It was finally a Saturday. Julian woke up, with troubles still on his mind. He could simply not take his mind off the fact that he could die at any moment.
Really realizing this information for the second time, he let out an even louder sigh. A habit he had formed. He took a few steps toward his door and opened it with very little enthusiasm.
Creek.
Standing in front of the door, was none other than Eudora, the white-haired elf he had met at the freezer.
"Eudora?" he spoke with a bit of confusion, both because he wasn't quite sure if that was her name, and because he didn't know why she was here.
"That is my name."
She smiled very softly, more so a tug at the right corner of her lip. A smirk.
"I'm aware. 'What are you doing here?' is the question that I was trying to convey."
"It's a Saturday. Now that we're acquainted, I assumed it would be fine for me to walk around the campus with my friend? Is it wrong of me to assume that, now?"
This lady… she's weird.
But, I guess a friend wouldn't be that bad.
"Well, alright."
.
The school campus wasn't that full. Around this time, most students would be hanging out in the capital, Dinet. Of course, the campus still had a good number of people. Julian and Eudora walked quietly. During their walk, they encountered Ian and Cera.
They've gotten… awfully close. Julian carefully eyed the two.
Agh, I don't care. Right, I don't care. Why would I?
"What are you guys doing here?" Julian asked.
"Hm. What a strange question. We attend this school, so… yeah."
"…"
Cera giggled at Ian's sarcastic response.
Julian's heart started beating strangely. He clutched at his chest.
"Ah… sorry. Cera, Ian, Eudora, I have to go."
Julian ran toward his dorm. He slammed the door shut behind him and ran back to his book.
It's beginning. Yes, I'm sure of it! My body is beginning to explode!
Julian scouraged through the book, looking for any addenda of the sort.
A personal note!
Humans, elves, and Demi-humans. They are all interesting groups. By the year 1400, I will definitely be visiting Anore. The most diverse country I know. It'll be easy, with it being close to Sar.
In this world, Anore is roughly the United Kingdom!
As soon as the school year ends… I'll embark!
Julian's train of thought was interrupted when suddenly, a loud bang was heard at his door. Was that supposed to be a knock? He got up from his seat, and walked over to the door, opening it.
"… Who're you?" Julian asked.
The person standing in front of him wore the black student council uniform. Lighter blonde hair, with eyes of a similar color. A bit short, elvish boy with a permanent smirk on his face.
"My name is Beiric. Well, that's not completely important. What's really important is your actions toward the student council.
"And for that, you must pay the price."
"What are you talking about?"
Beiric grabbed Julian by the collar. It was really fast. So fast, Julian had not even realized that he was grabbed. Even with his demon-enhanced senses.
He walked over toward the window, opening it and throwing Julian out. Julian's dorm was on the third story, so it was not a regular fall.
"Keuk!-"
He hit the ground hard.
Beiric landed after him, a lot more gracefully. They were now behind the student dorms, in a secluded area packed with trees.
"I'll just roughen you up a little bit."
Damn it… this is all because of that pair, right?
Is this some kind of mafia school? Why is royalty so extreme?! Gah… everything hurts.
"You won't be roughening anyone up."
A third voice interrupted. Beiric looked up, trying to locate it. It was coming from the shadows.
A student stepped out.
The student was a tan-skinned individual, with platinum blonde hair (although it was more blonde-leaning than platinum-leaning.) His right eye was bandaged, while his left eye was an alluring, soft blue. He wore his uniform over his shoulder like a cape, with his right arm also bandaged as well.
"Lionel van Laertius. You have no reason to be here."
Beiric's happy-go-lucky smile was slowly beginning to fade. Irritation bled through.
"Any enemy of the headmaster is an ally to me."
He walked forward with his hands in his pockets.
Who is this edgelord? Julian watched quietly.
Apparently… his edginess is working? Beiric is retreating!
Just like that, Beiric was gone.
The tense feeling in Julian's chest disappeared as there was no longer any danger. Just him and Lionel van Laertius.
"Thank you."
Julian was quick to speak. Lionel paused and looked up at the sky before responding.
"It's nothing.
"Do you have any idea why he was after you?"
Julian thought for a moment, before talking.
"No. Is there any reason why you don't like… well, I'm assuming all of the student council members? That's what you meant, right? As the student council member acts as a tool of the headmaster."
"Correct."
"My name is Julian."
"Lionel van Laertius. Follow me. We can't speak here."
. .
The pair sat in an abandoned building, filled with empty shelves caked with dust. The air was extremely unpleasant, and a single ray of sunlight entered the room they were in through a window, illuminating all the particles in the air.
In Julian's own words, it smelt like what he imagined an old person would smell like.
"So, explain it to me again, Julian."
"The headmaster, I think he planned to kill me… He put me in a situation where he definitely expected me to die. When I came out alive, his expression was a bit strange. That's what had led me to believe that he's out for me. But I'm not sure what the reason is."
Lionel absorbed all the information, rubbing his chin, with his elbows resting on the wooden desk in front of them.
Outside, they could hear the faint chatter.
"You're not wrong for thinking this.
"The headmaster… is not who he claims to be."
Of course…
Lionel continued.
"I'll tell it to you as is. The only reason I was able to enter this school was because of my father. My father who is… an incredibly bad person. On the day of my mother's death…"
Lionel paused again. Letting out a heavy sigh, he continued.
"On the day of my mother's death, he was there. Yet, he did nothing. So it is reasonable to conclude that he is not a good person at all."
The story had made Julian think about his own parents. The father he had barely known, yet his influence on his mother lingered for the longest, and was the reason she was so cruel to him.
The room was silent after he said that. Soft winds blew through the room, like a gentle touch.
"So what's your plan, Lionel?"
"… I'm not sure yet."