The Talk and the Recruitment
1715 Words
Once Lilith and Sheera left with our three crossbreed classmates, I turned to Leia, wondering what it was she felt so obliged to talk to me about.
“Levi, what’s going on? Ever since I told you who my family is, you’ve been acting really strange,” she questioned.
I could only narrow my eyes at those words, not believing she did not at least hear a word about me in that house. “As if you don’t really know,” I could only say. We may be alone now, but I didn't know who could be listening in on our conversation. Though the Anberibcas did basically betray me, I was not going to let anything downgrade their reputation.
“Except I don’t!” Leia exclaimed. “You told me back in our spar at the entrance exam that you did not care about our rank, promised that we would still be friends, no matter what. And yet, the second I reveal my roots to you-“
I widened my eyes at the word she dare used. Roots? As though she was born there?! I was so baffled and furious with the choice of word she used in front of me, even if it was just for appearance, I slapped her. Surprised as I was at myself for that, I could tell Leia was even more speechless than I was.
“Don’t talk like you don’t know my situation with that family…” I coldly said. “I find it hard to believe you’ve lived with them for so long and yet had not heard a word about what they did. Be it from them, or your servants.”
From the expression on her face, the look she had in her eyes, I could see that she was purely confused. Whether she was good at acting or she really did not know what I was talking about, I did not know. However, I was not in the mood to talk any more about the past.
“I believe that was more than a minute. I’ll be taking my leave,” I told her, as I turned and left the area. This time, unlike back at the spar and orientation, Leia did not try to stop me.
******
Once I regrouped with Lilith and Sheera, I found them standing over the three crossbreeds, who were lying on the ground, seemingly paralyzed.
“What happened while I was gone?” I asked, grabbing their attention.
“You! This is all your fault!” the bull crossbreed accused me, much to my puzzlement.
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“He’s just mad you got in the way of that fight earlier,” Lilith explained. “I told him to wait and calm down, but he insisted on leaving. After that, I had to immobilize them with my magic.”
“I have nothing to say or hear from some human girl who got in the way of a winning battle,” the bull said, turning his head away from me.
“‘Winning battle’, you say… Tell me, what did you think that fight was exactly?” I simply asked.
“Huh? What are you talking about? That was a battle of pride. A sword fight! What else do you think it was?!”
I only sighed at his response. “If that is what you think, then you truly were blind.”
The three crossbreeds looked at me in confusion. “What do you mean?” the raccoon crossbreed asked.
“Tell me first. When you gave in to their taunt, did it occur to you what would happen if you did win, or how far the spar will go? You may have been using practice weapons, but even those still hurt, and could leave bad injuries. If you had delivered those to those nobles, what do you think will happen then? We have a mock exam coming up. No, even if there isn’t an exam coming, had you done the deed, those three would’ve called you out on it, and you would’ve been expelled.”
They went silent when I pointed those out. From their baffled expressions, it was clear that they did not think such a thing would happen, or even consider the thought. If they did not consider that, then likewise…
“Besides that, you said it was a sword fight, but was it really?” I continued.
“What do you mean? Of course it was! We fought with swords!” the bull crossbreed exclaimed.
“Oh, I saw that. I saw you all had swords in hand and fought. However, what I’m asking is, did those guys ever say anything about your battle being sword-only?”
“Huh?! It should’ve been obvious that it’s a sword fight!”
“But was it ever said? You shouldn’t just assume things to be as you hope to go.”
“And just what is that supposed to mean?!”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Lilith spoke then. “She’s saying those nobles were about to cast magic. Behind your backs.”
Those words shocked the immobilized crossbreeds.
“They… what?” the bat one asked.
“It’s true,” Sheera vouched. “Just before Levi shot them, those three briefly summoned magic circles behind each of you. Had she not stepped in, it would not just be your pride that gets injured.”
“But… we could’ve just told on them then, like how you said they could do to us,” the raccoon crossbreed said.
“You really think the staff, who may think lowly of our class just like our own professor, will lend an ear? More so, what if they also think lowly of crossbreeds? All they’ll do is wave it off as an accident. Should you go further into it… Do you really want me to finish that sentence?”
The trio, especially the bull crossbreed, widened their eyes in shock at my words.
“Are you saying… they were planning to get us expelled from the start?” the bat crossbreed asked.
“Unfortunately, that’s exactly what she is saying,” Lilith confirmed.
“What the hell…? After we worked so hard to get here?!” the bull crossbreed shouted.
“It’s not too late to prove them wrong. Give them a taste of their own medicine,” I said. “There is a chance for you guys to prove yourselves worthy of being students at this academy, as well as improve yourselves and your magic. Join our training group.”
The three looked up at me, two with unsure expressions, and one in suspicion.
“And why should we trust you? Because you’re our classmates?” the bull crossbreed questioned.
"There is that, but also because like you, I want to make a point. I want to prove to many that those they deem unworthy of even stepping foot in this academy truly do belong here. That we are just as good as they are, be it in magic, combat, or otherwise. From what I understand from our professor's hint, they had looked down on us commoners and nobles they deemed 'troublemakers' for far too long. It's time we take the torch our predecessors left us, and prove to those idiots where we truly belong! The only way to do that, is if we work as a class. Many in our group are already in the process of getting stronger with their magic, but what of you three? Of what I overheard, sounds like you could use some work on your magic. It's fine if you want to improve alone, but if you work with more people, I think you'll find just the right method to using or mastering your abilities. What do you say?" I asked, kneeling down to their level and offering a hand.
It was silent right then, as the three of them stared up at me. The bull crossbreed especially seemed to be observing me, no doubt finding the offer too good to be true.
"Then... does that mean someone can help me figure out how my magic works?" the raccoon crossbreed asked, much to the bull's shock.
"What are you doing?!" he questioned.
"I... I want to learn how to use my magic. My family are this kingdom's spies, and yet though I was gifted with illusion magic, one of the greatest magic a spy could ever be gifted with, I can never figure out how it's supposed to be used. If... If someone can really help me understand how it works, even a human or a monster, then I want to take it."
"Me, too..." the bat spoke, increasing the bull's puzzlement. "Because of my sensitive hearing, my magic is like a double-edged sword. I think that harpy can help me understand since her kind are masters of the wind, and I did hear something along the lines of sound having a sort of relationship to wind magic."
"And you will. Levi here helped me figure out the real trick to my appetite. I'm sure she can do the same for your magic," Sheera vouched me.
"You do know that was a coincidence back there, right? I can't really say exactly that I figured it out," I told her.
From what I could see, though, the bull crossbreed could not believe what he was hearing, as he stared at his fellow crossbreeds in bafflement. I can only imagine why, seeing as he was a crossbreed, and had a magic that was not fitting for combat, especially as a bull crossbreed, one of the many crossbreeds who specializes in fighting with brute force.
"... Fine... But if I find out that group is nothing but a scam, I'm leaving," he told me.
"That's good enough for me," I said. "Welcome to our training group, you three. Lilith, you can release them."
- Writer
