Basil let go of Ansley's hand and turned his head toward Blake to call the match end. Ansley was still looking at Basil as if he couldn't tear his eyes away from him. He was contemplating Basil's words.
He got what Basil intended to say. However, to blatantly spat it in front of his face was rather daring. Still, he liked daring men like Basil — not in the wrong way.
"The match is ended! Winner, Basil Cobham of Stardust Academy!"
Two of the dueller turned at Blake in slight annoyance. In Basil's case, he didn't like the last name Blake had attached behind his name.
As for Ansley, he was annoyed that Blake glorified his Academy in every chance he could see. Still, none of them showed it on their face.
Chester, Shirley, and Julia moved their feet from the audience seat toward Basil. Unsurprisingly, Chester arrived first. He quickly exclaimed at Basil with bright voice.
"That was a good match! I didn't mean to doubt you, but I thought you wouldn't make it."
He bowed his head at Ansley as a gesture of respect, however a slight disgruntlement could be seen on his expression. He didn't try to hide it, and Ansley was well aware of it.
Basil merely smiled faintly at Chester and nodded his head as a response.
"Brother! I'm glad you are okay!"
"Senior, that was freaking awesome!"
Ansley glanced at Julia in slight amusement. There was no noble woman who spewed that kind of language freely as what she did. He leered at Chester, and the latter merely cleared his throat as if he had nothing to do with it.
By the time the girls arrived in front of Basil, two of them reflexively hugged him. Basil wasn't bewildered nor surprised. He had seen it in advance. He was 'EXPERIENCED' after all! Thus, he returned the hug.
Ansley glanced at the three in amusement, again. He threw his head at Chester this time, and the latter wasn't shy to admire the sky. The sky picked his interest as he could see birds up there, not fish.
'No wonder Harold is jealous. He had this "perfect" kid, no, young man as a rival after all.'
He shook his head bitterly and turned his body to face Harold that was sitting in the audience seat. He could see it from afar, Harold didn't have a good expression on his face.
"Harold, come!"
Harold's face contorted upon his father's call. He forcefully calmed down his heart that was in turmoil, and walked toward his father. He looked at Basil, who was hugged by two beautiful girls, in resentment.
"Julia..."
"Yes?"
"Why are you hugging my brother?"
"The same reason as you?"
"..."
"..."
As if on cue, they released their hug and silently looked at each other's eyes. Myriads of emotions that couldn't be conveyed with words were exchanged in a short time. Basil looked at the two of them in mild amusement.
"Do you know my reason?" Finally, Shirley opened her mouth. Upon receiving the question, Julia calmly answered, "Why don't you tell me?" Shirley and Julia had their wordless communication again.
Aside from Ansley who was watching his son approaching him, the other people looked at the two girls in anticipation. In the end, Shirley and Julia had a handshake while smiling amicably.
"Friends are always together in everything."
They said it in unison. The word described a beautiful camaraderie perfectly. However, the watchers could know the meaning behind it.
'Let's keep it a secret and I'll see it in the future.'
'There is no way I'll spill a thing before you spill yours.'
The girls turned their head at the watching Chester and Blake, then smiled sweetly. The two men wisely turned their heads at the sky, wondering why fish can't fly.
The girls also turned their heads at Basil to see his reaction, however Basil wasn't paying any attention to them.
'Trouble.'
Basil clicked his tongue inwardly at Harold's expression. He knew that kind of expression. It belonged to pebbles like Harold who would one day make him slip. Although it wouldn't be that hard to solve, it would definitely be annoying.
Harold had finally arrived and he was standing in front of Ansley with lowered head. Ansley looked at that and quirked an eyebrow.
"I believe you know what to do?"
"What is it, Father?"
"Harold..."
Harold lifted his head and was met with another 'look' from Ansley. His heart tightened upon seeing that look. His father might love him, however when his father lose his crap, he would be six feet under the ground.
"Father.. but why? What did I do wrong?!"
"Harold!"
Harold kept his mouth shut. He was ashamed and enraged. Not only was thing didn't get the way he had wanted, but also his father wasn't on his side. He clenched his teeth and tightened his fist.
He looked at Basil heatedly. Due to their height difference, he was forced to look up slightly. Therefore, everyone could see his enraged expression.
"You... It is all because of you! Ahhh!"
Harold was no more than a spoiled child. His family loved him too much that he thought everything would go his way. When finally the time came it didn't, he couldn't wrap his mind around it.
He clenched his fist and dashed at Basil. He poured his every emotion and rage toward Basil in his fist and swung it as hard as he could at Basil.
Boom!
Sadly, he was the one who was thrown to the ground and lost conscience. Basil had squarely punched him in the solar plexus 'softly'. The only girls at the Battle Ground looked at the scene in bewilderment.
They observed each of the men's face and got even bewildered that they were very nonchalant about that. Ansley turned his body at Basil and bowed his head lightly.
"I am sorry, I didn't stop him."
"I was just defending myself. Punishing is your job."
"Hm."
Ansley nodded at Basil in agreement, and took out a pouch of gold. He held it in his hand, then presented it to Basil. However, Basil didn't take it and kept him extending his hand.
"Well... It's your prize. Not only did you last for 5 minutes against me, but also managed to make me break the rule that was made in my favor. Take it."
Basil gave Ansley the same look he had given to him at the end of the match. Unconsciously, Ansley was anticipating what Basil was about to say.
"Use your money to educate your son, not spoil him. He might keep his life today. However, there is no guarantee he would in the next occasion. It is your choice to choose who will end your son's life."
Boom!
The people had a dumbfounded face as if they had been struck by lightning right in the head! They looked at Basil dumbly after he uttered the audaciously harsh but true words.
Ansley's mouth turned into a thin line. He had perfectly grasped what did Basil mean. However, he couldn't still utter any word. Looking it from one side, his word was no more than a threat. However, from the other side, it was a warning.
Surely, both didn't have that much difference. There is a warning in a threat, and there is a threat in a warning after all. Despite so, he appreciated what Basil had conveyed to him.
Your son will come at me once again, and it will be his end.
Basil didn't mean to threaten his son. However, if his son bothered him once again, he would end his life then. No one could mess with dragon after all.
At last, Ansley opened his mouth, "Don't worry..." He looked at Basil and motioned at the pouch of gold in his hand, "Take this as the sign of me keeping my promise." Even so, Basil still didn't take it.
"When the time comes, will you not regret it?"
"I will steel my heart not to."
Ansley answered in conviction and determination. He would absolutely discipline his son right after this.
"Very well."
Basil reached the pouch and with a brief flash, the pouch was gone. It was perfectly stored in his Spatial Bracelet. Even in utilizing Spatial Bracelet, one needed a skill. Basil had that, and Ansley admired him.
"I will take my leave. I'm sorry I have interrupted your time with your girlfriends."
After flashing a smirk, Ansley left the Battle Ground while carrying Harold on his shoulder. Shirley and Julia had their faces reddened and they were trying their best to cover their face with their hands.
"W-who is his girlfriend?," muttered Shirley under her breath in a mosquito voice. Julia also chimed in, "We are not his girlfriends... yet." Shirley turned her head at Julia at that instance. Julia was also the same as she met Shirley's eyes bravely.
Both of them had another communication with their eyes with their red faces. The watching men merely observed them calmly. Two of the men, shared a forlorn sigh.
'Ah... Youth that I had missed.'
'Huuh... Youth that I had never gotten.'
Chester and Blake said in their mind respectively. As if understanding they were in the same boat, they looked at each other in the eyes and did the same thing as Julia and Shirley. They were communicating with their eyes.
'I don't mean to be rude, but they are losing it, Darling.'
'I won't refute that.'
Basil didn't need to communicate with his eyes to convey indescribable things. His soul could directly communicate with Vagus literally. Luckily, the event didn't last that long as they returned to their original state.
"Kuhum. Will you have some tea with me, Basil?"
"I have time."
"Very well. You can join us too if you want, Mr. Chester."
"I will not refuse then."
Blake looked at the two girls apologetically as they couldn't join them. Being the bright women they were, they accepted that in a heartbeat.
"See you later, Brother."
"Don't forget to meet us again, Senior!"
Basil patted their heads once before letting them go. His face was as stoic as ever, indicating nothing but calmness. He turned his head at Blake and nodded his head as if he was ready.
"Haha! As I have expected, you have realized it."
Blake laughed in slight amusement and admiration. He had thought his sneakiness would manage to fool Basil. It seemed he was wrong. His student was more awesome than he thought.
Raising his hand forward, Grimoire appeared after a flash of light and it opened itself. The page was quickly turned until it stopped at one point. Then, he muttered one word.
[Checkpoint]!
Flash!
The three people were instantly gone, leaving the ruined Battle Ground empty.
...
[Checkpoint] was short range [Teleportation] within a limited space. Blake had just teleported them to his office using it. Therefore, Basil was sitting in his office together with Chester beside him.
Basil looked at the familiar scene in front of him. He was washed with a sense of deja vu. Blake was preparing a tea with a Magic Tool created by the Inventors from Thinker. Basil had experienced it before.
The only difference was, it had been Chester who had housed the tea party at that time. When the process was done, Basil and Chester graciously took the tea and sipped it.
"Hmm... As expected of Master Blake. Your tea is as good as ever."
"Ahaha! Glad that you like it, Chester. How about you Basil?"
By the way Basil and Chester spoke, it was really a tea party. Which meant, the thing they were about to discuss wouldn't be related to the academy or any other official matters that required formality.
"I am sorry to say this, however the tea is not heated well. Therefore, the aroma that is supposed to be exuded by it can not be smelled very well."
"Hm... I am aware of it. You really do know many things."
Blake looked at Basil brightly and smiled amicably. He wasn't offended in the slightest by Basil's word. He had asked Basil to utter his honest opinion after all. He shouldn't be mad if the response hadn't been to his expectation.
"Let us talk while having this tea. Chester and I are curious regarding some things. If you want to talk about it to us, we would be glad. But if you don't, we wouldn't force you. May I?"
"You may, Sir."
Basil was still looking calm while sipping his tea. Chester admired his sometimes abnormally steady student at this situation. If it had been him, he would have been a nervous wrack.
"Do you train as a Knight too?"
Silence greeted them. They had anticipated it to happen. It was normal to hide a secret of that caliber. Not just anyone could train in both Principal after all. Unfortunately, their thought was wrong!
Basil shook his head faintly. He put his teacup down and said, "I thought you would realize it earlier. There was no way I could [Tame] a Beast without being a Knight, wasn't it?"
"Ah..."
"...right."
They sighed in realization. Basil was just too open that they didn't realize he hadn't hidden a thing. They had thought he would do his best to hide his secret considering how careful he had been behaving.
Turned out, they were wrong. Basil had no intention to hide anything.
"Then... Why is the hurry? You have been improving way faster than I had thought. It is abnormally fast even. Ah, don't worry though. I just don't feel good as I have promised to support you, yet I have done nothing."
Blake waited for Basil's response. However, what he got would be forever etched in his mind. Chester's face turned rigid. There was a sense of foreboding he could feel budding in his heart.
"Why is the hurry?" Basil looked at Blake squarely in the eyes, and he could see something that he had never seen in a person. A look of profound mystery. Basil continued, "I can feel the time where the whole world standing against me is close."
Delusional? Yes, it seemed so. However, no one could refute Basil's words when they saw his eyes. They conveyed something that a young man shouldn't be able to convey.
I know and have seen many things.