After hearing the description from Jenner and the confirmations from the other suspects, Yuri refused to believe it. She refused to believe that the guy that she has been chasing for so long had died...But when the authorities, especially her father, confirmed it. She felt her world shattering.
She thought of the point why she was still aiming to become stronger, she thought about everything being pointless anyway.
Standing in the middle of the Academy's training hall, snow covered everywhere as Yuri felt something cold in her cheeks. It ran down for a moment before it froze up and shattered in her face.
"Was I....unworthy?"
She just cried ice.
——————
Emma Enidryll had to admit that she was not a perfect mother. She always put high expectations to her children which pressured them and turned them into studious monsters.
But even still, because of her expectations towards her children....it showed that Emma Enidryll truly loved them because she did not want them to live the life of a failure, live a life like her who was just thrown as a marriage material. Emma Enidryll used to be a Young Marchioness from the Illburg family, but because she was a woman, she did not inherit the title that their parents had given to her. She was instead just used as a Marriage Material for political power.
She did not want her kids to end up like that, as well as like their Father who is just standing at his Brother, The Emperor's shadow.
But it was too late, Her obsession for Honor had killed one of her children, and that child was the son too...the youngest and the brightest. Rauke Enidryll.
Probably because she was obsessed to rise in glory, she pressured Rauke to study so much as the kid excelled at everything that his mother told him to do. But when her son was branded as a disgrace, she immediately ordered her kid to be exiled and thought of keeping the dignity of her family.
Or so she thought....a Month after exiling her own son, She was shocked to hear the news that her own son had died. She kept her feelings in, thinking that it was for the better of her Family but...
A mother is still a mother after all. The moment that she was alone, she broke down into tears as she swallowed her sobbing.
"I'm sorry....I'm sorry, if only I was a better Mother"
—————
Passing through the hall filled with murmuring student, I listened in to their conversations with gritted teeth.
"The [ Cursed ] child finally died...."
"It's a relief! Though, I heard that [ The First Cursed ] was his master....Hopefully he does not wreck havoc like 30 years ago"
"Yeah, Cursed people are terrifying.....do you think they are Demons?"
"Hahahaha they might be!"
"I did hear that The First Cursed will be targetting the Baifel County instead"
Listening to those words, I could not help but feel like punching those bastards right now, but I didn't. My master told me to never let my emotions out. But this one is really irritating, like who the fuck rejoices at a death of their peers and an innocent one at that? Fucking little psychos.
It has actually been a week ever since the news that Rauke Enidryll died spread around like wildfire, it spread from kingdom to kingdom in the span of a few days, it was all over the continent. That's news for you, sure travels fast. I actually hoped for that guy to live, but probably not graced by the heavens....he unfortunately did not.
This world is really cruel.
Shaking my head out of those thoughts, I decided to focus on what was ahead of me. Carrying a backpack with me, I arrived at the school's dock port and there, I met the other first years who are in the same batch as me. There is also Azriel and Viego too who greeted me with a smile as the shorter guy, who was Viego, wrapped his arms around my neck with a chuckle.
"You are late, Baron Garvel!"
The long haired lad let out a huff as Azriel, the caramel haired lad just chuckled at Viego trying his best to maintain the position of his arms around my neck. He was shorter than me that he had to tiptoe to reach my neck.
Finally letting go, Viego grumbled as I just smiled there.
"Why the heck are you so tall....tsk"
"I told you, just give up. Sir Chosen One will break his neck trying to adjust with your height"
"Stop that Azz, that's creepy as shit"
The three of us shared a hearty laugh as we were walking onto the platform where the Airship will be docking in. Since it is already midterms, The Academy planned to have a battle royale survival for us first years as our exam, and to provide more realistic experience....they decided to send us on a genuine wild island. Airships are the mode of transportation that we will be using.
While waiting for the airship to dock into the port, Azriel, Viego and I decided to chat to each other to pass the time, we talked about our expectations on the island about how we might encounter dsngerous monsters, and when that happens...we talked about taking it down. And we also talked about what happens if something goes wrong in there.
We talked together for a long while until a girl with unusually styled deep red hair approached us. It was Helen.
"Of course the Teachers will have precautions to prevent accidents! Professor Mason has prepared artifacts for safety!"
Helen said to us with a smug attitude, in which the three of us just glanced at each other and then I threw Viego and Azriel a shrug.
"Woah, you are such a genius Helen, how did you know that?"
I decided to go along with her like a child and fueled her ego, which definitely worked based on how big her smug was.
"Hmph! Of course I know! I read a lot of books about Artifacts and Mr. Mason has been using safety [ Life Bracelets ] for the previous students of the academy as a training material."
Helen once again cheekily explained as I just clapped with amusement in my expression. The other two also clapped to follow me as I then take out a choco bar from my pocket and handed it to her.
"Wow! As expected of the super genius Helen! Here...a chocolate"
I chuckled as the girl's cat ears which was disguised like a headband, perked up. Ah yeah right, Helen is a beastkin from the Cat tribe, she is ranked 9th in the School ranking and is a very cheerful person. Despite her haughty know it all attitude, she is actually liked by everyone in my class because of how cute she was.
Though, there are still some cases that she gets bullied like being complimented backhandedly and used as a shuttle, but this girl actually appeared very clueless about such things...how adorable of her.
Taking the chocolate bar from my hand, Helen peeled it open quite adorably and started munching on it with little bites.
"Helen! I told you to never wander off!"
As we were having fun talking to Helen about random facts, a girl with a fiery orange hair panted heavy breaths as she took Helen by her arm. The woman was none other than Serena, she now wore glasses.
Serena was ranked 5th in the school ranking, she is very competitive and refuses to lose to others....especially me. for some reason, this girl dislikes me because I am a commoner who became a noble. She was also a commoner, but she dislikes the nobility so much that she does not even try talking to them. Oh well, she is just a kid—She is 18—. Not like I will flame her like a reddit user.
"But Lucas gave me chocolate....."
Helen muttered while still munching on that chocolate. She looked really cute with that expression but sadly I am not a furry.
Hearing those words, Serena sighed as she patted the head of the beastkin, trying to talk to her like an older sister.
"That's nice...but you should never take food from strangers, okay? You don't know what they put in there"
Hey, I am right here listening. But I did look like a kidnapper offering a candy to kids only for me to put them inside a white van.
Probably seeing me chuckle at Helen being adorable and misinterpreting it, Serena shot me a glare thinking that I was laughing at her. Girl, chill out. I was not laughing at you!
Though she did looked pretty amusing.
"What are you laughing at? Are you making fun of me? A commoner?"
Oookaaaay, she kinda sound so insufferable now. Azriel and Viego who heard words suddenly start to get offended, with irritated expression...they tried to retort to her words but I just raised my hand and shook my head to stop them.
"I am sorry, I was not laughing at you. I just thought that you are a nice person taking care of Helen. You look like an Older Sister"
How's that? Heh! I pretty much settled things without any trouble! As expected of me. Hearing those words of mine escape from my mouth, right on my gaze, I somewhat witnessed Serena's ears turning red as she let out a huff and turned away while dragging Helen on her arm.
Huh, did not expect her to act like that. I expected her to be more bratty.
"See ya on the exams, Lucas! Goodluck to us!"
The furry girl waved her hand as she was being dragged by the taller girl and wished us goodluck.
"Likewise"
I responded softly with a smile and then turned on my comrades who had the look of relief on their faces upon seeing that no argument happened. Smiling at them, we stared at the airship which was docking into the port now.