Percy also spotted them from afar.

[Hmm, that must be his friend.]

As he got closer he was able to make out their appearance.

[It seems they were training, but isn't that friend of his too good looking…?] Most of the time another male being attractive or not wasn't something he was concerned about, but this time he had some additional interests…

[Linda shouldn't only be attracted to appearance. She doesn't seem like that kind of woman…]

He was soon in front of Aegon and Roy.

“So, seeing you are here I guess you already talked to your friends?”

“Yeah I did. Is this your friend who’ll come with us?” Percy asked, still clinging to the hope that maybe Aegon was referring to another friend.

Alas, reality was often disappointing.

“Yup that's him, I guess I haven't introduced you yet.”

Aegon moved to the side with a mischievous smile and extended his arm towards Roy. “ This is my friend Roy, he is a bit weak but compensates for that with his good looks and an uncommon awareness of the harsh realities of the world for someone our age...”

Roy’s eyelids twitched as he heard Aegon's presentation. [ You bastard, I am weak?! I barely lost!]

Looking at Aegon and his annoying smile only made him more annoyed but he decided against complaying.

[At least he recognizes his inferiority in looks.]

Percy was astonished by the way Aegon talked about his friend.

[I’m not sure if he wants to bootlick or insult the guy…]

Aegon soon turned his attention his way, and in the same fashion as before extended his arm towards Percy.

“And this is Percy, I'm unfamiliar with his skill on the battlefield but if he’s half as good at fighting as he is at manipulating people I’m sure we’ll have no problem at all! Even if he isn't that good, his diplomatic skills coupled with his ever-present smile which even with his average looks seems to instinctively attract people is more than enough to make him worth knowing.”

[Yeah, shove it down my throat, it’s not like I have feelings or anything...average looks your ASS!!]

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He really wanted to punch Aegon in the face, he was already self aware about the difference in looks between them and it worried him because of Linda but he couldn't actually be mad at the man.

[Ahh...I can't really be too mad, in the end he has eyes…]

Percy and Roy both ultimately chose to just silently receive the compliments and insults Aegon had made and bowed slightly to each other in mutual acknowledgement.

“I came here to ask if leaving tomorrow at dawn is okay with both of you?”

With a shrug of his shoulders Aegon responded in a nonchalant way “It's fine by me, what about you Roy?”

“I don't see any problem too except...what about classes? Can we just leave for a mission and not say anything?”

“Oh yeah you guys are still new...” Percy suddenly remembered that Aegon was also a new disciple and how that didn't add up to his domineering and somewhat shameless behaviour.

“Yeah you can leave whenever you want, you don't even have to go to class, it's not compulsory, it's a resource the Martial House provides but you only attend if you want, there's a lot of disciples I know who don’t show up to any class.”

Roy and Aegon both adopted the “that's useful to know face” impression while also nodding their heads almost like they were asserting their own thoughts.

“In that case tomorrow seems to be as good a day as any. What about the meeting place?”

“Well you guys know the pavilion close to the Resource Hall right?”

A look of realization passed through Aegon's eyes. “Are you perhaps talking about that place where a crowd of airheads watch a couple make out?”

Percy could only wryly smile at that description.” *Sigh*. Yes that's the place and from the looks of it you already met my friends.”

“Ahahaha those are your friends?” Aegon laughed.

“You got some weird friends, let me tell you, just who wastes their time doing that?”

“You are mistaken.” Percy smiled in his own mischievous way, already seeing a misfortune coming Aegon's way. [Let’s see you laughing when she uses you and then leaves you with an existential crisis, you won't laugh then]

“In reality, my friends who are coming with us on the mission aren't those people who were watching the couple, it's the couple itself.”

Listening to this didn't really surprise Aegon as Percy had expected. Quite the contrary actually, he only opened his arms and spoke with an understanding and amicable smile in an exaggerated non-judgmental speech.

“Is that so? I guess you’re also a fan then? It's okay, I won’t judge you or your weird tastes, I'm a pretty open-minded person after all.”

“Pftt” Roy couldn't contain himself and let out a small laugh. [This guy is something else.]

Percy on the other hand wasn't so amused and wanted to give Aegon a piece of his mind but he knew he would probably eat a loss against that shameless man so he decided against it. [Take a deep breath, don't let this guy get on your nerves, be the bigger person...]

“Nah, we’re actually just friends that know each other from the time we entered the Martial House, well Travis didn’t enter the same way we did but...that doesn't matter.”

“Anyway, since you guys know where the meeting place is I'll take my leave, I still have to talk to one more person…” An excited glint appeared in Percy’s eyes when he talked about that person. ”See you tomorrow at eight in the pavilion, don't be late.” and with that he walked off at a fast pace.

Roy left a few minutes later after asking Aegon for directions to the pavilion.

Now alone and with nothing to do, Aegon entered his room where a sleeping Kuro and an empty cultivation mat were waiting for him.