Harun Volume 1 Chapter 9

《The Revenge》

 After getting enough of antidotes, Haroon summoned Brat whenever he could. The main training he's been doing lately is throwing knives using Brat's ability. It mainly consists of teaching Brat to adjust the trajectory direction and the speed of it. But they just kept failing. It wasn't precise enough as Haroon needed to unsummon Brat quite frequently because of the poison, and because of his weak affinity to Brat.

 "Hey, are all the 'Essential Spirits' not capable of doing that simple thing?"
 "Ha! The problem isn't on Me. The problem is on your poor of mana!"

 Brat never admitted that whenever it lacked an ability to do something. Haroon didn't know he'd ever use violence before he saw the unpleasant glare of it.

 "Oh, It's my problem now, huh? I guess you wanted a punch in your face?"

Brat ran away, well it actually flew away from Haroon.

 "No way! Why is it always have to be violence? What kind of Master is like this?"

"But, but.. but…."

 Brat could not oppose to Haroon's violent language, so it stuck itself at the flying knife that just left his hand, and adjusted the trajectory of it. And as soon as the work is done, it came back and did the same thing on the second one leaving Haroon's hand. Haroon was looking for the timing where Brat could have enough time to do its role and still looks fast enough for the audience.

"Finally. It is gettting preciser."

 Whenever he gave an inch to Brat, it always took a mile, so it took a long time of threatening and violence to make it work.

"Why would you bully me if you can just throw it on your own?"

 Brat whined going back to inventory, but Haroon didn't even pretend he listened. He knew by experience that if he answers it, it won't end at any time. Haroon practiced with Brat eating antidotes countless many times in the throwing knife training ground late into the night. Now, he's got only 3 days until the graduation day. He needed to bully Brat more, as its ability increased gradually the more it uses it.

 "Hey, Fake, you know you don’t have much time, right?"

 "Get the surveillance ready, cuz we don't know when he'll escape the academy."
"Hey, don't be so mean. He might be dying inside, and you guys are so mean."

 The Quad w.a.n.kers were mocking on Haroon in the front of canteen as usual. Not only Haroon’s friends, but the other trainees were giving frowns at the Quad w.a.n.kers overactive att.i.tude. But that didn't mean they had sympathy on Haroon. As the time goes, the trainees looked and treated him with cold looks.

 If Haroon wasn't feeling guilty about it, he wouldn't say nothing at all. This was the evidence they (minor portions of building A students, and most of B and C) took. The Quad w.a.n.ker's wicked actions were too bizarre just to ignore them.

 Haroon clenched his fists trembling in anger. He only had a choice to suffer in silence until now, but he didn't need to do it anymore. Haroon really wanted to get his hands on them.

 "Haroon, never mind them. You've been doing it well. Just a few days more, and you know what's going to happen."

Gally cheered him up, softly tapping his shoulder.

 "Yeah. You were so thoughtless swearing an oath of mana……. Tsk Tsk!" Said a magician that Haroon didn't know the name of.

 At least the magicians were on Haroon's side. They've heard from Gally that Haroon swear an oath of mana to be silent about his magic and not to use his magic during the training course. But some young magicians, including Nemion, couldn't trust Haroon anymore. Those considerably young magicians couldn't understand Haroon's att.i.tude towards the bullies he get. They thought Haroon was being an insult to the magicians, thinking that it is coward to tolerate those mocks and humiliations as a magician.

 On the top of that, some trainees secretly scanned Haroon after he took the cuffs off, and they found out Haroon's mana pool was pretty much same as an ordinary people. This became an evidence that Haroon was pretending to be a magician.

'I am not sure until when I should tolerate.'

 Haroon was at the end of patience. It left a scar in his mind that his newly met friends, including Nemion, has turned their back to him.

'I guess I should focus on just focus on increasing the affinity with Brat.’

 After seeing the Quad w.a.n.kers and lots of trainees pointing and laughing at him, he left the canteen and summoned Brat. It was fortunate that Brat is a spirit that the others could not see since its level was low. It could have been messy if others saw Brat's disgusting appearance.

 "For what kind of f**ing reason won’t you let me rest for a single seco…… Ma…master., it looks like you are angry."

 Brat seemed to be annoyed by being summoned, but for some reason, it stopped in the middle of sentence and stole eyes on Haroon's face. For that much, there was so much anger shown on his face, so Brat was overwhelmed by fear of being beaten up if it does something wrong.

 "Yes, a bit."

 "Because of those guys over where. They've been a little bit more b.i.t.c.hy than you."

 Counting seconds in mind, he answered him. He needs to be cautious on summoning Brat as his H.P. was way too low.

 "Hmm. Yes, they do look b.i.t.c.hy."

 Brat cringed its face and stared at the Quad w.a.n.kers. That was the first time Haroon thought it looked cute.

 "Why do you leave them alone? When you beat me up as if you are going to kill me."

 Brat won't understand how much effort he has been putting in the training course, and how it will be meaningless if he beat them up.

 "I can't, for now. I will take a good revenge if I am freed out of here."

 Even if he said so, it won't be easy. He wasn't sure if he would be able to meet them when the course is done.

 "Huhu, then how about feeding my poison to those thoughtless bundles, master?"

 "Huhuhu, Well, among the materials I've absorbed in the drainage, there were some polluting materials that no medicine nor magical treatment can cure. Also, some materials have medical usage as well, but when one takes it too much, it could be poisonous, but it cannot be cured. After all, those are not poison. So let's feed those airheads, master. Let them suffer the peris.h.i.+ng pain of diarrhea to regret the actions they took."

 It was very tempting. Haroon was at limit of tolerating their overaction, and Brat's offer was very evil, and tempting.

 "But would that be ok? I mean, what about the other trainees? They will get poisoned if you get near them."

"Sounds great than, Alright. You've got my permission."

 As if Brat knew Haroon didn't have much time to keep it summoned, it hurried its way. As a spirit that can wield all four elements, it flew without leaving any trace and sprinkled something on the Quad w.a.n.ker's foods, and came back. Haroon was near to death, but he had one more thing to ask.

 "You still can cure them, right?"

 "Just get lost!"

 Brat went back to Inventory cringing its face. Seeing how forearms are darkened, he was in emergency. Haroon took an antidote.

 'And I should get the recipe to make this antidote before the course is finished.'

 There were so many things to do, but so little time. When everybody else was preparing their performance on the talent show, Haroon had to do various training, labor, getting poisoned to train the brat for hundreds of times.

 "Haroon, sorry if we kept you waiting."
 "Oh, Hey!"

 Other three work trainees were coming to Haroon.

 "Nnngggh! Oh, my stomach!"

"Somebody, help!"
"Sniff, sob"

 It was that night the disharmony of quartet's scream woke every trainee of Building B and C. Starting from Phillip, the Quad w.a.n.kers fold up, roll on the ground and went in and out of the toilet, only to get their stomach even more hurt, and not to cease the diarrhea. It felt as if their intestines were being twisted, or even being disconnected. They couldn't stand up even when they had to go to the toilet. They let everything out, but stomach just kept screaming pain.

 At first, the trainees felt pity for them, but soon they were annoyed by non-stop screaming. The dormitory leader even called up the Healer of the academy, but it was no use. The screams couldn't be volumed down. 

 A magician was called up too. That showed how big the Quad w.a.n.ker's background is, but that was no use too. The magician was very angry at being summoned at late night, but he had to go back with awkward face as he couldn't do anything about the stomachache. 

 Their scream continued until the dawn, so no trainees in building B and C could ever sleep. Their complain burst out in the morning. 

 "Those crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. How could they scream all night long for stomachache? So pathetic. And they want to be mercenaries? Tsk tsk!"

"Yeah, they must be punished by the G.o.ds. To be honest, it is Haroon who is gentle. If it was me, I'd probably have beat them up already."

 Some trainees told the others during the lunchtime about what they heard from the magician trainees.

 "One of my friend told me about 123. It seems like he promised not to use nor speak about his magic until the end of course. He even sweared an oath of mana or something."

"I guess that is right. Isn't 123 a work trainee? Maybe swearing an oath of mana was the precondition to get the recommendation. After all, no one knows how recommended him, right?"
"Something is definitely behind this situation. I'd rather believe in 123's silence who trains hard, then those childish w.a.n.kers."

 Social psychology is quite interesting. The trainees have been thinking Haroon very suspicious because of his amazing improvement as a magician. But now they've turned their arrows at the Quad w.a.n.kers. Their scream was calmed down on the sunrise, but that was only because they screamed themselves hoa.r.s.e.

 Using their background, they even summoned a priest. A rumor said that the priest got angry because his power of holiness didn't work on them. The reason was that they've never done any good acts that their body cannot accept the holiness.

 Hearing that, Haroon summoned Brat on standby.

 – "What have you done?"

 – "and you said you can cure it?"
 – "If you summon me, I can just absorb them. I see you are planning something fun. Don't forget my grace then."

 Brat paused there and leave a sigh and continued.

 – "How did an amazing spirit like me met such an incompetent Master?"

– "No, NO! I'm sorry, Masty!"

 Haroon cancelled the summon, not letting the violence come out from his fists.

'Once I get a cla.s.s, I will get an item that gives me resistance to the poison first.'

 Haroon was about to give a compliment for what Brat did, but Brat was already proud of his work and raising the mood, and Haroon didn't like the look of it.

 'I might get my personality bad because of him.'

 Haroon was patience, and didn't like the use of violence. But Joining Beyond and meeting Brat has messed his personality up.

 'Anyway, I’ll let those suffer just one more day. Then they may will overcome their bad habit.'

 He will have to cure them eventually. Even if a priest couldn't cure them, they won't live long. But Haroon wasn't that angry at them. Haroon went for a meal in a sweet mood that he didn't feel in a long time.

 "No, help me first….Woah!"

 The Quand w.a.n.kers keep going in and out of the toilet even in the nurse's office. They ate nothing for 24 hours, but stomachache didn't seem to dull down. Even they let everything out in their belly, urgent need of the toilet was still there.

 "G.o.d, d.a.m.n it! What on earth did they eat? Why is wrong with these guys when other trainees are fine?" Schultz shouted with anger, because they disturbed his sleep as well.

 "Oh, is that so? So these are the ones they talk about? This turns out to be great. The priests couldn't cure them anyway, so let them die like this." Schultz's angry eyes started burning.

 Haroon was a very special trainee to the trainers. Even as a work trainee, Haroon was showing splendid achievement and att.i.tude in every lecture he took. To the Trainers, Haroon was a sincere, talented trainee.

 To a teacher, the most impressive student is the one who has an ear to listen to what they teach, a sincere mind to do what one learned, and a pa.s.sion/talent to overcome the course. Haroon was the only student that partic.i.p.ated every lecture, and the one that has most honors from the trainers.

 But the Quad w.a.n.kers were gossiping on him, instead of trying hard to catch him up. Even if Schultz tried to, he couldn't think of them in any good way. The Quad w.a.n.kers' faces went pale hearing Trainer Schultz's cold words.

 "Please, Sir!"

 "I'll do anything if you can help me with the pain."
"It feels like the organs are coming out whenever I go to the toilet. Please, cure us."

 Their eyes were sunken just in one day. Even big muscled Gitan got very thin, and their face got darkened.

 "We've contacted your parents, so they will give you some news. Seeing how all the others are fine but you, it only can be your fault of eating something wrong, or you may have touched something poisonous. We mercenary academy and the trainers are not responsible on this affair."
 "Didn't you know you will be blessed only when you bless the others?"

 Schultz and Hector left the office giving another cold look on them.

 The Quad w.a.n.kers didn't even have a strength to scream, only to lie down on the bad. The only possible way to be cured is their parents hiring high circle magicians or high priests.

 "What a state we are in. My father is probably counting on me to graduate the course as a top trainee," said Philip, with his eyes sunken.

"My parents are counting on me too. What on earth have we eat?" Ritrina could not understand why only they are that sick.

"I, I can't even speak. I rather die than living like this for just few more days. I don't even have any more underwear……."

"But you are better than me since you are a man. How did a beautiful lady like me got this dirty illness? Sob, sob! I might be embarra.s.sed to death."

 Serinn's face turned yellow, hearing Gitan's grumble.

 The Quad w.a.n.kers were consoled by seeing each other's sickness, but that didn't relieve the pain of the stomachache.

 No other trainees came for them. It was the followers who spread the word that it might be infectious. No one, including the trainers, wanted to share the burden of them.

Knock! Knock! Somebody was at the door.

 "Who…..is it?"

 Philip answered with almost dying voice. At least Philip was the healthiest as he spent longest time in training among those.

 "Hey, The Quad w.a.n.kers. It's been long time."

 Surprisingly, it was Haroon.

 "Why…Why are you here?"
 "To see us suffer, probably."

 Philip answered Ritrina cringing his face.

 "You know, it didn't feel like it was the end of the day since I haven't been hearing your mocking for a long time. So, how are you? Is there anything left in your belly?"

 Haroon's sarcastic word has changed their expression to anger. Haroon has turned the tables. Seeing Haroon smiling and saying sarcastic words has enraged the Quad w.a.n.kers, because Haroon always has been facing them with poker face and silence. The toy they've been playing, was playing on th.em.

 "Shut, Shut up! You goblin! Get Lost, GET LOST!"

 Ritrina couldn't tolerate the embarra.s.sment, and cursed him. But Haroon's face didn't change at all. Seeing each member of the Quad w.a.n.kers turning red because of the anger, Haroon shook his head.

 "And I thought I might be able to cure your sickness with the medicine I had…… But now I don't see why I did even think about that idea," said Haroon, reaching his hand at the door k.n.o.b.

 "Wa, Wait! What did you just say? Did you say you can cure us?"

 They jumped up holding their stomach, and approached him.

"The symptom I see is very similar to the illness I know of. If I'm right about this, I've got the right medicine."

 That changed the Quad w.a.n.ker's face once again.

 "What is it? Say it!"
 "Wha, what have you got!"

 They were desperate. They solidly hold Haroon's clothes. It was hard to believe that they were sick just a moment ago. But Haroon acted carefree unlike them.

 "Why should I give a medicine to you? To whom they think me as a great enemy. And I don't know if this can cure you, and if it doesn't, I'm pretty sure you will be blaming me, won't you?"

"I won't be mocking on you anymore. So please?"

"I apologize for the acts I've done. Please!"

 Is that the act of someone who begs for help? Haroon smiled, which almost seemed as a smirk.

"You? Mocking me? You really thought you could mock on me? Who do you think you are? Ha ha ha, That's so funny. I never thought you were mocking on me. Why would I care on your meaningless words if I can reveal myself as a magician on the graduation day, when the oath of mana doesn't have any effect anymore? Did I look like I was being mocked by you guys? I don't even care."

 The Quad w.a.n.kers' face went pale.

 The confident att.i.tude he had made them doubt their suspicion on Haroon. They realized how naive they have been thinking their acts were pressuring Haroon.

"A, anyway it was our bad. I'm sorry. What can I do for you?" Said Philip.

 Just as Haroon thought, Philip was the smartest person among them. The others were not recovered from the shock.

'Did he really swear the oath of mana? Is that why his mana was so low when the magicians scanned him? Was his mana was sealed as well?'

 The giant crack was being made on what they trusted.

 "I don't have much of it since it requires too many precious materials, and it takes long time to be compounded. To cure you guys, I think I have to use all the ones I got. Moreover, eating it once wouldn't cure the illness wholly. In the worst scenario possible, it would take years. So I think I need to get somewhat fair price. How do you think?"

Their face was brightened up.

 "If you are certain that it can cure us, I can pay no matter what it cost."

 "I'm not sure if you know this, but I don't know the value of the money since I've been living in the deep mountain with my grandfather who was a magician, herb gatherer and healer. So call the price. I wonder how much the medicine will cost, that can rescue you from the pain of death."

 Philip couldn't answer so soon. He wasn't able to do it. It was way too much painful to value it with the money.

 "I'll say 3 gold," it was Ritrina, moaning like a dog looking for toilet.

 Haroon's cold words calling her 'cheap' enraged her.

"How about 10?"

 Maybe that would be all right. All the money Haroon had was 9 silver 40 bronze. Compared to that, 10 gold was high enough. Haroon wasn't sure how valuable that was, but if he exchanged with the real money, that was about $1000. It did good enough, but Haroon played hard to get.

 "10 gold……. Maybe you can endure that much pain too."

 Haroon's word made them very serious. It was written on their face that 'are you lying to see us suffer?'

 "I will tell you that one of the material is ironsnake's gall bladder."

 That surprised them. They knew very well how effective ironsnake's gall bladder is at detoxifying the poison, and how rare that is. It was so rare that you couldn't buy it with its money.

 'Huhuh! You w.a.n.kers,' Haroon was lying about the material, but it wasn't entirely a lie. 'That's a material for the antidote that I use for summoning Brat. For Hector who gifted this antidote, you w.a.n.kers will have to pay for his grace instead for me. Got it?' he thought.

 Hector gifted Haroon every antidote he made with Haroon. On that night, the best antidote was created because Hector used every kinds of material he gathered on his time serving as a mercenary. But Haroon saw the face of Hector which had bittersweet emotion of using all things he collected. So Haroon knew very well how valuable the antidote was to him, so to pay back Hector's grace, Haroon was planning to extort some money from them, and revenge them at the same time.

 "Then I can trust you. How should I pay you?"
 "Tell me the price you think it will be."

 Haroon made them choose. 100 gold was already very much, but Haroon didn't have a reason to set the price as he doesn't know the value of money here.

"Th, Then how about 5…50 gold?"

 Philip carefully asked.

 Haroon tried hard to hide the smile and nodded. 50 gold is $5000 in real life. Thinking all he will use during this revenge is the antidote that will be needed to summon Brat, that was just free money. But he knew that it was very risky to raise the price more. He thought it was good to stop at that point.

 "Deal, that'll do."

 Haroon took a small pocket from his cloth. It was made out of deer leather, which originally contained the antidote that Hector gave him. Philip took a ball shaped, sooty pill. It was almost thumb sized, and had really bad smell.

 "Let's make this easy, Phillip. Where is the money?"
 "Here. I brought this just in case. It will be little more than 50 gold, but I will give you all."

 Phillip took out the pocket that was quite big. As if he thought it was better to take the pill than spend more time on counting the money.

 "Wa, wait! What about us?"
 "Are you crazy? I only traded with Philip."

 It was good to see other 3 cringe their face. 50 gold was quite fortune for them too. Moreover, they were in the middle of training, so there was no way they had that much money. And 50 gold only could buy one pill. That wasn't so pleasant to them. Making the pocket inside out, Haroon showed them he only got other 3 pill left.

 "Even I cannot get this medicine anymore, and you want it for free? You guys are so mad."

 When things were still in chaos, Philip took the pill without water. He was that much urgent. Even at the moment the pill was going over the throat, he felt like his organs were being tangled. Haroon too, took an antidote and secretly sp.a.w.ned Brat in standby mode.

– "Brat, you know what you should do, right?"

– "You started it. Cut the nonsense and absorb what you put in them when I sp.a.w.n you."

– "Oh! And don't absorb it all, and leave some left. Just enough to make them feel a little bit of pain and feel like they would get diarrhea.
– "You are making a lot of request. But alright."

 Trying not to make the Quad w.a.n.kers hear him, he moved his lips to sp.a.w.n Brat. As soon as the pill slurp over the neck, Brat started sucking the polluted materials. Then the Philip's expression changed quite strangely. Madly boiling organs were stabled, and the stomachache was gone. Only by not feeling the pain and the need of toilet, Philip felt like he was being redempted.

 "How is it? The pill is certainly effective, right?"
 "Yes, it seems it's really effective. It doesn't hurt anymore."

 Haroon turned back and quickly took an antidote. Phillip's eyes were full of thankfulness. The hatred, jealousy was gone in a second. He was thankful enough to get his pain away.

 "That's really rare medicine. It can detoxify any kinds of poison."
 "Thank you, thank you so much."

 Philip thanked him several times holding Haroon's hand.

"Well, the others seems to be okay, so I should get going"

 Haroon turned back again and reached his hand on the door k.n.o.b.

 "You can't!"

 "Please!"

 The other three rushed at him at the same time and stopped Haroon. Two girls were holding his arms with both hand too, and press their body firmly on him. The soft body of girl gently being pressed on him shook his mind, but Haroon shook his head to clear his mind.

 "I, I don't have enough money. Is there anything else I can do?"
 "Same for me. Can I pay you by something else?"

 It seemed the other three doesn't have much money. But they were desperate.

 "Well, you can pay by giving me some item. I can do you that much favor, if the item is good enough."

 They showed him what they got. Seeing their expression, Haroon carefully chose the best things they got with some money, and handed 'the cure' to them. Seeing them making strange faces tasting something strange, Haroon felt so sweet of his victory.

'But this shouldn't be the end,' he thought.

 "But If I am right, you are not fully cured. That's the illness caused by wrong mindset. You need to take the pill at least once in a 10 days for at least a year. You need to train your mind too."
 "Wha, What do you mean?"

 The Quad w.a.n.kers was feeling the peace of absent of pain, but their face went pale again hearing his words.

 "The lord of a manor who my grandfather was curing has ignored this and died by his a.n.u.s ruptured. He needed to constantly consume the pill and train his mind, but his nature was so f**ked up that he couldn't believe my grandfather's word and kept exploiting his people and died miserably. Not that he only can eat, but even drinking the water made it burst inside his body and his body spouts it up and down, so how can he live? Lately, I happen to see his dead body, and guess what I saw. His stomach was high up like a mountain, but his a.n.u.s was ruptured, swollen like his lips.
  "Nnnngh!", Ritrina groaned hearing his words, and fainted.

 Maybe that was too harsh for someone like her who had quite impatient personality.

"Then Wha, Wha, What… should we do?"

 Philip was shuddering with the fear. It was simply unimaginable. The other three's hands that was holding Haroon was shaking hard too, and almost torn his clothes.

 "Well, that must be your concern. The world is wide, so I'm pretty sure there is another person know this medicine too, wouldn't there be? With your parents power, that won't be so hard to find. I know your parents got some position."

 Their grasp got weaker. They are probably believing their parent's capability. So Haroon shook them off, and headed to his room.

"Huhuhu, that was fun."

 He earned enough money for the materials he used making the antidote, and he made good fortune too. He got some items additionally, so Haroon came back to his room with sweet victory in his mind.

 Haroon checked the items he's got. Serinn gave him a two-piece unis.e.x underwear. Normally, she emphasizes her beauty, so this was kind of item she would have. She also commented that somebody gifted her before he joined the training, but she was saving it because she was afraid it might get torn because of the training.

"Item info."

Enchanted Underwear

Cla.s.s: rare

Durability: 145/150

 An underwear made out of soft fabric, the specialty of Tatrishl. The magic enchanted to it automatically fits the size of the wearer. Comfortable to move, and won't get stained. It was additionally enchanted to prevent wearer from the suffer of sudden change of temperature.

Option: Agility +2

"That's perfect. I got to wear this right now."

 Haroon didn't hesitate to change the clothes. It was quite big, but it slowly fit to his size. Even though he didn't know how valuable that was, getting 2 additional stats on agility were pretty big to him.

"And, this looks like a belt. Let's see"

Multipurpose Belt

Cla.s.s: Uncommon

Durability: 220/240
Requirement: N/A

 A holder for the sword is connected at the waist part, and two long strips of throwing knife holder that connected to the shoulder part. Up to 100 knifes or swords can be holded. It is made with Black Bear's leather and tender, and it can be used as a whip if no knifes are held. It's very tough and solid that an ordinary sword won't able to damage the belt.

Option: Stramina +3

 It was a fine item too. Even though it had only one option, it was very useful for him since it could hold the throwing knifes. Haroon decided to own it for his good.

"This red sword looks good too."

Systu's flame sword.

Cla.s.s: Uncommon+

Durability: 80/100

 This is one of the Systu, the flame meister's first work. It burns everything it cuts by the flame element it has. The monsters tends to fear it by extinct. It is easily breakable as less materials were used.

Option: Strength + 3, 30% additional fire resistance

"This is insane!'

 An item with this much option and attack damage would easily valued over 50 gold on the auction. Haroon put two items in the inventory. He earned about 60 gold that day, but he decided to give 50 gold to Hector to pay for the materials. That wouldn't be enough for all the materials, but that was how he was going to present his thankfulness.

'Huhuhu, and this won't be the end.'

 The Quad w.a.n.kers won't be able to escape from Haroon at least for an year The magician, the priest, nor Hector could find the reason or the cure of their sickness, so the only person they could rely on was Haroon.

'But they won't be spreading my words, would they?'

 He was afraid of this to get to Hector’s ear. He wasn't kind of a person who would receive anything from the patience for healing them, so he wouldn't like how Haroon made them pay for the pill. After all, He was too good person to be a mercenary.  

 Also, the Quad w.a.n.kers had strong sense of pride, so they wouldn't bother to say to the others that they got help from Haroon.

 "All I have left to do is practicing the performance."

 For some reason, he knew he was going to have a good sleep tonight.

To Be Continued in Vol.2