Chapter 75 Banquet [2]

"Because we're —" "Classmates! Got it!" Immediately, before Alex could finish that diabolical sentence, I cut in and said swiftly. 'Safe!!' I felt my heart racing and pounding strangely in my chest. What the actual fuck? Was this bastard really just going to easily befriend anyone just like that? No, I mean I knew I made a small subtle jab about you not having friends, but that didn't mean to have hopes for me being one of them! Getting involved with someone like you, was like begging for futher misfortune; I already had plenty! Ah, actually, quite frankly, staring at Alex right at that moment made me have a strange thought. In retrospect, if people like Alex and I hung out together, wouldn't that be an abomination, and a curse upon the world?! The one cursed with misfortune. The Hero who would work a path of misfortune. These two separate bodies come together and coexist: it's the end of the world! "Beacuse we are classmates, yes. You're right. That's why you're looking after me, thank you." Immediately,.I said once more and took a small step back. As much as it was advantageous for me to have found Alex this early and quickly, I still needed some reasonable distance to observe first. If I carelessly got too deeply involved with the future hero, my actions could produce a sort of unnecessary effect that may do more harm than good, not just to me, but to the future of this world. But then again, this world didn't have a future either way... "O-oh, uh — right, we're classmates after all. We have to look after each other no matter what. Yes, th-that's exactly what I was about to say. Ahem." Alex sheepishly stuttered, coughed and said with a slight red face tinged with embarrassment. Why was he looking like he got dumped though...? I hoped with this, I'd slowly subtly raise a sort of distance for our future interaction. Just enough that we don't end up tied by the waist! While Alex and I engaged in a rather awkward scenario and conversation, the banquet continued to unravel uncaring of our thoughts or opinions. The soft melody from the music mixed with the lively and festive atmosphere, and it gradually turned slow and the mood subtly shifted. 'It looks like they're going to hold a slow dance?' I was a little beffudled. This was a banquet, yes, but it was more of class part actually. So why slow dance? Well, it didn't matter to me in the end. After spending a few minutes and seeing how the whole event goes, I planned to immediately return back. I was only here in due consideration to the efforts and feelings of my sister who went as far as getting me a suit. Aside from that, this banquet held no significance to me, and neither did I hold any significance to anyone else. Who would actually want to interact with someone of my caliber? Thinking that, I subtly side glanced at Alexander standing next to me with a soft wistful and subtle smile. "Haa..." Slowly, I retracted my gaze and shook my head. I reached for a different wine glance and poured it's contents down my throat. 'Weird bastard.' "I'm leaving." Before I left, I at least had the small decency and consideration to say my goodbyes to Alex who spent the most time with me today. Without waiting for a response of any kind, I turned around and slowly made my way through the crowd for the exit. "Eh? You're leaving? But why? The banquet literally just started." I heard Alex's voice follow me from behind. By the exit was a middle aged Valet who was in charge of a hanging the coats and extra clothes of the guest. I did stepped as the four armed golem smashed into the space at my side. It's three pairs of beaming red lights for eyes drew a direction for my figure, and it's upper body twisted unnaturally to follow up with its attack. A reinforced and powerful armoured first burst through the air at me. My warning senses screamed mildly sharply. I pushed off the toes of my feet, hoping to back step down distance to shave off some force from the impact, and raised the metallic training spear in my hands. The fist colided with the shaft of the spear, and I felt a small tremor rock my head's as I was pushed back. 'It's still annoying. Even if I decide I can use Eta rank equipments, I still have to be constantly conscious of what I show. I have to subtly lower my skills and reaction time in certain cases, although the training dummy replicates a small portion of an Eta rank as well. This makes it hard to react and fight back against the dummy which is designed to he higher ranked than me.' my thoughts raced as I gritted my teeth. I did try to ride my momentum and fix my footing, as I simply let myself pathetically fall to the cold ground and roll with a small grunt. "Haa...haa..." It's my lost. 'Again.' Damn this is frustrating. Once more, I silently realised how unfair the top ranking cadets were having it by having their own personal and private training rooms without any externally surveillance. As I felt my shirtless back feel the touch of the cold ground, I stared up at the tall ceiling indiscernibly. Maybe I really should just go ahead and fuel one of those guys... Like a baffling coincidence, just when I had that thought, I heard the door to hall open, and someone stepped in. 'Someone aside from me at this time?' Slowly I raised my head from the ground to look. And froze. "Ah..." With long pale silver hair, and bright red eyes that were icy like like a lake in winter, the top ranking first year, No.1 Ceres Walker stepped into the large training hall in a sweatshirt and sweat pants with a sullen and distant expression. Instantly, I felt the whole atmosphere of the silent and serene hall subtly shift and change from her mere appearance. Perhaps maybe I was imagining it, but Ceres had a very distinguishable presence. 'Does it have something to do with being an Ascended Hero?' Speaking of which, Hamlet as the Silver Sentinel did have this intimidating presence when he was finally noticed. 'It could also be a passive reaction because of the large disparity between our power levels.' Status suppression. In any case... I watched with suprise as Cees arrived. Amongst everyone that could possibly show up right here right now, Ceres was amongst the least I expected. But I also had no reason to think so. Wasn't she supposed to be at the banquet? No, maybe she bailed like me? Speaking of which, i don't think i recall actually seeing Ceres at the social. While my mimd stirred slightly, Ceres cold and indifferent red eyes swept my way for a brief moment, making me stiff. She glanced fleetingly between me and the golem before indifferently turning away. And like I never existed, Ceres never spent me another glance for the rest of the night.