The next morning, Lucius woke up early and had breakfast alone, waiting in his room for a while before leaving the dormitory as soon as it was 8 am. To his surprise, all the students were dressed in their hero costumes, and he was the only one dressed in normal clothes.
[Have I told you how embarrassed I feel each time I remember I'm associated with you?] Lyxor asked.
'Shut it!'
Lucius was dressed in a black sleeveless hoody sweater, black jeans to compliment, and black boots to complete the combo. While he wasn't as dazzling as other students in their hero costumes, he didn't look bad either.
"Lucius!" Ralph called out to him, making his way out of the crowd and running towards him.
Ralph was dressed in a purple and black full-body costume, which highlighted the roundness of his inflated belly and his circular shape. He wore a mask with a pair of face horns, which had holes for his eyes, mouth, and nostrils, while a black cap fluttered behind him.
[Unpopular opinion… Not every hero should wear costumes.]
'I agree' Lucius mentally nodded as he watched Ralph run up to them.
"I am sorry I couldn't make it to breakfast early. I overslept due to my wounds." Ralph said with an excited smile.
"You don't have to apologize. We don't have to eat together all the time." Lucius shrugged his shoulders. "You see excited today."
Pa!
Ralph excitedly slapped Lucius's shoulder.
"Who wouldn't? I have always been getting less popular agencies, but with a high potential rated student like you as my partner, I'm certain we will be sent to a top agency today."
[Top agency activities are always broadcasted, giving exposure to individual students. They are clearly trying to eliminate the Ashford family, but to do that they need to be forgotten by the public first. I must admit, humans are far more dangerous than any type of beast in this world]
'The system encourages bullying and turns a blind eye to it. The more it is allowed, the more vicious it becomes. It's only a matter of time before Ralph is killed or breaks down and commits suicide. I can't let that happen' Lucius frowned.
[Careful. This is a political battle, if you get dragged into it, you will only end up getting hurt. You don't have what it takes to fight the government] Lyxor warned.
'I am not going to stand aside and watch Ralph die.' Lucius responded firmly.
[You are attached to this helpless boy because he reminds you of your sister, their conditions are similar, so it's stirring up a lot of emotions. Well, I can't stop you from helping him, just be discreet and careful.] Lyxor sighed.
"Okay everyone, Gather around." Miss Joanne's voice broke Lucius out of his reverie.
"Alex Briggs, Xiaolan Mei, Dean Hall, Mira Rivera, Silver Ainsworth, Andre Dupont, Maya Walker and Lucius Blackwater… Prime Protectors Agency." Miss Joanne read out the names from a tab
Her words caused a commotion amongst the crowd and Lucius noticed the confusion on everyone's face.
"Isn't the Prime Protectors Agency for scavenger Guardians?"
"Wow, they are actually going outside the walls for their weekly internship. I wonder how many points they will rack up from this."
"Haha! If Alex and the others do well, they will finally have enough points to officially become D-rated Guardians. The first set of students to become guardians while still in the academy!"
"Am I the only one who noticed Dean's sidekick wasn't included?"
"Yeah, I heard he broke off with his sidekick yesterday."
Lucius stood in the midst of the chaos listening to every whisper and a deep frown stretched across his face.
"Aren't heroes meant to be always paired up with their sidekicks?" Ralph asked, completely disheartened.
His words attracted an annoyed look from Miss Joanne, but then she saw Lucius's cold glare which made her shiver.
"The list was made before Lucius declared you as his sidekick yesterday. Also, Dean is an all-rounder, so this is an opportunity for him and Lucius to work together and see if they are compatible." She quickly said.
[This is no mistake. It is very intentional!] Lyxor said.
Only after hearing this did Lucius's face twitch with emotions. He remembered the bullies yesterday, beating Ralph because he was his sidekick.
Ralph also informed him that those bullies were Dean's henchmen. This meant that the entire plan was to push Ralph out of the picture so that they could both become partners.
But why did he want to take Ralph's place so badly?
Was this out of spite for the Ashford family, or was there another reason why Dean Hall wanted to become his partner?
His cold face twisted in unnatural ways as a feeling of rage, which he only experienced when fighting the beast that killed his sister, resurfaced.
"But it was adjusted fast enough to accommodate Dean Hall, who dropped his sidekick just yesterday." Lucius snarled at the homeroom guardian, drawing the attention of every student.
This was the first time they had heard him speak with emotions, and they didn't know Lucius picked Ralph as his sidekick.
"T-this m-must be a mistake." Miss Joanne stuttered as she instinctively took a step back.
Lucius's eyes were blazing purple, mimicking the color of his bulging veins. She could feel a fierce killing intent radiating from him, something she never expected would happen over such a small matter.
"If the list can get adjusted from Dean Hall, it will also get adjusted for me. Ralph Ashford is coming with me!" Lucius declared, leaving no room for refusal.