Emily continued to sit in front of the changing room, her hands clasped together, lost in the echo of Astron’s words. His advice had struck a chord within her, making her ponder the decisions she needed to make. The bustling sounds of students changing around her seemed distant as her thoughts consumed her.
“Pride is useless once the regret of not making one’s decisions comes over. Doing what you know you need to do is the most important, regardless of how you may be perceived,” she mumbled to herself, contemplating the weight behind those words. Astron’s eyes, purple and piercing, held a depth she hadn’t noticed before as if they harbored knowledge about something more.
Frustration built up within her.
“What does he know about me? Just because he somehow got his grades up or beat me, does he think he knows everything?” She mumbled.
For people like her who used to deal with things themselves, she was rather repulsed by such words.
“Who gives him the right to speak to me like that!?”
She mulled over these questions, her emotions a mix of irritation and curiosity.
As she continued to mumble to herself, one of the girls changing beside her glanced over. “Did you say something?” the girl asked, her voice cutting through Emily’s introspection.
Caught off guard, Emily paused, realizing that her inner musings had spilled out unintentionally. She shook her head, offering a forced smile. “No, just thinking out loud. Pay no mind.”
The girl shrugged and returned to changing, leaving Emily to confront the whirlwind of thoughts in her own mind.
–RING!
The moment was interrupted by a familiar ring from her smartwatch – a notification that sent a shiver of dread down her spine. As she opened the message, the situation inside the guild unfolded before her eyes. Another member was injured, resignations were looming, and the unsettling atmosphere within the guild painted a grim picture.
“Sigh…..”
A heavy sigh escaped her lips. The weight of responsibility pressed down on her shoulders, and the clash of her internal turmoil with the harsh reality of the guild’s struggles left her feeling overwhelmed.
“But, what is bugging you will remain if you don’t take action.”
Yet, the words that had just been spoken seemed to echo in her mind once again.
‘…..If I don’t take action….’ Emily thought inwardly as she looked into the status of her guild.
No matter what she wanted to say, she knew the position they were in wouldn’t be solved by their strength alone. She had been in a familiar situation before.
‘I really don’t want to do it, but if I don’t do it, then what will be left after this.’
Even though she didn’t want to look weak in front of the person she admired, life had never been lenient to such emotions, and Emily knew what.
“That is right.”
With her resolve raised, she left the locker room and headed to her room while dialing a certain number.
*******
Just as Astron had left the new sparring grounds, he was faced with the fiery girl who was waiting for him in front of the entrance alone.
“Yo.”
Irina simply raised her head and greeted him.
“….” Astron just looked at her without saying anything; he just nodded.
“Just a note: I am not waiting for you,” Irina remarked, trying to clear away any misunderstanding that could occur. “I just finished the fight early.”
“I figured that much.”
“But, I guess you finished yours early, too. That girl, Emily, was ranked quite high. Did she beat you up that fast?”
“…” At her snarky remark, Astron just looked at her, his face clearly saying, ‘Are you serious?’
And Irina was able to see that as well. “I am joking, I am joking. Why so serious?”
“Your jokes aren’t funny.”
Astron’s gaze remained unchanged, and Irina couldn’t help but feel a mix of irritation and amusement at his stoic response.
“Funnier than yours.”
“…..” At first, Irina didn’t understand, but as she grasped the meaning, she shot a glare towards him.
“You…..” she began, her words trailing off with an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know how Sylvie deals with you all the time.”
“Sylvie is not like you,” Astron replied, his expression remaining unreadable. “She doesn’t make me feel annoyed.”
“Well, you’re lucky she’s not here right now; she’d probably find some weird way to make you smile or something,” Irina retorted, folding her arms.
“Is that something you’d want to see?” Astron’s question was devoid of any teasing, delivered with a deadpan expression.
“Not really,” Irina responded, though there was a hint of a smirk on her face. “I have no interest in your smile.”
“Good. Saves us both the trouble.”
“But I want to see you flustered at least once,” Irina declared, looking at Astron with a competitive glint in her eyes.
Astron, unperturbed, responded, “You won’t be able to do it.”
“Oh, really?” Irina raised an eyebrow, her competitive spirit ignited. “Don’t underestimate me. I can get anyone flustered if I want to.”
“Feel free to try.”
“Just so you know, making such remarks only makes me more determined,” Irina shot back.
“As long as you’re confident, you can try whatever you want.”
Just as Astron and Irina continued their banter, the trio of Julia, Lilia, and Lucas exited the sparring grounds. Julia’s sharp eyes immediately caught sight of the fiery exchange between Irina and Astron. With a mischievous smile, she approached the duo. ʀᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛʀs ᴀᴛ NovlFir(e).nt
“Well, well, what do we have here?” Julia chimed in, her tone teasing. “Is this the famous Astron getting into a battle of wits with our fiery Irina?”
Irina shot a glance at Julia, her expression a mix of irritation and amusement. “He’s just being his usual annoying self.”
“His ‘annoying’ self, you say?” Yet, Julia instantly grasped one thing, and Irina knew what this girl was up to.
“Whatever you want to say, don’t ever think of saying it.” Irina glared at Julia.
“Hey, you shouldn’t threaten people like that. I am just a poor observer.”
“The first rule of observing. Don’t put your nose into other people’s matters.”
“Really….What if I do that?”
“Do you want to be burned down to crisp?”
“Oh….Scary…”
Julia, undeterred by Irina’s warnings, continued to tease with a playful smile. Meanwhile, Lilia joined the group, her attention shifting towards Astron.
“Hey there, Astron,” Lilia greeted him with a friendly smile. “I heard you played a role in the Phantom’s Land disappearance. Impressive stuff.”
It was the smile she had used most of the time. After all, Lilia’s beauty was something she was well aware of, and she had utilized it almost all the time.
Though, there wasn’t a clear effect on Astron.
Astron nodded in response. “I did what I could, but most of the credit goes to Irina here. She was the one who had done most of the job.”
“Really?”
“If not for her, we wouldn’t be able to defeat the ‘monster’ at that time.”
“Hmm….I see…”
Irina shot a sidelong glance at Astron as if she was annoyed. “Don’t make it sound like I enjoyed it. It was necessary.”
‘Bastard…..You really want to play it like that, huh? Also, why is she bringing it up now?’
She couldn’t help but get irritated. Seeing how Lilia was interested in Astron. Of course, she knew what kind of girl Lilia was. Even though she may have looked friendly, most of the time, she was a calculating and cold girl.
Lilia, with her charming smile, turned her attention to Irina. “It does make sense…”
Irina, despite her irritation, managed to keep a neutral expression. However, something about Lilia’s smile didn’t sit right with her.
‘This girl….’
A faint sense of doubt lingered in the air, but Irina chose to keep it to herself for now.
While interactions unfolded, Astron, ever observant, noticed Lucas’s gaze directed at him. It wasn’t a hostile look, but there was a peculiar intensity that caught Astron’s attention. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it left him feeling uneasy.
‘What is this?’
It was like Lucas knew something about him. Astron had been familiar with Lucas’ demeanor, as he was already paying a lot of attention to the main cast. He was familiar with the habits of Ethan, Julia, Lilia, Irina, Carl, and Lucas.
Therefore, he knew that Lucas was a bit different right now.
‘His standing posture is different….It is like he is constantly vigilant.’
That was not something that most of the students in the academy did, aside from the likes of Carl and Astron. It was because they were rather inexperienced in the life-and-death battles.
Those who fought with their lives on the line would know how important it is to be vigilant all the time.
He had seen the illegal Hunters in Black Market, and the ones who had survived were like this.
Therefore, he could easily deduce that Lucas was subconsciously behaving like an experienced veteran.
‘I will need to look into this matter.’
He thought, taking a note in the corner of his mind.
‘Anyway, I should just leave.’
As Astron made his exit, Ethan emerged from the training rooms, his gaze fixed on his watch. Julia, noticing his arrival, called out to him with a playful tone, “Hey, Ethan! Finally finished your spar, huh? We’re waiting for you.”
Ethan, however, seemed preoccupied, raising his head to look at the group. His usual cheerful demeanor was replaced by a more serious expression. “Hey, guys. I… I need to go somewhere. Can’t join you to eat.”
Julia, Lucas, Irina, and Lilia exchanged puzzled glances, surprised by Ethan’s unexpected change in plans. Julia, ever the curious one, couldn’t help but ask, “Something urgent?”
Ethan hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering with a hint of concern. “Yeah, something like that. I’ll catch up with you later. Sorry about this.”
Without waiting for further questions, Ethan swiftly headed in the opposite direction, leaving the group in a state of bewilderment, yet the guy with purple eyes easily saw the small name on Ethan’s watch.
‘I guess she mustered up her courage. Well, Ethan won’t certainly refuse.’