Focus

After freeing his hand from Timothy's presumed sister's, William asked, "Shall we introduce ourselves? My name is William Altaurus Oirthear, but you can call me Will. You haven't officially pledged your fealty, so there's no need for honorifics such as Lord or Master."

"It's nice to meet you, Will! My name's Dorothy, but my brother and Ohta both call me Dori!" exclaimed the starry-eyed brunette, hands clenched in fists and held up to her chin as she beamed from ear to ear.

"Yo. Sup, dude..." said the chibi Demonette, raising her right hand in an overly casual manner, but the bead of sweat rolling down her cheek made it clear she was nervous. She also spoke in a forcefully deep tone, making William wonder if she was in a similar situation to Theodore, whose actual name was Theodora.

"I'm guessing you're Ohta?" asked Will.

"Isn't that obvious? I mean, who else would I be...?" asked Ohta.

"Ohta! Don't be rude...!" exclaimed Dori, worried her friend might cause Will to change his mind about recruiting them.

"It's fine," said Will, adopting a relaxed smile as he asked, "So, what are the three of you proficient at? Tim is very clearly on the Martial Path. But what about the two of you?"

"Actually...we're all on the Martial Path..." revealed Tim, his smile cramping as he added, "But equipment is expensive..."

"Do you take turns using a sword and buckler, or are there other weapons you prefer...?" asked Will, directing the question to the two girls.

"I used to use a spear, but the handle cracked. Now I use the tip like a knife," replied Dori, pulling out a worn steel spearhead with cloth wrapped around the neck.

"And I most punch and kick things," appended Ohta, crossing her arms and adopting a defiant look as she appended, "Don't think I'm weak just because I'm small..."

"I don't judge people on appearances unless they're fat and slovenly," stated Will, punctuating his words by removing a spear from the bangle on his wrist.

"Here," said Will, handing the spear to a briefly surprised and then very excited Dori.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you~!" exclaimed Dori, hugging the spear and rubbing her cheek against it as if it were a precious treasure.

"And these should suffice for you," said Will, pulling out a pair of what looked like tennis shoes but had metal soles. More importantly, they were enchanted with Magic that adjusted their size to fit almost any wearer.

Staring at the undoubtedly expensive footwear Will was proferring, Ohta maintained her cross-armed posture as she asked, "What's the catch...?" with a skeptical look adorning her face.

"The catch is that I expect you to train hard and become strong," replied Will. "Once you do, I will naturally recoup any losses."

"And what if we fail to meet your expectations...?" asked Ohta, narrowing her eyes.

"The only way that's possible is if you give up on yourselves," contended Will. "After all, I'm not asking anything of you but loyalty. Not necessarily to me, but the ideals embodied by the Oirthear Constellation..."

"Fine, then...whatever..." muttered Ohta, snorting through her nose but accepting the shoes. Then, as she, Dori, and Tim had yet to receive their uniforms, she took a moment to wipe the grime from her bare feet before trying to put them on.

"Here, put these on first," said Will, tossing a pair of socks into the chibi's face before meeting Tim's expression, smiling as he asked, "What's with the glum look? If you want a new sword and shield, all you have to do is ask."

Pulling a basilard and buckler with a conscpicuous Gryphon theme, Will  handed them to the conflicted-looking youth, adding, "The same applies to any other equipment you might need. I can't supply you anything too expensive, but mass-produced goods like this are no problem."

Hearing Will refer to the ornate, exceptionally well-made sword and shield as 'mass-produced goods,' Tim's expression became introspective as he couldn't help thinking, 'There are people who would kill to obtain a loaf of stale bread, and yet he just hands out equipment worth tens of thousands of Crowns without batting an eye...'

Reading Tim like an open book, Will's expression became serious as he stated, "Comparison is the thief of joy, and resentment is a poison that consumes the mind. I don't know what you and your friends experienced to reach this point, but when you start broadly blaming a group of people rather than those directly responsible for your misery, it's easy to become a monster yourself..."

"Right..." muttered Tim, accepting the matching sword and shield. There were still doubts in his eyes, but he knew that if he wanted to achieve his goals and protect the things he cherished, it was better to have powerful allies than enemies...

...

..

.

With a fair amount of time to kill before their group's turn to participate in the practical exam, Will used it to get to know Tim, Dori, and Ohta better. Tim and Dori, unsurprisingly, grew up in the same orphanage in a riverside town called Aonach. As for Ohta, 'he' was a bit of an enigma, having only recently joined the two siblings a few months prior. He claimed to have no memories before meeting them, and as far as Will could tell, it wasn't a lie so much as someone had erased or, more likely, sealed his memories.

Though he was tempted to ask why Ohta was pretending to be a boy, Will questioned, "So, what are your plans after graduation? You may be able to find your family or encounter someone who recognizes you if you journey far enough East."

Furrowing his brows, Ohta asked, "If my parents or family came from the Demon Empire, how did I end up abandoned and nearly starving to death in a forest in Thuaidh? The closest Demon settlement is like ten thousand kilometers away..."

"Who knows?" asked Will. "But the fertility rate of most Demons is pretty low. It's difficult to imagine you were abandoned outright."

"It doesn't matter how simple or complex my situation is..." asserted Ohta, sporting an annoyed, pouty expression as he muttered, "I was left to fend for myself in a forest of monsters. No one came for me, and when I finally found my way out and tried asking for help, most people chased me away like I was a wild animal or monster..."

"That's when we found him," appended Dori, beaming despite revealing, "He attempted to rob us outside the city he was living near. But when he realized our situation wasn't much better, he gave up and told us to scram back to our mommy."

"Oof..."

"Hey, don't look at me like that...!" exclaimed Ohta, a faint red hue coloring their cheeks in response to Will's pitying look.

Following a lighthearted chuckle, Tim explained, "And that's around the time we asked if he would like to join us. We've been friends and traveling companions ever since."

"We're not friends..." grumbled Ohta, averting his eyes and sulking as he appended, "I just felt sorry for you since you're so weak..."

"Well...I can't deny that you're stronger than me..." conceded Tim, rubbing the back of his head. It was a sore spot for him, but before telling them to scram, Ohta had beaten him rather handily in a fight. In the seven months that followed, he hadn't landed so much as a grazing blow against the tiny but frustratingly swift Demon...

Heralding an end to the discussion, a tall, bespectacled woman with gaunt features, flowing purple robes, and ashen-grey hair fixed into a tight bun entered the waiting room, accompanied by several others in similar attire.

"Prospective students, gather 'round. I am Professor Deidre Croft, Vice-Chancellor of the Oirthear Commons. I will be explaining the rules of this year's practical examination."

"It's show time," said Will, bouncing to his feet and taking the initiative to lead his newly formed group to the Professor's.

Noticing Will's approach, Professor Deidre adopted a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she remarked, "I see we have a member of one the school's founding families in our midst. But don't think that will afford you special treatment, young man."

"That's a curious thing to say," mused Will, keeping with his bad boy act by remarking, "If my family didn't believe in setting an example for others to follow, I could have skipped the entrance exam entirely. You know, like the other legacy and scholarship students."

"Indeed..." muttered Professor Deidre, narrowing her distinctive purple eyes. Then, instead of continuing the conversation, she waited for the rest of the applicants to make their way over before explaining, "As you know, our Academy only accepts one hundred new students at the start of each six-month term. Those who fail today can retake the exam up to six times, but since we prioritize those who succeed in their first try, I advise you to give it your all to avoid having regrets..."

With Professor Deidre turning and nodding, a handsome fellow with long blonde hair, emerald green eyes, and the distinctive ears of an Elf stepped forward to state, "Listen closely, as I will only be explaining this once. The themes of this year's practical are Elemental Tribulations, Exploration, and Survival. Shortly after your test group enters the arena, you will be sent to an Artificial Dungeon called the Labyrinth of Corridors. The exam will end when someone reaches the Labyrinth's center and defeats its Guardian or the total number of applicants has been reduced to twenty."

"Wait...does that mean there's a chance we'll be killed...?" asked one of the applicants, a bespectacled girl with large, circular glasses and purple hair fixed into thick braids that framed her face and head.

Narrowing his eyes in moderate contempt, the Elf explained, "The space within the Labyrinth of Corridors is entirely digitalized. Even if you are to perish, you will simply be transported outside. Now, then, would anyone else like to embarrass themselves by asking a foolish question?"

Seeing Will raise his hand, the Elf's right eye twitched as he asked, "Yes, Master William? Is there something you would like to ask?"

"That's usually what raising a hand implies," replied Will, grinning cheekily as he added, "As for my question, I just wanted to know if you were a bit ambitious when you chose your butt plug this morning. Because you seem to be a little...sore."

Though the robed Elf didn't appreciate Will's words, he managed to elicit a few chuckles from the other applicants. Ohta, in particular, nearly did a spit take but managed to cover his mouth with both hands.

Fortunately for the Elf, who was moments away from lambasting Will for being just as foul as his Master, Professor Deidre interjected to state, "If there are no other questions, we will now make our way to the arena. And I would advise you not to wander or tarry. If you are not present when the transportation array is activated, you will be disqualified on the spot."

Following her words, Professor Deidre waited several seconds to see if anyone had any further questions before nodding and saying, "Well, then, come along," as she turned to lead the way. Will's group was one of the closest to the entrance, but instead of immediately following her, he had Tim, Dori, and Ohta hang back. After all, if he wasn't present at the arena, there was no way they would start the exam. That gave anyone who was currently in the bathroom or needed time to steel themselves a chance to catch up or calm their nerves...

...

..

.