CHAPTER 54: A PIECE FROM THE PAST

"What did you call me? A psycho?"

Alice crossed her arms, glaring at Leon.

Leon smirked, shrugging.

"Oh? Did I hit the nail?"

"All right, you’re asking for it—"

She took a step forward.

Leon’s shoulders relaxed. Rubbing his temples, he said,

"Is this really necessary? We’re just a pair for this exam. Let’s cooperate, and I promise I’ll never talk to you again."

Leon was running out of time. If he didn’t convince Alice to cooperate, then they would both end up with failing grades.

In the original storyline, it was never mentioned who Alice paired up with, nor was it mentioned how she cleared the exam and got selected into Class S. All the story showed was Ethan.

"Heh," Alice dryly sneered, "your wording makes it sound like I’m the bad guy here."

Then, pausing, she added,

"Sure, if you wish to stay the fuck out of my sight, then let’s cooperate... but let me add another condition."

Leon perked his ears. Raising his palm, he said to Alice,

"All right, it’s only fair. What do you want?"

"Oh," Alice grinned, "so you do know I want something? Perfect."

Leon listened.

Alice said with a serious tone,

"Very well, I want you to share with me your findings."

"Findings?" Leon tilted his head.

"Agh, don’t play dumb. I saw your entrance test answers, the ones you gave during your interview with my grandfather. I want to know, how do you plan to do it?"

She must have seen the answer on the test paper. The third question was the hardest, one that needed an extensive field of studies and data, yet Leon had answered it very well while leaving a few loopholes deliberately, just to make the readers curious.

The question was simple: What possible methods should one use to reduce spell casting time?

Yet, the answer was something that hadn’t been discovered yet.

And after listening to Alice’s words, Leon grinned, realising some progress in one of his traps.

’Well, I don’t mind sharing, because she will be one of the contributors to this field in the near future...’

Composing his expression, he answered,

"All right, I’ll share my findings. But... since your demand is so high-priced, I’ll be adding another condition."

"..."

Alice didn’t question it. Demanding someone else’s research... even just a peek was too much. One must put one’s whole life into this kind of research.

"What is it?" she asked.

Leon replied,

"For the entire time in the exam, I’ll be the one making the shots. You don’t get to question me once we go in. If you agree, then I’ll agree too."

Alice thought for a second.

From the beginning, she had no real interest in Eclipse at all, so failing a class allotment exam was not something she cared much about.

"Deal," she said.

"Perfect," Leon replied, fighting his urge to grin.

"You two!"

A sharp voice cut through from the front.

Both Leon and Alice turned their heads.

"Everyone else has already chosen their book. Do you two want a special invitation?!"

It was one of the invigilators. Register in hand, he glared at them.

Leon scratched his cheek awkwardly and dipped his head a little.

"Ah, sorry, professor. We were just... debating which book to pick. In two minutes, we’ll make it on time."

"You’d better hurry! We don’t have time to waste!"

"Yes, professor," Leon answered quickly, then turned to Alice. "Let’s find the book."

Alice let out a long sigh.

"Haah... what a pain."

Still, she walked beside him as they headed straight to the right side of the library.

The library had six floors, each stacked with thousands of shelves stretching endlessly.

"How’re we supposed to pick?"

Alice muttered, eyes scanning rows of selves.

"Don’t tell me you want to check all the books."

Leon shook his head. "Are you nuts?"

"Then how?" she pressed, already impatient. "Seriously, let’s just pick—oh, yeah, that red one over there."

Before Leon could reply, she jogged to the shelf, reached up to the third rack, and yanked out a thin book. Without even glancing at it, she held it up high.

"This one’s thin. Let’s choose this."

Leon’s eyes flicked to the title. He stared for a moment.

"..."

He blinked, then looked up at her with a strange expression. "Are you sure? Don’t complain to me later."

"Huh?"

Alice frowned and finally looked down at the cover to read the title.

[Shieldmaiden’s Forbidden Nights]

Her hand froze.

She read it again.

Forbidden. Nights.

These two words sent an unknown spark through her mind.

Almost instantly, a flush crept up her neck and spread to her cheeks, and the crimson tone bloomed like wildfire.

She fumbled, nearly dropping the book as if it had burned her fingers.

Her lips parted, but only a jumble of half-formed syllables spilt out before she finally managed to choke.

"H-H-How is this supposed to be related to war and warriors?!"

Leon just stood there, enjoying the scene in front.

’Ah, I am glad I came today.’

That was the perfect reaction he had ever seen.

"Th-this... this isn’t war! Wh-what kind of... s-sick joke is this?! Are they even allowed in a sacred place like this?!"

The way her hands clutched the book, pressed close to her chest, hiding it as if she’d been caught for the first time.

Leon chuckled.

"Heh, don’t judge the book by its cover. The warrior in the title, Shieldmaiden, had a tragic story back then..."

Alice narrowed her eyes at him.

"Looks to me you read this before."

He hadn’t read it, but Leon knew the story written inside. Though the title promised valour, it was more of a dark fantasy.

"The past was a cruel place," Leon said, taking the book from Alice’s hands. "No one deserves the way she was treated."

He placed the book back on the shelf.

"What do you mean? What happened to the Shieldmaiden?" Alice’s curiosity rose after seeing the grief in his eyes.

Leon didn’t answer. He only said,

"It’s a long story. Why don’t you read it after the exam?"

Alice, however, had already decided she would.

Pointing to the left, Leon said.

"Let’s go there."

Alice quietly followed behind, her gaze locked for the last time on that book.

Passing through a few shelves, she saw two students standing beside a rack, holding two books in their hands.

One boy with white hair, and another girl with red hair.

Noticing the pair approaching them, the white-haired boy said.

"Leon? You haven’t found your book yet?"

"Ethan?" Leon dryly stated, "I thought you, of all people, had already decided on the book."

Ethan scratched his cheek.

"Yeah, we were just confused about which to pick."

He raised his hand and showed Leon the two books he was holding.

Leon and Alice read the titles of both books.

[The Light of Ruination]

[The Shattered Swordmaiden]

Both books caught Leon’s attention.

"What do you think?" Ethan asked.

But before he could answer, Alice interrupted.

"It’s... a normal title."

"Hm?"

Ethan turned to her.

"Oh, how impolite of me."

As he noticed Alice standing beside Leon, he quickly greeted her.

"I am Ethan Graves. It’s nice to meet you, and this..."

He gestured to his partner.

His red-haired partner greeted them with etiquette.

"Greetings to the daughter of Nightson, I am Susan Sleath, fifth daughter of the house of Sleath."

Alice’s eyes twitched. She didn’t like the way Susan showed etiquette.

But before Alice replied, Leon interrupted.

"Greetings, I am Leon Valentine, and the angry lady beside me is Alice Nightson."

"Hey." Alice shot him a glare.

After a brief exchange, Leon jumped to the main point.

"Ethan, what book do you want to choose?"

"Honestly," Ethan glanced at both the books, "they both look interesting."

In the original story, Ethan picked [The Shattered Swordmaiden]. Upon clearing it, he acquired the legendary [Moonblade], which he rarely ever used.

But the second book, [The Light of Ruination], had an even better reward which would suit Ethan more than [Moonblade].

Leon wanted him to choose the second book, because he himself wanted the first.

"Hmm, if you ask me, I will suggest The Light of Ruination," Leon said, shooting Ethan a brief glance, "who knows, you might stumble upon something interesting, given the title."

Indeed, the title [The Light of Ruination] had the word ’Light’ in it, which might have some answers regarding Light Affinity. And who knows, Ethan might encounter another Light Affinity user.

"I think so too," Ethan muttered.

"And besides," Leon continued, "that swordmaiden sounded a little boring."

Alice was witnessing the whole conversation. She didn’t interrupt, as Leon had given her a condition not to question him.

But her mind had one question.

’What is he trying to do?’

"Susan," Ethan asked his partner, "what do you say?"

The red-haired girl glanced down.

"I, too, think that swordmaiden would be boring."

"Is that so?" Ethan gave a final glance at the book, then decided. "Alright, let’s go with Light of Ruination."

He placed the other book on the shelf and bid farewell to Alice and Leon.

After they left, Alice asked,

"They are done, now, which book do we pick?"

Leon smiled and picked up the book that Ethan had just left.

"What else?"

"Dafuck?"

Alice was left speechless.

’Didn’t this bastard just say it’s boring?’

And this whole conversation between Leon and Ethan made Alice gravely think.

’This guy is the real psycho.’

.

.

[A/N] : Support me with Powerstones and Golden Tickets.