LUKE KUHN
As I make my way toward the place were my targets are lounging I see other nobles lounging and chatting with their fellows in the specious lounging area. Foods like grapes, chocolates and other snacks are served to the room that is filled mostly with young nobles.
'Is that Tenma Kamijou!' I thought with anger at what I saw him do at the rooftop of Avalon academy during our graduation.
After a few strides I make it to the lounging area of the four geniuses. I make sure they can hear my footsteps as I stand next to the couch Rufus Bellona is seating on.
"My lords." I said. Bowing politely.
Arthur merely chuckled and winked at me.
"Luke? Oh my dear goddess my good lad it has been ages since I last saw you." Arthur says in a lively voice. He speaks in the high lingo of the common tongue which is spoken as a primary language in Britannia and Libertasia the sole nation of the Western continent.
Arthur is not handsome he is beautiful with medium length blood-red hair, fair skin and smiling golden eyes.
'So, his the reason why all the girls in the Northern continent aren't interested in any other man. Ha the perfect pretty knight the second coming of the silver dragon himself.' I thought amused at the nicknames Arthur has gotten even though just like myself he has never truly been in a real battle.
'But he humbled that spoiled fool Raon in the dueling rings of Vanaheim two weeks back so he has my respect.'
I give Arthur a stern nod and take a seat next to Rufus and place my glass on the small marble table in the middle.
"Its an honor to meet you all...I already know Arthur however I have never had the pleasure of meeting the rest of you I am Luke son of lord Rickard Kuhn." I say stoically giving the boys around me a meaningful look.
"I am Zeke Nkosi Son of Temba Nkosi it is an honor to meet you as well Luke." The dark skinned boy Zeke say in a deep voice with perfect high lingo of the common tongue without a hint of an accent.
'Wow he sure sounds like scholar.'
Unlike Arthur Zeke is handsome in the masculine sense with a sharp jawline, smooth dark skin, grey eyes that shown a faint silver and medium length golden braids tied into a knot the young Eastern noble is dressed in a white tunic embroidered with gold, dark pants and a golden watch on his wrist.
'He is the spiting image of his father and does that watch even work?'
"Oh is it my turn?" Rufus asked in a charming voice. "I have to warn you though my name is awfully long."
I nodded used to hearing the long titles of the different Sages of Science of Wisseland
"Ok don't say I didn't warn you ahem. Rufus de Viole, Ezio de Caesar al Bellona."
'What the hell!' I thought in shock some those were full names for different people who would name their child in such a manner.
However I keep my face aloof as I nod. And examen the young noble in front of me. Just like Arthur Rufus is beautiful with flawless bronze skin, dark purple hair tied into a short ponytail by a golden wire and spiraling golden eyes. The eastern noble is dressed in a black silk tunic and white trousers.
I sighed when Rufus scuts over to seat close to me.
"My name is pretty long is in it?" He whispered into my ear. I stay ice cold however and shift my gaze to the grandson of my idle he nodded at me.
"I am Atreus Thyestes grandson of Lorn Thyestes its nice to meet you as well Luke Kuhn. I have heard great many things about your lord father from my grandsire."
'So, only Rufus has a slight accent while Zeke and Atreus don't. Arthur is Britannian so it makes sense that he would have an accent.'
Atreus is not beautiful like Arthur and Rufus nor is he handsome like Zeke he is similar to me in a way his features are average however the is a sense of nobility and charisma to him. Like his grandfather Atreus's skin is a darker shade than olive his hair is short and jet black his eyes however are the most striking feature about him they are a brilliant red they seem to shimmer slightly whenever he shifts his gaze. The Hemesian noble is dressed in the same as Zeke accept that he does not ware a gold watch.
"My lords." I say in friendly tone. "We all share something in common." They all look at me with interest as I raise one finger.
"First we are all the the sons and grandsons of great men who have made war their vocation. Whether it be the dense forests of Vanaheim, the frozen wastelands of Agea or the Mountains of Gaia." I adjust my glasses. "Our great families have a conquered them all." I say with no arrogance because my father has always taught me that his accomplishments are not my accomplishments.
They all nodded waiting for what I was getting at.
"Secondly we are the same age and it would be beneficial for us to gain some insight from each other." They all act as if they've heard all of this before however I have one last card up my sleeve.
"Lastly." I said raising a finger finger. "Each and every one of us here has either formed their seventh star or is close to forming one."
That gets their attention.
'I have them.'
"Don't tell me Caera ratted me out." Arthur says chuckling. Zeke leaned forward in interest and Rufus simply looked at the ceiling with a bored expression. Atreus however remained stone faced as he glanced at me.
"I understand what you are trying to say Luke. You mean for all five of us here to be..." He paused. I looked around to find the source of the commotion Rufus rose from his seat next to me and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry my lords but you'll have to go on without my dashing company." He says pointing at group of golden eyed Amazonians dressed in black with the violet leviathan of house Bellona embroidered on their clothing. "It seems my family is gathering in one of the palace chambers." He sighed and started walking toward them waving goodbye to us.
"Was that lady Ceres Bellona." I whispered. Atreus cleared his throat to get my attention.
"As I was saying you wish to learn something from either one of us here or from all of us. Am I right."
I nodded. "In truth my lords." I began. "I wanted to know how you felt of our world...and its nature and the fact that we keep falling toward decadence despite our population dropping after the leopards storm in Gaia and the phoenixes storm on Vanaheim." I leaned forward my elbows on my knees my hands clasped together.
Atreus and the rest listen me about the different things I've seen from watching Raon and my other friends visit whore house I prattle on about how the scholars of my homeland are nothing but arrogant fools who wasted their lives to wave around a piece of paper as if that makes them special. I speak of the rise of piracy in the Threading sea and the patty disagreements of lesser lord for land outside of Pangea.
"If I must confess my lords I am but a simple young noble man. I like to joust, hunt and duel as for discipline well, my skills as a mage speak for themselves. However I am watching the greatest of us grow grey and old the transcended no matter if they can live for hundreds of years will one day perish whether it be at the hands of some powerful monster or something else they will someday no longer be able to shield us." I leaned back on the couch and sighed. "We are supposedly in the era "geniuses" but said geniuses are busy whoring, attending balls or snorting that silver powder from Gaia!."
I speak of the peacocks nobles who do nothing but consume. I even throw poor Raon under the wagon.
"My own friend bragged to me this wonderful night about deflowering two noble women at the same time. At the same gory time my lords and he didn't even know their last names!"
I here Arthur cursing Raon's name under his breath Zeke is sucking in my story like oxygen Atreus's once expressionless face has shown different expressions over the course of my ranting.
'Great lord of science I'm rambling.'
I stopped using the high lingo long ago I wonder why I feel at ease saying all this to all these lads who are practically strangers to me. But ever since I met Arthur and his twin sister Caera I've had sense that I will meet people who I considered peers. So that's why I feel at ease in front of all these stranger because I feel a sense of kinship with them.
"I understand what you are saying Luke and all you have said is true. We are all currently in the era of decadence and some of our greatest mages, heirs to great houses are taking part in...this debacle."
I took off my glasses and wiped them with cloth.
"However I think you are overthinking things." He said stoically. I raised an eyebrow.
"How so?"
"Because this has happened before. The overwhelming power of the old inevitably leads to the decadence of the young our parents, grandparents and ancestors suffered so we could live soft lives however trust me when I say this Luke tomorrow everything will change."
I smiled despite myself Atreus a boy the same age as me had changed my views about the young nobles of my era whom I had written of as nothing but pleasure seeking peacocks.
'He really is the best young stoic philosopher of our time.' I thought amazed at Atreus's insight.
"You asked about the nature of the world?" Zeke ask's me while tapping the armrest of his armchair. I nodded.
When his grey eyes meet mine they are dead focused.
"The nature of the world is...to consume it will one day consume everything. However that only means we must live our lives with the aught most discipline in order to leave our mark on the cosmos. So, ignore the peacocks, lickspittles and flatterers and focus on your own path."
I nodded calmy. My heart which has been troubled after seeing what Tenma was doing with Ms De Fontaine on the rooftop of Avalon academy was at last at peace. And from deep within my being I could feel the six stars of mana I had formed grow stronger.
'I have recieved some insight how curious.'
Arthur took a seat next to me and before I could stop him he placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled.
"I may not be a great philosopher like our two friends from the east here but me and you could go hunting together in the Tristan province in Britannia."
"Thanks Lionheart." I said to Arthur.
Then a tall razor blade of a girl stridded toward our lounging area her crimson silk dress waving slightly she had grey eyes and long onyx hair above her dress she wore a black fur jucket.
'Wow if it isn't the prickly black rose of Reinland Tatiana von Stark.' Raon has told me he hates this girl because of her, bitchy attitude. But she means nothing to me after I don't know her.
She stands in the middle of our lounging area next to the small ivory table. She is beautiful but she was born to hate but why she here? She is not aquanted with me nor Arthur from what I know of the young Britannian and it is impossible for her to know Zeke and Atreus who are from a different continent and culture from three of us Northerners.
"...Ah can we help you my lady?" Arthur asked politely. The girl glared at him then shifted her gaze over to me and moved forward. I raised an eyebrow as she leaned toward me and sneered into my ear.
"Salat."
As I could hear the sound of her high heels from behind me I tried really gory tried to breath the fury away and remain seated but I was sick and tired of being called the salat of the Kuhn family. I needed to humble someone for the horrible nickname to fully fade away and lady Stark just gave me an opportunity.
"Excuse me my lords I'll be back!"
"But Luke she's."
"Arthur." I say leaning toward him so that his eye to eye with me. "I'll be back."
I stocked after the tall girl and grabbed her fair hand. "Lady Stark you have insulted me and pissed on my honor." Say with a low growl. But she just laughs in my face. "Oh, salat boy I am no knight. I am nothing more than fair maid who is weak and fragile so please leave my weak self be." Only a fool would believe her garbage.
She taps my hand and sneers. "Is this your first time touching a girl hmm." I ignored the taunt and offer her a challenge by throwing my glove at her face.
"A duel? You're that offended?" She shrugged and slapped my hand away and looked around the area she smiled wickedly and pointed at a table of what looked to be girls from the Southern continent giggling to each other.
"You see that girl dressed in black and pink." She points to dark-haired girl who is shoving a chocolate down her mouth.
'I don't know her.'
"She's participating in tomorrow's little event. She'll be my champion in this little challenge of ours."
I merely laughed. "Do you even know her name?" I asked amused. She folded her arms and said. "Of course! I'm not a moron her name is Ha Eunbin."
'The Ha clan of the Yeon empire.' My father and the master-at-arms of our keep had told me a great deal about the different swordsmanship styles of the south. I was told that their faster and tend to focus more on swift cutting motions.
'Which is a great weakness against an armored opponent.' In short all a knight from the north had to do was just stand in place and activated the enchantment of their armor and watch as their un-armored opponent grew tired.
'That's if they permit armor in tomorrow's event.'
I shifted my gaze back to Tatiana.
"If I win what will I get?" I asked. She placed her hand on her chin pondering then she leaned on my ear and whispered a few things to me which caused me to grin.
"But if I win you'll be my servant for half a year." She declared with a wicked smile on her face. I nodded grimly knowing that if I were to lose to that Ha girl tomorrow my reputation would go down the drain.
"May god witness our challenge." I said placing my hand on my chest. She did the same but she might as well have spat the words out.
I turned my back to her and haded back toward Zeke, Arthur and Atreus.
"Sorry about that my lords." I say taking a seat next to Arthur.
"It is of know consequence Luke." Zeke says calmy. Atreus and Arthur nodded.
We began talking about different matters such as the rise of Jason Wayne, the black fox and other men we respected. Then we began friendly chatting about the wars in both Gaia and Vanaheim and the involvement of our relatives.
"I heard your father delivered hundred strikes per set on the red titan fifteen years ago Luke."
"I heard your father speared the Vanir's great forest dragon with a single blow Zeke."
"I hear people can even see the vision of the moment as they enter Vanaheim."
"I once saw lord De Fontaine do twelve sets without the use of mana." Arthur brags.
"Come now my lord we all know that the number of sets don't matter it is all about being precise."
"You read that line from lord Okumura's book of true swords didn't you Zeke?" Arthur asked while twirling his blood red hair on one finger.
'That's a girl habit.'
Then someone cleared their throat to grab our attention. We all sighed and turned our gaze toward the source and I smiled because standing next to the vacated couch that Arthur was seating at was a girl who looked to be the same age as me she had short white hair, ice blue eyes and fair skin she wore a white tailored suit.
"Franca!" I exclaimed in surprise as Franca Frost the bastard daughter of lord De Fontaine bowed politely.
"I apologize for my interruption my lords but I am here to inform Sir Arthur that his sister Dame Caera Lionheart is waiting for him." She says in mid lingo with a smooth and charming Persanian accent.
"Well my lords." Arthur says getting up from his chair. "It seems I am needed so I will see you all tomorrow."
I got up and extended a hand to him he accepted it in his I shook his hand and gave him a stern nod.
"I it was nice seeing you ag...ahem it was nice seeing you Sir Arthur." Zeke said awkwardly.
'Was he about to say again?' I shook off the thought as Atreus shook Arthur's hand next.
Franca pointed Arthur toward where I assumed his sister was. However as Arthur left I could not shake the feeling that Franca was starring at Atreus. Then my suspicions deepened as she lingered for a moment.
She gathered what I thought to be courage from the expression on her face and moved toward Atreus's armchair. Atreus raised his eyebrows in surprise.
'What is she going to say to him?'
Instead of saying anything the highborn bastard girl placed a steel flower at Atreus's lap bowed once more and walked away quickly but elegantly. My eyes went wide.
"What does this thing mean Luke?" Zeke asked at Atreus' confused behalf.
I sighed and opened my moth.
"It means she likes you boyo." A smooth voice said.
'Another interruption!!.' I thought annoyed.
I turned my to....
'Holy shit its lady Fate Ngozi!!'
Standing in front of me was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen she had dewy dark skin, silver hair tied into a braid, full red leaps and bright yellow eyes she was dressed in well fitting black suit.
'Well fitting indeed.' I thought to myself.
The dark skinned beauty pointed at each of us and move her full lips.
"Your grandfather, your father Zeke and your father as well Luke. Have told me to come fetch the three of you."
'Thank you dad after sixteen years of raising me you've finally given me a birth day present even though you're a month late its January for matrix's sake.'
I smiled and bowed politely.
"Its an honor my lady."
"Relax boyo I'm only three years older than you."
'Yet you're a ten star mage.' I praised her inwardly.
Zeke, Atreus and I follow lady Fate. I stayed slightly behind to watch lady Fate's famous wide hips sway.
'Oh Raon you're missing out my good lad. On a truly divine site!.'