"Hey, isn't that the mysterious student who the girls were talking about?"
"It pisses me off to see a handsome guy getting all the attention!"
"He looks really strong too!"
"He's kinda cute, no?"
"Yeah, he's totally my type."
"Man, these girls are going nuts over this guy."
"Why is Bran sitting with him? What happened to Lucas?"
"I heard he left the academy after running a few laps!"
I sat towards the back of the classroom with Bran next to me. The constant murmurs and whispers that echoed against the walls made my head hurt. Those bastards are just asking me to obliterate them into a million pieces.
Bran smiled as he sat next to me, mocking me with his smile and expressions on hearing the students' whispers.
The professor for our first class, Fundamentals of Mana-Arts, which we should attend before physical battle courses, had yet to arrive, allowing these bastards to keep talking about me. Well, they still didn't know I'm their good old Zero, Lucas Trident, but just blabbering something without knowing is preposterous.
The whispers and stares from fellow students continued, some in admiration, some in disbelief, and others with a hint of jealousy.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "I preferred it when no one paid attention to me."
Bran patted my back. "Well, you can't avoid the limelight now. Embrace it, Lucas!"
"Look at how popular you are, Mr. Mysteriously handsome guy." Bran nudged me with his elbow while giving me a sarcastic smirk. I swear, this brat is too much.
Before I had the chance to respond, the person who I assumed was the professor, walked in with confident strides.
Even for a professor, the man carried two daggers, sheathed at his waist, and he looked strong. From the mana I felt from him, he is already at the Master rank.
Using the folder he was holding as a gavel, he thumped it on the front podium before speaking. "Well well, it looks like you guys aren't very good at gossiping. If the person of the topic is in the same room and can hear what you are saying, then it really isn't gossip now, is it? Mr. Lucas Trident!" He looked in my direction and gave me a wink, making me shake my head in defeat.
"Lucas Trident?"
"You've gotta be kidding me..is he?"
"He was just a scrawny kid a month ago?"
"No way! our Black prince can never be that worthless fool!"
"You said it Sister! Look how dreamy this guy is; there is no way he is that moron Zero!"
"Sighs" It looks like, "Bran, can I kill these guys?" I asked him with my anger wailing up my eyes as I stretched my neck with a sinister smile.
"Haha. I mean, let's not kill students now, hahah..~" Bran said as he swallowed his own saliva in fear.
"Haha. It's really happy to see, Mr. Lucas's hard work has paid him more than he could have hoped for. So, let's stop the discussions and start our classes. My name is Katz, and I'm teaching you all about Fundamentals of Mana-Arts!"
The Professor did expose my identity, which is inevitable and now that have caused a few murmurs of disagreement and some of acknowledgment.
But, with the teacher Katz's start of the class, the students became quiet and no one dared to speak about me as they started to feel my angry gaze at them with me on the back of the seats.
Bran returned himself to the state of normality after a few minutes. "Damn, I shouldn't have terrified him with my expressions like that," I said to myself as I patted Bran's shoulders in the means of our comradeship.
Even so, Bran leaned over, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Wonder what they'd say if they knew the whole story?"
I smirked. "Probably still gossiping, but with more dramatic flair."
...
The class continued as Bran naturally took notes of the stuff the professor was saying diligently. However, I was yawning and feeling sleepy, as I knew all the stuff he was teaching.
The class ended with a few more minor questions from various classmates. As the giant bell tower rang, the professor wrapped up the discussion, and we prepared for our next class. The atmosphere remained charged with anticipation. The gossip hounds exchanged parting words, some now impressed by my apparent academic prowess.
Just as me and Bran were about to leave, a certain young female student hurriedly ran to where I was seated. If I remember correctly, her name was Lila Monroe. It seems, Lucas and this girl were more or less friends as unlike the other bastards, Lila supported Lucas because she was also a girl who was getting bullied by the students, because of her attribute being a Bronze grade. What's surprising is, she is an Advanced rank nonetheless.
"Pant, pant!! Mister Lucas... I mean, are you really Lucas?"
"Of course, Lila, I'm Lucas. How are you doing these days? I skipped classes for a month because of training!" I built the conversation with a cheerful smile.
"I'm doing fine thanks, but, Wow...you have become...."
Seems like she was going to say something,
"Become? What?" I asked.
"You've become taller than me!" She said.
Bran burst out laughing, "Serves you right, Idiot!" he said.
"Shut up!" I replied to Bran as I continued towards Lila, "Yeah, it seems so!" with a chuckle.
After that, Lila and us bid farewell as we had different class schedules, and me and Bran walked towards the Physical battle courses auditorium.
"You've changed, Lucas!" Bran said with a smile as we walked. Well, he was continuously speaking with me but, this was random.
"I know Bran. I've changed!" I replied with a serious expression. It is for sure, as being born powerful and always feared, the Demon King is now experiencing hard work? This is new to me and I feel great to do this.
"Hmm. But, even so, you have to teach me how you did those moves in the dungeon!" Bran said as soon as I replied. His eagerness mirrored the hunger for growth that now fueled me.
Well, that's not impossible. And this will benefit both of us too.
"Well, you'll get your chance. Let's train after classes, okay?" I responded, the prospect of shared training sessions strengthening our brotherhood bond.
The bustling auditorium awaited us, and the whispers of students lingered like an echo, a constant reminder of the intrigue surrounding the enigma that was now, me, Lucas Trident.