Kapitel 41: Oh, It's On, Aldaman, Pendragon
"Mister Aldaman and Mister Pendragon, I want you both out of my class this instant."
No explanation, no chance for redemption.
Just a straightforward command to leave, right there in front of everyone.
"Professor Ma—"
"Don't make me repeat myself, Mister Aldaman."
Aldrich wanted to at least try to explain, to come up with some excuse or reason.
It was clear she had already made up her mind, and nothing he said would get him out of this.
Reluctantly, he followed Dante, who was already making his way out of the classroom without so much as a second thought.
Dante didn't even try to protest.
"I want you both outside by the door and not a step further," Professor Mariana barked as she ushered them out.
Her tone wasn't exactly a bark. Aldrich assumed such because he was pretty pissed at her, but not pissed enough to do something as dangerous as trying to rebel on the spot.
It would spell doom in varying colours, both for the course, she is taking, and the rest of his life in the Institute.
He was irritated by the whole situation, yet knew enough to stay calm as he was powerless to do anything to change things.
"We'll have much to discuss in my office once the lecture is over," she added, her eyes locking on them as they exited the room.
Dante made himself comfortable, sitting on the floor of the hallway, completely unfazed.
His familiar egg was placed gently on the floor next to him, propped up so it wouldn't roll around.
'Of course, he wouldn't care. He has a photographic memory that can keep track of everything.' Aldrich thought bitterly.
It wasn't fair.
He had read through over a thousand chapters of the novel, and still, his knowledge paled compared to someone who could simply glance at something and remember it.
'Lucky prick,' Aldrich couldn't help but mutter under his breath, glancing at Dante, who was now trying to nap as though he hadn't a care in the world.
Looking through the glass window in the door, Aldrich saw the students inside, all diligently paying attention to Professor Mariana.
'Poor folks,' Aldrich mused. 'They have no idea that no matter how hard they study, they'll never be able to catch up to Dante.'
Aldrich felt his limitations in relatable circumstances as the rest.
If only he had that same memory ability, then maybe he wouldn't struggle to remember every little detail from those novels.
'Maybe if I had that ability, I wouldn't be in this mess.'
Dante, noticing Aldrich's lingering gaze, lazily turned his head and spoke.
"You'd better sit down. Standing won't do you any good."
Classic Dante advice.
He did have a point, though.
Professor Mariana wasn't the type to take back her decision once she made it.
Aldrich sighed, sitting down beside Dante, his back against the wall.
He let out a breath of frustration.
"That woman is a handful to deal with, isn't she?" Dante remarked, glancing over at Aldrich, who was still fuming. "Imagine not even giving us a chance to explain ourselves."
Aldrich let out a half-hearted laugh, shaking his head. "I know right? One would think she would at least hear us out, or even better, give us a warning before telling us to leave." Aldrich vented with Dante supporting along.
"Yeah, professors like her are the problem. They think Total no-nonsense, no exceptions are the way to a true education, but they are wrong," Dante muttered. He paused, considering his options.
"Hey, you know what? Forget her and the lecture. Let's get out of here and go to a PC room. There's a lot more fun to be had than just sitting here like ducks."
Aldrich was taken aback by Dante's suggestion. 'Is he crazy?' he thought.
"Did you not hear her? She told us to wait outside for after the lecture." Aldrich wasn't sure if Dante had heard her correctly.
No, her point was made clear enough for the rest of the class to hear. Dante just doesn't seem to care.
"Lecture takes how long? Two hours? Three? Four? And with that cranky professor in the room, how many hours do you think she's going to spend torturing them with her boring lecture?" Dante said with a smirk.
He had a point.
Cranky professors like Mariana had a way of dragging lectures on and on, making them feel like they would never end. But to skip out entirely?
Aldrich paused for a moment, considering the thought. 'What was I like back in school?'
After thinking it over, Aldrich realized how uptight he was being.
He tended to follow the rules, but right now, he wasn't sure it was worth it.
"Alright, screw it. Let's go,_ Aldrich said, finally relenting.
"Great!_ Dante grinned, his eyes lighting up. "We can use the facility's PC room. I heard they have the latest computers there."
Dante stood up and casually picked up his familiar egg with his left hand, holding it improperly, as usual.
Aldrich followed suit, getting to his feet and walking side by side with Dante.
"I hope you're ready to bring your A-game because trust me... I'm going to kick your ass like there's no tomorrow," Aldrich said with a grin, his competitive spirit rising.
Dante let out a mechanical laugh, not even bothering to look at Aldrich as they walked. "You wish, Aldaman. I could take you down with both hands tied behind my back."
"Oh, it's on, Pendragon. I'll easily take you down with my eyes closed and one leg around my neck," Aldrich countered with equal confidence.
"Ever heard the saying? 'Actions speak louder than words." Dante flashed a grin. "I won't waste my time with words anymore. My actions will speak for me."
"Fine," Aldrich said, determined to take on Dante's challenge. "It's on."
They continued walking down the hallway, their conversation lighthearted but filled with the energy of competition.
It wasn't about mystic abilities, academic prowess, or anything serious.
It was about pride. He would lose when it came down to book knowledge due to Dante's accurate memory. But when it came to gaming—Aldrich wasn't going to let his pride be crushed.
...
They reached the computing facility and sat down before the systems, the seats facing each other.
"So, what game are we talking here?" Dante asked, eager to start.
He was more than willing to let Aldrich choose the game, giving him the upper hand.
Aldrich, however, hesitated.
He had no idea what games this world played.
Copyright issues meant the author couldn't incorporate an already-known game, and he didn't want to pick something random.
Besides, the gaming world wasn't even mentioned much in the novel.
"Anything. You name it, and I'm ready," Dante said, leaving the choice entirely up to Aldrich.
Aldrich couldn't argue.
He was more than willing to accept whatever Dante suggested.
"What do you think about 'March Paradise'?" Aldrich asked, recalling the mention of a military-based game that seemed popular in this world.
"March Paradise? You mean that military-based game?" Dante's eyes lit up as he recognized the name.
"Yeah, that one," Aldrich said, confident they could make it work.
"Sure, I can play that," Dante said with a grin, clearly ready to get started.
"Great. Let's get this over with before that woman finishes torturing her class," Aldrich agreed.
With that, they dove into the game, their competition now set, the lecture and Professor Mariana forgotten for the moment.
Geschenke
-- Geschenk
erhalten Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein