The bell above the door chimed softly as Soren pushed it open.
Warm air and the smell of roasted beans flowed out to greet him.
Etheheart Cafe was the same as always: soft yellow lights, polished wooden floors, and a quiet hum of conversation that never grew loud enough to be annoying.
A few students were scattered around, some in uniforms, some in casual clothes.
He looked around once, then exhaled.
'I'm first, huh.'
He had expected as much.
He had told everyone to meet "around this time," but between Felix's laziness, Esper's whims, and Amelia's complete disregard for punctuality, it would have been more surprising if someone had beaten him here.
He made his way to a booth near the corner, the one their group tended to gravitate toward, and slid into the seat with his back to the wall.
From here, he could see the counter, the door, and most of the cafe without turning his head too much.
It was comfortable.
A waitress approached with a familiar smile.
"Welcome. What can I get you?"
"Caramel latte, please," Soren said.
She nodded and left with his order.
Only then did Soren reach into his inventory and pull out the thing that had dragged everyone here today.
A thin class assignment sheet.
He placed it on the table in front of him, smoothing down the corners with his fingers as he stared at the printed boxes and lines.
By evening, this sheet had to be filled out and handed in at the administrative building.
If it wasn't, the academy would assign classes at random based on his main major and previous grades.
Normally, that would be a problem even for average students.
For him, it would be a disaster.
Soren twirled his pen between his fingers as he looked over the categories: Arcane Studies, Divine Studies, and Martial Studies.
A list of class names filled each column, with brief notes regarding prerequisites and difficulty.
'Lilly really helped a lot, I should thank her later.'
Thanks to her, he had been granted special permission to apply for both Divine Studies and Martial Studies on top of his main Arcane Studies track.
On paper, it looked amazing; more options, more growth, more flexibility.
In practice, it just made it harder to choose.
He had already selected most of his Arcane Studies classes, skipping the more useless-sounding theory lectures, but the Divine and Martial columns were mostly blank.
'If I pick too many practicals, I'll die. If I pick too many theory, I won't learn enough.'
He sighed lightly and leaned back, letting the low murmur of the cafe wash over him.
The bell above the door chimed again.
Soren glanced up.
This time, it wasn't a random student; it was the people he had been waiting for.
Esper and Felix walked in first, elbows nudging and voices already raised in half-hearted bickering.
Olivia and Alex followed right behind them, staying close enough that their shoulders almost brushed as they talked in low tones.
A step behind the four of them, Amelia trailed with her usual languid expression, eyes half-lidded, moving like nothing in the world could hurry her.
Soren raised a hand.
"Over here."
They all stopped for a moment, as if a little surprised he had waved first, then made their way over.
Once they reached the booth, there was a brief pause as everyone instinctively calculated where to sit.
Alex moved first, sliding into the seat directly opposite Soren with an easy smile.
Olivia hesitated, eyes flicking between Soren and Alex, clearly weighing something on her mind.
When Soren met her gaze and smiled, she looked relieved and slipped in next to Alex.
Then Amelia, without even a second of thought, sat down at Soren's side.
Not just "next to him".
Right up against him.
Her shoulder pressed into his arm, and the next second her head was resting lightly on him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
The rest of the group froze.
Felix blinked.
Olivia's eyes widened a fraction.
Alex's smile twitched.
Even Esper, who was usually quick on the uptake, stared for a moment.
They all looked between Amelia and Soren, waiting for some kind of reaction.
Soren, however, didn't move.
He didn't flinch, didn't stiffen, didn't show the slightest sign that he found the contact strange.
If anything, his expression remained relaxed, as though having Amelia glued to his side was something he was used to.
Seeing him stay calm, the others slowly regained their composure and sat down.
Esper slid in next to Amelia, muttering something about being glad she didn't have to sit near Felix.
Meanwhile, Felix shrugged and dropped into the remaining spot beside Olivia, grumbling under his breath.
After they settled, there were a few moments of small talk.
Their drinks arrived one after another.
Soren's caramel latte was placed in front of him, steam rising in a thin curl; he wrapped his hands around the cup, enjoying the warmth for a second before setting it aside.
He tapped the paper on the table with his pen.
"So," Soren said, looking around the booth, "what's everyone taking?"
Olivia, Alex and Felix all pulled out their own sheets and placed them on the table.
"I've already chosen all mine," Olivia said.
"Same here," Felix added, crossing his arms.
"What about you two?" Soren asked Esper and Amelia.
Amelia just gave a small shrug, the side of her head still resting against his shoulder.
That much was expected.
The concept of "planning" her academic path was something he had never expected her to take seriously.
Esper, however, smiled.
"Hmm~ I was waiting to see you before deciding, Hubby~"
Soren's smile froze.
The entire table went silent.
"...What's with that nickname again?" he asked slowly.
"Well… it's true, isn't it?"
Another bomb detonated in the middle of the cafe.
Olivia and Alex looked at Soren with wide, stunned eyes.
Felix's gaze darkened instantly, jealousy flickering across his face.
Amelia's expression, which had been lazy and relaxed, sharpened; her eyes narrowed as they turned toward Soren, the air around her going oddly cold.
"What is she talking about?" Amelia asked, voice low.
Soren felt a cold sweat break out on his back.
He opened his mouth to explain, but Esper was faster.
"Me and Hubby got engaged over the break," she said cheerfully. "Did none of you hear about it?"
"..."
Amelia's gaze turned into a glare, her eyes boring into the side of Soren's head.
"A-Alright, that's enough," Soren said quickly. "Essy, stop it. It's not what you all think, okay? Sofia was trying to force me into an engagement, and Essy helped me by pretending we had been dating. In the first place, it wasn't even my idea, it was Sis's."
He spoke fast, almost tripping over his own words as he tried to clear up the misunderstanding.
Esper placed a hand over her chest and let out a dramatic sigh.
"Wow… that's how you thought of it? What about that night we spent together?" she said, voice dripping with fake sadness.
She pretended to wipe away a tear.
"...Essy, please stop," Soren muttered.
"Pfft…"
She lasted all of two seconds before breaking.
Esper burst into laughter, nearly hitting the table with her hand as she wheezed.
"Yeah, well," she said between giggles, "it's like what Cutie said. I rescued him, and we're engaged now."
Soren exhaled slowly, feeling like he had lost several years of his life in that short exchange.
"Die," Felix muttered under his breath, glaring at Soren like he had personally ruined his week.
Meanwhile, Amelia's eyes were still on him, sharper than usual.
"...Is something wrong?" Soren asked hesitantly.
"No…" she said, averting her gaze.
Her voice said "no", but nothing about her looked convinced.
Soren raised his hand and lightly placed it on her head, fingers threading through her hair the same way he had done in the library.
Amelia's body relaxed almost immediately; her eyes half-closed, the tension in her shoulders easing as she leaned more of her weight against him.
The looks from around the table changed once more.
Felix's gaze turned even more sour.
Esper grinned, watching them as if she were analysing something interesting.
Olivia fidgeted with her straw, clearly unsure where to look.
Alex simply smiled.
Soren didn't notice any of it.
"Can we finally get back on topic?" he asked with a sigh. "I feel like I've already aged a few years."
Olivia was the first to recover.
"Uhm, I don't mind, but why did you want to meet about this anyway? Our majors are all different, so the classes won't really line up."
"That's true," Alex agreed. "You could have just filled it out on your own."
"To be honest, I need help," Soren replied.
"With what?" Felix asked, still looking annoyed.
"I got permission to apply for Divine Studies and Martial Studies classes," Soren said, tapping the relevant columns on his sheet," but I don't really know which ones I should go to."
"Oh wow. Look at you," Esper said, eyes widening.
"So," Soren continued, ignoring her, "I wanted to ask which classes you all think I should go for."
"I see," Alex said with a small nod.
Soren rotated his assignment sheet so that everyone could see it.
"For now, I already have all of my Arcane Studies classes chosen. I've skipped most of the theory classes and those that don't seem useful, though."
"Oh, right," Felix said, rolling his eyes as a memory resurfaced. "Weren't you in the top ten for theory last semester?"
Soren nodded, but his expression turned awkward.
"That's just… because of my memory. If I look at a textbook once, I can memorise it perfectly. It's the same reason I haven't applied for many theory lectures this time," he explained.
"...You say that like it's nothing," Esper muttered.
"I guess that makes sense, then," Felix said.
He leaned forward, scanning the Arcane Studies column.
"For starters, you should get rid of Alchemy and Spirit Magic & Contracting from here. To be honest, they aren't useful for anyone who doesn't already have a background in them."
"Hmm… but I need to learn alchemy to make some stuff," Soren said.
Felix gave him a flat look.
"Just hire an alchemist. You have money, right?"
Soren thought about the pouch sitting in his inventory, then nodded.
"Fair enough. What about the rest, then?"
Esper squinted at the list.
"Magic Creatures 101 is useless," she said. "I took it last semester, and it's just a course about taming."
"Isn't that fun, though?" Soren asked.
"Hah. I wish. Just trust me on this."
"Alright."
Soren erased [Spirit Magic & Contracting], [Magical Creatures 101], and [Alchemy] from his sheet with a slight grimace.
Across from him, Olivia tilted her head.
"Why are you taking Divine Studies classes?" she asked.
"I can use divine power," Soren said, "even if it isn't much. I thought it would be helpful to learn more."
"Ah, right…" Olivia murmured.
She stared at the Divine Studies column for a few seconds, thinking.
"Uhm, if that's the case, I would avoid any of the theory classes like Theology or Ethics…"
She paused for a moment, clearly choosing her words carefully.
"Don't take this the wrong way," she continued, "but I think you should take How to Strengthen Mental Fortitude."
The others around the table nodded almost immediately.
Soren followed their gazes and nodded too.
"Yeah. That would probably make sense," he said.
He didn't like the name; it sounded a little too on-point, but if everyone agreed, it was probably necessary.
"What else?" he asked.
"Healing Basics and Protection & Purification are the only other practical ones of note," Olivia said. "The rest are either high-level or pure theory."
"I'll write them down, thanks."
"It's fine." Olivia pushed her own sheet forward. "If you want to match your classes with mine, you should put them in these slots."
She pointed out the empty boxes on his timetable.
Soren compared the two sheets, then filled in [Healing Basics] and [Protection & Purification] in the same places as Olivia's.
'Having at least one familiar face in those classes won't hurt,' he thought.
He turned his attention to the final column.
"So, what about Martial Studies?" he asked.
Alex smiled.
"Do you want to copy mine too?"
Soren looked between Alex and Amelia for a moment.
On one hand, Alex was a monster of effort. He trained like he had a grudge against his own body, pushing himself to the limit every single day. His timetable would be packed with brutal, high-difficulty practicals that tore muscle and bone apart for "growth".
On the other hand, Amelia was a monster of talent. She could beat everyone in their year without trying, which meant her class choices were probably made at random or based on whatever sounded interesting that day.
Soren imagined following Alex's schedule and collapsing on the second week.
Then he imagined following Amelia's schedule and learning nothing useful.
"..."
He stared at Alex's expectant smile for a moment, then let out a sigh.
"For now… let's just see."
Alex chuckled and pushed his paper toward Soren.
The moment Soren's eyes landed on the timetable, his expression twisted.
"You're insane," Soren muttered.
"It works for me," Alex said cheerfully. "But don't worry, I know you wouldn't be able to handle this."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Soren replied dryly.
"If you want my suggestions as someone who has fought you," Alex continued, ignoring his tone. "I'd say take Basic Weaponry & Stances and Mana Control & Enhancement. You're already decent, but your fundamentals can get sharper, and your mana control still has gaps.
Soren nodded.
"Alright."
He wrote down the two classes in empty Martial Studies slots.
"Shouldn't you take some of the theory classes?" Felix asked. "You seem to be good at commanding, right?"
He said it as he thought back to the final exam, when Soren had led their group through the labyrinth with calm efficiency.
"Wouldn't it be a waste if he's already good at that, though?" Esper said. "If he doesn't need the help, isn't it better to focus on other things?"
"I guess, but it would make for easy grades. If he goes overboard with practical classes, he'll wear himself out, and his grades will suffer," Felix replied.
While they argued, Amelia poked Soren's side.
"Take Physical Conditioning & Endurance," she said bluntly. "You need it."
If anyone else had said that, it might have sounded rude, but coming from the person who had fought him more than anyone, it carried more weight.
"How so?" Soren asked.
"You're an all-rounder," Amelia said. "You can use magic, an axe, and divine power. You can also command and strategise. But your body is weak."
She poked his side again.
"You can barely take a single hit, and you're slow."
Soren clicked his tongue.
"Is the training I do with you not enough?"
Amelia shook her head.
"I can help you train, but I can't teach."
Her tone was simple, but it was also an acknowledgement of her own limits and of his effort.
"Alright then," Soren said.
He trusted her judgement and immediately wrote down [Physical Conditioning & Endurance] on his sheet, alongside Alex's recommendations.
After thinking for a moment, he added one more moderately balanced class to fill one of the remaining slots, something that wouldn't kill him, but still contributed to practical growth.
Just as he was about to place his pen down, Amelia poked his side again.
"Add this," she said.
She slid her sheet over and pointed firmly at a specific class name.
Soren followed her finger, read it, and scoffed.
"Absolutely not."
The class Amelia had indicated was [Duelling].
There was no universe where he willingly signed himself up for that, a class notorious for drawing in battle maniacs from Martial Studies, the kind of people who considered broken bones a good "learning experience".
Two of those maniacs were currently sitting at his table.
Alex laughed softly, Esper grinned, and Felix smirked like he wanted to see it happen.
Soren pretended not to notice.
As his sheet filled up, the main subject of their meeting came to a close.
Their conversation shifted to lighter topics.
The comfortable atmosphere that had been missing at the end of last semester slowly returned, at least for now.
At one point, Soren drained the last of his caramel latte and pushed himself up.
"I'm going to the bathroom," he said.
Soren left his assignment sheet on the table, pen resting diagonally across it, then turned and walked away from the booth without much thought.
As he walked through the cafe, he felt the faint warmth of the earlier laughter still lingering in his chest.
'...This isn't so bad,' he thought. 'The second semester might actually be manageable.'
He disappeared around the corner toward the bathrooms, his footsteps blending into the cafe's background noise.
Back at the table, the others continued talking for a bit.
Then, in the lull that followed a shared joke, a certain wolf beastkin reached out.
Amelia picked up Soren's pen with casual ease and pulled his sheet a little closer.
Without a word, without changing her expression, she found an empty space in the Martial Studies section.
Her eyes flicked once to the line of text [Duelling].
She wrote it down in neat, steady handwriting.
No one stopped her.
No one commented.
The pen clicked softly as she set it back where Soren had left it, and the conversation at the table moved on as if nothing at all had happened.
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