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Chapter 185: The Art of Not Sticking Out
🕑 Added 2024-09-17 19:31:28 +0000 UTC"You wanted to... claim a bed?" I stared blankly at Gil for a few moments before glancing over at the four narrow, unimpressive cots, tilting my head in confusion. Then I noticed that the one closest to the window had already carried the signs of someone lying on it.
"That's right, captain!" Gil nodded enthusiastically.
"And why's that important, exactly?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you mean?!" Now, it was Gil's turn to act confused, and he looked at me like I was an idiot for asking such an obvious question.
"Claiming the right bed is of paramount importance! Everyone knows that in the room's hierarchy, the one with the top spot calls all the shots!"
"Is that so?" I glanced at his bed of choice again, wondering what would make it a top spot. It was exactly the same as all the other beds, the only difference being its proximity to the window.
Then, a sudden realization struck me. 'Ah! So being closest to the window means you'd have the best lighting for study... Got it.'
"Well, I'm not aware of any such tradition, but if you say so... By the way, we are no longer inside a Trial, you don't have to call me captain anymore. My name's Darian."
"Sure thing, cap-Darian!" Gil began saying before quickly correcting himself. "It's just that you made quite an impression in there, so I couldn't help it!"
I could see him fidgeting around nervously, which was a big contrast to his usual boisterous personality. Still, I furrowed my brows, unaware of doing anything worthy of such deference.
'Well, maybe that flurry of fireballs at the end was perhaps a bit flashy, but I just wanted to end that farce quickly as it was getting pretty annoying...' I thought.
Nodding to myself, I turned to face Gil, a subtle smile playing on my lips. "So, since you were so impressed by my Trial's performance, wouldn't it be only right to cede your bed to me?"
"Eh?" He blinked, staring at me in confusion.
"As you said yourself, it's the most prestigious spot in the room, is it not?" I said, pointing at the aforementioned bed.
"That's true, b-but..." Gil visibly paled under my relentless gaze. The tension was almost palpable, and he looked like he would cave in at any moment.
But then I broke the eye contact and bursted out laughing. "Hahaha! Just joking... just joking... You should see your face right now!"
Still chuckling, I turned around and started walking to the other side of the room, adding, "You can keep your bed. I don't like sleeping next to a window anyway."
Not wasting a breath, I went on to claim the bed that was the furthest from both the window and the door, tucked away in the corner and permanently suffused in shadows.
Furthermore, since our new room was located right at the Tower's outer wall, it had a slight curve, and thanks to it, this side of the room was a bit wider and not as cramped as the rest.
There was even a small hidden alcove behind the narrow cot where I could stash all my valuables without the other novices seeing it. 'I'm liking this spot already...'
However, my choice of bed made Gil look at me in astonishment. "You want to sleep there? But that's the absolute worst spot!"
"Yes, I do," I said matter-of-factly as I began stowing my satchel under the flimsy-looking bed. Once that was done, I sat down on the lumpy mattress, testing it. 'Hmm, not the best, but it will do for now.' Happy with my selection, I then turned back to the flabbergasted Gil.
"Let's just pretend you're the room's boss and I'm an outcast of sorts. That way, our other roommates won't bother me with their nonsense, and I can focus on my studies in peace," I said, smiling innocently.
"If you say so..." Gil looked at me dubiously for a moment, but then he shook his head and said nothing else.
He then went on about his business like nothing had happened. However, behind his pretense, I noticed that he seemed particularly relieved that I hadn't made any further attempts to usurp his prime spot.
I nodded to myself in satisfaction, content with leaving it at that. 'Alright! Let's get things moving...' I thought as I began unpacking my meager belongings.
Teasing Gil aside, I had no desire to be part of any youth drama over who gets what bed. That's why I decided to stick to my time-proven tactic of... not sticking out.
'Still, with all the blunders I already managed to make during the Trials, this feels more like an aspiration than anything...' I grimaced.
However, it was still better to avoid any pointless trifles over a bed. In my case, I could simply fill my eyes with essence and see well even in diffused candlelight, so I wasn't all that worried about being unable to study.
'That reminds me...' Back in the lobby, I overheard some first-years talking and learned there was supposed to be some big library on one of the upper floors where it was apparently possible to find anything about magic.
'Well, I doubt that those stingy, uptight mages would share many arcane secrets with mere novices, but still, a real library would very well be worth a visit...' I mused, already planning my next steps.
There was no time to waste. Having lost most of my money to that crazy expensive tuition, I now had to work extra hard to maintain my upper hand over the rest of the first years.
The nobles already held a big advantage over the rest of us with all their fancy artifacts and esteemed private tutors, so I had a lot of catching up to do if I wanted to make a name for myself here.
But before I could start any quests to find the library, I first had to learn more about the Tower itself. This place was truly massive, and I barely managed to find the dormitory even though I was given precise instructions on where to go.
So I wasn't very keen on stumbling blindly through all those winding corridors and endless passages since I didn't even know on which floor this library was supposed to be. Especially not after what happened previously on the staircase... I still had shivers running down my spine just thinking about it.
Luckily, I already had a suitable solution for my current lack of information, and it was standing right in front of me.
"Hey Gil, how come you were here so early? Did you already pay the tuition the other day?"
The target of my sudden interest blinked a few times before gazing at me with a questioning look in his grey eyes. "Tuition?"
Gil then widened his eyes, looking at me like I was an idiot before bursting out in laughter. "Hahaha! That was a good one, cap-Darian!"
But seeing that I wasn't particularly amused, he quickly shut up. "Wait- you're serious? Ah, you're from afar, so you don't know much about the local stuff, do you?"
"You've guessed it right," I said, nodding as I put on an amicable smile, silently encouraging him to explain.
"Well, you see, I don't have to pay tuition. Not that I could, anyway. Neither me nor my old man have that kind of money..." He said in a low voice, giving me a rare, somber look as he gazed out the window.
But then he quickly snapped out of it as he put on his signature wide grin. "But here in the Labyrinth city, if you're a local and have a rare talent or above, the Mage Council gives you a stipend. Isn't that amazing?"
'Ah! So that's why there were so many locals at the start of the Acceptance ceremony; they wanted to know if they had the Talent or not...'
"It sure is..." I replied and then wanted to ask him if he knew about the library, but right at that moment, the doors slammed open, and two boys barged into the tiny room.
'It seems that our remaining roommates have finally arrived, ' I thought, quickly retreating into my corner and quietly observing them from the shadows.
The first one was quite tall, with piercing blue eyes and a mop of unruly red hair. He was dressed in fairly luxurious attire and walked confidently, suggesting he was from a well-off family.
The other was much shorter and stockier, with short dark hair and a swagger in his step that suggested a bit rougher upbringing.
'Hmm, what an interesting duo, they look like day and night...' I mused, watching them rush to claim their own beds.
When they saw that the window bed had already been taken, I could see a flicker of annoyance flash through their eyes. But then they briefly locked eyes before hurrying to claim the remaining two cots while loudly arguing over who was here first and, therefore, should get the one closer to the window.
'Gil wasn't lying; they are really fighting over a stupid bed...' I thought, watching it all transpire in utter astonishment.
Finally, they seemed to come to some sort of settlement and began stowing their various belongings under their respective cots.
From the brief argument, I understood that the two other novices seemed to already know each other, chatting and joking as they unpacked their bags.
We briefly exchanged a few words, but as I expected, they didn't seem to pay me any attention. Instead, they turned all their focus to Gil, silently measuring him out.
I chuckled, realizing that before the room's power structure would settle, he was poised for quite a few challenges down the road.
Of course, I may give Gil a hand if things turn too difficult for him, but for the time being, I was okay with leaving him in the spotlights and me being the proverbial eminence in the shadows.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. There wasn't much to do other than train magic. However, in such a small cell, surrounded on all sides by my new noisy roommates, it was proving all but impossible to focus.
So I decided to just lay quietly on my cot, resting and contemplating while I prepared for a busy tomorrow when I would finally have my very first official magic lesson.
Comments
John Doe
Thank You, Author. :-)
