It was finally ti for the players to say their farewells.
They hadn't gotten to know everyone in the academy, so they kept things simple, starting with the professors.
They t them on the exam field, thanking them for their lessons and guidance throughout the past week. While the players hadn't been formal students, the experience had been valuable nonetheless.
Once that was done, all that remained was saying goodbye to the students.
Even though their ti here had been brief, it still felt strange to leave.
The players had spent most of their days training and competing, yet sowhere along the way, they had ford connections.
Especially with five students who had been with them the entire ti—Alia, i, Sia, Leafa, and Mirek.
The five of them had beco familiar faces to the players. Of course, they weren't all equally close—so bonds had grown deeper than others—but compared to the hundreds of other students at Cardon Academy, these five were the ones who had stood beside them the most.
But before they could say their goodbyes, they noticed sothing unusual.
There was a commotion.
A rather large crowd had gathered in front of them.
A very large crowd.
It didn't take long to realize why.
They weren't here for the players.
They were here for Arlon.
Lei let out an amused sigh. "I was just joking when I said he could create his own harem..."
"I also thought these things only happened in novels," Evan muttered.
June, who had spent more ti listening to students talk, simply shrugged. "It's not weird. This is like a novel for us. And the people of Trion admire strength."
Lei gave her a skeptical look. "And how do you know that?"
June smirked. "So of the girls told in the last few days. Didn't they ask you if Arlon was single?"
The players blinked at each other.
No, they hadn't been asked anything like that.
Apparently, all the girls had gone to June—probably because she seed closer to Arlon than the others.
anwhile, Arlon himself was under siege.
A horde of girls and even a few boys had surrounded him, each trying to either woo him or pay their respects.
It was chaotic.
"Arlon, will you be back next year?"
"Please duel once before you leave!"
"If you're single, could you—"
"Teach that counterplay technique!"
"At least take my contact stone!"
Arlon had no idea how to answer all of them. He didn't even have ti to answer.
While he was still thinking about what to do, he suddenly felt soone tugging at his arm.
He turned and saw i.
Then, in a clear, confident voice, she declared:
"Everyone, slow down! I'm sorry, but he's already taken! So, please let us through!"
The effect was instantaneous.
A wave of disappointnt passed through the crowd, followed by a few audible 'tsk' sounds of frustration.
Yet, despite their grumbles, the students reluctantly stepped aside, giving way for Arlon and the others to pass.
As the path cleared, i turned around to glance at the players and students behind her.
Their shocked expressions were priceless.
But instead of saying anything, she rely winked at them before pulling Arlon forward, leading the way.
And just like that, they escaped.
---
Once they escaped the crowd, the group moved away from the busy courtyard, heading toward a quieter location where they could properly say their farewells.
The energy from the exam hall and the announcent ceremony still lingered, but here, in a small clearing near one of the academy's outer courtyards, things felt calm.
The sky was darkening, the floating island drifting gently above the endless sea of clouds, while the academy's towers stood illuminated against the twilight.
As they ca to a stop, Evan was the first to break the silence.
"So…" he crossed his arms, looking directly at i. "Should we congratulate you?"
i blinked. "For what?"
"For you and Arlon," Zack added with a smirk. "I an, you were very clear back there. 'Sorry, but he's already taken'—ringing any bells?" Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
The others turned to i, curiosity all over their faces.
i, however, remained completely unfazed.
"Oh, that?" she waved a hand casually. "I was just doing a public service."
Evan raised an eyebrow. "A public service?"
"Yeah," i nodded, dead serious. "If I hadn't said that, we'd still be standing there, buried under the horde. Do you know how much worse it could have gotten?"
Alia let out a short laugh. "She's got a point."
"I an, if you wanted to claim Arlon, you could've just told us sooner," Sia teased.
i placed a hand over her chest dramatically. "How could you accuse of sothing so scandalous?!"
Sia sighed. "You're not denying it, though."
Arlon, who had remained silent throughout this, finally exhaled. "Are we actually saying goodbye, or is this just an interrogation?"
i grinned but said nothing more, clearly enjoying the mont.
Once the laughter settled, the farewells began.
For the past week, they had trained together, fought against each other, and pushed themselves through so of the toughest lessons Cardon Academy had to offer.
They weren't all best friends, but they had gone through Hell Week together—and that ant sothing.
"I hope you guys don't slack off just because we're leaving," Lei said, looking at the students.
Leafa scoffed. "Please. We were training long before you got here."
"Just checking," Lei smirked. "Wouldn't want you to miss us too much."
Sia shrugged. "If you visit again, I'll fight you seriously again."
Zack grinned. "I'll hold you to that."
Carn and Maria gave their own farewells to Alia, thanking her for helping them improve as summoners.
Even Mirek, who had been quiet for most of the week, smiled slightly as he nodded at the group. "You weren't as bad as I expected."
"I think that's a complint," Carole muttered.
"Just take it," Mirek said, "But I still can't go out with you."
"No one asked you to!"
Finally, i turned to Arlon, her expression a little more serious than before.
"You haven't forgotten your promise, right?" she reminded once again.
Arlon knew exactly what she ant.
But he didn't answer imdiately.
Instead, he held her gaze for a mont before nodding.
i smiled. "Good."
What exactly that promise was, no one else knew.
But from the way i looked satisfied, it was clear—she expected him to keep it.
With that, they parted ways with the students.
---
The students would use the sa portal outside the academy doors—this had been planned from the beginning.
As they walked, June suddenly turned to Maria. "Hey, why do you think Alia tripped and fell when we first arrived?"
Maria blinked at the random question. "Huh?"
"Back then, I thought she was just a klutz," June continued, "but now that I think about it… that doesn't really fit. Especially with how she ranked first in every exam."
Maria tilted her head. "You know… I was wondering the sa thing. Maybe she did it on purpose?"
Carn, who had been listening in, imdiately narrowed her eyes. "Hah. That's exactly the kind of thing a secret villain would do."
June raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You know," Carn gestured vaguely. "Like in movies. The ones who pretend to be super nice, but they're actually hiding sothing."
Maria laughed. "Hehe! So you think Alia's a spy from the enemy, blending in with her innocent 'good girl' act?"
Carn nodded seriously. "It's always the quiet ones."
"In any case," June smirked, "if that was her plan, it worked. It definitely eased the tension at the ti."
Maria humd. "If she really did fake it just to make us feel comfortable, that's honestly… kind of sweet."
Carn scoffed. "Or high-level manipulation."
Before they could continue the discussion, they arrived at the academy doors where Nora was already waiting for them.
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