It was a cozy afternoon; Storm strolled the campus, searching for Ajax. He checked all the possible places he could be, but he couldn't be found.
"Let me check the arena," he thought and hurried away.
He finally arrived at the arena. It was unusual; the seats were emptier than usual.
"There he is," Storm thought. "Is he talking to himself?"
Ajax sat there with a note and a storybook, watching the duels and reading.
Storm shouted, "Ajax," and waved as he hurried over and sat beside him.
Ajax glanced at him with a sheepish expression.
"He seems too calm to throw that at him," Storm thought.
Initially, Storm had approached Ajax to let him in on something that had been bothering him for a while, but seeing Ajax this calm in times when they were barely getting credit scores, he couldn't bring himself to ruin the mood.
"Is there something that you need?" Ajax, he asked as he placed his books down.
"No, buddy," Storm replied with a faint smile as he relaxed on the seat. "I was bored and was hoping we could find something fun to do."
Ajax glanced at the Storm and the field. "Do you consider this fun?" He asked, pointing at the dueling field.
"Come on, buddy," Storm said cheerfully, "Being with you is all the fun I need."
"That's awkward," Ajax thought with a confused expression.
Ajax took his notebook and decided to explain things he'd been learning for the duel.
He 'copied' a tornado kick—channeling more mana into one leg, using the weak to propel himself midair and spin before delivering a powerful kick with his dominant leg—and a faint cross—attempting to kick with his leg but would stop before it could make contact and punch with his hand.
"Only two had caught my eye so far," Ajax grinned.
Storm also decided to observe and learn, but there were four sets of duels left, and the next duel hadn't begun yet. To kill time, "Buddy, has any girl caught your eye yet?" He asked.
Ajax flustered, "Uhm… There are cute girls around, like Lisa and Skylar, but I've never thought of anyone romantically. If I have to pick, uh… I would go with my childhood friend, Emy."
"Really? What about Skylar?" Storm said, grinning at Ajax's embarrassment.
"What the… Skylar?" Ajax thought.
"Yeah, she's cute," Ajax admitted, "but not yet. Maybe one day. What about you?"
Storm began to blush, "Oh yeah… Me, huh?" He said, "There's a girl in the South Sacred; she asked me for directions to the administrative office. She was so cute." His eyes sparkled.
"I bet you couldn't ask for her name," Ajax said, relaxing in his seat.
Storm tilted his head and gazed at the ceiling, and his mood suddenly changed. "I want to take my time, you know?"
Ajax glanced at him but said nothing.
Before long, the next duel began. It was a duel between a royal and a commoner. It became clear that the entire purpose of the duel was for the royal to humiliate the commoner, claiming that those of lower status shouldn't have a place in Crownshard Academy.
Storm, curious of Ajax's thoughts, leaned over and asked, "What do you think about the reason behind the duel?"
Ajax took a deep breath, watched the duelers closely, and replied, "Well, there isn't much I can say. I mean, they are both right. The commoner is trying to say he belongs here, while the royal is asking him to prove himself."
He continued with a steady tone, "Everyone must be entitled to their opinions. If he believes commoners aren't worthy of the academy, so be it. But he crosses the line when he tries to impose his beliefs on others. If the royal wins, then fine—he proved his point. But that would mean fighting every commoner to keep proving it. And if the commoner wins, he will have to prove himself worthy to every royal if that's the path he chooses. We both know royals surpass most people in magic, so in spite of his arrogance, he is not wrong.
"In truth, this isn't something a duel, war, or bloodshed can fix. Regardless of who wins today, they will both head to their respective rooms without a shake in belief.
A while back, my father said something: "Real strength is knowing when to hold your sword and when to put it down." In situations like these, it's best to let go of your ego."
Ajax scratched his head and grinned at Storm. "I said too much, huh?"
Storm was taken aback. He didn't expect such an answer from Ajax. He had known Ajax could be cold and somehow mature, but to this extent, "How old are you?"
"Ten, why?"
"You spoke as if you were a decade older than I am," Storm replied.
The duel eventually came to an end, and the commoner lost the duel. But he didn't go down easily; he made the royal work for his victory.
Not long after the duel, Storm's eyes grew heavy, and he started dozing off. He told Ajax he needed to head for his room, hoping to let Ajax in on his worries later on.
Just at the entrance, Storm was approached by Ivy, holding a melted ice cream as she ate one herself.
"You took longer than I expected; it melted." She said cheerfully, "Can I get you another one?"
Storm stumbled on his words, but Ivy dragged him over. As they walked, Ivy asked, "What do you think about joining the North Sacred?"
Storm, hesitant, said, "Uh…I'm already in West Sacred, and I can't leave my friends," he said calmly.
They finally arrived at the ice cream vendor; Ivy bought two for 200 Luna and handed one over to Storm.
"Think about it," she said, "if you change your mind, I will be around to hear you out."
"By the way, I'm Ivy Wager. Nice meeting you, Storm Galehart." she stretched her hands over for a handshake and smiled.
"Nice to meet you," as Storm shook her hands.
She escorted Storm to his quarters and headed back.