He wasn't an unknown figure. In fact, many would say he was quite the opposite. He wasn't just another noble from the House of Duke Stormheart—he was the Duke's youngest son.
However, Leon had a well-known reputation, though not a good one. The young man was weak, barely able to summon any Mana, and no one, not even the most seasoned Mana experts, could figure out why.
Over the years, his father, Duke Stormheart, grew to accept Leon's shortcomings. Eventually, he stopped giving him attention altogether. As a result, Leon became a target for ridicule, and people mocked him openly without fear of retribution. If not for the Stormheart name, most wouldn't even acknowledge him as a noble anymore.
Still, it was his family name that earned him a transfer to Evergreen Academy—the most prestigious academy in the city. Normally, such transfers were forbidden, but an exception was made for Leon.
But the person least concerned about all of this? Leon himself.
On top of his weaknesses, he had earned a reputation as a notorious pervert, which only added to the whispers behind his back. He was a disappointment to many, but not to Arin.
Leon swept his eyes over Tessa, his gaze lingering far too long before he puckered his lips and blew her an exaggerated kiss. He then winked at her, walking with an air of false confidence towards the chair next to the girl who almost laughed.
The rest of the students frowned, following him with their eyes as if he had disrupted the whole room. Leon plopped down in the chair, turning his attention to the girl next to him, staring with a grin that was far from innocent.
"Attention, everyone," Riya's voice cut through the tension like a knife. All eyes, including Leon's, shifted to the front.
She scanned the students, her gaze firm. "As I mentioned earlier, today's topic is Mana Absorption."
The lesson began. Riya spoke at length, explaining everything in more detail than usual. She even revisited past topics, much to the students' surprise. Most of them assumed it had to do with Leon's sudden transfer.
However, Arin noticed something odd. Riya's gaze lingered on him more than it should. Every time she looked his way, he caught her checking if he was paying attention. Though, it was usual for him to space out during her lessons, but she seemed more vigilant than usual.
'Why does it feel like she's more focused on me than on teaching?' Arin wondered. He brushed it off, figuring she was just making sure he didn't fall into his usual habit of zoning out.
At last, the Magic Theory class ended, and the students were dismissed to change into their training gear. Weapon Training was next.
As Arin made his way to the training hall, he overheard several students murmuring to Alex, offering their condolences over Arthur's death.
Arin scoffed under his breath, folding his arms. 'If only they knew.....'
Tessa was also with him throughout, which was actually a good thing, considering the fact that it would be immensely odd and suspicious if she wasn't by his side.
Moments later, Dan strode into the room, his presence commanding immediate silence. He scanned the students, his sharp gaze pausing briefly on Leon before moving on. Without a word, he walked to the weapon rack and selected his own.
"So," Dan began, addressing the class, "we'll be continuing with sparring today. Since most of you sparred yesterday, today's session should be quick."
The students nodded, some of them smiling at the thought of a shorter class.
Dan paced in front of them, his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes swept over each student as he seemed to weigh his next decision. After a moment, he stopped.
"Arin and Clark," he called.
Arin and a boy with black hair stepped forward, standing before the class. Arin's face was expressionless as he studied his opponent. He didn't know if Clark was particularly strong or weak, but with his vampiric strength, Arin was confident. His only goal was to keep his abilities low-key.
'Just fight like an Extra...'
Arin walked over to the weapon rack, picking up a wooden sword. He noticed Clark selecting a wooden axe from the selection.
They squared off, taking their positions. Arin shifted his right foot back and bent his left knee, gripping the sword with his right hand. It was a common stance, but Arin used it to avoid drawing attention to himself.
"Master, beat him to a pulp! Hehehe." Seraphine's voice echoed in his mind, followed by a chilling chuckle.
'Shut it, Seraphine,' Arin replied telepathically.
Clark took the same stance, his eyes narrowing in focus. He raised his axe high above his head, ready for an overhead strike.
"Begin!" Dan's voice rang out.
Both combatants charged toward each other, weapons at the ready. Clark swung his axe down, intending to overwhelm Arin with sheer force.
But Arin suddenly stopped in his tracks, lowering his head and relaxing his posture. His sword dropped to his side, its tip resting on the ground. Then, with both hands, he gripped the hilt and swung upward with a roar which he decided to add, "ARGHHHHH!!"
Clark's axe hurtled down toward him, but—
The two weapons collided with a loud crack, but the force of Arin's strike was too much. Clark's axe was knocked out of his grip, flying across the room. Clark stumbled back, his arm flung behind him from the recoil. Before he could recover, Arin had his sword at Clark's throat.
"The winner is Arin," Dan announced.
The class erupted in applause, murmurs of admiration spreading through the crowd. Arin sighed as he walked back to the weapon rack, shaking his head.
'So much for sparring like an Extra.....'
Even though he didn't want to stand out, that didn't mean he planned to loose. But his lack of control over his enhanced strength made the spar more dramatic than he'd intended.
Dan, noticing Arin's technique, smiled approvingly. "Class, did you notice how he used both hands to grip his weapon? That's a basic technique you should all adopt. More force means throwing your opponent off balance, like you just saw."
Arin smirked to himself. 'At least he thinks it was just the two-handed grip.....'
Dan turned to Clark. "You did well, but your attack was predictable. Work on that."
Minutes later, the class was dismissed, but Dan wasn't done yet.
"Before you leave," he called, halting everyone in their tracks, "the Weapon Training class will become more intense from now on. Not just because of recent incident, but because of what's coming up in two days."
Confusion spread through the students. Clark voiced the question on everyone's mind.
"What event?" he asked.
Dan's eyes widened, as if he had just remembered something. "Wait... She didn't tell you?"
What event do you guys think Dan is talking about? Let me hear your thoughts!!
Also, fight scenes are on their way, hehehe.