Going back about two months and a few weeks, lessons were happening as normal and almost everyone in the special class was trying to ‘level up’ even if they didn’t know what exactly that meant.
It was dusk, people were beginning to prepare for night and the weekend. In a small restaurant in the noble area of the city, two students found themselves with a calming drink after an unexpectedly stressful day.
“The world is wrong. Why is the world wrong! I can’t live normally anymore!” Narissa shouted as she drank the strange drink. Nobody could hear her outside the area of her table so she was letting loose.
“I would like some of that wrongness. Healers created more nerves! I am still in pain!” Mathias shouted too.
After they shouted their grievances they finished their drink.
“This is becoming a thing…” Narissa said.
“Well, they don’t sell it anywhere else. Also, it’s not like we can actually go drinking.”
“Stupidly law trying to protect us!”
“Was it really that bad today?”
“Every single spell I know is bad and I can’t unsee it! Mia and her stupid genius brain! Why doesn't she just start teaching people magic!?”
“Yeah, why not?”
“It’s because you need to teach it to people that haven't even started. Nobody will let Mia teach a bunch of 4 to 6 years old magic. Well, not again.”
“What do you mean?”
“There are a bunch of kids in her hometown that can somewhat use magic like her but they don’t have any talent.”
“Shame, really.”
“Mia told me they used to throw a ball of mud into each other as a game.”
“Kids and mud, a pair made in heaven.”
“And you? What happened?”
“Defense training, target practice, I was the target, torture, you choose.”
“How can your father do that to you?”
“Kaki was a horse for the day and I still don’t know where Luminus went but he was as bad as me.”
“Are you alright?”
“Don’t worry. I got healed, a little too thoroughly for my taste. I am feeling places I haven't been for a while.”
“Well, I touched brick walls softer than your arm.” Narissa said, giggling, as she felt Mathias’ arm with her hands.
“Just trying my best.” He said with a smile. After that they sat in silence for a minute where another cup of the drink they were having was put in front of them.
“Do you think we are doing enough?” Narissa asked, both sad and worried.
“It will never be enough, I think that is the point.”
“..Hey, did Mirai ask you to take care of the boys in our class?”
“Yes, why?”
“Because she asked me to look after the girls.”
“Well, you have this leader aura around you.”
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“And you don’t, Mister I lead from the front?”
“That was only in my second year here. I learned.”
“Ha….The drink is not helping anymore…” Narissa said in defeat as she finished the drink.
“If you're saying it, probably not.”
“Why do you agree with almost everything I say?”
“Because when you come with me here to drink you don’t want solutions you want to vent. I learned it after the fifth time.”
“You think you know me so much, right?” Narissa said, somewhat angrily.
“Not really, no. But if there is anything you want to say I am all ears.”
“How can you be so calm!? You say to me that you are brutally beaten almost daily and you can just sit here calmly most of the time! How!?”
“Half of my day is spent exercising. I would collapse if I didn’t learn to relax.”
“Well, good for you! I don’t remember the last time I could just relax alone!”
"Well, it might be bad for me to say this, but you need to find something to help you relax before you start to get ugly.” Mathias said as he stretched himself.
“Are you telling me I am ugly? And stop showing off your muscles!”
“No…You are quite beautiful but stress will consume you if you let it happen.”
“So now I am beautiful? Well, let’s put that to the test. Knight, escort me please.” Narissa said to Mathias as she began to leave the place. Mathias quickly paid for the drinks and followed after her.
They walked around the city, holding each other arms, and every moment Narissa compared herself to other women around, trying to get Mathias to slip so she could say something to him but the boy managed to hold on and not utter a word that he shouldn’t.
“Stop being so put together! We are in the same situation! How come the burden of leadership doesn’t affect you?” Narissa asked as they walked around.
“Narissa, if you don’t want to lead people, just say it. Nobody will think any less of you.” Mathias calmly said.
“But I will! I am learning magic but I know that I won’t ever be able to fight in the front lines. This is what I can do but the more I think about it the heavier it gets!”
“What do you mean?”
“Shut up and be my pile of muscle I can shout at! Let’s move.” Narissa said as they began to walk towards a part of town they never went before. It was the redlight district.
“Narissa, I don’t think we should walk around here.” Mathias said as he took a look around.
“Why? The women here are prettier than me and you will leave me for then?” She teased Mathias.
“I don’t think I can answer that question here.” Mathias said, looking around and seeing a lot of people looking at him.
“Look away girls! He is taken for the moment!” Narissa said to the women around. Mathias was beginning to question her sanity.
Narissa began to drag Mathias around, trying to get any reaction from him using the girls that were showing themselves, even a few men. But everything failed.
“Narissa, we should leave.” Mathias said.
“Shut up! Today we do what I say!”
“Narissa…”
“No! Yes…Yes. I know what will get you!” Narissa said, dragging Mathias towards a building. Before he knew he was sitting on a bed, waiting for Narissa.
“Narissa, what are you doing? What are we doing here?”
“Hihihi…” Narissa could be heard giggling from the side room.
“Ok, what are yo…” Mathias was going to ask something but the sight of Narissa in only underwear completely fried his brain.
“AHA! That’s what I was waiting for!” She said as she got closer.
“We shouldn’t be doing this, you are a noble and I'm just a knight in training!” Mathias tried to stop what was happening.
“Shut it! Today I want to just be a dumb girl and with her toy knight!” She said, going for a kiss. Mathias admitted defeat and reciprocated.
—-
Morning came. Narissa woke up to find herself nude alongside an awake Mathias who was reading a book he probably found in the room.
“Good morning.” He said.
“I can’t believe we just did this!” Narissa said, blushing very hard.
“Well, we can do it again so you can be sure it’s real.” He said very calmly.
“Idiot!” She said, giving him a light slap that uncovered her. She quickly tried to cover herself with her hands.
“A little late for that, ain’t it?”
“Where are my clothes?”
“Well, you look so good without them that I got rid of them.”
“What?”
“...They are there.” Mathias said as he pointed to a pile of clothes on a chair not so far from the bed.
“We should probably leave. People must be running around looking for us.”
“No. I already took care of it. Your family thinks you spend the day with Shishen and mine thinks I just didn’t sleep today. Not that I did much of that anyway.”
“You! ARGH!” Narissa said in defeat as she hugged and kissed Mathias. “Now what?”
“How about breakfast?”
“Yeah, breakfast sounds like a good idea.”