XIII.

Merlin was expecting great things from his teacher, but after several days since the agreement, he wanted to die from the pain and suffering he endured. Before the sun was even visible in the sky, he was awake to perform vigorous exercises, such has running laps across the Armament track field and a hundred of every single workout ever conceived (push-ups, sit-ups, squats, etc.). When he was done doing all the reps he can, his mana control session could begin. For at least two hours, he would try to control his mana flow. Aren would place his hand on his back, telling Merlin what to “visualize” in order to keep his Core in check. He was told not to stop this process no matter what; he had to control his mana during his sleep, while he was eating, and while focusing on his lectures. His teacher would know if he slacked on his training, in which the training intensified to make up for the time lost.

This happened every single day, and it was an experience he wished could’ve gone better. Sometimes, Aren would not be present because of his “investigation,” so he tasked Archimedes to watch over him while he was gone. Just like Aren, Archimedes was a ruthless teacher. Whenever Merlin tried to slack off, the tortoise would chew his hair or use his head to headbutt him back on track.

The worse part was that he still had to attend classes right afterward. Merlin would come to class drenched in sweat, having no time to change his clothes. He would fall asleep sometimes, trying to regain the hours of rest he had lost, and was currently doing so. The snap of a wooden stick made him shoot up from his seat. It was Professor Tiberius’, and he was trying to get his attention.

“I hope you are having a wonderful nap, Mr. Ambrosius, since your rest is more important than your upcoming midterm!” the Professor said.

Merlin shook his head and trembled in fear. “N-No s-s-sir! May you please go over what is for the upcoming test, sir?”

Professor Tiberius grunted and continued to go over the midterm review. Merlin heard everyone giggle, talking about how he always comes to class covered in sweat and grime. The name “sweaty deadweight” was being passed around, and Tiberius had to quiet the class down before continuing. This embarrassed him, for sure, but his recent successes made him endure the dilemma. After all, Merlin could feel his mana flow slowly become more streamlined and consistent compared to his prior meeting with Aren. However, there was one thing that Aren said which bugged him.

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[Two days before…]

“Woah, you are progressing faster than I thought,” Aren said, taking his hand off from Merlin’s back. “Your mana was all over the place when we first started. Now it is slowly forming its proper shape. You’re not an average joe, for sure.”

Merlin let out a deep sigh, still tired from his training. “Mr. Aren… Does that mean I am getting better?”

“Hell yeah. What are you, some sort of prodigy? At this rate, we might start casting some big boy spells.”

“Yay, I can’t wait for that…! Um, Mr. Aren?”

Aren was eyeing him down, his iris emitting a mystical blue-green light. After some time, he shook his head. “Actually, let’s not. We have to focus on your Core.”

“Aww… I was looking forward to the casting part.”

“Listen kiddo, you cut me off when I was trying to say something important. Here’s that important tidbit: your demon side is trying to take you over.”

Merlin shivered. “W-What do you mean t-t-take over?”

“Like possess you or something, I dunno. It’s all fun and games until that demon takes over. It’s game for you and everyone here.” Aren massaged the back of his head. “When it gets to that point, I might even have to kill ya. No hard feelings, okay?”

“K-k-k-k-k-kill me?!”

Aren flicked Merlin’s forehead, smiling afterward. “Calm down. Never gonna let you get to that point. Stick with me and you’ll be fine, capisce? I trust in our future endeavors!”

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When Merlin was finished recalling such memory, the school bells tolled, signaling class was over. It was unfortunate he ignored the Professor’s review, so he slumped on his desk, repeating the phrase “I’m going to fail.” Eventually, he packed up his belongings and left for the Gardens. While he made his way there, he couldn’t help but contemplate on Aren’s words. Who is this demon? What is it like? What if he won’t be able to make amends with his demon self?

I really hope my demon self is a considerate fellow, but yet again, it is always clashing with my other self, he thought.

Someone in the distance was calling his name, and when he looked around to see who it was, it was Layette. She ran to him, greeting with a wave. The two traveled to the Gardens, sitting on the bench together. There were many jealous eyes staring at Merlin, which made him nervous. Anyone would kill for an opportunity to speak to the Phoenix of Damore so casually.

“Mmm, it feels great to be outdoors!” Layette said, stretching her arms out.

“I am glad to meet you again, Ms. Layette! What have you been doing all week?”

“You know, the usual. Paperwork, teaching the Armament kids combat, and… more paperwork.” Her hands were on her head while having a dreaded expression. “Ever since I broke that kid’s arm, Father made me his paper girl. Paperafterpaperafter…”

She continued to mumble on and a drop of sweat fell from Merlin’s forehead. “M-Ms. Layette, I am certain the accident was blown out of proportions. Even though the, erm, rumors suggest otherwise.”

“Stooooooop, I don’t want to hear it anymore. I came to check up on you, anyway!” She came close to Merlin’s face. “So, Aren is your coach now. Is he the insolent cocky fool he is? Is he making you do things you don’t want to do? Say something so I have an excuse to show him his place!”

Merlin’s face was bright red. “M-M-M-Ms. Layette, um, y-y-you are a bit too close.”

“Sorry. Ugh, you stink: take a bath, would you?”

“I have yet to take the chance, but I will!”

Layette leaned back. “Anyway, what is he like? I, um, have not talked to him since that day. And I feel like he’s avoiding me… Well, go on!”

“O-Oh, well, um…” Merlin itched the temple of his forehead. “He is a lot older than he looks. We seem to be close in age, though his knowledge in the mystic arts is extraordinary. Someone possessing a proficiency similar to a Grandmaster at the age of eleven is beyond me, which is why I concluded such.”

“Is that so? Seems to be more capable than I imagined. I mean, he saved us from whatever that thing was. I just wanted to thank him for that.”

“Why do you want to thank him that much?”

“I guess it is because I never owed someone that much before, since most of the time I have handled those situations on my own. The debt will have to be repaid somehow, even though he is bossy and pompous.” Layette played with her ponytail. “I have yet to return his sword too…! Now that I think about it, the blade kind of reminds me of that ghost hero we were walking with that day.”

“Ms. June? It was a rare opportunity for the both of us! A shame it was that circumstance we had to meet.”

Layette nodded. “Yes! Next time we meet her, bombard her with questions! We won’t let her escape!”

The two looked at each other, giggling. They were gazing into the distance, feeling the winds blow by them. Merlin looked up and let out a deep sigh.

“Ms. Layette, I am glad the forest incident happened…” He shot up, realizing what he said, and waved his hands. “I-I-I-It’s n-n-not like I wanted it to happen. It was a horrible event that shouldn’t have… ohmygodsIammakingitsoundworseamI?”

“Don’t worry, I know what you are trying to say.” She smiled. “I am glad to be friends with you too, Merlin.”

His eyes widened in awe, then he smiled as well. “Yes!”

The school bells tolled again. Layette got up, saying she had more work to do. She said her farewells and left with haste. Merlin watched her walk away, lowering his eyes when she disappeared.

“Friends, huh? Is this what it feels like to have friends? If so, I wish I—”

He heard loud thumps booming behind him. Merlin turned around to see Archimedes standing there with an irritated look on his face. The tortoise chomped at his shirt collar and swung him around like a toy.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry! I kept you waiting! I know I am—bleurgh, I think I am going to puke.”

Archimedes set Merlin down and the young mage covered his mouth, swallowing the mess in his throat. The tortoise gestured him to follow, and the two were in another section of the Gardens. Merlin laid his back onto one of the many trees in the area and let out a sigh.

“Time for mana control training, I guess…”

He crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and focused. A blue, curvy line appeared before his consciousness. This was his mana flow, and the aim was to make it straight, like the yellow string Aren gave him. He poured his bodily energy into the task, seeing his flow slowly straighten. Then, out of nowhere, a red aura surrounded this line, consuming all what was to be blue. His concentration broke, and he was panting. Archimedes’ head was on top of Merlin’s so he could overlook his progress: the tortoise witnessed the entire ordeal and checked if he was okay.

“I am fine, Archimedes. Truly, I am.”

The tortoise leaned in with a single eye, examining him from head to toe. He eventually let out a low grumble and sat next to Merlin.

“I wonder what they are feeding you, Archie. Hay? No, I think fish. Maybe a hint of kale and mustard greens on the side.”

Archimedes raised his brow and tilted his head as if to shrug.

“You are fine with me calling you Archie, right?”

He nodded.

“That’s good. Your full name is a handful to say every time.”

Merlin was silent. Archimedes saw his saddened expression and grunted. It was obvious the tortoise was worried about him.

“I never thought I would be part-demon. And I never thought that would be the root issue of my magic casting.” Merlin sighed. “I, um, wonder if the Head Maester knew about this. I’d say it’s a first for her, if someone did tell.”

Archimedes nodded.

“That is not the only thing.” Merlin put his hands on his lap and leaned forward. “I want everyone in the Academy to recognize that I can be just like them. That I am not the deadweight they say I am.”

He looked at the tortoise, on the verge of letting out tears from his eyes. “Is that a selfish thing to strive for?”

Archimedes shook his head. He got up, rummaging around for something. The tortoise placed two objects down: an acorn and a thick branch. Merlin expressed a dumbfounded look, not knowing the purpose of these items. The tortoise snorted and pecked the boy's head, telling him to think hard.

“Ow, okay, I will use my head! Um, let me see here. An acorn and a branch. An acorn is a seed of some tree, yes?”

Archimedes nodded and moved his head to the branch.

“The acorn turns into a branch? So, from a little seed to a small tree?”

The tortoise nodded again. He stretched his neck to one branch, pulling out a peach from the tree, and resting the fruit onto Merlin's lap. The boy was silent for some time before reaching a conclusion.

“The tree bearing fruit. Acorn, branch, fruit. So, all things will eventually bear fruit. Like my training with Aren?”

Archimedes shook his head sideways.

Merlin was silent once again. The soft wind blew gently, and he stared at the acorn in front of him. His eyes swelled, but he did not shed any tears. He faced Archimedes and expressed a gentle smile. “You did this because you cared about my wellbeing. Is this what friends do? Are you my friend?”

Archimedes chortled, then nodded.

“Amazing, um, I never thought I would be friends with a magical tortoise. Thank you for being my friend, Archie.”

The tortoise snorted and looked down at the peach. He licked his lips and tried to resist the urge to eat it. Merlin rolled his eyes and handed the fruit over, which the reptile ate whole. He patted Archimedes’ head while watching the afternoon clouds hasten by. A peaceful moment for the both of them.