Chapter 8 - On top of the running guy (1)
“Lennox, Lennox…”
Arnold’s expression became complicated again at the unexpected name.
Lennox Zakhar.
It is no exaggeration to say that he is a headache for the entire academy.
None of the current students wanted to be Lennox’s partner.
In the end, it would be appreciated if someone stepped up to be his partner in the situation where he needed to pair up with a freshman. However…
“Lucius. About him… no, no.”
Arnold swallowed words that were about to come up further.
Although he was worried about whether Lucius knew much about him, he couldn’t gossip about another student.
“I get it. Let’s ask Lennox first. If he does not refuse, you two will be assigned as partners.”
“Thank you. So, will you accept the assignment now?”
“…”
But Arnold didn’t budge.
Lucius narrowed his eyes.
‘Why the hesitation? Do you doubt my identity?’
Things might be a little troublesome.
This was also something Lucius was concerned about when he found out that his homeroom teacher was Arnold. Of all the teachers at the academy, he probably has the most information on the Fifth Elder.
“Teacher?”
“…”
Arnold was still thinking about something.
Even if he had gathered information about the Fifth Elder, it might only include their name and race. It was suspicious, but he couldn’t be certain.
The idea of an ordinary student being an elder itself was absurd.
Now, he wondered how things would unfold. Lucius decided to wait, concealing his curiosity.
Ding dong ding dong.
“Oh my, it’s a little late.”
Lucius smiled calmly and struck first.
“You may be late, but you did well to find me. First, let me take your assignment.”
Arnold was not one to be underestimated either.
“I didn’t know the teacher would be this talkative.”
“Because building rapport with students is one of the homeroom teacher’s duties. You should go.”
Lucius couldn’t help but click his tongue inwardly.
It’s going to be a difficult year.
* * *
The dormitory building, unlike the pure white main building, had pale blue walls and a navy blue spire.
There was a comfortable garden and walking path in the center of the square-shaped building, where students gathered to spend time together.
The sound of grass blades rustling softly echoed with the cool breeze.
Should I take a walk for a while?
He suppressed the urge and entered a lobby filled with students.
Instead, he decided to take a walk at night.
In the lobby, four dormitory supervisors were checking the attendance and assigning rooms.
“Are you… here to get your room assignment too?”
He turned his head towards the demon speaking to him.
It was Irinushka, a student in the same class.
“That’s right. Is this a line?”
Sharp horns, pointed teeth, and an ocher-colored muscular body. More importantly, there was the magic spell imprinted on her body.
She was an ogre shaman who was very rare among ogres.
They specialized in fire magic, and the destructive power of highly skilled shamans was unimaginable.
The spell engraved on Irinushka’s forearm could be seen as quite complex and sophisticated, considering her age.
Considering that they amplify their power by imprinting magic on themselves, Irinushka’s skills were also something to look forward to.
‘As expected, Epsilon is better than other classes.’
Even if it’s the same chick, this one is a superior one.
What should he do? As he was thinking, Irinushka pointed behind him.
“Here… you can stand behind me.”
The ogres were characterized by their slow speech because they had a lot of thoughts and concerns.
Even just to say hello, the conversation sometimes took more than a day.
But fortunately, the shaman was not terribly slow and there was no major problem with communication.
“Right. Then, let me stand behind you. By the way, you are Irinushka from Epsilon Class 4, right?”
Irinushka’s eyes widened, as if she was surprised that Lucius knew her.
“How do you know me?”
“I just heard it in passing. I don’t think I’ve given my full name yet, but my name is Lucius Kendrick.”
“Hmm…my name is Irinushka. Please take care of me.”
Ogres have a scary appearance, but they have a gentle personality. As their camaraderie was strong and they did not forgive those who were hostile to them, there was no harm in making a good impression.
“We must have received the same assignment since we’re in the same class. Have you found our homeroom teacher?”
“I was the first to…find him,” Irinuska replied.
“Was it difficult?”
Irinushka just nodded and said nothing more.
She probably didn’t have much to share in detail.
Lucius quietly watched Irinuska’s back.
They would likely encounter each other often as classmates.
Taking things slowly seemed like a good approach.
Before long, Irinuska left after receiving her room assignment, and it was Lucius’s turn. The supervisor glanced at Lucius and swiftly flipped through some documents.
“What is your name?”
“I am Lucius Kendrick.”
“Please place one palm on the artifact there.”
Lucius placed his left palm on the artifact for identification and registration.
A brief flash of light emitted from the artifact, and the supervisor nodded.
“You’re assigned room 1302. Your registration is complete, so you can go to your room.”
Impressed by the surprisingly simple and convenient system, Lucius headed straight to his assigned room.
Room 1302.
Lucius felt a presence; it seemed like his roommate had arrived first.
Lucius’ hand, which was about to open the door, stopped.
He supposed he should at least knock.
He chuckled and knocked on the door a few times.
“Come in.”
The door opened, revealing his roommate.
Neatly tied hair and clothes.
“In the end, you accepted the partner offer.”
It was Lennox.
“I have to be partners with someone anyway.”
“That’s such a disheartening thing to say. Anyway, I wish you the best in the future. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard your name yet?”
Of course, he knew his name, but he hadn’t heard it directly from him.
Lennox shook his head.
“Don’t you already know?”
“Isn’t it customary to hear each other’s names from our own mouths?”
“…It’s Lennox. Lennox Zakhar.”
Lucius then seemed satisfied and entered the room and sat down on one side of the desk.
“The facilities are good, aren’t they? This room is quite spacious for a double.”
“It hasn’t been long since it’s been built. Seeing as how it’s an educational institution, they didn’t design it to make students uncomfortable.”
Lucius casually looked around the room. He was searching for the sword that was the catalyst for the partnership incident.
According to the data, it was a gift from his father, Rudiger.
It caught his eye more easily than he had anticipated.
Neatly placed beside the desk was none other than the cursed sword, Ophelia.
“Is this Enrique’s work? You have a good sword, Lennox.”
“You better not touch that sword.”
Tension and fear were evident in his low voice.
Lucius knows that this sword is the problem, but he cannot figure out or solve the problem without checking it for himself.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Lucius ignored Lennox’s warning and picked up his sword.
At the end of the handle was a small engraved seal belonging to a dwarf, one of the greatest blacksmiths in the demon world.
Blacksmith Enrique.
He was a great master who was hard to follow due to him moving from place to place often.
Even he doesn’t have a weapon made by Enrique yet.
‘Well, if I were to make it, it would be better to have Kespan as my teacher rather than Enrique.’
As he pulled the sword out from its sheath, a shimmering blade in a vibrant blue color was revealed.
It possessed a captivating beauty that seemed almost enchanting.
Unbeknownst to him, his fingertip grazed the edge of the blade.
“Lucius!”
Lennox’s complexion turned pale as a red line appeared on the tip of his finger that touched the blade and blood dripped.
As if he had been the one injured.
Lucius reassured Lennox and waved his hand.
“It appears to have been well made and well maintained. I just touched it gently.”
A thicker stream of blood than expected flowed out, and the sword absorbed it. But that was only for a moment, and the wound cut by the sword healed in an instant.
“So it absorbs life force along with blood. A weapon perfectly suited for an Incubus.”
Ophelia carried the potential that could easily earn it the reputation of ‘a sword that cuts down its partners to grow stronger.’
Deliberately maintaining a calm demeanor, Lucius carefully sheathed the sword and set it back down.
“I’m sorry for touching it carelessly. But it’s a good sword.”
Even after seeing Lucius’ peaceful smile, Lennox approached restlessly and carefully examined the cut finger.
“Dryads have strong healing abilities. This kind of wound won’t faze you at all.”
Lennox finally breathed a sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
“But still, you’re reckless. Don’t you know what could happen?”
“I said it’s okay. Still, thank you for your concern.”
Seeing Lucius slump onto the bed as if his strength had drained away, Lennox was truly taken aback by the magnitude of the situation.
“… Anyway, I’m glad nothing happened.”
While Lennox was relieved, Lucius looked at the sword again.
Although it boasted the might of a famous sword made by Enrique, it did not seem difficult to handle.
He didn’t sense any inclination for the sword to crave blood or corrupt one’s mind.
Perhaps it was due to his negligence in maintenance, but it seemed to have lost some of its vigor instead.
Why did such an accident happen?
“Now that you’ve seen it, put it back over there. It’s best not to touch that sword if possible.”
“Sure.”
Lennox seemed to believe that the cause of the incident lay within the sword. However, he couldn’t find any distinct issues with the sword right away.
Lucius obediently returned the sword to its original place as Lennox had requested, then cautiously brought up the topic.
Though it might still be a bit early, it was a good opportunity to naturally inquire about the incident.
“It looks like a nice sword, but why are you telling me not to touch it? Is there a reason?”
“…”
“If Enrique had made it, there would be no doubt about its performance.”
“The sword.”
Lennox’s lips trembled incessantly, as if someone was preventing him from speaking.
But then, he clenched his fist tightly, and let out a suppressed voice.
“…That sword is cursed.”
He had the expression as if he might break down if Lucius asked about it further.
Lucius decided to take a step back.
After all, we are roommates and partners.
There is still plenty of time.
“There’s no need to force yourself to speak. For now, just know that I understand.”
Only then was Lennox able to calm his expression.
Knock.
Knocking sounds were heard just then, and Lucius got up from his seat.
It was time for the teachers to go around checking the attendance.
Lennox opened the door, and as expected, Arnold stood on the other side.