CHAPTER 346: SHE WANTED... TO KISS THEM...

Two hours later, Lyra, having finished her training, arrived as promised in front of Astrid’s training room and gently knocked on the door.

Though she didn’t know why Astrid had called her here, if the other party said so, there must be a reason behind it.

After a brief wait, the door opened from within. Astrid gazed at Lyra obediently standing in the corridor and slightly shifted her body, leaving a gap for the girl to enter.

"Come in."

Stepping into the room, Lyra found no trace of the intense, bone-chilling cold that usually accompanied Astrid’s ice magic practice. Instead, the air carried a gentle warmth, making her feel unusually comfortable.

Instinctively opening her elemental vision, Lyra saw lingering particles of light element, still dispersing, countless specks of luminous fragments floating around like summer ice cream, slowly melting away at a leisurely pace.

Astrid... practiced light magic tonight?

Hardly had that thought surfaced when Lyra heard the person behind her close the door and softly speak.

"How’s your training been lately? Any parts you don’t understand or find difficult?"

It had been a long time since Lyra last heard Astrid ask this. Ever since enrolling in Elizabeth Academy of Magic, the latter rarely guided her in magical studies, partly because she truly had more responsibilities now, leaving little time to teach, and partly because the academy professors were highly skilled and thorough. Given Lyra’s aptitude, classroom instruction alone was enough to cover most of her questions.

"It’s... okay. I can understand most of what the teachers say..."

Lyra answered quietly, her eyes fixed on Astrid, who had seated herself at the desk.

The woman elegantly crossed her legs. Thin black stockings wrapped around soft, supple thighs, the pressure slightly revealing a faint hint of pinkish flesh.

After listening to Lyra’s words, Astrid nodded thoughtfully before speaking again.

"I see..."

"It feels like Lyra’s been pushing herself too hard lately. Is it because of the competition?"

The girl’s current state of preparation was even more tense than during the previous final exams. Even meal times were seized as opportunities to save every second.

If this world had such a thing as "overachievers," Lyra would undoubtedly claim the title.

"..."

Lyra fell silent for a moment before murmuring softly.

"I’m still too weak. I can’t possibly defeat those Seniors."

Although Lyra ranked among the top newcomers of her year, she still clearly lagged behind other nobles, especially seniors who’d had an extra year of dedicated magical study.

Everyone attending Elizabeth Academy of Magic was a carefully selected prodigy. Lyra, born a commoner, had barely touched magic before the age of sixteen. Meanwhile, these noble heirs, raised in privilege, had trained since childhood, their foundations far superior. Even with the protagonist’s cheat-like talent, catching up in such a short time was nearly impossible.

"According to the tournament format, I’ll definitely face students at the Magnus level later. If I don’t improve, won’t my defeat be sealed before the battle even begins?"

"To achieve a good ranking, I need at least enough strength to stand against them, not just defend helplessly and exit in regret."

"So I want to push myself during this time. Maybe then I’ll have a chance..."

Against opponents below Magnus level, Lyra, enhanced by dual magic-and-sword mastery, could confidently win every match. But against a Magnus, her odds of victory remained slim.

The gap between their strengths was like a vast chasm.

Gazing at the girl before her, eyes resolute, right hand tightly gripping her knight’s blade, Astrid narrowed her eyes slightly. Her crimson irises shimmered as if reflecting bright, flowing light.

"Lyra’s desire to win is even stronger than I imagined..."

Perhaps this was the kind of determination only a protagonist from a classic shonen story would possess. Astrid herself didn’t particularly care about her ranking in this competition.

Of course, she hadn’t even signed up to participate.

Hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra pressed her lips together and replied softly.

"It’s not exactly about wanting to win..."

She just... wanted Astrid to feel proud of her at some point...

Or to be more selfish, Lyra wanted to become radiant and brilliant, so that when she stood beside Astrid, she’d be worthy of that position.

Watching the pink-haired girl lower her gaze, her left hand clutching the hem of her skirt until the silk fabric nearly wrinkled, Astrid eased the slight fatigue in her mind from overusing her mana. Her pink lips parted gently.

"Since Lyra wants to win so badly, I’ll teach you something that might help in battle."

"But let me make one thing clear, if anyone asks about what I taught you, say those incantations were ones you discovered on your own."

Astrid’s tone suddenly turned serious, her cold crimson eyes emitting a faint sense of pressure.

Though Astrid disliked using authority to intimidate, she had lived in the royal palace for nearly a decade, constantly surrounded by high-ranking royals. Naturally, she carried a touch of that overbearing noble aura.

Sensing the seriousness behind Astrid’s words, Lyra nodded firmly.

"I understand."

Could it be... knowledge related to ancient language?

That was all Lyra could think of, and this time, she wasn’t wrong.

Astrid handed her a notebook, her finger lightly flipping to the first page.

"First read the incantations and magic configurations. I’ll demonstrate later."

The handwriting in the notebook was neat and orderly, elegant, yet carrying a hint of cold pride and nobility. Clearly, it was Astrid’s own hand.

Lyra reached out to take the notebook, ready to study it carefully, when Astrid gently pulled out the nearby chair and spoke softly.

"Sit down. You’re standing so stiffly, anyone would think I’m punishing you to memorize spells."

Lyra hummed in acknowledgment and obediently bent her knees, sitting beside Astrid.

High-tier Magnus-level Light-element magic, [Flickering Light, Passing Shadow].

Lyra had never heard of this spell. At least, she’d never seen it in Elizabeth Academy of Magic’s library, nor had any professor ever mentioned its casting principles.

"Is this... translated from an ancient incantation?"

Impressed that Lyra had caught on unusually quickly, Astrid gave a slight nod.

"So don’t go around spreading this."

"After reading, pay close attention to my demonstration. You know my mana reserves aren’t great, I can probably only perform this once tonight."

Previous attempts and revisions had already drained much of Astrid’s mental energy. Releasing it once more was already somewhat of a stretch.

Hearing this, Lyra nodded seriously, speaking softly.

"I will, Astrid."

Twenty minutes later, Lyra told Astrid she understood. The silver-haired girl slowly stood and began chanting the incantation for [Flickering Light, Passing Shadow] once more.

"Pure light that wraps the world, mother of shadows, foundation of all creation..."

As the words faded, light began gathering of its own accord. In mere moments, the training room transformed into an ocean of radiance.

Due to her higher light-element affinity compared to Astrid, Lyra could perceive finer details, such as the exact amount of destructive energy contained within each speck of light, and the trajectories along which they drifted.

It was as if... a prison made entirely of light...

This spell could be used not only for offense, but likely for defense as well.

Lyra raised her hand. The translucent blade touched a speck of light. With the Light Blade, she could feel the light and heat more clearly.

"..."

After a while, Astrid ended the display, propping her cheek with one hand, half-leaning against the desk.

"Now try it yourself."

Her head felt slightly heavy, but Astrid suppressed the urge to fall asleep right there and forced herself to speak.

"If there’s anything unclear, tell me anytime."

This powerful, obscure light-element spell would make the perfect trump card for Lyra.

Lyra responded with a soft "Okay," carefully recalling Astrid’s every movement and the changes in elemental particles she’d observed through her elemental vision. Five minutes later, she began chanting slowly.

"Pure light that wraps the world, mother of shadows, foundation of all creation..."

........

Compared to Astrid’s casting, Lyra’s [Flickering Light, Passing Shadow] produced greater magical intensity and a wider area of effect.

The previous spell had barely covered half the training room; Lyra’s version filled the entire space. She even had to control part of the luminous fragments to prevent them from igniting the furniture and the person sitting on the wooden chair.

Within her elemental vision, vast waves of light filled the air, suppressing the activity of other elements. According to elemental theory, both light and fire elements could suppress other elements when densely concentrated. However, light was more (inclusive) than fire and could have its suppression force relatively loosened under the caster’s control.

While adjusting the trajectories of light-element particles and continuously expending mana, Lyra slowly opened her eyes. The specks of light around her seemed reluctant to vanish, lingering as if unwilling to part.

Only after Lyra’s residual magic was completely exhausted did the light particles begin to vanish spontaneously, returning to their original, free-floating state.

"Astrid... did I succeed?"

"..."

The room fell silent, with only Lyra’s voice softly echoing back at her.

"...Astrid?"

Calling softly again, Lyra turned her head in confusion toward the desk. The silver-haired beauty, who normally exuded charm at every moment, was now resting her head on the desk. Her two smooth, delicate arms were folded gently beneath her cheek.

Her long, silvery-white waterfall of hair covered her ears and partially concealed half her face. Her cherry-pink lips were slightly pressed together, like two tender, tempting petals. Her delicate, refined nose rose and fell with soft, slow breaths, clearly revealing her current state.

Has Astrid fallen asleep?

Staring at the long, curved lashes before her, Lyra felt a flicker of surprise. Her blue eyes shimmered like rippling water as she continued gazing at the Imperial Princess’s sleeping face, a sight rarely shown to outsiders.

Now that she thought about it, Princess Astrid really hadn’t had an easy time lately. Besides academic workload, she also had to manage the newspaper.

And recently, the Crown Prince was apparently returning to the capital, adding even more to her concerns.

After pondering briefly, Lyra dispersed her Light Blade into specks of light and gently sat down beside Astrid.

This incantation... must have taken Astrid a great deal of effort...

Lyra didn’t fully grasp how difficult reverse-translating ancient language truly was, but she had some idea of how troublesome it was to create a new spell and find a suitable incantation for it.

Even someone like Countess Charlotte, an Arcanist mage of the highest caliber, had only two original combat-effective spells to her name.

No wonder Princess Astrid had looked completely drained every night lately when leaving the training room, her once-clear crimson eyes now shadowed with fatigue.

She must have gone through all this trouble just so Lyra could achieve better results, researching light-element magic, a type rarely used by a mage with her exceptional ice-element affinity.

A warm feeling welled up in Lyra’s heart. Gazing at Astrid’s face so close to her, her sapphire-blue eyes swirled with intense, deep affection.

Even with such a busy schedule, she still remembered to prepare a light-element spell for her competition.

No wonder she was so exhausted tonight, she’d probably been testing the [Flickering Light, Passing Shadow] spell over and over.

Recalling the free-floating light particles in the air when she first entered, the pink-haired girl’s lips curled into a faint smile. Amidst the ache in her heart, she became even more certain her guess was correct.

How could she be so wonderful...

While Astrid slept, there was no need to hide her feelings. Lyra propped her cheek with one hand and silently gazed down, as if trying to etch the other’s image completely into her eyes.

She would definitely repay Princess Astrid properly in the future.

The lingering light particles in the room gradually dissipated, and the brightness began to dim. Lyra watched Astrid’s lashes tremble faintly with each breath, her pupils reflecting the flawless face of the Imperial Gem alone.

Indeed... no matter how many times she looked, Princess Astrid remained the most beautiful person she’d ever seen, without a single exception...

Perhaps because she adored her so deeply, wanting to see more clearly, Lyra unconsciously leaned closer. By the time she realized it, she could already feel Astrid’s faint, fragrant breath brushing against her cheek. Under the wooden desk, two warm, smooth legs quietly pressed together, the milky white of her stockings intertwining with the night-sky black, forming a perfect scenery unseen by any other.

Her gaze traced over Astrid’s soft, alluring lips. Remembering the deliberately feigned cruel personality, those cold words once spoken from those very lips, Lyra’s desire had never been stronger.

What would Princess Astrid’s lips taste like?

Strawberry-flavored? Grape? Or perhaps sweet, almost honey-like?

She wanted... to kiss them...