Chapter 686: Quite Talk

Ezra listened calmly to Selena without interrupting her or looking away.

The holographic screen displayed his figure clearly, allowing Selena to see the study room behind him and part of the table where he had been working.

"That seems like a really busy schedule you had,"

Ezra remarked after she finished speaking.

He spoke in his usual calm tone.

There was no particular expression on his face, but he had listened to everything she said.

"I’m telling you, I couldn’t avoid going to the parties, even if it was just one. But I did enjoy myself."

Selena played with her fingers as she answered.

She had attended several social gatherings during the holiday, and while some of them had been enjoyable, others had left her with little choice but to maintain her usual manners and fulfill her obligations.

Now, however, she had a different problem.

Ahhh...

I’m running out of things to say.

Her fingers stopped moving for a moment before she resumed playing with them.

What should I ask next?

Their conversation about the holiday was already reaching its end.

Selena wanted to keep talking, but she couldn’t think of another question that wouldn’t sound strange.

She considered asking Ezra about the places he had visited in Thornwick, especially the places he had gone sightseeing, but she stopped herself before bringing it up.

She and Ezra hadn’t grown close enough for that kind of conversation yet.

Asking too many personal questions might make her seem overly interested in his affairs.

No, I shouldn’t rush things.

The only good news was that Ezra had been responding to her questions and asking questions of his own.

He wasn’t merely giving short answers to end the conversation as quickly as possible, anymore.

At least, that was how it seemed to her.

Their conversation had felt natural so far.

Neither of them had been forced to carry it entirely, and Ezra hadn’t shown any sign of wanting to end the call just to be polite.

The ladies watching Selena had noticed it as well.

They had initially expected her to struggle through the conversation, especially after seeing how nervous she had been when Ezra answered the call.

Yet, as the exchange continued, they began to feel as though Selena and Ezra had already known each other for some time.

Of course, Selena herself wasn’t feeling nearly as confident as they thought.

She glanced at the holographic screen again.

The view showed part of Ezra’s table, along with a few papers and other items scattered across it.

"You look like you’re really busy right now,"

She said calmly.

"I am."

Ezra answered directly, without adding anything else.

Selena’s fingers tightened slightly against each other.

"So, does that mean I called at the wrong time?"

She asked lightly, but her concern was real.

The thought that she might have interrupted his work made her feel uneasy.

She had wanted to speak with him, not become another task he needed to deal with before the end of the night.

"No."

Ezra’s answer came without hesitation.

"I still have time to resume my work before I go to bed."

As he spoke, he glanced towards the clock in the study room.

Its position allowed him to check the time without having to leave his seat.

"Except if the call goes on for more than an hour. Then I’ll have to end it politely."

He said it in a straightforward manner, making no attempt to hide his thoughts.

Ezra wasn’t trying to be rude.

He simply had work to finish, and he had no reason to pretend otherwise.

If the conversation lasted too long, he would end it and return to his duties.

"Oh, I see..."

Selena replied softly.

She tried to maintain her smile, though his answer had given her something else to worry about.

An hour sounded like plenty of time, but she couldn’t help thinking about how quickly it might pass if she failed to find anything else to talk about.

An hour?

Do I even have enough things to say to him for an hour?

She quickly pushed the thought aside.

"But then... are you always awake at this time? Even if we’re Alchemists, staying up late isn’t healthy."

Her tone became a little firmer as she spoke.

She had been worried about disturbing him, but now that he had admitted to working so late, she couldn’t help commenting on it.

Ezra narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What about you, then?"

His tone remained flat.

"Ah..."

A faint, stunned breath escaped Selena’s lips.

It’s because my older sister and her friends invaded my space!

They wanted to have a sleepover, and I didn’t know that their plan all along was to force me into calling you!

Selena wanted to explain herself, but the words remained in her mind.

She had been the one to tell Ezra that staying up late wasn’t healthy.

Now he had turned the question back on her, and she had no reasonable answer that wouldn’t reveal what had actually happened in her room.

Her cheeks warmed slightly.

Why did I even bring that up?

She had only wanted to show a little concern for him.

Somehow, she had managed to put herself in an embarrassing position instead.

"It’s a different matter,"

Selena replied.

Her voice dropped a little as she covered her face with both hands.

The ladies watching her exchanged glances.

Susannah, in particular, seemed to be enjoying the sight of her younger sister struggling to maintain the conversation.

On the screen, Ezra simply looked at Selena.

"I see."

His response was plain, giving her no indication of what he thought about her explanation.

Then he spoke again.

"Well, I’ll be going now, Lady Selena Galehart."

Selena’s hands slowly lowered from her face.

"I need to get back to work so I don’t end up sleeping too late. I have to watch my health."

Ezra delivered the words bluntly, as though he were merely explaining the next step in his schedule.

Unfortunately, his reasoning only made Selena feel worse.

Wait!

Didn’t you just say that you still had time?

She had been trying to show concern for his health, yet he was now using the same concern as a reason to end their conversation.

"I didn’t mean it that way,"

Selena said quickly.

For a moment, her elegant expression nearly broke.

Her lips parted as she tried to explain herself, but she couldn’t find a suitable way to do so without making the situation even more awkward.

Ezra watched her for a brief moment.

"I know. I’m just joking."

His tone remained flat.

"Huh?"

Selena raised her head and looked at him.

She hadn’t expected that answer.

For a second, she simply stared at the screen, trying to work out whether he had really been teasing her.

Ezra didn’t elaborate.

He merely lifted one hand and gave her a small wave.

"But let’s speak again another time. Good night, Lady Selena Galehart."

"Oh, okay. Good night, Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke."

Selena returned the wave calmly.

Her elegant expression came back almost immediately, as though the brief panic had never happened.

Not that it had ever fully disappeared in the first place.

A moment later, the holographic call ended.

The holographic screen vanished, and the room fell silent.

Susannah, the other ladies of Gale, and the maids all stared at Selena.

For several seconds, Selena remained seated on her bed, looking at the blank screen.

Then she covered her face with both hands and fell backwards onto the soft mattress.

It’s over.

She let out a quiet breath, her fingers pressing against her cheeks.

It’s actually over.

She had managed to speak with Ezra, and the conversation hadn’t gone badly.

He had answered her questions, asked about her holiday, and even joked with her.

Yet now that the call had ended, she could finally let go of the composure she had worked so hard to maintain.

Susannah rose from her seat and walked over to the bed.

She sat down beside Selena, careful not to jostle her as the mattress dipped under her weight.

Then she placed a hand on Selena’s hair and rubbed it gently.

"How was it?"

She asked with a small smile.

Selena pressed her body into the soft bed, her hands still covering part of her face.

"It was exciting,"

She answered honestly.

Her voice was muffled slightly, but there was no hesitation in her response.

She had been nervous throughout the call, and there had been moments when she wanted nothing more than to hide herself from everyone in the room.

Still, she couldn’t deny that she had enjoyed speaking with Ezra.

"He has a nice call voice,"

One of the ladies of Gale remarked.

She stroked her chin thoughtfully, as though she were reviewing something important.

"And he’s good at conversation, too, that’s if we forget the first half of his replies."

Another lady raised her index finger and moved it slightly up and down, agreeing with the first lady’s assessment.

"He doesn’t talk too much, but he listens. And he asks questions when he wants to know something."

The lady nodded to herself, apparently satisfied with her observation.

Selena lowered her hands just enough to look at them.

Why are you all analyzing him like this?

Before she could say anything, her personal maid took out a white handkerchief and gently wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye.

The maid’s expression was full of relief, and the other maids smiled as they watched their lady.

"Lady Selena is making progress,"

Her personal maid said, clearly pleased.

The words only made Selena want to bury herself deeper in the bed.

Progress? What progress? I just made a phone call!

She could still remember how her thoughts had nearly stopped working when Ezra answered.

She had spent the first few moments trying to find the right words, then struggled to keep the conversation going, and nearly embarrassed herself when he asked why she was awake so late.

And now everyone was treating the call as though she had accomplished something remarkable.

"You guys should leave my room."

Selena’s voice rose slightly, though she still managed to keep it graceful.

She sat up enough to look at the group, her expression carrying a clear warning.

The ladies of Gale exchanged amused glances, while the maids tried to hide their smiles.

Selena pressed her lips together.

She couldn’t handle any more of their comments.

If they continued discussing every word she had said to Ezra, she was certain she would lose the last of her composure.

I need some peace.

***

Back in Metallica...

At the Ashenlocke Estate...

Ezra remained in the study.

The room had grown quiet after the call ended.

The papers on the table still lay scattered across its surface, and the designs he had been working on earlier remained unfinished.

The light from the lamps fell across the room brightly.

Ezra turned his attention back to his work.

He began gathering the papers containing his firearm designs and the formulas and information related to his inventions.

He checked each group before placing it inside his space bag, making sure he hadn’t left any of the documents he needed on the table.

After packing the papers, he picked up his Zphone Tablet and placed it inside as well.

Ezra had already completed his physical training weeks back.

And after that...

He immediately went into seclusion, to begin his Cognis cultivation.

With his improved Alchemy Strategy, the new gained insights into firearms, and the received Ese from the family as a reward.

Together...

These had given him the ingredients he needed to cultivate his Cognis.

Whether he could breakthrough to the next level was another matter.

Still, he decided to attempt a Meditation Advancement.

As always, the advancement did not come without pain.

As he worked on his Cognis and continued the construction required for his breakthrough, the strain spread through his body.

His muscles tightened, and he had to endure the discomfort rather than allow it to interrupt his progress.

Fortunately, the Heat-Stimulating Bandages had improved his body’s condition.

The difference wasn’t enough to make the advancement easy, but it helped him withstand the process better than before.

Even so, the pain remained greater than what a normal Alchemist would usually experience during an advancement.

But Ezra continued.

He focused on his construction and pushed through the discomfort.

This time, he managed to endure the process better than he had during his previous advancements.

Eventually, he broke through to the Meister Alchemist rank.

His construction reached a particle level, producing a perfectly constructed particle and allowing him to become a Full Alchemist of the Alchemist rank.

However, Ezra did not attempt to push the process any further.

His body still had limits.

Even with the improvements provided by the Heat-Stimulating Bandages, continuing the construction beyond that point would place too much strain on him.

There was no point in forcing his Meister star’s construction if his body could not withstand it.

He understood that much.

It was better to take things slowly and steadily, as he had always done.

He had reached a new level.

For now, that was enough.

After completing his seclusion...

Ezra then began his firearms creation.

There were still many ideas he wanted to develop, including the designs he had brought over from the world of his past-self.

He had already listed numerous powerful firearms from the modern world, each of which he intended to introduce into his world when he had the means to create them.

But now that he had reached a new Alchemist rank, he could finally begin working on the firearms he had previously set aside.

Ezra gathered the remaining documents and examined the designs he had been planning to develop.

His attention settled on the firearms he was currently working on, the ones he considered most important to complete before returning to the Academy.

There wasn’t much time left before resumption.

He wanted to finish as much as he could before then, rather than return to the Academy with his work unfinished and have to divide his attention between his duties and his inventions.

After checking the last of his papers, Ezra looked down at his right hand.

Cognis flowed through it, moving beneath his skin as he examined the changes brought about by his advancement.

"Who knew I’d reach the Meister Alchemist rank at this point in my life?"

He muttered to himself.

His voice was quiet in the empty study.

He flexed his fingers slightly, watching the flow of Cognis before allowing his hand to fall back to his side.

There was still much for him to learn, and reaching the new rank did not mean he could afford to become careless.

For now, he was satisfied with the result.

Ezra finished packing his belongings and placed the space bag over his shoulder.

He gave the study one last glance, checking that he hadn’t left anything important behind.

Then he switched off the lights.

The room fell into darkness, leaving only the faint glow from the corridor outside.

Ezra opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him before making his way to the bedroom assigned to him in the Duke’s Mansion.