Chapter 153: A New Dorm

Kael lay sprawled across the floor of the gravity training room.

He had absolutely no intention of getting up anytime soon.

His arms were stretched out beside him, his legs spread carelessly across the floor, and his face carried the exhausted expression of someone who had made several terrible decisions in a row.

"When did Charlotte become a battle junkie?" he muttered.

Beside him, Charlotte was also lying on the floor.

Unlike Kael, however, she didn’t look particularly bothered by her exhaustion.

After a few moments, she pushed herself upright and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

A grin appeared on her face.

"You seem to have gotten stronger."

Kael glanced at her.

Charlotte’s eyes were shining with excitement.

"But at the very least, I’ve learned Mana Emphasization, which means I’m catching up."

Kael stared at her for a moment.

Then he sighed.

She really has changed.

He turned onto his side, trying to find a more comfortable position.

I didn’t even go all out.

That was the truth.

Kael had been holding back throughout most of their spar.

After spending three months undergoing Xavier’s brutal training, followed by the week he had spent dealing with the dungeon and recovering afterward, Kael’s physical abilities had reached a completely different level.

Charlotte’s progress, however, was still impressive.

Mana Emphasization was not something a first-year student casually learned.

It required precise control over one’s mana and a strong understanding of the Mana Core.

Charlotte had clearly spent the holidays working hard.

She’s actually catching up.

Kael couldn’t help but smile.

He had been the one who initially helped her open her Mana Core.

Now she was already capable of pushing herself this far.

"Still," Charlotte continued, "I want another round."

Kael’s eyes widened.

"No."

Charlotte blinked.

"No?"

"No."

"But we haven’t finished."

"We finished."

"We’ve barely started."

Kael slowly raised himself onto one elbow.

"Charlotte, we’ve been fighting long enough."

She looked at him.

Kael pointed toward himself.

"I literally just came back."

Charlotte crossed her arms.

"And?"

"And I haven’t even rested!"

Kael’s voice echoed through the training room.

He had only returned to the academy that day after being away for months.

Three months of brutal training under Xavier had been followed by a dangerous dungeon experience and a week of recovery.

He had barely stepped foot inside the academy before Charlotte dragged him into a training room.

He hadn’t even had time to properly settle into his new dorm.

He had simply taken a casual walk around the academy and somehow ended up here.

This is supposed to be my first day back.

Kael sighed.

"Alright, Charlotte. Let’s get going."

Charlotte looked disappointed.

"Already?"

"Yes."

Kael rolled onto his back again.

"I’m already tired, and I’ve barely been back at the academy for a few hours."

He pushed himself up.

"If I get fatigued at the start of the semester, how am I supposed to survive the rest of it?"

"You’re exaggerating."

"I almost died several times during my training."

Charlotte stared at him.

"Seriously?"

Kael froze.

"...No."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes.

"You’re lying."

"Obviously."

Kael stood.

He stretched his back.

Pop.

A satisfying crack echoed through the room.

Kael’s shoulders relaxed immediately.

"Ahhh."

He let out a relieved groan.

"That felt good."

Charlotte stared at him.

"You’re weird."

"You’re the one who wanted to keep fighting after getting exhausted."

Charlotte ignored him.

She slowly stood and adjusted the gravity bands around her wrists.

Despite being exhausted, she still looked like she wanted to continue.

Kael noticed.

Definitely a battle junkie.

He shook his head.

"Come on."

Charlotte reluctantly followed him out of the training grounds.

The academy was still relatively quiet.

Although classes had officially resumed, not every student had returned yet.

Many second-years had already arrived, while some first-years were still making their way back from their holidays.

Kael walked through the corridors with Charlotte beside him.

He was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

At least until he suddenly turned in another direction.

Charlotte noticed.

"Hmm?"

She looked at him.

"Kael, where are you going?"

"My room."

"Your room?"

"Yes."

Charlotte looked confused.

"We were just heading toward the main building."

"I know."

"Then why are you going the other way?"

Kael stopped and turned toward her.

A smug grin slowly appeared on his face.

"It seems you’ve forgotten something."

Charlotte stared at him.

"What?"

Kael placed a hand against his chest.

"I’m the top-ranked student."

Charlotte’s expression immediately became blank.

"My dormitory has obviously been changed."

Kael laughed.

"Obviously."

Charlotte stared at him for several seconds.

Then she simply nodded.

"In that case, let’s go to your current dorm."

Kael’s grin disappeared slightly.

"That’s it?"

"What?"

"You’re not going to acknowledge how impressive I am?"

"No."

Charlotte immediately walked past him.

Kael followed.

"You could at least pretend."

"I’d rather not encourage you."

"You’re cruel."

"I learned from you."

Kael stopped walking.

"That doesn’t make any sense."

Charlotte ignored him.

A short while later, they reached Kael’s new dormitory.

Charlotte stopped dead in her tracks.

Her eyes widened.

She looked at the building.

Then at Kael.

Then back at the building.

"...This is your dorm?"

Kael smiled.

"Yep."

Charlotte slowly looked around.

The exterior of the dormitory was far more luxurious than the ordinary student residences.

The building itself was large, with elegant architecture and a carefully maintained entrance.

Charlotte had spent enough time exploring the academy during her first year to recognize most of the major buildings.

Yet she had never imagined that students actually lived here.

"This is really unfair."

Kael raised an eyebrow.

"We’re still outside and you’re already jealous."

He walked toward the entrance.

"If we go inside, you might actually kill me out of envy."

Charlotte frowned.

"I’m not that petty."

Kael looked back at her.

"You’re sure?"

"Yes."

"Good."

He opened the door.

"Because I’m not giving you my room."

Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Who asked?"

"You were thinking about it."

"I wasn’t."

"You were."

"I wasn’t."

Kael smiled.

"Sure."

Charlotte followed him inside.

The moment she entered, her expression changed again.

The interior was even more spacious than the outside suggested.

A large living area greeted them, furnished with comfortable seats and a small table.

Charlotte slowly looked around.

"This is ridiculous."

Kael dropped himself onto one of the cushions.

"I agree."

Kael leaned back.

"I don’t know why they gave me this place either."

Charlotte looked at him suspiciously.

"You don’t seem very grateful."

"I am."

He glanced around.

"But I’d rather have something practical."

Charlotte snorted.

"You’re impossible."

Kael smiled.

"I’ve heard that before."

Charlotte continued exploring.

She examined the furniture, the walls and the different rooms.

Then she suddenly stopped.

Her eyes landed on the enormous portrait hanging on the wall of the living room.

Her expression changed.

"Woah."

Kael looked toward the portrait.

His expression immediately became complicated.

It was Xavier.

The old Hunter stared down from the painting with his usual confident expression.

Charlotte tilted her head.

"That’s imposing."

Kael sighed.

Of course.

He had already seen the portrait when he first returned to the dorm.

It had reminded him of his time with Xavier.

Three months.

Three months of being dragged through mountains, training until his body was barely functioning, being thrown into dangerous situations and somehow surviving.

Then there was the dungeon.

Then the week of recovery.

And now this.

Kael stared at the portrait.

"Why is that old man still haunting me?"

Charlotte turned toward him.

"I didn’t know you liked Xavier this much."

Kael looked at her.

"What?"

Charlotte pointed at the portrait.

"You even have a giant portrait of him in your living room."

Kael’s face became blank.

"It’s part of the room."

"Oh."

Charlotte looked at the portrait again.

Then she looked back at Kael.

"Do you actually swing both ways?"

Kael froze.

His brain stopped functioning for several seconds.

"...What?"

Charlotte seemed completely serious.

Kael slowly pointed toward the portrait.

"You think I requested a giant picture of Xavier?"

"Well..."

"No."

Kael shook his head rapidly.

"No, no, no. It’s not what you think."

He gestured toward the room.

"This portrait came with the dorm."

Charlotte nodded.

"I see."

Kael sighed in relief.

Then added,

"But why would you even think ask that?" Kael asked.

She shrugged.

Kael rubbed his forehead.

"For the record, I’m definitely straight."

Charlotte’s cheeks became slightly pink.

"Oh."

She brushed a strand of purple hair behind her ear.

"That’s good, I guess."

Kael didn’t notice the slight change in her expression.

He was still staring suspiciously at Xavier’s portrait.

I’m taking that thing down.

There was no way he was going to sleep comfortably while Xavier’s painted face watched over him.

Charlotte, meanwhile, had already moved on.

"Woah."

Charlotte stepped farther into the dorm.

"It seems so big."

She looked toward the hallway.

"It’s definitely bigger than my previous one."

Kael nodded.

"Yeah."

"Do you have your own bathroom?"

"Yes."

"Kitchen?"

"Yes."

"Living room?"

"You’re standing in it."

Charlotte looked around again.

"This is basically an apartment."

Kael shrugged.

"Pretty much."

Charlotte walked toward his bedroom.

Kael noticed.

"Umm... Charlotte?"

She didn’t respond.

"Charlotte?"

She opened the door.

"Your room is here too."

"Yes."

She looked inside.

Kael immediately became suspicious.

"What are you doing?"

Charlotte walked inside.

Then she spotted another door.

She opened it.

The bathroom.

Kael stood in the hallway.

"Charlotte."

She turned around.

"I’ll be taking my bath here."

Kael’s eyes widened.

"What?"

"The sweat is getting uncomfortable."

She casually stepped inside.

Kael stood completely still.

"Wait."

Charlotte closed the door.

Kael stared at it.

"Did she seriously just walk into my bathroom?"

A moment passed.

Then another.

Kael sighed.

He walked back into the living room and dropped himself onto one of the cushions.

When did she change so much?

He remembered Charlotte from when they had first met.

She had been far more reserved.

She was still stubborn, but there had been a certain distance between them.

Now she was barging into his dorm, challenging him to fights, using his bathroom without hesitation and acting like she’d known him for years.

Kael leaned back.

I guess spending time with me really was a bad influence.

He closed his eyes.

For the first time since returning to the academy, he allowed himself to relax.

The dorm was quiet.

Everything seemed peaceful.

Then he heard water running from the bathroom.

Kael opened one eye.

"...This semester is going to be exhausting."