Chapter 112: Come Here Honey.

Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Come Here Honey.

A sword came in from the left and another from the right. In an attempt to keep his team’s formation tight, Xavier stepped back and tried to tank the slash aimed at his teammate. In that exact moment Arabella stepped forward and brought her blade down hard on his shoulder guard. The impact rang out with a sharp metallic clang, leaving a clear dent in the steel.

"Hah! I’ve done it!" Arabella smiled, the corners of her mouth lifting with open satisfaction.

"It’s not over yet."

The instant she let her guard down to celebrate the small victory, Xavier signaled his teammates. They charged as one. In a matter of seconds, the entire battle flipped; the opposing team’s formation collapsed under Xavier’s calculated pressure. Blades clashed in rapid succession, the air filling with the crisp ring of steel and the scuff of boots on packed earth.

"All right, that’s it. Groups Three and Four, prepare for your turn." Professor Allhound’s voice cut through the arena and ended the bout.

"You almost had me at the end," Xavier said.

"It doesn’t matter. I got what I wanted. I’m excited to see what my reward will be," Arabella replied, her tail giving a small, pleased sway.

The exam continued with the remaining groups fighting in teams. Once the teamwork stage was finished, it was time for the final test.

"Step forward when I call your name. We will now begin the aura-strength test."

Cheers erupted again among the spectators the moment the words left Professor Alhound’s mouth, a wave of noise rolling across the stands.

He gave a slight nod to the arena coordinator. The man fed mana into an enchanted switch. With a low, resonant hum the ground beside the professor split open and a five-meter-tall wall rose from the earth—thick, dark, and gleaming with neon green and purple reflections that caught the light in shifting patterns.

"This is mithril." The professor tapped the wall twice; the sound was dull and solid. Mithril was an extremely rare metal prized for its incredible endurance and one of the few materials that could withstand aura-infused blades on its own. "You will be scored on the amount of damage you deal to the wall. No need to hold back—go all out."

The students had been forbidden from using aura during the first two stages to avoid injuring their classmates. This final test was designed specifically to measure their performance with aura, an advanced technique taught only after a student had mastered basic and intermediate forms of Imperial swordsmanship.

"Arabella!." Professor called.

She stepped up in front of the towering wall, settled into her stance, focused on the edge of her blade, and infused it with mana. A faint cloudy sheen covered the entire sword—her aura. The air around the edge seemed to shimmer faintly.

She drew a deep breath, slashed once with all her might, and stepped back. A clean, sharp note of metal against mithril rang out.

"Slash length: one meter. Depth: three centimeters. Well done. You may return."

One student after another was called. The results came quickly.

"Length 0.3 m, depth 1 cm."

"Length 0.5 m, depth 0.8 cm."

From the numbers alone it was obvious Arabella led by a wide margin. Almost every other student topped out around half a meter with varying depths.

"All right, next—Xavier."

Unlike the rest of the class, Xavier was deliberately holding back. Instead of using Miss Incinerator, he was using a borrowed training blade and feeding it as little mana as possible. His overall mana control had already reached the fifth stage; the sudden leap made it difficult for him to fine-tune such tiny amounts—something he had been practicing ever since he received the axis bracelet.

He took his stance. The blade began to glow a deep green. He focused, reducing the flow of mana until only a faint sheen remained, then cut into the wall. The edge bit into the mithril with a muted, grinding resistance.

"Slash length: one meter. Depth: two centimeters," Alhound announced, already calling the next student.

"It wouldn’t be all bad if you went all out for once," Arabella whispered into his ear when he returned to her side. Her warm breath brushed his skin.

"I already stand out enough among the freshmen. This much is fine for now."

Soon every student had finished the test and the professor dismissed them.

After changing out of her light armor, Arabella waited at the arena gates. Her eyes lit up the moment Xavier appeared; her ears fluttered once at the sight of him.

Xavier had promised her a reward. She had no idea what to expect, but simply spending time with him already felt like a prize.

"Sorry, Arabella. Something just came up. I’ll see you later."

His words instantly dimmed her excitement. The soft light in her eyes faded. He couldn’t leave her looking that disappointed.

Most of the other students had already left the grounds; they were among the last ones remaining. Xavier stepped closer, slid a hand around the small of her back, pulled her in, and gave her a gentle kiss, soft and passionate against her warm lips.

"Hold on to this feeling for now. I’ll reward you soon."

"Okay ?," Arabella answered in her sweetest voice.

With a heavy heart Xavier parted from her and headed toward the main building. While he was changing from his light armor back into the academy uniform, a message glowed in white light on the back of his left hand—exactly where Milfias had placed her snowflake mark. It showed a time and place. The time was now, which was why he had been forced to leave Arabella behind. A cool tingle spread from the mark.

He climbed to the seventh floor and reached the designated room: an assembly hall normally reserved for staff only.

The chamber was dimly lit. A large circular table stood in the center with seven seats arranged around it. Six were already occupied. Everyone sat in silence, waiting. The air carried a quiet, formal stillness. Milfias occupied the head of the table.

"Come here, honey. Auntie saved a seat for you," she said in an almost sensual tone, gesturing to the chair on her right.

Xavier walked around the table without looking at the others and sat down beside her. Only then did he sweep his gaze across the rest of the attendees. He recognized two of them immediately.

To his right sat a tall man with rough brown hair, a slender build, and a chiseled face—fourth-year, rank 204, Charles Bellmoore. Next to him was a cute girl with shiny blue eyes, glossy blue hair, and a porcelain-doll like petite figure with incredibly smooth milky skin. She wore the same bored expression as the last time he had seen her—third-year, rank 8, Nerissa Montclair.

"Wassup!" Charles greeted casually. Nerissa only nodded in acknowledgment. Xavier returned both gestures and looked farther around the table.

Almost opposite him sat a man with short black hair and a sharp gaze.

"I am Viktor Varkhas, heir to the Varkhas Earldom, fourth-year rank 12. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise. I am Xavier Drakenfell, heir to the Drakenfell Dukedom, freshman rank 2."

"We all know who you are. The Dean already told us about the newcomer joining the meeting today." The voice came from beside Viktor. Green curly hair, slanted eyes, and a mischievous face—Professor Adrian Solmire, head of the academic department.

Ever since Xavier had joined the Frostborn faction, this was the first time he had been called to a meeting, and the first time he had met any of the other members except Grushka. Finding Charles and Nerissa here had already surprised him, but he was even more surprised by the person sitting next to Adrian, on Milfias’s left.