Resting

Avon entered the exam hall and took a seat. A screen was imbedded in the table surface and that was where all questions would be displayed and all solutions had to written. Many people had come to write it and to his surprise he saw Sylvia present too. They didn't speak as there no time left. The test began and Avon analysed the questions. He could solve the first fifteen with ease. He finished those quickly and then with every next question it got more and more difficult. He couldn't do the thirty third question but could solve from thirty fourth to forty first. Then again a few unsolvable ones and a few solvable ones until the fifty seventh question. Beyond that he barely even understood the question.

He had to try and solve whatever remaining questions there were before the fifty seventh one. Soon the time was completed and Avon couldn't do anything more.

He exit the hall and Sylvia was waiting for him.

"Hey Sylvia, I didn't expect you to write it today..."

"I decided to pick up pace too. So how did it go? Were able to cover everything last night?"

"No..about 80% I guess...."

"Oh..well it was really an impossible task. Still 80% is plenty ."

"Yeah but it's not everything we learn is remembered perfectly right? We still make mistakes....going without a hundred percent preparation is like playing with fire..."

"...true, only thing we can do is wait"

"What about you how'd it go?"

"I'll pass"

"Good"

Avon just nodded and stayed silent.

Then the results came out and his heart was ready to escape his body, beating so hard that Avon was sure his ribcage would break. Sweat broke out tickling down his forehead and when he checked the results...

He had passed! Promoted to level 2. On checking his scores he saw that it was by a narrow margin. His mind and body relaxed at once and he smiled in relief.

Sylvia was happy for him too. She had passed with a very high score. Maybe a little more and she could've gone up another level.

"Want to go to the cafe and celebrate this achievement?" Sylvia asked

"This is not exactly the achievement I want but...yeah I worked very hard for this, but not just me, my teacher is the one worked the hardest... let's go I'll buy something for her too."

"Sure , come"

They went to the cafe, Avon ordered an elecola and searched for the drink that Aveline drank when they visited the cafe for the first time. He and Sylvia discussed about the exam and what he planned to do next, he told her about his plan to join the raid.

She offered him help by giving him the permission to use the simulator present at her house whenever he wanted.

After a while Avon was just looking around lost in thoughts, Sylvia was just calmly sipping her drink.

A tall woman with blonde hair caught his sight, she was just entering the cafe, he immediately waved his hand and called her out,"Ms.Aveline, here!"

She had an exhausted look but when she heard that voice it disappeared and she searched for the source. She walked towards him and saw Sylvia sitting beside.

"You must a friend of Avon's I suppose"

Sylvia looked up to the woman and stood up extending her hand,

"Yes, I am Stylvia Stella and you must be his personal tutor"

Shaking Sylvia's hand Aveline nodded,"I am"

Then looking at Avon Aveline asked, " so how did it go? Well looking at you it looks like you passed"

With a smile Avon answered," Yes, by a narrow marging but I passed nonetheless. Thank to you"

"I can teach but learning is in your hands, one can always provide food but swallowing it can only be done by the one eating."

Then Aveline looked at their emptied drinks and said,

"Looks like you guys finished here, wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure" Avon said and Sylvia just nodded in agreement. They paid the bill and left the cafe. Avon and Sylvia told Aveline about the test and Sylvia asked Aveline how she taught Avon so fast.

After a while Sylvia separated as her house was closer.

Avon then gave Aveline the drink he had bought for her," My thanks to you"

She took is with a smile and said," you didn't need to"

"Okay then, I will be returning now. I need to rest today and prepare for the language test too."

Aveline stopped Avon by holding his arm,

"Where are you going, come with me"

"But I can't trouble you like this..."

"Shut up, from today you will stay at my house. How can you live in a spacecraft for so many days. Come on now, I shall teach you Rhonese too. "

Avon was dumbfounded..

"But it's not righ-"

"Shut up" Aveline said again .

Then he just let her drag him all the way.

After they entered, Aveline changed into casual clothes and both sat down. A wave of exhaustion washed over Avon. Meanwhile Aveline was looking at him lost in thought.

"Avon...can you tell me about your situation..hm?" She asked in a soft and gentle voice.

He looked at her and eyes showed genuine concern.

"...yes...but before that I must ask you, is purple the most evil of all colors"

Aveline' s eyes widened upon hearing that and she jolted up and got hold of Avon's shoulders and with a bewildered face asked him in a loud voice

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT AVON? YOU SHOULDN'T, NO ONE SHOULD! DID A HERETIC ATTACK YOU, ARE BEING BLACKMAILED BY THEM?"

Seeing her reaction he was surprised too.

Then he said, "the ones who attacked my planet are heretics but there was one person who fought them off and told me to get help from three planets' knights...they told not to tell anyone about their name too so I can't tell you that...sorry"

Aveline looked at Avon with trembling eyes and just said, "Oh dear, this is what you are going through, dealing with heretics when you are so young.."

She slowly embraced him and he just let warmth permeate.

"Avon...why is your temperature so high?"

She asked out of the blue.

"Hmm?" He was confused

"Let me get the scaleband. Let's check your temperature."

Saying so Aveline came back with a black bracelet. Then she put the bracelet on his hand and it automatically tightened around his hands. He felt something pierce his skin under the bracelet. Then in blue certain numbers appeared on the bracelet. The units for temperature on Steela were different. His temperature seemed to be 900 in that measurement.

"What? So high!" Aveline said, her voice relayed her worry.

Then later it showed some text which said that Avon didn't have any blood infection and then displayed some readings.

Aveline read those and said with a frown,"You seem to have overexerted yourself. Did you not sleep enough?"

"Ahahaha....I did get some sleep"

"Did you get enough sleep though? Don't avoid it and tell me"

Then Avon told her about his messed up schedule and her expression conveyed that she didn't like what she was hearing.

"Listen to me, I understand why you are in such a rush but you still have much to do. How will you do it without being in a good condition?"

"That is the thing. You said it. I still have much to do. There's no time left and I haven't accomplished anything."

"....Avon, your savior gave a task without being aware about the changes that took place. There's nothing you are responsible for. The knight doesn't grant audience to common public anymore, this is a change your savior didn't know about. The academy changed its curriculum to a more difficult one. Why do you think the others, even though it is not that difficult, do not study at your speed? It is because they are still assessing the situation. They have been learning about these things since before they joined thanks to their parents, yet still they struggle, this is because there have been changes. Changes that you do not control. Even in all of this, you have managed to do so much. It is not something insignificant. It is something to be proud of."

Avon listened to her carefully, he sighed and said,"Whatever it may be, even if I am the fastest one or the smartest one, it doesn't matter if I don't achieve my goal. To whom will I say that I am proud of myself when no one is left. Effort is important but results are everything."

This time it was Aveline who sighed, she then said,"You are quite mature for your age. Well, what you said is true but do not forget. Not everything is in your hands. Also! Do not think much for now. You are unwell, sleep!"

Changing her tone from a serious one to a light and playful one she pushed him down on the sofa and then covered him with the blanket. Avon didn't provide any resistance and his head was aching and he was feeling weak all over. He fell asleep instantly.

Afte having a long deep sleep, he opened his eyes again and saw that it was dark outside. His head was not aching now and he felt much better.

He looked into empty space, thinking about his situation.

' This is the 32nd day and I have accomplished nothing. Tomorrow is the language test....still...how could I... After that is the raid, I must do extraordinarily in the raid to get recognition from the knight.."

While he was lost in thought, the door to one of the rooms opened and Aveline walked out of it. She was wearing casual clothes. She looked at Avon who was awake now and sat beside him.

"Had a good rest? Do you feel good now?"

"Yes I feel fine now. How long was I asleep?"

"For about 10 hours"

"That long?" Avon exclaimed with surprise.

"Yes. So, I bet you must be hungry. What do you want to eat?"

"I would like to take a bath first."

"Okay"

But there was a problem. He didn't have his clothes with him. So he decided to return to the craft first.

"Ah, I don't have my clothes right. Also I must return to the craft. I will leave now-"

"No, you will not go anywhere. Stay here tonight and go give the language test tomorrow. You still need to recover properly. You do not need to worry about clothes. Take a bath first"

Seeing the strict tone in which she spoke he knew there was no room for negotiation, so he agreed.

As soon as he came out of the bathroom a smell welcomed him. He had taken a long bath of almost 20 minutes and in that time it seemed, Aveline had prepared something for him to eat.

Then they both had food and discussed about their next plan. After eating she helped him revise for the language exam.

Since he had such a long sleep just now, even though it was night he was not sleepy anymore.

She accompanied him saying she was not sleepy too but he knew she was just looking after him and was grateful.

After a few hours, they both went to sleep.

The next morning Avon wrote the language test. He saw all the people who had taken the language class along with him in the test queue. Aveline had helped him learn extra and shown him some videos and a movie to understand the language better.

The test was an easy one and he passed it with no difficulty.