"Ha! Even though you've become a rich man, you still haven't forgotten the people from your hometown. That’s not bad!" The handsome Chris clapped his hands and laughed.
"I am a person from Felick!" Rody coldly huffed, slowly lying down, ignoring everyone. Waves of shock surged in his heart. After the assassination attempt with the cold arrow, now suddenly a fellow townsman appeared. What was his purpose? Was it the mastermind behind the forbidden magic and martial arts who noticed him? Was Chris sent by him to spy on him?
If not for a very powerful figure, how could even General Quentin be so accommodating?
Was his hidden strength discovered? Who exactly was this Chris? He must be highly skilled in all four elemental magics to enchant for over three hundred people. What kind of a magic expert would someone proficient in all four elements be?
A Magic Master? More likely a Magic Grandmaster!
A young man, looking about his age, a Magic Grandmaster?
Who was he? Could Mesbustania have produced another magic prodigy, once in a century, besides himself? It seemed impossible; he had never heard of such a person. But after he lost favor at the age of five, he also lost his source of information. Perhaps this Chris was even younger than him... If not afraid of exposing himself, Rody really wanted to take out the Black Crystal Magic Mirror to check who Chris was.
The next day, the handsome Chris followed Rody around, whether eating breakfast or during morning exercises.
Rody ignored him. In the ten-kilometer obstacle run, he surpassed Jesse, the fastest, leaving a crowd of dumbfounded companions half a kilometer behind. Even Wood seemed to sense Rody's fury and gave him a few more glances but said nothing.
"You run really fast!" Chris, his handsome face covered in a thin sheen of sweat, which somehow seemed charmingly moist and odorless, unlike the stench of ordinary people's sweat, let alone Stanley's horse-like stink that could knock someone out from fifty meters away. He gently wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, smiling, "Let’s practice together; I don’t know how to use fighting spirit, perfect!"
"How do you know I can't use fighting spirit?" Rody’s heart chilled; it seemed Chris knew quite a lot about him.
"I not only know you’re a genius from Kolo, but I also know all about your hobby of kicking people in the groin. Just don’t kick me!" Chris's smile didn’t waver in the face of Rody's coldness. He chuckled, "Since I was a child, my father always told me to emulate you. Honestly, I used to resent it, but now that I've met you, I feel I truly can’t catch up with you!"
"Are you mocking me? You know I'm just a one-star novice magic apprentice!" Rody snorted.
"Rank doesn’t prove anything. I'm also a one-star novice magic apprentice, just like you," Chris smiled, "Being able to cast magic is enough, it doesn’t have to be a small fireball, right? The one-star novice magic apprentice Rody who claims he can't even cast a small fireball?"
"What else do you know?" A flicker of murderous intent crossed Rody's mind; if this were the Land of Evil instead of the training field, he didn’t doubt he would strike.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"A lot. For instance, your mother’s name, your birthday, your childhood hobbies, and even the fact that you never wet the bed," Chris said. Upon hearing this, Stanley burst into laughter. Seeing Rody glaring at him, he quickly scurried away, preferring to offend Instructor Wood rather than Rody. Even Lopeck, who was nearly foolishly brave, wouldn't dare to make Rody angry.
"People who know too much often don't live long," Rody coldly stared at Chris.
"Don't worry, I know what I should know, and I’m completely unaware of what I shouldn't. Besides, my teacher said when doing my fortune that I have a long life line and will live a long life, not a short-lived one..." Chris seemed oblivious to Rody's threat, speaking with a smile on his face.
"Instructor, I’m sick and need to take a leave!" Only Rody dared to speak to Instructor Wood like this.
"Come back in the afternoon!" Instructor Wood was exceptionally lenient with Rody, unlike his usual harshness. If Stanley or Lopeck had dared to speak like that, he probably would have 'cured' them with his fists.
"Instructor," Chris quickly raised his hand as he saw Rody storming off angrily.
"You're sick too?" Instructor Wood asked, feeling dizzy.
"No, sir," Chris replied cheerfully. "I'm not sick, but I can cure it!"
"Cure it before this afternoon!" Instructor Wood, seeing everyone staring at him dumbfounded, roared in anger: "If you don't start practicing now, then you'll be punished with ten thousand weighted frog jumps!" Terrified, everyone scattered. Although all were elite, they understood that among the elites, there were always the best. Since they weren't the best, they naturally couldn't enjoy the best treatment.
Just as Rody lay down on his bed, Chris returned as well.
He sat down beside the bed with a grin, "Do you need help with healing magic? That's my specialty!"
"If you stay away from me, I’ll get better immediately!" Rody was infuriated. If it were anyone else, he would have pummeled them, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to punch Chris's grinning face.
"Actually, I know what you need. You need a friend to talk to, just like me," Chris climbed onto his bunk and leaned down to smile at Rody. "Since we are similar, I find you very likable. How about we become good friends? You can tell me any troubles you have; I promise to keep your secrets!"
"My only trouble is having you as a roommate!" Rody really wanted to kick him off the upper bunk, especially when he saw that smiling face, which made him particularly angry.
"Is that so? That's a shame; my opinion is the exact opposite of yours," Chris laughed heartily.
Rody hit his head on the bed frame with a thud, almost passing out.
It had always been Rody who infuriated others, but now someone seemed to be his nemesis. Who exactly was this Chris? If he was sent by the mysterious mastermind, it didn't seem right for him to be so conspicuous. Wouldn't being so close to Rody easily trigger his alertness? Of course, it could be a strategy: first anger and annoy him, gradually get close, lower his guard, especially on the battlefield, gain his trust, and then attack at the most trusting moment, dealing a fatal blow.
Rody believed there was a reason why the mysterious mastermind didn't kill him as an infant but instead fed him forbidden magic and martial arts. That person must have had some unspeakable purpose.
Killing him would have been much easier, but he didn't do that. Instead, he prepared the forbidden magic and martial arts and secretly threatened Father Cedric to feed it to Rody during baptism. Thinking it over, it seemed that the mastermind had this strategy even before Rody was born; otherwise, he wouldn't have survived.
How did the mysterious mastermind know he would have great potential?
Could it be that his mother was not an ordinary person?
A notion suddenly flashed through Rody's mind, something he had never considered before. From Chris's words, he felt a shock. Chris knew his mother's name, his birthday, and his childhood hobbies. It seemed these three things were the evidence collected by his enemies. Could these three things really be special? His birthday coincides with the 380th anniversary of his ancestor's birth. Could this hold some special significance?
His mother's name was Diana, a common name for maids, with many meanings like 'from the world of fairy tales,' 'mother of gods,' 'intelligent and pure,' 'judged woman,' 'feather on the scales,' and 'daughter of a wise sage.'
At first glance, the name seemed ordinary, but thinking about it, why did his grandmother name his mother Diana? Was there a secret in it?
As a child, he had once heard his mother say her name was given by her grandmother, but she never told him who her grandmother was. He thought maybe his grandmother was no longer alive, and she didn't want to bring up sad memories, but now it seemed the truth might only be known by asking his mother. Could this mysterious Chris be related to his mother?
Rody's mind was in turmoil. Finally, he decided to take a cold bath to calm down. The continuous training lately had caused him to lose his usual cool composure.
"Taking a bath? Wait for me!" Chris, seeing Rody getting up to undress, also began to unbutton his shirt, revealing a jade-like body. Rody glanced and noted that Chris's chest under his tank top was as flat as the famed Yuma Plains, obviously not a woman's. Chris, noticing Rody heading out to bathe in shorts, asked, "Why aren’t you taking off your shorts?"
"I'm afraid you'll feel inferior if you see!" Rody replied irritably.
"Ha ha!" Chris was momentarily startled, then burst into laughter. Rody had just poured a bucket of water when Chris entered, carrying a large basin of clothes, wearing a tank top and shorts. Rody angrily said, "Stay away from me!"
"Don't worry, I'm not gay!" Chris laughed again. "My sexual orientation is very normal; I only like the opposite sex!"
Rody was left speechless.