Chapter 205: On A Date?
After walking together for a while, the group eventually reached a crossroads within the academy grounds.
Kaelan stopped first.
"I’ll be leaving now," he said. "Father already sent people to pick me up."
Leonard stretched lazily before grinning.
"I should head home too."
Emma simply nodded.
"I have to leave as well."
The three of them exchanged farewells before walking toward the academy’s main gate, disappearing into the steady stream of students who were leaving for the summer holidays.
Soon, only Noah, Damien, Lyria, and Arisha remained.
The four of them continued strolling through the academy campus.
It was still morning.
The gentle sunlight bathed the stone pathways in a warm golden glow, while a cool breeze rustled the leaves of the ancient trees lining the roads. Groups of students chatted cheerfully as they carried luggage toward the academy gates, eager to return home after the semester had ended.
Noah glanced sideways at Damien.
"What about you?"
Damien scratched the back of his head before letting out a long sigh.
"I’ll have to stay here for another day or two. Master Morgana won’t let me leave until she give some training to me."
He sounded utterly defeated. "It’s going to be nothing but training from morning until night. Only after that will she allow me to go home."
Noah nodded knowingly.
"That’s understandable. She’s probably worried that you’ll neglect your training during the holidays."
Damien immediately frowned.
"Hey! I’ve never neglected my training. You should know better than anyone that I enjoy training all day."
Noah chuckled.
"Yes, yes. I’ve heard that speech enough times."
Damien rolled his eyes before laughing as well.
"Anyway, I’d better get going. Master is probably waiting for me already."
"Alright."
Noah raised a hand casually.
"Tell your master I miss her."
Both Lyria and Arisha, who had been quietly listening beside them, instinctively turned toward Noah.
Their brows furrowed slightly. Normally, they would have assumed he was teasing someone again.
However there wasn’t even the slightest trace of mischief on Noah’s face this time.
His expression remained completely calm. That made it impossible to tell whether he had been joking... or whether he had genuinely meant it.
Damien simply laughed.
"I’ll tell her."
He waved one last time.
"See you all later."
"Bye."
Lyria smiled warmly.
"Take care."
Arisha nodded calmly.
Damien soon disappeared into another path leading toward the instructors’ residence.
Silence settled between the remaining three.
Noah turned toward the two girls.
"So...You two aren’t leaving today?"
Arisha shook her head.
"No. We decided to stay here for a few more days."
She wore a simple black short-sleeved shirt beneath a light gray jacket, paired with dark trousers that allowed easy movement. Her long violet hair was tied into a practical ponytail.
Lyria smiled softly.
"It’s almost one and a half months of vacation. We have plenty of time. There’s no reason to rush home."
Unlike Arisha’s practical attire, Lyria wore a flowing white blouse beneath a light blue cardigan with a knee-length cream-colored skirt. Her long golden-blonde hair flowed freely down her back, swaying gently with every breeze, while her gentle pink eyes carried their usual warmth.
"Fair enough."
Noah nodded.
"So what are your plans for these next couple of days?"
Arisha answered immediately.
"Nothing special. I’ll rest...and enjoy the cafeteria’s free food while I still can."
Noah laughed softly.
"That’s actually not a bad plan."
Lyria hesitated for a brief moment before gathering her courage.
"If you don’t mind...Would you like to visit the temple together?"
There was a faint excitement in her gentle voice.
Noah looked at her before smiling.
Being around these two somehow made his heart feel calmer. The heaviness weighing on his chest had eased, if only slightly.
"Sure. I was actually thinking about confessing something again. Maybe I’ll get lucky and have the same priestess as last time."
The moment those words left his mouth...
Lyria froze.
The memories from their previous visit of Noah to the temple immediately resurfaced.
She remembered every ridiculous confession Noah had made that day.
Her cheeks instantly turned pink.
"H-Hey! I don’t think you need to use the confession booth this time!"
Noah shrugged innocently.
"Come on. I’ll feel better after confessing."
Arisha looked back and forth between the two of them.
Her sharp instincts immediately sensed something unusual. The way Lyria had reacted and Noah’s calm smile.
Something had definitely happened between them during their previous visit.
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Noah..."
He looked at her.
"Hm?"
"Are you really feeling alright?"
As she spoke, she gently placed her hand over his.
Noah blinked in surprise.
Her fingers felt soft against his skin, though he could also feel the faint calluses along her fingertips, a clear sign of the countless hours she had spent practicing archery.
He looked at her before giving her a gentle smile.
"I’m fine now. Much better than before. So don’t worry."
Arisha studied his face for another second before suddenly speaking.
"Then how about going on a date with me?"
"What?!"
Lyria practically shouted.
Her pink eyes widened in disbelief. She looked far more shocked than Noah himself.
Noah simply stared at Arisha for a second before sighing. He could already tell she was joking.
Or perhaps she was simply trying to cheer him up in her own awkward way.
"A date?"
He scratched his cheek.
"To be honest...I’m not really in the mood."
"Tch."
Arisha clicked her tongue.
"You just wasted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"H-Hey!"
Lyria protested, her cheeks becoming even redder.
"W-Why are you saying things like that?! Also why are you deciding those things by yourself?"
Noah laughed.
"Still...I wouldn’t mind going out somewhere. We’ve never actually explored Novaris City together."
Lyria immediately brightened.
"I’d like that. It sounds fun."
Arisha folded her arms.
"That’s just another way of saying ’date.’ You’re only changing the name to normal outing between friends."
Noah clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Fine. Honestly it would’ve sounded less suspicious if Damien had come with us."
Arisha snorted.
"Let him train. That guy’s a complete training fanatic."
"That’s exactly why he’s the strongest student in our class."
"So?"
Arisha replied without the slightest concern.
Noah blinked.
He found her reaction surprisingly interesting. According to the character list he read. She was a female lead.
Arisha was meant to become Damien’s love interest.
Yet there wasn’t the slightest sign of admiration or romantic interest in her voice whenever Damien was mentioned.
If anything she treated him no differently than anyone else.
Noah silently wondered whether the future had already begun to change.
Eventually, he shook his head.
"Well... I honestly don’t know what to say anymore. But I don’t want to fall behind Damien."
"You won’t, you also train like him all day. I can’t understand how you two do that." Arisha said with amusement.
"Arisha, you are not different. You read and study lot of things about magic for hours."
Arisha herself was hard working young woman. Yet calling another men training freak, that was definitely wrong.
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