The Boy Who Reads Palms
Even amid yesterday's uproar, Bayul and his friends had put their heads together and managed to finish their course registration without a hitch. The brawl itself had broken out between the Magic Department and the Divine Department, but subjects like herbalism, emergency care, and the history of the gods were electives that students from every department were expected to take, so there had been no room for carelessness.
Eli, whose striking good looks drew eyes wherever he went, had become even more of a spectacle because of the incident, yet he seemed far less stressed about it than before. Apparently, he'd had some time over the break to mentally prepare himself.
"Four professors got sacked. Two from each department, no less. Honestly, that's beyond anything I predicted. One or two I might have understood. They'll have to hire replacements now — where on earth are they supposed to find four of them?"
"Anyway, Rai, the Chairman certainly knows how to get things done. That official notice was practically a threat."
Aidan wasn't exaggerating. Rayegar had refused to hear a single explanation or excuse throughout the entire affair. His position was simple: yesterday's brawl was the fruit of a pointless, generations-old feud between the Magic and Divine Departments, and the responsibility for it belonged to the leaders, not the students.
That said, the students who had directly joined in the violence were each ordered to perform ten days of community service as soon as their treatment was finished. They would have to show some contrition, but with no other punishment waiting for them, they could go right back to enjoying academy life as usual. It was a remarkably lenient outcome, all things considered.
"His special talent is threats, remember? I told you — he does what he's best at."
"It did have a certain 'go ahead, try filing a complaint' air about it."
"Who on earth writes 'I will continue to report to work as usual' in an official notice? I couldn't stop laughing when I read it."
"Still, maybe things will stay quiet for a while because of it? Everyone's just waiting for the Chairman to leave, after all."
"Exactly. The way he saw the aftermath through to the end — I thought it was really cool. Letting the students off, too."
"What did the kids do wrong? It was all that brainwashing they got from the top."
The feud between the Divine and Magic Departments was something like an inherited tradition. Without ever truly knowing how it began or who was to blame, they had simply disliked each other on principle.
Rayegar's decision made it clear he intended to set all of that right, starting now.
"I wonder what the new professors will be like? Think they'll get here soon?"
"The Chairman will handle it. I'm actually a little curious."
"You two may be curious, but I'm worried."
Eli strode ahead, sighing heavily.
"What if he drags in a bunch of strange characters from who knows where…?"
"Strange characters?"
"Because everyone around that man is exactly that. Strange."
"Ah."
It was an explanation that needed no further elaboration.
"Well, at least the Chairman's a mage, so he'll have connections on that side. That's a relief. But what about the Divine Department? Where are they even going to find priests on short notice — the Temple of Despair ones, no less?"
"Why should we be worrying about that? How would I know where to find priests who serve some demon god!"
"Rai, kindly remember that we are currently standing next to a friend of ours who gets along with that demon god spectacularly well."
Eli exploded in a huff, and Aidan warned him — but the boy simply snapped his head away with a huff of his own. Sometime during the break, his aversion to the demonkin seemed to have only deepened, and that made it harder than ever for Bayul to bring himself to say a word about Death's true identity.
"You know, it does feel kind of strange, heading to class with all of us together like this."
"Yeah — and for the first class of the new semester, no less."
"That's what happens when you all gather to plan your schedules together."
"It's first period, though. I'm worried whether he'll even make it here in one piece."
Professor Rothius's greatest weakness was his heavy morning drowsiness, which was why he had a habit of occasionally skipping first-period classes altogether.
Perhaps because they hadn't seen him all break, they almost missed his trademark magpie-nest hair and scruffy beard.
"Here's the lecture hall. Well, whether the man managed to drag himself out of bed or not, we'll know in a moment. Let's just head in."
Aidan threw open the lecture hall door with gusto and marched inside.
"…Huh?"
His footsteps stopped dead after barely a few paces.
"Why's it so loud in here? What happened now?"
"What is it?"
Aidan stepped aside from the doorway to let them see.
"What's everyone doing over there? What are they looking at?"
"Right? Did somebody bring in something expensive or something?"
"Hey! You're here!"
Spotting the group, Schubik hopped down from a desk in a single leap.
"You're in this class too?"
"Yep, threw my schedule together, and boom — first day, and it's already amazing! There's this super fascinating guy here!"
"A fascinating guy?"
When Schubik got this worked up, it meant he'd discovered something genuinely entertaining.
"A boy who reads palms!"
"Reads what?"
"Palm reading! He does fortune-telling with your palm lines! Isn't that completely wild?"
Schubik splayed his palm wide open as he announced it loudly.
"This one's the life line, this is the fate line, this is wealth, this is love… no, wait, was that one the head line? Anyway, every single one of these lines means something. He told me I'm going to live a crazy long life. See how long this one is?"
He puffed out his chest and squared his shoulders, looking enormously proud of himself.
"And here I was wondering what all the fuss was about. It's nothing."
"Hey, Rai! Not nothing! Lokha is no joke — he gets everything right, I'm telling you!"
"…Lokha?"
Somehow, the name didn't feel unfamiliar.
"I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."
"Me too."
"He's from the Ga Kingdom. Says he's the son of some really high-ranking family there. Apparently he's even met Princess Hwiwol — the one you guys talked about before."
"Oh! Now I remember!"
The name had struck him as unusual from the start, and with the Ga Kingdom mentioned, a scene surfaced in Bayul's memory.
"Remember when letters came pouring out of Rai's locker that one time? We happened to catch the name and spent ages wondering whether it belonged to a boy or a girl."
"Oh right, that did happen! The letter confessing feelings to Rai. Whoa — so it was a guy?"
"Hey, hey, don't jump to conclusions. That was not a confession letter!"
"Then what was it?"
"It just said he wanted to be friends. I'm, you know, pretty irresistible on a human level. I didn't have time to write back, but we've met today, so I should at least greet him properly."
Eli had no interest in palm reading, but he wanted to protect his image as a gentleman. The boy had gone so far as to send him a letter, so getting to know his face was simply good manners.
"Everybody, make way! Rai is going to greet Lokha!"
Though nobody had asked him to, Schubik personally stepped up and started directing traffic. The crowd of students, only now noticing Eli, parted to give him room — and judging by how readily they yielded, it was probably because he was the Chairman's son.
As the children melted away, the boy called Lokha came into view. He was seated, so it was hard to tell how tall he was, but like Princess Hwiwol, he had yellow-toned skin, and his hair and eyes were both jet black.
"Hello, Lokha? You know who I am, right? You sent me a letter once saying you'd like to get to know me."
Eli was nothing if not bold. He beamed his brightest smile and extended his hand toward Lokha.
"One moment, please."
Lokha was in the middle of reading another student's palm. He flashed Eli a quick, easy smile, then turned his attention back to the task at hand.
"……"
Thanks to that, Eli — who had swaggered over brimming with confidence — was left standing there awkwardly, and the friends watching from behind burst out laughing.
"Pfft — did he just get shot down?"
"Can't say for sure, but he's clearly not getting the attention he used to."
"…He's probably just busy reading the palm. I'm sure he'll greet you properly when he's done."
Even as he said it, Bayul couldn't help feeling a little concerned, and he gave Eli's back a gentle, consoling pat.
"There. Anything else you're curious about?"
By then, Lokha had finished the reading.
"No, that's everything. Thank you, Lokha."
"No need to thank me. Come back anytime you're curious about something."
"Really?"
"Of course. I find palm reading fun myself — it's good practice, too."
At that, the students in the lecture hall let out a collective cheer, as if on cue. Apparently, Schubik hadn't been exaggerating — the readings really were remarkably accurate.
"In that case, next up is Rai — your turn, isn't it?"
"…What?"
Lokha's sudden remark left Eli thoroughly bewildered.
"Weren't you holding out your hand because you wanted a reading?"
"Oh — is that what you thought? I was just offering a handshake, since it's our first meeting. I don't really believe in palm lines or things like that. It's not that I'm looking down on you, so I hope you're not offended. That's just how I am."
It was the kind of remark that could have soured the mood, but because Eli said it with a smile, no awkwardness followed. Perhaps it helped that Lokha's temperament was as gentle as his countenance suggested.
"Of course. I understand. People usually read palms and faces for fun anyway. If you ever change your mind, just say the word."
"In that case — would someone else do instead?"
Aidan wedged his face in uninvited and turned to Lokha.
"I'm Aidan. Very pleased to meet you, Lokha."
"I know who you are even without the introduction. And I'm glad to meet you too, Aidan."
"Well, here's the thing. Instead of Rai, could you read Bayul's palm?"
"…What? Me?"
At the sudden mention of his own name, Bayul — along with every single friend around him — jumped in shock. If Aidan were curious about his own fortune, that would be one thing, but why on earth Bayul, out of nowhere?
"No reason not to. I'll do it."
Lokha, taking it entirely in stride, gestured to the seat in front of him. It meant: come sit here. When a flustered Bayul hesitated, Aidan whispered in his ear.
"You're the one who has to revive the Spirit Realm, remember? You've got a mountain of work ahead — doesn't it make you curious? You have to find the Spirit Stones and rank up your spirits. Knowing a thing or two can only help."
And how exactly would a palm tell me any of that?
Bayul wanted to ask, but too many eyes were watching and too many ears listening. And so, practically shoved from behind, he had no choice but to lower himself into the seat Lokha had indicated.
His friends naturally closed in around them. Every one of them seemed dying to know how Bayul's fortune would turn out.
"Your hand."
Lokha said it with a smile to Bayul, who sat there stiff and awkward. Bayul reflexively extended his hand, and Lokha's black eyes dropped straight to his open palm.
"……!"
"What's wrong?"
"He just flinched, didn't he?"
This was a boy who had stayed perfectly calm even facing Eli — the one who'd had a letter written and sent to him first, asking to be friends.
So why, of all things, would he startle at the sight of Bayul's palm?
"…Is something bad?"
Lokha's eyes wavered badly. An unaccountable sense of dread took hold of Bayul.