Chapter 24: Gawain Ariosto

GAWAIN ARIOSTO'S POV: My name is Gawain Ariosto, and I come from the noble House of Ariosto, one of the most respected military families in the human kingdom of Sapin. Our family has long held a significant influence over Sapin, with generations of my ancestors, serving as high-ranking officers and strategists. The Ariosto name is synonymous with discipline, strength, and a deep-rooted commitment to protecting our kingdom.About a year ago, something unexpected happened that would change my life. It was early morning, and I was still asleep in my bed when I felt a presence near me. At first, I thought it was just a dream, but then I realized it was something real. A small, dark brown wolf, almost a third of a meter, was sitting by my bed with its legs crossed as if it belonged there. The wolf had an overgrown mane, orange markings, and a long-haired tail.At first, I was startled, but I didn't feel any fear. There was a strange calmness in the room, and the wolf didn't seem hostile at all. It just sat there, watching me with intelligent eyes. Before I could fully process what was happening, the maids came in to wake me up, as they usually did. The moment they saw the wolf, panic ensued. They screamed and ran out of the room, and within minutes, the whole household was in an uproar.My grandfather, Gladwin Ariosto, came rushing in to see what the commotion was about. He's a seasoned warrior, not someone easily frightened or surprised. When he entered the room and saw the wolf sitting calmly next to me, he paused. I had just woken up and was about to ask what was going on when I noticed the tension in the air. Despite the situation, my grandfather didn't attack the wolf. Like me, he must have sensed that there was no hostility coming from it. The wolf wasn't just any mana beast; there was something different about him.Curious, I extended my arm to touch him. To my surprise, the wolf showed no intention of attacking. Instead, he wagged his tail, almost as if he was enjoying my touch. As my hand made contact with his fur, I suddenly felt something else—a wave of emotions that weren't my own. They were his. Joy, contentment, and a sense of belonging. A laugh escaped my lips."Can you feel its emotion, Gawain?" Grandpa's voice broke me out of my thoughts. I nodded, still puzzled by the connection I felt with the wolf. His fur was warm under my hand, and as I stroked him, I could sense his emotions as if they were my own. There was no fear, no aggression—just a serene calmness and a strange sense of joy.Grandpa's eyes widened in astonishment, and then, to my surprise, he burst out laughing. "As if awakening at the age of nine and unlocking gravity at ten wasn't enough, now you even have a bond? Hahaha, what kind of genius are you?"My eyes widen in astonishment at what he said. As a member of the Ariosto family, I've been trained to understand the bond between humans and mana beasts from a very young age, along with the training I received from Grandpa for wielding The Great Sword."Haha, Wendel and Eva are going to be very surprised when they come back," Grandpa said laughing, I could already imagine how my father, Wendel Ariosto, and my mother, Eva Ariosto were going to be proud of me. Thinking about it already makes me smile ear to ear. That was the day Demitrius became a part of my life. From that morning on, he never left my side.... well generally? maybe. Even though no one knew where he came from or why he chose me, it felt like we were meant to be together. Later, I also found out about a mark on my arm, which symbolizes my bond with Demitrius. One thing that was peculiar about Demitrius was, how he was able to understand even the most complex sentences and even talk with me to a certain extent through just his feelings, that was also how I had come to know about his name, 'Demitrius'._________________________________________________________________________________One Year Later~A year had passed since Demitrius first appeared in my life, and now I was on my way to start my life as a student at Xyrus Academy. The carriage rumbled beneath me, and I could feel the anticipation building in my chest. I had trained hard over the past year, honing my abilities and growing closer to Demitrius.As the carriage drew closer to the academy, I couldn't help but reflect on how much had changed. My family has always been heartwarming and nice to me, even still my life at the Ariosto estate had always been disciplined, having no older or younger siblings resulted in the expectation of family vassals weighing heavily on my shoulders.Grandpa continued to train me, pushing me to explore the depths of my abilities, all the while reminding me that my bond with Demitrius made me unique. The training was intense, but I wasn't going to back down, and having Demitrius around, it was as if I had a second pair of eyes, ears, and even instinct. and now, we were heading to Xyrus Academy together.I wondered what awaited me there. I had heard stories of the academy's grandeur, of the challenges and rivalries, but also of the friendships and alliances that would be forged. This would be my chance to prove myself and show the world what Gawain Ariosto was capable of. And with Demitrius, I knew I would have the edge over most of the people. The carriage finally came to a stop, and I took a deep breath. This was it—the start of a new chapter. With a final pat on Demitrius's head, I stepped out of the carriage and looked up at the towering gates of Xyrus Academy, ready to face whatever lay ahead.But what awaited me was something I didn't expect. It was the fact that every passing student turned their eyes to me as if they saw a wanted target. I, at first thought, that this might be because of the Ariosto family crest that was on my carriage, but a second later I understood that it was my uniform, I was wearing a black uniform with golden details, while others were wearing a blue shirt and white jacket or white shirt or blue jacket. "How come only I am wearing a black uniform?" I mumbled to myself, confused. My confusion didn't last long as suddenly Demitrius started running towards the entrance of the hall."Hey, Demitrius! Stop!" I shouted but he didn't listen, deciding to follow him I also started running after him. A few seconds later I spotted him and shouted "Demitrius!"."You need to stop running around like that, Demitrius," I scolded, trying to keep my voice firm. "What if you got lost? Or worse, what if someone mistook you for a wild mana beast?" I crossed my arms, glaring at the wolf, who simply tilted his head in response, clearly unfazed.But then, Demitrius pointed toward someone behind me with his paw. I turned to see a boy with fiery auburn hair and a contrasting pair of rich azure-colored eyes. But what caught my attention even more was that he was wearing the same type of uniform as me."Ha! Finally, someone with the same uniform as me," I exclaimed, feeling a sense of relief at the sight of a kindred spirit."I am Gawain Ariosto, from house Ariosto, nice to meet you," I introduced myself and extended my hand. "Arthur Leywin, nice to meet you too," he, or, Arthur introduced himself with a friendly smile, and gestured towards his head, "and this, here is Sylvie. My bond."As we let go of each other's hands, I commented, "It's strange, isn't it? Our uniforms are so different from everyone else's. It feels like we're walking targets."Arthur nodded, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, I noticed that too. I thought it was some prank, but I guess there are some special rules regarding that.""Honestly, I was beginning to think it was some sort of prank too," I admitted with a chuckle. "But seeing you in the same outfit is a relief. Maybe it's because of our bonds."Arthur tilted his head thoughtfully. "Possibly. I'm not exactly sure why we've been singled out, but I guess we'll find out soon enough. It's definitely going to make things interesting around here."I couldn't help but agree. "True. At least we won't have to deal with it alone.""Yeah, there's that," Arthur said, his tone light. "But I have a feeling this uniform is going to cause us more trouble than we might think.""Are you perhaps, Arthur Leywin and Gawain Ariosto?" Just then, a lady came towards us asking if she had found the correct person.Arthur and I exchanged puzzled glances before nodding in unison, confirming our identities. "I see, my name is Rosa Barlowe. Please follow me; the director is waiting for your arrival," she said briskly, turning on her heel without even checking if we were following.The woman who had approached us introduced herself as Rosa Barlowe, and it was clear from her demeanor that she wasn't interested in small talk. We hesitated for a moment, still processing the suddenness of it all, but then quickly fell into step behind her._________________________________________________________________________________~~A/N: Well, here is a chapter from our new OCs perspective. Credit for Oc's name (Gawain) goes to Jin(SameshSekharSahoo). Tell me how it is, and if something is missing or something is odd in his personality in this chapter. Also, make sure to vote for the chapter if you like it, and comment on any ideas or advice for the future.