The truck like carriage thing soon moved up from the academy. The students saw the three of them, but the impression of the academy meeting wasn't too popular, so they only waved a little before they caught up
with the class. Unlike the magic tournament, the meeting was only a means to get together from many different academies. Prius Academy was the average one, so when they reached their destination, they must be ignored since there were others who could accomplish as much as they did.
The atmosphere was kind of awkward inside the carriage. Baston didn't know what kind of subject matter he could talk for everyone. Besides, he doubted that Alicia would join the conversation regarding her image. Not to
mention her, the most troublesome might be a noble boy who was always silent for this journey. Rather than getting a headache, he glanced at many foods provided and just grabbed some of it.
"You're really a glutton," the noble boy began to talk, "We just leave the academy and you already show your true behavior."
"What is his problem?" Baston thought, looking at the noble boy.
Before Baston could reply, there was a tremor inside his bag. It should be from the old book. He was sure it would announce the new quest, but he didn't know how hard it was. When he was waiting for it, the book
didn't give the new one, yet when he was busy of something, the quest would quickly come to him. Perhaps, there was a unique pattern about this.
The first one happened when he got bullied by Panto. The second one was when he met Alicia by coincidence. And for the last, it happened when Angus wanted to investigate further about him. All of the quest seemingly came up if he met with some situations in the surrounding. This time, he and the others were going to the city for a meeting, so the quest should have
relationship with it.
"Must have a good relationship with your teammate before reaching the destination…"
Baston glanced at the noble boy. He was sure this quest was for the proud student in front of him. As for Alicia, his relationship should be good to her. The quest given right now could be said getting harder. This time, there was a time limit so if he did something wrong, it would waste his time to fix the problem.
While he was pondering, the noble boy felt uncomfortable at the fact that Baston would lead the team at the meeting. As a leader, Baston had much authority, making him as the noble one felt underestimated. He studied hard every day, yet the poor boy like Baston suddenly popped up out of nowhere.
If the leader was Alicia, he didn't mind since she was stronger and from the duke family. Although she was a woman, but her background was enough to make people submitted themselves to her.
Baston took a deep breath before staring at the noble boy, "Are you hungry?"
"I'm not…" the boy answered disdainfully, "You should look yourself. If you always eat, you will be getting fat like a pig."
"Oink… Oink…" Baston simply replied.
"Pffttt…" Alicia tried hard to contain her laughing.
"Humphh…" the noble boy resisted hard in order not to laugh at Baston.
The fat boy saw their reactions clearly. Actually, he made himself funny and ridiculous in front of them at purpose. This way, he could see what their reactions against him. Alicia should not have any enmity because her reaction was normal. Both of them were not in the stage of friendship, so thinking about good classmate was already enough. As for the noble boy, his reaction was kind of unexpected. Baston thought he would keep make a harsh remark, but he just left it be. The boy surely wanted to laugh, but he held it down. If the boy was arrogant to the core, then it would be hopeless since he would always mock and scold for no reason.
From what he could sum up, the noble boy didn't hate him too much, at least not in the stage of his nemesis. The thing the noble boy could do from start until now was only using his mouth. At the beginning, he
complained to the principal regarding Baston's matter. In addition, he grumbled
along the way and very sensitive regarding what Baston was doing. Unlike the bully from before, this one wasn't aggressive.
"What is your name?" Baston asked the boy.
"You're unfit to know my name."
Alicia glanced at the noble boy while Baston continued the conversation, "Yes, because you're the weakest here, so I also think I don't need to know your name."
"You!" the noble boy frowned.
"Are your family strong?" Baston redirected the conversation.
"Of course, our Anderson family is quite strong in the area. We even always produce good knights in each of generation."
"Then, why you become a wizard, not the knight that your family is proud of…"
"This…" the boy hesitated to talk.
"I think your parent must be pushing you ahead, right? In order to spread the prestige of the family, they also want the wizard in their generations."
"No, you're wrong!" the noble boy stood up, "My parent doesn't have anything to do with it. It's my decision only…"
Baston smiled inside his heart. The boy was quite easy, a typical one who would likely talk if someone confronted him. He actually didn't know what kind of temperament the boy had. To find out, he drew his attention
on purpose by judging why the boy became the wizard. If it was true, then he was lucky. If not, then he just needed to continue to guess. But the matter didn't happen because the noble boy just stated the truth.
Right at the moment, Baston only knew it was the boy's decision only. As for what reason, he needed to uncover it piece by piece. By having the same understanding like him, then Baston could make his impression becoming good. He only needed to guess one or two and by the time they talked much, he was sure the noble boy would open himself in the end.
"Perhaps, you want to prove yourself…" Baston continued to eat the snack, "You want to prove to everyone in your family."
The noble boy just went silent, but looking at the expression, it should be right. Once he had a matter to talk about, the noble boy should not reject him so much like the earlier one. At least, Baston wanted to make sure he could finish the quest with good result.
"I thought you nobles just take it easy. There's already a mansion as your house, big lands, many workers as your servants, food, money, and anything else. You can just be lazy during your living here and you will
still inherit everything."
The noble boy looked disdainfully at Baston before he explained, "What do you know? The thing inside your head is only the surface. We also need to work harder than anyone. If not, we will just be neglected by
the family. You must be thinking that my parent loves me, but that's only what people can see from outside. Inside the noble family, there will be many conflicts regarding the benefits."
Baston gave a look of disbelief, making the boy continued, "Don't think because we are a noble, we can do anything we want. My father has many children from different wives. Do you think he will pamper one child while neglecting others? You're naïve if you think like that. Most of nobles will think their children as their potential investment. If one of us shows high potential, he will give so much care than the others. Why he still care about the weaker one? There are still the better one, so the weak here can only be
marginalized."
"Well, it's kind of true…" Alicia agreed with him.
Baston furrowed his brow, "Ah, I see… I thought since you have already anything, you don't have to work hard. I had this impression because one noble took my seat forcefully before when the great wizard came to teach us."
"Humph… That's probably only the laziest one in his family. If he had ambition, he won't be like that. I guess the one you met before must be the useless one. This typical boy can only bully below him. If any higher noble comes to him, he must be praising us to the sky, just to have a little friendship."
Baston successfully led the noble boy to talk about himself. The initiative switched from him to the boy, yet he was the one who controlled the flow of conversation. Sometimes, the fat boy only needed to speak one sentence and the rest would be continued by either Alicia or the boy. The
awkward atmosphere from before had already disappeared and everyone gave their own opinions regarding the point.
While everyone was busy, Baston took a look of his result inside the old book. He was quite satisfied of his good performance. It meant his relationship had already increased from being awkward and slightly discord to the level of just normal classmate. Of course, he didn't think to stop here because he wanted to increase his performance.
"No wonder I have a hunch that you didn't like me before. You might be thinking that my magic power comes suddenly."
"Of course, I feel indignant when you just become the strongest in magic power," the boy replied casually at this time, "I bet anyone other than me will also think like that. If not because the academy protects the potential student, I believe many nobles has already found a trouble with you."
"Do you think just because of the teaching from great wizard, everyone could suddenly awaken their magic power?" Alicia suddenly
questioned, "If this is true, then many people have already become a wizard then."
"Well, I think it's also true…" the boy had a doubt, "Then, why he can suddenly advance on his magic power?"
Alicia wanted to answer that Baston had already become one from the beginning. It was obviously like that, but the fat boy was quite clever. He made such an event, convincing the students of this miracle created by the great wizard Angus. The girl decided not to answer it, apparently making
such a false impression that she also didn't know why. The noble boy didn't trouble Alicia further because it already happened anyway. If he still made a fuss, it was too cheap of him.
Baston smiled, taking another snack into his mouth. The noble boy unceremoniously took the other snack. It seemed he was afraid the fat boy would eat it all. In front of Alicia, both of the boys seemingly had a food war. They tried to take as many as they could, even though they probably couldn't eat everything. If she didn't know them, she might think Baston and the boy was a friend from the beginning.
"Don't take all the snacks, fat pig!" the boy scoffed, but there was no mocking tone in his words, "Lady Alicia still doesn't eat and you already hoard it yourself."
"But it seems Alicia doesn't like to eat these things. She even doesn't touch it at all."
"It's because you keep eating it. That's why I believe she feels uncomfortable to take it from you."
"I'm pretty sure she's afraid of going fat. You see, these snacks can easily make you…"
Before Baston could continue to make a joke, the boy quickly closed his mouth. He glanced at Alicia, thinking that this lady of duke nobility must be in anger. His hand still held Baston's mouth. After making sure Alicia didn't get angry, the boy then breathed a sigh of relief. He then whispered something to Baston.
"Never ever say fat to Lady Alicia. If she takes an action, you will be punished severely by her…"
What the boy said clearly indicated that Alicia was very sensitive over the fat word. Surely, any woman in this world like to be slim, so if someone said she was fat, it would be the same as mocking her. It was just a joke, but Baston had a cold sweat because it might ruin his quest if the girl suddenly hated him because of this matter.