L.E. Miranda
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SSR - Book 2 Chapter 1: A New Stage
🕑 Added 2025-02-26 00:09:58 +0000 UTCRylan looked at Aelfric in the middle of the ballroom with a helpless smile.
Wearing a black suit and a matching black robe, Aelfric laughed as he danced with Luna. She seemed to be teaching him the ropes, since he didn’t know how to dance at all. They moved slowly, surrounded by more young people and teenagers. Those dressed in lavish suits and robes mixed with those dressed in more ordinary vests, pants, and boots. Most carried a glass filled with different drinks, but some had left theirs on the table to dance.
The middle of the opulent ballroom was filled with dancing couples and friends. The image on the floor depicted a perfect, carefully-drawn circle, where they stayed. To the sides of the image, beyond its circumference, many tables covered by white silk table linen stood, lined with elaborate wooden chairs. The distance between each table was such that one was able to easily walk between them, despite their number.
Sitting on the chairs or standing next to the tables, groups of young men and women laughed and talked. Some girls gathered in groups and sat close to each other, speaking in hushed tones and with blushing faces as they looked at the boys. The boys themselves weren’t much different, since they constantly threw glances at the dressed-up girls and straightened their backs, puffing out their chests.
Paintings adorned the walls, varying in size. The windows showed the scenery of Caer Rhelon at nighttime – a sea of orange and yellow magic lights that lit up the hundreds of buildings, adding to the atmosphere. White marble columns held everything up, ending in a concave ceiling, from which a large crystal chandelier hung.
On the edge of the room, a band played a variety of instruments, filling the space with harmonious music.
Finally, Rylan turned his gaze to his immediate surroundings. He stood with his back against one of the columns, perfectly straight. The sword on his waist was in stark contrast to his refined, dark blue suit and robe. All around him, there seemed to be more people than the rest of the room. They glanced at him repeatedly, fidgeting in place.
“Rylan, are you listening to me?” a voice came from his right.
Carefully controlling his expression, Rylan looked to the side. Next to him stood a pouting teenage girl wearing a beautiful red dress. Her chestnut hair matched her warm brown eyes. She looked at him with some annoyance as her eyebrows twitched. Rylan gave her a polite smile.
“Of course. You were talking about your parents’ expectations about the entrance exams and about which Magic Academy you should join. That they pressured you to join the Royal Magic Academy,” he replied, keeping his smile.
Her expression softened as she nodded in satisfaction, then sighed.
“Yes. Still, I think I did a good job,” she puffed out her chest a bit with some pride. “I should be able to get in, just like my older brother.”
Rylan nodded at her.
“I’m sure you will, Miss Lara. Either way, I wish you good luck.”
She smiled brightly at him. As she opened her mouth to reply, Rylan suddenly looked to the opposite side and narrowed his eyes. His hearing had detected a change, and he had a good idea of what it was.
“What? What is it?” Lara asked.
Rylan smiled but didn’t reply. Others turned their heads in the same direction as the noise increased. A growing crowd was making its way toward Rylan and those nearby. As the crowd increased in size, so did the noise. After a few seconds, Rylan managed to glimpse the reason for the commotion.
Between all the young men and women, Hayden walked with an uncomfortable smile. Dressed in a simple white shirt, black pants, and brown boots, he stood out among the finely-dressed crowd that surrounded him. They walked alongside him, offering their hands for handshakes and patting him on the shoulder.
“It’s Hayden!” Lara exclaimed with a loud voice.
Rylan looked at her with a smile.
“You should go talk to him, since you’ve already talked to me. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to speak to you, Miss Lara.”
She nodded repeatedly with shining eyes. With a curtsy, she walked toward Hayden as quickly as she could without spilling her drink or ruining her atmosphere of nobility. Rylan let out a breath as she walked away. Barely three seconds after Lara left, three young men stepped forward, eyeing each other with slight frowns.
“Good evening, Rylan,” the one in the middle spoke first, taking another step to stand in front of the other two. “I’m the eldest son of the Gray house. My name is Josef Gray, and—”
Rylan listened to the boy with a business smile, nodding. The young man on the right also stepped closer and introduced himself, as did the one on the left. They were from three different families that had a close relationship with one another. Rylan inwardly sighed as he heard them talk, then threw a look at Hayden, who kept getting closer.
“Are you wondering why we’re here talking to you instead of Hayden of Lindsor?” Josef suddenly asked. The other two stopped speaking and looked at him.
Rylan looked back at Josef, now with some interest.
“I am,” he replied after a second.
Josef looked at the crowd, which had become even larger.
“Hayden is truly the best choice for most other families. By offering to support him, a commoner who has never had any backing, even an ordinary noble house can obtain a powerful ally with relatively little effort. Hayden wouldn’t know how valuable he is, since he was never part of the high society, allowing families to spend relatively little for his favor. Besides, your tendency to reject every offer so far has become famous.”
Rylan rubbed his chin. It was true. In the first two days, he had been flooded with even more people than Hayden wherever he went. They even went to his hotel and gathered outside, or tried to reach him through Regis and Lillia. It had taken a great deal of effort to make it obvious that such methods wouldn’t work and get them off his back. In comparison, Hayden was a much easier target.
“However,” Josef continued, looking back at Rylan with a smile. His eyes shone with craftiness. “We know what your existence means, Rylan Flameheart. In this entire kingdom, there is no one else in this generation greater than you. The Gray house and its allies would like to formally give you our support. You wouldn’t need to be part of our family or have any obligations. We only ask for your alliance.”
Not bad.
Roland had been a commoner, which meant that Rylan was intimately familiar with how noble families and important individuals reacted to a talented ordinary man. Hayden was a genius unlike any other applicant in the entrance exams, yet this Gray house had chosen to focus on building a relationship with Rylan, even though it would be more difficult.
“Do you not wonder if I’m worth it?” Rylan asked with a grin. “Eighteen years old, Second Circle. I’m close to my limit already.”
“You are worth it,” Josef replied firmly. “I’m sure of it. You have done what nobody else has. It might be just my personal opinion, but I think that in the Kingdom of Ceotha, there’s nobody under the Fourth Circle who would be able to beat you in a fight. You are incredible.”
Rylan raised an eyebrow. Josef blinked before smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of his head.
“I’m… a bit of a fan. After that final match,” Josef continued.
Rylan nodded. Behind the pretense of approaching him for the sake of the noble house, he could see genuine admiration in Josef’s eyes. In the end, Josef was also just a kid. He was excited to talk to Rylan, even if it was because of his family.
“Rylan!” a loud voice suddenly resounded, cutting through the music. It was Hayden’s voice.
Rylan and the three nobles turned at the same time. He looked at Hayden. The boy was approaching him with hurried steps, a smile on his face. His expression was tinged with a type of anxiety that Rylan was familiar with. Shaking his head while grinning, Rylan looked at Josef.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll need to pause this conversation. My friend over there wants to talk to me about something,” he said.
Without waiting for a reply, Rylan started walking closer to Hayden after waving his hand. The closer he got, the more anxious Hayden seemed to become. By the point they were within one meter of the other, Hayden’s expression had completely changed. Rylan smiled at the crowd following Hayden. They stared at him with shining eyes, but his smile didn’t even tremble.
“Everyone, Hayden and I had agreed to talk about something once we met again. I ask for a bit of space and privacy. Thank you,” Rylan said in a steady tone.
The young men and women in the crowd traded glances and whispered to each other before nodding or bowing and moving away. Rylan beckoned Hayden, then walked to a spot with fewer people but that still allowed him to keep an eye on Aelfric, who was now looking in his direction. Rylan waved at him with a smile, signaling that everything was alright.
Once he stopped walking, Hayden sighed and wiped his brow.
“Goddamn it. Every party is the same!”
Rylan shrugged.
“Isn’t this what you wanted after showing your powers in the tournament?”
Hayden scoffed.
“I wanted to be acknowledged and respected. Maybe get a scholarship or a backer. I didn’t want to be hounded at every social gathering I now have to go to for the sake of not having a bad relationship with the other students.”
Rylan openly chuckled. Hayden threw him a glare.
“It’s a difficult situation, but it’s something you would need to learn how to deal with sooner or later. The greater you become, the more you’ll encounter stuff like this,” Rylan said while nodding.
Hayden frowned.
“…I don’t want to be used. Everyone’s looking at me like I’m a great staff or artifact.”
Rylan looked at Hayden with a softer gaze. Roland had known well the feeling of being treated like a weapon.
“As you get older, it’ll get easier to say ‘no’ and see who can actually be trusted. You’ll be fine.”
Hayden threw him a confused look.
“…You’re only two years older than me. Why aren’t they doing the same to you, anyway?”
“You’re an easier target.”
“Because I’m a commoner?”
“Because they realized over the past week that they won’t get much out of me. It’s different for you. And yes, because you’re a commoner.”
Hayden went silent. Rylan looked at Aelfric. Just as he expected, Josef soon squeezed himself through the crowd and tapped Aelfric on the shoulder with a smile. Rylan put down the drink he was holding and nodded at Hayden.
“That’s my cue. The moment I leave, they’re probably going to flood you again, so see you at the next party. Feel free to use our relationship to get out of the crowd, like you did today.”
Hayden nodded back with a sigh after following Rylan’s gaze. Then, he smiled.
“Be seeing you, Rylan. I’ll be waiting for our next fight.”
Rylan smiled and waved his hand, starting to make his way toward Aelfric and Luna, who were glancing at each other with confusion as they spoke. For a moment, he took in everything around him. He was somewhere his past self would have never been in and talking to people who were considered great talents of the kingdom. He grinned.
They now acknowledged him as ‘Rylan,’ because of his own actions.
Let’s keep this up.
The people dancing parted before him after realizing who they were looking at, granting him easy passage. Once he was close enough, Rylan grabbed Aelfric’s shoulder and threw a cold smile at Josef, who flinched.
“Now, what does the eldest son of the Gray house want with my brother?”
Rylan’s eyes were chilling. Just like always, it was his duty to protect his family above all.
Comments
Dave_S
Thanks for the chapter!
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter! No need to attack the guy like that... He obviously wants a genuine connection with you and thus the rest of the family... Rylan could have also said "I'll be right back" instead of "sorry guys I need to leave lol".
Some Guy
TFTC
im Panda
Thanks for the chapter, I just started reading recently. This has quickly become one of my favorite stories keep it up! You're doing great
Raymond Mouton
Thanks for the chapter.
