I am Just an Average Tamer

Professor Lyssena turned on her heel and strode off.

The crowd quickly began to thin.

Some limped toward the dorms to crash, others chatted in pairs and small groups as they strolled off to enjoy what remained of the afternoon.

The frost in the arena was already beginning to melt under the midday sun, leaving a light mist that hovered like the fading tension in the air.

Riven stretched with a satisfied groan and slung an arm casually over Corrin's shoulder.

"Alright, you bastard. Since you passed with flying colors today, lunch is on you."

Corrin arched a brow, side-eyeing him. "Oi, why the hell would I—?"

Before he could even finish his complaint, Liliana chimed in with a smirk.

"I second that. You look so confident today, Corrin. Shouldn't a confident man be generous too?"

"Huh? Are you all serious?"

Aria nodded along, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Well, I barely won my duel… but you, you basically dominated yours. That means you're our MVP for the day, right?"

Kai leaned in, hands in his pockets and a lazy grin on his face.

"Yeah, exactly. Come on, Mister 'I'm the strongest here'. Time to show us how strong your wallet is."

Corrin looked around at all of them. One by one, each face had a different expression, amused, teasing, expectant.

Even the normally reserved Aria was nodding along, lips pressed to stifle a laugh.

He groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

"Argh. Fine. You win, you bloodsuckers."

Riven grinned like a fox. "Knew you'd come around. I'm feelin' something spicy today. Maybe grilled beast ribs?"

Corrin sighed heavily. "If I'm paying, you're all eating what I order. No bottomless appetites. No exotic menu items. You hear me?"

"Sure, sure," Kai waved him off, already turning to lead the way. "Let's move before you change your mind."

Just before they could fully head off, a smooth, amused voice cut through the chatter.

"Well, well… we having a big party here, I guess."

Everyone turned their heads toward the new arrival.

A silver-haired girl, with matching eyes, was strolling toward them at a relaxed pace.

Right beside her was a green-haired elf girl, with crimson eyes was walking.

"Hello," Rashira said with a small nod, her tone reserved as always.

"Long time no see!" Serena grinned and gave an energetic wave like they hadn't all been breathing the same air in the same academy.

Liliana raised an eyebrow and scoffed."Oh please. You were literally sitting with me this morning."

"Yeah, and now it's noon. That's like long time, right?" Serena shot back without missing a beat, sticking out her tongue slightly.

Aria gave them both a polite nod. Kai mirrored it, arms still folded casually.

Riven, matching Serena's high energy, waved both hands like a child at a candy stall.

"Heyyy! Look who finally joined the cool crowd."

Corrin smirked, arms still crossed behind his head.

"Oh? What brings you two here? Don't tell me that boyfriend of yours finally dumped you, Serena?"

That earned him a sharp side-eye from Rashira, lips pressing together into a thin line.

But Serena? She didn't miss a step.

She rolled her eyes dramatically, let out an exaggerated sigh, and threw her arms out in mock despair.

"Ugh, why would I even have a boyfriend? You boys are just all cowards. All bark, no bite."

She made a barking gesture with her hands, fingers curled like little claws snapping shut.

"And if any of you ever get bold," she added with a wink, "you'd still trip over your own pride before doing anything."

Riven let out a loud laugh. "Okay, okay! That one stung."

Liliana smirked. "She's not wrong though."

Corrin narrowed his eyes, playfully defensive. "Oi. I do plenty of biting."

"Please," Serena waved off, "don't flatter yourself."

Even Aria chuckled at that.

Rashira stayed a step behind Serena, but before she could say anything, Serena twirled on her heel and gestured dramatically.

"Anyway! Since we all clearly have nowhere to be except stuffing our faces, what's the plan?"

Corrin groaned. "Now you want free lunch too?"

Serena's grin widened. "Well, if you're paying for the others, why not include two lovely girls who've had a long, exhausting morning of sitting in the shade and judging everyone gave me a migraine."

"You don't even have a migraine—"

"Not yet. But keep talking, and I might."

Riven chuckled. "She's got you wrapped, man."

Corrin grumbled, shaking his head. "Fine. But if my wallet dies today, I'm haunting all of you."

"Sure," Serena chirped, already locking arms with Liliana as they started moving. "Just make sure you haunt me in the form of a sexy ghost. I won't accept anything less."

Corrin muttered under his breath and turned around.

The group made their way through the wide stone paths, sunlight filtering through the trees that lined the academy grounds.

When they reached the canteen, it was already buzzing. A mix of older students, staff, and new faces filled the large, open space.

They snagged a large circular table tucked near one of the side windows, just far enough to have some peace but close enough to soak in the atmosphere.

Corrin stretched and was just about to pick up the menu, only for it to be snatched right out of his hand.

"Yoink~" Serena sing-songed, spinning the menu in her fingers with a flourish.

Corrin blinked. "Oi, what the hell—?"

Before he could grab it back, she'd already flagged down a server and began rattling off the most expensive dishes on the damn board.

"I'll have the Flamegrilled Wyvern Wings, two plates of Sunrice Dumplings, a bowl of Frostmist Soup, and, hmm… Oh! Add the Honey-Crystal Tart for dessert. Oh, and drinks for everyone."

Corrin's jaw dropped.

"What the actual fuck! I didn't agree to this!"

He looked ready to flip the table.

Liliana, who had slipped into the seat beside Serena, just giggled. "Aww, be generous, tough guy. You did say you are going to treat us, right?"

Serena gave Liliana a proud smack on the shoulder and flashed her a grin. "That's the spirit."

Corrin let out a long, tortured groan and face-planted into the table.

"This is highway robbery."

Aria and Rashira sat nearby, sipping water with identical looks of mild amusement.

Riven kicked back, arms crossed over his chest, laughing so hard his shoulders shook.

"Man, you should've seen your face. Its priceless."

Kai leaned against the backrest of his chair, eyes flicking between the grinning duo. His tone was calm, deadpan.

"You're corrupting her."

Serena looked up at him with faux innocence, blinking rapidly.

"Me? Corrupting someone? Oh please, get the thought out of your mind ."

Kai raised a brow.

Serena smiled wider, then nudged Liliana with her elbow. "Tell him I'm innocent."

Liliana smirked. "You're about as innocent as a fox in a chicken coop."

"She admits nothing!" Serena declared dramatically, holding her cup like a noblewoman.

"I'm but a humble eater of delicious things!"

Corrin finally raised his head, glared at her, then pointed to the menu."You better not eat more than half of what you ordered."

"No promises," she replied, popping a grape from a side dish she'd also snuck into the order. "Besides, you're paying. That means it's your duty as a friend to keep me well-fed."

Kai shook his head, lips twitching into a small smirk.

"If you feed her enough, she might stop talking."

"Ha! As if!" Serena shot back.

Aria chuckled lightly. "That's a dream, not a goal."

"Hey!" Serena placed a hand over her heart, mock-offended. "You all wound me."

Riven raised his cup like a toast. "To wounding Serena."

The rest laughed.

They settled in as the food began arriving, one plate after another. Corrin stared at the pile, his soul visibly leaving his body.

"I'm gonna be eating bread and soup for a week."

"That's assuming you'll have money for bread," Kai added dryly.

"Shut up."

The atmosphere was light, chaotic, and full of genuine laughter.

And as the sun shifted outside, casting a mellow golden hue across the table, Corrin leaned back in his chair, arms crossed again.

"…This better be the best damn food I've ever eaten."

"You'll survive," Serena said between bites. "And who knows? Maybe you'll finally get some meat on those skinny arms."

Corrin twitched.

"Oh now you've done it," Liliana muttered, watching the fire return to Corrin's eyes.

Kai sipped calmly. "Place your bets. I give it five seconds before he snaps."

Riven raised three fingers. "Three. He's already turning red."

"You people are monsters," Corrin muttered, but the twitch of his lips betrayed the truth.

He was smiling too.

And with that they stood up and exited together.

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[A/N]

Hello there guys and sorry for inconsistent updates. Actually, my uni started and I'm not being able to keep up with that and writing 2 novels, so there might be few delays in the updates, but I'm not dropping this yet. Even though this book ain't earning anything, it's still my first novel so, yeah, I'll try to finish it, updates might me late, or low but I'll continue it. Okay, so bye, bye. Take care.