After passing the guards their IDs, being reminded about their return being slightly late (but not enough to cause issue), they returned back to the dorm. Mathias was lucky since he picked a bag from home, but the others were forced to carry their new boots for a half-hour until they finally made it back to their rooms.

After setting up the divider, Lisanna nodded, adjusted it, looked over from his vantage point - even going so far as to step on top of the bed and try to peer over. She couldn't see anything aside from the crown of her head.

Mathias was just reading a book on his bed.

"... It's probably better than one we'd find elsewhere. Is it custom-made?" She said, looking down on him from the edge of the bed as he laid down.

"I don't know. I think so, but I never paid much attention. We got them a few years ago, but only used it a few times. And just one at a time, each time."

"Huh, well now I change in my own room!" She jumped on the springy mattress.

His springy mattress.

"... You seem strangely happy to be able to do something you already were able to do before."

"I couldn't! Not when you were in here!"

"Don't you change in the mornings?"

"Obviously, but you sleep so soundly that I struggle to even wake you up. I don't think you could wake up to spy on me if you wanted to."

"That's true, but I reserve the right change in the open like a normal person."

"T-that's not normal!"

"It is."

"I don't trust your sense of normality."

"Coming from the one who can't wash clothes?"

"D-don't remind me... it's embarrassing... especially-"

"The underwear?"

"Hey!" Since she was just standing on the bed, she fell down to her knees, and glared at him from two feet apart. "Don't bring that up! To anyone!"

"... Hah, I wasn't going to, but now-"

She leaned forward. "Ne-ver. Repeat after me: Never. Or else I'll burn that fur."

"Why do you always have to bring that fur into the mix?!" He shouted, slamming his comparatively worthless book closed to glare at her.

"Hmph," she began stroking the soft lynx fur taunting. "You're the one who cares more about it than your own roommate."

"And that's wrong because?"

"Many reasons!"

"Such as?"

"Because... I'm your roommate so you have be spending lots of time with me?"

"Ah, but on the first night seemed disappointed that I didn't run away or get killed or something."

"... That's because the fur was soft."

"Just that?"

"Also," she said, leaning back and to the side. "You're also a boy I don't really know. It's better now, but it was difficult in beginning. I mean, it's only the third night."

"The third night and you're already on my bed... again... I wish I would be less charming." He said as stretched out and turned away from her.

"Don't say it like that. There are many more guys more charming than you."

"That you talk to or that you dream about?"

"... Don't bait me," she said, pouting.

"Fine, I'll leave it at that."

"..."

She still rested on his bed. She shifted herself from sitting at the edge to now leaning against the wall.

"Any particular reason you're still here?"

"Ah, no I'm just glad you're here."

"... I did absolutely nothing to help you, but okay. Sure."

He was at an impasse. He was not that tired, but he could see she was getting sleepy. The main reason he was still on his bed was that he feared that she might claim it again.

Talking might prompt her to get up and leave, but he just wanted to read a book, take a bath, and relax.

"... You know," she started, "when Elise called me by my whole name, I felt it was happening again. 'Lisanna O'Clair', another place where I couldn't escape that moniker. She said it, didn't she? That my 'reputation precedes me'."

"..."

"I'm glad I was able to properly make friends, but..."

"..."

He let her continue.

"But I just want you to know that I'm still not satisfied with your plan."

"Huh? I thought this was a deep, personal admission about you, not a complaint about me."

"It's both! Deal with it!" Lisanna grumbled, eyes flickering backlight. "Anyways, I want you to have a more solid plan than survive, graduate, and then live your life."

"... Live my life while doing interesting things?"

"Nope. I want more."

"What you want and what I want clearly differ. And why does this matter so much to you?"

"Because I think you're my first friend here!"

"Really?" He said exasperated. "I thought you and Jasmine were pretty close?"

"... I will hit you." Lisanna said, snatching one of his pillows and hugging it close to her as she leaned over.

"It's more interesting when you're living in the present instead of trying to fix an indeterminable future that is not even yours."

"That... is not wrong, but still! If I don't, who will? You won't, obviously; and I don't see any of the girls around you, good enough to plan ahead!"

"Isn't Ayla planning ahead? For class unity, prosperity, or an excuse to have fun?"

"... You clearly don't see anything in her. Or am I mistaken?"

"No, I think she is a decidedly normal girl that is just hyperactive. She is interesting though."

"Interesting enough?"

"I don't know. Who else? Jennifer is cute, I guess? But not really my type."

"And what is?"

"What is your's first?"

"... I asked first."

"And I'll refuse to answer if you don't."

"Fine: someone who knows where they're going."

"Okay. I prefer someone who knows where they are."

"That goes back to the present thing, right?"

"... Also morning people are terrible."

His pillow was thrown at his head.

"Hey, don't judge everyone by your warped sleep pattern. It's already past my bedtime, but I'm still staying up, aren't I?"

"Now, whose benefit is this for, I wonder?"

She grabbed the pillow that recoiled back to throw at him again.

"Hey," she said, sliding off the bed. "I'm going to bed, but you better help me out tomorrow with that training! No going about it yourself!"

"... If you can keep the fire off of me in that formation, then we'll talk."

"It isn't that hot, but fine!"

Mathias grumbled as he looked towards the closet, behind the partitioner. Inside, his leather boots' soles were charred dangerously so he thought that was enough of an indication that she was an anomaly; granted, the spear that lay against the wall was haphazardly tossed in the corner did not show any signs of melting yet.

Once he waited for Lisanna to fall asleep, he got up and left the room. His first goal was to have a real bath - not just some ten, fifteen-minute soak.

Careful not to make a noise, he slipped out, felt the new boots gratefully in the shoe rack, and made his way to the bath after putting them on.

"Hey Mathias, right?" Elise called out.

"Yeah, what's up?" He quirked his head when he saw her rub her blurry eyes, but she redoubled her efforts.

"I just wanted to check-in. Are you and Lisanna doing better now? There are usually issues if people are forced into sharing coed rooms."

"Probably?"

She looked confused. However, she just sighed and looked at him curiously. "Your class is strange. Normally, the first-years would still be doing drills so Jenna and Mr. Shields told us to just wait at the sides today."

"Wasn't it tomorrow that you two were supposed to come?"

Elise brushed her hair to the side and started straightening it. "Yes, but we came to get a basic idea of the class structure, skill levels, and dynamics. Each one is different, but Scylla seems to be especially prone to masochism this year."

"I think that's more of an issue with the teachers, but sure...?"

"They won't push as hard as you might think."

He thought about it. It was true that they did not force the students who were injured to keep going. Even those that were knocked unconscious in the air formation seemed to get up by their own volition. Naturally, they also psychologically factored in added burdens if they failed, but it did not seem to be beyond their abilities - even if he, himself, questioned the utility of pushing those boundaries.

Elise turned to a clock and yawned. It was 9:00 PM. "My shift is over. I'm heading back, okay? If you do have issues with her, let me know. I'll see what I can do about it, but don't expect anything too major."

'... Is her reputation that bad? Weren't people cheering for a girl that supposedly had a habit of punching people in the face without warning?'

He shrugged and said goodbye to Elise as she grabbed one of the guards at the front door who welcomed the chance to sit down at the receptionist's desk.

"...- So you hear?! It seems Stacy has a thing for tall, muscular guys! Jill, funny guys, you lucky devils, you! Stacy also said she has a soft-spot for responsible types - so take notes and act accordingly if you want to sign up!"

... Erik did hear everything the girls were talking about, after all.

"Mathias!" Thomas ran over, breaking off from the cluster of guys standing in the corner of the bath. "What is this I hear about working at a parlour - and seeing Van' naked?!"

"... Whose Van?"

"Vanessa!" Thomas reiterated, growing fervent. "She's top three in Lamia! She and your class' Ayla were talking apparently before you got let out early!"

"... I still don't know who that is though?"

"What about Stacy or Jill?!"

"... Who're they?"

Erik scowled as he stomped forward. He put his hands on his hips, clutching the knot in the towel tied around his waist dangerously. "We just went out with those two - Ayla's friends!"

"Oh. That's their names? I thought of them as 'yeah' or 'mhmm'."

"Tha-... that isn't wrong, but still, priorities man!"

Not wanting to go into these things further, Mathias motioned to James who was standing not far off with a displeased expression. It was only a few days but it already seemed uncharacteristic of him. "What happened to him?"

Thomas reeled his head back, asking incredulous, "are you saying you didn't hear? He's in your class - everyone is talking about it!"

Even Jebb who appeared who looked over from his spot lazing in the pool nodded after he turned to the conversation.

"James was challenged to a duel - no less than five times! Synthy's fans are too rabid, it's crazy. If she was a guy, I'd be jealous," Thomas muttered before adding, "right, we have a few of those 'strange' types in Lamia, but no one has started anything this early."

'I feel like you're the strange ones though,' he wanted to say but held his tongue. "A duel? Did he accept?"

"He did. He got upset about something about his honour and how they're disgracing the opponent who lost by acting in such a way. It's set to start on Scylla's training field in an hour."

"... Are there any issues with the Academy regarding this?"

"None that we were told about!"

"Nope! None!" Erik added confidently. "However, it's a good turn of events. Even if James is beaten, by the first or the last girl, I think Synthy will be pissed anyway and come to talk to us more - which means that she'll be bringing flocks of her followers! It'll be a lot easier collecting intel that way, and there is the added benefit of intertwining the classes!"

Thomas nodded grandly, adding, "we started the betting pools too. Right now, we have already set aside enough for a small party this weekend, but we're going to wait to see how close we are before committing to a party with both classes!"

"Hey! Don't forget about us!" A student shouted.

"Centaur and Satyr have their own missions! Someone has to step up to instigate the betting pools and fights - only then will it seem like you're with us. Otherwise, people just pay their way? It'll piss off too many people!"

"Yeah! We just need to get a few more guys on board, so don't have Centaur dragging us down too!"

"Yeah! Satyr will get everything set up by the end of the week!"

"Huh?! We'll all do it together tomorrow!" A Centaur student shouted in response.

Mathias escaped from the scene. If he went into the water right now, he would probably be brought into the shouting matches. So he just decided to approach James who leaned against the wall quietly with furrowed brows.

"Good evening. Is there anything I can help you with?" James started.

"I'm more curious about why you accepted those duels. It sounds like they're all happening tonight, correct?"

James nodded darkly. "I will defend her honour as well as my own. We ended that duel cordially so I dare not presume too much, but the actions of those girls were too much."

"I'll take your word on it. Good job on the fight with her, by the way. It seemed hard-fought and you did well not to flinch. Not many people, even if they're trained, can do that. I usually can't."

"It's a pre-requisite to achieve my dream. I shall not turn away from any challenge, no matter the difficulty. Even this, I hate to admit, will be quite difficult."

"Yeah," Mathias thought for a moment before adding, "I'm not one who can talk, but I think you need to work on your blade."

James looked up, perplexed. "You handle the spear well-enough, do you not?"

"Not well enough. It was sloppy. There were reasons, I guess, but it only works against someone who is unskilled."

"... Unskilled? May I humbly ask that you help me spar? Just with the weapons so I can get a better feel for it."

"Erik would be better since he's properly trained in a sword."

Mathias did not consider his training to be anything significant. While he could prevent himself from immediate figurative death and disfiguration for a few exchanges with his father and sister with a blade, he would beat promptly all the same. With a spear, he doubled his survival time from ten seconds to twenty if they were being halfways serious.

And by halfways serious, it referred to them limiting themselves to a level above him.

At least his training with swords allowed him to use the split staves more effectively - if they weren't forced into a gaudy spear at this point.

"Is that so? It seemed like you have experience with dual-wielding swords, at least with your exchange with Lisanna on the first day."

"... Not dual wielding, but being able to use both hands? My father was a stickler for that sort of thing. Granted, he didn't like to do that himself. Even if he's not working, he doesn't have anything less than three blades on his person."

"I'd like to meet a capable instructor. I'm planning on asking Jenna for additional lessons."

"... That... is commendable," Mathias said anxiously. He called out behind him to get an easier instructor for James. "Erik, you have all those swords in your room, right? You should teach James."

"Ah? I thought I said I would. He's an important asset in ensuring the girls come to our parties after this!"

"...?"

"I appreciate the faith in me. I will try not to disappoint you."

While Mathias was confused at how straight-forward Erik was with his comment, James accepted the responsibility whole-heartedly.

"Okay! Everyone!" He shouted to attract the guys' attention in the bath. "We can assume roughly expect ten girls, at least, will be coming. As such, I want to keep the numbers relatively even - but with a higher girl-to-guy ratio so it doesn't get uncomfortable for them. Me, Mathias, Thomas, and James will be going, but since there are two girls from Centaur and Satyr challenging James as well, we should have spots for two from each class.

"Anyone who accepts this designation must - and I repeat, must - be able to get close with the challenger from their class! Otherwise, it'll be a waste and, frankly, look strange." Erik said.

Thomas added, "I will represent Lamia, Erik Scylla, and I nominate Justin and Kahn to represent their classes."

"I second their nomination." One said. "Let them pick the second so it doesn't seem forced!"

"Yeah, that's a good idea," another commented.

The bath was a flurry of conversation, but Mathias wondered why he was included. He was not tired and had no reason to ignore the spectacle, so he was planning on going regardless of artificial quotas. Yet, with two cool-faced guys representing their classes, and a slightly less attractive, but well-toned underlings, the spots were set.

Thomas was given a vote of confidence to being able to act alone, but since it was a Scylla matter predominantly, it was universally accepted that they were to represent the bulk of the group. And, whether by accident or design, all were seen connected through one-another, by at least one person in the group.

Erik and Thomas were extremely methodical when it came to these matters.

Since it did not concern him much, Mathias was just soaking in the bath.

He noticed Eldrich and Hunter bonding over the day's slights towards them - which was which, he could not tell since the water-dampened hair made it nigh-impossible to tell any difference in hair colour. However, they did seem to intricately involved in Erik and Thomas' group as they contributed to planning, execution, and even began setting allocations to how much information is provided to new entrants.

They rank-ordered higher-value information and would disperse it only upon a significant enough contribution. They even had a running notebook which was used to record the information. They were the record-keepers of information concerning all the girls in the school who screened information, cross-referenced it, and allocated points per contribution.

It was originally just Eldrich who assumed the role, but since others mistook him for Hunter, the other boy would have been forced to vow to secrecy and join. He did so voluntarily, however.

It was said that if any found the notebook, it would be the death of all males involved; yet, such things were not Mathias' problem. He explicitly told Erik that if his name ever is noted - not on account of active involvement, but in the event things he thought insignificant were seen as important - he would be the first to expose the group.

Consequently, Eldrich and Hunter used an alias for him, one that, while they never heard admissions directly from him, still tallied points after Thomas and Erik's unilateral consent. They were serious about their jobs. He currently had the highest tally and would continue to hold it for the boys, but that was something they never told him, in fear of losing out on a veritable golden goose.

After about half an hour, Mathias was shaken from his drifting attention. It seemed more full on his side of the bath which irked him slightly, but since he was forced to look at another party, he pushed the thought out.

"What is it?"

"We're going," Erik said. "Are you ready?"

"... Ready for what?"

"Obviously, to execute the plan! We received new intel from the girls' side: it seems Jennifer will be there so we expect you to break the ice with some comment about the fight!"

"... Okay? Why though?"

"She's the only confirmed attendant that we have a connection with, outside of the challengers. It would be much easier to talk to the side that isn't angry."

"Huh? Okay, then I'll bring that spear to see if-"

"Don't bring that creepy weapon! Plus, it'll tip them off that we know."

"... I'm starting to wonder where your priorities are at," Mathias said with a sigh.

Erik repeated Mathias' words verbatim, but then forced the other boy to get out.

'... I need to ask her about that spear anyways. That book I grabbed from home doesn't really say much about it though.'

While there a little chatter between the guys, and the guard did not stop them from leaving the dorm, it was strangely quiet. James could be forgiven for concentrating on the absurd number of sequential duels, but the others seemed to be rehearsing some plan in their minds.

He heard a discussion of one existing, but he gave up paying any attention after he went into the water. Occasionally, he heard his name, but otherwise, he was content to sit down and soak in the water, staring at the moonlight.

Alas, it was dimmed by the torch-light of a tired fire mage who came with one of the cool-faced class leaders from Centaur or Satyr. Which one, he did not know. There were too many faces and names to remember already.

Trying to avoid the harsh light of the fire in the darkness, he walked ahead of the group for a while before entering into the training field.

'... Huh, I didn't expect that.'

Erik evidently under-estimated the ability of disparate girls to form social connections in just a few days. It was a minor miscalculation - not.

Erik and Thomas exchanged a knowing smile with the rest, who seemed especially excited.

With great responsibility comes great reward, if one plays their cards right; that is what Mathias assumed Erik was thinking.

Even so, it was better than the alternative of having just the five challengers.

There were about thirty girls, all together. Some seemed tired, but most were talking excitedly as if it were some formal school event.

Since they noticed him, the chatter on the wind died down, but Mathias kept walking towards the arena they fought in.

He nodded occasionally to those who were looking at the scene, but only really spoke to Ayla who was waiting at her position at the edge of the ring.

"Ah! Hello. Does my skin look less terrible?" Ayla asked with a toothy smile, widening when she saw him blink in confusion. "Well, whatever! Welcome, one-and-all! We have a grudge match to sort out! James, the winner of the match between him and Synthy, has arrived!"

Mathias noticed several contorted expressions directed to the stoic figure carrying sword, shield, and the weight of all the expectations to win, lose, or at least aid the cause of the male student body's growing information services.

In total, only ten of the thirty seemed particularly upset with him, with another ten showing mildly annoyed expressions, and the last ten just being curious or excited to see the spectacle.

Ayla shouted, "okay, okay! I know you've all been waiting, but we'll give James a few minutes to prepare himself! In the mean-time, I'll explain the rules as the reigning, undefeated champion of Scylla for those classes still doing boring training!

"Firstly, weapons, unarmed attacks, and magic are allowed! Those that step out of the ring - ahem, Erik - or are judged unable to continue will be disqualified! There will be a ten-minute break between each fight so this might take a while! Afterwards, it's been decided that we're going to eat at the dining hall since, well, I didn't have time - all in attendance are welcome to come! Because, most importantly, whatever the result, there will be no bad blood between us!

"We'll be basing the order of the fights off the order of the challenges itself! It has already been decided that Midori of Satyr will be first! Then Akia of Centaur! And then Gretchen of Lamia, and finally Mina and Lina of my beloved Scylla!

"Without further ado, we'll be starting a ten-minute break before we begin with Midori and James! Feel free to strategize - or not! It doesn't matter, but remember, there is to be no bad blood! That is the condition of all in attendance!"

The majority of the girls nodded and whispered about their agreements. It seemed Ayla had conveyed her intention to bring the classes closer since any rifts would only grow as time went on. Naturally, some, like the challengers, were not so easily swayed. Whether it was an excuse for the more hot-blooded, a genuine feeling of bereavement at an idol falling from grace, or just rejecting herd mentality, they accepted the spoken words but did not internalize it.

Since Erik, Thomas, and two others were talking to James, it seemed that their meeting was taking place.

Mathias saw a familiar face. Since it was the face that was capable of taking off his head with a simple water bullet, he was able to remember it rather well.

"Hey Jennifer," he said once he saw the girl look his way. "I was wondering, what was the deal with those spells?"

"Uh, u-uhm... I-I'm not great at controlling magic," she said, lowering her head uncomfortably. "I-I'm sorry if it was too much..."

"No, that's fine. I'd rather that. It's more interesting that way, but that water afterwards... I think it ruined that staff."

"Ah, r-really?! I'm sorry!" She bowed frantically while another looked at him accusingly. She, too, looked familiar.

"No, it's just... it doesn't melt. And I didn't see you use ice attacks so it's especially strange."

"I-I can't... it's too hard to convert it..."

"Excuse me," the other girl said. "While I appreciate seeing a good match, I don't think this is necessary, is it?"

Mathias shrugged. "I bring it up because if I have to fight I'll be forced to bring that gaudy spear tomorrow."

The girl thought about it for a minute. "I specialize in ice magic so if it is not returning to normal, you can show it to me. I do not think it's gaudy, however."

He finally recognized her. Fara, the one who was described as the 'ever-beautiful', or some such thing.

"Is that so? You can have it."

"... Really?" She stared at him suspiciously.

"So long as I don't have to deal with walking around with it, I'm happy. I can't use it how I like either."

"Uh, sorry..."

"Jennifer, it isn't your fault," Fara said immediately, still maintaining eye-contact with Mathias. "You formed it in the middle of the match with remanents of her spell, correct?"

"Which is why I figured she might know something. All the books I've read on 'enchantments', or whatever you'd call this case, and those that require an active drain of mana from the user. This one doesn't do it and the mana does not disperse."

"Th-that's... so, sorry..."

Fara lips rose slightly. "I may take you up on that offer. It is an interesting weapon and I did have extra staff for training in return since I picked a sword. It would be an interesting experiment to dissect it."

"... If you can break it apart. I can't."

Fara waved her hand dismissively at the comment. Fara walked away, leaving both Mathias and Jennifer exchanging a glance.

"There are all sorts of people," he said.

She looked downtrodden. However, considering Fara completely walked away from Jennifer, neither could not do anything. Perhaps, it was just how she was? Mathias did not know.

"And for the main event! James and Midori, are you ready?!"

James nodded solemnly whereas a girl with short-cut hair, a slim figure appeared and an overtly hostile expression shouted her acknowledgement. She was the first to challenge him, so Mathias was not surprised that she turned out to be this way.

She did not have a weapon in her hands; rather, it seemed like she was just wearing the training uniform, emblazoned with a fiery-red seven-pointed star. Considering how unmarred the uniform was, Mathias was somewhat suspicious.

'She couldn't have gotten it fixed already, could she?'

There would be no point if it wasn't liable to break during a later session, he thought. Let the damage build up until it nears the end of its life. Of course, since his boots were dropped from princely to pauper in a single day, it wouldn't hurt to have spare. Naturally, girls were more sensitive to the state of their attire, but it was ultimately on the person to actually deal with it.

"Okay! The challenger and challenged are ready to go! On zero, we'll start. Three! Two! One! Zero!"

"Fire Lance!" Midori shouted immediately.

The scarlet flames did not match her figure. If she looked forward, she would be staring into James' sternum. If she was staring straight forward. She aimed the long, thin bolt of fire at face.

The shield was raised to his face, and she kept it locked on his face. It did not release all its force at once. It was more akin to a welding torch - and the shield showed it.

Grey smoke appeared from behind his upraised shield, already igniting the rotting wood as the base, as the steel started to glow into a hazy light, before shifting into a dull red.

The scent of burnt flesh and hair invaded everyone's nostrils, but Midori was gleefully laughing since she saw he didn't advance.

"Is that all you've got? Fire Lance!"

She channelled another stream of flames at the shield, doubling the smoke that began to pour out from behind his steel shield; however, he still had yet to move. Both of her small hands spat flames at the unmoving James.

She noticed the broadsword pointed at her chest but scoffed at the sight of a blade ten meters away.

"What? You too scared to hit a girl!? Fine! Fire Pil-"

"Earth Lance."

She did not even have time to scream as stone crushed her stomach, launched her back, and she fell outside the ring. It wouldn't have mattered either way. She was retching uncontrollably as she curled up reflexively.

"... And match! Midori of Satyr is unable to continue and was knocked out of the ring! James win! Someone, please stop his head from burning though!"

Mathias looked around. He was quite far away, but no one else moved to help; rather, no one else moved to help with water.

Erik, Thomas, and another boy was helping James pat out the fire trapped in his thick locks. He'd certainly need a haircut after this. Another boy, possibly that Justin that was nominated, was the first to check on Midori and was only allowed to stay since the others didn't know how to care for someone completely paralyzed by pain and their own body's convulsions reactions. He justified it by saying he was a water mage. A water mage that left the extinguishing of flames to other, non-water mages for his mission.

"Okay! We'll have a ten-minute break so hopefully, his hair will still be when it's over! Akia of Centaur, you'll be up next!"

"... Are... are they okay?" Jennifer asked nervously.

"Let's go check on them."

"S-sure."

He walked with purposeful steps as he saw Thomas make room for him. "Is there anything you can do? Like, with water magic?" He asked.

"A little, but not exactly much in just ten minutes. James, lay down."

"Understood."

The boy complied easily and Mathias began first cooling his skin. It was scalding hot - and as an earth mage, while he might be able to deal with force, he had no resistance to heat.

His ears were red and raw, his dark hair burnt short in several places, but Mathias could only really gather pure water, try to first deal with the fatigue, and only then with injuries.

Since he had no spell to work with, he had to revitalize segments of a person's skin specifically, cleaning, purifying, enhancing, or restoring it; but such things took time.

"Jennifer, can you use any healing spells?"

"I-I can't... they're too difficult..."

"Okay," Mathias said and reconcentrated on recovering James' face. He altered between clearing fatigue and repairing damaged cells, but soon enough the warning came.

"One-minute warning! James and Akia please get ready to go onto the stage!"

James stood up, causing Mathias to scowl. "I wasn't done."

"Thank you, but I will go."

James walked away, leaving Mathias to sigh loudly. He felt bad for the guy since he had accepted five different duels. It was on him, but Mathias would not want to do that.

He even attracted the sympathy of Thomas who banged out the dents in his shield and cleaned his blade before passing it off to the lone warrior. Thomas prioritized that bond over pushing his chances and talking with some of the girls.

Mathias thought it was impressive considering his previous perceptions of the two ringleaders. He had no way to know if he was not just over-thinking it when his face shifted into suspicion.

Thomas did mutter with a small smile, "isn't his face too shiny right now?"

Mathias intentionally left James' hair, face, and shoulders wet.

"Akia, are you ready?"

"I am."

"James, are you ready?"

"Yes.

Akai, too, had no weapon. It was not really all that strange since Scylla just kind of chanced upon that by Erik and Mathias' own weapons.

She did, however, have an entire arm engulfed in flames and the flames grew to cover her right shoulder and back.

"Ah, I didn't think there would be another chantless mage. I forgot the rules say you can only build it up once the countdown starts - unless you're weird like Mathias and have it all day long! Either way, since Akia isn't listening to me... three, two, one, go!"

She said the last four words in the span of a second. James was undeterred, but Akia looked for confirmation from Ayla who snickered and shouted, "pay attention! It's started!"

"Okay, I understand."

"Ready?" James asked, already in position.

"Yes, I appreciate it, but if those are the rules, you don't need to wait for me."

She charged forward and let out a cry as she struck out to his face. He rose the shield deftly and lowered his head while taking a step forward. Her primary arm deflected from the angled shield, she punched with her left arm towards James' stomach.

He did not flinch and swung his broadsword clumsily.

Akia jumped back, but he pressed forward with his shield swaying slightly. Akia darted to the side, trying to outpace him and managed to duck under his clumsy blade, do a low-kick to his calf, and did a spinning, ignited hammer fist into his exposed back.

This time he stumbled.

Pressing forward, Akia struck his kidney with her smouldering fist and stepped back from the broadsword.

James was reasonably quick, but he just could not compare to the sheer speed Akia employed when she tried to keep her advantage.

"Earth Wall!"

Missing her again and letting his sword swing behind him, he shouted out the spell.

The wall by no means impenetrable, but Akia cried out automatically when she was hit with the rising sediment. It tripped her for a moment, but she rolled off the wall in the center of the ring.

She was prowling back and forth on the side of the short length-wise section of the wall. Finally, she sighed and paced over to the other side.

"... Hiding are we? Not very noble."

"I'm not running. Face me head-on."

Akia was evidently influenced by Synthy's style; so much so, that she abandoned the advantage of mobility and walked forward directly. Her own almost-animalistic style, with accompanying fiery clawed palms, did not seem to fit how her admiration told her to act.

"I'm coming."

She charged. He moved his head to the side to avoid the haymaker to his face; except, she pulled it back, and jabbed with her other hand as she danced to his shield arm.

He took a quick jab to the nose before another struck his cheek. He brought the shield up, but she shifted the direction of her feet, dropped low, and punched him in the stomach. The flames on her arms flared out and erupted inches from his face.

She did not back down and grabbed his shoulder from his uncooperative sword-arm and drove her knee into his stomach. He keeled over for a moment, but before she could gloat he grabbed her shoulder, put his leg behind her single support, and clenched the sword tightly.

He pushed off the wall and fell on top of her with the flat of broadsword on her stomach.

The fall dazed her and he brought the unimpeded sword to her throat.

"Match! James beat Akia of Centaur! Not pretty, but it works! Ah, I should've started a betting pool! Gah, whatever! Since Akia had been defeated, Gretchen of Lamia is up next! You have ten minutes to prepare for the next match starting... now! Or... now! Whichever you prefer!"

Ayla skipped from the middle of the arena, confirmed that both the slowly moving James and Akia were okay, and then froze.

"You would be better off with sticking to the sword arm. It was the clear issue, Akia of Centaur. Because something is reputed to be dangerous doesn't always mean it is. James, you need to work on your swordsmanship - a lot. You received too much unnecessary damage."

Jenna calmly analyzed the scene before looking around at the stares that shifted to momentary fear once they saw Ayla's expression shift.

"What? It's fine. You can claim you're simply tired, but I allow no excuses anyways for any that are in my class tomorrow - this event changes nothing."

Ayla released a pent-up breath. And released it. "So it is!" She said, returning to her jubilant self. "It has been permitted so the ten minutes will continue. Gretch of Lamia, James, do your best to prepare in the meantime."

"... Prioritize dealing with soreness, if you can," Erik said carefully, while he massaged James' shoulders and coached him. He was nervous since Jenna was talking with the Scylla students. "It seems fine. Gretchen uses fire as well... but Mathias can deal with that! Look! Your hair is even coming back - err, a little bit! Anyways, the strength of a broadsword lies in his ability to cut, so swing to keep them away. Honestly, I hate to say it, but they look like they know the weapon better than you. At least use their perceptions for your advantage."

Mathias saw another boy talking to a resigned Akia; he suspected it might the other boy that was nominated, Kahn, for the Centaur class. Mathias was still being productive; he even managed to stop the bleeding nose, but he was fairly certain there would be bruises on James' face tomorrow. It was just that Erik's words were tantamount to saying 'just keep getting abused - Mathias'll deal with it.'

There had to have been some guy that was actually brought to the school as a healing student. Not just a parlour mage.

"Just pace yourself out, you're doing great!" Erik said. "There is just a little more to go!"

James got up two minutes before the time ended so he turned to look at who was left in the group. Kahn, Justin, and their 'helpers' were talking with the other classes, whereas Thomas was talking with a tall, burly girl in a training uniform. Not only did she muscles that put the guys to shame, but she also wielded a five-foot long greatsword - effortlessly.

Her pretty, delicate blond curls on her head seemed to be misplaced in Mathias' mind. 'At least the hair's taken care of,' was the only concession he made. He had to give credit where it was due. It was extremely difficult for anyone without steadfast commitment to possess such healthy hair.

Jennifer still seemed to be at his side. She, too, was staring at the female. She caught his gaze though. "W-what?"

"Nothing. Did you know anything about her?"

"... I-I heard rumours, but... I don't know..."

"Like what?"

"I-I don't like saying in case it might be mean... most a-are probably wrong anyways..."

Mathias thought it to be strange. He assumed it was a defining trait of all girls to relish in the going-ons of the rumour-mill, assuming it was not about them. He learned something new today.

"Did you know where... uh... that girl from before went?"

"Fara," Jennifer said before lowering her head. "I have no idea. Sh-she... invited me, but... I, I don't know..."

Ayla broke the conversation of many people with her shout, "okay! As a special event, we're going to be having Miss Jenna announcing the start of the next fight! Miss Jenna, if you'll please!"

"Got it," Jenna said easily, stepping front-and-center in the arena. "James Klein and Gretchen... of Centaur please come up to the arena. You have five seconds." The two ran at her commanding voice. "The rules are simple: anything goes except for lethal attacks. I've already dulled her blade to match his."

Still in the middle of the arena, Jenna added, "the match begins now."

There was no countdown. Both Gretchen and James stayed rooted in their spots.

"..."

Ayla looked around before whisper-shouting, "three-two-one-go!"

James stepped forward with even steps and Gretchen did the same. Both kept at the steady pace until they met in the very middle.

Gretchen shouted, "Fire Lance!"

And a bolt of more force than flame hit James' shield. He stumbled back two steps, and the shield groaned under the sheer force as the flames disappeared before even leaving the metallic guard.

Gretchen was already swinging the greatsword. It cut diagonally over his right shoulder and he jumped back to give him time to turn his body to receive the blow.

He stumbled back again and the shield cried out with metallic screams.

"..."

"..."

Both appraised the other. And both acknowledged the other.

He lumbered forward with the broadsword cutting towards her flank. However, she braced the dull edge with her bare calloused palm and absorbed the rough swing with her own great sword. It was just a slight push, but the sword was knocked off from the opponent's steel.

James tried to recover, but she had already stepped back to give her space to swing.

He brought the shield up and angled it while lowering his head.

The sword swung over his head the moment he dropped low and he hacked at her flank.

He just barely cut through the durable cloth, but she opened her mouth to shout.

"Fire Lance!"

"Earth Lance!"

He took the brunt of the point-blank attack - his own earthen element was launched back at him, with all but a scant few hitting her. He stumbled back three steps to her one.

"Earth Pillar!"

Her shifting, charging stance was thwarted, but she rolled off the stone pillar, used the generated momentum and cut directly to his flank.

The audience could hear the resounding sundering of steel. His shield was cut through directly a third of the way through, and the lodged greatsword cracked the rest as it was being roughly pulled out.

Blood seeped into the soil but James' eyes were not frantic. He shouted, "Earth Pillar!" again, and leaned back as he rose his quaking left arm and prayed that the stiff muscles would release.

Before she could reclaim her trapped blade, a heavy force from below knocked the sword-and-shield into the air. His palm screamed in pain as he felt the leather strap catch and rub his wrists raw before he finished cutting himself free.

Even with that pain, he took the advance and let her left arm tense and right arm flash with rough, quick slashes.

Gretchen backed up, again and again, dodging each strike before it could even catch cloth.

"Fire Lance!"

"Earth Lance!"

Both shouted and this time James was a beat late and was forced back on a knee while Gretchen merely recoiled a single step. Just as she jumped forward, an impassive voice called out, "Match. Out of bounds. Gretchen of Lamia, you rely on your strength too much. Your speed should exceed his as well, which could have been employed to better use. James, your response time is good, but your ability to predict is pathetic. You still won - even if those injuries were arguably necessary."

Ayla nodded sagely. "So it is! Match goes to James once more! The next one will be an all-Scylla match between Mina and James! Who will win?! You'll find out after this short ten-minute break!"

James and Gretchen relaxed their tense muscles in the arena. "Good match," Gretchen said, extending a hand.

He accepted. "You as well."

"Perhaps it was a fair victory after all. You do not seem to be someone who would appear in Synthy's cross-hairs."

"It was a fair match."

Gretchen nodded, shifting deeper in thought while walking away.

Mathias suspected that only Midori was holding a grudge at this point, aside from the other two challengers, Mina and Lina. Or was at least just personally irritate about her own loss. Or still reeling from the pain. She seemed the type.

"Good job," he said as James sat down on his spot for the second time.

"Thank you, but the shield..."

It finally broke it in two. The sheered third, their previous cracks, and the force from the earth pillar knocking both weapons high into the air without any way to transfer the force meant that the shield was split before it hit the ground.

Gretchen's greatsword was chipped significantly, but that was something that could be worked with. The shield, the one piece of arms he grew adept with, was gone.

Erik paced back and forth as Mathias tended his wounds before finally deciding to run up to Jenna. He came back, dejected at first, but then ran towards Ayla. Whispering to her, he sighed, and stepped back.

"Mina and Lina! Due to the damaged shield, James' Coach Erik - who I defeated today! - is asking for a ten-minute extension to get a new shield. Will you allow this break?"

"Hmph, whatever! I don't like it, but I don't want to waste my time-fighting someone defenceless!" Mina said as she jumped up from the crowd. With each word being shouted separately in each necessary jump. Only then could her hed be seen from the crowd of girls.

Lina did something different. She crawled underneath the front row of students, stood up, and said, "... that's fine." With each word being shouted separately with a completely unnecessary jump after she was securely in the front.

She offered a toothy, teasing smile behind her where her sister was trapped in the crowd.

"Okay! There will be twenty minutes! The break starts... a minute ago!"

Erik grumbled but choked back his complaints. It would be ideal if James won some renown for himself amongst the student body, but he looked at Thomas, Kahn, and Justin who were standing behind the preoccupied Mathias and James and said, "give me a bit! I have a spare shield or two in my room! I should be back in time, but make sure he knows what's up!"

Erik sprinted off down the path.

While it was very dark, most adequate mages who at least vaguely passively sense their element even if they were preoccupied with something else. It meant that while it was uncertain if Erik could avoid a puddle - an inch deep or a mile into the earth - while sprinting, he could avoid trees and stick to the same path to the dorms without thought.

"... Okay!" Thomas psyched himself up, clapping his own checks as he crouched in front of James. "It looks like they're tiny and use daggers. I couldn't see their crests, but I'm guessing it'll be fire magic! If you keep a wall to your back, like with the second fight, you should be able to pull it off!"

Mathias was watching the separated skin pull itself back together as two angular currents of water met right atop the cut. Debris and sweat when washed out, as with some blood, but it was closing decently.

He originally thought that it wouldn't be unreasonable for someone's arms to break under that kind of attack, but it seemed to be an unnecessary concern. James was built quite tough. There would be bruising covering half of his wrist even with Mathias' best treatment, given the time constraints and his lack of skill in that regard. The extent of his healing abilities was specialized on optimizing his own, arguably biologically advantageous, healing mechanisms - not others.

Fatigue was the priority, then to cool James down due to the draining effects of excessive body heat, then bleeding wounds, and then finally bruises. It was because that was the only thing he was proficient in - and that which would conceivably have an impact. A broken bone would've just ended his night - and potentially his life if he tried to use it an excuse to not run that gauntlet. Mathias could not deal with bones, however. Nor the rest with anything more than a fraction of a percent of a novice healer.

"You're good at that," a voice said impassively. Fara was standing overtop him with Jennifer behind her shoulder. "I'm surprised a guy learned those aspects of water magic."

"... Contrary to how I might seem to you, I'm not really interested in fighting. Also, this is actually really superficial."

"R-really...?" Jennifer looked at him suspiciously.

Mathias sighed and shrugged. It seemed that there were more people around James now. Akia and Kahn were a bit of a distance away, but around him and another boy, there were several girls looking at James with a strange light.

Ayla was pacing back and forth, sighing. "This is boring and I'm tired! I regret this already!"

"You agreed to it," Fara said.

The Lamia and Scylla girls became intermixed, with Thomas occasionally fielding answer calls from girls in the ground.

Midori was sulking far away with Justin.

"... Thank you, Mathias," James said when he saw the wound close before his very eyes. "I will pay my debt to you."

"It's fine. I'm not used to dealing with other people's wounds so it's interesting - just please find someone who knows what they're doing instead of relying on me next time."

"Even so, I can move my hand properly now."

Mathias shrugged and got up. He and others heard the light footsteps and they saw Erik coming back with a shield. Unlike the circular, steel-plated shield, this was a kite shield. It was lighter, and had less solid metal, but was a little less cumbersome to maneuver since it held a different shape that focused on defending vitals instead of maximizing surface area.

"Hah, hah..." He shook his mounting exhaustion from the day and turned to the crowd. "Did I miss something?"

"No, but you missed the deadline! Alright, alright! James, grab the shield! We're getting started!"

They still had five minutes left, but no one corrected Ayla. Her rumbling belly that rang out was a potential reason behind her agitation. She was not the only one, considering the infectious, reverberating sound that carried through the crowd.

"Mina! James! Into the arena!"

"Okay, okay! He's finally ready, right?!"

Mina was forced to squish her tiny body between two other girls that were distracted by Ayla's call. Once she stepped foot in the arena, the size differential was obvious.

James was on the taller side for guys; however, he stood at a solid head-and-a-half taller than Mina. Mina's had a long, dark braid that reached to her waist - almost emphasizing her height intentionally.

Before the match even started, she darted around left and right.

"Okay, are you two ready?"

"Yeah!"

"Yes."

Ayla, pacing around the edge of the arena, nodded contently when she saw Mina was raring to go. "Okay: Three! Two! One! Go!"

"Earth Wall! Earth Wall!"

James rocked back on his heels. He felt stone and gravel cover his back, but he just barely managed to drop the shield in time.

Mina closed the ten meters distance in a split-second just with her own two legs and even managed to retract the dagger thrust at his stomach and slash to the arm holding the shield.

Blood scattered onto the wall as a shallow cut appeared, but she jumped back as the broadsword swung her way.

"Too slow! Fire Bullet!"

He crouched and blocked the darting, ghostly wisp of flames with the edge of the shield, allowing some sparks to fall upon his arm.

His face finally contorted in pain as the skin reddened immediately. Even his shield, held by the seared arm, quaked despite not feeling a lick of force in the attack.

"Ha! See, I knew would it work! Fire Bullet! Fire Bullet! Fire Bullet!"

James managed to block one wisp with his shield, smack one down with the flat of his blade, but another hit his lower thigh completely unmolested.

As traces of fire bit into his knuckles and heat surged into his thigh, James' eyes slammed shut from the blinding pain as his teeth were bared.

"Rock Bullet! Rock Bullet" He fired a scattered shot of tiny peddles - it would not do much damage, but it would at least keep her at bay.

He called the attack twice, not knowing where or what he'd hit, but his eyes refuse to accept the command to open - the pain was too intense. The sword fell from his grip and he collapsed to a knee after ten seconds of fighting the feeling.

"Match!"

He thought it was over. He felt like it was.

Except when James opened his eyes, he saw Mina was down for the count. She was howling as held her stomach - nearby, the only debris close to her was a fist-sized rock that coated her shirt with a layer of silt and soil

"James wins! Then next match will be between-"

"Ah, about that," a little girl appeared in the arena beside Mina. "I forfeit. I only did it because she told me to."

Mina coughed violently, "L-liar, you said it'd be f-fun! T-that Synthy...! That'd appreciate it...!"

"Did I?" Lina looked to the sky. "I'm hungry. Let's go get food!"

Ayla blinked, thought for a moment, and then shouted, "and with three rounds by knock-out, one by disqualification, and one by forfeiture - hmm, is that a word? If not, it's my word! - James has completed the five-person gauntlet!"

There were excited cheers by some of the boys and a sizable portion of the girls.

"Ah! Right, Synthy will get mad, so all us here will hereby swear that the match was caused by Erik picking on little Mina - and it got out of hand!"

"I'm not little!"

"I stand corrected: the super-cute and adorable Mina!" There were several laughs as Lina pulled Mina up just in time to offer the crowd her sister's puffed out cheeks. "Anyways, as originally stated: no more bad blood! But more importantly, let's get something to eat!"

"... Flatten..." He got rid of the damage he caused to the arena.

James struggled out of the ring as he received dozens of congratulations. He, however, had another destination.

Since the matches were over, Mathias was getting ready to go. It did not seem like James had received any major wounds, but he did have an earthen wall blocking his line-of-sight for the most part. He could just barely make out James' body, but since it was impossible for him to remove fatigue - only reduce it - he assumed the last kneel was his body catching up to him.

He would be fine after a good night's sleep.

Oddly, Jenna did not offer any comments about the fight. She just stared at James and left.

While thinking that to be strange, he felt a weak hand grab his shoulder. "Mathias... I hate to ask, but..."

James was breathing heavily as sweat covered his forehead. 'Mana Exhaustion? No, there is physical exhaustion here, too; and there... what the hell...?"

He started muttering his thoughts aloud half-way through. He stared at the shield arm. It was part-and-parcel of his fights to have a scorched shield; however, his arms never blistered.

Even the front-half of his left sleeve was burnt off. A uniform that was capable of surviving jets of flames coming from molten rock.

"... Erik, help him down."

"That tone... is it serious?"

Mathias stared at Erik before lowering his head to work. Unlike before where he could get away with cold water, he directly applied an ice-compress around James' arm. He cooled the boy's forehead, throat, and neck with revolving water.

"It'll hurt, but deal with it."

Mathias instructed Erik to hold James' arms up as he took off the training shirt. He did not care about the cuts or bruises there; rather, he focused on applying as much ice to his chest as he could.

Whatever attack she had, the gaseous, wispy fire was dangerous.

The cut on his arm reopened in the fight and chaotic, scorching air went into his bloodstream.

"Is it because it was so much more concentrated than the host's mana, and their natural defences failed?"

He muttered to himself as he laid his hand on James' heart. He was forcing he attention to try to get a glimpse of the blood that entered his heart, while keeping a physical tell of the boy's pulse as a backup.

If the air did not scatter in time, there would be major issues.

There were other injuries on James' body he could have dealt with, but he felt this was the most pressing. He could calm a heart's rhythm if it spasmed, but if it failed? He had no confidence.

In theory, it just takes a minute for blood to circulate around a body. However, he waited five before loosening his concentration on James' heart.

"... He's okay, right?" Mina asked with tears in her eyes. When and how long she was there, he didn't know. He was just fixated on the pallid boy in front. "I-I didn't mean it - I swear! Lina, it's all your fault he's this hurt!"

Mathias raised a hand. "I think that fire bullet got into his bloodstream, bringing air with it. Since it took a while for it to disappear, I've been making sure he didn't have a heart attack. After I deal with the burns, he should be okay."

"Really?! Lina! Apologize to James!"

"I'm sorry for what my sister did to you," Lina said with a bow, apparently unable to break her habit; she did show some concern, to be fair.

"Okay, okay!" Ayla said pacifyingly. "James'll be okay, it seems! Now the story about Erik picking on little Mina is less believable, but we'll have to stick with it! I say we get some food in him, and then we can all sleep it off!"

"... Mathias?" James asked, face shifting into his normal, serious expression.

"Yeah. It's fine to walk. Use your right hand to hold up the ice for a bit. It'll be good for both of them. If it gets too cold, let me know."

"Okay, thank you."

Erik glanced around to see the entire crowd was merged. It was a lot different than he imagined, and he currently did not care much about his long-term ulterior motives, but it was an interesting result.

"I'll help you up, man." Erik offered.

"I got your stuff," Thomas said, taking the sword and shield.

"I'll bring this one for a souvenir for you," Justin said, running to grab the discarded broken shield.

It took quite a bit longer than normal to walk to the dorm, as the students kept pace with Erik who was helping James keep weight off his thigh.

It, too, offered a clear hole. There would be no hiding his actions tonight if Jenna was not already there. At least, the flesh underneath was only reddened.

There was plenty of gossip already going on in the back of the crowd, people talking about the fights, how they were related to Synthy, or whether or not they just felt like they wanted an excuse to stand-out when all the first-years were taking about the Scylla class; be it their training program, use of weapons, betting pools, or the strange (or attractive) characters in the class itself.

Of course, none of this concerned Mathias who dealt with the second-degree status of the burns to a most more reasonable first-degree or below.

"Dinner for forty please!"

Ayla asked politely (if unreasonably) to the two lone cooks at the counter. Their job was essentially to cook something for the few night owls who stayed up late studying, training, or being otherwise busy - not prepare meals for forty students who seemed to be coming back from a party.

"... Do you mind repeating that?"

"Fo... I guess thirty-eight? Whatever, forty dinners, please! And extra servings for everyone, right?"

There was a unanimous nod from everyone involved. Whether they ate dinner already or not, they were trained hard enough to eat twice as much as they normally did. This included the girls who began to prioritize food over social expectations, particularly those who were never involved in martial training before.

The two cooks looked at one another and sighed.

It took an hour to get all the meals out, which in essence was just a heaping of rice, fried vegetables, and a special, in-house sauce the dining hall was famous for, even beyond graduates. It was the only way for it to be done without extensive work like making fresh pasta, preparing salads, cooking enough meat without sacrificing quality, or the like.

At this point, it was roughly midnight.

James would have to deal with the minor cuts and bruises - plenty of bruises, in fact - but the serious injuries were gone. As he was thanking him too much, Mathias gave his seat to a female student who was eyeing James up as she awkwardly called James' name.

She originally just came to bring the tray of food to him, apparently as a peace offering for being in a different class, Satyr, but was soon chatting happily and introducing herself and her friends to James, Thomas, Erik, and others. Mostly James, but the effect was the same. The boys willingly abandoned their unspoken rule of required, set distance between thighs to allow more joiners.

Thomas nodded emotionally to James before introducing himself to the group.

The boys stayed with Mathias and James until he finished treating the wounds out of obligation or guilt. It severely limited their chance to expose themselves to the new people they wanted to meet. Even just being at the table, there was a sense of distance so there were not many that went out of their way to interject themselves into the conversation.

Since he let her keep the tray for herself, he walked to the counter. The line wasn't anything major anyway.

"Hello, you're Mathias, right?" A girl spoke from behind him.

He nodded, turned to the cook who seemed begrudgingly well-versed in passing the tray over at this time of night and thanked him.

"I am. Nice to meet you."

She introduced herself, and insisted he join her table.

Justin and Midori were there, so he assumed they were Satyr, as well. While he talked for a while, their conversation bordered on flattery; it was a bit much for him. They did ask about if he set up the arena system with Erik (he was just involved by proxy), if he set up the betting system (he was just told about it, having no involvement), if he started early weapon training with Erik (he just did not think to drop the spear off in his dorm), or if was the first to clear the rumoured nightmarish training (he was resting in an ice bath so it did not count).

For some reason, even though he rejected most of their false assumptions by telling the truth, they were probing him more.

"So I heard you tamed that Lisanna O'Clair, is that true?" A boy said before being smacked by a girl. She seemed both affronted by his choice of words and also curious.

"No, she's pretty normal."

"Really? I heard she was screaming at you when you two first got here!" The boy pressed on.

"Is it screaming?" He asked himself, but they took it as another false rumour.

"And then you beat Jennifer, right? Where's that weird spear?!"

"... Ah, I'm going to give that to... to... uh, what's her name." He thought hard. "Fara...? Whatever."

"'W-whatever'?!"

"... You are too easily excitable," he told the boy sighingly, inciting a round of laughter from the others, particularly the girls. "Anyways, thanks for reminding me about her anyways. I'm going to see if I can find her."

Since he was already done with his food, he picked it up and walked away. He was not really tired at all, but he figured it was likely time for many to shut it down for the night. He wanted to find her first. If only to ensure he wouldn't have to carry a weird weapon from the dorm to the training field.

He was still sensitive about putting out a bad first impression.

"The Hero of the Hero has arrived!" Ayla shouted happily as he walked to their table. "What can I do for you, oh Hero of Heroes?"

"What are you talking about?"

"New rumours. It's interesting," she said simply while patting the seat beside her. "Did you wanna sit?"

"No, I was wondering if...? Fara, I guess, if she was here. She said something about willing to take that spear off my hands."

"That creepy one? And it looked like she left awhile ago. Just up and walked away."

"She did that to me too. Yeah."

"It's okay though, it's cute!" Ayla laughed brightly before shifting to a content demeanour. "Just give it to Erik, I'm sure he'll just throw it in his collection."

"I don't think even he'd want it in his collection. And you know about that?"

"Yeah, I've known of him for a while. He is a serious weapon nerd despite what he looks like! It's why he keeps bragging about to me about his curved sword - hey, don't you think it's useless? That sword, I mean?"

He thought long and hard over an answer. "Anything can kill, that included. I don't like it, but I understand the theory behind it, I guess? It's more of a means than an end."

"You sound like you know about those swords."

"Yeah, enough. In any case, I'm going to head back."

"Really? So soon? There's a lot of people that want to meet the Hero of the Hero!"

"... Please stop that. And I'm going to take a bath and then read."

"Isn't this like the third time today - no, fourth time?!"

"... Is that weird?" Mathias shrugged and left the gawking Ayla.