Chapter 430:Looking for an argument.

Chapter 430: 430:Looking for an argument.

During the break before baseline assessments, she approached him.

"Dillian."

He looked up.

She smiled.

"Can we talk?"

Iris visibly rolled her eyes.

Dillian stood.

"What about?"

Cruella glanced toward the others.

"Privately."

"No."

Her smile tightened.

"You’ve changed."

Dillian stared.

"Have I?" He asked and glanced towards her new lover.

"You used to listen to everything I said."

"I still listen."

"Then can we talk somewhere else?" Cruella insisted.

"If you have something to say, say it. I’m not looking for trouble at the moment, especially..."

He looked pointedly at Flencher who remained several meters away.

He wasn’t interfering but it was clear he was watching. Dillian noticed that and so did Cruella.

Her smile became more careful.

"I wanted to make sure there weren’t any misunderstandings between us."

He almost laughed.

"About what?"

Cruella hesitated.

"Delta Two."

"There isn’t a misunderstanding I can remember."

"Dillian."

"You left and that’s it. We promised never to interfere with each other but it seems you don’t listen very well."

The room around them wasn’t silent, but several nearby students were definitely listening.

Cruella lowered her voice.

"It wasn’t like that," she tried.

"It was exactly like that," he shut her down firmly.

"I made a decision but...."

"Yes," he cut her off while nodding. "You did."

That answer seemed to frustrate her more than anger would have. She had probably prepared for accusation, resentment and maybe jealousy.

Dillian gave her none.

She glanced toward Flencher.

He followed her gaze.

"Another decision?"

Cruella’s eyes sharpened.

"Don’t."

Dillian shrugged.

"You came to me."

Serena behind him covered a smile.

Cruella noticed and her expression tightened.

"Paul and I weren’t together."

Dillian didn’t respond he just gave her a blank stare.

"I never promised him anything."

"Then you don’t need to explain it to me and I never asked," he calmly said.

"I don’t."

"No."

Cruella stared at him without saying another word.

Dillian waited for whatever reason she was cooking up.

She finally changed direction.

"Flencher has been helping me adjust to Alpha Three."

Dillian looked toward him.

Flencher Abeldon was difficult to ignore.

The youngest son of Alpha Three’s current leader had grown up inside the sanctuary’s highest political and administrative circles.

His uniform was identical to everyone else’s, but people treated him differently anyway. Some greeted him by name despite clearly never having met him. Others whispered whenever he passed.

Yet his position wasn’t purely inherited. He had passed academy admission. His baseline scores so far were strong.

He carried himself like someone who had spent his entire life under scrutiny and learned to stop reacting to it.

"Good for you," Dillian said.

Cruella’s expression hardened. That was apparently not the response she wanted either.

"You really don’t care?"

Dillian looked at her.

"About who you’re currently spending time with?"

The word currently landed exactly where he intended.

Cruella’s eyes flashed.

Dillian remained calm.

"No," he calmly said.

Flencher finally calmly approached. He stopped beside Cruella.

"Dillian."

Dillian looked at him.

"Flencher."

They’d been introduced briefly earlier. Flencher’s gaze moved between them.

"I don’t know what happened before Alpha Three."

Cruella immediately said, "It’s nothing."

Flencher looked at her, then back at Dillian who shrugged.

"Then there’s nothing to discuss."

He turned away.

Cruella stared at his back, jer hands tightening beside her.

Leadership rank sixteen had earned her attention this morning. She had done very well.

Her wind ability had developed considerably, and she had performed strongly enough across the academy’s evaluations to place above hundreds of other candidates and direct-admission students.

She wanted people to notice but Dillian apparently didn’t care. That irritated her more than she wanted to admit.

"Your ranking isn’t everything either," she said.

Dillian stopped.

Iris loudly sighed.

He slowly turned.

"I didn’t say it was."

Cruella realized she’d created an argument he hadn’t started.

Flencher noticed too.

She smiled.

"I know. I’m only saying everyone is acting like the top twenty already determines everything."

Dillian nodded.

"It doesn’t."

Again, no argument.

Cruella’s frustration increased.

The instructor called everyone back before she could find another direction.

"Break is over. Ability demonstrations continue."

Dillian walked away and Cruella returned toward Flencher.

He watched her.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing."

She frowned.

"You were looking at me."

"I was."

"And?"

Flencher smiled faintly.

"You’re beautiful."

Cruella’s irritation softened, that was better, she liked that answer.

How exactly Cruella had gone from travelling with Paul to entering Alpha Three Academy alongside Flencher Abeldon remained something almost nobody understood.

There were rumors.

A reception.

An introduction through one of Alpha Three’s research families.

An incident during registration.

Some claimed Flencher had personally helped resolve a problem with Cruella’s academy sponsorship.

Others claimed she’d met him through Paul.

Nobody seemed to possess the complete story.

Cruella wasn’t explaining, neither was Flencher. For now, the mystery remained.

---

By early afternoon, the seven first-year classes had completed their baseline evaluations. And already, students had begun creating unofficial comparisons despite being repeatedly told not to.

Class One had Dillian.

Class Two had Antony and Rebecca.

Class Four had Silver, Ravenna and Helena Seer.

Class Five had Jude.

Gareth’s presence in Class Six had already started attracting attention there.

Other names were beginning to emerge too. Students who hadn’t appeared anywhere near the preliminary top twenty but possessed unusual abilities.

Students whose entrance performance had been mediocre but whose weapon proficiency was exceptional.

Students with low Soul Capacities and excellent judgment. Students with enormous potential and terrible fundamentals.

That was what the academy had actually built.

Silver and Ravenna walked out together completely forgetting about Shirley.

Their hands weren’t joined this time.

Ravenna was carrying her sword case in one hand and discussing tomorrow’s schedule while Silver checked the timetable on his academy tablet.

"Beast Biology first."

She looked displeased.

He smiled.

"I warned you," she said.

"Then physical conditioning."

"You look happier."

"I am," he said then added. "Combat fundamentals after that."

"Better."

"Tactical theory after lunch."

Ravenna sighed.

Silver laughed.

They had spent most of yesterday and this morning unable to stop touching each other.

That wasn’t disappearing, neither wanted it to, but something else was beginning now.

The academy.

Training.

Competition.

Their own goals.

Ravenna wanted to become stronger. Silver had weaknesses he needed to correct.

They weren’t going to spend every class staring at each other simply because their relationship had finally crossed a line both of them had avoided for too long.

Ravenna looked toward him.

"Peter said sword training is three times a week."

Silver nodded.

"I saw."

"I meant what I said earlier. I’ll help you."

"I know."

"But I’m not going easy on you."

"I’d be disappointed if you did."

Ravenna smiled.

"And if you use Short-Step every time I’m about to hit you, I’m going to get angry."

Silver looked at her.

"You’re banning my ability?"

"During sword practice."

"That seems unfair."

"You want to improve your swordsmanship."

"I also want to avoid being hit."

"You can’t have both. Choose one me or your skill?"

Silver laughed.

They reached the stairs.

Ravenna moved closer, just close enough for their shoulders to brush.

Silver looked at her and she looked back.

"Food?"

"Definitely."

He leaned down.

Ravenna expected the cheek kiss; instead, Silver stopped.

"What?"

He smiled.

"Nothing."

Ravenna narrowed her eyes.

"You were going to kiss me."

"I can wait."

That surprised her, then she smiled.

"Good."

They walked another three steps. Ravenna grabbed the front of his uniform, pulled him down and kissed him quickly on the lips.

Silver was left a little startled by that.

She released him.

"Now we can eat."

He continued staring after her.

Ravenna continued walking.

He caught up.

"That was cheating."

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"You deliberately waited until I gave up."

"You were taking too long."

Silver laughed.

They continued toward the cafeteria. Behind them, Class Four dispersed into the academy.