Chapter 96: In a Rush To Return

Everett opened his eyes after a series of shakes seized his body.

The first thing he sees is the dusty brown of the knightmarish realm he had been abandoned in.

He can tell that he’s on horseback now that he is a bit more alert. His eyes pick up the sight of blue flames licking at a white coat.

However, he cannot see anything more. Every attempt he makes to turn his head is excruciatingly painful.

“Hello..!” He calls weakly. “Guys..!”

To his right, he hears a gasp and a familiar feminine voice.

“Friend Everett has awakened! I am glad that you are not dead so that we may have many more glorious adventures together.”

Everett groans as he closes his eyes again. “You’re.. really chipper considering the hellscape we’re rotting away in…”

“Why would I not be joyful?? I have a glorious new sword that fits my nature, I have asserted my dominance over many foes in my time here, and our group has grown to form even stronger bonds of friendship! You will not believe what we have learned as of late!”

“Nila, I feel like I’m going to shit blood right now, so if you don’t mind waiting to…”

“Dakota is a girl! Is that not wonderful?!”

Everett hears a voice he almost doesn’t recognize to his left.

“I-I fear I do not truly understand why you are so excited about this development..”

“Is it not obvious?? I am no longer the only girl!”

“Wait…” Everett said drunkenly. “Dakota’s a girl..? Nice… I was really questioning myself for a while there.”

Dakota and Nila blink as if they have no idea what he means. At the head of the herd, Solomon can only shake his head.

“Glad to see your lust is still healthy, my friend. If we are lucky, you may yet live long enough to act on it again.”

“Woo-hoo…” Everett weakly raises his unbroken arm. “So what do you say, D..? Wanna get a bit more properly acquainted when we get back to school?”

Dakota tilts her head. “Do we not know each other well enough already…?”

“He is alluding to a desire to have sexual intercourse with you.” Nila responds matter-of-factly.

“You could say it with a little bit more tact…” Everett complains.

“There is nothing tactful about mashing bodies together. Unless it is a bare-handed fight between warriors, it serves no purpose.”

“Spoken like someone who’s never busted a nut…”

“I do not even like peanuts, you winged vermin!”

Sometimes, Solomon truly felt like he was leading a group of dim-witted children. He was unsure of how he felt about these individuals being his sole acquaintances in the Academy.

“Enough. Everett, stop talking. We gave you both of the trolls’ cores to keep you alive, but it’s a temporary solution at best. You need a healer, so conserve your strength until we can get you to one.”

“No problem, boss… Gonna… take another nap.” Everett’s eyes begin to flutter shut.

“Absolutely not.” Solomon roars. “We’re almost at the city, just hold on!”

“Sure thing, boss…” Everett holds up his thumb.

He attempts to move his body once again, only to realize this time that something is holding him down.

“Did you guys… tie me to a horse?”

“It was the best way to keep you from jostling around.” Dakota answers. “We did not want to further aggravate your injuries.”

“Aw… You take such good care of me, hot stuff.”

“You’ve known she was a girl for all of five seconds and you’re already harassing her…” Solomon sighs. “At this point, I’m surprised you just didn’t do it sooner… and what did I say about talking!?”

“If you want me to stay awake, I’m going to need something to focus on…”

Everett tries to lift his head again, and this time, he actually manages to turn and face Dakota. Though this action does not come without some serious aches and pains.

“Hey, D… If you were a girl this whole time, how come we didn’t notice when we took those fitness examinations at the beginning of the year?”

Solomon and Nila blink as if this is the first time they have thought of such a thing as well.

They glance at their raven-haired companion, making her lower her head shyly.

“I… had a bit of an arrangement with the Dean. In exchange for giving him the secret arts of my family, he said that he would help me keep my secret. I did not take the examination with all of you. I simply slipped into the room after you were all allowed to put your clothes back on.”

Solomon tried to ignore the series of alarm bells going off in his head.

“You… are close with the Dean?”

Dakota shakes her head. “He recognized my movements during the banquet on our first night. He approached me to confirm the theory, and… i was honest. Though I’m not sure why…”

Solomon clenches his jaw.

Underneath him, his horse seemingly acknowledged his rage, as the flames of it’s hooves became noticeably brighter.

Perhaps now, it was settling in for Solomon that he needed to be a lot more careful.

Any misstep of his could end with too much of his business reaching the wrong ears.

–

The city that Vergil had talked about was surprisingly upscale for a land of savages.

There were paved roads, a thriving market with many different races attending, and homes that seemed to have been designed by a very skilled artisan.

The riders approached a set of red city gates that stood nearly as tall as an adult giant.

Their horses galloped over the wooden bridge as a unit. As soon as they crossed the threshold, the eyes of a great number of people were upon them.

“Is there a healer among you?! Please, we require your assistance!”

A figure in a black robe stepped out of the crowd, his hands clasped behind his back, and an air of superiority surrounding him.

He wore the insignia of an academy instructor. Pulling his thin lips into a smile, he brought his hands together in a round of applause.

“Well done, Group 3. You are the second group to get back here. It is an achievement you should commend yourself for.”

Solomon’s eyes glowed an inhumanely dark orange.

“I said… we need a healer. One of my men is critically injured.”

The instructor’s smile was replaced with a sneer.

He looks past Solomon and stares at Everett with a scientific glare.

“…They seem as though they can survive until we make it back to the Academy. Transportation has already been arranged, so make your way to the rift and return posthaste.”

Solomon speaks through gritted teeth. “That won’t cut it. His arm is broken, his ribs are in shit condition, and he can’t even stand on his own…!”

“Then you shouldn’t be wasting any time talking to me, should you..? And without proper honorifics, no less. I’ve half a mind to throw you back to the trolls with a bow wrapped around your neck. Take your feeble associate and go.” The instructor waved them away dismissively.

Solomon’s nostrils flared.

A sickening anger settled in his stomach, slowly turning itself into a rolling heat that spread throughout his body.

Clenching his teeth, he gets down from his horse, and the girls do the same.

Their mounts sink into the ground, coming to a rest in the shadows around their feet.

Meanwhile, they work together to untie Everett before helping him get to his feet.

Once the horse disappears, Nila and Dakota sandwich him between them to support him.

“You know… I had a dream like this once.” Everett jokes half-heartedly. “Though… there were a lot less clothes… and we were in a bathtub.”

Nila shakes her head. “Be silent, friend Everett… We must get you back before your injuries worsen.”

The girls begin leading Everett towards the rift in the sky.

Solomon follows behind them quietly, his fists clenched so tightly that he feels his bones groan.

His anger will not fade. He cannot swallow it. Cannot overlook it.

Before he walks away, he summons his sword in less than the blink of an eye.

He swings his weapon at the knee of his opponent, his eyes lost to the madness.

Nila and Dakota look back too late to stop him, their faces contorted in horror.

However, before travesty strikes, a blur passes Solomon’s face, and the entire market hears the sound of metal striking something hard.

When his eyes refocus, he is staring at the old, displeased face of master Abel.

“…What do you think you’re doing, cadet? Is this how you behave toward your instructors?”

Solomon’s body is no longer acting on autopilot due to his anger, but that doesn’t mean he has become rational again.

He looks past master Abel, and glares back at a furious instructor.

“I thought it was only fair that since my companion’s injuries were dismissed so casually that the favor be returned fourfold..! Let’s see you make it back to the academy with only one good leg!”

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