Chapter 505: The New Student and the Misunderstanding [Part 2]

The New Student and the Misunderstanding [Part 2]

"Alright, I want to ride a unicorn!"

Shasa grinned. Two little canine teeth peeked out between her lips, making her smile look all the more mischievous.

Selena couldn’t help smiling at the sight.

There was something amusing about Shasa’s excitement. She could become fascinated by the smallest things, and whenever something caught her attention, she made no effort to hide it.

At eighteen or nineteen, Shasa was certainly no child. She understood the cruelty of the world far better than most people would have guessed. She knew what it meant to suffer, to lose people, and to face dangers that could take someone’s life in an instant.

Yet, somehow, a playful part of her had survived it all.

She could be serious when the situation demanded it. She could recognize danger and understand the consequences of her actions. But when she encountered something new and interesting, that playful side of hers would emerge without hesitation.

Perhaps it was simply part of her nature.

Or perhaps, after everything she had endured, she had learned to treasure whatever little happiness she could find.

Selena looked down at her for a moment before gently adjusting her position in her arms.

"Then we’ll find one for you."

"Good!"

Shasa nodded enthusiastically, apparently satisfied with the promise.

Selena’s smile deepened.

She had a feeling that finding a unicorn might not be the end of it. Once Shasa discovered something else she liked, she would probably ask for that, too.

Still, seeing her so happy made it difficult to refuse her anything.

Before long, the group arrived above Celestis Academy.

The familiar sight stretched out beneath them, grand and breathtaking as ever.

From the sky, the academy looked like an ancient painting brought to life. Towering mountains rose through layers of drifting clouds, their peaks disappearing into the mist. Vast forests covered the slopes, and the occasional cry of a spiritual beast echoed from somewhere among the trees.

Streams of Mana shimmered in the sunlight.

Magnificent buildings stood scattered across the mountain ranges, each belonging to a different division. Some were nestled among the forests, while others stood proudly on towering cliffs. A few seemed almost to float above the clouds, connected to the surrounding peaks by bridges of stone and enchanted pathways.

It was a sight that never quite lost its charm.

Selena felt some of the tension leave her shoulders as they approached the academy.

After spending time outside, returning to a familiar place was always comforting.

"Let’s head to the Amethyst Summit Division," Leon said.

No one objected.

The group adjusted its direction and flew toward their destination.

They had barely traveled far, however, when another group came into view.

They were returning from the Holy Water Division and appeared to have just come back from outside the academy.

At the head of the group was Maya.

Her long blue hair fluttered behind her as she flew through the air. The sunlight caught the strands, giving them a soft, almost silvery sheen. Her blue eyes carried their usual warmth, and she seemed to be in a good mood.

Then she spotted Leon.

Her expression brightened immediately.

"Junior Brother!"

Maya changed direction without hesitation and flew toward them.

"Weren’t you going to take everyone out to relax?" she asked with a smile. "Why are you back so soon?"

Leon stopped in midair.

Before he could answer, Maya’s attention shifted to the young woman in Selena’s arms.

Her smile faltered.

Then it disappeared altogether.

Maya blinked.

Once.

Twice.

For a moment, she wondered whether she was seeing things.

A beautiful young woman with blonde hair and deep blue eyes was sitting comfortably in Selena’s arms. She wore a yellow robe decorated with delicate blue embroidery, and her curious gaze wandered over the people around her.

There was nothing particularly strange about that.

What caught Maya’s attention, however, was how close the young woman seemed to be to Leon.

She looked at Shasa.

Then at Leon.

Then back at Shasa.

A rather unexpected thought slipped into her mind.

Could she be Junior Brother Leon’s new woman?

Maya nearly startled herself.

What am I thinking?

She immediately pushed the thought aside.

That was ridiculous.

Leon had simply returned from an outing. There could be any number of reasons for him to bring someone back with him.

And yet...

Why was this young woman so close to him?

Where had he met her?

And why had he brought her to the academy?

Maya tried to find some answers by studying Leon’s expression.

Unfortunately, he looked as calm as ever.

There was no guilt, no nervousness, and certainly no sign that he felt the need to explain himself.

If anything, his composure only made Maya more curious.

A strange feeling settled in her chest.

It wasn’t anger. She had no reason to be angry with him.

Nor could she honestly call it jealousy.

It was something subtler, something she couldn’t quite put into words.

A faint uneasiness.

As though someone had suddenly appeared in Leon’s life and she had been the last to know.

Her fingers curled around the edge of her sleeve.

Maya lowered her gaze for a moment, trying to shake off the strange feeling.

Why am I even thinking about this?

She had no right to question Leon about his personal affairs.

Even so, her attention kept drifting back to the blonde-haired young woman.

And Shasa, completely unaware of the thoughts running through Maya’s mind, was busy discovering something far more interesting.

The female disciples accompanying Maya had caught her attention.

Shasa looked at them with bright, curious eyes. A moment later, she raised one hand and waved enthusiastically.

"Hello!"

The sudden greeting caught several disciples off guard.

They exchanged glances before smiling back at her.

"Hello."

"Who is this cute little beauty?"

"Are you new to the academy?"

Shasa’s eyes lit up.

"Yeah! I’m new here!"

She leaned forward slightly, eager to talk.

"What are your names? Which division are you from? Have you ever seen a unicorn? Do you know where I can find one?"

Her questions came one after another.

The disciples barely had time to answer before she was already asking something else.

One of the women laughed.

"Slow down! We can’t answer everything at once."

"Oh!"

Shasa paused.

Then she laughed along with them, apparently finding the situation just as amusing.

Within moments, she had struck up a conversation with the group as though they had been friends for years.

She gestured animatedly while telling them something about her journey. Her expressions changed with every sentence, and she seemed incapable of keeping still whenever she became excited.

One disciple covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

Another reached over and gave Shasa’s shoulder a gentle pat.

"You’re quite the lively one, aren’t you?"

Shasa grinned.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then you must play with me later!"

The women laughed again.

And just like that, Shasa had somehow become the center of attention.

Leon watched the scene unfold without saying a word.

At first, his expression remained perfectly normal.

Then, little by little, something changed.

He stared at Shasa, who was now happily chatting away with the female disciples, and felt a strange sense of disbelief creeping into his mind.

What exactly have I brought back?

He had taken her in as a student.

That was all.

Yet Shasa had barely arrived at the academy, and she was already making friends as though she had spent half her life here.

At this rate, she might know everyone in the division before the day was over.

Leon couldn’t help feeling that he had underestimated her.

Damn it. She really doesn’t waste any time, does she?

Beside him, Selena noticed his expression.

The corners of her lips twitched.

She quickly looked away, pretending not to have noticed anything.

Rias was less successful at hiding her amusement. She raised a hand to cover her mouth, but the smile in her eyes gave her away.

Even she hadn’t expected Shasa to settle in so quickly.

Maya, meanwhile, had yet to receive an answer to her question.

She looked from Shasa to Leon again.

Then she finally decided that she couldn’t keep wondering forever.

"Junior Brother..."

Her voice came out a little softer than usual.

Leon turned toward her.

"Hmm?"

Maya hesitated for a brief moment.

Then she asked the question that had been bothering her ever since she arrived.

"Who is she?"

She tried to sound casual, but the slight tension in her voice betrayed her curiosity.

Leon noticed it immediately.

He also caught the way Maya’s eyes kept drifting toward Shasa, as though she were waiting for him to explain why the young woman was here.

It didn’t take him long to figure out what had happened.

Ah. So that’s what she’s thinking.

A faint smile touched his eyes.

He decided not to tease her too much.

"I met her on the way back," he explained, gesturing toward Shasa. "I couldn’t bear to leave her alone among the commoners, so I took her in as my student and brought her up the mountain."

Maya froze.

"Your... student?"

She looked at Shasa again.

Then she turned back to Leon.

"She’s your new student?"

"That’s right."

Maya stared at him for another second.

Then she looked at Shasa once more.

The blonde-haired young woman was still happily chatting with the disciples. She appeared to have completely forgotten about the people who had brought her here.

Maya slowly let out a breath.

"So she’s Junior Brother’s new student..."

The tension in her shoulders eased almost immediately.

Relief washed over her, followed by a faint sense of embarrassment.

Good grief. What was I thinking?

She had actually suspected that Leon had brought another woman back with him.

And all because he was carrying someone new into the academy.

Maya lowered her eyes, hoping the others hadn’t noticed her reaction.

It would be terribly embarrassing if they had.

Unfortunately for her, Leon had noticed everything.

He saw the way her expression changed once she heard his explanation. He also noticed how quickly she tried to hide her embarrassment.

A hint of amusement lingered in his eyes.

Still, he didn’t say anything.

There was no need to make things awkward for her.

Maya was already doing an excellent job of embarrassing herself without his help.

She composed herself and looked at Shasa again.

Now that she understood the situation, the young woman’s presence no longer bothered her in quite the same way.

Leon had taken her in as a student. There was nothing unusual about that.

Besides, according to the customs of the Fallen Leaf Domain, Leon was already at an age when marriage and children would be considered perfectly normal.

Even if he had somehow fathered a daughter before entering the academy, it wouldn’t have been impossible.

The thought crossed Maya’s mind before she could stop it.

She immediately frowned inwardly.

Wait. No, that doesn’t make sense either.

Leon had been cultivating at the academy for years.

Shasa, on the other hand, was already eighteen or nineteen.

The timeline simply didn’t add up. Unless something extraordinary had happened, there was no way she could be his biological daughter.

Maya finally abandoned that line of thought.

There was no point in inventing strange possibilities when Leon had already given her a perfectly reasonable explanation.

He had found a young woman who needed help.

He had taken her in.

And now she was his student.

That was all there was to it.

Maya smiled again, this time without the earlier uncertainty.

"So she’s your new student."

She flew a little closer, her attention settling on Shasa.

"The little one certainly seems lively."

At that moment, Shasa happened to turn around.

Her eyes met Maya’s.

For a second, she simply stared at the beautiful woman with long blue hair, studying her face with open curiosity.

Then her expression brightened.

"Hello!"

Maya blinked at the sudden greeting.

Before she could respond, Shasa gave her another cheerful smile.

The two little canine teeth appeared again.

Maya couldn’t help smiling back.

Whatever strange thoughts she had entertained earlier, they quickly faded as she looked at the young woman in front of her.

Shasa was lively, openhearted, and entirely unafraid to approach someone new.

There was something refreshing about that.

Maya’s expression softened.

"She really is quite lively," she murmured, watching Shasa turn back toward the other disciples. "And innocent, too."

She paused for a moment, then added with a warm smile,

"She’s quite likable."