Chapter 389: Chapter 389

[I didn't know. I'm sorry you had to go through that.]

I didn't know what else to say. There was no way to comfort someone who had been chasing revenge for so long, only to have it slip through their fingers.

Ella glanced at the note, her eyes lingering on the words before she slowly nodded. Her face was still unreadable, but I could sense the storm inside her brewing.

After few moments she gives me yet another note.

[By the way, today will be my last day at Nova Academy before I leave for good.]

I blinked at her words.

I see, So that means that she won't assassinating Elera anymore.

Which is good considering that I don't have to keep eyes on her.

If today was Ella's last day at Nova Academy, that changed things.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Something about Ella's demeanor didn't sit right with me. Her pursuit of revenge had defined her for so long—what would she do now, after everything had fallen apart?

I glanced at her again, wondering what she was thinking, but her expression remained unreadable. She had always been difficult to figure out, and now was no different.

"Do you know what you'll do next?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Ella didn't respond immediately, her fingers tapping the edge of the table before she finally wrote another note.

Robold Roos, the instructor who was giving the lecture, pointed at us.

"Are you two in a relationship?"

Only then did I realize what position Ella and I were in. Our arms were practically touching while we were writing secrets notes to each other.

Ella quickly scurried off to the side, but the cadets' attention had already fallen on us.

"I don't think you guys suit each other... also, dating so openly is prohibited in Nova Academy."

"It's not like that."

As I answered, I felt an intense stare on me.

It was Evelyn. Emma, who was sitting next to Evelyn, was taking notes without caring about Ella and me, but Evelyn was glaring at me with puffed up cheeks.

"Cadet Lucas? Come here for a minute."

...I knew this would happen. There was no chance Robold would just let this slide. He was the type who embarrassed students to make himself feel superior.

I scratched my neck and got up the front of the class.

"Cadet can you please tell me what was today's lesson about?"

While I was at a loss for words, a quiet whisper rang out.

"...That's right. Can you demonstrate it for the class?"

I'm not good at magic after all I'm swordsman but that doesn't mean I don't know any kind of magic.

Since Yato thought me all kind of thing, he thought me how to make barrier with mana.

Of course, I wasn't exactly skilled at it, but I could pull off a basic barrier. After all, Yato had drilled the fundamentals into me during our training sessions. I took a deep breath and focused, letting my mana flow through my body, gathering at my fingertips.

I extended my hand forward, visualizing the energy forming a protective dome around me. Slowly, the barrier began to shimmer into existence—transparent but with a faint, bluish hue.

"There," I muttered, keeping the barrier stable as it surrounded me.

Robold Roos crossed his arms, his expression unimpressed. "It's functional, but not exactly strong, is it?"

I shrugged. "I'm more of a swordsman than a mage."

"Hmm," he said, tapping his chin. "I suppose that's an acceptable excuse, but in this academy, every cadet should strive to be proficient in all fields."

He waved his hand, pointing at my barrier.

"Everyone, do you know what the problem is with a cadet like him?"

He suddenly turned to the class and lectured as though I did something deplorable.

"It looks pretty on the outside. In fact, it's extremely pretty, as if its appearance is all that matters. No, that's the truth."

I glanced at my barrier.

Suddenly, Robold pointed fingers at me.

"You are not a celebrity! A Barrier must be sturdy, even if its appearance isn't the best!"

Robold ignited a fireball on his palm.

"The Barrier you created will be blown away by even this tiny fireball."

I stared at the fireball.

To be honest, I didn't think it would penetrate my Barrier.

"Cadet Robold, are you ready?"

"Yes? Ah, yes." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝙣𝙚𝙩

"Then I will now demonstrate why a Barrier shouldn't just be pretty."

Robold didn't throw the fireball. An instantaneous combustion of magic power sent the fireball quickly flying toward me on its own.

A small explosion erupted, but my barrier held firm. The fireball dissipated on impact, the barrier shimmering slightly but remaining intact.

A murmur spread through the classroom.

Robold's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized my barrier, clearly not expecting it to hold up as well as it did.

"Hmm... lucky," he muttered under his breath, though I caught it.

I smirked slightly, lowering my hand and letting the barrier fade. "Guess it's sturdier than it looks, huh?"

The instructor frowned, but before he could say anything else, Adrian's quiet voice once again reached me from his seat.

I nodded subtly in his direction, thankful for his earlier tip. Without his help, I'd have been completely lost.

Robold, trying to regain control of the situation, cleared his throat and gestured for me to return to my seat. "Well, that's enough of a demonstration. Remember, cadets, appearances don't matter as much as function. Let's move on."

As I walked back to my seat, I noticed Evelyn's eyes still fixed on me, her earlier frustration now replaced by a curious gaze. Ella, on the other hand, seemed entirely uninterested, staring out the window as if the whole episode hadn't concerned her at all.

I took my seat again, leaning back and letting out a quiet sigh of relief. **At least I didn't embarrass myself too much.**