"I WILL KILL YOU!"
The words didn’t echo—they hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Ric’s eyes glinted, their intensity sharp and unrelenting. His voice wasn’t raised, but its menace crawled under Chiron’s skin like cold steel pressed to his throat.
Chiron froze. His body wouldn’t respond, but his thoughts raced in a spiral of alarm. "What is this… this presence? It’s unnatural! This isn’t the aura of an innocent child—it’s like staring into the eyes of someone…" He swallowed hard. "...someone that’s killed before."
The atmosphere seemed darker and quieter, the chirping of birds muted as if nature itself recoiled from Ric’s words.
"Ric! Where are you?!" Yota’s distant call shattered the oppressive silence, snapping Chiron out of his daze.
Ric’s expression shifted instantly, like a mask slipping back into place. His smile was too easy, too casual, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Sir Chiron, let’s go! They’re looking for us. Oh, and let’s forget everything that happened here, okay?"
Helping Chiron sit against a nearby boulder, Ric leaned in slightly, his shadow falling over Chiron like a dark cloak. "You stay here and rest. I’ll go call them."
As Ric turned to leave, Chiron, desperate to ground himself, spoke, his voice shaking. "Th-that was some bloodlust you showed back there." He attempted a smile but failed. "But you don’t have to worry. Rivious isn’t that kind of person. He doesn’t care about the succession war. He’s just an innocent kid."
Ric paused for a moment, his back to Chiron. Then, without turning around, he said, "Innocence can be deceiving."
He turned just slightly, his gaze meeting Chiron’s. "If you think I’m wrong, look into it yourself." His expression softened into something unreadable, but his voice carried a quiet finality. "And what child are you talking about? If not older, he’s at least the same age as me."
Without another word, Ric started walking toward Yota’s voice, his steps steady and deliberate, the tension he left behind lingering like a shadow.
Moments later, Rivious appeared, his face lighting up with concern. "Uncle Chiron! Are you okay?"
Chiron forced a smile, though his hands trembled slightly. "Y-yes, young master. Let’s go complete the assessment." He pushed himself up, trying to suppress the unease that still churned in his chest. "That boy… what kind of life has he lived?"
He could see their worried expressions as Ric approached Yota and the others, their faces a mix of relief and concern.
"Ric! There you are! We were so worried," Yota exclaimed, rushing up to him, his voice trembling slightly.
"I'm fine, Yota," Ric said with a reassuring smile, though his tone carried a weight that made Yota hesitate. "No need to worry. Everything’s alright now."
The teacher stepped forward, his brows knitted in concern. "Ric, are you alright? What exactly happened?"
Ric met the teacher's gaze and responded with a casual shrug. "It was nothing serious. Just a little mishap with the mana ball. Nothing to fret about." He chose his words carefully, omitting any mention of Chiron or their tense exchange.
"I see. Well, I'm glad you’re unharmed. That explosion had us all on edge," the teacher replied, though his eyes lingered on Ric as if sensing there was more to the story.
Before the teacher could press further, Chiron and Rivious approached the group. Chiron was walking with a slight limp, his movements stiff, but his face carried an air of determination.
"Uncle Chiron, are you okay?" Rivious asked his voice tight with worry.
"I'm fine, Rivious," Chiron said, waving off the concern. "Just a scratch. Nothing I can’t handle. And I have Ric here to thank for getting me out of harm's way."
Rivious turned to Ric, his eyes gleaming with gratitude. "Thank you for helping my uncle. I owe you one."
Ric nodded but didn’t hold Rivious’s gaze for long. "It was nothing. Let’s just move forward, yeah?" His tone was polite, yet distant as if dismissing any further attention on the matter.
****
After everything was settled and Chiron had been bandaged up, Ric made his way toward the purple mana ball, his steps deliberate. He glanced over at Chiron, who, despite his injuries, was still vigilant.
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Before Ric placed his hands on the ball, Chiron muttered an incantation under his breath. A faint shimmer of light surrounded Ric, as Chiron cast Barrier Magic to protect him from any potential backlash.
Ric nodded in acknowledgement before placing his hands on the mana ball. As his fingers made contact, Chiron’s thoughts raced. "With the massive mana pool he has, no matter what class he gets, he will reach new heights like no one before. I hope he’s a magician, I really do. Even though it will be troublesome, Someone like him… I’d love to have him as my disciple."
The mana ball began to glow, its light intensifying until it revealed Ric’s class. Chiron’s hopeful expression faltered. His eyes widened slightly as he let out a long, resigned sigh, his mind processing the outcome.
Yota, standing next to him, looked between Chiron and Ric, noticing the shift in atmosphere. "Sir Mage! Why are you sighing? What's the class that Ric got?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
Chiron hesitated, unsure of how to explain his mixed feelings. "I mean, well... it’s not bad, but... why this one?" he muttered, his tone tinged with uncertainty.
"W-why? What’s Ric's class?" Yota pressed, growing more confused.
Chiron took a deep breath, preparing to speak, but Ric, sensing the awkwardness, cut him off before he could finish. "It’s Barriard, right?" Ric said in a dissatisfied tone, clearly not pleased with the result.
Chiron froze. His eyes locked onto Ric with sudden intensity. "How... how did you know?" The words came out in a low growl, the air thickening with mana as it crackled around him. His voice dropped, laced with suspicion. "Can you read Magus?"
The sudden pressure, palpable and overwhelming, bore down on Ric as he struggled to stand. He flinched, his face flushing red as he tried to gather his composure. "Dang it! I spoke without thinking!"
"I... I just guessed," Ric stammered, attempting to shrug it off, but his voice betrayed the tension in his shoulders. "Y-Yeah, I just guessed."
But Chiron wasn’t convinced. His eyes narrowed, sharp and unwavering. "Just a guess, huh?" Chiron’s voice was quieter now, but the suspicion was still there, sharp as a blade. "Then why Barriard? Why that class? Why not anything else?"
Ric’s mind raced, and he fought to maintain his calm. "I figured... if I got Mage, someone like you would be happy," he said, the words spilling out before he could stop them. "With my mana pool, I’d fit perfectly in that class. And if I got Healer... well, that would probably please you too, right? Mages and Healers are supposed to be a team, after all."
Chiron absorbed the reasoning, nodding slowly as the logic settled in his mind. "True... I suppose. But why not Warrior or Alchemist? Why didn’t you guess them?" His mana, still simmering with tension, began to calm as the layers of suspicion began to peel away.
Ric smirked, "He bought it" his confidence growing. "Well, this is the Kingdom of Warriors—Alcra. You wouldn’t be insulting the Warrior class, would you?"
Chiron cleared his throat awkwardly. "E-them! Cough" his mana settled down and the tension in the air was now gone.
Ric continued, his voice playful. "Then, the Alchemist class... well, it was obvious. You came ‘with’ the car, not ‘in’ the car."
Chiron blinked, momentarily stunned, before breaking into a hearty laugh. "Oh! Haha! Nice! Nice! Very good, Ric! You’re very interesting!"
Ric gave a sly grin, glad to have earned Chiron’s approval in a way that wasn’t just based on power. "Thanks, Sir Mage. Just trying to keep up."
"Huh? What do you mean by that, Ric? I don’t get it," Yota asked, clearly confused.
Ric jumped down from the stage, landing with a soft thud. He shrugged casually, his eyes focused on Chiron as he explained, "Well... HUP," he took a deep breath before continuing, "Look, if a man chooses to expend his precious mana to fly instead of using a car, there are three things that can be going on. First, maybe he doesn't like the person sitting inside, or second, he doesn’t like the person who made the car. And third, maybe he doesn’t like the car itself.
Now, you and I both know that Chiron and Rivious get along pretty well, and the car? Well, it's the latest luxury model you can get your hands on. So, it’s obvious—it’s not the car. That only leaves one thing... Chiron doesn't like Alchemists."
Yota’s confusion deepened. "Wait, so you think...?"
Ric nodded, his smirk widening. "Exactly. If I had gotten the Alchemist class, he'd probably have been disgusted. Mages and Alchemists don’t mix well. And that leaves us with the last class standing… Barriard."
Chiron, hearing the whole explanation, just sighed with a knowing look. "You’re sharp, Ric. You’ve got more than just a big mana pool, huh?"
Ric gave a slight laugh "Haha, Thanks for the compliment" He started walking away "Then I will take my leave".
After that, Yota followed and leaned in close to Ric and whispered, "Hey, Ric... was all that 'really' the reason you guessed the Barriard class?"
"No, you idiot," Ric answered quickly, pulling Yota away from the crowd, a little embarrassed by the question.
Yota raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Then how did you know?"
Ric paused, glanced around to make sure no one was listening and sighed. "Well, the part about guessing it was partially true. I do know a little bit of Magus. I can read it, just word by word. I'm not fluent yet."
Yota’s curiosity deepened. "Wait, you can read Magus? How come you never said anything?"
Ric looked at him, his expression serious. "Listen, Magus is a language that's extremely important to magicians. It’s not easy to learn, even for them, and most people who know it are... well, let's just say they're pretty prideful. But if someone like me, an orphan, can read it? It would make a lot of them look bad. Their pride would be shattered."
Yota’s eyes widened, a mix of surprise and understanding dawning on him. "Oh... I see. So you don’t want anyone to know?"
Ric nodded firmly. "Exactly. So, do me a favour and keep quiet about it, alright?"
Yota nodded in agreement, but his curiosity didn’t stop there. "If so many people don’t know, then how did you find out? And was saying the name of your class a mistake?" Yota teased, grinning. "Did the great and intelligent scholar of the orphanage make a M.I.S.T.A.K.E~?"
Ric scowled, clearly annoyed. "Tch! Yeah, it was a mistake. So what? Even the smartest of humans can sometimes make the dumbest of mistakes. That's what makes us human." Ric smacked Yota lightly on the head and continued, "That's why I tell you to concentrate in class. The old man talked about Magus way back. At that time, I got curious and asked him more. He then gave me a book with the basics of reading Magus in it. Well, I only know how to read it. But now let’s go. That man might not have believed my explanation. I need to distract— I mean, I have something to ask about my class."
Yota smirked but didn’t press the issue further. Ric’s irritation was enough to convince him to hold back on his teasing for now.
As the two of them made their way towards the crowd, Ric’s thoughts returned to his class. Something was unsettling about it, and he knew he needed answers. He headed straight for Chiron, who was talking with Rivious. As he approached, Ric’s mind raced with questions.
He stood before Chiron, who gave him a friendly nod. "What can I do for you, Ric?"
"I have a few concerns about my class," Ric said, his tone serious. "I need to know more."
Which planet do you live in?
