Their faces shifted into expressions of utter stupefaction.
What sort of trouble truly awaited them?
"Could you elaborate?" Catalina pleaded.
Sillias merely shrugged before sprinting ahead, leaving the others bewildered.
"What a strange guy..." Divion muttered. "And yet, there's something magnetic drawing all of us toward him. Something I can't quite explain."
He was clumsy and reserved, but from time to time, he could sound unusually commanding, almost like a domineering emperor.
Which was odd, since without his particular ties to the Freinz, Sillias was not much different from a commoner.
A plebeian commanding a group of aristocrats–
Such a thing was unheard of.
Any other member of the nobility would have been offended.
But not them. Somehow, they couldn't bring themselves to feel anything of the sort.
Sure, they might have doubted his capabilities for a while, but now—
it was as though he could blow away any uncertainty with a single word.
Divion's gaze lingered on Sillias, admiration and uncertainty gleaming in his eyes.
"Kayven, you two have gotten awfully close lately-"
The dark-blue-sapphire-eyed boy rolled his eyes.
"Save your questions for later, my friend," he replied dryly.
His expression was stern.
He clenched his crystal to his chest and sighed.
"...Why do I feel like I'm being watched?"
Kayven peered around him. He felt a strange premonition.
"Whatever. I'm following Sillias. Who's with me?" Catalina queried.
"It's not a good idea," Kayven mumbled.
Yet his legs had already begun carrying him in the same direction Sillias had taken.
Your mouth says one thing, but your actions always say the complete opposite.
They all thought this inwardly as they trailed behind him.
The rhythmic pounding of their shoes echoed along the way, leaving faint impressions in the dirt.
The sweat accumulated from all the physical exertion of the archery competition had dried into a thin film that clung to their skin like fragile cobwebs.
They marched nervously, without noticing the realization slowly dawning upon them.
following Sillias without his knowledge suddenly felt ethically ambiguous.
Catalina and Kayven also began to realize that the situation could easily get out of hand.
Sillias had been drenched in perspiration back there.
What if she was planning on partially drying her clothes?
This would most likely mean that he had to change out of his attire in between.
The possibility of walking in on him at the worst possible timing left them petrified.
But the more believable possibility—that he was hiding something from them—
was, somehow, even more frustrating.
Then, an intrusive image trespassed into Kayven's mind, causing him to abruptly halt.
The fleeting image of Sillias's sheer blouse, revealing the bandages concealed beneath it, flashed through his mind.
His cheeks immediately flushed crimson.
Divion reached over and grabbed his shoulders.
"Kayven, are you sick? You look kind of—"
"I'm fine. Leave me alone," he groaned, shoving his friend's arms away.
He accelerated his pace.
His classmates stared at him with baffled expressions.
He had engendered a sense of dismay among them.
Catalina took one quick look at him—
and that was all she needed to get the picture crystal clear.
"Boys..." she sighed, a mixture of amusement and disdain in her voice.
She hastened her pace as well.
When she reached his level, she mimicked Divion and tackled him from behind.
"I warned you before. Don't daydream about my precious friend like that."
She leaned dauntingly close to his ear.
"You—"
The crimson drained from Kayven's face, leaving him as white as a sheet.
A chill ran down his spine as his life suddenly felt threatened.
Whatever awaited them ahead suddenly seemed far less horrendous than the menacing presence of the short brunette girl standing behind him.
In a state of disquiet, he turned back and clutched the arms of the very same friend he had shoved away only moments ago.
"I have something urgent to discuss with you—in private. So let's go ahead."
Divion gazed at him incredulously.
They walked farther ahead, still discreet enough not to attract attention, yet far enough away to converse without being interrupted.
Kayven exhaled in relief.
He had successfully dodged the awkward situation he had involuntarily gotten himself into.