33 Angst
Unlike when Paul first entered the Academy, he didn't have to introduce himself. Instead, he just showed up to class with Jean, Barbara, Xiangling, and Xinyan following close behind.
Seeing the 'Little Lord' of the Academy arrive with an even larger retinue of attractive attendants, a series of subdued groans and sighs could be heard around the classroom. The grumbling primarily came from the boys, envious of the quality of Paul's attendants, while the sighs originated from the girls. Paul was one of the kindest and most handsome boys in school, and, due to his status as the First Son of House Notos, nearly every girl in the Academy had aspirations of becoming his wife.
Unfortunately for the girls at the Academy, Paul had made it clear he had no interest in courtship. He would accompany them during dance lessons and periodically accept their invitations to tea, but the moment they tried to tempt him, he would politely excuse himself. To make matters worse, he would only accept their invitations if other students were present and if his 'servants' could accompany him.
Except for a few teachers, none of Paul's classmates had been able to receive his 'favor' in the form of a bottle of his family's wine. They knew he had them, but Paul had never even insinuated that he was willing to give them out. While other Nobles would use leverage their family's gifts to get what they want or have their way with someone, Paul had held on to all but three of his bottles of wine. As for the recipients, they were the Academy's Headmistress, her daughter, and his dance instructor. A grand total of zero had been given out to his fellow classmates.
Undaunted by the depressive aura exuding from nearly every one of her classmates, a young girl with silvery-white hair and grey eyes descended from her position at the back of the classroom. She had started attending the Academy during Paul's absence, so she had eagerly been anticipating the arrival of the boy her parents had tasked her with approaching.
"Heir Paul Notos Greyrat...?"
Though he had noticed the Princess-like girl approaching him, Paul waited until she had called out his name before setting aside his book, raising his head, and asking, "And you are...?"
A stark contrast to the way Nobles of the Asura Kingdom greeted him, the dainty-looking girl kept her head and back straight as she slid her left foot forward to perform an excessively deep curtsy. All the while, she kept her gaze fixed squarely on Paul as she cooly stated, "My name is Andromeda Kingdragon, Ninth Princess of the Kingdom of Kingdragon. It is a pleasure to make you acquaintance..."
Suppressing his shock, Paul slowly rose to his feet before offering a polite bow of his own and returning, "The pleasure is mine, Princess. However, I am curious. While our Kingdoms are currently allies, I have never heard of one country's Princess attending school in the frontier region of another..."
Without so much as a single change in her impassive expression, Princess Andromeda explained, "I am one of eight Princess and three Princes sent to the Asura Kingdom as part of a cultural exchange treatise. To that end, I greatly anticipate 'exchanging cultures' with Heir Notos..."
Resisting the urge to hit the icy Princess with a 'bruh', Paul maintained a relaxed expression as he offered a slight bow and said, "Well, then. I look forward to sharing classes with you, Princess."
Blinking in surprise, Andromeda's expression showed the briefest hint of confusion as she stared back at Paul. She had heard the rumors, but she didn't expect him to react with such composure. Every other male Noble she had the displeasure of encountering during her stay in the Academy had wasted no time trying to persuade her to 'exchange culture' back in their rooms. Paul didn't even flinch, almost as if he was oblivious to the not-so-hidden meaning contained within her words.
With the Princess just staring back at him for several seconds, Paul asked, "Was there something else...?" in an ostensibly confused tone.
Instead of shaking her head, Andromeda closed her eyes and replied, "It was a pleasure making your acquaintance, Heir Notos."
Returning a nod, Paul answered, "Likewise, Princess Andromeda." before returning to his seat. He knew the Princess probably expected something more from him, but Paul didn't care. He was presently trying to avoid the Royalty of his own country; why the hell would he entangle himself with the Royalty of another?
Seeing Paul return to his seat, Andromeda couldn't help thinking he was unfathomably dense. She might not have any real power or authority, but she was still a Princess. As the son of a Great Noble House, he should at least invite her to dinner...
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As one of the few classes he had every single day, it wasn't long before Paul was reunited with Lilia's father, Sword King Augusta. Reva and her staff were still in charge, but Augusta was available to offer advice and supplemental lessons to anyone intending to pursue Advanced and even higher levels of swordsmanship.
Noticing his new woman speaking with Paul, Augusta made his way over, saying, "We meet again, Son of House Notos. What was your name again? Paul...?"
Adopting a wry smile, Reva advised, "Instructor Augusta, that is no way to speak to the First Son of our Region's Lord..."
Instead of responding to Reva's words, Augusta startled her by giving her butt a firm squeeze as he said, "Go take care of those other brats. Leave these four to me."
With a potent blush spreading through her face, Reva offered a polite bow towards Paul, saying, "Pardon me, Master Paul..." while Augusta continued to fondle her butt. Then, with a pouty yet helpless expression on her face, she 'glared' back at Augusta before returning to where the other students and instructors were.
Following Reva with his amethyst eyes, Augusta waited until she was out of earshot before remarking, "She's a bit wet behind the ears, but that's a fine woman..."
Shifting his attention to the stone-faced Paul, Augusta adopted one of his characteristically wolfish grins as he asked, "What's with the hostility, kid? You and your daddy already snatched up my daughter and wife. Don't tell me you have a crush on your swordsmanship instructor..."
Shaking his head, Paul calmly replied, "I simply have different values than most people. You and Instructor Reva are both consenting adults...it isn't my place to tell you how to live your lives..."
"Hmmm..."
Though he could sense that Paul hated him, Augusta didn't see any of the tell-tale signs of lying in his eyes. Paul was clearly pissed off, but it didn't appear to have anything to do with him. It was more like he was angry at the whole world.
"Ain't you a little young to be this angsty? You only get to be a brat once, kid. Don't waste it trying to act more mature than you are."
Chalking up Paul's attitude to the rebelliousness that often accompanied transitions into adulthood, Augusta turned his back on the silent quintet, adding, "Come along, brats. For the duration of your stay in the Academy, I'll be instructing you personally. If you need something to blame, blame your daddy's nepotism. He believes you and your little dolls can reach the Advanced Rank in four years, and it's my job to make it happen. Try not to cry too much, okay?"
Without waiting for Paul's response, Augusta began popping his neck and other joints as he drifted over to an empty section of the training grounds. Paul's father had promised to reward him for each Rank his son achieved before graduation. If he could help Paul attain Advanced Swordsmanship before his tenth birthday, he would receive a bonus of 500AGC. With that kind of money on the line, he could even teach a three-legged dog how to reach the Advanced Rank...
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Returning to his suite much later than usual, Paul set Barbara down on the sofa, saying, "Let's...rest for a bit..." before plopping down next to her and letting the tensions drain from his body. He would never say it aloud, but he regretted giving her a piggyback ride. She was only around 18kgs, but every muscle in his body ached after Augusta's hellish training...
"Master..."
Crawling toward Paul with a noticeably pale complexion, Barbara didn't ask before snuggling up to him and placing her head on his lap. Augusta had forced her to treat everyone's injuries until she could no longer stand, so she felt like she deserved a reward...
Other than grunting, Paul didn't say anything before placing his hand on Barbara's head. He had experienced mana exhaustion numerous times, so he knew what she was going through.
"Awww...isn't that just adorable..."
Seeing Barbara receiving a lap pillow from Paul, a wry smile developed across Xinyan's face as she walked over with a few towels, saying, "The stones are nice and hot." before adopting a tantalizing smile and asking, "Want me to carry you~?"
Though he was tempted to answer in the affirmative, Paul gave Barbara a soft pat on the shoulder, saying, "Bath time..." in a lazy tone. In response, she issued an adorably belligerent grunt before begrudgingly rising to a seated position and groaning, "I'd rather have an ice bath than soak in a sauna..."
Extending her hand to Barbara, Xinyan said, "Suck it up, princess. You ain't the only one who feels like every muscle in their body was drawn out over an entire room."
Furrowing her brows, Barbara wanted to protest but quickly regained her smile as Paul asked, "Can you walk...?" in a concerned tone.
Without even trying, Barbara turned her cerulean eyes up at Paul, softly replying, "They're still a little numb..." in a sheepish tone. This earned her an 'are you for real' kind of expression from Xinyan until Paul surprised her by droning, "Drop it. I carried her this far, so I may as well finish the job..."
Punctuating his words, Paul strained his back and arms to pick up Barbara in a princess carry. The latter's face immediately turned a luminous shade of red, but before she could even think to thank Paul, she found herself at a loss for words as he looked towards Xinyan and said, "Don't pout. I'll let you wash her body while I help wash yours...deal?"
Though Barbara wanted to refuse on Xinyan's behalf, she was silenced by the latter practically shouting, "Deal..!" while concurrently flexing her arms in triumph. Xinyan had been trying to get Paul to wash more than just her hair and back for weeks, so she couldn't help getting excited.
After shaking his head in response to the dark-skinned girl's overreaction, Paul carried Barbara toward the sauna. Xinyan had clearly misunderstood his intentions, but he would rather correct her once they were in the bath. Barbara was a little underweight for girls her age, but she felt significantly heavier in his arms than riding on his back...
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After coaxing Xinyan into forgiving him and enjoying a tasty meal prepared by Xiangling, Paul retired to his quarters much earlier than usual. His entry was immediately followed by Barbara, Xinyan, Xiangling, and, after making sure everything in the suite was secure, Jean.
Though she was just as exhausted as everyone else, Jean was proficient at behaving normally, even in extreme pain. She let everyone else make themselves comfortable while she spent a few minutes preparing things like water and towels for the next day. Fortunately, the other girls weren't wholly insensitive, so Jean was given the 'privilege' of occupying the spot on Paul's right. She had become accustomed to using his shoulder as her pillow, so, even if she wouldn't say anything, Jean would be a little upset if someone tried to take it from her...
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