Chapter 111
As they continued eating, Lin suddenly remembered something and set down her iced tea.
"Oh! Did you hear? Doctor Miyako Ueda is finally getting married."
Nille looked up from his sandwich and nodded. "I actually ran into her a few hours ago."
Lin's eyes immediately widened.
"You did?"
"Yeah. She was with her fiancé."
The excitement on Lin's face became obvious.
"Really? What was he like?"
Nille thought for a moment before answering. "He seemed calm. Professional. The type of person who thinks before speaking. He was also a High Elf."
Lin leaned forward slightly.
"A High Elf? Then the rumors were true."
"You've heard about him?"
"Only rumors," Lin admitted. "Miyako-sensei has always been extremely secretive about her love life. Even when we were younger, nobody knew if she was dating anyone."
Nille raised an eyebrow.
"You knew her when you were young?"
Lin nodded with a smile.
"When I was ten years old, Miyako-sensei was already a certified doctor. She was around twenty-four back then. I always looked up to her like an older sister."
Nille found that easy to imagine. Miyako had a naturally caring personality and often treated younger students with patience.
"She's twenty-nine now, right?" he asked.
Lin nodded.
"Twenty-nine, but she still looks almost exactly the same."
Nille laughed.
"Half-Elven blood?"
"Half-Elven blood," Lin confirmed. "Her aging process is much slower than ordinary humans."
Nille took another bite of his sandwich before casually asking, "So everyone knows she's Professor Caelum Verdanis' daughter?"
Lin looked surprised by the question.
"Of course."
"Everybody?"
"Pretty much everybody."
Nille blinked.
Lin laughed at his reaction.
"It's not really a big issue here. Nobody treats her differently because of it."
"I honestly didn't know."
"That's because you never pay attention to gossip."
Nille couldn't even argue with that statement.
Lin continued, "Besides, Miyako-sensei built her own reputation. Most people respect her because she's an excellent doctor, not because of her father."
Nille nodded in agreement.
That was true.
Even before learning about her family background, he had already respected her abilities.
Lin stirred her iced tea thoughtfully.
"Actually, I think most students forget she's related to Professor Verdanis."
"Why?"
"Because they act completely differently."
Nille laughed.
That was certainly true.
Professor Caelum Verdanis carried himself like a seasoned scholar who occasionally forgot basic common sense whenever research was involved.
Miyako, on the other hand, was practical, organized, and far more grounded.
"They don't really look alike either," Nille said.
Lin nodded.
"Miyako inherited more traits from her mother's side."
For a few moments, the conversation drifted toward old Academy stories involving Miyako. Lin shared several memories from her childhood, talking about medical outreach programs, volunteer work, and how Miyako often spent more time helping others than taking care of herself.
Listening to her speak, Nille gained a deeper appreciation for the woman.
Eventually, Lin smiled and shook her head.
"It's strange."
"What is?"
"I always thought Miyako-sensei would stay single forever."
"Why?"
"Because she was always working."
Nille laughed.
"I can see that."
"Honestly, seeing her get married makes me happy."
There was genuine warmth in Lin's voice.
Nille nodded.
"She seemed happy."
Lin smiled.
"Then that's good enough for me."
The conversation gradually moved on to other topics, but the atmosphere remained comfortable. Outside the deli windows, students continued moving through the Academy district, preparing for the massive Mid-Term Examination ahead. For now, however, neither Nille nor Lin seemed interested in rushing anywhere.
For once, they simply enjoyed lunch, good food, and a rare moment of peace before the chaos of the coming weeks began.
Nille chose not to mention what Nyx had discovered.
From the outside, Aelarion Vaelcrest had appeared perfectly normal. Calm, courteous, and genuinely devoted to Miyako. There had been nothing suspicious about the High Elf's behavior during their brief meeting.
Yet Nyx had noticed something.
A faint spiritual imprint.
Not a curse.
Not active magic.
Simply a lingering signature left behind by years of casting and shaping spiritual energy.
Every awakened individual carried such traces. Just as a bullet casing could be traced back to a specific weapon through microscopic markings, spiritual techniques often carried residual patterns unique to their creators. The more a person used a particular law, philosophy, or magical foundation, the more those patterns became embedded into their energy.
What caught Nyx's attention was not the imprint itself.
It was the similarity.
The faint traces surrounding Aelarion reminded Nyx of the residual energy that had once lingered around Imto Dimas during her berserk episode.
Not identical.
Only similar.
Like two books written in the same language by different authors.
When Nille questioned the observation internally, Nyx quickly clarified.
"Do not misunderstand. Similarity does not indicate direct involvement. Most magical traditions produce related signatures among practitioners."
That explanation made sense.
A professor's students often inherited elements of their mentor's spell laws. Even if their final techniques became unique, the underlying principles frequently shared common foundations.
It was one reason Yamatai Academy focused heavily on theory rather than forcing students to memorize existing spells.
A copied spell could become powerful.
A personally developed law could become extraordinary.
The Academy preferred the latter.
As Lin continued talking about Miyako's upcoming marriage, Nille silently listened while Nyx shared additional information.
"The Vaelcrest Clan is unusual among the High Elven houses."
Nille remained outwardly calm while listening internally.
"How unusual?"
"Historically, they have maintained stronger relations with mortal populations than most High Elven clans. They value adaptability over bloodline purity."
Nille remembered Aelarion's behavior.
That certainly matched his impression.
Unlike many powerful elves, the man had shown no trace of superiority during their conversation.
Nyx continued.
"Among the major clans of Sector One, the Vaelcrests are considered influential not solely because of strength, but because of their alliances. Their males have frequently taken mortal wives throughout history. Such unions are neither hidden nor discouraged within their house."
That was rare.
Very rare.
Many ancient clans guarded their bloodlines obsessively.
The Vaelcrests appeared to have taken a different path.
"They judge individuals by capability rather than race?" Nille asked internally.
"More accurately, by contribution."
Nille nodded slightly.
That sounded far more believable.
Powerful organizations rarely became influential through kindness alone.
Meanwhile, Lin continued speaking, completely unaware of the conversation occurring within Nille's mind.
"The funny thing is," she said while sipping her iced tea, "I never expected Miyako-sensei to end up with a High Elf."
Nille smiled.
"Why not?"
"She always seemed too busy."
That answer earned a small laugh from Nille.
Inside his mind, however, Nyx continued.
"The Vaelcrests maintain long-standing ties with the Verdanis Eruien Clan."
That caught Nille's attention.
Professor Caelum Verdanis.
His great-grandfather.
"The relationship goes back generations," Nyx explained. "Political alliances, academic cooperation, and personal friendships."
"Then Miyako's marriage isn't surprising."
"No."
Nyx paused briefly.
"In many ways, it is expected."
Nille quietly considered that.
The more he learned about the hidden connections among Sector One's major families, the more complicated the social landscape appeared.
Then Nyx's tone became slightly more serious.
"Unfortunately, the Verdanis Eruien Clan is not known for sharing the Vaelcrests' perspective."
Nille had already suspected as much.
"The clan respects talent," Nyx continued. "Exceptional talent."
"And everyone else?"
"Often ignored."
That answer felt cold.
But realistic.
Ancient houses that survived for centuries rarely did so through sentiment.
They invested in strength.
Potential.
Achievement.
The gifted were welcomed.
The weak were overlooked.
"The irony," Nyx added, "is that Professor Caelum appears to have inherited only part of that mentality."
Nille glanced out the window.
He could believe that.
Everything he had seen suggested that Caelum valued curiosity, effort, and determination almost as much as raw talent.
Perhaps that was why the professor felt different from the image Nyx described.
Or perhaps centuries spent teaching students had slowly changed him.
Either way, Nille kept those thoughts to himself.
Across the table, Lin was still talking enthusiastically about Academy gossip, completely unaware that Nille's mind was currently occupied by ancient clans, spiritual signatures, and hidden connections stretching across generations.
And for the moment, he preferred it that way. Some observations were worth keeping private until he understood them better himself.
Lin took another sip of her iced tea before continuing the conversation.
"From what I've heard, the wedding plans were accidentally leaked."
Nille looked up.
"Leaked?"
Lin nodded.
"Nobody knows how. One day only a handful of people supposedly knew about it, then suddenly half the Academy was talking about Miyako-sensei getting married."
She laughed softly.
"The poor woman couldn't even walk through the medical building without someone asking questions."
"I can imagine."
"Apparently that's one reason both of them took some time off."
"To avoid the attention?"
Lin nodded.
"They wanted something simple. A quiet ceremony with only family and close friends."
That sounded exactly like the Miyako Nille knew.
The doctor never seemed interested in status or grand displays.
"A small wedding sounds more like her."
"Exactly."
Lin smiled.
"Most people expected some huge noble gathering because of the High Elven connection."
Nille tapped his fingers lightly against the table.
"The timing feels interesting."
Lin tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
"The Vaelcrest Clan manages some of the largest Training Continuum facilities, right?"
"Among the largest."
"And Astrael is their primary territory."
Lin nodded.
"Pretty much."
Internally, Nille asked Nyx a different question.
"How large is Sector One actually?"
Nyx immediately responded.
"Based on currently available records, Luminaire Boundary is approximately five times larger than Yamatai Island."
Nille nearly paused mid-thought.
Five times larger.
That sounded manageable until one understood the scale involved.
Yamatai Island itself was enormous.
Most students spent years exploring only a fraction of its sectors.
Entire forests, mountain ranges, lakes, cities, ruins, and territories existed within its boundaries.
Multiplying that by five created something difficult to visualize.
Nyx continued.
"Sector One is not a single city."
"It contains multiple major population centers, autonomous territories, mountain regions, agricultural zones, magical reserves, ancient ruins, and several controlled wilderness sectors."
Nille remembered Astrael.
The largest city in Luminaire Boundary.
Even the city's outer districts could swallow several ordinary metropolitan areas from Earth.
And Astrael was only one city.
"The realm itself was designed to support multiple civilizations simultaneously," Nyx explained. "Many inhabitants live their entire lives without seeing all of Sector One."
That put things into perspective.
Most Academy students casually referred to Sector One as though it were a neighboring district.
In reality, it was closer to an entire nation.
Perhaps several nations combined.
Lin continued speaking.
"Astrael alone has a population larger than several sectors combined."
"I've heard."
"And the Vaelcrests have influence almost everywhere."
Nille nodded thoughtfully.
The more he learned about the clan, the less surprising Miyako's engagement became.
Still, something about the timing continued to occupy a corner of his mind.
Not enough to draw conclusions.
Just enough to remember.
Eventually lunch came to an end.
The plates were cleared away.
The drinks were finished.
Neither seemed particularly eager to leave, yet both knew they had preparations to make before the Mid-Term began.
They paid for their meals and stepped outside into the sunlight.
The city was busy.
Students , working moved between districts.
Merchants advertised supplies.
Quest recruitment notices appeared on public boards.
Everyone was preparing for the opportunities, and dangers, that Dean Osamu had unleashed upon the Academy.
Without really planning it, Nille and Lin continued walking together.
The conversation shifted naturally from Academy topics to ordinary things.
Favorite foods.
Places they wanted to visit.
Stories from before arriving on Yamatai Island.
The relaxed stroll felt surprisingly pleasant.
Neither of them seemed in a hurry, allowing the afternoon to unfold at its own pace as they wandered through the busy streets surrounding the Academy district. At times, their conversation would pause naturally, not from awkwardness but from simple curiosity whenever something interesting caught their attention.
A small bookstore displaying rare travel journals caused them to stop for nearly fifteen minutes. Lin found herself flipping through an illustrated guide detailing the ancient settlements of Luminaire Boundary, while Nille became distracted by a collection of old expedition records written by veteran explorers who had survived journeys into the deeper sectors. Every now and then they would show each other a page or illustration that seemed particularly interesting.
"Look at this," Lin said with a smile, turning the book around.
The page showed a beautifully painted floating forest suspended above a sea of clouds.
"It looks impossible."
Nille studied the illustration.
"Considering where we study, that's probably real."
Lin laughed softly.
"Fair point."
A little farther down the street, they entered a small artifact shop filled with charms, enchanted trinkets, and decorative magical tools. Neither intended to buy anything, yet both spent several minutes examining the displays.
Lin became fascinated by a collection of miniature wind charms that produced tiny breezes when activated.
Meanwhile, Nille found himself studying a set of old navigation compasses designed for dimensional travelers.
"Still looking at practical things?" Lin asked.
"They're useful."
"You say that about everything."
"If it keeps me alive, it's useful."
Lin shook her head with amusement.
"You sound eighty years old sometimes."
"That's unfair."
"It really isn't."
Their laughter blended easily into the surrounding sounds of the city.
As they continued walking, they occasionally stopped at market stalls, examined handmade crafts, and browsed shelves filled with items neither of them truly needed. Yet somehow, simply sharing those small moments made the outing enjoyable.
At one point, they found themselves inside a small stationery shop filled with journals, inks, and writing tools.
Lin picked up an elegant silver fountain pen.
"This one's beautiful."
Nille glanced at the price tag.
"It costs more than my monthly food budget."
Lin immediately put it back.
The two stared at each other for a second before bursting into laughter.
Later, they passed a music shop where enchanted instruments softly played melodies on their own. Nearby, an elderly craftsman demonstrated folding paper constructs that transformed into tiny animated animals.
Lin purchased a small paper crane.
The moment she infused it with a little spiritual energy, it fluttered around her head before landing on her shoulder.
"Best purchase today."
Nille nodded seriously.
"An excellent investment."
The crane chirped.
Lin grinned.
"See? It agrees."
For a while, they simply walked side by side, enjoying the rare opportunity to relax without worrying about classes, rankings, Malignants, training schedules, or upcoming examinations.
The city around them remained lively.
Students prepared for the Mid-Term Quest.
Merchants advertised expedition supplies.
Adventurers discussed potential opportunities.
Yet within their small corner of the day, none of that urgency seemed particularly important.
For once, neither felt the need to rush.
They were simply two students enjoying a quiet day together, as the shopping district was design to feel like they were walking casually but the entire place was long and filled with many different shops making anybody wanting to stop.
Eventually, however, Nille realized they had arrived somewhere familiar.
He looked up.
Then blinked.
Rune Forge Merchant Guild.
"...Huh."
Lin looked at him.
"What?"
"I accidentally walked here."
That earned a laugh from Lin.
"Accidentally?"
"Maybe."
The massive merchant complex stood proudly across the avenue.
Its reinforced stone architecture, enchanted metal framework, and towering banners made it impossible to miss.
Dozens of customers waited outside.
Some stood in organized queues.
Others carried numbered tickets while waiting for their appointments.
The place was busy as always.
The moment Nille approached, however, the guards stationed near the entrance immediately reacted.
They straightened.
Then saluted.
"Welcome back, Master Nille."
"Head Merchant Ironbark has authorized unrestricted access."
Several nearby customers immediately turned to look.
Nille froze.
Lin blinked.
The guards continued as though nothing unusual had happened.
"Would your guest also require entry authorization?"
"Uh..."
"Yes."
"Guest access approved."
The gate opened immediately.
No ticket.
No waiting period.
No registration.
Just immediate entry.
Around them, dozens of waiting customers stared.
A few students recognized Nille instantly.
Then recognized Lin.
Then watched the pair casually walk past a line that had taken some people over an hour to join.
The reactions were immediate.
"Who is that?"
"Why did they let him through?"
"I've been waiting forty minutes."
"Wasn't that a first-year section A2?"
"That's Nille Fajardo."
"The one from Section A1?"
"its Lin Yue Meiying"
"How does they have priority access?"
Several students exchanged confused looks.
Others frowned.
A handful looked openly annoyed.
And among them existed a group that simply disliked Nille.
Not because he had wronged them.
Not because they knew him.
Simply because he didn't fit the image they expected.
They knew he didn't live in the Academy dormitories.
They knew he rented a modest room in one of the lower-income districts.
They knew he wasn't from an influential clan.
At least not publicly.
Yet somehow doors kept opening for him.
Professors knew him.
Merchants respected him.
Academy personnel treated him favorably.
And now even Rune Forge, the most influential merchant organization on the island, was giving him treatment usually reserved for major clients.
To some students, that mystery became irritating.
To others, it became suspicious.
To a few, it became jealousy.
Because human nature often disliked seeing someone rise without understanding how they got there.
Meanwhile, completely unaware, or perhaps simply unconcerned, Nille and Lin entered the guild building.
The massive doors closed behind them.
Leaving behind a crowd of confused students whose questions had only multiplied.
As Nille and Lin disappeared deeper into the Rune Forge Merchant Guild, not everyone watching them from outside remained indifferent.
Among the crowd stood a young man whose expression had darkened long before the pair reached the entrance.
His fists clenched tightly.
Not because of Rune Forge's treatment toward Nille.
Not because of the priority access.
Not even because of the attention the two attracted.
It was because of Lin Yue Meiying herself.
He remembered the alley.
The humiliation.
The pain.
The complete and utter embarrassment of being beaten unconscious by the very woman he had been trying to impress.
The incident had occurred several days earlier in Astrael City within Luminaire Boundary. What should have been a private encounter had quickly become a scandal. Fortunately for him, his family possessed enough wealth and influence to suppress most details before they spread too far.
A considerable amount of money had changed hands.
Witness statements vanished.
Names disappeared from reports.
Rumors survived.
But his identity did not.
At least publicly.
Even now, very few students knew he was the unfortunate fool who had been left unconscious in an alley after underestimating Lin Yue Meiying.
The memory alone made his jaw tighten.
And now—
the same woman who had rejected him without hesitation was casually holding another man's arm.
A nobody.
At least that was how he viewed Nille.
No noble background.
No famous clan.
No powerful family publicly backing him.
No known achievements beyond strange rumors and unexplained connections.
Yet somehow Nille had gained something he never could.
Lin's attention.
That fact burned more than the beating ever had.
Unfortunately, he wasn't alone.
Several meters away stood another student whose expression was equally unpleasant.
Trần Hữu Khang.
The Vietnamese student remained silent, but his eyes followed the direction Nille and Lin had disappeared.
The issue between him and Lin had mostly faded from public discussion.
At least outwardly.
But seeing her openly spending time with another male student did little to improve his mood.
Beside him stood another familiar figure.
Han Seo-jun (South Korea) Spiritual Level 5. A talented student known for his Awakened Skill: Compressed Lightning Discharge and Rapid Offensive Casting.
Unlike many elemental users who focused on sustained attacks, Han specialized in overwhelming bursts of speed and destructive force.
He crossed his arms.
"I still don't understand it."
Trần Hữu Khang glanced at him.
"Understand what?"
"That guy."
Han nodded toward Rune Forge.
"He arrived five days late."
His voice carried obvious irritation.
"No notable clan."
"No reputation."
"No achievements anybody can verify."
"And yet Lin Yue Meiying keeps spending time with him."
Several nearby students quietly listened.
The complaints weren't uncommon.
Many male students had noticed the same thing.
Lin Yue Meiying was famous throughout the Academy.
Beautiful.
Talented.
Intelligent.
Wealthy.
And perhaps most importantly, difficult to approach.
Most male students couldn't hold a conversation with her for more than a minute, the moment she notice they were trying to get her attention , she will walked away without saying anything.
Some never managed to speak to her at all.
Yet Nille had somehow bypassed all those barriers without appearing to make any effort.
He hadn't chased her.
Hadn't shown off.
Hadn't attempted to impress her.
And somehow that only made things worse.
Because it raised a question nobody could answer.
Why him?
Han frowned.
"Do you know what bothers me most?"
Nobody responded.
"He wasn't the one who approached her."
His voice lowered slightly.
"She approached him."
That statement silenced several nearby listeners.
Because it was true.
Countless students had witnessed it.
On Nille's very first day in class,after five days, Lin Yue Meiying had been the first person to speak with him as she saw his reading a book by himself .
The first person to welcome him, even if he was late,
The first person to show interest.
That was how it looked from the outside.
And for most students watching them, that was enough to build an entire story out of nothing—assumptions, jealousy, speculation, and quiet frustration layered on top of each other.
None of them stopped to question a simpler possibility.
None of them paused to wonder whether Nille and Lin Yue Meiying might have already known each other before ever stepping foot into the Academy.
Or whether their familiarity wasn't something newly formed at all, but something that had simply been carried forward into this place.
But they didn't care.
Not really.
Because curiosity was not what fueled the whispers spreading through the crowd.
It was comparison.
And comparison rarely leaves room for truth.
To most observers, it was easier to believe Lin had randomly taken interest in a late-arriving, unknown first-year student than to consider any deeper history between them. It kept the world simple. Understandable. Predictable.
And in that simplified version of reality, Nille was just "the nobody who got noticed."
Lin Yue Meiying was "the unattainable top student."
And the distance between them was something that shouldn't have been crossed so easily.
So they filled the gaps with assumptions instead.
"He must've done something to impress her."
"She doesn't talk to anyone else like that."
"Why him?"
But none of those questions ever reached the truth.
Because the truth didn't match their expectations.
Meanwhile, Lin and Nille themselves never bothered to explain anything.
Not because they were hiding something.
Not because they were trying to create mystery.
But because, to them, there was nothing unusual about it at all.
Lin simply walked beside him because she felt like it.
Nille simply responded because it was natural.
No performance.
No calculation.
No awareness of how it looked from the outside.
And that indifference, that complete lack of concern for perception, was exactly what made it so difficult for others to accept.
And ever since then, the distance between them had continued shrinking.
Study sessions.
Conversations.
Shared lunches.
Casual walks through the city.
Meanwhile, dozens of other students had spent months or even years trying to gain the same level of familiarity.
Some succeeded partially.
Most failed completely.
Han Seo-jun clenched his fists even tighter.
What angered him wasn't merely jealousy.
It was the feeling that something had happened outside his control.
Something he couldn't buy.
Couldn't influence.
Couldn't manipulate.
For perhaps the first time in his life, status had failed him.
And the person standing where he believed he deserved to be was someone he considered completely unremarkable.
What he didn't understand, what none of them understood, was that Lin Yue Meiying had never been interested in status to begin with.
And Nille had never once tried to earn her attention.
Which, ironically, was exactly why he had it.