CHAPTER 71: INVITE

"... And that’s about it for today’s class.

As much as being a hunter is about combat, you have to make sure you don’t lag

behind in theory too. They will also have an effect on your final rankings.

Good day."

She vanished the moment she was done, not

even waiting to take any questions.

’Typical.’

Right on time, a message popped up from the

school.

[Cadet Victor, you are to make yourself

present at Esteemed Paragon Alice’s office by 6:00 pm sharp on Friday.]

’At least it isn’t today.’

With Alice gone, the class burst back into

excited murmurs and chatting. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say I shared much of

their enthusiasm.

After all, we still had a physical class

this afternoon. Given my rotten luck, I was almost certain that it would be

endurance training.

Ignoring Shin and Rowan, who kept giving me

looks of pity, I scanned around the class for familiar faces.

Song, as always, looked half dead.

Regardless of how much makeup she’d, rather expertly, applied to hide it, the

weariness in her slouch easily gave away her exhaustion. A lackey sat right

next to her.

’Weren’t there two of them?’

It seemed she had cut ties with the other one,

as I found her former lackey chatting idly with some noble girl.

Not that I was one to pry into her personal

matters.

Shifting my gaze from her, I was

pleasantly surprised to find Maki sitting right next to Lily. I’d expected her

to be a loner, just as she’d been in the story, given the paranoid nut she was.

The simulation had brought them closer

than I thought.

Racheal, on the other hand, was sitting

right next to Alexa.

’She’s finally reached out, huh?’

This development did not surprise me in the

slightest; in fact, I’d been expecting it to happen for a while now. Alexa was

probably the easiest for Racheal to draw to her side.

After all, they shared one very important

thing in common. Both absolutely despised monsters, to frightening degrees.

Not that there was anyone who particularly

liked monsters in Bastion, well, besides the psychos working for the Father’s

Hand. Everyone hated monsters.

Both of those two’s obsession with them was

on a completely different level.

I smoothly shifted my gaze the moment

Racheal sensed that I was watching her. I still felt her burning gaze on my

neck after doing so, but I was very skilled in the act of ignoring things.

Finally, my eyes landed on the person I’d

been looking for from the start. A certain dark-skinned girl in the front row,

currently twirling some of her silver-highlighted hair with a self-satisfied

expression.

’Ayo.’

She was my current ticket out of the mess with

Varic. Being the only Potential Archon not affiliated with any faction, she was

really the only one who could help me there.

’I just have to find a way to approach

her.’

My train of thoughts was broken by Rowan tapping

me.

"I think you’ll want to see this."

He pointed down the conference room,

towards the place where Varic and his merry band of nobles were sitting, a location

I’d grown rather apt at ignoring, especially with the constant glares they kept

shooting my way.

From the crowd, a young dark-haired and

blue-eyed figure stepped out before heading upwards, towards what suspiciously

seemed like our direction.

’They’re finally making a move.’

"Do you need any help?"

Rowan asked as he watched the boy with a

displeased expression. He wasn’t someone especially fond of Varic and his

friends, especially since they’d pestered him nonstop due to his affiliation

with Racheal.

"It’s fine. I can handle it myself."

I had a reason for declining. Regardless of

how well-intentioned Rowan actually was in offering help, I couldn’t stop

seeing the offer for what it actually was.

’A trap.’

Not by Rowan. He wasn’t one to resort to

such tactics. It was set by Racheal.

If I accepted Rowan’s help now to escape

Varic, I’d be automatically tied to Racheal’s faction. After all, Rowan was

currently the main face of that faction.

The scenario from the story would

undoubtedly just repeat itself again.

On some level, it seemed the boy understood

my desires as well, as he didn’t offer to help again after I’d rejected him

once. Rather uncharacteristic behaviour coming from the lamb.

To the side, Shin just opened his mouth

halfway before pausing and eventually shutting up.

I couldn’t say I didn’t understand him too.

Only self-sacrificing people like Rowan would be willing to mess with someone

like Varic just to save a person they had only known for a week.

The boy soon stood before us, looking down

with that typical haughty arrogance that I’d grown to expect from nobles.

"Varic wishes to see you."

I rubbed my chin seriously, pretending to

seriously contemplate the offer for a moment. Then I turned to give him my best self

satisfied, shit eating grin.

"I don’t want to."

The boy seemed shocked at the statement. He

glanced around, wondering if he’d misheard me, before speaking again.

"I don’t think you understand me very well.

I said, Varic of House Aurelius wishes to see you."

"Yeah, I don’t think you understand me very

well, too. Cuz I said I don’t wanna."

The boy could only open his mouth

speechlessly, before closing it. Rowan looked to be dying inside as he

struggled to suppress his laughter, while the wolfman gave his best attempt at

becoming invisible.

The boy regained his voice, but it was

steeped in irritation now.

"I don’t think you understand your position,

Peasant. An heir of a great clan wishes to speak to you."

"Why should I care? In fact, what’s the

point in going to meet him, if he can’t come ask me himself? Is he feeling

shy?"

He finally seemed to understand that I was

just messing with him. Regaining his composure, the boy nodded curtly.

"Very well. I’ll relay your words to him; I

just hope you won’t regret them later."

"Good. Also tell him I don’t swing that way

if that’s why..."

He seemed to have lost all tolerance for my

bullshit, as he stomped away before I could even finish my sentence.

I could only click my tongue in

disappointment.

’Well, he’s no fun.’

Rowan and Shin looked at me like I was

a lunatic. I shrugged obliviously in response.

"What?"

"Are you... Why eve-... D-... You know what? Just

why?"

Shin was speechless, Rowan only shared a

little of that sentiment. He was too busy being amused with the situation.

"When I first met you, I knew you weren’t

normal. Still, I didn’t think you’d be batshit crazy."

In my defense, I wasn’t doing this because

I’d suddenly gone rogue or mad, or anything of the sort.

No. This was all part of a well constructed

plan.

Ragebaiting Varic. More specifically, his

nobles. With all their ire on me, they’d be much too busy to go around sparking

conflicts with Racheal’s faction.

Of course, it also meant I’d be under the

concentrated fire of a bunch of nobles. But I was already immune to most of their

typical tricks and tactics.

Being an orphan, I had no family outside

the school they could threaten. The only possible connection, Anna, was

likely already under the wing of the Church of the New Mother. Nobles never

messed with those under the Church’s protection.

At least not for reasons as silly as this.

The only other two methods would be bribing

and outright bullying me to drop the post. While most of them would certainly

be stronger than me, Ayo would be my card to getting out of that mess.

I also had another particularly useful card.

Opening the interface, I finally saw the message sent a while ago.

[(*￣∇￣*)]

’Of course.’

Ignoring it, I sent a message.

[We need to talk.]

A reply came rather swiftly.

[Says the guy who left me to die in the

simulation.]

[My apologies, I was too busy getting

ripped to shreds by the Predator.]

There was a lull, before the next message

arrived.

[Fine. Meet me in the dorms after

classes.]

’Oh, almost forgot about that.’

We both stayed in the same dorm now. Hell,

given that she’d somehow come third, she was on the floor right below me.

’Well that’s convenient.’

I sent an affirmative reply back to her

before collapsing the interface.

Just then, I heard sounds of murmurs

increasing from the seats below, and wondered for a moment if Varic was coming up himself.

But no, the reason for the murmurs soon

became very evident. An interface message soon popped up before me.

[Do you wish to save Varic Aurelius as a contact?]

[YES]  [NO]

’Well, this is getting more interesting.’

I accepted it without wasting much thought.

Almost immediately, a message popped up from Varic.

[Forfeit your position.]

I didn’t reply immediately, pausing to

build his anticipation. Then I typed.

[Don’t wanna.]