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Chapter XII
🕑 Added 2025-06-13 09:08:34 +0000 UTCBy the time we came out, the Sun had set, darkness crept into the aged district and old buildings made it look like I had stepped into some witch's domain with the way they leaned on one another and the overhead street lamp blinked periodically. It was time to clock in for the day, and what an exciting day it had been.
"So you fought pokemon and you didn't even invite me?! I thought we were friends!" Flat complained incessantly, shaking me by the collars while Luviagelita tried to pay the bill he'd racked up by guzzling down copious amounts of tea and cakes while we were gone.
"We aren't."
"Aww, you don't need to be shy." He shoved his friendship down my throat. "I forgive you! Take me next time though."
"Calm down, Naruto. I'm not a villain for you to reform."
"Naru-to?" He cocked his head, visibly confused. "Sounds like a good person."
I smiled dryly. "I bet."
Before he could start yapping again, Luviagelita stepped out of the cafe. She cast a withering glare at Flat that made him fold instantly. He stepped back, and bowed his head in apology multiple times before she waved him off.
"Go home."
"What? No! Not fair! You had an adventure. I want mine too!"
Another glare, a raised fist, and the blond shonen mc bolted down the street, leaving behind a cloud of dust. Her ability to deal with him so easily was almost admirable except she didn't do anything I hadn't already tried... yet, it worked for her somehow and not for me.
"I trust you'll find your way without getting into trouble, yes?"
"Definitely. You're going to wander around looking for hapless victims for sustenance, yes?"
She opened her mouth to 'bite' back but decided against it for some reason and simmered down. Instead, Luviagelita gripped the edges of her navy dress and looked down. She chewed on her lip. "Thank you... for protecting me... I didn't need it but still, thank you. It would be... unbecoming to not express my gratitude. B... But only because you saved me the trouble! Nothing else! You understand?"
I was stupefied for a moment but couldn't help a smile.
"Woah, that must have been hard."
"Don't... push it."
I nodded, accepting her gratitude. "Well, I'd feel bad if you got hurt so, no problem."
She halted again for a moment, but then a soft smile crept onto her face. "I would feel bad if you were hurt too."
"Jesus fucking Christ. Get a bloody room if you wanna shag! Don't make me feel more miserable than I already am! Fucking faggot."
...
...
...
I turned to eye the one who interrupted my moment with the hot rich lady with big tid-... It was the same average london experience motherfucker who called me a faggot for admiring my eyes a few days back!
"Okay, you wanna fight?" I raised my fists... again.
"What the fuck you ungrateful dick? I was just saying yous two looked cute together. Fuck me for giving someone a compliment. People are so bloody sensitive nowadays." He shrugged his thick, burgundy overcoat and stomped off, leaving both of us too flabbergasted to hunt him down.
In the end, I couldn't help but laugh it off and bid her adieu. In gentlemanly conduct, I offered to escort Luviagelita home but she strongly insisted otherwise. The woman gave a lot of mixed signals sometimes if I was being honest.
The walk back to Slur was uneventful, there was a distinct lack of roadmen in this district as compared to ol' Henry's previous living quarters, possibly something to do with the fact that it was used by individuals capable of ending them at a moment's notice if even slightly inconvenienced. The full aviators drew some attention from passers-by but they were quick to write that off too.
One annoying thing did happen though...
"Imagine we got attacked by a wyvern or something just now!"
It turned out Flat had just hidden in some alley that he popped out of like an annoying side-quest the moment I rounded the first corner, because he knew we both lived in the same building. Seriously, the guy would NOT quit talking. At some point, I even found myself thinking it was good... Then, I promptly slapped myself in the face for that thought.
"Death to shonen mcs." I whispered under my breath.
"Ehh, but they're cool when they go all pow and wow and stuff."
"I bet." I smiled dryly.
I had nothing against him to be fair... His type were legit and respectable. It was just that he was way too loud and up in my face about it. Still, I held no doubts he'd stop if I told him to... but I didn't have the heart for it.
Wait...
My eyes widened.
His shonen wiles were working!
"See you in class, Flat." I waved him goodbye.
"We have tomorrow off! Should we go to an amusement park or something? It'll be fun. I'll even invite Le Chien. It's very funny when you throw water on him, trust me." He refused to let the elevator door close on him, stopping it by sticking his head in it.
"Maybe next time, I have some work to do tomorrow."
"Aww shucks. Well, okay. But next time's a promise! I'll drag you if I have to."
"You won't need to do that, man. Even I don't have the heart to say no when you're being like this."
Satisfied, he backed off and I let out a relieved sigh, humming and bobbing my head to the elevator music until the doors opened with a 'ding' to reveal an empty corridor. Understandable. The Clock Tower was a place of study, most of my fellow students would probably be too busy with their research.
Still, I was in no way jealous of them. Sinking my head in books was not something I was very keen on doing, and being acknowledged by psycho magi wasn't really going to get me off in any meaningful way... unless... they were willing to jump my bones for my circuits and eyes right... hmm... That was an interesting thought.
But anyway, practical experience was far more helpful in furthering my abilities than books due to my unique circumstances. Gurdoa Davenant's spells followed a different system as compared to Flat's spell or Luviagelita's curses and by considering different spellcasting systems to be different coding languages... I had added a lot to my arsenal by breaking the individual spells into the 'characters' of their specific 'languages'.
Now, I just wanted more spells to complete the different 'alphabets' so I could mix, match and even design my own spells... or like Waver insisted, a new thaumaturgical system (language) entirely. For now though, I needed some sleep.
It was with these thoughts in my head that I wandered into my apartment. Any tiredness I'd been feeling disappeared in the blink of an eye as I leapt over the couch and picked up little Ellie. She was watching some cartoons on the TV.
"Hal! You're back!"
"Yes, you adorable little thing!"
I spun her around and she beamed, giggling with a small, red nose.
As the days passed, the distinction between Henry and William became more and more flimsy, that made sense seeing as I was both. But, that also meant that my adoration for the adorable little creature in my hands was twofold.
"Did you have a good day?"
"Um." She nodded. "Krishna's food is sho good and your friend is so nice too."
"My friend?"
"Yes! Caules! He has fun games on his PC." Her little accent was so cute too.
Caules... Caules... Oh, the nerd from Waver's class... Had Ellie harassed him until he let her play games on his computer? I was so proud I almost shed a tear. For how they lived till now and with how hard mother worked, Louise and Ellie deserved the world.
I would try to give it to them by succeeding the one way you were guaranteed too no matter who you were.
Stealing others' wor-...
Stealing the life work of various magi and patenting it! I felt not an inch of shame or guilt for my plan. With how fucked up they were normally, they honestly deserved anything bad that came their way. Seeing Gurdoa just completely disregard the people he killed as not even footnotes sort of cemented that notion.
He wasn't guilty because he was murdering uninvolved, innocent people, he was guilty because he'd been caught doing it.
My mother smiled from the kitchen. "I'll have your dinner ready in a bit."
"Yes, ma'am." I pursed my lips, considering my options but then decided to just speak what was on my mind, "Do... Do you think you'd stop working if it wasn't necessary?"
Her eyes grew a bit distant, but then she gave me a tired smile. "Yep. I get tired too."
The easy words threw me for a loop. I thought she'd be harder to convince what with how parents usually were with their pride. But... she just accepted my words.
"That easy?"
"...Yep." She nodded. "But even if you can't. I'm proud of you still, Hal. I thank God for giving me a hard-working boy like you."
Damn... That was the first time I'd heard those words as William... nothing was ever enough for my stuck-up mother before. I'd come home with a trophy once, and been told to quiet down because I was being annoying. I gave nothing like that to Louise Smith, and she was still proud of me.
My heart drummed in my chest.
It made man's want to cry for real. And I didn't even understand why mere words affected me so much.
Little Ellie gave me a hug, resting her little head on my shoulder.
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