BEYOND THE BLADE - 2
Suddenly, a loud, angry voice cut through the chatter. "Didn't I tell you to give up your seat?!"
Heads turned as a crowd formed. Alaric and Lalanat edged closer. Simon, a noble from Valerith, loomed over a smaller noble from Dravenn.
"But the principal said we're equal!" the Dravenn student stammered. "We're allowed to sit here!"
Simon sneered. "I don't care what the principal says. That's just words. In reality, you're below us."
A few of his friends smirked, quiet enough for the Dravenn student to hear. The boy shrank back, panic rising.
Alaric's fists clenched. He wanted to step forward—then a calm, clear voice cut through the tension:
"That's enough. Keep quiet while eating."
Every head turned. From the back of the hall stood the Bane prince, serene and composed. Behind him, the Valerith princess observed quietly, her gaze sharp.
Simon scoffed. "And who might you be? Another lowly noble?"
The prince's smile didn't waver. "At least we lowly nobles have manners while eating."
Simon's anger boiled over. "Ah, so you think you're the main character or what? Let's see if you still laugh after I knock you out!" he shouted.
The prince, calm and measured, replied, "I wouldn't do that if I were in front of a princess."
All eyes turned to the Valerith princess sitting behind him. A murmur ran through the dining hall—everyone knew who she was. Simon froze. His anger melted into panic as he realized the royal behind him. "Ah… I… I'm sorry for the trouble!" he stammered, bowing repeatedly.
The princess smiled warmly. "It's alright. But don't look down on others again. Remember what the principal said. And I don't want anyone treating me as higher than you either."
The crowd collectively breathed out in awe. "Owww… she's so kind… so mature," whispered some.
Turning to Simon, she added, "Go eat, and don't do it again. And it's not just about me—think about our Valerith reputation. You should apologize to everyone you offended, not just me."
Simon quickly bowed to both the prince and the noble from Dravenn, murmuring apologies. Slowly, the dining hall settled back into calm.
Alaric and Lalanat returned to their meal. Lalanat noticed Alaric's expression, still clouded. "You okay, Alaric?" she asked softly.
"Ah… yeah," he muttered, "just thinking."
He then leaned closer. "By the way… who are those two? The prince and princess—are they siblings?"
Lalanat shook her head. "No, they're from different nations. But since they're ranked first and second, I think they knew each other before school."
Curious, she asked, "But Alaric, how come you don't know Prince Caelin? You're from the same nation, right?"
He shrugged casually. "Never cared about nobles. I'm only interested in battles and swords."
Lalanat smiled. "Then you must be good at fighting."
Alaric shook his head. "Not really. My father's skills are unmatched—I could never beat him."
"Your father is that good?" Lalanat asked.
"Of course," he said simply. "He was the former First Squad General of our nation."
Lalanat thought for a moment. "Practiced with someone like that… and he says he's not that good? That's already incredible for our age."
Suddenly, Alaric glanced at her with a mouthful of food. "Aren't you going to eat?"
She panicked, snapping back to reality. "Ah, yes. I'm eating."
Before leaving the dining hall, the princess and Alaric's eyes met.
No words were exchanged.
Just a brief, silent moment before the crowd swallowed them again.
That afternoon, the students were finally dismissed to rest and were guided to the Elysium Academy Residence.
The chance was low, but never zero.
Out of everyone in Elysium Academy, Alaric, Lalanat, Princess Elara, and Prince Caelin were assigned to the same house.
Alaric lay flat on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Finally… a bed," he muttered. "What a ridiculously long day."
As his body relaxed, his mind didn't. The image of the princess meeting his gaze in the dining hall replayed in his head.
He suddenly sat up.
"…Bath time."
Grabbing his towel, he headed downstairs.
Near the bathing area, he spotted Lalanat talking quietly with the princess. He wondered what they were discussing, but shrugged it off.
"Whatever," he said under his breath. "Bath first."
The residence was divided into four houses, each housing four students.
Two girls stayed on the lower floor, two boys above. They shared meals together, had assigned cooks and cleaners, and were grouped as teams for future tournaments.
By dinner time, the residence was lively again.
"Lalanat, could you call the boys?" the princess asked politely.
Prince Caelin already downstairs. Lalanat headed up and stopped in front of Alaric's room. She knocked.
No response.
She gently opened the door and found Alaric fast asleep.
Stepping closer, she lightly poked his cheek.
Instantly, Alaric's instincts kicked in.
He grabbed her wrist, twisted, and flipped her onto the bed.
Lalanat screamed in panic.
Alaric froze.
"—What?!"
"I-I'm sorry!" he blurted out. "Wait—why are you in my room?!"
Lalanat sat up, fixing her hair, eyes watery.
"It's d-dinner… I was trying to wake you."
Hearing the scream, the princess rushed in.
"What happened?!"
Alaric awkwardly scratched his head.
"I thought I was being attacked… reflex."
The princess sighed, then turned to Lalanat.
"Are you alright?"
Lalanat nodded.
The princess then looked straight at Alaric, calm but firm.
"You're helping with dishwashing tonight."
"What?!" Alaric protested. "That was self-defense!"
"No complaints," she replied flatly.
And just like that, the matter was settled.
They headed downstairs for dinner.
The three of them went down to the dining hall, the princess gently holding Lalanat's arm while Alaric kept complaining about being assigned dishwashing duty.
The Prince of Bane noticed them and smiled, then casually teased Alaric.
"So," he said, amused, "what kind of monster attacked you?"
Alaric flushed. "It was instinct," he replied.
Laughter spread across the table.
Before they began eating, the prince stood up slightly. "I'm Caelin Veyron, Prince of Bane." After him, the others introduced themselves as well, and soon the room settled into the sound of cutlery and conversation.
While eating, Caelin asked politely, "Alaric, could you pass me the salt?"
Alaric handed it to him.
"I never thought I'd attend school with you," Caelin continued. "I'm a big admirer of your father."
Alaric smiled. "That's good to hear. I think it would make him happy to know that."
Caelin waved it off. "Enough with the formalities. We're classmates here."
Alaric tilted his head slightly. "Ye… yes, sir."
The table burst into laughter again.
As the noise died down, Alaric glanced at Lalanat. She had barely touched her food, staring down at her plate. He wondered what was on her mind.
Earlier.
After the bath, Lalanat was heading back to her room when a voice called out from behind her.
"You're Lalanat from Class Two, right?"
She turned quickly, startled. "Y-yes… I am."
The princess smiled warmly. "You can drop the formalities. We're in the same class."
"Y-yes," Lalanat replied, her voice small.
The princess hesitated for a moment, then asked gently, "Are you and Alaric… in some kind of relationship?"
"Eh—no!" Lalanat answered immediately, flustered. "Of course not. We're just friends."
The princess laughed softly. "Okay, okay. I get it."
Back in the dining hall, Lalanat's cheeks warmed as the memory returned, her fingers tightening around her spoon.
After dinner, others helped clear the tables. Alaric tried to sneak away to his room but bumped into the princess in the hallway.
"Not running away, are we?" she asked with a smile.
Alaric panicked and blushed. "Ah… of course not! I'm just… heading to the bathroom first."
The princess chuckled. "Okay, I'll be waiting for you then."
The prince spoke up. "It's okay, I can help if you need me." Somehow, that made Alaric feel a little relieved.
"No," the princess said, "he should help me since he made Lalanat cry."
Lalanat quickly waved it off. "Ah, no, it's half my fault for sneaking up."
The prince nodded. "Yeah, she doesn't mind, though."
"No means no," the princess said firmly, "besides, we should take turns. Me and Alaric go first."
The prince laughed softly. "Alright, you heard her. Guess you're on dish duty tonight, Alaric. Thanks for helping."
"Other people can rest. Tomorrow's class is enough work," the princess added, and the others left the kitchen, leaving just Alaric and her.
As they washed the dishes together, Alaric couldn't help but remark, "Princess… it's rare for you to do dishes."
"You can drop the formalities. I won't bite," she said with a smile.
"Ah… okay," he replied nervously.
"I just can't dump all the work on others just because I'm a princess," she continued.
Alaric nodded, pride in his voice. "Ah… I see. You're more mature than I thought."
"Oh? Is that a compliment or an insult?" she teased.
"That… should be a compliment," he said, half-nervous.
She laughed. "Haha, understood. I was joking."
They continued their silly conversation until the dishes were done.
Later, Alaric emerged from his room, wooden sword in hand, ready for his training.
On his way to training, Alaric spotted Lalanat walking out of her room.
"Yo, Lala, you going somewhere?" he asked.
"Bathroom. And you?" she replied.
Alaric held up his wooden swords. "Training."
Her eyes lit up. "Wow! Can I watch?"
"I don't mind… but are you sure you don't want to rest instead?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Ahh, no. There's still plenty of time to rest, I'm bored anyway."
"Oh… okay then," he said, shrugging.
"Okay, I'll come outside after I use the bathroom," she said.
Alaric stepped outside and began his routine—swings, steps back, pretending he was in a real fight. Each move drew an impressed gaze from Lalanat.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her shoulders. She nearly screamed before a familiar voice whispered, "Shh… it's me."
"Oh! I thought you were a ghost," Lalanat exhaled, relieved.
The princess smiled. "How long has he been at it?"
"Maybe about twenty minutes now," Lalanat replied.
"That's a lot… isn't he tired?"
"Maybe… he did sleep this afternoon," Lalanat answered.
The princess smirked. "You sure there's nothing between you two? You seem to know a lot about him."
Lalanat panicked, her cheeks flaming. "Ahh, no! Elara, please stop teasing!"
The princess laughed, clearly enjoying herself.
The next morning, after breakfast, they rushed to class, still clumsy with their new routine. They barely made it before the bell rang.
Alaric sat beside Prince Caelin. Princess Elara took the seat next to Lalanat.
The teacher entered soon after.
"I have an announcement. Listen carefully," she said, handing out papers. "Write down your future plans."
Alaric didn't hesitate. He wrote one word and smiled to himself.
Lalanat leaned over. "Hunter?"
"Knight," Alaric said proudly.
"Oh," she smiled. "I thought you'd pick adventurer or something."
Prince Caelin glanced over. "What about you, Lalanat?"
"Teacher… or writer," she answered softly.
"That's a good choice," the prince said. "I hope you pursue it."
Alaric blinked. "You can write two?"
"It's called a backup plan," Caelin said lightly.
Alaric thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm fine. There's nothing else I want to be."
Lalanat and the prince exchanged small smiles.
Alaric turned to Caelin. "What about you? Or do princes not need to write this?"
"I wrote writer too," Caelin replied. "Before the throne, I want to choose my own path."
"I see…" Alaric murmured.
He glanced at Elara. "And you, Princess—uh, Elara?"
She smiled sweetly. "Dishwasher."
Alaric frowned. "Whatever."
The table burst into laughter.
Alaric didn't.
The bell rang, and the students headed toward the dining hall as usual.
The four of them sat together again.
Alaric, Lalanat, Elara, and Caelin.
"By the way," Prince Caelin said, glancing at Lalanat, his voice slightly hesitant, "have you ever tried writing seriously, or is it just something you're interested in?"
Lalanat blinked, then nodded. "I do write sometimes… but it's not polished. I haven't shown it to anyone yet."
Elara leaned forward immediately. "If you're comfortable with it, I'd love to read it. I'm sure it's interesting."
Lalanat smiled, a little shy. "Ah… yeah. Once I finish something properly."
Alaric spoke up while eating. "Is it actually fun? I mean… isn't it boring?"
Elara shot him a look. "Could you not talk with your mouth full? We can barely understand you."
Lalanat and Caelin giggled quietly.
"Well…" Lalanat said, gathering her courage, "writing is something where I can really express myself. It doesn't judge me."
She paused, hands clasped together.
"It just stays there and listens. I can put thoughts into it that I can't say out loud."
The table went quiet.
Noticing their expressions, Lalanat panicked. "Ah— I don't mean that I don't trust you or anything! It's just… sometimes I get so nervous that I can't say what I actually mean."
Alaric scratched his cheek. "I don't fully get it, but… I think it makes sense. Even to me."
Elara raised an eyebrow. "Even to you?"
"I mean," Alaric said defensively, "I like swords. I don't read much, so I thought writing was just boring stuff. But when you say it doesn't judge… I get why people like it. Especially if they're bad at expressing things."
Elara smirked. "Oh? So you think you're good at expressing yourself?"
Alaric froze. "I… think I just say whatever comes to mind."
"Exactly," she said, amused.
Caelin laughed softly. "That's true. But that's also why he's fun."
The table slowly filled with teasing, laughter, and easy conversation.
The bell rang, and Teacher Alice announced, "That's it for today. Listen carefully—next months, as usual, our school will host The Chosen Class again." She continued, "There will be sword fights, archery, dancing, quizzes, and for team events, drama."
Hearing "sword fights," Alaric's face lit up so much that even his classmates could notice. Lalanat smiled secretly, feeling proud of him.
The Chosen Class
Since the foundation of Elysium Academy, this event had been held for students to enjoy and showcase their talents—three points for each individual event and ten points for team events.
While walking home, an excited Alaric accidentally bumped into Princess Elara.
"Can you stop walking like that? You look like a creep," she mocked.
"I just… I can't help it," Alaric replied, still grinning. "I'm happy and excited. I get to fight someone other than my father!"
Lalanat smiled at him, and Prince Caelin asked, "So you're stepping up for the sword fight?"
"Yes, that's the plan. No—wait, I must," Alaric said, folding his hands with determination.
"I'll cheer for you," Lalanat said.
"Thank you, Lala," he replied.
Lalanat tilted her head. "If one person participates, they can only do one individual event, right?"
Elara answered, "Well, if Alaric goes for the sword fight, he can't do archery too. One individual per person."
Alaric's voice shook a little. "I'd like to do archery too…"
Elara smirked. "You don't need to be so eager for the spotlight. Just because you want it doesn't mean you automatically get it."
Alaric froze. "Wait… didn't you say one individual per person?"
"Yeah," Elara replied calmly, "but what if someone else from our class wants to participate? How would you let them sit and watch?"
Alaric paused, holding his chin thoughtfully. "Ahh… that makes sense. Then… easy. I should call out a duel for the spot," he said.
They all nodded knowingly, as if they'd expected this response. Lalanat smiled, and Prince Caelin folded his arms with a grin.
"I expected that—but it came faster than I thought. Good luck," he said.
And with that, they walked home, the excitement of The Chosen Class buzzing between them.