14 Distance Between

Amir and his mentor arrived on tie and not a second later. The classes taken by six years were a subject of interest to the prince, but the manner in which his mentor was treated was more so.

The other students clearly held a level of fear for him, but they still showed envy. It reminded Amir of his cousin, Nikolai to a certain extent. Though he would deny, Nikolai very well understood the gap in power between both he and Amir, and as so, found himself secretly jealous and fearful of just what he could do.

If there were any best to understand the potential Amir held, it would be the cousin, constantly challenging him throughout childhood to present day. Even if the boy is a bit dull in the head.

Looking at the schedule his mentor had given him earlier, Amir saw the next class and found himself taking a particular interest.

Practical Magic.

Amir finally had the opportunity to watch his mentor fight. To gauge his strength and see what he has to improve on.

///

'W-what is happening?'

The situation Amir found himself in was much like his one-sided battle against the fifth years the day before. Except, this time he was not on the side of victory. Or any side really.

Amir Egon, crown prince to the Opulent Kingdom, was but a simple observer.

Since leaving the safe stone walls of the castle and coming to Liber Academy Amir Egon had experienced many new things.

He is a world ahead of those in his year in class, however, he had never experienced the subject of life with similarities to his classmates.

He cannot relate to the subjects that they spend so much time discussing, and thus take no interest in socialising. He does not wish to speak of his lack of knowledge in the particular subject, either.

However, with events such as the disastrous one in the principal's office causing unfamiliar emotions upon Amir's person he had become more aware of how much he overestimates himself. How overconfident he is in his power.

He is feeling just how pitiful he is right now as he watches the absolute master that his mentor is slaughter every opponent with a mere flick of the wrist.

'Perhaps his classmates had reason to be so wary.' Amir thought in the privacy of his mind.

As Amir himself had grown to underestimate the bespectacled teenager before this 'fight'.

"That will be all for today, students!" The instructor called, raising the beaten-down students like undead from their graves.

Amir could feel a forceful, unyielding pressure pushing him down as his mentor's eyes moved to him. Yet perhaps out of stubbornness, his body refused to bend. All his opponents had since then been soundly defeated with minimal movement, heading up to their dorms as though there were nothing they could do, as everything was in its natural order. There was little that Amir could do to show protest in the face of such cowardice since it took much for him not to show his nerves.

Apparently pleased that he didn't fidget and instead held his gaze, Amir's month-long mentor turned away. Heading towards the benches for a cup of water, the sun's reflections once again shielding his eyes from view.

///

Lunch was a quiet affair as the two walked up the stairs in the lunch hall. The section above was specialised for only the fifth and sixth years. With magic put in place to allow an optimal resting place.

'The fifth and sixth years work hard, and as lunchtime is a time to refresh and relax with a meal with friends, they should have their own space.' Or so Amir heard from his principal, who was surprisingly jubilant conversation artist once he is more comfortable.

"Hello Miss Helen, Rei." Amir's polite greeting never ceased to irritate the red-head. In the centre of his mind, he could imaging Amir as King, sitting assuredly on his throne, using Rei as his footrest, all the while keeping a polite conversation.

How dismissive and condescending the future king was!

Amir paying no mind to Rei's irritated glances instead took his trey and sat down, waiting for the meal to be examined by his guard.

His mentor was surprising astute with his need for a guard. Most would have dismissed the elvish man and called him arrogant or called him out for weakness.

Instead, his mentor was silent and allowed the man to stay guard outside when in the classroom, much as he had been doing before as Amir was in his own classes.

"How has your student been, Lady Helen?" The mentor of Amir sat directly across Helen, speaking to her with a voice told of old friends, but a polite distance of those newly introduced. A contradiction that can only be due to the character of the two.

"I've told you already, just call me Helen!… *sigh* He's a bit of a wimp, but with a little training, should be able to get the job done."

"That is rather good information, my student is much the same. A strong spirit mine has."

Both mentors carried on polite conversation. Sitting only a table away from their students. Allowing for optimal observation of the interaction between the two.

Rather humorous the two were found to be. The isolated nature of the prince, contracting and levelling out with the loud buoyancy of the red-head brought a marvel of entertained viewers towards the two. No matter how hard Rei had tried to be discrete with his naturally loud voice, he had still brought attention in the unnaturally quiet food hall.