Chapter 487 - 486 - A Place to return to!
The peaceful atmosphere surrounding the academy lake remained untouched by the passage of time.
Night had fully embraced Arcadia Academy, wrapping the world beneath a vast canopy of glittering stars whose reflections shimmered gently upon the crystal-clear surface of the lake. The silver moon hung high above, bathing the quiet shoreline in a soft, ethereal glow while the ancient willow trees swayed gracefully beneath the cool evening breeze. Every now and then, flower petals drifted lazily across the water before disappearing into the darkness beyond, and the rhythmic whisper of gentle waves meeting the shore created a melody so soothing that it seemed capable of calming even the most restless heart.
The world felt wonderfully still.
As though nothing beyond this quiet lakeside mattered.
Luca lowered his eyes slightly before releasing a slow breath.
"I’m sorry."
The apology came quietly, carrying far more sincerity than the one he had offered only moments earlier.
The beautiful young woman turned toward him with a look of gentle curiosity, tilting her head just enough for several strands of her light-violet hair to fall across her shoulder.
"Hmm?"
Her soft voice blended naturally with the sound of the lake.
Luca smiled awkwardly, though there was unmistakable guilt hidden behind the expression.
"I was just thinking..."
He let out a quiet laugh at himself before looking toward the water once again.
"...that every single time I somehow find my way here..."
His fingers absentmindedly traced the grass beside him.
"...it always seems to be because something is troubling me."
He shook his head with a helpless smile.
"When I’m confused..."
"I come here."
"When something happens that I can’t understand..."
"I come here."
"When my thoughts become too heavy..."
"I end up sitting beside this lake."
Another quiet chuckle escaped him.
"And somehow..."
He turned toward her with an apologetic smile.
"...you always happen to be here."
His expression gradually softened.
"I’ve never really thought about it before..."
"But looking back..."
A faint sigh escaped his lips.
"It almost feels as though I only seek you out whenever I have something weighing on my mind."
His gaze lowered.
"I’ve spent all this time talking about my own worries."
"My own questions."
"My own confusion."
Another quiet breath escaped him.
"And somehow..."
His smile became even more self-conscious.
"...I feel as though I’ve been treating you like someone I only visit whenever life becomes difficult."
Silence gently settled between them once more.
The young woman simply listened.
She never interrupted him.
She never hurried to respond.
Instead, she quietly watched the embarrassed expression upon his face.
Without even realizing it...
A small smile slowly appeared upon her own.
It was a smile so gentle that even she herself seemed unaware of it.
For several moments she simply looked at him.
Then...
She slowly lifted one slender hand.
Luca blinked in confusion.
Before he could ask what she was doing...
Flick.
Her fingertip lightly struck the centre of his forehead.
It wasn’t painful.
Barely more than a playful tap.
Luca instinctively leaned back in surprise before raising a hand to his forehead.
"Ouch..."
He looked toward her with visible confusion.
The young woman couldn’t help herself.
A quiet laugh escaped her lips.
The sound was light.
Clear.
Wonderfully gentle.
It echoed softly across the peaceful lake like the ringing of a delicate bell.
"You really do think too much."
She smiled warmly as the last traces of her laughter faded.
Luca rubbed his forehead before giving her an innocent look.
"I’ve been told that before."
"I’m sure you have."
Another small laugh escaped her before she looked out across the lake once again.
"What does it matter..."
Her voice remained as calm as ever.
"...if you only come here when something is troubling you?"
Luca looked at her in surprise.
She continued before he could answer.
"Doesn’t that simply mean..."
Her violet eyes reflected the countless stars dancing upon the water.
"...that when your heart becomes heavy..."
"...you trust this place enough to return to it?"
She slowly turned toward him.
"And perhaps..."
A warm smile appeared upon her face.
"...you trust me enough to share that burden."
Luca found himself speechless.
She wasn’t offended.
She wasn’t disappointed.
She hadn’t once complained that he only appeared during moments of uncertainty.
Instead...
She had accepted it as something perfectly natural.
A quiet chuckle escaped Luca before he slowly shook his head.
"When you put it that way..."
He smiled warmly.
"...it sounds much less selfish than it did inside my own head."
She smiled back.
"It usually does."
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
They simply watched the gentle ripples spreading across the moonlit lake.
Then...
Almost too quietly to hear...
The young woman softly murmured,
"And if you never had any troubles..."
Her smile became strangely wistful.
"...perhaps we would never have the chance to meet like this."
The words were carried away almost immediately by the evening breeze.
Luca blinked before turning toward her.
"Hm?"
He tilted his head curiously.
"What did you say?"
The young woman looked at him for a moment before a quiet laugh escaped her lips once again.
She gently shook her head.
"Nothing."
Her smile returned to its usual warmth.
"It wasn’t anything important."
Luca looked at her suspiciously for a brief second.
Then...
He simply smiled.
Somehow...
He felt that even if she had repeated those words...
He still wouldn’t have fully understood them.
The young woman rested both hands upon the soft grass behind her before looking toward the distant horizon where the last traces of twilight had finally disappeared.
"So..."
She turned toward him with bright, curious eyes.
"Tell me."
Her smile widened ever so slightly.
"What has happened while we haven’t seen each other?"
"I have a feeling..."
A playful hint entered her voice.
"...that you’ve gotten yourself involved in far more than you probably should have."
Luca couldn’t help laughing.
"I have absolutely no defence against that accusation."
"I didn’t think so."
Another shared laugh quietly drifted across the lakeside.
Then...
With the peaceful night stretching endlessly above them and the calm waters reflecting the countless stars below, Luca began recounting everything that had happened since they had last met.
He spoke of Beastridge Mountain and the desperate battle fought there.
He spoke of the Hero Research Club and the companions who had gradually become precious to him.
He spoke of Aurelia and Kyle.
Of House Drayden.
Of the Iron Duke whose spear had nearly overwhelmed him before offering his acknowledgement.
He spoke of the expedition into the ancient ruins.
Of the mysterious silver-haired man.
Of the Vice Dean and the questions that refused to leave his thoughts.
Throughout it all...
The beautiful young woman never interrupted.
Sometimes she smiled.
Sometimes she quietly laughed at his more embarrassing stories.
Sometimes her expression became thoughtful.
And sometimes...
She simply listened.
The moon slowly climbed higher into the heavens as time quietly slipped away.
Before either of them realised it...
Several hours had passed.
Eventually, the conversation drew to its natural end.
The peaceful silence they now shared required no words to fill it.
Luca slowly rose to his feet, brushing the grass from his clothes, while the young woman also stood beside the lake, her long light-violet hair dancing gently beneath the cool night breeze.
They exchanged one final smile.
No promises were made.
No farewells filled with sadness were spoken.
Somehow...
Neither of them felt necessary.
Then, beneath the silent gaze of the countless stars above...
They quietly walked away in opposite directions, leaving only the gentle ripples upon the moonlit lake as silent witnesses to another evening spent together.
The morning sun rose gracefully above Arcadia Academy, bathing the sprawling campus in a warm golden glow as countless rays of light filtered through the ancient trees that surrounded the academy grounds. A cool breeze wandered through the stone pathways, carrying with it the refreshing scent of dew-covered grass while students from every corner of the academy hurried toward their morning lectures, their lively conversations filling the air with youthful energy. Instructors walked calmly between the various buildings with books tucked beneath their arms, and the distant clang of steel from the training grounds had already begun echoing across the campus as another ordinary day quietly unfolded.
Far removed from the bustling academy outside...
The Vice Dean’s office remained as tranquil as ever.
Sunlight streamed gently through the tall windows, illuminating rows upon rows of ancient books that lined the walls from floor to ceiling. The familiar aroma of freshly brewed tea lingered comfortably within the room, mingling with the scent of aged parchment while several potted plants resting upon the windowsills swayed gently beneath the morning breeze. Everything inside the office possessed the same quiet elegance it always had, creating an atmosphere that somehow encouraged calm no matter who entered.
Standing before the broad wooden desk...
Were two familiar figures.
Professor Seraphina stood with her usual composed posture, her hands folded neatly before her as her calm blue eyes rested quietly upon the silver-haired man seated behind the desk.
Beside her...
Luca stood in complete silence.
His crimson eyes stared blankly toward the Vice Dean.
His expression had become so devoid of emotion that it almost resembled someone who had already accepted whatever fate awaited him.
After several long moments of that utterly lifeless stare...
Luca finally spoke.
"...May I ask..."
His voice carried an unmistakable sense of resignation.
"...why I am here again?"
The Vice Dean looked at him for a brief moment.
Then...
Without the slightest warning...
A cheerful laugh escaped him.
"Hahaha..."
He leaned back comfortably within his chair, smiling as though he had just heard something thoroughly amusing.
"I was beginning to wonder how long it would take before you asked that."
Luca remained exactly as he was.
His expression did not change.
Not even slightly.
The Vice Dean noticed immediately.
His laughter gradually subsided before he smiled rather sheepishly.
"My apologies."
He raised both hands in an innocent gesture.
"I assure you..."
His eyes curved pleasantly.
"...I was joking again."
Silence.
Luca continued looking at him with exactly the same empty expression.
Nothing changed.
The Vice Dean quietly cleared his throat.
"...Right."
The smile upon his face gradually became more professional.
"It would appear that particular joke has already exhausted its usefulness."
Luca neither agreed nor disagreed.
He simply continued waiting.
The Vice Dean folded his hands together upon the desk.
His expression became noticeably more serious than before.
"There is a mission that requires your participation."
Luca blinked.
The abrupt change in topic caught him completely off guard.
"A mission?"
He instinctively glanced toward Seraphina standing beside him.
Almost as though she had anticipated that very reaction...
She turned toward him with a faint smile.
"I’m afraid..."
Her voice remained as calm as ever.
"...this time I won’t be accompanying you."
Luca stared at her for a moment.
Then...
A small sound escaped him.
"Oh..."
It wasn’t particularly loud.
Nor was it dramatic.
Yet the faint disappointment hidden within that single response was impossible to miss.
Seraphina couldn’t help the tiny smile that appeared upon her face.
"So you were actually expecting me to come?"
Luca immediately looked away.
"I merely thought..."
He coughed awkwardly.
"...that it had become something of a pattern."
"So you admit there was a pattern."
"...Perhaps."
The brief exchange caused the atmosphere inside the office to become noticeably lighter.
Luca eventually turned his attention back toward the Vice Dean.
His expression regained its usual seriousness.
"What exactly is this mission?"
The Vice Dean smiled gently.
"It is, fortunately, considerably less dangerous than your previous expeditions."
He reached toward a neatly folded document resting upon his desk before sliding it aside without opening it.
"Your task is surprisingly straightforward."
Luca waited quietly.
The Vice Dean looked directly into his crimson eyes before calmly saying,
"You are required..."
A small smile appeared upon his face.
"...to escort someone."
The words hung quietly within the office.
Luca blinked once.
Then again.
A distinctly puzzled expression slowly appeared across his face.
"...Escort someone?"