Nathan stared intensely at Arthur, who stood suspended in the air. Despite his youth, Arthur radiated an aura of dominance and maturity. To some extent, Nathan would have believed him if he claimed to be the president of one of the Rune Arts Federation Sectors.
"Tell me your name, boy with dark hair," Arthur demanded, crossing his arms.
Nathan cleared his throat and bowed deeply in Arthur's direction. A faint mist of tears suddenly clouded his eyes.
"What an honour it is to be able to see you with my own eyes!" he exclaimed emotionally. "Dear President Paradox, my name is Nathan Modernson. Back in my family, I've—"
Before Nathan could continue, Jennifer Lumendra shot him a murderous glare. However, she knew all her hatred would have to wait until the student council president left.
Arthur, on the other hand, froze the moment he heard Nathan's name. His eyes widened in astonishment and shock.
"Excuse me, what is your name?" he interrupted hastily, suddenly descending to the ground. The disdain in his eyes was replaced by strong concern.
Nathan stopped mid-sentence and looked up, equally surprised by Arthur's reaction. "My name is Nathan Modernson," he restated slowly, emphasizing every syllable.
"M, O, D, E, R, N, S, O, N?" Arthur asked again, his voice quieter, now filled with an odd sense of humility.
"Yes," Nathan replied, straightening his back. Perhaps the man before him knew something about his family's origins.
Arthur stood frozen in shock. He opened his mouth a few times, but no words came out. Slowly, he approached Nathan and examined him up and down, murmuring to himself.
Jennifer watched Arthur's careful actions in genuine surprise. Could there really be something special about this boy that even the Paradox Clan would regard him with caution?
Well, it wasn't her fault. The Paradox Clan held a legendary status in Runalond's history. If Gideon Runaria was the one who laid the foundation of Runalond's reign, then the Paradox Clan was the pillar that upheld it.
Gideon was revered as a mythical and honoured Rune Artist, but his ability as a ruler couldn't be said the same.
Without the assistance of Adrian Paradox, the founder of the Paradox Clan and Gideon's closest ally, Runalond would never have become what it was today. Even in modern times, members of the Paradox Clan held prestigious roles in the kingdom's very authority, an honour that even the Schwarz and Blanc Clans envied.
And now, standing before her, Arthur Paradox, the destined future head of the clan, was known as the most ruthless and sharp figure of his generation. Having bested even members of the Schwarz and Blanc Clans at the Imperial Academy, he rightfully earned his position as the student council president. Students would rather defy the academy principal than dare cross him.
But today, Arthur Paradox seemed peculiarly different.
"The face isn't like hers at all… Hmm, but the hair—the hair colour couldn't be wrong," Arthur murmured thoughtfully. Then he asked Nathan one more question. "Mister Modernson, I apologize for my rudeness, but could you describe your mother's appearance to me?"
Nathan hesitated, pulling back slightly. "I don't remember," he replied suspiciously. "It's been a long time since I last saw her. President Paradox, do you know my mother by any chance?"
Arthur slapped his hands together loudly as his face distorted weirdly. Calming himself down, he bowed towards Nathan sarcastically and spoke with his head low, "No, of course not, Mister Modernson. How could such a feeble figure like me be able to meet your mother personally? Oh, what a coincidence that we could get to know each other in such a dramatic event!"
Nathan felt a chill run down his spine. There was something unsettlingly familiar about Arthur's mannerisms, his tone, his gestures, and the way he masked his words in false humility.
He could almost see a reflection on himself on Arthur.
Fear struck Nathan's heart. He would rather have Arthur talk authoritatively like before. The Arthur now seemed more dangerous and suspicious than anything else.
Who is the boy in front of him? Why does he have the same technique of speaking in humility just like himself? Isn't this a skill that could only be developed by lowly, suppressed Lostburg commoners?
If an aristocrat like Arthur talked like this, what would it symbolize? Was it good or bad? Did his words mean what they seemed to?
Was it possible to tell?
After a period of silence, Nathan kept his nerves and answered with an equally humble smile, "How could you call yourself 'feeble?' My dear president, everyone knows that you will be the ultimate future of Runalond. Sure, my family might hold some influence, but at the end of the day, it's our personal excellence that matters. And on that note, I'll have to look up to you as my leader and example."
Jennifer stared at the two boys in disbelief. Anger and hatred remained in her heart, but a stronger feeling of fear and uncertainty covered any other emotions.
Compared to the other students in her generation, she proudly took the self-proclaimed title as one of the sharpest. But as she kept listening to the modest, yet stupidly fake conversations between Arthur and Nathan, she could barely understand what they were doing.
As an aristocrat of Runalond, pride and dignity reign above all.
Yet these two boys, possibly two of the most powerful aristocrats, were talking to each other in such manners. No one dared to step one step higher than the other.
Suddenly, Arthur turned around to face Jennifer, his face instantly shifting to the cold, authoritative expression from before.
"Miss Lumendra, I know you are still displeased with Mister Modernson. But I must warn you, don't be the one who overturns the table." He spoke slowly.
Jennifer felt compelled to speak up; after all, it was not her fault the conflict had begun. However, she was logical enough to keep her mouth shut. Her current mission was to escape this chaotic duo as fast as she could.
However, she wasn't someone who would contain her fury to herself. No matter who Nathan was, she vowed to take revenge on him, no matter the cost.
"Diamond, let's go," she flatly commanded the Rune Artist that had attacked Nathan previously, then walked hastily towards the direction of the academy without looking back.
"Who said he could leave?" Arthur stared at the Rune Artist named "Diamond" and tightened his eyebrows in irritation. "Miss Lumendra, you will not be held responsible with your identity taken into account. But I will not tolerate the action of assaulting a representative student of the Imperial Academy."
Jennifer held her fist tight and paused. "So what do you want?" Her voice was trembling with anger. Never in her life was she embarrassed so much.
Before Arthur could reply, Nathan quickly held out a hand and interrupted.
"Come on, guys. It's not a big deal," Nathan smiled casually as he rotated himself for everyone to see every part of his body. "It's not like I was hurt or anything. Let there be more forgiveness and less dispute among us, shouldn't we? Love and peace, love and peace."
Then, he bowed sincerely towards Jennifer's direction, trying his best to mimic the gesture of aristocrats.
"Miss Lumendra, I apologize for my disrespect from before. We will be classmates for three years from now on, so let's call this incident a fateful encounter. I know it's impossible to pay back the damage I have done to your emotions, but please accept my request for an apology. If there is anything you want me to do, I'll assist you to the best of my ability." He stared at Jennifer with truthful eyes. It's easy to make yourself an enemy, but better to make yourself a friend.
"No need." Jennifer turned around and walked away, but there was something in Nathan's words that moved her ever so slightly. Somehow, the apology appeared to be the most truthful-sounding sentence she had heard Nathan say.
She knew one thing for certain: Nathan Modernson wasn't anyone out of the ordinary. He was different from anyone she had ever seen before. Negative or positive, he had surely left an impression.
But by Nathan's side, a glimmer of unhappiness and disapproval flashed through Arthur's eyes.