"Are you deaf, Thomas?" I asked, my tone laced with annoyance.
I just struck a deal with Layla not too long ago, so I gotta make sure Alfred doesn't talk to Milleia anymore. I mean, it's partly because of Layla, but also because I want a happy ending.
"Edward..."
"Are you deaf or something?"
I stepped in front of Milleia and Jayden.
"She doesn't want to hang out with you guys, so leave her alone."
I had to speak up to get everyone's attention. Even though I was talking to Thomas, I was keeping my eyes on all the main characters. If any of them acted weird, it could mean they were the other reincarnated person.
But I have already ruled out Alfred, Layla, Thomas, Aurora, David, my siblings, and Ronald. And it definitely wasn't Miranda or Kleah.
That just leaves John Tarmias, Eric Scarlett, Loid Stormdila, Carla Roger, Liart Benson, and Louisa Trueheart. I wasn't completely sure about them, but if none of them turned out to be the reincarnated person, at least I wouldn't have to deal with a powerful one. On the other hand, if it was just some random nobody, I'd have a tough time finding them.
There was also the possibility of him being reincarnated as a teacher. But, honestly, I didn't think that was likely. My gut told me that it was a student instead.
"Edward!" I felt a sharp nudge in my side, and I snapped out of my reverie.
"What?"
Thomas was staring at me, his face twisted in annoyance.
"You're not even listening, are you?" he accused.
I sighed, realizing that I had missed whatever he had been talking about.
"I'm sorry, Thomas. What were you saying? Don't you think it's pretty pathetic that the son of the Royal Guard Commander is playing the matchmaker while knowing very well that the said prince already has two lovers."
"Two lovers?"
Thomas obviously frowned, trying to guess the identity of the second person, including Layla.
"Layla and you of course."
"!"
Thomas turned red, speechless for a moment. Finally, he spluttered out a response.
"I, uh, what-"
"Can you do me a favor, though?" I interrupted, not wanting to give him a chance to retaliate.
I mouthed a few words at him, "Get lost."
I knew I had to keep up my image, and sometimes that meant being a little mean. But it was worth it. Jayden and Milleia were behind me, and I knew they couldn't read my lips from there, so I grinned to myself.
As Thomas was about to attack me, a sharp voice cut through the tension.
"The class is starting."
It was Professor Katia.
She entered the classroom and strode to the podium, her steps quick and graceful. We all turned our attention to her, and Thomas quickly backed off. No one dared to do anything in front of Professor Katia.
I looked over at Alfred and saw him clenching his fists. I gave him a friendly wave before making my way to my seat, a way to annoy him and also let Layla know that I meant what I had said earlier.
Lyra was giving me a strange look, but I paid her no mind as I gestured for Jayden and Milleia to follow me. I didn't want to sit next to them since they were always so focused on their studies.
I took a seat in the middle row, hoping to avoid any distractions. The classroom was quiet now, and I could hear the sound of pages turning and pencils scribbling as the lesson began.
...
...
"Okay, so we're talking about Blessings today," Professor Katia said, getting straight to the point. "Before our kingdom existed, there were countless wars that destroyed the world. It was a carnage. We don't have records of just how intense the wars were, but it's pretty clear that the folks from back then were more powerful than us. There is no doubt that the "beings" of before were a race higher than ours. Then we can be considered as a lesser race."
Everyone in the classroom gasped, except for a few who were already in the know.
I mean, it's not exactly the nicest thing to be called 'lesser' by your teacher, but I guess she was just being honest. Those ancient people were basically-
"Demigods. That's what you could call them," Professor Katia continued.
Suddenly, the classroom fell silent.
"Why call them that? It's simple. They were either created by or descended from the true gods, who themselves were descended from Eden. To put it another way, they had a lot of Eden's blood flowing through their veins. And, thanks to their 'parent's' strength, they were some of the most powerful warriors out there."
[<You know, she's actually right. Back then, everyone in the world was descended from us, the true gods. But unlike us, they couldn't exist in the Eden Realm, which is where all the gods hang out. So, they were basically forced to come down to this world.>]
Cleenah was teaching me things that Professor Katia would've been jealous of.
"The blessing was already present in the Demigods due to the blood flowing within them, thus they didn't require one. They inherited the ridiculous power of the gods, as well as this kind of power in our planet."
Professor Katia paused for a moment.
"Thousands of years ago, our earth was inhabited by thousands of half-deities. With such arrogant individuals, peace was impossible. The level of devastation during that time is said to be unfathomable. The horrific scars they left behind are still visible here and there on the continent, though today we can only imagine."
'And you guys remained useless up there?'
[<No! I was not the one taking care of such things and->]
'And?'
[<Nothing.>]
"The conflicts went on, but they slowed down with time. Instead of being aggressive because they were bored, they did so because they learned the value of compassion and love in their life. The majority of them made the decision to pause and start their own families. Therefore, their daughter gave birth to a second child. The cycle went on until something was deemed "human," and we were born. In some ways, we are also descended from the gods, but we only share a small portion of their genes."
If it weren't for Professor Katia's stern demeanor, they would have laughed.
"At this point, the blessings, also known as the 'Legacy,' are genuine gifts from the Gods. Despite the fact that their parents were the Gods, from whom they descended, these Demigods were born."
I see.
"The Gods give their offspring their own power. Your parents may have already told you this, but it's possible that the God who blessed your family was also its very first ancestor. Though it's uncommon, there are occasional instances in which the Gods bless strangers."
When she said that, Professor Katia looked at Milleia.
Yeah, because Milleia was one of the rare cases.
She was bestowed a blessing by Raphiel. An Archangel of Eden. He overwrote a portion of Milleia's bloodline to give his blessing.
I don't know the reason why he did that, though.
Ephera told me there was a revelation in the Third Game, but I've never finished the Third Game, so I really don't know…
"Everyone of you is blessed. Even though some of you are weaker than others, you can all still reach the peak. Your body will get stronger as you get stronger. Your Legacy will change to fit your new body as you do. In this way, you can 'ascend' to the higher levels, also known as Ascension. It is stated that those who ascend to the tenth ascension become authentic demigods, much like our forebears. I'm sorry, but I can't confirm it. If you see one of them, though, you can ask them directly."
I don't think we can meet those monsters on the road randomly though…
"I don't have to tell you that you must utilize your mana in order to use your blessing. Mana, a special energy that permeates the entire universe, a further gift from the Almighty Lord. Mana can only be absorbed so much by your body at once. Consider your body to be a container. More cannot be put in the container than is permitted. When your container is empty, your body absorbs the surrounding mana automatically, however the rate varies based on each person and their 'ascension'. Your container will be bigger and your mana absorption rate will be faster as you are stronger."
…..
…..
It was long.
It was freaking long!
I nearly fell asleep.
I rubbed my eyes tiredly.
"You didn't even pay attention to today's class, Edward…" she scolded.
If not for Jayden and Milleia elbowing me each time my eyelids started to close, then I'd have been caught by Professor Katia. Well, I feel like she noticed that I wasn't paying any attention…
"I don't need. I can remember everything I saw in two minutes," I said quickly, hoping to divert attention from myself.
"R-Really…?" Milleia looked at me skeptically.
I nodded, hoping she would believe me.
"Woaww."
As expected, she bought my lie.
[<Did you not get tired of lying to your friends?>]
'Hm? Well, the truth is that it was a half-lie.'
[<How so?>]
'During the exam, you can just help me, Cleenah.'
[<...>]
Thanks to her, I will be near the top of the ranks and might even gain access to the Enigma Dungeons.
I'm a genius.
I smiled at my ingenious plan.
I won't have to force myself to study to please Aunt Belle.
What a perfect plan!
That shitty father will soon regret casting me away.
As I dreamed of seeing the frustrated faces of Simon and my father, someone stopped on my way as I came out of the auditorium.
It was Layla.
She was smiling at me.
"Layla?"
"Morning Lyra. Sorry, but I will borrow Edward for a minute. I need to talk to him about my father's message to the Duke Falkrona," Layla said, still smiling.
Lyra nodded, still a bit puzzled, and I followed Layla away from the group. I didn't know what to expect, but Layla's smile put me at ease.
I shrugged and followed her.