Chapter 104 - Making Friends

Nerun had a good impression of the boy with the bushy brows. After all, he had not only taken a stand against Solda but also defended his father when the grimy-looking boy tried to slander him. Therefore Nerun actually wanted to make his acquaintance, and this looked like the perfect opportunity.

"Hey there. My name is Nerun, it's a pleasure to meet you," said Nerun while offering a handshake with a friendly tone in his voice.

The boy looked back at Nerun, and while he was more agreeable than Solda, and did not look at him pompously or proudly, he was still a bit reserved when treating Nerun. That being said, he took Nerun's hand and shook it with strength.

"The name's Karles. Karles Dai Santana, it's good to meet you as well." The boy let Nerun's hand off while checking Nerun up. Nerun actually got a bit shy when he noticed the other boy's eyes and answered while taking a step back.

"Eh... I don't swing that way, sorry," said Nerun with some blush on his face. Since Nerun's looks were quite delicate, and his appearance was quite shy at the moment, Karles was taken aback by the comment and started stuttering when he noticed the meaning in Nerun's wording. "Wh, what are you talking about, I do not..."

"Hahahahaha..." started laughing Nerun and the girl at the same time, while the latter was bending on her stomach from all the laughter, which actually made Karles a bit flustered. "He is just teasing you Karles. You seem to be quite a funny little man, aren't you? I'm Reina, Reina Dai Aitana. It's a pleasure, even though you do seem to be a bit of a troublemaker," said the girl with a teasing look on her face, which made him a bit embarrassed, and raised his hand to scratch his head.

"Let's walk to the cafeteria while talking, otherwise all the good food will be gone when we get there, I'm famish," said Reina. Karles took the chance to make a jab back at Reina, "Be careful that you don't eat too much, aren't you worried that you'll get fat?"

"If you keep talking smack like that, you'll never have a girlfriend, you know that, don't you, Karles Dai Santana? You are not that good-looking yourself, if you don't learn how to talk to a lady, your only companion in the lonely nights will be your right hand. I prefer pretty boys like Nerun more, he is quite easy on the eyes. I'm sure that even if he never makes it as a warrior, he can be a sugar daddy in the future. I could use a pretty boy, I'm quite talented you know, I'd make sure that you never lack anything" The tone in her voice was a bit icy and then flirty, and Nerun and Karles actually got together while looking a bit pale, and looked at each other while making a silent promise not to give Reina any chance to have a go with her tongue. Nerun had rarely met anyone who had such a sharp tongue as Reina, and it was actually quite refreshing since her look made her appear as a dainty little girl who could not kill a fly.

Especially since he did not notice any malice in her tone and was sure that she was only making fun of them. He was also thankful since this apparently awkward moment helped them break the ice and they started talking joyfully with each other.

"Are you really the brother of General Elijah? He is so dreamy, such a handsome and powerful-looking man. Try not to take Solda's words to heart, he is just a rabid dog for the Morena and Alaria Family. I heard that you guys had a confrontation with them, so he is just trying to ingratiate himself with his masters by trying to push you around," said Reina lightly.

"It's ok. I have no fear of him whatsoever. I know that many are talking behind me and my brother's back, but it matters little to him and me. The truth will be known sooner or later, so I could care less about the opinion of others, I have much better things to occupy my time with," said Nerun nonchalantly, and both Karles and Reina noticed that Nerun seemed sincere, and not simply making up a front. They quickly thought that perhaps there was much more than met the eye with Nerun, and they started to develop a good feeling about him, after all, Nerun was quite friendly and frank.

"Elijah is indeed my brother, but we are just foster siblings since we were raised together in an orphanage back in Radem. However we are closer than blood brothers," said Nerun proudly, and his tone made it clear that these were his true feelings, and not something that he took for granted, nor did he say it in a way that made it seem that he was trying to take advantage of his brother's position in the Army and the Kingdom. Nerun was clear that Elijah had gotten to his position with his own blood and effort, however, he had also been made protegè of former Dragon General Elizabeth, and not using his brother's har gained influence was simply stupid and true pride. On the contrary, he would make sure to use his brother's clout to his advantage and even make him outstand even more.

After all, he and Elijah's objective was not only to make a name out for themselves, or simply live comfortably. No, their objective was way beyond that, to clean their father's name, to make Maikal able to appear out in the open proudly, as well as find out the truth about Nerun's parents' death and even avenge it. Therefore they needed to use anything they could to their advantage since time was not on their side. It had been a long time since they last heard from Maikal and they were deeply worried about him. However, they also knew that they could also not rush into things.

"Well said! Spoken like a true man, that's what oughta be done. I hope you not only talk the talk but can also walk the walk," said Karles while patting Nerun on the shoulder. He looked to be quite frank and honest which was something Nerun liked a lot.

"True that. This oaf here may not look like much, but his family is quite powerful, just beneath the 5 Great Families. He also does not have too bad of a character, which is the reason I deign to walk by his side."

When Reina said that, Karles almost vomited blood, and looked furiously at her, however quickly looked the other way when he noticed the supercilious look in Reina's eyes. He simply did not know how to handle her. He was actually quite brave and well-spoken and was even looked up to by many of his peers, but it was this small and frail-looking girl that always managed to ruffle his feathers and leave him speechless. They had been acquaintances since they were small children, and their families had a very close bond, so it's not like he could just lash at her, no matter how much she infuriated him. Besides, he knew deep down, that he could trust her with his life if needed. After all, if her tongue was sharp when talking to him, it was even sharper and more venomous when talking to their rivals.

Nerun noticed that while they bickered with each other, their relationship was quite close, and this made him think of his relationship with the fatty back in Radem. He could not help but wonder what Sylvester would be up to. 'Damn fatso, where are you right now. Did you make it to the frontier safe and sound? Where are sister Maya and the rest as well?' thought Nerun to himself while losing track of his whereabouts for a moment.

___

"Achoo... Who is calling me fatso?" yelled a burly-looking teen, that looked like a walking warthog dressed in a mix of metal and leather armor with a big axe tied to his back.

"Everyone calls you fatso, so what's the issue, Sylvester? You are looking quite clean today, are you visiting Miss Rosa in the tavern later?" said another man dressed as a soldier while laughing out loud, with many other soldiers laughing as well, which caused a blush to appear on the fatty's face.

Sylvester quickly composed himself and made a serious-looking face, as if he was angry, and started chasing his fellow soldiers around while bantering with one another.

___

The two boys and girl quickly arrived at the cafeteria and looked at what was being offered while talking and laughing together. Many of the other students kept staring at Nerun, many of them whispering among each other, and even pointing fingers at him without the slightest qualm. Nerun paid no heed to the rabble, but even though Karles and Reina looked fearless, even they thought that the situation was quite daunting, and even faltered for a moment, something that did not escape the eyes of many of the other students present.

Nerun watched them silently while pondering to himself. He was well aware of the nasty rumors that were flying around since his brother had let him know previously so Nerun could be prepared in advance. After all, this was but one of the many tests that the brothers would face on their path toward reaching the apex in the Kingdom of Ansem, and they would not cower nor fluster. That being said, Nerun was not willing in making things difficult for his new schoolmates, so, he said: "It's ok up to here guys. I'll go and ask for lunch myself and look for a place to seat. Ah... sometimes it's so difficult being this good-looking. Please no autographs, I'm just taking lunch," said Nerun while talking to the people in the cafeteria candidly.

Nerun's voice was not loud, nor was there any reproach or coldness in it, however, it would be a lie to say that Nerun was not a bit disappointed. Nevertheless, he was accustomed to the ways of the world, like when the family he had helped save and protect on his way to Syracuse had left him behind. Nerun wasn't petty about their prior treatment, nor did this fact change his way of doing things. He had understood from a young age that only very few people were truly trustworthy, and those that were willing to go through thick and thin with you were valuable without measure. That was the reason he was so protective of Sylvester, Elijah, and the rest of his brothers and sisters from the Orphanage. Not to mention Evelyn, that little minx.

But, much to Nerun's surprise, Reina took a good look at him and suddenly yelled: "Who do you take us for? Do you think we are a pair of sissies that can't take some pressure? Look here, all of you bunch of busybodies, take a good look at Nerun, brother to the Dragon General Elijah No Rademia. Now if you already formed your stupid opinion, keep it to yourself and go worry about your own business. Let's eat!". Reina then crossed her arms and walked towards the tables where the food was served and took three platters and started taking food.

Nerun was flabbergasted by Reina's forceful speech. He was actually thinking of taking a low profile, at least on his first day, but after listening to Reina and looking at Karles who simply seemed to shrug his shoulders as if he was already used to it, Nerund decided to change his approach as well. He could not care less about the thoughts of anybody else, and if people were unhappy with his presence in the Lyceum, they could very well shove it. After all, he could not grovel at anyone's feet, nor throw his brother's face in the academy. He was representing not only himself but his brother's name, and the name of both Maikal and his father.

The menu in the cafeteria was quite lavish and filled with many dishes that Nerun had never seen before. Golden Duck breast from the Rhodnian prairie, Wild Horned Elephant from the Barbarian lands, braised Crystal Cucumber from the Brindisia Archipelago, and many more succulent dishes were presented before Nerun. One of the many perks of being part of the Lyceum was the food the students were presented with, which consisted of many spirit animals, fruits, and treasures that help make the foundation of the students even sturdier. Nerun's eyes were shining stars when he looked at the food, and a small drop of saliva actually dropped from the corner of his mouth. He could very well pounce at the food but barely managed to contain himself.

"¿Can I eat anything from here?" asked Nerun with a small perceptible tremor in his voice.

"Not all things." answered a kind-looking old lady in front of the serving tables. "You are new here, aren't you, this is normally explained on the first day. As you can see, there are three tables with dishes in front of you. The first table on your right has meals made from spiritual plants and magical beasts up to level two. You are free to take anything you want from that table, one portion per meal, by paying some gold.

The table in the center has several dishes that have been made by Alchemy Chefs, and have ingredients that go all the way up to level 5 magical beasts, very difficult to catch, and very rare as well. Their nutritional value is off the charts and is the very best food we can offer to the Inner Ranking Students. They can allow students to confidently pass their bottlenecks, and help them cultivate several techniques even. However it can not be simply bought with money, it needs not only that but contribution points from the school. However, Core Students can come and take one portion per meal free of charge everyday.

The third table is very special, and as you can see it's currently empty. Only on very special occasions will there be food served there. So, you can find out about that the next time it happens."

Nerun was taking notice of everything the lady said and smiled back at her while thanking her for the explanation and going towards the table for Inner Class Students. Some of the students nearby snickered while saying "Country bumpkin" in a not-subtle way. However, Nerun then thought of something Elijah had told him, and he could not help but open his eyes widely and stared back at the center table. 'Wait a minute! Contribution points. Contribution points. Can there be such a good deal?'.