章 53: Compromise

"Seriously...?" asked Ohta, staring at Will as if the latter had grown a third eye or an extra head. "I get that you're dumb, but you can't seriously be considering dropping everything and traveling South. The things going on there have nothing to do with you."

"I was being rhetorical," excused Will, shrugging. He also knew it wouldn't make sense for him to leave the Academy, but the name 'Desert Rose' had struck a chord with him. It was the name of the slave-turned-gladiatorial champion that he had read about a few months prior, causing him to think of Z. It could be a coincidence or the machinations of whatever being was responsible for their circumstances, but the only way to know for certain was to check things for himself.

"What aren't you telling me...?" asked Ohta, narrowing his eyes accusingly. He had been shadowing and practically living with Will for three, going on four months, so he could tell when the latter was footing around an issue, like when he shot down them signing up for the swim team and refused to explain why.

"Quite a lot," joked Will.

"You know what I mean..." growled Ohta, his expression morphing into an annoyed deadpan.

Shaking his head, Will assured, "Relax. Even if I decide to go, I won't ask you to accompany me. I'm just bringing it up now so you won't be caught off guard."

"Then what about the people you're sponsoring?" asked Ohta, making it clear who he was actually concerned about by appending, "If you're not here, everything falls apart, and there's nothing to guarantee that Tim and Dori will be able to continue their training..."

"You think I haven't considered that?" asked Will, exhaling an amused but scoffing chuckle that caused Ohta to raise his right fist, silently promising violence if he didn't contain himself.

Raising his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, Will sported a cheeky smile as he explained, "Princess Lyra needs my support to actualize her dream. Our friends and allies are her potential supporters, so she should pick up the slack in my absence. If not, there's my brother..."

Lowering his hands, Will's expression became marginally more serious as he revealed, "If that's not enough, I've been setting aside a portion of the funds I've requested from my family and Eastwarden. If you would rather cut and run with Tim and Dori in tow, even half would more than cover the expenses you need to settle somewhere remote."

"You know Tim would never accept that..." Ohta muttered, pouting as he exhaled audibly from his nose.

"I've thought about that as well," affirmed Will, the corners of his smile curling upward as he explained, "If I send word to my Mother, I imagine she would greet you personally at the entrance of Oirthearhall. We both know Tim plans to serve my family as a Knight once he graduates. What he's failed to consider is that his attendance at the Academy isn't strictly necessary to achieve that goal."

"..."

Feeling that Will had played him, Ohta's right eye twitched as he fought the urge to flip the former's desk, grab him by the ankles, and grind his crotch beneath his heel...

"What's with that look?" asked Will, pointing out, "I didn't deceive them nor you. I'm only offering to send them to Oirthearhall because there is a non-negligible chance I could die on my journey. Before, it was better to have them train and familiarize themselves with Eastwarden since that is most likely where they'll be employed post-graduation."

"..."

Releasing the tension in his body, Ohta crossed his arms and asked, "Why do you even need to escort those two brats? You're loaded. Just teleport them where they need to go."

"Because I want to check on something and maybe enter a few of the Dungeons Deisceart is famous for," excused Will, speaking truthfully. He had wanted to try entering a Dungeon from the moment he learned about them, but his Mother would never allow him to enter the one nearest their estate.

"Why?" asked Ohta, reiterating, "You're already loaded, and if you just want to fight powerful monsters, there's no need to venture into enemy territory. You're going to get yourself killed."

"It's certainly possible," admitted Will, causing Ohta's face to scrunch in annoyance.

"I really hate you sometimes..." grumbled Ohta, uncrossing his arms and turning as if he were about to leave. Before doing so, however, he turned to glance at Will over his shoulder, adding, "Your death would cause a lot of problems for a lot of people...so if you do decide to go, let me know. I'll make sure you make it back in one piece..."

"I understand," replied Will, his expression softening as he added, "And thank you..."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..." grumbled Ohta, turning around and departing without further comment. In his wake, Will turned his chair sideways and reclined with his hands folded atop his stomach, a faint smile adorning his face. He wasn't surprised by Ohta's decision to accompany him should he decide to go, but it made him happy...

...

With news of what had transpired in the South circulating throughout the Academy, Aisha was in a worse mood than usual. She found it a lot harder to remain focused in class, and since she hated cleaning and keeping the grounds of the Academy, she was one snide or teasing remark away from assaulting someone.

"Your ears are drooping," remarked Will, approaching Aisha near the end of her sword dance. They shared Guided Training lessons from 6~9 AM, six days a week, so he had a pretty good idea of when she was nearing her limit and needed a break.

Ceasing her dance, Aisha, panting heavily, stared at Will with a mix of anger, confusion, and mild curiosity as she asked, "What...do you want...?"

"How are you holding up...?" asked Will, proferring forth a canteen of ice cold water.

Alternating her gaze between Will's face and the canteen, Aisha frowned but eventually accepted it, staring at the container's opening for several seconds before bringing her lips to it and chugging nearly the entire thing in a single go.

Pulling out a towel next, Will added, "I know how frustrating it can be to hear about terrible things happening in your homeland and being unable to do anything about it."

"I don't need your consolation..." muttered Aisha. But, as she had already accepted the canteen, she exchanged it for the towel, using it to wipe her face, neck, and exposed shoulders as she asserted, "The Sultana will be found, and those responsible for the attack will be hunted to the ends of Andora..."

"Then try and cheer up," said Will, adopting a faint smile as he turned to depart.

"Wait..." muttered Aisha, causing Will to stop and face her by half-turning his body.

"What's up?" asked Will.

"You interrupted my training," accused Aisha, averting her eyes. "You have an obligation to help me make up for the time you wasted..."

"Sure," responded Will, fully turning around and holding out his left hand, his right held behind his back as he adopted a relaxed smile and made a come-hither gesture. Then, for the remainder of their morning lessons, he permitted Aisha to vent until she was completely tuckered out, resulting in her falling asleep the moment they started homeroom...

...

"It's rare for you to request a meeting," hummed Lyra, looking pleased as she inhaled the pleasant aroma of Will's tea. In reality, he had never been the one to request a meeting, so she was equal parts nervous and excited to be drinking tea with him alone.

"I wanted to speak with you privately," said Will. "Not that you can't share what we discuss with those you trust. It's just more...convenient when it's the two of us..."

"In other words, you intend to ask me a favor," mused Lyra, setting down her cup of tea, crossing her left leg over her right, and linking her hands together atop her knee as she said, "Let's hear it," with a confident smile.

"Depending on how events play out in the coming weeks or months, I may leave the Academy for Deisceart..." Will revealed, causing Lyra's eyebrows to rise and her eyes to blink in surprise.

"May I ask the reason?" questioned Lyra, taking the opportunity to point out, "You're aware that a growing number of people are attempting to pin the blame for what transpired in Deisceart on the Oirthear Constellation, correct? If your intentions are discovered, it will exacerbate the situation."

"I have reasons of my own but will only go if two of my classmates, Aisha and Azir, choose to return home," explained Will. "As for the favor...I want you to absorb those I've taken under my wing. You don't have to finance them, but if you can keep them from being swallowed up in my absence, I would greatly appreciate it..."

Crossing her arms, Lyra replied, "I would have readily accepted such a proposal under ordinary circumstances, but I can't in good conscience abide by your decision to leave the Academy. You're very powerful, Will, but there's only so much a Practitioner can accomplish independently. If you can't provide a reasonable explanation, I may have to take action to prevent your departure..."

"I won't fault you for trying," said Will, adopting a confident smile as he calmly asserted, "But if I'm serious about leaving, there is little that can stop me."

"You truly are a troublemaker..." remarked Lyra, closing her eyes and exhaling a faint sigh through her nose. She felt it would be a tremendous mistake to let Will leave the Academy, but if she took action to stop him, it would jeopardize her chances of winning his favor and support. His words made it seem like he wouldn't hold a grudge, but humans were rarely such rational creatures...

"And what do I get out of this exchange...?" asked Lyre, opening her eyes and adopting a serious, businesslike demeanor.

"Leverage," responded Will, clarifying, "I'm the type who remembers my friends and always repays my debts. Do this for me, and if you ever need my help with something, it's yours, no questions asked."

"It would be easier to convince me if you offered me a place at your side," countered Lyra, adopting a faint, playful smile. "Then I could rest assured, knowing I would have your support..."

"Then, how about this..." said Will, causing Lyra to freeze like a statue as he stated, "I have no intention of getting engaged, but if I am to marry in the future, it will be to you."

With a blush that rose from her neck, spread throughout her face, and into her ears, Lyra gazed at Will, unmoving, for several seconds. She felt it was a little strange for him to specify 'if' he were to marry, but the fact he had agreed caused the cogs in her brain to grind to a halt...

"What?" asked Will, grinning as he remarked, "You're a good, capable person, more than qualified to manage the estate of Eastwarden. Just keep in mind that I don't intend to marry until I turn twenty. We can set things in motion by getting engaged after graduation, but I don't want to be tied down while I'm still in my teens..."

Realizing that Will was serious, Lyra reached up to massage the heat and tension out of her cheeks. Doing so knocked the glasses off her face, but that was the least of concerns at that exact moment. Her biggest concern was the boy seated across from her, sporting an amused smile. After that were her friends, each of whom had expressed at least a middling desire to be Will's future wife and Lady...

'Claire and Delphina are going to kill me...' thought Lyra. But, at the same time, she couldn't help feeling a tinge of gratification. Despite her status and bloodline, she often felt lacking compared to delicate and beautiful girls like Delphina and, more recently, Alessandra. The fact someone as desirable as Will had chosen her left Lyra feeling like she had achieved a great personal victory...

...