Chapter 197:Reunion

Chapter 197: 197:Reunion

For a moment, the two of them just simply stared at each other. Until she broke the silence.

She grinned at him, "Careful now. You’re rather...delicate after all."

As she spoke, Raymond could see her eyes almost sparkle in glee.

Raymond blinked, "This wasn’t how I wanted to greet you."

He could feel a faint heat crawling up his body and onto his cheeks. At this close proximity, he could practically see both of their breaths mixing together in the air. Her soft, silky hair tickling his face.

Trying to straighten himself out, Ellen suddenly tightened her grip on him. While she just wanted to make sure he had his balance and didn’t immediately trip again. Seeing his reaction was a nice little bonus as well. Softly giggling as she asked him.

"Not even going to say thanks?"

He nodded, suddenly aware of just exactly how close the two of them were.

"T-thanks."

With that, she let go of him. Helping him up to his feet.

Raymond averted his eyes away from her gaze, taking a step away from her. Muttering as if nothing had just happened between the two of them.

He didn’t understand why his heart was beating so fast.

"Welcome back."

Meanwhile, as the Master and Shadow conversed all by themselves. The rest of their friends were all standing literally only a dozen meters away.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Currently, each of the special class students had a rather...colorful expression on their face right now.

Watching as Raymond and Ellen walked away by themselves without even a second look at the others. Smiling and laughing at each other like fools. As if the past two minutes hadn’t even happened at all right in front of their eyes.

Zachary turned to Thomas, "Did Ellen ever smile when she was with us?"

He rubbed his chin. Deep in contemplation as he searched his memory, "I don’t think so."

"I figured."

By this point, Zachary didn’t even know why he felt surprised any more. The two of them were practically glued at the hips at all times. Downright uncanny when they weren’t together.

He also had a rather bitter look on his face. His system rewarded him the closer he was to the other members of his ’hero party’, so this was essentially like a slap to his face. Despite being quite good friends, Zachary always felt a bit annoyed he could never get full use out of the system because of Ellen and Raymond.

Whatever, he was already over it anyways. Quests like becoming first in the academy could wait, he wasn’t really in a rush. Maintaining their friendships was more important to him now.

Although seeing the rewards did make his heart ache just a little bit.

Alongside the bitter expression of Zachary, this also included their instructor, instructor Rudeus. Quietly leaning down next to Lucy who was closest to him as he asked her.

"Hey, are the two of them dating or something?"

She shook her head, a frustrated look appearing. Although her frustration was for a completely different reason.

Answering him with a sigh, "Worse, they’re both just dumb."

"Oho..."

Rudeus quietly rubbed his chin, while Lucy let out another massive sigh.

A sigh so loud that even Sparky crawled out of her sleeve to ask her what was wrong, hissing whispering at her. To which she quietly responded to it while nudging it back into her clothes.

Rudeus chuckled, "Reminds me of your father. Love is truly such a powerful thing is it not?"

"It’s also extremely frustrating."

The tale of Lucy’s parents was a story known to practically everyone in the upper echelons of society and a significant amount of regular folks. How a man once thought to be the next up-and-coming contractor for the Grand Duke of Wrath, abruptly broke off the contract and returned to fight for humanity. Reforming himself all for love.

Lucian wasn’t just any regular SS-rank either. Widely regarded as being the strongest of humanity currently alive, as well as the closest to becoming a hero. If not for his past actions. His return to humanity’s side alone signalled a massive change in the war. A final tipping stone alongside the party of heroes to finally end it.

"Frustrating perhaps. But isn’t that the whole point of love? You’ll understand one day."

***

Ellen quietly looked around, failing to spot what she was looking for. She turned and asked him.

"By the way, where’s Erin? You didn’t leave her alone at home did you?"

She said that last part with a very accusatory tone.

"She said she’s visiting a friends house after class. It’s her first time and I don’t want to ruin her connections and all that. She’s still young after all."

Rosemere Academy was meant mainly for kids coming from Families. One singular bad impression was enough to ruin their life significantly at such a crucial stage. After all, kids tended to have strangely good memories when it came to these sorts of things.

Although Ellen possessed enough power as the next head of the Grace Family, prevention was always better then the cure after all. Plus, giving Erin a regular school life was always one of her top priorities. Alongside teasing Raymond as number one, but that was a separate thing

She visibly relaxed upon hearing that, "I see. I was worried you might be slacking off on taking care of her."

"Who exactly do you think I am?"

"Hmm? Did you even listen to any of the instructions I gave you?"

"Of course I did."

The corner of her lip curled up again, her eyes glimmering as she thoroughly observed Raymond.

She had really been with this guy for too long already, his acting might have been good. But Ellen could tell whenever he lied to her. It was just way too easy to read him.

It also helped that she knew how he was like as a person. Even without looking at his small tells, she would know.

Still, she acted oblivious to it. "Good job. Maybe dad will finally be proud of you for taking care of yourself."

"He’s always been proud of me, I always beat you in terms of grades after all!"

"Then you can be the one to ask him for more money next time. He’s starting to get used to my tricks by this point."

The two of them exchanged banter like this back and forth for a while. A smile gradually creeping up on both of their faces. Simply glad to be together again. As Raymond casually ignored the fact that he had purposely wanted to be alone from her, and Ellen ignored the fact that she knew about him wanting to be free from her.

And as Raymond and Ellen calmly enjoyed their walk back to the academy.

Meanwhile...

In a mansion belonging to a particular branch of the Asteria Family.

Eeeeeeek!

Hiieeeeek!

Two extremely loud high-pitched screams rang out in near unison.

"G-get behind me Erin! I’ll protect you!"

A red-haired girl, and a blue-haired girl both proceeded to let out another scream of pure terror in unison. Backing into the same corner again.

Charlotte held a hand out, shielding Erin from the terror. As the two of them took a step back further into the corner. The terror that tormented them inched another few steps closer.

It’s body was a dark brown, standing out on the clean red carpets. With six legs each adorned with countless wicked spikes. It was the size of a palm. With antennas the length of fingers, each movement of it’s body produced a skittling sound that would haunt nightmares.

"Nooo! My books!"

The terror crawled onto one of Charlotte’s books, one that she had been reading with Erin before they were suddenly attacked and was forced to retreat into the corner.

At this point, Charlotte had already resolved to burn away said book and carpet once this was over.

Just then, like a nightmare come to life. The body of the terror opened up. Revealing a pulsing segmented body, with two large sets of transparent wings. Like a cruel joke played by God. It leapt directly into the air.

Once again, screams of pure terror erupted.

Charlotte didn’t even know any Arts, nor did she form her core yet. But at this moment, faced with the pressure to protect their lives. She mobilized the few specks of mana in her body. Performing an extremely rudimentary form of manifestation in order to create a wall to block it.

A transparent blue wall appeared in the air, almost like a bubble.

Thak!

The terror slammed into the wall, bouncing off of it and protecting the two.

Charlotte let out a sigh of relief, only for her expression to immediately harden. As without a core to absorb more mana, all the mana in her body ran out. Causing the wall of mana to disappear.

While she struggled, desperately thinking of another method to protect them while also fighting off the mana burn. She felt Erin take a step forward.

Pushing past her hand, despite the fact that she was clearly trembling in fear. She raised her hands up into the air, in a scene reminiscent of a red panda attempting to scare off predators. Her mouth opened, revealing her sharp fangs.

She roared, "RAAAH!"

The terror, still flying in the air was hit directly by the roar. Waves of invisible force that would rattle the brain of any creature caught within. Causing them to stop moving out of pure fear. With weaker creatures often dying outright. The most primitive form of Dragon Aura.

Staring at the terror spasm on the ground. Before finally going limp. The two of them turned to each other, before almost immediately collapsing to the ground.

Charlotte was the first to talk, "Next time. Let’s go to your house instead."

"Mhm!"

Too tired to even say a word, she just made a sound that indicated confirmation.

Their house didn’t have any bugs in it anyways, and she could take Charlotte to see all animals in aunt Lucy’s house. If aunt Lin was there, she could even take them all flying as well!