THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

It lasted only a minute. The time during which the Mohana students punched and kicked and tried to break Esteressa was no more than a minute. Some would probably say that her endurance played a big role there. And I would agree with them. But…

"This is a clear breach of your system!! Why did she not get teleported immediately?!"

Cordel obviously isn't thinking the same thing. As soon as she got back, there were priests ready to take care of her though. Not only that, the heroes have come down to the stage as well and are confronting the hammer hands together with Frankher while Cordel is trying to find out whatever he is thinking of with a teacher.

The rest of us are at a corner of the stage. While the others are busy talking about what they would do if they get the chance, though some of them did and didn't accomplish much, I am observing Thando. Or more like, we are observing each other.

This guy has such a hatred-filled look when he looks at me that I wonder if he has any other emotions..

"Though his classmates don't even care about what is happening."

Unlike him, his classmates are just forming a circle around him, uncaring of the commotion they have brought. Their faces are hidden inside their helmets. Maybe I should provoke them a little. I make a weird face at Thando then gives him a slight smirk. The effect is way better than I hoped.

"You fucking bastard!" With the scream that breaks off the current mood of the situation, the guy launches himself at me and throws a needle. It is infused with fire Angas and shines with a hot red color. 

You really can't control yourself when it is about me, can you? I dodge the needle but right when I am about to punch him and him cutting me with his sword, a figure appears and blocks both of us.

A man, slightly shorter than me, with blue eyes and belgium hair, a remarkably beautiful face. The charisma that is emitted by his body as he is standing between us, holding my fist with his hand and blocking Thando's sword with the scabbard of his own sword, is exhilarating.

"And you are?" Thando has beaten me to the question. The guy lowers his hands and fixes his clothes back with majesty.

"Do you guys think this is a henhouse or something? Have you no shame?"

I don't know who you are but thanks to your intervention, every pair of eyes are on us now. Moreover, the officials of the event are now coming our way.

The guy goes away like nothing just happened and walks as if dignity and pride were his shoes. I really wonder who it is. Maybe some royal blood.

"Ah, I remember you now." Thando seems to know the guy. Good, enlighten me then. "You are the Lord of Swords, right?"

The lord of swords? He is Germinia's brother? I look at her but she simply looks terrified with her face shifts downwards as far as her neck could allow her to.

"Address that name with honorifics, we aren't of the same league you and I, slave."

Yeah, he must be Germinia's brother with that sharp tongue. And it seems he has the same ability as me to make Thando angry. He is gritting his teeth so hard right now they might probably break.

Thanks to this though, the commotion due to Esteressa's incident has passed and it seems the tension has disappeared. I guess we can return to our lodgings now.

***

"Argh!!"

As soon as we are back, Cordel lets out his anger on everything in the living room, breaking the pots and flowers and everything that comes to his sight.

I am surprised Frankher lets him do that without saying anything. Or not. He himself seems rather angry right now. Well, Thando, Sir hammer hands, you wanted a fight? you have got it now. I don't know if I was the target of your scheme or not but you are certainly the target of those two guys' anger right now.

Having broken everything in the room, Cordel goes upstairs to his room and continues with his screams of anger there. Meanwhile, I sit somewhere he hasn't made a mess and look at the others who have an angry look on their faces. Frankher comes and sits next to me then sighs.

"Sigh…Ultimately, this is the result when you are unprepared. I hope this will be a lesson for your future. Being strong is good as long as you have the head that can support it. Having a good strategy is always better."

"But sir!" Shalim immediately comments. As the perfect example of a great strategist and a weak warrior. He must have a word to say.

"I know what you are going to say, in the end, in front of absolute strength, no strategy can be truly effective. But even so, strive to overcome your weaknesses and your shortcomings first. Only then can you truly say that you tried everything and it failed because your opponent was stronger. "

And here is a beautiful speech delivered by yours truly. You really said everything that had to be said right now, Frankher.

"I…I understand, Sir."

"And it is the same for you as well."

"Yeah, I know." I have seen…I am still seeing the results of my weakness before me every day.

"Let us all sleep now and inquire about miss Vonild's condition tomorrow morning before the semi-finals."

"Yes, headmaster."

Although reluctantly, everyone heads upstairs. Personally, I don't think they should worry too much. The heroes and even the Saintess went with her and she wasn't even that much injured since she got teleported at some point. No, really, the only issue here would be that those guys are trying to provoke us. And Cordel has efficiently taken the bait.

***

During the night, while I sleep, I hear noises coming from the room next door. When I focus, I realize somebody is praying.

"Oh, Goddess, mother of all and everything. Please bless your servant with your wisdom and patience. To endure the hardships that your servant must face and see through them your guidance. For I am but alone and weak and only your light may bring me victory."

That Cordel's voice. So, his room is next to mine? I never noticed.

"Just what? What can your servant do? How can I get rid of that hatred in my heart that corrupts me and clouds my vision? What is the way? Please show your humble servant the path as he is lacking knowledge."

"Can't you just do what you want?"

"W-what?!" Oops, it seems I surprised him. I did speak loud enough for him to hear me through the wall.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"You aren't sleeping?"

"I was until you woke me up."

"S-sorry."

"There is no need to be. There is one thing that buggers me ever since I met you. Are you possibly a priest?"

"Fufufu. You too got that impression, huh."

"Me too?"

"Yeah. Most of you guys asked me the same question after knowing me for a while. Esteressa even panicked that we would need to break our relationship one day because of my habbits. And indeed, I aim to be a part of the church, or more precisely the eternal army."

"I see."

"You see?"

"Yeah."

"No, I mean, that's all. You won't ask me why or what am I thinking? Nothing?"

"Nope. Though you can talk about it if you want to, I don't mind."

"You are really something else sometimes. It's because of my father. When I was young, he would always praise the people from the eternal army, even though he ran away from it. He could spend hours talking about their courage and great hearts."

"Your father was a dreamer, then." Good for you.

"Yeah, he was a dreamer. Always looking at the sky with shining eyes, as if there was something there only him could see. Well, in the end, he transmitted that passion to me."

"And are you happy that you are following the path he wished to but couldn't take on?"

"Very. Being as righteous as possible is a goal that I believe I can only achieve by entering the eternal army and becoming a better person."

"What about the ones you love?"

"Esteressa? It doesn't change anything. You have the right to have a wife or a husband in the army as long that person is willing and knows the risk you are involved in."

"Knowing her, she will probably go with you."

"No, you don't know her at all. Esteressa has always wanted to open a dress shop. All those things about fights and war and whatever have never been her forte."

"Eh?" No way!!! I don't believe it!"

"Fufu. And yet, it is true. She just has trouble showing her true self so she naturally buckles up and shows a strong front to people but that's not really her."

"Is that so? I would have never believed it. Oh well, she will certainly feel better by tomorrow so we should sleep now."

"Yeah, we should."

"Yawn…Good night."

"Good night and Kevin…"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. You are…No, nevermind."

"…Right."