บท 37: Invasive

"Ah! My friend! There you are...!"

As Will and Ohta were on their way back to their dorm, the familiar, tall, and remarkably burly figure of Ahmad called out to the former, waving his right hand excitedly overhead and smiling from within the crowd gathered along the promenade.

Not wanting to be trampled by the much larger youth, everyone between Ahmad and Will promptly moved out of the way, creating a channel for the former to pass.

Adopting a smile of his own, Will replied, "Son of Thrune. It's good to see you."

Feeling gratified by the fact that Will had remembered his lineage, the smile on Ahmad's face broadened. When he noticed Ohta, however, he relaxed a bit and asked, "And who is this little one?"

"Call me little again, and you're going to have a big problem..." retorted Ohta, defaulting to a half-lidded, standoffish demeanor.

"This is Ohta, a friend of mine," Will interposed, earning himself a glare as he added, "Don't let his stature fool you. He's probably the most powerful among the current First Years."

"Ah, now I remember!" exclaimed Ahmad, smacking his right fist into the open palm of his left hand. "You're the one who destroyed the summoning circle! They say that, despite your size, you possess the strength to rival a hundred!"

Unaccustomed to receiving praise, especially in such an earnest manner, Ohta slipped his hands into his jacket pockets and looked away to avoid Ahmad's smiling gaze, muttering, "Whatever..." in a sulky tone.

Having already introduced Ohta, Will took the initiative to introduce Ahmad next, gesturing to the Giant youth as he explained, "This is Ahmad, son of Thrune, and successor to the helm of Arracht. Assuming he proves himself worthy, of course."

Though he puffed out his barreled chest pridefully when Will first started introducing him, Ahmad deflated considerably near the end, rubbing the back of his head as he replied, "It's unfortunate that I was unable to make it into the Elite Class. But I am confident I will be welcomed into its ranks after demonstrating my capabilities in the arena."

"Oh? You're planning to enter the Duelist League...?" asked Will, not even remotely surprised but feigning shock and intrigue.

"Of course!" bellowed Ahmad, thumping his chest loudly as he declared, "I am a proud son of the sea, born and bread to surmount any challenge. No amount of setbacks will keep me from my goal!"

"Well, I wish you-" Will started, but his response was interrupted by a dull, snobbish voice lazily droning, "You're making a scene, and this is neither a theater nor a carnival. Move your act elsewhere."

Though the trim of Will's uniform and family crest were enough to deter most from seeking trouble with him, House Oirthear was far from the only influential family in the Astralis Kingdom. He and his brother were the only descendants from Great Constellations attending the Academy, but there were plenty from Asterisms associated with the Tuaisceart, Deisceart, and Iarthar Constellations(North, South, and West).

With windswept blonde hair, sharp blue eyes, and an aura of arrogance, traits common in the West, a student whose uniform denoted them as a Third Year approached Will's group, meeting the latter's gaze as he said, "Well, now. If it isn't the Gamma Star of the Oirthear Constellation. That explains the 'fowl' smell lingering in the air..."

"How curious. I didn't notice anything until you and your friends arrived," replied Will, grinning cheekily.

Frowning in disdain, the blonde-haired youth, backed by a group of five boys and two girls, revealed, "I am Erin Eridanus Cursa, Beta Star of the Cursa Asterism. I would say it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but I can see from the company you keep why Oirthear Constellation is gradually losing its prestige..."

"And yet you're able to act proud despite being inferior to us," retorted Will. "We must not be doing too terribly."

Snorting loudly, Erin raised his chin and asserted, "I'm able to conduct myself this way because-"

"Because you're encircled by your cronies, and the rules of the Academy prohibit me from beating the shit out of you on the spot," supplanted Will. "Otherwise, a hard-stuck Neophyte such as yourself would never dare to antagonize a Practitioner."

"Hmph! Trust an Oirthear to immediately resort to threats of violence," countered Erin. "Such...barbarity is the reason your family is gradually declining. The world is no longer a place where individual might reigns supreme. If you're planning to remain in the capital, it would behoove of you to at least feign civility..."

"By going around insulting and trying to incite others to inflate my ego?" asked Will, raising his voice for the benefit of the crowd as he appended, "Truly, your behavior is a testament to manners and refinement. You're not petulant, peevish, or even remotely patronizing..."

"Oh, wow!" exclaimed Erin, covering his mouth in feigned shock. "To think a day would come where an Oirthear has grasped basic alliteration! Truly, we live in a world of infinite possibilities...!"

Unable to contain himself, Will promptly burst out laughing in response to Erin's tit-for-tat riposte. He expected the youth to quickly lose his temper, but it was clear that someone had either told him not to escalate things to an exchange of blows or he understood things wouldn't end in his favor if they did.

Wiping a non-existent tear from his eye, Will ceased his laughter and said, "Well, this was entertaining. But, as it's clear to everyone here that you're all bark and no bite, I have better things to do than humor someone else's dog. Later, Beta Star of the Cur Asterism..."

"It's CurSA..." corrected Erin, his expression and tone layered with venom. Unfortunately for him, Will had already turned to depart, followed closely by Ohta and Ahmad. This infuriated Erin even further, but instead of trying to stop Will's group, he passed his gaze over the spectators, cowing them into looking away and dispersing before leaving with his own...

...

"Man, I do 'not' envy you..." said Ohta, breaking a lengthy silence that had hung over the group until they were well away from the crowd assembled on the promenade.

"Eh, I don't know about that. I'm sure you wish you could be at least a little taller," Will joked, earning himself a swift kick in the ankle.

"Don't think I won't beat the shit out of you!" exclaimed Ohta, slipping his hands into his pockets and averting his eyes with a frown as he muttered, "I hate when people joke about my height..."

"Yes. I can see that..." replied Will, grinding his teeth as he willed the pain in his ankle to abate. Then, as they had reached the outside of their dorm, he turned to Ahmad and asked, "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

Waving his hand in front of his face, Ahmad replied, "No. I only followed you in case those seaweed-sucking dregs decided to pursue. I doubt the two of you need an escort, but even the mighty Arracht never sails bereft of its fleet."

"You're a good man," expressed Will, nodding in approval. "In that same vein, if that cur or his cronies come looking for trouble, don't be afraid to toss my name out or solicit my aid. Remember, Constellations are formed from many stars. If I learn you were injured because you refused to seek help, I will take it as an insult..."

"Then may the flow of fate bring us together to form a powerful stream!" exclaimed Ahmad, pumping his massive right fist. His culture didn't share the Astralis Kingdom's fixation with stars, but the meaning was the same when he proferred his fist to Will, beaming from ear to ear. They might not be brothers, but when Will readily reciprocated the gesture, they became bros from that moment onward. Meanwhile, Ohta couldn't help rolling his eyes, thinking, 'Great. Now there are two muscle-brained idiots...'

...

Using the excuse he couldn't really protect him if they were in separate places, Ohta made himself comfortable in Will's dorm, half-disappeared inside a beanbag-like chair with his eyes glued to a 'fantasy' novel. Unlike a traditional fantasy novel, however, the setting was a world where Magic, Mana, and Aura never existed. Instead, the story's inhabitants had built a utopia centered around spirituality and technology, resulting in everyone having comparable starting points and only becoming truly unique as they grew into the people they wished to become.

Stealing a glance at Will, who had been seated at his terminal for hours, Ohta deliberated before asking, "How much longer are you planning to sit there, staring at a screen? The banquet is in less than an hour."

"Unlike you, I just need to slip on my blazer, and I'm good to go," replied Will, half-turning to meet Ohta's gaze with a smile as he added, "There's also the option of simply skipping it. It's said to be mandatory, but they're not going to expel us if we fail to make an appearance."

Raising his brows, Ohta questioned, "Are you actively trying to piss off the Academy staff? There was also that stunt you pulled back at the entrance exam."

"It's more that I don't enjoy falling neatly into the plans of others," replied Will. "I've already explained this to you, but there are a lot of people who want me dead. Having a schedule that's easy to plan around makes their job a lot easier."

"But this is the Royal Academy," argued Ohta. "This place is like the third most secure place in the entire Kingdom. If an assassin could breach it so easily, the Academy's reputation would be ruined."

"Maybe if they were a typical assassin," Will admitted, narrowing his eyes every so slightly as he added. "But there are ways around everything. If, for example, a person were to agree to a Magic Contract that compelled them to forget its terms, they could become an unwitting pawn in a much grander scheme..."

"Are you accusing me of being an assassin or spy...?" asked Ohta, a deep frown marring his face.

"Highly improbable," replied Will, shaking his head. "You're much too high profile to be a plant. But you shouldn't discredit the possibility someone used a similar method to suppress your memories. Amnesia isn't exactly common, and you're much too strong to be a nobody."

Though he maintained his frown, Ohta's anger largely abated, replaced by frustration. He also found his amnesia to be deeply suspicious, but while his understanding of Magic, Curses, and Contracts was shallow, he knew it was virtually impossible to suppress a person's memories without their express consent. In other words, if his amnesia 'was' the result of a Magic Contract, the implication was that he relinquished them willingly...

"I wouldn't worry too much," said Will. "Generally speaking, Contracts that inhibit a person's memory have strict terms and must include an Execution Clause. This is usually a fixed date or an event that is virtually guaranteed to transpire, like a birthday or consuming a certain number of meals."

"You know an awful lot about Contract Magic..." remarked Ohta, staring at Will with half-lidded eyes.

"My Master isn't particularly fond of Demons, so she made sure I was well aware of the tricks they employ..." excused Will, simultaneously speaking the truth and lying. Leshien had, in fact, warned him about the hazards of associating with Demons, but much of his knowledge regarding Contracts was tied to his previous life.

"Regardless, my point is that your memories should return to you," added Will. "I don't know the condition for their return, but you must have agreed to it if, in fact, your amnesia is tied to a Contract."

"And if it's not...?" asked Ohta, a tinge of concern appearing in the depths of his eyes.

"Then you just move on with your life," replied Will, shrugging. "The fact you were allowed to enroll in the Academy suggests you're younger than fifteen. Most people could train for decades and never reach your current level, so even if your amnesia proves to be genuine, you're still in a better position than most. The fact we're having this conversation is a testament to that fact."

"Oh, please..." grumbled Ohta, rolling his eyes before returning his gaze to his book and adding, "Your ego is as broad as the sky..."

"But still not as broad as your forehead..." retorted Will, causing a visible tick mark to appear on Ohta's temple. His glossy forehead, half-hidden by his bangs, was another sore spot for him, so in response to Will's teasing retort, he threw his book, infused with Aura, with enough force to embed it into the wall...

...