Chapter 124: New Meetings (3)
igWyvTIndeed, Tess had a physique that could match the bulky Rian, with long limbs and a tall stature, giving her a deep waistline.O9lT
iVkIn contrast, Shirone was unmistakably a mage. He was of average height and on the thinner side compared to his peers.zFfR
9tMiqWOf course, physical beauty wasn’t the entirety of one’s charm, but it was inevitable to feel inferior in front of Tess’s imposing presence, who stood a head taller.dwR
CXCLi“No, we’re just friends too. She’s especially coming along at my request.”xKemXt
D48V“Ah, I see.”brKSN
MfKbYOTess didn’t quite believe it. The fact that a girl from the first-class nobility was accompanying a commoner as his partner was enough to hint at an extraordinary affection.3OahI25
xSI0eCNRian thought the same. In fact, his biggest concern while planning this trip was if Shirone couldn’t find a partner due to his status and introverted personality, which could potentially hurt him.4JUf
G7xAXBut to his surprise, even Shirone, who seemed indifferent to girls, brought along a stunningly beautiful girl.JAU
yRfXImRian always believed that a girl should evoke a protective instinct, like Amy did with her adorable charm.yUZ
qbBuk6xIn contrast, Tess was someone who surpassed him in skill, so it was impossible to feel romantic towards her.jH4m
QqbEven if it was just due to her Schema ability, few men are attracted to women stronger than themselves.Vf3II
XQVL‘Give it your best, Shirone. I’ll actively support you.’sLdLi
eG2hWhile Rian was strategizing, the prepared carriage arrived. The four gathered their belongings and headed towards the carriage.3Gprdl3
dIITThat’s when it happened.UMXC
oUYf9l“You brat! Rian~!”wWOgsDd
Gae5PbA tremendous decibel voice spread from the mansion. The murderous intent carried by the voice alone was enough for Rian to realize everything was exposed.AhQY
yVRaBc“Damn it! Run, everyone!”3Ww119B
U7OEnw“What? What about the carriage?”ujF9
a6MKCw“If we ride, we’ll be too late! Look back! We must jump over the fence at all costs!”1yZS
39tZdThe three looked back towards the mansion. A towering whirlwind of yellow dust was approaching them.ZdFIdFX
flN2Without fully grasping the situation, Shirone and his companions started running.fbQBK
9uagS“Rian! What’s happening?”STMr
SrDff“Damn! The report card must have arrived! I actually came last! Dad’s going to kill us!”5Nqf39
emvJ“Really? Like, actually kill? Let’s just tell the truth and leave. What is this, running away for a vacation?”DzBv
xgFj“Feel free to try if you’re so confident. I’m running. Just so you know, my dad’s a certified Grade-4 Swordsman.”pdOKM
FyvlMHThe color drained from the faces of the three. Tess activated her Schema and dashed forward, with Amy following closely.vtUZ
9w3cThShirone, lagging behind, felt his heart pounding. He was running forward, yet the wind blew from behind.bAW
xQuq8DPushing through the air at such speed meant Bischoff was surpassing human limits.blw6WUE
BmX“Rian! We’re going to get caught!”sI4H
JJWBMzk“We have no choice! I’ll sacrifice myselft! You guys go ahead and have fun on the island!”iAC
7WPsIf anyone could pull it off, it was Rian. But leaving friends behind for a vacation was out of the question. Amidst the chaos, Shirone thought of a solution.Wg6qNYb
vMJ8B“Amy! Let’s use Teleportation! Rian, don’t move!”ZNtIkY
gqXLPEShirone grabbed Rian and cast a Photonization spell. Their bodies flashed brightly and then shot forward as beams of light.ieu
XLtMXDExperiencing Teleportation for the first time, Rian felt dizzy. His vision narrowed to an extreme, making it feel like all scenery was rushing towards him.4FD0Ih
e4ZIt was the perspective of a mage.qwomK
1ksAmy, understanding Shirone’s instructions, grabbed Tess and cast Teleportation.zSOIEkB
TsTStmDTwo streaks of light dashed across the garden at incredible speeds. It was a dangerous situation where they could crash into any obstacle and shatter, but Shirone and Amy didn’t allow for any mistakes.qDh6T6
6lyThinking they had gotten far enough, Shirone looked back. But he had to grit his teeth, holding back tears, as the whirlwind had closed in even more.C0KWN
X9VfPuwIt was tearing through everything in its path, obstructions and all.6Xc
JVvNaturally, the image of the Great Straight Sword, the symbol of the Ogent family, came to mind.tcWQX
Kb8vbI“Amy! This way!”4JA3C
Zi4vS7dShirone screeched to a halt in the middle of a dense forest and called out. Amy then canceled a turn to close the distance to Shirone.49MpZ
Bwm7iuXThe destructive whirlwind was 100 meters away, tearing through the forest.U9AlT3C
py2NRLTess stomped her feet in frustration and yelled.1wTyijQ
mXlUqT5“What now? Are we just going to get caught?”smu5
wetFA“Hold on to me! We’re going to fly!”qPBHUi
MdXShirone expanded the radius of his Spirit Zone as much as possible. It wasn’t enough to escape the garden, but there was one way.dGn
NBwIf they couldn’t outrun the speed, they could disappear from their coordinates momentarily.d5OrH
lMclkV“Here we go!”V7qq
i5MbLRShirone used Synesthesia to search for a safe location as his friends gathered. He hadn’t expected to use a spell he thought he wouldn’t need for a while in such a practical situation so soon.vdnH87G
MwXTargeting the outskirts of the forest, he cast Spatial Warp, and their bodies ignited into light before being sucked into the sky.tWhZ1
dQNSimultaneously, a tremendous wind swept in, carrying shadows with it, erasing their presence as it passed where they stood.R9zLuF4
6jMCJgSBischoff clenched his hand that failed to catch Rian, regretting the missed opportunity by a hair’s breadth.nfGAOUx
lO3“Damn it…”bVjIpNw
MZ0Tc8uPivoting 180 degrees, Bischoff braked with both legs, sliding across the ground as if on ice, pushing back for several meters.1Ya0Sl
cbpA mound of earth, weighing twenty times his body weight, rose behind his heels, showcasing the immense physical force his body contained.eN0vzu
6WrCKBischoff looked back at the path he had charged down with a heavy heart. The ground was churned up, and trees were snapped randomly.pAo5CL
LXzaAll of this chaos was because of Rian, who dared to deceive his father.p3GU
36meF“Imaginary Schema?”GZItqW
WrblfHe trembled as he pulled out the report card. The more he thought about it, the more sighs it drew from him.lfIM
eQbHYet, on the other hand, he felt a pang of sympathy for his inept son. How much training must he have undergone to possess strength akin to Schema?9Lkf
x9m“I suppose it’s a consolation prize.”vL2
lD7Jw5aBut then, Shirone had already mastered Spatial Warp, a feat challenging even for professionals, marking incredible progress for just half a year.09Z
7MAGOShirone and Rian. Rian and Shirone. Bischoff contemplated the intertwined fates of the two boys.S6gj52V
qjtDespite their vastly different talents and dispositions, perhaps the steps they took were equally named ‘best effort’?5BjLx
s88“This will make a fine memory, too.”FrI
OazFuDiscarding the report card over his shoulder, Bischoff headed back to the mansion.e5H
6jGZeHaving vaulted over the Ogent estate’s fence, Shirone and his companions exerted themselves to leave the noble district.ptXrDw
e5CKThanks to the Spatial Warp, they had escaped Bischoff’s anticipated coordinates, but they couldn’t yet relax.S8rm1jT
d39SA Schema master’s movement, boasting a nearly animalistic range, couldn’t be easily escaped with mere Teleportation.hSbC4je
Wb1k6SOnly upon reaching the bustling streets did Shirone and his companions catch their breath, still vividly recalling Bischoff’s face.JYrK
5huThough they doubted he would harm his son, the approaching whirlwind suggested he was capable of more severe actions.swoeTF5
McQShirone sighed, “What do we do now? We’ve come this far, so there’s no turning back.”f8jeL1
TZdRcCq“It doesn’t matter, right? We’ve got plenty of travel money. Let’s rent a carriage to the harbor.”yXO
TCFSXRian feared nothing but his father. Though retribution was inevitable, gloomy thoughts had no place with an enjoyable trip ahead.xjSw2P0
9nRThey reached a stable on the city outskirts, offering horses for sale and transport services, hiring drivers to destinations.fXpi
Pv5With the ship’s departure time looming, Rian hastily rented a four-seater carriage available for immediate departure.zG3GbnZ
nqPXGT5Rian and Tess sat side by side, with Shirone and Amy facing them. The interior, meant for commoners, was cramped, forcing them to sit closely.dY6bpk
Ij9PDtThe carriage set off amidst an awkward atmosphere, but the cool breeze through the window soon eased the tension.HdOdO4G
5NeTess fanned herself, observing Shirone. Though unfamiliar with magic, she understood the difficulty of escaping a dense forest via Teleportation, confirming Shirone’s significant magical prowess.8p6
uvqNmC1Yet, merely excelling in magic wasn’t enough to warrant a knightly oath from Rian, considering the abundance of skilled nobles, leaving her doubts unresolved.zH6uaI
lnih“What was that second spell? It felt odd for Teleportation.”3M4HL5
FXYk“Oh, that was Spatial Warp. It might have felt disorienting because it bends space along the time axis.”sVPJO2
Tp8sYIK“What? That was Spatial Warp?”F8mN
34rqqQTess was astonished. Even among her friends attending magic schools, none had mastered Spatial Warp.C58R
XI8It wasn’t a matter of mere theoretical knowledge; it required immense mental fortitude and could only be conquered with time and effort.EAuY9x
B5WWW“That’s impressive. Did you come across some fortune? Not to belittle, but Spatial Warp is usually reserved for professionals. Isn’t it tough without studying magic from a young age?”kJMw
TUY2OuTess assumed Shirone had entered the magical world through some childhood fortune, as there seemed no other way for a commoner to learn magic.vmXGqB4
ege5uGyShirone simply nodded. While half right and half wrong, he felt no need to correct the misunderstanding as it wasn’t a significant issue.gz6rNWw
E4cUkbH“Right. Without Rian, I couldn’t have attended the magic school. The Ogent family helped me enroll.”KyH2Lg
nim5“So that was it. But still, I think it’s remarkable. Competing with nobles from a young age, not just in studies but in other aspects too, must have been taxing.”MRK
f9u1bLj“Haha! It was at first. But it’s okay now. Amy has been a great help, too.”868vtq
6Ltug5“Hmph, what did I even do? You never told me anything.”HvhqC6n
XR8YXAmy snorted and turned away. Despite not showing it, she was frustrated with Shirone’s modest response.aftiBy
iuL9Tess seemed to doubt that Shirone, merely a commoner, had mastered advanced magic through his efforts.PTA
3GKEh2wNot knowing him, her reaction was natural, but Amy disliked the assumption that Shirone’s arduous journey could be dismissed as mere fortune.HIl
7B7jRian scratched that itchy spot for Amy.2sctQQz
j20XlU5“After all, it’s only been half a year. Shirone has only been studying magic for that long.”Gja1e
NeL4HT“What, half a year?”wYDLa
4GDFTess’s neck nearly snapped as she turned to Rian. Even for her, this was beyond comprehension.cfb4Eq
SzlIt was common knowledge among the nobility that mastering Spatial Warp in just half a year was impossible, regardless of a swordsman’s perspective.xhiVVMo
p0l2wTess discreetly glanced across. Shirone smiled, but Amy, still sulking, wouldn’t even meet his gaze.qYD6DOO
75DETess then realized her mistake.oiIpM
fdWmSwordsmen and mages often have opposite natures due to their different pursuits.P2JDy7r
VKRSXTIf one speaks and listens as swordsmen do, mages infer numerous meanings between the lines. From Amy’s perspective, Tess’s remarks could seem demeaning to Shirone.m9Q
aaMRYj“Oh dear, I apologize. I didn’t mean to upset you with my thoughtless chatter. If my partner were treated this way, I’d be furious too.”FV0W9u
zPrAmy’s face flushed. Mages might excel in language, but direct apologies like this left them defenseless as newborns.UlO
5pxl“Me, what did I do? I didn’t say anything. And we’re not lovers, just friends.”eVvUsc
FUpFmThough Amy responded curtly, her expression had softened significantly.p1ud
JwA4N“It’s natural to be unfamiliar with each other at first. Tess may be blunt, but she means no harm, so please understand. Feel free to speak your mind anytime.”U4F
xJV2sRian spoke straightforwardly, leaving Shirone and Amy at a loss for words.prKBb
12vk1mvAccustomed to weighing and measuring their words, the swordsmen’s frankness was overwhelmingly burdensome for them.h8fZ0DG
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!