'If that old man scammed me, I will use all the power of my shitty father to get rid of him from this school.'

[<I thought you didn't care about the status.>]

'I don't care, but if I need to use it, why should I hesitate?'

[<Don't you have any pride as a noble?>]

'I have, that's why I'm using it.'

[<It really has no sense!>]

My way of thinking is too complicated even for a Goddess.

I'm even scared of myself.

I smiled and looked at the long staff.

With a tiny bit of my mana, I shrunk it into a sword size.

I really have to buy a spatial ring.

I mean, it was really annoying as both my hands were taken with the shrunken staff and the book.

The hall was bustling with my hundreds of classmates from both classes. They were talking and comparing the weapons they had chosen.

Professor Mona and professor Katia were wandering around, advising the students and answering their questions if they had.

...

Half an hour passed and I started to get sleepy.

Were they choosing their life partner?!

It was taking too much time, dammit.

I looked for Jayden and I soon found him with Lyra and Milleia. They were on a stand showing bows. They were just looking though, since Jayden and Milleia already had a sword in their hand. As for Lyra, she wasn't going to choose any weapons, since she already had a personal one, like other high-ranking nobles. Still, since they were free, some were still picking one.

[<What about you? You don't have any personal weapons?>]

'Nope. You see my shitty father bought and prepared a costly and amazing weapon for my siblings but chose not to give anything to me.'

[<Can you blame him? You were unstable after all.>]

'I know but the favoritism he had for them...didn't stop at that either.'

I know.

I know that I behaved like a jerk, but after mother's death, he didn't even say a single word of comfort to me. He comforted Elona, but what about me? I was just seven.

The nightmares and hallucinations of having everyone against me haunted me every single night since my mother's death. I became afraid of Elona and Miranda. I avoided them and rejected them. But when Simon who I saw in my nightmares appeared in my life when I was nine, I understood that the nightmares were real. It was the future. That voice warned me.

Father adopted Simon out of nowhere and I begged him not to. I was truly scared to see the future where everyone kills me happening. But that shitty father just gave me a cold stare without even answering me.

I snapped.

At ten years old, I truly snapped and became the man at the start of the game. Someone lusting..no. Someone looking for love, someone needing a hug, someone needing warmth. The same warmth I would feel when mother hugged me or stroked my head.

Miranda and Elona gave me but I lost the little trust I had in them when Simon appeared and they got along with him. Everything was happening exactly like in the nightmares. It was like I couldn't avoid my imminent death at the hands of my own family.

I wasn't the Edward of the game, so I don't know what happened to me for joining Ante-Eden. I can only tell how I ended up becoming that despicable guy at only ten years old.

Speaking of Ante-Eden, I should be careful about them since I diverted from the plot when I left the Falkrona House a month in advance of the game.

I'm pretty sure they targeted me for at least a few years, so I don't think they will abandon recruiting me easily..and if I refuse they might even take me forcefully.

Fuck.

I need to get strong fast.

If they brainwash me, it will be the end of me.

The previous brainwash I received at seven years old from that strange voice already broke me, but I recovered just a month ago and when Edwad and Nyrel became one. Nyrel also had a tough life but Ephera kept..Ephera kept me sane.

I sighed and leaned on the wall.

Let's have a look.

I opened the book Julian gave me. It wasn't a cliché dusty or used book, but a new one.

"How to wield a staff.."

It was written in big red letters on the front page.

"First movement..thrust.."

What the hell?

There were freaking five pages filled with dumps explaining how to thrust a staff.

Was that old man taking me for an idiot?

Nonetheless, I read.

"Keep your feet nailed on the ground..rise your output of mana to ten percent at first?"

Following that, was like an entire essay or theory or whatever!

I was getting a headache just reading mana output.

This guy was asking me to have a near perfect control over the flow of my mana.

On top of that, you had to control the output of your mana at each split of second while performing the movement.

I read everything about the first movement and closed the book.

My lips were quivering from anger.

Ten times.

I had to alter my flow of mana ten freaking times in a mere second to master the first movement.

How was that even possible?

My brain will never-

"!"

I stopped mid-way having a realization.

It would have been impossible for any novice, but I was not 'any' novice.

I had the Falkrona Bloodline ability.

"Celeritas First Wing.."

The moment I uttered these words, my time-thinking accelerated. I could process everything happening around me. It took a lot of mana though.

I immediately raised my staff and concentrated.

From the moment I raised my staff, I have already started to alter the output of my mana.

My face turned pale.

The staff was now perfectly parallel to the ground.

Pulling back my arm I-

[<Stop!>]

"!"

I opened my eyes and let out a heavy breath.

"Cle-Cleenah? W-What?"

[<it's dangerous, look in front of you! If I hadn't stopped you, you'd have injured someone.>]

Ah.

Yeah, there were my classmates, still looking at the weapons around.

I scratched my cheek and shrunk my staff to a sword's length.

"My bad, thanks Cleenah."

[<Sigh..Amael, you are really..Do you understand what you have achieved?>]

'What have I achieved?'

No idea.

I just did what I read in the book.

[<You..>]

[Don't you understand, Edward? Do you think it's easy to reproduce what you read in your first try? Moreover, it is with a weapon you have never touched before.]

Cleenah and Jarvis seemed shocked by my successful attempt.

'Guys, I only did it thanks to my bloodline, that's all.'

Even if I wanted to alter my mana flow, I couldn't with my 'slow' thinking process, but thanks to the Falkrona Bloodline ability, I could pull off something like that. It was sure taking my mana but with some practice I could fight well. I just needed training.

Anyway, it was nothing amazing..or maybe yes?

Could it be that I am a genius?

"It's been awhile Edward."

I raised my head.

Oh, God.

I couldn't mistake his blue hair and blue eyes.

It wad David Seaven, a [Pretender].

"You sure changed a lot, Edward."

David scanned me from head to toe.

"I'm not into men, David. Scram."

My tongue slipped.

David's smile twitched at my words.

"I heard Aurora called off the engagement?"

"..."

This guy..

As an AuroraSimp, he was without doubt the happiest man in the world upon hearing the news.

Did he come here to provoke me?

It's true that I was attracted a lot to Aurora before, but that was before.

"Cat got your tongue?"

David smirked.

A vein popped out on my forehead.

I couldn't bear to see a smile on his dickhead.

What the hell girls found handsome on his face?!

That b*tch was one of the guys I hated the most with Loid since I was child.

I plastered a kind smile to answer David.

[<He lost it.>]

[Affirmative.]

"You know David, Aurora spoke a lot about you to me."

"W-What?"

I controlled my facial expression from warping into an ear-to-ear smile.

"Yeah, she said you were an interesting guy."

"!"

"...but it was a shame that except your face,"

I lowered my voice.

"You have nothing between your legs worthy of her."historical

"!"

"Just a blue-haired impotent."

I jumped to the left before David could grab me.

"Oh my, David, your face is red. Did you get hard when I spoke about Aurora? Of course not!'

I shook my head and smiled.

"Since you are an IM-PO-TENT."

"Ed-Edward, I-I will cripple you!"

"The blue impotent will cripple me? Not happening."

-Bam!

David trampled the ground as he rushed to me.

Fast!

Maybe I've gone too far?

[<You are just reaping what you've sown.>]

He started it!

I raised my tiny staff to defend myself.

I was weaker than him, but I wasn't going to bite the dust without putting in a fight.

Oh.

Wait.

I smirked and channeled mana in staff.

[<No! I-It's dangerous, you just learned it!>]

Cleenah warned me but I ignored.

-Booom!

But before I could test the 'thrust', suddenly a bright golden light exploded right between us.

When I saw strands of golden hair blewing, I understood immediately who it was.

Aurora.

"A-Aurora?"

David stopped on his rush right in front of Aurora.

"David..you know what Ms. Katia said to us yesterday. We can't lose points in a childish quarrel."

Aurora smiled, exasperated.

It was Aurora's way of dealing with problems.

In most cases, she would never scold her classmates. Well, it wasn't like her classmates were giving her the occasion to scold them. They all respected Aurora both as a princess and leader of the Pheonix Class.

"Yeah.."

David as well.

Apart from his love for Aurora, he also held a deep respect for Aurora.

Aurora smiled again at David, grateful that he gave up, who consequently froze.

Then she turned toward me.

Her smile was no longer there..

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[!] DAVID SEAVEN's PROFILE and REF ILLUSTRATION have been added in the [PRETENDER] auxiliary chapter!