"Well…" Logan turned to Lisa, who had all her undivided attention on him, measuring how much he should reveal, knowing that she could misunderstand something if he didn't say things correctly.
"As you know, I have the power to tame, and to use this ability, I need to use my blood. Yesterday, we seemed to have accidentally made a connection when some of my blood spilled from a previous cut…" He was treading carefully with each word.
"Oh, accidentally?" Lisa's eyes widened as she heard Logan say that. She couldn't hold back some sadness, thinking of the event the day before.
As soon as she noticed the strange phenomenon—where Logan's blood dripped towards her hand and vanished—she noticed a link of some kind and words that appeared before her:
[Are you willing to create a bond with hero Logan?]
Lisa did not know why, but it seemed that her powers worked differently from the others. Alma, her best friend, was the first to tell her that she did not have a way to see what her ability was. However, the morning after the parade, Lisa accidentally activated her first power that healed her when she rubbed her forehead, which ached from all the stress she was under. It was then that some weird letters appeared from time to time, guiding her in a way.
It was their fault that Lisa had bumped into the boy, and it was their fault again that she accepted the message thinking that by doing so Logan would somehow become like before they had separated as kids—the joyful child who always made her laugh and the first boy she took notice of.
While thinking Logan had told her what he had done today and more about his powers and his other tamed beings, but for Lisa, the word "accidentally" still stuck in her mind.
Logan noticed Lisa's hesitation, thinking he had said something wrong, and took a deep breath, deciding to be as clear as possible. "Lisa, I know this bond might be confusing and unexpected. It was never my intention to force anything upon you. But now that it's happened, we need to understand it and well I also need to tell you there is something wrong with it."
Lisa nodded, the sadness in her eyes giving way to determination. "I want to understand, Logan. Tell me more about this bond."
Logan relaxed slightly, relieved that she was willing to listen. "This bond connects us in ways that go beyond mere classmates or… friends. It allows us to share strengths and, sometimes, even thoughts. But it also means we need to be careful as there is an error of sorts with your bond. It is not displayed right, as if something is interfering which may be a good thing… I guess."
"Maybe it's because of my class, or that we are close to one another in power, or something like that?" Lisa pitched in, trying to give ideas of why it had this kind of difference. She thought about the guiding words and thought that maybe they were to blame.
"Listen, Logan, I also—"
"Lisa, where are you?"
Before she could continue, she heard her best friend calling out from nearby. She looked towards Logan, whose face had changed, becoming cold and emotionless as he had done so this past year.
Lisa hesitated for a moment before deciding to part ways for the day. "We'll talk more later," she whispered, before turning toward the direction of the voice.
Taking a quick glance back, Lisa stared at Logan, who seemed to be ignoring everyone around him. She wondered what had happened to him to change so much in a few years. Maybe being in this strange bond would help her figure out what had happened to the cheerful boy she used to like.
As he saw the young girl go off with her friends, Logan let out a deep sigh of relief. He thought things would take a turn for the worse, especially when she seemed upset for some reason.
Seeing that it was just a waste of time to stay out here, Logan went back to his room, trying to decide what he would do next. His room looked spotless; not even the book that had been lying about this morning when he rushed out was seen. It was then that a girl entered from the room within his own and greeted him with a smile, reminding the boy why things had changed.
"Good evening, Master Logan. I hope your trip went well," Ruri said, her voice calm and welcoming.
Logan nodded, though his mind was still racing with thoughts from the day's events. "It was... nice," he replied, trying to match her calm demeanor. "How have things been here?"
Ruri's smile widened slightly. "All is well. I've taken care of everything as you instructed." She paused, studying his face. "You seem troubled. Is there something on your mind?"
Logan hesitated for a moment before deciding to share. "It's just... a lot has happened today."
Ruri's eyes softened with understanding. "Well, I hope you can rest easy tonight. Also, I would like to go over tomorrow's plans to see what you will do, sir. The castle has given Sir Alric instructions that all willing heroes should attend tomorrow, as instructors will be issued to help heroes learn more about their skills. I need to know if you're joining, sir?"
Logan wondered if they would help him at all, seeing as not even the kingdom's top breeder seemed to understand his skills. But it would be at least necessary to know how all the other kids were faring and hopefully get some insight into the others' powers.
After a moment of contemplation, Logan replied, "Yes, I'll attend, send Mr. Alric my reply please."
Yawning, Logan thought it was a good time to end his day after sending his maid off. While he was still apprehensive about sleeping in a room where a maid could come and go, he decided to leave that thought for later.
It was some hours later when Logan was woken up by his maid with a tray filled with food. Dumbfounded, Logan thanked her while trying to fix the wrinkles in his clothes, having not changed before laying down to sleep.
"Master Logan, I thought it would be best for you to be well-fed today. The class will be leaving in an hour, so I hope you can be ready by then," Ruri said, her voice gentle yet firm.
Not wanting to be late, Logan ate after thanking his maid and went to take a quick shower. As always, there were clean clothes ready for him, and he quickly got dressed. He had never felt so pampered in his life.
It wasn't long before the class was taken to the castle training grounds, a new area for Logan and many other students. Soldiers were running about or doing exercises as the class entered. Some stood up for a salute, while others continued their routines, casting curious glances at the group of young heroes.
Logan felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness as they made their way to the designated area. The instructors, stern-looking but seemingly knowledgeable, were already waiting.
One of the instructors, a tall man with a commanding presence, stepped forward. "Welcome, young heroes. Today, we will begin your training to harness and enhance your unique abilities. Each of you will be paired with an instructor who will guide you through specialized exercises tailored to your skills."
Logan glanced around, noticing the varied expressions of his classmates—some eager, others apprehensive.
Each student was then told to hold on to a special crystal, different from what the Oracle used and less impressive than what Logan had in his pocket. He saw it display numbers for all to see, but it did not include information like the class or skills. The first student went up; he was one of the mages, so it was expected that skills related to this would be high.
[Lv 1 - Strength: 4 Agility: 4 Dexterity: 5 Constitution: 7 Intelligence: 12 Charisma: 4]
Looking at the stats, Logan noticed there was a stark difference from his own. He tried to remember his own at level one, and the total amount had to be at least half.
The next boy went up, it was a builder-type class that Logan thought should have stats similar to his own.
[Lv 1 - Strength: 7 Agility: 2 Dexterity: 9 Constitution: 6 Intelligence: 6 Charisma: 5]
While he did not have a stat in the two digits, the boy also had stats that were more than half of Logan's. This irked Logan as more students went up and he saw how each one had higher stats than him. It was finally the best-known kids' turn, starting with the idiot trio.
One by one, they approached the crystal, their stats being displayed for all to see. Each had impressive numbers, further emphasizing the gap between Logan and his peers. Logan clenched his fists, frustration bubbling inside him, especially when Brian went up with confidence radiating.
Brian's stats appeared on the crystal:
[Lv 3 - Strength: 15 Agility: 11 Dexterity: 12 Constitution: 14 Intelligence: 7 Charisma: 8]
Seeing Brian's impressive numbers made Logan's frustration flare even more. He had always felt overshadowed by students like Brian, who seemed to excel effortlessly.
It was even worse that the boy somehow beat him by a level and surpassed him by almost five times in stats. Logan noticed that Brian looked quite different, more muscular and handsome than the day before, as if the stats reflected his true potential.
Next up where the girls who also excelled in all stats, Lisa was also one of the few who somehow got a level.
[Lv 2 - Strength: 6 Agility: 5 Dexterity: 9 Constitution: 12 Intelligence: 15 Charisma: 9]
Logan's turn was coming up soon, as almost everyone in class had gone up. He wanted to run away and leave the test behind, knowing it would damage his reputation. The pressure was immense, and seeing his classmates' impressive stats only heightened his anxiety.
Logan took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He reminded himself that his worth wasn't solely defined by these numbers. His unique abilities set him apart, even if they weren't immediately visible in his stats.
Finally, it was his turn. Logan felt everyone's eyes on him, making it impossible to back down at this point. He stepped forward and placed his hand on the crystal, feeling the weight of everyone's gaze.
[Lv 2 - Strength: 4 Agility: 3 Dexterity: 3 Constitution: 6 Intelligence: 4 Charisma: 2]
He slumped his shoulders as the numbers were displayed for all to see. He heard a few laughs and even heard someone yelling out, "Weakling!"
Logan's face burned with embarrassment and frustration. He clenched his fists, fighting the urge to lash out. He knew he had to stay calm and composed, despite the ridicule.
Suddenly, the instructor's voice cut through the chatter. "Enough! Remember, these numbers are just the beginning. True strength lies in how you use your abilities and grow over time. Now then, start forming a line. We will place you with a proper trainer depending on your class."