Chapter 165: Invitation and Intention

The bronze owl hovered right behind Solomon’s shoulder. The device easily picked up the hushed invitation.

[1Fizzy: EXCUSE ME?!]

[GoonLord: WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?!]

[Fatal_Beauty: the vice pavilion leader is moving wild!]

[James_hayes: Solo Man getting the late night invite.]

[Chi_Master: bro cannot escape the women in this sect.]

[IceWaterKat: Elizabeth is right there too lol.]

Elizabeth stood a few feet away with a confused expression. She had caught the secretive movement but failed to hear the actual words.

"What did she just say to you?" Elizabeth asked, tilting her head.

Solomon cleared his throat and tapped his boots against the cobblestones. ’I don’t know what to say. I cannot tell her that the sect instructor just invited me to her room. That would cause some misunderstanding.’

"She just wanted to tell me my shampoo smells very nice," Solomon lied with a bright grin. "I guess they really like my hygiene standards here."

[User12: bro lies as easily as he breathes.]

[Mezz_3863: shampoo? really?]

[LazyCat: the worst excuse ever.]

[Austin: smooth recovery.]

Elizabeth narrowed her red eyes. She clearly did not believe a single word of his excuse. But she decided against pressing the issue and let out a quiet breath.

An awkward silence settled over the empty plaza. The night wind brushed past them, carrying the distant sounds of the patrolling guards.

Solomon tapped his fingers against his hilt and waited for her to head back to her room.

Elizabeth looked up and locked her red eyes directly onto his face. A genuine smile formed on her lips, replacing her usual stern expression.

"Thank you for saving me tonight," she said, her voice clear and sincere.

Solomon waved a hand dismissively. "There is no need to thank me. I was already in the neighborhood clearing out the trash."

A light pink blush crept up Elizabeth’s neck and colored her cheeks. She looked down at her boots and shifted her weight nervously. She gripped the hilt of her steel sword.

"I should also apologize," she muttered hesitantly. "For the enrollment day. At the academy gates."

Solomon watched the proud royal stumble over her words. He grinned and puffed his chest out. He raised his free hand in a grandiose gesture.

"Worry not, Your Highness," Solomon announced in a fake, overly regal tone. "As a generous knight of the realm, I officially declare you pardoned for your past transgressions."

[GoonLord: YOU RUINED THE MOMENT!]

[Fatal_Beauty: why is he like this?]

[Stephen-Wood: bro physically cannot handle romance.]

[M00N: he turned her apology into a joke.]

[Foodball: Elizabeth is going to snap.]

Elizabeth snapped her head up. Her cheeks puffed out in obvious annoyance. She glared at him, her red eyes burning with fresh irritation.

She turned on her heel and stomped away toward the girls’ dormitory without uttering another word.

Solomon stood entirely alone in the empty courtyard. He stretched his arms and rolled his neck, listening to the satisfying pop of his joints. ’I do not feel sleepy at all.’ The constant battles throughout the night provided a nice exercise, leaving him with a comfortable ache rather than genuine exhaustion.

He glanced toward the inner courtyards where the instructors resided. ’Should I actually visit the vice pavilion leader?’

The translucent blue interface hovering next to his bronze owl immediately flooded with rapid text.

[1Fizzy: HE IS THINKING ABOUT IT!]

[Mezz_3863: Solo Man do not fall for the trap!]

[Fatal_Beauty: she is definitely testing him.]

[James_hayes: go secure the VIP treatment bro.]

Solomon scoffed and waved a hand dismissively at the camera lens. "I am just going to skip it. Jin already acknowledged my skills and passed me. Visiting her quarters will not affect my performance or help me get any stars."

[GoonLord: WAIT A MINUTE! WE HAD A DEAL!]

[LazyCat: you literally promised us a favor!]

[Chi_Master: we spammed the echoes to warn Elizabeth just like you asked.]

[User12: you said you would do any challenge we want!]

[Fatal_Beauty: this is our challenge. GO TO HER ROOM!]

Solomon clicked his tongue and crossed his arms over his chest. "You guys cannot physically force me to do anything through a screen." He maintained his stubborn posture for a few seconds before letting his shoulders drop. "Fine. A deal is a deal. I will go."

He took a step toward the inner pathways, but stopped immediately. His silver eyes locked onto a large oak tree near the edge of the plaza. The shadow cast by the trunk stretched at a completely unnatural angle against the moonlight.

"Do you actually enjoy getting punched in the face?" Solomon called out, resting his hand on the hilt of his greatsword. "Because pulling cheap tricks and hiding like a creep is exactly how you get hit."

The darkness rippled along the cobblestones. Corvus stepped out of the unnatural shadow and stared at the silver-haired boy. The operative adjusted the sleeves of his gray academy uniform to brush off the dust.

"I am simply observing you," Corvus replied, his tone entirely flat.

"Why would you spend your night doing that?" Solomon asked. "Are you perhaps... lonely? You don’t have friends?"

"My duty is to protect the princess," Corvus stated, keeping his hands neatly at his sides.

Solomon offered a mocking grin. "I am pretty sure I was the one who protected her tonight while you were busy playing hide-and-seek."

"You were only able to carry her to safety because I allowed it," Corvus countered, stepping fully into the moonlight. "I intercepted and stopped the secondary wave of assassins who were chasing right behind you and the princess. If I had not intervened, you would have been completely overwhelmed in that tight corridor."

Solomon tightened his grip on his hilt, mildly annoyed that the operative actually had a valid point.

"I also need to give you a warning," Corvus continued, crossing his arms. "Mind your distance with Princess Elizabeth. Do not get too far ahead of yourself and harbor any ridiculous fantasies. Keep in mind that she holds the position far beyond one’s reach and comprehension."