Chapter 25

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 25

Chapter Title: Bianca's Persistent Suitor

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“What, what is it?”

“Bianca, tell us everything without holding back. Someone confessed to you, right?”

“Who is it? Which guy confessed? Is he handsome? Did you accept?”

“Lucia, when did you get here? More importantly, why are you being so pushy?”

Bianca, whose face had looked pale moments before, let out a hearty laugh and shoved away the two girls closing in on her.

“Come on, spill it. What exactly did he say to you?”

No matter how hard Bianca tried to dodge the question, Christine and Lucia stuck to her relentlessly.

Bianca looked troubled for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.

“Okay, fine, yeah, I did get confessed to, but...”

Oh my, oh my, oh my.

Christine and Lucia's eyes lit up with excitement. The intensity made Bianca grimace uncomfortably.

“This is already his seventh confession to me.”

“What? He's done it that many times already?”

Surprised by the unexpected revelation, Christine and Lucia jumped in shock.

“Yeah, well... I guess you could call him a childhood acquaintance? Not as close as you and Herwin, Lucia, but our parents know each other, so we've seen each other since we were kids.”

That was Bianca's explanation.

The guy was Calips Cherbil, the second son of the Cherbil Count House.

He had fallen for Bianca, whom he'd met a few times as a child, and had been pining for her for two years now.

This confession was already his second since entering the academy. The first had happened on the very first day of the entrance ceremony.

After hearing Bianca's brief rundown, Christine squealed with delight, while Lucia felt a strange kinship with this Calips fellow, given her own situation.

“That's pure love right there. Guys like that are hard to come by, Bianca.”

“So what? I'm not interested.”

Bianca snorted with a pout.

“Oh dear, it seems the young master of Cherbil doesn't catch your eye?”

“Catch my eye? Please, I just wish he'd stop confessing already.”

For a split second, Lucia felt her heart sink without knowing why.

“It's not like it's once or twice. When someone says they hate you, you should get the hint. Even when I tell him, 'I can't stand guys like you,' or 'Don't even talk to me anymore,' it's like it goes in one ear and out the other.”

“Uh...”

Christine looked stunned by the unexpectedly vehement response.

Lucia stared at Bianca without even blinking.

...Her tone's completely different.

Just a week ago, Bianca had been criticizing Herwin for rejecting Lucia's confessions, saying he should've accepted by the 60th one or so.

But her attitude now was a total one-eighty.

“I honestly don't get what gives him the confidence to keep coming after me. He's not even handsome, and his family's nothing special.”

“H-Hey, but he seems like a nice guy, though.”

“Nice guys are a dime a dozen. That's hardly a selling point.”

Bianca was firm. Even Christine, who didn't know Calips personally, started feeling sorry for him.

“Oh! Lucia! You were gone for a while—did you step out somewhere?”

To lighten the awkward mood, Christine quickly changed the subject.

As she spoke, she noticed something in Lucia's hand.

“Oh my, why are you holding a wallet?”

Bianca, who had been sulkily watching the swordsmanship class, whipped her head around.

“Ah... I just popped into the classroom thinking I might buy something.”

“Oh, really? Did you get anything?”

“Nah, I realized I didn't need it after all. Total waste of time.”

Lucia gave an awkward smile, but her eyes met Bianca's. Bianca glared at her with intense eyes.

Why'd you bring the wallet?

It was a silent question: Why not leave it in Arista's seat or bag?

Lucia knew exactly what she meant but awkwardly averted her gaze.

Bianca's brow furrowed ever so slightly.

“Luci...”

Waaaaaah!

Bianca's voice was drowned out by a roar of cheers erupting from the training grounds.

Turning her head, Lucia spotted a faint purple haze rippling amid the students on break.

“No way, is that...”

“Aura.”

The source of the cheers was the aura emanating from Arista.

Ever since slaying the ogre, she had worked tirelessly to wield aura again.

And today, she had finally succeeded.

The swordsmanship class students gathered around Arista erupted in admiration.

Herwin was among them. Seeing everyone cheer like excited kids made Lucia feel a pang of bitterness.

“What the hell's wrong with you?”

Bianca approached amid the commotion.

“Why'd you bring the wallet?”

She shot a glare at Christine, who had stood up, then lowered her voice again.

Lucia instinctively recoiled, feeling an inexplicable aversion.

“I decided not to do anything after all.”

“Suddenly? Are you scared? If you can't do it, then I will...!”

“No, it's not that. I just... thought this wasn't the way. And I don't want to hate Arista anymore.”

Her expression seemed resigned at first glance, but it carried an unprecedented peace—one Lucia hadn't felt in nearly a week.

The unfamiliarity gnawed at Bianca, who bit her lip.

Tch—

Lucia heard a faint click of the tongue as she watched Arista. Thinking she'd misheard, she turned, but Bianca was just resting her chin on her hand with a sullen face.

Did I imagine it...?

A nagging unease settled in.

Lucia!

Suddenly, someone urgently called her name. Lucia snapped her head up reflexively.

Christine, two steps below, was frantically reaching out toward her. Turning further, Lucia saw a chilling blade hurtling toward her from alarmingly close range.

Death.

The sensation of death instinctively etched itself into her mind.

With no time to dodge, Lucia could only watch wide-eyed as the blade flew straight at her.

Clang—!

Just before it struck her face, a horrifying screech rang out as another sword intercepted the incoming blade.

Sparks flew, and the deflected sword buried itself deep into the ground.

“Hah, huff, huff...”

A vivid red haze shimmered before her eyes.

Herwin, who had been far off with the others moments ago, was now right in front of her.

His face was ashen as he panted heavily.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?! She almost died!”

Herwin's fury echoed thunderously across the training grounds. Silence fell in an instant as he whipped his head around.

“Lucia! Are you okay?”

Lucia couldn't respond. She just stared at him with wide eyes.

Different in color, but the aura rising from Herwin's body was identical to Arista's.

“Lucia!”

Herwin grabbed her shoulders and shook her. Her unfocused gaze finally settled on his face. And then—

“Lucia!”

Lucia lost consciousness.

During the break, Herwin gulped down water, sweat dripping from him, then roughly wiped his face with a towel. He scanned the stone steps encircling the training grounds.

A few students were watching the swordsmanship class from there.

“Looking for Lucia?”

Herwin swung his arm back immediately at the snickering voice behind him.

Brian easily dodged.

“Just say no if you're not. No need to swing at me.”

“Don't sneak up on me like that, creep.”

“What'd I do? I was just curious.”

“Looks like she's been gone from her seat for about 20 minutes now.”

“Hm? Really? That's longer than I thought.”

Ethan, arriving late, mentioned Lucia's absence.

Herwin frowned, eyeing the stone steps where only Christine sat. His red eyes clouded with worry.

Brian grinned slyly at the sight.

“Wonder when you'll make up with Lucia.”

Herwin's face hardened instantly as he glared at Brian.

“I don't know what happened between you two, but just reconcile already. What's a guy like me caught in the middle supposed to do?”

“Yeah, it's suffocating. You just stare at Lucia all day but won't make up?”

“When did I ever...”

“Right now, even.”

“You're so bad at being honest.”

Whether joking or serious, Brian and Ethan kept poking at Herwin's nerves.

Herwin opened his mouth to retort but exhaled an irritated sigh instead, slipping away without a word. They called after him, but he didn't react.

“Ooooh!”

“Here it comes! Here it comes!”

Commotion stirred around Arista. A faint haze rose from the sword in her hand—that was the cause.

Sensing it was aura, Herwin's eyes widened as he rushed over with the others to watch Arista.

Arista's breathing grew ragged, beads of sweat trickling down her forehead. She glared intently once more.

Her sword trembled violently, then a purple aura matching her eyes burst forth with a whoosh!

“I did it!”

“Whoa! Real aura!”

“The rumors were true!”

Arista and all the students cheered loudly. Beaming, she proudly showed off her sword wreathed in aura.

“Arista! Let's clash with this!”

A male student stepped up with a real sword. Legend had it that aura-clad blades could slice through anything except master-forged swords or another aura.

The kids were dying to see if Arista's aura could really cut a true sword.

“Sure, let's do it. It might be dangerous, so everyone step back.”

Space cleared around her at her words. Especially where she would swing—no obstacles in sight, just in case of accidents.

“Think it'll actually cut the sword?”

“Herwin, what do you think?”

“If theory holds, it'll slice like butter.”

A spark lit in his red eyes—excitement and competitive fire.

“Here I go!”

The boy opposite Arista gripped his sword tight and swung at her.

Arista naturally swung back from the opposite direction.

The blades met, but no metallic clang rang out. Like slicing soft flesh, Arista's aura sword cleaved the opponent's blade clean in two.

The severed edge, propelled by the aura, hurtled fiercely into the empty space. And that blade...

“Lucia!”

Was flying at terrifying speed toward Lucia, who had just returned.

Ethan spotted the blade heading for her and shouted her name in alarm.

Brian, between Arista and the kids, tried rushing to Lucia.

But the blade was faster.

“No—!”

As Brian desperately reached out, a sudden gust shoved him aside.

Clang—!

The clash of swords finally echoed.

“Huh?”

Brian blurted dumbly, staring at the source.

Herwin, who had been beside him seconds ago, now stood blocking Lucia. A massive red aura surged around him.

Brian gaped at Herwin, then glanced aside. Deep footprints scarred where Herwin had stood.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?! She almost died!”

His booming voice reverberated. Herwin's rage targeted the boy who caused it, Arista, and even himself.

An accident that could have killed someone if not for him.

As everyone froze, Herwin hurriedly checked on Lucia.

Despite finally awakening the aura he'd longed for, all his focus was on her.

“Lucia!”

A heart-wrenching scream tore from him. Lucia lay fainted in his arms.