Chapter 154: Chat and Chating
Chapter 154: Chat and Chating
"So what exactly did I miss while I was asleep?" Solomon asked, walking down the quiet hallway. "Did the instructors find any more spies, or did someone blow up another training courtyard?"
[GoonLord: YOU MISSED HER HIGHNESS!]
[LazyCat: the princess was literally looking for you at breakfast.]
[User12: she ambushed Arthur in the courtyard to ask where you were.]
[Fatal_Beauty: she literally blocked his path to interrogate him about you.]
Solomon furrowed his brow and stopped walking. He tapped his boots against the cobblestones. "Which princess are you guys talking about?"
[1Fizzy: WHICH PRINCESS?!]
[GamerGuy: bro has two literal princesses worrying about him and he asks ’which one’.]
[BloodKnight: A warrior gathers many admirers, though some bring unwanted complications.]
[GoonLord: PRINCESS ELIZABETH YOU ABSOLUTE MENACE!]
[Mezz_3863: the white-haired one.]
Solomon tilted his head and resumed his pace toward the dining hall. "Elizabeth? Why would she ask Arthur about me? We haven’t even talked since our first encounter at the academy gates. She completely despises me."
[LazyCat: wait what happened at the gates?]
[NewbHunter: we didn’t have drones on the first day. spill the lore.]
[Mezz_3863: story time!]
[IceWaterKat: what did you do to her Solo Man?]
Solomon adjusted the greatsword on his shoulder and offered a completely innocent smile to the camera lens.
"It was a complete misunderstanding," Solomon began, gesturing with his free hand to set the scene. "The luck spawned my entry portal directly over the actual ocean, which was miles away from any dry land. I had to swim through freezing saltwater just to reach the doors. I dragged my exhausted, soaking wet body onto the stone platform and crawled blindly through the gateway."
He shook his head and let out a dramatic sigh. "I finally made it inside the academy courtyard. I looked up to catch my breath. Elizabeth just happened to be standing directly in front of the portal. She was completely blocking the entry path. Because of her terrible spatial awareness, my face accidentally ended up directly under her skirt."
[GoonLord: YOU DID WHAT?!]
[LazyCat: AHAHAHAHA BRO CRAWLED UNDER HER DRESS!]
[User12: so the ’crawling pervert’ tag in her stream was about you?]
[Fatal_Beauty: I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT ON A LIVE BROADCAST!]
[Chi_Master: Many other first years were talking about this incident in their streams and called that person a crawling pervert, but they never said who that was.]
[James_hayes: they obviously don’t want to get involved with Solo man for their own well-being lmao.]
"I am a gentleman," Solomon insisted, keeping a perfectly straight face. "I was a victim of terrible portal placement. I just caught a tiny glimpse of some flower and butterfly patterns. She completely overreacted. She kicked me across the cobblestones, called me an absolute creep, and demanded an apology."
Solomon crossed his arms over his blue robes. "I obviously refused to apologize. She was the one loitering in a high-traffic gateway. That incident earned me a terrible nickname, and we haven’t spoken a single word to each other since."
Solomon pushed the wooden double doors open and stepped into the sprawling dirt rings of the Sword Pavilion. He adjusted the leather strap crossing his chest and scanned the wide training grounds.
The usual crowds of screaming disciples and shouting instructors were missing. The weapon racks sat untouched under the evening sky. The sparring platforms remained deserted.
He walked down the winding cobblestone path connecting the different courtyards. A pair of blue-robed sentries stood near the archway leading to the inner sect. The guards immediately stiffened their spines and averted their eyes the second Solomon walked past them.
[1Fizzy: the guards are literally terrified of you.]
[James_hayes: word definitely got around about the mountain.]
[LazyCat: bro is the unofficial pavilion leader now.]
[Mezz_3863: they know he cut the sky open.]
Solomon turned a corner near the main fountain and spotted a familiar group of students gathered around a stone bench.
Arthur pushed his thick frames up his nose while talking animatedly. Maximus leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed. While Marco stood nearby. And Elizabeth listened to Arthur from the edge of the circle.
The group abruptly stopped their conversation the moment Solomon approached. Arthur dropped his hands to his sides. Elizabeth shifted her weight onto her back foot and locked her red eyes directly onto Solomon’s face.
[Fatal_Beauty: the squad is assembled.]
[Foodball: the way they have gathered is sus.]
[GoonLord: THE PRINCESS FOUND HIM!]
[Chi_Master: Arthur looks like he just saw a ghost.]
[Foodball: Marco knows what happened. I was watching his stream and he was with some girl.]
[User12: this is about to be so awkward.]
Arthur took a step forward and pointed a trembling finger at the greatsword resting on Solomon’s back. "Is the rumor actually true? The whole sect is talking about you destroying Cloud Piercing Peak."
Maximus pushed off the stone pillar and widened his eyes. "People are saying you fought Pavilion Leader Jin in a secret duel and won. Tell us they are exaggerating."
Elizabeth gripped the hilt of her wooden rapier. She leaned forward slightly, her gaze tracking every tiny movement Solomon made. Marco kept his mouth shut and stared at the cobblestones, having witnessed the destructive event live from a distance.
Solomon rested his hand on his crossguard. "I would definitely not say I won the fight. We just had a friendly late-night spar to test some basic physical forms."
He shrugged his shoulders and offered a casual grin. "It was a simple spar instead of a life-and-death battle. The exchange just lacked any real challenge since our lives were not on the line."
Arthur choked on his own spit and grabbed the edge of the fountain for support. Maximus dropped his jaw and stared at the silver-haired boy. Elizabeth squeezed her hilt until her knuckles turned white.
[Mezz_3863: NOT A REAL CHALLENGE?!]
[1Fizzy: the gaslighting has reached new heights.]
[James_hayes: Solo Man you broke his sword and leveled the mountain.]
[Grim: bro is calling a natural disaster a friendly spar.]
[Fatal_Beauty: he is doing this on purpose now.]
[Shadow1749: Marco is trying so hard not to speak.]
Solomon tilted his head and pointed toward the deserted dirt rings. "Where is everyone else? Usually, this place is filled with people training before dinner."
Arthur adjusted his spectacles and let out a shaky breath. "Once the news spread that you fought the pavilion leader and destroyed the peak, all the students got curious. They abandoned their classes and went to see the wreckage for themselves."
Maximus picked up his training spear from the bench. "We were actually on our way there right now to see the damage. Do you want to come with us?"
Solomon shrugged his shoulders. "I have nothing else to do."
He looked at the group forming around the fountain. Arthur, Maximus, and Marco belonged to noble houses, and Elizabeth carried royal blood.
The path leading up toward Cloud Piercing Peak featured numerous winding trails and blind corners perfectly suited for an ambush. Escorting them through the isolated mountain passes offered a practical way to prevent the cultists from picking them off.
"Lead the way," Solomon said, gesturing toward the ascending stairs.
They turned away from the fountain and hiked up the stone path.