Noah and the others waited on the street outside the advanced track meeting point. The plan hadn’t taken too long to discuss, and they didn’t want to be caught sitting around in the room and start raising questions as to what they were doing.
They’d made a few changes to their appearance. Noah’s uniform was now badly ruffled and his hair stuck out in every direction – and there was no sign of his gourd, bag, or grimoire.
Godrick was the first of the advanced track professors to show up, and his eyebrows arched as he spotted them.
“Ulya brought you two over early, I see.”
“Just a bit,” Noah replied with a shrug. “What’s on the docket for today’s meeting? Anything interesting?”
Godrick’s brow furrowed and he lowered his voice to make sure that nobody could overhear them. “If you’re referring to what happened earlier – no. That’s already being handled. I’ve already spent the better portion of the day working to make sure that everyone who was stranded by the cannon’s… failure was accounted for together with Tim. We don’t need any more focus on that than there already is. The meeting today will be what the one last time should have been. A time to get to know each other. A little exchange of knowledge. Fun all around.”
Godrick pulled back and gestured for them to follow him before starting down the stairs. Noah suppressed a grin as they all piled in behind him. As soon as they made it into the room below, Ulya broke away and headed over to the corner of the room to avoid being too strongly associated with them.
Lee made a beeline for the table and pulled a chair out, sitting down and drumming her fingers impatiently on the white tablecloth. There wasn’t any food laid out yet, but there would be soon enough.
That’s two of us in place.
The students broke off, moving to stand a short distance from Lee while Noah and Moxie remained near the entrance of the room to keep line of sight on everyone. It didn’t take long for the other advanced track professors to start piling in.
Noah didn’t recognize most of them or their students, and he didn’t currently care to. There were quite a few members in the advanced track, and his brain didn’t have enough room to store all of them until they did something of worth.
With every new professor and group of students that entered the room, Noah glanced over at Ulya. She remained impassive in her corner, her features unreadable.
He locked eyes with Verrud as the man entered the room alongside a young woman with pure white hair – probably his student. She was a little taller than Emily and had the kind of smile on her face that was reserved for people who were firmly convinced they were doing a world a favor by gracing it with their presence.
Verrud inclined his head in greeting and Noah returned the gesture, doing his best not to laugh.
I can’t say I’m going to enjoy this too much, but I think the look on his face should make this worth it.
Professors continued to enter over the course of the next few minutes. Noah was starting to wonder if Ulya had completely forgotten her job when she finally pushed away from the wall and headed over to the table, which was currently being set by several waiters.
Noah’s eyes locked onto the professor that had just entered the room. He was a younger man, probably only a year older than Noah. The man sported a well-kept goatee and combed back hair that looked like it had taken more time than he’d care to admit.
So you’re Jakob.
Walking at his side were two students, one male and one female. The boy – Marley –clearly had a lot more confidence than the girl did. He walked with his shoulders thrown back and the corner of his mouth curled up in a faint smirk, one not all that dissimilar from the one that Verrud’s student sported. His silver hair was tied back into a short ponytail and his hand rested on the hilt of a rapier at his side.
The girl at Marley’s side was a head shorter than him and had orangish-red hair similar to Moxie’s. Her features were soft and her expression restrained, but she carried herself with the grace of someone who had seen more than their share of fights. The hilt of a sword hung at her side, but no blade emerged from it.
So that’s Yulin, then. She seems like she might be the better fighter – or at the very least, she’s more restrained with her emotions.
Marley’s eyes swept over the room until they locked onto Emily, who was currently studying the table with perhaps a little more interest than she should have been. He nudged Yulin with his elbow and she inclined her head slightly.
The three of them walked past Noah and he let his domain brush over them. Faint resistance met him, and Jakob paused to glance over his shoulder at him. The professor was a Rank 4, but neither of his students reacted.
Rank 3 at max. And lucky us. Both Yulin and Marley use swords. That’ll make things easier for us.
“Can I help you?” Jakob asked, disdain tinging his words as his gaze bore into Noah’s skull. “Because your domain appears to be leaking, professor.”
“Oh, is it?” Noah matched Jakob’s look with the most wretched grin he could manage. It looked like he’d guessed at least some of the situation correctly. Jakob hadn’t even bothered trying to hide his disgust.
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In a way, he kind of reminds me of Moxie when we first met. Just way less hot.
A shudder ran down Noah’s spine at that thought, but he dismissed it. It was time to start the play. There had been a few different ways he’d considered handling this. One option had just been setting Lee free and watching the chaos unfold, but that would have put too much focus on her.
They needed to spread the other professors thin. And, more importantly, everything had to look natural. If it was completely obvious they were trying to mess up the meeting then there was no point to the plan.
And, if there was one thing that Vermil was known for…
“I have to apologize,” Noah said, extending a hand. “It’s hard to keep everything under control when I’m excited. This is the first time I get to properly introduce myself to everyone in the advanced track. I’m Vermil.”
As disgusted as Jakob was – or was pretending to be – he’d been raised in a noble house. It didn’t matter who offered you a handshake. You accepted. His hand reached out to take it, his lips curling down.
Noah pulled his hand back.
I’m going to need a long shower after this.
“Whoops. Sorry. Didn’t make myself clear enough,” Noah said. His eyes drifted over to Yulin. “I wasn’t speaking to you there, grandpa. I was talking to your student.”
Looks of disgust passed over both Marley and Yulin’s faces and they both turned to face him.
“You live up to your reputation, Professor Vermil,” Jakob said flatly, moving to stand between Noah and his students. He made a subtle gesture behind his back. It was impossible to tell what it had been, but it wasn’t hard to guess.
Oh, no. You aren’t going anywhere.
“Sorry, what was that?” Noah asked, stepping around Jakob to keep his gaze locked with Yulin’s. “I was a bit distracted. What family are you lot with again?”
“It’s beyond me how they let someone like you into the program,” Marley spat, bracing his hand against his sword. “Did Father just pump you full of runes and buy your way in so you could sully this place with your vile presence?”
“Sully. That’s an interesting word to use,” Noah said, tilting his head to the side. “I did a fair bit of that when I was visiting the Torrin estate. You don’t have a sister, do you?”
A few of the groups around them had started to take notice of the confrontation and were watching with undisguised interest. Before anything could develop further, Verrud pushed through the sidelines and walked over to join them.
Aha. The good cop arrives.
“Professors, please,” Verrud said, raising his hands. “Let’s leave family politics at the door. We’re all in here for one reason alone, and that’s to get stronger.”
“That’s hardly true,” Noah said. “I’m also here because I want to learn about runes and new applications for them.”
Verrud beamed and nodded. “See? Vermil may be a little rough around the edges, but he’s got the same goal as we do. Now, why don’t we all go get some food and–”
“Oh, and watch the students fight. I was thinking we should introduce skimpier uniforms for them,” Noah said. “Some of the teachers too, for that matter.”
Verrud’s eye twitched.
Let’s see you mediate that, buddy. Not that you will – your goal is to break these idiots free of me.
“Have you possibly had a bit much to drink before this meeting?” Verrud asked Noah, his voice terse.
“I did have a few bottles,” Noah said with a sheepish grin. “It’s real nerve-wracking meeting all of you. Figured I’d think better if I didn’t have to think too much at all.”
“Pathetic,” Jakob said. He shook his head and turned, gesturing for his students to follow him toward the table – and straight in the direction of where Emily and the others sat. “Come on. We have better things to do than waste time with this Linwick buffoon.”
“Just like most Torrins I know,” Noah said. “Running away. Not really a surprise. I heard that was what Evergreen did in her last moments. I reckon the new head isn’t any different.”
Jakob ignored him, but the same couldn’t be said for Marley. The boy’s lips pulled back in a snarl.
“You don’t know when to shut your mouth, cockroach. My professor was trying to be as polite as one can be to someone as worthless as you, but it looks like getting your path paved for you into the program has given you delusions of grandeur. If one more vile word comes out of your mouth, I’ll challenge you myself.”
“You?” Noah asked incredulously. “I’m a Rank 4. You’re – what, Rank 2?”
“Marley, come on,” Yulin said, pulling at his arm. “This is pointless. Forget this–”
“There are more ways to fight than magic.” Marley drew his sword and pointed it at Noah, completely ignoring Yulin’s words. “And if you’re serious about coming here to learn, then I’ll be more than glad to teach you.”
Should have listened to the girl, bud. Can’t say I blame you, though. If I were in your shoes, I’d want to run me through as well.
Noah let out a burst of laughter. “What, you want to spar me without magic? You won’t leave so much as a cut on me.”
“Is that a challenge?” Marley asked.
“Marley,” Jakob barked. “We are wasting time. Yulin is correct. Come.”
“This will only take a few seconds,” Marley replied. “I’m not going to let this Linwick disparage our name like this.”
“If you so much as touch me with that rapier of yours, then I’ll get on my knees and formally apologise to your entire family,” Noah said with a chuckle. “I’ll give you all the time you need to try and land a blow, and we’ll go until we both agree the fight is over or until you touch me. No magic usage allowed. Sound good?”
“Hold on,” Yulin said, grabbing Marley by the shoulder. “What about if you win?”
“He’s not going to–” Marley started, but his fellow student cut him off with a glare before turning her gaze to Noah.
She’s sharp. Bummer.
“I’d settle for you admitting that you’re incompetent enough that you can’t even so much as scratch a cockroach Linwick,” Noah said with a shrug. “I’m not a bitter man. I recognize jealousy when I see it.”
“I’m going to run you through,” Marley snapped, yanking his arm out of Yulin’s grasp and raising his rapier. “I agree to your terms. Are you prepared, Linwick?”
“We’ll see if I need to be.” Noah covered a yawn. “Come on, then. You wouldn’t be the first Torrin to ask to sword fight me, even if you’re a little under-equipped for it. Couldn’t you have gone with a weapon that people actually use for battle?”
Marley lunged. Noah stepped to the side, letting the blade pass by him harmlessly, then let the grin on his features grow wider. “I hope you can do better than that. If you can’t, I’m going to need some more alcohol to make this fight interesting.”
The boy didn’t bother with a response. He pressed the attack harder, but each cut passed harmlessly through the air without so much as grazing Noah’s skin. Verrud watched from the sidelines, his lips pressed thin in annoyance.
Let’s see just how much time and energy I can make you waste here before you’re forced to give up. And don’t look so cross, Verrud. If you’re already this annoyed, you’re going to blow a gasket by the end of the night.
We’re only getting started.