My Second Chance In Life In Another World

CHAPTER 55: TENSION IN CLASS

I woke up due to the sound of the ringing bell. Normally, I would be awake before the bell started to ring, but perhaps I'm too tired from attending two different classes yesterday. My body needs more rest.

Today marks the third day of the second week at Drei Academy. I followed my usual routine: taking a shower, preparing my things, and then waking up the others.

The four of us headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. As we entered, the familiar scene welcomed us, but because we were a bit late today, our usual spot had been taken by other students who arrived first.

"You can go ahead and order. I'll find us a spot. Just get something for me, and I'll pay you back later," I said, then set off to search for a table.

I couldn't spot Chris' group, so maybe they had already finished breakfast. While lost in thought, someone covered my eyes from behind.

"Guess who?" asked a female voice playfully.

From her voice alone, I could tell it was Miss Fia, but I wondered why she was doing this.

"Miss Fia," I said, and she removed her hands.

"You're good! How did you know?" she inquired, curious about how I recognized her.

"Well, your voice is so distinctive that I can recognize it even without seeing you," I replied.

"Is that so? Alright, next time, I won't speak," she teased with a smile.

Next time? Did she not have a sense of personal space? We had only met yesterday, but she acted like we were lifelong friends. Nonetheless, it wasn't a bad thing to be acquainted with the academy's top-ranked magician.

"So, what brings you over?" I asked, knowing she wouldn't approach just anyone to cover their eyes and guess her identity.

"Oh, I just wanted to let you know that we, the fifth-years, will be your instructors again today," she revealed.

"Eh? Is Instructor Refu that busy?" I asked, as he had been absent for two consecutive days.

"Well, you see..." She hesitated for a moment, deciding whether to divulge the reason.

After a brief pause, she leaned in closer and whispered into my ear, "Almost all the instructors are occupied today investigating this so-called fighting ground."

Fighting ground? Isn't that where Alad took Crestia?

"What's with this fighting ground?" I whispered back.

"That place is illegal, where students are made to fight with real swords and place bets on the outcomes. When the principal learned about it, he mobilized all the instructors to investigate and apprehend those involved," she explained, still speaking in hushed tones.

That explained why the instructors were busy. I hoped they would discover the fighting ground and, if possible, apprehend Alad as well.

As I pondered these thoughts, Miss Fia ceased whispering and took a step back.

"Will, do you know anything about it?" she asked, noticing my deep contemplation.

Perhaps my expression had given away that I knew something.

"No, it's just that I think I've heard of that place before, but I can't recall when or where," I replied.

"Is that so? Well, let me know if you remember anything; it might aid the investigation," she suggested.

"Yeah, I'll do that," I agreed with a smile.

"Alright then, I'll take my leave now. See you later, Will," she said, walking towards the cafeteria's exit.

"See you later, Miss Fia," I replied.

Afterward, I remembered that my conversation with Miss Fia had taken longer than expected. My friends, who had already ordered, were waiting at one of the vacant tables.

I joined them, and all three of them had puzzled looks on their faces.

"Care to explain?" Tork asked.

"Yeah," I answered and proceeded to recount what had transpired with Miss Fia. However, I hide the part about her being acquainted with my father.

"So your teacher is the top-ranked magician?" Tork exclaimed in an exaggerated tone.

"Yeah, that's right, but you're overreacting," I responded, and we all shared a laugh.

"But if your relationship is just that of teacher and student, why do you seem much closer?" Raiden asked, displaying his keen perception.

"I can't quite understand it either. Maybe she's just excited to have a new student," I speculated.

"Is it that simple? Well, it doesn't matter. Let's eat; the bell is about to ring, and we've wasted enough time already," Raiden suggested, and the four of us began our meal.

We finished just in time; the bell rang as we concluded breakfast, prompting us to head to the training field. Tork parted ways with us, heading to the magic classrooms.

The three of us arrived at the training field on time, but Instructor Gord was absent. Instead, the fifth-year students were there.

"Good morning, everyone. We've been tasked with overseeing your training in place of Instructor Gord, who has an urgent matter to attend to," announced Leonardo Moon, the ace swordsman at the academy.

"The sixteen of us will be teaching you, pairing each of you with a fifth-year student. The other fifth-year students are assisting first-year students who haven't yet activated their swordsmanship skills," added Hans, the top-ranked swordsman at the academy, known as "the Joker."

"Now, let's form pairs and begin the lesson immediately," Leonardo instructed.

"Choose your partners! Just so you know, the sixteen of us are the top swordsmen among the fifth-years, just as you are among the first-years. You don't need to worry about who's teaching you; we're all strong, much stronger than any of you," Hans chimed in.

"Let's pair up!" Alad said, the person I least wanted to partner with.

"I'm sorry, but I already have someone in mind," I replied, walking away.

"Eh? Is it acceptable to turn down your senior? I reached out to you first; isn't it disrespectful to refuse me?" he protested.

"I apologize, but I really have someone in mind," I reiterated and continued to distance myself. However, he suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he snapped in annoyance, drawing the attention of everyone.

Only one person seemed unfazed by the commotion.

"You're Will, right?" the unbothered man asked, addressing me without acknowledging Alad.

"Leonardo, fuck off; I was the first to approach him," Alad snapped, no longer caring about his choice of words.

"Will, partner with me," Leonardo said, completely ignoring Alad's protests.

"Alright, let's pair up," I agreed immediately, as I considered Leonardo to be a better choice than Alad.

"Hey! I said he's pairing with me!" Alad exclaimed, now visibly angered.

"Alad! Don't cause any disturbances during class!" Hans shouted, surprising everyone with his sudden outburst. Alad reluctantly backed down.

"Now that everyone has a partner, let's begin the swordsmanship class," Leonardo declared. And so, the swordsmanship class began, with Leonardo as my partner.