"Sylvia, do you know what's going on?" I asked.
Sylvia finished her squat set and gave me a tired shrug. "I don't know. I figured you either knew what was going on, or you just didn't care."
I tossed her a towel, and she wiped the sweat off her arms. "I mean, what do I even say? I can't just tell her off. And this is what… the fourth morning in a row?"
"As I said, I don't know. She isn't doing anything really, just watching us," Sylvia said.
"Don't you talk to her in class? I mean, did you say something to her?" I asked while walking into the squat rack.
Sylvia's ears flushed red for a moment. "I may or may not have mentioned we work out together in the mornings… I mean, I didn't say where exactly, though."
"So you told her pretty much…" I groaned.
"Not really…" Sylvia mumbled.
I let out a sigh. "Should we just continue to ignore her? It's not bad manners if we just pretend we never noticed her, right?"
"Not sure that would fly, considering we are Elves. Most people would assume we can hear her," Sylvia said with a hint of annoyance.
"Are you suggesting she is doing this on purpose? That she knows that we know and if we don't say something, she might make a big deal about it?"
Sylvia sat down on the stone bench and looked up into the blue sky through the purple trees. The cold morning air made our breaths frosty, but it felt amazing on our hot skin. At least it did for me…
"So far… I don't think she is like that. I think she genuinely believes she is being quiet. Explaining our hearing to a Human is practically impossible," Sylvia said with a wave of her hand.
Yeah, it is. And I used to be one.
"I think we should just deal with her," I suggested while racking my weight.
"Yeah… the sooner, the better, right? There is no telling how bad she might get. The last thing we want is for her to start following us after school," Sylvia said with a disappointed sigh.
"I'll go—"
"Not happening. I'll do it," Sylvia said curtly.
Sylvia crossed her arms across her chest and glared straight into the forest. "Princess Ren, would you like to have a conversation?" Sylvia asked nicely while still managing to sound frustrated.
The sound of tree branches being rustled echoed in the otherwise silent forest. A figure pushed its way through the ground shrubbery until she came face to face with us. Arene "Ren" Maxwell, the second princess of Luminar, was stalking us in the man-made forest behind the school. For what reason… we were about to find out.
Ren's face was bright pink as she nervously fidgeted around. "Ahhhh, hi? Fancy seeing you two here this wonderful morning. Isn't it still cold for both of you to be wearing so little?" Ren said nervously.
Huh? I mean I'm wearing a shirt at the very least. Sylvia is just wearing her usual workout attire… which she really needs to replace…
Sylvia gave me a quick glance over her shoulder, and I shrugged in return. "Ren, is there something you would like to talk about? You know you don't have to skulk around the forest like a monster…" Sylvia said warmly. Although I knew she was mocking the princess somewhat.
Maybe even a little playfully. These two have been talking a bit here and there…
"Well…" Ren trailed her words off as she closed her eyes.
She took a long deep breath and then exhaled slowly. She slowly opened her swirling light blue eyes and had a look that could only be described as pure determination. She stared straight at me like she was trying to look through my soul.
"I have a request for you, Voker," she said sternly.
Why me… please… spare me. Why couldn't it be anyone else?
"What is it, Ren?" I asked cautiously.
"Train me. I want to learn how to fight like you."
I was glad I was wearing a mask because I wouldn't have been able to hide my surprise. I was expecting some outlandish request like being her bodyguard or serving under her or something.
Despite the two princesses being twins, Ren was born second, making her the second princess and third in line to the throne. However, from what I managed to gather, she isn't making any attempts at the throne like her sister and brother. Instead, Ren has chosen to be the personal guard to Lauren instead.
But that was the worst thing she could have asked me…
I could ignore them if it was any other noble or even a royal from another nation. The power of a king in some far-off country matters little here. However… I can look over her shoulder and up a little and see the palace this girl grew up in. Not to mention that I just fought a War God for the first time. If her father was even half as strong as Professor Garrison, he could walk down from his mountain and take my head, and I'm not sure if Bowen could stop him.
Guess I can at least test her.
"And what if I say no?"
Sylvia's dark blue eye was bulging out from her mask and I could imagine her surprised look. However, the princess's reaction was… different.
Ren took a few steps closer to me and never once looked away from my gaze. "Then I'll just continue asking you till you agree."
"Why not just order me? You could do that, right?" I said somewhat dangerously.
"I'd never do that. If you didn't teach me willingly, you wouldn't teach me anything, would you?" she questioned me earnestly.
"That's true…" I admitted.
If she forced me, I would do everything in my power to tiptoe around her. I was even planning on having Bowen move me somewhere if I gained her ire. But oddly enough, Ren seemed to be asking me genuinely.
"Can I ask you why Ren?" Sylvia questioned.
The princess took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She gave Sylvia the same stare of determination I had received. "I need to get stronger to protect my sister."
Sylvia put her hands on the princess's shoulders and backed her away. "Why? Aren't you two princesses? Shouldn't you have powerful guards lining up to protect you?"
"Yes, but I'm her personal guard. It's my duty to be the strongest I possibly can be. I'm the only one she can trust," Ren stated vehemently.
"What about your brother?" I asked.
Ren's stalwart appearance faded as she gave me a sad look. "That is… another matter. It's only me and her retainers now."
What has happened in the last few years? Has their brother really changed that much? Or maybe something terrible happened?
I let out a small sigh. "I see… and if I tell you no, you will continue following us?"
"Following you?" Ren squeaked. She fidgeted around slightly while running her hands over each other. "I wasn't following you… we just happened to be going towards the same place and—"
Sylvia gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "We know you have been following us since we left the dorms. Did you really wake up before us so that you could wait outside in the cold?"
Sylvia… being nice to someone? Willingly? Is she sick?
"I uh… you knew?" Ren mumbled.
"It's hard not to. We live on the same floor together… you should have just come and talked to us," Sylvia said warmly.
"I… suppose I should have…" Ren looked from me to Sylvia, then back to me, until finally, she stood tall in front of me once more. "Voker, please train me."
"My training is difficult. Just ask Sylvia. I refuse to make accommodations for you as well. Our timings don't line up after class so that means you have to wake up in the mornings. If you aren't here when we start, I'll continue without you," I said firmly.
"The training doesn't matter! I'll handle anything you throw at me! And don't worry about accommodating me. I'll be here every morning without fail! I promise!" Ren shouted at me.
Now it was my turn to back the enthusiastic princess away from my face. Well… this was unexpected but all things considered, not all that bad. However, I doubt she will stick around for long.
I looked up at the sky, trying to judge the time. "Well, we have about thirty minutes left before we have to go eat." I looked down at Ren and smiled behind my mask. "Seems like your training starts—"
Ah… wait…how am I going to explain that I can use earth magic?
"What's wrong?" Ren asked me.
"Are you willing to lie and keep a secret in order to train with me?"
"Absolutely."
"Then make me a promise that you won't tell anyone about my abilities. I keep this school of magic as a trump card. If you were to tell people about it, I would know. And I would stop training you immediately," I said seriously.
"Magic that you keep as a trump card?" Ren mumbled the words and gave me a conflicted look.
From my outstretched hand, a circular plate of stone came into existence. Ren's eyes went wide as she scanned the plate and then the squat rack. "You are an earth mage as well? Just how many schools of magic do you know?"
"Not enough," I answered curtly.
Ren winced slightly, but she adopted her strong posture once more. "I promise I won't tell a soul. Your secret is safe with me."
"I hope so," I mumbled.
I rolled my shoulders and lamented the fact that I had lost my pump. I enjoyed the feeling of blood coursing through my muscles. Honestly, it was addictive.
"So…I was watching you two and… what is it that you are doing?" Ren asked hesitantly.
"Leg day. These are squats, and although we have lost a good amount of time and won't be able to finish, we can at least get you through the basics," I said.
"Since you were watching us, you should know what to do, right?" Sylvia said with a giggle.
Ren let out a nervous chuckle while her tan skin turned a shade of light pink. "I… can try, yes."
With a quick wave of my hands, the earth plates fell from the stone bar and landed in the dirt with a loud thud. "Did you just… do that with magic?" Ren questioned.
"Mhm. Now then, this bar isn't all that heavy, and you should be able to do it—" I started explaining the finer details of squatting to Ren. The last thing I wanted to do was have her hurt herself because I trained her improperly. And if I were going to do this, I would do it the right way.
"Okay, I think I got this." Ren went into the squat rack and picked the bar up with her shoulders, only for her to set it back and look back at me. "Isn't this too light? I know I'm not as strong as Sylvia, but—"
"Ah, that's right. Don't enhance yourself with mana," I said.
Oops, I forgot to mention that bit.
Ren's eyes went wide, and she looked at me like I had committed the greatest sin of all. "Why wouldn't I enhance myself? I don't… is this how you get stronger?" Ren was yelling at first, but her voice faltered.
"At least, that's how I believe things work. You don't have to listen to me, but I believe you will get stronger by not using your mana enhancement during physical activities. Instead, you should train them separately, so they both grow."
Ren waved her hands at me and gave me a determined nod. "No, I believe you. If you say that's how things are going to be then, I'll do it. So… all I need to do is this?"
Ren managed two squats with solid enough form. I was going to let her get a few more in before I corrected her stance, but suddenly my vision went dark as something soft wrapped around my neck and filled my vision.
"Sylva… what are—"
"Don't look…" she hissed.
"Look? I can't help her if I can't—"
"You don't need to see her. I can do it," she whispered gently into my ears.
"I uh…okay…"
—
"So do you eat every day before class?" Ren asked.
I shuffled through the line and grabbed a few fruits along with a stack of meat. "Yes, you should eat after every single workout."
"Do you ever take breaks?" Ren asked me again.
"Of course. Your rest days are just as important as your workdays. Your muscles can't grow if they don't have time to repair," I said.
Ren copied my every move as she grabbed each piece of food that I did. She mumbled a few things to herself, then looked over to me with a confused look. "Repair…what's broken about them?"
Oh, you'll find out tomorrow. Good luck getting out of bed.
"Ah… it's just a saying. Just know that rest days are important. I usually take the two break days at the end of the week for rest."
Sylvia giggled while getting her own food. "Just ignore his big words and follow what he says. He's a good teacher when he isn't overthinking."
Sylvia wasn't getting food for herself but for me. I was positively starving and was ready to decimate both of our plates of food. Today was going to be a good day.
Ren returned her giggle. "You're right. I never once had to ask you to explain something again. You really are a good teacher, Voker."
"Am I? I like to think I do an okay job…" I mumbled. The two girls looked at each other and smiled. I didn't need to see Sylvia's face to know she was enjoying herself.
What's with Sylvia?
She seems really touchy about, well… everyone. One moment she is poking fun at Ren, and the other times, the two are in complete sync with each other while they laugh at my embarrassment.
Is this just how girls are? Should I be afraid? I feel like I should…
"Well, we will see you in class, Ren," Sylvia said with a slight wave.
Ren gave her a sad look that quickly faded. "You aren't going to eat here?"
Sylvia tapped her mask with her slim finger. "Can't eat with these on, can we?"
"I guess…" Ren mumbled. "But wait! Won't your food get cold?!"
"Nothing a bit of fire magic can't handle," I added.
"Ah… you're right," Ren said in defeat as she deflated slightly.
I was getting hungrier by the second, and although I felt somewhat bad about leaving Ren behind, we had little choice. I was preparing to take my leave when someone called out to me.
"Good morning Voker and Sylvia. You two don't usually stick around this long," Terstus Shadowstorm called out. The Dark Elf narrowed his eyes at the princess and gave her an indifferent smile. "Princess."
"Terstus," Ren said back flatly.
Terstus was relatively high-ranked in the class along with his cousin Sededa. Sededa seemed to be more of a meek girl as she was somewhat hiding in her cousin's shadow. I wasn't sure if she was just afraid or if that was her natural demeanor. Come to think of it, I've never heard her speak before.
Terstus fought with a spear, while I believe his cousin was more of a mage. I've only seen the two train once since our classes have focused more on the test we just took. Apparently, we would be switching gears in the coming weeks to a more… hands-on approach, as Professor Garrison put it.
"We were just about to leave," I said casually.
"Before you two go. I have a proposition for the both of you," Terstus said.
"And what would that be?" Sylvia asked curiously.
Terstus set down his tray of food and gave his waist-long black hair a flick. Then, he smiled brightly at both of us showing his pearly white teeth. "I would like you two to join me on my campaign for student council. I believe us Elves should stick together. Together we can build a school that's not only better for us but for everyone."
Sylvia looked down at his hand and shrugged her shoulders quickly. "Nah. Not interested."
"Likewise. There is no point in either of us getting involved with this school's politics," I told him.
Terstus was giving us a strained smile, but I'll give him credit for not faltering. "And why would that be? The experience you two would gain—"
"We said there is no point," Sylvia huffed. "Both of us will be out of here in a year or less. So why would we waste our time with such nonsense?"
There she goes again… but she isn't wrong.
I looked over to Ren, and she was seething in silence. I was expecting her to lash out for whatever reason as she clearly did not like Terstus one bit. However, her anger only subsided when she looked over at me and gave me a worried expression.
"I have no interest in politics. Again, thank you for your offer, Terstus, but I will humbly decline," I said in the most neutral tone.
The Dark Elf's eyes narrowed for a second as he glared at me. "What I'm doing for you two is a favor. The honor and prestige that would come with serving under the future Shadow Clan leader is—"
"Serving?"
Sylvia flicked around and gently grabbed my arm. "Voker…" she whispered gently.
Terstus had taken a step back from me, and I realized I had let myself go there a little. I took a deep breath and steadied my frayed nerves. I shouldn't be letting some kid get under my skin like that. I just didn't expect those words to come out of another Elf's mouth. But that was just wishful thinking on my part.
Emotions are… illogical… I learned that a long time ago.
"You heard my answer, Terstus. Don't make this an issue, please," I said coldly.
Sylvia released my arm, and Ren gave him a dirty look. Sededa had taken a few steps back, but she pulled her cousin's shirt. Terstus gave her a curt nod. "I understand. Sorry for bothering you."
The two Dark Elves left us, and they didn't even manage a few steps before Ren stopped in front of me. "Are you really leaving in a year?"
"That's the plan, yes," I said simply.
"Then… I'll have to learn everything I can from you in that time. I'll see both of you in class," Ren said firmly.
The princess left the two of us as well, her curly hair bouncing around her head. "Let's go eat," I said, sounding more tired than I had expected.
—
"Voker! Where did you score?!" Jen asked while slapping me in the back.
I looked down at the half-Dwarf. She was looking up at me with eager eyes, and I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Dwarven enthusiasm was infectious, it seemed…
"I placed second," I told her.
Her eyes went wide as she scanned the board. She had to tilt her head all the way back and went up on her tippy toes just to see the top of the board. She let out a low whistle. "Wow… you sure did."
"Mhm. Say, do you know who beat me?" I asked.
We were assigned numbers for the tests, which were used instead of our names. The person in front of me had beaten me in every category by at least two or three points, including math, languages, and history. They also absolutely destroyed me in the written portion of the Beastmen language. I could speak the language at a passable level but writing it was a whole different issue. Scanning the list I was surprised to see that the third-place student was twenty points away from me.
Jen squinted hard at the board, then laughed at herself. "Why am I even trying to look… that's Linnetia for sure. She is a bonafide genius and has been the top scorer in the school for as long as I've been around."
Huh, Sylas's sister? She doesn't talk all that much. However, to me, she seems well respected. Both the princesses seem to converse with her quite often. Although I haven't been paying much attention to her, maybe I should have a conversation with her one of these days.
I nodded at the board. I didn't hold back on this one so if Linnetia beat me she sure deserved it, especially since she crushed me in the Beastmen language. It seems I'll have to focus harder on that now.
The two mandatory languages taught here at Foward university were Human and Elvish. In addition, students in the general courses had to take a third language which was either Beastmen or Dwarfish. For extensive tests like these, both languages were scored equally, however.
I had to wonder if the school rankings were accurate. A lot of numbers went into the order, which included tests, physical abilities, and accomplishments. Say Ren, for example… she might not actually be the third strongest person in the school, but overall her ranking is higher.
I imagine there is some retired Sapphire adventurer taking a carpentry class that could wipe the floor with nearly my entire class in a 1vs1 fight. But that adventurer isn't taking many courses or participating in these extensive tests so their ranking is non-existent or marginal. Also, giving adults of higher skill more prominent ranks poses another problem for this school with such a diverse age range.
Competition.
It would be hard for the school to reach out to another institution and be like, "Here are my top thirty students. Let's have a fighting or education tournament." Even more so if those "top thirty students" consist of fully grown adults who have been alive twice as long as many of these teenagers.
I'm not sure if Bowen agrees with this or not, but he seems like a practical man for the most part. Besides, I doubt that theoretical Sapphire adventurer gives a damn about some teenagers duking it out in mock battles. They are probably just trying to better themselves or gain the necessary education to provide for a family or something.
I felt somebody watching me and looked back down at Jen. She was giving me a dopey smile. "You're doing the thing again," she chuckled.
"The thing?" I questioned.
"The thinking thing…" Jen chuckled.
"What?" I asked, uncertain if I was hearing her correctly.
"Doesn't matter…" Jen then gave me a pouty look and blinked rapidly at me. "Hey, Voker… can you do me a favor?"
"What are you doing… stop that…and what do you want from me?"
She frowned at me, but she quickly started smiling again. "You don't have to be so mean about it! I was just going to ask you if you could pick me up so I could see my number. I don't want to push through the crowd."
Huh?
I shook my head in confusion and wondered if all Dwarves thought like this. "Why would I do that when I can just read your placement to you? What good would picking you up do?"
Jen let out a hearty laugh and slapped me on the back some more. "Well, you're no fun! Don't you want to just pick me up and—"
"No."
The Half-Dwarf gave me a defeated look and mumbled her number to me. I scanned the top thirty and found that she had placed twenty-ninth. "Cutting it a bit close, but you got twenty-ninth."
Jen went to her knees and looked up at the ceiling. Tears flowed from her eyes, and she clasped her hands in prayer. "Thank you, Delpha! Oh! My heart… I thought I was going to die, Voker!"
"Uh, huh…"
"Hey, what did…you… what is going on here?" Sylvia asked as the crowd moved out of her way.
The Vampire merely looked down at a kneeling Half-Dwarf and for a second, I thought she was going to be angry with me. Instead, Sylvia just shrugged and pretended like she wasn't even there. "Anyways, what did you get? I got tenth!" Slyvia said proudly while putting her hands on her hips.
"Not bad. I placed second," I told her.
Sylvia gave me a light tap on the chest. "Of course you did. Good job," she said warmly.
I felt a tinge of embarrassment creep up in my throat so I just gave her a meek nod. Of course, I wasn't expecting her to just praise me like that… usually she has something extra to say.
"Are you okay?" Sylvia asked me.
Jen let out an evil cackle from the floor and stood up slowly. "Oh, he's fine… maybe even doing better than he was before."
I wonder how far I can kick a Dwarf? I never got to test on Padraic, so this might be a good opportunity.
"You're… Jyn—geyn… uh what is your name again?" Sylvia asked her.
Jen gave Sylvia a few hard pats on the back. "Good attempt! But you can just call me Jen!"
"Nice to meet you, Jen," Sylvia hummed.
Well… hopefully, this is the start of a beautiful relationship. Or, at the very least, Sylvia doesn't kill her.