"Have we met somewhere before?"
Cyril walked a step closer, fighting the irritable feeling.
The shopkeeper tilted his head, his eyes narrowing.
"I am not sure. Have you been to my clinic?"
"Clinic?"
"That's a no, then."
The shopkeeper shook his head and shrugged.
"I was a student of Ailanthus. So it's not impossible for you to have seen me, maybe in some picture?"
He said as he observed Cyril's grey uniform.
No, this is something else... It doesn't matter.
Cyril stepped away, gently brushing Morpho on his shoulder.
Cedric rushed to the counter, placed the bottle there along with the money, and stared at the man with wonder.
"So it's true! Mr. Alvin, you keep a clinic near the slums where you heal people for free!?" His eyes practically shone.
Alvin rolled his eyes, leaning in his chair.
"Take off your rose-tinted glasses. It's easier to practice healing magic where you have an abundance of targets. It's just a different kind of trade."
He quickly counted the money, pocketed it, and crossed his arms.
"Alright, we are done. You can go. You students have a long road ahead of you, and remember, try to see things for what they really are."
Alvin stared at them with something resembling pity in his eyes.
"...?"
The group, a little confused, quickly thanked him and left.
...
"What do you think he meant, Cyril? I get the feeling he was trying to tell us something specific."
Cedric scratched his black hair as he asked.
"I don't know."
"Probably said that because Cedric is a blind idiot, oblivious to the world's truths. It's sound advice, I suppose."
Albert peeked at Anna, walking near Cyril, and hurried forward.
"I think you are right, Cedric! Maybe he wanted to point out how a lot of people nowadays began hiding their true nature."
"You know, all nobles like to keep an elegant image but deep inside are actually cold monsters... Well, some are less able in their disguise."
"...?"
Cyril looked at the man, but he stared only at Anna with a wide smile.
"Oh, this guy is asking for it! Fragile ego can't let his future victim be around other men? One more word and we'll skin him alive!"
The red butterfly menacingly fluttered her wings as if they were weapons through the air.
Anna kept silent for a few seconds and glanced at Cyril.
After a slight hesitation, she petted Tigris's head, who remained quiet, and mumbled.
"You know... I am a noble, too."
Albert halted in his steps, his face becoming blank.
As the others continued on without him, he sped up.
"I didn't know that! Cedric isn't a noble, and I thought-"
"We are all students of Ailanthus, that's all that matters." Cedric mumbled while shaking his head.
"Yeah, of course. But come on, don't you see how they act- I mean-" He sighed and stepped aside. "Never mind."
Albert walked, staring at the ground a certain distance away.
"Hahaha!" Rhamn pointed at him with a gleeful smile.
"What a loser!"
"Hey! Maybe you should try hitting on Anna just to see his reaction?"
"No, actually, don't do that. That is a terrible idea!"
They walked in silence for a while longer.
Anna petted Tigris's cat head with more strength than usual.
The majestic white feline looked up at her with confusion and began waving his paws.
"What's wrong?"
Anna softened her hand, but it was too late.
Tigris began struggling, waving his paws in Cyril's direction.
"Hoho! He finally returns!"
Cyril casually picked him up and placed him on his shoulder.
There, Morpho leaned in to take a better look at her sibling and twitched her antennae, the gesture's meaning unclear.
Tigris, however, visibly tensed up and lowered his head, staying quiet.
"Don't be like that, Morpho. Tigris was just momentarily confused."
As Rhamn began talking to Morpho while smugly staring at the prodigal kitten, Cyril turned towards Anna.
She began shifting as she walked, sending him glances without talking.
"What is it?"
Anna flinched and gently caressed her bracelet for a few seconds.
"..."
"You probably will go now, right? I am not insisting, but do you want to-"
"I don't. I'm busy." Cyril calmly stated and stepped aside.
There have been enough distractions, I need to train.
Anna froze but then only sighed, lowering her head a little.
Cedric patted her shoulder.
Albert looked at Anna's state, glanced at Cyril, and his eyes lit up.
"Wait a minute, Thorne!"
Cyril stopped and turned around.
Albert walked closer to him, one hand clenched into a fist while the other pointed at him, his eyes filled with an opportune anger.
"Is that how you treat women? You should be-"
That's it.
As he stepped in range, Cyril immediately grabbed him by the throat, raising him in the air.
"...!"
Albert struggled and hit the hand holding him, but he couldn't even shake it. He felt like trying to move a boulder.
"Albert, if you have something against me, be direct and use your strength to say it."
Albert responded only with a desperate gasp, his eyes slowly gaining fear.
Cyril coldly observed the human but then noticed an issue.
The people around them were quick to catch on to this commotion. Some ran away, some whispered to each other with panic or excitement.
Then there was Cedric, who was slowly walking closer with his hands in front of him, and Anna, whose expression perplexed him more than anything.
"…?"
Cyril finally dropped Albert to the ground and turned around.
Without leaving any words, he began walking away, this time uninterrupted.
The people on the way gave way, staring at him with caution as he slowly disappeared out of sight.
Cedric ran up to Albert and offered his hand.
"Are you alright? Don't mind it, I'm sure Cyril regrets doing this…"
Ignoring him, Albert recovered his breath and shot Anna a glance.
She only clutched her bracelet while unflinchingly looking at Cyril's disappearing back.
Albert clenched his teeth, hit Cedric's arm away, and stood up.
He pointed at the brown-haired girl and yelled with a scowl.
"What's wrong with you!? Why do you prefer a monster over a normal person like me? Do you want to be treated like this!?"
He turned around and stormed away, "You are just after his family's money, I bet. You nobles are all the same"
Anna and Cedric observed his sudden departure with widened eyes.
They stood in silence for a moment.
Cedric walked up to her and awkwardly scratched his hair.
"You know, this went well. All things considered."
"But I feel it would be better to ask your professor to change your partner."
Anna slowly nodded.
...
"That was deeply satisfying! You should've done that earlier!"
Rhamn nodded repeatedly with a joyous smile.
I am not so sure.
Cyril sighed as he observed a big-bellied guard walking near him, his face tense.
A moment later, another guard ran up and whispered something in his ear.
Immediately, the big-bellied guard's face paled, and he stood still, letting Cyril walk away freely.
The butterfly and the tiger on his shoulders stayed mostly quiet, carefully observing the people around them.
"Ha! It's so good to be able to do as you wish!"
This doesn't do good for my reputation.
Am I too emotional after all? I shouldn't have let Albert anger me.
Maybe Selene can help me with that? She looks so calm all the time...
"No, no, there is no need! You are perfectly fine as is!"
On the way the image of the people's reaction played over and over in his mind.
But what caught his attention the most was Anna's face in that moment. It was unlike what he had seen so far.
Her brown eyes stared at him without faltering, lacking any of the expected fear.
It was unlike Myra's gaze that held reverence, or Cedric's gaze that held trust in a fellow human.
Instead, there was something else he couldn't quite pinpoint.
...Was she excited? No, that can't be...
"Maybe Anna is one of those people who like pain, be it giving or receiving it? There is something wrong with her, that's for certain."
That's definitely not it... I hope.
Cyril continued to think of today's events, gauging what could've been done differently even when on the manarail.
There on a cushioned seat and with various snacks, he reached Ailanthus, where his mind was finally distracted by other things.
...
Under Morpho's urging, Cyril finally began today's training.
He and a red butterfly sat near each other, two similar magic circles shining in front of them.
Tigris was lying on the bed, curled up. His tail flicked back and forth in a carefree manner, completely unaffected by today's episode.
His vertical blue eyes were focused on the exercise in front of him.
The beautiful red wings of the butterfly vaguely shone blue, changing in some undetectable manner.
Cyril's arm shared this light, but his skin also subtly moved up and down, as if breathing.
After an unknown period of time, Cyril opened his eyes and exhaled.
Despite the warm temperature of his room, vapor still left his mouth.
Cyril raised his arm, moving it in the air a few times.
Huh, it does feel different.
It should be more durable.
"Shall we test it?"
But first.
Cyril stood up and picked up the tired butterfly on the ground.
Morpho finished a bit earlier due to her smaller mana reserves.
He gently laid her on the bed near Tigris and walked towards the kitchen.
There Cyril picked up a kitchen knife and raised it over his arm.
The tiger and the butterfly observed his actions with intrigue.
With a calm face, Cyril slashed at his arm.
The blade met the skin, leaving a thin white line that soon reddened and then disappeared.
While the kitchen knife itself bent, turning useless.
Not bad.
Cyril nodded with satisfaction and threw the knife in the trash can.
Though now I have to buy a new knife...
"That's so cool! Imagine you catching someone's sword in the middle of battle! I can't wait to see this in action!"
I'll need to practice a bit more for that.
Tigris curiously glanced at the trash can before lowering his head, already drifting off into sleep.
Morpho's insect eyes were livelier than ever, as Cyril's display of the spell's effect played over and over in her head.