6. Negotiations

"Hey, kid, explain yourself." The rough-looking red-haired man said as he gripped my shoulders. Then, with a seamless facade, I knelt and started coughing. "Kid! Are you alright?" 

"I am fine. It's just... I used too much of my strength there. *Cough* I don't think I can stand up for so long *cough* *cough*. This is probably from mana exhaustion" 

"You brat! Don't suddenly do all that stuff then if you were going to fall like that," My father yelled at me as he was patting my back. Although it seemed nice and warm, the act was just like the match; my father didn't hold back his strength whatsoever.

This muscle-headed father of mine... Really don't know what it means to be gentle, huh? 

The red-haired man, however, stood there looking downwards at me. Suddenly, as if arriving at a decision, he rubbed his nose bridge and sighed. He then grabbed me at my armpits and rested my arm on his back. My father, seeing this, grabbed the other arm and followed.

"Even though I am a duke, I normally would not do this to someone of a lower rank than me. However, you know something I don't, and that angers me... So you better cough up."

I was then escorted to a nearby bench to allow me to rest. To give me some space, the duke and my father stood at my side. This allowed me to notice a vibrant red-haired girl, with her arms crossed, go towards me.

"Hello Loren, to think that I would see my classmate in class in this form. Weak and Exiled," she said, arms still crossed, sitting right beside me. Even though her father was standing, she had the audacity to sit next to me.

"Now that everyone is here, I believe we are owed an explanation from you. How did the missing arts of the Blue Flame Knights, the knight group of the Ferritas family,"

Looking solemn, I laid my head downwards, and started to talk....

"When I was a child, I became lost in the mountains near the estate of our home. You remember that right, Father?" With a look of nostalgia, I then shifted my gaze to my father. "Yeah, back when you were missing for 3 days, right?" 

"That's right. Back then, I wandered around the forest that surrounded the mountains and figured that if I climbed to the top of the mountain, I would find my way home... But there, I fell into a trap, and I wandered around what seemed like a labyrinth, and there I found the paintings on a wall. It was painted to show a flow of movement, not just from the body but with mana. I believe that was the blue flame arts that were missing." 

"So? You then stood there and learned the moves? Feels impossible to think about when you're a kid like you" 

"I know, right? After seeing the paintings, I then exited the labyrinth and moved to the top of the mountain."

"And arrived back home." My father continued, "Yeah, the story matched."

Matched, huh. Truth be told, all I said was a lie; I was actually kidnapped by a lone witch hiding in the forest. Taught magic by her, and learned the core of space magic from her. Then, on the last day, she disappeared with a letter. I came crying and rushed in a single direction and found that I was already back at the estate. 

"How did a kid like you do the moves then?"

"Haha, that's a bit..." 

Although this is going to be embarrassing, I have to say it. For my plan to work. But should I really, though?

"Just say it," Vena said while slapping my arm. As if reading my mind

This girl doesn't hold back, not just in words but also in action. Oh, well, this is all a lie, though.

"Just... thinking that I was going to be apart from my father, and you know me, right? I had no achievements to show, I wanted to show my father all I got, then those paintings appeared on my mind, and you guys know what happened next." I said with a look of tears appearing on my closed eyes, a smile so wide, and flowers all over me.

"I see..." The duke replied. "Do you remember what mountain you got lost on?"

... Here it comes.

"I don't remember what mountain it was, but I think I can remember the path!" 

Hearing this, the duke was exalted. His face, which usually does not show a smile, showed a little smirk and raised the corner of his lips slightly.

Oi oi oi, you're making this too easy, Duke Ferritas. If you keep showing me your joy, I would have no choice but to milk you...

"That's great! I will assign one party of each knight group to escort you to the mountains near your estate. Of course, all the food and other accommodations that you will need will be fully paid by me!"

I stared at the overjoyed duke and smiled slightly.

"Ah! I don't want to go home to the estate, though... I mean, I am almost to be exiled, and I want to spend time with my father here in the capital instead, you know? Learning swordsmanship..." 

The duke then looked at me and saw the smile that I was portraying to him. Feeling like he knew what he was about to come into.

"... What do you want?"

"Eh? What do I want? Let's see... I can't go back knowing that I was going somewhere far... So, how about this? I want to stay in the academy, become the sponsor for my remaining 4 years of learning, oh, Duke of Ferritas." I said with a triumphant smile.

"The academy?!?! Did you forget that you are exiled? There is no way that the king will allow something like this!" Vena said with a loud voice while standing up.

"What was the content of my exile? Do you remember, Father?"

"Of course, it was never to approach the saint again, any means of communication between the two will not be allowed, and to always be a country away from Aizdeil... Wait, isn't the academy considered a different country even though it lies in its territory?!"

"That...!" said Vena

"That's right... So, I, being in the academy, will not break any rules of my exile. Now then, duke, will you accept?" I said, showing my hand in front of him.

The duke saw the hand and started rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"2 years. I'll do it if it's only 2 years..."

"But 2 years is not enough~ How about 3 then, and one conversation at the end of my grace period before exile,"

"... Fine, 3 years and a conversation, anymore than that and I am gone!" the duke said while holding my hand and shaking it up and down.

As we were handshaking, a bright orange circular light then entrapped both our arms and then faded into the air.

"A covenant? I thought you ran out of mana already!"

"A man can never be too sure, duke. You are someone more powerful than I, and if you say that we did not make this deal after all of this happened... Of course, I, the exiled man, would have no say" 

"You sly fox... Sigh~ The knight party that I would assign to you will arrive at your villa tomorrow. Make sure to finish this as fast as you can, I hope I can hear some good news and that by tomorrow you will leave... Vena, let's go." With a hasty turn, the coat that he was wearing flattered in the winds. The duke's figure then started to get smaller as he got further.

Vena, the duke's daughter, looked at his father's figure, looked downwards, and then stared at me, the one sitting on the bench.

"Congratulations, you are now unofficially unexiled. Well done." Vena said as she was about to go. But before she could...

"Don't you have something to say about the terms I had with your father?" I said while looking at her with my upper eyelids covering half of my pupil.

"Oh, and what was I supposed to say?" she said as she stopped in her tracks and looked behind her.

"We are classmates, meaning we are in the same batch. How about you think with this info in mind?"

"classmates... Wait? Aren't you supposed to graduate after only 3 years? Just like me? Then that means, you just had my father pay for your entire remaining academic years?"

"Ding ding ding, you are right! Aren't you impressed?"

"You are a demon... Hmph! I'll tell my father," She said as she sprinted towards the duke.

My father, who saw what happened just now, looked at me with surprise. 

That's what happens when you don't have muscles for a brain, Father.

"Btw... is there a water fountain nearby, Father?"

"There should be a public one that the knights used." 

"I see... Thank you."

Arriving at the water fountain, I then looked at the water and saw my smile.

I guess... Knowing that I have completely changed the direction of my life made me happy, huh... I now have a chance in the academy, reconcile with my father, to try new things. I guess someone could be happy with that.

I then washed my face, water flowing down my hands, rippling the water below. The water kept on rippling, the reflections distorting...

What I saw in rippling waters was not a smile... It was a grin. A grin full of sinister.

Happy...? What's that?