"I don't even know who this girl is…" Baston muttered, "Why is my performance suddenly become good?"
He sat on the edge of his narrow bed. The old book was resting on his knees and its pages faintly warmed beneath his fingers.
The result was there. It was clear even though it left some unanswered questions.
The book had judged his actions favorably. That was the problem for the clueless him. After all, he hadn't done anything today.
Based on his earlier conjecture, the book thought he already performed his best toward the commoner girl. However, he didn't remember any of that.
His thoughts retraced the experience back step by step until they stopped at a single point.
"It was because of Alicia..."
She was the only girl he had interacted. She was the only one who had looked at him instead of treating as passerby. The realization made his temples throb.
If the old book's performance metric truly revolved around her interest, then things were already spiraling far beyond what he intended.
He never meant to involve such beautiful yet dangerous noble girl. He wanted to pick someone else but it was too late. The quest had to continue and he as the participant had to work toward it.
Having a noble girl to be interested into him, the result must be at least excellent. It should be more than that yet the judgment from the book was there.
"Was I wrong? Is there any criteria on the evaluation? Can I increase it further…?" he thought.
The good evaluation was already better than nothing. Even though so, he wasn't satisfied about the result.
Alicia's status made her valuable. He believed she was more than that.
There was no way that Alicia's value only meant a little. Perhaps, she still wasn't completely convinced.
To make sure of his initial conjecture, it seemed he had to move out once again.
"Alright… I will try my best..."
*****
Meanwhile, Alicia returned to the noble dormitory with quicker steps than usual.
She closed the door, leaning against it for a while to keep up with her composure. Her thoughts were a mess but certain information stood out within her mind.
In the quiet corner, the fat boy was waiting as if he knew someone would come.
Her accidental reply made the first contact. After that, she unknowingly entered the matter of the cult. She thought nothing would happen in this small town, yet a conspiracy slowly unfolded.
While her curiosity took the cult as the more urgent one, she could not help but to find more information about the fat boy.
With the help of her private guards, she finally knew his identity thoroughly.
The fat boy's name was Baston and he came from poor background. In this academy, he had no one to lean. He was lucky to attend the academy just because of the compulsory education.
The information was short but the fact disturbed her greatly.
His ice magic couldn't grow in poverty. Tampering with identity was also impossible without the involvement of many parties. Either he was really poor or he was the bastard son of royalty, she couldn't think other possibilities.
At present, Baston's true identity became a great mystery.
As for the cult, she had never heard of it. There was not even a rumor about it from her source of news.
The information flowed downward. If she as the noble even didn't know, then the others below didn't either. There might be a chance that he had lied yet her doubt lingered.
She had considered reporting him but if he was telling the truth, then alerting the wrong people could cause the enemy to vanish before being exposed.
In the end, she chose the silence. For now, she would follow his rules.
*****
The next day's lesson dragged on as usual where the nobles filled the back rows while the commoners and the poor sat at the front.
Alicia's gaze rested on Baston's broad back. From behind, he was utterly unremarkable. There was nothing special about him yet, the fact that he could conjure ice magic told something different.
He must be hiding something behind such power.
"Alicia, you're really focused today," her friend whispered, "You are always staring at the board."
"Yes… Of course," Alicia replied lightly, trying her best to keep with the manner, "As a student, I must always learn everything…"
*****
The class ended as usual and the chaotic hunting for food started once again.
The cafeteria was crowded and lined up with many students.
Baston had just received his free meal which was chicken drenched in a fragrant sauce with steam that was curling upward when his table jolted violently.
"CRASH!!!"
The plates were shattered and the drink was spilled. The chicken slid onto the floor, making it a waste.
The silence soon followed with a few noble boys stood nearby.
"Watch where you're going…"
"It's packed here unlike the noble area…"
They didn't apologize and they didn't even look guilty. They just walked away like they were the most important ones here.
Baston also said nothing and he only stared at his ruined food. He knew better than to retaliate because winning here meant losing later.
The waiter rushed over with his pale and shaken expression, "I… I'm very sorry…"
"It's fine… It's not your fault…" he said quietly, "I'll help clean it…"
The waiter hesitated before he rushed away to get a broom. Behind Baston, two people stopped at the same time.
"Don't just stand there," he muttered without turning his head, "People are watching..."
"You mean the cult?" Panto whispered.
"They're already inside the cafeteria?" Alicia became serious.
Both of them were frozen after hearing what each of them had said. Then, they instinctively walked away.
In the meantime, Baston never noticed the two of them.
He was still mourning toward his chicken. Even though it was free, it was truly a waste to throw it away. If not because of some cocky students, this dish might be able to taste delightfully. He sighed before trying to forget the matter.
There was nothing to do here except going back to his room.
*****
That night, Baston didn't sleep immediately.
The room was quiet, making him wondered what had happened nowadays. The last judgment from the book gave him much curiosity.
The good evaluation lasted on his mind, yet the book never gave him the reward. After confirming thoroughly, the quest was still active. Unlike before, the judgment was kind of hanging. It wasn't final like the first one.
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The old book rested closely beside him. Amid the unspoken question, he wondered what he should do next.
Although he swore to try his best, approaching Alicia was almost impossible thing to do here. Anytime he wanted to get closer, her secret fans had already shielded her.
In the end, he had no chance at all.
He wanted to end it with good evaluation but he didn't know how to it. The bizarre treatment from the book gnawed at him. The book seemingly had its own purpose.
He asked but it had no answer. He wrote the question but it erased the writing. The evaluation from the book was still hovering and he could not change it.
It made him wondered whether he should risk himself over the second quest.
Should he go more with Alicia?
Should he look for other girls?
Was there anything he could do to tell the book that he would just accept the present judgment?
Before, he was thankful of the book. It gave him a new hope to survive in this harsh and unfamiliar world. Despite of that, the mystery from the quest still disturbed him.
Slowly, he reached for the old book. The moment his skin touched its cover, the warmth seeped into his palm. It was faint yet it gave a reaction.
The book responded not with words but with presence like a living thing. It strangely was acknowledging his attention.
"What do you want from me…?" he murmured quietly.
The pages did not turn and the old book remained silent as usual.
It was the same reaction like before, yet he just felt the old book was watching him. For now, it just decided to monitor him alone without any response.
*****
In the meantime, across the academy, Alicia lay awake in her bed. Her eyes still opened in the darkness.
The canopy curtains blocked out most of the moonlight, leaving the room wrapped in soft shadow. Her breathing was steady just like any noble lady who had been trained to maintain. Even though so, her thoughts spun fast.
The cafeteria scene replayed itself again and again. From the shattered plate, the spilled food, and the nobles' indifference. All of them pointed to Baston.
He hadn't shouted, argued, and even looked angry. Apparently, he had simply accepted it.
His action disturbed her because he appeared too calm.
She had seen the humiliation before. She had seen how the student flared up and desperate to reclaim their dignity. She had seen the others swallow it with resignation.
Everyone had their own unique expression.
However, Baston had neither of them. It was just like his weakness was part of his performance. Based on what he had told him, this persona was repeatedly done for the cult.
It was still a big mystery for her. The cult existed around but she didn't know how it compared with other organizations. Somehow, she still remembered what he had said before.
"Don't just stand there… People are watching…"
At the time, she had assumed it was her paranoia. It was only a cautious warning, but now, she felt a chill creep up her spine.
What if he wasn't wrong?
What if someone truly was watching?
The academy was old and its security was worse than the capital. Even though there had been some repair constructions, most of the things were only reinforced and modified.
There must be few blind spots in here. If the said cult truly existed, then the academy would be the perfect place to run their atrocities.
She slowly sighed and closed her eyes. For the first time since enrolling, she felt uncertain about the academy's safety.
*****
Meanwhile at the another room, Panto slept poorly.
His dreams were fragmented, worsened with imagined whispers and shadows that dissolved into nightmare. When he finally woke up, the shock disturbed him greatly.
He sat up on the bed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"This is getting worse…" he muttered.
Baston's warning echoed in his mind and it became sharper now.
He had always known that the fat boy was hiding something. He had suspected it since he had seen his ice magic. The thought of the safest place was shattered once he learned more.
Eventually now, Alicia knew the matter of the cult.
He didn't know whether it would become a blessing or curse. After all, the problem was getting more complex.
He dressed quietly. He took a seat and his thoughts were heavy. If the noble wanted to partake the case, then he couldn't be careless. From now on, he had to take care of his own behavior.
In the middle of the night, he began scribbling something on the book.
*****
Another morning came and Baston attended the classes as usual.
He spoke little, answered only when necessary, and kept his head down. To most people, he remained invisible. He was just another poor boy who was blending into the front rows.
However, Alicia noticed the way he listened more this time.
The way his gaze flicked briefly toward certain students before moving on. The way he never reacted immediately, always leaving a small pause just like he was measuring the outcomes before choosing his words.
Once or twice, their eyes met. Each time, he looked away first and this simple action disturbed her.
He didn't avoid her out of fear. He avoided her as if he knew that every interaction with her alone would become a future trouble.
*****
In the meantime, the old book remained silent.
It gave no sign and there were no further instructions. The quest was still locked and it slowly became forgotten in the busy times.
Baston could feel the change during the mundane moments.
When he was walking through the corridors, sitting through lesson, or even standing in line at the cafeteria. There were multiple eyes that were watching him.
One was from Panto and another one came from the newly interested noble girl.
The merchant boy didn't matter since he was timid. What he was afraid at the moment was Alicia. The more he tried to avoid her, the more she tried to approach him.
His fear had nearly made him forgot about the active quest. What he prioritized now was to amend everything. He wanted to stay away from the trouble, yet the seemingly trouble insisted of following him.
He could be sure she was very curious. Either for him or for the cult, the result was the same.
He had no explanation of the matter. The more he lied, the more complications would fall upon him.
The stake was getting higher and he didn't know whether he should take it or not.
He had survived the first time by deceit, knowing when to advance and when to stop. This time would be different. At least, that was what he told himself.
However, even as he lay back on his bed, his thoughts refused to calm down.
Alicia's questions had not been answered, Panto's doubts had not been eased, and he himself no longer knew where his performance ended.
He turned his head slightly, glancing at the old book beside him.
It lay still and looked harmless with very ordinary appearance. Still, he knew better now that the performance was no longer about his action alone.
It was about perception. About how others saw him, misunderstood him, and filled the gaps with their own imagination.
If that was the game the old book demanded, then the next move would be far more dangerous than the last.
This time, he wasn't sure who would be caught in the reward or the cost.