C44: A Dangerous Bet (1)
After all of the pharmacy classes taught by Marie Ross were over, Aidan immersed himself in magic practice, recalling the technique that Rudger had taught him in the last class.
Next to Aidan were Leo, who was now a close friend, and Tracy, who had recently joined Aidan, and often spends time with him. The three of them worked hard to master the elements by embodying each element in the first training ground.
“Whoa. Almost done.”
Aidan wiped the sweat running down his forehead, looking at the element of wind embodied on the palm of his hand.
It was like the memory of the warm and cool wind that he felt while running through the wide fields in the countryside.
He didn’t know anything about the elements, so Aidan couldn’t hide his excitement at the fact that he was able to manifest elements like this.
‘It’s amazing.’
The advice Rudger gave was practical enough so that nothing could be missed. Not only Rudger’s advice, but also his attitude towards magic that he showed in class was enough to touch Aidan’s heart.
‘I wonder if I was mistaken to suspect Mr. Rudger back then?’
Rudger’s words and actions are always cold, but in his voice it was evident how much he liked magic and how he truly considered it.
There’s nothing wrong with a person who likes magic.
Above all, if Rudger was a bad person, he would not have been able to pass on to the students in class such a precious method that others did not teach.
‘I don’t know yet.’
Aidan vaguely sensed that he had something to do with Rudger. But that didn’t mean he didn’t feel that Rudger was a bad person. Maybe it’s because his head got complicated because of those contradictory emotions but the wind element he barely manifested disappeared without a trace.
Aidan, who had lost his appetite, looked at Leo and Tracy. The two of them were sweating and working hard on the manifestation of elements. It was because both of them were impressed by the warm flame that Aidan showed in the class.
He didn’t want to interfere with them, so he was just watching, and then, a group of students entered the training ground.
‘These kids…….’
Among some students, there was a person who caught Aidan’s attention. Dark blue hair with a slight blue tinge, a neat hairstyle with a parted forehead that shows it. Conversely, white skin to the extent that it felt pale, a sharp nose, and sharp, narrow eyes stood out.
He seemed to be a sophomore, with a natural quirk, and all the students gathered around him.
‘Who is it? Noble students gather like that. He seems like a great person.’
As he was watching him like that, he turned his head and looked at Aidan. Their eyes met in the air and Aidan suddenly remembered what Leo had said.
Did he tell him not to make eye contact for a long time and not even pay attention to noble students?
Aidan wasn’t stupid enough to say, Nice to meet you’, so he naturally looked away. The other party didn’t even point it out.
Aidan had also taken a moderate rest, so he decided to focus on practicing magic again.
“What? Who is this?”
Until one of the aristocratic students in the crowd approached Aidan with a loud voice.
Leo and Tracy lost their concentration at the voice, and looked at their opponent. A male student with a mean smile was gazing at Aidan, raising the corners of his mouth.
“Ah, you.”
He was Jevan Pellio, the eldest son of the writer Pellio Nam, who had an argument with Aidan, but withdrew after hearing a bitter voice from Leo.
“Why is he suddenly pretending to know you again?”
Recognizing him, Leo’s expression rotted in an instant.
Jevan Pellio, not paying attention to it, deliberately approached Aidan and the others as if to show off.
“Aren’t you, Aidan, who didn’t even properly manifest the elements?”
There was no way that Aidan and his friends could not know his heart.
Leo replied with a cynical smile.
“We’re busy practicing magic right now, so why don’t you go in that corner?”
“So it’s that cheeky commoner from back then? After all, you two got along well, didn’t you?”
Leo’s gaze was over Jevan’s shoulders, as he turned to the noble students who watched this situation with interest, especially the man who stood at the center of the group.
“Since there are seniors here, are you trying to show off your good side on this occasion?”
Leo knew very well who the senior at the center of the aristocratic students was since there were very few celebrities like that in Theon.
Freuden Ulburg, the eldest son of Ulburg, one of the three duke families of the Exilion Empire, symbolizing the wolf.
It was understandable that Jevan was suddenly arguing, he wanted to stand out since Freuden, who can be said to be the center of the noble students, was present.
“We have no intention of playing with you, so get out of here. This is a place to practice magic.”
At Leo’s words, Jevan sneered.
“A commoner like you shouldn’t speak to this body of noble blood.”
“It’s because you don’t understand the situation yet…….”
“And I spoke to Aidan, so why would a little kid like you intervene at will?”
To Leo, the words “little boy” were close to abhorrence because Leo was short compared to his peers. Some girls liked Leo, but Leo hated being treated like that. For Leo, his small height was his Achilles tendon.
“You…….”
“Leo, calm down. Just leave it to me.”
Aidan stopped Leo from getting angry and stepped forward. At this rate, it seemed that the situation would not end.
“I don’t know why you started this all of a sudden, but let it go. I don’t want to fight with my friends.”
Jevan’s face contorted terribly at Aidan’s words.
“Friend? Why am I your friend? This filthy trash.”
“Oh, weren’t you?”
“Are you crazy?”
Jevan was annoyed by Aidan’s stare.
“If you are a commoner, you should bow your head in front of the nobles like a commoner.”
“I don’t know what offended you, but I apologize. Sorry. So, can’t you just let it go?”
The boy who had never received any unprovoked hostility from anyone, but he did not want to bring himself into a fight.
Jevan responded with a smirk to Aidan’s words.
“Great. Then I’ll let it go, so just do one thing.”
Then he pointed his hand at his feet.
“Kneel down.”
“You……!”
Tracy stepped forward.
“Do it in moderation. Do you have no shame as a noble?”
“What? Why does a fallen nobleman intervene at will?”
At those words, Tracy’s face hardened.
“What?”
“Is embarrassing to even call you a noble, so shut up because that disgusting smell is going to come to me as well.”
“……Do you want to die?”
For Tracy her family situation was taboo of taboos but Jevan was careless with his words. When her magical powers overflowed from her body everyone laughed at her.
“You don’t have a proper education…….”
“Jevan Pellio.”
“Yes?”
It was none other than Aidan who called his name. However, Aidan’s voice was different from usual and made Jevan tremble without realizing it.
“I can’t do anything about you being dissatisfied with me. If you’re going to insult me I’ll let it pass. But…”
Aidan strode towards Jevan. His eyes blazed with anger glared at him.
“I won’t let you insult my friends.”
“Hahaha. What if I do? Great, then let’s duel.”
As if waiting, Jevan took out his white gloves from his pocket and threw them at Aidan.
“It’s a magical duel. If you’re scared, run away.”
Aidan shook his head as he watched the gloves hit his own chest and fell.
“Do I really have to do this?”
“You can refuse if you’re scared.”
“…Great.”
Aidan nodded.
“Aidan!”
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Tracy and Leo wanted to stop him, but Aidan’s intuition was telling him not to back down. He didn’t even want to escape.
“Great. The loser gets down on his knees and apologizes to the winner. Do you agree?”
“If you promise to keep your word.”
“Hahaha! Yes! If you can defeat me.”
Everyone was confident. Although they are said to be first year students of Theon, Aidan is a beginner who has not yet learned the basics of magic properly.
Jevan, who has been learning magic from a private tutor since childhood, was confident of defeating Aidan. It was the moment when a fight was about to take place around the two of them.
“What are you doing?”
A cold voice strongly pressed the shoulders of all the students present at the scene.
* * *
I was patrolling. Although the werewolf incident is over, the patrol will continue for a while since the president isn’t sure if something will happen.
It’s annoying, but somehow I can’t help it, so I was just wandering around thinking about going for a walk to cool my head.
—And it took me less than five minutes to realize how easy accidents could happen.
“What are you doing now?”
Seeing the two students almost on the verge of a fight, I asked.
I was a little annoyed, but I still have to listen to them before acting. Perhaps they did not know that I would appear, and some of the students’ complexions turned white. Anyone who sees them would think that some kind of ghost appeared.
“You two there. What are you going to do now?”
I asked, pointing to the two students at the center of this case. One of them was particularly familiar, and when I looked closely I realized it was Aidan, a brown-haired country boy.
‘……It’s you again.’
Is his opponent an aristocratic student? I think his name was Jevan Pellio.
I sighed.
“The training ground is for honing your magic, but you’re trying to fight each other.”
As I approached slowly, the students who were nearby opened the way to avoid me. Strangely, I was taken aback by the way I was treated, but I decided not to care.
Ignoring everything I said to Aidan.
“Tell me what happened.”
“That, that…….”
“This is a fair match!”
Jevan shouted from behind me. I looked at him without a word.
Is it because you think I’m ignoring him? The guy was staring at me with courage, not hiding his anger.
“Is this a fair fight?”
“Yes. I’m going to have a magic duel with Aidan, it’s not a fight.”
“It’s funny that the first year students are having a magic duel.”
“Isn’t it okay for first-year students?”
Why is this kid doing this? What did he eat wrong? I was a little embarrassed when a guy normally wouldn’t stand out spoke boldly and I could understand why.
It was because of the other students standing behind him, as if supporting him. One guy in particular stood out.
‘That guy…….’
Looking at the subordinates he has around him, he is considered a captain. He also looked at me and gave me a slightly puzzled look.
‘It was a confrontation between commoners and aristocrats in the first training ground. This situation is somehow familiar.’
Somehow I thought it was familiar, but it was the same as the last fight between Rene and Dunema. However, in the case of Rene, it was a surprise attack, and this time, it seems they were trying to fight each other.
I have a headache.
Well, boys fight each other. Even in a world like this, it’s not strange, but why does something like this happen when I’m on patrol? One of them is even Aidan, whom I had been keeping an eye on for a long time.
“Jevan Pellio and Aidan, I have no intention of holding you accountable for something that hasn’t happened yet. So, all of you go back to the dormitory.”
“Mr. Rudger!”
“I told you to go back.”
As he stared at him strongly, I wondered if he would challenge the authority of the teacher head-on, since he has the noble faction on his back.
“Just leave it alone.”
A new voice was heard. The eyes of the students turned to the entrance opposite the one I entered. There I saw a man approaching and staring at me.
“Mr. Chris.”
This time, it was Chris Benimore, a new teacher who joined Theon with me and belonged to the noble faction.