All my comrades are obsessed with me?

Kaiser and Amelia are heading toward the student management office. Amelia, her face flushed red, walks ahead with an awkward demeanor. Seeing her like this, Kaiser chuckles softly and decides to sneak up behind her. Suddenly, he places both hands on her shoulders

Amelia immediately jumps, her entire body trembling. She spins around to face Kaiser

"W-What are you doing!?" she stammers, her eyes wide, her hair practically standing on end in surprise. To Kaiser, she looks like a startled little cat, reacting defensively when touched

"You know? Right now, you look just like Snowy" Kaiser says with a laugh, his eyes sparkling as he gazes at her flustered expression

"What do you mean? That I'm as cute as she is?" Amelia narrows her eyes, putting her hands on her hips, her tone filled with challenges

"Of course not" Kaiser chuckles in response "Lately, Snowy hasn't been as cute as she was when she was younger. She only likes scratching my hands now. But her chubby belly makes up for the loss in cuteness" He shrugs, his eyes glinting mischievously

Amelia furrows her brows. She picks up on the implication in Kaiser's words, and her face quickly loses its redness. Instead, faint lines appear between her delicate eyebrows. Without saying a word, she raises her slender fingers, nails meticulously groomed, and pokes at his neck

"Are you saying I'm fat?" Her tone is full of threat

Kaiser smiles, calmly taking her hands and gently removing them from his neck "I was just kidding," he says lightly, raising both hands as if to surrender

"Actually, Snowy is still very cute and gentle with me" he adds, pointing at his unblemished hands

Then, unexpectedly, Kaiser grabs Amelia's hand. The sudden action causes her to flinch slightly, her eyes showing a flicker of confusion

"Besides, I think if I reach the next level of Mana, I'll become the youngest person to join the Royal Court as a Mage" Kaiser says, his eyes shining brightly, his smile brimming with confidence

Hearing him, Amelia turns her head away, hiding the smile forming on her lips "Make sure you keep your word" she says, her tone carrying a hint of satisfaction

Kaiser notices her reddened ears, and the corners of his mouth curl into a warm smile "Of course, I won't forget"

The two walk hand in hand. Not long after, Amelia suddenly turns, her gaze sharp

"You still haven't taken back what you said about Snowy being chubby"

Kaiser freezes, laughing awkwardly "Snowy really has gained some weight"

Amelia's gaze immediately grows colder

"B-But it's only her belly that's gotten bigger! As for you, it's not your belly…" He doesn't get to finish his sentence before Amelia yells "Pervert!"

She quickly lifts her knee and kicks Kaiser right in the butt

"Argh!" Kaiser groans, wincing as he rubs his backside, causing Amelia to laugh in satisfaction

—

After completing the registration for their theoretical classes, Kaiser and Amelia leave the student management office together. The sight of the two holding hands as they exit the building immediately attracts the attention of nearby students. Whispers spread throughout the crowd, and curious gazes follow them relentlessly

"How long do you think they'll gossip about us?" Amelia asks, her voice soft but audible enough for Kaiser to hear

"Probably a whole week," Kaiser replies with a grin, his eyes sparkling with amusement "We've just created the latest hot topic"

Amelia shoots him a glare but doesn't pull her hand away. Though she pretends to be annoyed, the redness on her cheeks betrays her true feelings.

After leaving the crowd behind, they part ways to return to their respective dorms. Amelia quickly disappears into the girls' dormitory, while Kaiser heads back to the boys' dorm

Kaiser is now strolling through bustling market stalls, his eyes scanning the area for a suitable weapon shop. He's changed into a simple white shirt, feeling much more comfortable than in his academy uniform.

Curious gazes follow him again, but Kaiser just smiles

"It seems we're attracting quite a bit of attention, aren't we, Inky?" he says, tilting his head toward the black cat perched on his shoulder

"Meow!" Inky responds, its bright blue eyes glowing with delight

Kaiser laughs, reaching up to scratch the cat's chin "Acting as if we're so famous"

After some searching, his gaze lands on a small shop with an old but still clearly legible sign: Lana's Blacksmith

"This place looks promising" Kaiser says. He steps forward and pushes the door open

Inside, the shop is spacious, displaying all kinds of weapons: swords, axes, spears, maces... Each is meticulously crafted, glinting under the warm yellow light. At the central counter, a tall, muscular man is carefully polishing a large sword

"Hello, are you Lana?" Kaiser asks as he approaches

"That's right," the man replies, looking up at Kaiser and Inky

"Really? I thought Lana was a woman's name" Kaiser says, surprised

"I hear that quite often," Lana shrugs with a smile. "But I'm guessing you didn't come here to discuss my name, did you? You need a weapon?"

"That's right" Kaiser nods "Do you sell scythes? Preferably ones taller than me if possible"

Lana raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by Kaiser's unusual request "That's a pretty unique order. But I do have some. Give me a moment"

He disappears into a back room and returns a few minutes later, carrying three scythes of varying sizes. Each one is exquisitely crafted, the gleam of the sharp blades catching Kaiser's attention

Kaiser tries each scythe in turn, feeling their balance and weight. After careful consideration, he points to one that matches his height

"I'll take this one. But can you make the handle longer?"

Lana raises an eyebrow but quickly nods "You want it even longer, huh? Sure. Give me a bit of time"

The shopkeeper heads back to his workstation to adjust the scythe according to Kaiser's request. While waiting, Kaiser wanders around the shop, his eyes drawn to a large display case filled with unique weapons

"You even sell Mana guns?"