"Girl, are you an idiot?"
That was their first meeting, and the first time Gray ever 'bullied' her.
Not only did he not mince his words, but he even stared directly into her amethyst eyes without any trace of shame.
And for a second…
"Y-You. What did you just say?!"
She snapped back, part disbelief, part indignation, her face an open book. She must have misheard him right? Right?!
Gray lazily and silently pointed.
– The mountain of catalysts in her hands.
– The one she had been about to grab.
– The magic reaction it would cause.
…
Like Coke and Mentos.
Or in this case…
[★★☆ Blazing Clay Deposit!]
+
[★★★ Snowcap Ice Dropping!]
=
KABOOM.
She who had been about to flare back suddenly went quiet. But then a second later, she stared right back defiantly.
Her slender hand reached out…
And as she decisively grabbed the Blazing Clay, placing it next to her Snowcap Ice the shop turned deadly silent.
A customer gasped in shock.
Another ran for cover.
One even screamed.
…
Gray didn't bat an eye, and neither did she, her Mana skillfully wrapped around both materials to prevent an explosion.
And her gaze turned triumphant.
"So, clerk. What did you say?"
Her fiery intensity perfectly matched her hair at that moment. She was akin to a magical goddess showcasing her power.
Or so she hoped…
"Girl. Are you an idiot?"
"..."
"Not only did you waste Mana, but now you just primed both catalysts. Either you use them tonight or they'll lose potency."
"..."
"You said something about testing? Hope you have a workshop or else you ain't sleeping tonight for sure."
"...?!!!"
Smugness had quickly turned to panic. And what followed was a young mage rushing out in a hurry all offenses forgotten.
All she left behind was a name…
'Aura. Aura Stormveil.'
That day was the first. One that couldn't have gone better had he wanted. Satisfied, he simply kept working, waiting.
He didn't have to wait long.
"YOU BASTARD!!!!!"
The next morning a fiery ghost showed up. Eyes bloodshot. Hair utterly messy. Amethyst irises filled with pure anger.
Yet, he handled it calmly…
"Hmmm. Aura was it? Morning."
"You bastard, you tricked me! Lose potency? What loss of potency?! I just checked with an academy teacher. It's fake!"
"...."
"Primed? Worst case, catalysts will lose 3% of their potency. Not enough to affect any experiment meaningfully!"
"..."
"Take responsibility! I stayed up all night because of you! You better get your tongue ready to apologize!"
"..."
And it was at that moment that her fate was sealed. That monologue alone had been enough. He now understood her.
Aura Stormveil.
Proud, but humble.
Headstrong, but fair.
A little spitfire on legs.
…
For a second, a vision of the past flashed before his eyes. The same head, but on a spike. She was better this way. Alive.
And he vowed…
'Aura Stormveil, is it?'
'I'll steal everything you have.'
'But I'll save your life in exchange. Be grateful.'
…
It seemed long, but those thoughts merely took an instant. And before she could chime again, he gave her a bright smile.
He knew exactly what to say.
"Girl, are you an idiot?"
"....?!!!!"
That day she left without a word, her face blushing so much it overshadowed her fiery head. Her own words had finally registered.
'Take responsibility'
'Kept her up all night'
'Getting his tongue ready'
…
And yet, after all that she couldn't get herself to hate him. His smile had been genuine. He alone treated her ordinarily.
Gray almost died for it.
It was the third day, when HE showed up. An old butler-like guy who looked in his thirties, his white hair glowing slightly.
DANGEROUS. DEADLY.
Gray felt his gaze.
He also felt the man's Mana wash over him, tearing him apart like meat at a barbecue, dissecting him without a care.
Blood filled his mouth, and even his organs felt like they were being displaced, yet he forced himself not to react.
[Ding! Sensed Foreign Mana!]
[Error! User is Unranked?!]
[Perception too High?]
….
It ended quickly.
Then the man met Boss Lang for a moment, the two talking like old friends, no doubt inquiring about his past.
'Just a mysterious clerk'
But not a bad one…
In the end, the Stormveil Family didn't have him killed. All they did was put eyes on him, ones that were ever watching.
That was the price of talking to the madness known as Aura Stormveil. It was a price he was too weak not to pay.
Or so he thought…
On day five, she came back apologizing.
For rushing out. For her outburst. And for something else it seemed too.
The surveillance remained, but became more lax, his freedom slowly coming back as he clearly appeared harmless.
'If only they knew.'
And this was merely the start.
They kept meeting. At first at the shop. Afterward for deliveries. Eventually she straight up asked him to accompany her.
"Gray, I got first place at school!"
School, but it was more university level. Most students were 18 albeit she and a few magically gifted ones had joined at 16.
| Ashfall Academy |
A place he had never set foot.
A place reserved for the magically gifted. A place where negative Soul Power instantly meant expulsion or so he had been told.
"Will you attend with me? They asked me to do a speech as leader of the new student cohort. They said I could have a plus one. I'd like it if–"
For some reason she seemed more worried about whether he'd attend compared to the actual speech.
[Successfully Tricked a Naive Girl]
He swatted it away.
He didn't care about the means or how heartbroken she might be afterward. He just knew what he had to do.
He'd simply 'bully' her…
"Girl, are you an idiot?" And as soon as he said that, she brightened so much the shop in the background turned radiant.
He didn't even have to finish his sentence. 'Are you an idiot? Of course I'll come'
And just like that the hook was in.
Now, to reel in the catch…