Chapter 15 – A New Rival

Robert's POV

  Later after class, me and William are walking together from school when the red-haired girl who tried to win against me catch up with us and catches her breath. We then stopped walking and looked at her.

  "Emma-chan, what's with the running?" William asked her.

  "Wait, you know her?" I asked William in response.

  "Yes, this is my cousin, Emma Demonheart," William answered with an introduction.

Finishing panting, the red-haired girl upsettingly asked William, "Cous, why would you start going home without me and with that brat?"

  "Hey!" I responded to her insult of me.

  "Emma-chan, this is Robert Lightningheart," William introduced. "Please be nice to him, okay?"

But, this girl, named Emma Demonheart, was stubborn. "Unless I win against him."

But, I decided to be nice to her and offered her a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Emma-chan. My name is Robert Lightningheart. Let's be friends, shall we?"

Emma hesitated at first, and I asked her, "You don't do handshaking?"

  "Come on, Robert-kun," William responded to this, "in this kingdom, we do handshaking as a form of greeting. Emma-chan can be rough and stubborn at other times."

Realizing that her cousin had exposed her true nature to me, she reluctantly accepted my handshake. "Well, it's great to meet you, Robert."

We then discharged from handshaking, and Emma said to me seriously, "From now on, you will be my rival."

  "O-kay then," I responded back in semi-confusion.

  "I will win against you someday," Emma continued.

  "Look, I didn't that much damage to your older brother Peter," I responded back, assuming that she'll bring the topic about Peter Demonheart, the student coordinator. "Luckily he survived."

  "Woah, is that true?" William jumped into the conversation. "Because I heard some thunder back at the entrance exams."

Looking at William, I answered back, "Yes, because he insulted my clan's name."

Upon hearing that, William quickly bowed his head. "I'm sorry for my cousin's action towards your clan's name."

  "Please, don't apologize," I quickly replied back. "It's not your fault. And I'm sorry, too, for going too far on him that day."

Getting up from bowing, William responded, "Oh? That's how it is?"

  "Yes, in our clan," I explained in response, "the person who did something bad against another person is the one who needs to apologize to that person. But in the case of a young child, the parent or guardian will have to apologize in his/her behalf."

  "I see. That's how it works in your clan?"

  "Yes."

  "Strange, but I respected that."

  "Thanks."

  After that, we all walked together. Not long after, at an intersection, I parted ways with William and Emma before going home to my house.