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50: Departure

In the early morning, most students were awakened by the beaming sunlight streaming through their windows. Davis was already up, packing his belongings, while Skye rolled on her back in sheer excitement upon hearing they would be leaving soon.

Davis smiled softly at her reaction. Since arriving at Celestia, Skye had spent most of her time in their dorm room. The only times she got to go out were when Lina visited, but since they were at the Academy, Lina couldn't come and go freely.

Across the room, K sat cross-legged on a chair, reading the morning news. He wore a crisp white long-sleeve shirt and black pants, his long silky hair freshly trimmed. A long black coat completed his ensemble.

"Care to make breakfast?" Davis suggested.

K, acting as if he hadn't heard, continued reading his paper. Annoyed by the lack of response, Davis tried to get his attention by fake coughing twice.

"Ahem." No response. Davis did it again, louder this time. "Ahem!"

K closed the newspaper, looked at Davis with a whimsical smile, and said, "Bless you!" He then returned to reading.

"Would you mind making breakfast?" Davis exclaimed.

Without moving an inch, K replied, "Do you have arms?"

"Yes," Davis responded instantly. "Wait, what does that have to do with anything?" he confusedly barked at K.

K continued, "If you have arms, you can make it."

Davis shook his head in confusion and asked, "Wait, I thought this was part of your job."

K giggled as he read the paper, then tilted his head back. "Funny, I don't remember writing that in my resume! I thought this sort of stuff was your specialty. Why don't you do it?"

Holding his half-folded shirt, Davis snapped back, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm currently packing for a trip, I know nothing about with a demon crow in a human costume."

K chuckled at his words and continued reading as if nothing had happened. "Technically, I'm a snake, but I'll take that as a compliment." He turned to Davis and casually added, "Plus, when you want something from someone, I recommend asking nicely."

Davis, still holding his half-folded shirt, stretched out his arms and forced a smile. "PLEASE?"

K smirked, raising an eyebrow. After a moment, he got up from his chair, placed the newspaper on the table, and joyfully said, "Well, since you asked so nicely, I don’t mind doing it." With a mischievous smirk, he went to make breakfast.

Skye, who had been quietly observing their interaction, moved toward the still-pouting Davis. She tapped his leg to draw his attention.

"Dad, why do you hate Uncle so much?" Skye asked with a sad expression.

"W-What? N-no, no, I’m not—" Davis quickly refuted, struggling to find the words to explain that it wasn't about hating each other.

From afar, K grinned. He put everything down and walked leisurely toward Skye, kneeling on one knee before her. "Skye, sweetheart, please don’t worry about Uncle. Uncle can endure this," he said, placing his hand over his mouth and slightly turning away. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

(It was water from the faucet.)

"Hah?" Davis blurted out, turning to K with a mix of confusion and annoyance at his unexpected interference. But K’s acting was so believable that even Davis was momentarily convinced.

Skye went to K, whimpering and hugging him with her paw. "Don’t worry, Uncle. Skye will protect you," she said, attempting to comfort him.

K grinned at the still-flabbergasted Davis, then pulled his eyelid down and stuck his tongue out at him to provoke him. He quickly returned to his pitiful act when Skye stopped hugging him.

A vein popped in Davis’s forehead at K’s provocation, his body shaking with controlled anger. He calmly said to Skye, "Skye, please don’t believe him. Those are just crocodile tears."

K quickly cut him off with over-the-top dramatic acting. "Oh, poor me! Skye, did you hear that? Your father compared me to a crocodile. I’m so saddened by his words." His performance was so exaggerated that Davis almost gave him a gold medal.

Skye turned to Davis and growled softly. "Dad is a bad person!"

Davis desperately waved his hands and shook his head at her accusation, but nothing he said seemed to convince her.

"Come, Skye, let us leave this toxic place," K said as he got up, still wiping his nonexistent tear from his cheek. "Uncle needs Skye's protection until we leave safely.”

Skye wagged her tail and nodded. "Skye will protect Uncle. Let’s go."

The two then proceeded toward the door. Davis stretched his hand forward and pleaded, "Wait, Skye, you have to trust me. I’m not a bad person!” But his words didn’t seem to reach her.

Skye barked back loudly, "No, Dad is a bad person!" followed by K, who added, "Yes, Skye is right. You should reflect on yourself. Humph."

With that, they left and slammed the door loudly, leaving Davis in a confused state. After a moment of silence, the door creaked open, and K's head leaned in through the crack. "Also, we’re leaving at midday. Bye!" He quickly left again.

After K left again, Davis questioned himself loudly with a wide-open mouth. "What the hell did I do?"

Skye jumped for joy outside the room as K took her for a walk. "Uncle, Uncle K! How was it? How was my performance?" Skye eagerly asked her breath quick with excitement.

K chuckled at her enthusiasm, leaning down to pinch her cheek. "Your performance was spectacular, amazing," he said. Standing back up, he continued, "Yes indeed, my dear. I’ll give you an A-plus for your talent."

They started walking again. Skye asked with a happy sparkle in her eyes, "Is that good?"

K answered with matching enthusiasm, "Of course, sweetheart. It's the best grade one could hope for. Hahaha..."

As they walked, both K and Skye noticed that many students they passed seemed to be checking them out, especially the female students, who started whispering and smiling with reddened cheeks after seeing them.

"Why are those people staring at us like that, Uncle?" Skye asked in a curious tone.

K immediately knew why the female students were behaving this way. Back when he was in Hell, he had been in the same situation, but his brother Lucifer was the center of attention.

"It’s because they’re stunned by your cuteness, Skye!" K said, a smile spreading across his face.

"Really?" Skye asked again, practically jumping for joy at K's compliment.

Seeing how happy this little Fenrir was reminded K of a pet he used to have back in hell, causing him to chuckle softly as he shook his head. "Of course, my dearest little one. You’re the cutest puppy in the entire Academy," K complimented her further.

K's human appearance was undeniably handsome, but the fact that he was walking around the Academy grounds without wearing the uniform made him stick out like a sore thumb, drawing the attention of every other student to him and Skye.

An hour later…

Davis ended up making breakfast himself and after finishing it, he returned to finish his task. After a bit of work, he finished packing all his belongings, and he found himself with nothing left to do.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Davis sat down, trying to enjoy the quiet moment, but K's provocation was still fresh in his mind. He needed to clear his head and say his goodbyes to his friends and associates.

The first person that came to mind was none other than Rowan, whom he considered the closest person to him at the Academy. Knowing Rowan’s character, he headed to the swordsmanship training ground. As expected, there was Rowan, honing his skills as always.

Surprisingly, Davis saw Aaron and Kane there as well. While Aaron's presence wasn’t unexpected since he was a swordsman, seeing Kane, a genius magician, came as a shock.

"Hey, Davis! What's up?" Aaron, the first to spot Davis, called out cheerfully. His call alerted the other two, who turned to Davis with similar expressions of happiness.

"H-Hello, Aaron," Davis responded, then proceeded to walk toward them. Unexpectedly, many people in the room turned to him with admiring looks.

"Kane, Rowan," Davis greeted, bowing slightly to each of them. His attention wasn't fully on them but rather on the many admiring gazes coming from around him.

Davis was so focused on his training, trying to surpass K, that he didn't realize the rift between swordsmanship and mana was slowly healing after the invasion ended. His and his friends' fame rose dramatically as hundreds of citizens saw him fighting on the front lines to protect them before the reinforcements arrived.

However, his rising fame also increased his value in the eyes of the leading powers.

Fortunately for Davis, the earlier catastrophe caused all four leading factions of Celestia to scramble for control over the citizens. The trust of the people was at an all-time low, but their belief in the new generation of students was through the roof.

"Davis, I’m glad to see you again after you started your training," Rowan welcomed Davis with a happy hug. The embrace lasted much longer than a typical one.

"It was unexpected to see you here, Kane!" Davis said, still caught in Rowan's hug.

"Likewise. When I heard you went into training, I was eager to see the results, but..." Kane spoke clearly but ended with a sigh.

Rowan finally pulled away from Davis and mentioned something he had almost forgotten. "While you were in training, someone named Lina came to see you multiple times."

Davis's eyes widened in surprise. "Ms. Lina came looking for me?" He thought for a moment and remembered that she had left the city to visit her family a week before the invasion happened. "I guess I’ll have to write a letter informing her about Skye's departure," he thought to himself.

As the conversation continued, Rachel and her bodyguard entered the training ground. "Oh, Mr. Davis? I didn’t expect to see you here!" Rachel stated calmly, her bodyguard quietly stepping to the side.

"Likewise, Your Highness. I’m here to tell Rowan that I’m leaving this afternoon, and wasn’t expecting everyone else to be here" Davis said, scratching his head, his voice sounding a bit awkward.

Aaron was the one to voice his thoughts, his eyes widened in surprise as he asked. "Leaving? But why? We didn’t even get a chance to have a proper duel yet!"

While everyone else was a bit surprised by the news, Rowan was quite shocked—he wanted to accompany Davis on his journey. However, the one who overreacted was Aaron, who got up in Davis's face. "Come on, Davis. Just one duel, please."

Davis managed a slight smile. "When we meet again, and once you have surpassed Kane, I promise to duel with you anytime." He took a deep breath before continuing, "Goodbye, everyone. I hope to see you all again at the Holy Empire in six months. For now, I wish you all the best of luck."

"You're leaving, Davis?" A familiar old voice whispered in Davis's ear, almost startling him out of his skin. Turning toward the voice, Davis abruptly shouted, "Principal Wuldor? And Professor Selena?"

"Ho ho, this old man still has a few tricks up his sleeve!" Wuldor laughed heartily while stroking his beard.

And so, their conversation continued. When the time for Davis's departure arrived, everyone followed him to the front door, sending him off with warm goodbyes.

Everyone could see a horse-drawn carriage waiting by the front gate, with K standing in front of it, seemingly flirting with a dozen female students all at once.

Other than Rachel, nobody had ever seen K before. To them, he appeared to be the typical noble playboy.

"Who the hell is that guy standing next to your carriage?" Aaron blurted out with disdain, his hard-working nature causing him to dislike such people.

Kane, who always valued talent, couldn’t help but agree. "There seem to always be people who go around flaunting their status and background."

To them, K appeared to be a handsome young man around twenty years old. His over-the-top actions and theatrical flair only reinforced their impression of him as a show-off, especially as they watched his body language during what seemed to be flirting.

Rachel, who had been wanting to meet K and thank him for his help, excused herself from the group and even instructed her bodyguard to stay with them. The group watched as she walked toward K and elegantly introduced herself.

"Oh ho, even our elegant princess couldn’t resist that young man’s allure," Principal Wuldor mused aloud. But Professor Selena promptly tugged at his beard, signaling him to keep quiet.

Rowan didn’t care much about K, but he was annoyed by K’s presence blocking Davis’s carriage. "Davis, if you like I will make him move away from your carriage?" Rowan asked, frowning with his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.

Davis softly chuckled at Rowan’s offer and walked leisurely toward the carriage. "There’s no need. I’ve grown accustomed to all the antics of my annoying teacher."

The group nodded in agreement with Davis’s words until the end, when they exclaimed in unison, "Teacher? But he looks like he’s in his twenties!" They thought to themselves as they followed along.

Rachel had finished her conversation with K and handed him something, which he slipped into his pocket. Rachel was noticeably flushed after their talk.

"Why hello there, my friends. Are you the ones this ungrateful student of mine has mentioned to me so often?" K greeted with a smirk.

They nodded, still bewildered by K’s presence. Taking the initiative, K singled out Rowan from the crowd.

"Yes, yes, sir. You’re correct," Rowan shouted, his body stiff like a soldier meeting a superior.

K’s smile never wavered. He stepped back slightly and said, "There’s no need to be so tense, my little friend. You’re meeting his teacher, not his father," he chuckled joyously while tapping Rowan on the shoulder.

"I’ll get the carriage ready," Davis sighed, moving to place his belongings onto the carriage where Skye was waiting inside.

K’s eyes shifted toward Aaron and Kane, who had been silent this entire time. "And you must be the Yin and Yang of this friend group: Mr. Aaron the talkative, and Mr. Kane the quiet," K extended his hand to them.

Aaron nodded while hastily shaking K’s hand. "It's my pleasure to meet you, sir." In contrast to Aaron's hasty reply, Kane slightly bowed and greeted K. "It’s indeed an honor to meet the man who has taught Davis his skills."

K laughed and waved him off. "Please… this honor is undeserving."

Kane doubled down, his voice smooth and respectful. "You have my respect, Mr. K. If only I were as lucky as Davis to receive your teaching, maybe I too would be as great as Davis."

K chortled at his remark. "Your sweet talk is very soothing to the ear. I like you a lot already." He rubbed his chin as he pondered. "As for advice… Here is one for both of you: You shouldn't judge a box by it cover, and the same goes for people. They shouldn't be judged by their appearance."

K smiled with the innocence of a toddler and walked past Aaron and Kane toward Wuldor and Selena. Kane and Aaron turned to one another and whispered, "So he heard what we said earlier!" They looked a bit down afterward.

"You have a particular air of authority around you, and with that smile that shows your vast wisdom, I believe you’re Principal Wuldor," K said, placing his right hand on his chest and bowing respectfully to Wuldor.

He then turned to Professor Selena and repeated the gesture. "And you must be my ungrateful student’s favorite professor. I hope he didn’t cause much trouble for both of you during his stay."

Professor Selena covered her mouth and softly laughed. "Mr. K, you need not worry. Davis has been a wonderful student."

"Is that so?" K paused for a moment. "Quite a different experience from mine during my time teaching him."

Wuldor joined in, his hand still stroking his long beard. "Mr. K, you are as magnificent as Davis mentioned. I had always envisioned your greatness, but seeing it for myself… you far surpass my expectations."

K knew that was a lie since he had been with Davis all the time. But he went along with it. "Stop it, Principal Wuldor. Hearing someone of your status complimenting me like that would make me blush with pride!"

Principal Wuldor and K laughed, getting along well, perhaps a bit too well. "Mr. K, would you mind telling me where someone such as yourself came from? I have roamed this continent for almost all my life and have never encountered anyone like you."

"So, this is the real question," K thought, his friendly demeanor completely masked his thought.

K let out a sigh, catching his breath after laughing so much. "I’ve been to the highest of high and the deepest of low, as for where I came from…" K placed his finger in front of his mouth in a shushing gesture. "Let’s leave that to the imagination"

"K, we’re ready to leave!" Davis shouted, followed by Skye barking happily. K turned to see that their coachman had arrived and everything was set.

"This is truly a pleasant experience meeting everyone," K casually stated as he approached the carriage door. Turning around, he continued, "Although we’ve just met for a short while, I can tell that everyone here is a great person!"

With that, K bowed theatrically before entering the carriage. Everyone waved goodbye as the carriage began to move. They stood for a bit, watching it get farther and farther away.

In the carriage, Davis turned to K, who was sitting cross-legged, supporting his chin with his hand as he stared out the window with a radiant smile on his face.

"Would you mind telling where we are going, now?" Davis asked, his expression serious. K turned to him, then glanced at the excited Skye beside him.

"Our first stop is the mercenary guild in the next town over," K answered nonchalantly, his smile shifting into a smirk. "We’re going to be visiting quite a lot of places along the way…"