Aiden and the others entered the academy, quickly dispersing to their respective classes without a word. Just as Aiden was about to enter his classroom, he hesitated, then turned away from the door. Peter, who had been watching, stepped forward to stop him.
"Yo, where are you going?" Peter asked.
"I'm heading to the library. I'll be back," Aiden replied, continuing down the hallway in the direction of the library.
Pelia turned to Peter, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Curiosity is getting the better of me. We should follow him."
Peter nodded in agreement, and the two of them trailed behind Aiden from a distance.
As Aiden walked, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Daniel Lanchester and his friends were heading straight for him, their path intersecting in the middle of the hallway.
Aiden let out a low groan. "Not this guy again."
Daniel's smile grew wider as he approached Aiden. Aiden sighed, his patience wearing thin.
"You're the least of the things I need to deal with right now. Please leave me alone," Aiden said, his tone firm but controlled.
Daniel, however, seemed to take pleasure in pushing Aiden's buttons. He reached out and gave Aiden a slight push on the chest, causing Aiden to stumble backward slightly.
"You want to deal with me? How?" Daniel asked, his voice dripping with amusement, as his friends chuckled in unison.
"You know I would've come across you during the hunt, but I got too excited about it... and now I want you to praise me and my group for what we did," Daniel said, his grin growing wider.
One of his friends grabbed Aiden's arm, holding him in place. "I'll show you my team members, and you'll praise them willingly," Daniel continued, his tone laced with entitlement.
"After all, the teachers aren't around to do anything, and even if they noticed what I did, they can't do anything because I'm..." Daniel paused, gesturing to one of his friends.
"A Lanchester, one of the great noble families in the Atlantian kingdom's history, possibly the entire world," his friend finished, a smug look on his face.
As students from the mage and healers class gathered to see what the commotion was about, Daniel's face broke into a wide smile.
"What's happening?" someone asked, while others whispered, "Wait, isn't that the student who got beaten up by Daniel last time?"
The murmurs and stares only seemed to fuel Daniel's amusement. Peter and Pelia, who had been watching from a distance, took a step forward, ready to intervene. However, Rhea suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stopping them.
"When did she...?" Pelia trailed off, surprised.
Rhea's expression was calm and knowing. "Just let them do whatever they want. Aiden knows what to do."
Peter and Pelia exchanged a glance, seeming to reevaluate the situation.
Meanwhile, Daniel continued, his voice loud and clear. "The ones who joined my team for the Yaijuu hunt, please raise your hands. Aiden here has something to say to you."
Aiden's response was unexpected - he chuckled, a low, smooth sound that seemed to catch Daniel off guard.
"How about I fight you right here, right now? How does that sound?" Aiden asked, a smile spreading across his face.
Daniel's grin faltered for a moment before he regained his composure. He signaled to his friend, who was holding Aiden's arm, and the friend stepped back.
The surrounding students began to murmur among themselves. "Wait, is he going to actually fight Daniel? He's the second-strongest in the unranked warrior's class."
"I heard that kid is at the bottom of the unranked warrior's record."
"His name is Aiden... Oh yeah, Aiden."
The murmurs grew louder, and Aiden raised his voice to be heard. "Wonderful. Space out, everyone."
Daniel's smile returned, and he said, "We'll fight in the training hall. That rings a bell, doesn't it?"
Aiden nodded, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Yeah, the place where you beat me to a pulp."
Richard burst out laughing at Aiden's challenge to Daniel. "Is this guy insane? What makes him think he can best Daniel?" he said, expecting Alexa and Fredrick to join in. However, they remained stoic.
"Wait, why aren't they finding this funny?" Richard wondered, his laughter dying down.
"At least this will teach him a lesson," Alexa said, her tone matter-of-fact.
"Aiden? I know, right?" Richard chuckled, expecting agreement.
But Fredrick and Alexa surprised him by saying in unison, "Daniel."
"Wait, what?" Richard's confusion was palpable.
Peter chimed in, "Okay, what Aiden suggested is crazy. He can't beat Daniel. Daniel might be arrogant, but he's strong – stronger than he was six months ago."
Pelia shot Peter a side-eye. "Sounds like you're praising him."
Peter shrugged. "I'm just stating facts."
Rhea smiled lightly, her arms folded across her chest. "He'll take him down. Believe me."
"I love this confidence of yours," Daniel said with a smile, walking alongside Aiden toward the training hall. "It's almost... adorable."
"Too bad it'll crush your spirit," Aiden replied, his smile mirroring Daniel's.
Daniel's smirk grew as they entered the large training hall, multiple students following closely behind to witness the confrontation. Aiden and Daniel stood on opposite sides, their eyes locked in a confident stare.
"This'll be interesting," Daniel said, a gleam in his eye. "How about this? The loser has to kiss the winner's boot every time they cross paths."
His friends nodded in agreement, while Fredrick and Alexa exchanged disbelieving glances.
"Wait, you guys actually think Aiden has a chance?" Richard asked, looking at Fredrick and Alexa as if they'd lost their minds.
Aiden's smile grew even wider when he heard Daniel's suggestion. "That's a good one. I accept."
"Cedric, are you seeing this?" Peter said, dragging Cedric toward him.
"Yes, Aiden will beat him," Cedric replied with a light smile.
Peter looked at Cedric incredulously. "What happened to your brain?" he asked, scanning Cedric's face as if searching for signs of sanity.
Aiden cracked his knuckles, and Daniel mirrored the action, their eyes locked in a fierce stare-down.
"After you, Peter... whatever comes next," Daniel said, his voice low and even, his fists clenched.
"Sure," Aiden replied with a smile, his eyes never leaving Daniel's.