Chapter 43: I Want Front Row Seats To That Performance

Noah folded his arms, grinning darkly. "We want in." Leo raised an eyebrow. "In?" "On your little monolith expedition." Arlo said casually, tapping the side of his head like he was thinking about what snack he’d eat later. "The one on the seventh day. The E-rank monolith." The smile dropped from Leo’s face. His hands twitched slightly in his pockets, then stilled. "You’ve got no proof." "Don’t need proof." Noah said calmly. "All we need is to say the right words to the right people. Starting with a note to the vice principal. I’m sure he’d love to know a group of second-years are sneaking into an E-rank monolith." Leo’s jaw tensed. Noah leaned forward. "And then there’s Galahad." Leo’s face darkened. Arlo grinned. "Yeah, about that. If we were to send a little anonymous note to Galahad’s father, I wonder what would happen to that sweet little noble girl Galahad’s been visiting? What do you think Galahad would do when he finds out?" Leo’s mouth twisted with rage. "Even if you tell him that we were the ones who leaked it," Noah continued, "Galahad wouldn’t care. You’re the one holding it over his head. You’re the one he’d come after. And between us, I don’t think you’d survive that." The room fell silent for a moment. Leo’s hands clenched. His voice, when it came, was a growl. "You bastards." Arlo chuckled. "I’ve been called worse." "You’re not part of my team," Leo hissed. "You’ll come along, but you’re on your own. You carry your own weight. You take only what you kill or find. And if you die, you die. No one’s saving you." Noah nodded. "Agreed." Leo glared at them for a long second before turning toward his desk. "Fine. Be ready by the seventh day. And don’t speak a word about this to anyone." Arlo stood, brushing imaginary dust from his pants. "Don’t worry, Leo. We’re very good at keeping secrets." Noah stood too, giving Leo a final glance. "Just remember, Leo, we don’t like being threatened. But we’re happy to return the favor when needed." They turned and walked out, leaving Leo fuming in silence. [][][][][] Noah and Arlo stepped out of the Silver-tier dorm building, the sunlight hitting their faces as the heavy door swung shut behind them. Arlo let out a low whistle, chuckling as they started down the stairs. "Did you see the look on his face?" He said, grinning wide. "Leo looked like he was about to cough up blood." "I half expected him to start throwing things," Noah replied. "But we got what we wanted." "Of course we did. We’re charming." Arlo flicked imaginary dust from his sleeve. "You threatened his reputation. I threatened his life. A perfect balance." Noah shook his head, amused. "You didn’t threaten his life." "Not out loud." They crossed the courtyard and entered the cafeteria, the smell of grilled meat and herbs hitting them instantly. The noise of chatter and clattering cutlery filled the space, and they joined the line. Just as Noah reached for a tray, soft arms wrapped around him from behind, and he heard a voice purr near his ear. "I missed you, boyfriend." Noah stiffened. "Juniper?" She peeked at him from behind his shoulder, her dark hair brushing against his arm and her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "Who else?" She gave him a quick squeeze before releasing him, stepping around to face him. Arlo covered his mouth, snorting. "You’ve got fans now." Juniper placed her hands on her hips. "Hush, cousin. I came to see him, not you." Then she turned to Noah, her expression softening. "I can’t hang out today. Or tomorrow. My team’s got a packed schedule with our instructor. Lots of boring lectures and sparring." Noah blinked, trying to find space between her words. "Okayyyy. What does that have to do with—" "Which is why," she said, steamrolling through, "you need to rest up and be ready for our date in the capital on the seventh day of the week, okay? I already made the reservation." Noah frowned. "Juniper, I—" "Bye!" She rose on her toes, kissed him on the cheek, then spun around with a wave, heading off toward a group of Gold-tier students waiting by the door. "Don’t forget! Wear something nice!" Noah stood there, stunned, a tray still in his hands. Arlo stepped up beside him, shaking his head with a wide grin. "So... on the seventh day, you’ve got a secret monolith expedition and a romantic date in the capital." He let out a laugh. "This day just got more interesting than it has any right to be." Noah groaned. "Why me?" Arlo slapped his back. "Because the gods love drama." "Fuck you." They made their way to their usual spot in the far corner of the cafeteria. Sunlight filtered through, casting gentle rays on the table as they sat, trays clattering softly against the stone surface. Noah dug into his meal, chewing slowly, mind elsewhere. Arlo, watching him from across the table, jabbed a fork at him. "So," Arlo began with a mischievous glint in his eye, "how exactly do you plan to deal with your clingy girlfriend when you have to sneak off for an illegal monolith expedition?" Noah groaned, dropping his spoon. "I don’t know yet." Arlo laughed. "You better think fast. Juniper’s like glue. Once she sticks, she never lets go." "Don’t remind me," Noah muttered, rubbing his forehead. "She even planned a reservation already. And she didn’t give me a chance to say anything." Arlo grinned. "She doesn’t give people chances. She just steamrolls over you with love and chaos." Noah leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. "Maybe I can fake being sick. Or disappear an hour before the date." "Disappear?" Arlo raised a brow. "From Juniper? You do know she climbed in through your window just to feed you lunch, right?" Noah paused, sighing. "Right." "She’s like a particularly aggressive hawk." Arlo added. "Beautiful and terrifying at the same time." Noah chuckled despite himself. "I’ll think of something. If I have to improvise on the spot, I will." "Please do. And I want front-row seats to that performance." They finished their food in silence, Noah’s mind already spinning with possibilities, none of which sounded good. When the last bite was gone and their trays were empty, they stood from the table and stretched. "Alright," Arlo said, "time to go do something more relaxing than dodging romantic ambushes. Like bird hunting." Noah cracked his neck. "Finally, something simple."