I look straight into Zibrek’s eyes and wait for her to tell me that she’s joking, that she misspoke, or that maybe she’s just gone insane.

  “I need you to be my boyfriend,” she repeats.

  “Zibrek, you’re great but—”

  “A fake boyfriend, Jacob. What the hell are you saying? Do you think I’d actually ask you to be my boyfriend out of the blue like that?!”

  “I don’t know!” I say, putting my hands up. “Could you have asked in a better way, perhaps?!”

  I turn briefly to see a small crowd of students around Professor Halvern.

  “So, what do you mean with boyfriend?”

  “My family has received an incredible marriage offer for my hand. It’s… hard to describe how life-changing it would be for them. But the thing is, I don’t want to marry away like this. I have never met this person and I have no intention of going through something like that. I heard that they came to the Academy recently and… I don’t know. I think they’d be dissuaded if they heard that I had a boyfriend. Another Champion, especially.”

  “Why not ask someone like Asterion or Vyrrak? They’re member of the three Great Races, I’m sure they’d have done this as a favor to you.”

  “It wouldn’t have been believable. They’re too strong. And by the way, Vyrrak’s married.”

  “Vyrrak’s what?”

  “It doesn’t matter now,” Zibrek sighs. “No one would have believed that someone like Asterion would start a relationship with me. He’s twice my height and looks like a statue that was sculpted by a God.”

  That is an appropriate portray of how the Highbloods were created, King Baalrek chimes in, snickering. She’s also saying you’re enough ugly and a loser to be a potential boyfriend.

  “Wait, are you saying that Asterion is out of your league and I’m not?”

  Zibrek looks at me from head to toe twice before grimacing.

  “Jacob, let’s not talk about this now. There are more important matters at hand.”

  “I mean, you could have just said Asterion was busy or something else,” I say, offended. “There are better ways to communicate, you know?!”

  “You—” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Whatever. So, you need me to be your fake boyfriend so that whenever this guy visits you, he’ll be dissuaded. Alright. Is he dangerous?”

  Zibrek gives me an odd look before saying, “not exactly. Not dangerous. Just…”

  Before she can finish the sentence the classroom door opens with a loud bang.

  Everyone, including Professor Halvern, turns toward the entrance where a tall woman with green skin is currently looking around with narrowed eyes.

  One student seems peeved at the fact that the selection process in Professor Halvern class has just been interrupted and tries to speak up.

  “Who are—”

  “Silence!” the woman thunders and a powerful Diamond aura sweeps around the Class.

  The student stumbles back, pale.

  Professor Halvern narrows his eyes but makes his way forward carefully, clearly not intentioned to offend this person. Plus, to say that this Goblin woman is gorgeous would be the understatement of the century. Not only she has the greatest curves I’ve seen in my life, but her strong cheekbones frame a flawless face.

  Who the hell is this woman?

  Suddenly, I have a very bad feeling in my stomach.

  “My lady, I’m Professor Halvern. You just interrupted a class.”

  The woman seems suddenly pulled out of it when she looks at the man and nods.

  “I’m sorry. I’m Princess Naar’ethra Veinspire. My wife is in this class and I’ve come here to claim her hand by Goblin custom.”

  The bad feeling in my stomach grows even stronger.

  “Your wife,” Professor Halvern doesn’t seem to miss a beat. “Your Highness, may I know your wife’s name?”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Zibrek Gearlash,” she says. “Where is she?”

  I turn toward Zibrek to see that she’s jumped under her seat.

  “There,” Professor Halvern outs Zibrek immediately, pointing at the empty space.

  “Zibrek! I’ve come to claim your hand!” Princess Naar’ethra says, stepping forward.

  This time, Zibrek jumps to her feet and points a bony finger at the woman.

  “Wait! I’m already taken! You cannot come and claim my hand!”

  “Taken?!” Princess Naar’ethra thunders. “Who dares claim your hand before this Princess who’s already bowed twelve times to your parents?!”

  I slap a hand on my forehead.

  Beyond the fact that I expected a guy, how am I always involved in some ridiculous thing like this?

  I need to find better friends. Maybe go up a mountain or something, become a hermit and get a hawk to hunt mouses with.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me she’s a damn Princess,” I whisper to Zibrek.

  “Sorry, you might not have accepted,” she says, suddenly latching onto my arm and looking at the Goblin Princess defiantly.

  “You! I challenge you! I will take the life out of your useless hands and burn every part of you that touched my future wife!”

  “Your Highness,” Professor Halvern coughs lightly. “My class is still ongoing.”

  “I—” the Princess looks around and suddenly blushes. “I’m very sorry, Professor…”

  “Halvern, Your Highness.”

  “Professor Halvern, I offer you my most sincere apologies. What course do you hold?”

  What’s with the sudden casual tone?! I think to myself, stunned. You just threatened to kill me and burn my corpse!

  Only the tainted parts, to be fair, King Baalrek adds.

  What a consolation!

  “I’m the Professor of Runic Notation 201, Your Highness. I take it that you’re not a student here.”

  “No, I have hired private Tutors because I have too many responsibilities to take so many years off and come here, Professor Halvern.”

  “How mature of you, Princess Naar’ethra. I wish some of my students had the same dedication,” he says, turning toward me.

  “I have actually learned Runic Notation up to Platinum Rank, Professor,” then, swirling toward me, shouts again. “I will take your life in a Runic Notation challenge!”

  “Your Highness, duels to the death are forbidden on Academy grounds,” the Professor says. “I’m sorry, you can’t kill Jacob Cloud yet.”

  Yet?! And why are you sorry about it?!

  “How about you follow through the rest of my Class and then you’ll be able to settle this matter? Cloud, the man trying to abscond with your wife, needs to take an early graduation test because he believes himself better than any other student here. I’m sure you’d love to see him fail.”

  I’M NOT TRYING TO ABSCOND WITH ANYONE! AND I DON’T BELIEVE MYSELF BETTER THAN ANYONE.

  I clench my fists but I keep my lips sealed. I really don’t need to add any more fuel to this drama.

  “That…,” Princess Naar’ethra nods to herself wisely. “That is a very good solution.”

  IS IT?!

  You can probably kill her yourself if she challenges you to a Runic Notation deathmatch.

  I’m not trying to kill anyone! Dammit, how did I even get involved with this?! Ok, no more favors to fellow Champions, noted.

  “Anyway,” Professor Halvern says, “I’ve chosen.”

  Everyone draws their breath while I’m still trying to get all the irritation out of my body and I stare daggers at an unapologetic Zibrek still hugging my arm.

  “You!” He points to a student who jumps forward. “Show me your best Skill!”

  Let’s see what this famous Professor can do.

  The student nods and immediately activates what looks to be a Shield Skill which calls upon water and creates a thick vortex.

  [Grimoire Analysis]

  [Vortex Shield, Gold Rank - Level 74]

  [Flaws: 6]

  [Vortex Shield: A Skill that combines a versatile defense against light projectiles and spells but that suffers against heavy attacks.]

  “Ah! Vortex Shield! This is a very good Skill to learn as foundation for any Water Mage or Warrior. Even some Breakers should learn it to have more options in their toolbox!”

  I see from the corner of my eye Princess Naar’ethra nodding at that statement.

  He’s not wrong, I guess.

  “Now, from the looks of it, it seems to be around the mid level seventies, correct?”

  The student nods eagerly and his eyes now sparkle.

  “Professor Halvern, you’re so knowledgeable!”

  “My eyes can’t be fooled,” he nods wisely to himself.

  “The Professor is so good at discerning Skills.”

  “He called the level in an instant! How did he do that?!”

  “Man, I wish that was me! My Skills are lagging behind!”

  “Anyway, let’s proceed!” Professor Halvern summons a light spell and looks at the student. “So, please trace the pathways that you’re currently using for your Vortex Shield and I’ll affix those onto Runic Notation. Once that’s done, I’ll fix them for you!”

  I mean, I guess it makes sense to see what they’re doing wrong. It’s not like he can guess or use the Grimoire.

  “I see!” Professor Halvern nods wisely as the student starts tracing pathways on the light. Everyone else only sees a faint shimmering without details, probably a measure to prevent them from copying what the others are doing—which is pretty good for privacy, I suppose.

  When the guy’s done Professor Halvern smacks his lips and, with a few flicks of his wrists, rearranges the pathways in ways that the bystanders can’t see.

  The students eyes go wide and he immediately channels Mana. Moments later, he summons another Vortex Shield, but this time it’s spinning faster and it’s a little thicker.

  “It leveled up! My goodness, it leveled up! I gained four levels just like that!”

  “That’s incredible! It would cost several Platinum Coins for such tutelage!”

  “Professor Halvern is so generous!”

  “Professor Halvern is the absolute best!”

  However, my eyes narrow when I look at the residual shimmering of the Professor’s Skill and I inhale.

  This absolute piece of crap.