Chapter 11
We walked out of the alleyway, the afternoon sun was spilling across the street. Neither of us spoke a single word. The silence was deafening.
‘This is awkward to say the least…’
I reached back into my pocket to take out my food, only to find it had already gone cold. With a sigh, I bit off a piece and started eating. It still tasted just as good—as expected of Mrs.Harth.
As we continued down the street, I noticed Kaelon stealing occasional glances at the food in my hands, though he never said a word. His pride must’ve kept his mouth shut, but the look in his eyes was hard to miss.
“If you want some, just say so,” I said, annoyance creeping into my voice. “No need to stare holes into it like that.”
“Tsk. Forget it, I’m not hungry—” he muttered, turning his head sharply to the side. But the way his stomach growled right after completely betrayed him.
‘This idiot and that ridiculous pride of his…’ I couldn’t help rolling my eyes.
In the end, it took a good while to convince him to buy a meal, but eventually, he reluctantly agreed, grumbling about dignity under his breath the whole way.
‘Can’t you shut up about your pride for one moment?’
We eventually found a quieter spot in a small courtyard, sitting on the edge of a fountain. The water rippled gently in the sunlight.
I unwrapped my newly bought food and took a bite, while Kaelon eyed his own, clearly debating in his mind. After a brief moment, he finally unwrapped it and began eating as well.
I took this opportunity to strike up a conversation.
“Hey, how are you feeling today? You took quite the beating yesterday”
“What does that have to do with you?” His eyes sharpened into a glare.
“Man, is being angry the only thing you know?” I counter back. “I’m just trying to start a normal conversation.”
A few minutes of silence passed as he chewed, avoiding my gaze. Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter than before. “I’m fine…tougher than I look.”
He took another bite, then muttered under his breath, almost to himself,
“You know, I was seriously considering bashing that bastard Dorian’s skull in yesterday after he said those things about my younger sister.”
“Right… I guess that’s an understandable reaction for someone after having their family insulted,” I replied, shaking my head slightly.
“So…how is that little sister of yours doing currently?”
A few moments of silence passed as he took a few bites before finally continuing.
"She’s doing fine… she turned fourteen this year. Though I won’t lie, our relationship hasn’t been the best."
“I see… but considering how her older brother acts, I guess it makes sense.”
Kaelon instantly sent me a death glare.
“Sorry,” I muttered, holding up my hands defensively.
His gaze softened slightly, but his tone remained heavy.
“It grew worse after my father fell ill…not from age or weakness, but because someone whom he trusted for years betrayed him. Some noble families took advantage of that.”
“I see…so that explains why Dorian was antagonizing you yesterday.”
Kaelon’s jaw tightened. “Yes. It was actually that bastard’s family who turned on my father and stole all our possessions! I still regret not beating that rat half to death the last time I had the chance.”
Weren’t you the one getting beat… Well, to be fair, it was four on one.
“So, what do you plan on doing now?” I asked him.
Kaelon leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing. “Obviously, I need to get stronger first—now that I’ve been accepted into the Academy. But make no mistake…” His grip tightened around his food, knuckles whitening. “… I’ll kill those bastards with my own hands one day.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I just stared off into the distance, chewing the last of my food in silence.
After a moment, Kaelon glanced at me. “So, what about you?”
“Hm?” I tilted my head.
“I’ve been talking about myself all this time. Shouldn’t you say something too?”
“Well… there isn’t really anything interesting. It’s just me and my older sister—she’s six years older—and we’ve been living under the same roof all this time.” I said with a shrug. My eyes drifted to the fountain, watching the sunlight glint off the water as it spouted and fell back into the basin.
“What about your parents?”
“My mom passed away when I was twelve, and my dad left not long after.”
“I guess we share something in common. My mother also passed away when she gave birth to my sister.”
I stayed silent, picking up a small stone from the ground and tossing it into the fountain. It skipped once before sinking, sending ripples across the water. Silence settled over us again.
After a brief pause, I looked over at him. “It must’ve been tough for you and your sister, growing up without a mother.”
“It wasn’t all that bad, considering our father still looked after us… though now he’s too weak to do much, and everything kind of fell onto my shoulders” Kaelon said, his voice heavy with a mixture of frustration and resignation.
Finding the mood a bit too heavy, I decided to shift the conversation.
“How’s training going for you?”
“Not the greatest,” he admitted. “I can barely understand what the instructor is saying about awakening my core. How about you?”
“Oh, me? I’ve already awakened my core,” I said matter-of-factly, shrugging lightly like I hadn’t struggled at all during the process.
“Hah? Come again?” His tone sharpened, and his face darkened.
“I said I’ve already awakened my core,” I repeated.
Kaelon’s glare lingered on me, envy and irritation flickering in his eyes. With a sharp exhale, he stood, kicking a few pebbles across the ground before muttering something under his breath.
“Oh, come on, don’t blame me for you not being able to awaken your core.”
“Just… shut up. I can’t believe I let a commoner like you get ahead of me first,” he muttered, jaw tightening
“There it is again with your ‘commoner’ bullshit.” I said flatly, my eyes locking on him.
Kaelon froze, lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t answer. Instead, he stood there in silence, shoulders rigid, frustration simmering just beneath the surface.
“How long are you planning to stand there brooding?”
“Tch, whatever. So… how did you do it? Awaken your core?”
“Oh. I just followed this one old man I know. He just said—close your eyes, feel for the mana, pull it into the center of your body. Took me a while to get, but eventually it happened.”
“Wow, that helps a lot,” Kaelon said dryly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “So who’s this old man you’re referring to?”
“He is a retired mage who recently moved here in the outskirts of the city.
Kaelon pressed his lips together, eyes narrowing slightly. “Lucky bastard. And, of course, you somehow managed to meet him.”
‘Lucky? Wait till you see that old man for yourself…’
“Mind introducing me to that old mage of yours?” Kaelon asked, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
“Trust me, there’s no difference between going to him and the instructors,” I replied.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Just say you don’t want to,” he muttered, a scowl twisting his face as he crossed his arms.
I rolled my eyes, unwilling to argue with him.
Kaelon stood up, tension radiating off him. Then he let out a sharp exhale and turned away. “Forget it. I’ll figure it out myself,” he said
Without another glance in my direction, he started back toward the training grounds, his footsteps fading as the distance grew.
“Not even a goodbye?” I muttered under my breath.
With a small sigh, I straightened up. ‘Guess I should start heading back… I need to work on my magic too.’
I made my way swiftly toward the outskirts of the city. As I reached the edge of the forest, my eyes landed on the textbooks I had left behind, still resting in the same spot. I picked them up and began flipping through the pages once more.
‘Here goes nothing, I guess.’
