I stood and looked at her from above as she was struggling to breath. Even from this angle, I can see her chest inflate and deflate in an erratic timing. Not too small and not too large, just perfect. Oh wait, that’s not the problem right now. Right now, I was having a struggle with this person who refused to even give me the courtesy of acknowledging my existence. Sure, I mean it’s okay if we had known each other then she would has valid reasons to hate me but we never actually interacted before so I can assumed that it’s hate stemming from ignorance and indifference. I squatted down. “On the front or at the back?” …… What I meant was would she like to be piggybacked or be carried in on the front. There’s no sexual innuendo here. Now the reason why I’m doing this was that at any moment right now, if I leave her off, she’ll probably would fainted right here. The least I could do was to carry her back into her Fhagec. Even though I was treated like the undiscoverable tachyon. …… This silence is quite damning. Without waiting for her centuries-to-come answer, I put my arms around her and carried her from the front. How light. She tried to struggle but her ‘struggle’ was more or less a petty squirming. And she was looking away from me. “Where’s your Fhagec?” Even without looking, she was pointing at one of the Fhagec that was at lane C, just after where the lane leading my Fhagec was. It was the first Fhagec in the row. She did this all without looking at me. She wants and at the same time do not want me to help her. I started to walk while her squirming was intensifying. Feeling quite annoyed, I then stopped and prepared a little threat with a firm tone. “Look, if you don’t stop squirming, I will drop you right here, right now, on this spot and just leave you there.” The squirming stopped. Good girl. It took me four minutes to reach the Fhagec because even though she was light, I had gone through three physical activities that had stretched the limit of a normal and a non-athletic mid-something guy. The first minute was fine but gradually my arms muscles was gradually numbing and I felt that I would accidentally drop her at any given moment. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. As I struggled with my already-numbed arms, I had brought this silent princess back to her abode. “Is anyone in there?” “…” “Can I just leave you here?” “…” …… You know what, kindness and gentlemanly attitude is overrated. I think I should just reserve them when I had been given the proper response. Respect is not a one way street after all. I unceremoniously dropped her to the ground as I was fed up. She fell with a thump and her face was dyed in pained expression. Still her eyes was looking at anywhere but me. I walk away without even giving a second glance. Also, the entire time I was carrying her, I was still holding the packed food on my left hand. Between carrying her and holding the food, I had prioritized the former as not to drop, so the latter had nearly dropped several times. Today, I had learned a lesson: A hot, piping dish should always be the first priority. A lesson well learned. …… Yet, I am compelled to a rather strange morality that had permeated my entire being as long as I remembered. And I allowed this strange morality to dictate my conscience thus I felt that I was an immoral hypocrite. Perhaps it was something that even the memory erasure couldn’t wipe out from my being, a morality that was born from my childhood. As I was standing still struggling with this morality, I remembered that morning of our first day here and the lavish banquet that was presented, of when I was starving. Perhaps, as an instinct drive, this strange morality had a support born out of empathy towards the memory of hunger at that time. I sighed deeply. I turned around towards the girl but I was giving her the same treatment she gave me. I squatted down and placed the food lunchbox beside her without saying a word. I then truly walk away without giving a second glance. Perhaps it was just my wishful thinking of an imagination but I think I felt that she was gazing at my back and maybe, just maybe that in the most smallest muttering and the lowest of noises I think I have heard that she was letting out. It was something like- “Thank you…” -- “You’re late.” August, the host of the meeting upon opening the door, greeted me with that. “… Sorry, I was being a Good Samaritan but as I was committing the good deed, I was way-laid by doubts, questioning the perks of being a Good Samaritan as I realized that most good deeds would go unnoticed or worse, they repaid it back with a bad one. I really learn a lot today.” “… I have no idea what had happen but good for you.” August was nodding quizzically as he said that. I arrived last as everyone was already seated and started conversations. I sat beside Vefal and she warmly received me. She looked at me with a worried expression. “What’s the matter? You looked dissatisfied and unwell.” “I just did something equivalent of pushing a flat-battery car to a gas-station that was about twenty kilometres away.” “Flat-battery car? Gas station?” Vefal cocked her head cutely. Oh right, that were bad references of utterly incomprehensible nature to someone like her. “N-never mind. I am tired though.” This whole day, I was moving my body constantly and it has certainly taken its toll on me. As a ten year old would have said, I am pooped. I had realized that unconsciously, i was sitting on Akujin or August chair and my head was on the table with my arms had spread on it. From the corner of my blinking eyes, everyone that was sitting on the floor at the centre of the Fhagec was looking at me worryingly. “Maybe, we should rest for tonight…” “I agree. We have tomorrow and the day after that.” Although my eyes had closed shut, I could hear someone was getting up. It was probably Erganisu. He’ll probably gonna carry me bac- -- I woke up and opened my eyes abruptly. It was dark and I’m on my bed. There was that pungent yet tantalizing smell… Due to the intensive physical activities that I had allowed myself to suffer last night, I couldn’t even move my fingers. I guess its fine; the view of the ceiling or rather, the branches up above gave a lot reason for to examine this world. …… Nobody in the group had asked this but I wonder what kind of calendar system Eoum is using. Maybe I should ask Keh Tauzad in the next class about how many months are there in a year, how many weeks are there in a month, how days are there in a week and how many hours are there in a day. If it’s just like the Gregorian calendar, then there wouldn’t be any problem in adapting. Also, I wonder what is outside of this place. From what I gathered and speculate, the place where we live in is one of the compounds of the central government and the fact there is a wall means that it’s at the edge and there is a settlement outside. The places where we were summoned and the Inheritor hall was probably near too. But we have to use the portals to move around probably because the portals are one of the safety measures as only the guards could only activate the portals. Does this mean if I move far enough, I could stumble upon the other place or will there be hindrance? I’m not that keen to find out though but I’ll will at some point. Also, so far, I have only seen tropical-like flora and fauna. Are we somewhere near the equator of this planet? If that was the case, then it’s not warm enough because I lived in a country near the equator but the country name was amongst the lost memories. After an hour or so, I turned on the light and tried to move my body. A little rigid but I think I can manage. Erganisu was still sleeping soundly and his window was visible. ??? There’s an envelope on my table.

With a strained effort, I took a seat and took the envelope.

(Greeting Sir Ruigne, Sir Gavrau had notified the Inheritors of your problem. After much discussion, Madam Tiphaniae had requested for a breakfast meeting with you after the morning training.)

It was a very short and informal sort of a letter. So I am to meet with Aeriasus angelic-like sister?

I have to look my best today.

Due to this, my muscles and bone regeneration had drastically increases and I was able to ignore and shut the straining voice that was screaming in pain inside my mind.

I decided to do a push up even though I had imagined hearing the very sound of my muscles being torn again but it would regenerate much faster than it being torn. I’m sure of that.

……

The first thing that happens was that I fell on the floor with my face.

Okay that was a bad idea. Perhaps I need to keep my testosterone in check. I guess it is true that the prospect of meeting a beautiful woman would induce men into a state of stupidity where they would take actions that defies logic and common senses, lacking any hindsight.

What had spurs me to do something this spontaneous was something this silly?

The sound of my face hitting floor was apparently loud as Erganisu had woken up.

“… Are you alright?”

“… I like how cold the floor is. I think it’s much better than sleeping on the bed. It is kind hot sometimes during the night, so I sometimes sleep on the floor.”

I said such silly thing to hide my embarrassment but this level of playing it cool is pointless in front of the perceptive Erganisu.

He got off from his bed without saying anything else because he realized at this point, I was just denying that I had actually fell face first.

He’s such a cool bro.