11 A Brief Encounter

After seeing Kailan; the boy with slightly long, shaggy black hair and wraparound clothes that didn't match his looks; perform exceptionally during the Coliseum team test, leading his team to victory, Jonas and the rest of the people who were present at the scene couldn't help but wonder how strong the boy was and what technique he had used to exert such pressure and power. However, at the moment it was impossible to get in direct contact with the boy, as after successfully completing his technique, he fell to the floor unconscious and was now resting in the medical wing of the academy.

The military and test candidates deduced several things in their heads during this time, all of them wanting the boy in some way, either as a partner/companion that they would take during their academic life or even have the boy as an apprentice, to be able to participate in his growth and his eventual fame as someone talented and strong in the future. It was obvious that people would lust after a person like that, after such an exorbitant display coming from someone that people didn't expect anything.

If the technique or skill used by Kailan had only come from the magical attributes that make up the world, surely those military men and mages who have trained in mana sensitivity for years would have felt it without any problem; but besides the mana, there was some sort of more concentrated energy that acted strangely on his blade, an energy they had never witnessed in their entire lives and that made them question the boy's identity.

Kailan's files didn't show anything interesting about his life, except that he was the only survivor of the Leafart tragedy. On top of all that, the other power level tests done by the government, before he turned 16, showed no abnormal spikes and rated him as weak.

Unless Kailan was the wielder of an ability of null and unknown attributes that was capable of overcoming and keeping up with other skills and techniques, but that was highly unlikely as the boy was not a mage, and he didn't show any special talent beyond sword skill during the team combat in the coliseum.

Another strange thing, but that only ONE of many people knew, was that Kailan was able to detect and nullify the effect of the ability used by Karina, something that not even Sergeant Huroi and his fellow military were able to do. It was a very unusual thing, and Kailan had a very suspicious reaction to this event, having come towards Karina at the same moment he realized the use of her ability and having written on his face curiosity about the girl's special talent.

It wasn't necessary to be a genius, and on reflection, everyone could notice a lot of strange things in the black-haired boy's behavior and appearance.

Starting with his extremely unprepared physique for someone who had a stupendous technique with swords, having demonstrated this with only a clumsy weapon that was worn out, given to him by Sergeant Huroi. On top of all that, it was visible that he couldn't exert even half of what he intended because of his pale and thin physique, which couldn't keep up with the speed of his attacks and movements.

It was just a matter of paying a little attention to the boy's eyes, who managed to dodge several attacks even though he didn't seem to be strong.

Because of all this, Kailan became the target of the murmurs and rumors that spread throughout the academy in a matter of a day. He had become famous, though he didn't know it, and perhaps at some point it would come in handy at the beginning of his plan of gaining companions for his eventual journey.

***********

Kailan woke up early in the morning, a few hours after he had suddenly woken up in the middle of the night, and taken the opportunity to finish his daily mission given by the system. Even though he knew it was daytime, he kept his eyes closed.

He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling incessantly as his lungs filled with air.

"It was a dream," he told himself firmly and with a hint of fear in his tone. ''It was just a dream... I dreamed again of Mildred and the others dying, but I got another chance and when I open my eyes I'll be lying in that soft bed once more.''

TOCK! TOCK! TOCK!

Suddenly there was a loud noise coming from the door of the room where he was resting, this startled him as he was talking to himself just a few seconds ago and therefore he was distracted and able to go through embarrassing situations like the one he was in now.

"Who the hell is knocking on the door so early?", Kailan grumbled, frowning in dismay, the surroundings of his eyes even more covered in thick layers of dark circles than before.

Even with the knocking on the door increasing its speed and strength, getting a little aggressive as the seconds passed, the boy did not open his eyes and continued lying down. He was trying to calm his pulse and heartbeat, which were no longer normal because of the dream and compounded by the shock the sudden knock on the door gave him.

BUM! TOCK! BUM!

''Fuck! Okay, okay!'', Kailan raged as he shouted loudly in the bedroom. ''I'm getting up, okay? So stop punching that damn door so hard!"

The boy supported himself on his hands and sat up, the white covers that covered his body slid between his chest region until it reached his bare, whitish feet. The huge room in which he was temporarily housed was decorated and filled with wooden shelves where books with different colored leather covers, accompanied by unfamiliar paraphernalia and knick-knacks, rested peacefully;

It was completely awash with sunlight entering through the open curtains of the window next to one of the wooden tables. The moon had disappeared on the horizon of the sky, and the sun was moving non-stop along with the white and beautiful clouds in the big blue sky, when looking to the side Kailan's eyes burned and watered by the extreme light with which they came in contact.

Kailan jumped out of bed, feeling more excited than he had been on other days, but still tired. However, he felt strange and invigorating sensations in his body when he remembered the rewards of the system missions, it was as if there was a big balloon growing inside him that didn't stop increasing. He pulled the curtains to the side and pushed the window back with a tug, then walked with quick steps toward the massive wooden door that served as the entrance to the room where he was housed.

When opening the door, which, unlike the ones he was used to, didn't creak, the boy came across several people dressed in gray uniforms that had some greenish ornaments here and there, and certainly, without a doubt, must have some simple protection spells. to avoid catastrophes and student deaths. It was the same people who had participated in the coliseum team combat alongside him, they were wide-eyed and scrutinizing the boy's slender figure from head to toe.

''Good morning!'', Jonas said with animation in his voice, ''We came to see you at the teacher's request, so can we come in?''

Everyone else just looked at Jonas as he spoke, and as soon as he finished, their gazes changed direction and fixed on the short, dark-haired boy in front of them. Kailan nodded a few times and sighed lightly, he intended to befriend these people as they would be useful in the future, as he set out on his journey to conquer and build his kingdom, but he didn't expect the chance to come so soon and while he was still unprepared for it.

''Make yourself comfortable, the room is not mine one way or another, I'm only temporarily housed here,'', he said calmly, sitting down in a wooden chair, ''I imagine you came here for some purpose in mind since you said the teacher asked you for a favor, right?''

Jonas and Karina looked at Kailan with warmth and respect lighting up their eyes, but Kailan, instead of feeling content and proud of the whole situation, was certain that there was a terrible mistake and that something strange was happening. Lydia showed extreme interest in Kailan and wondered all the time how someone who looked so weak was able to show such an enormous level of power in the coliseum.

''Kailan, right?'' asked the brown-haired girl with a still and cold expression on her face that Kailan couldn't read, 'I would like to take the opportunity we had to meet you here to tell you that your display of power was extraordinary! You managed to lead your team to victory with that incredible technique, and I must congratulate you on that."

The girl reached out to Kailan, intending for them to have a handshake, but Kailan just stood there staring at that hand that had some weird burn marks. Still keeping an expression that mixed annoyance and serenity on his face, Kailan grabbed the girl's hand and shook it a few times; everyone around the two was nervous and the air in the room was a little tense.

''So you came here to see me and pick me up at the request of one of the instructors, as the academy classes are about to start?'' Kailan asked as he let go of Lydia's hand. He wanted to confirm whether his assumption was right or not.

Everyone else nodded, an awkward silence taking over the room as Kailan's eyes darted from head to toe over the other human figures seated in front of him, and examining them carefully inside his head. The boy ran his fingers through the messy strands of hair that ran down his forehead, brushing them back so they wouldn't get in his way;

The way those young people looked at him was strange, it was extremely visible that they looked at him with respect, some of them couldn't even keep their gaze fixed when their eyes met his. The other candidates, who had now become students at the academy, continued to have countless questions for the boy, hundreds of which filled their vast minds.

"Cahum…", Jonas coughed dryly as he rose from the chair he was sitting in, approaching Kailan and Lydia, "Kailan Rhaast, isn't it? It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Jonas Gabiru, you must have heard about my family out there, after all, we are well known by the people of the kingdom.''

Kailan looked at the red-haired guy, who appeared to be acting arrogantly. He couldn't tell if the boy was nervous so he spat out those words about his family's prestige and honor or if he was just a proud nobleman who liked to show extreme confidence in his family's achievements. Whatever it was, Kailan knew that having Jonas by his side would come in handy at some point, as being heir to a prestigious family with countless war achievements, he might end up helping Kailan get involved in political affairs more easily.

''Exactly, that's my name. It's a pleasure to meet you and the others too.''

Everyone smiled, except Kailan who was serious, and Lydia who was looking intently at his face. The others might not have noticed, but Kailan and Lydia fought a silent battle as they tried to read each other's expressions, realizing they were equal in thinking and the way they acted.

"H-huh, nice to meet you, my name is Karina...", a girl of medium height and adequate proportions spoke shyly, huddled in the corner of the room, next to the window. She was still kind of embarrassed and a little scared of Kailan, because of the occasion when he nullified her ability.

''I think you already know, but my name is Erick, I hope we can get along from here on out'', the relatively muscular boy who had a great match between his face and the uniform he was wearing, said with a slight smile on his face.

"My name is Roland and just like Erick said, I hope we can get along from here on out", said another boy, who had some light marks and scars on his face.

"Now that everyone has finished introducing themselves, I just want to ask you something," Jonas said, the smile still spreading from ear to ear on his face. "What technique was that you used during the match? In this case, was it an original technique or a skill you've had since childhood, just like the skills that mages have?''

Everyone looked at Kailan once more, their eyes filled with anticipation for the answer he would give them.

''It was a stroke of luck, nothing more and nothing less'', the black-haired boy gave an anticlimactic reply, shrugging his shoulders at the same time, ''My appearance already says a lot about my situation, but largely the only thing of descent I have at the moment is my skill and swordsmanship. Revealing any secrets about them won't do me any good, got it?''

Everyone fell silent, in their heads they agreed with the boy's answer, although they expected something more interesting. Unlike the others, Lydia's eyes were still animated, she knew Kailan was hiding something and couldn't reveal it, and she considered that it was only a matter of time before she found out what it was.

"Well, thanks for answering," Lydia smiled coldly at Kailan, getting up from her chair and the others following her toward the door. "Before we leave, I suggest you change your clothes and find your way to the entrance hall. In about 15 minutes we will be guided through the gym, to know the places and meet the teachers, in addition to assigning our bedrooms.''

''I see, thank you.''

The group of five waved one last time, leaving the room with a slight noise as the door slammed against the wooden bracket attached to the wall. Kailan sighed one last time, walking towards a wooden wardrobe completely decorated with some silver circles at the ends, which had some cute and funny carvings.

Kailan stretched, pulling out a change of clothing that was his institution uniform, probably placed there by the staff.