Fragarach

Plans and Arrival

*Lands*

[That was exhausting, I never thought that it would take too long to take that golem down. It may be weak but its structure is far from weak at all. If anyone weaker than me encounter that thing, they might tire themselves before making a huge damage at the golem.] Raven thought as he landed on his feet.

When he faced his fellow students, their expressions gave him a shock.

[After a few days]

Due to Raven’s display of unimaginable strength during the physical ability test, most of the students started to distance from him whenever he is around.

[Why I had to do that? Most of my fellow students isolated me because of what I showed at the physical test. Yes, there are still students like who did not distance themselves from me. But to think that majority of my classmates would alienate me is so frustrating.] Raven thought as he stare at the window with his head resting on his arms.

Cassiopeia walks inside the room carrying everything she bought from the cafeteria and right after entering from the door, she saw Raven’s sad and lonely face staring beyond the window.

[He looks sad again. Why does everyone has to be like that, hating a person because he is different from everyone else?] she thought as she walks through the desks and stops in front of Raven.

Everyone inside the room follows their head as she walk across the room.

“It is lunch now, are you not hungry?” she asked Raven with a meek tone. “If you keep doing that, you will lose a lot of weight and your mother will worry about you.” She added with a concerned face.

“I don’t feel hungry at all, thanks for thinking about me Cassiopeia. But I am fine.” He replied with a sad tone.

Cassiopeia put a bread on his desk with a bottle of water.

“Here, you may not be hungry right now but in case you get hungry you can eat this. Here’s some water too, it’s okay not to eat in a while but if your body lacks enough water then you will wither like a grass.” She said with a cheerful tone.

Raven sat properly and look at her with and his sad expression slowly disappeared.

“Thanks a lot. I almost forgot about my promise, thank goodness I manage to recall that you asked me to teach you about rune formation right? I apologize for remembering it a lot late than what was planned since a lot of things happened.” he asked and apologize with a soft smile as he bows down.

The student with the glasses heard what Raven said as he slightly turns his head towards them. [Hmmm, teach rune formations huh?]

Then he turns his head again to his classmates whispering to themselves.

“There she goes again. Sucking up to that monster, she might be happy since someone like him can come to her rescue whenever she’s in trouble huh?” a female human student whispers softly to her friends.

“Yeah right, I never thought as demi-humans to be like that. If they all act like that then they are not far away from being a human themselves.” Another one replied.

[These lowlifes, all they do is hide and talk bad about people around them. The very type of people that I hate the most. Ranting about something that they do not ever understand let alone try to get to know the person entirely yet they run their mouth like they know all about whoever they are talking about.] he thought as he stares coldly at the students who are talking to each other.

One of them caught a glance of him staring at them with a cold expression so she pinched her friend telling the others that someone heard them.

“Iris is looking at us with a nasty look.” She whispered to the others.

The other students were alerted by what their friend did, so they returned to their seats and sat quietly.

“Oh, you still remember that? It’s okay, I know very well what happened lately so it’s okay. Just tell me when or what day you are free so that we can plan the date.” She said with a smile as she sat down beside him.

[I gave him food and water. I hope he likes the bread, it is the most expensive one in the cafeteria and it tastes really good.] she thought as she hides her excitement.

*Sigh*

[Thank goodness she is not angry. I really thought that she would be angry since it took me days before I remember my promise.] he thought as he sigh in relief.

“Here, drink this. This will make you refreshed after all the stress that you have gotten lately.” She said as she offered him another drink.

“Do I look that down?” he asked with a concerned face as she shove the drink in his hands.

“Yup, you’ve been like that for the past few days you know?” she answered with a smile.

[Huh? How did she know? Now that I think about it, how did she know that I only have my mother? She didn’t say something about ‘my parents’ earlier right?] he thought.

“Is that so? I might have looked ridiculous right?” he asked with a smile.

“Not at all, you looked really normal. But if you look closely, you can definitely tell that you are depressed. I mean any normal person would get depressed if the people around them suddenly distanced themselves right?” she said with a bright smile on her face.

[Wait- ‘if you look closely?’ is she observing me really hard?] he thought as he heard what she said.

*Gulp*

Raven decided not to take her words seriously when he took a sip from the drink that Cassiopeia gave.

“Whoa, this is good.” He said in surprise after taking a sip.

[Let’s forget that we ever heard that shall we? It will only add to the things that will make my head ache.] he told himself as he wipes the drink from the corners of his lips.

The atmosphere inside the room immediately change when Thomas and his friends enters the room.

[This bastard, my blood boils just by seeing that annoying face.] he thought as he tries not to make an eye contact with Raven.

[Inside the Elder’s building.]

“I heard that the daughter of the king is going to observe here in the academy for a while.” Elder Nuu said as he sat on his table.

His sudden news startled Elder Yasrat in his seat.

“What? How come I never heard of this?” he asked with a surprised expression.

His immediate reaction surprised the other elders.

“Huh? That information is relayed after the physical test a few days ago. Did your assistant did not tell you anything about it?” Elder Rigor said with a confused expression.

“Huh?”

He just look at the both of them without muttering any words.

[That bastard! He did not tell me something important as this?! I am going to tell kick his ass! My standing was endangered when he made a deal with that Reynolds brat and is rising steadily and now this?! Doesn’t he know what I had to do in order to make the other elders trust me again yet he add another burden on me?!] he thought as he grits his teeth.

[This bastard Nuu probably knows the reason why I was not informed immediately like they were. I know that he is going to say something about having my son as an assistant.] he told himself as he saw Elder Nuu turn towards him with his arms crossed.

“Let me guess, he got drunk again isn’t he?” Elder Nuu asked with a cold expression.

[F*ck!] he curse as he started to break some sweat.

“Damn it, this is why I said that the immediate relay of information is really important.” Elder Nuu cursed as he shake his head in disappointment.

Elder Yasrat felt his fragile relationship with the other Elders is slowly breaking apart, so he kept quiet and did not say a word.

“I hope that your assistant’s incompetence will not affect our experiments Elder Yasrat. I will let this slide for now but I will not tolerate it next time. And if that still happens, I suggest that you look for someone to replace him. His negligence towards his work is what will bring us down on the ground in the future. Tell me if you do not have any replacement for him when that time comes, I will personally handpick someone trustworthy for you.” Elder Rigor said with a tone back with superiority.

*BUDUMP**BUDUMP**BUDUMP**BUDUMP**BUDUMP**BUDUMP**BUDUMP**BUDUMP**BUDUMP**BUDUMP**BUDUMP**BUDUMP*

Elder Yasrat felt the seriousness in Elder Rigor’s voice that made his shiver for an instant and make his heart beat rapidly.

[This is bad, if my son makes any more mistakes then it is also an end for my career. Yes, they might accept me as an elder but their trust will not be there. It that time comes I will just be someone that is going to be a hindrance for them and eventually they will decide to replace me.] he thought as he bit his lip and blood slowly slide from his lips.

“Yes elder. I will keep that in mind.” He said as he bows his head politely.

[That bastard, the princess has already left the capital before the information arrived. She might arrive any day or any moment as a surprise and he is not even aware of it.] Elder Nuu thought as he stare at Elder Yasrat intensely.

“Be prepare, leave the academy and make preparations, the princess might arrive any moment. Don’t waste a single second and move.” Elder Rigor said with an angry tone.

[F*ck, Elder Nuu is looking at me like I was some insect that needs to be put down. Don’t look down on me you bastard, I will have my revenge.] “At once Elder Rigor, I will take my leave. Thank you very much for telling me.” He thought as he stand from his seat and walk rapidly to the door.

[End of classes]

The other students immediately walk out the door the instant the classes ended.

“I am free this weekend. How about you?” Raven said as he pack his things.

“This weekend huh? Let’s see, I don’t think I have plans this weekend so it’s fine but the problem is-“

Cassiopeia fidget as she looks at Raven with a sad expression.

“The problem is?” Raven asked with a worried tone.

“The problem is that I am not allowed out of our manor. It’s always been like that since I was a kid, my big brother sometimes covers up for me just to wander inside the city even for a short time and he always get scolded for spoiling me up. They will always say that it’s dangerous for someone like me to wander around the city since I am not blessed with mana aura.” She said with an awkward smile. “If possible, may I trouble you to come to our manor instead?” she added.

[So that’s what she meant. Well, it could be a problem is she were to get into some kind of trouble just for some rune formation lessons.] “I am fine by that, it could be a really big problem if you get into some kind of trouble for merely a rune formation lessons. But does your family allow humans to enter your manor?” he agrees while asking her a question.

“I can get permission you know? My family is not a really strict one. Well, except for the elders but my father is a little reasonable. He is the family head after all, so if he allows it then the others will have no say on that matter at all. You think my family is a gangster?” she said with a smile on her face.

[Whooo! Thank goodness, I thought her family are one of those types as well. It’s a good thing that her father is a family head, but everything is up to her to make her father allow her to bring a guy inside their manor- wait. A guy?] he thought as he thinks of being misunderstood for someone like him to be her boyfriend and go all out trying to take his head.

Raven stood in utter silence as he plays the scene in his head.

“Hey, are you okay?” Cassiopeia asked as she shakes him off.

“Yes, I am fine. My imagination just got the better of me.” He answered with a smile.

[‘His imagination got the better of him?’ wait- is he thinking about that? Is he thinking that I might introduce him as my boyfriend?] she thought as her cheeks turns red and looks down to hide her flustered face from Raven.

[What happened to her? Why did she suddenly looks down?] “Are you alright?” he said as he tilts his head and adjusted his legs to look at her face.

“Well, I guess I will be going to your manor then.” He said with a smile as he scratches the back of his head.

Instructor Edward saw everything that happened to Cassiopeia.

[It’s good to be young.] he thought as he smiles while gathering his teaching utensils.

“Excuse me, but can I join?” a familiar voice came from behind them.