Chapter 320: Dinner With A Friend [2]

After the initial greetings, the trio quickly grew comfortable with each other. Soren also used Advanced Appraisal on Zura while she was busy catching up with Ethea.

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Name: Zura Ayun

Race: Human

Age: 22

Status: Healthy

Rank: 6th Circle (Mid Stage)

Current Mana Level: 1,858,400

Mental State: Relaxed, Curious

Abilities: Infernal Bloom, Phoenix Tear

Affinities: Fire (Grade 8 - SS Rank)

Hidden Talent / Traits: Heart’s Insight

Potential: 8th Circle (Estimated)

Investment Value: SUPREME

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Seeing her affinity and abilities, his eyes lit up. ’I think I now know how Ethea could learn so much about Nura.’

If he guessed correctly, Zura might be Nura’s teacher, or hold a high position at the academy to be privy to that kind of information. Either way, she was definitely the best person who could help them.

However, he wasn’t in a hurry, as they had just met. So, he just sat back and watched as the two women talked.

Zura asked about Ethea’s condition, her tone shifting from cheerful to genuinely concerned. Ethea answered without hesitation, sharing more than she usually would with anyone else. She spoke about her recovery, the treatments, and even some of the difficulties she faced. Zura listened intently, her expression softening with each word.

’I guess they really are best friends,’ Soren thought, a small smile tugging at his lips.

After a while, Zura leaned back and clapped her hands together. "Enough about that. Now, tell me..." She looked between the two of them with eager eyes. "When did you get married? And how did this even happen? With your personality, I was sure you were going to remain single for the rest of your life."

Ethea let out a small sigh, doing her best to ignore her last sentence. "It’s... a long story."

"I have time." Zura grinned. "Besides, you owe me. You didn’t even invite me to the wedding."

"It... It wasn’t that kind of wedding," Ethea replied calmly.

Zura raised a brow. "What kind of wedding doesn’t invite the bride’s best friend?"

"...I’ll tell you later," Ethea replied after glancing at Soren. "What about you? Have you got married yet?" She paused, staring at Zura. "...With your temper, I’m guessing probably not."

Zura’s lips twitched. "You got that right. Happy now?" She huffed and crossed her arms. "But I’m not the one at fault here, okay! I went on a few dates, you know. I really tried. But every single guy was either too scared to even speak a few words, or they walked around with their noses so high in the air they couldn’t even see the ground." She let out an exaggerated sigh. "So I decided to just stick to my job and wait for a fateful encounter instead."

Ethea smiled faintly. "That sounds like you."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Zura narrowed her eyes, but there was no real bite behind it.

"Nothing."

"Urgh..."

’...Her hidden talent, Heart’s Insight, probably helped her.’ Soren guessed as he kept listening.

From what he understood, Heart’s Insight allowed her to sense the emotions and intentions of those around her, almost like reading their hearts. That explained why she could tell when someone was putting on a facade or hiding their true feelings. In a world full of political games and deception, that kind of ability was invaluable.

The same went for relationships. She could probably tell right away if someone was genuine or just putting on an act to impress her. That would explain why she had trouble finding a partner. Most people couldn’t hide their true selves from her, and the ones who tried only exposed themselves faster.

It also explained why she and Ethea got along so well. Ethea wasn’t the type to open up easily, but with someone who could see past her cold exterior, there was no point in pretending. Zura probably understood her better than most.

’And if I had to guess, it was definitely Zura who approached Ethea first and refused to give up until she got through to her.’ He smiled inwardly at the thought, imagining the scene. ’Yeah, that sounds about right.’

"And you, Mr. Everly." Zura suddenly turned to him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What do you do? How did you manage to seduce my little ice block? You do look handsome, but she wasn’t the type to be swayed by looks."

"..." Soren fell silent at her question, pondering how to reply. Since he hadn’t confessed to Ethea yet, he feared that saying too much or the wrong words might make things awkward between them. He also didn’t want to assume anything about her feelings when he hadn’t even told her his own.

He took a quick glance at Ethea and found her watching him with an unreadable expression. She didn’t seem worried or uncomfortable. If anything, there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes, as if she was also waiting to hear what he would say.

"We’re still getting to know each other," Soren said carefully. "I wouldn’t say I seduced her. More like... we’re figuring things out as we go."

Zura raised a brow, clearly not satisfied with that answer. "Figuring things out? That’s vague."

Soren shrugged lightly, thinking perhaps it was better to just leave it at that. He couldn’t exactly pour his heart out in front of someone he just met, especially not about something so personal. Besides, confessing to Ethea was something he wanted to do properly.

Zura stared at him for a moment longer, then let out a sigh. "Fine. Don’t say it if you don’t want to." She gave him a grudging look, but when her eyes shifted to Ethea, her expression softened into a smile. "I’ll find out everything from her later anyway."

Soren let out a breath, relieved to move on from that topic. He then took the opportunity to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"So, you’re an instructor at Etenia Academy, right?"

Zura turned back to him and nodded with a proud smile. "Impressive, right?"

"Indeed, you must be incredibly talented to become an instructor there at such a young age." Soren praised her. But he was honest and speaking the truth.

Teaching at the continent’s best academy was not something just anyone could do. It required not only skill but also experience, patience, and a reputation that could withstand the scrutiny of students and faculty alike. To achieve that at twenty-two, or perhaps even earlier, was nothing short of remarkable.