Chapter 25 Ch. 25: Martial Arts [1]

The morning sun rose above the horizon, casting a warm glow across the landscape.

The sky was painted with blue hues, creating a stunning backdrop for the scenery.

Rhea took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, freshness washing over her.

"I like the air here, it's so different from my country."

Rhea spoke whilst stretching her arms upwards.

The tranquil atmosphere was also enhanced by the sweet melodious chirping of birds, creating a peaceful environment.

Sylvina, who walked beside her, responded.

"Zenith is located amidst the desert, right?"

"Yep."

The air here was noticeably crisp and invigorating, a stark contrast to Zenith's climate.

What a paradise.

"By the way, I wonder who will be our Martial Arts teacher."

Sylvina opened up a conversation.

"Whoever it is, I hope he isn't like our homeroom teacher; his teaching method is grueling."

Now that Rhea mentioned it, thoughts of yesterday's class came running and sent shivers down her spine.

She remembered how Gizel made them squeeze out their last drop of Mana, and thanks to it, she almost fainted due to Mana's Exhaustion.

In the end, Sylvina nodded in agreement.

"I concurred."

Today marked their second day as students at the Academy.

The first class in the morning was Martial Arts and they were currently heading toward the training ground.

"No, no, no! Don't join his harem!"

A familiar voice rang and up ahead, they saw a wheat-haired boy.

He was having a conversation with several girls near the training ground's entrance.

Rhea and Sylvina were not deaf in the least, and upon listening to him, they could only shake their heads in disbelief.

It seemed someone was running his mouth off.

"I suggested—oh?"

When the corners of his eyes caught the glimpse of his classmates, Péréz greeted them.

"Good morning, guys!"

"Do I know you?"

Rhea answered flatly as they passed by him.

"What?"

Péréz was baffled and the girls around him giggled.

"Uh, please, excuse me."

The boy bid his farewell and immediately placed himself next to Rhea, matching their pace.

"Why did you do that? They laughed at me."

He sighed tiredly and changed the topic.

"By the way, where are the others?"

Péréz asked and the blonde girl shrugged.

"Maybe they're off fighting crime or saving the world. You never know."

"Pfft."

Sylvina threw her face sideways, trying to suppress her laughter.

Péréz frowned, he looked at Rhea in perplexity.

"Jeez, I'm seriously asking, though."

"What are you expecting me to say? I'm not their mother."

His furrow deepened.

"What is wrong with—ah, it's Ralph!"

A tall and muscular black-haired boy was seen waving his hand, they waved back and without much thought, Péréz ran over him.

"Hey, Ralph! Do you want to hear some hot gossip?"

Rhea folded her arms and clucked her tongue in annoyance.

"I don't like him."

Sylvina chuckled softly.

"I can see that."

She glanced at the pink-haired girl and asked her opinion.

"So, what do you think of him?"

"Hmm, I don't know. It's too early to judge."

The tanned girl scoffed.

"How wise, I can't be like you."

Yet, Sylvina just smiled.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

·ƈθm After ten minutes of walking, they eventually arrived at the training ground.

A vast space surrounded by towering trees with its floor covered in soft green grass was revealed.

The training ground was equipped with a variety of training dummies, obstacle courses, and targets.

On the left side, there was an armory storage where students could borrow weapons and armor for their training.

There was also an infirmary to offer immediate medical attention in case of an accident.

The training ground was located some distance away from the academy, which allowed the students to focus more on their training without any external distractions.

Péréz looked at his pocket watch which read 6:50, he put it back and muttered sarcastically.

"As expected of the Imperial Prince, he's always late."

Rhea, who overheard this, immediately confronted him.

"Can you stop badmouthing him?"

Péréz raised his hands in defense.

"Whoa, whoa, easy. I'm not bad-mouthing him. I'm just stating facts. He's always late."

The blonde girl sneered.

"So what if he always comes last?"

Sylvina and Ralph shared a brief glance before both letting out a sigh as the duo in front of them began to argue.

They attempted to intervene, but their efforts proved futile and the quarrel persisted for several minutes.

"You better stop, the Instructor is coming."

"You—huh?"

Their bodies jolted upon recognizing the owner of the voice.

They stopped whatever they did and swapped their sight toward it.

Soon, a white-haired boy was seen standing not too far away from them and they frowned in unison.

What?

Adrian's sudden appearance left them bewildered.

The black-haired boy shook his head to dismiss his confusion and asked.

"Wait, when did you come?"

Ralph was always aware of his surroundings, yet how could he miss him?

"I was here an hour ago."

Adrian replied dryly and his crease deepened.

An hour ago?

It meant he was here even before their arrival.

Then, how could none of them notice his presence at all?

Wasn't the Second Imperial Prince an Elementalist?

Then how come he moved unnoticed like an assassin?

No matter how hard he thought about it, it made no sense.

.

.

.

Adrian closed the book in his hand and fixed his sight on a girl and a boy who was arguing in the distance.

Right now Adrian was sitting on a tree branch.

Since today was Martial Arts, he got up at 4 am and went here to practice before class started.

Even though he was away from them, he could vividly hear their voices.

Throughout their heated debate, it was evident that the main point of contention was focused on him.

He had no idea why it mattered to them while he didn't care at all.

As he sensed a familiar figure approaching, the white-haired boy leaped down the tree and strode toward them.

He had to end their fight before the instructor came because he didn't want to get into any unnecessary trouble.

Simplicity, they didn't know how petty the old man was.

"You better stop, the Instructor is coming."

"You—huh?"

They darted at him and confusion colored their faces.

Ralph shook his head and questioned him—although it sounded like an interrogation to him.

"Wait, when did you come?"

"I was here an hour ago."

Let's not say anything superfluous.

"That's a lie, right?"

He glanced at the voice and Péréz was seen snickering scornfully at him.

Adrian sighed and shrugged nonchalantly.

"You can ask the Instructor if you're curious."

In truth, he bumped into him here by accident, and the old man immediately challenged him to a duel.

Sometimes, the boy wondered what the original Adrian had done to him.

Because the old man seemed to be someone who held a grudge against him, like, he wouldn't stop until he beat him to a pulp.

Now he understood why Nathaniel hated him.

And thanks to his improving physical stats, he could get out of the training ground less bloody.

Péréz tried to open his mouth but a voice was heard; making them divert their attention.

"Good morning."

The kids straightened their line before greeting him back.

"Good morning, Sir!"

In front of them was a towering elderly man with a robust build and a thick, unshaven beard.

His hair was dark brown with a few strands of gray hair woven throughout it.

"My name is Walter and I will be your Martial Arts teacher for the next three years. Be prepared because I won't go easy on you."

"Yes, Sir!"

"Now, introduce yourself."

They did as instructed and soon commenced warm-ups.

"Hmm…"

Walter's brown eyes scanned the document in his hand—it was the student's data.

He put them back and four panting youths came into view.

He glanced sideways and a white-haired boy with a pair of cerulean eyes was seen.

Unlike his classmates, he looked fine.

Well, if it was that little brat, more or less he had known his capabilities, but not them.

He had to witness their strength firsthand before deciding on what kind of training they needed.

As an idea popped into his head, Walter clapped his hands and announced the next sessions.

"We will be holding a dueling session and you are free to choose your opponent."

They all raised their hands but there was someone faster.

"Who are you going to challenge?"

Walter asked him and his friends could only roll their eyes in boredom.

Even without him responding to the question, the answer was obvious.

"I want to challenge Adrian!"

Péréz shouted in animation and Walter turned to the man in question.

"What do you think?"

Adrian shrugged casually.

"I don't see a problem."

With that, the first duel was settled.

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A/N:

Sorry for the late update.