The Path 032 (Patreon)

"Feel better...?" asked Will, wearing an amused smile as Ohta approached, hands in his jacket pockets.

"There was nothing in the explanation given to us that said we couldn't prevent additional monsters from being summoned," Ohta contended, his expression a neutral deadpan as he added, "Besides, the difficulty of this trial is bullshit. Under normal circumstances, even if everyone in the exam were to cooperate, they wouldn't be able to defeat monsters like this. Not without hemorrhaging casualties."

"You're not wrong..." conceded Will, passing his gaze over those who had been injured by the Báirseach's Second-Circle Wind Bullets. There was no way they could have prevailed on their own, and that was against a single Báirseach. With five more waiting to be summoned, any standard group of examinees would be eradicated, resulting in an outcome where only those who refused to fight moved on.

"Maybe this is a hopeless situation by design...?" proposed Will, directing his gaze to the ceiling as he appended, "It's common knowledge that one of the metrics the Academy considers is a person's character. It could be that they 'expected' us to die, and the real test was seeing how we chose to go out..."

"Mmm...it would be a good way to humble those with more ego than sense..." admitted Ohta, crossing his arms and furrowing his brows in consternation as he asked, "But wouldn't that penalize those smart or clever enough to avoid danger entirely?"

"I imagine they evaluate things on a case-by-case basis," said Will. Then, as a test of sorts, he added, "If someone like Tom were to participate and avoid detection entirely, I can't imagine they would refuse his admission."

"That someone you know...?" asked Ohta, staring at Will with an ostensibly genuine expression of confusion.

Nodding in affirmation, Will explained, "Yeah. You could say we're friends, but it's been a while since we hung out. He spends most of his time with a duo called Justin and Sarah."

Though Ohta didn't react to the names of Tom and Justin, a slight frown marred his face when Will mentioned the name Sarah. He also reached up to touch the choker around his neck, indicating a connection between the two.

"Something wrong...?" asked Will.

"No..." responded Ohta, but his expression suggested otherwise. The name Sarah was clearly significant to him, but instead of looking like he was trying to hide something, he seemed confused, like someone trying to reconcile an important detail in their mind.

'Interesting...' thought Will, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly. He wasn't absolutely certain, but if his suspicions were correct, Ohta was either the current incarnation of Sarah or related to her in some way. But if that were the case, her amnesia didn't make much sense. Not when her power, born from the [Fruit of the Cardinal Sin: Wrath], permitted her to reverse things like curses and even strip away the properties of anomalous and magical objects by simply denying their existence...

Before Will could put his theory to the test, an elderly, robed man with long, slightly droopy Elven ears and a long beard appeared at the center of the chamber, hovering a few meters off the ground.

"Congratulations, prospective First-Years of Group 17. Though not all of you played an integral role in today's events, I commend your willingness to cooperate toward a common goal. The Royal Academy and the Astralis Kingdom owe their very existence to such sentiments..."

Seeing the elderly man, recognized by everyone present as the de facto head of the Royal Academy, Ogma Aladfar Evergarden, glance directly at him, the smile on Will's face became marginally more prominent. Nobody else heard it, but the moment their gazes met, Ogma's aged voice echoed within his mind, stating, 'As expected of Leshien's Apprentice...'

"Now, then," said Ogma, clapping his hands together. "Once this address concludes, you will be transported to the Academy's infirmary. As you will no longer be in a digitalized form, you are advised to take caution and not engage in any unscrupulous acts. Competition between students is one of the core principles of the Academy, but unsanctioned conflicts are strictly prohibited. You have been warned..."

Without waiting for a response, Ogma clapped his hands again, causing everyone to be ejected from the faux Dungeon. Many felt like their guts were pulled into their throats as a result, but the sensation faded quickly as they were transported to the center of a spacious room lined with beds and under the effects of a pleasant, revitalizing aura. 

"My arm...it's...it's healed...!" exclaimed one examinee, prompting others incapacitated by the Báirseach to check their wounds. Some felt lingering, phantom pain but were otherwise unharmed. 

"The exam is over! Return my totem...!" shouted Aisha, making a beeline for Will, notably bereft of the blood that covered her body moments prior.

"Of course," replied Will, proferring the hand-made knife to Aisha, handle first. She nearly knicked his fingers in her haste to snatch it from him, but considering it was nearly as valuable to her as her life, Will didn't fault her for being eager to reclaim it.

Feeling more at ease, Aisha breathed a sigh of relief, returning her totem to its sheathe before glaring up at Will and declaring, "You should prepare yourself. For the duration of my stay at the Royal Academy, I will spare no effort to defeat you..."

"Train hard," replied Will, smiling relaxedly as he added, "Because I don't plan on slacking any time soon."

"Good. That will make my triumph all the more meaningful," stated Aisha, holding Will's gaze for several seconds before abruptly turning away with her brother following close behind. 

"I think she likes you," said Ohta, fortunately waiting until after Aisha and Azir had gotten out of easy hearing distance.

"Well, she's not the only one," replied Will, shrugging. Ohta gazed up at him with a look that said, 'Get over yourself...' but instead of voicing this sentiment aloud, he redirected his attention to where Tim and Dori were having a tearful reunion, his expression morphing into a neutral mask as he asked, "So, what now?"

"I personally plan to return to Eastwarden and take a long, relaxing bath," replied Will. "After that, I'll probably pen a letter to my Master. Though, I doubt she'll receive it."

"You know what I meant..." muttered Ohta, staring at Will with half-lidded eyes.

"I'm a man of my word," asserted Will. "You and your friends are welcome to stay at Eastwarden. But what will you do? After your little display at the end, the odds of you 'not' being accepted into the Academy are slim..."

"..."

Averting his eyes and looking down, Ohta appeared to enter a state of introspection, a potent frown adorning his face as he asked, "You know how strong I am, right?"

"I would say inhumanly, but I suppose that's to be expected of a Demon," replied Will, maintaining a relaxed smile.

"I don't want those two to become indebted to you. At least financially..." muttered Ohta, staring at Tim and Dori.

"Are you asking me to hire you...?" asked Will, raising his right brow.

"Well, your usual bodyguards aren't able to enter the Academy," argued Ohta, looking up at Will as he asserted, "I can help to keep you safe. In exchange, you provide everything those two need to succeed..."

"I already promised I would," contended Will. "But, since you've already made a proposition, I don't mind hiring you. That will give you a nest egg to sit on and nurture if you ever want to cut ties and disappear..."

Frowning, Ohta looked like he wanted to refute Will's words but couldn't. After all, once he was certain that Tim and Dori were in a position where they wouldn't be exploited or taken advantage of, he had every intention of vanishing. Not because he didn't like being around them, but because he didn't want to implicate them in anything adverse related to his past...

"Don't say anything to those two..." muttered Ohta, not wanting the pair of siblings to fret unnecessarily or try to convince him to stay.

"No worries," replied Will, pulling out a silver, Gryphon-themed badge from his bangle and handing it to Ohta as he added, "I'm pretty good at keeping secrets."

"What's this...?" asked Ohta, inspecting the palm-sized object with raised brows.

"Proof of our association," replied Will, further explaining, "It basically lets you act as my proxy and command the respect of a main-line descendent of House Oirthear. To that end, try not to misuse it. I'll be held personally accountable for any ill deeds you perform with its backing..."

"What the—why would you give me something like this!?" exclaimed Ohta, the elevated pitch of his voice drawing considerable attention despite his attempts to remain hushed.

"Because I'm an idealist, keen to trust those I believe warrant it..." replied Will. "Now it's on you whether you want to take advantage of that trust or repay it in kind..."

"You're out of your fucking mind..." muttered Ohta, slipping the badge, of all places, into the front of his shorts. Will's eye twitched when he saw this, but as it was probably the most secure location on Ohta's body, he ultimately remained silent and turned his attention to the approaching Tim and Dori.

"Is everything okay...?" asked Tim, looking nervous as he looked between Will and Ohta.

"Better than ever," replied Will, regaining his usual smile as he met Dori's gaze, adding, "Ohta and I were just discussing your accommodations at Eastwarden.  If you've nothing to prepare, you're welcome to accompany me when I return. I could also arrange transport so you can retrieve your things from your current dwelling."

"Is that okay...?" asked Dori, still a little shaken after being ganged up on and eliminated by three other examinees. For her, less than an hour had passed since then, so she felt equal parts ashamed and unsettled by the experience.

"Of course it is," assured Will, his smile broadening as he looked around, meeting the gazes of those listening in as he added, "House Oirthear has always welcomed those with a passion and desire to improve themselves. So long as you're willing to work hard and not be coddled, there is always room around our fire. That's what makes us strong..."

Sensing an opportunity, Ishyll, who had been loitering nearby and waiting for a chance to approach Will without coming across as impolite, punched his fist into the air and shouted, "Long live the Orithears, the Guiding Light of the people...!"

Though they were promptly admonished by the infirmary's staff, those who had joined Will's group during the exam readily cheered in response to Ishyll's exclamation. Most viewed him as little more than a convenient meal ticket, but some, such as Ishyll, Sile, Tim, Dori, and a select few with grander ambitions, believed he was the key to unlocking their potential or reaching their personal goals...

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After successfully parting ways with the members of Group 17, Will had one of the guards in charge of the Nebula Nexus Arena's security show him to a VIP lavatory where he could change his clothes. From there, he planned to slip out the back of one of the arena's stores or restaurants, but the moment he stepped out of the lavatory, the same security guard informed him that Lyra had 'summoned' him to her booth.

'This girl is going to be the death of me...' thought Will, following behind the security guard to a restricted section of the arena, an area that was heavily patrolled but had limited surveillance. Nobles liked their privacy, but as he had memorized the arena's layout, Will could tell he was being led 'away' from the skyboxes reserved for the Royal Family.

"I would like to know where you're taking me," said Will, infusing his words with his Innate, Dominate, but disguising it as leaking his Aura.

Feeling a shiver run up his spine, the burly security guard attempted to leap forward with the speed of an average Grade Three Practitioner. As Will was closer to Grade Four by the same standards, however, he wasn't nearly fast enough, resulting in a bident piercing his lower back, his spine nestled between its blades...

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