Chapter 63

****

“I heard that the ingredients I was looking for were around here.”

At Hugh’s words, Weaver said with a wrinkled expression on his face.

“……You came all the way here just to get the ingredients? You want me to believe that?”

For a moment, Hugh’s face turned cold. But it was very fleeting. He then made a playful smile as usual and said calmly.

“Just? That word is quite offensive to a wizard’s pride.”

His red eyes gleamed sharply.

“It seems to me that the cost of the ingredients are several times higher than the status of this school.”

Weaver, who looked into Hugh’s flashing eyes, involuntarily flinched.

But Hugh smiled slyly as if nothing had happened, and leaned back comfortably on the sofa.

“But aren’t you too easy going? Your enemy is right in front of you, looking for prey.” (Hugh)

The ‘enemy’ that Hugh referred to was Carmen outside the office.

Weaver looked at Hugh with a firm expression on his face.

Hugh didn’t hide the fact that he knew Carmen. That wasn’t enough, he even revealed the fact that Carmen was very wary of Weaver.

Weaver glared at him with a cold expression on his face, and Hugh shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t matter.

“You must have roughly guessed who told me the location of the ingredients.” (Hugh)

Hugh thought that Weaver was a smart person, so he would have noticed his relationship with Carmen earlier.

And Weaver was suspicious of their relationship, as Hugh had guessed.

Weaver opened his mouth in a low voice.

“You don’t seem to have any intention of hiding the fact that you’re Carmen’s partner in crime. Does that mean you can afford it?”

At his words, Hugh raised her lips smoothly.

“Actually, I’m not on anyone’s side.”

“…what is that?”

As Weaver frowned as if it was difficult to understand, Hugh opened her mouth with a calm voice.

“As long as I achieve my desired goal successfully, there is no need to buy and do troublesome work anymore.”

He meant that if he could successfully get the ingredients he was looking for, he would not help Carmen anymore.

Weaver’s gaze reached Hugh’s wrist. The X-mark drawn over his white skin was a sign of proof of the contract.

Usually, when making a transaction, wizards used a special method to create a contract.

Perhaps the same X-mark was drawn on the other party who did the transaction with him.

If the contract is violated, a hot flame burns from the X-mark drawn on the wrist.

Weaver’s gaze moved upward again, looking into Hugh’s eyes.

“I understand that wizards can’t break their contracts recklessly.”

At his words, Hugh smiled softly and placed one of his arms on the back of the sofa.

“Think whatever you want. I’m not forcing you to believe me.”

With a fierce smile, he continued speaking.

“But if you keep interrupting me, I’ll destroy all of this swordsmanship academy according to Carmen’s wish.”

“….”

“Or just wait for me to get the ingredients and I’ll leave this school quietly.”

Hugh’s eyebrows narrowed as he looked at Weaver.

“It’s a matter for the Commander to decide.”

It was just an outright threat. Also, Hugh secretly let out Carmen’s final goal in front of Weaver.

Destroying the entire swordsmanship academy.

No, to be more precise, he was referring to overthrowing the military academy and standing at the top.

It was a known fact that Carmen was coveting Weaver’s position for a long time. But it was unbelievable how he wanted to take charge of the academy like that.

Moreover, Hugh was saying that if he (Waver) interfered with him, he (Hugh) would do what Carmen wanted and take his share more conveniently.

Weaver bit his lower lip and clenched his fists hard on the sofa.

Looking at Hugh’s face smiling brightly regardless of how he felt, he had a terrible headache.

***

Time passed quickly. Three months had passed since Filina entered the school, and the training hall was filled with the noisy voices of cadets.

Filina and Bessie were watching the promotion exams of their seniors at the hall.

The promotion test runs for a total of two days, and tomorrow would be her first test in which she will be judged as an official knight.

“Wow, that’s really scary. They have to fight until one person gets seriously injured.”

Bessie murmured as she watched the two cadets taking their exam in the middle of the training hall.

The test was conducted in a variety of ways, but the test for freshmen was relatively easy, and it was against low level monsters.

On the other hand, starting with the 1st Order, they fought against intermediate or higher level monsters or competed with cadets of the same Order.

The match now belonged to the latter, and the one who loses the sword in his hand first loses.

Therefore, if the sword was not dropped, the fight continued.

Their hands were already soaked in blood, and their gaze was fixed only on the hand of the opponent holding the sword.

At that moment, a black shadow fell beside Filina. Leon was looking around as if looking for an empty seat.

The place where the cadets gathered to watch the promotion test was located at the end of the dormitory building from the training hall.

All the seats with the best view of the game were occupied by seniors, so there were not many seats for freshmen, not even regular knights.

Fortunately, there was a little space left next to Bessie and Filina. It was probably because the cadets who were conscious of the women were sitting at a distance on purpose.

“Sir Leon, we’ll make room for you. Sit this way.”

Bessie stepped aside and said to him, then, Leon’s eyes, looking around, turned to her.

And his gaze at Filina, who was next to Bessie, was a little late.

Filina, who was looking up at Leon, moved the same distance Bessie had moved and sat next to her. Then there was enough space for him to sit.

Of course, because there were so many people, bumping into each other would have to be dealt with.

Filina looked at Leon and chined at the seat next to her.

“Sit here. There will be no room anywhere else.”

At her words, Leon raised his head for a moment and looked around.

He had been looking for a seat for a long time, so he must have known better than anyone that there was no place to sit without even looking around.

Nevertheless, what was his reason for refusing the obvious empty seat in front of him?

Perhaps he didn’t like the seat, or he didn’t like the person sitting next to him.

She thought it would be one of the two.

Filina tilted her head and looked at him sullenly.

All of a sudden, Bessie turned her gaze away from Leon and was cheering for the seniors competing in the hall.

The cheers of the cadets spread widely. The match, which could not be predicted when it would end, ended with one person putting down his sword.

Filina looked at Leon, who was looking quietly into the hall, and asked with a slurred voice.

“Aren’t you going to sit?”

Then Leon moved his gaze and looked down at Filina again.

Still no answer came from his mouth. Filina raised her eyebrows and asked.

“Am I in the way?”

She asked if it was because of her that he wouldn’t want to sit. In that case, it was a tone with a hint of bitterness that she would completely get out of the way.

“……no.”

Leon answered with a soft voice and sat down next to Filina.

At that moment, another cadet was seen walking out into the hall.

From the corner, the instructor brought out a monster trapped inside the cage.

The murmur of those who looked at them grew louder.

When the test started, the instructor opened the cage and quickly escaped from the gym.

The next match was a fight between cadets and an intermediate level monster.

“Wow, it looks hideous 

.”

As Bessie looked at the monster, her eyes widened. The strange-looking monster roaming the floor was somehow familiar.

It was the same kind of monster she had seen when she went hunting with Cecilia before.

It had four legs and sharp fangs like those of a beast.

The cadet grabbed the sword in the correct posture and quickly avoided the monster’s attack. Then, in an instant, he changed the direction of the blade and ran towards the monster.

“If you move your sword like that, it would be difficult to win the fight.”

The seniors sitting in front spoke as they watched the cadet taking his test in the hall.

“I mean. To face such a monster, you have to swing your sword with all your might!”

Another cadet shouted loudly.

Like they said, the man who was taking the test could not overcome the overwhelming power of the monster and one side of his shoulder was scratched with the monster’s sharp claws.

Red blood dripped down to the floor.

“It must be difficult for him to pass the exam.”

Bessie muttered with a sad face.

Filina, who was quietly observing the hall, suddenly turned her head to look at Leon. 

“Do you think so, Sir Leon?”

Leon turned to Filina’s voice.

“What do you mean?”

Filina frowned.

As he stared blankly at the hall, it seemed that he was not concentrating on the game and was thinking about something else.

So he probably wouldn’t understand her question now.

As if she was generous, Filina once again posed a specific question to Leon.

“It’s that senior who is taking the exam at the hall right now. Do you think he will lose to the monster like everyone else said?”

At her words, Leon turned his head and looked into the hall.

He could see the cadet struggling to avoid the attacks of the monster.

“I think he will win.”

Filina rested her face on her hand and looked up at Leon quietly. Leon moved his gaze again and looked at her.

“Sir Leon.”

Filina’s gentle voice pierced softly into the noisy hall.

The black eyes of Leon, who was looking at her, tenaciously glanced at Filina. 

After a while, she slowly continued her unfinished words.

“Why do you keep avoiding me these days?”

***