The lecture for our required class went… about as well as it could have gone.
Thankfully for… Kafka, I suppose, the three more important parents didn't really seem interested in getting involved with the class.
…
And with that, the first class was over.
We still had two other required classes with Kafka before moving on to the duels and optional courses.
"Nice talking with you, Nemeor." Edgar chuckled as he tapped the lion king's shoulder. "Hope your woman controls less of your life next time we meet."
With that, the king of the Raychmen Kingdom began to leave, laughing loudly.
"Going to see the prodigal son?" Nemeor scoffed, already used to Edgar's way of treating people.
"You know I need to see the little guy. Besides, the other one can handle himself, isn't that right?" Edgar asked from the door of our classroom before leaving.
"Yes, Father… you don't need to worry about me," Theo said with a fake smile.
The king of the Raychmen Kingdom finally left to check up on Julius—his favorite son.
Theo let out a tired sigh, and Cecil patted him on the back.
"We still have a long day ahead of us, my liege. Why don't you rest a bit during the next class to recharge?" Cecil said with his usual smile that never left his face. "Don't you agree, Mr. Alen?"
"While I agree he deserves a rest, he probably won't take it," I said as I walked over to where they were sitting and leaned against their desk.
Theo definitely wanted to keep his place as the top student in the S Class as a way to get noticed by his father.
"Think of it this way, Cecil: no matter how tired you are, you always want to get up and keep fighting, right? Theo's the same—just with a different focus," I explained to the bodyguard in a way he might understand.
"Guys, I'm fine, really. I'm just tired, that's all," Theo tried to justify himself, but a yawn escaped his lips, betraying him.
"Theo, why do you still have a busy day if your father left to see Julius? It seems to me like you could do whatever you want," I asked, crossing my arms.
"The kings and queens are having a meeting with Director Goldenlaw, and all their kids have to be there," Theo explained, resting his face on his hand.
All the rulers of the different kingdoms in one place together with Hellen Goldenlaw.
Wait…
"Even the Viavoule Kingdom?" I asked, bringing a hand to my mouth as I considered what that might mean.
"Yes, I heard their kid is in the second year, but I don't know who they are," Theo said with a raised eyebrow as he noticed how I was acting. "Why do you ask, Alen?"
"It's just that… three of the kingdoms are represented in the first year, and the other two are a mystery to me."
I couldn't tell them that the desert kingdom of Viavoule had no representation in the game. That kingdom's heir had attended this academy, but something happened that caused them to leave.
But they're still coming here now, and Theo said the Viavoule Kingdom's rulers are here for their child.
"The Viavoule Kingdom was really overprotective of their kid. They never let them play with Theo or the other heirs during reunions," Cecil added, explaining why Theo didn't know who the fourth kingdom's kid was.
"And Zelueva, the kingdom of elves, has Princess Yulibeth Boscosa in the third year," Theo added, guessing I'd ask about that kingdom too.
"This is Yuli's final year at this academy, right, my liege?"
Theo only nodded firmly, looking like he was about to pass out any moment—his heavy eyelids were barely staying open.
"Mr. Alen, can we talk for a moment?" Atro appeared next to me, looking nervous.
Not only did he get involved with King Nemeor, but he also had to deal with the anxiety of the duel he'd have after the required classes were over.
"Sure, Atro," I said, pushing off the desk and walking back to mine to discuss strategy plans with him. "See you later, guys."
"Bye, Mr. Alen."
"See you later, Alen."
Once we got to my desk, Atro pulled out a couple of books full of possible spell chains he'd written himself.
"You really did your homework," I said, a bit surprised. These spell chains were insanely long.
Like this one: Water Puddles into Light Rays to heat the water and create a steamy haze, into Water Bubbles, into Mirror Reflection to see through the bubbles despite the steam, then back into Light Rays to bounce the rays off the bubbles.
"I know I said that Light Rays are a good match with Water Bubbles, but you need to think about the time it takes to set up a chain."
"I-I know, but what if he sees my chain coming? If I plan ten steps ahead, I can win," Atro said, trying to justify himself.
"You already know how mana- and time-intensive a good chain is, and you have the perfect excuse as an archer to keep your distance."
From the kind of plan he had in mind, Atro wanted to be more aggressive and not let his opponent fight back.
"B-but… I can't do that," Atro sighed, plopping down onto the desk.
"Huh? Why not?"
Why wouldn't he want to keep his distance against an opponent?
"N-not everyone's like you, Alen. I want to send a message… that I can win without stalling like you. I want to defeat someone with my own strength," Atro said, hope shining in his eyes.
He probably got that mindset from training with Cecil and Tirino. Well... as the weakest S class student, he definitely has to prove himself in his eyes.
"Okay, but don't ignore what I said. I know spell chains better than anyone—you should keep them to a maximum of three spells."
I was the one who created them, after all. But there was still plenty for me to learn and improve.
"A maximum of three. Got it!" Atro muttered to himself with a nod.
"Now, about your opponent," I said, clapping my hands once to shift the topic to something more important. "Ximuss Yolte is an archer just like you. He has an affinity for lightning, ice, and rock magic."
"You know a lot about Ximuss," Atro said, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"He once wanted to fight me," I said quickly, passing off my game knowledge as just knowing my opponents.
"Now, this will obviously be a battle of ranges. So positioning is the most important thing—make sure you use the arena's terrain to your advantage."
"What if the arena doesn't have any terrain I can use?"
In that case, the fight would take place in a simple, flat arena…
"Then you'll have to rely on spells if that happens. In an archery duel without cover, the first to strike usually wins."
"So I should just shoot first?"
"Ximuss can just dodge the arrow and counterattack. By first strike, i mean the first arrow to connect" I clarified, drawing a circle in one of his books.
"If the arena has no cover, the best thing you can do is either run to the side to reposition and avoid arrows, or run straight at him while dodging his shots," I said, drawing lines showing the different options he had in the duel.
"I can't do that. Let's stick with the first option," Atro said as I drew a larger circle.
"I think Ximuss knows this and will try to create an advantage for himself. In the first fifteen seconds, when you're allowed to cast spells freely, he might cast a rock wall—or whatever it's called—to make cover for himself." I drew a line showing where Ximuss might place the rock wall.
"But you can counter that. You can also cast a spell in those first fifteen seconds."
I wrote down three spells:
"Water Pond could cover the arena floor and turn it into your domain—you'd be able to attack with a water spell from anywhere."
"Light Infusion, even as a tier-one spell, could turn your arrows into rock-breaking projectiles."
"And Water Pillar—especially the quick version that creates a single pillar—would let you stand on top of it. You could use more mana to raise the pillar higher, giving you the high ground and more control over the arena."
"Now I know why you beat my son."
Nemeor had been watching from the side as Atro and I discussed strategies.
"Say, kid. How about using a light spell to blind this Ximuss guy?" Nemeor asked, pointing at the paper I'd been writing on.
"The only blinding spell that might work is One Way Reflection. It creates an intense light in a single direction. Atro could place it behind him to shine at Ximuss, so he wouldn't be able to look at Atro without being blinded," I explained, drawing a quick diagram.
"Why doesn't he do that, then?" Nemeor asked, resting a hand on Atro's shoulder.
"One, the spell is tier four. Two, it only works in this specific arena setup without natural cover. If the arena has irregular terrain or obstacles, the plan falls apart," I explained to the lion king.
"I see... hey, kid. If you want to talk more strategy, come to me" Nemeor grinned as he went back to the back of the class with other parents.
Kafka finally started the second class. One more after this one, and the duels should start.
With a sigh escaping my lips, I miss spending time with Fran.