The Path 050

"Gooooood morning~!" exclaimed Alessandra, greeting Will with a smile the moment he stepped out of his room and into the hallway. The dorms were separated into male and female wings, but while boys were unable to venture to the girls' side, nothing prevented the opposite.

"Someone's chipper," remarked Will, offering a smile while Ohta emerged from behind him, grumbling, "Morning people..." with notable bags under his eyes.

Seeing Ohta, Alessandra blinked in surprise, asking, "The two of you live together...?"

"Something like that," replied Will, changing topics by looking to Madeen and saying, "Good morning, Madeen. Are you looking forward to our first official day of classes?"

"We'll see..." responded Madeen, shrugging. She was only attending the Academy because her Grandfather claimed it would help her grow as a warrior and a person. The thought of spending half her day cooped up in a lecture hall, forced to learn things she would never use and didn't care about, wasn't the most exciting prospect...

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With Will leading the way, the group made their way to the gym located on the first floor of the hotel-like dorm. A persistent morning routine was important for laying the foundation for future growth, so while many First Years slept in or made their way to the dining hall, Will had convinced his group to dedicate at least an hour each morning to weight and resistance training.

Entering the gym, Will wasn't surprised to find a handful of Second, Third, and even Fourth-Years using the training equipment. More surprising was that Iode's group was present, but while they looked over and frowned at Will's group as they arrived, the trio didn't approach to seek trouble. That honor potentially belonged to a group of Third Years.

"Hey, check it," said a blonde-haired teen with an athletic build, indicating to Alessandra, in particular, with his chin.

"Oh, wow. She's pretty cute for a First Year," remarked one of the youth's workout buddies, a burly young man with tanned skin, stylish black hair, and sharp black eyes.

"But that guy she's with...isn't that the Gamma Star of House Oirthear...?" asked the smallest member of the group, a somewhat ugly youth with rat-like features. This distinction wasn't solely due to his large incisors but the fact he had muted grey hair, rounded, fur-covered ears decorating the top of his head, angular eyes, and a thick, rat-like tail.

"He's the younger brother of that brown-noser...?" asked the first youth, his expression and tone filled with contempt.

"More importantly, he's a Grade Three Practitioner..." muttered the rat-like youth. "If you're serious about approaching those girls, you shouldn't do it while he's around..."

"Tsk..."

Feeling annoyed, the blonde-haired youth rose from the bench press he was seated on, prompting the other members of his group to follow as he made his way to the attached shower, sauna, and locker room. He tried to steal a glance at Alessandra on the way, but when he noticed Will staring back at him with a faint smile, an inexplicable shiver ran through his body, compelling him to look away as a wave of anxiety and confusion washed over him, perplexing his friends...

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"Is this...really necessary...?" asked Madeen, panting slightly as she had just finished her eighth set of deep squats using 100kg weights. She knew that an improved physique allowed for more efficient Aura usage. But as a girl, she had been taught to prioritize flexibility and refining her control as, generally speaking, human women were physically inferior to men.

"Only you...can answer...that question..." answered Will, breathing heavily and smiling as he rhythmically curled 500kgs. The only notable benefit he received from weight training was maintaining his figure, but he had come to enjoy the rush and subsequent serenity that came from exerting, tiring out, and then resting his muscles.

"If you're worried that Will won't find you attractive if you pack on a bit of muscle, don't be," said Alessandra, lying on a bench and doing a butterfly press using 50kg weights. "Real men...appreciate women who take care of themselves. Isn't that right, Will~?"

"No...comment..." replied Will. But, if he were being completely honest, he absolutely preferred his women to have a bit of meat and muscle on them, particularly around the ass and thighs. Breasts had their appeal, but since bust size typically wasn't something a woman could control, he had come to appreciate things they could.

Rising to a seated position and setting down her weight, Alessandra took a moment to wipe her brow before remarking, "You're really strange, Will. I know the male heirs of House Oirthear undergo exposure and release training to ensure they can't be taken advantage of by members of the opposite sex, but you act like you have no interest in women whatsoever."

"On the contrary..." replied Will, stopping mid-set to assert, "I have a keen interest in women. It's young, precocious girls I have no interest in..."

"Is that really the case...?" asked Alessandra, grinning mischievously as she directed a meaningful glance at Ohta.

"If you seriously believe something is going on between me and this idiot, then there's something wrong with your head..." said Ohta, sitting nearby with the soles of his feet pressed together, hands holding his ankles as he chose to pass the time stretching instead of lifting weights.

"Then what about your preferences?" asked Alessandra. "What kind of girls do you like...?"

"..."

Though Dori had asked him something similar in the past, Ohta felt caught off guard by Alessandra's query. When he actually stopped to think about it, he found that he liked men more than women. He liked girls as well, but whenever he watched Tim exerting himself during training or glimpsed an especially athletic figure, his heartbeat quickened, and he found it difficult to avert his eyes...

"Leave it," said Will, his expression and tone uncharacteristically firm as he stated, "We've only just recently become acquainted. You should save such probing questions for 'after' you get to know someone..."

"Sure," replied Alessandra, offering a radiant smile as she asserted, "I was just curious. But if you believe I'm being too intrusive, I'll try to be at least a little more considerate."

"Doubt..." muttered Ohta, rolling his eyes and turning his face to the side. Alessandra was tempted to refute him, but since Will had gone out of his way to speak in Ohta's defense, she decided it was best to change topics and continue her workout. Will paused for a moment when she asked him to spot her, but since safety during training was paramount, he ultimately agreed, allowing her to feel like she had made at least a bit of progress in her effort to reduce the perceived distance between them...

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'It's stuff like this that leads me to believe we're trapped in purgatory...' thought Will, leaning onto the palm of his left hand with his cheek, his fingers covering his left eye as he copied the characters and sentences on his paper. Not everyone learned to read and write before attending the Academy, so from 10 AM to lunch, he had to practice reading and writing basic sentences, making him feel like a preschooler.

"Ugh...this is so stupid..." grumbled Aisha, her jackal-like ears drooping and expression one of frustration as she struggled to copy the rune-like characters comprising their alphabet. Azir had a notably easier time, but as someone born with an aptitude for Magic, he had been compelled to learn them from an early age.

"Please keep your utterances to yourself..." said Professor Naitus, his cat-like eyes briefly meeting Aisha's as a warning look before he returned to monitoring the rest of the class. Fortunately, it wasn't long after he had spoken that a loud but pleasant-sounding bell reverberated throughout the class, spelling the end of the period.

"Make sure your names are on your papers and submit them to me before you leave..." said Professor Naitus, his calm but penetrating voice causing everyone to settle down before they could express their excitement or relief...

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Waiting for Will's group near the classroom's entrance, Alessandra asked, "What are we doing for lunch?"

"I may not eat their food, but we should head to the cafeteria," suggested Will. If he were alone, he probably would have eaten in the quad or under a tree somewhere, but since they had a fairly large group, it was easier to use the provided facilities...

With Will being their central decision maker, the group of four made their way to the cafeteria, meeting up with Ishyll and Ahmad shortly after their arrival. More notably, they weren't alone.

"I heard from Ahmad that you were looking to independently sponsor capable Warriors and Mages who wanted to avoid traditional investors. Is that true?" asked the petite, golden-haired Hyste, seated across from Will with another girl from her class and Sile, the bespectacled, purple-haired Mage that had joined his group during the practical.

"That's right," affirmed Will, nodding. "The only condition is that you work hard to become as strong as you're able. There are no obligations, such as serving my family or doing my bidding, attached."

"That sounds 'incredibly' suspicious," remarked Hyste, sporting a cat-like smile as she stared into the depths of Will's eyes, the large, silvery orbs she called her own glistening with suspicion.

"Definitely, but it's also true," contended Will, shrugging. "If you need a reason, just think of it as my efforts to balance the scales. There are too many people in positions of power or influence who got there by selling themselves or discarding their integrity. If I can help elevate even a few good, righteous, or at least rational people to similar positions, we could do a lot of good for this world, not just the Capital..."

"So, you're an idealist?" asked Hyste, crossing her arms and tapping her bicep with her right index finger.

"Someone has to shake things up every now and then..." responded Will, his tone joking, but the look in his sharp hazel eyes made it clear, at least to Hyste, that he was serious.

"What do you think, Bree? Can we trust him...?" asked Hyste, directing her gaze to the brown-skinned, ashen-haired, brown-eyed girl to her left, full name Breanne Taygete.

"I don't think he's attempting to deceive us..." responded Breanna, staring at Will with a piercing, unblinking gaze. She had an honest face and short hair that led many to mistake her for a boy, but it was apparent, at least to Will, that she was on the verge of maturing into quite the tomboy.

"Then my next question is, just how far are you willing to sponsor us...?" asked Hyste, returning her gaze to Will as she clarified, "We need to earn money, not just have our everyday expenses covered. And do you provide equipment directly? Or do we need to source it ourselves and provide you with the receipts?"

'This clearly isn't her first rodeo...' thought Will, recalling the white, gold-trimmed breastplate Hyste wore during her duel with Ahmad. She wasn't covered in brands like some of her peers, but she clearly had at least one sponsor.

Deciding to be honest, Will pointed out, "I'm still new to this, so I'm not entirely sure which is the best option. If you have someone you trust to provide you with equipment, I can cover the costs. If not, I can help you find a manufacturer that fits your needs."

"And what about the pay...?" asked Hyste, thinking Will was trying to foot around the issue.

"Hmmm..."

With everyone's gazes focused on him, Will crossed his arms and adopted a slight frown. His family transcended conventional wealth, but that didn't mean his personal finances were unlimited. He could easily finance things like living expenses and book fees, but some sponsors invested millions in securing or even buying out talent to promote specific individuals...

"How about this..." said Will, meeting Hyste's gaze as he preferred, "I'll match any legitimate offers given to you by other brands and sponsors, and you can deduct a percentage based on what you think your integrity is worth..."

"That's extremely vague," Hyste noted. "But if you agree to let us take on other sponsors you approve of, I think we can work something out."

"I'm assuming you want to keep your current sponsor?" asked Will, raising his right brow.

Nodding in affirmation, Hyste explained, "It's a printing company founded by my sister. The funds they provide are extremely limited, but I promised I would support her dream just as she supports mine."

"Then, of course, you can keep them as a sponsor," said Will, regaining his smile. There was a chance Hyste was trying to pull the wool over his eyes by casting a wide net for profit, but he didn't mind placing his trust in her, even if it meant he got bitten. If anything, she was the one who needed to be careful, as the moment someone willfully betrayed him, Will's pettiness knew few bounds...

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