With the first day of lessons coming to an end, Gandr was walking alongside Shibisu and Hatsu as they made their way toward the commissary. Their class had finished a little earlier than the rest of the classes due to the special assignment they had been given by Quant: making ten friends before the end of the week.
Scouts were meant to be skilled at gathering information, not just on the battlefield, but outside of it. They were required to be extremely sociable, as, more often than not, they were the ones sent to various locations in order to meet with people, exchange information, and transport goods. Scouts who were unable to perform these functions had an exceedingly difficult time finding teams, as, not only were they the most 'common' Position, they were considered by most to be the weakest.
As an exception to the rule, Gandr wasn't too concerned about his future path. Instead, he had a smile on his face as he walked along with his hands behind his head, listening as Shibisu groaned, "Ahhh, my body isn't going to hold out if this keeps up. Why'd you have to rile that matchhead up so much, man?"
Snicking in response to Shibisu's complaint, Gandr just plainly remarked, "This level of training is nothing. When I was learning swordsmanship, even losing limbs was a pretty common occurrence. You'll need to work on your strength and stamina if you want to reach the 134th Floor and become a Ranker."
Agreeing with Gandr's words, Hatsu nodded his head, his expression a lot more relaxed despite the layer of sweat covering his brow. He had trained his stamina for years, so, while the training wasn't exactly easy, he was better off than most.
Seeing the two swordsmen showing no real signs of fatigue, Shibisu released a tired sigh, rubbing his shoulders as he changed the subject and asked, "So, what's the deal between you and Anak? Do need some advice from your big brother?"
Flopping his ears to the side, Gandr pretended not to understand what Shibisu was talking about, asking, "What do you mean?"
Amused by his furry companion's reaction, Shibisu attempted to link his arm around the former's shoulder, a teasing smile on his face. Unfortunately, just as he attempted to lean some of his weight against Gandr's body, Shibisu phased through his body and fell to the ground, landing hard on his elbow.
Inhaling sharply, Shibisu began furiously rubbing his elbow as he exclaimed, "You brat! Don't you know how to take a joke!? Jeez…"
Ignoring Shibisu's outburst, Gandr just stared blankly at the man before offering him his hand as he said, "There is nothing between me and Anak. She is pretty cute, but I don't have an interest in things like that right now. I just wanted to ease her burdens a little. It's pretty obvious how lonely she is and it never hurts to have more friends."
Rising to his feet with Gandr's help, Shibisu continued to rub his arm for a bit as he said, "Yeah, you make a good point. I just thought there was more going on since you even helped to fix our team's issues following the Crown Game. A lot of people were pretty upset with her so thanks for helping patch things up. You and Phae are pretty amazing people…"
As if he had only just remembered something, Shibisu's expression became slightly lecherous as he spontaneously asked, "Oh yeah, what's the deal with Phae? Though she eats with everyone else, it's pretty hard to approach her if you're a guy. Is there something going on between her and that Vahn fellow?"
With his ears twitching slightly in response to Shibisu's words, Gandr's expression darkened slightly as he fixated his gaze upon the man and said, "You shouldn't ask questions like that. Also, unless he gives you permission to call him like that, you shouldn't refer to my Master as 'fellow'. He might not care about things like that, but it always annoys me a little when I hear people demeaning his status like that…"
Holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender, Shibisu was sincere as he said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you or insult your Master. I just wanted to ask the question that was on all the guys' minds. It's not every day you meet a woman of Phae's caliber. Can you really blame us for being curious?"
Though he continued to stare pointedly at Shibisu, Gandr's expression and body relaxed slightly as he nodded his head and said, "It's fine as long as it's just curiosity. I don't think Phae even minds it when people stare at her. Just make sure you don't do anything stupid and I won't have anything to say about it. Phae can be very scary when she's mad so you only have yourself to blame if you make her angry. Even my Master can't do much against her when she goes off the deep end."
Recalling the scene of Phae 'casually' smashing two Regulars with her hammer, neither Shibisu nor Hatsu doubted the veracity of Gandr's claim. The former, in particular, had felt his skin crawl when Phae looked at him with her patented smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She was very calm and poised most of the time, but, the moment you angered her, you would feel a biting chill spread through your body despite the surrounding temperature noticeably increasing…
—
With time to kill before the other classes let out, Gandr ordered a substantial amount of food from the cafeteria, his portions taking up an entire section of the table everyone sat at together. Then, in the characteristic manner of a Vanargandr, he began devouring it at a pace that caused everyone in the surroundings to pale slightly.
Noticing Gandr's teeth always became sharper whenever he was eating, a very young-looking girl wearing a baggy pink hoodie and dark pink skirt couldn't help but ask, "Gandr? Why do your teeth change whenever you eat?"
Hearing someone call his name, Gandr continued chewing the food in his mouth as he turned his attention to the voice's owner. There, he saw a girl who appeared to be around ten-years-old. She had blonde hair styled in a bob-pixie cut and gold eyes that resembled polished bronze. He knew who this girl was even before their Scout classes as she stood out quite a bit, not just because of her appearance but because of the red pot she always carried around in her backpack.
After swallowing down his food with a loud gulp, Gandr offered a toothy grin to the young girl as he mused, "Very perceptive, Nare! As for the answer to your question, well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? I'm a member of the Vanargandr tribe. We're the descendants of a wolf that was said to be able to devour the Heavens and swallow stars in its massive maw. Because of that, all Vanargandrs have an insatiable appetite that allows us to convert everything we eat into energy. Even if I devoured all the food in this cafeteria, I would still have room in my stomach for seconds! Shishishishi~."
Though his words surprised a number of people, Nare seemed to have a slightly different view than everyone else, her expression turning slightly envious as she complained, "It must be nice…if I don't watch my weight, I become fat in an instant. Maintaining my womanly physique is a constant battle against the enemy known as calories…"
As she hadn't really tried to conceal her words, everyone at the table turned their attention towards Nare, their expressions turning skeptical as Shibisu voiced everyone's thoughts, saying, "I might not be an expert, but even I can see you have a long way to go before you can call yourself womanly. In fact, I think you might benefit from eating a little more…"
Understanding what Shibisu was insinuating, Nare's expression darkened in an instant as she stared at him with a look that could kill. Both of her parents were from races that were naturally petite, her mother being a member of the Golden Pixie tribe while her father was a Dwelfing. She had already experienced her growth spurt and was actually considered quite a beauty back in her hometown so it annoyed her to no end having people treat her like a child. Fortunately, she managed to meet a handsome man who could appreciate her beauty during the Deathmatch test. He had even agreed to become her Knight, protecting her from harm and pampering her whenever they had the chance to be alone.
Thinking of her Knight, Nare managed to gradually calm herself down but not before she pointed her steak knife towards Shibisu, saying, "You'll never be popular with women if you say things like that."
Feeling like he had suffered some kind of mental damage, Shibisu visibly flinched in response to Nare's words. It didn't help that several others began laughing at his expense, the only exception being Hatsu since he didn't really show emotion. As for Gandr, he was laughing while shoveling food down his mouth, enjoying the constant entertainment he got while hanging out with these people…
—
Though it didn't take that much effort, Phae was feeling a little fatigued after sitting in the same place for nearly ten hours. The Lighthouse could grow to the size of a room or shrink small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, so, whenever a Light Bearer was accessing its systems, they typically concealed themselves inside.
Since they were capable of floating freely within a Shinsu field, Lighthouses could effectively be used to survey a battlefield while flying high above the danger. This was actually one of the reasons Spear Bearers were trained to hit targets in the air as one of the quickest ways to gain an advantage against an enemy team had always been to destroy their Lighthouse…
While stretching her body, extending both arms up to ease some of the tension in her shoulders, Phae noticed several gazes immediately shift to her. This was something that took a little getting used to, but, after mastering what Da Vinci called the 'reaper's smile', Phae had been able to deter most overtly lecherous gazes.
Noticing two separate people approaching her, Phae shifted her attention to the Administrator, earning a disarming smile from the man as he said, "You performed exceptionally well today, Ms. Phae. At this rate, you are bound to become one of the greatest Light Bearers in the Tower. Being able to teach someone with your talents has been a great privilege."
Playing her part well, Phae giggled in amusement at Lero-Ro's words, combing back her bangs out of practice and necessity before replying, "It should be my honor to have such a capable teacher. It might be the first day, but I can already feel my horizons expanding. Should I reach the heights you think me capable of, I will be sure to let everyone in the Tower know who introduced me to the path of a Light Bearer."
Though it was a far cry from the bow she offered Vahn, Phae performed a polite genuflection upon the completion of her words. She didn't miss the momentary wandering of the Administrator's eyes, but, by the time she raised her head, Lero-Ro's gaze had returned to her eyes. This was something else that Phae had gotten used to, so, after quickly fixing her hair, she mused, "It seems there are others seeking my attention. It has been a pleasure, Administrator Lero-Ro. I look forward to your continued guidance in the days to come."
Having long noticed the presence lingering off to the side, Lero-Ro returned a polite nod before saying, "It is a shame there is only thirty days before classes end. With your talents, I feel motivated to teach you everything I know about being a Light Bearer. That would be favoritism, however, so I will be on my way to meet with other students. Have a pleasant evening, Ms. Phae."
Finished with his farewells, Lero-Ro briefly shifted his attention to the young woman who had been waiting at the side. This smile on his face almost immediately faded into a more serious expression, as, despite the nominations for Best Seed traditionally belonging to the teacher, this particular girl had been nominated by the Director. To further exacerbate matters, her performance was barely up to standard, far from the 'Best Seed' designation handed to her on a silver platter.
Lero-Ro knew there was definitely 'something' going on behind the scenes but his investigation had turned up more questions than answers. Still, he didn't want to be accused of playing favorites, so, even if he didn't mean it, Lero-Ro offered a polite node to the young woman before saying, "I hope you have a pleasant evening as well, Ms. Michelle Light…"
Returning a smile of her eye, Michelle, better known as Rachel, showed no visible signs that she was bothered by the difference in treatment between herself and Phae. Instead, she copied the bow she had witnessed moment's prior, surprising both Phae and Lero-Ro by the near-seamless execution as she answered, "Thank you for your kind words, Administrator Lero-Ro. Though my skills are far from Ms. Phae's, I can feel myself improving steadily thanks to your patient tutelage. Please take care of me tomorrow as well."
Though he wasn't entirely sure of the reason, Lero-Ro felt an incongruous mixture of awkwardness and shame after hearing Rachel's words. His intuition told him there was something wrong with the woman, but, despite his best efforts, he was unable to see through her. This was more than enough to tell him there was something amiss, but, even if that was the case, there wasn't really anything he could do about the situation unless Rachel was caught breaking some kind of rule.
Quickly suppressing his emotions, a relaxed smile spread across Lero-Ro's face as he nodded his head and said, "With that kind of attitude, you are bound to improve greatly. I'll see both of you young ladies tomorrow at 7 AM, sharp. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other students to attend before they all wander off."
With those parting words, Lero-Ro waved towards the girls before walking off with the same smile affixed to his face. His departure was monitored by both Phae and Rachel before the latter shifted her attention to the far more mature and beautiful woman standing across from her. For a very brief moment, a dangerous light flashed across her eye, but, by the time Phae turned to meet her with a smile, it had vanished into thin air…
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Can't touch this','Om nom nom nom','The problems that arise from being an attractive woman…')
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