CHAPTER 124: GROUP MEETUP [1]

"Damn, Rowan, that was brutal." The boy standing beside him said, snickering.

The girl next to him couldn’t control her laughter and soon joined in.

"Yeah... pff—hahaha! I bet my soul you’re going to be an uncle soon."

They all laughed while Leon and Alice just stood there, watching the pathetic play unfold.

After a few seconds, the hallway went silent again.

Only Alice’s sigh echoed.

"Haaah..."

She raised one arm, cracked her neck, then looked straight into Rowan’s golden eyes.

"That’s the best you’ve got?"

Her tone was calm, almost curious. She added right after,

"No wonder your Mother birthed another after you."

Rowan’s smile tightened. "Watch it, bitch—"

Alice cut in smoothly, her tone sharp but lazy.

"Oh relax. I’m just surprised. I heard the famous Rowan Valentine had a sharp tongue. But I guess the rumors were exaggerated."

She didn’t stop there. Her words flowed easily, each one sharper than the last.

"Look, we all know you want attention. I mean, what kind of lowlife gangs up on first years? Pahaha... it’s so pathetic. If I even did that, I would just die."

The way she said it, smiling like it was genuine amusement, made her look completely unhinged.

Leon didn’t stop her. He was enjoying it.

Controlling his grin, he glanced at Rowan, giving him the "Oh, you just fucked up" look.

Rowan wouldn’t dare fight physically inside Eclipse. Especially not with first years.

If he did, rumors would spread fast that he’d tried picking on the weak.

And as someone aiming for the Disciplinary Committee, he couldn’t afford that.

Not while he was still bound by the academy’s walls.

The girl beside Rowan scoffed.

"Watch your mouth, bitch, before someone shuts it for you."

Alice’s grin widened slowly.

She folded her arms, eyes half-lidded with amusement.

"Oh? Then come try," she said softly. "But make sure to wipe that sewer breath first. I don’t talk to half-bred gutter rats who learned manners by licking boots."

The girl flinched, not expecting her to reply.

Alice’s tone dropped lower, sharper. Her eyes narrowed as she casually said.

"You know what, forget it. You look like the type who moans during arguments just to feel relevant. Tell me... did stupidity come naturally, or did your parents breed it into you for sport?"

The hallway went silent.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Completely silent.

Even Leon blinked, caught off guard.

’...Holy hell. She’s possessed.’

Rowan’s smirk disappeared. The other boy stepped back quietly for some reason.

The other boy shifted awkwardly, glancing between them, clearly wanting to say something but thinking better of it.

The girl’s face went pale, trembling with anger but unable to speak. She can’t tackle that; no matter how much she thinks, she would never get to her level.

Alice tilted her head slightly, smiling as if nothing had happened.

"Thought so."

Seeing his friend struggle, Rowan finally stepped in.

He raised his hand slightly, stopping her from saying anything else.

"You really are as accurate as the rumors say," he said, his tone suddenly calm. "I get it now."

He nodded slowly, forcing a smirk back on his face. "Mother was just playing around with you, huh? Guess those red roses really were just a rumor."

Just like Leon, he knows his mother all too well. She wouldn’t ask for her hand even if she were the last girl remaining.

Alice just stared back.

After Rowan was done, he looked at Leon who was simply standing right beside Alice the whole time.

Rowan glared at him.

"And you," he said. "Don’t act high and mighty. You were nothing a year ago. Suddenly, you are a Rank 2? A scholar? How did you do it, huh? Who pulled strings for you?"

Leon looks straight at Rowan and finally speaks.

"You done?"

Rowan scoffed. "Answer the damn question."

Leon blinked once. "You think too highly of yourself if you believe I owe you one."

He said it flatly, without a hint of emotion. Then turned away.

Rowan clenched his fists. "Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you."

Leon stopped for a brief second, glanced at him from the corner of his eye, and said quietly,

"I’m not walking away. I’m just don’t like wasting my time."

Then he walked past.

Alice followed, her heels clicking against the floor. As she passed the girl who had cursed her earlier, she smirked.

"Keep trying," she said, tilting her head slightly. "Hmph."

And just like that, the two of them left the hall behind, leaving Rowan and his group standing there, speechless.

After the two of them left the corridor, the boy with Rowan asked.

"Why didn’t you do anything? He was acting cocky; a fist or two would have done the trick."

Rowan replied without looking.

"Nah, that’s cheap."

"What?"

"Leave it; I will see him when he is outside the Eclipse."

— — —

As they both walked down the stairs, Alice spoke first.

"Your family’s fucked up... well, except your sister."

Leon chuckled.

"You’re one to talk. You’ve got a trash reputation yourself."

"Heh," she grinned, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I like it that way."

"Whatever."

They walked in silence for a bit before Alice spoke again.

"What, you treating me now?"

Leon raised an eyebrow. "What? Why would I?"

Alice looked genuinely offended.

"What do you mean why? I had dinner with your mother, and today I fought your brother for you. I suffered too much. That’s at least worth a meal."

Leon scoffed. "Fought for me? That’s funny coming from you. You just wanted to shut that girl and my brother up."

"No way," she said, pointing at herself. "I was serious. Trust me."

Leon sighed, shaking his head slightly. "You’re unbelievable."

Alice smirked. "You’ll realize my worth someday."

"I already have," Leon said flatly. "It’s in negative."

"Asshole."

He smiled faintly but didn’t respond. The conversation ended there, and soon it was replaced by the faint echo of their footsteps through the marble hall.

After lunch, Leon attended the remaining classes quietly.

The rest of the day passed without much trouble.

When he finally opened the door to his dorm room, a familiar voice greeted him.

"Good evening, young master."

Leon paused mid-step.

"Good evening. You came early today."

Myra stood near the small area beside the dining table, arranging a tray. She was already wearing her apron, her blonde hair tied neatly behind her head in a bun.

"Lady Ezra sent an invitation," she said, taking out a folded letter from the small pocket of her apron.

Leon walked closer, took the letter, and unfolded it.

His eyes moved across the page slowly before he sighed and closed it again.

"What is it?" Myra asked, studying his face carefully.

Leon folded the paper and tossed it lightly onto the nearby shelf.

"Nothing. Just what I expected."

He sat down at the table, picking up the cutlery. "She wants me there when the guests arrive."

"Guests? You too?" Myra tilted her head.

"Mhm," Leon nodded once. "My uncle’s kids."

Myra’s eyes widened a little. "Ah, those Valentine twins?"

"That’s what it said in the letter," Leon replied, cutting into the jerky on his plate. "They’ll be visiting the Valentine dukedom tomorrow evening."

Myra set the tray properly and stepped beside him. "Worry not, young master. I’ll make all the preparations."

Leon took a bite, chewing slowly. "...Good."

For a while, only the soft sound of utensils and Myra tidying the counter filled the room.

Finally, she asked quietly, "Will you be fine seeing them again?"

Leon didn’t answer right away. He took another bite. Honestly, it will be his first time meeting them.

Valentine’s house was not very large, like the other house. It was just them and his father’s elder brother, who lived in the neighbouring city.

"...It doesn’t matter," he said after a moment. "It’s just a dinner invitation."

After finishing his dinner, Leon stood up, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and walked toward the wardrobe.

He changed into formal noble attire: a white shirt, a black vest, and a long dark coat lined with faint silver threads.

"You’re going again?" Myra asked, glancing at his back.

Leon adjusted his collar and replied, "I got scouted for a joint research. We have a small meeting tonight."

"Ohh, that’s great news, young master. Congratulations."

Leon simply nodded.

As he turned toward the door, his eyes landed on the small wooden box resting on the top rack of the wardrobe.

He paused, walked over, and picked it up. The box was carved with faint symbols glowing with a pale blue light.

He opened it.

Inside was the ice spirit ring.

The silver ring gleamed faintly, and a cold trace of mist surrounded it.

Leon stared at it quietly. "I almost forgot about you," he muttered.

He had kept it there since yesterday. When he tried to activate it outside, it didn’t respond at all.

After some testing, he found the reason. The ring required a steady supply of pure ice mana for a full day to properly recalibrate. Without that, its core stayed dormant.

That was why he bought this box.

A specially designed container built to hold a constant mana flow. The formula-symbol absorbed ambient energy and refined it into condensed elemental mana, keeping the inside temperature stable and charged.

Leon watched the faint frost spreading across the box’s corners and nodded. "It’s already leaking... this should do it."

He lifted the ring carefully and placed it on his right hand’s index finger.

The metal was freezing at first, but then a faint pulse of mana ran through it.

"Good," he said quietly.

He tried to let the ring feed over his mana, and as he thought that, the ring followed.

’It’s working...’

Few more steps, and it will be ready.

He closed the box and set it aside, then glanced at the mirror.

Leon gave himself one final look and whispered, "Perfect."

He turned to Myra, gave her a few orders about tomorrow, grabbed his coat, and walked out of the room.