Chapter 151| Reward Terms

Chapter 151: Chapter 151| Reward Terms

12:48 PM.

The cafeteria was louder than Zane would have liked. He took the corner table, the one he and Sera always ended up at, and Maren dropped into the seat beside him, still in her dark blue hero suit. Nil slid in across from them and set her juice down like she was about to chair a meeting.

"Okay," Nil said, lacing her fingers together. "Let’s talk about Wednesday."

"Let’s not," Zane said.

"Oh, we’re absolutely talking about Wednesday." Nil leaned forward on her elbows. "Ryan Castellan. B-rank. Loud mouth. Total menace. And my sweet little first year here is going to beat him in front of a crowd."

"I haven’t said yes," Zane said.

"You will."

"I might not."

"You will," Maren said quietly, stirring her water with a straw. She didn’t look at him. "I saw your face in the courtyard."

Zane didn’t have an answer for that. He picked up the menu instead and read the same line four times.

’I’m right to be worried about his Sigil,’ he thought. ’Pressure Wave overlaps with Impact Breaker at range, and it beats it on reach.’

『 System Note: The host is analysing. The system approves. 』

’Thanks.’

"So what do I get?" Nil said suddenly.

Zane looked up. "What?"

"If you win." She tilted her head, wide-eyed and innocent. "I’m a second year. I can’t help with strategy, I can’t scout Ryan for you, and I’m definitely not carrying your bag to Arena One. I’m only good for one thing."

"Which is?" Maren asked warily.

"Motivation." Nil’s smile slid slowly sideways. "If you win, Zane, I’ll let you squeeze my butt."

Maren’s straw stopped mid-swirl.

Her whole face went red. Ears first, then cheeks, then the tips of her fingers where they gripped the cup.

"Nil," she said.

"What? It’s a good reward."

"It is not a good reward."

"It’s a great reward," Nil said, and winked at Zane.

Zane smirked before he could stop himself. He hid it behind his hand, but it was too late. ’That would obviously be a good reward,’ he thought. His body had already agreed. Just sitting this close to Nil was doing something to his focus that no drill had ever managed.

She’d sat up straight in the chair, and her short skirt had stretched upward over her thighs. A strip of pale pink peeked out from beneath the hem every time she shifted.

He looked at the table.

『 System Note: The host is struggling to maintain eye contact. 』

’I’m perfectly fine.’

『 The system logged your pulse. It disagrees. 』

"Or," Nil said, planting one hand flat on the table and fixing her eyes on him, "you want something more enticing?"

The silence stretched.

Zane met her gaze with a perfectly straight face. "Anything more enticing might put him on a sick bed."

Nil blinked. Then she burst out laughing, a clear bright sound that made two nearby tables turn their heads.

"You’re funny," she said, wiping her eye. "I like that."

"Okay," Maren said, cutting in so sharply that both of them jumped. She set her cup down with a precise click. "That’s enough. We’re here to order food."

"Spoilsport," Nil sighed.

"I’m hungry," Maren said flatly, and snatched the menu out of Zane’s hands.

Zane let her have it. The tips of her ears were still red.

_ _

"Zane?"

The voice came from his left, and he knew it before he turned his head.

Sera stood at the end of the table with a tray balanced on one arm, a grey hoodie hanging loosely off her shoulders and a short skirt swinging an inch above her knees. Her thighs caught the cafeteria light, smooth and pale below the hem. He looked at her face quickly and kept it there.

"Sera," he said.

"Hey." Her eyes moved around the table. A small, amused smile spread across her mouth. "Huh. It’s rare to see you with friends in here."

"We just happened to dine together today," Zane replied.

"That’s nice," Sera replied.

Maren glanced at Zane, then at Sera, then back at Zane with a faint line between her brows.

Sera shifted her tray and held out her free hand, clearly in no hurry.

"I’m Sera," she said to both of them. "First year, 1-B. I eat lunch with this guy more often than I’d admit."

"Maren," Maren said, shaking her hand. Her voice was measured, polite. "First year, 1-A."

"Nil Valkyrie," Nil said, leaning across the table to catch Sera’s fingers. "Second year, certified troublemaker."

Sera laughed. "I’ve heard."

"Good things?"

"Mostly." Sera replied.

"Perfect."

Maren studied Sera for another second, then gestured at the empty seat.

"You’re a friend of Zane’s," she said. "You can join us. We were just about to order."

"Are you sure?"

"Sit," Maren said, and she meant it.

Sera glanced at Zane. He lifted one shoulder. She smiled and slid into the chair beside Nil.

『 Sera Dunne — Familiarity +1% 』

『 Current: 38% — Acquaintance tier 』

『 System Note: Social grouping accelerates familiarity across all parties. The system finds this efficient. 』

’You find everything efficient,’ Zane thought.

『 Correct. 』

A server arrived with a tablet. Nil ordered first, loudly, a stack of dumplings, two soups, and a fruit plate she had no intention of sharing. Maren asked for rice and grilled fish. Sera ordered a chicken wrap and a coffee, then looked across the table.

"Grilled chicken rice bowl, extra sauce?" she asked.

"How did you know?" Zane said.

"It’s the only thing you ever order."

"It’s reliable."

"It’s boring," Sera and Maren said at the same time.

They stopped. Looked at each other.

Nil burst out laughing again.

"Oh, I like her," she said to Maren. "Keep her."

"I don’t own her," Maren said, but the corner of her mouth was twitching.

Zane put his face in his hands.

’This is going to be a very long lunch,’ he thought.

『 The system agrees. 』

When the food came, the table filled with steam and noise. Nil stole a dumpling from Sera’s tray and got her wrist smacked for it. Maren took half of Zane’s sauce without asking. Sera stole one of his fries, which she’d been eyeing since she sat down.

Somewhere between the second round of drinks and the third argument about whose turn it was to pay, Sera leaned toward him.

"By the way," she said, low enough that only he could hear. "I heard about the courtyard."

Zane’s fork paused.

"Everybody’s heard," Sera went on, picking at her wrap. "Ryan, Wednesday, Arena One, open gallery." Her olive eyes flicked up. "If you want, I can read his heat signature from the stands. I’ll be there anyway."

Zane looked at her for a long second.

Across the table, Nil was explaining something with wide gestures while Maren pretended not to listen.

"Thanks for your help," Zane said quietly.

"No big deal," Sera replied. "Just helping out a buddy."

She went back to her wrap, one corner of her mouth lifted.

Zane stared at his bowl.

Two days. A duel. A table full of people he hadn’t had a month ago.

’Wednesday,’ he thought, and for the first time since the courtyard, it didn’t feel quite so heavy.