"....Kyle, why's she here?"
The enforcer "Hera is here because she had initial buisness with Lord Arael."
Jin stared at him. "No, like, why is she 'here' here," Jin emphasised, pointing to her being in the guest room he was staying at.
Jin was put on edge from her before just as he arrived in Halcendre. There's no way he could've prepared to be meeting her again in the same day.
"I called her over."
"But why?"
"I'll explain. So get up."
Sensing that he had no way of getting out of this, he let out a defeated sigh as he slowly rolled up to his elbows. His blonde hair scruffed and prickly from sleeping.
"So uhmm... well... er... Hi, I guess? Mrs.... Illaria."
"Oh my~! You remembered my name! Ordinary's are usually so rude, I was worried."
The drowsiness Jin felt before all but dissipated upon hearing that. His eyes shooting wide open.
"...I.... Beg your pardon?"
"Well, kid. You shouldn't be surprised that she knows you. She was the one who healed you up back then. She was pretending before."
"I will say I didn't recognise you at first since you had black hair before. But after you seeing your face, I had my answer," she winked.
"Healed me.. up back then?"
Instantly, Jin's memories resurfaced, remembering Arael mentioning that an Exception healed the burns that Kyle inflicted on him prior.
"Yes," he affirmed. "She's the doctor I mentioned that you should see."
"Officer Kyle is quite the brute when it comes to his job. He does so many things which are unnecessary," Hera commented. "Burning him was clearly too much. It'd be terrible if it left scars."
Jin stiffened. "Wait, I thought it was bad if more Vassari learn about me being an Ordinary up here," Jin brought up, puzzled.
"There's no issue, kid. Hera works directly under Lord Arael. We trust her enough to know she won't tell another soul about you."
"But, what..." Jin shook his head. "Nevermind that, you haven't explained why she's here to begin with!"
"You're quite a curious fellow, aren't you? You ask a lot of questions." Hera gently grabbed Jin's wrist, surprising the boy. "I don't particularly care if you're an Ordinary. I've dealth with your people enough to not mind. I worked in the lower strata after all."
"What are you doing?"
Jin was flustered from the sudden contact. It was the way she was inspecting him like some animal which made him uncomfortable.
"Relax," she said calmly, inspecting his arm with clinical focus. "I'm just checking for something."
Even if she said that, he didn't like the way she was doing it.
"Say, Officer Kyle told many interesting things about you. That includes you having a Nexus and other things. Regardless..."
Pausing, Hera went into deep thought; it was one so long that Jin thought she wouldn't say another word. Her eyes blinked violet and Jin didn't fail to notice that detail. Right, an Exception. She's one too.
"Well, what do you think?" Kyle asked. "You can deal with it, right?
"Cases like these are rare," Hera concluded, facing Kyle. "But I can handle it."
"Then do so," Kyle directed.
"My, such a rush. Oh well..." Before Jin realised it, Hera already rested her whole hand to Jin's forehead. "This may feel warm, but don't worry. It shouldn't painful."
In that same moment, Jin locked up from an unknown but impossible sensation. Hot and cold. He couldn't describe it. It rushed from his forehead, down to his chest, and spread towards his four limbs. From there, the violet cracks on his arm gleamed but slowly started to seal up.
It was a short minute when Hera finished. Jin felt himself letting out a breath he didn't realise he was holding, gasping as the sensation vanished. He was tired... yet, the mental exhaustion that weighed on him before, lifted.
"There we go." Retracting her hand from Jin's forehead, Hera could only smile proudly. She appeared a little short in breath as well. "That was harder than I thought. I suppose it's a good thing that the effects weren't that strong."
"What... did you do to me?"
She smiled. "In simple terms, I helped your mind catch up with itself."
"Hera is an expert when it comes to medical science," Kyle added. "Healing, essentially."
"Ah, I see... healing."
Jin got the ground work of it, at least. In other words, this was also an ability that Exceptions have. Could he do something like that? It was a thought that had consistently been brought up before.
Related to science, huh...?
"Unfortunately, I'll need to be going now," Hera stated, getting ready to leave.
"You're not going to stay for dinner?" Kyle asked openly.
Hera could only laugh. "I wish I could however I was supposed to be at the tower by 5:00. So I'm running really late."
"Ah, if it's work then you should go."
The tower. It was directly connected to The Bridge of Strata. That was the place Jin was at when he first arrived. He only saw the top floor so he was surprised to find out that was actually a place where people work.
Just as Hera excused herself, Jin couldn't help but say:
"She's... strange. Didn't know there could be Vassari's like her."
Jin's views on the Vassari were always low. Kyle, Arael, even his daughter. They all left impressions which only served to lower those standards. Egotistical rich maniacs who have a twisted sense of the word: "power".
So seeing Hera was such a curve ball for him.
She didn't even look bothered by him despite knowing he was an Ordinary.
In a way, she reminded Jin of his own mother. A more lively version to say the least.
"Hera was always empathetic when it came to children. So it's not surprising."
Kyle went on to relay another message to Jin.
"Oh, kid. Another thing. You should go to sleep early tonight because there's we're going to begin your new education tomorrow morning."
My new education?
"Oh, uhh, sure."
"...."
"....Are you just going to stand there?"
"It's also dinner, if you've forgotten."
Jin blinked. "....You could've led with that too."
***
The stretch of the morning sun hadn't even risen when Jin was woken up by Kyle and dragged out through the hall. There wasn't a sole awake but them. That time, Jin didn't bother fighting back against it.
Even if he did, the physical strength of Kyle far surpassed his own. It wouldn't be debatable. He stood no chance.
Further down the stairs, he would be taken to a floor Jin wasn't aware of when he was first being taken around the estate. It was a basement floor. Here, Jin would ask his first question of the day.
"This is related to the education you mentioned about, I pressume?"
While the previous day wasn't eventful, Jin would've wished he had more time to relax while he stayed.
Going straight into training seemed a bit much. He didn't even know what he was training in.
"As you know, you'll be taking part in Halcendre Academy's entrance exam so you can then enroll at that school," Kyle started, stopping at a heavy framed wooden door.
"Yes, and I remember that being in three month. What of it?"
"It's because it's in three month that it is imperative that we start with your education immediately."
There was no doubt in Jin's mind that the entrance exam would likely be difficult. Kyle and Arael gave him that idea many times. But for him to need a whole three month of preparation?
He couldn't deny that it sounded ridiculous.
Jin's expression frowned at what Kyle said. "So," Jin drawled. "You mean to say I'm not good enough. Is that what your saying?"
"Precisely. That's exactly what I am saying."
Those words stung more than Jin would like.
With one shove, Kyle opened the two doors.
In that moment, Jin could only think of one thing.
Books. Lots, and lots, of books.
A library that housed hundreds of books lurked behind those large doors. It was a treasure of knowledge that Jin hasn't quite seen before.
The library in Osvain coudn't even compare. Not that it had much to begin with. Nevertheless, the room wasn't as big as Jin would think. Maybe it was the size of roughly three bedrooms here.
It was just really packed.
"The entrance exam is split into two different tests. The theory and practical exam. At your current level, academically speaking, you wouldn't even have made it to the waiting list, let alone the exam hadn't it been for you special admission."
A realisation which Jin wasn't expecting he would be told.
"You're joking," Jin mused. "But that—"
"Is something you need to accept," Kyle interjected, gesturing Jin inside the library. Jin was forcibly sat down onto a desk as Kyle started reaching for the shelves. "You're not the best at what you do. I've seen the level of books you've been reading. Level 3 isn't quite up to standard. You'll need to be at level 4 at least to be average."
"But three months? Do I seriously need three months?" Jin repeated.
"The exam isn't like your typical one in the Education Centre that you're so proudly ranked first in. Questions you've never seen before. You've already seen how vastly advance Halcendre is compared to Osvain. It should be easy to recognise that you're not on the level of a Vassari."
"...Tch."
Jin couldn't help but click his tongue. I know that... but you don't need to spit it in his face.
"However, you do speak the truth."
Kyle planted piles of books in front of Jin. He could count around 15 from one stack alone. And there was three.
"You won't be studying for three months straight. You'll only be doing enough to guarantee you'll pass the theory exam. However, we'll also be covering other aspects to ensure you'll be able to transition into the top strata's lifestyle easily."
"But... I'm guessing the real difficulty would be in the practical exam?"
"That will come later. First..." Placing his gloved hand over the stack, he pushed it in the boy's direction, as Kyle held an unwavering focus towards Jin. "We'll have the next month to get you up to level 4 and drill as much etiquette as we can—that's as late as we can afford to let it get. I expect no slacking."
"Well, I'll try my best, I guess?"
Nothing could've prepared Jin for the full month of pure hell he would face.
***
I said that I'll try my best but... I think I seriously underestimated this.
Studying was always something Jin felt he was good at. But, he's never seen things like this.
He threw his hands over his head as he scrutinised each question which came.
The material he studied in Osvain was basically elementary compared to the multiple stacks of textbooks Kyle had given him.
Thankfully for Jin, the core subjects of mathematics and science came much easier to him than the others due.
Yet, the main problem came with the sheer volume of work there is to learn.
Kyle mentioned that if Jin was able to fully comprehend the material which was provided in the following textbooks he would give, then he should be on the same level as an average Vassari.
Jin counted a total of 10 different textbooks from each subject. Multiply it by the 4 basic core subjects of literacy, mathematics, science, and history. He has to get through 40 books altogether.
Jin thought. Is this even possible to do in one week?
Jin shook his head and pinched his forearm.
No, I'm being too negative about this. I won't get anywhere if I just mope around.
"I should be fine."