The princess was obviously confused.
As she looked at me, her eyes whispered a confusion in my mind. Expectable, but what matters now is that I had to react to it.
Because after all, I'm still a commoner.
"Hey... Princess, why is it that I'm an artifact maker or something? I can't believe that shit."
"It's probably a god's gift or generational gift that is transcending by blood. Do you know any of your bloodline who has such a magnificent skill?"
Come to think of it, this may never even have a connection to me being an artifact.
It clearly has a vibe of bloodline if it doesn't have any connection to me being an artifact.
I haven't thought about it this way, but there is no telling into that because I don't even know my family to begin with. The old man didn't mention anything about me — means he doesn't know me.
"Well as far as it goes, bloodline is such a complicated shit and I barely even know one, but I can assure you my families aren't one."
Scrubbing my neck with my hand, sounding a bit different as a means of making her think I'm holding my excitement in.
But she was so deep into thought, she put her hand on her cheek trying to remember like a normal person...
Forgetting she is a princess.
"So does that mean it's god's gift?"
"Why would a god gift me?"
"But...huuuu...."
She sighed... she just sighed.
She looked really good when she sighed.
At least I'm seeing her girly side.
"Ohhh.... Soo...sooorrryyy... I have to go..."
She is noticing it now.
She runs as fast as she can.
If anything, the blushful running is the one she should be ashamed of, not her acting casual.
So I slowly walked out of the school.
A lot of people are actually watching it until the end.
And by that, I mean the mana measuring test.
As it states the strong and weak.
The threat and the hopeless.
People who are looking for rivals...
It doesn't matter if everyone is exposing what they have from the very beginning.
The mana measuring test must be given personally, as it reveals a lot about students.
No one cares anyway, and even if they care, they won't stand up for it.
As I reached the academy's front door,
Upperclassmen were standing.
They act a bit like delinquents.
Of course, I was unbothered by it, just a little irritated.
As I was about to pass them, one of them suddenly stood right in front of me, blocking the way.
"Hey there pale."
The other one stood up from the bench and came to me.
"You know that we haven't seen anyone's ability. Still waiting for another circle ground."
I looked at him with my eyebrows relaxed and my eyes half-opened, leaning my neck a bit.
"Woohoo... There, we are not here for trouble. We just wanna say, if you wanna join us, you're gonna be looked down on and be bullied. Looking at you walk here and there, it affects me. You don't have friends because you're worthless."
"Who are you calling 'worthless', shithead?"
A voice I recognize. A voice I really was relieved to hear.
A sweet girl's voice.
Zia Elliot herself.
My very beautiful upperclassman herself.
They trembled in fear.
Their legs waving as water being shaken in a bottle.
Not much of an exaggeration — it almost feels like they wet themselves.
Their eyes completely gone numb.
They just run.
Terribly at that.
Some of them falling on the ground and waking up and failing again.
I almost got too excited and was about to say:
"You can run. Run — your life depends on it."
But I couldn't.
Zia hugged me and clung to me hard.
Even though,
The feeling of her touching me, let alone clinging into me,
Makes me a bit happy.
Well, not because her chest is bigger than others — not definitely not.
She raised her head, looking at me.
"Darling, did they say anything annoying to you? Should I order to kill them?"
She actually might... No, she might not... Maybe she will do it.
"Nah, they didn't. Forget about them."
She clung to my hand so tight that it made me feel like I'm tied.
"So where should we go now?"
Wait, she is trying to take me somewhere? I mean, she said this while looking a bit bashful.
Did she or did she not plan this?
Who cares.
All that matters is that I enjoy my time.
And it helps pass time. I have nothing to do anyway.
She slowly walked while holding my hand.
That made me rethink it twice. Maybe she wanted to hold my hands, not the place.
But just when she pointed at a place that seems random, I knew she planned it.
There is a restaurant up ahead where she pointed. She wanted me to go with her, and I'm guessing there are people who are gonna watch us.
If she wanted to meet me, she could have done so before and after the test.
Looking at how she waited here...
That means...
Whatever.
Let's just trust the flow...
"Look there... There is a restaurant I wanted to try so badly, but thanks to my family I couldn't. Why don't we go there?"
Even her reasoning sounds off.
Maybe she liked me? She didn't show any subtle signs. Why?
But she likes me, right?
Nah, I'm just overthinking it.
But if I'm not, this might be what they call love at first sight.
"Sure, let's go."
She looked very delighted. The way she clung even more to my hand was so warm and touchy.
I can see her happiness cast a spell in her eyes.
She wasn't your typical scary, fearsome, great daughter of the ELLIOT family.
She was a very cute upperclassman who wanted to enjoy time with me.
Wait... It reminds me of my first meeting with Emily. She was just like her — she just tried to ask me out for lunch.
She wasn't bold, but she did it. I only need to move forward if that's the case anyway.
As we crossed a couple of houses,
The vividness of the restaurant was almost real.
No offense.
But there—
There was this kid with red and black clothes sitting on the edge of a building.
"Wait Zia, what a coincidence..."
Zia changed her expression into a scared face.
"That's not a coincidence. Did you actually hear what I was talking about with my room partner and come to stalk me?"
He walked, ignoring the fact that she is clinging to me.
"No love, no I didn't... You know I love you. How could I? How could I? I love you so much. I'm not stalking you. I might have to sometimes but I have the right. You love me too, don't you... ohh Zia, my love."
He was yapping about how lies like how she loved him and absolute truth about him loving her.
"Hey, you garbage. Get the hell out of her face. Can't you see I'm with her?"
The moment I said that to him,
His psycho smile broke into a psychopath stare and he looked at me.
"Who are you calling garbage... Now I will give you 10 seconds to run. If you don't run in 10 seconds, you will die a horrible death by my mercy.
And if you want to stay, be my guest, but for me to spare you with only one hand and leg, she must come with me. Otherwise, you're dead."
He was yapping about it again.
Looking at his uniform — he is from another academy.
My lips and my eyes raised up their one side.
My pupil expanded and my eyes wide opened.
Even though he looks like a scrawny imbecile full of himself,
I saw potential in him.
"You kill me? How absurd."
Maybe I should teach another prodigy a lesson.