Third Person’s POVAfter saying those words, Aurelia quietly walked toward the large stone fountain standing at the center of the square before taking a seat upon its smooth edge.
The crystal-clear water continued flowing peacefully from the sculpted ice phoenix perched above it, its gentle splashing sounding almost soothing amidst the noisy crowd surrounding the academy gates.
She silently stared into the distance.
Her beautiful emerald eyes seemed focused upon the bustling square before her, yet in reality, her thoughts had long wandered elsewhere.
Eleanor remained standing where she was.
She didn’t immediately respond to Aurelia’s heartfelt request.
Instead, she quietly looked at the young girl with a complicated expression.
A faint frown gradually formed upon her elegant face, while concern quietly surfaced within her pale-blue eyes.
She couldn’t help wondering what Aurelia had truly meant by those words.
Ever since Ethan’s disappearance all those years ago, Aurelia had certainly changed, but today’s behavior felt even stranger than usual.
It was almost as though she had discovered something.
Yet Eleanor couldn’t determine whether that was merely her imagination or not.
Just as she was about to ask another question, a sudden commotion erupted near the academy gates.
Almost everyone instinctively turned toward the entrance.
Excited whispers immediately spread through the gathered students like wildfire.
Many girls visibly brightened upon seeing the approaching figures, although a considerable number of young men also looked equally excited.
"Look!"
"It’s Edhan Icedust!"
"What?"
"The second ranked student of the New Moon Magic Academy is finally here!"
Another voice quickly joined in.
"Princess Arlene is with him too!"
The moment those words spread through the crowd, countless gazes shifted toward the approaching group.
"Thank the gods..."
One young man suddenly clasped both hands together before tears of relief actually welled up inside his eyes.
"My goddess is accompanying none other than Senior Edhan."
"Now she will definitely be safe inside the Glaciem Ice Abyss no matter what dangers await her!"
His emotional reaction immediately caused several nearby students to burst into laughter; some looked at him with disdain in their eyes, while many others nodded with a serious face in complete agreement.
Within the academy, Edhan Icedust’s reputation had long since reached legendary proportions.
As the publicly acknowledged second-ranked member among the elite forty Crystal Formation students and the greatest genius of the mighty ducal Icedust Clan, countless students regarded him almost as an invincible existence.
Walking beside him naturally gave others an overwhelming sense of security.
Even Eleanor couldn’t help glancing toward the approaching group.
Aurelia likewise raised her head.
The moment she saw Princess Arlene walking together with Edhan and the rest of their entourage, surprise briefly appeared within her eyes.
However, that surprise was quickly replaced by disappointment.
She had secretly believed that the mysterious violet-haired senior, the young man whom she desperately hoped was actually Ethan, would also accompany Princess Arlene into the Glaciem Ice Abyss.
After all, the two had first been seen together inside the academy.
Yet now, only Edhan walked beside her.
Aurelia quietly lowered her gaze for a brief moment before forcing herself to calm down.
She couldn’t afford to lose herself so easily.
Perhaps, he simply hadn’t arrived yet.
"Oh!"
"There are several other members of the elite forty in Princess Arlene’s group as well!"
Another student suddenly exclaimed.
Immediately, countless curious gazes shifted toward the remaining members of the entourage.
Among them walked an extraordinarily tall and absurdly thin young man.
Standing nearly eight feet tall, he resembled a walking pole with stick arms and legs more than an actual human.
Resting casually upon his shoulder was a long ash gray spear whose length almost matched his own height.
Despite his comically thin frame, every step he took appeared incomparably steady.
Following several steps behind him waddled an equally eye catching figure.
A plump young girl continued stuffing one snack after another into her mouth while walking without the slightest concern for the attention surrounding her.
She seemed entirely focused upon finishing the large bag of roasted nuts in her hands.
Seeing the cheerful-looking girl, the timid young woman standing beside Lina widened her eyes in surprise.
"Isn’t that Pebba Earthroll?"
"The ninth-ranked Violet Batch student from the famous Earthroll Marquis Household?"
Lina lazily glanced toward the girl before shrugging indifferently.
"What’s so amazing about that fatso?"
She yawned lightly before lazily pointing toward the impossibly tall young man instead.
"I find that beanpole much more interesting."
Her golden eyes quietly observed the spear-wielding youth with a trace of curiosity.
The timid girl blinked several times.
"Huh?"
"That..."
"That’s Reed Ironstride, the scion of the Ironstride Marquis household!"
"The thirteenth ranked member of the elite forty!"
"They even call him the Beanpole Berserker throughout the academy."
She looked back and forth between the two in confusion.
"How can he possibly be more interesting than Senior Pebba?"
Lina didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she silently continued observing Reed Ironstride for several more moments before her gaze slowly shifted toward the blond young man calmly walking at the front of the group.
Edhan Icedust.
His long, naturally curly blond hair reached down to his shoulders, gently swaying with every step he took.
His serene blue eyes remained calm from beginning to end, carrying an indescribable gentleness that made people instinctively feel at ease.
There wasn’t the slightest arrogance visible upon his handsome face despite his extraordinary status.
His thin lips remained relaxed as though nothing within the world could disturb his composure.
Completely ignoring the countless admiring gazes surrounding him, Edhan quietly walked toward one of the nearby stone benches before taking a seat beside Princess Arlene.
Without saying anything, he simply closed his eyes and began silently circulating his mana.
Lina quietly watched him for several moments before muttering beneath her breath,
"He really is the genuine article..."
The timid girl immediately turned toward her.
"Huh?"
"Did you say something, Lina?"
Lina lazily tilted her head backward and looked toward the gloomy sky overhead once more.
Her usual indifferent and lazy expression returned almost instantly.
"Nothing."
Chapter 841: Aurelia’s Disappointment
5 min read