Theodore was still in shock at the sudden revelation from Belial. It was as if everything was starting to make sense, piece by piece. However, his thoughts drifted back to the strange dream he had. "Belial, in my dream, my grandma said I shouldn't trust 'that man.' Who do you think she was referring to?"
Belial furrowed his brow in confusion. "I'm not sure, my lord. Did anything else happen in the dream leading to her saying that?"
"Yes, actually," Theodore replied. "She also told me to find out the truth. And then, I saw the book—the one made of flesh and chains. But this time, it was massive, and a strange voice kept telling me to open it. I managed to unlock one chain out of five and…" He trailed off, his thoughts lingering on the dream.
"I see. That's certainly a strange dream, my lord," Belial said thoughtfully.
"Yes, but after I unlocked that one chain, a man came out of the book. He said he'd be my teacher!" Theodore added, his voice still filled with disbelief.
"How did the man look?" Belial asked curiously.
Strangely enough, despite remembering the dream vividly, Theodore couldn't recall the man's face. "I… I don't know. I can't remember what he looked like."
Belial nodded. "Perhaps it's because of the stress you've been under lately. These things tend to mess with your mind."
Theodore hesitated. Maybe Belial was right, but there was something about that dream that felt too real. It wasn't just some random nightmare—it was vivid, almost alive. His grandmother's warnings, the book, and the mysterious man all felt connected to something far greater. (This isn't something I can ignore. Belial or anyone else might not believe me, but I'll have to figure this out myself. Since my reincarnation, I've seen stranger things than this. A dream like this is nothing to brush off.)
He sighed, rubbing his eyes. He didn't want to burden Belial with his worries, so he decided to lie. "I guess you're right, Belial. It's probably just the stress."
Belial chuckled softly. "Glad to hear that, my lord. I'll prepare your bath. In the meantime, eat the food Mimi has prepared for you. She made sure it's just how you like it."
Theodore nodded, though his thoughts were elsewhere.
———
After some time, Theodore was ready for class.
"Well then, I'll be going, Belial. Make sure you investigate the Marquis or anything else concerning the holy temple. I don't want to attract enemies for now," Theodore instructed.
Belial smirked. "Understood, my lord. I'll make sure to gather as much information as possible."
Theodore nodded and headed out. As he walked through the boys' dormitory, he felt the stares of the students around him. Whispers trailed after him, and he could sense their unease. He already knew the news about the fight between him and Noah Morris must have spread throughout the entire school.
"Hey, isn't that Prince Theodore, the 'Masochist Slayer?'" someone whispered.
"Yeah, it's him! I heard he beat up his classmates and turned them into masochists."
"Yikes! Let's not look at him, or he might turn us into one of his victims."
Theodore paused mid-step and glared at the students, who immediately looked away, whistling nervously and pretending not to notice him.
(Ah… Elisa. She really had to spread that ridiculous rumor and give me that stupid nickname, didn't she?)
Theodore sighed heavily. It was shaping up to be an irritating morning. He could hear the whispers growing as he walked across the field toward the main school building.
"My prince!" a voice suddenly called out from the crowd. It was Jin, running toward Theodore. By the time he reached him, Jin was red-faced and gasping for air as if he'd just run a marathon.
Theodore scowled. "I never knew you had such excellent stamina, Jin Starling," he said sarcastically.
Jin adjusted his glasses and chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, I didn't know you could make jokes, my prince."
Theodore was less than amused. "Alright, what is it this time, Jin?"
"Well, yesterday you seemed kind of angry, and this morning I heard rumors about how you defeated the entire B-class and humiliated Noah Morris!"
"Humiliated?" Theodore sighed. "It just happened. It's not something to be proud of."
"What?! My prince, of course it is!" Jin exclaimed. "You defeated Noah! I bet he won't show his face in class after such humiliation!" Jin adjusted his glasses again, laughing.
Theodore pinched the bridge of his nose. "So you're happy that I defeated Noah Morris and the B-class,aren't you upset that you couldn't do it yourself?"
Jin hesitated, his laughter fading. "Well…"
"Jin, answer me. Are you happy with yourself? Are you happy being weak and following me around like a lost dog, praising me for things you could achieve yourself?"
Jin froze, Theodore's words hitting him hard. His hands clenched into fists as he lowered his gaze. "I don't know, alright! I hate myself! I hate my current self! Most people have already learned magic and awakened their aura, but me? I'm useless!" Jin's voice cracked as he shouted, his frustration spilling out.
Theodore's sharp words and Jin's outburst caught the attention of nearby students, who began whispering and staring.
Theodore sighed, walking away as Jin trailed behind him like a shadow.
"I'm sorry for raising my voice, my prince," Jin said quietly.
"There's no need to apologize," Theodore replied, his tone softer now. "Just stop apologizing all the time."
Jin nodded and followed him into the school.
As they entered the classroom, they were met with chaos. The students were gathered in a loud, excited crowd. Theodore frowned, assuming it had something to do with his actions the day before. But as he made his way through the crowd, he froze in disbelief.
Sitting comfortably in his seat, grinning as if nothing had happened, was Noah Morris.
"Hey, Prince Theodore!" Noah called out cheerfully, waving as if they were old friends. Beside him were Elisa and Vivian, both smiling smugly.
"What the—" Theodore and Jin said in unison, their jaws dropping.
"I've been thinking about yesterday's duel," Noah began, standing up. "At first, I was upset about losing, but then my father told me something important. He said that if I meet someone stronger than me, I should follow them and learn from their strength. So, Prince Theodore Dominick, I'll be in your care from now on!" He beamed, his sincerity making the moment even more baffling.
"What?!" Theodore exclaimed. "Go back to your own class, Noah! Go back to the B-class where you belong!"
"Well," Noah said with a sheepish smile, "I had a little chat with Miss Dalia, and she approved my transfer. Even Principal Roman agreed and laughed about it."
Theodore groaned, already imagining the principal's amused reaction. He rubbed his temples, realizing that dealing with Noah was going to be more exhausting than he'd anticipated. "This is going to be a nightmare," he muttered under his breath.