The Perfect Knight and the Illusionist (BL)
Chapter 5: Valenkraft vs. Skylark

Chapter 5: Valenkraft vs. Skylark

MARIUS

The boy looked sheepish even from far away. I did my best to steal—how dishonorable...—glimpses of him as my new classmates came to me in droves to introduce themselves. Had I not spent my entire life receiving attention from others this way, I might have foolishly considered myself lucky. But it had been years since I realized that this was a curse—the curse of being a Valen.

It wasn’t so much that I doubted people’s sincerity. Some of them were genuinely friendly and not overly flattering. There were indeed people who are naturally sociable and take pleasure in making new acquaintances. It would be unfair of me to assume someone’s friendliness was a calculated act. Mother always emphasized that.

What I was witnessing now, though, secretly in broad daylight, was an absolute fool making friends.

Leo.

That was his name.

Leo Skylark.

A funny name at that.

He wasn’t exactly swarmed with people the way I had been for the past ten minutes, but plenty of peers went over to him to greet the boy who remained in his seat, looking down at the desk, and fidgeting endlessly. Invariably, there was laughter when he answered their questions, which I unfortunately could not hear, but those laughs didn’t sound malicious or mocking. In particular, I noticed that many ladies showed no reservation about approaching him, unlike some who had been hovering around me, looking as if they wanted to talk to me but were too shy to speak.

’Stop it, Marius. This is rude. Focus on people who are here to talk to you,’

I told myself for the fifth time as I was asked yet another question.

"Just out of curiosity, Mr. Valenkraft, if it is not too rude to ask—"

"Please just call me Marius. We are all peers here and will serve the Empire as equals," I said first, politely reminding the cordial lady who had introduced herself as Beatrice earlier.

"I do apologize, then, Marius. Are you also well-versed in the use of magic?" she asked.

"No need for apologies, Beatrice. And no, a gift for magic is something I deeply admire but do not possess."

"So God is fair after all, hah!" Dimitri said with a chuckle.

"Indeed, Dimitri. There are many things in which I fall short. We will all contribute in our own ways as a team."

"Mr. Valenkraft is so humble!" Janice, the blond-haired lady who stood next to Beatrice, remarked. I refrained from correcting her. Too much insistence could make my humility appear pretentious.

"I wonder what Leo specializes in."

When Beatrice said this, my heart flinched a little, thinking that maybe she had caught me glancing at the boy at the back of the classroom. But luckily, Briant offered a distraction.

"His introduction was quite spectacular, wasn’t it?" he asked.

"Very memorable! Haha," Janice said.

That’s it.

This was the chance for me to turn this awkwardness that had been bothering me into a challenge, and a challenge was something that I never shied away from.

"I will go and greet him," I said and swiftly rose from my seat.

The group of classmates who had been surrounding my desk followed me closely as I walked toward the boy in confident strides. Each step I took toward him made me feel stronger.

People who surrounded him parted quietly as I approached, and soon I found myself standing in front of him. As practiced in my mind, I offered him a handshake and said,

"Nice to meet you. I’m Marius."

The boy was startled, finally took his eyes off the desk and looked around, as if he was asking for help from others around him.

Maybe I can jest a little here.

"Haha. I’m not that scary, am I?"

He shook his head without a word, bit his lower lip, then got up from his seat to take my hand.

So soft.

His hand.

So soft.

This is not a hand that holds swords.

"Ni—nice to meet you too, Mauricio!"

Beatrice let out a short, suppressed laugh through her nose and corrected him.

"It’s Marius."

"I’m sorry... Mario."

"It’s Marius," I said this time.

"I’m sorry, Mauricio."

"Marius," everyone around the desk said together.

"Mario."

Then we all laughed, except Skylark and me. I wasn’t sure how to respond.

Would he think I was mocking him if I laughed with the others? But if I didn’t laugh, wouldn’t he think I was mad at him?

As I was pondering my next move, racing against time, I noticed he was trembling a little. Just a tiny bit.

"Are you alright?" I asked him.

"It... just hurts a little."

It was only then I noticed I was still holding onto his hand, squeezing it hard, the hardness of my sword-wielding hand rubbing his tender skin.

I immediately let go, yet my palm remembered the softness, his warmth still felt on my fingertips.

Who is the fool now...