Ch 1 - The one with the Sword Saint

Yawning and forcing his eyes to remain open he stretched his arms to stay awake. Many students ran towards the main road that leads to the central square Plaza while others were already lunching in the gardens that surrounded it. He arrived early today at Faraday University to avoid parading alongside his father, the Sword Saint.

Irhamel knew that six months ago, his father had requested an audience with the king of the Achoirhiel Kingdom to discuss matters pertaining his late enrollment in the University. Due to this, his father had taken on a teaching position in the military arts course. He rested his back against the trunk of a large tree that he had climbed, and there he waited on the sidelines for his family to arrive.

He tried to relieve some pressure from his buttocks by readjusting his hips on the branch. After waiting for so long Irhamel was feeling hungry, he wanted his parents to get here already.

The alluring smell of rice, pork and potato flew through the air into his nose almost disrupting his balance. When he looked down one group of students was right in below his branch, sharing food and drinks, smiling and speaking about his dad.

Away from the crowd, a delicate-looking blonde boy waved his fork. Across from him, an attractive yet noisy girl with red curly hair laughed. To her right with her back to him, a modestly dressed girl with black hair helped a shy girl with bright orange hair and beautiful amber eyes cover her plate from the boy’s fork.

He discreetly peeked at a girl that caught his eye, he remembered that face from four years ago, now she had turned into a real beauty. The girl who for a while now was meekly stealing glances at him turned to be someone he knew.

“So the Sword Saint will arrive today right?” The boy asked.

“Yes, he should be about to arrive with his family” The black haired girl answered.

“What I’d like to know is if his wife will be a teacher too or not,” Said the red-haired girl.

“Y..Yeah, I wonder A..About that too” Added the girl with bright orange hair stuttering.

“Oh by the gods, why does Curnow always find us when we are having fun?” The blonde boy said, sighing and rolling his eyes as he spotted a small group of boys getting close.

Irhamel, having listened to Blondie took notice of the group of three approaching from the crowd. The boy in the lead had short dark brown hair, a handsome face and was built well enough to show it through his expensive wardrobe.

“Good afternoon my lady Lunet, how has been your week? It’s been four since your entrance, are you enjoying your days in the University?” The new boy asked looking straight at Lunet, the orange haired girl lowered her head.

“Good afternoon Sir Curnow, care to sit here with us?” The girl with black hair said, offering a spot close to lunet to the new arrival.

“Shut up you filthy peasant, don't you dare interrupt me when I’m talking with Lady Lunet” Sir Curnow shouted and rose his right arm as he clenched his hand into a fist.

#----------------

-A little earlier that day-

“So, Irhamel is already there? You sure En?” Sahiel tilted her head a little asking her husband.

“Yes, that prick son of ours went ahead saying -I don't want to join your glorious parade of appointment- and left four hours earlier than us.” Enatel frowned and shook his head as he replied.

“En...! Don't talk like that in front of Neruniel! She absorbs everything she hears rather quickly!” Sahiel nudged Enatel with her elbow, she had a smirk plastered on her beautiful face.

“He just wanted to go eye the ladies without the attention that we would bring him, he’s at that age!” Enatel jokingly nudged back at his wife with his shoulder.

“He is not like you, you know? Hush now” Sahiel shook her head dismissing her husband’s comment covering Neruniel’s ears with her hands.

“Mama, Papa, where is Irha? What is this place? I’m hungry!” With a cute voice and a saddened face, the little girl that looked just like her mother spoke and pointed her tiny hand ahead of them.

“We are here my angel, your brother is waiting in there. How about we go and find him?” With a loving face, Enatel turned his head towards the little girl and pointed at the huge doorway in front.

As the couple approached the entrance of the university two young military artists hurriedly approached the cart.

“Welcome to Faraday University Sword Saint Enatel Stingryn, good afternoon.

The headmaster asked us each to take your belongings to your new lodgings and escort you to his office.” One of the two men said extending his arm towards the entrance, while the other asked for the rains of the cart.

The family walked towards the guardhouse after turning the cart over, showed their magic passes and followed the guide through the main gate.

When they walked in, the chatter started to wane in proportion to the number of eyes that fell upon them, what remained were some gasps and few words of surprise -It's the Sword Saint- Look the Golden Lathai- Such a cute little girl- I want to be his apprentice- here and there from the huge crowd surrounding the main road.

From within Enatel’s hood, his blue eyes scanned the adjoining gardens. Finding something over a thicket of trees not far in the distance, he barely nodded and resumed looking around only to stop his search at the sight of the Headmaster. The old man was waiting in the Square plaza a couple of meters away from him.

“Welcome to Faraday University, Sword Saint Enatel Stingryn, Golden Lathai Sahiel Stingryn, how were your travels?” The old man asked with a relaxed expression and calming voice extending his right hand towards the Sword Saint.

The audience was captivated by his strong voice and appearance. He was a white man of large stature, long silver hair, and heavily toned body. Adorning his handsome face was a pair of pale blue eyes.

“Honoring the agreement with his highness the king Gervase Elsteag Achoirhiel, I Enatel Stingryn have arrived,” Enatel said with a solemn voice, raising his head and straightening his back he clasped the hand that was extended to him.

#----------------

Irhamel accepted the slight nod his father gave him and analyzed the situation he was in, he could go to his family and join his dad’s parade, gain attention doing an entirely different thing... -Let's defend the girl in front of me.- he thought.

Happy with his choice he nodded and dropped down from the branch, nimbly landing just between the girl with black hair and the boy who had just arrived and was about to attack her.

“Hey hey ‘sir’, please excuse my rudeness but could you please stop it here? Beating a girl out of unfounded spite is beyond petty, isn't it unbecoming for a ‘lord’ to act in such a way?” Irhamel said. He grabbed Sir Curnow’s arm by the wrist so tight that the boy squealed in pain.

“Unhand me you truant, who are you to interfere with my dealings? Do you know who am I?” Sir Curnow said.

His body trembled as he failed miserably to free himself from Irhamel’s grasp, his eyes were peeled and his mouth was agape. He couldn't believe this kid had enough strength to pin him down by the wrist.

“I don't know, so please excuse me for intruding but, isn't it plain wrong for a man to try to beat a girl and in such a crowded place no less?” Irhamel said.

He lightly clenched his hand to keep hold of the wrist, resisting with ease sir Curnow’s effort to free himself again. Irhamel shrugged his shoulders and rose his brows when he asked. Soon enough the crowd around them started shooting comments about the scene.

‘The prince seems to have lost his cool’

‘Who is this kid? he’s got guts’

‘Raising his hand to a woman, the royal family of Vaesta sure is hot blooded’

‘Not only guts but strength. The prince cannot free himself’

‘Peasant he said, did you hear? He called her peasant’

‘Subdued by a boy fresh of his mom’s chest, that Prince is really pitiful’

So this is one of the princes of Vaesta, I see.- He came to the realization after a thought.

He knew that the Vaestans were prideful people who openly discriminated against those of lower social status, no wonder his attitude was so high-handed.

“Thank you, young sir, for defending me but could you please let him go? I rather not let this get out of hand and have more eyes fall upon us” The girl with black hair said.

With eyes wide open he quickly turned to look at the girl, her head was tilted flashing a smile and nodded.

Accepting the girl’s request he brought Curnow’s arm down with little resistance and let go of the wrist.

“I am no sir miss, I was just in the vicinity and couldn’t hold myself back, a man raising his hand to a woman is one of the most shameful and despicable acts that can be committed, no matter his status, a man should never act violently towards a lady,” Irhamel said, he removed the hood of his cloak revealing his smiling face to the girl.

Girls gasped at what was shown from inside the cloak, an extremely handsome face covered by long silver hair and shining golden eyes.

“I am the third prince of the Vaesta Empire, Huon Curnow Vaesta; touching a member of the empire’s royalty so nonchalantly is grounds for punishment.” Huon Curnow said. Disbelief plastered all over his face, he looked at the white-haired boy and proudly told him his name and stature.

But we are not in the empire you dick.- Irhamel thought, his eyes squinted focusing behind the prince and noticing movement in the immediate vicinity, a familiar face scowled at him as it came into view.

“Irhamel what’s going on? What’s this entire ruckus here?” Enatel asked, walked towards the group; with his hands separated the two boys and stood in between facing Irhamel.

“Fath...Master, this guy here was about to hit a girl and I stopped it, that’s about it, isn’t it guys?” Irhamel said, looking at the Sword Saint asking the crowd with his eyes, turning his head left and right slowly queried everyone around and stopped again at his father.

“Irhamel, if what you say is true, well done, a man should never raise his hand to a girl. Exactly what I would expect of my Son...**ahem** Apprentice” Enatel said nodding with pride.

Irhamel’s head dropped to the right alongside with shoulders and closed his eyes, he could hear the hushed voices saying -apprentice- in surprise.

“Thank you, master.

Now then how about we leave it here ‘Prince’ I still have to finish my late enrollment and my master, the Sword Saint, has come to pick me up” Irhamel said, making emphasis on his father’s title. After all the effort he went through to avoid this specific scenario he ended up using his family’s influence to get out of the place as quickly as he could.

‘Apprentice he said’

‘Late enrollment? Is he allowed to join this late’

‘He said -son- didn't he? Is it their son? Their son!!’

Murmurs were said all around, the prince’s eyes opened wide and his mouth had a slight gap, his arms dropped as he looked at Irhamel’s back walking away being followed by the Sword Saint, the Golden Lathai and a little girl holding his hand.

Everybody else was staring at Irhamel with their mouths open and rounded eyes full of bewilderment but one girl, her amber eyes shone brightly and her cheeks turned red, with a small nod of her head two muffled words escaped her mouth.

“Found you!”