Chapter 202: For Us... Both?
After briefing the plan he had for Calyra and Silvena, Ruvian’s gaze settled on the floating blue pages before him. Throughout his conversation with Silvena and Calyra, [Bookmarks] had remained active in the background.
Every now and then, he would check the translucent map created by the skill to see what Julian was up to. And according to the marker, the guy was currently holed up in his room within the Celestial Hall.
Ruvian had immediately assigned him to the first available slot in [Bookmarks] that evening after meeting with Vanessa.
At the time, it had seemed like nothing more than a prudent precaution. The slot had been vacant, and with the Vazrun Island Test looming on the horizon, Julian appeared to be the most logical candidate to monitor.
Though looking back, Ruvian was starting to realize that the decision may have carried far greater significance than he had initially thought.
The skill did more than reveal a target’s location. Occasionally, it also provided fragments of information regarding the target’s possessions. And among the items currently in Julian’s possession, there was one that filled Ruvian with a growing sense of unease.
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[Julian Current Possessions]
▸ Amaranth Seal
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’No matter how hard I tried to remember, I couldn’t recall ever hearing of such a thing.’
Ruvian narrowed his eyes.
’Is there a way for me to I inspect it?’
Then, the page flipped.
’Oh....’
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[Item]: Amaranth Seal
[Types]: Accessories
[Grade]: A
[Hidden Enchantments]:
◇ [Eternal Slumber]
Gradually suppresses the wearer’s consciousness, sealing fragments of their mind within the locket over time. Once the process is complete, the body remains alive but vacant, devoid of will, thought, or self-awareness.
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After reading the description of the necklace, a cold shiver passed through his body.
’I see...’
The pieces finally fell into place.
’...Haha, so it was this necklace all along.’
The reason Julian’s behavior began to change after the Vazrun Island Arc.
Ruvian closed his eyes for a moment and sank deeper into his chair.
A long sigh escaped his lips.
’Haa... this is turning into a much bigger problem than I anticipated. I think I already got the grasp of what they are intending to do with Julian, and why he suddenly disappeared after the Magus Spire Arc.’
’Anyway, at least I was aware of the root of it now.’
Therefore, he can prevent it.
"By the way, Ruvian..."
Calyra’s voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.
"I still have a few questions."
Ruvian slowly opened his eyes. Across the table, the ice mage was staring at him with folded arms.
"Questions? Sure, go ahead."
"Several, actually."
Ruvian’s eyes twitched slightly.
"Yeah. Sure."
Calyra slightly leaned forward.
Unlike before, when she had casually listened to the discussion, her posture now carried a rare hint of seriousness. It wasn’t often that something genuinely puzzled her, but this happened to be one of those occasions.
"First, I don’t understand why you want me to clash with Rosalin during the island test. What exactly are you trying to achieve with that? To be honest, that particular request made little sense. Because from my perspective, the risks seem to outweigh any immediate benefits for me."
Her eyes remained fixed on him.
"Rosalin is not an ordinary scholar. Whether I like it or not, she is among the strongest scholars in our year. Any confrontation involving someone of her caliber could easily go sideways."
"Though, do not misunderstand. I am not saying I would lose against her." Her tone remained calm and matter-of-fact. "In a direct fight, I believe that my odds are superior."
She crossed her arms.
"However, that is not the issue."
"From the rumour, the Vazrun Island Test is expected to last for nearly ten days. Therefore, I believe that this is not a test where the only objective is to defeat the strongest opponent you can find. I think it will be a prolonged survival test."
"So, even if I win, a fight against someone like Rosalin would consume a considerable amount of mana and stamina. There is also the possibility of sustaining injuries."
She shook her head.
"So, from a practical standpoint, it is simply an inefficient decision. If possible, I would prefer to avoid any major confrontation until it becomes absolutely necessary."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Which is precisely why I do not understand your request. You specifically wanted me to engage Rosalin despite all of that."
"Why? And even assuming you have a valid reason, how do you expect that to happen? Vazrun Island is enormous. The odds of us encountering each other by chance are negligible."
Then, Calyra finally stopped speaking, and judging from the way she leaned back into her chair, it seemed that was all she wanted to ask for the moment.
Ruvian calmly studied her expression, finding the girl as unreadable as ever.
’Well, I was expecting that...’
Honestly, Ruvian could not entirely blame her for it.
When he first explained his plans for her regarding the Vazrun Island Test, he had barely provided any explanation for why he specifically wanted her to engage Rosalin.
There was a reason for that.
Ruvian believed that their relationship had progressed to the point where Calyra trusted him considerably more than before, so he naturally thought she would simply accept the request without digging too deeply into his reasoning.
Looking at it now, however, perhaps that assumption had been somewhat optimistic. Still, Ruvian doubted her questions stemmed from any concern about the examination itself.
That simply was not the kind of person Calyra was.
Whether it was a practical examination, or some dangerous trial, she had never been someone who spent much time worrying about such things.
Even in the original novel, she didn’t really care much about this.
Furthermore, she rarely needed to exert herself excessively to obtain exceptional results, often accomplishing what others struggled to achieve with an almost frustrating level of ease.
Which was precisely why Ruvian found her current reaction somewhat interesting.
She was not asking because she feared the Vazrun Island Test. No, she was asking because she was simply curious about the reasoning behind his request.
That was all.
’Well, curiosity had always been at the core of her character. Even though she had lost a part of herself, she was still Calyra, in the end.’
Ruvian remained silent for a moment as he considered how much he should reveal before eventually letting out a quiet sigh and giving up on the idea of avoiding the subject altogether.
’I guess I have to be upfront with this.’
With that thought in mind, he shifted slightly in his seat and finally brought both hands beneath his chin, his fingers intertwined while his elbows rested firmly against the table.
The moment he did so, the atmosphere around him seemed to grow noticeably more serious.
"Alright, I’ll be direct, this is not for the Vazrun Island Test."
The unexpected answer immediately caused both girls to focus on him.
"The reason why I want you to engage in a fight with Rosalin is for the sake of both of you, which is beyond just that." (+200PP)
Neither Calyra nor Silvena spoke.
’Hm?’
A faint look of confusion appeared within Calyra’s eyes as she tried to process what she had just heard. Then, she repeated his words again, inwardly...
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[Chapter 202: For us... both?]
Plot Points= 34,780
