Learning To Live As A Cultivator 245 Chapter Forty Five - My Presence Causes A Problem

Should be mentioned, that Pike had been swift in his selection of recruits, choosing those who'd made some good impression upon him during the past year or those he'd teamed up with before. For example, the Mage was someone who he happened to team with during an external mission and who had impressed him with his quick wit and skill. He was about the same age as Leon, had even entered the school the same year, though through other channels, and had excellent control and range of his fire abilities. Pike considered that he would add good offensive power to the team.

However...

"I will not remain in this team if that one stays."

Pike had asked the five members of his team to gather at a remote noodle shop in old Julip town for the rest day period in order to acquaint everyone. As with most of the twenty martial artists, he'd also chosen a second martial artist to join his team and that youth happened to be Troy, so he and Leon already somewhat knew each other, though Leon flushed red recalling the embarra.s.sing circ.u.mstances of it. Troy's grin was slightly lopsided and jovial when remembering the same thing and teased the alchemist who's height only fell short of his own by a half-inch. This also made Troy feel gleeful that he was not the only diminutive one.

Leon had met other beast tamers, but had never met Velana. If he had, he felt he would never have forgotten her. She was a very beautiful woman, yet her beauty did not fit the standards that he understood of this world. That in part was due to her height, for she was quite tall, almost matching Pike, and part due to her strong figure, of which hinted at voluptuousness if one could look past the compact muscles in her arms and legs. Leon felt that if he were to compare her against others, it would be the Amazon women of Greek legend.

Her partner was a fox-type beast with long, gem like eyes and three tails, just unlike other foxes, its tails were not bushy, but sleek and the tips all varied in colour. It's fur also was a mishmash of those colours; the burnt orange, steel grey and snow white of the foxes from various species of Earth. Unsurprisingly, this large vulpine was aptly named a tri-coloured fox. Velana called the beast Velone.

The scholar was also a stranger, but that was no surprise for Leon hadn't actually crossed paths with many students from this school nor the Mage schools. His name was Roman. He was tall, quite thin and had a small mole beneath his indigo eyes that gave his otherwise plain face a more bewitching appearance.

And then there was the Mage.

Honestly, Leon had only crossed paths with this man once in his recollection and that matter had been so long forgotten by himself seeing as so many things had occurred since, if the Mage himself hadn't revealed their enmity, he would never have recalled it. Really, even the word enmity was too harsh a term. Really, Leon had been a pa.s.sive partic.i.p.ant in the minor argument that caused the other to hold a grudge. As for the other pair involved, likely, they never held it in their hearts either.

Leon looked at the young Master, who spat out his ultimatum, before his and all other eyes glanced towards Pike. The usually jovial martial artist could not help but frown.

"For what reason?" Pike asked the young man.

"He and his Master gave this one no face, even had the audacity to mock this one," the Mage complained. Leon had to think about it for a moment before recalling; this was the Young Master of the Ibis clan, whose lackies had claimed was 'the pride of the Mage school'. Leon had meant to ask Sun about it after they had landed, but as Jin Li stole his breakfast and then Sun had become all melancholy over a missing coach, it had slipped his mind.

"Your Master?" Troy whispered. It wasn't that there were no master-servant relations.h.i.+ps amongst students, but that these ties were not recognised while within the Inst.i.tute. If a young Master or Mistress wished to be pampered by his/her servants, they could go back home to receive such and forget about returning to this place of serious learning and hard work.

"Ah... I think he m-m-means J-Jin Li," Leon tapped his lip with his finger. Pike's face seemed to attain enlightenment, through at the same time he rolled his eyes; Jin Li seldom gave anyone 'face'. Young Master Luchus would not be the first to fail to be recognised by that one. "He d-didn't m-mock anyone though. Is Luchus m-m-mistaken?"

The other youth frowned, flicking a stray lock of long indigo hair off of his shoulders to rejoin the half head of loose lengths cloaking his back.  The rest of his hair had been knotted at the back and decorated with a silver piece encrusted with two thumb sized gems, a Sapphire and Ruby.  His face had a handsomeness that was more scholar-like than their actual scholar, but it was distorted by his unhappy emotions.

"I do not make mistakes," Luchus crossed his arms about his slender chest.  He had sworn that he would remember the slight of back then, when this youth and the others had not given he and his people face by allowing them to share the same room aboard the griffin flight back then. And what was worse was that this servant/bedwarmer did not even sleep in his own cot that night! Was that just not rubbing their audaciousness in his face!

"But it seems that I do," Pike sighed.  The brawny martial artist had leaned back in his chair in contemplation, but just based on the little that he had heard, he was quick to make a decision.  "Luchus, you may leave."

The young Master's face became stiff, the smile that had been forming whilst thinking that Pike would surely remove the waste in order to keep himself, froze.  "What?"

"I said that you may leave," Pike repeated. "I will find another Mage to fill the s.p.a.ce."

Luchus thumped the table in front of him with his fist. "You are choosing this servant over me?"

"There are no servants within the Inst.i.tute," Troy said in a mocking tone, causing Luchus' eyes to redden with fury.

"And even outside, Leon is no person's servant," Pike advised the Mage. Just really soft hearted to the husband that liked to order him about. As for that one... well, he was Pike's junior and despite his stinky personality, he was strong, reliable and never slighted Pike nor Bowyer. "Let me give you some advice, Luchus. Forget your family status here, its neither wanted nor is it constructive to your advancement."

It was apparent that Luchus would not take his advice to heart, however, from how he stormed off in a rage. Leon watched him disappear down the street, slightly worried. Honestly, he thought Pike might have let himself go; he didn't have the same ability as that Mage after all and there were plenty of better alchemists. "Will it b-be alright?" Leon inquired cautiously.

Pike glanced at the nervous alchemist and then a bright, familiar grin reappeared on his face. "Don't worry about him," he rea.s.sured the youth.

"Yeah," Troy agreed as did Velana and Roman with frequent nods. "He clearly has failed to let go of 'cla.s.s distinctions' and it won't help him in the end." How many commoners became notable and impressive immortals and how many wealthy young masters failed to pa.s.s through the bottlenecks of Core Formation or Body Tempering? The wealthy elite from famous or notable families and clans just had a head start, not a guarantee upon this long and winding path.

Troy happened to be a farmer's child, Pike, a shu-born son who cut ties with his n.o.ble household when he followed his master. Velana was the granddaughter of one of the Teachers of the Beast Taming School, while Roman was a merchant's third and most disappointing son. Yet each and everyone of them were recognised with their own merit either obvious or subtle, none to be underestimated.

On that note, Roman shyly raised his hand. "Actually, I know of a good Mage, if you are willing..."