A Temper That Bites When Touched (2)

I barely even remember how the first day of training went. I just moved when told and rested when allowed. The daily sessions were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠split between morning and afternoon, with a brief break after lunch. It wasn't until we were heading back to the dorms with my classmates that today's events finally sank in.

'They really live like they're ready to die at any moment.'

What kind of madness had I gotten myself into? The silver lining was that I'd succeeded in piquing Elijah's interest. Thanks to that, I'd gotten some help.

"Judas, this guy's... way more dangerous than he looks, huh?" Richard said with a playful grin.

"If things go south later, I'll pull the same stunt, yeah?"

"I'll be careful, sir."

"Ha, you're not saying you won't do it? Kid, I've got years on you."

He spoke like a total hardass, but the grin never left his face. Richard must've hated that Kael prick just as much as I did. I wasn't worried about him turning into another Kael. Even in just one day, I'd figured out what kind of guy he was in this room. Young but confident, a senior trainee with more experience who didn't bully the juniors. Mature beyond his years.

"Still, thanks to you, I feel a lot better."

"Exactly," chimed in one of the other guys from the room. I felt bad, but I still hadn't memorized all their names.

"Who would've thought that smug Kael would go down in one shot?"

"Right? Hey, but how'd you even drag him? He's bigger than you and has way more training."

"I crushed his balls."

"…."

A brief silence.

Then.

"Ah! Haha! Uhahaha!"

"You little...! You're insane! Uhahaha—!"

Richard clutched his stomach, doubled over laughing. A few others rolled on the floor.

"Damn, Judas. You're the craziest bastard I've ever seen."

"Thank you."

"Why do you talk like that? Something about 'duty' or whatever. Where'd you learn that?"

I'd been too hyped up earlier and words had just spilled out. Definitely not slave vocab. Couldn't keep denying it, so I brushed it off vaguely.

"Picked it up eavesdropping back in the day."

"You've got talent, kid." Richard clapped me on the shoulder.

"Judas."

Dillon called my name in a serious tone from nearby. He'd been laughing his ass off just a minute ago—why the sudden gravitas?

"What you did... honestly, it was shocking. Unlike me, hiding like a coward, it was brave and impressive."

Why was he making it so awkward?

"But." He suddenly lowered his voice to a whisper. "You should know you've made enemies in the process."

It was a sobering point. Brutal reality. Fix an imbalance, and those feeding off it come crawling out. Familiar story.

Richard clicked his tongue beside us. "Yeah, better watch your back. Not everyone's as nice as me in this room, and the other rooms are worse."

"Noted."

Yeah, figured. They might be friendly now, but people flip on a dime. Sorry to the two showing goodwill, but I couldn't fully trust even Dillon or Richard. That's just how people are. They'll act loyal even with a knife to their throat, then betray you the second it touches skin.

It didn't disgust me anymore. Just familiar. As always.

But at least for the next few days, I wouldn't have to worry about that crap. When we got back to the room, I was greeted by a box stuffed with cookies and fruit drinks.

"A gift from Lady Elijah," explained the butler who'd delivered it personally. It was Miguel.

"Payment for rooting out the pest gnawing at the ducal house. Please accept it without burden."

Pretty polite for a mere trainee candidate like me. He bowed formally as described and left.

We stared blankly at the feast that would keep us stuffed for days. Richard threw his arms up with a yell.

"Woooaaah—!"

His cheer ignited the rest. They all started hollering.

"Judas! Judas! Judas!"

"Judas is a god!"

"Lord Judas has descended upon this land and bestowed daily bread upon us; we are in awe…."

"From today, Judas is the room rep! Drag ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out the incompetent leader Dillon!"

"Drag him out! Stage a rebellion!"

"Hey, hands off!"

Chaos erupted again. Against my will, I got dragged into the middle and tossed into the air. Eleven rowdy guys piling on.

"W-Wait…!"

"One, two—!"

"Gaaah—!"

A scream slipped out before I knew it. These kids threw too high. Nearly smashed my face into the ceiling.

"Salute to Lord Judas!"

"Loyalty!"

Embarrassing. Getting blindly worshipped by kids way younger than me was mortifying. Made it worse that it felt kinda good….

"Y-You can stop now; eat up comfortably."

"Lord Judas has given permission!"

They tore into the box like wolves. A few even brought portions to me. I accepted the cookies and drink with an awkward smile. And while they were at it, I noted the ones not laughing.

'The ones Richard warned about.'

I casually scanned, counting and memorizing features.

'Neat posture. Precise speech, stiff and arrogant demeanor.'

Answer was obvious. Noble brats, no doubt. On the flip side, the ones acting like they'd die for me seemed from similar backgrounds as mine.

'Can't be helped.'

Make allies, make enemies. Sometimes those allies turn enemy. Timeless truth. I shook off the bitterness and savored the moment. Maybe the young body was simplifying my mind. Sweet food just felt good. That was enough for now.

'…Huh?'

Flip, flip.

The girl flipped through documents with bored eyes. Her gaze darted up and down rapidly. Pages turned just as fast. One might wonder if she was even reading, but the girl understood and judged every detail without missing a beat. Seated at a desk of reddish wood, she looked like a doll reading paperwork.

Elijah opened her mouth with a sigh-like breath.

"Knight Captain Gawain of this estate."

"…Yes."

"Head Butler Miguel."

"Yes, my lady."

In the office of Elijah's mansion, Gawain and Miguel stood before her with hands behind backs and heads bowed low. Like criminals.

Elijah kept them waiting silently for a long while. Finally, she set down the papers and spoke.

"A candidate who just arrived yesterday publicly exposed a problem in the training facilities."

"…."

"What have you two been doing all this time?"

"…My failure. I apologize."

"I have no face to show, my lady."

Elijah tapped the desk. Tok, tok. Propping her chin, she glanced up at them sideways. Neither dared meet her eyes.

"I know you two were dispatched from the main house to watch me."

"…."

"I get that selecting my guard knight is my business, so even if you're uninterested, I should've paid attention. But shouldn't you at least do the bare minimum? Isn't that proper?"

Elijah flashed a grin with just her lips. The two swallowed involuntarily. She was merely a 13-year-old girl. Yet every time they stood before her, the grown men felt fear. Not just because she had the rare gift of a mage in the empire. Fundamentally, she had a knack for striking at hearts.

Perhaps inevitable, living in this environment.

Gawain hurried to speak. "We'll fix it as soon as possible."

"Deadline?"

"Three days is enough."

"Make it two."

"Understood."

"Out."

Gawain bowed deeply and left. Only Miguel remained.

"Viscount Habes's family is doing welfare projects lately."

Elijah pulled out a document as she spoke.

"Money that should've come from the Bebel family. How'd they snag the bid?"

Kael Habes. The file on the guy whose future lineage I'd ended.

"We can pressure them over this and take hosting rights."

"Wise judgment, my lady."

Seeing Kael's file brought Judas to mind. Unaware, she lifted the corners of her mouth in a smile. Fun kid. Trembling yet boldly voicing his will before others—refreshing. Most kids would've collapsed crying on the spot. And his words flowed despite the shakes. Even a noble youth trained in rhetoric couldn't match it.

It'd been that way from their first meeting. Intriguing, novel, entertaining creature. Like a Christmas wish granted a month ago. Not that she'd believe it.

Miguel swallowed, stunned by her smile. She never smiled. When she did, it was eerie. Not a real smile—a mask shaped like one. But the smile for that candidate Judas was genuinely bright. Half mask, half sincere. A first, even for Miguel who'd watched many children grow.

Elijah was a tough read. Her enigmatic reactions from such a difficult girl were hard to parse. But that smile still felt chilling somehow.

Elijah learned much. Philosophy, literature, math, science, history, sociology, kingship, morals, ethics. And so on. To be noble, she learned when to be "unethical." She always aced those subjects. To her, morality was illusion.

"And that candidate Judas."

"Yes, my lady."

Now she pulled his file.

"Slave origin, right?"

"Yes."

Elijah didn't care who became her guard knight. Didn't need one anyway. It was for show, to save face. The Bebels fussed even over bastards for image. Fair opportunity for all, regardless of birth. So she paid no mind—until this Judas caught her interest. Enough to visit the distant training camp from her isolated, island-like mansion.

A rare personal outing, and satisfying.

"Dig into his background. Something's off."

Thirteen years old. That alone was suspicious. What slave knew their exact age?

"Understood."

Miguel agreed. A street slave, yet so eloquent. His logic leading to the conclusion was brilliant.

"Did the gift arrive safely?"

"Yes, the teas and drinks you selected."

"Picked ones he seemed to like last time. Hope he enjoyed them."

I enjoyed picking them. She swallowed the afterthought.

Judas had met her interest. Spoke of greater good outwardly. Probably true at first. But midway, his words turned personal. Subtle yet blatant attitude—not bad. Cute, even.

"He must've loved them. Food those kids couldn't even dream of."

Was that it? Elijah nodded to herself. His outburst was freakish, something she'd never seen. Might appeal for that reason.

Propping her chin, she gazed out the window with a faint smile. Life had always dragged her along by inertia. A shipwreck swept by currents. Studies she hated. Power and authority she didn't want. Endless pressure and pursuit. Utterly dull.

But lately, she'd found something intriguing and fun.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

'Not bad.'

Late at night, everyone asleep. Lying in bed, I checked the notification in my head.

Hadn't checked earlier amid the chaos.

"Hmm…."

I pondered with a low breath. All useful options.

'Process of elimination.'

Mana Liberation first. Key power—transcends physical limits, forges weapons at mastery. Essential for true strength. But useless at Trait Lv. 1. Low mana stats mean squat. Pass.

'Down to Spear Arts and Sword-and-Shield.'

Weapon/combat traits. Spear at Lv. 2, sword-and-shield at 1.

'Trait levels matter, but….'

Neither inherently superior or inferior. Effectiveness depends on user. Decision came quick.

Technique for wielding sword and shield together. Rare hidden trait—requires acquiring One-Handed Swordsmanship and Shield Mastery first, then combining.

'Better versatility than spear arts.'

Spears suit phalanx soldiers. Awkward to carry. As a guard knight—my supposed role—I needed flexible skills for any situation.

'If it'd been spear and shield, maybe. Not that I plan to be her guard.'

Today was pure stamina work. Tomorrow: weapon techniques and sparring.

'Will Elijah show tomorrow…?'

Interest sated, maybe she'd back off. Or come for more.

'Wish she'd stay away.'

Grateful for today's help, but separately, she unnerved me. Terrifying.

'Short-term, getting close to Elijah is advantageous.'

Today's mess, this guard exam—everything pointed that way. She was the training camp's top authority, Bebel heir apparent.

'Long-term, though….'

A historic maniac who killed her guards for fun, bathed in maiden's blood. Stay close, guaranteed murder.

Conclusion unchanged.

'Avoid entanglement if possible.'

*

Life never goes your way. Because you're not alone. Can't control others.

So Elijah attending today's training was beyond my control. Natural disaster level.

She sat front-row in a lavish chair again, maid shading her with a parasol. Sky-blue dress made her look her age for once.

'She has a childish side too, huh.'

Staring in surprise, she spotted me and waved with a smile. I just bowed my head.

The candidates in the three sections buzzed.

"Hey, she waved this way."

"Lady Elijah here again… what's going on?"

"She skipped other sections."

"Talent worth passing in our group?"

"A few. Like that 12th-intake guy who passed round 7…."

Richard poked my side. "Why the death glare? You're the lady's favorite."

"…."

Couldn't retort to the tease. Some had already caught on. She was here for me.

"It's more attention than I deserve; I don't know where to put myself."

"Heh. Plenty of vultures who can't even get that much."

Yeah, I knew. Tons wanted to impress her. Richard included. Training to be her guard was the golden ticket now.

'I know it's a rotten rope.'

How could I smile?

Elijah stared only at me, ignoring the other candidates posturing to look taller or bulkier. Coughing awkwardly.

Training started regardless of my discomfort.

*

Gawain led today. Morning: weapon drills. Swinging at air, practicing attack/defense forms. Instructors like Gawain circled, correcting.

Sword-and-Shield helped; few pointers. Even got praise for doing well. Got cocky, then reined it in.

'Mind gets childish sometimes too….'

Glanced at Elijah occasionally. While spectating, she'd flip papers, jot notes, issue orders to maid and butler. Each time, quiet relief. Meant her interest was waning live.

Weapon drills ended; light sparring began. Barely sparring—pairs repeating fresh moves. Modern "drill training."

"11th, 12th intakes. And… 13th, pair up."

Gawain matched similar levels. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠My partner: Lindel. 12th-intake roommate senior. About three years older? Taller than me anyway.

"Shield tight to body, close in to block, then swing sword. Begin."

Light wooden practice sword and shield clacked. Lindel and I repeated wordlessly. Block, strike. No real power either way. Pure form repetition.

'Building habits.'

Familiar from past life—fun, nostalgic. First time with sword and shield, though.

My turn to receive. Instructors distracted. I swung lightly like before.

Thwack!

Lindel blocked with shield. Deliberately hard, batting it away. Unexpected force staggered me. He charged, slamming his sword down full force.

Crack!

Hit my shoulder. Dull thud lost in the noise—instructors missed it. Spot throbbed. I glared instinctively.

"Oops."

He smirked leisurely. "My bad. Still bad at controlling strength. Hurt?"

Then it clicked. One of the guys who hadn't smiled at Elijah's gift.

'What's his beef…?'

Hadn't done anything hate-worthy.

'Guess I need to give him a real reason.'

I bowed politely instead. "No, my fault for being unskilled. Sorry."

He grinned, pleased by the groveling.

'Coward pulls this crap.'

I loved playing dirty too. If he knew how I'd ended Kael's line, he wouldn't dare.

"Everyone slips at first. You just picked up weapons today. You'll learn. Your turn to block and strike. Again."

So smug. I gripped sword and shield tighter.

"Yes, excuse me."

As I spoke, Elijah watched us, smiling.