Chapter 33 - 33: Victoria Gates

Van blinked numerous times to make sure that Gemma was really in front of him. Why was this woman everywhere he goes? He found it endearing at first that someone cared for a stranger like him, but now, it was getting somewhat creepy. For him to meet Gemma more than a couple of times in the Academy, which was bigger than the Relic Graveyard by almost two-fold, truly shows how the Fates work in mysterious ways.

"Nathan!", Gemma marched towards Van, her finger almost touching Van's nose. "There isn't an instructor named Mrs. Moriarty in the Academy!"

"Oh…", Van placed his hand on his chin, "There isn't?"

"Nathan?", Chad voiced out, "His name is Evans, Gemma"

"Evans!?", Gemma's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Chad before once again staring at Van straight in the eye, "So you lied to me twice!?"

"Well…", Van slightly backed away as he raised his hands, "Only once but at the same time"

"What does that even mean!", Gemma wanted to pull her hair out in frustration, but after a few seconds, she took a deep breath, "Calm down Gemma. This place is your sanctuary", she said to herself as she slowly waved her palm downwards over her face.

"You were a Unique-type?", Gemma asked as she continued to calm her breath.

Van nodded in response, "You too?"

"Psh", Gemma instantly scoffed, "No, I just come here to sleep because no one is usually here"

"I… see", Van squinted his eyes. Is everyone using the Unique Class-1 as a rest house? In a way, it somewhat makes sense since it does look like a house. Also, add the fact that it was one of the quietest places in the Academy.

"But that's not why I came in here today", Gemma sighed before pointing at the female student that was with her, "I brought a lost student"

Now that Van took a good look at the other female student, he realized that she was also familiar to him.

Brown, very straight hair that moved like silk, her sleepy eyes that didn���t contain any emotion. She's the one sitting next to him in class. She was also the only one that didn't join the showdown during the first day, and the student that Mr. Jacobs and the other instructors seemed to be avoiding with all their might.

'So, she was the freshman that the other instructor said that was also a Unique-type?', Van could not help but widen his eyes. Who would have thought that the only other Unique-type freshman was in the same class as his? Once again, the Fates worked their ways.

"This is her application form"

While Van was lost in his own thoughts, Gemma handed a piece of paper to Ms. Elton before standing back beside Van.

"So… your name is Evans, huh", she whispered as she slightly leaned in closer to Van.

Van, on the other hand, could not help but squint his eyes, "...Are you in love with me or something?", Van muttered.

"!!!", Gemma instantly backed away a few feet as she heard Van's words. "No!", she shouted, "P… Please don��t misunderstand, I am part of the student council. It is our goal to ensure that justice will prevail!", Gemma placed her hand on her bosom, her face filled with pride.

"I see", Van sighed as he shook his head, "I thought you were in love with me, such a shame"

"...Eh?", Gemma could not help but slightly blush from Van's sudden statement, "Is… is it?", she asked. Van, however, did not respond.

"W--"

"Victoria Gates?"

Gemma was going to say more, but she was interrupted by Ms. Elton's voice.

"!!!", hearing what Ms. Elton just said, the other people quickly stiffened up as they all looked at each other. Gemma, who was previously full of energy, suddenly bid farewell to Van.

"I will go now, still have something to do", she said as she rushed through the door, "I won't leave you alone until you tell me what happened! I have memorized your scent now, no use escaping me!", she then quickly ran away after closing the door abruptly.

"...", Van could not help but look around, Chad and Fred seemed to still be frozen solid, not even making an inch of sound.

The silence was only broken by Ms. Elton's question, "You don't happen to be Charlotte's granddaughter?"

"...Yes", the student called Victoria blinked her eyes a couple of times before answering.

"Ack, I told you so!", Ms. Elton scoffed as she looked Victoria straight in the eye, "She has the same irritating face as that old coot"

"I...Instructor!", Chad could not help but panic as he heard Ms. Elton's words. Even Fred, who has been quiet the whole time, looked shocked as Ms. Elton's words reached his ears.

Looking at this, Van could not help but be curious. Not only of Victoria's identity but because of a thought that came into his mind-- the Holders of a Unique-type System all shared a similarity.

'They all look sleepy as hell', Van whispered in his mind. Was he going to look like this in the future?

"How is that old coot?"

Van's thoughts were interrupted by Ms. Elton's cheerful voice, a far cry from her usual bored tone.

"She… is okay", Victoria said, her tone sedated.

"I see, that's too bad", Ms. Elton let out a sigh, "Come with me, I will test your powers. The rest of you, I will see next week", Ms. Elton then grabbed Victoria by the wrist and dragged her away, presumably to where she also tested Van's skills.

"Well, that's that", Chad and Fred quickly took their stuff and started walking to the door.

"...What?", Van, however, was completely confused. It hasn't even been half an hour since he arrived here, and the class was already over? Wait, was there even a class in the first place?

"Is her grandmother famous?", Van could not help but ask as he followed the two outside.

"Of course!", Chad instantly answered, "Her mother is one of the only few Platinum Explorers in the world, and the only one in our country! You don't know this!?"

Chad and Fred were looking at Van as if he was some kind of caveman.

"She is rumored to also be the strongest Enhancer-type System Holder in the world! Do you know the one that they mentioned during the opening ceremonies?", Chad's tone was filled with excitement, "The Enhancer that can destroy a mountain with her fist? That's her!"

"But one thing is for sure, she has an extremely bad temper...", Chad started to lower his voice, "There was a time that she destroyed a guild filled with Gold rank explorers just because they tried to recruit her son years ago!"

"...What?", Van could not help but widen his eyes. Something like that happened?

...Was that why even Mr. Jacobs, even with all of his muscles, was afraid to even talk to Victoria even though she is under his class? Van could not help but take a glance back towards the Unique Class-1.

Throughout his stay in the Academy, he was already aware of how special his System is… but seeing Ms. Elton, and hearing of Victoria's grandmother, he was once again reminded.

This world…

...is filled with people that can crush him with a flick of their finger.