Chapter 111: Adrian’s Girl

Chapter 111: Adrian’s GirlThe dojo was filled with silence and anticipation as the Knights sat on their mats, watching Master Von.

He sat on his own mat, with his legs crossed and his eyes closed in deep meditation... as always.

Some students were eager to make use of the time, closing their eyes as they attempted to cultivate and draw in mana info their dantian.

The silence stretched for several minutes, until finally, Master Von’s eyes snapped open.

The students straightened immediately, and their voices rose in unison.

"Good morning, Master Von!"

He nodded and his gaze swept over the mats before pausing on the single empty.

His brow furrowed, and he shook his head slightly before a faint sigh escaped his lips.

"Everyone is here... except Adrian," he said in a calm voice that carried a touch of disapproval. "It’s been a week already. Karl?"

Karl sighed in defeat and his shoulders slumped.

"He usually leaves for the city during the weekends," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck.



"But I don’t know what’s keeping him this time. He only told me he would be back before he left."

Master Von nodded with an unreadable expression.

"Hmm. Okay, then." He turned to the class with a stern gaze.

"Don’t take after him. Before any of you leave for the city with a goal in mind, inform me in advance. I need to know if you’re putting yourselves in danger."

The students nodded in unison, "Yes, Master Von!"

Rising to his feet, Master Von’s presence seemed to fill the room.

"All of you are well versed in channeling mana now," he said in a commanding tone. "Get to your feet. We’ll be sparring today."

The students stood up swiftly with discipline. Karl stood among them, but his mind lingered on his absent friend.

’What happened to you, Adrian?’

Worry briefly crossed his face as he joined the others in preparing for the sparring session.

***

After homeroom ended, most students dispersed to their next classes.

The dojo emptyied as Spear and Sword users headed to their weapon training sessions.

Karl joined the Spear users to class, where they kept on practicing new techniques. He was far ahead of the rest, so his was more of personal training.

By the time the 3 hours were up, and it was time for lunch, he decided to stay behind; indulging himself in practice for a long while before he sat and began cultivating.

Time slipped away until his ’wrist clock’ struck 2:25 PM.

"It’s almost time."

He stood and brushed off his training robes before sprinting toward the East Wing, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

He found a place near the doors, leaning casually against the wall as he watched the entrance of the Alchemy hall.

"I hope I see her," he said to himself in a low voice. "She might know where Adrian is since I’ve seen her talking to him before."

His mind drifted to a day weeks ago when he planned to surprise Adrian at the Hall.

Instead, he had found Adrian deep in conversation with a girl.

Since then, Karl had noticed her around Adrian more often, and their odd familiarity led him to one conclusion.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Who would have guessed someone like Adrian would have a girlfriend before me? And such a beautiful one, too."

He chuckled, wiping imaginary tears from his eyes. "Life is sad."

~DING—DONG~

The bell soon rang, snapping him out of his thoughts, and the door to the East Wing swung open, from which a teacher emerged, her robes flowing in the wind as she walked past.

She glanced at Karl, and her eyes narrowed at him before she sighed and walked away, clearly mistaking him for one of the Knights who had failed the Alchemy test then.

Karl waved nervously at her and forced a smile to ease the awkwardness, but she only hissed at him before walking away.

More students poured out, and their chatter eventually filled the once quite place.

After a short while, a group of three girls appeared, each clad in the fancy Mage robes, holding up their cauldrons gracefully as they laughed heartily.

In the center was the girl Karl had come to see. Her silver-blonde hair, and wide smile easily made her stand out. She was breathtaking, and her presence was friendly and warm.

Karl’s heart skipped, and he slapped his cheek with force.

"Snap out of it, Karl," he muttered. "That’s Adrian’s girl."

Readying himself, he took a deep breath.

"Now, how do I approach her?"

The trio was already moving away, but he still felt nervous to walk up, as his mind raced with all kinds of scenarios.

What if she embarrassed him? Mages were notorious for their sharp tongues and haughty attitudes.



But he shook his head, dismissing the thought. "Adrian can’t be friends with a bad person," he told himself before stepping forward.

Clearing his throat, Karl put on his usual bright smile, though he felt very nervous within himself.

"Hello, ladies," he said, waving with forced confidence.

"Please, I’d like to borrow your friend over here. I need to discuss something serious with her."

The two girls flanking the silver-haired beauty turned, following his gesture to the girl in the center... Serena.

One of them with green eyes gave Karl a hard look.

"Meaning?" she snapped, forcing Karl to take a step back as his smile faltered.

Serena pouted and nudged her friend.

"Mia, be nice."

Mia sighed and her expression softened slightly.

"Sorry, Rena baby. I just didn’t like how he came up to us to take you away."

Serena waved it off and her smile returned as she turned to Karl.

"Hello, handsome," she said in a playful tone. "I don’t mind. Where can we talk?"

Karl blinked, as he was caught off guard by the "handsome" remark.

’She called me handsome? No way.’ But reality snapped him back.

"I’m overthinking it," he muttered under his breath. "It’s nothing deep."

The girls were staring, waiting for his response, so he cleared his throat and forced another smile.

"Uhm, yes. I have a place we can go."

Serena nodded before turning to wave at her friends.

"I’ll be going with him now. Bye, loves!"

Mia and the other girl eyed Karl warily, as if warning him not to try anything foolish.

They recognized him from the Exchange. They were fully aware of how strong he was, as he had single handedly defeated about ten of their strongest Mages, but they eventually agreed.

Mia offered to carry Serena’s cauldron, but Serena shook her head politely.

"You’re already carrying yours. It wouldn’t be fair to add mine," she explained, and the girls exchanged a glance before nodding.

"Stay safe, Rena," the other one said before they turned and left.

Serena faced Karl with her cauldron balanced effortlessly in her arms.

"So... lead the way," she said with curiosity.

"Oh, yes," Karl stammered, gesturing down the road. "This way."

***

They walked in silence, with Serena humming a soft tune to herself, her cauldron swaying slightly with each step.

Sweat found its way to Karl’s forehead as his mind raced, and the realization hit him.

He reeked. He had been training since morning without a bath and it left him smelling badly.

"I wonder if she can sense that I smell," he thought, cringing. But after a moment, he shook his head. "No, she’s nice. She wouldn’t judge."

Abruptly, he stopped, startling Serena. Her eyes widened as he turned to face her.

"Uhm, can I help you with that?" he said, pausing as he fumbled for the right word.

"With what you’re carrying. You’ve been holding it for a while now."

Serena’s smile was warm.

"Well, it’s not as heavy as you think, but since you insist, here you go."

She handed him the cauldron, her fingers brushing his briefly.

Karl grinned, relieved by her approval. The cauldron was surprisingly light, but he held it with care, his mind flashing to the consequences of dropping it.



But another thought pushed through, and he reassured himself, ’I’m not trying to steal her from Adrian. I’m just helping her as his good friend.’

A question burned in his mind, and he couldn’t hold it back.

"Uhm... what’s your relationship with Adrian?" he asked with a cautious tone.

Serena was caught off guard with the question. Her first instinct was to say he was her brother, but Adrian’s warning still echoed in her mind.

She hesitated, then smiled.

"He’s my friend... A very close friend. We’ve known each other since we were kids."

Karl stopped in his tracks and his eyes gleamed with sudden hope.

’Just friends?’ He swallowed, gathering his courage for the real question.

"So... you two aren’t dating or anything? Like, you don’t... love him, do you?"

Serena burst into laughter from his question.

"Dating? No, no!" she said, waving a hand. "I do love him, but not like that. We’re just friends, I promise."

’Yes!’