Julian tightened his grip. Cera stood before him, with a calm expression and a relaxed stance. He dashed forward.
Clack!
A horizontal strike!
Julian's stick scraped against Cera before she backed away. He came in for a second strike.
Fwsh!
Clack!
In a swift movement, Cera disarmed Julian, swiping his stick out of his hand. It spun in the air.
"!"
That was… quick. I saw it, and I could've reacted to it, but I didn't…?
"Aggressive. You're far too aggressive!" Cera quietly yelled. Julian was confused by the sudden fervor.
She leaped at him. They fell to the ground.
"Your swordsmanship is flawed!
"Haughty and aggressive, you seek to dominate the conversation through strength! Of course, this is possible. But there is no sensibility! You are a senseless, aggressive speaker. Attack with caution and think about your next attack while you're doing it!"
"…"
"Haha… sorry, I got a little too heated."
An understatement... Julian mocked inwardly.
Realizing the vulnerable position they were in, the two of them quickly got up, a bit flustered.
"I'll... be on my way then, Julian."
"Right."
Julian was left on the bench by himself. Lunch was beginning to end.
Cera... at first I thought she was a shy girl. She definitely is, but she's more than that.
"Agh... history class is after this."
"Hey, you!"
A loud, masculine voice spoke.
Julian's head shot to locate the sound. A tall man stood in front of him. His hair was buzzed and dark green. Black eyes that nearly bored through Julian's forehead.
"So you're the one who hurt Ivy?" the older boy said.
"Ivy? Who is that? And who are you?" Julian feigned ignorance.
"Xavier. The one who will paint these hallways with your blood!" Xavier pointed, very pompously. An arrogant smirk stained his face.
We aren't even in the hallway... we're outside. What is he talking about?
"Listen, man. I don't know who you are, and I don't know-"
"Haagh!"
Xavier threw a lazy punch. To Julian, it appeared almost in slow motion; he easily dodged.
Remember... control your energy.
Julian spun around. With gathered momentum, he aimed a back kick at Xavier's chest.
Bsh!
His foot collided harshly with the older boy's solar plexus, sending him farther aback than he had expected. Xavier crashed to the ground, heaving, breathing heavily. He clutched at his chest.
"..."
Julian stepped over him, walking to class.
. . .
. .
Oscar hauled a large crate of vegetables and fruits over both of his shoulders.
"The weather today is surprisingly moderate. Not too warm, not too cold. Perfectly pleasant."
Finley stood beside Oscar, along with Ailen. They all carried different materials, though Oscar was carrying the most by a big majority. On their walk through the village, they got several kind greetings.
When they were finished, Finley and Ailen decided to return to their respective houses. Oscar, on the other hand, took a quick walk toward the gate. A change to get some fresh air.
It was beginning to turn dark.
"..."
Oscar had been a slave most of his life. With this, he became incredibly detached from reality, rarely showing emotion. Now that he was no longer in such a situation, he didn't know what to do.
Maybe... Should I start with a smile?
[Cast: ???]
From the dark, several ropes of thick, web-like material shot out. Oscar's face remained still. His wrist flicked.
[Cast: Glacier Spear]
A spear of ice manifested in his palm. Quick movements came after, slicing through the webs as if they were butter.
"Impressive!" A voice yelled out.
Fwsh!
Oscar's eyes lit up.
Three individuals whose appearances were unable to be conceived jumped at him, all armed with weapons.
[Cast: Verglas Rising Pillar]
In front of him, three pillars of ice were erected, catching and molding around the bodies of the individuals.
"Damn it!"
"Agh!"
"..."
"... I'll give you a chance to take off the concealing mana, state who you are. If you refuse, you will be promptly killed-"
"Impressive, indeed. You managed to locate the threat and neutralize it without even harming your opponents."
Oscar was a little bit surprised.
Someone managed to slip past my detection.
The man in question was tall and imposing. He wore a military dress uniform, green in color, highly honored and adorned. There was a familiar symbol somewhere on the cloth.
He was a pale, aged man with sharp elvish ears. Both his hair and eyes were a pastel, light green. Even Oscar could feel the superiority and power that the man exuded.
"I apologize for the behavior of my cadets, Oscar Tolien."
"How do you know my name?"
"A lot of major people, such as myself, know your name. After all, despite your young age, you managed to get one of the highest scores on the physical. Perhaps you didn't receive our letter?"
That's why the symbol looks familiar.
"I... don't know how to read."
The old man let out a hearty laugh.
"Ah... so that's what it is. Then I guess I'll summarize the contents of the letter, faithfully.
"My name is Aithlin Yesynore, One of the many honored Generals of the Anore Military. We would like to give you a chance to enter one of the Cadet Academies within Anore."
"..."