Awakening?

"Eugene come look at this!"

Timber happily drags Eugene in front of the bulletin board after getting out of the practice room as he sees a new announcement from the office about the selection.

"You're amazing Eugene your name is next to the duke's son!"

Eugene stare at the name list and seeing Kaizer's name on the top made him pursed his lips.

Just like in the past, Kaizer a genius and talented student, is shining above and almost all the students around would talk about his status and ability. Even the professors have this preference for Kaizer, not because of the duke's intense favor to his son that made everyone careful but also because of Kaizer's unlimited potential and quick improvement.

A kind of person he will never become.

"I'll be taking the exam tomorrow, I hope I could pass!"

Eugene patted Timber's head.

"You'll pass because I'm your trainer."

Timber laugh, "Yeah!"

Far from them, Eugene failed to see his little brother Eullian who is standing ten meters away with teary eyes when he receives Timber's quick turn of mocking and showing off gaze.

Timber saw Eullian coming to the bulletin board so he dragged Eugene there just to let Eullian witness that no matter how much he [Eullian] complain about him, Eugene will still treat him the best.

Something like a blood-related brother, it's not strong as it seems.

Timber thought that he can replace Eullian's position without trying hard, wouldn't it be also easy to make Eugene live with him so that when people think about Eugene's little brother, he'll be the one who will first come to their mind?

Eullian's little brother's position is his!

If only his mother give birth to Eugene then there is no such thing as wishful thinking!

Hmp. Annoying.

Pouting, Timber touches his stomach.

"Eugene I'm hungry!"

Eugene feels helpless that the little baby today is too lively and he can't keep up with the energy.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Torte!"

"You can't eat sweets, your teeth will be damaged."

"But my stomach wants it!"

"Don't think about it so your stomach won't want it."

Timber's cheeks puff.

"I want it!"

Eugene's expression sank and raise his hand...grab Timber's jaw and pinch it.

"Ouch!" Timber was forced to open his mouth.

He looks at Eugene with teary eyes, feeling wronged.

"Open it wide, I can't see the inside."

"I-It hurts mhmm."

Eugene leans and whispered, "Baby should take care of his health alright? When I said not for today, then the baby won't insist. Because I don't want the baby to hurt his teeth and cry hmm?"

Timber whimpered...

This scene, when seen from afar will create a huge misunderstanding.

Eullian who misunderstands it as his brother kissing Timber widens his eyes in surprise. His body is trembling and he feels like all his strength was sucked away as he slumps onto the ground.

H-His brother actually kissed Timber?!

He couldn't believe it!

His eyes might be betraying him!

How could his brother do that?! Does his brother wish to marry Timber and announce their engagement after the coming-of-age ceremony? No! He doesn't want Timber to enter their house! H-He must tell his mother so his mother could find someone suitable for his brother.

Timber can't do it!

He doesn't like Timber!

And he's sure that his mother would also not allow it!

His mother once told him that being attracted to the same sex is a great sin! People like that won't be forgiven by heaven and would be punished! So he mustn't let his brother like Timber or his brother would suffer from the wrath of god!

H-Hurry, he needs to hurry.

Looking for strength, Eullian push himself to stand and ran away quickly, wanting to go back to his room and talk to Clarence.

——An hour later, Timber hiccups.

"See? There's no need for sweets to solve hunger."

Eugene smiles at Timber, watching him finish a whole meal. This made Timber mad and refuse to talk to Eugene, just sitting there with puff cheeks while hiccupping.

"Still angry?"

"Hic...Hmp!"

"So cute."

Eugene stood up and was about to pinch Timber's face when someone approached and called out his name.

"Shradinza, Professor Dennis is calling you to his office."

It's one of his classmates.

"I'll go."

Ignoring the person he look at Timber and said, "Go back to your dormitory and rest for tomorrow's test."

Timber pouted, "Hmp!"

Though helpless, Eugene just patted Timber's head and walk away.

——Eugene had no idea why he was called but when he reached the office, he senses more than one person's aura inside so it was probably a small meeting that include him.

Eugene: "Professor, It's Shradinza."

"Come in."

Opening the door, Eugene step inside and froze when he saw the people in the office.

"Come here Eugene, sit beside Kaizer, I have something to say about the selection."

Eugene suddenly feels dizzy but in order to act normal, he walks heavily as if he's being pinned by gravity and sat beside Kaizer who has been staring at him since entering the door.

"Professor, is there something?"

"Yes. I'm deciding about leadership."

Looking at his students, Professor Dennis nodded and said, "Our faculty members had a meeting and the warfare selection became the main focus because the selection is also an opportunity for you students who aspire to be a knight to be recruited by one of the four orders."

Looking at Kaizer and Eugene, the professor sighed, "Though seems like everyone here is already destined to join one of the four orders but still for your co-aspiring knight student, I hope you can help them show their ability and be recognized."

Eugene sweats.

Why is Kaizer staring at him?

"Warfare selection is a team competition and I was tasked to assign a commander, and that commander would be tasked to designate their vice commander, officer, and strategist through assigned members---"

Eugene can't focus on what Professor Dennis is saying because Kaizer's penetrating gaze made him too conscious and nervous.

"E-Ehem..."

Professor Dennis let out a fake cough nervously when he saw that Kaizer is barely listening and is just staring at one of his students.

"L-Little duke, can I get your attention for a while?"

Kaizer's expression didn't change and said, "Continue speaking." without removing his gaze from Eugene beside him.

This made Professor Dennis choke.

Even Casimin couldn't help but look at Kaizer confusedly.

Clarence who is present on the other hand just frowns, showing displeasure.

Raisel, the gossip king couldn't help his excitement and said loudly, "Kaizer I know the second Shradinza is beautiful but really, you look so stupid right now th--- ouch!"

Being punched by Casimin, Raisel curls in pain.

"Shut your mouth if you still want your family's tenth generation to live in nobility!" Caisimin whispered with a pointing tone while looking at Raisel with wide eyes, full of warnings.

Thankfully, Kaizer ignores Raisel...or probably his attention is not around other people so Kaizer is unable to hear the bug noise [Raisel's talking].

"Ehem."

Professor Dennis tried to get back his students' attention again.

He let it be, at least Eugene who got the attention of the little duke seemed to not care and just looking at him, eagerly listening. This made Professor Dennis add one point to Eugene's positive changes.

Yet, what everyone didn't know is that Eugene is full of pressure right now that his mind is floating around as he kept overthinking.

I want to leave.

I want to leave.

Please let me leave.

It was only after the meeting ended that he could finally breathe as he immediately stood up and run away.

He doesn't need to listen to Professor Dennis because he already knew who will be the leaders in the warfare. In team 1, Kaizer would be the commander, Raisel would be the vice commander and Casimin will carry the role of both officer and strategist.

Team 2 is under the leadership of Cadmus the twin of Casimin who is strangely talented in swordsmanship and is rumored to be the only Del Viltaria who is born a swordsman and Team 3 is under the leadership of Clarence.

If it's really the same and nothing change as in the past then he'll be in charge of Team 4.

Damn it!

Why is a meeting held this time and Kaizer is even present?

What's going on? In a scenario where Kaizer should rarely appear, he's actually everywhere and is eyeing him?!

"Shradinza!"

"Eugene Shradinza!"

Eugene froze when a hand held his arms and pull him making him crash with that person.

"L-Let go!" pushing Kaizer, he tried to retract his hand.

"I want to have a talk with you."

"I'm busy!"

Eugene's voice is loud causing the people inside Professor Denni's office to hear it. Can't help but feel curious, they step outside the office at look at Kaizer and Eugene probingly. This made Casimin restless as he don't know why Kaizer keep bothering people which is not in line with his [Kaizer] attitude.

Besides, when did Kaizer know the infamous second son of the Shradinza household?

As far as he remembers whenever they happen to talk about Eugene, Kaizer would just scoff and say stupid so what is it now?

Casimin walks near Kaizer and held Kaizer's hand that is holding Eugene's arms.

"Kaizer calms down, there are people watching."

Kaizer's eyes sharpen as his gaze swept those gossiping people including professor Denniss.

"Let go Casimin, I wanted to talk with Eugene alone."

Raisel who loves gossip feels like something is wrong so he let go of his funny side and also sided with Casimin, saying..."Kaizer, if you continue acting like this second Shradinza would really be afraid to talk to you. How about asking the other party without being aggressive? Do you see? You're scaring him."

Kaizer: "I'm calm."

Raisel refuses to believe because there is a storm in Kaizer's eyes, full of whirl unknown emotions. Though he didn't know what happen, he can't let Kaizer alone with Eugene to avoid trouble.

"You can't." Casimin gritted his teeth.

"You suddenly became abnormal again, your aura is unstable."

Eugene got confused, he didn't understand what was going on but as he tried to pull his hand, the ring on his finger slid and fell on the floor.

The moment the sound of the ring hitting the floor resounds in the hallway...

Eugene was immediately overwhelmed by countless red strings floating around and rushing in his direction.

"Ah!"

Suddenly feeling suffocated, Eugene weakens and slumps on the floor while trembling. The moment the fell ring is also the same moment when Kaizer's mana went unstable which rarely happen since five years ago. This made the people around collapse too so no one found that Eugene is acting strange, they just thought that just like them, Eugene was also greatly pressed by heavy pressure coming from Kaizer.

Casimin: "Kaizer!"

Raisel: "Damn it!"

Others: "!!!"

While Eugene is clutching his chest in suffocation as he is continuously being wrapped by a red string, Kaizer is starting to seemingly get hallucinations. Some strange pictures flash in his mind and a voice keeps resounding, shouting Eugene's name with desire. This made Kaizer unable to retract the leaking mana of his body.

So in just a second, the academy's alarm was triggered.

The warning noise made the students stop and stare at the sky blankly, seemingly looking for something while others who started to feel a suffocating aura run away.

Kaizer's eyes started to change and his wobbling body is slowly standing straight.

For a while, Kaizer roam his eyes and fell on Eugene on the floor.

"Eugene."

Eugene had no idea about his surrounding, but as the red string wrapped him, he heard footsteps coming near him and someone's familiar voice calling him.

Kneeling on the floor frozen, Eugene's blank eyes stare at the person standing before him. His eyes blur and two figure seems to be merging.

"K-Kai...zer?"

"Hey..." leaning, Kaizer held Eugene's face...

"Finally...I found you, hahaha." A maniacal laugh resounds in the hallway but it soon stops as Kaizer's eyelids start to slowly drop.

"Ughh, t-this body..."

Looking at Eugene unwillingly, Kaizer's body fell on Eugene weakly while gasping. Eugene weakly watches the red string wrapping both of their figures and moves restlessly.

"S-Shit. You wait f-for me. I-I I-ll soon c-come to you ---."

Kaizer wasn't able to finish his words and as he collapse on Eugen's body, Eugene also collapse and they both lay on the floor unconsciously.

The res strings around glow, and flow towards Casimin, wrapping him before floating back and wrapping Eugene.

If someone is able to see the scene now, they would be surprised.

Because Eugene whose body is wrapped by red strings had its string connected to two people. The unconscious Casimin who in the past planned his execution and Kaizer who in the past has the ability to kill him.

Seems like both who played a significant role in his past life are still playing a huge part in his present time.

[The you who refuses his own fate, shall not find peace and continue to crave.]