I stayed on the bench for a minute, trying to recover from the psychological whiplash of being the dumbest guy in the most advanced room in the estate.
"So… no one's gonna kick me, huh?" I asked again, peeking one eye open.
"Don't tempt me," muttered Ciel, the guy who could mimic magic, shaking his head as he grinned while sipping water.
"Honestly, Noah," continued Erza, leaning forward, elbows on her knees. "You might not be the brightest bulb, but you're definitely the…strongest?"
"A glorified lamp," Dario snorted.
"Can I at least be a magic lamp?" I tried, pushing my luck.
"No," everyone said in unison.
"Shit—" I exclaimed, acting like I'd been wronged.
Still, the mood had shifted.
It wasn't sharp or cold anymore. There was that weird thing happening—what do you call it?
Camaraderie?
Brotherhood?
Unspoken dumbass solidarity?
I didn't know, but it certainly wasn't as bad and idiotic as I thought it would be.
