Sophie wrinkled her nose, pinching it dramatically.
"You guys should probably go get a shower or something. You smell gross."
I froze. So Sammy really does smell bad, huh?
But Sammy turned to me, gagging theatrically.
"You smell the worst out of all of us, Rudra."
"Come on, I don't smell that bad, right?" I asked, desperate for backup as we walked toward the Headmaster's office.
Amanda avoided my gaze.
"Rudra… you do smell weird."
"Not you too… Fine! I'll just go take a bath. You guys go ahead."
And with that, I bolted toward my dorm room.
---
Amanda's POV
Watching Rudra dash off, I couldn't help but recall our training sessions. At first, he was hopeless—unable to sense attacks, collapsing again and again. Yet what struck me was his resilience. He never complained, never asked for breaks. Slowly, painfully, he improved. By the end, he was sparring evenly with Professor Adam—the second strongest after the Headmaster.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I realized we had arrived. After knocking, we entered the Headmaster's office. Inside, Grandmaster Alex was speaking with a girl our age.
"Everyone, this is Talia Salt, my daughter. She'll be accompanying you on the mission. She's also your new classmate, so take care of her."
"Hello, my name is Amanda," I said politely.
"Hello," Talia replied with equal courtesy.
Introductions went around until Alex asked,
"Where is Rudra?"
Sammy snorted, barely containing his laughter.
"He went to shower. He was smelling bad."
Alex chuckled.
"Oh… that's new."
Talia's eyes lit up.
"Who is this Rudra guy? Is he stronger than me?"
Adam shook his head.
"No. He's the weakest of us."
"Then why is he even in the team?" she pressed.
I answered firmly,
"Because he's the strongest mentally. He can turn any situation to his advantage."
Talia frowned, unconvinced.
Alex redirected the conversation.
"Moving on. Your mission is in the ruins of Mathura, once known as the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The city has been destroyed and controlled by demons for nearly ninety years. No human has set foot there since. You must remain vigilant."
Just then, the door burst open. Rudra slipped on water dripping from his hands and crashed to the floor.
Sammy exploded in laughter.
"HAAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Sophie scowled.
"What the hell are you doing, Rudra?"
"Aah… fuck, that hurts. And you, Sammy—you'll pay for this!" Rudra growled.
Before their bickering escalated, Talia's voice cut through like a blade.
"You… Rudra. I'll kill you."
"What did I even do?" Rudra asked, bewildered.
"Don't act smart. I remember you."
Rudra blinked.
"Wait… I was thirteen. I was stupid, okay?"
I intervened.
"What happened between you two?"
Talia glared.
"He used to steal my lunches in middle school."
Alex sighed.
"Enough. Rudra, since you're late, get the mission summary from Amanda. I'm heading home."
After leaving the office, Adam and Sophie instructed us to head to the store and gather all the supplies we'd need for the mission, since it was expected to last about a month. But before diving into shopping, we all agreed to grab some food first—none of us had eaten, and the thought of supplies on an empty stomach wasn't exactly appealing.
---
Rudra's POV
Okay, that was embarrassing. But whatever. On the way to the restaurant, I noticed Sammy sneaking glances at Talia, making weird faces. Seriously? Looking at her when he has me? His loss, not mine.
To annoy him, I grabbed his hand. Just as I was about to mess with him, Talia cut in, disgust dripping from her voice.
"You guys are only friends, right? Because if that's friendship, I've clearly forgotten the meaning of the word."
Not my fault Sammy wasn't paying attention to me.
"Piss off, Talia, before I steal your other belongings," I shot back, respectfully.
She marched toward me, fists clenched, but Amanda stopped her—we'd reached the restaurant. God saved her today, not me.
Inside, we grabbed a table. I opened the menu and nearly fainted. A single water bottle cost 100 units. Ridiculous. Luckily, I had Sammy.
"You'll take care of the bill, right darling?" I teased.
"You fucker, pay on your own," he snapped.
"No."
"Fuuu… Fine. But eat in limits, man."
Amanda surprised us all by speaking up.
"Come on, how much can he even eat?"
Sammy smirked knowingly.
"You'll regret saying that."
Talia scoffed.
"Seriously, look at him. He's boney. How much can he possibly eat?"
Sammy chuckled.
"Wait till you see."
The bet was set: whoever lost would pay the full bill.
The food arrived—and I pounced. Chicken leg in hand, gravy smeared across my face, mouth stuffed to the brim—I devoured everything like a man discovering food for the first time. The restaurant fell silent, people gathering to watch the spectacle. Amanda and Talia sat frozen, horrified.
Finally, the owners rushed in.
"Stop eating or we'll throw you out!"
I leaned back, satisfied, and grinned at Sammy. He grinned back, then looked at Talia. Grinding her teeth, she handed over her card. The bill? A staggering 100,000 units.
Outside, I rubbed my stomach.
"Man, I wish I'd ordered dessert."
Everyone stared at me like they were plotting my murder.
"Don't look at me like that. It's not my fault I've got a little appetite."
I paused, then added cheerfully,
"Can we get some more food? I'm still hungry."
The group erupted.
"You son of a b*!"