Chapter 92 - Before The Tournament (3)

"I see. My boy is quite popular in the academy," Elior's mother said, giving him a hug.

The press got more of his time than Elior had intended, but still, he was here. The matchup will be announced within a few minutes, and Elior only has that much time to get together with family. His father was stoic as he had remembered, watching the things with a curious gaze, but silent nonetheless. On that note, it was the first time he was seeing his father after the regression. After he lost so many, after he fought in so many skirmishes, so many battles, deaths and his own death. His regression was more like the memory of the future of the other timeline blending with his sixteen years old self, so he could not say he missed them really like who the failed Elior would have appeared, but in some sense, he could not help turned sentimental seeing them.

His father had not asked him anything other than just looking at him carefully.

Well, his father was not at fault. After all, Elior was supposed to only take crafting courses. Though he did take the crafting classes, he had taken two main lines that expertise in the forefront of the battlefield as well. That was something unacceptable to his father, and to his mother too, but she chose to be the cheerful one, with his father being the cold, stoic one. If both of them started to give cold shoulder to their teenage boy, it might even turn the situation worse. Really, it would have happened if Elior was not so understanding.

His father had not asked him any question about that yet, but that does not mean it was easy. It meant it was screwed up big times, actually. But he can't do anything to mend it now. Not to mention the few minutes he had before the tournament, he might not even be able to bring everything to normal in his life. All he could do was ask for their forgiveness, but it wasn't time for that yet.

"Mom, the others are watching," Elior muttered, not that it embarrassed him, anyway. He was that kind of person who wouldn't get embarrassed by a lot of things, much less embarrassed by a little embrace.

"So what?" His mother said, though she let go of him.

On the side, Ileana's mother was embracing her as well. Both the mother-daughter pair were not that tall. Her mother was barely five feet five while she was a few inches lower. They looked more like a pair of sisters than mother-daughter. Her father had not found time to come today, which made her a little sad, but with her mother giving her courage, she was doing fine.

"Mom, I told you," Ileana said to her mother's worry. "I'll be fine. This is just a tournament. The instructor will look over our safety."

"I'm sure they will, dear," her mother replied. "Still, don't fret too much when throwing the towel."

"Thanks for your cheers, mom."

Elior could not help but laugh at seeing the mother-daughter pair. His aunt had not left a second of her daughter. While his mother even joined her to tell both of them how lean, they were becoming. Well, in the case of Ileana lean was not the right word, but it should be frail. Ileana was really turning frail after all the training she had been put through. While in the case of him, Elior did become lean, but it was more one of the ideal site.

He had grown fine in these two months. His muscles had grown where they needed to be, and the fat burned almost altogether. Still, to his mother, he was thin and lean. He reckoned his father would be better to judge his body, but Dr Viswas had not even said a word to him till he was here.

A couple of minutes later, Shin came in, dressed in his leather armour with the sword sheathed on his back like a seasoned adventurer, and he was not alone. With him came Aanya, wearing the dress of a volunteer student who was working for the welfare of the audience, to see if nothing goes wrong or anyone gets hurt during the match.

"Brother, we are asked to join the dressing room now," Shin said.

Elior nodded. "Mom, this is Shin, I talked to you about," he introduced, showing the delinquent looking boy. "Don't judge him by the looks. He may appear like some stupid delinquent, but he's not actually. Well, he can be stupid at times, but he's my best friend."

"He certainly did not look the type you said he is." His mother greeted and so did Shin. "But appearances can be worn. Good luck to you Shin in your upcoming matches."

"Thank you, auntie," Shin said with a flustered face. He clearly did not like how Elior introduced himself, but other than the glaring, he could do nothing. "We have to go soon."

Elior's mother moved to the next person in the volunteer clothing. She first thought it like the other volunteer students she had seen that she came across, but the smiling face of this silver-haired female made her think otherwise.

Even though Aanya was in the jersey of volunteers with her hair bound behind her back and with a cap on her head, none could dismiss the fact that she stood out even in those clothes.

"Who is this?" His mother asked with a smile on her face.

Elior did not have to introduce Aanya, Ileana did it in his stead.

"Aunt, Mom, this is Aanya," Ileana said. "You know—"

"Really?" Ileana's mother lit up, and she came closer, peering at the volunteer carefully from head to toe. "Ileana has a big poster of you in her room. I even thought my daughter was not normal, with the adoration she had towards you. But seeing you, I have no complaints whatsoever. Well, her father might have grumbled for a few weeks if you two got together, but it will be fine."

"Mom," Ileana screamed, stopping her mother from letting out anything more. Her face was flustered a bit red, and so was Aanya's, though a lot less. "Stop spouting nonsense."

Her mother burst into a chuckle. "Well, don't mind me, dear," she said to Aanya. "I was just joking, though I will really don't mind if you two get together." She burst out with another chuckle.

"We might not be together as a partner, but we are still good friends," Aanya said with a pressed smile. "And I did not mind. I even envy Ileana that she has such a loving mother."

"Thank you, dear," Ileana's mother said again. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter here. I heard almost everything from Ileana, how much you took care of her and pampered her."

They were about to converse more when the announcement was made, telling the tournament will start soon.

"We got to go," Elior said and let his mom kiss him on the cheek. He eyed his father once, who looked at him only. "Bye, Mom, Dad. I'll come during the break."

"Ileana, don't forget to throw a towel, if you cannot win," Ileana's mother yelled from behind, and Ileana strode away as well, leaving Aanya there.

The dressing room for the freshmen was the same and quite close to where they were. It did not take them even a minute to get there. Finally, there they got some silence contrary to the cacophony on the outsides.

There was a big screen on the side of the big dressing room, displaying who will be participating in the matchups. There were not many in the big room though, barely a dozen students and half of those did not even want to participate in the trial, only here to get the experience.

On one of the benches, Lara was seated alone, eyelids tightly closed. Elior even saw Leroy in another one, not his closed eyes, but he was alone. Then there were Hasan, Peter, and a few others he knew. They did not have time to greet them as on the screen it was about to announce who will be the first contestants that would duel.

"Nervous?" Elior asked, sitting next to Lara.

Lara released a deep breath and opened her eyes. She nodded, looking at him.

"That's better," Elior laughed. "But I figured you will forget to be nervous when you battle. Don't worry too much. You have prepared enough. Just try to give it your all."

"By the way, brother, where are your spear and armour?" Ileana asked.

Elior finally recalled he had forgotten to take them when he came out of his room. With his parents coming, he totally forgot about the lesser important things. "I forgot." He laughed. "Don't worry, I might not even need it today.." Or even in the finals, he won't mind going bare of no weapon, considering if he was ready to show his full strength.