The World We Do Not Know - 181 Another Festival?

“Wait, I know you don’t I?” Faust asks in a surprise.

“Yes, of course. You were detained because of me.”

“I thought you were lucky that you escaped in the name of detention. But I saw the purge wars.” Awarnach, who is mighty and looked like a hungry beast, now looks calm and relaxed.

“I want to tell you that I’m sorry for not believing you.” People around both Awarnach and Faust are shocked seeing Awarnach apologizing to Faust.

Faust just keeps watching Awarnach without speaking a word, he just keeps smiling. “Can I ask you to learn my martial arts? It’s not a popular one, but, I really want you to keep it in your arsenal. It is based on misdirections and deflection of weapons in midair.  Please accept my request.” Awarnach stretches his hand for a handshake while offering Faust his skills.

In this era, with no handful of martial artists. Martial arts, scripts and scrolls are treasured in a hope to pass the skills down to younger generations. Most of these are scrolls are owned by the powerhouses.

And getting a chance to learn a martial arts, no matter how low tier it is, benefits a person in getting into one of the houses as a soldier. “I will think about it.” Faust with a smile, shakes hands with Awarnach. “But, can I know the reason why you are willing to help me learn your skills?” Faust asks him as he, Awarnach and Aion are walking inside the school.

“I just want my martial arts to shine in your Arsenal set of skills. It is also good to be on good terms with a powerful captain like you.” Awarnach walks beside Faust, almost like his lackey while praising him.

“Ahhhh, nice, I will cherish your skill and try to uplift it by merging with my other skills.” Faust replies to him.

“Merge it?” Before awarnach could ask for details, he finds himself in the principal room with only Faust. He looks for left and right for Aion before finding him outside the door. He realizes that he forgot his surroundings while talking about the martial arts.

“Wh-why are here?” Awarnach whispers in the ears of Faust.

“I’m back in school sir, I hope I can go back to my classes as usual?” Faust asks the principal who is staring at him with a proud smirk on his face.

“Ahh, yes! Welcome back, how did your purge go?” Shizu starts a normal conversation with Faust.

“Ah, by some luck, it went good sir. Look at this, I also got into some class ha-ha.” Faust pridefully shows his captain’s cloak to the principal.

“That is very good,  a senpou class huh? You should have worked harder to get a better one. And I happen to hear your conversation earlier as soon as you guys entered the room.”

“You guys don’t need to set up a date to learn something. Your school festival, training begins from tomorrow. You guys can train yourself with the remaining members that are going to the festival with you.” Shizu explains.

“Faust is also going to the school festival?” Awarnach asks in a surprise.

“Of course he is, what did you think? Just because it is going to be all seniors in the festival, Faust cannot do well?” Shizu asks jokingly.

“No, not at all. I’m happy he is joining us. He will be a big asset in this. I have always lacked raw strength. But this time will be something different.” Awarnach replies happily and both of them leaves the principal room and heads back to their classes.

–

On the next day, Awarnach and Faust go towards the school gym.  A huge stadium with lots of practice ground. There is an indoor running track and swimming pool in the stadium itself. And that two just take-up of about up 5% of the entire stadium.

In the middle of the stadium is a huge ground of five hundred yards with plain sand that is used for long, mid-range shooting practice, archery practice and physical training.

“Yo!”

Faust and Awarnach approaches a group of people who are discussing strategies standing in a circle.

A tall woman with blonde hair and glossy yellow eyes turn back towards the voice. She gets surprised to see Faust in front of her and more surprised when eunuch is beside him.

“My grandpa said a freshman would be joining us, I didn’t expect it would be you.” Cameron looks at Faust with her piercing eyes as she arrogantly flips her hair back.

Her blonde hair is tied on top of her head like a ponytail. But her hair is long up to her waist. If she hadn’t tied her hair with a band on top, her hair would easily be to her thighs.

“Ah, I remember you, you saved me from a senior back in the day didn’t you? I don’t know how to thank you for saving me on that day.” Faust says with a bright smile and Awarnach is completely caught off guard. When he first met Faust, he clearly said about not remembering Awarnach. But now he recognizes Cameron in a glimpse?

“Oh, you can thank me just sitting on the sidelines and not disturbing us. You are here to watch and learn so just watch and learn.” Cameron says without a second thought. Her voice is filled with pride and no remorse.

“What? Do you guys know-” Before awarnach could speak up, Faust stops him by placing his hand on the right shoulder of Awarnach. Awarnach does not speak up. Finding it weird, Cameron turns back to face the circle and starts discussing strategies again. While Faust and Awarnach go to a side and watches them by sitting on the stairs nearby.

“Why did you stop me1?” Awarnach wants to know the motive behind Faust’s actions.

“Ahh, Working in a group and strategies is really tiresome. I just finished one and this is time for me to take a rest here. Also, when will we practice your style if we just keep working with them?”

For the next week, Faust and Awarnach practices the martial arts of Awarnach and his family. Every day, Faust only focuses on new skills and learns new things.

“He became a captain of one of the powerhouses in his first year of high school. What the hell? I thought he was a delinquent and doesn’t have any talent?”

“True, look at his cloak. It looks real.”

“Also, Awarnach, who is the top assaulter of our school hangs out with him, or so I heard.”

All the class of Faust and Aion starts a new gossip over Faust and his new cloak and friends.

“I also heard that he is selected in the team that is participating in the winter school festival. Have you heard about it Ming Jie?” One of the students drags Li Ming Jie into the conversation.

The conversation is happening at the back of the classroom in a corner while Ming Jie is sitting in the middle rows. He is eavesdropping on the conversation while pretending to be looking at his book and studying.

“Huh? He is not looking at us? Strange, I thought he was listening to us.” The student catches Ming Jie, watching them from the corner of his eye while listening to their conversation. But when he turned towards Ming Jie for his opinion, Ming Jie seems to be focusing on the book in front of his desk.

“Oi, Class Rep Ming Jie!” A girl from the group calls for him in a loud voice and this time Ming Jie had no choice but to turn back.

“What is your opinion on Faust?” The girl questions him.

“What about him?” Ming Jie asks with a blank face as though he did not know about Faust, who is the hot topic in the whole school.

“C’mon, you should have heard about him right? He’s a captain in the house of Ashura’s now. How do you think it happened?” One of the guys comes out of the group asking Ming Jie.

“Ming Jie looks hesitated at first, but then, his face becomes still as if something struck him. He is, in fact, annoyed by the fact that Faust is receiving more attention than him. He is getting tired of hearing everyone talk about Faust.

“You guys know he is the black stone user right? A rare elemental stone user. Of course, any house would want to get their hands on such a guy. And they would pamper him with what he wants. Nothing more than this.” Li Ming Jie announces with a poker face.

He looks as though he is not interested in the whole topic and turns back and starts pretending to study.

“Wow, I did not think about it.”

“For real, how did I not get this thought?”

“No wonder, Ming Jie must be telling the truth. How can a fourteen year old can become a captain of a house?.”

“We need to share this with everyone and clear their doubts regarding that guy. He is nothing but a weakling with no spiritual power. He became a captain just because of the stone he awakened.”

While the faces of the group, gossiping about Faust have turned pale by the theory. Ming Jie is smiling under his poker face. His evil self keeps rejoicing with what he hears.

*”This is it, spread the whole news around the school and stop acknowledging him. He is nothing more than a talentless average guy whose luck is good. Whereas I am a real genius. I ruined your fame in mere seconds with two lines.”* Ming Jie is clenching his jaws and balled his fists in joy, knowing that this will completely result in the defamation of Faust.

Aion is sleeping in the last row as he lays his head on the desk with his hands covering his face to block the sunlight and his eyes closed. But under his arms, his lips form a curve slowly.

“Shall we continue training at my home tomorrow? Since it’s the weekend, we can practice at our home.” While leaving for home, Awarnach asks Faust concerningly.

Concern, because he wants Faust to learn as much as he can and quickly.

“Let’s take a break tomorrow, I have other work to do. We’ll meet again Monday.” Saying that Faust and Awarnach both go their separate ways to their homes.

“You want me to come with you tomorrow?” Aion asks regarding the thing Faust is going to do tomorrow.

“For what? I’m going there with Aunt. It’s ok, I have company.”

“Hmm, if you say so. Be careful.” Aion suggests him

“Careful? We’re only going to sell stones and get money. Anyway, I will see you later too!”

–

On the next day, Faust goes into a dark alley with Neith. Following Neith’s suggestion, they both visit the alley on a bright sunny day. The alley is really small, only three people can walk next to each other. Most of them have to walk in queues to avoid running into each other.

Fortunately, the alley is free with less people. So, Faust and Neith can walk next to each other without any discomfort. There are different kinds of shops on either side of the alley. However, most of them are closed and only opens at night.

Some of the shops displayed paper lanterns with the shop’s name on it. Like typical Japanese shops. There are also walk-in food stalls with the capacity to harbor five to seven people at once. With tables, but no chairs, a person has to eat while standing.

After reaching the middle of the alley, they encountered a thin stairway, that goes further down into a darker street. The end of the stairway, however, is blocked by a worn-out gray cloth to go to the other side. And an old man is sitting on a stool to a side.

“Wow, auntie, you came all the way here when I asked you to sell my black stone?” Faust refers to Neith, implying that she has already come here once to sell the black stone that is given to Faust by his school.

This alley is the reason why Faust bravely stopped Tsumugi from trading the stones for money in her house. He has sent Neith to this alley before to sell the black stone and he has information on the prices of each stone.

“Oh, one can’t possibly step foot inside this alley. You know the formalities.” The old man sitting on a stool with a hat that covers his eyes speaks to Neith and Faust as they are about to enter.

“Of course, of course, I know the drill, Dante.” Neith, Standing in front of Faust hands over a small piece of paper that is the size of a business card to the old man.

“You may enter.” The old man welcomes them with a smile on his face.

Neith pushes the curtain to her side with a hand as she enters inside. Faust catches a glimpse of what is inside, he sees a huge shadow with fur inside. With the curiosity building up, Faust pulls the curtain to aside to walk in.

“Be careful.” The old man mutters as Faust enters inside.