Chapter 21 – Dining on the Hot Seat

The cafeteria air is ripe with the smells of freshly made fine cuisine and the sounds of merry chattering. Beacon students from all years are currently digging into their meals with gusto, snatching greats mound of food of various varieties and plopping them onto their plates as though they're homeless suffering from starvation. Side-effects of Aura, I remember. They need to keep their energy up.

I should be doing the same but, I'm honestly not feeling it. All I've been doing for the last ten minutes is swirling my fork around my macaroni hypnotically, taking random bites whenever the urge occurs.

I take another. The sweet taste of cheese sauce lingers for a moment then fades. My fork returns to sloshing aimlessly around my plate as my thoughts go wandering again.

To the sparring match. To Cardin.

He knew exactly what he was doing in that fight. While his strikes weren't nearly as neat as Pyrrha or even Yang, they were purposeful, planned. He knew what his opponent's moves were going to be, how to counter them, and the quickest way to bash their body into the ground. He had the entire match pinned, never once doubting that he was going to win.

It shouldn't be bothering me.

I mean, sure, I was accepted of all people but, every single person in this very cafeteria has trained ten longer than I have to be accepted into Beacon. I've seen others perform feats that would be unprecedented back home. Hell, I've seen Yang smash up her fair share of punching machines and Scroll controllers. That stuff is normal for these people - Why is this any different?

My eyes to snap to the sound of tumbling cutlery. At the same faraway table, I see Cardin's opponent, the bronze warrior, grumbling as he leans down to pick up the spoon he dropped yet again.

How many times is that now? Enough that it's concerning. He stood up soon after the match had concluded, he even stoically bowed his head in defeat and walked all the way to the back by himself. Yet, even so, there's something not quite… right with him.

Did Cardin mean to do that too?

I avert my eyes, gazing endlessly at one of the walls. I'm catastrophizing. Cardin couldn't have known how to hurt him that way. Why would he? What's the point? That'd just be so… needless! It's stupid! Injuring one of his classmates to show up Pyrrha?

He'd… have to be a total bastard to do that.

…I let out a withheld sigh, kneading my knuckles tiredly into my cheek. From now on, I'll forfeit every match I'm able. Especially if I'm pitted against him. The further away I am from him and his team, the more likely they'll forget about me and move on.

I take another forkful, crunching down on-

Hold up. Crunching? I don't need to crunch through macaroni, it's way too soft for that. My tongue tentative touches whatever's inside and-

A sickeningly bitter taste dirties my taste buds, tossing and tumbling around my mouth like garbage being grinded up by a half working disposal unit. My throat balks up. Coughing into my hand, I take a swig from my glass of lemonade and let it splash around as if rinsing my mouth with sugary mouth-wash before swallowing.

Impish cackling bellows from across the table. My eyes click aware, finding my lunch plate in the hands of the perpetrator. The guilty girl grins grandly at her green-coated assault.

"And that, Pyrrha, is how you wake up an Eren," laughs Yang.

"Brussels sprouts! Why didn't I think of that?!" Ruby chortles, almost smacking her plate off the edge.

Unlike the other two, Pyrrha is genuinely trying to conceal her childish giggling but I can clearly see the tears welling up in her eyes. "Heh, I'm so, hah hah! I'm sorr- Ahah!" she chokes.

Ruby's head clocks against the table. "His face!" she wheezes. "Did you see his face?! He looked like… Uh, you looked, um…"

Her words slowly fritter away. The other two's laughter stops too, their cheerful chuckling dying quietly, with all three of their faces flattening into a somewhat awkward look. I blink, fidgeting under their comprised gazes.

"Wh-what? What's wrong?" I ask.

"You're not… reacting like you usually do," Ruby says.

I prod a finger at my cheek, feeling the skin completely smooth and unbent by expression: Not a well-meaning smile, a mildly irritated if ineffective glare, or even a chipper grin playing along with their antics. I've done it before. They wouldn't have taken notice if I hadn't.

"We weren't trying to be mean," Pyrrha insists. "You've been lost in thought for the past few minutes. We tried to get your attention but, you weren't responding, and we were starting to get worried. Then Yang came along and-"

I raise up a hand.

"No, it's fine. I'm not bothered at all." I say, offering a small smile. "It was funny, guys. Really. Sorry, I was still kind of stuck in my head for a bit."

An excuse. Not exactly a good or well thought out excuse, but it's an excuse. I know the two of them didn't do it with bad intentions or anything, this isn't exactly a new thing from them I've had to deal with.

I'm just not in the mood to play along today. Not just because of Cardin.

I dig an idle hand into my pocket and slip my Scroll out for a couple of seconds. No reply. It's been fifteen minutes already. He should've texted back by now.

My lunch plate slides in front of me. I glance up to find Yang, leaning against the end of the table, with her brows knitted into a humourless furl.

"Okay. What happened?" She asks. Her tone lacks force, but neither is it soft.

My fingers cling to my glass as a take another sip. My lips smack together as I answer benignly, "Um, I'm not sure. Sorry, what are we talking about?"

"You know what," she folds her arms.

…Yes. Of course. My match. It's a topic that was bound to be brought up eventually. Unlike Pyrrha, both she and Ruby saw everything. Whether CRDL's trying to keep this whole ordeal hush hush from everyone else or not, they're sure making it harder for me to hide it.

Even now, they're finding ways to screw with me.

I take another sip, a small bid for time, musing over what I could possibly say to drop the subject before it begins.

"It… It wasn't anything personal," I say, words tense. "He was just-"

"It wasn't personal? Really? You sure you want to stick with that one?" Yang interrupts instantly. "Because from where we were standing, running around the arena shouting 'Down goes Liddell,' seems pretty personal to me."

"Yeah!" Ruby agrees, shooting up from her stool. "What about when he talking to you? Your face went bright red and not in your usual way. And the time after! With Vivi! He forced her into your arms, pointed her barrel at his chest, and then you… freaked out." Her face tightens up.

Bugger. The freak-out. Stupid Eren, you should've kept it together you idiot.

"That's… really what happened? Is that why you didn't want to talk about it?" Pyrrha asks. My shoulders seize tersely. Was my discomfort really that obvious? The sisters give Pyrrha's words a stern once-over before looking pointedly at me.

Shit. Now they know for certain something's up. Can't even tell one simple lie without it falling apart, can I? They can't know about it. They wouldn't look at me the same if they did. I've dragged them into enough of my problems already.

Yang leans in closer, "What's going on, Eren? What did he say to you?"

My eyes unconsciously flicker to her face.

"She has one hell of a body, am I right?"

They dart away. I immediately grasp my glass, blurring my flaring cheeks as I make up another needed excuse.

"It was nothing important," I tell them.

"Are you getting upset?"

"It was stupid stuff. He wanted to banter and I… wasn't really into it."

"Are you annoyed? Getting a little uppity? Am I bothering you? Am I making you feel angry? Popping a few veins up in your noggin?"

"I shouldn't have even gotten angry."

"I know a technique that'll loosen those noodle arms of yours."

"It was dumb of me."

"Shoot me."

"I wasn't trying to make it a bigger deal than it was."

"Think about it, Liddell. If you shoot me…"

"I…"

"You can be Beacon Academy's first serial killer."

"…Overreacted."

Drink. I need to take another drink.

After another gulp, I lower the glass, "Really, guys. I don't even care about what happened in there. It doesn't bother me in the slightest anymore. I'm over it." I put on a smile. "So, don't worry. I'm fine. Nothing's happening."

The three of them stare at me, undaunted. I can almost feel their combined disbelief in my words raining down on me. They remain silent. I shudder in my seat, the plastic smile melting away like papier-mâché. They don't believe a single word I've said, do they?

I go to take another shot of lemonade but, as I lift up the glass, I find the inside to be completely empty. No more bargaining for time. My face sweats as I push the glass away from me, fervently rubbing my chin.

Distraction. I desperately need a distraction.

I start at a loud booming sound. The cafeteria floor rumblings somewhat as the blast rings through the Academy. It sounded like an explosion! Are we being attacked by terrorists?! Startled, I snap around for the origins of the blast.

Up in the sky, beyond the windows, is a burning beam of fire, lighting up the sky as it soars away from the Academy.

Numerous students from the other tables look up from their meals in a daze.

"What the hell was that?!" A first-year cries out.

"I believe that was one of the school lockers," answers Pyrrha.

It is that, isn't it? Yes, I remember it from one of our first lessons a couple of days ago. Our lockers have a rocket attachment at the bottom of them for quick designated transportation if we required our weapons in Vale. That is one of our lockers!

It looks just as impractical as it did during the lesson. Plus, there's a roof. How do they afford to pay for all those reconstructions every time they fire? Weird.

Par for the course with Remnant.

"It's heading out to Vale. Is someone in trouble?" An agitated Ruby asks.

"Looks like it. Whoever's there should be able to deal with it, though," answers Yang.

I hope so. If they're anywhere as skilled as normal Huntsman-in-training goes, they should be able to take any normal daylight thugs out. It's a good thing they decided to skip lunch when they did.

Hold on. The locker-room? Shouldn't that be where…

Oh, bollocks. I've been forgetting to check!

I rush my Scroll out of my pocket and slide open the screen – No reply. Shit. It's been twenty minutes already. He should've been back by now.

"How's 'I'm fine' doing now?" Yang pries.

"I-it's not me," I cry, holding up my Scroll in self-defence. "It's Jaune. I still haven't heard back from him."

She scoffs lightly, "Vomit boy? Oh, come on. He's fine! Stop worrying. He's probably having trouble with his pants or something. He'll show up in about five minutes with his blazer back-to-front and a shower head in one of his arms. It's what he does."

I hum uncertainly. I'd be lying if I said Jaune wouldn't be that clumsy but, my gut's dealing me that can't simply be the reason.

Jaune's match was the last of the class. After he finally gathered up the courage to compete, he was pitted against the only student left to fight.

Russel Thrush.

It was as one-sided a fight as you could get. Russel laid into Jaune, blow after blow, slash after slash, dash around the arena and hammering into his opponent with a ruthless aggression not even Yang fully displayed. Guy didn't leave Jaune any air left to breathe. I don't think a single second of the match went by without Russel landing a vicious blow into Jaune's Aura.

Despite the onslaught – and the lack of… well, anything resembling a fighting strategy on his part, Jaune lasted roughly a minute thirteen seconds before the horn blared for the K.O.

After the match was over, he sullenly made his way to the locker-room. Haven't seen him since.

Today's Friday so, the combatants for the arena matches set up will be heading in at some point. If he's still there, maybe one of them will find him?

"Where is the rest of your team anyway, Eren?" Ruby asks. I set the Scroll down, resting my head against my palm.

"Well, I don't know where Jaune is but, Blake's probably heading to her usual spot." The library. "And Weiss is chasing after her to try and force her to eat lunch with us." Which she attempted yesterday after Jaune and I failed our attempt the day before. As I begin to wonder how her attempt fared this time, I catch sight of her petite figure storming through the cafeteria door with no Blake in tow.

"I… don't think it went well," I wince.

She stomps towards our table, tossing her bag under my spot, clunking my legs against one another. Ow.

"Unbelievable!" She shouts. "That girl is such a pain! It's like she has no comprehension of what the word 'Team' means!" Without looking, she points a finger at me. "You. Where's Jaune?"

"I, u-um, I-I haven't heard back from him yet," I stammer. I wish she wouldn't yell. She's almost as scary as Yang when she's angry.

She groans exasperatedly, "Does nobody understand the importance of eating lunch together? I feel like I'm the only one who cares about the image of our team. You're all giving me headaches."

"Hey, now you know how everybody else feels," snarks Yang.

Weiss' eyelids narrow, face wrenching as she makes eye contact with Yang, like she's looking at a burst pluke, "Ugh. You again? What are you doing over here? Don't you have your own team to deal with? I thought you said you wouldn't sit over here."

That's… wording it pretty badly. What Yang actually said amounts to 'Bond with your teammates. I'll only get in the way. We'll grab a bigger table once you've settled.' Ruby seems to be doing fine on her end. Her other teammates, forgotten their names I'm ashamed to say, are here sitting at the second half of the table. The girl is quite clearly trying to hide her obvious eavesdropping while the guy's wearing a deadpan expression and isn't even bothering.

Well, at least they're here. Better than mine at least.

"Found a loophole. I'm not sitting here. I'm standing. Big difference, princess," Yang snipes smugly.

Weiss rubs her eyes tiredly and moans, "Argh. I really don't need you today. Why don't you go help out your partner and leave me be?"

The blonde blinks but quickly waves her off, "Did it again? Nah, she's fine. She always falls asleep in the weirdest places. Give her ten minutes, she'll wake up."

"She's drowning in her potato salad."

Wait, she's what?!

Everyone turns to Yang's table. There, we spot a familiar looking girl with a clump of unkempt plum-coloured hair, a school outfit covered in creases and her face buried into a hefty bowl of potato salad, unmoving as two girls are warily trying to prod her to life.

'I think she's dead,' I think one says. Oh dear.

"I'd… better go deal with that," Yang says finally. That's a sound idea. 'Drowned in potato salad' isn't something I think she'd want etched onto her tombstone.

Yang gives Ruby a quick hug, "I'll catch you later, sis."

She then offers a reciprocated wave to Pyrrha, "See ya, Pyrrha!"

And finally, she… points at me with a serious expression, "This isn't over. Count on it."

Didn't think it would be. As she runs off to help her team, I can't help but feel a weight pile on my shoulders. Yang's not the kind of person to not make good on her promises. She's going to figure things out at the way we're going.

I let out a gentle sigh. That's just great…

"Speaking of you," Weiss starts, eying me pointedly. "That wagon I told you to return yesterday? Care to tell me why it's still there?"

Oh. That.

So, uh, I brought the wagon that Cardin pretty much destroyed back to the room afterwards. I picked up as many shattered pieces and shredded pages as I could but, I ended up with almost a third of the portion I left the library with. The remaining books standing have been hidden underneath my bed. Might as well since I don't use it. I thought I could hide the wagon too and just forget about the whole encounter but…

"U-um…" I stutter. My fingers trill nervously against the table. Weiss' shoes taps impatiently.

"It's an eyesore. I want it gone by the time I return to our dorm. Accident or not, you're responsible for it thus, you return it. I don't want to hear any more excuses," she commands.

"Y-yes…" I concede, lowering my head.

They're going to ask questions, the staff. About how it happened, why it happened, how I'm responsible for it. It has to be me. If I pin any of the blame on Cardin it'll, one – Cause the staff to turn this situation into more of a hassle than it already is and two – It'll only piss Cardin off even more. Neither of those results are desirable, especially not with the power Cardin has.

I'll have to bite the bullet in his place…

Actually, there may be an upside to this. Sure, it won't help my Cardin problem, but it gives me an out from talking to my friends problem.

"…I mean, yes. Of course. I'll, um, go take it back right now," I announce, voice noticeably more enthused.

"Wait, what?!" Ruby cries, raising her arms in objection. "Eren, what are you doing? Why are you just letting her boss you around?"

I shake my head. "I'm not letting her boss me around. S-she's right. It's my responsibility and, honestly, I'm not feeling that hungry. I'll, um, I'll grab something at dinner," I answer eagerly, leaping up from my chair and snatching my bag.

"Responsibility? For what? What's this wagon you're talking about?" Adds Pyrrha.

"Weiss can tell you," I reply.

Weiss crooks an eyebrow, "I can?"

Sure, she can. She and Jaune practically gift-wrapped the alibi for me. They obliviously assumed, thanks to Jaune bearing witness to the number of books I took out, that I had accidentally dropped the wagon while climbing the stairs and trashed the damn thing. No more questions asked about Cardin, no more problems. Regarding that, at least.

If she's the one to tell Ruby and Pyrrha, they'll have to buy it. Nobody's more convincing than someone convinced of the truth.

"If… that's fine with you?" I query softly.

She looks at me bewilderingly for a few lengthy seconds, shooting a few sneaky glances at Pyrrha every now and again before ultimately shrugging her shoulders in defeat.

"…Sure. Why not?" She sighs apathetically. "Our team lunch fell apart again so, I don't really care. As long as that mess is out of our room."

Perfect! I sling my bag over my shoulder, snatching my Scroll in the process, and merrily switch places with Weiss, letting her take my seat at the top. Ruby stands to protest once more.

"Wait, what about-"

"I have to go but, um, I'll catch up with you guys later," I wave. "Bye!"

I make a speedy retreat from the cafeteria, power walking past the gathering crowds outside as I let out a proud giggle. Used a problem to escape a problem. No problem!

They're probably to come back around to ask questions later, they definitely know something's going on now, but, for the time being, I can focus on solving other things. Hopefully accidental destruction of property won't be too much of a hassle to deal with.

"Stop."

I halt my step, pride disappearing from my face. I gaze over my shoulder, finding a certain snowy girl looking quite sternly at me.

"Weiss?" I gasp, feeling my temperature rise. "Um, wh-what's is it?"

She's not here to ask about the match, is she? Ruby and Yang I have a little leeway to duck around but I'm stuck in a team with Weiss. And there's no avoiding her when she's determined.

Her eyelids narrow.

"Are you even trying?" She snaps. "I mean, I wasn't expecting you to put up a fight but, this is simply woeful. If you're truly trying to fend me off, I demand that you put more effort into it. I will not be underestimated!"

She… can't be talking about the fight, can she? I never even mentioned the whole scenario to her. Why would she think I'd be trying to fend her off?

Unless she's…

Yes. Of course.

"Oh. You're talking about the position…" I say, energy sucking from my face. Her forehead flares up.

"'Oh?' 'Oh,' is how seriously you're taking this? How seriously you're taking your role as leader? I don't think you fully understand the weight and responsibility that comes with leadership. Are you really paying your team so little mind?!" She rants relentlessly at me.

I lift up a hand to stop her, relenting, "No! No. I do. I understand. I… I think you're right. Leadership is important. W-we're going to be in the field next semester. We're going to be out fighting Grimm then, and every other time we're sent out for missions next year. It's… it's very important that we have a strong leader to guide us and…" My chest feels overwhelmed with oxygen. It's making it difficult to speak.

"That's why I'm not going to fight you."

Confusion floods Weiss' face. She almost reels, unsure if what I said was truly what I said.

"E-excuse me?" She stammers.

I let out a breath, flushing all the oxygen from my lungs.

"I… think you should be the leader. You should've been chosen at initiation, not me. I'm not capable of being a leader."

I've never been leadership material. I'm not the kind of person who should be leader. This isn't self-esteem talking, it's pure unbiased fact. I've never been the one to take the lead when it came to others: I was always a follower in group projects, I played at the back of school bands, I never dished out orders like Mum and Louise always used to.

I'm not a leader, and I never will be. That's just how my life works.

"So, you can take the position in my place. I-I won't stop you."
Weiss stares at me, lips struggling to utter a coherent sound. Did she expect me not to give up so easily? Probably not. Maybe she held some sort of expectation for me, some hint as to why I was selected and not her. She's not going to find it, I'm afraid.

She should've been chosen. She's assertive: commanding, confident, self-assured, intelligent, and she has her background as an heiress of that company she hails from.

She's a leader. I don't like her, but she's a leader.

Her eyes keep searching for a non-existent answer. I shake my head. It's not here. It's not with me. It's with her.

Finally, she smirks, flipping her ponytail haughtily.

"Hmph. At least you of all people understand. Very well. I graciously accept the position as leader of Team LABS. Though, I'm sure they'll need to change the name once the Headmaster understands that his decision was a mistake," she says proudly. "I will need Blake's acknowledgement as further support. Wouldn't quite be as convincing with only two members vouching for me."

Right. I'm not even sure myself if the Academy allows changes in leadership. That might be an issue but, we can deal with that later.

She clears her throat, taking a commanding tone. "Now, as my first action as leader, I order you to clean out that broken wreck in our room. I won't have my team's dorm look like a hovel. It must display our attentiveness and efficiency for all others to see. My team will be the greatest Beacon Academy has ever seen. I assure you of that."

I was going to do that anyway. Guess she just wanted to make it official, I suppose.

Weiss spins on her heels, motioning to return to the cafeteria when she makes a passing smirk at me.

"You've made a very wise decision today, You. The future success of our team has been ensured thanks to your understanding."

"Y-yeah…" Yes. That's what this is for. To put everyone else in safer hands.

Weiss walks away, barely waving her hand in farewell. I rub my shoulders, easing the tension away. It may be unofficial right now but, I no longer have to deal with the pressure anymore. The reins of leadership are now in their rightful hands. With that, I shouldn't have to fear any longer. It's not my problem. I don't have to do anything.

That's nice, isn't it? That's nice…

"What the heck did you do to this thing?!" The Teacher's assistant screeches.

Walking into the library, I reluctantly approached a third-year guy whose uniform bore the golden patches belonging to upper-class students granted the duties of assisting in minor academy affairs.
I didn't expect a warm reaction to a wreckage like this but, I wasn't expecting a total freak out!

I bow my head, rambling out lightning-quick apologies. "I-I-I'm so, so sorry. I, um, I didn't mean-"

"Oh, man. This thing is totalled. What'd you do? Throw it out a window?!" He shrieks.

"N-no! I-it was an accident!" I squeak. He runs a hand through his messy hair, scratching at his scalp.

"Ugh, boy. I thought being a T.A. would've been easy. Just standin' around telling freshmen what to do. Jeez, I really should've paid attention during inauguration," he sighs. Glad I found the most attentive and alert assistant ever. I seriously hope he's not in charge of dishing out punishments. "What happened to the other half of it?"

"I… couldn't find it all. Th-the pieces, uh, the pieces went a-all over, I-I couldn't find th-them all," I explain, averting my gaze from his whenever possible.

"Wow, you messed up. If you had the other pieces, Goodwitch could've just fixed it up and slapped your wrist," he laughs tiredly. It'd sound more humorous if it weren't so haggard. "I don't have a clue what to do with this. You just stay here. I'll just give her a call. She's the head of disciplinary action, anyway. Woman's a complete sadist."

My skin fizzles. He's just exaggerating, right? Miss Goodwitch isn't- She doesn't seriously enjoy…

Oh, god.

The T.A. walks a couple paces away, still within sight and hearing range but, at the very least is trying to portray sound kind of privacy.

"Teach? Yeah, it's me again…"

He hushes his words. I stand idle by the remains of my transport wagon, barely glancing at the other students in the library studying quietly with the occasional acknowledgement of the strange situation happening in the foyer.

It's okay. I told him it was an accident. He'll tell her it was an accident.

I stop tapping my arm, deciding to focus on something else than worry endlessly about the impending verdict, when I catch sight of a girl with black hair.

Blake's at the other side of the room, searching amongst the fiction aisle, adding more to a building pile at her feet. I knew she'd be here – This is no doubt her favourite part of the academy. Knowing doesn't make me feel any less anxious, though. I don't think I've spoken a single word to her after initiation finished.

I still don't know how the hell to deal with her. What to say, what won't piss her off and make her plant those sharp heels of hers straight down my gullet.

Her eyes glint in my direction. I turn away sharply.

Did she notice me? She noticed me, didn't she. I was standing there staring at her like a total creep again. Shit! I need to stop doing that. She's going to think I'm some sort of perverted stalker or something awful like that.
Is she looking at me? I sneak a glance.

She's looking at me. Quite blatantly too. She definitely noticed. Stupid. Stupid!

"Hey, you," calls the T.A. "What'd you say your name was, again?"

I didn't.

"U-uh, it's E-Eren. Eren Liddell."

"…Alright," he blinks, turning back. I'm assume he thinks he's being quiet again because, I can quite clearly hear the next part. "God, his parents must've thought he'd be their special snowflake or something."

Hey, your name's no John Doe either, jerkass. I glance back at Blake again.

She's moved, disappeared behind the bookshelves. Probably to grab one of the hidden seats amid it all. I let out a sigh of relief.

I need to be more aware of where I look. People get angry when you look at something you don't want them to.

"Seriously? Alright. If you say so." The T.A. snaps his Scroll shut and returns, grimacing irritably at me. "Okay. For some reason, Goodwitch wants to come take a look at the wagon. Says it's important to something or other. In the meantime, she wants you to go do an errand for the Academy. It's supposed to be a punishment or whatever. She wants you to head to one of the academy's local book suppliers in Vale and order a few things. Get your Scroll out."

An errand? For Miss Goodwitch? I do as he asks and take out my Scroll. Opening a notebook app, he gives me the address of the book store along with a list of books with titles that I've never heard before. I note everyone last one of them down and ensure that the given address is correct.

"And The Man of a Thousand Lives. Head to that address, read out the code, place the order and then come back. Got it?"

"Y-yes," I bob.

"Good. Really didn't want to explain all that again anyway. There's an airship that transports students into Vale at the landing pad. Go there, flash your student ID and the pilot'll take you there. You got me?"

I nod. He murmurs what I think was supposed to be a sigh of relief.

"Thank god. I'm gonna go in the corner and hate my classmates for the next hour or so. Later." He waves lazily, leaving me alone to my task.

An errand. Well, it's better than being expelled. I can't believe I seriously thought…

I really need to stop catastrophizing.

I take another look at the list, more accurately the address. Luckily for me, the Scroll came pre-installed with a map function for Kingdoms and popular towns like Patch. I type in the address and it directs me to a local bookstore in the commercial district. I haven't been there before. This shouldn't be too much trouble. Though, I've never been to a city alone before.

I note the name of the store to memory.

Tukson's Book Trade, huh?

A/N: So, this chapter was originally meant to be longer and include what the next chapter essentially is but, due to real life Uni beginning to pile up and how lengthy the first scene was by itself already, I just decided to add some previously excluded parts I wanted to put in and called it a chapter. Not sure how eventful this chapter seems without its second portion but, after chapters 10 and 16, I feel that cutting chapters up makes it easier for readers to digest.

So, just a heads up for my regular readers. I'm putting Calamity Factor a bit of the backbench for the next couple of months to deal with University stuff. While I will be writing during my downtime, I wouldn't expect an update until after exams sometime in May. If I manage to get it finished during that time, I will put it up but, it's very unlikely that it will. I'll be back writing on it full-time once exams are over.

Thank you so very much for reading! Got any thoughts on the story so far? Good? Bad? Be sure to let me know in the reviews. Constructive criticism is encouraged.