Headmaster Bohin gestured for me to sit and held out a steaming cup of peppermint tea. Once I sat, I accepted the cup of tea this time around. It tasted nice, especially with the added sugar and the cold white liquid that I learned through Dex was called “milk”–a white substance that came from the same animals where they got that delicious beef: cows. I was starting to really like cows and their contributions to food on planet X-47-35.
The subtle bite of peppermint warmed my throat as the sweet liquid spilled down into my gut. I sat uncomfortably on one of the many wooden chairs in Headmaster Bohin’s office, squirming under his steady gaze. He sipped his own tea nonchalantly, amused eyes never once leaving my face, even as he tilted his teacup to drink.
“Well, uh, thank you for the tea,” I said, placing my now empty cup on the short table next to me. “You said you needed to meet with me, so… here I am!”
I twiddled my thumbs in my lap and waited for an irritating amount of long, drawn-out seconds of silence.
“Yes, you are here,” Jaeke finally replied, also setting down his teacup. He rested his elbows on his cluttered desk and settled his chin atop his clasped hands. “Final preparations have been made, and we have your duel scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.”
I released a long breath of air. “So soon?”
“I thought you’d be relieved.”
“Oh, I am!” I assured him, but the sweaty palms that I mindlessly wiped over the pant legs of my jumpsuit begged to differ. “So, I assume you’ve decided who I am to duel against.”
“Indeed we have. Come in, Cinthara!”
The headmaster waved an enthusiastic hand toward the door that stood cracked open just a sliver. The door swung open the rest of the way, slamming into and further chipping the wall in the office–the same wall I’d accidentally slammed the door against just the day before. But the person who swung the door so aggressively didn’t look nearly as remorseful as I had.
I bore down on my teeth, unable to hide the frown that scored my lips at the sight of the Euridice-look-alike’s bored yet determined face. Seeing her again made my heart plummet to my feet.
I have to duel her? Something about the situation felt off and extremely dangerous.
Cinthara–I guess I now had a name to attach to the Euridice-like face–strolled into the office with her hands tucked in her pockets. She didn’t glance at me once, but as she came closer, that odd feeling of an unknown connection and desire to get closer to her burned within me even stronger than it had in the mess hall. To keep myself from rising and going to her, I gripped the seat of my chair so hard my knuckles turned a dangerous white.
“If you haven’t guessed by now, Rayden, you will duel Cinthara tomorrow.”
The headmaster gestured for me to stand and approach Cinthara, like he wanted us to be friendly with one another. I cautiously rose and stepped over to her with my lips drawn into a tight line. I reached out my hand to shake hers, but she kept her own tucked away into her pockets. Maybe shaking hands on this planet wasn’t a thing. But the way her violet eyes scanned every inch of me sent a shudder down my spine. I could feel the condescension in her gaze. But there was something else in her expression… Recognition? Did she recognize me as a Lord Solomon clone? Or, maybe she just felt the same tug as I did, like our minds needed to connect in some way.
Jaeke cleared his throat and gave Cinthara a pointed look. She sighed and let her eyes roll dramatically, but she pulled a hand out from one of her pockets and shook mine.
“What a pleasure to meet you, Rayden. I am so excited to bash you up tomorrow.” Her soft yet firm voice dripped with sarcasm.
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“The pleasure’s all mine,” were the only words to come out of my mouth. I winced and withdrew my hand from hers, dropping my head to hide the redness beginning to warm my face.
Cinthara shoved her hand back into a pocket and turned to the headmaster. “Is that all, sir? You just wanted me to meet the kid I’m supposed to defeat tomorrow?”
“Hey!” I interjected before Jaeke could respond. “How do you know you’ll beat me?” Now that we had stopped shaking hands and I wasn’t trying to stare down her gaze, I felt confident enough to defend myself.
She whirled over her shoulder to face me again. “Because you’re a Tier 2, idiot.”
“Remember, Rayden,” the headmaster interrupted before I could slew some annoyed profanities in Cinthara’s direction, “you don’t have to actually defeat her.” The headmaster grinned at each of us in turn. “You just have to last 60 seconds.”
“I doubt he’ll last 10,” she scoffed.
My face warmed, but not from embarrassment this time–from anger. “We’ll see about that,” I muttered.
“To answer your question, Cinthara,” the headmaster chirped up, ignoring my whispering under my breath, “yes, I wanted you to meet Rayden. I want the two of you to treat each other amiably, no matter what happens. It’s the most sportsman-like thing to do. Now…”
Jaeke procured the silver teapot from his desk and held it up for Cinthara to see. “Would you like some tea?”
“No, thank you, sir.”
“Oh, Cinthara! How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Jaeke!” He looked at me with amusement twinkling in his eyes. “She’s a character, this one! But I’m sure you’ll find that out tomorrow.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked, glancing once again at the mini Euridice (it was hard not to keep thinking about how much she looked like her).
“Oh, Cinthara is a fighter. And she takes everything so seriously.”
The way Jaeke said that last word with a mock scowl on his face made me want to chuckle, but I stopped myself upon seeing the furrowed brows and narrowed eyes on Cinthara’s face. She really did take everything too seriously.
“If that is all, sir.” Cinthara offered the headmaster a quick nod of her head, then turned on her heel and sped out of the room.
“It’s Jaeke!” the headmaster hollered after her, but she slammed the door shut without a glance back.
Jaeke shook his head and chuckled. “Oh, that child.” His eyes fell on me. “But, I am glad you two met! Cinthara is a talented Tier 4, so prepare yourself. Have you ever fought anyone or anything higher-Tiered than you?”
Many memories flashed through my mind, most of them unpleasant. My fights against the Nagari, my duel against Sarina in front of all of Edrona, and the time I’d killed Priest Kane. Some happier memories presented themselves, as well. Like the friendly skirmishes I’d had with both Drayek and Sarina during my training. Even though, at times, those skirmishes felt frustrating on account of my relative ineptness compared to the rest of the Edronans.
Though, I’d learned my incapabilities had never even been my fault. According to the Lord Solomon AI, my Soul was “perfect”–the Soul of a Godspawn. Because of this, my body had a hard time keeping up with the insurmountable level of Soul Strength I had, making me seem behind but, in fact, hiding away immense amounts of potential.
But potential didn’t help me win fights. My training and Tier Skills did. That’s why, the more I thought about it, I wanted to enroll as a student in the Solomon’s Realm Academy. It was the best option I could think of that could best help me take the next steps in getting stronger.
“Yeah, I’ve fought people who were higher-Tiered than me,” I said after a long moment’s pause.
But that was all I said. I didn’t tell Jaeke what circumstances had placed me into those situations, how I’d fared, or the fact that I’d been able to kill a Tier 3 by stealing his spell and using it for myself, thanks to my Tier 2 Skill that could steal and duplicate any spell used by a Tier 3 and below.
Jaeke raised a bushy brow and studied me. I could read on his face that he knew I was holding back, but he didn’t press me for more information.
“Well, that’s something,” he responded, referring to the fact that I’d had some experience fighting those stronger than me. “At least we’re not throwing you in completely clueless.” Jaeke rose and grinned at me from one large ear to the other. “I will walk you out.”
He saddled over to me, then rested a short arm on my back. He guided me through the messy trails of papers and trash, then opened the door for me.
As I stepped out, Jaeke said, “Make sure you have a good night’s sleep tonight. Tomorrow is a big day.”
“Uh, so, is there anything more to this duel I should know about?” I said, feeling the gravity of the upcoming event begin to crush me with anxiety. “Where do I need to go? Do I need to provide my own weapons? Armor?”
Jaeke waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, don’t worry, child! You will receive all the instructions and details in a letter tomorrow morning. You just worry about resting up!”
The headmaster waved much too enthusiastically as I headed down the stairs, and I left even more confused than before.