As the instructor concluded the briefing with final instructions on how the students would be departing the island later in the day, he stepped down from the podium. The other instructors followed him, filing out of the hall without another word.
The mont they left, the room ca alive with movent. Students quickly ford clusters, their voices overlapping as they exchanged hurried conversations. Northern stood still, his gaze sweeping across the hall, noting how groups of four naturally began to erge from the larger crowd.
'Humans are quick to act...'
It was slightly amusing to watch. But just like them, he also had to act. Northern exhaled softly. As he was about to turn, soone approached him—a student with rough brown hair and a vibrant face, highlighted by the little freckles that caressed his cheeks.
The boy bead with an arrogant look in his eyes.
"You look tough, wanna join our team?"
He pointed over his shoulder, where two others stood together. There was sothing similar about the two of them that Northern could see instantly.
They too were being ostracized like the non-combative school, even though they wore uniforms of the combative school. They stood together, their hands tensely clenched in front and heads bowed while they tentatively stole glances toward their teammate's direction.
Northern then took another look at the boy, this ti in a different light. The boy indeed perfectly portrayed himself to be a tough and confident individual, and he was probably as strong as he was trying to look.
Northern appreciated the effort, but if he was going to follow him, he would follow only him -the other two terribly made his value as a choice drop.
Northern smiled and said in a very polite tone, "I appreciate the effort despite seeing that I am a mber of the non-combative school."
The freckled boy's smile bead even more vibrantly, his eyes optimistic... no, definite-of a positive response.
"...But I am sorry, I cannot join your team."
The boy's eyes narrowed slightly as if trying to process what he'd just heard. His confident deanor faltered for the first ti, replaced by a flicker of confusion.
"What? You're turning down?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
He crossed his arms, his freckled cheeks darkening slightly-whether from embarrassnt or irritation, Northern couldn't tell.
"Do you even realize what you're saying? I an... you're from the non-combative school. This isn't exactly an everyday offer."
He paused, clearly expecting Northern to reconsider. However, Northern just stared at him blankly. The boy scoffed lightly, his earlier grin twisting into sothing sharper.
"Look, I was just trying to help you out. Not many people are willing to team up with... well, your kind. You should've jumped at this chance."
The boy took a step back, shaking his head like Northern had made the worst decision of his life.
"Fine. Suit yourself. But don't co running to when you realize what a mistake you've made."
Northern sighed and turned the other way. Aster threw his hand in the air, waving as their eyes t. In that instant, he approached Northern with the other two starchasers who had been going through a crucible of redefinition for a couple of nights.
The boys' expressions were normal, in fact joyous; no one would have any idea how much they had been broken, how much dread and despair they masked in their faces.
'They really are obedient to the letter.'
This was because Northern had strictly inford them on the last night to show up looking their best. He had not expected such an impressive result, but he was amazed by it.
It proved to him that the idea of breaking people really worked well.
'Loyalty that is freely given by soone is dangerous as it can be taken away. I can be betrayed by anyone; it's best not to create a chance of it happening.'
Northern smiled, satisfied with his choice.
Aster finally reached his front and flashed a little smile; the tension from earlier that morning had disappeared. After hearing the details of the contest, he suddenly felt very confident that he was with Northern.
"Several people have been approaching , telling to join their team. Soone from the student union even asked ... man, I was almost tempted, but no cohort will be able to beat ours, I am confident of it. If I join sowhere else, I will just be losing."
Aster's eyes glowed with a confident and assertive light. Then the glow dimd as his expression contorted into a scowl.
"But the most annoying thing is those bastards talk as if they are doing a favor."
"The ideology that goes around their heads-they think they own this school. I will shatter it
this week and write a new history in the academy."
Aster's slant eyes brightened. He smiled heartily.
"Don't worry, I will make sure we are not a hindrance to you."
Northern looked at him coldly. Then his gaze drifted to the other two-they shivered slightly.
"Of course... You wouldn't even dare."
The four of them, along with other students who had ford parties, began to leave the hall. As Northern approached the entrance, soone touched him slightly from behind. He turned back to see who it was and was slightly surprised.
"Uh? You?"
"Abs..."
The familiar girl looked at Northern with a lively expression climbing her face. Then she added, "Would you like to join my cohort?"
The faces of the three students behind the lady broke apart and paled.
"But your highness, we are already complete...?" The girl with large eyes, whom Northern had seen before, protested on behalf of everyone.
But the council president did not seem to care; she tilted her head slightly, waiting for
Northern's response.
The thing was... the mont the student council approached a student of the non-combative
school, everyone was already staring and muttering.
"Huh? Who is he?"
"Damn, he is so lucky."
"The council president is ever so benevolent."
"The council president is an amazing person really."
"But dang, I wish I was him..."
Northern heard so of the mutterings; so were too low to be heard. He sighed after his
short pause and looked at the president with a straight face.
"I'm sorry, president. I already have a team."
"What?!" The girl with the large eyes was the one who responded-with intense shock.
Her shock began to ripple across the crowd.
"Why would anyone... anyone in their right minds refuse the president's offer?"
"He's a fool, that's for sure."
"Forget losing, this dude is arrogant, he's gonna die in the rift..."
And on and on, the students kept muttering, slowly dismissing themselves.
Everyone on the president's team was equally as shocked as the large-eyed girl. Of course, they did not look forward to getting replaced, but none of them could understand it either. The boy with auburn hair and heterochromatic eyes stepped forward, a corner of his lips
twitching.
"Boy, maybe you don't understand. Alita is the strongest drifter in this school; she is the student council president."
Northern stared at them indifferently and gave the sa response.
"I understand that. But I am fine on my own."
He turned and walked away with his cohort.
It was very difficult for the vice president to erase the shock on his face.
'Are students of the non-combative school usually this stupid?'
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