“I-I really have no idea what you’re talking about,” she stammered. “I-I was just running late, that’s why I’m rushing.”
Even after I showed her proof that she had been peeking and trying to eavesdrop on the conversation, she kept denying it. She was trembling, but it looked like she was going to keep lying through her teeth.
Right now, she looked terrified. Completely freaked out. She must’ve realized that I wasn’t someone to mess with. She knew me as the powerless, skillless loser, the weakest in the entire school—hell, weaker than even her. Before I got here, she was considered the weakest, being last in rank as a second-year, and not ranking up even once since the previous year. She hadn’t ranked up even once. But I had. And I didn’t even have a skill.
She had no clue how I was pulling it off, or if my “skillless” status was just a front I was keeping up.
“Is that really all it is?” I pressed her again. “You’re the one who was following me before, weren’t you? Why the hell are you following me?”
“N-No, I don’t know what you’re talking about! A-Anyway, I’m going to be late for class, so I’m leaving. Please, get out of my way,” she said, her voice shaky.
I finally stepped aside and let her pass. She glanced back at me once as she walked away, but after that, she kept her head down and didn’t look back again. I had no idea what her deal was, or why she’d been tailing me, but something about the whole thing felt off. There was definitely more going on under the surface. I needed to keep an eye on her.
***
The lecture dragged on, dull as ever. Professor Irene had her moments where she spiced things up, but history? It just didn’t do it for me. Yeah, I was learning about this world and how things ended up the way they are, but honestly, who cares about a bunch of people long dead?
What really had my attention was Irene herself. She kept glancing at me, her eyes practically burning holes through me, trying to draw me in with every seductive move she had. It was like she was trying to fuck with my head, or maybe just fuck me. I knew exactly what she was doing—hell, everyone in the class could see it.
“D-Did she just lick her lips at me?” one of the guys whispered.
“No way, man, she did that to me. I’m the one she’s after,” another shot back.
The guys in class were practically ready to fight over who she was trying to seduce, but I knew who her real target was. Me. I just stared at her while she worked her sexy little games. Not gonna lie, it was working. Even the girls were mesmerized by her looks when she pulled that move. Maybe I should have a word with her later. About history, of course. I was curious if she knew anything about the Great Darkness.
But that would have to wait until after my rematch with Trill.
When afternoon came around, I grabbed lunch with my buddies, Raymond and Duncan. Raymond, the bespectacled nerd, didn’t have much going for him physically, but his mind? Dude was sharp, probably one of the smartest in the academy. Duncan, on the other hand, was just a meathead.
Titania mentioned she’d be having lunch with her friends. Oh, right—her first requirement only had one step left before it was finished. Meaning, I just had to make her one more friend, and then I’d be moving on to the next part of her demands. It took longer than expected, but at least I was making progress.
“You know, I heard something interesting,” Raymond chimed in, his voice breaking the steady hum of the cafeteria.
“What is it?” Duncan asked, barely paying attention as he ripped into the meat he’d just bought, juices dripping from his mouth.
“One of the Leonamon branches was attacked,” Raymond said, adjusting his glasses. His tone was heavy, like he was dropping some major news. “Have you heard about it, Leon?”
“Yeah,” I replied, keeping it casual even though my mind was already spinning. “It’s all over the news.”
Of course, I knew. I was the owner of Leonamon, so how could I not?
Raymond leaned forward, eyes sharp. “What do you think the motive was?”
I shrugged. “Honestly? I don’t know. Doesn’t feel like it’s out of revenge or anything personal. If I had to guess, it’s probably competition. Leonamon’s been growing fast, so it makes sense.”
But truth be told, I didn’t know why Eclipse attacked. Sesillian was moving toward something, and I wasn’t sure what.
“Yeah, I don’t get it either,” Raymond said, shaking his head. “But whoever did it has to be sick in the head. Killing innocent people like that? Unforgivable.”
He wasn’t wrong. In this world, killing someone deemed bad was one thing—people could stomach that—but killing innocent people? That was a line most weren’t willing to cross, no matter what.
“Also, I heard there’s some cult that’s been growing lately. You heard anything about that?” Raymond asked, leaning in slightly as if he was about to drop some serious news.
“The Eclipse?” Duncan chimed in for the first time. “Yeah, I know about them. It’s all over the news, too. There’s a rumor they’re the ones behind the attack.”
“It’s weird, right?” Raymond continued. “A huge cult like that existing under the radar for who knows how long, and we only find out when they surface like this. I can’t believe the authorities are letting this kind of shit happen in the kingdom.”
The reason even Duncan knew about the Eclipse was because Leonamon had spread the information. We wanted people to know just how dangerous this cult was and what kind of threat they posed to the public.
This wasn’t just some minor skirmish. This was war between me and the Eclipse, and I wasn’t holding back.
