weird for you to call me Briel or Riel, no?"
"Things are just weird when you condemn them to be weird, like my name." Gabriel looks at Antonietta and laughs, "I was just joking. Although, I never heard such names before. How did you get it?"
"I am from the Rossian regions, specifically I am from Konekor. It's the regions where most of the people with water elements came from." Water droplets started to form atop her open palm. "The traditions of naming there are quite interesting, but it shapes unique names. Once you have a child, it is the tradition to name them with names that both have the parts of your and your spouse's names. For example, my father's name is Anthonilo and my mother's name is Linietta."
"So you have Antonietta? That's neat. I never knew that naming technique in the Earth is a full-on tradition here in Thereal." Antonietta smiles, "I have read some of your world's traditions before, so I won't be surprised that you will be surprised with the traditions here in Thereal. There are different ones in different regions. For example, the northern and central parts of the Ignitian regions have this law that your name should be only up to five if you are born there or registered to be a local citizen there."
"It's a law?" Patricia looks at her with shock, "No wonder that there's a pattern among our classmates who has a fire-related element that they have short names." Antonietta smiles, "I could go on and list a lot of other seemingly weird traditions and laws here in Thereal, but it will be a lot to uncover in one sitting."
"Well, you never underestimate someone with glasses." Antonietta looks at Gabriel, rather confused with his remark. "What does that mean?" Gabriel chuckles, "Figure it out, smart gal."
They talked for a while until their next class is approaching. "We should wait in the classroom now. I believe it's the same classroom, right?" They head to the stadium-like classroom they have attended before and sat on the benches.
Patricia caught Veronika in her peripherals, it seems destiny that they have the same class for two classes. She's still consistent with her bored look and even somehow a messier hair. She wonders where she came from with her uniform being all messed up. She took a seat just in front of them on the other set of benches, waiting along with them for the class to start.
A male teacher entered the building with short stature with a lean body. His black hair was curly and with his facial expression, he seems to be a strict one. "Good morning class." The students greeted him as he approaches the center of the classroom.
"I am Professor Izkall Itscali and I would be your mentor for physical valiantry, the other half of the Valiantry curriculum. It's the curriculum's goal to train you all to be brave warriors and fierce fighters. Even if you are going to take a much more diplomatic course in your fourth year, Pristines are expected to protect people with their abilities. It's been a decade or so since the last war, but even at times of peace, chaos will emerge somewhere. We need every force that we can't afford. Even we are advancing at our magical peak, threats are still roaming around Thereal."
Their professor keeps on blabbering about the reasons for his class before he could even start their first lesson. Before they start, they were required to exercise for some unknown minutes until they were energized to start the class. "For our first lesson, we are going to study and practice your skills in handling weapons. It's also to find a weapon that could suit your body, strength, agility, and overall battle strategy that you are comfortable executing."
Pillars of rock started to appear around him showing the array of weapons that are possible for a student like them to handle. He started going into the basics and showing briefly how the weapons were handled. He also stated which types of students are perfect to be wielding these kinds of weaponry.
"I should remind you to only try to use these weapons and your elemental weapons only in this building. I hope Professor Rohan has told you that. Speaking of weapons, it should be the right time for you to know which weapons are the best for you. But remember, you are still required to train with other weapons, should you need someday." They spent the rest of the hour sorting what weapon suits the best on every student. Patricia steps forward on her turn, with Professor Izkall looking through her abilities.
"A lean body, an average size height, test yourself, are you agile?" Patricia nods, "I scored on my P.E. class before—" Her teacher cuts her, "I trust your words." A polearm suddenly appears in front of her, being held by a rock pillar. "I can sense that polearms will be perfect for you. The flexibility of your body will be perfect for handling these things. I recommend you to have polearm as your main weapon, especially when you need it in Professor Rohan's class."
Patricia nods and goes back to her seat. Gabriel got a blunt weapon recommended to him, especially a war hammer. Antonietta was recommended a whip for her fragile body, yet a flexible and agile one.
"I never thought a fancy person would get the most barbaric weapon of us all." Gabriel smiles, "I'll take that as a compliment." They watched until their professor finished all of the students. He looks around, feeling that he has missed someone. His eyes peered to Veronika, who seems sleepy with the time she needs to watch this happen. "You." He points at her, "Why didn't you join us?"
Veronika looks at him, still consistent with her face. "I already got recommended a weapon." The teacher took it unknowingly as a challenge, "Then show me what it is." Veronika sighs and walks toward the center. Streams of orange wisps started surrounding her. She reaches her hand on the far right and a war ax appears out of nowhere. Its blade is imbued with lava.
Their professor is impressed by this, "It seems you have studied here before." He nods, "Very well then. While you are here, I challenge you to a small duel."