"Tsk, a person like this actually dares to show up." "That's right, why haven't you been expelled yet?" This has become a part of my daily routine in the corridors of the college. Students look at me with disgust and whisper to each other. After resolving the incident with the joint copy, on the surface, the students have returned to their original daily lives. But considering that most of them knew nothing about the dangers of the outside world, their concerns and topics of discussion were merely trivial. Even the fact that these unfounded rumors were able to circulate in the academy and become the topic of their nonsense just reflects their superficial understanding of the world. Most of their opinions and thoughts are manipulated by their surroundings, and they lack the ability to judge for themselves. However, to me, these things and what others think of me are not important. From the moment I came to this college... No, from the moment she left, I have been alone, and it is unlikely to change in the future. For me, as long as it does not directly affect my goals, I don’t care what others think of me.
Bang! I sat down at my desk, put my book on the table, and started to review the key points of today's class. Although I didn't care much about my grades, I didn't want to be expelled easily, so I put in the necessary effort. Thanks to my characteristics, I was able to learn and understand the topics quickly, which made studying before class much easier. [Hunter Mana Introduction] This is today's lesson. [The Study of Mana, third edition, by Elena Frost] The book we are using was written by a man who is quite famous among magical scholars. 'It's very clearly written.' I have been studying with this book for a while, but due to my lack of basic knowledge of mana before, I was unable to understand the complex mana research presented in the book. But now the situation is different, thanks to Maya's guidance. I have no difficulty in learning this subject. As I was reading this book, I suddenly felt someone approaching me. "Hey, Morse." This is the familiar yet unfamiliar voice of some annoying guy. “…” I didn't answer, but just continued reading, suggesting that I didn't want to talk to him. "Hey, I know you can hear me." Being the annoying guy he is, he didn’t give up easily and instead came closer to me. "Hey……" I couldn't ignore him anymore, so I looked up at Ethan who was now sitting in the empty seat next to me.
"What's the matter?" I asked, with obvious impatience in my tone. He still had an innocent smile on his face. His flowing blue hair parted to the right, making him look quite handsome. "As expected, the protagonist is the protagonist." From his side, I could see several girls in the class secretly looking at him. Considering his status and appearance, this was not surprising. "What did you do over the weekend?" Ethan asked. "Just what you normally do." "What do you usually do?" "It's none of your business." "Well...you're still the same as always." Ethan looked at me and said. There was a trace of regret on his face, as if he was thinking about something, and he was twiddling his fingers, as was his habit when he was upset. Just because I could read his body language didn't mean I could read his mind. "What are you trying to say?" I asked him. "nothing." 'this……' "Tsk...if you have something to say, just say it quickly and don't waste my time." I looked at him impatiently and said. "Okay, okay." "so what?" "I wanted to ask if you were free after class today." After hearing his question, I thought about my schedule. Apart from training, there was nothing special to do for the time being. "I want to train, why are you asking this?" "How about we have a sparring match?" "Sparring?" "Yes, just like in class." “Why not wait until the practical class?” "Our partners will be changed starting this week." "...I see." I don't know how he knew that, but he seemed to know that our partners would be changed in training this week. "So, what do you think?" Hearing his question, I thought about it for a moment, reviewing yesterday's battle and my current progress. 'This is a great opportunity.'
My training would be meaningless without sparring with others, and a combat environment would allow me to improve much faster. "All right." "too......" despair! Just as he was about to continue, the classroom door opened and the professor walked in. "stand up!" He is a serious professor with a meticulous personality. "I'll call you after class." Ethan whispered, then left me and returned to his seat. "Open your textbook." As the professor finished speaking, the class began. ...... After the banquet, Ethan returned to the academy. However, what happened yesterday still lingered in his mind. His battle with the half-demon, and how powerful his enemy was. Even the Black family has become their target, which means no one is truly safe. He also realized how weak he was when facing such a powerful opponent. Because of this, he also learned something new. Realizing that he had indeed changed while fighting that man, he was eager to test whether he had really improved. "what's on your mind?" At this moment, Lucas' voice broke his thoughts, with his usual smile on his face. "Nothing." Ethan replied. Ethan could spar with Lucas or Julia, but he knew that the gap in their strength was too big, but he was sure that he would catch up with them sooner or later. But he still wanted to find an opponent who was closer to his own strength to test himself. He wanted to compete with people like himself. "Really? Is it the usual 'nothing', or is it really nothing?" Lucas asked with an obvious smirk. “…” "By the way, what are you going to do after class? Do you want to go eat together?" "No, I want to train." "Training? Are you so motivated now because you were left behind yesterday?"
"Shut up." "…But training is a good idea. Want to join us?" "No, I've already made an appointment with someone else." "Oh? Who is it? Have you finally found someone you like? Do you need me to help you match them up?" Hearing this, Ethan sighed and tried to hide a smile. Lucas always made him angry and amused, and today was no exception. "No, not a girl," Ethan replied, with resignation in his voice. "I want to spar with a boy." Lucas whistled. "It's him, isn't it?" He looked at Morse, who was packing his things. "That's right." "Why are you so interested in him?" When this question came up, Ethan also thought about it and immediately came up with the answer. "He's good at fighting. Did you see how he knocked that guy down so easily?" "I know, but is that all? If you only consider fighting skills, there are many people around you who are better than him, right? For example, this young master." "Yes, yes, you are very strong." "So? Why him?" "Well...it was fun talking to him." "But from what I see, it doesn't seem like you're chatting with him. It's more like you're chasing after a girl who has no interest in you. Do you like this kind of game?" “…” "You should really see the expression on your face right now." "You should think about what you say before you speak, okay?" Lucas laughed, obviously enjoying seeing Ethan's helplessness. "You're right, but sometimes I just can't help but tease you." Ethan shook his head and turned his attention back to the conversation. "Anyway, it's not a 'game'. I just think he's very interesting. His way of thinking, his experiences... are different from everyone else I've met in the academy." Lucas raised an eyebrow, and this time he seemed really interested. "Different? How do you mean?" "I don't know, it's just different. I feel challenged when I'm with him." "Okay," Lucas compromised, his teasing tone turning into curiosity. "So where is he now?" He glanced at the place where Morse had just packed up, and it was empty. "It seems he didn't wait for you?" Ethan realized this and immediately stood up and started to pack up. "Tsk...you talk too much." "You didn't notice it at all, did you?" "Ah...see you later." After saying that, Ethan quickly walked out of the classroom, leaving Lucas alone.
"Looks like I'll have to find some fun on my own." ...... As soon as Ethan left the teaching building, he began to look around for Morse. "Where did he go?" He was still inside just now, how could he go away so quickly? "You're late." At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind, and at the same time, a breath was felt. "What?" Ethan was startled and was completely unaware of Morse's approach, as if he appeared out of thin air. "Have you been waiting here?" "right." Ethan turned to face Morse, still surprised by his sudden appearance. "You're... pretty good at approaching people quietly, right?" Morse simply shrugged in response. "Anyway, don't waste time and follow me." After that, the two began to walk around the academy.