Leon sighed as he finally returned to the renovated storage space that was his room the moment he finished his electives. He left the door open for just a few seconds longer after passing through to make sure that his roommate made it inside, before closing and locking it. Then he removed his shoes, set them onto a small rug he had placed next to the door to avoid tracking dirt inside, headed over to the bed, and flopped down into it.

The Combat Support Pod de-cloaked herself as she hovered in the air over his head. "Feeling tired?"

"A bit." He set his hands behind his head and crossed his legs while staring up at the ceiling. "My plan worked a little too well since it turns out that Beaudon has one of the same electives as me—he spent the entire time giving me the evil eye. It reminded me way too much of Zola, so I was feeling tense for a while."

Once Lunch had come around Lola reported back to him that said classmate was one Alan Beaudon, the youngest son of a Viscount. That made him Rank Five in terms of the station, above a Baron like his father. More so considering he was Upper Rank rather than Lower like Zola's family.

According to Lola, before she reconvened with them at Lunch, he had used the time after his class to send a missive to his father in regards to 'the presence of Minos within one of the havens of nobility' to paraphrase the A.I. It seemed he wanted to have them pulled from the Royal Academy under some preconception that they were not supposed to be there—if you weren't part of the Gentry you were beneath the Nobility, as the saying would go.

Really, Leon fully expected more than a few nobles to have sent letters and messages back home to complain about it. Attending the classes here was part of the privilege of being an aristocrat, so having someone who wasn't sharing the same seats and luxuries diminished it. That was why he wasn't really bothered by the guy complaining to his dad to do something to address the matter, since under normal circumstances a Viscount could have that done without reprisal.

But these weren't normal circumstances.

No one short of the Queen or King or the Saintess herself could have Leon and Olivia removed from the campus as long as they stuck with the rules. And even then, as the man himself had pressed upon them, their actions were to be judged by Master Lukas should something occur despite his relatively low rank among the rest of the staff. He hadn't come out and said it, but Lola suspected it was to avoid any minor infractions being justification for having them expelled on a technicality and thus ruining whatever the Queen had planned. That was why Leon was vaguely hopeful that once Beaudon received a response to not do anything stupid, he would stick to stewing in silent anger.

"Well, I did find out why he seems to be so insistent on glaring you two down right out of the gate after doing a bit more research. Did you know he was recently made the heir of his family despite being the second son?"

His brows furled at that. Considering the nature of inheritance in Holfort, the only times that the eldest son didn't inherit everything were highly circumstantial. That included being disinherited, being found to be an illegitimate heir due to infidelity, or an early death. "Did his brother screw himself over or something and he's letting it go to his head?"

"No. His brother was killed about a month prior by someone that they call the second coming of the Black Knight."

Leon snapped up at that. "As in the Black Knight of Fanoss?"

"No signs of the Magnetism Septima you mentioned, so I doubt it…" She drifted off for a moment before turning off to the side. "If I had to guess, it seems like someone's intentionally gone out of their way to model themselves after him based on the descriptions of the combat armor being clad in black. Whoever they are, they've been turning up in those Minos revolts that your sister mentioned on the way here and a big one happened in the Viscount's territory."

His lips pulled back into a grimace. That hadn't been expected. "Okay, so if we assume that he either was close to his brother or if he feels that his death by the hands of a presumed Minos was an insult to his family…"

"He'll probably try to take it out on you since you're the closest target."

"At least until he gets a response from his father telling him to bear with it, he'll likely temper himself believing he'd be responsible for getting us kicked out soon enough." Honestly, Leon didn't really care unless he escalated, and at that point he'd respond in kind. The bigger issue was this second so-called Black Knight being responsible for the uprisings. "We need more information on the situation, but I can't really ask around here about it."

One of the two Minos going around asking about the guy in armor behind said uprisings would likely either rub salt in the wounds of those who'd been hit by it or make himself seem suspicious. Or at the very least bring him more attention than he wanted. And they had no reason to be straightforward with him regarding the information.

"Well, we're still going to the Docks this weekend, right?" Lola asked. "That'll be a good place to pick up any information on the attacks as well."

"Good point." It was far enough away from the Academy that no one would know he was a Minos at a glance. And as long as he didn't go around in his uniform he could pass as a Commoner, which wouldn't draw attention or make others feel put off by being around someone at a higher station than them. "We can even hit the Guild on our way to the Dungeon and get registered early rather than waiting for classes to start."

The Dungeon Delving classes were mandatory, but only in the first semester. And only to instill the basic etiquette and guidelines towards adventuring since it was so deeply rooted in the culture of the country. They became an Elective afterwards, but it was still expected for every student to make it down pretty deep as part of the qualifications for graduation—not a problem when you had enough money or connections to get an escort or a bullshit-tier Septima.

In the game, the Muse was always accompanied by a Love Interest when she went in. But, considering the situation as it stood, Livia would probably not have that safety net. He decided to talk with Master Lukas about the exosuits available to students without their own come morning.

Lola suddenly turned towards the door before tilting in his direction. "Leon, I'm picking up your brother's septimal signature getting closer to the door. I think he's coming to visit you."

Leon raised a brow before getting to his feet as Lola cloaked herself. Then there were a few knocks on the door. He opened it to find his older brother standing there, still in his uniform but without his bag.

"Mind if I drop in for a chat?" Nicks asked.

"Sure, come in." Leon gestured towards the rug for the shoes to be placed, leaving his older brother to roll his eyes before slipping them off as he came inside.

Nicks looked around before nodding his head slowly. "Nice room."

Leon shut the door. "For a repurposed storage room, I guess. Anyway, what brings you here?"

"Came to check up on you after your first day of class," he claimed before he laid his eyes on the table where Leon had set the textbook for his mechatronics class down. He went over and began turning the pages to skim it. "See how you were settling in and handling your first classes… can you actually understand this?"

Leon briefly glanced down to where he'd turned the page. It was a diagram for what looked to be a circuit pattern. Lola chimed in silently about what it represented was in his ear before he responded. "I can understand enough that it's basically how the communication systems work by vibrating a sliced quartz crystal."

Nicks drew back with a skeptical look. "There's no way you figured that out on your own."

He shrugged. "I may or may not have had help from someone who knows a thing or two about electronics. She's been very helpful."

"She, huh?" Nicks crossed his arms. "This wouldn't happen to be the same girl that you've gotten close to in your first class, is it?"

Leon inclined his head at that. "Rumors go through here faster than I thought if they reached your side of the campus already."

"Jenna sent word to me when the rumors reached her about you within the first few hours of the day," he explained. "Didn't think it was true considering the fact that you honestly never gave any signs of being interested in women back home… but is it?"

"Her name is Olivia," Leon began. "She's the other scholarship student and a Minos. Didn't want anyone getting any ideas once the rejections started happening and they were looking for some way to vent their frustrations. She'd be an easy target unless I put on a show to the other guys that she's off-limits. That's all."

"Has there been any trouble so far?"

"Nothing yet," he lied. "Right now, most of the guys are still optimistic that they can find a woman with Mom's temperament in this place—"

Nicks scoffed, perhaps rightfully so.

"—which means that they're going to be scrambling to do that and can't afford to waste time with her. After all, if word goes around that whoever they're going after is playing second to a lowborn Commoner, the poor bastard won't have a chance even if half the male population vanished overnight. I also made it clear to the guys that I'm not even trying to compete with them, so we should be fine for a while as far as guys go."

"But the natural enemy of a woman is another woman," Nicks pieced together simple enough. "She'll be a punching bag for the other girls just because she's got nowhere near the same position or power. I remember Jenna going off last year about that to me since I was the only person that she could vent to without it getting around."

Their mother's natural enemy was Zola, who was from a higher ranking. Jenna's natural enemy was Mercie, who was also from a higher ranking. Finley thankfully had no direct competition unless Zola decided she wanted another daughter—and for their father's sake they hoped not.

But this being the sole place where all walks of nobility gathered meant that a lot of people getting shit on from the top would push it onto the people below them. And Olivia was basically at the bottom. They had the aegis of the Queen in theory, but in practice petty girls would be petty girls. So unless the Queen herself came and told them to knock it off the worst ones would start on her eventually given the games themselves had Olivia be the target of bullies until the Love Interests got involved.

"She's also mute," Leon brought up. "Other people will start seeing her as an easy target since she literally can't say otherwise if something happens. And even then, the only ones who might believe her without being cowed due to the social rankings is myself and the Knight we both report directly to. And she strikes me as the sort who'd keep it bottled in to not cause problems for other people, so if it happens where we can't see it then it'll probably escalate."

"Gee, I wonder where I've seen that before." Nicks exhaled as he got the underlying message. He himself wasn't nearly as optimistic about finding a bride in this place since, even if the General Studies classes had women who were more reasonable, he himself had very little to inherit due to being the spare to Rutart. "So, you got close to her to avoid problems from the men's side of things once they start getting desperate. Some might be jealous eventually, but right now they're not going to bother you."

"That's about it." There was also the fact that she was supposed to be the Muse, the whole issue with Fanoss, and the matter of a second Black Knight apparently running around. But his brother didn't need to know that. "Since you're probably going to tell Jenna about this because she sent you here, I want you to ask her to keep an ear out for anything involving Olivia in the Women's Dorm. She doesn't have to run interference or even pretend to notice, but if she sees something have her tell you so that you can get word to me."

Women could enter the Men's dorms rather freely, even if they were the General Studies students. But the opposite wasn't the same barring Exclusive Servants. Jenna could very easily go to see Nicks later that evening to get answers because she wouldn't come directly to Leon to save face.

"I can do that much, but she might not bother with it," Nicks told him. "Even last year she barely came to me for anything other than going on about her friend or the other 'high-class bitches' she had to put up with. She probably won't do it."

Leon shrugged. "Maybe so. But I can't spy on the Women's Dorms, so I have to ask her at the very least."

He had very little hope that Jenna would do anything to be honest. But, at the same time, he hoped that she would at least get word if something serious was going to happen. He knew that in the game some girls conspired to get Olivia trapped in the Dungeon where she fell through a shaft and wound up far deeper than she should.

No Love Interest. No Septima. And he doubted she knew how to use Combat Armor.

She was dead if that happened. And since the game made the girls faceless mobs to save on asset costs, he couldn't keep an eye on them prematurely. The only two other women of importance (and thus facial portraits) in the school aside from Olivia were the bully in league with Sky Pirates and Angelica. He couldn't rely on the knowledge from the game, so Jenna was the only one there who could help.

"She doesn't need to interfere," he reiterated. "She owes Olivia nothing and I don't want her to jeopardize her chance of meeting someone. Just have her tell me so I can report it in Olivia's place without anyone being the wiser."

"All right, I'll try," Nicks promised. "Anything else I need to know about?"

"Not really," Leon claimed. "Though I do plan on heading out this weekend to get registered at the Adventurer's Guild so I can start going into the Dungeon. You in?"

He shook his head. "Nah. The guy I was working for last time sent word he had my position open, so I'm going back there. Probably for the best since I don't have to waste ammo costs or get the armor repaired if it gets damaged."

"And the risk of getting eaten," Leon helpfully added, as though he weren't facing that very same issue. "Good luck with your classes, Bro."

"I'd say the same to you, but…" Nicks turned his attention back to the diagram in the book before flipping to the page it was on prior. "Honestly at this point you probably won't even struggle with this much. Later."

And with that his older brother slipped his shoes back on and walked out of the room.

"…Right then." Leon stretched for a moment after shutting the door before turning his attention back to his companion, who had decloaked herself. "Back to our weekend plans…"

[—Olivia—]

Life at the Academy was still something that Olivia was adjusting to by the time the weekend arrived.

Leon had told her earlier in the week he would be heading out on some business and wouldn't be back until later. And Master currently had duties as a professor to attend to, as well as seeing about requisitioning an exosuit for her. So she had opted to instead focus on her studies after attending service.

Olivia set out somewhat later in the morning than she normally would, having shamefully overslept due to how comfortable the bed was. Her travels took her surprisingly far from the dormitories and the classrooms. Master had told her that the chapel itself was apparently located in the rear of the campus, practically set in the opposite direction of what served as the Colosseum.

Traversing the flagstone path revealed that it had long gone relatively untended to. The grass had been allowed to grow wild and free along the path, making it troublesome to walk through. Even so, she could see some of it was freshly trampled upon arriving at the alabaster chapel nestled within the wilds.

The mild fears she had that it had fallen into a state of dilapidation were largely unfounded. The building itself did show some signs of weathering from exposure, and there were certainly places where maintenance was obviously needed. The windows were in definite need of a good cleaning as well, but it was not in such a state of disrepair that the building wasn't able to serve its purpose.

Ascending the stone stairs leading to the entrance, a set of doors that had intricate designs worked into it, Olivia managed to wrest one open and entered the vestibule. The crisp air brushed against her skin as it flowed out while the warming air from the outside slid into the small chamber until she shut the door behind her. Almost immediately her eyes were forced to adjust from the bright illumination of the sun to that of the soft amber glow of bulbs from wall lamps that hung on the side of the walls.

Soft chirping reached her ears as she brushed her feet on the rug in front of the door, not wanting to track any dirt from the outside if she could help it. It was an inquisitive sound that allured her eyes towards the left corner of the room, where she spotted a small white bird. Tiny but stout, its feathers ruffled as it craned its head in her direction while resting within a cage that it called home.

How beautiful. Olivia had not come across such a bird before and was naturally drawn to the allure of its feathers as it picked at them with its beak. It was such a beautiful hue that resembled clouds on a bright day. She couldn't help but give it a little wave of her fingers. Hello there.

It tittered and hopped onto the flooring of its cage in response, approaching the bars while raising a wing as if to return the greeting. Then it trilled softly, as if to inquire as the nature of her visit in place of one who resided in the chapel. Olivia's imagination left her picturing it asking in a slightly high-pitched voice about whether she had simply come merely to admire the elegance of its plumage, or did she have some come to pay tribute to the teachings of the faith?

Humoring her own imagination, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small book of scriptures. The white bird bobbed its head from side to side as it eyed the old but cared for text, seemingly in understanding. Then it hopped over towards the end of the cage before pointing a wing towards the door that loomed ahead. She had a strong suspicion that it would lead into the sanctuary.

Olivia flashed her little guide a smile before heading over towards the door and opening it up. The scent of incense greeted her in welcome as she entered the chapel hall. Her breath was stolen as she took in its majesty, from the tall ceiling to the velvet carpet that stretched over the stone floor. Stained-glass windows cast their colors throughout the room as light poured in from each wall, shining down on the rows of pews made from some dark-wood or other that she knew no name for.

The front altar that laid at the end of the velvet pathway was clearly the heart of the sanctuary. It was elevated by several steps, surrounded by altar rails at the base that opened up in the front where one could climb to the lowest part of the altar and kneel. The altarpiece itself was massive with its wings spread; the central panel flanked by one each side displaying artwork that from a distance could barely be made out.

Olivia quietly shut the door behind her and made her way down the spacious hall towards the altar to observe that which caught her eyes in the distance from up close. The carpet swallowed her footfalls, keeping the silence unbroken until she reached the steps. There she could not only make out the panels of the altarpiece, but that which laid atop the altar-cover next to the candles upon which flames danced on wicks that looked to have only recently been lit.

Olivia recognized the figures on the panels. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the chapel itself was located in a school for the nobility that such portrayals were more extravagant than the ones in the church she had been raised in. But she recognized them as the effigies of the Musicine Faith: the manifestations of the three Muses as captured by artists of times long gone.

The panel on the left was the Muse of Victory whose anthem guided their warriors during the battles of the past. She was a pale beauty with long hair that was a deep shade of black and piercing crimson eyes, her lips painted scarlet as she held to them a flute. Her wings crossed her voluptuous figure like a gown of striking red that tapered into the darkest black, and resting around throat was golden necklace with three teardrop rubies that were blood-red.

The panel on the right was the Muse of Hope whose ballad served as a balm for those who were suffering and sought succor. She was a younger-looking, almost childish figure with short white hair that came down to her neck, while atop her head was a laurel wreath whose ends stuck out like horns. Cladding her petite body was a gown that was red and white as she laid on a cloud, lovingly curled around what appeared to be a bracelet, and from her back spread wings of red and gold that resembled flames.

And in the center panel was the Muse of Origins whose song helped founded the kingdom itself. She was an elegant and refined lady, her figure the embodiment of motherhood upon which was swaddled raiment of blue and white while her hair was fanned wide like waves of gold. Her eyes were sapphires that seemed to peer into one's heart, and her unfurled wings took a shape that resembled those of a butterfly. In her grasp was a magnificent staff whose head she cradled beneath her mouth, open in song.

The altarpiece was magnificent in its depiction. The house of faith she had been raised in was not so wealthy, but the artwork itself had always been beautiful to her eyes. But Olivia had not seen such craftsmanship prior and could only muse that it was because of the wealth of the grounds upon which this chapel lay that such a work of art could be found.

Yet it was easily outdone by that which laid in the center of the altar.

It was a magnificent crystalline sculpture of the three Muses acting in concert with one another. The colors spanned the soft hues of the rainbow. The details defined to the point of even their cloth having wrinkles.

Breathtaking was the only word for it. It almost felt as though someone had taken the very manifestations of the Muses and entrapped them in crystal. She couldn't help but bring her fingers towards the statue, half-tempted to free them…

"It's actually dangerous to be rather close to that right now."

"!" A silent shriek of surprise slipped out of Olivia's throat as she jumped back. The voice seemed to come out of nowhere to admonish her for the uncontrolled greed that drew her unworthy fingers towards what may have been the most precious thing within the chapel. She could only feel her heart jump in embarrassment as her eyes began spanning the room for the source.

Eventually, they fell back to a corner of the large room where the light from a stained window from above faintly touched. It was there she saw the source. And once more she found herself staring at another sight that took her breath.

On the very last pew out of the ten or so rows there was a young man reclining with his legs resting on the wood. He was slouching with one of his elbows on the armrest of the pew and supporting his head with one of his smooth hands. He must have been her peer given that he wore the uniform of the student body instead of priestly garbs...

Yet he almost seemed to be a messenger from the Muses themselves in how his beauty seemed otherworldly. Long, majestic violet hair bound in a ponytail lay draped over one of his somewhat slender shoulders. It was so well-maintained that the light seemed to refract off it like crystal itself, and the same could be said of his deep purple eyes fixed casually in her own direction.

"Get back a few more feet," he said in an uninvested tone that had just the touch of an edge to it. "I'd rather not be responsible for blood staining these hallowed halls."

A buzzing confusion took root inside her head until the moment the most horrible sound imaginable filled in the brief silence between his words and now. She turned back to the crystalline statuette to see that it was cracking as deep fissures spread across its surface. She backed away several steps and watched as the entire thing came undone in a slight burst that scattered prismatic shards into the air around it.

Olivia could only fall to her knees as horror and confusion reflected in her eyes. It was a natural response given that the most expensive work of art she had laid eyes on was now nothing more than shards that were scattered about. Had it been her fault somehow?

Footfalls echoed throughout the cavernous hall. By the time Olivia noticed due to her shock the young man was now standing behind her. One of his hands were outstretched towards her, their appearance smooth as silk.

She grasped it and rose to her feet. Her mind was mildly surprised at how soft his fingers were at the touch, but her manners won out. She tapped her chest twice and gave him a grateful nod. Then she turned back to the shards and gestured to them with an inquisitive yet pleading expression.

"Oh, don't worry. The shards are sharp, but they'll dissipate in a moment, and nothing will be left behind."

Her silent message had been misinterpreted about the resulting mess, hence his assurance as the shards themselves were beginning to come undone. Their physical forms continued to splinter as little sparkles rose into the air before vanishing into nothingness. That still left her with even more questions.

So, Olivia instead pulled out her portable notepad and flipped to an empty page to scribble three little words to show to him: What just happened?

His uninvested gaze shifted slightly in response in curiosity. To which she responded by flipping to the first page of her pad where she always kept the most important thing to tell others.

My name is Olivia. I am mute and cannot speak.

It clicked in his eyes at that point, briefly clouding them with what passed for mild shame. "Oh, forgive me. I should have picked up on that from your gesture just now."

She shook her head and hands in a manner that she hoped expression that she didn't mind. Even so, he extended his hand out in a strange manner as if he were holding an invisible pencil or a similar object. Olivia thought for a moment he was asking to borrow her pen and was about to offer it, but then his eyes flickered luminously, and a crystalline flower came into his grasp.

"Though it will only last hour, please accept this as an apology."

At his beckoning she shuffled the pad into her other hand that was holding the scripture text and gingerly took into her grasp as if it was glasswork.

His eyes lingered on the book for a moment before he continued. "As for an explanation, that statuette was something I created with my Septima at the behest of a young woman an hour ago. According to the Father here, there are so few of the pious students within the campus grounds that visits are rare. So, when she came and mentioned that the altar felt a little underwhelming for the sole place of worship for future generation of this country… I thought she had a point."

Olivia's gaze followed his hands as he held them out towards the altar once again. Then she saw the crystalline statuette taking form once more. It wasn't as instantaneous as the flower but sure enough that which had been destroyed had been remade whole once more. However, this time the central figure in the center was the Muse of Hope.

"Judging from your book, I assumed that you were part of the denomination that follows the teachings of the Third?"

Olivia amended her notepad writing to respond: I was raised in a small church where it was the predominate one, but I believe there's value in teachings of the First and Second as well.

There was a slight rumble in his throat that became a slight smile. "Marie said something similar as well, about how she found strength in all the teachings rather than one while she was convalescing. It's refreshing to hear that since most here that were pious beyond lip service follow the teachings of the First without regard for the others."

Though the Musicine Faith recognized the teachings of all three Muses as legitimate, some of their teachings tended to contrast with one another at points. Small differences in some cases and larger ones in others. That resulted in a schism a long time ago between those that followed the teachings of the Muse of Origins and the Muse of Victory.

The First helped established the continent. Her song bestowed her blessing upon the founding families and gave them the might to settle the land from the original monsters that lived there. She then brokered negotiations with nearby territories to eventually become Holfort, with herself becoming the first Queen and thus the mother of the kingdom.

The Second appeared during a time of strife and bestowed her blessing upon those of martial prowess rather than birthright, initially protecting those who traveled from afar to become part of their kingdom from the dangers of the world. Then they repelled invaders and quelled disputes that the crown would not, coming into power of their own. Eventually, they established their own knight order that operated separately from the Kingdom.

There was a resulting civil war which lasted for a time until the Third came forth. It was through her that unity was wrought once as the separate factions ceased hostilities among themselves from her song echoing in their hearts with boundless empathy. Their focus as the youngest denominations was on the people left in the wake of the battle rather than anything else, the poor, orphaned, and the injured. She became synonymous with charity and hope in itself.

Olivia could understand why so many nobles would hold the teachings of the First Muse sacred. It justified why they were nobility and how it was their duty to oversee those beneath them. And in turn those beneath them would offer their services in exchange for safety and security. So, to hear he thought otherwise left her curious enough to want to know his own personal thoughts…

SLAM!

Yet, the sound of wood slamming against the door-stop echoed throughout the vast chapel hall and shattered the ambience. Their gazes split from the newly formed figurine towards the door instead, where they spotted another young woman. She had blond hair that was wrapped into two looped braids and wore a violet blazer that seemed meant to match the hue of the Prism Adept that was her fellow churchgoer.

She momentarily glared to Olivia… or rather the flower she was holding. Then she shifted her attention back to him and scoffed. "I dragged myself all the way out here and went out of my way to give my boys the morning off just so we could go out together, and here you are getting ready to have the nearest broad spread her legs for you in the house of faith you call sacred, Brad?"

Olivia's mouth gaped at the insinuation, but to her surprise Brad stepped forward in her defense. "Stephanie… I understand and accept that you don't particularly pay mind to faith, or how things work this high up in terms of the aristocracy. Misunderstandings can be corrected in time, but it's rather unbecoming of a woman who'll be in your position to make assumptions without facts. More so considering the consequences it can have. I am no exception, hence that flower was an apology for offending her by accident—not an attempt to court her."

Her voice dripped with saccharine offense in response as she gave Olivia a barbed glare. "Even if that's how you intended it, that doesn't mean that's how it could be interpreted. Don't you think it's a bit rude to me as your fiancée when we've just entered the Academy and so many are vying for the attention of one in your position? I'm willing to be considerate this time since the engagement has only been formalized, but maybe you should consider that before making such gestures in the future?"

The corner of Brad's lips strained not to pull back into a scowl that didn't suit him. "…You are right. In doing so I have caused a misunderstanding and will keep that in mind in the future."

Olivia took that as a cue to return the flower to him. She appreciated the gesture, but she could understand that from the perspective of someone just entering how it could have been misinterpreted as a romantic act. Brad offered her an apologetic gaze as she then took three steps away from him to show she had no further intentions to his bride-to-be.

Stephanie observed her for moments longer with an expression that gave off the impression it wasn't over, only to spin on the sole of her shoes and move to leave. "We're wasting time here. Let's get going. The sooner we make our way across campus together, the less we'll need to worry about your lesser approaching you all the time."

Olivia watched him depart with his shoulders now burdened with a weight that hadn't been there before in the brief time they talked. It was truly a sad sight when she turned her attention back to the statuette that encapsulated his faith in physical form. She could only offer a silent prayer that he would find a balm for his troubles, as she could offer no words aloud that would soothe his heart.

[—Jenna Fou Barfort—]

"We need to talk about what happened earlier." A saccharine and condescending tone was met with silence. "If you can't speak that makes it simple since you can just listen while I make things perfectly clear for you that nothing is going to happen between you and Brad, no matter how much you play the innocent and mute for the guys."

There was a nervous rustling of cloth and flesh.

"Now, I can guess that you didn't know better at the time and personally I don't blame you for leveraging what you can to get above your station. Since men tend to only think with their lower halves even chattel would be fine so long as they get off. Plus, you're meant to calm the sheep down, so I'll be generous and let you off with only a warning."

There was a painful but muted sound. It was followed by the all-too common sound of a slap. Then there was a loud thump against the wall and the sound of books clattering to the ground.

"Spread your legs for that other Minos all you want since no one cares about animals going at it, but if I catch word of you so much as glancing at Brad again, I'll stop being so nice and put you in your place. Got it?"

Silence.

A huff followed. "Good. Let's go. I need to pay a visit to those bitches who had the audacity to question my engagement next—not good enough for him my ass."

Footfalls followed down the carpeted floor. One set moving off at a brisk pace that spoke of unattended business. The others followed behind at a respectful and professional pace.

Silence settled in as Jenna Fou Barfort stood behind the bend of the corridor. Her arms were crossed and her brows furled. She was deep in thought about what to do next.

Nicks had approached her two days ago. She had made time out of her search for prospects to hear him out since he knew better than to interrupt her when unnecessary. That was when he told her what Leon wanted her to do in keeping an eye on the mute girl and telling him if she was being harassed.

She had asked if Leon had hit his head for obvious reasons. He had a working brain and knew that it was better for everyone if he kept his head down and out of trouble. She even went over this on his ship just to make sure he knew it, so she could focus on searching for a suitor that could get them from under Zola's thumb—which Leon, of all people, should appreciate.

And she had let Nicks know that he should remind Leon of that rather than playing white knight for some girl he just met.

Only for Nicks to defy her wish by bringing up one simple fact: Leon had asked them to do it.

That was significant because Leon never asked them for help on anything.

He had always been strange since he was a little boy. Even before that day when she asked why they couldn't have nice things because of him. Sure, he got a lot quieter and avoided her more after that, and she knew now that he couldn't help being born the way he was—Zola was the problem and she was trying to deal with that one by marrying up, unlike Nicks.

But then one day things changed. Nicks had mentioned that it was like a switch had been flipped for him. He went from clinging to his older brother in the same way Colin did for Leon to suddenly becoming… different.

He was five years old at the time. Their mother fell ill after a visit from Zola. Their father had been dragged away to deal with a threat to their lands. No knights and no servants at the time either to rely on, and they had to look after a crying baby without knowing why she was crying.

He took over looking after Finley for the week and making dinner, leaving them to do chores at his instructions. Jenna had been six at the time and panicking, but the way he phrased it and his tone gave the impression that he knew what he was doing. It was silly, but with her worrying about her mother and a crying baby, she listened until their father got back and their mother got better.

After that he just seemed to always have an air about him that gave the impression that he was older than he was. In the way he acted. The way he talked. The way he just looked at a situation. It stood out even more when you sat him next to the other boys his age and saw just how different they were—it was really weird, no matter how much he tried to say he was just copying how their father was.

Their father and mother considered him precocious. Or rather they wanted to consider him as such because they wanted to think that it was a trade-off for being born a Minos. That he got something out of being born without a Septima like the rest of them and the world wasn't that cruel for a child who had done no wrong.

That was literally the one advantage that Nicks and Jenna could claim compared to the otherwise perfect son Leon had turned into. He was brave, smart, and even became a successful Adventurer who managed to sell something to the Royal Family valuable enough that they willingly pushed him into the gentry and then wanted him to attend the Royal Academy—at the age of fifteen. And they couldn't even be petty about it because they knew that no matter what he did he would be a Minos.

That bitch of an Earl's daughter proved that much in how she didn't even consider him human: just a sheepdog meant to help heard the rest at best.

But the consistent thing that remained true to Leon was that he did as little as possible to ask for help. The only times he did ask for help were when it was necessary, and it was never done one-sidedly. It was always done in exchange for something he would later pay back unfailingly.

And even then, Leon never asked them for help of any kind. He would happily help Jenna and Nicks if asked. But he never needed anything from them in turn, and they never had anything to offer him that he couldn't accomplish on his own.

"This is probably the only chance we'll get to act the part of the older siblings to him." Jenna bit down on her lips as recalled that Nicks had said that to her. For him it was a matter of being an older brother to Leon, a role he had been unable to do since they were kids.

But for Jenna it was different. She couldn't take back what she had said. And Leon never asked for anything from them before. This was probably the only way to make up for what she had said before she knew better. That being said…

I already hate her. Jenna kept that thought locked firmly in her mind even as she listened to the mute girl picking up her books from the other side of the wall.

It wasn't an uncommon sentiment by any stretch of the imagination. Most of the girls hated one another since they were effectively competing with one another for prized men who could elevate their status. That naturally meant that they weren't going to be more than cordial to one another unless they both had their choice locked in and secured without the risk of them being stolen.

Not that Jenna hated her for that reason. The girl just wasn't a threat as far as status went to anyone else. Even if some guy decided to keep her for more than satisfying their lust, the most she could hope for was being someone's bed warmer rather than a mistress this high up in the ranks.

In the end, Jenna hated her because now she couldn't do even this small favor for Leon.

Leon might have told her just to observe the harassment and then report it to him, but Jenna was not stupid. The world was not kind to those who earned the ire of those above them and not even the instructors were exceptions to that. If she told Leon this was happening and he reported it, one of two things would happen.

The first was that instructor would get word back to the Earl's daughter to earn her favor and she had already shown she could be vindictive to someone who literally couldn't speak up in their own defense. The second would be that nothing would be done and Leon, who already showed he had no respect for how things were done after that cafeteria stunt, would confront her about it himself. It would become their entire family's problem either way.

That was not a trade she was willing to make just because he pitied the girl.

He never hears about this. Jenna would not even entertain the decision between Leon's request and her family's safety. She would make sure that word of this never reached him so that he didn't do something they all regretted. I'll have to make sure she keeps quiet too… though considering how loud that slap was…

Jenna slipped from around the corner and found the mute girl suddenly looking up from below her. She had been crouching down while holding one hand to her face while her other cradled her belongings. Jenna crouched down and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling the hand away to see the skin tone already starting to shift and form a bruise. "Because of course that vindictive bitch would want to leave a mark!"

The mute girl was startled at the sudden touch as Jenna pulled out a cloth from inside of her pocket and then her eyes grew luminous as a small palm-sized sphere of water appeared next to her. It sank into the cloth, which was pressed against her face abruptly. "!?"

Jenna forced the girl's hand back against the cloth. "That won't take longer than two days to heal, and our skin complexion is close enough that it's nothing concealer and makeup can't hide until it goes away. We just need to get somewhere out of sight to apply it."

Getting back onto her feet, Jenna then pulled her along by the upper arm in a hurry. She really didn't want to be seen by anyone helping her, but she wasn't going to be taking her near her room. Thankfully, the halls were empty at present.

The girl let out a startled noise, an attempt at getting Jenna to stop and explain what was happening. That failed. Then she struggled just enough that Jenna got frustrated enough to wheel around and looked her dead in the eyes.

"Do you want Leon to get himself in trouble because he sees or hears you got a bruise from getting on the bad side of an Earl and picked a fight?"

Shock briefly illuminated her face as things clicked into place. She then lowered her and softly shook it.

"Then come on," Jenna said, followed by a huff. "The sooner we cover your face up the sooner I can tell you how avoid getting into further trouble for his sake."

She followed without resistance.