I Can See Evolution Paths

Chapter 69: The World Is Waiting

Roland walked with a small group of professors away from the King’s Arena floor, moving at the pace of people who were not in a hurry and had things to say.

"I’ve been teaching at Pathfinder for fourteen years," one of them said. "I’ve never seen first-years perform like that in the final round."

Another nodded. "Strong Student Council candidates, both of them."

The professor nearest Roland glanced back toward the arena, where Arthur was talking with his team in the way he talked with his team: loudly, with his hands involved, and with everyone around him responding in ways that suggested they were not bothered by either. "Student Council material?" she asked.

Roland smiled.

"No," he said.

She looked at him.

Roland watched Arthur for another moment. "Student Council is something the Academy gives you. But people don’t give someone their trust that easily." He looks toward Arthur. "He’s earning it. And that was enough for his teammates to risk failing to follow him."

Nobody argued, because nobody had an argument.

Roland walked on.

...

The arena emptied the way it emptied after something that people had opinions about, which was not quickly.

Students moved in clusters and the conversations moved with them. Arthur’s name appeared in most of them, but not in the way it had appeared after the entrance exam, when it was attached to what he had done. Now it was attached to questions about what he had thought, which was a different category.

"I would have left," someone said, to the person beside them. "When we were qualified I would have walked through that gate and considered it finished."

Another, from a different cluster: "I didn’t think about going back at all. I didn’t even have it as a possibility."

Another: "I thought the final phase made the rescue impossible. That was the whole design."

A third-year, very quietly, to the person who had been on their team: "The simulation wasn’t impossible. We just stopped looking for the answer."

Small conversations.

The arena wasn’t large enough to hold all of them.

...

Cassian approached without announcing himself, which was how Cassian moved. His four followers remained a step behind him, which they apparently did by habit.

He stood in front of Arthur and studied him for a moment with the direct attention of someone who had been watching a specific thing develop and was checking the current state.

Cassian stopped in front of Arthur. "You’ve gotten stronger."

Arthur smiled. "I hope so."

Cassian looked at him for a moment before asking, "If you hadn’t made it back before the timer what would’ve happened?"

Arthur blinked. "I don’t know."

Cassian frowned. "You never considered it?"

Arthur shook his head. "I never thought I wouldn’t make it."

Cassian folded his arms. "...Why?"

Arthur looked toward his team. "Because they wouldn’t let me fail." He smiled. "And I couldn’t let them down either."

Silence.

Cassian stared at him for several seconds and then he sighed. "I really think you should start thinking about the consequences of what you do."

Arthur tilted his head. "But I did."

Cassian blinked.

"I knew it was dangerous. I knew we might fail." He crossed his arms. "I just thought saving them was worth trying." Arthur looked at Cassian. "...Are you saying you wouldn’t have tried?"

Cassian frowned but didn’t say anything for a moment.

"...That’s a little disappointing."

Cassian’s eye twitched. "See!"

Arthur blinked. "See what?"

Cassian pointed at him. "That. You always do that."

Arthur looked even more confused. "Do what?"

Cassian let out another sigh. "Somehow every conversation ends with... Nevermind."

Mithra quickly covered her mouth.

Sun immediately looked away.

Athena quietly adjusted her glasses.

Arthur scratched his cheek. "Sorry?"

Cassian clenched his fist. "Just get better at talking to people."

Then he turned and walked away.

"But my speaking skills are amazing. I’ve been told that by many people." He said.

Cassian stumbles and without turning around he says. "Nobody has ever told you that."

Then keeps walking.

Arthur immediately looks at Mithra. "...You told me."

Mithra smiles innocently. "I did."

Arthur nods. "See?"

Sun sighs. "I don’t think that’s what he meant."

Arthur watched him leave. "It doesn’t matter. I’m happy he came over but he sure has an odd way of showing his concern."

"..." Sun raised his finger before pausing and then letting it fall.

"I agree. But that’s how Cassian is." Mithra chimes in with a smile.

"Yep, alright let’s go."

...

The convoy students arrived as a group.

These were the students who had spent the journey to Pathfinder Academy gossiping about Arthur while he sat ten feet away, who had come through the crash landing, who had watched the tournament from the observation platforms with the specific investment of people who had been part of the story from its beginning.

One of them laughed when she got close enough. "I knew you’d do something completely insane eventually."

Arthur smiled. "I try to be consistent."

Another shook his head. "I expected insane. I did not expect that level of insane."

A third was looking at him with the expression of someone checking whether something had fundamentally changed in a person they had a reference point for. "You really haven’t changed," she said.

"I think I have," Arthur said.

The third student shook her head. "You’ve gotten worse."

Arthur’s face went through the consideration of this information and arrived at a conclusion.

"Thank you," he said.

Sun put one hand over his face.

"Wrong," Sun said. "Again."

♢♢♢♢

The Iron Hall students found Arthur near the corridor to the main campus.

He heard them before he saw them, which was typical of groups with strong opinions about a specific topic.

"It’s him!"

"The Salamander guy!"

"The one who said Ira was weak!"

"The absolutely insane first-year!"

Arthur turned and waved.

"Hello," he said.

Every Iron Hall student in the group waved back with the specific pride of people acknowledging someone they had a strong relationship with, even if that relationship was somewhat complicated.

Arthur smiled at all of them. "You’re all amazing," he said. "Really. Iron Hall students are genuinely incredible."

Every chest in the group expanded.

"I really hope," Arthur continued, "that all of you grow into something as strong as my team one day."

The chests deflated.

Silence settled over the group with the quality of something arriving for the second time, which was somehow worse than the first time.

"He did it again," someone said.

"HOW," said another, with considerable feeling. "How does he keep doing this?"

One student slowly knelt.

Another made a sound that was not quite a word.

Master Ivan, who had been behind the group, was making sounds that were clearly laughter and making no effort to stop.

Arthur looked at the group with the complete sincerity of someone who had meant everything they said and was uncertain about the response.

"Did I say something?" he asked.

Ivan wipes a tear from his eye. "You really don’t know, do you?"

Arthur shakes his head. "No."

Ivan laughs again."I hope you never figure it out."

Athena pinched the bridge of her nose. "Mithra," she said. "Help him."

Mithra was bent slightly at the waist, one hand on her knee, laughing.

"I can’t," she said.

...

The five Student Council candidate teams gathered briefly, without formality.

Amanda, Silver, Leon, the third-year leader whose team had placed third, and Arthur.

They stood in a rough arrangement that had no clear hierarchy because none of them had claimed one.

Amanda looked at Arthur with a peculiar look. "I can already tell you won’t make this year a quiet one."

"That would be pretty boring if it was."

"I agree." Amanda looked at Arthur. "So as my first command, don’t make the Council boring."

Arthur blinked. "I wasn’t planning to."

Silver laughed. "That’s exactly what we like to hear!"

"See you at the Council meeting," Amanda said.

Silver grinned. "This year is going to be interesting," he said, which had the quality of an understatement he was aware of.

Leon looked at Arthur. "Next expedition," Leon said. "I’ll beat you."

Arthur grinned. "I’ll be looking forward to it," he said.

Leon nodded, and the nod had the specific quality of something settled, and they walked in different directions without needing to say anything else.

...

Students nearby were having a conversation about Arthur that Arthur was not close enough to hear.

"Did he actually call the Iron Hall’s Crimson Salamander weak?"

Arthur slowed. "Are they talking about me?"

Sun didn’t even look up. "They’ve been talking about you for the last ten minutes."

Arthur listened as they walked.

"... Salamander guy."

"...The crazy first-year."

"...The Strategist."

Arthur thought about them carefully. "Those are pretty good."

Sun nodded. "They’re your new nicknames."

Mithra tilted her head. "You know. If enough people keep giving you nicknames we’ll eventually need a notebook just to remember them."

Athena looked at Arthur. "I can organize them alphabetically."

Arthur looked alarmed. "There would be that many?"

Sun nodded. "They’re multiplying right now."

Arthur thought for a second. "...That’s kind of impressive."

Mithra burst into laughter. "Which one do you like the best currently?"

Arthur smiled. "I like the Salamander one."

Athena blinked. "...Why?"

"It shows my friendship with Ira."

"..."

"..."

Mithra looked at Arthur with an amused smile. "Arthur."

"What?"

"You called her weak. I don’t think you guys have a friendship after that."

Arthur blinked. "I complimented her first."

Sun sighed. "I don’t think that’s how friendships usually work."

Arthur thought about it. "Maybe Iron Hall is different."

Athena adjusted her glasses. "I’m beginning to think you’re the different one."

Mithra laughed again. "I’ve been thinking that since the entrance exam."

"Really?"

All three answered together. "Yes."

Mithra laughed. "But maybe you are right. You might have become friends with Ira since she didn’t do anything to you."

Arthur nodded proudly. "I knew it."

Sun looked at the ceiling. "...He learned the wrong lesson again."

Arthur then stretched his arms out. "I’m hungry," he said.

Mithra nodded. "The round today was pretty stressful. Let’s head over to one of the cafes on the academy."

"Are you sure? Wouldn’t it be better to rest-"

"No way." Arthur shakes his head. "Eat first and then drop dead later."

"Are you serious?" Sun asked in surprise.

"No. No, he has a point." Athena held her chin. "I recall doing that a couple of times–"

"That’s because you’re crazy."

"It’s a losing battle for you, Sun." Mithra said with a smile.

"Which means we’ve earned it," Arthur said.

Sun sighed. "I’m surrounded."

Arthur patted his shoulder. "You’ll survive."

"I’ve survived everything except conversations with you."

...

The Academy’s small restaurant was not the Gold Line and was not trying to be, which made it comfortable in a way that the Gold Line was not quite comfortable in. It had booths and a kitchen that was visible from the dining area and portions that were honest.

Food arrived in stages. Kong applied himself to the fruit section with the focused efficiency of a professional. Athy regarded a piece of grilled meat with the academic curiosity of something encountering a new category, tasted it, and regarded it further.

Melo found the warmest space which was on the bench next to Arthur. She left her cake on the side as she took a yawn and slowly closed her eyes. Kong appeared and slowly reached toward the cake with an hungry look.

One eye on Melo.

One eye on Arthur.

Arthur nodded. "I believe in you."

Kong confidently grabbed the dessert.

Melo opened one eye and they began to narrow in a dangerous light.

Kong slowly put it back.

Arthur blinked. "...I believed too soon."

Mithra was laughing at something Vedas had said, which meant Vedas had said something, which was notable enough that Sun was looking at him with an expression of mild appreciation.

Athena had closed her notebook and left it closed, which was the most significant relaxation indicator available.

Vedas was eating steadily and quietly. He looked like what he was: something that had been through a great deal today and found the current situation acceptable.

Arthur raised his cup. "To making it through the Tournament," he said.

Everyone raised theirs.

....

Sometime after the food had been mostly handled, Arthur leaned back and looked at the ceiling with the expression of someone whose thoughts had moved to the next thing.

"So," he said. "Where should we go first?"

Silence, and then everyone talking.

"Somewhere safe," Sun said. "For once. Just once. A place with no Gold Rank anything."

"Boring," Arthur said.

Sun pointed at him. "Exactly."

"The Evolution Ruins," Athena said, without hesitation. "The Expedition District’s restricted map. That’s where we should go first."

Mithra was looking at the window. "I want to see somewhere beautiful," she said. "Somewhere that makes you stop and just exist for a moment."

"The world has those," Arthur said.

"I know," Mithra said. "I want to find one."

Everyone looked at Vedas. He was quiet for a moment. He set down what he was holding and looked at the table and then at Arthur and then at the group.

"Anywhere," Vedas said. "It doesn’t matter where." He looked down for a moment. "I didn’t think I would have this choice in the beginning."

The table became quiet.

Arthur looked at him and then smiled. "Then we’ll make lots of places worth returning to. Like the tribe."

Vedas looked at Arthur and a small smile appeared. "I’d like that."

Arthur looked at his team.

Sun sighing but present, Athena with her closed notebook, Mithra with her smile, Vedas with his new spear leaning against the table, Melo asleep, Athy grooming herself on the seat back, Kong already eyeing the dessert plate that had just arrived from the kitchen.

He smiled. "Then we’ll see the whole world," he said. "All of it."

Sun sighed. "That sounds expensive."

Arthur blinked. "I didn’t think about that."

Athena looked up. "Me either but it’s a sacrifice we have to make for more discovery."

Mithra laughed. "We’ll figure it out."

Arthur nodded immediately. "We always do."

Everyone smiled.

...

As they left the restaurant, two first-year students stepped aside to let them pass.

One quietly whispered, "That’s Arthur Cronwall."

"The Monster?"

The other student watched Arthur laughing with his team.

Then slowly shook his head. "...No."

A small smile appeared on his face. "The Crazy Beast Tamer."

Arthur didn’t hear them.

He was already talking about which expedition looked the most dangerous.