Chapter 231 - Party: Cheaters Poker
The biggest question on Arthur's mind was whether Yurirl knew who he was, but it didn't look like it from the way Yurirl acted until now. As the swordsman stood still in front of Arthur, he didn't reveal any emotions that would suggest he knew of Arthur's identity.
In both ways, that didn't change the fact that Arthur needed to lie his way out of this. If Yurirl knew the truth, he would come out as lying and would simply explain his reasons for faking his death.
If he wasn't, then this matter would go to rest. Arthur ruffled his hair and acted confused and frustrated.
"How did you know?"
"I have keen senses." Yurirl didn't reveal his ability, confirming Arthur's doubts that this man didn't know he was Arthur Silvera.
"Do you know of my past?" Arthur asked, probing. Yurirl paused and then nodded with a stoic expression.
"I've read your background. Pardon me for prying, I read all of my dorm's backgrounds to help accommodate them."
"It's alright. The thing is, I ran away from my old life. Before… you know. I didn't wish that it would hinder me from starting over. That's why I used an artifact to change how I look. To fit in."
Arthur didn't lie, per se. However, he did use the fact in the wrong context. He was indeed running away from his old life, one that Yurirl didn't ask what it was exactly.
"I see," Yurirl nodded. "I believe you." Yurirl looked at the hall. "However, I would still advise you against making enemies in your new life. What you did was Trevor was…"
"I know, I did wrong."
"No, I wanted to say you did the right thing. I've seen the footage from the cameras, he asked for it. Simply brace yourself for whatever comes out of this."
"I'll keep that in mind." Arthur nodded his head. "So, you're not going to punish me or something?"
"Why would I? That's not my job." Yurirl shook his head. "Let's go back inside. I only wanted to warn you that this academy isn't as peaceful as it may seem." Yurirl's eyes were unusually sharp.
Arthur looked at his departing back as he wondered to himself. Why didn't Yurirl believe him? He had seen how bad at lying Yurirl was in the Apprentices Cup. For anyone that hasn't met Yurirl before, they wouldn't know that Yurirl masks his lying by looking away.
He did it effortlessly so, even. He used their conversation to direct Arthur's attention away. Arthur began walking after him as he wondered what this might cause.
There was also the fact that Yurirl seems to imply that something was going on in the academy. Was it a warning or a threat? A probing? Arthur wasn't sure.
"Alexie!" Arthur thought it was Jonah who called him over the crowd's noise but he was stunned when he saw Oliver hurry in his way. Oliver's uniform looked like it was a combination sewn together.
He clapped Arthur's shoulders with such excitement as he began to tell him how excited he was for being in the same dorm as 'Alexie.'
"Who's this guy, boss?" Jonah walked over from the crowd of seniors that were advising him. He looked down on Oliver who was acting intimately with Arthur.
"Uh, this is…"
"Oliver Belford!" Oliver tried to look taller by raising his chest and standing on his toes. "Alexie is a brother of mine, who are you?" He snarled. Jonah looked stunned and glanced at Arthur who shrugged.
"I'm Jonah Raver, the ninth ranker." He adjusted his sleeve so that his bracelet's number would be shown. "Alexie is a great friend of mine, one with who I overcame life-and-death situations."
Oliver didn't say anything and glanced at Jonah before turning away, ignoring him. Arthur had no idea why they were trying to outdo each other in their relationship with him, but he couldn't care less.
He was looking at someone wearing a dark blue uniform as he chatted with Princess Nera, Prince Caleb. Around him were many people from the high-class of society, with Eren Voldor included.
The Prince looked his way, clearly remembering the night Arthur made him trip as he came down the stage. He gestured toward the rest and the group headed in the direction of Yurirl and his friends.
"Yurirl!" Prince Caleb spread his arms with a bright smile. "It's so good to see you, how're your explorations? Nothing unfortunate, I hope?"
"If my God's Blade guild met an unfortunate event, yours would have been abolished years ago," Yurirl said with a light smile.
"Is that so?" Caleb simply smiled as he pocketed his hands. "I hope you're as good as cheating as you are with words."
Arthur, Jonah, and Oliver approached them to join the crowd that formed around the two. A hundred students against a hundred students. There were only a few seniors around at the party and most of them were a part of the two leader's groups.
"Cheating? What is he talking about?" Jonah whispered to Arthur. However, the drunken senior answered in his stead.
"It's Cheaters Poker time!" The senior roared laughingly as the tension rose between the two. Before their confusion blinded them, Yurirl stepped up to explain the rules.
"Every table will have six players. Three of each dorm. The dealer will be a teacher of the academy." As he said, the teachers came in wearing their formals suits and gowns, looking like a myriad of colors on a starry night. "The rules are the same as Poker Hold'em! However, you can cheat using your abilities or skills. If someone from the other players finds out how you cheated, you automatically get disqualified!"
"What do we bet with?" A girl wearing glasses asked from Daybreak dorm. Yurirl grinned at her and answered.
"Your College Points! These, if someone doesn't know, are your livelihood! You use these points for everything. You get points according to your ranking every month. You can use them for training resources, meals, and equipment."
"So, everything is allowed if we don't get caught?" Arthur muttered with a frown. Yurirl looked at him with a grin.
"Yes. This is another test of your abilities. Of course, you can choose to back away. However, gambling is prohibited unless it's official. These events are rare."
As the students grew hesitant, the seniors didn't seem to care a lot. Yurirl, Jenny, and the glasses guy took their seats on a table together and Caleb joined in with two of Nightfall. Jonah, Oliver, and Arthur looked at each other.
"Alexie, what do you think?" Jonah asked with hesitation clear on his face. "I mean, I wouldn't mind spending a few points. I got a lot from ranking ninth."
"Bragger." Oliver hmphed with displeasure. "I doubt a peasant like you knows how to play poker. Not to mention, successfully cheating his way through."
"A peasant?" Jonah frowned. "You might be a nobility, but all I see is a fat pig."
"Don't call me fat!"
'So, it's okay if he called you a pig?' Arthur sighed inwardly as he looked at the tables with interest. He had never heard of such a game before and the mischievous, less-mature side of him wanted to play. Furthermore, he'll be racking some points if he managed to think of a way to cheat.
"Stop fighting. Settle this through poker. Get closer." Arthur explained a few things to them before he took the lead with large strides, being one of the first freshmen to join a table. Jonah and Oliver looked at each other before following after him and sitting on each side.
There were three more seats available. One of them was taken by Nera, who smiled and nodded at Oliver while shooting Arthur a disapproving glance. After all, he did steal those crystals from them.
Reinhold sat beside Nera in a flash, also wearing the Nightfall's dark blue uniform. There was only one seat left and it was occupied by a meek-looking girl.
As he took a good look at her, Arthur realized that he knew this girl. He had only met her once before but she left a deep impression on him with her strangeness.
She was the girl who was sleeping at the library in his former academy, Avalin. She somehow knew what Arthur was reading and began reciting the words he had in mind, startling him greatly.
'Hey, glasses-girl. Look at me!' Arthur said in his mind but the girl was only looking at the deck of cards. 'Maybe she's not a mind-reader like Sier and his father. What is her ability then?' Arthur frowned.
"Get up."
A commanding and arrogant voice came from behind them. Arthur turned to see Rae standing there, her white hair cascading on her dark blue uniform in a ponytail.
She wasn't talking to the Daybreak team, but rather to Reinhold who was stunned speechless. Rae, however, glared at him with her scarlet eyes.
"But I got here first. You can kick out this girl." He pointed at the girl with the glasses, who was fidgeting in her place. Rae glanced at her before turning at Reinhold and scowling at him.
"You think I do as you wish, bootlicker?" She didn't hold back even against the nobility. "Two girls and four guys look unfair to me. Now get your ass out of that chair before I make you unable to live without one."
With those words, Reinhold left in a fluster. Arthur sighed when Oliver pulled a face on Reinhold in mockery. As the six gathered, the female teacher, who was wearing an exotic dress that Arthur never saw the like of before, smiled and grabbed the deck.
"Fair play only, not. Hehe." She revealed her white teeth as the cards began shuffling in her hand at a speed they couldn't follow. "I won't be interfering in your cheating, so play to your heart content. If you guess wrongly two times, you're disqualified."