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n

n“Tch… You have one minute to explain yourself,”

nI lifted my foot off his stomach and let him have just a few seconds to catch his breath before pulling him up by his hair and placing him on his knees.

nI then crouched down to his eye level and waited for him to start talking.

nAs he massaged his sore torso, he finally began to talk.

n“N-None of what you said was my fault… I-I was just ordered to survey you since you were the one that made Bella’s childhood hell,”

n“Oh, that kid, huh? So, what happened to her?” I asked as I was a bit intrigued by the aftermath of disappointing such a large family.

n“W-why should I tell yo- eek, fine, fine,”

nMy glare was more than enough for him to give in instantly, but just as he was about to talk again, a familiar face appeared beside me.

n“Hey… what the ** are you doing here?”

nIt was the same Boisgeze kid from before, and I think if I remember correctly, his name was Lyle or something like that.

n“I said answer me!” Lyle shouted, but just as he was about to punch the boy’s stomach, I caught his arm and gripped it so hard that my fingernails dug into his skin.

n“Don’t touch him, and don’t be an idiot,” I said, and he clicked his tongue after feeling my hand unwrap around his arm, allowing him to leave silently but a mind brewing with anger.

nAs soon as he disappeared from our sight and I couldn’t sense his presence anymore, I returned my gaze back to the pink-haired boy.

n“Alright, finish up,”

n“B-Bella was put under immense pressure from her family and was almost banished, but she managed to turn around by surviving her punishment which was essentially torture and regaining her position within the family… but this time, it was without the help of her father,”

n“You’re making me excited,” I muttered with a sadistic smile, and the boy shivered before shuffling backward.

n“W-Well, if you’re hoping for somebody to hate, I doubt you’ll have that. You humbled her so much that I didn’t even recognize her at first,”

n“So, you’re close with her? Boyfriend? Friend? Fiance?”

nIt was pretty common for kids to be engaged as early as fifteen in this city in order to establish good relationships with other families.

n“I was one of her closest friends… I still hate you, and even if you beat me up for saying that, I don’t care. You put her through so much that even the physical scars won’t disappear….” The boy said with glaring eyes.

n“Hmmmmm… That’s interesting… Then, I doubt it was her who sent you to watch me as you’re one of her closest friends, so who sent you?” I asked, and the boy’s face paled.

nHe just began to realize that I had been manipulating the conversation as we spoke in order to gain information that he might’ve not directly told.

n“You’re just like Bella explained… *sigh*… I’m sure you’ll kill me if I don’t say anymore… It was my father. He was interested in the kid who ruined Bella’s life, but it took quite a while to actually find you since you have absolutely nothing. You’re not even registered in the city’s citizen book… How did you even enter the school? There was even a blank seven years in your school record… I have so many questions,” He said.

n“If there’s anything worse than knowing too little, it is knowing too much,” I said with a smile, and the boy shivered once again.

n“Alright, I’m satisfied with your answer. Plus, are you really going to let the Humblecrest family push your father and mother around like that? You’re basically their lackeys,”

n“H-How do you know that-“

n“Are you? Are you really? Come on, is the Lunarscar family only good at recon? Can they only survive by sucking up to that family while also trying to build power behind their back? I know you’re with the Bonebloom family, but do you really have to rely on them as well? Is your family… really that weak?”

nThe boy’s face crumpled with anger as he clearly fell for my taunt.

n“Shut the hell up! You don’t know anything about our family and how much we’ve suffered just to gain a sliver of power within this continent! Do you know how much we had to sacrifice just to be invited to the Meeting of Roses!”

n“I don’t… and I don’t care,” I said, and he went to go and punch me in the face, but as he was so slow, I managed to slam him with my fist way before he could even touch me.

nBAM

nHe was sent flying backward, and his back hit the brick wall behind him.

n“It’s a bit disappointing… Is this all the Lunarscar family has to offer?” I muttered as I slowly walked away.

nTo be honest, his illusionary skills were amazing since I didn’t even realize it was a fake until he tossed his sickles up into the air, and they disappeared at the peak.

nFindir lets his sickles drop a bit before removing them from the air, and I don’t think there is any particular reason as to why he does it, but it’s pretty noticeable if you watch him fight and finish a match.

nOh, I also forgot about that one-minute rule… well, whatever.

n…

n“Where’d you go?” The old man asked while crossing his arms.

n“I went to go talk with some friends,”

n“Alright, then you should’ve expected to finish your workout, right?”

n“Of course,”

n“Then double it while you’re at it. Plus, you’re not getting any lunch… NOW FUCKING GET TO IT!”

nI sighed before proceeding with my training regime while watching my friends all spar against each other.

nIt was a three-way spar where they were practicing shifting their bodies behind each other in order to make the other two fight while they took picks off them at the same time.

nFindir was doing the best since he was the fastest, but Cy and Aisa were catching up pretty close to him.

nOkay… a few more weeks left.

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