"Are you sure about this, Raiden? You know that once you sign this form, you will lose your final chance to become a professional Battle Master. Even Silver-level Battle Masters earn 50,000 Alliance Credits, much more than anything non-professional ones earn." A professional-looking woman asked.
She had half-frame glasses perched on her nose, with a crisp white shirt tucked into her pencil skirt, her long legs crossed and covered in dark stockings.
"I am sure, Miss Yuna. I want to opt out. I am not that smart anyway. Plus, Battle Masters have to go and fight on the frontlines. As you know, I have a cute little sister waiting for me at home. What will happen to her if she loses her precious big brother? Who will take care of her?" A cheerful youth replied. He had an average-looking face, with slightly curly black hair that came down to his shoulders, and he looked to be about 5'10 in height.
He had a light complexion and looked like any common passerby. If you threw a stone in the crowd, you would find about a dozen people who looked better than he did. The only redeeming quality he had that set him apart from others was his eyes.
He had deep violet eyes that seemed to pierce into someone's soul just with a single look.
Hearing his reply, Miss Yuna immediately put on a look of disdain on her face. He could practically feel her looking down on him and saying, 'You dare to boast wildly like this?'
"Raiden, you shouldn't lie like this. Who doesn't know your sister Silvia is the brightest star of the whole Verdant Hollow Academy, while you are... average at best. Your reputation as a hooligan is quite well known. Aren't you the person who confessed to your Teacher before getting beaten up by her? It's a miracle if you don't add to the poor girl's troubles. You taking care of her? Please."
Raiden felt speechless. He didn't know how to defend himself. He had just crossed over into this dangerous world an hour ago. He thought his life in his own world was miserable, but it was not as bad as the situation in this world's counterpart.
His parents died 6 months ago in a Frontier Mission, leaving behind two kids to fend for themselves. Worse still, instead of leaving behind money, they left unsettled debt. Poor hooligan Raiden, who just wanted to cruise through life, was forced to mature overnight.
He had to take on 3 different part-time jobs to keep the house running and take care of his little sister. She wanted to take on a job as well and help him share the burden. But he decisively refused. What a joke. What kind of big brother would he be if he let her work instead?
Now struggling between balancing three different jobs, raising his little sister, and trying to study, the dude was so stressed he stumbled down the stairs and died.
Raiden, who inherited the body, also got the memory and feelings of the original body owner. Along with it, a cute little sister and the soul-crushing debt.
....Raiden, Earth to Raiden? Are you still there?" Raiden snapped out of his trance to see Miss Yuna leaning over and waving a hand in front of his eyes, giving him a view of...ahem...something.
Cough. Cough.
"You know, I am more worried about poor Silvia now. What will you do in the future? You are not dropping out of studies to become a bum, are you? Forcing the poor girl to care for you, too?" Miss Yuna asked after sitting back down, noticing she had his attention once again.
"No way!! What kind of person do you think I am? I am already working three jobs to keep the house running, you know." Raiden immediately defended himself. His reputation was already in shambles. He didn't want to make it worse.
"Really? Then tell me what you plan to do in the future. Since you have no guardians, I will consider myself one. I won't let you do anything that harms your future." There was genuine concern in her voice now.
Silvia was her favourite student, and the boy in front of her was her last known living relative.
She wanted to make sure they made the best choices for their future. Otherwise, she, the reputed Platinum Trainer, wouldn't be wasting time on him.
Raiden felt speechless. He barely knew the lady. All he knew was that she was Silvia's teacher, and now she was acting like a guardian out of nowhere.
But he knew she meant well, and he couldn't discard her because of his little sister.
"I plan to run a farm, Miss Yuna. Our parents bought a big farmland just a short distance away from the city. I plan to become a farmer and live a relaxed life, and earn enough money for Silvia's tuition next year." He replied honestly.
This was the first major decision he had made since he came into the world. The world was dark and full of danger. He did not want to become a professional Battle Master. So he chose to inherit the farm. He did not want to die and leave little Silvia alone in the world.
It had nothing to do with his fear for his life, or his lazy nature, nothing at all.
"...Sigh, so be it. You have average aptitude at best. Maybe this is the path for you to move forward. As for Silvia's tuition, don't worry about it. How much can your little farm earn anyway? I'll pay for it all." Miss Yuna declared and insulted him at the same time in a voice that made one feel like beating her up due to sheer arrogance.
'Control Raiden, Control. Real men don't hit beautiful women, real men don't hit beautiful women. Damnit, I really feel like hitting her.'
Not noticing or maybe just ignoring his expression, she continued to speak.
"Anyways, I will approve you of your application. If you face any problems in the future, you can consider approaching me. I'll help you out."
With that, she opened the drawer and pulled out a stamp. In front of her was a letter, which read:
I, Raiden Ashford, would like to opt out of university admissions and drop out of further studies. I intend to pursue different interests. If I ever regret my decision, I am a dog!'
Bang!
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