1 Prologue
//Its my first OG do the start will be a bit rough. I'll get better so no worries
Magnolia, Capitol of Intya Kingdom
The Lounge (Common District)
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Juda had always loved the weather in its entirety. From the pure white snow that fell every winter to the occasional torrential downpour that brought life to the landscape, everything about the ever shifting clouds and tumultuous air currents made him feel a variety of emotions such as amusement, curiosity, happiness and other complex feelings. Even when the weather became fierce, blasting with hurricane force winds or sending down brief flashes of lightning, Juda still found himself attracted to it and would always watch from a relatively safe place, gazing on in wonder.
When the weather was calmer and Juda wasn't too busy, he would lay back and watch the clouds drift on by, attempting to identify any sort of shape he could find within the depths of the floating piles of cotton. Even now as he gazed at a cloud in the form of a giant war hammer, he was entranced by the weather, a cool breeze brushing through his fluffy white hair. Laid back in the lush grass of his own backyard, Juda truly welcomed the peace and serenity as it was something he wished could last for eternity, immersed in his own euphoria. He reveled in the rare moment of laziness, never wanting to move from that very spot ever again.
Like all good things though, it had to come to an end as a small sigh escaped his lips, blue eyes narrowing in annoyance. Painful as it was to do, Juda Cicero ripped his gaze away from the clear blue sky and sat up after a few moments of internal contemplation, debating about whether it was truly necessary for him to move from his current position. If he got up now then he would have to return to the never ending grind and seemingly endless preparation for events that loomed on the horizon. It would be so much easier to just plop back down and continue to stall, giving in to his desire to take it easy for at least a few more hours.
However, as enticing as the option sounded, Juda was very much aware that it wasnt the correct choice as he pushed himself off the smooth grass and onto his feet. With only a week remaining before the Opening Ceremony for the Elemental Knights 6 Month Exam, putting any form of hiatus to his necessary preparations would prove detrimental and could very well cost him in the end. As someone who planned everything to the best of his ability, it wouldn't make much sense to continue cloud watching.
If he wanted to succeed, he had to make sure every possibility was taken into consideration and all items were stocked and accounted for.
"Let's see," Juda muttered as he calmly stretched his back, arms, and legs. "I got most of everything already tucked away in my [Storage Ring]. My emergency rations are looking a bit thin so I'll have to restock those. I should also stop by the shops and make sure there isn't anything I can use. Never hurts to double check."
The white haired youth patted off his clothes, consisting of a humble white shirt with a number of tears on it and black shorts that were frayed around the edges, making sure that he was relatively clean. Once he was satisfied, he broke into a run, cutting a path through the tall, white picket fence that surrounded the edges of the backyard, leaping over it with ease. It was time to get to work.
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"Hit her harder," one of the males shouted, drawing Juda's attention to a youthful male with bright red hair.
It had been a short trek from his home, which was located near the inner edge of Magnolia's Common district, also known to the natives as the Lounge for some odd reason, to the Market district. Currently, of the two markets that existed, one for the common folk and one for royals plus nobles, Juda was located in the area designated for the higher class shoppers.
The blue eyed lad always came to the Noble market due to them having goods of a much higher quality, even if they were distributed at a much higher cost. While the Commoner market was decent, it obviously couldnt compare to the superior stock that the nobles received and most ordinary folks could only dream of getting their hands on a single item. Juda himself would mainly just browse until he found something he liked and then add it to his list of items to buy in the future before leaving.
Today however, an unexpected event popped up that distracted him altogether, a small show happening out of view from the public, in a small alley behind a top of the line clothing store.
(("What do we have here?")) Juda mused as he tapped his ring, a crisp red apple appearing in his hand as he plopped down on the edge of the roof he was currently perched. (("Hyenas being lead by a lion to attack an elephant. Such an interesting scenario."))
Biting into the crimson fruit, Juda surveyed the situation, taking in everything to the best of his ability.
Five attackers plus another standing to the far back, the very same one Juda had heard order the others. The ones doing the actual assault, surrounding the collapsed body while kicking the ever loving sh*t out of it, were of at most noble birth, discernable by the amount of magic they were giving off. The one in the back was without a doubt a royal, the magical pressure being felt even from the height Juda was perched at, an overwhelming feeling that gave him shivers.
The one on the ground however, at least magic wise, was stronger then all of them combined without it even being close. This was what amused him to a profound degree.
To Juda, if he could win a fight, be it with superior strength or pure intellect, he would take it. He wouldnt just lie there and allow someone to just walk over him like a simple doormat, trodding on his pride and self worth.
While very much aware that everyone had different mentalities, he just couldn't fathom why someone would curl up into a fetal position and take hit after hit without raising a single hand. He would rather waste everything in his arsenal to win or, if push came to shove, flee so he could come back with better preparations and demolish the aggressor one way or another. This was the way he did things so it was difficult to grasp the figures train of thought as they were lying on the rocky asphalt next to empty wine bottles and scattered pieces of trash while getting beaten like a sack of meat.
Taking a bite of his apple, Juda chewed thoughtfully as he watched the hyenas continue to abuse the elephant, the lion continuing to merely give orders. He was almost fully certain that they knew not of the strength the victim possessed, or they knew of it and were positive the individual wouldnt fight back. There were other possibilities of why this scenario was occurring, but Juda didn't care enough to list them as he finished eating, leaving only the core behind.
The white haired youth clear blue eyes zeroed in on the royal in the back, the one with the brightly lit red hair. Cocking his arm back while at the same time reinforcing it with his own magic, he hurled the core towards the youth, nailing him in the forehead with pinpoint precision.
