My Guardians - Abused RWBY Fanfic

Authors Note:

Reader: Well well well. Look who decided to update after a whole month. Do tell your recent excuses now.

Author: You see, your boy here got sick. bad. Thankfully it wasn't COVID, but it was enough to keep me tied to the bed for a few days.

For my second reason, I need to tell a story. While this weeb was bored writing the first part of this chapter, he decided to peruse his preferred website for Visual Novels(the eroge kind). Now imagine me (a fish with legs) giggling like a maniac when I saw a recent post: Majikoi A-3. The lazy bastards finally finished translating the whole thing after 2-3 years of waiting for the damn thing. I'm damn grateful that it was updated in the first place, but the wait from A-1 to A-2 only took a year.

For my third reason, your boy decided to be a big idiot and is trying to write a BNHA fanfic. Thankfully enough, I don't want to post it yet until I finish writing the first arc of it (which may take ONLY a whole damn year if I'm not lazy).

So...yeah. Enjoy???

*Story Start*

Third Person POV

*A Few Hours Later*

*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*!

Deep down into the training room, Aurum's eye twitched at each blow as he watches Samson and Ariene spar using wooden swords. Meanwhile, Cyrus was closely watching their movements as part of his role as the judge, though he periodically throws Aurum some glances to check-up on him.

The retainers decided to brush up on their fighting abilities to prepare for their future, especially Ariene. That incident with the bullies was embarrassing. The situation might have been different if her body was used to the almost non-existent amount of mana in the environment, but using that as an excuse was a big no-no.

Reagan: "You look like you want to run away Aurum. Are you sure you want to watch them?"

*BAM* *BAM* *WHACK*!

Samson slashed horizontally at Ariene, who blocked it with her sword as she backed away before dashing in for a thrust. Samson parries her sword sideward as he rammed his shoulder into Ariene's c.h.e.s.t. Ariene wasn't able to avoid the blow as she backed away in pain, unable to block Samson's sword from coming for her neck and stopping just before it hit.

Samson: "Yield?"

He asked with a cheeky grin. Ariene gave him a pointed look as she dropped her sword.

Ariene: "You're lucky there weren't any shields for me to use."

The weapon's rack available in the training room had all kinds of weapons, ranging from the popular swords and bow and arrows to the less used wh.i.p.s and maces; But it somehow lacked shields.

The loud sound of wood crashing against wood made Aurum's eye twitch at each impact. But what could he do? He might love the comfort the house gave him, but he doesn't want to spend his time alone now that he has people to talk to. Reagan and Lennox know this, but being the more worrywart of the two, Reagan still asked that question.

Aurum offered no answer as he continued to watch the sparring match, now with Samson facing his brother. Unlike the previous match, the current fight felt more alive as they fought evenly even with the use of Semblances.

Samson's Semblance heightened his instincts to multiple levels, that it was akin to a seasoned beast's; Thus, the name Hyper Instincts. Cyrus always pondered whether this was the reason why his brother's brain seems to malfunction now and again.

Alas, he shook this thought off of his head as he hastily dodged the strike coming from below, delivering a counter overhead strike in the process. Cyrus' Semblance allowed him to telepathically control projectiles, which is almost useless in this battle, considering how fast and perceptive his brother is. Cyrus named this as Projectile Direction, while Samson offhandedly referred to it as the "Requiem" version of a certain Stand.

The nerve of him.

Finished with wiping away the sweat from her body, Ariene bounded over to Aurum, her tail swaying happily as she sat next to him with her head resting on his shoulder. This momentarily got Aurum's attention, who blushed at the close contact. He repositioned himself so that he was in the "seiza" position, and to Ariene's surprise, he gently laid her head on his l.a.p. Realizing her position, she let out a happy giggle as she enjoyed the feeling of Aurum's hand on her hair.

Incidentally, Ariene's Semblance allowed her to channel her Aura into her strikes and cause explosions. Graced with the simple name, Explosive Hits, Ariene used it earlier in her match with Samson, to which he instinctively parried away from himself as he was sent tumbling away from the resulting strike at the cost of the weapon's durability. After coaxing a frightened Aurum, it was banned from practice which lead to her defeat.

Samson suddenly crouched as he sent a quick sweep of his leg underneath Cyrus', causing the bespectacled child to fall. Cyrus rolled backward and avoided the follow-up kick Samson did as both stood once again to continue their clash. This time, Cyrus was on the offense, as he sent a mixture of quick stabs and slashes with his sword. Samson parried each stab until an opportunity arose, allowing him to smack Cyrus' wrist and knocking off his sword.

Cyrus sighed as he raised his arms in surrender before nursing his aching hand. Samson's grin couldn't get any wider as he laughed out loud. Cyrus and Ariene could only give him glares as Samson shrugs it off, deciding to continue his training by running around the room.

Cyrus: "*sigh* this sword nut."

'He's always like this.' Cyrus thought. Like any other male in the family, Samson liked to train his body. Most of the Blasts consider magic as a hindrance to their 'passion', so they focused their resources on Aura Techniques.

Unlike the regular use of Aura for a simple increase in defense and strength, Aura Techniques focus more on using as little Aura as they could to produce the maximum damage via Martial Arts.

Due to that, the only few intellectuals within the family could only lament their situation as they could only further their magical knowledge through the teachings at their chosen academy.

Knowing how long he usually takes in his training, Cyrus decided to join two in resting as he pondered over how to persuade Aurum to train. He noticed Aurum's green eyes that now possess a tint of blue staring at Ariene's hair with a distracted look. Cyrus instinctively ignored Ariene's action of heavily sniffing Aurum's t.h.i.g.hs.

With Aurum's circ.u.mstances, he will certainly face danger in the future. As someone willing to follow him for the rest of their lives, Cyrus determined that he must get Aurum to be proficient in a fight.

This should also be hitting two birds with one stone, since once Aurum is comfortable with fighting, a part of his trauma will vanish.

…

…

…

*Moments Later*

After resting for a while, Cyrus joined his brother in the run until it was near lunchtime. After a quick shower, they all headed for the cafeteria where they joined up with team LJVN. They sat down at an empty table as they socialized with each other.

Samson: "Oh yeah, why didn't you visit us in the gardens?"

Samson inquired. The kids always found time to visit their dorm room for the past few days. The thought of inviting the young huntsmen-in-training to visit their new home just popped up in his recent realization. He found the team leader, Lapis, to be the one who answers the question after he swallowed the food that was in his mouth.

Lapis: "Simple answer to a simple question. We weren't allowed to. That place was announced off-limits to students just a few moments before you informed us that it became your place."

Samson: "Really? Why don't you visit us then, just for a change of pace?"

While the two were discussing team LJVN's eventual visit to the mystical treehouse, on the side, a stoic Nathalie is spoon-feeding Aurum. For reasons unknown, the team's resident silent girl keeps doting on the eccentric child.

Nathalie: "Open wide."

It was a strange yet adorable scene where you could somehow imagine that there is a pink coloration with floating flowers in the background. It was very wholesome, especially with the wide smile Aurum showed contrary to the distracted look earlier.

Meanwhile, Violet and Jade were looking at this scene with interest. Their green-haired teammate didn't show much emotion openly in public. This was one of those rare moments where her robotic attitude melts away, and they'd be damned to not enjoy it.

Violet glanced at the slovenly smiling Jade, who obviously enjoyed Nathalie's motherly attitude towards Aurum more between the two. It's no secret that they were childhood friends and that they both love each other. Now if only one of them could tell the other party.

They're just dense in their own way, to her and Lapis' frustration. She found it quite amusing that for all the complaining Jade had towards her and Lapis open flirting, he didn't take any action towards his love troubles out of jealousy.

What's more frustrating for her and Lapis was that they can't force both of them to admit it since this is one of those things that they should figure out for themselves. Nathalie isn't exactly the most expressive person in the group, and despite his outgoing attitude, Jade acts like a dork sometimes.

Violet now put her attention to Ariene, who was jealously glaring at the scene. She just can't figure out if she's frustrated at Nathalie's surprisingly huge bust, or at the fact that she's feeding Aurum. (If it's the former, then she wholeheartedly understands.)

Lapis: "Okay team, it's settled. We are throwing a late housewarming party with the kids."

Distracted by the statement, the others stopped eating as they redirected their attention to Lapis and Samson, who were both grinning widely. Knowing exactly the reason for why the latter was grinning, Cyrus only wryly smiled as he snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt.

Cyrus: "Barbecue?"

Samson: "Oh absolutely, mate!"

Aurum tilted his head at the unknown word. Forgetting that he could just ask the two ghosts within him, he tugged Nathalie's uniform and asked,

Aurum: "What's a barbecue?"

Nathalie being herself, she replied with concise yet important words.

Nathalie: "Delicious food."

Due to her words, Nathalie could see Aurum's eyes sparkle in delight.

'How cute!', Nathalie thought. She couldn't resist the temptation, so she reached out her arm and gently pat his head. Aurum was surprised at the contact, but since it was a pleasant feeling, he leaned onto her hand more. This brought the girl to show a slight smile.

Ariene could only gnash her teeth at the sight with conflicted emotions. On one hand, this was adorable and Aurum is enjoying it, and on the other, she couldn't be the one to be this intimate with the adorable master!

The rest of the table's occupants could only look at her amusingly, with the rest of team LJVN being more enthused than the Blast brothers.

As usual, lunch with these kids was amusing.

…

…

…

After lunchtime, the students all filed out of the cafeteria to their classes.

This left the kids more time to utilize for themselves. Normally, they would just return to the house and do their stuff, with Cyrus and Ariene teaching Aurum common sense, reading and other kindergarten level subjects, while Cyrus usually trains.

This time, Aurum asked to be left alone to wander around the school as he wants to think. The trio does not want him to be alone, but a flash of gold and blue in his left and right eye respectively left them hesitating.

Technically, with those two ghosts, Aurum would be just fine. But it would be irresponsible for them to do that. They signed a contract with "them" in the first place to get away from their families and leaving the person that they need to take care of will violate that, not to mention they care for Aurum.

He's been brooding ever since the morning because of the spar. This might have triggered some memories from resurfacing and leaving an abused kid with PTSD all alone will be dangerous.

But according to Samson's instincts, leaving him alone would be fine.

Samson: "It's okay. My gut says that it will be fine. Take care now, yeah? Come back home before it gets dark, you absolutely have to taste barbecue dishes!"

So he sent Aurum off with a hug and smile, which quickly turned into a group hug. Under the trio's gaze, Aurum walked away from them.

Samson: "Oh, cheer up lads. Aurum will be fine."

Besides, students are in class now. What's the worst that can happen?

…

…

…

Lennox: "Sheesh, those kids worry too much. Can't a guy brood in peace?"

Reagan: "Would you leave a traumatized kid alone to brood? You know what? Forget it. That was a stupid question. 'Course you would."

The sarcasm behind those words irritated Lennox. Sure, he was irresponsible, brash, muscle-brai––… okay, he wasn't the best person for counseling, but the kid has a lot of stuff in his mind. They have to learn that sometimes problems can only be solved by an individual by thinking things through. Alone.

And that's what Aurum is doing right now.

He walked through the corridor while peeking at some on-going classes until he arrived in front of a statue of a man and woman, presumably huntsmen, standing over an inclined rock looking over a Beowulf.

The image instilled a sense of inspiration and nobility to the observers, which acts as the driving force for the aspiring huntsmen of Beacon that they too, can be like them.

But for the young child, it looked like Tai and Summer, one with an expression showing fierce anger, and the other of l.u.s.t, looking down on a beaten and battered Aurum.

He looked down and stared at his arm and removed the glove from his right hand. It was white and unblemished, the bruises and scars that he was so used to seeing vanished.

His mind lingered on the spar that took place earlier.

Why did they hit each other? Weren't they supposed to be friends? Those are the thoughts going through his mind. They told him that the sparring was necessary, that learning how to hurt other people will help you protect yourself.

But is it really necessary? He was long gone from the hell that he once called home. Away from pain and injury. Samson says that it was needed to become a huntsman. Once informed with that tidbit of information, he isn't so sure about aspiring to become one now.

'Looking' at Aurum staring at his arm for a few minutes now, Reagan decided that he has to intervene because unlike what he thought of being a ghost mentor, he could not see Aurum's thoughts.

Reagan: "Aurum."

Hearing Reagan call out to him, he snapped out of his daze.

Aurum: "Yes?"

His distracted voice and the melancholic expression he possessed even unnerved Lennox. So before Reagan could speak, Lennox intervened.

Lennox: "Aurum, what did you feel when those mongrels hurt Ariene?"

At this, Aurum only tilted his head. Oh right, he forgot that the kid was essentially unconscious during that event. So, being the rash person that he is, the wild-haired warrior did not hesitate to share that memory with Aurum.

Once the memory was finished playing, he could see Aurum's shock. Did he do that? He hurt someone? His thoughts immediately spiraled into the type of depression war-torn veterans had when their traumas attack. 'Oops', Lennox carelessly mumbled.

Before Aurum could continue his thoughts, Lennox f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y shared the cold feeling of relief to calm him down.

Lennox: "My bad…Anyways, Aurum. How did you feel when Ariene was hurt by that bully?"

Pondering over the question, Aurum kept staring at his hand, capitalizing his calmed emotions to think things through. Reviewing memory, Aurum watched it repeatedly, slowly analyzing the constrictive feeling in his heart.

What is this? Why does he feel like…like he wants to hurt the bully?

Conflicted, he once again dug deep within himself, rationalizing his feeling into something that he can understand. Slowly, an answer was forming, but being an inexperienced boy that only knows of being the recipient of pain, he spoke to Lennox, hoping that answering out loud can help him decide.

Aurum: "I…I want to hit him, Lennox. I want to do the same things 'He' did to me."

Knowing how this might be an opportunity for him to grow by himself, Lennox did not answer the question. Knowing the exact reason for it, Reagan too did not offer his opinion. Aurum could only furrow his brows unconsciously, as he once again spoke.

Aurum: "That man hurt Ariene. Why? What did she do? What did I do? Why did they hurt me? Why couldn't I be like them? I did not hurt them, and yet they hurt me. Him, Her, Yang, even Ruby. What did I do?"

Aurum voiced out his questions, as the ball shifted from the bully to his old tormentors. And yet, the duo did not talk. For Reagan's case, Lennox kept him from talking.

Aurum: "I…I don't want to hurt anyone. But… if what I did stopped them from hurting Ariene… then is it okay for me to do something like that again?"

Reagan: "Yes, Aurum."

Aurum was surprised that it was Reagan who answered. How could Reagan not answer? While he did not know Lennox's past, he sure did know his own past and Aurum's. And seeing Aurum in a conflict like this for fighting back, he couldn't help but clench his teeth as he sympathizes with the kid. Reagan might not have experienced Aurum's version of hell, but he can sympathize with the feeling of being abandoned and being hurt by your supposed parents.

Even without the promise of resurrection, he will help this child be happy. He doesn't want Aurum to be like him, someone who depends on a mask and borderline insane idolatry to pass off as a happy person.

Reagan: "Violence is okay as long as it is done for protecting. As long as you do it to protect someone you care about, then it is okay to hurt someone."

Eventually, Aurum has to learn that the world doesn't run in such a naïve thought process. Not when the Grimm and those who seek satisfaction at the expense of other people are wondering about.

But that day is not today. They have to make Aurum learn how to defend himself first before it comes to that. At that point, other people can teach the child how the world works.

Lennox: "Learning how to hurt someone is something you need Aurum. Not only to protect others, but also yourself. If you're strong enough, you can prevent people like Tai from hurting others, and the sooner you start learning how to defend yourself, the shorter the time you need to stop them."

Aurum was about to react to that when he heard loud footsteps behind him. No, stomping would be the appropriate term here.

Turning around, Aurum saw the bully from the other day wearing a fierce expression, approaching him while radiating in anger. This put Aurum on edge, fear evident in his shaking body.

???: "There you are!"

In Aurum's eyes, the figure of Taiyang overlapped with the bully. Both seething in anger. Both raising their fists high in the sky, and both lowering it at a fast pace aiming to cause pain at the child.

Reagan took control of Aurum's body as he jumped away from the strike, effectively distancing the goon from the child, who winced from the pain he's feeling in his midsection due to his injury. Reagan was about to run away, when his influence over Aurum's body was removed by Lennox, earning him a pointed glare from the Surya-born.

Lennox: "What better way than to learn first-hand, Aurum. I'll share with you my memories on how to manipulate Aura and how to use your Semblance. Figure it out for yourself as your first lesson, kid."

Reagan: "You 'gotta be kidding me old man!"

This time, it was Lennox's turn to glare at Reagan.

Lennox: "No, I am not. Shock therapy will be the most optimum solution to this crisis and will be a hard lesson for Aurum. Now, stand back and observe him."

Lennox then shared the memories along with a continuous feeling of cold composure, casing Aurum's expression to change from fright to neutral. Receiving the memories and the feeling of a constant flow of cold water in his mind, Aurum once again dodges a punch from the bully.

The bully growls in frustration. Why couldn't this little shrimp stand still?!

???: "You'll pay for humiliating me like that kid!"

Swing after swing, the bully added kicks into his moves, careful to not bend his upper body. How did the child even penetrate through Aura?! The kid had a glowing arm thing as a Semblance for Gods' sake! He wasn't prepared for the strike, especially since it directly hurt him to the point of fainting.

Even while being forced into composure, Aurum still feels afraid of the bully. The situation reminds him of the times where Taiyang gets physical for the slightest mistakes.

'No, I don't want to be hurt anymore!'

Like a mantra, Aurum keeps repeating those words in his head as his focus deepened. He moved, depending on his instincts, avoiding a punch from the bully. The bully was surprised when Aurum suddenly stepped closer and launch an uppercut via his golden arm extension.

Thankfully enough for the bully, the kid didn't know how to throw a proper punch and that his Aura properly absorbed the damage, unlike the previous incident. Capitalizing the child's clumsy strike that rendered him open, the bully powered through the strike as he kicked Aurum at his abdomen, pushing him away as he roughly landed on his b.u.t.t, glowing gold through his Aura.

Aurum hurriedly rolled away as the bully suddenly sped up to stomp at him. Aurum then avoided another kick as he retaliated by kicking the bully in the groin. Even with Aura, the pain still somehow traveled through the nerves as the bully dropped to his knees clutching his junior.

Capitalizing at the opportunity, Aurum once again encased his arms using his Semblance, smashing it at the bully's head downwards. The bully grunted as his head smashed into the ground, lowering his Aura.

Hearing the pained grunt from the bully, Aurum finally snapped out of his auto-pilot mode completely independent of the other souls' influence, realizing what he'd done.

Instead of continuing, he used this chance to run away from the bully who was reeling in suffering, pain shooting throughout his abdomen from the sudden movement.

Reagan just sighed in relief as the child did what he should have done in the first place. Lennox wasn't even disappointed at this. It may have been unconscious, but at least the child didn't start panicking, nor is he barfing out his lunch. As far as he knew it, this was a minor success.

Aurum just ran away from the scene, not knowing where he's heading. He just kept thinking about his earlier actions.

Oh god, he hurt someone! But why did he feel good about it? Why does it feel like a non-existent weight was finally removed from his shoulders? Why does it feel liberating?

Those thoughts kept echoing within his mind until he hit something solid, knocking him down on his b.u.t.t for the second time of the day. Looking upwards, he saw that he had collided with the storyteller Ozpin, holding his cane with one hand, and a scroll on the other.

The man only smiled, and after pocketing the scroll, placed his right hand onto the top of Aurum's head, c.a.r.e.s.sing it gently as if the child did something good.

Ozpin: "Well done, Aurum. You finally helped yourself."

In a daze, Aurum enjoyed the comfort of the man's hand. When his thoughts went back to the recent scuffle, fear once again struck him. The child quickly hugged Ozpin's legs, seeking comfort and protection.

Once Ozpin discovered that the child broke off of his group, he decided to monitor Aurum. Once the bully was caught on camera, he decided to go there just in case the souls within the child didn't intervene.

Luckily, the child was spared from another instance of child abuse.

Aurum's current actions either mean that: A, one of the spirits took over his body while the child is still conscious of his actions, or B, the child himself fought with the bully only with limited assistance. Key difference? One is "Spectator Mode" and the other is "The Tutorial Level".

Ozpin is leaning more on the latter. Since the camera was hidden on the statue itself, their actions were viewed with absolute clarity, allowing him to realize that Aurum's pupils are still green without any irregularities.

While he pacified the terrified child, the bully caught up with them, freezing at the sight of the school principal as he realized the implications of his actions. Ozpin only gave the bully an unconcerned look as he stated,

Ozpin: "I believe miss Glynda will be seeing you in her office later, Mr. Winc.h.e.s.ter. A discussion pertaining to the extension of your punishment will happen, and until then, you will return to the infirmary to rest."

Nodding stiffly, the bully could only turn around and shamble through the hallways to his destination. No way can he beat Ozpin's authority just to follow through with his revenge. He's not that stupid.

Good grief. No matter what era, there are always those unruly misfits who give in to negativity or are forced to become less than savory individuals.

A jaded sigh left his mouth as Ozpin lead Aurum back to their bizarre and mystical residence.

…

…

…

*Time Skip brought to you by the sight of a pissed off Glynda shooting glares and demeaning insults towards the bully*

Glynda's POV

Oum, damn it. That delinquent freshman keeps on giving her problems! Even though she keeps on punishing him and his lackeys with detention and mountains of homework, they still keep on misbehaving as if they rule the whole school!

As if the incident with Ariene wasn't enough, the hot-headed caveman went after Aurum!

Glynda could only trudge along the halls massaging her temples as she pondered over what to cook for their dinner instead of worrying over someone that doesn't even warrant pity.

It's been a while since she became the pseudo-adopted mother/private teacher of those children with special backgrounds. In all honesty, she enjoys taking care of them. It's different from the joy she receives from her passion for teaching students. Teaching gives her a sense of pride since she is an influence towards the success of their careers while being a mother makes her remember memories of her own parents, to the point that she periodically finds herself thinking, 'so this is how parents feel when taking care of their children' whenever she sees their happy faces, especially Aurum's.

Glynda: "Ah…"

The idea of parenthood reminded her of her status, causing her to once again sigh. As a woman nearing her 30s, Glynda also wants to soon find her own partner to raise a family with. It's not like she's inexperienced with romance itself, heck she's had a few short-term relationsh.i.p.s before.

But it's hard to find time to look for someone decent, especially when the faculty is full of…for a lack of a better descriptor, weirdos. One short observation of professor Oobleck's habits and Port's personality will be evidence for that. While there are a few other men with decent personalities and looks, the problem here is that they are either already taken, or they are at least half as strange as those two.

Glynda: "*sigh*"

Ahh, the troubles of a young lady. At this rate, she'll keep on sighing until wrinkles form on her face.

Glynda kept walking until she could smell the delicious scent of barbecued meat and hear the wonderful sound of it sizzling in a grill, which is enough to cause her stomach to roar in hunger.

Increasing her pace, she found herself gawking at the sight. 2 wooden tables set side-by-side where the aforementioned quirky teachers plus Ozpin sat talking animatedly with each other, Cyrus, Ariene and Aurum spending time with Violet, Nathalie, and Jade (Miss Gion and Mr. Skywalker, a frustrating pair that should just get together), while Samson and Lapis manned the grill. Surprisingly, Samson is the head chef of the two, as he flipped the meat over itself while Lapis applies the garnish.

Well, at least she doesn't have to cook anymore(something that she somehow finds irritating). Peter noticed her arrival, turning towards her as he asked with a friendly wave,

Port: "Professor Goodwitch, what took you so long?"

With another tired sigh, she responded,

Glynda: "Winc.h.e.s.ter."

The teachers and students became silent once the name was uttered. In hindsight, that was a bad move, considering his past and recent accomplishments, but Oum damn it, she's hungry. Suppressing a sigh and frown, she waved away their concerns as she stated,

Glynda: "Don't worry, he has been dealt with already."

The brief glance she threw at Aurum and Ozpin was all they needed for an answer. But instead of letting it affect the mood of their 'housewarming barbecue party', they just brushed off the topic. Though spirit trio did glance at one another, it was so brief that the other "party-goers" were unable to see it.

Port: "Good grief, that child. Ever the troublemaker. Now, where was I? Ah yes. Like I told you earlier, you need to grow your own facial hair, Barty! I reckon a Royale Beard will increase your charisma to at least half of my handsome self!"

Oobleck: "And like I told you already, a proper doctor needs his face shaved away from unnecessary hair! In addition, I don't like the feeling of it. It feels itchy!"

Port: "Ah, my sweet summer child. That is a result of your incompetence towards the art of facial grooming!"

After a brief comment towards the bully, the topic returned to their argument over facial hair, with Ozpin giving his views on the subject. A brief imagination of Oobleck possessing a Van Dyke Beard while wearing a beret formed in Glynda's mind before she banished the thought away.

A brief chuckle escaped Glynda's mouth as she walked towards the child she had felt to be the most difficult out of the quartet, Aurum. The child noticed this, but instead of an awkward expression, Aurum's cheeks grew red as he gestured to the free space to his right.

Aurum: "H-hello mama. Sit. I saved you a spot."

Glynda once halted her steps out of surprise at his rather demure behavior as she felt an indescribable feeling of happiness welling inside her, increasing the embarrassment of Aurum as the rest of the children in the table chuckled. With a beautiful smile, she sat beside the child as she listened to the stories of the students.

She did not miss the high-five Samson gave to Lapis, who are likely the reason why Aurum did this. It was a welcome gesture that only had little effect, but it was a start towards removing the distance they had with each other.