Chapter 628: Long awaited reunion

"Oh my gosh! Is that who Brunna thinks it is!?"

A short, petite Dwarf girl exclaimed as she raised one hand over her brow to block out the bright sunlight and get a clearer look.

And sure enough...

The towering, ridiculously handsome young man descending the steps toward their section of the docks was exactly who she thought it was.

"Gods be damned! It’s Elion Nova!" Her loud exclamation somehow carried over the ambient noise surrounding them.

Nearly sixty heads immediately snapped toward the direction she was looking, and there he was.

The same young man who had become something of a legend over the past few weeks descended the steps with a calm expression on his supremely handsome face, seemingly unaware of just how much attention he had suddenly drawn.

"It’s really him!"

"What is he doing here!?"

"Are you stupid? After everything that’s happened recently, of course they’d give him his place at the academy back!"

"Right! But why isn’t he wearing the academy emblem anywhere?"

That question only sparked even more discussion.

A chorus of conversations about Elion immediately broke out, despite the fact that the man himself was practically right in front of them.

Some whispered about the Royal Court.

A few were more interested in the rumours surrounding his relationship with the Vampire Princess, who was also a second-year at the academy.

After all, her peers hadn’t heard any news about her ever since she left the academy before the tournament.

But while most of those gathered simply watched him with excitement and curiosity, the people who actually knew Elion in one way or another reacted very differently.

Students and professors alike wore varying expressions as their gazes settled upon him. However, Mira and Tessa wasted no time listening to the rumbling crowd around them.

The moment they confirmed that it really was Elion, the pair immediately started making their way toward him.

And, much to her confusion, they dragged a bewildered Isolde along with them.

"W-Wait, why are you pulling me too?" Isolde protested, stumbling slightly as Mira tugged her forward by the arm.

Neither of them bothered answering. Together, the three moved through the crowd to meet the approaching Elion halfway.

Elion’s eyes had always been trained on them, though he did give the other people a brief glance to gauge their expressions.

A small smile appeared on his lips as Mira finally released Isolde’s arm and quickened her own steps.

"There you are," she said, stopping directly in front of him, though the way her eyes moved over his face suggested that she had quite a bit more to say.

For a moment, she simply looked at him, her lips pressing together before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Elion barely had time to open his mouth before her face was already resting against his chest, and whatever greeting he had been about to give quietly disappeared.

Instead, he brought one hand to her back while the other settled gently on her head, his fingers brushing through her hair.

"Did you miss me that much?" he asked, lowering his voice slightly, though the faint amusement in his tone was still quite obvious. "It hasn’t even been that long, you know?"

"I missed you anyway." Mira tilted her head back to look at him. "And you seem rather pleased with yourself, Mr ’Popular Guy’."

"I haven’t even reached the docks yet, and you’re already scolding me," Elion replied, his smile widening as she narrowed her eyes at him.

Nevertheless, the way she leaned into his frame made it rather difficult to take her displeasure seriously.

Beside them, Tessa folded her arms and cleared her throat, drawing his attention before Mira could respond. "Some of us are still standing here, you know."

"I noticed," Elion said, looking toward her with the same warm smile. "It’s good to see you too, Tessa."

She had looked ready to complain, but the words caused her expression to soften before she could stop it.

Her arms loosened slightly, and she glanced toward Mira, who was making absolutely no effort to move away from him.

"Well, at least you remember your own women," she muttered, though there was little bite behind her words. "With how much everyone has been talking about you, I was beginning to wonder whether we would need to make an appointment to see you."

Elion let out a quiet laugh, but before he could answer, his attention shifted to the third girl standing a short distance behind them.

She was just as beautiful and graceful as he remembered. Her light amethyst eyes were like beautiful, shining gems, and her vibrant blonde hair was like a flowing river of gold.

She looked especially beautiful in her black-and-gold uniform; it wrapped around her petite body quite nicely, and being reminded of how small her chest was also made him smile.

After all, Elion was a man of variety: Big or small, he always found a way to enjoy both.

In truth, seeing her like this, Elion was only reaffirmed in his decision to make her his. While he had been unsure how she would react to seeing her again, things were looking promising.

Unlike the other two, Isolde seemed rather uncertain about what she was supposed to do, her fingers lightly holding the sleeve Mira had pulled out of place.

Their eyes met, and she immediately straightened, her lips parting as though she had prepared a greeting only to forget it at the last moment.

He could see the yearning in her eyes; she also wore it plainly on her expression, but he could also feel the reluctance mixed within.

Elion watched her for a brief second before his smile became a little more teasing.

"You’re standing awfully far away, Isolde," he said, causing Mira and Tessa to glance back at her. "Did they drag you over here against your will?"

"Yes," Isolde answered before she could think better of it, then froze when she noticed the amusement in his eyes. "I mean, they did drag me, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to... I was going to greet you myself."

She responded a bit too quickly, a flustered expression on her face.

"Of course you were," Tessa said, the corners of her lips lifting as Isolde shot her a displeased look. "We just helped you get here a little faster."

Isolde’s fingers tightened around her sleeve, and for a moment, she appeared to consider turning around and leaving the pair to explain themselves.

Unfortunately, Elion was still looking at her, and the gentle amusement on his face made her increasingly aware of how awkwardly she was standing.

"It’s good to see you again, Elion," she finally said, managing to keep her voice reasonably calm as she took a small step closer.

Her gaze briefly dropped to Mira’s arms around his neck before returning to his face.

She didn’t seem to know what she was supposed to do next after passing the greeting.

Was she supposed to go in for a hug? But Tessa hadn’t done that.

Would it be too forward of her?

What if he didn’t like it?

These thoughts spiralled in her mind.

"It’s good to see you too," Elion replied, pulling her out of her reverie.

His eyes moved toward her sleeve, and he added, "Although you should probably fix that before Mira decides to drag you anywhere else."

Looking down, Isolde discovered that one side of her collar had been pulled crooked as well, and she hurriedly adjusted it while Tessa turned her face away to hide a smile.

Mira, on the other hand, merely glanced over her shoulder with an expression that held very little remorse.

"I barely pulled her," she said, finally loosening her hold on Elion. "She was the one trying to walk in the other direction."

"I was trying not to trip," Isolde replied, looking at her in disbelief. "You could have just told me to come with you."

"And would you have come?"

Isolde opened her mouth, only to hesitate for a fraction of a second, which was all the answer Mira needed.

A knowing smile appeared on her face, and Isolde immediately regretted allowing herself to be brought over at all, though only in part.

Elion watched their exchange with quiet amusement, finding the familiar bickering far more welcoming than the dozens of curious gazes still fixed on him.

He was about to intervene on Isolde’s behalf when Mira turned back toward him, her eyes briefly moving over his clothes before settling on his face again.

"Anyway," she said, reaching down to take his hand, "tell me you’ve already sorted everything out."

Elion would have loved a more heartwarming reunion with Isolde, but she was still the same as he remembered.

Knowing her, she wouldn’t be very comfortable showing so much affection while so many people were watching, so he decided that he would have to wait before finally addressing the elephant in the room.

"Yes, I have," Elion replied to Mira’s question before asking, "More importantly, how is Aria doing?"

"Oh, you know, she pouted for a bit because she couldn’t come along, but she will be fine."

"That’s alright, I guess," Elion replied. "I did tell Zenith to go and check on her."

At one point, Elion had briefly considered bringing everyone with him, Zenith included, using the ark, but he had decided against it, since there was a chance that a lot of people would take offence if they found out that someone had stolen a few of the quotas.

Considering his long-term goal of building a peaceful life, Elion didn’t want to attract any more trouble for himself than what was already coming his way.

The legacy world, from what he knew about it, was just not worth the risk.

Every single power in the world was involved, after all, not directly, but every one of them had sent their most talented youths in the hope that they would gain some valuable experience and treasures.

"Is he... flirting and ignoring the rest of us?" It wasn’t clear who in the crowd had said this, but who among them couldn’t hear the four speaking?

It was clear that Elion was way more interested in rekindling whatever flames he had lit with these three women during his time in the academy.

An odd silence had settled over this particular docking area, and even the people who had accompanied Elion seemed to have been forgotten behind him.

However, Marilyn and the others did not look quite as offended. They simply waited and watched with quiet interest as Elion finished his greetings.

Though, a few people were already walking toward them, standing a few steps behind Isolde, waiting to ambush Elion the moment he was done.