The great academy bell tolled, signaling the end of the first lesson session. Break time had arrived.
As soon as Dania left the classroom, the atmosphere in Class D, which had been silent, instantly turned into an uproar. Almost all the students who had been holding back their curiosity immediately rose from their seats.
Their goal was only one: Alvin.
They flocked to the table in the center of the room. Alvin was overwhelmed as they suddenly approached him, pressing in from all directions with a barrage of questions.
Kazien, sitting next to him, just remained silent, leaning his back against the chair. He did nothing and let them get acquainted with Alvin, although his eyes remained wary.
Seeing the situation getting more crowded, Allen took the initiative. "Kazien, Alvin," called Allen. "I want to go to the canteen. My throat is dry. Do you guys want to come?"
Kazien turned quickly. "Good idea! I want to drink something there!"
Hearing their conversation, Alvin immediately responded with a look of relief. "Wait! I'm coming too! I'm thirsty as well."
However, the response from the other students was not so warm. Several students glared sharply at Allen with looks of dislike because he was considered to be interrupting their moment with the High Elf.
Kazien realized that his classmates didn't like Allen's attitude. However, he chose to simply ignore them.
The three of them stood up, pushed through the crowd, and walked out of the classroom. They walked together down the long corridor toward the canteen.
However, just a few steps out of the classroom, Alvin became the center of attention once again. The corridor became totally gridlocked. Disregarding where they were going, all the students around them immediately swarmed him, blocking the way to the canteen.
Kazien sighed deeply. Alvin realized that currently, his future husband was holding himself back from getting annoyed at them.
"Sorry, friends." said Alvin gently. "We have to go to the canteen immediately. Please make way."
However, the students seemed deaf. They ignored Alvin's words.
In the middle of that crowd, suddenly a female student with striking bright blue hair rudely broke through the front row. Her gaze was sharp, full of arrogance, and directed straight at Alvin.
Without further ado, the blue-haired girl immediately grabbed Alvin's hand.
"Hey, Handsome! Instead of going with these two boring humans, you better come with me!" she said in a commanding tone. "I don't know why a creature as beautiful as you is walking with these two commoners."
She tried to pull Alvin away from Kazien, as if wanting to snatch him by force.
Kazien's eyes flashed sharply. His patience ran out. He gripped the girl's wrist tightly, stopping her movement.
"Let go of his hand!" snapped Kazien coldly.
The blue-haired girl turned, looking at Kazien with disgust. "Hah? Who are you to dare order me around? Let go of me, Commoner!"
"I am his fiancé!" replied Kazien flatly, raising his left hand to show the ring that matched Alvin's. "Are you blind?"
The girl snorted disdainfully. She looked at Kazien from head to toe. "Fiancé? Tsk! A man like you isn't fit to stand beside a High Elf as beautiful as him!" the girl shouted loudly, silencing the entire corridor. "He is too precious for an ordinary human like you. Only a genius mage like me deserves to stand beside him!"
"Move aside!" hissed Kazien, giving her a very sharp look.
However, the girl became even more defiant. Her pride as a talented noble felt offended.
"I don't accept this!" shouted the girl. She pointed at Kazien's face. "I challenge you to a duel! Right now on the academy field! If I win, you must break off your engagement and hand that elf over to me!"
Student cheers erupted immediately. A duel on the first day fighting for love? It was a very interesting spectacle.
Kazien looked at the girl with a blank stare, as if looking at an insect.
"Fine!" answered Kazien briefly. "Let's finish this quickly. I really want to go to the canteen."
The academy field was now filled with a sea of students wanting to watch. News about the duel for the High Elf spread as fast as lightning.
In the middle of the field, the blue-haired girl stood with her glittering magic staff. She smirked confidently.
"My name is Marina Delfilian, from the Marquis Delfilian family! Remember the name of the person who will humiliate you!" shouted Marina arrogantly.
"Get ready!"
In contrast, Kazien stood relaxed with both hands inside his trouser pockets. He didn't even take a fighting stance.
"Begin!" shouted the impromptu referee.
"Take this! Water Dragon!"
Marina immediately cast a mid-level spell. A large amount of water appeared from thin air, forming a water dragon that roared ferociously and shot fast toward Kazien. It was impressive magic for a new student.
All spectators held their breath. Alvin just shook his head, feeling pity for the girl.
When the water dragon was just one meter away from hitting his face, Kazien finally moved. He simply stomped his right foot onto the ground.
Boom!
The foot stomp created a massive shockwave of wind. Marina's water dragon shattered into pieces, turning into a drizzle of mist before it could even touch Kazien.
"What?!" Marina's eyes popped out. "Impossible!"
Before Marina could process what had happened, Kazien had vanished from her sight.
Zap!
In the blink of an eye, Kazien was already standing right in front of Marina. Their faces were only a few centimeters apart. Kazien's gaze was as cold as death.
"Too slow!" whispered Kazien.
Thwack!
Without using magic, Kazien kicked Marina's stomach with his knee.
"Ughhh!"
Marina hunched over, her eyes rolling back, saliva dripping from her mouth due to the excruciating pain. Her body was flung far back, rolling on the dusty ground like a broken doll, and stopped right at the spectators' feet.
Silence...
One attack. Only one simple physical attack, and the talented mage collapsed helplessly. It wasn't a fight. Everyone watched their battle in silence. It was a one-sided massacre.
Kazien walked slowly toward Marina, who was coughing up gastric fluid. He looked down, staring at the girl with a condescending look.
"You said I wasn't worthy?" asked Kazien coldly. "You couldn't even make me take my hands out of my pockets."
Kazien bowed slightly, his voice quiet but full of threat.
"This is a warning for you!" said Kazien without mercy, then looked at the students in front of him. "And for all of you watching! Alvin is mine. If anyone dares to try to snatch him again... your fate will be worse than this girl's!"
Kazien turned around, ignoring Marina who was crying, holding back pain and shame.
"Let's go, Alvin, Allen. We go to canteen."
Kazien walked casually out of the field, followed by Alvin who smiled proudly and Allen who was still trembling seeing his cousin's strength.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the field, Marina tried to get up with a trembling body. The pain in her stomach was not comparable to the destruction of her pride. She stared at Kazien's receding back with a gaze full of hatred.
"Just you wait..." hissed Marina, tears of anger flowing down her cheeks. "I will not forget this humiliation! I will definitely pay back everything you did to me! I will destroy you, commoner!"
The female student was filled with rage and vengeance toward Kazien, who had humiliated her in front of everyone.
"Kazien..." Allen whispered as they walked away. "It looks like that girl holds a grudge against you. Her hatred is very strong, you know."
"I already know." answered Kazien calmly without turning his head. "Just relax, Allen. I will destroy that girl until nothing is left if she dares to do anything untoward to Alvin or you."
Allen couldn't say anything seeing the seriousness of his words and just walked toward the canteen.
In his mind, Allen felt uneasy.
I don't know why I have a bad feeling about this. Hopefully, he and Alvin won't experience events that threaten their safety in the future because of that girl's grudge.