Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Chapter 170: Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass

...And she was there. Her short golden hair swayed in the wind, with eyes like thunder as she walked towards him. Leon de Harrington gulped for a momentand watched Xanthe walk past him. He blinked and got out of the trance. She didn't recognize him? Or she didn't want to act like she knew him?

"Really not going to say anything to me?" One of the woman's eyes twitched. She approached one of the people, someone he didn't even know that much and looked down at the boy with the gauntlets.

A loud sigh escaped Diov's lips as he crossed his arms, careful not to hurt himself with his spiked gauntlets. "I didn't think you would want me to say hi. What use would it be to even say it?"

Sir Leon de Harrington brows furrowed together. He glanced at Donovan for a moment and saw that the guy was confused and clueless as him. He had considered him as a good judge of character, so why did he not notice was this guy higher-leveled than him? Had he been focusing too much on other people to not notice this man who went right under his nose. 

Xanthe jabbed a fist to the guy's head, "Well, it could at least be nice to say hi is all. How'd you even get here, squirt?"

"Because I wanted to? Does it matter." A small huff escaped the guy's lips.

Xanthe snorted. "Bullshit."

"It's not your business."

"Of course it isn't, I already left the family."

"Then doesn't this seem useless to you? Greeting me?" Diov motioned to him and shook his head.

And before the two of them could even know it, the entire people in the dining hall's attention was on these two. It was an odd feeling to experience for Leon. To be part of the crowd and not be the one they were looking atcompletely surreal. And yet it made sense to him. He hadn't actually expected to see her, but it didn't mean that he didn't hope for it.

Xanthe Brande.

"We all love a good family reunion, but maybe you guys could do it when we're all seated?" A voice suddenly interrupted. A long dark-blue haired woman gave them all a smile and a wave. She had walked past Leon without him even noticing as she glanced at Diov. "This one is your cousin, Xanthe? He's cute."

"I really don't like this attention." Diov was seconds from rubbing his facebut stopped before he stabbed his eyes with his gauntlets.

"Same, let's go now." Azura turned to Xanthe and grabbed her shoulders, pushing her forward. "Lunch lunch."

If his sources were correct, this one woman was Azura Blackthorne. And that meant that the only one missing wasRoux Arcois. Sir Leon de Harrington glanced around and quickly saw the white-robed man helping out one of the Students? Somehow, this piece of information shouldn't have mattered right now at all.

Especially as he watched her walk away.

.. .

Han blinked and rubbed his eye, the small scenario was over fast before he could even realize what was happening. And two of the most fantasy-like characters he could ever see, blue hair and golden hair women left and went over back to their table. Even he had been expecting that they would talk to Sir Leon de Harrington or Timothy

But the golden haired woman talked to Diov.

Even the other people in their group were giving looks at him. And the man narrowed his eyes, "What are you guys looking at me for? Did I grow two heads or something? Aren't we supposed to eat lunch."

"O-Oh yeah." Lady Angelika managed a sheepish laugh, and she was joined in by the other Students with them. "We should get to our seats now before they get taken."

Conversation over.

That much was obvious to Han, but Sir Leon de Harrington said otherwise. "It seems that the subject isn't pleasant for you, but you are from the Brande House?" The expression on the man's face was kind of clouded.

He had been acting weird the moment they left the Physical Combat Class that Han thought something was the matter. He looked like he was the one taken aback by the girl from earlier.

Diov's expression sort of eased as he nodded, "I...kind of am, but it doesn't matter that much to me, as your family does to you, Harrington." No 'Sir' like the young man addressed Sir Leon de Harrington before, just Harrington.

A resigned smile formed on Sir Leon de Harrington's lips, "It does."

"We're having lunch boys." Lady Angelika cut in once again and began to move for the table as she was followed along by the rest of the group.

And it became sort of obvious to Han that there were a lot of 'I ran away from my family' kind of thing for the characters people here. At least, the two cousins both seemed estranged. A crouching tiger, hidden dragon? Han didn't know as he scratched his head and sort of got caught up in the drama.

Until he noticed that Timothy moved away and got to his seat.

The same went for Ellynn. She went for a table of her own and stayed by herselfall in all, the two of them were now experts in getting away. And Han was the Rogue between all three of them. He really should do a better job didn't he? Still, should he go to Ellynn now? He held the Healing Potion bottle in his hand. It felt warm and if he was being cheesy about it, then it might have been made with love.

...There was only so much cringe that even he could make.

Han really should make a move towards Ellynn right now to thank her more properlythat was the proper thing to do. Or maybe he should join Timothy and hang back in their bedroom. And yet the pull of a good storyline drew him to the far larger crowd. To where Sir Harrington, Diov and the others were 

Before he could make a choicesomeone bumped into his shoulder.

Han nearly dropped the potion but kept it to his chest. "Phew, watch where you're going duman."

"Oops, sorry." It was the ginger-haired boy who had owned the Enchanted Glow Sticker Toolstick. If Han had known any better, he would have assumed that this guy was a Primrose too. A shared trait. 

"Woah, can you hold that guy down!"

Han instinctively gripped the other man's shoulder with a free hand, preventing them from making a move and right in time for another familiar face to show up. It was that weird Mage from last night. They seemed to be friends. Or at least, had some kind of relationship with one another.

The red-haired guy looked betrayed when the Mage finally snatched the cloak from his hands. They placed it back on their shoulders, "Quit stealing cloaks, Theo. It's not fun chasing after you." The Mage glanced at Han and nodded, "And...uh, thanks Han."

"No problem." Han let go of the Enchanter and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think I've caught your name."

"It's because I didn't throw it." The Mage answered with a smirk, their answer was quick and witty. Until he ended up coughing and looking away. "...but most call me Kai." It was like they realized their need for manners or something.

Theodore looked at the Mage and frowned, "It's because that's your name."

"What's in a name?" Kai shrugged. "You could call me Joe and that would be fine."

"It would be confusing."

Han felt the eagerness to get to know people slightly dampen. Maybe other people's lives were interesting but it wasn't for him to intrudealthough the reason why he was even here, was to forget his own. And so, to Han Jing, the guy who never skipped cutscenes in games This was the perfect opportunity to ask a question.

"Hey, uh do you know those girls?" Han motioned discreetly to the girls at the table. Which now also happened to be occupied by a man in white robes. His experience made it easy to recognize that the guy was a Healer or a White Mage?

Theodore's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

"He's new, of course he wouldn't know." Kai rolled his eyes. "I don't usually give out information for free but that's the Top Three. Or at least until they graduate."

Han blinked, "Top Threein the rankings?"

"The best Students as of current times, they were gone for a mission" Theodore clamped his mouth shut.

"Mission?"

"Once you're a senior, there's no need for attending classes and instead you're off to do missions given by the Headmaster. It helps increase their experience before they actually start as an Adventureralthough that's only if you take the Adventurer's Track. I heard that it's different if you're under the Soldier's Track."

"...I thought we weren't supposed to give information away, Kai." Theodore raised a brow.

The Mage's face scrunched up for a moment as he waved a hand, he ignored the Enchanter and addressed Han. "Consider that an important piece of information. It's usually asked when you're at least a third-year. As for the reason behind it, that's confidential."

"Like the library?" Han asked.

"...that? That wasn't given." The Mage crossed his arm over his chest. Their current appearance of a shaggy haired boy smoothed over as a mischievous smirk formed on their face. But it quickly changed back as the man continued back to the original topic. "Roux Arcois, Xanthe Brande and Azura Blackthorne. I suggest you try not to get on their bad side."