Tit for Tat

"Well, then, allow me the honor of carrying out introductions," said Lyra, gesturing to the girl with short red hair and grey eyes as she explained, "This is my good friend and confidant, Claire Liesma. Her family owns the largest vineyard in the Thiar Duchy and the Kingdom as a whole."

"Hey, nice to meet'cha," said Claire, raising her hand rather than bowing. Then, indicating with her chin toward William's left arm, she added, "And nice tattoo. Fitting for the boy rumored to have tamed a Gryphon before he turned ten."

"Do you have a fondness for Zoans...?" asked William, referring to the fact Claire's hair was styled to emulate cat ears. He didn't notice it at first, but she also had a very long ponytail, making it seem like she had a tail.

"No more than the average person," replied Claire. "I just wanted to style my hair in a way that stood out. Didn't you pick your current appearance for similar reasons...?"

"Fair enough," conceded William, returning his gaze to Lyra, prompting her to gesture to a girl with straight, notably glossy black hair that extended past her shoulders, a calm disposition, and closed eyes, introducing, "This is another of my good friends, Emily Kamuy. She comes from a long line of Swordmasters and has inherited her family's hereditary techniques."

"..."

Instead of saying anything, Emily bowed toward William before raising her head and remaining completely silent.

Noticing the peculiarities in Emily's Aura and Mana, William raised his right brow and asked, "Is she sleeping...?"

"Very perceptive," said Lyra, nodding in affirmation before explaining, "The Kamuy Arts prioritize the conservation and careful regulation of Aura and Mana. But, even though she is presently asleep, Emily is likely more aware of our surroundings than anyone here."

'Doubtful...' thought William. To be truly aware of your surroundings while blindfolded or asleep, you had to expand and maintain your Aura or Mana like a bubble. The technique Emily was using was purely reactive, so while she might be able to fend off a surprise attack with willful intent behind it, someone capable of disguising their intent could walk right up to her.

Though he was tempted to demonstrate this by stepping forward and flicking Emily in the forehead to teach her a lesson, William resisted the urge and waited for Lyra to continue.

"And this charming young lady is Delphina Carinae," said Lyra, gesturing to the unblinking, impassive Delphina as she asked, "I believe the two of you are already acquainted...?"

"Long time no see, Del," said William, emulating Claire by raising his hand in an overly casual gesture. Then, provoking a brief silence, he appended, "Nice belly button," in reference to the small, diamond-shaped opening in her silvery-white, gem-adorned dress. 

Though the surrounding temperature noticeably decreased, Delphina maintained a mask of calm impassivity as she linked her fingers together, covering her exposed navel as she cooly remarked, "Your appearance and height have changed drastically, but it appears you haven't matured since our meeting five years ago..."

"Everyone matures at different paces and in different ways," contended William, shrugging. "I spent the past five years doing nothing but training and studying. It would be weird if I were socially adept."

Seeing William punctuate his words with a wink, everyone present got the impression he was putting on an act. Lyra, in particular, was impressed by how seamlessly William could transition from his 'bad-boy' persona to one of poised wit.

"Allow me to continue," said Lyra, gesturing to the purple-haired youth staring at William as if he owed him money, stating, "This is Alexi Menkar, eldest son and heir apparent of House Menkar. His family operates one of the largest Mana Vein Crystal Mines in the Thuaidh Duchy."

"That explains why he took it personally when I accused those here of being profligates~" mused William, causing the muscles in Alexi's jaw to tense as he balled his hands into fists.

Playing the part of mediator, Lyra explained, "Alexi is among the most talented students entering their third year at the Academy. He placed sixth in overall grades but ranked third in martial prowess."

"That's actually pretty good," said William, surprising Alexi as his response seemed to be genuine rather than sarcastic.

Nodding approvingly and smiling, Lyra seized the opportunity to continue the introductions, gesturing to a tall youth with spiky, vermillion-red hair and bronzed skin, clearly originating from the Theas Duch in the far south.

"This young gentleman is Amani Fomalhaut. His family produces some of the finest silk in all the lands, and his esteemed mother, Kali Naledi, is the Seventh-Ranked Master affiliated with the Warrior's College."

Sporting a smile that didn't quite reach his golden eyes, Amani performed a graceful curtsy as he said, "It is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of the Oirthear Constellation's Gamma Star..."

'It seems the Princess keeps some dangerous company...' mused William. Amani's mother, Kali, was fairly infamous for wielding twin, poison-coated scimitars resembling a pair of fangs. As such, she had been given the title 'Desert Snake,' a legacy Amani appeared set to inherit as he wore a pair of khopesh-like swords on his back.

"And these three are Arthur, Dartz, and Andrew Muliphein," said Lyra, gesturing to a trio of nearly identical blondes, their only distinguishing traits being their demeanors and the length and style of their hair. Arthur had slicked-back, somewhat windswept hair with several loose strands, highlighting his proud features. Dartz's hair was medium length and also had several loose strands, but it was parted at the front, framing his stoic, impassive face. Lastly, Andrew had short, messy hair resembling a bird's nest atop his head. As for his expression, he sported a confident yet friendly smile, giving the impression he was kind but a bit of an idiot.

"Yo! It's nice to meet you!" exclaimed Andrew, raising his right hand and beaming from ear to ear.

"Likewise..." appended Dartz, his expression unchanging and voice low.

"You would do well not to besmirch your family's honor further..." stated Arthur, exuding an aura of contempt as he stared at William as if he were eyeing a stray dog.

"I look forward to kicking your ass," responded William, adopting a smile on par with Andrew's, directed at Arthur.

Snorting through his nose, Arthur decided not to dignify William's words with a response. Instead, he waited patiently, allowing Lyra to introduce the group's final member, a remarkably short, glasses-wearing youth with bobbed brown hair and yellow eyes, barely cresting 120cm.

"Last, but certainly not least, is my good friend, Theodore Maru. Theo is the son of one of the Dwarven King's concubines and a talented Magical Craftsman. He is the only one in our grade who managed to get a perfect score in Theoretical and Practical Magics."

"It...it's nice to meet you..." said Theo, appearing nervous as he pushed up his large, thick, circular glasses to prevent them from slipping off his nose. William couldn't help but notice they had the Mana and Aura flow of a girl, but as it wasn't his place to point such things out, he questioned, "Are you an exchange student? My knowledge is admittedly limited, but unless I'm misremembering, don't the Dwarves have their own, mandated, education system?"

Answering in Theo's stead, Lyra explained, "Theodore is here as part of an initiative to improve relations between Astralis and the Dwarven Kingdom, Domhain. The Dwarves sequestered their Kingdom in the wake of the war, but due to overpopulation and other factors, many have begun to pack up and leave their ancestral cities in search of opportunities elsewhere. That brings them here, to Axial."

'Likely to be taken advantage of...' thought William, but as he couldn't be sure, he kept such thoughts to himself. Instead, he offered a curt "Neat" before looking to the lower level of the ballroom and stating, "And just in time..." as a hemispherical barrier expanded from the center, powered by five Mages of the Third Grade and one of the Fifth, presumably a teacher and their post-grad disciples.

"So it would appear..." muttered Lyra, surprising William as she walked over and stood beside him, staring down at the venue with crossed arms.

Smiling cheekily, William asked, "How far do you want me to take things before I back down and let you win?"

Furrowing her brows, Lyra looked up at William and asked, "Do you think me incapable of winning our bout naturally?"

"Nothing is impossible. Our triumph over the Creator proved that..." said William, looking down to meet Lyra's gaze as he asserted, "But if we were to fight seriously, your bodyguards would need to intervene. Not because you lack skill, but because the depth of our 'experience' is fundamentally different..."

"You're not the only one who trained under a Master..." remarked Lyra. "But I suppose that, even among Masters, there are those who can be classified in a league of their own. That said, I shall do my utmost not to disappoint you too much..."

Punctuating her words with a playful wink, Lyra preempted William's response by leaping from their perch to address the Mage in charge of the barrier. In her wake, David immediately approached, his expression serious as he grabbed William's arm and whispered, "Will...I understand your grievances, but there is no way this battle ends favorably for you or our family. Even if you yield, people will use this incident to decry you as disparaging or challenging the Royal Family..."

"Accusations I can easily defeat in an official inquiry," countered William, smiling as he placed his hand on David's shoulder and whispered, "Trust me, David. This isn't me going through a rebellious phase. I have at least a basic understanding of what I'm doing..."

"A fool with more virtue than sense..." muttered Delphina, drawing the gazes of everyone on the landing, not just William and David. She rarely spoke unless it was necessary, so everyone but William was left stunned as she added, "Don't die..." with furrowed brows.

"I still have a good twenty years left in me~" mused William, punctuating his statement with a wink before following Lyra's example by leaping over the railing. David said something in his wake, but William didn't hear him as a raspy, feminine voice entered his ear, stating, "If you embarrass the Princess or exhibit so much as a hint of hostility, expect to lose at least an arm..."

Surprising the person who had spoken, William traced the transmission to its source, staring at an inconspicuous point above him as he stated, "The Oirthear Constellation serves the Royal Family but has never submitted to them. The Princess interceded in this matter of her own accord, and I will cross blades with her in recognition of her conviction. Someone who lacks the basic courtesy to introduce themselves has no right to issue threats..."

"..."

Though there was a brief surge of killing intent, the voice's owner quickly suppressed it before their presence vanished completely. William had no doubt they were still nearby, but since they had exposed themselves with their sound transmission, they needed to find a new hiding spot.

'Amateur...' thought William, issuing a contemptuous snort before making his way toward the barrier. Spatial Concealment was a Fifth Circle Magic, but as he was the anathema of most Mages, William couldn't help letting a bit of his disdain shine through...

...

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.

"What a peculiar child..." remarked a petite figure with golden blonde hair, crimson eyes, pointed ears, and tiny crimson horns protruding from their temples. Ordinarily, they would be nose or elbows deep in their research, but as they had detected a vaguely familiar Mana signature, they took a break to sneak a peek at the events transpiring at the Star-Gathering Hall, courtesy of a large crystal ball.

"That arrogant and righteous demeanor...it must be Aiden..." concluded the figure, who, as William had surmised, was the current incarnation of Dave. However, instead of sticking around to meet up with Aiden, Dave, or, more accurately, Astucia Dokkaebi, began packing up her things with the intention of getting as far away from Axial as possible. After all, while Aiden genuinely meant well, he had a penchant for instigating large-scale conflicts. Conflicts she wasn't yet ready to take part in...

...

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