Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey

Right now I'm in a typical office. This kind of office you can find anywhere, it's just that this office is a very advanced one.

In short, I'm in Miss Lillian's office. After how brutally I beat Gorge in my anger because of lack of sleep and how everything I want is not going my way.

Instructor Ravi brought me here. And to my surprise, Gorge is also here.

All of the beatings I gave him are gone but there are still some black bruises around his eyes.

After seeing the condition Gorge is Miss Lillian turned in my direction.

"Explain why you did this, Lucas," Ms. Lillian requested.

I responded with a respectful tone, "Yes, Ma'am."

In my mind, I thought, Watch me do this now, you punk.

I began to recount the incident with George, twisting it in my favour. "Gorge pointed out to me several times this morning that it was unfair for me to be admitted to the Hero Class with only Luck. He said it didn't make any sense for me to enter the Hero Class based solely on my Luck without having a talent."

Ms. Lillian appeared surprised, not by the content of my words but by how I had worded them. It was clear that my choice of phrasing had an impact.

"And then he tried to pick a fight with me after Instructor Ravi's class. He pushed me several times and asked how I could dare to talk to him like that when I wasn't even good at fighting. Gorge, do you admit that you said these words?" I questioned, putting him on the spot.

Gorge's face turned red as he exclaimed, "It's true, but I just pushed him! That guy hit me!"

I corrected him, making my point clear. "I didn't hit you because you pushed me."

Ms. Lillian's characteristic was her overwhelming patriotism, and she wasn't pleased with what had transpired.

Lucas continued, "I couldn't bear my indignation anymore, so I might have lost my temper without realizing it. I apologize for my carelessness, Miss."

Ms. Lillian's gaze shifted back to Gorge. Her eyes bore into him as she inquired, "Is it true that you said that, Gorge?"

Gorge, feeling the intense scrutiny, stammered, "Tha, that…. That… That's… That's…."

Ms. Lillian's patience wore thin, and she interrupted him sternly, "Yes or No. Only answer with either of those two."

Gorge let out a defeated sigh and admitted, "Yes."

Miss Lillian's expression darkened as she addressed Gorge, "Gorge, spreading groundless rumours and picking fights with your fellow students is not the behaviour expected of a Hero Class member. Such actions tarnish the reputation of the entire class and the school as a whole."

She paused for a moment, her eyes locked onto Gorge's. "As a consequence, you will serve a one-week suspension from all Hero Class activities, and I expect a written apology to both Lucas and the Hero Class for your actions. Understand that your behaviour will not be tolerated here."

Gorge nodded silently, realizing the gravity of the situation and the severity of his actions.

***

After Miss Lillian's admonishment, she told me that I could go, but Gorge had to stay behind. She also mentioned that I seemed to have a talent that wasn't treated as one before, alluding to the way I spoke and carried myself. But I wasn't too concerned about it. Who'd even doubt that there was some old man inside me? If I forced myself to act like a child, it would only feel uncomfortable and awkward.

As I walked into the hallway of Nova Academy, I bumped into Sunny, who seemed genuinely surprised.

"Lucas bro, what the hell was that? Why did you beat Gorge so much? But anyway, that was awesome," Sunny exclaimed.

I was puzzled. "What are you doing here, Sunny?"

He grinned mischievously. "Oh, I was just waiting for you to come out."

I was taken aback by his response. "Adrian left already when Instructor Ravi came?"

Sunny nodded. "Yeah, he didn't want to stick around for the drama. But man, you should have seen the looks on everyone's faces when they found out how you handled Gorge. Shocked, to say the least."

I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. "Well, sometimes people need a reality check."

Sunny then leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "And you know what Evelyn said when she heard about it? She just said, 'Looks like some habits are hard to die.'"

I couldn't help but give a wary laugh at that.

"That's surprising coming from her."

Sunny shrugged. "I guess even she can appreciate a good show when she sees one."

We continued walking down the hallway, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with Sunny. It was nice to have friends who understood that sometimes, you needed to stand up for yourself, even in a place like Nova Academy.

As Sunny and I continued our conversation, he brought up an event that seemed to be a big deal at Nova Academy. "Hey, Lucas, have you heard about the Crew that's coming up in a few days?"

I pretended to be curious and asked, "Crew? What's that?"

Sunny looked surprised but quickly explained, "Well, Crew is like this academy-wide event where the third and second years try to recruit new members to their crew. It's a big deal because once you choose an elective, you can't change it until the start of the new year. So everyone's trying to get the best recruits they can."

I nodded, feigning interest. "I see. What kind of electives are available?"

Sunny's eyes lit up as he started listing them. "Oh, there's a wide selection! You've got your combat-related ones like Swordsmanship, Archery, and Elemental Magic. But there are also creative ones like Music, Art, and Writing. Some even focus on specialized skills like Alchemy or Engineering. It's pretty diverse."

I acted like I was processing all this information. "Wow, that sounds like a lot of options. How do the students choose?"

Sunny explained, "Well, we get to attend presentations from each elective, and then we rank our preferences.

The third and second years try to persuade us to join their crew during Crew Week. They showcase their skills and accomplishments to convince us that their elective is the best."

I continued to play along, "And then the students get to choose based on those presentations?"

Sunny nodded. "Exactly. It can get pretty competitive because some electives are more popular than others. It's all about finding the right fit for you."

I couldn't help but ask, "What elective are you planning to choose, Sunny?"

He grinned, looking a bit mischievous. "Well, that's a secret for now, my friend. You'll have to wait and see."

We continued discussing Crew, and Sunny shared stories about previous years' events. It was fascinating to hear about the dynamics and rivalries among the different crews.

As the author of "Blade of Destiny," I already knew what Crew was, but I enjoyed pretending to learn about it from Sunny's perspective. It was just another way to immerse myself in this new world.

[ NOTE---> I know that this chapter is short and there is nothing but some damp information but this Crew story finally enters in main path.[