The small interlude to physical torture was a closed chapter. We now all stood in a line, like soldiers ready to be sent on a mission.
Instructor Gerd, a mean redhead faced taller than 8' giant, spared us a single glance, clapped his hands and said : "begin."
That's how a class of over 200 students started running like their life depended on it.
They all had their training gear on, but I was wearing a fucking suit.
The academy didn't have an official uniform, with the fact that we were settled in the land of Disorder, it made sense and student preferred to take their lessons in comfy clothes.
Not like a certain fool that only possessed the clothes gifted to him: suits and fancy cloathing.
Nevertheless, I started running with my black suit and kept near Yom.
"Why didn't you tell me to change clothes?"
Yom's eyes widened a little, but he didn't answer, at the same time I felt a shiver run down my spine and decided to act preemptively.
I jumped forward and handspringed a few feet's away from the position I was just before a heavy punch broke the grounds I once stood on.
During the entire time, I kept running backwards, there was no way I'd stay near something that scared even me.
"No. Talking."
Instructor Gerd looked at me with the passion a maniac had for his object of obsession, but when he noticed that even then I was still running, he returned to whatever normal felt for him and proceeded to watch over us.
I also noticed that running backwards was quite funny so I summoned a mirror to keep track of what was going on behind my back and continued to run backwards.
Of course, my speed suffered heavily from it, but it was fun watching the reactions of people passing me.
My eyes curled, my mouth quivering. It was hard resisting the urge to laugh out loud.
When one of the Heirs finally doubled me, I took action.
[Pretender] "this is my special sound spell, nobody else can hear us, can you tell me what is going on?"
[Pretender] Caelum: "you can even cover me? Wow this feels weird… either way, it's running for 2 hours, then 10 min break, then fighting for 2 hours, no break into weapon forms and then sparring until 7pm, they give pointers and sometimes fight with us themselves."
[Pretender] "oh, this will get boring soon then…"
[Pretender] Caelum: "Aren't you having fun running backwards and reflecting the light in the eyes of whoever passes by?"
[Pretender] "It'll get boring soon, should I start making people slip up? Who do you wanna see face first in the ground?"
"I guess you wouldn't have Yom be the first to fall?"
Caelum seemed to notice too late that I didn't cover his speech with my magic and looking at my trembling figure fighting for my life not to laugh he realised, he'd be the first to fall.
Just like that Caelum was flung to the walls with an impossible speed.
"No. talking. Newbie, heal him."
I pointed at myself in confusion, this man was sure to know who I was, why would I be able to heal him?
The instructor just nodded and I was once again flabbergasted.
Sure everyone could learn the spell [little heal], the problem was I used the rune of [divinity], but then I thought of something else.
I was still wearing Judas's choker, I just needed to get far enough from the instructor so that he wouldn't notice the divine magic, maybe close to Auriel…
In that instant, two doppelgängers appeared and went to fetch Caelum while I turned and started running normally. Once near Auriel, I turned again and my doppelgängers were still running and holding the unconscious Caelum.
[Mirror's mercy]
In an instant, my green mana with now golden sparks all over enveloped Caelum, at the same time, the mirror I had taken out started to crack until it finally broke into nothingness and Caelum, he woke up like he was revived. His soreness, gone. The hurt, gone. Like it was an illusion all along. He finally decided to look around and when he noticed he was in my arms he flinched.
I returned to my run and dismissed my spell, it was time to have fun.
______________________
"For 6 of the 13 Lord to slip up during a simple run… such a disgrace. Yom, Seraph, Selan, Juste, Marin and Rovan, you will run for an extra hour while we begin combat training. Caelum you will also run with them for speaking."
"What? But Crow also spoke!"
"Yet he avoided my punch and I even made him heal you with that strange spell, you know what he did? He never stopped running even if he was clearly displeased with the situation. Now start."
I couldn't resist anymore and a giggle escaped my lips. The memory of the heirs falling face first on the ground and Caelum running away from me while blushing like a virgin was simply too entertaining.
"And you, newbie, why did it take you so long to join these lessons?"
"Uh? I wasn't even registered for these lessons until 3 hours ago? How is that a problem?"
He studied my posture that screamed: I live in the library and exhaled without caring if he looked rude one bit.
"Figures, someone with that posture would never be good at fighting anyway. Just stick to magic and obey His Grace… maybe you'll be able to try and keep up."
My eyes turned cold.
Again, people making assumptions about me without knowing shit.
I knew this was a bad idea, but that stupid father of mine…
"You know what? You are right, clearly magic is superior to body in every single aspect."
The instructor's veins popped.
"You dare? In front of me?"
"I dare what? Don't you continuously use magic to improve your body? Doesn't the path of War posses a rune specifically designed to enhance the body's performance out of the mortal's possibilities? That is magic. Not body."
The instructor looked at me with disgust and I relished in it. During our exchange however, someone else was starting to get a bad feeling and sure enough.
"Lord Rovan, come here and teach this boy a lesson. If you win he will take upon your running and even be forced to 1000 repetitions added to every exercise we will make."
Rovan shivered, but I couldn't care less.
"What's in it for me?"
"Nothing, I'm the instructor, I make the rules. Now go and show us if magic really is superior to the body."
Every single heir had a resigned look on their faces, I was only getting angrier by the second.
If this bastard wanted a lesson, I'll give him a lesson.
"I don't accept. Fail me, I don't care, I can just go back to my original plans. If you want me to take part in this show, there needs to be compensation."
"Fine. What do you want?"
I looked at him with contempt, there were a lot of things that I wanted, but now, more than anything I needed mana stones to craft mirrors.
"Since I love equality and am a fair person, if I win, hand over 1000 mana stones, I will also do the 1000 repetition punishment you want, but for every successful set, another 1000 mana stones go to my pockets."
The instructor smirked, he thought my greedy ass was chewing more than I could handle, but he accepted nonetheless.
Not that I could ever win in his books.
I stepped forward in Rovan's direction and it was clear the boy didn't really know how to react, on one hand, fighting with me was extremely fun, on the other hand, if I used magic… he still had to temper his body completely after all.
"Wait Crow! Can we do like that other time?"
"No."
"But this way there's nothing we can learn from each other!"
"This is not a lesson Rovan, it's a bet, and I really need those mana stones. My lab funds are draining fast."
The instructor didn't know how to react.
His Lord, the heir of War, was actually asking for time without magic? He thought that was a disgrace to the entire military, but soon, he wanted to eat his foot.
Lord Crow didn't move, didn't chant and certainly didn't use a catalyst.
And yet, his Lord was screaming like he was possessed by pain and fear.
A fox made of fire was hugging him from behind and Lord Crow? He was laughing.