EnroItzal

Longest chapter yet and it was suppose to be short but my friend and I were a little bit tipsy when we were brainstorming. So, this happened. Word of advise, this chapter can be infuriating to read. But be at ease, all will be well in due time. Edit: Fixed a typo

“I thought I heard the squeal of a pig but who would have thought that there would be a sheep getting along with a pig,” Asten Talron flaunted his hair as he spoke as vain as possible like a stage actor would. “I do not know what the likes of you are up to all alone in this place that involved so much noises but you two are not in your backwater decrepit villages. You’re all in my city and in my presence, a presence of a highborn.”

He waited, as if he was letting Robert and Samara basked in his awe. Like the figurehead, the other four asserted their presence with condescending sneers.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Asten looked at the staring pair. He was genuinely appalled by their lack of response and their baffled gaze. Asten’s tone shifted into a snarl. “Kneel!”

“Good afternoon,” Robert responded. He knew they were coming. In fact, he knew they were following Samara who had high potential as the object of their oppression and torment.

“Good afternoon? Do you have holes in your ears and brain?” Asten approached the two. It was evident that he was pique by Robert’s curt reply. “I said, kneel!”

Samara wanted to snarl back but Robert stepped in front of her. He gestured for her assurance with a casual wave of his hand.

“We’re in the compounds of Mavern’s Academy. As a student of the same year and grade, I am not obligated to bow.”

Asten made a dramatic and exasperated sigh. “This is what I hate about you plebeians. You lot just don’t understand where you all stood. You don’t understand anything.”

“No, I don’t but why else would I be here at a school? To learn, of course.”

Veins popped onto Asten’s face as he grimaced. “How much do you intend to sully my grace and make a fool out of yourself?”

It was hard not to sigh and roll back his eyes but Robert managed. “I’m sure I’ll learn that sometime in the future, in class.”

“Well, why don’t you learn it now, impertinent sheep.” And Asten fired a single beam of Magic.

“This is going to hurt…” Robert gritted his teeth.

The magic stroke across Robert’s left leg. It didn’t take his whole leg but it drew much blood.

Samara yelped.

Robert grunted as he fell on one knee.

Magic usage by students were prohibited and violence was of the same restriction with the exception being moments of practice or sparring on specified grounds. No one dared to broke the rule as it was impossible escape the academy’s notice. There were more than two Master Sentry in the academy. The academy pretty much knew everything that goes on in the academy, except for the garden. The dense presence of Mana lurking in this very garden inhibited any grasp or sense through Magic means. It became the real reason no one came here lest they desired to be a victim of such individuals like Asten Talron.

Robert came to know all that when he conversed with Creed throughout the entire period. Yet, he came here still. He knew an encounter with the Talrons was inevitable but he did not expect it to come so early. It deviated from his plan but he just had to make do, like always.

“A-are you alright?!” Samara asked with a flustered voice. It was unthinkable that she would show the worrying side of hers to Robert of all person.

“I am, just stay back,” Robert told her in whispers. “Whatever happens, don’t do anything and don’t say anything. And I mean anything and everything.”

Samara saw his stern eyes, one that was a contrast to his usually aloof eyes. Reluctantly and maybe intimidated by it, she relented to his advice and stood back. It stung her conscience as she stepped back from him. She was deserting someone in need but what could she do? Nothing. If anything, she would only made it worse.

“What’s this? The pig so easily discard her sheep friend.” Asten chortled with his heart. He found it truthfully laughable. “You plebeians are truly reprehensible. I guess it’s only natural considering that you’re chosen by fate to be plebeians.”

Robert stayed silent but he offered a condemning glare.

“What kind of manner of insolence is this?” Asten growl as he caught the glare Robert threw at him. His eyebrow twitch. He closed their distance and sent a kick into Robert’s abdomen.

The air rushed out of Robert and he curled on the ground.

“Impudent sheep. What will it take for you all to realize the significance of us highborns? You think all of you would still have food on your plate or a roof above your head if it wasn’t for our generosity and rectitude? Wake up!” He hissed and aimed at Robert’s jaws with a kick.

Robert turned over from the kick and laid on his back. A small trail of blood dripped along his movement.

“N-no…” Samara could only stare in horror. She had no doubts that with her current strength, he could easily all five of those snobs down with ease but what happens after? Whatever course she took, the consequence wouldn’t be pretty.

Robert stood shakily back on his feet. His jaw were displaced and there was a crevice on his leg but his eyes spelled none of his pain.

“Look at this fool. He still has the gall to stand in our presences,” one of Asten’s followers said out loud. “Looks like he is in need of more lessons.”

“Yeah. We should teach him a lesson in humility.”

“No. We should punish him for his discourtesy.”

“We can do both.”

They all laughed.

“How about the girl?”

Prompted by his followers, Asten looked towards Samara who was shivering her hands hugging each other. “Leave her for now. We’ll get to her after we’re done with this sheep who dares to show those scornful eyes towards nobility.”

“What if she runs?”

“What if she does?” Asten snorted. “How far can a pig like her run for?”

And they all laughed uproariously.

“As for this sheep.” Asten threw a flash of Magic that cut across Robert’s other leg.

He screamed as fell to his knees but Asten shut him up with a knee to his face.

“Shut up, you damn fuck.” And he stomped on Robert’s right hand which splayed on the ground like his body. “Insolent. Impudent. Impertinent. Because of people like you! Because of people—”

He stomped on his fingers.

“— like.”

He stomped again.

“— you!”

As Robert was about open his mouth to presumably let out his agony of his crushed fingers, one of Asten’s followers sacked him in his face again. More blood splattered across the ground as Robert went turned over from the force in that earnest kick.

“Fuck, I got blood on my shoes.” The follower cursed. “Because of you!” He swiped his feet across Robert’s face which was laying face down on the ground.

Samara wanted to just lunged at the group and gave them every piece of her mind but remembering Robert’s words, she held herself back. She prayed in her heart for help to come.

“Get his other hand,” Asten ordered. “And then his legs.”

Instead of complying to Asten’s orders like usual, his followers stared at him. One of them stammered to ask, “w-won’t that be going to f-far? We’re still in the academy after all.” They were bullies but that was what they are, just bullies. They weren’t thugs or murderers. They could get away with their acts through the name of their wealthy family and the notion of just another folly of youth. But not even their status or age could save them if they crossed a certain line.

Asten sighed again and shook his with an extreme look of disappointment. “Don’t tell me you all are affected by the pitiful state of this plebeian.”

“Ah—? No, that’s not what we—”

“Shut up! I am the young lord of Clan Talron!” Asten bellowed. “I had enough of this plebeians who flaunt their good fortunes and well-beings like they deserved all of that. They have not a single respect towards a highborn like me. This is to make them realize they are nothing without us. This is necessary!”

As Asten prepared his foot to stomp on Robert’s other hand, his attention was robbed by a soft but an intense growl coming from his right.

His foot eased down and he turned to the bushes where a black cat emerged after much rustling with the leaves.

“What the fuck?” Asten blurted out.

The black cat wasn’t just any cat. Asten didn’t think it could be called a cat at all. It was not of flesh nor blood. Its whole body burned as if its whole composite was of shadows. It’s tail flail with grace as it split into two down the middle. There was a bird circling just above the cat. The bird was normal safe for its overgrowth of feathers.

“What the fuck is—” As he tried to comprehend the strange sight, footsteps echoed into his ears.

“What’s the meaning of this!?” A loud voice overflowing in dignity resounded throughout the garden.

“I-Iora…” one of the followers stuttered at the appearance of a pseudo-royalty in Midas Valley.

The long lustrous onyx hair which was normally braided, fluttered freely in the winds with grace. The greens eyes that represented a jewel of nature and elegance, an emerald. The warm light of the sun embraced the softly tanned-skin, giving off an intrinsic feel of a glowing veil of light.

Iora Devetra strode through the garden in tandem with her maid, Suri who had darker skin than her mistress and her hair was a complete opposite of her mistress too, white, neck-length, and a pair of braided locks dangling on either side of her face. Instead of her usual maid outfit, she was wearing the academy’s uniform just like every other students.

“This does not concerns you, Lady Devetra,” Asten declared but his voice sounded meek. It was something he would never admit. He was weak and submissive to power and authority, like his whole clan.

“I believe it does, young lord of Talron. I am the granddaughter of the Lord Governor. The safety and integrity of the city is my responsibility. This academy is part of the city. Therefore, it does concern me, Talron.”

She addressed him only by his family name without any titles attached. It was a huge sign of disrespect for nobles but coming from a higher authority, it was a sign of shaming and demeaning.

“Responsibility? That’s rich, coming from a whore.” Asten’s fear was obvious through his trembling legs but the recent happenstance of his household affairs had strip him of his reserves, or whatever remained from the start.

“You dare—” Suri who growled was about to stand forward but her actions were refrain by a gesture from her mistress.

“How am I a whore, Talron?”

“You were my brother’s betrothed!” He roared at words that should not be said in public places but fear and anger had long disheveled his mind. “Regardless, you went and threw your purity to some stranger who probably isn’t even of high birth.”

There was a twitch in one of Robert’s fingers but that small movement was only witnessed by Suri.

“Talron, are you an idiot?”

“W-what—”

“I was never your brother’s intended. It was nothing more than a one-sided decision made by your clan. Clan Devetra made no such promise.”

Asten snorted. “Just goes to show you know nothing about your own clan and how little they trust you with their affairs. Guess what, your clan agreed your engagement with my brother.”

“Be that as it may, it doesn’t change the fact that I knew nothing of it. So how is it my fault, then? I fooled around, as you claimed but since I did not know I have an intended, why am I wrong? My clan would be in the wrong if that’s the case. So, are you bashing my clan, the clan of the Lord Governor? Is that what you’re implying?”

“Shut up!” Asten shouted. “It wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have to suffer at the hands of my brother…” His voice dimmed as he spoke on.

Suri was flaring with fury but she was clam and made no move, until her mistress said otherwise.

Iora narrowed her eyes. “Shaming the name of Devetra, that is some serious crime, Talron.”

Asten clicked his tongue while his followers were already trembling in fear of the consequences. “What can you do? We’re in the academy, our names meant nothing. Do you understand!?”

Robert laughed but his broken jaw saved him from revealing his act. “What a fucking hypocrite.”

“You’re nothing more than a used goods in this academy. You have no p-power over m-me….”

“She doesn’t but I do,” a gentle yet stern voice found its way into the ears of everyone present. And everything went were as still as statues.

“Professor Soraes!” Iora exclaimed and immediately made way for Lilian’s grand entrance as her high-heeled boots echoed her steps clearly, further asserting her presence.

In her usual style of wardrobe which Robert described as a symmetry of harlotry and virtuousness, Lilian Soraes paced into the heart of the commotion as her glasses glinted off the sun. For today, she fancied her hair into a ponytail which flowed to her waist as it swayed to the gentle breeze.

“Oh my, whatever happened here?” she said but it was apparent she was only giving Asten and his followers a chance to redeem themselves or at least gave a proper explanation. The four had expressions of giving in but Asten had a pride bigger than his manhood which wasn’t quite a spectacle to begin with.

“Just putting some less knowledgeable people in their place,” Asten blatantly proclaimed without a single trace of shame on his face.

Lilian glared, figuratively turning the weather of the garden into winter. One of the followers choked with a cough on the sudden change of air but none of his friends bat even an eyelid to his fit.

“Please d-don’t misunderstand, Professor,” the shortest of the followers said. “W-we were merely… f-following the young lord’s whims…”

Hearing that, Iora’s face twisted sourly at the fragile loyalty between them.

“I see. Well then, I’m sure you have done a good job.” Lily smiled at the five. It was an empty smile, devoid of any spleen nor sympathy. “Now, if you would let me, I need to tend to this poor student here.”

Her voice held no intention to reprimand or admonished them. Lilian wasn’t afraid of them and in truth, she as an individual, held more power than the whole clan of Talron. It was an unspoken fact which most people of the high society knew of, including Iora and Asten. This fact made her actions all the more baffling.

Lilian easily and gently scooped the disfigured and bleeding Robert into her arms. She raised an eyebrow similarly to Robert’s usual habit. She found him to be unexpectedly light but she showed none of those thoughts on her face. She was carrying Robert with one arm like a child, that was how light he was and how frail his physique looked.

She had check Robert for his breath. He was breathing but his eyes were close.

“Recess is almost over, you students better run along now. You don’t want get a demerit for being late now, do you?”

Immediately, the four followers snapped to her words. They bowed and ran from the garden, leaving Asten alone, who still stood dumbfounded at Lilian.

He expected to be rebuked and he planned to use his family name like he always did to get himself out of fire. None of that happened, however. Every step of her actions were out his expectations, and he didn’t know why. It hurt his meagre pride.

“Professor Soraes?” the one who spoke out wasn’t Asten but Iora. “Are you just going to let them go?”

Lilian turned her gaze towards Iora. “I shouldn’t?” she asked.

“He attacked another student on school grounds,” Her finger pointed acutely at Asten. “Look at Robert, he’s beaten to a pulp.”

“Mila—” Suri, Iora’s maid, her advice came a little too late.

“Robert?” Lilian cast a questioning gaze.

“I-I mean R-Robert Ross. I believe that’s his name,” Iora quickly came up with an excuse. “But never mind that. It’s obvious as to what happened here. Why did you—”

“Lady Devetra. I advise you stop speaking any further.”

“Professor?”

“Did you see the young lord of Talron or his friends assaulting this poor boy here?”

“N-no,” she let out, casting her gaze down accompanied with great reluctance. Although, she lit up a moment after. “But she did!”

Lilian followed her finger which was pointing at another individual who remained impassive throughout the commotion.

“And you are?” asked Lilian.

“Samara,” she answered briefly.

“Did you see anything?”

There was no hesitation. “No, I didn’t.” But veins were showing on her curled fists.

A light smug reappeared on Asten.

Iora stared at Samara, aghast at the lies so easily left her lips.

“Well, there you have it, Lady Devetra,” Lilian said with a smile that contained unknown intentions. “This boy involved in an accident that no one knew how it happened. All we can expect are the words from the boy himself. Understood?” She glanced at the remaining four.

Samara quickly nodded.

“Of course, Professor Soraes,” responded the taciturn maid.

Asten snorted with curling lips. He was convince Robert wouldn’t dare to speak the truth, much like his other victims.

Iora remained steadfast of her stance. Her gaze bounced between Lilian, Samara, and Asten.

Another idea flashed into her mind but she quickly disregarded it. She thought to use the shaming of her family name as an argument but they were in the compounds of the academy. Family names  did not matter and dispute between clans was null in these grounds.

Lilian put a hand on Iora’s shoulder. “Go back, there’s nothing you can do here.” She then looked  to Asten. “You too, young lord. The longer you linger here, the more suspicious of your involvement in the presumed truth it will be.”

Asten clicked his tongue once more before leaving the garden with a single degrading insult. ”Pathetic.”

Iora could only shut her heart to those words.

“Milady, please.”

Led by her own maid, Iora too left the garden with consolations from her maid.

“You’re not leaving?” Lilian asked the unmoving Samara.

“A-actually I—”

“Now there, Miss Samara,” Lilian stopped her. “Lying is a grave sin in the academy. Should your next words denote your previous statement as a lie, there will be a huge demerit to your grades and status in this academy. Understood? Now, is there something you would like to say, Miss Samara?”

“N-no…”

“Good. Now run along.”

Samara nodded and left through the other way. She was sure to run into Asten again if she took the arch entrance.

Before leaving the garden herself, Lilian tipped her head at the bushes and the leaves shook in response to her gesture.

“You’re pathetic,” Lilian said as she dropped Robert into one of the beds in the healing hall.

Although most of the impact was cushioned by the bed, pain still rang true to his whole body from his broken jaws and fingers. He gasped but the pain robbed him of his voice.

The healing hall was a simple hall of simple design and decorations. The most prized object in this hall would be the chandelier that looked like the work of some random craftsmen. It wasn’t as if the academy was unconcern of the student’s health but healing spells and Magic existed. The healing hall was basically a place for brief relief before the wounded individual could be healed.

“Though, I will commend you for staying your hand.”

Robert groaned with his eyes rolled.

“Alright, alright. I’ll called for a healer. Just wait here, sweetheart.”

Robert groaned again. His hand gestured to her for no such need of hassle.

“Oh right, I do recall you have some sort of self-healing ability.” Her smile turned passionate for reasons Robert did not care to know. “This is getting fascinating, wouldn’t you agree?”

With another roll of his eyes, he waved her to stand away. Lilian obeyed without questioning.

In the following moments, bright lights enveloped Robert.

“W-whoa…” Lilian gasped at the sight. She was no Sentry but her level of sensitivity was adequate enough to tell this wasn’t a product of Magic. This was something else, something entirely new. No matter how hard she rummaged through her mind, she couldn’t recall any knowledge of such power or force. The closest thing that came to mind was the healing Magic cast by Clerics and Priests but even those were of Magic.

Robert’s wounds glowed as the lights traced their outline. Steam rose through the crevices of the injuries accompanied with hisses resembling a piece of meat going through the grill.

It was quite an unpleasant and worrying sound to be heard from a healing process. Even Lilian was a little shaken by it.

The lights shone were intense as Lilian was soon offered only a faint glimpse of the actual happening. When the lights were gone, so were Robert’s wounds.

“This is… incredible…”

“I haven’t noticed,” Robert said dryly. He grumbled as he pushed himself up from the bed. He hung his legs by the side of the bed which were too high for his length. He heaved a huge sigh while giving a few swings of his arms.

“Mister Smith knows about this?” Lilian asked.

“I told him but the believing part is up to his own discretion.”

“If he still have doubts about it, I’m sure he would have none of it after today.”

“Hmm,” Robert mumbled.

“It’s not Magic.”

“Not even close,” Robert replied as he stretched his fingers. There was still some lingering pain to his body but his fingers were moving the way he desired to, that was enough.

“Then what is it?” Lilian was sitting on a stool before Robert realized. Her glasses and coat were strip, revealing her formal robe to be sleeveless. Gone was all of her virtuousness with only her harlotry manner left, further emphasized by the way her leg curled over the other. Although, her firm gaze retained some of her sobriety in spite of her current attire.

Robert understood this was a test of his character and to be honest, he wanted to jump at her but the consequences shook his foundation.

“Feeling tempted?” Lily asked, stroking the valley of her chest with a finger.

“Very.”

“You’re honest, Robert.”

“I do my best.”

“Well then, answer me. If that’s not Magic, then what is it?”

Robert stared silently into her eyes without wandering to other places which profoundly tempted him to.

“Mister Smith?”¹Indicating that Mr Smith forbid Robert from telling anyone about it.

“Yes,” Robert nodded.

Lilian sighed with a hand raised. “If that’s his wish and command, who am I to say otherwise?” She smiled.

Giving no mind to her last words, Robert changed his bloodied uniform into a fresh pair with Quick-dress.

“That ability is truly unbelievable,” Lilian remarked.

Robert frowned with an eyebrow raised.

“Your healing ability, not the parlor trick.”

“Oh.”

“Your bones were mend without any risk of harming it in the healing process. Your wounds were all close without leaving any traces of scars. This healing ability could change the flow of a fight, or change how a fight is fought, conventionally.”

“Not really.”

Lilian traced her chin as she pondered deeply at his answer. “Why not?” she asked.

“I need to be still and keep my mind calm. I don’t think I can do that in the heat of a fight or a battle.”

“What happened if those two conditions aren’t met?”

“Every enemies I have made in my life will get a piece of me, literally.”

“Ah, I see.”

After making sure he was back to his nominal state, Lilian touched on a subject that she wasn’t sure if she should. “So, what are you going to do about Asten?”

“The Talron boy? Nothing, I guess.”

“Nothing? Really? You were beaten to a pulp right in front of the girl you bedded and deflower few nights before and also in front of few others. That incident will be made known to the whole academy. Your pride and dignity will be crushed by the whispers and rumors among students.”

“My pride and dignity wasn’t of much help in the Dark Zone neither was it in Limbo. Unless my pride and dignity would somehow stopped the Aeryeon and Caeleon faith from chasing at the suspicions of my existence, I’m all for doing something to get the two aforementioned articles back.”

“So you have absolutely no intention of returning the favor, at all?”

“I don’t exactly have a lot to gain from retaliating.”

“And you’re just planning to let him be? Let him break your bones and fingers every time the two of your paths crossed?”

“Hmm…” Robert drummed his fingers on the sheets. It was unsatisfying to him when it didn’t produce the usual sounds. “I planned to take him out of the sum, discreetly but my earlier than expected encounter with him threw that plan out of the window. Was he always this volatile?”

“He was tamer, before.”

“Iora?”

“Iora.” Lilian nodded.

“Is the regards over virgins that much of a height?”

“More than the people would like to admit, for girls that is. It’s a cruel double standards.” Lilian stared curiously at Robert. “I assume things were different back at home?”

“Very. It’s hard to find a girl that hadn’t fuck a dozen of men before their adulthood. What’s more, you wouldn’t find a man that hadn’t fuck some other man’s wife.”

In Lilian’s mind, this sort of explained for Robert’s upbringing. She wondered if Robert’s hometown was that different from the underworld of Midas Valley.

“Anyways, that Asten Talron would be a hindrance in the future if his attitude continued to grow in this path. If he gets bored of me, he will move on to Samara, or Valena, or Iora…” Robert mused. “You know what, I’m going to return his favor. He needs to go, along with his whole clan. They’re not a problem now but better to nip it in the bud.”

Lilian’s smile turned into a fiendish grin. “Not to worry, Robert. Mister Smith foresaw this. Most clans, all of high positions, are in agreement with your statement. Clan Talron is too high-strung for their own good. And they always bit more than they could chew. They were expose quite a number of times for having their whole arm in the darkness, not just a finger. But they were kept around for being good at kissing rears.”

Robert raised an eyebrow. He gave up fixing this habit of his.

“Nevertheless, since they are beginning to prove themselves as a prominent and imminent threat to Mister Smith’s investment—” Lilian focused her glance at Robert. “— they have overstayed their welcome in the high society and the underside of worlds. It’s nigh time they are shown the way out.”

Adjusting his collar and cuffs and fixing his coat, Robert wryly responded, “what doe Mister Smith has in mind?” He drew a small grin on his face.

Lilian returned the ardent anticipation on Robert’s face with a gentle smile. “How well do you fare in assassination?”