SAW 25 - Duel(1)

I walked back to my dorm and see Kim Jaesuk is talking to a couple of girls.

He noticed me and waved his hand.

"Hey Alex!"

"Why are you guys talking in front of the door?"

I asked, because they're literally blocking the way.

"We're about to say goodbye, they're friend that I made at class earlier..."

I then looked at the girls and nodded my head, which prompt them to do the same.

"Okay, I'm gonna head inside"

"Oh... sure..."

I didn't bother to introduce myself because I don't think I have to.

But I can't help to feel bad looking at Kim Jaesuk's disappointed face.

Inside the room, Adrian is currently cooking up something.

"Oh, you're back... how's class?"

"Ah it was great, nothing really interesting..."

"Really? It was hell for me and Jaesuk though"

"Eh? How come?"

He then explained that they both got their mana drained because of the task given to them by their instructor.

"Hoh... good for you guys though, you will probably be able to use it in a fight soon right?"

'So they're already using magic practically...'

"Yep, we told them that we're already able to control mana earlier, that's why..."

"Eh?"

"?"

"You just told them like that?"

"Yep. And the teacher brought us to the field to practice"

"Ohh I see..."

I then thought to myself,

'Had I showed Mr. Liam that I could use mana control earlier, I probably would've started practicing it in the field too right?'

Regret always comes last indeed.

After that, Kim Jaesuk came into the room as well and we started eating the dinner that Adrian prepared for us.

I don't really talk during dinner because I'm preoccupied by my thought.

Then I wash myself up and go to bed straight away with heavy thought.

---

Morning came and it's Thursday, a day where I'll be having class together with Kim Jaesuk and Adrian.

We all eat breakfast as usual in the morning and walk to class together.

During our way to the class, I can feel the stares of the students who's passing by as well.

What they're talking about, even though I can't hear it because I don't want to hear, it made me insecure because I can roughly guess what it is.

'Hey, the third guy's the average one right?'

'Are they friend? He should know his place though...'

Those kinds of talk has been happening lately, which kind of hurts me.

It's not that I'm average in all sense, I'm actually above average with my talent.

But standing beside Adrian and Kim Jaesuk is what made me average because of how high their talent is compared to mine.

We then arrived at the classroom. It's way bigger compared to our usual classroom, because this is a general class instead of specialised one.

There are a lot of students inside, most of them are unfamiliar to me.

I looked around and found a seat where three of us can sit together.

Not long after we sat down, the teacher come and the history class began.

It's basically a theory class which has similar content to the book that I read back at the Village, which makes it quite boring for me.

What surprises me is the fact that most student are seriously taking notes when I looked around.

"Okay, class' over! Make sure to recap today's session because we'll be having a quiz at the beginning of class next week!"

After saying that, the teacher left and everyone started to disperse as well.

We were just getting ready to leave when a group of people came inside the room with someone leading them.

"Hey... that's a noble right?"

"What is a noble doing here?"

From our surrounding, I can tell that it's a noble with his follower following him from behind.

"Silence! Stop making noises you lowly commoner!"

The follower behind the noble who's leading his people then started shouting.

"The one who have the S rank aptitude, come down here right now!"

After his follower said that, the noble just stood still in silence with his hand behind his back.

I turned my head to see that Kim Jaesuk started walking down while Adrian just stood there unmoving.

"Hey... are you gonna go there?"

"Of course?"

He asked back as if questioning the obvious.

Walking to the noble, he has to look down because of the difference in height.

"It's me..."

Frowning, the noble didn't seem to like it and starts to talk in arrogant tone.

"Kneel down! How dare you look at me from above!"

"What?! Who are you and why should I kneel to you?"

Kim Jaesuk seems surprised when he got told to kneel and refused to do so.

"You damn commoner, know your place! This is the 2nd prince of the Empire who's currently a third year at the academy, Prince Oscar de Gracias! How dare you question him?!"

His follower then started shouting bunch of stuff about the noble's identity.

"..."

"What are you doing? Why haven't you kneeled yet?"

After not saying anything for a while, Kim Jaesuk replied.

"I won't..."

"What did you say?"

"I said I'm not kneeling to him"

"YOU!!"

When Kim Jaesuk refused to kneel, Prince Oscar's follower then raised his hand as if to hit Kim Jaesuk.

(thud)

Just as his fist is about to hit, Kim Jaesuk just blocked his first with a hand and use the other to grab the follower's collar before throwing him.

"What strength!"

Prince Oscar exclaimed, he seems very pleased.

"So, why are you looking for me?"

Dusting his hand, Kim Jaesuk asked.

Prince Oscar smiled slightly before answering,

"Become my follower!"

"Nope"

"?!"

Kim Jaesuk refused straight away without hesitation, which surprised Prince Oscar.

"Are you aware of who I am?"

"Yes?"

"Yet you still refused?"

"Yep"

"Then why are you refusing?"

Squinting his eyes, he asked.

"First of all, you all just barged inside our classroom and started acting like you owned the whole classroom.

Second, he tried to hit me because I refused to do as you command, even though I have no obligation to because as long as we're inside the academy, status doesn't matter.

And lastly, looking at your follower, I can easily guess what kind of person you are. Hence, I refuse to become your follower and flocking around with those kinds of people"

Kim Jaesuk explained his reason while pointing at Prince Oscar's follower.

Prince Oscar looks shocked and started to show an angry expression.

"You... you do know who you're complaining to right?"

"Yes, a senior from the same academy"

"..."

Staring at Kim Jaesuk for a while, Prince Oscar then turned around before saying,

"I won't forget this..."

Just like that, the classroom become quiet.

Kim Jaesuk then gestures us saying 'let's leave'.

We walked outside the classroom whilst the classroom is enveloped with silence.

"Sigh... you just made an enemy out of a prince of the empire dude..."

I said while sighing.

"Then what you expect me to do? Just kneel down and become his follower obediently?"

"That's not what I mean..."

"I can't, especially with that kind of attitudes that they have. You know I hate those kinds of people the most..."

He said, clearly looking upset.

I stopped saying anything and turned my head to Adrian who's walking alongside us without saying anything as well.

"You good, Adrian?"

"Huh? ye- yeah its all good... I'm just wondering what's he gonna do next..."

"Well, that's right. He did say that He won't forget that"

'If we follow a normal aristocrat's route from my knowledge, he probably will have someone ask Kim Jaesuk for a duel tomorrow.

And from that, he will break or hurts Kim Jaesuk badly so that he will regret his decision.

Heck, he might even include us on his revenge list...'

Is what I thought, but it probably won't happen right?

After that, we took a break at the cafetaria and started walking towards our next class, which is about spiritual power.

"The professor who's supposed to teach you guys had an accident earlier this morning, so she won't be able to teach you guys today.

You guys will now do a self study session, or you can ask me if you want to train physically at the field"

That's what the substitute said, so both me and Kim Jaesuk told him that I will go to the field, while Adrian stayed in class to read a book.

Shame because I was very curious about spiritual power.

Together with Kim Jaesuk, we went to the field and train each on our own.

The day ended just like that whilst I continued with my evening training.

After that, I go back to the dorm, had dinner, and sleep straight away.

---

The day after,

"I am a first year, Martis, a loyal follower of prince Oscar de Gracias. Due to the disrespect you've shown to the prince yesterday, I challenge you to a formal duel!"

'What the f-'