8 Lunch and Ink

"Dialogue"

{Scroll}

My training with Pyrrha wasn't as productive as with Port; after all, I accumulated almost 11 hours of continuous mental stress and had a headache due to exhaustion.

In the end, she only managed to teach me how to hold the shield correctly and not as if it were an 'umbrella without a handle.' This had to be the first time Pyrrha made a joke with me.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were less extreme days.

In the morning, before classes, I would meet with Port using my speeder bike, so I could already practice a bit with it. We did 2 hours of intense training, which was brutal and, according to the professor, harmful to the body if you weren't an Aura user, as Aura could heal muscle strains and bone fractures instantly with his Semblance's help.

After the physical training, it was time for classes. On Wednesday, I was publicly beaten for the first time by Cardin Winchester because, of course, it had to be him.

In the afternoon, I studied with my team, followed by more Aura training with Glynda or combat training with Pyrrha if it was Tuesday or Thursday.

Nora applauded my effort to stop being a 'featherweight weakling chicken'… in her case, I was already expecting the jokes and nicknames.

On Saturday, my team was hoping for me to take it easy, but I scheduled a supervised combat training session with Professor Port. Pyrrha was an excellent fighter, but she didn't have a background as a teacher. Practicing the basics that Pyrrha taught me under the supervision of the veteran professor was to make sure I wasn't developing any wrong habits from the Mistral champion.

Before the training, I thought Port was going to beat me up and rub my face on the ground. Make me pay for all the curses of the week, but he stayed on the defensive, waiting for my attacks and correcting my posture.

As soon as it was 11:00, Port interrupted the training.

"I think you've done enough for today, my young man."

"For today?"

"Because this week you've worked out, studied, trained Aura with Glynda, and had combat training with Miss Nikos."

"But I'm still the weakest in the school, damn it! I'm weaker than a senior in a prep school."

"Yes, absolutely."

…

"I thought you were going to motivate me to train less."

"Mr. Arc…" He sighed tiredly. "May I be honest with you, Jaune?"

Huh? The first time he called me by my first name; usually, he calls me Mr. Arc, young man, or something like that.

"You are undoubtedly the weakest student in our school."

Ouch!

"But in this first week, you have already proven to be one of the best in terms of effort."

"Seriously?" I replied incredulously.

Who would have thought? I'm the Rock Lee of the RWBY universe.

"Do you know how many students, besides you, have trained with me for a whole week?"

"This year or last year?"

"Just 1, Jaune, since I started teaching at Beacon."

"Only 1? Why? Who is this guy?"

"This guy was a lady, Jaune, Raven Branwen."

"Yang's mother?"

The professor raised an arched eyebrow, studying me closely.

"And how do you know that information?" The suspicious professor said, crossing his arms.

"It's just that I… um, li-like you know… Ruby told me about her uncle, and…"

"Don't stutter, spit out the truth."

"Ruby told me."

"Miss Rose wouldn't reveal such sensitive information about her older sister, even if you are her dear friend."

Darn it, this guy is smarter than he looks.

"I'm waiting, Jaune."

The professor's tone was serious and heavy; he wouldn't swallow any lies now. I'm still not sure if he's part of Ozpin's inner circle; I need to say something to distract him.

"I'm dating Yang."

Port froze instantly.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, but neither of us said anything or even moved for at least 1 minute until the professor began to laugh.

"Ha-ha, well done, Jaune," he said, slapping my back. "Even though you're pathetic in combat, you managed to win over someone as beautiful as Yang. You really are a great man."

Phew! To deal with this guy, I just need to remember that in the end, he's just an old man.

"Keep it up, and you'll have a harem as big as mine."

…

"Repeat that."

"Keep it up?"

"The other part."

"A harem as big as mine?"

"Do you have a harem?"

"Of course, my young man." Port laughed as if I had asked something silly. "I have 11 wives."

"YOU HAVE A FOOTBALL TEAM OF WIVES?"

The old and robust professor beamed with pride at my surprise.

"I admit that I have more wives than some people expect, but it's perfectly normal for a successful Hunter to have multiple wives."

"Why? That doesn't make sense."

"For every 5 Huntsmen, we have 4 Huntresses, but when it comes to civilian fighters without aura, the overwhelming majority are men, and those men… most of them don't live long."

"What's the gender ratio in the general population, hunters, and civilians?"

"I'd say it's 2.5 women for every man."

Damn!

"But what about the Huntresses? Do they have harems too?"

"I'd say the minority of them, as most women prefer a man who is as strong as they are, and although I see the appeal in a strong woman…" He turned his back to finish speaking. "Most men prefer gentle women who depend on them."

"It seems like men have the upper hand when it comes to relationships."

"It doesn't seem like a good trade-off when you consider that almost 60% of the male population dies before the age of 30," the professor commented.

"I take back the nonsense I just said." But I'm still intrigued. "Why do you have so many women? Is it all about desire or a show of power?"

"Actually, I wanted to have only 1 wife when I was young, but her older sister became a widow when she was pregnant. My dear Amelia asked me to marry her older sister so that she could enjoy the rights of a Huntsman wife."

"Huntsmen and Huntresses have benefits?"

"Many, Jaune. Pensions for mothers, full scholarships for basic and preparatory combat education. Not to mention that theirs families pay almost no taxes. Six of my brides were widows I never slept with."

"And the other 5?"

"A gentleman never boasts about his conquests, my boy." Port said in an indignant tone. "But I also admit I'm not made of iron."

He-he, this guy is a beast.

"But is it really necessary for the government to make life easier for Huntsmen and Huntresses? Is it because they are vital to the kingdom?"

"Yes, but also to encourage Hunters to have children. If you don't need to spend money on your children, you're more motivated to have a large family."

That's quite interesting, it reminds me of those countries in my other life encouraging the population to have more than 2 children.

"Now get out of here, and I don't want to hear about your training until Monday."

I think the professor is right; I'll take it easy for the rest of this weekend. Maybe treating Team JNPR to lunch will lift their spirits.

[Weiss Schnee]

Ruby invited us to a team-building activity, and I have to admit, I was initially impressed with her proactive approach in her leadership role.

For a moment, I thought we would have mentoring or at least an informal conversation with some older year teams, but no… what awaited us was just lunch with Team JNPR.

Not that building relationships with our neighbors is a bad thing; networking is essential in the world of business, and as a Huntress, it's no different.

It's just… that I expected something more than…

"In the middle of the night!" exclaimed a female voice, trying to be dramatic.

"It was daytime," her partner corrected.

I expected more than a picnic in the cafeteria.

Nora was telling a bizarre story while Ren tried to correct her, Blake was reading 2 books at once while eating a tuna sandwich, Pyrrha and Yang exchanged threatening glances while Ruby explained to Jaune how Valkyrie's weapon worked.

"In these holes, you put the grenades," Ruby explained, holding Nora Valkyrie's weapon.

"Neat." Groaned the buffoon with his mouth full. "Is it possible to use the grenades with something other than Dust?"

I have great respect for those seeking knowledge, especially when they go above and beyond, but instead of taking notes, that brute was eating a rib bone as if he were a dog while Ruby explained the weapon details.

"The weapon's design is simple; I don't see why not. However, you need a minimum amount of Dust for the grenade launch."

"Ahem!" Arc grumbled.

I have never witnessed such a crude act at the table in my life. He looked like a caveman feasting on his catch.

"Thank you, Ruby, you're a bad motherfucker when talking about weapons." Ruby clapped her hands as if she were a 10-year-old girl who had just received a pony.

When someone uses foul language in our dorm, Ruby makes the offender put 20 Lien in the swear jar, but when Jaune speaks, you clap?

Jaune continued to devour the meat, tearing it from the bone with his teeth, as if he were a savage, brutish, primitive, robust, manly… virile.

What? Calm down, Weiss!

He may have gained some muscles this week, but he's still the same dumb, weak, and idiotic blond as always.

That's right, he's the worst student in terms of combat and knowledge… and yet, he gets private lessons from Professor Port and Goodwitch.

…

Who are you, Jaune Arc?

At first, I thought he was an opportunist for approaching the smartest and most powerful female students in the first year, but he proved to be just a common fool.

It's not a big deal not knowing who Pyrrha Nikos is if you're not a sports fan, reclusive, and don't pay attention to gossip shows. But the Schnee Dust Company is a global company with an almost monopoly on Remnant's most important energy source.

Not only because of the size of the SDC, but with the White Fang terrorist attacks, not a day goes by without news about the tension or an attack on a Dust shipment.

A person with that level of ignorance would be close to being diagnosed with some form of intellectual disability.

"Ouch! That hurts!" Cried a female voice in pain. "Please, stop!"

It was a Faunus student with rabbit ears being harassed.

"Hah! I told you they were real." And Cardin Winchester was her aggressor.

"What a freak."

Lately, I've been in a sour mood because of the White Fang's actions, but that doesn't mean it's appropriate to harass innocent Faunus, especially those studying to become Huntsmen and Huntresses.

"Atrocious!" Pyrrha, as always, the voice of reason. "I can't stand people like him."

A loud thud echoed through the table, and when we looked to Ruby's side, we saw that Jaune had put his foot on the table while holding Magnhild in its grenade launcher form, pointing it at Winchester.

"You know... I thought the same thing."

"Jaune Arc!" I exclaimed, standing up. "You're not foolish enough to fire a loaded weapon in the cafeteria, are you?"

Smiling, he replied.

"Unfortunately… I am."

The distance was less than 5 meters, so it's no surprise that the grenade would hit the target dead on.

I closed my eyes as Jaune pulled the trigger, expecting an explosion and screams, but what followed was just a muffled and… wet sound?

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

"IT SMELLS SO BAD!"

As I opened my eyes, I was met with an unexpected scene. The grenade exploded directly on target, but it wasn't incendiary or any other Dust effect. It drenched Cardin in purple ink.

"Disgusting!" Blake complained, covering her nose with a napkin and leaving the table, running out of the cafeteria.

Disgusting? But it was just paint… wasn't it?

Cardin began to cough and gag, as if he wanted to vomit.

Jaune ran to the shocked Faunus student who was being harassed by Team CRDL and led her out of the cafeteria. Cardin stood up, covered in paint, and ran out of the cafeteria with his team, who were also coughing.

"Well done, leader!" Nora shouted.

Of course, the troglodyte on the team would approve of her leader's childish revenge-.

SNIFF, SNIFF… !

"What's that smell?" Ruby said, getting up from the table.

It was sour, rotten, like a mix of garlic and sewage.

Students began running out of the cafeteria as if it were on fire.

"Where did Jaune get a paint bomb with such a horrible smell?" Nora asked, rushing out of the cafeteria.

"It must be his Semblance." Yang replied.

"Keep it down; you promised to keep it a secret," Blake reminded her.

Yang grumbled quietly but nodded in agreement.

Jaune's creation Semblance, the one thing that made him unique, would be useless to anyone else. But with his monstrous Aura reserves and enviable creativity, Jaune had proven to be extremely useful in combat with his unconventional tactics.

We gathered under a tree with benches, and Jaune was not around.

"If this smell sticks to my hair, I'll kill him," Yang growled.

Indestructible shield, high-tech armor, synthetic adhesive capable of holding a Giant Nevermore, and now foul-smelling paint… what else do you know, Arc? Do these creations have patents? Maybe he has something that could revolutionize the market, something I can use to solidify my position as the heiress of the SDC.

"Why is she hugging Jaune?" Nora pointed to Jaune, who was away from our group.

The blonde was being embraced by the girl with rabbit ears.

"An admirer?" Blake asked.

"Look at that," Pyrrha commented with closed eyes. "How cute."

That strange smile with closed eyes sent shivers down my spine. I hope you're okay, Nikos.

Before Jaune could react to the hug, the girl let him go, gave a small bow, and ran off.

"You're not paying attention to the most important thing!" Ruby exclaimed. "Jaune created stink paint."

"He-he! I know, it's awesome." Nora laughed. "Can he lend me like 20 cans of it?"

"Nora, no!" said the only rational man I've met in this school besides the headmaster.

"But you don't even know what I want it for." Nora complained, pouting with crossed arms.

"The potential for destruction is infinite, so no." he replied.

Nora seemed prone to chaos, but what harm could she do with a few cans of foul-smelling paint?

"It's just stink paint." Yang commented. "Aside from being a cool prank, what else can you do with that?"

"Normal students would see this as a cowardly act by Jaune." Ruby explained. "But he created, in seconds, a viscous liquid substance that can stick to a target and empty civilians from a location."

Okay, this paint was more useful than I had thought.

"This way, the target is marked, making it difficult for them to escape, and civilians will avoid them due to the smell." Ruby added.

"Besides deterring civilians, the smell can be used as a tracking aid." Blake added.

"The smell?" Yang asked.

"Accompanied by trained dogs or a Faunus with a keen sense of smell, Jaune could track the person marked by the smell, and the paint would make it difficult for the target to hide among the crowd." Blake concluded.

Placing my hand on my chin, I began to ponder even more about Jaune Arc's Semblance abilities.

"Excuse me, Pyrrha."

"Yes, Weiss?"

"Does Jaune have a background in chemistry, or had he researched this solution that was used today?"

Nikos blinked in surprise at my question and glanced briefly at Jaune, thinking about the answer.

"I don't think so. He was very busy during this first week at Beacon with physical and Aura training, and he didn't use any of the Academy's labs."

"Any chance he studied this before coming to Beacon?"

"I doubt it. Jaune didn't have formal Hunter education before coming to Beacon. And I didn't see anything resembling a chemistry kit among his belongings."

"How do you know what's in the fearless leader's things?"

The sound of the discussion between Valkyrie and Nikos was drowned out by my thoughts.

Did he really create this on the spot? This paint could be used by Huntsman or conventional military forces in any of the kingdoms, at least in Atlas, he could earn royalties and live without worrying about money for a long time.

A knot formed in the pit of my stomach just thinking about what I should do, but there's no other way.

I, Weiss Schnee, of the Schnee Dust Company, need to build a closer relationship with… ugh! Jaune Arc.

___________________________________________

E aí gurizada?

The next chapters will focus on Weiss, and after that, I would like to work on some of these characters: Coco, Ozpin, Glynda, or Ruby.

I´m also on Twitter (X?) @AvipBr, where you can find AI art for my fanfics.

Vamos aos comentários:

—MrOutsider Comentou:

Just binges to chapter 7. I love the enthusiasm with Port. Pyr is best girl.

—Resposta= Thank you for reading my story, and I've always liked Port despite him being underexplored in the original work.

—AinzO0alGown Comentou:

Jaune should make some weighted clothes man from dbz.

—Resposta= Something similar will be presented in the future. Normally, training like this would cause many injuries and wouldn't be worth it... but with Aura, things are different.

—betoranx Comentou:

Man, awesome story. If OC is what you need then the most common ideas and widely used by most fanfic users are the ones from Coeur Al'Aran. Like the Faunus nurse sadist. Still, can't wait for future chapters. Love your story.

—Resposta= Thanks for the compliments, and I've read some of Coeur Al'Aran's fics too. He really has some interesting OCs; I love it when he delves into the Arc family..

I would also like to send a special thanks to ZCOOL_999 for voting for my story several occasions on Webnovel using their Power Stones. I didn't know how important they were and how limited they are; you're awesome, man.