THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

As soon as Farner saw us, her face changed into that of a gnoll. The only thing lacking would be the oversized teeth.

"You…"

In a single jump, she launches at me like a madwoman and kicks my head so hard I hear something cracking. 

"CHEATER!!!"

"UGH!!"

***

When I wake up, I am in the infirmary, alone. It's midnight. Everything is dark.

"Damn that girl, jumping on conclusions on her own." And it was not even my fault.. She better apologize to me later.

I stand up and leave the infirmary then go to our dorm. But once I arrive, I notice that the window near the entrance door is broken. I don't know what happened here but I can guess who did this already. The lights are still on inside as well.

When I enter, the heroes and Judy are sitting on a couch, talking, not too happily. They all look at me and the heroes' cold stares feel like needles hitting me. Especially Farner.

"You are up already. I thought we would only see you tomorrow." Excia starts the bombardment.

"Cockroaches are resilient. Everybody knows that." Roxcia follows.

"And they creep on almost everything as well." And Farner completes it in the worst way.

I don't think I can say anything right now that would save my skin so I simply walk past them and sit on another couch.

"So, what were you saying, Miss Roxcia?"

It seems Judy didn't waste a second and started talking about her problem as soon as the heroes came. They haven't even changed the clothes they were wearing when they came back.

"Well, your problem is indeed complex if you present it like that but…" Roxcia looks at her sisters with a sad look and they lower their heads.

"You cannot help?"

"Sadly, we can't."

"We are tied up as long as it doesn't concern Longinus. That's how the treaty works. If we don't respect it and act based on suspicions then the consequences could be more than we can possibly handle." Well explained Farner.

"But even so, can you-"

"Even if we act stealthily, we don't know what the outcome might be."

"In the first place, it is your problem alone." I enter the conversation and they all look at me dumbfounded. "What?"

"Who gave you the right to talk?"

"Come on, Farner. This isn't about you and me now."

"I don't want to hear you in this, mister." Judy looks at me like the worst possible bug on Schamerin.

"And I don't like your attitude as well. We all have to live with our problems though."

"Oh, you aren't a problem. You are Just a nuisance." Her stare becomes harsher.

"Then can I at least ask something?"

"No, just leave."

"Let him ask. He won't stop if you don't. That the kind of guy he is." Farner, this is clearly not the time when I would hope for your support.

"Anyway, how do you see the heroes?"

There is one thing that I understood after my last trial. Most people see the heroes as tools. They keep talking about holy beings and whatnot but in the end, they are just mere tools to their eyes. And because they are too powerful, they have restricted their movements so that they can manipulate them to their schemes. If you see them the same way, I won't let them help you.

"They are holy beings sent by the god-" As soon as she says that, I stand up and turn to the stairs.

"Like I thought, you are just another one." I leave without hearing what else she has to say. I don't especially care about the other two, but Farner is not a tool for you guys to use. I will do my best to not let people just use her for whatever desire they have.

***

"He also left a letter?"

The next morning, I go to the smithy to see if Frank is back but Sophia informs me that he sent a letter just the day before saying he had urgent business to take care of.

"Yes. I must admit that I am surprised. With how busy we are right now," as she says that, a man passes by us while carrying a dozen of helmets that he brings outside, "I am surprised he left just like that. It must really have been an urgent business."

"Did he mention where he was going? Or something about his wife or Anriette?"

"No, nothing of the sort. I even wait at their home after I received the letter but it was close. Even their maid isn't there. I just hope nothing has happened to them."

"You think they could have been kidnapped?"

"I would like to think so but Claire isn't one to be so easy to capture. Frank isn't weak as well. A master smith will at least know the basics of fighting with a weapon. No, I think it was just something urgent."

Sophia's hands are trembling while she says that. She isn't calm at all, on contrary to what she wants to make me believe.

"Don't worry, I will find them and bring them back if anything ever happens."

"Okay. Also, I will have your weapon and armor delivered to your school later today. Frank had finished at least one of your raizen so until he comes back to take care of the second one, I wouldn't want you to stay like that."

"I see. Thank you."

"It's nothing. Have a good day."

"You too."

I leave the smithy, play with K'nor a bit at the pet's house then go back to school in the afternoon. I thought the case about Germinia was close but I find her right in front of my dorm, with her arms crossed. She must look extremely threatening to normal people.

"Where have you been? I have asked for you since this morning. "

"Do I have a business with you?" I try to walk past her but obviously, she comes right in front of me.

"Yes, you do. We need to fight for Lanuvel."

"Sigh…she said she would fight on her own and defeated you, right? What do I still have to do with it?"

"It's because you are influencing her. That's why I can't believe she made the choice consciously."

"Meaning?" This girl really wants it, huh…

"I obviously have more to offer her than you will be able to. I come from a family of warriors as well so she won't have to worry about anything ever. Whereas you are but a man, surprising sometimes but still, weak."

"Is that so…"

You have been trying to piss me off for a good while, girl. I think it's time to check who is strong and who is weak.

I release my aura and before she can block it with her arms, I punch her stomach without using lightning fist. I don't want unnecessary trouble because I killed a student. Germinia flies through the door and lands inside our hall with a loud noise.

"All of you guys are pissing me off." I pass the broken door of the dorm and enter, finding everybody inside: the heroes, Lanuvel and Keltia, Cordel, even Judy, and Velvet are here. Germinia is still conscious seeing how she is trying to get back up with her trembling body.

"You keep talking as if people are tools without a will or freedom, like they don't have desires of their own. Who are you to know whether her choice was her own or not?! Who are you to decide what they should do or not do?!! Why would they not have the right to choose when those who have that right make the worst possible choices?!!"

"Ugh…" Germinia finally stands back up but I pounce on her. This time I will put to sleep for at least a week.

Right as I punch, another hand appears in front of her face and blocks mine. The shockwave created from the impact still throws Germinia away though.

"Farner…" Of course, you would intervene. "That was unnecessary."

"Not when you are about to finish off somebody weaker than you."

"She herself said she is not."

"It doesn't matter. I cannot stay idle while you act all savage. You already know that."

"You should have in this case." And in all the other cases as well, though I probably wouldn't have known I love you if you did.

"It's my freedom to do so, right?" She smiles brightly at me then lowers her hand. On her side, Germinia has already fainted. Everyone present is looking at me with eyes of judgment. Only Farner and Lanuvel look at me normally.

I just walk to the stairs and as I start walking, Lanuvel says one last thing.

"I will talk to her, don't worry." I am not really worried, Lanuvel. Though, yeah, you should. If she keeps getting on my nerves like that, I might have to kill her someday.