“Seems like the Grey Shadow isn’t training today,” said a student with fluffy, cat-like ears. “I kinda miss the earthquakes that come from Training Hall Four, though.”

“Yeah, the tremors are reassuring after you get used to them,” said her friend. “But is the Grey Shadow actually a student? I don’t think any student here has the privilege of not wearing the phrontistery’s uniform, right?”

“Maybe it’s a military officer who has special privileges in the phrontistery, like alumni? Pinnacle Kolya was said to drop by the school incognito every month or two, so…”

“Maybe the Grey Shadow is the Pinnacle? I heard we can sell his signature for ten gold!”

Yeah…no. I don’t do autographs, and I’m definitely not someone with a perpetual shit-eating grin. Gaius, who had overheard their conversation along with Isabelle, rubbed his chin. Exchanging exasperated looks with Isabelle, the latter smiled back at him, before sticking out her tongue.

Gaius rolled his eyes back by way of reply, before breaking eye contact with Isabelle. Their non-verbal conversation now over, Gaius cut out a thin strip of chicken meat from its more gratuitous origin and dipped it in black pepper sauce. Popping it into his mouth, he thought back to the three months that had passed since his awakening.

He had been hard at work in regaining his combat senses and his physical ability, which had deteriorated to an unbelievable extent ever since he had lapsed into that three-year coma. It was one year to him, but nothing could change the fact that his body hadn’t moved at all for three years in reality. Therefore, he had decided to make extensive use of the Phrontistery of Scientific Reasoning, and the new training areas that had been set up over the past four years.

His effort had paid off…in a way. His combat ability hadn’t returned in its entirety yet, and his bodily strength, though absurd when compared to Lords, hadn’t returned to its prime either. No, what had paid off was the little growth spurt he finally experienced two months into training.

Gaius was now officially only half a head shorter than Isabelle, which also put him as half a head taller than Nakama. The shame of being as small as his little sister was finally put on ice, but it would seem that Nakama was going to grow up as a really tall adult in the end.

Foisting a bundle of noodles that was previously drowning in a dip of savoury gravy into his mouth, he chewed on the springy bunch steadily, and then looked at the empty seats that he’d intended on reserving for Nakama, who had turned into a training fanatic three or so years ago. For the past year, she had been training regularly against a Knight-ranked automated sparring partner.

He sighed.

“Something wrong?” Isabelle asked.

“No, I’m just thinking about Nakama. She’s training against a Knight, after all.”

“That’s the fifty-second time you mentioned that, and it’s barely three months,” Isabelle replied. “You should really learn to believe in her.”

“The heart still can’t help but feel worried,” Gaius replied.

“Your heart is indeed rather mysterious,” Isabelle noted, her eyes twinkling. “You haven’t given my accounting yet. I’m still waiting.”

“Yeah, about that. Um.” Gaius looked down on his plate and took a deep breath. “Friday night. Just the two of us. I’ll tell you everything then.”

“That’s probably the most unromantic way of asking someone to a date,” Isabelle said, “but sure. What about Nakama?”

“She’s going out with her friends,” Gaius replied. “She apparently hit it off with the child geniuses that joined this year. Still, twelve-year-old child geniuses don’t seem anything particularly fancy when I compare them to Nakama…”

Isabelle reached out and rapped his head lightly. “I think I’ve said this before, but you two are aberrations in the history of children’s education. Don’t go making normal people like me feel bad.”

“Why are you pulling me into this?” Gaius replied, rubbing the spot where Isabelle rapped with her knuckles. “I’m different to begin with.”

“True. After all, I don’t think the elderly of Earth spend thirty minutes in front of a mirror and pose while flexing their muscles?” Isabelle asked. “I’m quite sure that’s something teenagers around our age do when feeling particularly narcissistic.”

Gaius placed his fork and knife down, before wondering if the school would bill him if he was to dig a hole and bury himself in it. His warm face, however, reminded him that whether he buried himself a hole or not was irrelevant to the fact that Isabelle had saw him flexing in front of a mirror.

And if he didn’t get it wrong, it was probably while he was half-naked too.

“I was, uh, checking on whether I had regained my physical ability,” Gaius fibbed.

“Right. Understandable.” Isabelle nodded. “I see.”

“You’re patronising me, right? Right?”

“Sheesh, you’re hard to please.”

Letting out another sigh, Gaius turned to his plate and picked up his utensils. “Do me a favour and forget that memory. Or at least don’t mention it in front of them two.”

“I’ll try,” Isabelle replied, a sunny smile on her face. “Don’t place too much hope on my efforts, though!”

Gaius muttered some choice words, before moving to polish off the rest of his food. It didn’t take long before the two was done, and within moments, they were off to their usual haunt — Training Room Four. It was the most advanced training area, apparently used by the teachers of the phrontistery to show off — ahem, display — their skills to a crowd of adoring students.

However, since the automated sparring partner there had the speed, reflexes and strength of a Paragon, none of the teachers save for the headmaster had succeeded in showing off to the students before, or so Gaius heard. These properties, however, made it a place uniquely suited for him.

“Go check up on Nakama,” Gaius said.

“Okay. You’re going to train now, right?” Isabelle asked. “Still, I must question the wisdom of training after lunch.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t throw up.”

“Of course, you won’t. I’m just worried that you might break the sparring partner by accident.”

“Is that your impression of me?”

Isabelle laughed, a tinkling sound pleasant to his ears, and then scooted off in the direction of Training Room Two, where Nakama was training with a Knight-ranked enemy. Gaius watched her departing figure, and then headed towards his own destination.