2.3 The Merry Band: Team 6

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“Just my luck running into you, mister Fergus. What’s got you dancing on your feet this early in the morning?”

Fergus, who was still staring out the window, turned his head towards his much younger colleague, Hurley Magister.

“There was some ruckus in the hallways, that’s all.”

“And that’s why…” he slid his finger down from his eye to the bottom of his face, “…tears are about to swim their way down your cheeks?”

He rubbed his eyes with his fist and sniffed. “I heard a cold has been making the rounds. Be careful not to catch it. I might’ve caught it already.”

He turned his gaze outside the window again and deeply thought to himself.

Dohman… How long has it been since we’ve had such a talented healer born on our soil… This child will turn out to be truly, truly special.

“Hurley,” he turned his head, “the children are waiting for you. Don’t mess up your first impression, okay?”

“To have you worry about me surely takes me back to the days where I was the one anxiously awaiting your arrival in the classroom.” With a smile on his face, he took off. Fergus, on the other hand, returned his gaze outside the window.

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Once we made it to the classroom, our names were written down on the blackboard. That was how our seats were assigned in alphabetical order based on our last names. Hence why I, with none, was seated at the very end of the classroom: all the way in the back furthest away from the door, but closest to the window.

When a person, with their face hidden underneath a dark red hood, sat next to me, I tried making conversation.

“Good morning. My name is Leith. What’s yours?”

Short, but simple and I get to know the other person’s name as well. Well, at least if they don’t ignore you that is. Perhaps this person had some hearing problems and didn’t quite catch what I said… but that’s just wishful thinking isn’t it? It really stings to get ignored.

I looked at the blackboard again to try and read this person’s name, but when I looked I saw that the box next to mine was empty. Well, not exactly empty, what was written there was simply “Name”.

Before the teacher walked in, I snuck another glance at my seat neighbour. Their face really isn’t visible underneath that hood. It might even be magic at work… This mysterious person is wearing the female uniform, so I suppose she’s a girl. Without getting another chance at getting a word in, the teacher entered the classroom. He wiped the chalkboard clean and then turned to us.

“A good, a great… no, an excellent morning to you all. It’s with utmost greatest pleasure that I have been allowed to announce that every single one of you has made it here. Before we bond and become one as a class, I’ll introduce your first obstacle to you.” He spread his arms out wide as if he was about to hug the entire class. “Well, without further ado, why don’t I reveal that great challenge we have in store for you! Overcoming this obstacle surely is what will lead you to a new, a brand new path where you’ll find your potential!”

He rubbed in his hands as a grin from ear to ear stretched across his face.

“El,” he snapped his fingers, “Pyeraig.” Like a wind mage carrying his hand out to push the wind out of their palm, he did the same thing sideways, with whatever spell he casted, onto the blackboard. “Preparations for your very first test have begun this very second. I ask of you no more than to closely watch and listen.”

When he snapped his fingers earlier, chalk writing on the blackboard slowly started to appear. It wasn’t the seat arrangement this time, but a list of thirty names—our names— on the right, six empty boxes in the middle, and on the left were six vaguely written names I couldn’t read. Among the ones on the right were Odin Wilderheart XII, Dohman Agnus, my own and also “Name” again.  

Her name can’t be “Name”, right?

“I hear the depths of your inner thoughts, carried by the wind, seeping slowly into my ears. Yes, I know. What does any of this mean, you’re wondering…”

“He sure has a way of saying a whole lotta nothing,” Odin said a little too loud at the other end of my row.

Though I doubt the teacher heard it, since he didn’t comment on it, nor did he really react to it.

“Now, let me explain everything in details finer than the finest thread. Six boxes,” he pointed towards the names on the left, “Six names. Each of these names belongs to one of our royal brigades’ tacticians, which will be revealed later. Every box will be filled with,” he pointed towards our names on the right, “five students. All lead by one tactician. You will be facing a challenge in the form of a ‘capture the flag’ style battle.”

As we shared glances around the room, he was rubbing his hands together again.

“Of course, we wouldn’t be cruel enough to make the teams for you. All of you have a roommate who you like, dislike, love or perhaps even hate—” he held his hand out in front of him, “—though hating someone already would break,” he clenched his palm tightly, “my delicate heart!”

I shot a glance at Odin, who looked right back at me with a smile so bright it put the morning sun to shame. Though I guess having him on my team wouldn’t be too bad at all.

“The due date to form your team is tonight.” He snapped in his fingers again. “From team one to six, each led by a tactician. Team 1 has the strongest one and Team 6 the weakest. The first team to be formed will of course be the one nestling their names in the first box led by the brilliant Cian.” The six tactician’s names started appearing. “The last team to be formed will be led by Rune, the weakest of the six.”

R-Rune…

“Oh my, oh my, what is this?” He said with very sarcastic surprise.

Suddenly, the name Odin Wilderheart XII disappeared from the list of names on the right and appeared in box number six.

“Isn’t that just too bad, mister Wilderheart the twelfth… It seems that you will be winning…” His tone dropped, “…a whole lotta nothing.” His smirk seemed to stretch beyond the borders of his face.

“That bastard…” He bumped his clenched fist against his desk as he gritted his teeth.

How would a team lead by Rune ever beat Cian…

“The last thing you should know is that this challenge isn’t just for fun. Each member of the winning team will earn a mark. And as you probably know…”

Graduating with less than five marks won’t do, because…

“—You need a minimum of five marks before even thinking about becoming a Royal Guard!”

This is really, really bad for Odin. Missing out on your first chance of getting a mark simply because you made a comment that the teacher took a little too personal. Wait, hang on…

Here I am feeling all bad for him, but other than his, which team would I even join? Are we… equally doomed?

“I will give you a couple of minutes to let this dump of information settle in. You could perhaps use this time to form a team of five. And don’t come up here on your own to get in Team 1, I need a full team to register.”

Odin didn’t waste a single second to come over to my desk. “Leith… I’m sorry, it seems that we’ll be teamed up with the worst tactician…”

Despite knowing Rune wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t join the team led by her, I retorted, “Hang on, why are you assuming that I’m joining Team 6?”

He gave me one of those looks again, one that makes me seem like the idiot. “Isn’t that obvious? We smiled at each other, we’re a team, right?”

I averted my eyes from his steadfast ones and looked at the rest of the class. All of them were eagerly discussing things with one another to get a team of five as quickly as possible.

I let out a sigh, one that accepted that I didn’t want to jump into the masses trying to force my way into Cian’s team. “Alright, alright. Just so you know,” I looked him in the eyes, mine as steadfast as his this time, “you owe me one.”

“Haha, Leith, you’re the best! We need three more members… but I don’t think we’re in a rush, right…”

“Right…”

I stood up and headed to the teacher’s desk next to the blackboard. Our teacher seemed kinda out if it until I neared. With a smile on his face he asked, “Oh, got your team already?”

“Uh, not really. I want to join Odin’s team and wondered if I could write my name down already to get it over with.”

His smile grew wider. “What do we have here… you’re a brave one, you know…” He handed me the piece of chalk.

When I had written my name down, I intended to hand him the chalk back, but it was snatched out of my hand before I realised.

“I was right about you, Leith-dono.”

I turned around and saw the Kitagaki girl writing down her name in the sixth box as well.

“You really are a good person. I will be joining you two!”

“…Huh, why?” Before I could show gratitude, my confusion found its way out of my mouth.

“Because that seems like the fun thing to do!”

“I-if you don’t mind…” The terribly shy and shaky voice could only belong to one person. I turned around and saw Dohman facing the floor. “Could I join you guys as well?”

“Of course! You two are the best.”

Dohman wrote his name below “Mianne Kitagaki”. So Mianne is her first name, huh.

Once I sat down at my desk again, I saw that the hooded girl had also left her seat. When I turned my eyes back to the blackboard, I saw that she, too, joined our team.

Team 6 – Rune Iontas
Odin Wilderheart XII
Leith
Mianne Kitagaki
Dohman Agnus
Name

The teacher, taking note of this, clapped in his hands, “Everyone, return to your seats. The first team has been formed… and to my greatest, most prodigious surprise, it’s Team 6. The other teams will have to wait until lunch break.”

When the girl sat down again, I readied myself to get ignored before I asked, “Is your name Name?”

Even though I couldn’t see her face because of the shadow that her hood casts, with her fist placed right where her mouth would be, I’m pretty sure she chuckled at what I just asked.

So her name is not Name then… got it.