"Alright, it's time to leave. Are we going to the cafeteria?" I asked.
"Not today; we're heading straight to Nia's. She set up a stall here at the academy for special activities related to today's event, just like many other vendors," Kaiser replied.
"Interesting, let's go then, but first, we should go to the library. I'm really interested in chi bending," I replied.
"You never stop learning new techniques, do you?" Yoko said with a proud smile.
"The more I have, the better i am."
We then went to the library to borrow a book on chi bending so i could study it later.
"I'd like to have the book on chi bending," I asked the receptionist.
"They're all checked out; sorry," she replied.
"Are you kidding! Ahh, I should have guessed that everyone would want it," I said with a sigh.
"You could try asking one of your classmates in the library; maybe they'd be willing to lend it to you for a while," the receptionist suggested.
"That's a good idea. Let's see what interesting things we can find," I said.
"You could take pictures of the pages if we find someone who has it," Kaiser said.
"Impossible; there's spell that prevents forgery, theft, even handwritten copies and photography of the contents of the books," Yoko said.
"They do this because criminals can sell that kind of knowledge to bad people on the black market. They also have a magical tracker that allows them to trace the path taken by the criminal, which can help the police intercept exchanges in those places later," she explained.
"I get it. That's quite clever."
"Mr. Areyos!" a familiar voice whispered loudly from afar.
"Isn't that the guy who got beat up at the cafeteria?" Kaiser asked me.
"That's him. What does he want?... Wait, he has a book on chi bending," I murmured, noticing from a distance.
We approached where he was sitting and exchanged greetings. He had a lot of books on the history of the kingdom of Baringer, as well as the one on chi bending.
"You seem really interested in the history of our kingdom," I said with a friendly smile.
"Hello, Mr. Areyos. Uh, yes, I like how Baringer is organized. There have never been any internal conflicts, thanks to the excellent management of the kingdom. It may sound a bit ambitious, but I want to unite all the human kingdoms under one banner," he said, looking thoughtful and seemingly lacking confidence.
"Your ambition is noble, I must admit. Don't be afraid to dream big; remember, every great empire starts with a bold vision. Face the obstacles, for it is in challenges that true rulers are forged," I said, flipping through the book on chi bending. A glimmer of hope and courage sparkled in his eyes. He suddenly became joyful.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Areyos. By the way, my name is Sorey, Sorey Atherion," he said excitedly.
Sorey had a noble goal, but it was the kind of goal that involves many sacrifices and strengths, both physical and mental. He was about my age, with short yellow hair and blue eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Sorey," I said, continuing to flip through the book with a disinterested air.
"Mr. Sorey, I've been practicing with water pressure as you suggested. I've made progress. I wanted to perform an elemental transition, but I think I'll stick with water for now. I'm in the process of designing a technique that would allow me to multiply my strength to defeat the metaryon from last time. This way, I could send his own rocks back at him or throw him hard against the ground," he explained.
"I don't see how that would be useful against a metaryon," Yoko said.
"Why not?" Sorey asked.
"First of all, metaryons don't take damage when thrown onto rocky surfaces. That's a passive ability of metaryons, so throwing them to the ground is completely useless. And also, what's the heaviest load you can carry?" Yoko asked.
"At best, 250 kg," he replied.
"That's pretty good for a human. Now, imagine that a standard metaryon can easily lift 40 times that weight," Yoko said, closing her eyes.
"What!!? They can lift 10 tons with such ease!?" Sorey exclaimed before getting hit with a wave of "shhh" from around the library.
"Seriously, how strong did you think we were? I consider a load heavy starting from 100 tons," Yoko added with a smile.
"I understand better now why the rules state that metaryons are not allowed to use their full strength before studying auras with Professor Shiki and Professor Zemus. So my system is useless against metaryons," he said, sounding quite sad.
"Moreover, even if you could set up this system, if a metaryon figured out how it worked, nothing would stop them from using it against you. Can you imagine if they were able to throw you against a wall with enhanced strength because of your own system? You'd paint it red if you hit it," I said, finally closing the book on chi bending.
"That's true; it wouldn't be interesting to die so soon," he said.
"But I like your way of thinking. You've given me ideas for my own techniques," I added.
"Seriously?! I can't wait to see that. By the way, Mr. Areyos, please become my master. My sister and I would love to learn from you," he pleaded.
"I don't take on students, and there are already classes for that. But I can give you advices to improve. Stay creative; you'll be unpredictable," I said after staring at him for a few seconds.
"Okay, Mr. Areyos," he replied, a bit disappointed.
"Well, we have things to do; we'll leave you," I added, looking indifferent.
"Did you need the book on Chi? I can lend it to you if you want."
"You can keep it. I don't need it anymore," I said with a slight smile, glancing over my shoulder at him.
We then exited the library. As we stepped out, I caught sight of Klaus Varray with a book on Chi bending. Being a Devas, it's highly likely he could completely master Chi bending, not just its physical aspect, which is accessible to everyone.
We headed to the academy courtyard. There were stands everywhere. The academy was decorated all around, and the students had dressed up to represent the heroes of the war. There were mini combat arenas and games. There were depictions of the main heroes of the war on images and even figurines. It was then that I saw Thaleus up close for the first time because, in the only photo we had of him, he was looking to the side, and because of the strands framing his face, we couldn't see his eyes when viewed in profile.
"Wow… is that really Thaleus?!" Yoko exclaimed, surprised, at the vendor.
"Yes, that's him; he's handsome, don't you think?" she replied, also looking at the photo of Thaleus.
"Absolutely! He must have attracted women like crazy with a face like that! How did you get his photo? It wasn't there in previous years," Yoko exclaimed.
"The Elf princess gave us a hand. Her magic is remarkable," the vendor answered.
Indeed, no one but my mother had been able to take a photo of Thaleus even once because he was constantly surrounded by a mystical aura, rendering any attempt to capture him in an image futile. Barrios told us it was to prevent him from being recognized in public for fear of disturbing his peace.
But finally, this image revealed by the Elf princess was like a gleam of truth in a sea of uncertainty. I could finally perceive the contours of his being: long, flowing dark purple hairs cascading down his back. His eyes, bright green like emeralds, had seen everything there was to see in this world.
His imposing stature, undeniably that of a warrior, testified to the strength and greatness that inhabited him. And no matter how magnificent the descriptions might be, they barely scratched the surface of reality when it came to talking about Thaleus Sendaris. The Elf princess truly rendered a great service to the world.
"The Elf princess? What's she doing here?" Kaiser asked the vendor.
"I imagine she came to visit the prestigious Moore academy," the vendor replied.
"That's possible, indeed," said Kaiser.
"I'll buy this outfit, ma'am," Yoko said, pointing to a white dress adorned with gold accessories embedded with sapphires.
"It's a replica of Athlana Orionis' dress; that'll be 20 Kera*."
"Here you go," Yoko said, handing the vendor the bills.
"It's beautiful, I must admit," said Kaiser.
"Ah, you think so too?" Yoko said, beaming.
"It's a replica of my mother's dress, after all," I said with a smirk, stroking my chin.
"You show-off," they both said.
"Hey! Kaiser, Yoko, Rey! Over here!" Nia shouted from afar.
"I didn't think she was able to shout, considering how shy she is," I said as we made our way to her stand.
"Me neither; I guess she's becoming less shy with us," Kaiser added.
"Let's hope she doesn't turn violent like Yoko," I remarked.
"Huh?! What do you mean, violent like Yoko?!" Yoko asked, amusingly indignant.
"It's true; we should scare her sometimes so she fears us," Kaiser added, completely ignoring Yoko's question.
"But what's with you two ignoring me today?!" she shouted, crying.
"Hey, Nia! How are you?" we said to her, with Kaiser still ignoring Yoko.
"I'm doing great, and you?" she said with a radiant smile.
"We're fine," we replied.
"You look happier than usual; were you looking forward to this event so much?" I asked.
"I'm not happy for that. Have you forgotten already? You sent the chief doctor from the Moore hospital to get my grandmother; I was there in the morning. They didn't ask me any questions about my identity or my grandmother's. They told me that if I'd waited two more days, my grandmother might have passed away," she explained.
"That's good news! I understand your joy," I said, smiling.
"How did you manage that, Rey?" Yoko asked, surprised.
"I talked with the chief doctor; he was very… cooperative," I replied.
"I didn't know how to thank you, so here, I hope you like it," she said, presenting me with a silver bracelet using both her hands.
This bracelet was a little masterpiece of delicacy. It was made of pure silver, delicately crafted. A subtly elegant chain gently flowed down the side of the wrist, ending with a miniature crystal, barely larger than a grain of sand, sparkling with a discreet light.
"Wow! It's beautiful… I love it! Where did you buy this?" I asked, surprised by the bracelet's beauty.
"I made it this morning while I was at the hospital with my grandmother," she replied, blushing.
"You've got quite a talent for jewelry-making, then," said Kaiser, also amazed by the beauty of the bracelet.
"Thank you so much; I'll keep it with me all the time," I said.
"It's nothing; I'm glad you like it," she said with a charming smile, her hands behind her back.
We then sat on chairs next to the stand while Nia was selling her cakes and juices. Kaiser went to fight in the mini-arena created for the occasion. The fighters were protected by a magical system. It worked in such a way as to create a magical aura around the fighters. This aura lost intensity with each received damage while nullifying them until it disappeared, marking the end of the fight and the defeat of the one who no longer had aura. Of course, the aura given to each fighter was proportional to their stats. This way, everyone could measure themselves against each other without suffering or worrying about getting hurt; it was the same magical system that would be used in combat classes. Yoko, on the other hand, was attentively observing how Nia made her pastries while helping her.
"Try this, Rey; tell me what you think," Yoko said, handing me a cookie.
"Hmm, it's excellent, Yoko; you're good at cooking too! It's almost a shame you want to join the army; I think your place is at the—" I was saying before she interrupted me.
"Shut up and eat," she said angrily, stuffing a delicious muffin entirely into my mouth, nearly choking me.
"You two are funny," Nia said with a cute little laugh.
"Hello, how much for your fruit juices?" said a voice so melodious that it disconnected me from reality for a second.
"That'll be 1 Kera," Nia replied, as I turned around to discover the source of this enchanting voice.
What I experienced then took my breath away. The young girl in front of me seemed to be about the same age as Yoko, but she was of a beauty that defied description. Her eyes sparkled like two emeralds, capturing the sunlight with their radiant green. Her long, white hair, pure and brilliant like fresh snow, flowed gently down her back. She wore a delicate red dress that gracefully stopped at her knees, highlighting her slender and elegant legs. This flowing garment perfectly hugged her delicate shape.
"In this world, wonders exist that are so rare and sublime that they can only be fully appreciated through direct experience. One such marvel stood before me, embodying a perfection that seemed almost unreal."
"Here," she said, handing a 100 Kera bill.
"I'm afraid I don't have enough small change," Nia replied.
"That's fine, you can keep the rest," the girl said with a kind smile.
"This is really good; it's worth the 100 Kera," she added, delighted after taking a sip.
"Ah ha ha, thank you so much," Nia said shyly.
"Nia knows how to please people," Yoko said to this mysterious girl.
"Don't say that, Yoko; there are probably a lot of people who are much better than me," Nia said, embarrassed.
"You're lucky to have her as a friend, Miss Yoko. This academy never ceases to amaze me. It's so big; I've been walking for a while but keep going in circles. I want to explore everything, but I'm afraid of getting lost. Isn't there a map of the academy so I can find my way around?" the girl asked.
"Unfortunately not; I could accompany you if I weren't already helping Nia in the kitchen," Yoko said.
"I understand, don't worry about me."
"We can use first names; I don't mind," Yoko said with a smile.
"As you wish, Yoko. My name is Oredys. It's a pleasure to meet you both; you're lovely. I'll continue my tour," Oredys said.
"Rey can accompany you if you want since he's not doing anything; what do you say, Rey?" Yoko looked in my direction.
"Rey? Who is that?" she asked.
Oredys' Point of View
---------------------------
I followed Yoko's gaze, wondering who she was talking about, and I jumped in fright when I saw a young man about my age sitting next to the stand. I hadn't noticed him at all. It was as if he had erased his presence. If that's the case, I might be dealing with a very experienced assassin because it's impossible for a normal assassin to fool my senses.
"Why are you jumping like that? Didn't you notice him?" Yoko asked, confused.
"Absolutely not," I replied, still in shock.
"I apologize if I frightened you. I would be happy to show you around the academy," he said in a gentle voice. I was quite distracted, not only by his voice but also by his piercing gaze.
He had wavy light blue hair that slightly exceeded the back of his neck. His green eyes were captivating. His gaze held mine captive. But what struck me the most was his physique: he was tall and perfectly muscular, every movement exuding a controlled strength. His athletic build suggested years of discipline and intensive training. He was handsome—very handsome.
"Okay, I'll follow you," I said.
"Great! Yoko, Nia, please, make me more muffins; I love them," he said.
"Okay, Rey," they replied, clearly not bothered to do that for him.
"Your friends are friendly," I remarked.
"That's true, especially Nia; Yoko can be a bit harsh sometimes," he said, scratching his head.
"I guess that's what having friends is like."
"You say that in a funny way. Don't you have any?" he asked.
"No… I grew up a bit disconnected from the world. Please forgive me for not going into details," I replied. He gave a mysterious smile.
"If you want to keep information about yourself, you shouldn't try to completely hide your aura when talking to another martial arts master; you're giving him more information about yourself than you imagine, in addition to what he already knows about you," he said, looking ahead.
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by that. What do you already know about me?" I asked, trying to convince myself he couldn't have figured out my cover in just a few minutes.
"Well, first of all, the extremely well-hidden elves in the crowd must surely be very well-trained bodyguards, the kind you would assign to a noble. Thanks to my seismic sense, I can perceive the shape of everything in direct or indirect contact with the ground, allowing me to know the movement of every part of those elves' bodies, including their eyes, which lets me know exactly where they're looking. I had my doubts about whom they were watching, so all I had to do was move my hand toward the back of your shoulder while we walked for them to react at an extraordinary speed, momentarily halting their activity for a fraction of a second. They resumed as if nothing had happened as soon as they saw I just wanted to scratch my head. So I could confirm they were watching you. I think you're a noble."
"That's incredible ! He managed to create an opportunity in the conversation to scratch his head so that it seemed natural for me, while his real goal was to discern the intentions of the bodyguards!?" I thought, shocked.
"Is that all that makes you think I'm a noble?" I asked, intrigued by his observational skills.
"The 100 Kera. No one would waste that much on a simple juice unless money was absolutely not a problem. Am I wrong?"
"...no, you're not wrong. So those details led you to conclude I'm a noble?"
"Exactly. Also, by completely erasing your aura while talking to me, you made a mistake," he continued.
"What mistake?" I asked, impressed by his previous analyses.
"You gave me one more piece of information. The fact that you are very strong in martial arts or assassination. You've probably been trained since childhood by very strict parents, which would explain why you couldn't have friends. Martial arts were likely at the heart of your education. From there, we can conclude that your combat level must be above average, but your field experience may not be as high, which explains the mistake you made in completely hiding your aura when speaking to someone like me in an academy known for training the best fighters," he continued.
"You're telling me that the best way to go incognito is to not suppress my aura?" I asked, confused.
"I didn't say that. You can suppress your aura but only if you don't plan to speak to anyone or if you're not afraid of arousing your interlocutor's curiosity. But in the opposite case, keep your aura weak enough; that way, even if your interlocutor masters martial arts, he won't see you as a threat because of your aura. But if you can completely erase it, that reveals your true level in martial arts or assassination, and they'll be more cautious because only high-level fighters or professional assassins master that ability. Moreover, if someone wants to track you in a crowd but doesn't know your aura's signature or your face but just knows you're dangerous, it's very likely they could sense which person in the crowd is emitting no aura and find you faster than you think."
"Wow… you're… very interesting… tell me, is your aura average as I feel it, or are you hiding it?"
"I'm hiding it, obviously; otherwise, many wouldn't be able to walk," he said, laughing. He was probably joking.
Who was he, and how did he seem to have such profound knowledge on this subject? What kind of training had he undergone?
"Here is the mini-arena. It's equipped with a magic system to prevent damage," he explained as we arrived at a kind of hexagonal cage.
"I see, magic is much more widespread than I imagined," I replied.
"The fighter with the red hair who is traumatizing his opponents over there is Kaiser; I grew up with him; he's like the brother i never had," he confided to me. From the few minutes of fighting I observed, I could already tell that Kaiser's level was well above average. And even then, he was holding back against his opponents.
"Is he stronger than you?" I asked with a smile.
"Uh… yes, he is," he replied after a brief reflection.
"So you would lose if you fought him right now."
"Nah, I'd win."
" But you—" I was saying before he interrupted me.
" I said stronger, not more powerful" he said. " He's better than me on paper, but in practice, it would be very complicated for him to win. Even though I have to be very careful too, because many of his attacks could finish me off, but luckily for me, I know him inside out," he added.
" If you grew up together, he must know you inside out too; that seems logical," I said, confused.
" The only thing he knows inside out is that he has to rely on his reflexes against me," he said so naturally. His words sent shivers down my spine.
" It must be interesting to have a rival," I said, looking thoughtful.
We continued to visit the academy, passing through classrooms, sports fields, and the different clubs of the university. We then returned to enjoy the dishes that Nia and Yoko had prepared for us. It was a real treat, and I loved these little moments away from the sumptuous walls of this prison that was the castle where I lived. But soon, the bodyguards signaled me to return, ruining my moment.
" I really enjoyed these moments with you, but alas, I'm afraid I must leave," I said as I stood up.
" Oh, already? That's too bad; we were having such a good time," said Yoko.
" I'm sorry; I promised my grandfather I would be home before sunset. I wouldn't want to overstep his kindness."
" Here, I made you a little takeaway dishes; you can enjoy it at home," said Nia, handing me a small box.
" Thank you so much," I said, touched.
" Take care of yourself, Oredys," said Rey.
" If destiny allows, we will meet again," I said.
" I don't believe in destiny. If it exists, well, it exists for others, not for me. If I want us to meet again, we will meet again, and fate won't be able to change that," added Rey. This response will likely remain etched in my mind. I smiled and nodded gently.
" See you later, then, 'master of destiny,' " I said as I left.
As I left the academy where I had just experienced moments of rare intensity, I could only reflect on the encounter I had just had. Rey… a name I would cherish in my memory.
In just a few minutes, he discovered a large part of my life based on almost nothing about me, allowing me to glimpse the depth of his own mysteries.
I had seen in his eyes a glimmer that few are privileged to glimpse. A hidden strength, an inner world where discipline and mastery reigned supreme. Rey had offered me more than just advices; he had shaken the certainties I had built around my own identity.
The tour of the places, far beyond what I had imagined, had enriched my mind and heart. Every moment spent with him had been a subtle lesson in life and wisdom. The discussion about martial arts, the way he deciphered the subtleties of existence, had pushed me to question everything I thought I knew. I had seen in him not only a potential master but also a friend, even though our relationship could only remain at a respectful distance.
The twilight light bathed the path I took as I left, holding in my hands the small dish offered by Nia. I felt that the outside world was waiting for me, with its shadows and lights, its challenges and promises.
To be continued…