The campfire crackled softly beneath the stars.
Barry sat a little farther from the fire than everyone else, lazily poking at the embers with a stick.
Rhea watched him for a moment.
"Hah!." She shouted as if she figured something out.
Finn looked over.
"What?"
She jerked a thumb toward Barry.
"Guy's disappointed."
"About what?"
"We're too weak."
Finn blinked.
"What?"
"He thought he'll finally gets a decent fight after coming all the way here..."
She crossed her arms confidently.
"And it ends in one hit..."
"Poor bastard, I'd be bored too."
Finn stared at her.
"I don't think that's what's happening."
Iris quietly adjusted her glasses.
"...No."
"You are observing the symptom, the cause is different."
Rhea frowned.
"Oh?"
"He predicted the battlefield, he made optimal decision never letting us fall into unfavorable situation."
She looked toward Barry.
"He's comparing reality against expectations."
Finn tilted his head.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning, he expected more."
A small pause.
"The academy has failed to stimulate anything in him."
"..."
Finn slowly looked back at Barry.
"You got all that from him poking a stick into a fire?"
"Yes."
Dorian remained silent for a while.
Then
"It's neither."
The other two looked at him.
"He's counting."
"Counting what?"
"The seconds."
"He hasn't looked at the fire once."
"Only the shadows."
"The tree line."
"The wind."
"The moon."
"He is maintaining vigilance."
His eyes lingered on Barry.
"Even while appearing distracted."
Rhea scratched her head.
"That's kinda scary."
Finn looked between the three of them.
Then toward Barry.
Barry yawned.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"I think..."
Finn rubbed the back of his neck.
"he's just sleepy."
The other three looked at him.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Finn shrank a little.
"What?"
Before anyone could answer-
Barry glanced over.
"What're you guys talking about?"
Four heads turned away almost simultaneously.
"Nothing."
"Nothing."
"Merely observing."
"...Birds."
Barry looked up.
"It's midnight, there aren't any birds."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Rhea coughed into her fist.
Barry shoulders slumped.
"Why do I feel like I'm getting left out."
He laughed before shrugging
"Well."
He stood, brushing the dirt from his clothes.
"I'll take first watch, i'll wake you guys if anything happens."
With his hands tucked into his pockets, he wandered toward the edge of camp.
The four of them watched him leave.
None of them noticed the quiet sigh that escaped him once he was out of earshot.
"He's had that expression since we met."
"I've noticed."
"I wanna fight him."
"Did you guys factor in the fact that maybe, he just has a resting bitch face?."
They ignored Finn.
During planning.
During battle.
Even while counting rations.
The same calm face.
As though every task was just
Another task.
Unaware of the increasingly ridiculous theories being built around him...
Cassius was thinking about something completely different.
Several hours earlier...
This was a terrible idea.
I knew it was a terrible idea.
Which naturally raised an important question.
"...Why am I holding a healing potion?"
Simple.
Curiosity.
I couldn't benefit from healing potions anyway.
My body rejected mana the same way a cat rejected bath time.
So...
What did one taste like?
There was only one way to find out.
"For science."
I pulled the cork.
The smell alone should've counted as chemical warfare.
"..."
I took a sip.
...
It taste like shit.
However expression didn't change.
Years of customer service had trained me for this exact moment.
Inside, however...
My organs collectively submitted resignation letters.
It tasted like someone had blended rotten mint, spoiled medicine, and liquid regret before.
letting it ferment inside an old boot.
The pain hit a second later.
It wasn't spicy.
It wasn't sour.
It felt like I'd just swallowed a container labeled "DO NOT CONSUME."
My insides screamed.
My face remained perfectly calm.
I slowly lowered the bottle.
"..."
"You guys should try this."
"It tastes pretty good."
Finn looked interested.
"Really?"
He looked a sip.
His pupils dilated.
I watched him experience every stage of grief in under two seconds.
But then...
A merchant's smile appeared.
"Wow."
He nodded slowly.
"This is... surprisingly refined."
I knew that smile.
That was the smile of a man refusing to suffer alone.
Dorian glanced between us.
"If both of you like it..."
One sip.
His jaw tightened so hard I thought his teeth were about to unionize.
"...Remarkable."
Rhea grabbed the bottle next.
"If it's that good, move over."
Gulp.
She froze.
Her face remained perfectly straight.
"...Strong."
That was all she managed.
Finally...
Iris sighed.
"You are all acting strangely."
She accepted the potion.
"There is clearly some psychological-"
Sip.
"..."
"..."
She quietly handed the bottle back.
"I've reached a fascinating conclusion."
"What?"
"You are all idiots."
A second later...
"COUGH!"
Finn doubled over first.
Dorian covered his mouth.
Rhea looked like she was trying to intimidate her own stomach.
Even Iris had abandoned all dignity, coughing into her sleeve.
Meanwhile...
I calmly walked over to the nearest tree.
Placed one hand against the trunk.
And immediately threw up.
"You started this!"
I pointed weakly at the bottle.
"I wasn't about to suffer alone."
Rhea was still coughing.
"I respect it..."
Cough
"but I also hate you."
Dorian slowly exhaled.
"...I will remember this."
Cough
"I deserved that."
I looked down at the tiny amount of potion still left inside the bottle.
If I can't even drink healing potions...
Then food buffs won't work either.
Noooooooooo.
...
The greatest delicacies in the world.
Legendary monster cuisine.
Meals that permanently increased your stats.
Divine cooking blessed by saints.
Gone.
... Does that stop me from trying to eat it?.
No.
I gotta know what it'll taste like even if I die.
The next morning...
The camp was quieter than usual.
Most of the team busied themselves by eating or checking equipment before setting off.
Only one person seemed... off.
Iris.
She sat a little apart from the others, absentmindedly turning an empty potion vial between her fingers.
"Huh."
I walked over.
Since Finn was currently negotiating breakfast with Rhea which somehow involved three sausages and a philosophical debate about fairness I supposed I could temporarily inherit his job.
I sat beside her.
"So."
"..."
"You look dejected."
She didn't answer.
"Do I?"
"A little."
Silence settled between us.
"Is something wrong?"
"...No."
"Ok."
She looked away.
"It's nothing."
"Hm."
I leaned back against the tree.
"That's fine."
"You're not going to ask?"
"Why should I?"
I shrugged.
"We've only known each other for a day, if you don't want to tell me, that's your decision, I know better than to push someone past their boundaries."
Another quiet silence.
I looked toward the morning sky.
"Just know... If something's bothering you.. i'll punch it in the face."
She stared.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm your leader, It's practically in the job description."
The corner of her mouth twitched.
"That's not how emotional support works."
"Probably, but it's all I've got."
A small laugh escaped her.
"Thank you."
We sat there for another minute.
Listening to the wind rustling through the trees.
Finally...
"It isn't anything recent."
"It's just..."
She lowered her eyes.
"I remembered something cruel I once did."
I waited.
She continued on her own.
"There was a boy."
"He... matured much later than everyone else, making him start late compare to other."
"His affinity for every magical branch was nearly nonexistent."
"No talent."
"No innate ability."
"No exceptional lineage."
"And yet..."
A faint smile appeared.
"He wanted to become the greatest knight in history."
Despite...
She looked toward the distant academy.
"Lady Hjördis existing."
I couldn't help smiling.
"That's certainly ambitious."
"He was."
"He trained harder than anyone."
"He never complained."
"He simply... kept trying."
She gripped the potion vial a little tighter.
"I admired him, but instead of encouraging him..."
"I mocked him."
Silence.
"I wanted to apologize, i don't even know why I remembered it now."
I looked at her for a moment.
Something suddenly clicked in my head.
Ding!
"...Oh."
I looked at Iris again.
Iris.
Balin's Iris.
One of his love interests.
No wonder I hadn't recognized her.
Who would've thought this calm, aloof nerd of a mage was that Iris?
The Iris I remembered and the Iris sitting beside me felt like two completely different people.
Then asked,
"Is his name Balin?"
Her head snapped toward me.
"...You know him?"
"A little."
I scratched my cheek.
"Enough."
She blinked.
"How?."
"i've crossed paths with him, more importantly..."
I looked toward the leaderboard in the sky, prominently saying.
Top - 1
Barry Wunderlich.
12 Team eliminated.
"There's a reason I didn't want first place in this trial."
She frowned.
"What reason?"
I smiled.
"Because if I know Balin... He's probably hunting us right now."
Silence.
Then Iris grinned.
"That's just like him."
A beat passed.
Then, somewhere deep within the forest...
BOOM!
Several birds exploded into the sky.
Rhea looked up from breakfast.
"That sounded expensive."
I slowly stood.
"Yep, start rehearsing your apology."
I dusted the dirt from my clothes.
"I don't like misunderstanding.."
Walking out of the smoke was Balin.
My smile faded the moment my eyes landed on the massive blade resting across Balin's shoulder.
"Wait."
I squinted.
"Hold on."
That wasn't a sword.
That was a zweihänder.
The thing was practically taller than its owner, its broad blade looking more suited to splitting castle gates than winning duels.
I pointed at Balin.
"I take it back, i like you."
Balin frowned.
"...What?"
"I thought you were another sword guy, i was wrong."
He looked down at his weapon.
"Zweihänder is classified as a greatsword."
"I know."
I nodded with genuine approval.
"Excellent taste."
Balin simply looked at me in confusion.
Then I pointed at Dorian's spear.
"And you."
At Rhea's axe.
"Bless you both."
Rhea blinked.
"Uh."
"Thank you?"
Dorian simply gave a polite nod, looking no less confused.
Even Iris let out the faintest sigh.
"I'm beginning to understand..."
She adjusted her glasses.
"...his standards are strangely specific."