Chapter 6

Atlas nearly jumped out of his bed in shock, the moment he opened his eyes he recalled everything about the World Tree, Players and the corruption that seemed to have consumed the World Tree's mind from how ghastly it's face was and the last words it said to him.

'It can't control me? What does that mean and if it didn't bring me there to that space then who did.' Atlas thought while panting, the recent events were to shocking for him to process. He interrupted himself when he heard light footsteps coming from outside the door.

A second later, Axelle burst into the door still clad in her nightgown.

"Alyaaaa! Time for breakfast!" She yelled then paused and stared at Atlas, her face slowly turned red and she hid behind the door.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Alya muttered before standing up. "Atlass, good morning." She said while yawning sleepily. She held his hand and dragged him away from the room following Axelle who was still red in the face. After a few minutes of walking in which Atlas had no time to sort out his thoughts due to Alya dragging him on the floor like a sack. He idly wondered why that endless hallway illusion didn't affect them and came to the conclusion that it was because of the presence of Axelle. After walking for a short time where they passed the hall Atlas was in last night, they came across a courtyard where two men were standing shirtless showing off their bare muscles with wooden swords in hand.

Duke Roswald, was one of the two and the other who shared his crimson hair, Atlas could only assume to be his son— Axel.

Without warning Axel pounced on his father in wide overhead strike, the Duke easily parried the strike. He struck Axel who was still mid air in the stomach sending the younger man straight to the ground, he got up almost immediately and dashed towards the Duke aiming for a low slash. The Duke just as easily blocked his strike before hitting him straight on the head sending him into the ground.

"Father, couldn't you go easy on me." Axel whined as he pulled his head out from the head shaped dent on the floor.

"Your opponent won't go easy on you in the battlefield!" The Duke said sternly.

"Father! Time for breakfast!" Axelle shouted at the two men.

Beside her, Alya pinched the drooling Atlas.

"You look like a pervert." She said with a deadpan look on her face.

"Hush!" Atlas wiped the drool on his face stealthily with red ears.

"Let's gooo! I'm hungry!" Axelle whined taking their hands and dragging them off— probably to the dining room.

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Atlas stared at the mountain of food on the long table in front of him in shock, everyone else had long started eating immediately after the Duke took the first bite, including Alya. He slowly reached out his fork tentatively towards the generous meat spread across his plate wondering if it would turn into smoke and he would realize that it was all a dream. He smiled ruefully— at least if it was a dream then he wouldn't have to worry about his sister who was a fallen angel who could possibly kill him and the weird blue screens that kept appearing that only he could see. He cut a piece of the meat and bit into it. He sighed in content and carefully ate it with silent happy bites. To his side, Alya was shovelling food into her mouth in an undignified manner, to her side Axelle was doing the same.

The Duke suddenly said. " Alya, your brother has accepted my offer and will attend the Academy with you. Atlas and Axel, you guys should get acquainted with each other since you will be mostly be together at the Academy."

"Sure Father! My name is Axel Roswald! Heir to the Roswald Duchy! Pleasure to meet you." Axel said loudly.

"I'm Atlas, it's a pleasure to meet you too." Atlas had been avoiding looking at Axel because his brain would always go back to the scene of Axel shirtless....

An awkward silence descended on the room as they ate, Atlas couldn't formulate any words because he kept thinking about Axel shirtless and Axel was wholeheartedly focused on eating. After the meal ended and the servants had put the dishes away, Duke Roswald coughed to get their attention.

"Atlas and Alya, you will have to attend lessons with my children. The Academy's entrance examination will start in a month, you will have to learn basic knowledge and you will also learn how to wield magic." He said with no room for protest.

"Yes sir!" Atlas and Alya said simultaneously nodding their heads.

After a hot bath, Atlas dressed in the luxurious clothes he found placed on his bed after he finished bathing looked like a completely different person. He resembled a Noble's son.

He shook his head and went out of his room and went to look for the room where they were to have their lessons. Earlier, the Duke had cast a weird spell that prevented them from falling into the illusion spell placed on the mansion. After asking a maid for directions, he arrived at the lesson room. Alya was there standing in front of the door with an unsure look on her face. Atlas bumped his shoulder with hers desperately trying to forget that she was a Fallen Angel capable of obliterating him.

"What's wrong?" He asked flashing a worried grin.

"I don't think that I can handle, when I'm playing with Axelle I can forget that she's a Noble's daughter and just think of her as a normal girl who has fun with me. But this place...." She shook her head. "It's too grand for me."

"And what's stopping you from continuing to act like that. Axelle seems to think different from, she doesn't think of you as a dirty commoner and I haven't seen her be rude to you since I've come here."

"Still...." Her voice was much lower than before.

"If you see her as your friend and she sees you the same, then I don't know what's stopping you from behaving like that."

"... Okay, I guess you're right." She said much more confidently. "Tell that to yourself, Mr I drool over shirtless men."

Atlas who had been basking in his holy father glory sputtered in indignation. " I was not drooling!"

"Sure why not." Alya laughed and bumped her shoulder on his. "Little brother." She entered the room leaving a flustered, red faced Atlas by the door.

He took a breath to calm himself down before entering the room.