Kai approached Ray and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't be so sad, this is a new experience for everyone. Maybe you just got unlucky with your roommates, or you didn't want to come to this academy, but don't be like an evil sorcerer."
Ray looked at Kai, his dark eyes showing confusion and irritation. "What evil sorcerer? What are you even talking about? Get your hands off me."
Akito and Andy came closer. A slight smile played on Andy's face. "So, you're interested in swords and fencing too? That's cool! What do you use? I, for example, use a knight's sword or a saber."
Kai shifted his gaze to Andy and smiled back at the girl. "You're quite the fighter. I'm more interested in thrusting weapons, like rapiers or foils."
Andy nodded as if understanding. "How noble."
While Kai and Andy laughed and discussed swords, Akito sat down next to Ray. "You look sad, did something happen?"
"Akito, do you really think all aristocrats are good? He might just be playing to the gallery."
"Ray, he's my roommate, we live together. Maybe you just don't want to grow up and keep believing all this?"
Ray looked away and fell silent, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Think what you want... I'm not going to be friends with these hypocrites..."
"Ray, you're really acting like a little kid. Instead of accepting the fact that you're an aristocrat and trying to make friends with them, you just sulk like you're nine or younger." Akito sounded quite annoyed, but in some ways, he was right. Ray's face twisted.
"You sound just like my father."
The four of them still had breakfast. Akito was surprised by the deliciousness and quality of the food. Ray ate almost nothing, and Andy was already on her second helping. Kai, for his part, decided not to be outdone and ran off for another serving.
Classes were good but boring. Akito was learning everything he could for now, though he most often attended classes on the surrounding world and basic survival principles. Andy was there too, and the lessons were a bit more interesting. It was a revelation for Akito how quickly and easily Andy understood everything, and how serious she was. Sometimes Akito also went to philosophy classes with Ray; day by day, Ray became gloomier.
The first week passed. Sholland, surprisingly to Kai and Akito, quieted down and started calling them "uneducated natives" less often. Perhaps because he was now spending days in the library? For Kai and Akito, it had already become a running joke: if you did something wrong or were just goofing off, one of them would invariably call the other an "uneducated native."
Andy was in the fencing hall with all the other students. They were all swinging their swords or perfecting a single technique. Andy had mastered all of this to perfection; these classes seemed difficult for most aristocrats, but compared to Richard's mentorship, it was all child's play. She approached the teacher, who was flirting with the math teacher.
"I challenge you to a duel."
Clover, the fencing teacher, was tall, with a scar on his face. He seemed like a kind man, though he had a weakness for women. He agreed to the duel, but only because Andy had interrupted his conversation with Eleonora; he decided to show off his skills to her.
"Agreed, but if you lose, don't cry. I am a master of my craft, after all." With these words, Clover turned back to Eleonora and winked at her.
"Alright everyone, stop training and clear the space! Andy demands a duel, and as a teacher, I must teach her everything, and not just because Eleonora is here."
The students stepped back, forming a circle around them. Everyone was whispering and discussing something.
Clover took his combat stance, while Andy put her sword on the ground and went to fetch her saber. Returning to her spot, she took up the "Straight Angle Stance." Clover's face changed from confident to surprised.
"I didn't teach them that stance... Strange..."
"He took a guard position? I thought he was serious about the duel." Clover's shoulders were relaxed, the tip of his foil seemed safe. He was without a mask and smiling.
Andy wore a protective mask, the tip of her saber pointed forward, her stance straight, her body positioned at a slight angle, her back leg offset at 35 degrees and perpendicular to her lead leg.
The Circle of Thibault was already formed in her mind, and she was ready.
"Andy, why aren't you attacking?" Clover asked, occasionally glancing at Eleonora.
"Perhaps you should attack? I don't think I have enough skill to attack you."
Clover smiled. An interesting thought, at least for him, entered his mind: 'She knows nothing at all. This will be easy. I'll put everything into one strike.'
The silence was broken by a loud whistle. Clover lunged forward. As soon as the tip of his foil entered the circle, there was a clang of metal. Andy parried the blow, and Clover's foil slid to the left. He was completely open. Andy delivered a thrust to Clover's chest. Round one to her.
Clover's face showed disappointment and surprise. 'How... How did she do it? She just got lucky... Such shame... And to be so stupidly hit in front of Eleonora...' Clover smiled and stepped back, taking his combat stance.
"I just let you win this round. Who in their right mind would leave themselves open?" 'If I act carelessly again, I'll lose.'
Andy again took the straight angle stance. Taking a few steps forward, she slashed with her saber, left, then right. Clover managed to parry, but he was already within the Circle. Andy delivered a thrust, but Clover, casting aside his pride, ducked and broke the distance.
Andy's hand trembled, but not as badly, after all, the recoil wasn't that strong, though she began to breathe a little heavily.
'Who is this girl? Does she really know Destreza!? That explains why she acts so strangely, and her stance... But they teach that in the army and to people who protect important figures... Who is she anyway? Not even I was taught this...'
Clover began to move, making feints, retreating and retreating again. One thing was clear: morally, he had lost his defense and began to accept defeat.
He lunged, the tip of his foil whistled, but Andy managed to parry it. Clover's hand trembled, but certainly no worse than Andy's. Putting all his strength into it, he made a reckless move: a flurry of thrusts.
Andy lacked the mastery, and her defense collapsed, taking a thrust. The score was one to one. They again took their positions. Clover's confident smile was gone; his face was irritated, and he was breathing heavily. 'Is she laughing at me!? I've even abandoned my pride, just lose!'
Clover lunged forward; Andy parried. He would retreat, lunge, and retreat again; Andy would parry, make a series of slashing attacks, and then a thrust. It was a battle of attrition.
The sounds of metal clashing and heavy breathing filled the hall. In the end, Clover glanced at Eleonora for at least some support, and that was his latest mistake; he received another thrust to the chest.
Clover felt something break inside him; he fell to his knees, accepting defeat. Andy, taking off her mask, left the hall. All the students gathered around Clover, asking him how he lost.
Andy was resting in the library with her friends, reading theory. Akito was talking to Kai about something, and Ray was looking out the window as if enchanted. A few minutes passed, and now everyone was looking at Ray, who hadn't moved from the window.
They looked out the window and saw that Ray was looking at a girl with snow-white wavy hair, bright blue eyes, and a radiant smile. Ray clutched his heart and said.
"She is beautiful, like a white rose in a garden among other, red roses..."