Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

Mira had decided that if she was going to be Cain's personal blacksmith going forward, she needed to take her classes seriously. Her fingers drummed against her desk as she listened to the Metallurgy teacher droning on about the properties of Frostsilver.

While most of what the teacher was talking were things she already knew through practical experience, there were a few nuggets of wisdom that she hadn't thought of before. Things like amplifying the Ice nature of the metal by adding materials of the Wind or Water element.

Even adding in clashing elements like Fire or Earth could result in interesting combinations. Each passing moment was giving her new ideas that she eager to try out. Even if the effects were not satisfactory to her, she could always give it to Cain.

Even failed weapons would be useful when paired with Gluttony. She glanced at the clock above the door, counting the minutes till she was free and could head to her forge.

However, to her displeasure, the door opened and a student slowly sauntered in with the demeanor that the world should serve him. The teacher glanced towards the door but quickly turning his head away, pretending that he didn't see anything.

Seeing the teacher too scared to rebuke him, Paigos felt incredibly pleased with himself as he scanned the room. The students didn't dare meet his eyes, especially since there was bloodstains on his clothes. It didn't take a genius to realize that the blood wasn't his.

Paigo's eyes finally settled on the person who he was looking for. His eyes narrowed into crescent moons as he slowly walked over to where Mira was sitting.

He stopped beside Mira's desk, his presence looming over her like a shadow. His grin was stretched across his face, wide and smug, as if he already owned her just by standing there.

Paigos leaned in with a slow smile, his voice lowering until it was almost private. He ran a finger along the edge of Mira's desk as if testing the grain. "You are clever, Mira," he said, tone silk over iron. "Those hands could make anything sing for the right master. Imagine what you could have if you stopped wasting yourself on that Cain."

Mira's jaw tightened but she did not look away. She raised her head to look him in the eyes, a faint green flame burning in her eyes.

"Unlike somebody whose only interest is in my body, Cain wants me for my skills. I will work for someone who can respect my work. The only thing you 'respect' is your own bloated sense of self worth."

Paigo's grin faltered for just a fraction of a second, but it was gone before anyone could notice. He leaned back slightly, resting his hands on the desk as if it were a perch, studying her with that same smug curiosity.

"Respect, huh?" he said slowly, the words almost a mockery. "Do you really think my waste of a little brother can give you what you want? The world doesn't care about skill, Mira. It cares about power. And you… you could have power."

Mira didn't flinch. Her hands, still resting on the edge of her desk, flexed slightly, a subtle reminder that she wasn't unarmed. "Power isn't just about crushing people," she said evenly. "It's about knowing what you can create and who you can protect with it. You wouldn't understand that."

Paigos' eyes darkened ever so slightly, but he only chuckled, that low, dangerous laugh that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. "Protect? Ha. You sound like a child parroting noble ideals. Protection doesn't matter if you can't bend the world to your will."

"Maybe," Mira said softly, almost dismissively, "but bending the world isn't everything. Some things… some people… are worth more than a throne or a weapon." Her gaze sharpened, steady and unwavering. "Cain has proven to me that he is worth more than anything you can offer. And you will never understand that, no matter how hard you try."

For a long moment, Paigos simply stared at her. The classroom seemed to shrink around them, the other students frozen in their seats, unable to breathe under the weight of his presence. Mira could feel the heat radiating from him, but she refused to flinch.

Then, with a sound like air escaping, he straightened up, smirking once more. "Bold girl. Before you used to deflect my advances....But now you outright reject me? Are you sure you want to be so stubborn? If I wanted to, I could 'break' you right here, right now and nobody would stand up to help you~!"

Mira narrowed her eyes, disgust filling up her face as she resisted the urge to spit in his face "You are disgusting and only proving my point further."

Paigos leaned back laughing merrily, his voice grating on everyone's ears. Even the teacher fell silent out of fear. While he was part of the faculty, he was only an auxiliary teacher and his position as staff was rather weak. A prince like Paigos could easily get him fired.

"Oh I disgust you? Well then I will give you a small warning here and now Mira~." Paigos remarked after he finished laughing.

"You better change your mindset and realize what is good for you. This is the last time I offer you a place as a woman at my side."

Paigos' eyes narrowed as his next words came out as a low growl "If you haven't learned by the time the tournament is over, You will be inducted as one of my toys...whether you like it or not."

"You can try Prince Paigos. However let me warn you in kind." Mira growled back, slowly standing up from her seat.

"I am tougher than you can imagine. If you aren't careful, your teeth will shatter and you will be left with nothing and no one."

She grabbed her bag and walked past Paigos as if he was nothing more than an obstacle in her way

"The path of a Tyrant is fragile. You lose once and you will fall into hell where you will burn."

The only sound that followed after was that of the door closing as Mira left the classroom.