Chapter 99: Sneaking In

Slowly, Nila and Dakota release Solomon.

As quiet, distressed shudders echo inside his ears, the young knight slowly gets onto one knee and places his hand on Everett’s shoulder.

“By the gods, what are you doing, man…? Get up.”

Everett doesn’t budge. His posture is like a weighted stone.

“…Why?”

“What do you mean, ’why’, you fool, you’re injured. I am certain this position must be excruciating on your body.”

“Why… Would you go that far for me…? You could have been killed.”

Solomon fought the urge to laugh. “Perhaps one day… You will know just how funny that is.”

“IS THIS A JOKE TO YOU!?”

Everett’s roar catches Solomon and the girls off guard.

The medical ward was mostly empty, save for the three of them.

There was no one else around to witness Everett’s breakdown, save for a single healer who couldn’t seem to care less.

“I hated you when we first met, did you know that…?” Everett says through clenched teeth. “You scared the piss out of me in that first exam, and then afterward, you were just acting like everything was completely normal…

I couldn’t stand it… You running around, excelling, giving me orders… I even debased myself into asking Declan to kill you.”

Everett looks up at Solomon, his face contorted with agony and immense self-loathing.

“So why… do you continue to be a friend to me even when I have done nothing to deserve it…?”

Even when Everett was at his absolute lowest, Solomon had never seen him in this poor a condition before.

Everett was a rougish, charming young man who always had something sarcastic to say, and never seemed to show any real trace of emotion.

His lust was already something well known among the first years, but admittedly, after the incident with the first-years, he had toned it down quite a bit.

Over the course of their working together in groups, Solomon had seen his friend work hard to transform himself into something greater than he had been.

Solomon felt a natural respect for people like that. Even if Everett was a bit rougher around the edges, he wasn’t a malicious person. And more than anything, he was loyal to a fault.

“…You’re being overly critical of yourself.” Solomon rubs the back of his head awkwardly. “Besides… I already have too much of the past haunting me. I’d like to let go of any grudges that I can when the opportunity presents itself. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but… I may have some slight anger issues.”

Everett scoffs. Dakota and Nila crack very small smiles.

Reaching out again, Solomon places his hands on Everett’s shoulders and helps him stand.

“Forget about everything else. You are my friend. And I do not let my friends die. There’s nothing else to dwell on.”

After getting his friend upright, Solomon points to one of the empty beds for injured students.

“Now go and sit. Before you ruin whatever has been done to fix you.”

Everett’s expression briefly tightens.

He wipes his face with his good arm, before dropping down to one knee.

“What the fuck did I just say-”

“I swear upon my name as the heir to the Deucalion Marquess… For the rest of my life, the house of the red lion will follow you to the ends of this realm, even if you intend to scorch the next. Let the divines know that this is a blood vow, and hold me to my commitment until I return to dust.”

Solomon blinks slowly.

“…Do you know what you’re saying right now?”

“I have known from the very beginning.” Everett answers instantly.

Solomon is aptly flustered. He knows not what to say or how he should react.

Shaking his head, he backs away and pushes open the doors.

“You’re the most dramatic injured person I’ve ever seen… Get some rest, youlittle imbecile.”

Solomon leaves as quickly as a gust of wind.

After he has gone, Everett looks back and forth between the door and his last two teammates.

“…He didn’t say no, right?”

–

Yari arranged the books on her desk impatiently as her students filed into her classroom.

“Everyone, settle down and be silent. You’ve all had a few off-days while I was unwell, so come in here prepared to work.”

A chill rushes up the spines of the students.

As they file into their seats, their faces are noticeably less colorful than they were just a few seconds ago.

Yari looks up from her desk after preparing all of her materials.

“Today, we’re going to be working on…”

Suddenly, her eyes catch sight of a late individual stepping through the doorframe and taking a seat at a desk in the front row.

Their eyes meet instantly, never breaking contact.

Yari feels her face warm as she remembers the last time she saw him in vivid detail.

It is almost detrimental to her sanity.

She is the first to look away, returning her attention to the items on her desk that cannot possibly become any more organized.

“Let’s, umm…Get started working on our spirit hats.”

A girl in the front row raises her hand. “…Instructor, don’t you mean ’hearts’?”

Yari swallows, realizing her blunder.

“Yes, yes, of course… My apologies, children, I must still be under the weather.” Yari rubs her brow. “Would someone care to assist me in preparing some materials for class today…?”

Unsurprisingly, no one looked all that thrilled about alone time with their infamously foul-tempered teacher.

“I can lend a hand, instructor.” Solomon stands up.

Yari bites her lip so that she does not smile. “Alright then… Don’t complain if it’s heavy.”

Stepping inside, Solomon barely has time to close the door before Yari is upon him.

She grabs him by his face and pushes him against the wall.”

“Wait.” Solomon stops her.

Yari pauses, but she looks embarrassed.

“O-Of course… Sorry, I was being a bit too-”

Solomon cups her face in his hands. “You’re not being mind-controlled this time, right?”

The elf blinks abruptly, before smiling beautifully.

“If I am… this time it is you who is responsible.”

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