Fleur and I were the last students to arrive. It took us a bit longer to reach our destination due to her clinging to me on the way there. In fact, I ended up having to carry her piggyback so that we wouldn't be late. This earned more than a few strange looks from those around us. I was happy to keep her by my side, though, and it seemed she had other reasons for staying close besides being happy to spend time with me.
I noticed a few of the boys in her class were focused quite a bit on her. One of them being the wolf boy I had witnessed assaulting her before. He glared at me when we made eye contact, but I ignored it. I'm not worried about him. And I'm confident I've gained enough control at this point to deal with him or anyone else without killing them.
I turned my attention away from him and toward our teacher. He was a muscular Centaur with long golden hair reaching his shoulders. I've been told on a few occasions that I'm somewhat blessed in the looks department and usually don't care about comparing myself to others. But even I found myself being jealous of this man while admiring him at the same time. A lot of the girls in class were practically smitten by him. Though there were quite a few focused on me as well, so I couldn't really complain.
I heard that Centaurs are all naturally beautiful, but I was not expecting this. His powerful chiseled body was something that most men would aspire to have, and his prince-like face and dignified demeanor almost commanded respect. If the men look this good, I wonder how the women look!
I mentally cleared my throat.
Not that I'm interested in Centaur women or anything. No, Certainly not. I've got enough on my hands as it is managing the various girls already surrounding me. And besides, Centaurs don't leave the Forest of Giants that often and are rather strict about who they let enter their lands, so it's not easy to gain their trust.
"Don't worry, husband. It doesn't matter to me how attractive that man is. There could be a hundred perfect centaur specimens in front of me, but I would still only have eyes for you." Fleur said from atop my back.
I had asked her why she was still up there when we had already made it to class, but she said that we technically hadn't started doing anything yet, so there was no reason for her to get down. I learned by now that arguing with her only makes things worse, so I let her do as she pleased. My soft spot for Fleur has been growing as of late due to me constantly acting as a protector and escorting her to classes, and I've become less reluctant to indulge her.
"It's fine. I'm actually not worrying that much. Also, who are you calling your husband!"
"Oh, sorry. I forget you're not my husband. . .yet" I glanced back at her and squinted my eyes in response.
While our not-so-subtle flirting was going on, there were quite a few interesting reactions from the people around us. Our teacher seemed to be watching the two of us with a warm smile on his face. The close relationship that we shared seemed to please him. Some of the girls that were watching me before seemed to be getting a little jealous, while the boys were also having a negative reaction. Our resident wolf boy most of all. He was glaring daggers at the both of us, more so at Fleur, while muttering derisive remarks under his breath.
*sigh*
Fleur also seemed to notice the boy and was clutching onto my cloak rather tightly. I can tell we are going to have some problems, although I'm still hoping that's not the case.
"Why are you worrying so much, you stupid bunny?" I said, reaching my arm to my shoulder and placing my hand atop her own.
This calmed her nerves, and she responded by saying, "If only my protector could be a little more honest, he would surely be rewarded."
Despite trying to sound disappointed, the wide grin I saw when glancing back at her me that was not the case. I noticed the wolf boy was still watching us, so I played along with her teasing to try and get a rise out of him. I should probably avoid creating more conflict, but this kid is an asshole, and he deserves it. Besides, if this gets enough of a rise out of him that he tries something, then I will have justification to make an example out of him in front of the other students and effectively remove any future threats.
"And what could you possibly have that you think would work as a suitable reward?"
"Oh, I don't know~. I can think of two things that would work perfectly." She responded, pressing her breasts up against my head and partially sandwiching it between them.
Her response caught me off guard, and I found myself getting flustered—something Fleur made sure not to miss teasing me about.
"Oh, what's this? Your ears are getting red, Rune. Is my stoic, prickly protector getting embarrassed?"
It might seem petty since I was the one that encouraged her, but there was no way I was going to let her keep me under her thumb like this, so I quickly peeled her off my back.
"Wha-!"
"I think it's time to get down now."
"Wait, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Let me back on. I know I went too far, but I didn't mean it. I promise I won't do it again! I'm sorry if you didn't like it!"
Fleur was causing a commotion, and I quickly needed to find a way to calm her down. Everyone's eyes were on us at this point, but I couldn't think of a solution. Excuses would only make her act even more petulant, and as much as I hated it, the only thing I could think of was to come clean about why I didn't want to let her back on.
"No. Look, the teacher is moving. We are about to start now."
"No faair!"
"It doesn't matter if it's fair or not. And besides. . ."
". . ."
"I did like it. Too much, actually." I said, turning my face away.
I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my honesty had reversed our situation, and now Fleur was the one getting flustered. She looked down at the ground and blushed while fidgeting with her hands. I may have some experience with women at this point, but it was still embarrassing to admit my feelings like this. Especially with so many people watching.
She doesn't usually act like this, and I silently begged her to stop.
'Damn, she's cute. Why is she so cute? Please, Fleur, it only makes it harder for me when you act like that. In more ways than one.'
The implications of the reactions her behavior was getting out of me were hard to dismiss. And I wondered if I was starting to seriously fall for her. I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and buried them for the time being to focus on the class that was about to start. As much as I liked the girl, it wouldn't be wise to act on these growing feelings yet, and I already resolved to wait until I helped her with her charm.
The place we had today's lesson was a large field with various buildings similar to stables. Long closed-off corridors with target dummies located at the far end, with enough for each student to get one. Our teacher, whose name I learned was Uldrid Balor, directed everyone towards baskets with practice bows. He had us each grab one and then choose a lane to practice our archery.
I chose the second to the last one in the row with the intention of leaving the one on the end for Fleur. That way, I could act as a buffer between her and any possible troublemakers. She understood my intentions and took her place at my side happily.
Once everyone got settled in, Uldrid made his way over to my lane to instruct me personally for a while. The class had been going on for a little over a week, so I was the only one behind. All the other students had a general idea of how properly wield a bow by now.
"You must be Mr. Argentus, our transfer student."
"Yes. I'd prefer it if you called me Rune, though. I've never been a fan of stiff formalities."
"Alright. I shall do my best to accommodate you."
He doesn't just look like a prince; he acts like one too. The name is a good start, though. I suppose I'll just have to get used to how he talks. Do all centaurs speak in this kind of dignified knightly manner? I wonder.
"Have you ever used a bow before, Mr. Rune?"
"No, I haven't."
"Well, with enough practice, it's not too hard to learn. Though if you wish to master the art, you will need to work hard. Allow me to demonstrate." He pulled a beautiful silver bow off his back and showed me how to draw it properly.
"You want to plant your feet firmly on the ground and pivot your body slightly. Keep your back straight and extend your arm outwards while aligning it with your chin. The arm you use to hold your bow will be an indicator of which way the arrow will fly. While keeping your body squared, knock your arrow like so, and use your other arms to pull straight back. When you feel enough tension in the string, release your fingers." After saying so, Uldrid released his arrow, hitting an impressive bullseye.
"Now you try."
I did my best to replicate what he demonstrated and when I was in my stance with the arrow properly drawn, Uldrid circled me a few times to check my stance. He made a few adjustments to my posture and elbow position before nodding his head.
Sadly my arrow fell just short of the target. It was by no means a close target for a beginner and the lances were about a hundred meters long. But it was still disappointing to miss.
"Don't feel disheartened. That was very good for a first shot. Try putting a little more tension in the string this time."
I did as he said and my arrow ended up hitting the wall behind the dummy. I got the power down but my aim still needed work. Uldrid commended me on my second try before going back to watching me practice. I continued to focus quietly on practicing for a few more minutes when Uldrid broke the silence.
"I'm grateful that you decided to join my class, Rune. And I'm sure Ms. Heartline is too."
"What do you mean?" I said, lowering my bow and turning to face him.
"I'm aware that she often gets into conflicts due to her charm, as the Headmaster had notified me about it beforehand. Judging by how close you seem to be, I'm sure you know about it as well."
"Yes."
"I've done my best to look after her, but I can't always keep an eye out while also managing a class. So I'm grateful to have you looking out for her in my stead, and I'm sure she is as well."
I looked over at Fleur, whose attention had been grabbed by our conversation, and she flashed me the most radiant smile as if confirming our teacher's words. It left me feeling somewhat bashful, and I wasn't sure how to respond.
"I don't know what to say," I said, turning my attention back to Uldrid.
"You don't need to say anything. Just continue to do your duty as her friend and protect her in my stead."