"Hello."
"Hello."
"Can you listen to me?"
"Okay… wake the fuck up, you bastards!"
"Aah."
"Aah."
I jolted awake, shivering as cold water dripped down my face. My eyes darted around until they landed on an old lady seated in front of us, her expression twisted in annoyance at the chaos we had apparently stirred in her store.
"It was just a joke… tch, children these days," she muttered, visibly irritated.
"Since when is scaring the hell out of people a joke, huh… old lady?" I snapped, louder than I intended. My gaze shifted to my right, where Sammy had already passed out again.
"..."
"..."
"What did you even do to my friend?" I asked, my voice pleading.
"Nothing much… are you two brothers or something?" she asked casually.
"He's adopted."
"..."
"..."
"Please stop."
"I found him in a garbage bag."
"Okay, just stop and tell me the reason you came to my store."
"Oh… I want to buy the books for the first semester at the academy." I replied, scooping up a handful of water and splashing it onto Sammy's face. He shot up in panic, eyes wide, frantically asking where he was. I calmed him down, explaining we were here to buy books.
"Looks like the adopted child has woken up," the old lady chuckled.
"Adop… what the hell are you saying, you old hag?" Sammy barked, clearly offended.
"It's Madam Augusta for you, dear."
The moment she said this, a strange pressure filled the room, crushing down on both Sammy and me. We were seconds away from blacking out when Augusta suddenly stopped, handed us the books, winked, and whispered:
"See you guys very soon."
Her words sent a chill down my spine. I swallowed hard, grabbed Sammy's hand, and bolted out of the store.
"Fuck running, you idiot!" Sammy yelled.
"Arghhh… why the hell did she call me that, old hag?"
...
"That was insane," I panted, laughing uncontrollably as I recalled Sammy fainting earlier.
"Hahahahahaha!"
It was just too damn funny.
"Stop laughing, you fucker!" Sammy growled.
"I will not, my love," I teased.
"You… haah, fine, you win. What now?" Sammy asked, still confused.
"Let's go pick up some swords and basic gear from the blacksmith," I suggested. He agreed, and we walked toward the store. My thoughts wandered—this all felt surreal. Not long ago, attending such a prestigious academy was just a dream. Now, it was reality. Sammy snapped me out of my thoughts, pointing at the store.
We entered, relieved to see it open.
"Hello, we're here to buy weapons and armor. We're students of Gurukul Academy," I announced.
"Aah… human boys. Come in, come in. We have a variety of things. Just check the catalogue and tell me what fits your budget," the dwarf said warmly.
"Okay," I replied, flipping through the catalogue. My jaw nearly dropped. A single sword cost 1 lakh rupees, and a chestplate was priced at 4 lakhs. I glanced at Sammy with a smile that could melt steel.
"Why are you looking at me… don't smile," Sammy said, disgusted.
"What's wrong with my face?" I muttered, convinced I was the most handsome man alive.
"Are you on something, you fucking idiot?" Sammy snapped.
"No… but my wallet… ahem, my love, would you please cover my share? I'll give you a kiss on the cheek."
"YOU ABSOLUTE PIECE OF SHIT! ARE YOU REALLY A BOY?"
"Heheheheh."
"Don't laugh!!! Haah… fine, I'll pay your share too."
"Thanks, love."
"Fuck off."
The dwarf asked, "Have you decided what you want?"
"Yes, the third sword and the second armor," I replied.
"Anything else?"
"No. How much is the bill?"
"25 lakhs."
"... Haaaagh! It should be around 10 lakhs, not 25. You're scamming us!"
"I am not. I'm the only blacksmith in the area, so you'll pay my price."
"You… you…" Sammy and I said in unison.
"Give them their items at the fair price right now, or I'll send this video recording to the police," a voice cut in.
We turned sharply—it was Amanda.
"A… Amanda… y-yes, I'll give them their items at the proper price," the dwarf stammered, sweating buckets.
I couldn't understand why he was so terrified, but Sammy leaned in and explained, "Amanda comes from a very powerful family. One of the founding families, alongside six others."
"Ohhh…"
The dwarf scrambled to hand us our gear, terrified for his life. Once we had everything, we stepped out. I turned to Amanda, who looked stunning, and thanked her.
"I only did what I thought was correct," she replied coldly.
We walked together toward the dormitory, exchanging small talk. Eventually, we reached our room, said goodnight, and I collapsed onto my bed.
---
Hours later, the day finally arrived. The academy was starting.
"WAKE THE FUCK UP, RUDRA!!!"