‘Interesting.’
Just as Morse knocked down the female archer, the battle on the mage's side also concluded.
“This battle is already meaningless.” Serafina announced calmly, effortlessly dispelling the flame assault Irina unleashed. She scrutinized Irina with a detached gaze, assessing the situation.
‘Things aren't going as I expected.’
She immediately came to that conclusion.
Whoosh!
However, Irina had no intention of letting it end there. The fire in her eyes burned even more intensely, still full of defiance. “Meaningless? You barge into my team, provoke us, and now you want to run? We're not done yet.”
Whoosh!
With that, she unleashed another attack, aimed directly at Serafina.
“Is it him?”
However, Serafina's words made them pause for a second.
“What?”
That brief second was enough for Serafina to understand what she was looking for.
‘As expected, it's him, how interesting…’
“Your reaction says it all,” Serafina said, a hint of subtle amusement in her tone. She gracefully evaded the incoming flames, as composed as ever. “It seems things are about to get interesting from now on.”
However, Irina didn't seem to understand her words. “You vixen, just say what's on your mind.”
“Hmm~ That depends on whether you can comprehend what I'm saying.” She turned away with a teasing smile.
“You!” Irina wanted to attack again, but Serafina took out a small, spherical object from her pocket.
“Here, this is the price of your victory.” She placed it on the ground. It was a device used by the academy to record mana formulas, and her placing it down meant she acknowledged defeat.
‘What I know is worth more than a pile of points.’ she thought to herself, her eyes scanning the other two members of Irina's team.
‘Especially that girl… Indeed, there's a reason the chairman tested her. That guy isn't simple either.’
After that, her attention naturally shifted to the two unconscious students.
‘Just a bunch of trash.’
A faint smile appeared on her face, but her gaze turned cold as she looked at her own team.
‘Garbage.’
Since her team had been defeated, she realized she needed to concede. It wasn't because she was afraid of Irina, but because the addition of the other two might complicate things.
Irina's fiery gaze shifted from Serafina to the small sphere on the ground. She hesitated, a hint of frustration still evident in her clenched fists. With a reluctant acknowledgement, she went over and picked up the device.
“Fine,” Irina said softly, a hint of annoyance still present in her tone. She looked back at Serafina, the tension between them still palpable. “This is it for now.”
“……” Serafina glanced at Irina before nodding.
‘She's changed.’
The Irina she knew wasn't the type to accept such a proposal, she would pursue what she wanted until the end, even at the expense of gains she could have made. That was why she was known as the 'Flame Witch' among the upper echelons, as she never feared any challenge.
And now her reactions seemed unusually rational and different. She had passed Serafina's test, and this change caught Serafina's attention.
‘As expected… I should investigate him.’
Since Irina entered the academy, the only change in her life was that ordinary boy who originally wouldn't have been able to reach her.
Just as Irina researched the important figures in the academy, Serafina had also been keeping an eye on these people's lives.
Especially her rival, Irina. Most of the time, whenever Irina did something or made certain changes, Serafina would get the news.
After all, bribing Irina's former teammates for information wasn't a difficult task.
That was the way most high-ranking family heirs operated, and information, for them, was crucial.
From this information, she knew that the relationship between the two was far from ordinary.
As Serafina turned to leave, she cast one last glance at the team. The boy seemed to be looking at her too, their eyes meeting in the air.
Serafina's cold gaze locked onto Morse's purple eyes, and then a faint smile appeared on her lips.
His aura wasn't strong, and her characteristic showed that his overall parameters were relatively weak. But even so, she felt some parts she couldn't see through, and this situation was rare, and whenever this happened, she knew that this person must be important.
‘Maybe I should just take him away.’
Comparing Irina's unconscious reaction, she imagined how Irina would feel if she did that.
‘That would be interesting.’
She mused inwardly, her curiosity about the seemingly ordinary boy growing stronger. He seemed to harbor many unknown secrets, and the role he played in changing Irina's behavior intrigued Serafina. She wanted to know how someone like him could influence a girl with such a determined resolve.
With that, she left the place and headed to the academy building to see the headmaster.
However, she didn't notice the pair of green eyes watching her.
......
The classroom was filled with whispers of surprise and curiosity as Sylvie stood in the spotlight, her request echoing in the air.
“Please teach me how to fight.”
As her eyes met mine, I couldn't help but sigh. What bothered me wasn't the fact that she was seeking combat training, but rather the attention she was bringing.
‘This is troublesome. First Serafina, and now her.’
Every student in the classroom had their eyes fixed on us, and I maintained a blank expression as I pondered how things had escalated to this point.
‘How did it come to this?’
I certainly knew the reason, it was my own actions that led Sylvie to stand before me. Considering what I had said, she had obviously decided on her path. But what I said back then wasn't encouragement.
When I get annoyed, I tend to speak more harshly, and I know it's not a good habit, but habits aren't changed overnight. Especially those words I said yesterday.
‘Well, it might not be so bad.’
I thought Sylvie would go to an instructor to learn how to fight, and the academy would definitely fulfill her request. But even so, not everyone in the academy is trustworthy, especially the faculty.
‘It's not good to refuse now either.’
Amidst the many curious gazes, Sylvie remained standing there with determination written all over her face. It was a stark contrast to the Sylvie we first met, who was filled with resistance towards fighting.
I nodded, accepting Sylvie's request, deciding to take on the responsibility that seemed to have unintentionally fallen on my shoulders.
“Alright, I'll teach you,” I said seriously. “But you have to understand, I won't go easy on you. Can you accept that?”
If she came to me to learn, she had to accept my way of teaching. That was my condition.
Sylvie responded with a determined look in her eyes, a stark contrast to her initial hesitation when the topic of fighting was brought up. “Yes, I'll do everything I can to become stronger.”
‘We'll see.’
It was strange to see her like this, because this was the first time I had seen it. And she looked so determined, and I was a little relieved.
“Good.”
With that, the decision was made. Sylvie smiled happily, a genuine expression that I had never seen on her face before. “Thank you, Morse.”
“……”
Looking at her smile, I was momentarily speechless. It made me wonder, ‘Is this really something to be happy about?’ But I knew that it must have taken a lot of courage for Sylvie to face her fears.
Sylvie returned to her seat, her every move closely followed by her classmates' eyes. As she sat down, I could feel a sharp gaze coming from the side.
A pair of amber eyes locked onto me from across the classroom. Irina looked somewhat displeased, not that her emotions were anything new, so I just shrugged and focused on the class that was about to begin.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The classroom instantly fell silent as all the students sensed the presence of their strict professor.
“Good afternoon, students.”
Professor Eleanor's voice echoed through the silent classroom as she walked in, holding the spherical devices that the students had submitted.
She methodically made her way through the rows of desks, returning the devices to their respective groups.
Each student's work was handled with care, and she nodded in acknowledgement to each of them.
“Now that you have all completed the task of capturing and analyzing mana formulas, it is time to move on to the next step,” Eleanor began, her gaze sweeping over the attentive faces. “You are now required to write a detailed report on the mana formulas you encountered and captured in the forest.”
Eleanor placed the devices on the podium, clasping her hands behind her back. “Your reports should include the composition of the mana formulas, the unique characteristics they exhibited, and the strategies you employed to capture them. Consider it a reflection on what you have learned from this practical exercise.”
She paused, her stern gaze becoming even sharper. “Now, let me make one thing clear, the academy has a detailed record of every mana formula submitted by each group. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in the reports, and each of you should provide an independent and honest account of your findings. Accurate analysis and articulation of your experiences are important parts of your growth as hunters.”
With that, she slowly walked out of the classroom.
“Today's class will serve as report writing time, and you are free to leave. If you encounter any problems while writing your reports, you may contact me or the teaching assistants. Good luck.”
With that, the professor left, leaving the students in the classroom.
