CHAPTER 8


    BACK IN BUSINESS


    Hans found many contemptuous gazes, not only from students, but some of the professors were showing their unlikability towards him. He had just come back a few hours ago and was on his way towards his class, but many people were looking at him like he had ran a carriage over their dogs. “Wow, I know I was not that likable, but isn’t this going overboard?” he thought and entered the class.


    Hans reunited with his old teammates. There was Thedas, the attacker, and Nicolas, the quiet guardian who looked at him with disgust. “What the?” Hans frowned. “Well, it was great getting to know you too.”


    Garen Ironborn, who Hans shared the castle name Prophet with, stormed everyone out, clapping the table. He asked Hans, “I’ve heard you’re a Parvian.”


    “Do we have a problem?” Hans asked, staying calm.


    “You people are evil!”


    “There’s nothing evil in this world, just people trying to do what they want,” Hans replied calmly.


    “No…no, sugarcoat it all you want. You know deep down, you people are wrong, evil, the worst of the worst.”


    “Is your life so boring that you need a thrill?” Hans stood up, but Chris rushed in between them.


    “Hey, hey, back off you two. I really don’t want Professor Aredhel lecturing us about ethics and morals—“


    “I don’t nag if I have a choice,” Aredhel interrupted them through the door, and staring at Garen and Hans, she asked, “Do I have a choice?” Her leering eyes made Hans and Garen both shake their heads, denying her.


    However, Hans couldn’t help but wonder why Garen was acting that way. He figured the elves wouldn’t like him just as he thought, but Garen was a dwarf. “What’s up with his ass?” Hans whispered, sitting next to Delimira.


    “You didn’t know?” Delimira asked. “You didn’t know?” Delimira asked, surprised. In reply, Hans shook his head and said no. So she told him, “Amid the Elven War, a whole clan of dwarves disappeared—”


    “What does it have to do with me?” Hans frowned.


    “That clan had forged the greatest cursed sword known to man.” She paused, taking a breath in and finally said the familiar name, “Rebellion.”


    “Ah Shit!” Hans connected the dots quickly.


    Delimira continued, “It is said that Parvians abducted the whole clan to silence them or to work them on making more weapons like that. But it is what only the Ironborn clan’s accusation is.”


    “Ah, come on, Father. Life is already troublesome. How many more have you pissed off?” Hans cried lamenting. His frustrating moment was interrupted as Cassidy, his other Castle mate, joined him. “So, Prince Hans, nice.”


    “Did Parvians do something to Sunfall too?” Hans asked to confirm.


    “Who knows, captain—”


    “Why am I a captain now?”


    “It just felt right to call you that,” Cassidy said with a playful smile, continuing to pester him with strange and outlandish things that didn’t make any sense to Hans. “Oh come on, why are you spooking me.” Troubled, he turned to his only wise council and whispered, “Now, what is wrong with her? She’s acting strange.”


    “Maybe she is interested or there is really something up her ass, who knows. Focus ” Delimira pointed at the Aredhel, but Cassidy kept bugging Hans causing Hans to do the same to Delimira.


    “What’s your problem?” She rebuked in hushed tone and Hans pointed to his side, Cassidy, zealously poking him. “Tsk!” Delimira frowned, “Hans asking me should be your last resort. Do you really want me to stop her?” she said, and Hans nodded eagerly. So, she raised her voice and irritatingly said to Cassidy, “Hey, get a hint. He said no. Why do you keep hitting on him? Geez, have some dignity of princess.”If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The whole class which was buzzing in soft noises of Aredhel’s discussion about spell-breaking, became dead pan silent. All were looking at Cassidy’s embarrassed face while she gave Delimira a death stare.


    Delimira on the other hand, wore an amused smile. She whispered to her, “I’m a bitch, deal with it.”


    Cassidy was about to start a fire but got interrupted by Aredhel, “Miss Cassidy. Please change your seats. Don’t disturb the class.” She responded, and turning to her daughter, she scolded, “You’ll get a penalty for disturbing the class, Miss Delimira, and since I’m your mother, your penalty will be doubled. Understood?”


    Delimira nodded and class continued. Hans didn’t dare disturb her and everything ended peacefully. But the peace was short lived, Cassidy came fuming towards them. “What is your problem?” She yelled at her source of trouble.


    “I told you I can be a bitch,” Delimira said organising her books. She warned her in low voice, “You don’t want rumours of you getting rejected by Hans all over the place, right?”


    “Do you think, I will take it lying. I can spread rumours too.” Cassidy defended.


    “Then lets compete. Lets see who will go home crying. I dare you.”


    “You’ll regret this Delimira Winters.”


    “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Delimira turned towards Hans, “see, she won’t bother you no more.”


    “You are scary, Deli,” Hans shivered, imagining what she could do if he really pissed her off and also wondered why she didn’t go this far when she was really pissed at him before. But his thoughts were broken by Chris, who whispered, “Hey, I told you. You don’t want her as your enemy, not even as a friend, but we already crossed that bridge, haven’t we?”


    “I like her as a friend, man, but being on her bad side will probably…no, definitely be bad news.” Hans collected his things and stood up too.


    “But what was Cassidy bugging you so much that you had to use the ninth circle spell called Delimira on her?” Chris asked Hans, pointing to Delimira.


    “For some reason, she kept acting coy in very uncomfortable manners.” Hans shivered recalling her masked giggles.


    “You should stay vigilant.” Chris said, closing his books. “You are not a normal student now…well, you weren’t even normal before, but now everyone knows you are the prince of Parv. They will either approach you with some benefit in mind or some hidden dangers. And especially stay away from people like Cassidy.”


    “Yeah, beauty with a brain is a horrendous creature.” Hans nodded.


    “Whoever told you that must be a genius.” Chris also nodded.


    “Yeah, he is, so let’s not piss anyone off and get the heck out of here—”


    “But we still have two more lectures on mana expressions and swordsmanship.” Chris shook off his hand. So Hans, imitating Delimira shouted, “Chris, you’ve already reached grade 38. What more can you learn in your second year?”


    Chris was late to cover Hans’s mouth and now the cat was already out of the bag. Hans was loud, everyone heard him. Some were fascinated, while others were jealous. Their close friend Delimira fell into both categories. Stomping, she came close to them, “I’m leaving. We’re already set to pass this year just by participating in Glory Wars. So the classes seems redundant.”


    Chris was feeling embarrassed by the sudden attention, so he had no choice but to follow Hans out. “You should not learn from her,” he grumbled, but Hans was looking ahead, his attention somewhere else. So Chris asked, looking in the same direction, “What? Where is she going?”


    “Apparently, me mentioning your grade rubbed her the wrong way. She is going to find Grandma to train.” Hans mumbled and clenched his fists. He said, “Yeah, you bastard.” Hans turned to him, annoyed. “You are already ahead of me, now with the blessing…and what is the Heaven Strike exactly? Even Homar was infatuated with it.”


    “You saw the Celestial Weapon, right?” Chris pointed to the sky and explained, “It’s similar, but on a much smaller scale.”


    “There is nothing smaller-scale about that huge calamity. I’m leaving too.” Hans stomped, complaining, “You idiots will both improve. I can’t be the only one left behind, and I sure be not the number three—”


    “Buddy, you fought against the former first-ranked. Aren’t you embarrassed to say you are number three?”


    “I’m in the glory wars records anyway.” Hans quickly ran towards the SpaceDoor and moved to Agrilands with his books, Limitless and the Solar Mage. However, the moment he stepped into Agrilands, he found himself falling through the sky. “Ha.Ha. Very funny, dear ancestor.” He nonchalantly said and started levitating with his wind gem.


    Amused, Dietrich responded, appearing by his side,“Its like my own custom greeting to you, foolish descendant.”


    Hans chuckled in response. There was a lot he wanted to tell Dietrich, and surely a lot he wanted answered. He shot first before Dietrich could settle himself to the ground. “So, great-great-grandfather, have you ever visited Frostspire—”


    “You went there? Are you out of your mind?” Dietrich scolded him outright. “We shouldn’t meddle with the forces we don’t understand. That is called forbidden for a reason, you idiot. You could’ve died, and no one would hear a squeak about it.”


    “I’ve learned that a hard way—”


    “What? What did that prickly girl of a goddess do?” Dietrich asked, annoyed.


    “So you do know her?” Hans asked, stunned not because Dietrich was acquainted with the one who could kill him and resurrect several times, but it was the first time he saw him annoyed.


    “No, I haven’t met her, only heard from her.” Dietrich kept his annoyed tone, answering, “She sounded like a high-maintenance individual.”


    “But you are a Parvian, the first Parvian. Isn’t she our god—”


    “Heck no. Yours might be, but not mine. The Osiris religion is quite new. It only started a few hundred years back. And the one living in Frostspire is someone you already saw once.”


    “Where?” Hans asked puzzled. If he saw someone that capable, he should’ve remembered her.


    “In your dream. That was the bearer of Power: Aadya. The black-haired elf.”