It was right after we left the tower and we were walking behind one of the admins who was leading us out of the Forest of Truth.
I was fortunate Nero and his friends were walking infont of me.
At first I chose not to pay mind to them and focused on where I was going at that time. After a few minutes Tamia irrated me, since she was the only talking for those few minutes. Faizan just agreed to what she kept saying and Nero was not interested in the least, because he never said anything the whole time.
So I tried to walk past them and surprisingly this was when I heard everything.
"Yay yay Tamia." Faizan says with a sarcastic tome.
"Right." Tamia's face filled up with a big smile.
"Anyways…" Hearing that the atmosphere around them seemed to change.
"…Tell me something Nero. Why did you have to kill Victus when he tried to be nice to you?"
Both Nero and Tamia came to a stop, though they continued moving when they saw me walking behind them.
"Oh come on, didn't you hear what they said to me!" She shouted, however not to the point where her voice could be heard behind me nor infont of them.
"Am not talking about his brothers - am talking about Victus himself. All am asking is why did you have to kill him?"
A silence covered them for a moment before Nero laughed hysterically. At that moment I knew something was off and not from Nero's laughter rather by Tamia's shocked expression.
"Faizan better apologize." She said with a worried voice.
Even so that did not make Faizan from wanting to know the answer to his question.
"You know what I hate about you Faizan? Is the fact you act as if you are some sort of good guy."
To be honest when I first heard his voice for the first time my eyes trembled. It sounded like a voice echoing from a deep hole.
"The reason why I say this, is that I want you to quit thinking that way. Remember we were given orders to collect info about this state no matter what."
Overhearing that I was dumbstruck, that I wanted to pause if not immediately kill all of them right there. However, I calmed myself down. Truly it was a good decision.
On the other hand it seemed that Faizan was not yet done questioning Nero.
"Are you now going to use that as an excuse to unjustly kill people?"
"Ok. I will stop killing "unjustly" unless I have to. But, on one condition. You stop questioning me and do everything I say from now on."
Faizan seemed happy to hear that and he gratefully agree to what Nero said.
***
Present.
"And the rest is history."
Kaito ask himself weather or not he is smiling behind that emotional face.
"Wow, the fact that you knew their were spies in the State all along and you didn't tell the shogunate is quite brave. You're aware that you can be arrested for that. Well, that doesn't matter you got yourself a deal."
***
A week has passed since that encounter with the three spies. Kazuki and Lia never came to the academy due to them taking care of Reiji.
Now they stroll down the bustling street shoned by the bright morning light. Looking at them at a distance with a calm expression you might believe there have no worries.
However this calm expression is a mask that covers their worrisome thoughts on what excuse to say to their teacher for being absent for so long.
Finally reaching the gate the three of them great the security guard and he does the same. Just as they step a foot on the ground of the academy, the security guard tells them to follow him.
They follow him without questions, not because they trust him or anything like that. Rather they expected their punishment to be held in the training grounds (where the security guard is heading) unless, they come up with a good excuse.
But, that expectation turns to doubt as the three of them wonder why their classmates are here at the training grounds, alongside other children from other classes and their teachers.
Without any explanation the security guard leaves. While speaking to the other teachers in the arena he (Kazuki's teacher) spots the two boys and Lia.
The three of them see him coming close to them and turn away immediately. Kazuki's heart beats like dog barking when it's inside it's yard trying to scare you.
"Y'all finally came today and it seems quite…" Before he can finish the bell rings.
Hearing the bell ring, Kazuki's heart stop beating. To any ordinary person this bell might mean nothing special. However, for Kazuki it is the sound of accomplishment for finally reaching early.
"Well that was fast." He walks away adding. "After my announcement you three better come to the staff room to explain why you weren't here for the whole week."
The three of them look on release a sigh of relief.
"Now now, may I have your attention." Standing at the arena and the students keeping quiet he adds, "I would first like to say that from now on all of you will be attending your first period here in the training grounds."
"Don't worry this will last until the completion of the tournament scheduled next month. And I know most of you here might not like this setting as a training place." He looks around continuing,
"But, this whole thing is so you can help yourself in passing this academy with good points."
One learner raises his hand asking why do they have to do it at the training grounds specifically.
"Mmm?" Turning his head back and forth.
"Thank you so much for catching on quickly on what we will be doing. The reason is quite simple really. We teacher's just don't want to waste time teaching all of you one at a time when it will easy if we do it at the same time." The teacher says.
He looks around for a minute checking if no one is raising his hand.
"As you all know the first thing we will be doing is… learning about Sei. Meaning I will be teaching you the history of Sei and the techniques and application of Sei." With a smile on his face.
TBC.
NEXT CHAPTER: MESSAGE TO FATHER