Chapter 46: Light Sparring
Godric barely had time to brace himself before Raven’s heels clicked across the floor and she closed the last few meters between them at a pace that could generously be called ’brisk’ and less generously ’a jog’.
"Hmm, you look different," she said, clearly eyeing his now pristine white uniform.
"Do I?" Godric asked dismissively.
"Mhmm," Raven nodded, then stepped beside him and wrapped her arm around his.
Then, leaning slightly toward his ear, she added: "Very... heir-of-a-fallen-house-making-a-comeback."
"That’s oddly specific."
Raven shrugged. "News travels fast. And I know you better than anyone, so naturally I know what you’re planning."
"You barely know me," he replied flatly, which the girl either didn’t hear or ignored. The latter was probably.
With Raven’s sudden arrival, a small crowd of students naturally formed around the two of them. It was the type of crowd that lingered around to listen but pretended to be busy with their own errands.
Suddenly, just as the two slowly walked along the corridor, with Godric trying to weasel his way out of Raven’s grip on his arm without making a scene, he turned and asked: "Are you free?"
Raven looked at him, a little surprised by the question. "No, my lecture starts in five. Wait..." Her face suddenly lit up, and a bright smile settled on her face. "Were you gonna ask me on a date?"
"No," he replied flatly. "I was going to ask if you want to spar, but if you’re busy I’ll ask someone else."
Of course, there was no one else Godric could’ve asked. While Raven’s sudden appearance was a hindrance, he thought he could use the chance to at least practice for the upcoming tournament.
A shiver ran down Godric’s spine, followed by a low, almost indistinguishable buzzing sound that filled the entire corridor.
Beside him, Raven came to a halt, her grip on him breaking apart.
"Someone else...? Is it a girl...?"
Godric blinked. "What?"
Raven’s expression froze for a moment.
Then, as if suddenly realising how she must have sounded, she straightened and composed herself. She calmly smoothed the sleeve of her uniform, which was already as neatly pressed as a piece of fabric can be, and cleared her throat.
"I mean, if you’re asking whether I’m available to spar..." she said, deliberately adopting a more casual tone, "I suppose I can make time."
Godric raised an eyebrow.
"You just said your lecture starts in five minutes."
"It does."
"And?"
Raven gave him a small, perfectly composed smile.
"And I’ll skip it."
"Are you sure? Heir of House Stormbourne skipping lectures is not a good look."
"The only reason I attend is that it makes the academy look stronger... That’s what my uncle says, anyway."
Suddenly something flashed across her face, as though she suddenly remembered something very important.
"I’ll meet you in the training facility in 15 minutes!" she said, already turning and hurrying away. "Text me the room number!"
***
Half an hour later, Godric was sitting on the floor of the training room, staring at the message he sent Raven nearly 20 minutes ago.
The message was simple.
13.
That’s all it said, but it was straight to the point and exactly the information the girl needed to find him.
So why was she taking this damn long?
Rising to his feet, he cursed all the Great Houses and their spoiled heirs when the door of the training room finally opened up, and Raven walked in.
"Hi~" she said without a care for her lateness, which only solidified the curses in Godric’s head from earlier.
What took so long, however, became instantly apparent as the girl’s entire appearance changed.
The academy uniform was gone, replaced by leggings and a crop top similar to the one in the picture she’d sent him. Her hair was also tied back, and her lips seemed to have an extra layer, or two, of lip gloss, which Godric noticed only because of his cautiousness, of course.
Noticing his ’cautiousness’, however, Raven’s lips turned to a smile.
"Now, now..." she spoke teasingly. "Don’t stare too much. We’re here to spar, remember?"
"I’m just eyeing openings," Godric said as he summoned Blackpearl.
Stretching her arms, Raven asked: "And?"
"There’s plenty."
"Is that so?" Raven asked. "Let’s see if you can reach them."
Raven’s summon materialised a second later, circling above the girl as she spoke.
"How about a little bet?"
Shifting into a defensive stance, Godric raised a brow. "Bet? What kind of bet?"
As much as he wanted to reject the idea right away, Godric found himself a little curious as to what the heiress to a Great House wanted to bet.
"Hmm, how about loser buys bubble tea?"
Godric blinked. ’Heiress of House Stormbourne trying to hustle a poor student living in the outskirts for money...’ He shook his head in disbelief. ’Rich people truly have no shame.’
"Sure." He replied after a moment. "But be ready to pay up."
In that moment, however, a question dawned on him. ’What the hell is a bubble tea?’
Of course he knew what a tea was. Everyone did. But a bubble tea?
Pondering over it for a moment, he finally arrived at a solution.
’Bubble... did she mean to say bubbly? As in sparkling?’
Accepting it as the right explanation, he nodded his head slightly.
At the same time, mistaking his subtle nod as the start of the duel, Raven’s summon dove down, and purple lightning zipped across the training room as it charged straight at Godric.
Throwing himself to the side, Godric dodged the first strike.
But not before thinking to himself: ’Why the hell would someone drink sparkling tea?!’
Purple light seared the floor where he’d been standing, leaving the reinforced matted floor completely scorched.
By then, however, Godric already rolled to his feet, Blackpearl already up.
The summon banked hard, its wings crackled with lightning as it came around for a second pass.
Instead of charging right at him, it faked a dive, circling just inches away from Godric, who swung at empty air.
Across the room, Raven shouted a single command: "Discharge!"
And the whole room went purple.