Sleep is for the Weak

“So much for being an unbeatable Exalted Paladin. What a joke.” A eighth-year student said, after slamming the butt of his sword against the back of Lloyd’s head as he was busy fending off three other attackers.

The boy was knocked to his knees, and while he was down, the group of older boys all took turns slamming him.

“Did he really think that he could take on 10 of us at once just because he has a Tier 7 Class? What a stupid kid.” Another of the eighth-years said with a huff, giving Lloyd a sharp kick to the jaw, sending him cartwheeling across the ground. “Hopefully that will have taught you some humility.”

Lloyd didn’t respond. He just pushed himself back up off the ground and lifted back up his shield and sword.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” One of the guys said with a tired sigh. “Can’t you just give it up already?”

“I can keep going.” Lloyd insisted.

“Yeah, but we’re getting tired of this shit. How long are you planning on wasting our time?” 

“...” Lloyd didn’t reply, because he honestly didn’t know.

He’d picked a fight with the 10 upper class students in order to train, so that he could get better at fighting against multiple opponents at once.

While his Class excelled at defense, it was only within the range of his tower shield. His skills didn’t work against people who attacked around it.

He needed to figure out a way to handle situations where he might become surrounded on both sides. And to learn that, he would fight for as long as it took.

While he was getting hit pretty hard, he was very tanky, had self-healing Class skills, and they were only using blunted practice weapons. So long as he was still regenerating his mana, he could keep going for hours and hours. Something the older boys were not so interested in doing.

“What do you all think you are doing?” Alexander said, causing all of the boy’s to freeze. While not exactly afraid of Lloyd, due to his status as a pariah, they didn’t want to be on Alexander’s bad side. “You were all meant to be training today. Not babysitting.”

“Forgive us Young Master. We were doing our normal routines when the boy butted in. We tried to get him to simply leave, but he’s been very persistent.” One of the older boy’s said, a Tier 6 Flash Swordsman by the name of Isaac, who was Alexander’s right hand man.

“Is that so? You really couldn’t be more troublesome, could you?” Alexander said, glaring down at Lloyd. “How about you just stay out of the way of your betters?”

“How about you try to make me?” Lloyd countered in the most juvenile of fashions.

Alexander narrowed his eyes, before suddenly charging Lloyd.

Lloyd prepared his shield, ready to defend himself, but Alexander was well aware of the Class’s strengths and its flaws.

Rather than attacking and having his force reflecting against him, or trying to pull the shield to the side, the tall boy jumped, placing a head on the top of Lloyd’s shield, vaulting over it.

Using his grip on the shield’s top, Alexander swung himself around, his knee coming down onto Lloyd’s head. 

The force behind the blow showed the difference between their levels, as while the pair might have the same Class, Alexander had been training his skills with the benefits of his Class bonuses for 8 years, and his base level was close to a 140. As a result, his stats were still a good deal higher than Lloyd’s.

Lloyd was knocked to the ground, his shield wrenched away from him, and his sword arm crushed underneath a boot. Alexander bent down over him, his finger grabbing onto Lloyd’s hair and forcing his face down into the dirt.

“Do not think that you are somehow my equal. I am an heir, while you are just a child playing pretend.” Alexander said coldly as Lloyd cried out in pain. Alexander’s grip on his hair was so strong that it felt like he was trying to rip the scalp from his head. Something that seemed more than likely as he reached down into his boot and drew out a knife. “In fact, you are not even worthy of the royal colors.”

Lloyd could barely even struggle as Alexander pulled the blade through his hair, cutting away a large fist full of the sky blue locks, the blade cutting Lloyd so close that he could feel the cold steel against his skin.

Alexander let the cut away hair slip through his fingers so that it would fall in front of Lloyd, for the boy to see, taking pleasure in the boy’s shock before he reached down to get another fist full.

“That’s enough!” Isaka’s voice pierced through the air, drawing Alexander’s attention away from his despised cousin. Isaka and Charles were standing there, along with their Retainers and the Eighth-year Chad, each of them armed with training equipment. “What is the meaning of this, Alexander?”

Alexander glared at the disgusting Half-Elf with annoyance as he stood up and removed his foot from on top of Lloyd’s shoulder. “I do not see what the problem is. My young cousin was the one who requested that I fight with him.” Alexander said with a condescending smile, barely even pretending to be polite.

“This isn’t a training match. This is a public shaming.” Chad said with a loud scoff. 

Alexander glared at the buff eighth-year boy before smirking. “Funny. I had heard that you had joined up with a bunch of first-year brats. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised which group it was. After all, the only ones willing to put up with Lloyd are savages and cowards.” Alexander said, insulting Chad as a means of insulting the entire group. 

Isaka and Chad glared hard, though Charles barely seemed to register his words, walking over to Lloyd and checking on the boy.

Alexander didn’t like to be ignored. “Speaking of savages, you appear to be missing one. Has young master Dalhurst’s pet run off somewhere without his master?”

“I thank you for your concern, but Bran is fine. He had business to see to elsewhere and has been temporarily recalled from school by my father. Such things are not uncommon. May of us have duties elsewhere in the Kingdom.” Charles said in a voice that was so completely lacking in any hostility that it was actually disarming to Alexander.

Alexander was attempting to provoke them into attacking, so that he could claim self-defense, but Charles had dealt with this strategy enough times in the past to be able to brush it off.

...Mostly.

“Is that so? A pity. If they were returning to your house, I would have sent a message to Lady Caesia with him.” Alexander said, knowing just what button to press.

Charles’ neutral, pleading look faltered at the man’s words and became cold. “Caesia has received many of your messages, and her answer to you has remained the same. She has no desire to marry you. So be gracious and leave her alone, unless you want to experience a House Dalhurst that is no longer neutral.”

This actually gave Alexander pause for a moment.

While Isaka, Chad and Lloyd were all enemies, and no one would retaliate for events at the Academy, it was true that the Dalhurst house didn’t support any faction. And being that they were a Duke family, they could sway the balance of power between the three old factions if they chose to commit. 

Even in the disgrace of Richard having abstained from military service, they still had considerable influence across their own territory, and through the port cities they governed. So having them join another faction would complicate matters for Alexander.

Not that Charles had any intention of joining a faction. He was actually threatening that he and his grandfather would go and simply decimate the man’s house with force, rather than politically. Both starting and ending a civil war.

“Take your empty threats elsewhere, Dalhurst, because I am not interested in hearing them.” Alexander scoffed, though he did turn to walk away from the encounter. Though as he walked away, he called back to Lloyd. “Just keep hiding behind others like the parasite that you are, Lloyd. You are nothing more than a bastard who refuses to acknowledge his place beneath his betters.”

Lloyd gritted his teeth, but couldn’t do anything to react, not with Charles’ hand grabbing his shoulder.

“Arrogant fool.” Charles huffed before dragging Lloyd away. “Come on. Unless you want to create even more problems for us.”

Lloyd didn’t exactly fight him, but his eyes remained on Alexander until he was fully pulled away. “I swear I will kick your ass someday.”

---

 

“We should have kicked his ass.” Sidney grumbled after the group went to discuss events.

Without Scarlet to set up the wards, it took a bit longer to secure the area, but Isaka was able to cast many of the spells required, if not at such a high level.

“No. While I despise everything he stands for, facing him and his group without a proper plan would be unnecessarily risky, and we would gain nothing from it.” Charles said with a shake of his head.

“We would be able to shut him up.” Sidney countered.

“Clearly it wouldn’t, since he is still running his mouth after what Lady Scarlet did to him.” Chad snorted. “If she was with us, I am sure we would have been able to take all of them.”

Scarlet had chosen to reveal her identity to the man, since it would mean she wouldn’t have to hide it while in the Labyrinth, and Chad’s attitude towards it was… complicated, as his didn’t know how to balance chivalry towards women with worship towards what was clearly to him a future hero.

In the end, he basically bent the knee and swore his everlasting loyalty to her.

The reminder of Scarlet’s success against Alexander was a bitter pill for Lloyd to swallow at the moment, after his very one sided confrontation with the man. The feeling of cold air against his scalp made it impossible to forget the humiliation. 

“If she was here, she would be saying the same thing I am. One does not go into an unnecessary battle without a clear plan for victory. Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Charles said calmly. “Which is why I must ask what you were thinking confronting all of them alone?”

Lloyd stiffened slightly as all eyes were on him. “I was practicing defending against multiple opponents at once.” He said as if he was not at all embarrassed by it.

Charles frowned slightly. “While training is always good, there are better ways than to pick a fight with a known enemy.”

“The way I chose to do things is my own business.” Lloyd said. He was not having a good day, and his temper was starting to get the better of him. “Why do you even pretend to care? You have all made it very clear how tentative my position in the group is, so I see no need to check in with you for everything I do. Especially since you never seem to want to ask for my opinion on anything.”

He still felt bitter about how Charles and Isaka had discussed taking time off from the Labyrinth without him. Nor was he happy with the way things always seemed to go within the group. They had effectively two leaders for two seperate groups, with Charles giving out orders to his own party, Isaka having his own attendants. In both cases, Lloyd was swept aside, as he belonged to neither group.

If something had to be decided for the group as a whole, the two of them would discuss it, and Scarlet would be the tie breaker if need be. 

“...I am unsure of what has given you that impression.” Charles said, genuinely puzzled.

“Sure you don’t.” Lloyd said before glaring at Isaka. “Are you going to start pretending now that you don’t want me gone too?”

“No. I really don’t care for you.” Isaka said bluntly.

“Your Highness.” Charles said in a disapproving voice that the prince ignored.

“In my eyes, Alexander was right about one thing. You are a parasite who has been taking advantage of Scarlet’s kindness. You are acting as though you are the victim here, but in the end, you want nothing more than to use us for your own benefit.” Isaka said, his chin down and eyes closed as if just stating a fact to the world, rather than speaking to Lloyd, who was so far beneath him. 

At Isaka’s words, Lloyd gritted his teeth and couldn’t help but shake in anger as he stood up. “A parasite am I? If I am a parasite, then what are you exactly?” Lloyd spat at the prince. “Like you’ve ever done anything important in your entire life, so how about taking that silver spoon of yours out of your mouth before you choke on it.”

Then, before the prince had a chance to make a comeback, Lloyd stormed out of the room, out into the halls. He couldn’t stand being around the others anymore.

Not that distance from them helped matters, as he could hear the mocking laughter and pointing from the students he passed, as they got a good look at the patch of missing hair from the back of his head.

The bitterness and anger grew stronger and stronger with every step he took.

Screw them. Screw all of them. He’d find his own way to grow strong. He would become King, and he would keep his promise.

But as he fumed in anger, he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings, and was surprised when an older man grabbed him by the collar and just started to drag him away. “Huh? What? Let me go?” He struggled, but the man ignored him and his flailing limbs. 

“Stop whining. I’ve got a few potions that will help with that spot of yours.” The man said.

Lloyd looked up at him and saw the spaced out face of the school’s potions’ master, dressed in his usual dark lab coat and with his military beret on his head of slightly long black hair that was spotted in gray. Lloyd had seen the man around before, but hadn’t gotten too close, as he lacked interest in potions himself, but from that angle, he could just see the man’s amber eyes.

Eyes that seemed very familiar somehow.

Things didn’t fully click until Lloyd noticed a tail hidden within the shadows of the man’s lab coat. “You’re…”

“Just keep quiet about this. My nieces wouldn’t be happy with me if word gets back to them that you got hurt under my watch.” The Alchemist said as he took Lloyd back to his lab. Lloyd just gapping as he stared up at what was one of ten living legends.

Jade Nightingale, the Hellfire Witch Doctor.

---

 

“That could have gone better.” Charles said with a sigh after getting back to his quarters with his friends after the disastrous meeting with Isaka and Lloyd. Well, at least this happened while they were all on break, rather than down in the Labyrinth together. But still, what had gotten into those two? 

Charles had never had a problem with the young Paladin. He also couldn’t understand Isaka’s dismissive behavior towards Lloyd. 

Calling someone who had managed to become a Tier 7 nothing but a parasite was strange. Charles knew very well just how difficult it was to achieve without something like Scarlet’s training clothes. Regardless of his privileges, Lloyd had to have worked his ass off.

“I didn’t realize that there was such a problem between Prince Isaka and Lloyd.” Charles mumbled.

“Prince Isaka is a half-elf, and Lloyd has declared his support of the Beastkin. It is only natural that they don’t get along.” Andy said with a shake of his head.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Charles asked in surprise.

His friends all looked at him like he was an idiot.

“Young Master, you are aware of the complex history between the Elves and the Beastkin, aren’t you?” Nico said with a bit of disapproval in his voice. The way he always sounded when he found out that Charles was flaking on his general studies in order to focus on his training.

“Well…” Charles mumbled, looking away in embarrassment, since Nico was absolutely correct about his lack of studies when it came to the history of the other races. Just like all of his other studies that didn’t involve swinging a sword or matters of his own territory. 

Nico sighed before starting to give a little bit of a history lesson for his young master. “While humans have never exactly had a close relationship with the other races, often choosing to simply have no contact, we’ve rarely ever had any real conflicts with them. However, the Elves and Beastkin are like water and oil, and have been warring off and on for hundreds of years. They absolutely despise each other.”

“What? Why?” Charles asked, hearing this for the first time.

“Because of magic, mostly.” Nico replied. “Because of how difficult it is for a Beastkin to learn even basic [Mana Control], they have almost no enchanters or spellcasters of any kind, causing them to be dependent on the more expensive, hard to make, and less effective potions instead. Around fifteen hundred years ago, in order to try to gain the magical support his people needed to survive, a Beastkin Chieftain resorted to kidnapping hundreds of elves in order to use them for their magical ability. This led the two groups to war and they have been enemies ever since.”

“...I see.” Charles said, leaning forward and rubbing his eyes slowly.

So, all of this was because of a hundreds of years old conflict. Wasn’t that just perfect. Honestly, he’d like nothing more than to just give the two a whack on the head with a paper fan, tell them to get over it and just proceed with their normal routine. But that was unlikely to solve anything.

This matter was complicated, and Charles hated to deal with complicated things. He liked things simply, like swinging his sword, or setting up ambushes. Matters like this were too delicate for him. But at the same time, he couldn’t just let it stand.

“We’ll have to get this sorted out before Scarlet returns. This isn’t something that she should have to deal with.” Charles said.

Scarlet had been sent home so that she could unwind and recover from her recent problems at school. Having a matter like this waiting for her upon her return would render the entire thing pointless.

It was up to Charles to set everything right before she got back. The only question was, how was he supposed to do it? 

…Maybe he should just try whacking the two on the head.

---

 

“Have you calmed down now?” Jade asked Lloyd after giving him a thick syrup to drink.

“Ah… Yeah.” The boy replied weakly as he turned the shot glass slowly in his hands.

“Good. Then hold still while I apply the hair growth potion.” Jade said, taking out another veil of greyish liquid. 

“Huh? Wasn’t this the hair growth potion?” Lloyd asked in surprise.

“Of course not. Why in the world would you drink a hair growth potion? Do you want to grow hair on your tongue?” Jade snorted. “That was a potion of clear headedness. Now, reflect on the choices that brought you here while it is still in full effect.”

“...That explains it.” Lloyd mumbled weakly. He certainly felt like a fool for his behavior up until this point. He should have simply requested to train with Charles’ group rather than going and picking random fights, and snapping at him and Isaka wasn’t going to help him with anything.

At the Academy, he had no allies besides the tentative allies of his party. So to risk them like this was a dumb idea.

As Lloyd reflected, Jade applied his cold mixture to the back of the boy’s head, around the roots of his messed up hair. “Are you reflecting?”

“Yessir.” Lloyd said politely.

This was his first time meeting Jade, and he didn’t want to do anything that might further ruin his reputation with the great uncle of his only two friends in the whole world.

“So then tell me. What motivated you to do what you did today?” Jade asked calmly.

“...I wanted to improve my ability to handle multiple enemies at the same time.” Lloyd freely admitted.

“Is that so? As an Exalted Paladin, you are best suited for dealing with a single strong opponent, not groups. Normally, in a party, you would be tasked with holding the attention of the strongest enemies while your party cleans up the mobs.” Jade said.

“That’s true. But my current party wants to go deeper into the Labyrinth. If I can’t handle multiple enemies, then I will stop being useful to them, if not now, then eventually.” Lloyd explained.

“So, you are afraid of being abandoned then?” Jade said, hitting the nail on the head and causing Lloyd to bite his lip and nod. “Give me a break. People don't discard party members that easily. No matter how strong you get, you still need assistance. Even the strongest fighters don’t go off hunting alone without support. Your speciality not fitting into all situations doesn’t mean that you will be discarded. I was the weakest of my group, and my specialty has rarely had time to shine, but I was never forced to leave.”

 “But… They don’t like me. I’m treated differently than the others.” Lloyd said differensively.

“And does that surprise you? How long have you known these people? Two or three weeks now? Meanwhile, the Attendants and Retainers for those boys were probably selected when they were five years old, if not younger. They have been together as close as brothers for their entire lives, and you think that you will be treated the same after just a few short weeks?” Jade snorted in amusement.

...That was definitely true. While Lloyd had been all but isolated from members of his family’s faction out of embarrassment, resulting in him not having many friends and no retainers who weren’t just trying to control and monitor him, Isaka and Charles had a relatively close relationship with their parties.

“...I’ve messed up bad, huh?”

“Don’t ask me. I have no idea what it is you did. But I won’t worry too much about it.” Jade said after putting the last of the gel on the boy’s head and putting a wrap on it. “You’re all just kids. If you say you're sorry and explain your own point of view, they will listen.”

“And if they don’t?” Lloyd said, like the worried child he was.

“Then at least you will know that it is time to move on.” Jade said before standing up. “Speaking of which, how about you get out of my hair now. I’ve got work to do.”

“Ah, already. Thank you.” Lloyd said, standing up and bowing to the man.

“Yeah, whatever. Just leave that bandage on until tomorrow. Your hair should start growing back then.” Jade said, waving the boy off until he finally went. “Stupid kid. What do my nieces even see in him?” He mumbled, looking up at the ceiling for a few moments, lost in thought before just shaking his head and returning to work.