The Path 036

"What's with all these people...?" asked Ohta, walking alongside Will as they made their way down the central promenade of the Royal Academy, headed for their dorms. Dozens of booths had been set up like a job fair, and that wasn't far from the truth as the representatives of various groups and companies were present, hoping to entice new and old students with the promise of sponsorships and financial support.

"Did you not read the student brochure and academy legis?" asked Will. "First through Fourth Years are expected to participate in at least two extracurricular activities, one academic and the other work-focused. For most, that means helping around the Academy, performing janitorial work, keeping the grounds, or assisting in the kitchen."

"Sounds like a royal pain in the ass..." retorted Ohta, passing his gaze over the various booths with half-lidded eyes.

"Even more so for us in the Elite Class," remarked Will, garnering Ohta's attention as he explained, "We're essentially the public face of the Royal Academy, so we're expected to partake in sports, competitions, and other marketable events. I'm personally planning to join the Duelist League. It's probably the most high-profile thing you can get into, but if you do well, it exempts you from nearly every other graduation requirement."

"Yeah, even I've heard of the Professional and Master Duelist Leagues..." droned Ohta. Powerful individuals were obsessed with knowing how they compared to others, especially in the same discipline, so the Warriors and Mages Colleges hosted independent and joint leagues. This was how the official Rankings of Masters were determined, so it was unsurprisingly one of the world's most promoted and popular forms of entertainment.

"That's most likely why you were placed in the Elite Class," Will surmised. "With your strength, you should be able to dominate the Division for First Years. And since you have no official backing, the Academy would receive a lot of positive PR for promoting you."

"Well...if I had to choose between thrashing a bunch of people in an arena and sitting in a classroom all day, I'd definitely pick the former..." asserted Ohta. "But how's that gonna work with our arrangement? If I kick your ass in public, won't it cause problems?"

"Maybe if I were from a different family," affirmed Will. "But since I'm an Oirthear, I would be obligated to praise and reward you. Besides, if I had to choose between getting my ass handed to me or someone 'letting' me win, I'd choose the former every time."

"I can empathize with that..." expressed Ohta. Then, as he and Will were nearing the resort-like complex that served as the dorms for all members of the Elite Class, he remarked, "You mentioned we needed to participate in two extracurricular activities. What else do you have planned?"

"Mmm...since I don't exactly need work experience, I was planning to pull a few strings to join the swim team..." replied Will, gazing down at Ohta as he added, "But if you're planning to join the same team or club, I'll choose something different..."

"Seriously...?" asked Ohta, raising his right brow and staring at Will as if he were being insensible. Will had also reacted strangely when he, Tim, and Dori chose to join him for his morning swim, so Ohta was starting to feel a little weirded out, adding, "You're allowed to like what you like, but I don't swing that way, dude..."

Rolling his eyes, Will lazily retorted, "Neither do I..." as he led the way into the dormitory. He was tempted to point out that most young boys didn't have budding breasts, but as he was the only one who could see through Ohta's disguise, including Ohta himself, he doubted the diminutive Demon would be convinced...

...

..

.

Though it wasn't as large as the rooms he was used to, Will enjoyed his dorm's compact yet suite-like layout. It had a sitting room and dining area for greeting and interacting with guests, a bedroom furnished with a king-sized bed, a large bath with an attached shower, a walk-in closet, a small gallery for stowing equipment, and a kitchenette with a stove, a pantry, a magic-powered ice box, and a station for performing basic alchemy. Best of all, his room came with its own terminal, primarily providing him access to the school's private network and information catalogs but also allowing him to connect to affiliate sites.

With a few hours until the welcome ceremony and banquet, Will decided to peruse the sites related to the Academy's various clubs, sports teams, and culture/study groups. He was technically a member of the Assembly of Excellence, but as their bylaws prohibited First and Second Years from holding office, he planned to ignore them unless Lyra or his brother asked him to attend a public function or party.

While he wasn't exactly traumatized after witnessing Ohta arrive at the training center's pool in nothing but a pair of men's swimming briefs, Will felt it was for the best if they avoided clubs or activities that required the pint-sized Demon to dress down or share a locker or shower room with a bunch of guys. Will didn't know why Ohta and everyone around him was seemingly oblivious to her biological sex, but if his suspicions proved correct and he turned out to be Sarah, she would likely go full nuclear to disguise or outright 'erase' her embarrassment.

'If only I could track down Tom or Justin...' thought Will. He had grown distant from the duo after decades, if not centuries, without meaningful interaction, but that wasn't the case between them and Sarah. The trio often went out of their way to seek each other out and had been in a kind of love triangle for nearly two hundred years. More accurately, Justin was completely obsessed with Sarah, but while she had accepted his love and even married him in one incarnation, she frequently got bored and wanted to try new things. As such, she often had sex with Tom and, with Justin's 'blessing,' anyone else she happened to take an interest in.

Though Will personally didn't approve of Sarah's actions, he didn't hold them against her. Z and Tom were much worse, and though he apologized profusely after the fact, one of Justin's incarnations involved him forming a harem of slaves. People did some fucked up shit when confronted with concepts such as eternity, so after the incidents with Andrika and several others, everyone pretty much agreed not to openly judge or condemn one another for their actions in particular incarnations. Sometimes, people just needed to vent...

"This could work..." muttered Will, stumbling across the recruitment page for the Royal Academy's official Scribe and Book Club. According to the page, members of the club were charged with reproducing grimoires and other texts that couldn't be mass-produced using conventional methods. As such, not only could you gain access to rare texts, but you could make a pretty penny reproducing them.

"Ah..."

Reaching the end of the page, which detailed the organization's structure, a wry smile adorned Will's face. The club had apparently been conceived by the still-missing Astucia, whom Will believed to be Dave. The Academy had placed a separate Professor in charge, but their name suggested they were related to an asterism of the Thiar Constellation. Politically speaking, that made them an enemy.

*doo-doo-dowh~*

"Is that my doorbell...?" Will asked himself, staring up at the tiny speaker from which the sound had emanated. He had assumed the latter was an intercom and potentially a spying device, but since a second ring followed soon after the first, he got up and went to see who was disturbing him so soon after he moved in.

'Please don't be Delphina or the Princess...' thought Will, steeling himself for the possibility as he grabbed the door's handle and opened it directly. There was a peephole to peer out of, but if the person outside were there to kill him, they wouldn't have announced their presence via the doorbell. Not when they could simply blow the room to kingdom come.

With nothing but empty space greeting him at eye level, Will looked down to find Ohta staring up at him, having changed out of his uniform and into more comfortable clothes.

"I'm hungry," said Ohta, standing with his hands in the front pockets of a black and white letterman-style jacket with a white wolf's visage sewn on the chest and back.

"I could eat," responded Will, taking a moment to retrieve his blazer from a nearby hanger while Ohta waited outside. Will had left the door open in case he wanted to come in, but since their rooms were virtually identical, Ohta ostensibly didn't see a reason to.

"Is there a reason you're still wearing your uniform...?" asked Ohta, waiting until Will had joined him outside, causing the door to his dorm to shut and lock behind him automatically.

"Mostly because I don't feel like changing later," responded Will, smiling as he added, "Besides, I look good in suits."

"You actually care about that kind of stuff?" asked Ohta, following beside Will as he took the initiative to lead the way down the hall. Near its center, a well-dressed man opened the elevator for them, bowing respectfully as they stepped past to enter it.

"Not even a little," replied Will, the corners of his smile curling upward as he explained, "But appearances are useful. When you dress a certain way, people expect you to act accordingly. That makes it easier to catch them off guard."

"So, what, you view everyone around you as a potential enemy...?" asked Ohta, raising his brows.

"It comes with the territory," replied Will, shrugging. "Tensions between my family and the other three Great Constellations have been on the rise as of late. Assuming I live long enough, my principal responsibility as the Lord of Eastwarden is to serve as a shield that protects my family and its people. That's one of the reasons I targeted you and your group. I'll need reliable allies without baggage or conflicting interests if I'm to achieve my more ambitious goals and reforms..."

"How the hell are you just beginning your eleventh cycle...?" asked Ohta, sporting an expression of disbelief. 

"Same reason I'm nearly a head taller than everyone else in our year," responded Will, sporting a shit-eating grin as he added, "I'm just built differently."

Snorting loudly through his nose, Ohta retorted, "Yeah. You're built like a brick house. I'll give you that. Unfortunately, when they were putting you together, they also laid bricks where your brain was supposed to go. It's a miracle you can function at all."

"Well, we do exist in a world of Magic," replied Will, maintaining his smile as he found Ohta's retort more amusing than insulting. He missed having someone he could chat casually or trade insults with, so while there were more flags surrounding him than leaves on a tree, Will appreciated Ohta's reactive barbs...

...

..

.

Since it was a little too risky for him to eat the food prepared in the dorm's restaurant-like cafeteria, Will surprised Ohta by leading them off campus to a local cafe. Other students, particularly First Years, needed permission to enter and leave the campus, but since he was allowed to venture pretty much anywhere with the excuse of self-preservation, Will could leave and return as he pleased.

"You really just do whatever you want, don't you...?" asked Ohta, his eyes scanning the area with the casual, practiced gaze of a pickpocket.

"Predictability makes one vulnerable," contended Will, choosing to focus on the cafe staff since it would look suspicious if both he and Ohta were looking around. His uniform garnered a considerable amount of attention, but since the Academy was less than half a kilometer up the road, no one found their presence particularly odd. Thus, while it was difficult to fully relax with people constantly stealing glances at them, Will and Ohta were able to enjoy a hearty and fairly delicious meal, earning the waitress who served them a hefty tip...

...

..

.