75: When The Protagonist Monologues (Overshares)

Everyone from both tables froze for a couple of seconds. Several people from the other table jabbed Kallix while everyone but Conrad paused their form filling out. Angelica, among the more level-headed, looked over to Nyssa and Celeste while raising an eyebrow. As a faint flicker of recognition flashed behind her eyes, she asked. “When did you two meet this team of hunters?”

“Earlier today while we were on the beach,” Nyssa looked over towards the other table and flashed a peace sign. “Do you know them, Angelica?”

“I know of them, they’re a fairly famous team,” Angelica shrugged before waving to them as well. “Nice to meet you all, I’m Angelica, I’m the teacher who’s watching over these students.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Mira murmured with a nod, her voice a little scratchy from overuse.

As the other team members gave a short introduction, Kael waved down Nyssa and Celeste before pointing to a well-groomed bearded man. “By the way, this is Orin, he was the one binding the monster on the beach earlier.”

“A pleasure to meet you all,” Orin raised his glass. After pantomiming a toast, he took a sip from his cup. “What brings you all here tonight?”

“Registering!” Conrad leapt out of his seat while pumping his fist. He flexed one arm and pointed at Titus and Albion with the other. “GET WRECKED! I’m done!”

“... Wow,” Albion applauded with slow claps and a subtle eyebrow raise. “You’re so cool for finishing your government form faster than the rest of us. I’m just... astounded... I’m sure every woman in this building wants you so bad right now.”

“Oh yeah, I can’t think straight,” Electra added in a flat tone while picking her pen back up to fill out the form. “Why don’t you make conversation with our new friends then. While we finish our own forms. Thanks in advance Conrad.”

“You’re... welcome,” Conrad sighed while sitting back down. Before he could turn to talk though, Nyssa asked for his pen, while also taking the extra one Angelica had been holding. He stroked his chin. “Why do you even need so many... pens... ah.”

After watching a third arm stretch out from the center of Nyssa’s chest, Conrad shook his head to clear his mind and turned to the hunters. He explained their purpose for coming to the north, and answered a few basic questions, ranging from small talk—“what do you find the most different so far?”—to more substantive ones—“So you prefer hunter work? What would you say draws you to hero work over hunter work then?”

Conrad, not one to turn down an opportunity to talk, answered each question and replied with his own as Angelica listened in on the conversation while checking over Conrad’s now–filled out form.

Out of everyone, Nyssa finished her form next—the three pens writing all at once expediting the process manyfold over. Her extra hand disappeared and she slid her form over to Anglica. Once she tuned into the conversation, her eyebrows furrowed.

“So, from a young age, I’ve always been nicknamed the main character. My powers manifested as a system, so I have always experienced a linear growth pattern, leveling up like I’m in a game,” Conrad propped his chin on his hand. “I even get side quests. I can store combinations of movements as a special move, and I can analyze things, like a classic video game character.”

Getting a couple of nods, Conrad continued. “Of course, I make a lot of main character jokes ironically. There’s such a good opportunity there, why not seize it?”

Nyssa, while shaking her head, couldn’t help but feel like she had begun listening to the forbidden analects.

Why is he giving his whole backstory to a bunch of strangers... There are things he’s saying right now that even I’ve never heard of, and I’m his classmate! Friend even! But these are random hunter’s he met... what... five minutes ago?

Electra, the next to finish, signed her name at the bottom of the page with a crackle of electricity arcing along the page and into the air. Purple sparks splashed all over Ryker, who, not even a second later, flipped her off.

“Oh! Electricity powers,” Seraph smiled, interrupting Conrad’s story about overcoming a tough exam about polar bear anatomy in middle school. “How fun, you Class Zero students always have such impressive abilities. Every graduate I’ve met has such fine control over the immense power at their fingertips.”

“It’s still in progress for me,” Electra scratched the back of her head. She stretched her hand outward and spread her fingers. Purple arcs jumped between her fingers. “I can’t let loose fully, otherwise I’ll kill myself...”

“Ah... yes that is often a problem with those who have such high capacity at a young age,” Seraph nodded. Kael and Mira nodded along as well, let out murmurs of agreement. “Though your path might not be traditional, have confidence. It is easier to gain control than it is to gain output.”

“Yeah, I’m not complaining,” Electra laughed, “I’m thankful for my powers these days.”

“That’s good,” Seraph chuckled, floating her cup up to her mouth to take a sip. “You raise your students well, Angelica. I never took you as the teaching type.”

“Yeah, life changes, and I’m trying to settle down,” Angelica leaned back in her chair. At some point, she had ordered a glass of beer, and, now, she took small sips while making eye contact with Seraph. “I never took you as the hunting type. Especially this far out of the way.”

“I got tired of the drama,” Seraph shrugged. “Growing up in the heart of an academy wore on me. The politics, the media, the... Well, everything. It's nice to be out here. Life is simple.”

“I’m glad you’re living a better life,” Angelica took a long sip as the conversation came grinding to a halt.

Everyone else though, by now, had their curiosity piqued. Both Seraph’s teammates and Angelica’s students all exchanged glances. Each glance seemed to ask the same questions and give the same replies:

Do you know anything about this?

Since when did they know each other?

I don’t know anything, don’t ask me.

I have no idea either.

“Spill the beans, Seraph,” Mira coughed, her voice still in pain.

As a few chuckles left her lips, Seraph shrugged. “It's nothing special. I attended a different academy, one similar to Luminary Institute as you all know. The one located in the capital of the Lionheart Kingdom. I was a year older than Angelica, but I knew of her since... well, she was the leader of her year, and the student body president before she even became a senior.”

“We just knew each other in passing,” Angelica took a long swig from her cup. “Nothing special.”

“Yeah, nothing too special I’d say...” Seraph agreed before diverting the conversation elsewhere. “You’ll probably be doing a first expedition out tomorrow right? Would you like for us to accompany you? We have nothing planned. Just a normal patrol route.”

“That’d be great, I’ll take you up on that then, is that alright, Kael?” Angelica turned to ask the team leader.

“Fine with me,” Kael flashed an ‘ok’ hand symbol. “See you all tomorrow then.”