287 Chapter Eighty Seven - I get something unexpected

Most individuals would; it was a chance to settle matters or perhaps test their skills where they otherwise would not have been able and the confident ones saw it as an easy way to gain points. A few would decline, but apart from the challenger, generally no one would say a word against that person. There were more important things to think about or use their precious time here for.

Leon stared unseeingly at the wooden tablet that had landed in his palm and a hushed silence surrounded him as others looked equally in disbelief. Jin Li's eyes narrowed and his fists curled. Who dared challenge his small alchemist to a fight? He would kill them!

"Who is... 'Jude'?" Pike asked, peering over Leon's shoulder and reading the name of the challenger.

Leon snapped out of his daze and tried to think where he had heard that name spoken before.  Maimai happened to confirm it; "A senior in the outer alchemist school."

"Isn't h-he..." Leon finally recalled; Jude was one of Maimai's many admirers.  In fact, if his memory served correctly, the first time he'd heard about the girl who'd become his best friend and Merylin, her sister, it was from the mouth of this youth and his friends.  Maimai nodded, confirming Leon's thoughts.  They both sighed in unison.

"He has a problem with you?" Bowyer guessed.

"M-more he has a p-p-problem with m-me b-being friends with Maimai," Leon replied as Maimai muttered that wasn't it her own choice who she hung around with, what did it have to do with others?!

Bowyer heard her muttering and teased her anyway; "Ah, so it's your fault, little girl!"  She looked up and stuck her tongue out at him, which simply made him chuckle.

"Says here that he wants to have an Alchemists battle," Sun pointed out, tapping on the wood still in Leon's grasp.  "What's an alchemist's battle?"

Pike tapped his chin in thought.  "Well, it's not like it's not been done before, but," he began, "alchemist battles aren't really that popular to watch... simply, the two Alchemists will make a set Pill in front of the judges, who will deem the winner on completion.  Frankly, for spectators, they can be boring."

Sun was not so easily deterred.  "I still want to see!  Will you accept the challenge, Leon?"

"This Lord thinks this June..."

"Jude," Sun corrected, cheerfully.  He was glared at.

"This Jude is not worth the consideration," Jin Li replied, "and I dislike that others will get to watch you..." he clicked his tongue in irritation as several amused and incredulous looks were cast his way. "However, as demeaning as it will be for you to put him in his place, I would not look down on you for it." As serious the expression in his dark eyes, they held a certain amount of pride and warmth for the person reflected within them that caused Leon to blush.

"Th-then I will accept," the small alchemist said, softly and no sooner as he murmured the words did the tablet in his hand begin to glow before springing free and returning to the Teacher in charge.

The group headed to the martial arts school in order to partake in the midday meal. The challenges would not take place until a sichen (two hours) later and so they had plenty of time to travel, eat and digest. However, Leon couldn't help but feel a little nervous, after all, it was the first time in his memory accepting such a challenge and in truth, he'd never even seen one occur between two Alchemists.

The only thing he could liken it to were one of the tests of the end of year assessments. For an alchemist, these amounted to three things; identifying herbs and their quality, a scholarly test of alchemical and herbal knowledge (for people with poor literacy, this was done verbally) and of course the most important test, creating a pill with the herbs provided. This latter test was performed with others of similar ability and although your final product was not compared to others of your group by the Teachers, did not mean that other students were not doing so themselves.

Leon (as Leo) had passed this pill forming test without issue both times (as well as the other tests), though his results were usually mediocre, his placement always somewhere in the middle.

Those who failed to pass were allowed a single resit and failing that, they were asked to leave the Institute. Those who cannot or will not learn, cannot be taught after all. Better that they find a different path in life.

"Are you not going to eat that?" Jin Li had piled one side of his lover's plate with tender strips of meat and was not ashamed to filch them back once Leon showed little interest in eating.

Leon picked up a root vegetable with his chopsticks and munched upon it, before pushing his plate closer to Jin Li to allow him ease of access.

"Ah, that's not right!" Maimai pouted, thinking Leon was being exploited once more. "Leon needs to keep up his energy so he can win his challenge later on!"

Jin Li could not hide the expression of being torn from his face. Indeed, he couldn't help agree with Maimai's words in his heart, but... that was meat...

Leon smirked, finding the meal that he'd nibbled out without tasting, suddenly more interesting. He picked up a bowl of fish soup from his side and began to drink it. "It's alright," he said, pushing his plate to Jin Li more firmly. "I'm already q-q-quite full."

His lover smiled at him and wasn't polite. The heap of meat steadily reduced in height.

"You spoil him," Maimai pouted, now also feeling torn. This was the ultimate meal in front of her, two good looking Male youths eating together as they stole fond glances at each other and sitting so close that the shu might as well be in the gong's lap... but Leon was her best friend after all and Jin Li really did take great advantage of him too often for her liking.

She could only put such aside for now, for as soon as the meal was done, they would be heading back to the mage school for the challenge.