As soon as Aiden had closed the door behind him, Kayden immediately turned toward him with a hostile look in his eyes and said, "Listen to me, I know you think you’re some talented mage, but I tell you this, you’re not. And soon, you’ll end up proving that the magic tester gave you a false evaluation."
Listening to Kayden reminded him of his brother Lucas, and that made him smile for a brief second.
"What the hell is funny?" Kayden questioned with an angry expression.
"Heh," Aiden ignored him briefly as he set his bag down around one of the beds to his side.
There were two small wardrobes meant for each of them, as well as a single window from which one could look out to see the larger expanse of the Academy grounds.
Aiden sat down on the bed and turned his face toward the young lord, who was somewhat still waiting for a reply.
"You remind me of my younger brother..." he said, then looked him from head to toe and added, "I’d say probably about the same age too."
"You dare compare me to a wretched sibling of yours?!" Kayden said with a voice that sounded rather infuriated.
Aiden rolled his eyes and shook his head disappointedly. It felt like dealing with a child.
And at that moment, new screens came into his view.
[New Side Quest Assigned]
[Side Quest → Visit the Library and read 10 books containing Vital Information about Dungeon Monsters]
[General Reward: +800xp]
[Each book read will give additional +100xp]
[Bonus Reward: ??]
[Quest Duration: 7 days]
"Finally," Aiden muttered to himself. He had been waiting for a side quest all day since they practically gave more experience points.
This paired well with his Daily Quest, which needed him to learn about the eight guilds. It was also the only Daily Quest he got today, and perhaps even the library might have information on the guilds.
He also now understood more of the system quest mechanics.
It not only studied him as the host to curate appropriate missions, it also somehow paid attention to the environment to decide how to create these quests and missions.
An intriguing mystical concept.
"What did you say?!" Kayden asked, which entirely cut Aiden’s focus on his quest screens short.
"Can you sit down, boy?" Aiden said in a somber tone as he raised his eyes toward Kayden.
He immediately added, "Oh, you want me to be afraid of you? You would expose me and what not, is that it? Alright, I am afraid of you. Now please sit down."
Aiden’s voice as he spoke sounded both sarcastic and filled with mockery. He clicked his tongue out of annoyance—"Tsk", and simply decided to unpack.
Kayden himself was taken aback and looked stunned.
Aiden had just made him feel stupid, and for lack of knowing how to respond next, he simply turned away to his corner, opposite from Aiden, with his fists clenched in annoyance.
He sat down quietly on his bed and stared at Aiden, who was trying to unpack.
....
For the next hour, the new mages of Oakenheart dealt with settling in.
Between rooms, there was lots of grumbling, especially from mages from noble families, concerning their current living conditions. How either the rooms felt too small to them, or dirty, or generally below their accustomed standards.
It was annoying having to listen to most of the complaints from these people across the hallway, and Aiden simply filtered out the noise.
Dragon’s Sense was a passive skill, but he could still filter out the sounds and control just how much he was listening to.
However, he noticed something, Kayden wasn’t complaining. Not one bit. He had settled in like a regular person, even though he definitely could have used a smile on his face.
That intrigued Aiden enough to say, "You’re not grumbling about the room conditions like the others."
"This is what it means to be a Xathian Mage, and if they are not ready for a life like this, they should go back to their mothers," Kayden replied.
"So, more condescending than spoilt" Aiden thought to himself as he weighed out the characteristics of his new roommate.
Then realization hit Kayden almost immediately, and he asked, "Wait... how do you know anyone’s grumbling? Our rooms might be close, but unless you’re listening through their doors, you can’t know they are."
Aiden’s eyes were startled a bit, as he did not expect that. "Uh, I mean it’s a common assumption, is it not? People who are used to bigger spaces and servants, now forced to share a room."
Kayden looked at him strangely for a second, then turned his face away. He didn’t ask any further questions because he had accepted what Aiden said.
"Observant and smart too," Aiden added to his thoughts that weighed out Kayden’s characteristics.
Since it seemed like they were on talking terms now, Aiden asked, "What’s your name?"
Kayden quickly turned back with a surprised yet angry look on his face. He wondered if Aiden was trying to get him mad, and so he asked, "Are you intentionally trying to get me livid?"
Aiden had a puzzled look on his face. "Did I say anything offensive?"
Then Aiden realized it probably offended him because he was the son of the ruling lord and somehow expected that everyone in Xathia would know his name.
Aiden voiced out what he was thinking: "You are under the assumption that everyone in the kingdom should magically know your name?"
Kayden just sighed and simply replied, "Kayden, and you don’t have to tell me yours, I don’t care for it."
"Heh," Aiden smiled at the reply.
Just then, Mrs. Margaret came into the hallway and rang a bell twice that echoed through the corridors, which alerted everyone in their rooms.
People opened their doors slowly to peek out, and then she said loudly, "Attention everyone, you all are expected to be at the Dining Halls this moment. We have food prepared for everyone. When next you hear these bells, know that I have come to inform you of something."
Then she walked away. Soon after, the new entries began getting ready. This invitation to the dining halls happened in the early hours of the afternoon.