The buff guy wrapped his arm around Cermin’s neck and pressed his knuckles on his head just like how those frat boys greet each other. “Little Goldie! Some rat bumped into us so we took a while.”


    “Rat? Aren’t rats too small? It should have been squashed by your feet when you bumped into it, then.” Cermin asked dumbly.


    The girl in pink frillsughed too loud at this, “Aww, our little prince is too adorable! Isn’t he, dearie? So innocent!”


    Her rich lover chuckled at the confused Cermin. “He meant a person resembling a rat, not an actual rat, Your Highness. Usually, a dirty littlemoner dirtying our streets with their filthy hands and feet, ugh!”


    “Oh.” Cermin thought that doesn’t sound too nice, but doesn’t really want to get on anyone’s bad side so he just nodded.


    The quietrge man with blue beads around his neck shushed them. “Be quiet, for daemons may be listening.”


    He gestured to the side and the group turned around. There was nothing, but Cermin thought…


    He felt something familiar._.


    Among the crowd of students getting their food, he thought he saw a sh of ck shadow that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.


    Ronin had managed to turn around and bow his head down to not be seen. That was a close one.


    However, he wanted to stay close to the group so he can listen to their conversations and inner thoughts, and so he and Kai sat at a table that was difficult to spot from Cermin’s side due to the cue of students covering them.


    “You gave me quite a scare Zeriav.” The woman chuckled again. “I thought actual servants of the Abyssal lord were here. I can’t find the little rat Volken bumped into earlier either, you should calm your nerves.”


    The man called Zeriav frowned, looked around suspiciously, and then took his seat without another word.


    Kai introduced him to Ronin. “That’s Zeriav Mondstein, 4th year student in the top ss of the Spire of Monks, the Acrux ss. The second youngest in the group next to Cermin. He is a monk under the Path of Demetri, the God of Rain and Harvest.”


    “A Moonstone, huh?” Ronin paid attention to his appearance. “I also recognized Demetri’s usual runic symbols of ‘rainwater’, ‘abundance’, and ‘growth’ on the beads around his neck.”


    Zeriav was also the tallest despite being the second youngest among the five friends.


    His skin was pure white and unblemished and his eyes were the same glowing cyan as the beads around his neck.


    His clothes looked like they were inspired from Greek togas, and there were blue bands on his ankles with more smaller beads.


    Kai further exined. “He is very quiet and reserved, but was also seen as a prodigy when ites to foretelling the weather and uing good harvests and famine. He’s a Hero Mage and his family had always been monks dedicated to Demetri, so he can be very superstitious.”


    Romin could tell from the line of prayers in his head and his still unsettled thoughts about him. It was amusing to make this giant so scared of him with just his appearance.


    “Rabuka, you shouldn’t talk too much when there will be assemblying for the next Gridiron. You should rest your voice.” The rich man told the clingy girl beside him.


    “Aww~ My darling Pavone worries too much about me~ I’ll be fine, I’ll drink many honey and ginger tea~”


    The pink girl, Rabuka, kissed his cheek much to Ronin’s disgust. These two really had no intention of stopping their PDA.


    “The rose quartz girl.” Ronin pointed at her. “She’s from the Spire of Artisans, I reckon? A singer?”


    “Correct. Rabuka Biturea is best songstress of 4th year’s Sirius ss. It was the B-ss, but she came from a well respected family and was more famous than anyone in the A-ss.”


    “What about her boyfriend,  the rich kid with a tinum Heartstone?” Ronin asked.


    “5th year, Spire of Schr’s most affluent genius, Pavone nc D’argent.” Kai said. “His father is part of the Council, and he is the current leader of the Student Council.”


    “Ah, exins why he’s such a pompous prick.” Ronin nodded.


    “Have you trained well for your first Gridiron game, little Goldie?” He heard the man with arge scar ask Cermin.


    “Haha, of course! I have to train well to be worthy of being in the great Captain Volken’s team!” Cermin responded enthusiastically.


    “Attaboy!” Volken smacked his back. “That’s the spirit! If you keep this up, you would not have to stay on the bench and be part of the Main Six in no time!”


    He was sitting beside Cermin and acting all chummy, always wrapping his arm around his chair or smacking the back of his head jokingly.


    Ronin can hear his thoughts betray his friendly demeanor towards this ‘little Goldie’ though.


    (I’ll make sure that you stay as a waterboy for the rest of the year, you little show-off.)


    Gridiron was like the football or ser of Magecia. It’s the biggest team sport to determine a Mage’s strength and yed with two opposing teams, and they can use their own Mage Focuses as long as they stick to certain rules.


    Gridiron was simple. There’s a ball, and the left team can only use their hands, right team can only use their feet. The goal was to get the ball on to the other team’s X mark. After a goal was shot, the teams switch positions of using hands or feet, and the game goes on like this for 10 rounds to determine the winner.


    “I’m guessing Cermin is part of the Gridiron team now, and he’s bing a threat because of his OP-ness as a protagonist that’s why this Volken guy is keeping an eye on him by being his friend?” Ronin deduced.


    Kai blinked for a while for such a quick and urate deduction, but then again, this was Ronin. Nothing new about that.


    “Yes, Volken Argentus was also the leader of the friend group and the eldest. 6th Year Pris ss, same with Cermin, both on the top ss for Warriors. He was the one who suggested to add Ronin and eat at his floor everyday in order to get closer to him.”


    Ronin observed Volken’s Silver skin full of injuries yet still brimming with vigor. That damage on his face reminded him of something, but he can’t recall exactly so he let it go for now.


    “That makes it easier for me, then. They never had good intentions from the start.” Ronin chuckled, finally taking a bite of his lunch after being satisfied with observing this group of friends.


    “What do you n to do?” Kai asked with much curiosity, though its tone was still a bit neutral. It must have gotten used to it by being a monotone system for so long.


    “Let Cermin see how they’re just using him. Then, one by one, we also make them stay away from Cermin.” The Coal eyes of this 13 going on 14 viin gleamed. “That counts as ruining his reputation, right?”


    Kai made a small smile at this. “You really don’t like missing a chance to get V-points, do you?”


    Ronin just grinned. “That’s what viins are for. Besides….”


    The more V-points he gets, the closer he was to going back to the real world and stabbing that killer the same way they did to him.