The Path 021 (Patreon)

Though he would have preferred to return for the night, William stuck around for his official introduction and induction into the Assembly of Excellence. Fortunately, First-Years couldn't hold any positions or titles within the group, so he had at least two years before he inherited David's status as Vice-Chairman or Lyra's as Chairman.

Unfortunately, as he was the future Lord of Eastwarden, William received 'many' invitations to dinner or tea from other guests, including those from different Cardinal Houses. He was obligated to accept at least a few, so in the leadup to his enrollment a month later, his schedule had him attending at least one social gathering or private meeting per day. Of course, as the senior-ranking Noble, most of the people who wished to meet him had to travel to him. Most, but not all...

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"I beg your pardon, Princess, but your...guest has arrived..." said a petite, cloaked figure with a cat-eared hood and a facemask.

"Ah, Will, welcome. Punctual as always~" hummed Lyra, seated around a large circular table with Delphina, Claire, Emily, and Theodore. 

"I don't think your attendants would appreciate it if I arrived late," replied William, making his way over and sitting in the only free chair, placing him between Delphina and Theodore.

"So, what's on today's agenda...?" asked William, grabbing a long and dry cookie before taking a bite and chewing loudly.

"Well, since you're one of the only boys who doesn't try to cozy up to us or behave like a fool whenever we invite you over, we wanted your opinion on something..." said Claire.

"So long as you don't ask me to judge your outfits, evaluate your physical appearances, or go shopping with you, I'm down for just about anything," replied William, causing the smile on Claire's face to cramp.

"Since you're still relatively new to the Capital, we were hoping to show you around," supplanted Lyra. "Claire, Emily, and I have lived in Axial for much of our lives, so we're well acquainted with the Central District and a handful of places abreast."

"That's right!" appended Claire, seizing the opportunity Lyra had created to state, "My family is the number one supplier of wine and other alcoholic beverages to businesses affiliated with the Warrior's College, so there are a bunch of Blacksmiths, Armorers, and even Curio shops I could introduce you to!"

"Maybe some other time," replied William, shrugging as he added, "I don't mind doing things spur of the moment, but I don't want to overburden the people whose jobs it would be to keep us safe during such an outing."

"My, how considerate~" hummed Lyra, narrowing her eyes in delight and beaming.

"If you say so..." responded William, making a show of rolling his eyes before meeting Delphina's gaze and asking, "Is there something on my face...?"

Without looking away or breaking eye contact, Delphina caused William's smile to broaden slightly as she responded with an impassive, "Your eyes, nose, and lips..."

Interceding before William could retort, Claire surprised nearly everyone present by asking, "Hey, Will. Have you ever kissed anyone? Like, for real kissed?"

"Claire!" exclaimed Lyra, surprised that her best friend would ask such a question.

"What? Aren't you curious...?" asked Claire, returning her gaze to William as she added, "Will doesn't seem to have any interest in girls, so wouldn't he be an ideal candidate for practice with? You know, kind of like sparring in preparation for an actual fight."

'Someone's precocious...' mused William, outwardly maintaining a relaxed smile as he replied, "To answer your question, yes, I have kissed someone before. And before you ask, no, I won't tell you their name. Nor do I have any interest in helping you 'practice.'"

"Awww, come on, Will..." groaned Claire. "We're friends, aren't we? Since you have experience, you can teach us."

Exhaling a short, scoffing chuckle, William remarked, "You're bold, Claire. I'll give you that. But my answer remains the same. If you're that eager to learn how to kiss, I'm sure one of your servants would be willing to assist you."

"But wouldn't that be kind of messed up?" asked Claire, tilting her head to the side.

"It's nice to know you possess at least 'some' common sense," responded William, prompting Claire to scrunch up her nose and stick her tongue out.

"Anyways, wasn't this originally a study group?" asked William. "Does the Academy assign homework over the break?"

"It does, but we completed it near the start of the break..." replied Lyra, her face a faint but perceptible shade of red as she raised her teacup to her lips and took a prolonged sip of its contents.

"Well, there are only a few days until the start of the new term. Try not to go stir crazy from boredom," teased William.

"Are you interested in studying ahead...?" asked Lyra.

"Eh, not really," replied William. "I'm not the worst in terms of academics, but studying doesn't even enter my top ten interests."

"And those are~?" asked Claire, leaning forward with her elbows on the table, supporting her chin with the backs of her hands.

"I'll give you five in no particular order," said William, holding up his right hand and counting with his fingers as he appended, "I like training, flying, exploring, eating, and sleeping."

"Do girls not even crack your top ten?" asked Claire, evidently in a period of her life where she had a deep fascination with romance.

"Mmm...it's complicated..." replied William, the faces of various women entering his mind. It wasn't that he lacked an interest in the fairer sex, but because of his situation, he preferred to avoid romance. He had also died fairly young in his previous five incarnations, so he had been abstinent for forty-four, going on forty-five years. After such a lengthy period, he had mostly lost interest in such things.

"Did something happen between you and a girl you liked?" asked Lyra, unable to restrain her curiosity. Drama, particularly involving romance, was like nectar to young girls, so she couldn't help being curious, given William's roundabout, noncommittal response.

"Was it the Ebonsword...?" asked Delphina, her expression fixed into a slight, ostensibly annoyed pout.

"Master Leshien?" asked William, his expression one of mild incredulity as he stated, "You wouldn't think that if you actually met her. No, the reason it's 'complicated' is because I'm selfish. I enjoy helping people, sure, but I do it for myself. I also tend to get into trouble, so having something like a girlfriend or a fiancee would leave me susceptible to those who would use them as leverage against me."

"In other words, it's not that you don't like girls, but that you're worried your actions and behavior might imperil their safety? How considerate," mused Lyra, narrowing her eyes and smiling as she traced the rim of her teacup with her finger.

"But isn't that kind of dumb?" asked Claire. "I mean, it's not like you can handle everything yourself. Even Braves, Masters, and Archmages need the support of others. And, like, isn't the whole point of you finding a wife to have someone to manage your estate while you handle politics? Trying to do everything yourself is impossible."

"You're right," conceded William. "But I never mentioned I wouldn't find a girlfriend or fiancee. I'm just not in a hurry. Once I'm stronger and have a firm grasp of the situation in the Capital, I'll naturally search for someone dependable to share my burdens with."

"Dependability can't be the only thing you're looking for in a girlfriend or future spouse," stated Claire, her eyes and expression resembling a cat's as she asked, "What kind of girls do you like, Will?"

Seeing everyone at the table shift their gaze to him, waiting to hear his response, a faint, amused chuckle emanated from William's throat as he asked, "What's more important than dependability? Physical flaws can be fixed with Magic, but those who fixate on such things are usually closed-minded and obsessed with how others view them. That makes them easy to manipulate, so my ideal partner is someone who is capable, smart, and, most importantly, self-assured..."

Though William's words weren't directed at her, Lyra swallowed audibly and looked away from him. It was admittedly a vain train of thought, but she felt William's ideal partner coincided with the image of the person she aspired to become.

"You mean to tell me you have no interest in things like bust size, butts, or thighs...?" asked Claire.

"It ultimately depends on who they're attached to," replied William. "For example, someone with your appearance could likely convince just about any boy in the Academy to help you practice kissing. But, instead of going to them, you wanted to practice with me. Not because of my looks, but-"

"Huh? Who gave you that idea?" asked Claire, leaving William at a loss for words as she added, "It's totally because of your looks. I mean, you have a cool personality and all, but I wouldn't have made my suggestion if you weren't built like a statue and easy on the eyes. It's honestly a little weird that you're only a First-Year."

"Thanks...?" responded William, not sure how else to respond. Claire wasn't the first precocious young girl he had encountered across his incarnations, but it was always a little jarring how frank they could be.

"If you really want to thank me..." said Claire, leaning forward onto the table a second time and narrowing her eyes as she added, "I wouldn't mind training together sometime. I bet I could learn a lot from someone with your...talents."

"Let's rein it in a bit, Claire..." said Lyra, her smile somewhat cramped as she was afraid Claire's playful antics might deter William from having tea with them in the future.

"Oh, did I get carried away?" asked Claire, sitting up but spreading her hands in a 'what can you do?' gesture as she added, "But, can you really blame me? My mom has been pressuring me super hard to find a suitable marriage partner. She would probably set off fireworks and pop open one of our most expensive bottles of wine if I told her I was getting along with the future Lord of Eastwarden."

"So you see me as a means to an end...?" asked William, raising his right brow.

"Hey, better a hunk with means and integrity than some third-string Noble who only views me as a means to get closer to my family and produce an heir," reasoned Claire. "And since you're like super high-ranked, you could marry Lyra and take the rest of us as Mistresses, Concubines, or retainers. Easy peasy."

"Claire!? W-W-What are you saying!?" stammered Lyra, her cheeks flushed crimson as she floundered about in her chair.

"What?" asked Claire, looking confused as she argued, "It's the simplest solution. Even if it's just a pretense, it would take the pressure off each of us to find partners. We could remain friends behind the scenes, and since we would already be in a relationship publically, we could hang out, have fun, and fool around without worry."

"Yeah, at the expense of my sanity and peace of mind..." droned William, his expression a flawless deadpan. He found the notion of harems novel in his first incarnation, but after dealing with situations where he had two or more girls vying for his attention, culminating in several petty disputes, his prevailing stance was one or none. 

"What? You don't enjoy spending time with us...?" asked Claire, looking slightly miffed.

"That genuinely has nothing to do with it," contended William. "The issue is that the odds are already stacked against me. If I were to start dating several of the most eligible bachelorettes in the Academy simultaneously, negative sentiments toward me would skyrocket..."

"Are you telling me the guy who waltzed into the Star-Gathering Hall and insulted nearly every influential student in the Academy is afraid of a little negative PR? And here I thought you were supposed to be some hardcore badass," teased Claire, ostensibly attempting to weaponize William's pride against him. Unfortunately for William, undoubtedly as a result of the fruit he had eaten, it was at least marginally effective...

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