Chapter 697: Unwanted Trouble

The closing bell rang throughout the Royal Academy, marking the end of another day of lessons and self-study session.

Classroom doors opened one after another as students gathered their belongings and left the buildings.

Some headed towards the academy gates, while others made their way to the residence wings, accompanied by their servants or fellow students.

The paths gradually filled with students in academy uniforms.

Conversations travelled from one group to another, mixing with the sound of footsteps and the occasional call from a servant waiting for their young master or mistress.

Near the academy grounds, the Royal Phantom Rolls remained parked where Ezra had left it.

Its polished exterior attracted more than a few glances.

Although the vehicle was no longer an unfamiliar sight to those who had followed Ezra’s activities, that did little to reduce the attention it received.

A vehicle of such quality was bound to attract interest, especially when its creator was a student who could still be found walking through the academy corridors like everyone else.

"Master!"

Lucy waved both hands excitedly.

Her black shades rested over her eyes as she stood close to the Royal Phantom Rolls, waiting for Ezra to arrive.

Ezra narrowed his eyes on her.

Lucy continued waving as though she had not noticed his reaction.

Her excitement was difficult to miss, and the fact that she was standing beside his vehicle made it even more obvious that she had been waiting for him.

Around them, several students had already noticed Ezra’s arrival.

Some looked at him, while others paid more attention to the Royal Phantom Rolls parked nearby.

A few whispered among themselves, making little effort to hide their interest.

Ezra paid them no mind.

"Wow, Lucky! He’s going with that cool-looking vehicle."

A noble boy watched Lucy standing beside the Royal Phantom Rolls.

There was an unmistakable trace of jealousy on his face as he compared the scene with the ordinary Steam carriages that usually waited for students at the end of the academy day.

"If only I were Ezra Ashenlocke’s lover, then I would be able to enjoy this type of benefit."

A noble lady clasped her hands together as she looked at Ezra with admiration.

"It’s not only you."

A friend standing beside her replied with the same expression.

The two girls continued watching him, seemingly content to admire the situation from a distance.

Neither appeared particularly concerned about how unlikely their wish was to become reality.

Ezra, however, had no intention of entertaining the attention.

He continued walking towards his parked vehicle, his expression unchanged.

The whispers around him were nothing new.

Since his arrival at the academy, there had always been people who found something to discuss whenever he appeared in public.

Sometimes, it was his inventions.

Sometimes, it was his alchemy.

And sometimes, as he was currently experiencing, it was the people who happened to be walking beside him.

He had long since learned that responding to every remark would only waste his time.

"Ahh... we’re heading home, my friend."

Cyrus spoke with a relaxed expression as he walked beside Ezra.

Ezra glanced to his right.

Cyrus had his hands tucked into his pockets, looking as comfortable as ever.

He appeared to have already settled into the idea of travelling back with Ezra, as though the matter had been decided long before either of them reached the vehicle.

"You will be sitting in the front seat. Don’t even think of staying with my Dancer and me in the same seat."

Vera spoke casually, her arms folded.

Ezra looked to his left.

Vera was walking beside him with the same calm expression she usually wore.

Her words carried no particular heat, but the meaning behind them was clear enough.

She had already decided where Cyrus would sit, and she did not seem interested in hearing any objections.

"Yes, Lady Vera. I, Lady Cyrus, shall not disrupt you and my Lady Ezra’s peace."

Cyrus replied, placing his right hand against his chest and lowering his head slightly.

He performed the gesture with the manner of a butler accepting an instruction from his mistress.

His expression remained composed, making the response all the more ridiculous.

Vera did not bother correcting him.

Ezra, meanwhile, continued towards the vehicle.

"Looking at a vehicle like that, I’m sure it will be very comfortable for sleeping."

Diane spoke lightly as she followed them.

She had her hands resting on Vera’s shoulders, using the other girl as though she were a convenient support while walking.

The two maids accompanying Vera and Diane followed behind them.

Diane’s interest in the Royal Phantom Rolls was rather different from the attention it received from the other students.

While some were interested in its design, its price, or the prestige associated with it, Diane seemed to have a much simpler concern.

Comfort.

If the vehicle could provide her with a comfortable place to sleep during the journey, then she was satisfied.

"What, are you guys..."

Ezra began speaking, looking at the group following him.

"Sheesh!"

Vera raised her hand and placed it over his lips.

Ezra moved one step backwards before her finger could make contact with his mouth.

Vera’s finger stopped an inch away from his lips.

For a brief moment, the two looked at each other.

"Do you really think you can ditch your..."

Vera began speaking in her usual casual tone.

Before she could finish, Ezra caught her finger.

He pulled her closer and placed his right hand over her mouth, stopping her words before they could continue.

"Let’s go."

Ezra said it calmly.

He released Vera almost immediately afterwards and resumed walking towards the Royal Phantom Rolls, showing little interest in the exchange he had just initiated.

Vera narrowed her eyes at him.

A faint, amused smile appeared on her face.

She did not immediately respond.

Instead, she watched Ezra continue towards the vehicle, apparently satisfied with the outcome of their brief exchange.

The students who had witnessed the interaction, however, were far less composed.

"Shit, and here we go again with the Flower gathering again."

A Non-Noble boy shook his head enviously.

"I know I keep saying I’m already used to it, but isn’t it too early for all of this?"

Another boy looked at Ezra, then Vera, and finally Diane.

He pressed a hand against his chest as though the sight had dealt him a physical blow.

A young noble standing nearby placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

He looked at him with the solemn expression of someone who had finally found a comrade suffering from the same misfortune.

"You are not alone in this."

He spoke as though he were offering words of comfort to a fellow soldier before a hopeless battle.

The boy turned towards him, his expression filled with sadness.

"Scholars damn it!"

A noble boy dropped to his knees.

His butler hurried closer, attempting to check on his master’s condition.

The man appeared uncertain whether he should help him stand or simply allow him to express his distress.

"We just resumed, and I have to watch him get all the beautiful things all over again!"

The boy shouted in agony.

"Are you sure he isn’t losing his mind?"

"Aren’t we all losing our minds?"

"Thank the Scholars I live in the East Wing. I will definitely try my best and get close to Sir Ezra."

"Good luck with that, Emily Tempest."

"We’re club partners, so I can achieve it, and I’m not doing it for the money or fame."

"You better just focus on the senior who likes you and forget about Ezra Ashenlocke. You don’t even have a chance."

"I can’t achieve anything if I don’t try."

The voices of the students overlapped, each conversation blending into the next.

Some spoke quietly among themselves, while others were loud enough for people nearby to hear every word.

Despite the differences in their opinions, their attention remained fixed on the same group of people.

Ezra and those walking beside him had become the center of the discussion.

As always.

It was hardly surprising.

To the students watching, Ezra seemed to attract trouble without making any effort to do so.

Even when he ignored everyone around him and focused on his own affairs, people still found reasons to talk about him.

The situation was made worse by the fact that Vera and Diane were accompanying him.

For some students, that alone was enough to ruin the remainder of their day.

"Why does the Wax Light of Burn have to be close to him in the first place?"

"Yeah, he’s a bad influence."

Several students cast faint glares towards Cyrus.

Cyrus Burnwick did not even bother reacting to the noise.

The comments passed over him without receiving so much as a glance, and he continued walking as though the students were discussing someone else entirely.

Instead, he turned his attention towards Lucy.

"Hey, Miss Maid."

He raised a hand and waved at her.

Lucy immediately turned towards the approaching group.

"Mr. Cyrus, Lady Vera Ashenlocke, Lady Diane Bergwyn."

She lowered her head respectfully as she greeted them.

Her expression brightened as she looked at the people accompanying Ezra.

"You are following us."

The words came out with excitement.

Lucy seemed pleased to see them, particularly since their presence meant that the journey back would not be limited to Ezra alone.

"They don’t even stay in our Wing, and yet they want to follow. Lucy, just ditch the two on the main road when we get there."

Ezra spoke plainly before entering the Royal Phantom Rolls.

He did not sound particularly bothered by the arrangement.

His words were delivered with the same flat tone he used when stating something obvious, leaving little indication that he intended to argue further about the matter.

Lucy froze for a moment.

"Haha... haha..."

She laughed awkwardly.

Her hand moved towards the vehicle, gesturing for Lady Vera Ashenlocke to enter.

The gesture was polite, although her awkward laughter made it clear that she had no intention of following her Master’s suggestion.

"I wouldn’t mind a sleepover at your home."

Vera spoke lightly as she entered the Royal Phantom Rolls.

Ezra looked at her and raised one eyebrow.

He did not ask whether she was serious.

Judging by her expression, there was little reason to believe she had made the remark without considering the possibility.

Vera settled into her seat and looked around the interior.

The Royal Phantom Rolls was already familiar to those who had followed Ezra’s work, but the particular vehicle and its fittings still offered plenty to examine.

The interior had been designed with the same attention to function and comfort that characterized the vehicle itself, and it was noticeably different from the arrangements found in the Royal Phantom Rolls owned by the royal family.

Vera’s gaze travelled around the cabin before settling back towards Ezra.

He had already shifted towards the other door, apparently intending to put some distance between himself and the people who had decided to accompany him.

Vera followed him.

She did not appear bothered by his attempt to maintain space between them.

There was enough room in the cabin for everyone to sit comfortably, but she still chose to remain close to him.

Diane jumped inside immediately after Vera.

She wasted no time settling herself into the available space before taking out her sleeping pillow and eye cover from her space bag.

"This place is one hundred percent comfort."

She spoke lightly as she prepared to sleep.

Having secured what she considered the most important part of the journey, Diane tucked herself into a comfortable position.

Her pillow was ready, and she had already covered her eyes before the vehicle had even begun moving.

"The only problem is the heat."

She glanced towards Ezra, although her eye cover was already blocking most of her view.

"Endure or leave. I’m a hot lover, Diane."

Ezra replied flatly.

His answer came without hesitation.

He did not appear interested in adjusting the temperature merely because Diane had chosen to sleep inside his vehicle.

Diane had been warned.

Whether she intended to endure the heat or complain about it later was her own decision.

"That’s why you drink hot water."

Vera leaned closer to Ezra’s side, despite the space available between them.

She looked at him more closely, her expression remaining calm.

"I wonder if he likes hot water like you?"

She asked the question as though it were an ordinary matter.

Ezra understood what she meant almost immediately.

"No."

He replied without hesitation.

Vera’s question had not been about hot water.

At least, not in the way the words suggested.

Ezra had no intention of entertaining the subject any further.

Vera remained beside him, seemingly satisfied with the response.

She had not needed to explain herself, and Ezra had not needed to ask what she was getting at.

From the front of the vehicle...

Cyrus glanced at the two through the window.

His gaze moved between them before he settled into his own place.

He had already accepted that the journey would not be a quiet one, and there was little point in making an issue out of every exchange between the pair.

Lucy adjusted herself in the driver’s seat.

"Alright, Master and honourable guests."

She addressed everyone inside before preparing to start the vehicle.

"Let’s begin the ride back home."

Lucy took hold of the controls and started the Royal Phantom Rolls.

The interior lights brightened, illuminating the cabin with a soft glow.

A low hum followed as the steam engine came to life, its sound restrained rather than the loud mechanical noise one might expect from a vehicle of its size.

The engine settled into operation.

A faint vibration travelled through the vehicle as its systems engaged, but the cabin remained calm.

The sound did not overwhelm the occupants, allowing them to speak without raising their voices.

Cyrus placed both hands against the interior body in front of him.

"Wow. Hehehe... this is so cool."

He felt the vibration through the surface beneath his hands, paying attention to the vehicle’s operation as it prepared to move.

"So, this is what people meant by its silent build. The Phantom."

He looked towards Ezra.

Cyrus was already familiar with the Royal Phantom Rolls and what made Ezra’s design stand apart from ordinary steam vehicles.

His interest now lay in the details of this particular vehicle, especially the way its construction and interior differed from the Royal Phantom Rolls he knew.

The distinction was worth noticing.

A vehicle could share the same general design and still offer a different experience depending on how its interior was arranged.

In this case, the fittings and layout gave Cyrus something new to appreciate without changing what he already knew about the Phantom Rolls itself.

"I can’t believe you were able to come up with an idea like this. And looking at this interior, which is obviously different from the existing Royal Phantom Rolls the Royals have, this is new, very new and improved."

Cyrus spoke with an impressed expression.

His attention remained on the cabin as he considered the differences.

The vehicle’s quiet operation was one thing, but the interior showed that Ezra’s work was not limited to the exterior or the engine.

There was clear thought behind the way the space had been arranged.

Cyrus had already seen enough of Ezra’s work to recognize that the young alchemist rarely settled for an ordinary solution when he could improve it.

Even so, the differences in the interior gave him another reason to admire the result.

Ezra did not offer an explanation.

He remained seated, his expression as plain as ever.

He had heard Cyrus’s remarks, but there was no sign that he felt the need to respond to every compliment.

"As expected of my beautiful mind."

Vera spoke softly.

She looked at Ezra, who had shifted more towards the other door again.

Vera followed him again.

The space between them remained, but she seemed determined not to let him enjoy too much of it.

Her words carried the same dry confidence as before, and she made no effort to hide her amusement.

Ezra continued to face forward.

He did not comment on her remark, nor did he make another attempt to move away.

Lucy finished preparing the vehicle and guided the Royal Phantom Rolls away from its parking place.

The academy grounds began to recede behind them as the journey back to their residence started.

Outside...

The students continued to talk about the scene they had witnessed.

Inside...

Diane was already prepared to sleep, Cyrus was still appreciating the vehicle’s construction, and Vera remained close to Ezra.

As for Ezra, he had only intended to return home after the academy’s closing hour.

Instead, he had acquired several passengers, a sleeping Diane, an amused Vera, and a Cyrus who seemed determined to examine every detail he could reach.

The journey back to their residence had begun.

Bonus Chapter for Magic Castle!!