4: Popular Empty-Headed

‘Well, I can also be Miss Elle Thion, but it’s rude to use the deceased name in vain.’ 

Alek Cider glanced at her older brother T**o who happened to be watching her too. T**o’s eyes glinted mischievously, indirectly hinting Alek to introduce as one of the Nine Immortal Survivors.

Quinn Sohal happened to be one of the Nine Immortal Survivors who helped the whole world regain the knowledge of their ancestors. He was the most popular survivor known either from the West Continents or East Continents. He had authored more than a thousand books since almost a century ago. Given that he wrote an average of 17 to 18 books in a year. 

Those books mostly consist of a few pages unlike the books from this time when most were filled with explanations about their findings. Scholar Sohal’s books were mostly introductions, theories, and basic definitions. It was even said that a survivor also helped him visualize the contents of his books. 

The third world war occurred 136 years ago for a period of 37 years. Exactly 99 years ago since the destruction of almost all man-made creations. The only ones left from the creation of humankind were also the humans they thought they could use as weapons. 

There were still about 50 million survivors, but only them received such recognition from every country and even from the savage tribes living behind the inconspicuous places in the world.

To use that name… How bold this old man Quinn must be?

Alek Cider shook her head, convinced herself that old man Quinn’s parents must be a fan of the Great Scholar.

She once again scrutinized the young-looking boy carefully.

Quinn had no trace of nervousness in him at all. He was confident with his answer. He was even looking at them arrogantly. His face was full of pride that was unnatural for a boy like him.

For the first time, Alek Cider doubted if her senses were still working. 

“You already know my name, old man Quinn.” 

“Well…” Quinn shrugged his shoulders. His face twitched as he straightened his back, and sat properly. “A-Alek? That’s all?”

“You don’t need to know other details, Quinn.” T**o cut off Quinn from inquiring more of Alek’s details. He was only avoiding the possibilities of endangering Alek’s well-being. It was not he suspected Quinn as someone ingrate, but to protect the child-like innocence of the girl.

This was the only way to help her. 

Unknown to him, Alek Cider had already brought troubles to herself because of her part-time job as an intermediate. 

One cared for the other, and the other did not care. 

“Well… Uhm… I think it is best to play a guessing game.” Alek Cider alternately looked at T**o and Quinn confusedly. She wanted to get along with old man Quinn, yet her friend did not want her to get along with him. It was so confusing for her.

“...”

Silence permeated the whole room. They awkwardly stared at each other, waiting for who among them would speak first.

Cough. Cough. Quinn pretended to have a bad cough while eyes secretly glancing at the two teens. He acted as if he was going to stand up when he heard muffled voices somewhere. 

Around three voices were overlapping each other. 

“How will we tell it to… You really asked for…”

“Why? Do you…” 

“No. But it is never… Should we… brother?”

“Oh! We are already here. Shh!”

“... hear us. … doomed!”

From Alek Cider’s perspective, she could hear each word spoken by four brats. It was not three people exchanging lines but four. 

“How will we tell it to the big sister Alek? You really asked for a beating. You know how painful her spanks are!”

“Why? Do you have any ideas how we could help her lessen the expenses in our home?” 

“No. But it is never an option. If the laws have no loopholes, we might already bring demise to ourselves. What should we do?  Should we tell it to my brother?”

“Oh! We are already here. Shh!”

“She already heard us. We are doomed!”

The door slowly opened and a tiny tangerine head peeked inside the living room. What met the tangerine head’s eyes were three baffled eyes staring back at him. 

Then an identical-looking face peeked at the door and another until five heads stacked at each other. They ignored Quinn and T**o’s stares and directly looked at Alek’s facial expression.

She looked unusually calm with a cheerful smile on her face. Her aura was so bright that they felt they were burning. 

“Sister!”

“Uaa!”

“Sorry! We will not do it again?”

Seven junior middle graders quickly bowed in front of Alek Cider. They dared not to look at her serene-looking eyes. They had no idea what those eyes actually meant. 

Feeling the awkwardness of the situation, Quinn stood up and coughed, calling the attention of the nine teenagers. “Thanks for the water. I will go now.”

Looking at the teens kneeling and to Quinn that was ready to go anytime, Alek Cider felt a bit conflicted. She was slightly ashamed about how her family acted in front of the guest. 

Alek Cider looked down and sighed. “I’m sorry Old Quinn. Don’t worry, I’ll be there at the banquet. But… Please pick me up, I have no idea where that place is.” 

“Pfff…”

Loud snorts echoed one after another. The middle graders covered their noses and mouths, doing their best to not laugh. 

T**o cast a warning glance at them. Unfortunately, they were too busy giggling under their noses and dared not to look up, lest meet Alek Cider’s serene gaze.

Alek Cider acted as if there were only her and Quinn. They chatted for a short while before Quinn turned his back on them. 

The nine of them stared at the closed door, feeling something amiss. 

Well… No one could blame them if they lack proper etiquette in sending off a visitor. Eventually, they heard the rusty gate opening and closing. 

“It is not locked now,” Alek whispered absentmindedly. She stared at the seven middle graders, pursing their lips and preventing themselves from giggling. “Lock the gate.”

“OkAy…” They replied in chorus and raced out of the house. 

--

A week ago, foreign countries requested schools in Yolo City for an exchange program. They did not care about the background of the exchange student, as long as they could vacant two or three seats in their school.  

At first, they were reluctant to accept the offer but after benefits were presented, they did not idle and accepted the offer. But who would think that not only one school in each country but more than fifty! 

It was known that Yolo City belonged to a small and impoverished country in country P. Due to the kindness of country P, they accepted all refugees from the war. It caused overpopulation in their country and to help the first-world countries leading the war, they sent more than half of their military power to them. 

As for the result of the war, it was said that their achievement was within the top three out of one hundred countries. 

Harboring the envy of those first-rate and second-rate countries, their development became stagnant. Those powerful countries could do anything for the sake of their good. 

Pitifully, country P had no idea about it and still idolized those who harbor ill-intent towards their nation. 

Ignorance was not always a bliss. 

In Dicax Academy, twenty-five foreign exchange students arrived at their school. Those who were a bit well-off voluntarily went to the schools in contact with their academy. 

As of this moment, three female students from Feiyan Middle School, Haru Gakkō, and Virgil Island School talked silently near the entrance of Dicax Academy. 

“Good morning!”   A loud voice suddenly greeted them from behind and offered a pair of a breadstick and a bottled carbonated drink. 

The three of them looked at what the person handed before looking at who gave it. 

“Sorry, I’m quite late for giving some relief. I hope you are not that stressed after the mock examination in our school.”

“...” The three exchange students looked in a daze at the girl with a dazzling and gentle smile on her face. Her voice was inexplicably intoxicating; as if the girl was singing a melody. 

“Oh, I forgot. My name is Alek Cider. You can call me anything you want. I’ll go now~” The girl tilted her head a bit to the left. Her long ponytail also cascaded to the left, the light reflected a bloody red shade from her hair which was not obvious if one would not look into it clearly.

Alek Cider waved at them with an optimistic smile before skipping away. Behind her was a tall, dark-skinned male student who was dragging a cart full of boxes. She then stopped behind or in front of her batchmates and gave the snacks to them with a smile.

The three of them wore serious expressions. 

It seemed to be that the popular low-ranked student was an expert in speaking English.