Luthiel didn't slow down as she led Grub through the village.
Her pace was light, almost bouncy, like she was following a rhythm only she could hear. Grub followed a step behind with his hands in his pockets and his eyes constantly moving as he took in everything around him. Even something as simple as a walk through the village was useful. He studied and attempted to learn some of the layouts and how the people behaved. Every detail could be useful later.
After a short walk, Luthiel came to a stop in front of a building. She turned toward him with a bright smile.
"Here we are, Mister Grub."
Grub looked up.
Calling it small wouldn't have been entirely accurate—but it definitely wasn't large either. The structure sat comfortably among the surrounding buildings, its wooden frame worn enough to show its age and yet, it didn't look like it was neglected. The windows were wide, letting in plenty of light, and the entire place carried a quiet, almost comforting atmosphere.
It felt lived in and rather cozy.
Before he could say anything, Luthiel grabbed his arm again and pulled him forward.
"Come on!"
Grub let out a quiet sigh as he was dragged inside. The moment he stepped through the entrance, his eyes began scanning. The interior matched the outside—simple, clean, and practical. There were no extravagant decorations, no unnecessary clutter. Just wooden floors, soft light filtering through the windows, and the faint scent of paper and chalk lingering in the air. It was all so ordinary and rustic.
Luthiel gestured upstairs. So Grub followed. Each step creaked softly beneath their weight as they ascended. When they reached the top, Luthiel didn't hesitate—she walked straight into one of the rooms.
Grub stepped in behind her. His eyes immediately began taking everything in.
Bookshelves lined the walls of the room, filled with neatly arranged texts of varying sizes. Desks were positioned in orderly rows, each one evenly spaced. At the front of the room stood a board covered in writing—symbols and characters that should have been unfamiliar. And yet—He could read them. Grub's gaze lingered on the board for a moment longer before shifting.
So the pin worked on written language too. That's good to know.
Only after he had finished observing the room itself did his attention shift to the people inside it. At the front sat a man whom Grub studied very carefully.
The man's skin was a deep gray, almost stone-like, contrasted sharply by his white hair and beard. The beard was thick but well-kept, framing a face that carried both age and sharp awareness. His eyes were striking. They were filled in by a black sclera. While a vivid blue iris, and pale pupils colored the inside of his eyes that seemed to glow faintly against the darkness.
But what stood out the most were the horns. They extended from the top of his head, long and curved, sweeping back behind him in a wide arc. Their size alone made them impossible to ignore.
The man was dressed simply in a plain button-up shirt. With black slacks and polished shoes finishing the simple aesthetic he had .
The man in front of him was clean and professional. So Grub didn't need any confirmation. This was surely the teacher.
In front of the horned man sat a small group of students—no more than fifteen. Each one looked different in their own way. They all had different builds, different features and were seemingly different species entirely.
To Grub, all of them were strange.
Luthiel stepped forward and gave a small bow.
"Hello, Teacher Orobas," she said politely. "I am here once again."
The man turned his gaze toward her.
"I have brought a friend with me," she continued. "As you may have heard, he is the… unusual individual who recently arrived in our village."
Grub resisted the urge to react to that wording. To him, everyone here was the unusual ones.
"Master Morrigan has assigned me as his guide," Luthiel went on. "He does not know much about this world, so I thought it would be beneficial for him to attend."
She paused. "You have taught me a great deal, Teacher. I was hoping… you might teach him as well."
Orobas didn't respond. Instead, his gaze shifted and anded on Grub.
Slowly and carefully, the man looked him up and down. Around the room, whispers began to spread.
Grub could hear them speak. Not just about him. About Luthiel too. He ignored them.
Orobas's expression shifted slightly—skeptical, but intrigued. Then Luthiel added, almost hesitantly,
"Master Morrigan also believes… he may be one of the Sky-Fallen. As described in the Great Baba's predictions."
That did it. Orobas straightened immediately.
"This boy?" he said, his tone sharpening.
He stood up so quickly his chair scraped against the floor, then turned and hurried toward the bookshelves. His movements were sudden, almost frantic as he began scanning through the rows of books. The class went quiet as he searched. After a few moments, he pulled one free.
He flipped through the pages rapidly, stopping abruptly before turning back toward them.
"You're telling me," he said, stepping forward with visible excitement, "that this… wacky-looking boy matches Baba's description?"
He pointed down at the page. Grub glanced closely at it. Orobas' finger was pointing at one word among many.
Sky-Fallen.
Orobas exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down. He closed the book and returned to his desk, sitting down with a composed expression—though the interest in his eyes hadn't faded.
"Well," he said, smiling now, "if such an interesting individual wishes to join my class… I would be delighted to have him."
He gestured toward the desks. Grub didn't waste a second and walked forward and took a seat. Luthiel sat beside him. The whispers started again.
Grub didn't care at all what they had to say. But when he turned slightly toward Luthiel— He paused. Her appearance had changed again.
Her hair was messier now, less composed. Her eyes were a crimson red.
And her expression…She looked irritated. No—Angry. Her jaw was tight, her gaze lowered slightly as murmurs passed through the room.
Words like weird and freaks floated around them. Grub dismissed them instantly. But Luthiel didn't, as each word made her expression darker and darker.
Orobas clapped his hands lightly, drawing attention back to the front.
"Now then," he began, slipping seamlessly back into his role, "let us continue where we left off."
Grub straightened slightly. The lesson had already started before he arrived. It was about a creature.
"Umayashiki," Orobas said, writing the name on the board. "A serpentine organism known for—"
Grub was already writing every detail of every word he heard. He didn't miss a single thing. Time passed quickly as Grub got lost in note taking. The lesson continued, moving through descriptions, behaviors, habitats, and dangers. Grub absorbed it all, his notebook filling page after page. When the class ended, the students began to file out.
Grub closed his notebook slowly.
All of this info was useful. Very useful
As he and Luthiel stepped outside, the air felt different again—lighter, more open. Grub now had a rough understanding of how this place handled education. For someone at Luthiel's age, there was only one teacher at this school.
Orobas. He handled everything. Subjects. Creatures. Knowledge of the world. He taught it all..
From what she had said earlier, most children attended when they were younger. But at her age, attendance was optional. She chose to come. Sometimes, at least. Grub glanced back at the building briefly.
Orobas had noticed him while teaching. Not just as a student. But as a fellow pursuer of knowledge. Someone worth putting his all into teaching. Orobas had even promised to teach him personally, outside of just class.
If handled correctly, Orobas could become a major source of information. Possibly even more than the library. Beside him, Luthiel remained silent.
She hadn't spoken once during the lesson. Not to the teacher. Not to the other students. Even when instructed to share what she learned with her peers. No one had spoken to her either. Grub had noticed that. He had also noticed how the others looked at her. She had said earlier that she was considered strange. He hadn't realized it went this far. To the point of such disdain.
As they walked, her appearance didn't change back. Her messy hair and red eyes persisted with that same irritated expression plastered on her face.
Grub glanced at her.
"…What's wrong?" he asked.
Her response came instantly as she didn't even look at him.
"Fuck off, Bug."
Grub blinked. That was… different.
He didn't show any reaction though. "…Alright," he said simply.
They kept walking. After a moment, he spoke again.
"…Thanks for bringing me. I have learned a lot and I suspect I will continue learning a lot there."
She didn't look at him.
"…You're welcome, Bug," she muttered, still clearly annoyed. Grub exhaled quietly.
Whatever this was, he didn't understand it. And honestly—He didn't care enough to push. Not right now. There were more important things.
He scratched lightly at his wrist. That damned bracelet was still there and still a problem.
"…Hey," he said after a moment. "Could I talk to Morrigan sometime? You are close to her right? I can tell."
That got her attention. She looked at him, slightly surprised.
"I have questions," he added. "And… I want to ask her to train me."
That part mattered more.
Orobas could teach knowledge. But not combat. He was not someone who could further his knowledge of Anima like he suspected Morrigan could.
Luthiel sighed. "Master is quite busy with her tasks on most days," she said. "But… I guess I can ask."
She looked away again. "No promises on when."
Grub nodded. "That's fine."
Silence returned between them. Luthiel went back to ignoring him. Grub slid his hands into his pockets as they walked. He didn't understand her sudden shifts in attitude—why they happened at all. But, she had still helped him. And she had agreed to his request, albeit half-hazardly. That was enough for Grub.
Still…
As he walked beside her, one thought lingered quietly in the back of his mind.
Everyone here is so kind. Far kinder than they should have been.
And that made one thing painfully clear. If it came down to it— He would have to betray them. And he still didn't know how he was going to do it.