Before he could answer, the door creaked open behind them. One of the jealous boys had tried to peek, but Professor Orwen’s sharp voice rang out again.
"If you have ti to gossip, you have ti to copy ten more pages of mana theory!"
The boy yelped and slamd the door shut, leaving Selena and Kael outside of the class.
"You don’t have to tell now."
Kael looked at her for a long mont, then gave a faint nod.
"Thank you for that," Kael said at last, breaking the brief silence that lingered between them in the quiet hallway.
Selena gave a small nod.
"It’s nothing," she replied with a faint smile.
"If anything, I should thank you for trusting enough to ask about the Lost Land. It’s rare that soone shares that kind of curiosity openly."
Kael rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed by her calm composure.
"Still," he said, "you didn’t have to look into it for . So... really, thank you."
Selena tilted her head slightly, studying him with those sharp yet gentle eyes.
"If you have ti," she began, "could I ask for a small favor in return? Since I helped you back, it’s only fair that I make a request."
Kael blinked, surprised by her directness.
"Oh? A favor?" he asked, his tone cautious but curious. "Well... ask anything about it."
Selena clasped her hands lightly in front of her.
"It’s not too difficult," she assured him.
"I just need so information first. In a normal week, how much training do you have scheduled? I an, between classes, exercises, and all that."
Kael thought for a mont, counting the exhausting routine in his head.
"In a week," he began, "there are three days dedicated entirely to running—long-distance endurance training. Then there are two classes under Professor Orwen. Each of those lasts about an hour. After that, we spend four hours in the ice chamber and another four in the heat chamber. The rest of the ti is reserved for pure combat training." He exhaled slowly.
"So yeah... it’s pretty packed."
Selena’s eyes widened slightly.
"That’s... intense," she said, almost in awe.
"No wonder you look tired. I heard rumors about the first-year schedule, but I didn’t think it was this harsh."
Kael gave a short, humorless laugh. "Harsh is one word for it. So days it feels like they’re trying to kill us. And so days... I’m not even sure they aren’t."
Selena chuckled softly.
"Well, in that case," she said after a pause, "would you be willing to help during whatever free ti you have left? I need soone to assist in gathering information about the country’s older maps. As a researcher, I should be compiling and studying them to help my team, but it’s... a lot for one person."
Kael blinked. (Researcher?) he thought to himself.
He hadn’t expected that. From the way she carried herself, he’d assud Selena was simply one of the stronger second-year students, maybe a duelist or soone focused purely on combat.
"You’re a researcher?" he asked aloud, genuine curiosity in his voice.
Selena gave a small nod. "Yes. It’s more of a personal pursuit," she explained.
"While everyone else trains their bodies and mana, I focus on knowledge. Ancient maps, lost routes, ruins... anything that might give us an edge in exploration or missions. It might sound boring compared to fighting monsters, but information is as powerful as any sword."
Kael tilted his head.
"No, it doesn’t sound boring at all," he said honestly.
"If anything, it sounds... important. After all, what’s the point of strength if you don’t know where to use it?"
Selena’s lips curved into a faint smile at his answer.
"That’s exactly how I see it," she said quietly.
"Knowledge decides where the next battle begins. That’s why I’m collecting old maps. There are rumors of forgotten routes around the country. If I can confirm even a single trail, it might change how my team prepares future expeditions."
Kael listened to what she was saying.
(So she’s not only strong... but clever too), he thought. (No wonder everyone admires her and also her beauty).
He straightened his posture, determination flickering in his eyes.
"I’ll be grateful to help," he said firmly.
"If my free ti can help your research, then I’ll do it."
Selena’s eyes softened with approval. "Thank you," she said, her voice sincere.
"I know how little rest you get, so this ans a lot to ."
Kael gave a small shrug. "No... thank you," he replied.
"If it weren’t for you, I’d still be chasing rumors with no direction. Helping you is the least I can do."
A quiet mont passed between them, the kind that carried an unspoken understanding.
Students’ voices echoed faintly from the far end of the hallway, reminding them both that class ti was slipping away.
Selena adjusted the strap of her satchel and stepped back.
"Then I’ll be going," she said with a polite dip of her head.
"I have to return before my sir ends his session."
Kael gave a faint smile. "All right. We’ll talk again soon. About the maps... and maybe the Lost Land."
Selena paused, her eyes eting him for a brief second longer than necessary.
"Definitely," she said softly. "Don’t forget."
He nodded. "I won’t."
With that, Selena turned gracefully and began walking down the hall.
Kael stood there for a breath longer, replaying the conversation in his mind.
A researcher, he thought again. And she’s already found leads about the Lost Land. Maybe this will help more than I expected.
A sudden echo of laughter from a nearby corridor snapped him back to the present.
He glanced at the classroom door and realized Professor Orwen’s lecture had likely resud.
Taking a deep breath, Kael raised his hand and knocked politely.
Knock. Knock.
"Please co in."
Kael opened the door and stepped in. The room went still for a heartbeat because everyone was looking at him.
Dozens of their eyes snapped toward him at once. So of the boys scowled in thinly veiled jealousy, others leaned forward with curiosity.
A few even muttered.
"There he is..."
"Took his ti, didn’t he?"
"Talking to Selena, huh? Lucky bastard..."
Kael ignored the murmurs, keeping his expression neutral as he walked back to his seat.
He could feel the heat of their stares, but he refused to give them the satisfaction of a reaction.
Professor Orwen raised an eyebrow but said nothing beyond a simple, "Kael. Take your seat and settle down. We’re just continuing our discussion on mana flow."
"Yes, sir," Kael replied, bowing his head slightly before slipping into his chair.
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