Chapter 9: Unresolved Conflict

Waking up in the morning became even more painful—I couldn't even hold my screams even if I wanted to. Thankfully the psycho from the other room still didn't kill me which now begs the question—who was that guy again?

He sounded familiar but I can't seem to recall his identity at all, was he really there or was he a figment of my imagination?

Whoever he was, I hope we never meet again because I don't wanna reach nirvana early after learning that I could grow past my limits.

Still, breaking my limits felt like dying. Twice.

Had it not been for those suspiciously bitter beans Ysinia gave me that eased up the pain but a little bit, she only told me that I could only take one per day.

Not to mention, she even looked reluctant to give them. It's nearly astounding how much she could express while maintaining that spaced out face of hers.

Still, dragging my body to the academy felt like an extreme chore and Finley looked horrified when he saw me.

"...What happened? Did you sleep in a coffin or something?"

Boy was sleeping in a coffin a better fate than yesterday.

I'm not sure if I could even tell him what happened since I think he wouldn't believe it either without seeing it.

"Nothing really, overtraining I guess?"

I replied, staring into the empty space.

"Is it girlfriend problems?"

"Huh? Girlfriend? Me? I have one?"

I was dumbfounded while pointing at myself as if Finley mistook me for another person with an actual life.

"You know... that S-Class girl? There are rumors about you two dating if it isn't obvious enough that she sticks with you on the first day."

Ah, so that's what it was. I chuckled dryly.

"Boy, if we ever had a relationship — that'll be my corpse hanging alongside her collection."

Finley was caught off guard by the joke looking scared at the same time filled with admiration.

"Your relationship with her is that deep!?"

"No, no, no. How can you even come up with that?"

At this rate, my captain's sailing straight into a storm. I should really steer him before he crashes.

"Just kidding, just kidding. Haha. But if you ever needed a wingman to meet up with your "friend"—you know who to call."

He replied with a wink of confidence while lightly patting my back.

Seriously, somebody just stopped him—I'm about to punch his face. Although, before I could, a thought came across my mind.

"Hey, have you felt the tremors from yesterday?"

I inquired.

"Oh right, I forgot to ask you about that. But yeah, I did. Who wouldn't though?"

"Did they ever find out the source and what caused it?"

Finley looked left to right before leaning in for a conspiratorial whisper.

"Some people say it's because of an intrusion in the academy but the most believable one is... Divine Crowns."

What?

The Divine Crowns?

It was surprising for me since they weren't supposed to make a move this early yet but then again, they're the most unpredictable and formidable beings in the academy.

"... Are you saying two Divine Crowns clashed?"

I responded before Finley shrugged.

"It is what the rumors say but there's not much evidence to prove it. The faculty staff is good at hiding things you know."

But come to think of it, Ysinia said she saw two bright mana clashing yesterday—everything adds up. Although I couldn't recall any viable reason for them to clash with one another.

Not this early yet at least.

"They say it's a dispute between the Empress of Embers and the Dragon Queen."

No wonder we felt tremors.

Those two absolute power houses, it's a miracle they haven't demolished the academy this time.

"But did you—"

Before I could even ask Finley, a sudden wave of cold hit us both sending shivers down our spine as we slowly turned our heads behind our backs.

Voswick. Crossing his arms with his nerves visibly popping off and if looks could kill, then we would've been buried six feet underground already.

"So the two of you had more time for chit-chats rather than to improve your pathetic lives, huh?"

Both Finley and I gulped in unison, fearing for our lives as if we were just sent into eternal damnation.

"Luckily for you, I'm a generous man."

Voswick sneered, still not blinking.

"Which is why you two will have the honor of cleaning the training dummies in the outdoor arena before noon. With your bare hands."

Well, it's better than running multiple laps so we just decided to nod and went to pick up the cleaning materials... on the other side of the academy.

Now thinking about it, running multiple laps might've been better.

...

"Damn, those guys sure gave us a hard time! They must've assumed we were hoarding the cleaning materials!"

Finley complained scratching the back of his head in frustration.

I, on the other hand, was dragging all of it with me while we're walking in the long winding halls of the academy while passing by some students.

"Maybe instead of complaining, you could help me out here? I'm literally two classes lower than you."

I groaned, giving him a serious glare as he simply waved me off as no fun.

"Hey, think of this as additional stamina and endurance training. Every single bit helps you know?"

He replied.

"If we're talking about endurance training, how about I bury my fists in your face multiple times and see how much you could endure?"

Finley simply grinned.

"Take a chill pill would ya?"

Just as we turned the corner toward the training arena, the hallway got louder—filled with chattering students in pristine blue uniforms, all parting ways for a single peacock.

I didn't even get to take a good look at his face, just this unnerving arrogance before I slammed against him unknowingly sending the cleaning materials I'm dragging up in the air and crashing down, causing the both of us to bathe in soap and water.

"Whoa!"

Finley called out immediately rushing to my aid.

"Watch where you're going, you filthy commoner!"

Of course. Out of all the people to crash into while carrying thirty pounds of mop sticks and soap—it had to be this guy.

Willis von Ravilles.

I thought I forgot his name but that day where he scampered off due to Sinus pressure alone was too memorable for me to forget.

Looking at me straight in the eye, Willis seemed to connect the dots and remembered my face.

"... It's you again. You filthy mongrel!"

He pointed at me with clear rage in his voice before attempting to charge towards me before Finley stepped in.

"What do you think you're doing, dirtbag?"

Willis groaned looking at Finley who's clearly defending with his hands raised up.

"Well, I don't mean to stir up anything but it was clearly an accident... so me and my friends can just apologize—"

But before Finley could even finish, Willis already shoved him aside before immediately rushing to me, grabbing me by the collar.

"Don't you think I've forgotten the grave sin you committed, you lowly bastard!"

He roared, drawing unnecessary attention from the other students. Well, this is really really bad.

"... Grave sin of well... existing?"

Again, I'm not one to pick fights with these childish nobles—even if I looked nice in front of others, a commoner standing up for himself, that's just temporary glory and not worth it for the can of worms it'll open.

But it seems that my grave sin was my miscalculation as apparently I used the wrong words that it clearly ticked him off.

Ysinia, save me!

"Now you've done it, you bastard!"

He raised his against me, attempting to knock me out until—

"Well, well, well! What do we have here!"

Not that smug voice again, come on.

Holding Willis's arm before he could even land a hit on me, Zephan appeared with ever annoying smug expression of his.

For the love of god, why do these bastards keep coming one after another?!

"Z-Zephan!"

Willis sounded a bit worried about him as he immediately retreated, freeing my collar from his grip.

"I wasn't expecting this loser to make a scene again but fate had other plans it seems."

He remarked but I ignored him, simply choosing to leave the scene with Finley as fast as I could but Zephan didn't seem to like the idea.

Immediately placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Without your knight in shining lady, I don't think you can afford to act arrogant now, can you?"

He threatened, his grip tightening as I immediately felt pain. The forming crowd of students gossiped with one another while the others scrambled to find the nearest faculty staff to dismantle this brewing tension.

"Hoh? Are you really that insecure that you didn't manage to charm her with your looks and you decide to direct your anger against me instead?"

I replied, masking my pain but even that didn't last long as Zephan added immense pressure on my shoulder.

It almost felt like he suddenly placed a boulder on that side and I thought I heard some of my bones crack prompting me to hold onto it like dear life.

"Clovis!"

Finley called trying to reach for me but he was stopped by Zephan's lackeys.

"What's the deal with you people!? He's just an F-Class and you're picking on him!?"

He yelled trying to break through.

"I'm just lecturing your friend here out of curiousity because since when did ants learn how to bark like they're dogs?"

He sneered, circling around me like a hawk, ready to swoop in for the kill.

I'm done for, I couldn't hold it back and where did it leave me? In a situation where I dig my own grave?

Even with the little progress I managed, I was hoping that I could stand up to these bastards at least for once.

These arrogant noble brats.

"... The one who needs lecturing here are those who couldn't accept the fact that someone they wanted chose the trash over them."

Zephan stopped circling around, his expression shifting into a serious one. Clearly my words are breaking through his fragile ego.

"What does that actually entail? That you're actually worse than trash?"

Do you think I'll let you have the last laugh you bastard? You made my life a living hell in the past lifetime, don't think I'll ever give up thrashing over your fragile ego just because you intimmidated me.

But oh well, I'm all just words.

Immediately after I finished my sentence, Zephan's powerful grip tightened around my neck, I was unable to even react to it properly with how fast everything happened.

I tried gasping for air but I was robbed the luxury of doing as I have nothing to do but struggle trying to get his hands off my neck.

"Yeah, just like that. Struggle more you filthy commoner who can only bark without even learning how to bite."

This psycho didn't even look like he cares about getting seriously under fire or getting serious punishments from the academy.

"You can run your vulgar mouths but you'll never amount to anything. You're just a useless nobody! No one cares for! You'll be even forgotten!"

He roared as whispers suddenly turned into panic, I couldn't even tell what they're saying at this point but I'm pretty sure they're worried that Zephan might actually kill me.

Looking to the side, I could see Finley trying to break through and struggling to get past the lackeys but he seemed extremely desperate, even with his drowned out voice—I could tell.

How did it even end up in this? I could feel my consciousness fading and Zephan didn't even flinch as his grip kept tightening.

I was almost blacking out but as I looked on the opposite direction... I saw him.

A tall fogure wearing the similar crimson colored outfit as Ysinia's and Zephan's but his sleeves were torn and his uniform dripped with dried mana scorch marks as if it didn't survive what he was unleashing.

But as immediately as I saw him, Zephan's hand flinched back—not from guilt, but instinct immediately dropping me on the ground as I began coughing violently trying to gasp for air.

I noticed that Zephan was frozen... but little did I know, all of us in that scene would be.

"A childish quarrel between the bottom feeders, a sight both amusing and unsightly."