The next morning, Class S had the third required class – Mana Training Class.

It was Karl’s least favorite class since all they did was teach how to meditate to focus the Mana flow. Other than that, the class also taught breathing techniques but.

This is one of the best breathing techniques in NorthStar? It’s equal to First-rate technique at best. That’s just Rank 4. Not even an Expert level technique and a long shot from a Master technique.

Karl was shocked at how bad NorthStar Academy’s breathing technique was.

Even in his Demonic Sect, everyone had access to Expert level techniques in their Martial Art Pavilion. It was one of the reasons why they were able to fight against the Murim Alliance.

But in hindsight, it was understandable. This was a technique for the mass, they taught this technique to every student in the academy. If the students had better breathing techniques, they could ignore the ones they were taught.

The academy must have kept their Rank 6, or Master level to themselves.

It was simple for Karl to ace this class since the main goal wasn’t to teach breathing techniques but to develop the student’s Mana Sense.

Before they could spread their Mana Sense outward, learning to use Mana Sense on themselves to scan their bodies and see how their Mana flow, how it affected the body, and how the body reacted to their Mana was a must.

Karl did all that for more than three hundred years. It was second nature to him.

“Focus on your Mana, sense its every movement,” The professor said as she walked around the room filled with students sitting cross-legs on square pillows.

Karl pretended to close his eyes and circulate his Mana all while thinking about the haunted mansion.

He got news from the Adventurer Guild’s clerk. She said the mansion’s owner would sell it at a hundred thousand Tal, one-third of the original price. It was a steal. But he still had to get the money from selling Mana Smoothing Bracelet first.

Even so, the store already had its first customer, and words about the effectiveness of the bracelet were spreading like wildfire.

The bracelet gained a lot of attention from NorthStar Academy too. Right after the two students, Karl bribed with a fifty percent discount, started to brag about how awesome their new bracelets were.

Hehehe, brag more little lamps. Hehehe.

“Student Kanehiro, why are you laughing creepily like that? Focus on the class.”

“Yes ma’am,” Karl said and pretended again.

Now that he thought about it, he taught Sera a Peak Realm level breathing technique, which was equal to a Rank 8 technique. And if she had to use it in Class A’s mana training session…

Hopefully, that won’t come back and bite me in the ass. Karl thought.

Maybe he could use his techniques as a benefit to lure talents in for his agency.

But that was a plan for the foreseeable future. For now, he had to lay down the foundation first.

Time passed quickly when one zoned out and thought about random stuff. Soon, the class ended and the students stood up to leave.

“Are you free this afternoon Karl?” Aria asked Karl as they met at the classroom’s door.

“Not really, I’m planning to check out a haunted mansion.” He said.

“A haunted mansion? You…” Aria's words were cut off by a student creeping in on them from the hallway.

“Fair Lady Leonheart, it’s a wonderful day to be blessed by your presence.” A deep and masculine voice rang out. A little too deep for a sixteen-year-old kid. When Aria heard the voice, she sighed slightly.

“Sir Alcaver, please don’t bother me.” Aria turned around and flatly said. Her eyes look like that of a dead fish.

The newcomer was a Centaur at least six feet tall with long silky black hair. His skin was spotless and smooth despite being in a magic school where practice alone could cause one skin to be affected. The hair on his horse's bottom half was well-groomed and his legs were muscular.

“Please don’t say such hurtful words Lady Leonheart. I, Alcaver, have only your best interest in mind.”

“And you,” He pointed at Karl. “You are Lady Leonheart’s fiancé. Yet, you haven’t shown anything worthwhile or remarkable since the school year started. Both your physical strength and Mana are lacking. I can sense it. Your Mana Pool is pitifully small. You are not a good match for Lady Leonheart.”

The goons behind him echoed his words, mostly the you’re not a good match for Lady Leonheart part.

“Ok? Hello, who the hell are you?” Karl said without listening to ninety-nine percent of what the centaur said.

“How dare you insult me with your ignorance.” He tore open his uniform and displaced a shirt with the word Lady Leonheart inside a flashy-looking pink heart in the middle of the shirt. He tilted his head up and said with pride.

“Listen well weak one. I, Alcaver Nudre The III, am the next chef of Lokik Clan. But more importantly.” He made a heart with his hand and placed it in front of his chest. “I am Lady Leonheart's Admirer Club's President. The one who shall represent our brothers and sisters to strike you down with the hammer of justice. We shall show you how inadequate your engagement with Lady Leonheart is.”

After he said that, the goons behind him shouted something with excitement while throwing a bunch of rose petals in the air.

These kids didn’t even think about the poor janitor who had to clean up all their mess later.

Just the thought of how these kids’ parents didn’t teach them to respect everyone equally made Karl shake his head.

His action might have been taken the wrong way as the Centaur pointed at him and shouted.

“Karl Kanehiro, I challenge you to a duel. If you win, I’ll acknowledge your engagement with Lady Leonheart. But if I win, you will break your engagement with Lady Leonheart.”

Karl looked at Aria and teased, “Since when have you had such fun people following you around?”

Aria didn’t respond, she just let out a really long sigh.

“Seeing that you’re such a weak and fragile human, I’ll allow you to choose the duel’s content,” Alcaver said.

“Thanks, I guess.” Karl yawned.

“You don’t have to do it. Just ignore them.” Aria said.

“No no, this is way more fun than I thought.” Karl smiled. “Besides, you looked so fed up with it already."

“Alright, I accept your duel. But on one condition.” Karl raised his index finger. “If I win, none of you will ever get closer than one hundred feet to Aria.”

The Centaur smirked and said, “Condition accepted. What shall we compete in?”

“Horse riding,” Karl answered without missing a beat.

“Horse riding? You want to challenge me to a horse-riding race?” Alcaver was flabbergasted.

 “Yes,” Karl nodded firmly. “We will race from the start of the garden to the tree with pink leaves at the end of the garden. But you’ll have to let me borrow a horse from the academy first.”

Alcaver’s smirk became a full-blow laughter as he and his goons laughed so loud, the entire hall shook.

“I thought you were just weak, but turned out, you are stupid too. Very well. I’ll crush you fair and square.” The Centaur said before leading his goon toward the garden.

“What do you have in mind?” Aria said with the you-are-going-to-screw-him-aren’t-you look.

“You’ll see. It will be hilarious.” Karl smiled.

Ten minutes later, somehow, a bunch of students gathered all around the garden as they whispered to each other. The Centaur and his goons must have spread the word as they believed they could never lose and this was a chance to humiliate Karl.

Sitting on a horse at the starting line, Karl looked at how the Centaur was making all kinds of poses.

One of the students stood between them and raised his hand, “Are you two ready?”

“I’m always ready,” Alcaver said as he raised his hands up high. The crowd cheered him on as he continued to make poses after poses while showing how muscular and handsome he was.

“Hey,” Karl called out to Alcaver.

“It’s too late to back out now, you inadequate finance.”

“No, it isn’t that,” Karl shook his head. “Where’s your horse?”

“Huh?” The centaur looked confused. He pointed at his lower half. “This, obviously.”

“No. This is a horse race. You’re a Centaur. You’re not a horse. So. Where. Is. Your. Horse?”

“…You want me, a Centaur, to ride a horse for a horse race? …Seriously?”

“That is technically, word by word, what you agreed to.”

“…I hate you. Deeply. With all my heart.”

“Thanks, that made my day.”

There was no more cheering after what Karl said. Instead, there were a bunch of insults thrown at him about how dirty he was, how cheating that was, how blah blah blah.

“No,” Alcaver stopped the crowd. “This is what I agree to. My pride shall not let me back down.”

Alcaver dashed off. Exactly three minutes and five seconds later, he returned with a horse.

The student stood between Karl and Alcaver looked back and forth between the two and shakily said as he looked at how Alcaver struggled to get on his horse, “Are the two ready?”

“Yes,” Karl said, on his horse’s back.

“Yes,” The centaur said, also on his almost-dying horse’s back.

“Begin.” The student swung his arm down, signaling the start of the race.

As Karl calmly and slowly let his horse saunter toward the pink tree in the distance, Alcaver was struggling with his horse.

The Centaur was struggling to balance his weight as the horse-on-horse action was going on when his lower body was on the horse. The horse tried just as desperately to balance itself as it shifted unevenly, its ears swinging back and forth.

The Centaur tried to center himself, but his bottom half wobbled uncontrollably, his hind legs were tangled awkwardly, causing the horse to take equally wobbled side steps.

As he fought a losing battle, Alcavar’s goons cheered on him with all their heart, giving him words of encouragement he needed. While other students who came for a look snickered at the sneer ridiculousness of the Centaur.

But as if it was a miracle, when Alcavar was about to fall, his goons gasped, some even used their hands to hide what they were seeing. Alcavar bounced back. On his own hooves. While the horse ran away as it hissed like it was subjected to the worst possible torture.

The Centaur looked up as he saw Karl waving at him from beneath the pink tree.

Their race was over before it could even start.

When Karl returned with his horse, he said, “So, it’s my victory, right?”

The goons pointed and cursed at him again, but Alcavar raised his hand sideways to stop them. “Yes, you’ve won. Fair and square. It was I, who was foolish enough to misjudge you and think no matter what you do, I’ll win.” He dropped his shoulders in dejection.

“But,” He bounced back up with vigor as he pointed at Karl. “I might have lost this duel but I haven’t lost the war. I shall be back.”

Alcavar ran off with tears in his eyes, leaving Karl and Aria behind as the onlookers scattered.

“That went well,” Karl said as he went off his horse.

“A solution very much like you,” Aria commented as she smiled.

“Thanks,” Karl said. “Oh right, what were you saying before all this?”

”…I was asking if you have time this afternoon to check out some material for formation class.”

“Oh, I never thought about that. Let’s do that.”

After Karl returned the horse, he and Aria went out of the academy into the trading district to find books about formation. It was strange since Aria’s clan was famous for their formation. As the only daughter of the main house, she was provided with the best resources for studying formation.

Thus, having to go out to find books on formation was strange.

“Hey, is this one good?” Karl asked Aria as he picked a random book about formation.

“No, that’s an advance book. We should get something simple with fundamental knowledge.” She shook her head.

“…You didn’t go out of your way to get me a book on formation, did you?”

She didn’t answer so it must have been that.

“Thanks… How do I repay you?”

“Treat me to dinner.”

“Alright.”

After they bought a few books on the fundamentals of formation, the two walked around the trading district. It was still too soon for dinner so they had some light snacks instead.

“How much for that roasted skewed meat stick shopkeeper?” Karl asked the middle-aged lady.

“One stick is twenty Tal. If you buy five, I’ll give you one for free.” The lady offered.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll have two.” Karl paid for the meat.

Aria said her thanks after Karl gave her one of the sticks. The meat was chewy and tender, every bite made the thick aroma flow into their nose. The skin was a bit too burned but it could be ignored. Aria didn’t seem hesitant at all when she took a big bite out of the roasted meat. But she still chewed slowly with closed mouth as any elegant noble girl was taught to.

Once they finished the roasted meat stick, they went for a walk along the street.

The lines of people passing by, living their lives, from one location to the next, never-ending like a river that will forever flow. Until eventually, the river returns to the sea.

Compared to how the people around them were able to show their emotions so easily, the two only had silence.

Staying like that, the two arrived at a small noodle restaurant.

It was a small and cozy shop run by an old couple. The soft yellow light of the crystal lamb and the short but simple wooden table and chair created an atmosphere of peace. As the two sat down, the old woman came and took their order.

Only when the meal arrived did Karl find out it was a ramen shop. A great one too.

The ramen bowls were piping hot. The smooth noddle was dark yellow, perfecting highlight itself in clear broth. Chunks of meat were placed by the bowl side with a sprinkle of green onions and bean sprouts alongside fresh spinach like a piece of charming art that can draw in any hungry customer.

The combination of the bouncy and chewy noddle, the rich though a bit salty broth, the fresh yet slightly beefy aroma when Karl took a bite created a sensational taste. Karl took small bites and swallowed slowly as if to enjoy every bit of this meal. Using the taste to keep his own thoughts away.

“Have you ever thought about the future?” Aria asked softly, almost inaudible when she finished her bowl.

Karl didn’t know what to say without hurting her.

“I don’t know.” So he confessed.

“I never thought about that kind of future.” Karl put his chopsticks down and looked at Aria's eyes. “The only future I know is a path paved by blood and bones. A dead end that would eventually consume all those who had previously walked on it. Along with everyone and everything the person ever cherishes.”

“…Then why did you choose such a path?”

“I didn’t choose it. It found me. The only thing I could do was to survive.”

“But it's different now, we are in NorthStar, the land of magic. There surely something that can…”

Aria stopped speaking when she saw how cold yet calm Karl’s eyes were. They were like frozen lakes in the endless tundra that no one had ever been able to discover where it ended. Or what kind of secrets were hidden within.

“Come with me, I want to show you something,” Karl said as he stood up and paid for the meals.

Coming along with him, they reached an elevated flatform leading toward the icy mountain behind them. From the platform, the two could see the light from houses in the night glittering like a sea of stars. They couldn’t see the people but the sounds of life could still reach them.

Every light was a life and every life stayed in their rightful place.

“It’s beautiful,” Aria exclaimed as she held on to the slightly cold rails.

Karl stood beside her. When she looked at him, he pointed at the distance light.

“That’s where you belong.” Then he turned around and pointed at the icy lifeless mountain. “That’s is where I belong. The only reason I’m still standing here is because I want to believe in an illusion. Even if it is for a short while.”

Aria looked at the stranger with a cold, indifferent gaze that she never knew.

“Even so, that’s too sad.” Aria's voice cracked like the last fragile snowflake in winter.

“Sadness is… DODGE.” Karl yelled and shot toward Aira. Before she could understand what was happening.

A knife was flying at her with such speed that made it almost invisible.

 

Outro:

Motherfucker, they were having their goddamn moment. Fucking hell.