12:00 p.m.
Al casually made his way toward the school.
His classes didn't start until the afternoon. The schedule was specially arranged for students who had commitments in the morning, so arriving later than most was completely normal.
With plenty of time left before class, there was no reason for him to rush.
Several afternoon-session students had already arrived, parking their bikes and cars around the campus. Quite a few of them shot curious looks in Al's direction.
It was understandable.
Normally, Al would only show up at the very last minute before class started. Seeing him arrive more than an hour early was unusual enough to catch everyone's attention.
Al, however, paid them no attention and continued his leisurely walk.
But just before reaching the school gate, at the usually quiet corner near the final bend, a group of teenage thugs suddenly blocked his path.
One of them had badly dyed blond hair, ripped jeans, and so much hair oil it smelled worse than diesel fuel.
"Heh, you're the kid who messed with Young Master Rudi yesterday, right?"
Al paused.
"Hmph? Which Young Master? And Who are You?"
"Playing dumb now?" the blond thug spat. "A poor street kid like you has the nerve to mess with the heir of the Norvalien family?"
Another thug sneered,
"Your clothes are shabby, your whole vibe screams fake elite. Just a village kid lost in the city… and you dare go against Young Master Rudi?!"
More insults, curses, and threats followed, one after another.
Al simply shrugged.
So... Rudi sent these guys? he thought. I mean... with all that money, couldn't he hire someone more professional? This almost feels insulting.
Then...
"Are you done?" Al's voice cut through the air—calm, yet carrying enough weight to silence the surroundings.
"I'm in a pretty good mood today, so I don't feel like doing anything unpleasant. If this is about Rudi, let's keep it simple. Go call him. Tell him to come see me after school if he's that eager to get his ass kicked."
He lazily waved a hand as if shooing away a swarm of flies and resumed walking.
"Step aside."
He didn't even bother looking at them, moving forward as though they didn't exist.
But the thug scoffed and slapped his chest roughly.
"What did you just say, brat? You lookin' down on Young Master Rudi? Huh?!"
Al stopped.
His gaze remained fixed on the school gate only a few steps away.
Then he smiled.
"Why would I look down on someone who's already lowly?" he replied flatly.
"Lo-Lowly... What the hell!" the thug snapped. "Are you saying Young Master Rudi is lowly?!"
This time, Al turned around and slowly looked the group up and down, assessing them from head to toe.
"Hiring cheap thugs to bully other students..." He shook his head in disappointment. "Yes. That's pretty low."
The words hit harder than any punch.
The blond thugs froze for a moment. A few even instinctively took half a step back.
"C-Cheap thugs?!" one of them stammered.
The smug arrogance they had worn at the start vanished instantly, replaced by irritation and disbelief that this calm-looking kid dared to mock them so openly.
At this point, it wasn't even about doing a job for Rudi anymore. It had become personal.
"Y-You bastard!" the leader roared, his face turning red with rage.
"Get him!" he shouted at his men.
Two of the thugs lunged forward without hesitation—
Al didn't expect them to actually attack. Not right now, of all times.
Why am I getting bothered so much today? Can't there be a hero for once who saves this damsel and lets him stay lazy...? he thought.
Hmph... whatever.
His eyes sharpened, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
He shifted his weight forward slightly, feet spreading into a small, precise stance.
His right hand opened—fingers splayed—before slowly clenching into a firm fist. His left hand lifted, positioned in front of his chest for balance.
A flash of focus ignited in his gaze—a silent promise of a decisive, lethal strike.
But before the clash could unfold—
"DUG! DUG!!"
Two swift kicks landed cleanly on their chests and stomachs, sending the thugs flying back like ragdolls.
A girl vaulted down from the fence, landing lightly on one foot in a clean martial stance.
"Enough!"
Her voice rang out—sharp, firm, and filled with authority.
She had medium-length hair, a crisp school uniform, and eyes that burned with determination.
The emblem of HIHS was clearly visible on her blazer, and beneath her skirt, she wore a pair of stylish training pants—practical, yet oddly fitting.
She was Rina—the vice leader of a traditional martial arts group in Makazhar, and a recognized member of the Indorosia Martial Arts Association.
Also a morning-class student at HIHS. Final year.
"Aren't you ashamed? Bullying a student in broad daylight… how disgraceful."
Al glanced at her, not expecting his wish to actually come true.
Wait... what?! Someone actually came to save me?
His eyes widened in disbelief.
My life is usually nothing but bad luck. Did my luck finally decide to improve today?
For a brief moment, he almost felt touched.
Though a hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes—his move had been interrupted right after he had already gone through the trouble of preparing himself.
Still, it didn't really matter. At least he didn't have to waste any effort on something so trivial.
Meanwhile, the thugs panicked. They instantly recognized who had just shown up.
"T-That's... That's Miss Rina! Oh my god!"
"Stay out of this Miss Rina—this is our business!"
The blond leader stepped forward.
"Sorry, Miss Rina, but this isn't your concern! It's between this brat and Young Master Rudi."
"Rudi? Rudi Norvalien? What's wrong with him? Where is he? And what does he have to do with this boy?" Rina asked, glancing around frantically, hoping to spot Rudi nearby—but there was no sign of him.
"Sorry, miss. We can't tell you that," one of the thugs replied.
Getting no answer, she turned to Al.
"Hey, you! Is it true what they said? What's your problem with Rudi? Did he bully you, or did you start the trouble yourself?" she pressed, trying to get to the bottom of it.
Al just shrugged lazily.
"I don't even really know who he is. And do you think I have time to cause trouble with him?" he said casually.
That made sense. Who was this boy anyway? There was no way he'd be bold enough to provoke Rudi first, Rina thought.
That meant… Rudi must have bullied him. Yep, that's definitely Rudi. Ugh... That spoiled brat!, she concluded, feeling slightly annoyed.
"So it's clear then, Rudi started it first." Rina said, turning to the thugs and pointing at their leader.
"Tell him… don't act reckless just because he's from a rich family!"
The gesture was enough to make the thugs take a step back. Their courage faltered, and their will to finish Al off was held in check.
Sensing the situation was slipping out of their hands, the thugs slowly retreated, throwing one last warning.
"Oii, brat! Remember our names… and remember, Young Master Rudi won't forget! Don't think this is over!"
And with that, they fled.
Al smirked slightly.
They never even introduced themselves. How would I know their names? Weird people!
He then turned to Rina, reflecting silently.
This girl reminded me of my biological family. Judge too quickly—assuming Rudi's in the wrong without proof. Though this time, he actually is.
He exhaled, gazing up at the sky.
So this is what it feels like to be backed up even without solid evidence. Feels nice… but why do I feel so hypocritical?
Rina also looked at the boy she had just helped—Al.
"Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
She then realized he was wearing the same school uniform as hers.
"Oh, wait… you're a student here? Why haven't I seen you before?"
Al nodded.
"Yeah. I'm in the afternoon class. And I'm fine by the way. But I think you should worry about them instead—if you hadn't shown up, things could have been worse for them," he replied flatly.
Rina felt a bit awkward hearing that.
"Hmph… acting all high and mighty. Your fate was almost crushed by a gang of thugs! You should be grateful someone helped you."
Al chuckled faintly but didn't want to get too involved. He just gave a small nod to Rina, then observing her carefully.
A red glint appeared in his eyes, and as if by instinct, information flowed into his mind.
[Name: Rina Ashara]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 17]
[Primary Energies:
— Entra: 600 (Novice)
— Vita: 4,172 (Adept)
— Arma: 236 (Novice)]
[Secondary Energies: xxx]
From what he could tell,
This girl was a dominant Vita energy user at the late-stage Adept level. Must be a martial artist. Not bad, Al thought, acknowledging her.
Reaching that level at her age… even David was still far behind. Honestly, in terms of physical combat, she could probably rival our weakest member.
He smiled faintly and bowed slightly.
"You're right. Whatever it is, I should be grateful. And… thank you," he said sincerely.
"Hmph... That's okay." Rina replied
"Well then, I should get going." Al said.
He then started walking away, but Rina hurried to catch up.
"Wait! What's your name?"
Al paused, hesitating for a moment. But having received help, he answered briefly.
"Al," he said flatly.
"Al…? Just Al? You don't have a family name or clan name?" Rina asked.
Al placed two fingers on his chin, gazing at the sky before looking back at her.
"Family name, huh?" he said casually. "It should be… Virellano, I think."
Rina's expression instantly soured. She stared at Al in silence for a moment, as if he had just told the world's lamest joke.
"Your sense of humor is… interesting," she said, slightly annoyed, thinking he was joking.
"Hm? What's wrong with the name? Does it sound bad?" Al asked.
"Sounds… like a liar, actually," Rina replied. "Ah, never mind. Forget it."
Al could only stare back lazily, expression saying, 'Alright, fine. Whatever you think.'
Rina then pulled a piece of paper from her backpack pocket, scribbled on it, and handed it to him.
"By the way, this is my number. If they bother you again, contact me right away. Don't hesitate."
Al took it with a neutral expression.
How am I supposed to contact her if I'm ever in the middle of them bothering me? This girl's weird too, he thought.
Yet he simply nodded and thanked her again.
"Thanks."
Rina nodded in return.
"All right, I have to go! I'll remember you—Al, right? Hopefully we meet again sometime."
With that, Rina shot off like a streak of lightning—fast, graceful, almost like a martial arts manga protagonist.
Al glanced at the note in his hand.
"Hopefully not. If you're just here to cause me trouble," he muttered.
He carefully slipped the note into his pocket and continued toward school. His eyes were still half-lidded with sleep, but his pace remained steady.
Then he let out a long sigh.
"I knew it! There's no way a cursed human like me would suddenly become lucky. It was just bad luck disguised as good luck."
"Dealing with those thugs would've probably been less troublesome than dealing with that girl."
---
The clock struck 17:00—about an hour before dusk in Indorosia.
The school bell rang sharply.
Students poured out—some heading to the cafeteria, others staying for evening classes, and of course, some celebrating the end of the day. Al included.
He picked up his pace, eager to leave and head home.
He didn't feel like sticking around to deal with his classmates—especially with the way they'd been staring at him all day for some reason.
It was making him a little suspicious. Did he do something wrong?
Of course, that wasn't the case. His classmates were simply curious. Lately, Al had been acting differently from his usual self.
Still, getting home quickly was a necessity. The less opportunity David and Sarah had to blow some minor issue out of proportion, the better.
Without wasting another second, he headed straight for the nearest bus stop.
But before he could get far, his steps faltered in front of a small jewelry shop along Makazhar Street—not far from his school.
On display was a modest necklace: a crescent-shaped gold pendant adorned with a small moss-green gemstone.
Al's eyes widened slightly at the sight.
"That's…" he muttered.
Without overthinking, he stepped into the shop, catching the security guard, staff, and a few customers off guard—a kid appearing out of nowhere.
Al didn't care about their stares, focusing entirely on the necklace. Something about it caught him off guard.
A magical stone. This stone… it must have come from there, he thought.
He extended his hand toward the display case, channeling a bit of magical energy through the gaps. As soon as the stone reacted, it vibrated slightly—too subtle for ordinary eyes to notice.
Just as I thought, Al murmured internally.
Then a voice called from behind.
"Young man, do you need anything?"
Al turned to see one of the shop assistants approaching him.
"Oh… I'm just looking at the jewelry here," he replied.
The assistant nodded politely.
"In that case, I can guide you," she offered.
Al shook his head.
"No need. I think I've already found what I need," he said, pointing to the necklace.
The assistant blinked, surprised—not because Al seemed incapable.
Most young people wandering the streets here were from elite backgrounds, and she recognized his uniform from HIHS, signaling he might be from a wealthy family.
But the way Al appeared suddenly and without hesitation pointed to one of the most expensive pieces.
That stunned her, the other customers, and the staff. Especially since he was clearly just a high school student.
His face was cute, his style modest but decent for an elite kid. Is he serious? the assistant wondered.
The murmurs of the customers also grew louder.
"Young man… are you serious?" asked a fashionable woman nearby, her posture and proportions striking, scrutinizing him.
The assistant turned along with Al, who nodded affirmatively.
"Yes. This seems perfect," Al said to that woman.
The woman studied him from head to toe, her gaze lingering strangely.
Seeing no further response, Al turned back to the assistant. She explained the necklace and its price: 1.2 million Rev—a sum that made other customers gasp.
Al just nodded, reaching for his bag.
The fashionable woman stepped closer.
"I'm guessing that's a bit much for you, even for an elite kid here. Your parents wouldn't be happy if you splurged on a necklace like that, right?"
Al turned slightly, his expression calm but a bit puzzled.
"Honestly, I have no problem with that, ma'am," he said innocently. "Thank you for your concern."
Seeing his innocent face, the woman's eyes sharpened, her expression unusual. The assistant seemed to sense something too but didn't dare intervene.
"You seem reckless. Are you really from an elite family in this city? Which family?" the woman pressed.
Al, slightly annoyed by the questioning, replied,
"I don't usually reveal my identity in public. Sorry," he said politely.
He then looked at the assistant, holding a card.
"So how does the transaction work? I'm in a bit of a hurry, so hopefully it can be quick," he asked.
Seeing his seriousness, the assistant nodded and explained the procedure.
The fashionable woman looked slightly impressed with him, then asked again, "Young man… at least tell me your name?"
Al's patience thinned, and his gaze sharpened.
"Sorry, ma'am. I don't discuss private matters in public. I hope you understand and won't disturb me here. I'm in a hurry," he said firmly.
He returned to the assistant, following the transaction procedure.
But the woman, smiling strangely, leaned closer.
"You're interesting. Privacy, huh? How about I pay for the necklace… and we can discuss something more private tonight?" she whispered, her tone suggestive—loud enough for Al and the assistant to hear.
Both turned, eyes wide.
"Excuse me? What did you just say?" Al asked, realizing she was flirting.
The assistant wanted to scold her but couldn't confront the elite customer.
Such improper behavior was common among the wealthy, yet it still made her uncomfortable—especially with Al looking underage.
The woman stepped back slightly after Al's sharp response, scanning the surroundings to make sure no one else had heard, then produced a black-gold credit card.
"I'm serious. Whatever you want, I'll buy it for you," she whispered again, tilting forward slightly to reveal a hint of cleavage.
Al shivered slightly, raising the hand that held the card as if to create a bit of distance between them.
But the moment he glanced at what he was holding, his eyes widened in panic.
Instead of his bank card... he was holding his student ID.
The realization hit him instantly.
He quickly rummaged through his bag again, hoping he had simply grabbed the wrong card.
Unfortunately, reality was cruel.
The only bank card he could find was the one his parents had given him—and it only contained around 200,000 Rev.
To make matters worse, large QR payments weren't an option either. Due to certain restrictions imposed by his organization, his phone couldn't be used for transactions of that scale.
Which meant... he was cornered. One wrong move, and this could get embarrassing really fast.
Where did my personal bank card go? Al frowned and retraced his memories.
Then it hit him.
Earlier, he vaguely remembered Mrs. Marin shouting something at him about a card. Unfortunately, at the time, he had been far too busy running away from Indra to pay attention.
For a moment, he could only mourn the bad luck that had ultimately originated from his own carelessness.
So now what? Was there even a solution?
But then, as he looked at the woman in front of him, a smile slowly formed on his lips—a mischievous, almost naughty smile that didn't quite match someone his age.
He leaned slightly toward her.
"So… you're serious? You'd buy me anything I want?" he said casually.
The assistant gawked in disbelief.
Woah. I just thought I was helping this kid… turns out, he's just as wild. Huh. Whatever. I'm just here to work, she thought, letting them be.
The woman nodded.
"Of course. And you don't have to call me ma'am—just Sis Lutinta. Okay?" She handed the card to Al, brushing his hand lightly.
Gotcha. Hahaha. New toy, she thought with a sly grin.
Al shivered at the touch but didn't resist, simply nodding with a pleased expression.
And so, the transaction was completed.
Not long after, Al was standing outside the shop with Lutinta.
From inside, customers and staff peeked out, curious about what would happen between the young, cute boy and the woman.
"Thank you so much Aun… I mean, Sis Lutinta. I didn't expect you to be this generous. So… how should I repay you? And what did you mean earlier by 'something private'?" Al teased lightly.
"Ahaha… so impatient, aren't you? I'll show you later. Hehe. I hope you don't disappoint me," she replied, her voice tinged with excitement. "But I still don't know your name. Can I know it?"
Al nodded, smiling sweetly.
"Ah… my name… Rudi," he lied effortlessly.
"Oh… Rudi. Such an elegant name. I feel like I've heard it before. Sounds quite familiar. Are you from an elite family? Or a big business family?"
"Hmmm… I'll explain everything when we handle things privately tonight, Sis. Hehe," Al replied with a teasing grin.
"Not comfortable talking about it here," he added, glancing at the shop where curious eyes were sneaking glances at them.
Lutinta followed his gaze and nodded.
"Oh! Hahaha. You're right. So… shall we go?" she asked.
Al shook his head.
"I need to head home first. You know, I'm still a student. But tonight… we can," he said confidently.
He reached into his backpack, pulled out a piece of paper, wrote something down, and handed it to her.
"This is my number. Just contact me later. Okay? Honestly… I'm already a bit impatient, hehe," he added, teasingly.
Lutinta's excitement visibly grew, clearly pleased with his antics.
"Alright then. Should I escort you home? Where do you live, Rudi?" she asked.
Al shook his head again.
"My home's nearby. I can take a taxi—no need to trouble you, Sis. Better you use your time to prepare for... our private time tonight," he said, teasingly.
Lutinta, almost hypnotized, looked thrilled.
Al gave a cheerful wave and quickly walked away, turning a corner and disappearing into the crowd of the city.
Not long after, Lutinta opened the note. Sure enough, a number was written on it. She saved it under the name 'Rudi' and tried sending a playful message via WhatsUp—a social media chat app.
Within a second, a reply arrived—a business-type contact message reading:
"Thank you for contacting Luna Makazhar Private Mental Health Clinic. How can we assist you?"
Lutinta read the message over and over until it sank in. She checked the contact again—everything matched the number Al had given.
She called it, only to hear a man answering, explaining that it was the contact for a psychological counseling clinic.
She was utterly confused and ended up yelling at the man on the phone, until he explained that she had likely been pranked by the boy.
Reality hit her hard. She could only scream hysterically in front of the shop, furious at being duped—1.2 million Rev gone in an instant, and for nothing. Even hiring a paid man wouldn't cost that much.
"You brat… you tricked me! I'll find you! Huaaah!" she shouted, enraged, while people around could only shake their heads.
Even the assistant, previously stunned, couldn't help but laugh secretly, impressed at how clever the boy was. And so, chaos erupted on one side of Makazhar's elite street.
Meanwhile, in a narrow alley, Al was bent over, facing the wall.
"Uwekk!!"
He had just thrown up, completely overwhelmed by the sheer ridiculousness of everything he'd just done.
"You should've contacted a mental health expert instead of approaching me… fake-boobed man," he muttered, still a little queasy.
Another stroke of bad luck disguised as good fortune.
He picked up the bag containing the necklace.
"But anyway… thanks for this, haha. I almost embarrassed myself back there—good thing you showed up."
"And… consider that psychiatric clinic contact my fair repayment. You seriously need to fix your mental state."
Before long, he felt better. Without wasting time, he headed toward Indra's house, carrying the necklace—a small gift for someone he also saw as a mother.
Mrs. Marin.
---
17:20
To save time, Al had taken a premium taxi instead of the bus. As a result, he arrived while there was still plenty of time to spare.
Upon reaching the Marin residence, he walked up to the front door and knocked.
A moment later, Mrs. Marin opened it. Her face immediately brightened when she saw him standing there with a small box in hand.
"Oh, Al? You're already done with school?"
Al quickly raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to keep her voice down.
"Yeah, Auntie. Just stopped by for a moment."
Mrs. Marin immediately understood.
"Don't worry. Indra's not home. He went to his father's workplace."
Only then did Al relax slightly.
Before he could even explain why he had come, Mrs. Marin had already ushered him inside and told him to sit down.
Al could only surrender to his fate and wait. Hopefully she wouldn't go through too much trouble. He was in a bit of a hurry.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Marin clearly had other ideas.
A few minutes later, a slice of cake and a cup of warm tea were placed in front of him. Not long after that, all the belongings he had accidentally left behind earlier were returned as well.
Al could only smile helplessly as he quickly worked through the cake.
Then, after gathering a bit of courage, he awkwardly handed over the small box.
"This is for you."
"Hm? What's this?"
"Uh... it's... nothing important. Just a small gift to thank you for the cake this morning, hehe."
Mrs. Marin blinked in surprise before carefully opening the box.
The moment she saw what was inside, her eyes widened. A glittering necklace rested within.
"Al… this… this looks so expensive. I—I hope you're not joking. Why?"
She checked the price tag, and though the writing was slightly smudged—no one knew why—it appeared to read twelve thousand Rev.
It seems that Al modified the price tag before he arrived.
Mrs. Marin was a little shocked; even that amount was still very expensive for her.
And now Al was handing it to her. She wanted to refuse, but Al had already persuaded her.
"Think of it as a gift from heaven—thanking you for being so good to an orphan like me."
"Al…" her tone turned heavy, tears forming. "But… this is too luxurious. I'm not used to receiving such things."
"Well, if you don't accept it, I'll throw it away."
"Al!"
"Then please accept it, Auntie." Al said, pouting slightly.
"Huff... Alright" she said.
She finally accepted it, clutching it tightly, looking at him with a mix of emotion—gratitude, affection, and a touch of guilt.
"Thank you, dear… I will treasure this as… a gift from my own child."
Al nodded gently.
"Then I must be off."
And with that, he walked away, leaving Indra's mother watching him go with teary eyes.
---
Flashback – Suburban Market
A blurred memory of Makazhar's suburban market eleven years ago: bustling, simple. The smell of vegetables and spices mixed with vendors' shouts.
Mrs. Marin—then a young woman—ran a small stall. Occasionally she watched two little boys playing nearby at her stand.
One was a six-year-old boy—his hair messy but his eyes sharp.
The other was two years older, with a cheerful, friendly smile.
"Al, don't run off… Indra, watch him."
"Yes, Auntie!"
Mrs. Marin beamed as the boys visited. She often gave them leftover coins.
Time passed. Her business improved, and they moved to a larger shop in the market.
"Our finances are stable now. I want a child," she told her husband one night.
"Let's try…"
But fate intervened. Months of trying ended with heartbreak—a hospital report said:
"Your womb is not viable… We suggest you don't hope too much…" the doctor told her.
They decided then:
"In that case… let's adopt. I have two good candidates from a city orphanage."
"The ones who always played near our stall?" her husband asked. "If it's them, I agree. But we can only adopt one,"
"Hmmm, okay. Let's adopt the youngest. He seems to need someone to protect him." she replied.
"Alright, dear," he agreed.
But when they went to the orphanage…
"I'm sorry, ma'am. The child named Al… disappeared a month ago. We've searched everywhere."
She froze, holding the adoption list in trembling hands.
In the end, they decided to adopt Indra—the other boy from the market—despite the slight disappointment.
It wasn't too much of a letdown, though, since Indra had actually been one of the children they had hoped to adopt from the start.
Years later, Al returned—now a teenager starting high school in Makazhar City.
Indra and his mother immediately recognized him. They embraced, their reunion filled with deep longing and warmth.
---
Back to the Present
Mrs. Marin still stared at the necklace in her hand inside the small living room. Then she quietly looked toward the door.
"Al… you really are back, aren't you, dear?"
She held the necklace close to her heart, tears held at bay.
---