Chapter VII

“So, Album, seeing as I’m apparently going to be working alongside this guy for the next four years, could you tell me a little bit more about Nigreos Noctis?”

Album Luz paused, taking her new teammate’s question into account as she gazed down into the arena below where Nigreos and Caeli’s duel had just wrapped up. All in all, it had been a rather impressive display of talent from the Sukonese man, and Album couldn’t deny that she was curious as to who exactly he was. She had known Nigreos since they were kids, having been born only a handful of months apart, so she was very familiar with his abilities. His control over dark magic was impressive even among the Noctis, and so it was rather surprising that Caeli never once took a hit from his shadows. Of course, she knew Nigreos was telling the truth when he claimed not to be going all out, but after a while, she would have expected him to take it up a notch, if only to put the smug Caeli in his place.

But I suppose if Nigreos’s partner is just that good then we should be happy. We’re going to need all the firepower we can get if we want to succeed at being chosen for Princess Ilirianna’s team. If Caeli has such strong control over wind magic, it might actually make up for my own shortcomings…

Nigreos and Caeli were already moving toward the vertical walls of the arena, chatting and laughing with each other as if they were old friends despite having met that day. Then, they both cast a quick Proto and sent magic into their feet, propelling themselves up into the air and over the arena railing on the opposite side from where she was standing. Though this was only necessary because there were no stairs to get in or out, rather it was just a pit that one had to jump down into then use magic to escape. This was easy for Nigreos and Caeli, but she knew that she would struggle with even a spell as simple as Proto. She watched Nigreos and his partner vanish into the mass of students at the railing, leaving Album blankly gazing after them as she turned her thoughts back to Abi’s question.

Who is Nigreos Noctis? How do I answer that?

“Well, I suppose if I had to pick anything that could describe him,” she began softly, “it would be ‘determined’.”

“Determined?” Abi parroted. “How so?”

Album shrugged, once again struggling to phrase the thoughts in her head. “I’ve known him since I was baby, and since we both grew up in the palace of Noctalus and were around the same age, he and I always got along really well. In fact, he was kind of like an unofficial cousin of mine, and whenever I wandered over to the dark side of the palace or he came to the light side, I was always really happy to see him.” Album smiled at the memories of her childhood, back when she and Nigreos were far closer than they were in the present day. “And in all that time, he’s always been the type of guy to work hard for what he wants. He’s Master Viiro’s eldest son, so the position of Master of Darkness will be his someday. He’s trained daily, honing an affinity that is far more dangerous to the caster than all others except mind magic, and he’s never once complained. He’s talented, and he’s determined to take up his father’s mantle and claim his spot in history.”

Not to mention, part of his motivation is his love for Neah, and his desire to cure her, she added internally, but not wanting to reveal something so personal to a girl who was essentially a stranger, Album kept that part to herself.

“Wow,” Abi muttered. “Well, he certainly sounds like somebody beneficial to have on our side.”

Album nodded, a sad smile on her lips as she watched a new duo of partners hop down into the arena and begin preparing for their own duel.

“He is… You honestly couldn’t ask for a better teammate than Nigreos. If you want first rank, he can get it for you, and this Caeli guy seems to have quite the talent, too.” Album let out a soft sigh as she spoke, realizing that even this apparent foreigner might be more useful than she was. “We might actually have an ideal lineup…”

“Yeah, we really do,” Abi agreed. “But then…why don't you sound happy about that?”

The young woman instantly cringed at her partner’s question, and despite her strong desire to avoid making eye contact, she spared a quick glance at Abi to find her staring back with a concerned expression.

I’m being too obvious. But then again, this girl clearly has ambitions and if Master Grunly’s interested in her, then she already has the connections necessary to gain a foothold in Erika. Doesn’t she have a right to know that I might drag her down? What kind of loser would I be if I kept that from her?

“It’s not that I’m not happy about it,” she replied, turning away from Abi once again. “In fact, I am quite pleased to get to work alongside Nigreos, but… Well, all of those things I said about him only apply to him. I’m…nothing as impressive as he is.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true,” Abi instantly stated with a tone of utmost confidence, as if she somehow knew as a fact that Album was exaggerating. “You’re a Luz and a light affinity, so I’m sure you’re just as powerful as him.”

But even before Abi finished talking, Album was weakly shaking her head, and eventually her partner trailed off and fixed her with a confused look.

“I’m not exaggerating, Abi,” she insisted. “I…have weaker mana production in my body than the average mage. My cells don’t produce power at the same pace as everybody else, and that’s a massive issue when you’re studying an affinity like light magic—an affinity that requires more mana than the base five.”

Abi went silent for a second, and Album was certain that having explained her situation, her partner was probably internally cursing her luck for ending up with someone like her, but to her surprise, when the girl spoke again, her voice was warm and encouraging, a tone that Album was quickly realizing was quite common for this individual.

“Okay, so you have Pinner’s Syndrome,” she stated. “So what? Aren’t there supplements you can take to combat that deficiency? And from what I’ve read, with enough studying and practice, you can eventually make it so that it doesn’t matter, right? As tough as they may be, there are ways of casting strong spells with less mana, right?”

Album nodded, internally impressed that a commoner like her even knew the details of Pinner’s Syndrome, before reminding herself that Grunly only became interested in her because of her talent for nature magic.

“You’re right, there are,” she admitted. “And with enough effort, there may come a day when I’ve managed to overcome it. But that day hasn’t come, and as it stands, I am unable to cast magic from any affinity other than light. It’s such a mana-dense affinity, Abi, and casting even a handful of spells drains me of power for a few days. So how am I supposed to practice when I can’t even train for longer than a few minutes?”

This time, Abi didn’t have an immediate comeback, and Album continued to refrain from looking at her for fear of what disappointed expression she might eventually find. Instead, she observed the battle below that was taking place between two rock mages, both of which had formed stone armor over their fists and were currently brawling in the center of the arena, making it look more like a cage fight than a duel among mages.

“I’m not telling you this so you’ll pity me,” Album went on. “But I think you deserve to know that I’m going to be a very disappointing light mage. I think my father’s already lost faith in me, and I’m certain that Nigreos has begun his preparations to make due without me. It's only natural. I’m at this academy not because I’m talented or skilled but because the headmaster is not going to ignore an order from Master Acostav Luz. I’m going to try to overcome this. I want to be the daughter my parents wanted me to be, but I’m just not there yet, and you deserve to know that your partner is useless.”

There. I’ve laid it all out for her. She seems respectful enough to keep any disappointment or anger to herself, but there’s no chance in hell that she isn’t silently cursing her luck. I’m probably the most pathetic mage to ever come out of Noctalus, after all.

“Well, in that case, you and I are going to get along great!”

Album frowned, turning once again to regard Abigail, certain that she must have misheard the chipper and excited tone in her voice, but when she gazed into the blue eyes of her partner, she saw nothing more than genuine understanding.

“See, Album, I’m a commoner,” Abi stated with a laugh. “Before this morning, I’d never laid eyes on Erika and I’ve certainly never been to places like Krato or Stellareid or Noctalus. I’ve spent most of my life in the north, wandering around small villages. The biggest cities I’ve ever seen are Harunhein and Uukana.”

The girl smiled broadly, leaving Album unsure of where she was going with this, but the young light mage remained quiet, finding herself enthralled by the warmth that seemed to emanate from this individual.

“Just this morning, I forgot the significance of the name Luz, and I could probably only name two or three Masters,” Abigail went on. “On top of that, I don’t know how to cast anything outside of nature magic. Earlier today, I embarrassed myself when I utterly failed to raise the disk in the dorms and had to rely on another student to help me, so I certainly don’t have the right to complain about any drawbacks you might have.” The girl laughed and shrugged. “I honestly don’t know what Master Grunly sees in me. I’m a mess. So we can be useless together, okay?”

Album wasn’t sure what to say. She lived her life as the daughter of one of the most powerful and influential families in the Ijirian Empire, if not in the whole of the Kalkorai continent. Her failures only brought embarrassment for both her and the Luz. Her father lost faith in her a long time ago, her mother tried to hide her disappointment but failed, and though she knew Eko and Nigreos cared for her, she was certain they still saw her as a failed Noctalus. She’d only ever been looked down upon, and she had been prepared for her partner to be disappointed in her.

And yet, after hearing all of that, Abigail just smiles? Who is this girl?

She knew the words of a commoner meant very little in the grand scheme of things, but in that moment, Abi’s words gave her a burst of determination, and Album couldn’t help but smile back at her.

“Alright, sure,” she managed to say. “Let’s do that. Let’s be useless together.”

“Absolutely!”

Abi raised her fist and Album lightly bumped hers against it. For the first time in months, her anxiety seemed to ease a little. She knew she shouldn’t have been happy to hear that her partner’s magical knowledge was lacking, too, but she just didn’t care.

“Album!”

At the call of her name, Album lowered her fist and glanced over her shoulder to see Nigreos approaching where they still stood at the railing of the arena, the Sukonese man at his side with a dopey grin on his face. She couldn’t help but regard him for a moment longer before turning back to face Nigreos. She folded her hands behind her back and lowered her head in bow of respect.

“It’s good to see you again, Nigreos,” she greeted pleasantly.

The young man chuckled, bowing back to her as he replied, “You know we really don’t need to be so formal with each other. We’re not in Noctalus any more so why don’t we cut it with the bows?”

When the two of them rose, they grinned at each other, as if they were greeting old friends that they hadn’t seen in years despite having last spoken only a couple of weeks prior. Nigreos’s dark brown eyes then momentarily flickered toward Abi, who seemed to be silently awaiting an introduction. So, not wanting to leave her hanging, Album straightened up and motioned toward her partner.

“Uh, this is my partner, Abigail,” Album introduced. “And Abi, this is the eldest son of Viiro Noctis, Nigreos.”

Abi stepped forward and bowed just as Album had moments ago. “It’s nice to meet you, Noctis. Album says we’ll be teaming up so I look forward to working with you.”

Nigreos grinned his ever-charming grin as he regarded Abi before sticking his hand out for her to shake. “Just as I told Album, let’s not be bowing to each other. From here out, we’re equals, yes?”

Rising from her bow, Abi grinned shyly, as if embarrassed that she chose the wrong method of greeting him, before awkwardly shaking his hand. “Er, fair enough.”

“And tell me, what’s your family name?” he inquired curiously, sparing a brief look at Album as if to silently ask why she omitted it, but Abi’s response quickly answered it.

“Oh, um…” She released his hand and scratched the back of her neck, clearly already growing tired of explaining her situation. “N-no family name, actually. I’m just Abi.”

“Woah, woah, wait a minute here!”

Before Nigreos could even properly react, the man named Caeli who had thus far been quietly observing their conversation, quickly interjected with an excited expression. “You’re saying you don’t have a family name? So are you a commoner then?!”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Abi involuntarily stepped back at his sudden exclamation, and her features turned into a mix of confusion and suspicion, sparing brief glances at the few students nearby as if embarrassed to have such a thing stated so loudly in public. “Uh, yes? Why is that exciting to you?”

Caeli clapped his hands together and began nodding excitedly. “Well, you see, Miss Abigail, I am of common blood as well, and not to mention I’m not Ijirian. So when I heard I’d be joining up with the Noctalus, I was starting to worry about sticking out too much, so to know we’ve got another commoner on the team is just music to my ears!”

Snapping his fingers together and grinning, Caeli took a step back, placed his right hand over his chest, and gave a flourishing and over-the-top bow. “And allow me to introduce myself. I am Ryokumo Caeli of the Sukonese village of Kamera. My affinity is wind and it’s a pleasure to meet both of you lovely ladies.”

When he rose back to a standing position, Ryokumo Caeli appeared far more determined and pleased with himself than he probably should have been given how many annoyed stares he received from the other students nearby. Nevertheless, he clearly didn’t care, and Album could only stand quietly as she processed the fact that this odd man was going to be a part of her team as well.

“Oh, well, it’s very nice to meet you, Caeli, I—”

“Ryokumo!” he said, interrupting Abigail. “If you lack a last name then we should all be on a first name basis, yes? So call me Ryokumo.”

Abi tilted her head slightly to the right as she stared at the man, before laughing to herself, though whether she actually thought the situation was funny or she was simply trying to fill the silence was unclear to Album.

“Okay… Ryokumo…” Abi muttered to herself. “Very well then! I look forward to working with you, Ryokumo. And you, too, Nigreos!”

Nigreos, who had been watching Ryokumo with an expression that was similar to Abi’s in that it was a mix of confusion and perhaps even some slight amusement, seemed to return from his thoughts.

“Yes, I look forward to working with you as well, Abigail,” the eldest Noctis replied, turning his gaze away from his partner and toward the girl.

Out of her own personal interest, Album watched Nigreos’s expression as he regarded Abi. Almost immediately upon meeting her, Album had deduced that she was the healer Master Grunly had been following around the northern territories, so it was almost certain that if she figured that out then Nigreos must have. Yet he did nothing that would have implied he knew who Abigail was, and before anybody could say anything more, they were interrupted by a voice from behind them.

“I was hoping I would find you somewhere around here, Noctis.”

At the sound of that rather nasally and pompous voice, all four of them turned back to find a young man their age standing just a few feet behind them, his lips curled into a sneer. Immediately, Album could tell that he held himself with confidence. His posture was perfectly straight and his head was raised ever-so-slightly so that he could stare down his nose at them. His neatly-combed hair was a glittering silver color and his eyes were a deep gold, indicating that his ancestors most likely came from the northern mountains of Trovia. He was wearing the same uniform as the rest of them and his hands were placed in his pants pockets as if attempting to look casual. At first, Album didn’t know who he was, nor did it seem Ryokumo and Abi did, but Nigreos’s expression quickly morphed from pleasant to irritated in a matter of seconds.

“Rennigan.”

He spoke the man’s name in almost a growl, making it clear just what type of opinion Nigreos had of this individual, and once his name was spoken, Album was quick to recognize it. The young man was the only son of High Council Member Kloras Glaus and while Album had never met him personally, Nigreos had once told her that Rennigan Glaus was just as arrogant and obnoxious as his father, and that he seemed to have long since decided that Nigreos was his personal rival. He had lived in Erika all his life, and despite being from a family of legislatures, Nigreos said he had decided to take up magical studies. On top of that, she recalled him stating with a begrudging tone that Rennigan was quite talented.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised,” Nigreos went on with a snort. “Part of me hoped I wouldn’t have the displeasure of seeing you today, but it seems fate doesn’t hold me in that high of a regard.”

Rennigan clicked his tongue and leaned forward, his golden eyes seeming to bore into Nigreos, and when he did, his upper lip twitched ever so slightly, indicating his obvious disgust.

“Always a pleasant one, aren’t you, Noctis?” he sneered, then turned to once again glance among the other three present. However, Rennigan must have decided he lacked any interest in Abi and Ryokumo, and instead turned his attention to Album. “And it seems the time has finally come for me to meet the famed Album Luz.” Grinning, Rennigan pulled a hand from his pocket and extended toward her. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Rennigan Glaus.”

Already finding herself uncomfortable in his presence, Album forced herself to be polite and return the handshake. “Er, yes. I am Album Luz. Nice to…finally put a face to the name, Glaus. My father…has talked quite extensively about yours.”

And all of what he’s said is negative… she internally remarked.

It was no secret among the Noctalus that Kloras Glaus was by far the biggest pain in the Citadel for the royal family and the Masters. He took every chance he could to prevent them from overstepping Council authority despite the fact that the Iiji’s wielded far more power and authority than he did. Her father had complained numerous times that if Kloras Glaus went away then the number of political disputes in the Citadel would halve. Acostav had even theorized that the only reason Rennigan decided to become a mage was because Kloras sought to place somebody loyal to him among the Masters. From what Album remembered, Rennigan was of a water affinity, and Acostav seemed to think that he was after an apprenticeship with Master of Water, Nyx Rana, something the Iiji’s were trying to prevent. The issue was that very few ever knew for certain where Nyx’s head was at, and it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Kloras could bargain with her for an apprenticeship.

Rennigan’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at Album before he abruptly pulled his hand away from hers. “And my father has told me quite a bit about yours,” he stated haughtily. “I’ve heard plenty of stories about Master Acostav and how he…” The young man paused before fixing Album with yet another sneer. “...Well, how he enjoys overstepping the High Council.”

Despite her discomfort with the situation, she felt a brief flash of anger in her chest at how openly and casually Rennigan insulted her father. She didn’t want to so quickly make an enemy out of somebody she just met, but at the same time, she wasn’t going to sit by and let such an arrogant individual speak in such a way about her family.

“I wouldn’t call it overstepping,” Album retorted, a slight sharpness creeping into her tone. “I would instead say my father has the Empire’s best interests at heart, and simply believes the Masters should take a stronger role in keeping the peace.”

Determined not to falter in the face of Rennigan’s condescension, Album kept her eyes locked on his and finally, the man seemed to decide it wasn’t worth it then looked away. “Well, perhaps it's simply a matter of perspective. But either way, I just thought I’d stop by and greet you all. It seems like…” Rennigan then glanced down his nose at Abi and Ryokumo before smirking to himself, as if finding something funny. “It seems like this is your team, though no matter how hard I try, I simply can’t recall who you two are. What families are you from?”

His attention shifted to Abi, as if expecting her to be the first one to reply, and even though Album could tell that she was clearly uncomfortable, the young woman still stepped forward and put on one of her pleasant smiles to greet him with.

“Oh, uh, I’m Abigail,” she stuttered, and the moment she introduced herself, Rennigan cocked an eyebrow.

“Abi Gail?” he parroted, glancing up as if considering the name. “Well forgive me, Miss Gail, but I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of your family. Where exactly is it you’re from?”

Abi tilted her head as she gaped at Rennigan, seemingly confused by what he meant, but before either she or anybody else could move to correct the water mage, Ryokumo didn’t hesitate to stride forward as well and fix Rennigan with a look of mock surprise.

“Forgive me for intruding!” he exclaimed in an exaggerated tone of shock. “But you’re telling me you’ve never heard of the ‘Gail’ family?! My god, what rock have you been living under, Mister Glaus?! The Gails are famous all across the world and have made phenomenal strides in the progression of this Empire! I’m utterly baffled that you don’t know her! Are you sure you’re attending this school and didn’t just steal a uniform and sneak in?”

Rennigan could only stare at Ryokumo, clearly completely thrown off and unsure of what to say in response. Album could tell that he was trying to deduce if he was being messed with, while at the same time, he was attempting to determine exactly who Ryokumo was. Meanwhile, Nigreos was stifling a laugh as he turned his head away, and Abi was left looking at Ryokumo with a mix of apprehension, and perhaps even a little amusement of her own.

“W-well, I find it interesting that the man wearing a bathrobe seeks to claim that I don’t belong here,” Rennigan finally retorted, some of his earlier confidence returning to his face. “Tell me, where’s your uniform?”

Ryokumo shook his head, waving his hand in the air as if to brush the question aside as a cocky grin spread across his features. “Oh, I left that thing back in the dorm. It’s rather uncomfortable, you see. It rides up on my nuts and I just get the worst chafing I’ve ever felt. I don’t imagine that’s an issue for you, though, yes?”

With that, Album could hear a unsuppressed laugh escape Nigreos’s lips while Abi’s cheeks turned a slight red, but the color of her cheeks could hardly be compared to the bright red that erupted across Rennigan’s pale features as he looked around at them, though Album could tell that it was more from anger rather than embarrassment, especially at Nigreos’s reaction.

“Excuse me, but who exactly are you?” Rennigan spat. “With the complete lack of tact you’ve displayed, I refuse to believe you could ever be noble.”

“Me? Noble? Well, I think that’s the first correct thing I’ve heard out of you,” Ryokumo stated. “No, I am nothing more than a simple commoner. I am Ryokumo of the Sukonese clan of Caeli. We’re quite well known in the archipelago, though then again, if you don’t know Gail then you probably have never heard of us.”

“Sukonese?” Rennigan parroted with a condescending laugh, almost seeming to spit the word out. “So you’re not even Ijirian?”

“That is what I said, is it not? Or do your ears fail you, my friend?”

Even though Album knew as a fact that Nigreos cared very little about offending Rennigan, she could tell by the look on his face that while he was having his fun, he wanted to prevent Ryokumo from antagonizing him further, and finally decided to step between them.

“Leave us be, Glaus,” he said sharply. “We don’t need your opinions about our team. I am confident that claiming a first rank will be easy.”

“Ha! Not if you’re fighting me, Noctis,” Rennigan challenged, turning his eyes away from the smug Ryokumo and toward the person he had come to speak to in the first place. “And I certainly hope we do get to duel. I’ve always wanted to see what Master Viiro’s successor is made of. I’ve heard so many things, after all.”

“Then you’ll know that fighting me is the last thing you should hope for,” Nigreos countered darkly. “Now leave us. We were having a pleasant conversation that does not require your opinions.”

Rennigan shrugged causally then slipped his hands back into his pockets, as if deciding he was bored of the conversation anyway. “Very well. But I look forward to seeing your performance tomorrow. May this year be a successful one for us all.”

Then, before leaving, he glanced over at Abi, as if truly trying to recall if the Gail family was real or if he was being messed with. However, he didn’t seem to come to any conclusion, and instead clicked his tongue, glared at Ryokumo, then stalked off across the lawn. Album watched him go, knowing without a doubt that avoiding any further interaction with the man over the course of their schooling would be nearly impossible, especially after Ryokumo made such a mockery out of him, and that thought caused her to sigh in annoyance.

Yup. He was just as arrogant and irritating as Nigreos told me he was.

“Well, he was certainly a massive cunt,” Ryokumo commented with a chuckle. “Truly, Nigreos, I do hope we end up facing him, for kicking that ugly smirk off of his face would be quite therapeutic, I think.”

Nigreos put his face in his hands then regarded Ryokumo dubiously. “Perhaps. But do me a favor, Caeli. Don’t antagonize him. As much as I do think that was entertaining, it’s just not worth it.”

“Oh, I beg to differ,” he countered. “Sometimes, pricks like him need to be humbled a bit, and those who are raised to be proper hardly ever know how to react to vulgarity.”

Album stared up at Ryokumo for a few seconds, realizing that he might be somebody they would need to keep a close eye on before he pissed off the wrong person and embarrassed the team. She then glanced back at Abi to see what she made of the man, only to find her partner staring after Rennigan with a confused expression, though Album didn’t have the first clue what in that interaction could have confused her.

***

After the celebration came to a close, Ryokumo and Nigreos bid goodnight to the women before making their way up to their dorm room on the fourth floor of the first year tower. Soon enough, they were back in the cozy room with nothing left to do but get some rest and mentally prepare themselves for the following day. Overall, Ryokumo was quite pleased with his luck, for Nigreos and Album would certainly be beneficial to have at his side. He couldn’t have asked for anybody better to serve his interests than the children of Noctis and Luz. Their influence both in Erika and beyond would surely come in handy someday and so he was determined to make lasting relationships with them both.

And then there’s Miss Abi, he thought with a grin, recalling what Nigreos had told him on their way back to the dorm.

Ryokumo, who was lying on his bed on the left side of the dorm bedroom, turned his head to the right and gazed at Nigreos, who was sitting on his own bed and reading through a book he had produced from the suitcase that had since been delivered to them.

“So, Nigreos,” Ryokumo began, drawing the man’s attention away from his reading and toward him. “This Abigail girl. You told me Master Edwar Grunly was interested in her, and that he’s the one who gave her a letter to get her into the Academy. I understand that she’s a brilliant healer, but do you know what her combat abilities are like?”

Nigreos considered the question for a moment before shaking his head. “No, I don’t. Everything I heard came from my father, but Master Grunly has been away for the last few months, so most of what piqued his interest is still uncertain. All I know is that she somehow managed to craft a Nolaria-curing spell, and at such a young age, that’s impressive as hell. She might be a commoner…” He paused and smirked to himself. “But I’m not about to judge her for that. She’s special—of that I am certain.”

“Yes, I feel the same way,” Ryokumo agreed. “Even just speaking to her tells me that she isn’t your normal mage. Perhaps being from such a low status will provide her with a perspective that will differ from the cocky pricks of this city.”

As he spoke, the visage of Rennigan Glaus entered his thoughts, and while the man’s words didn’t bother Ryokumo, he knew that the condescending stare he was given upon revealing his heritage would be a common occurrence during his time at the school. Rennigan simply represented what he expected would be commonplace, and he was determined to use orientation to prove that he was not only strong enough to stand among these people, but that he could even surpass them.

And with Nigreos, Album, and Abi at my side, I feel confident that I’m set up perfectly. Now we just need to claim ourselves that first rank.

“Tomorrow,” Ryokumo murmured. “It all rides on tomorrow…so let’s kick some ass, yes?”

Nigreos grinned, already back to his reading. “Yes. Let’s kick some ass.”