Chapter 371: Damian Levaith [1]

Creating the third mana ring around my core wasn’t as difficult as evolving it to the next rank.

Absorbing mana from the surroundings, I kept supplying it to the core, which in return was used to fuel the formation of my third mana ring.

The process was a little slow but easy to execute as within around five minutes, most of the mana ring had already been formed.

I waited for another minute as the ring solidified itself around the mana core, thus increasing the count of the rings to 3.

Gold 3.

I had attained the rank, but for some reason it didn’t feel much of an achievement.

While being in the academy, I would now have to cultivate using the normal means itself, as absorbing the essence was all but impossible.

Sigh.

Using the mana rank illusion device, I quickly reduced my rank to Gold 2... creating the difference between the actual and perceived strength.

To be able to operate as X, I would need to enlarge the difference between the two, or else I wouldn’t be able to create a perfect identity for X.

The banquet was going to be held in the evening, but that didn’t mean that I had to waste my remaining time in the room.

Taking out my device, I opened the contact of the Levaith princess before messaging her about my intentions—

Hm?

By sheer coincidence, Ashlyn read my message the moment I sent it, and her reply was immediate as well.

Fair enough.

Reading the message sent by the girl, I stretched my body lightly before making my way to the head steward who should have been responsible for catering to the needs of the students in the mansion.

***

Damian, knowing that Kael had arrived at the mansion, had asked his daughter to send the Frost to meet him.

Receiving the instruction, just as Ashlyn was about to inform Kael, the latter messaged her first.

’Should I pick him up?’

Standing before the mirror in her room, Ashlyn thought to herself.

She was the first one to arrive at the duchy along with some of her friends, who were now given rooms of their own to stay in the central mansion of the Levaiths.

’Maybe I should.’

Seeing the uniform of the academy still on her, Ashlyn decided to first change, before going out to personally guide Kael to the room that her father had designated for the meeting between them.

At first, when Ashlyn had informed her father about Kael’s proposal to negotiate a deal with their house on behalf of Syma, her father had asked about the reason behind the proposal.

Though Ashlyn had wanted to keep the affairs of the academy limited to herself... she couldn’t disobey her father either.

So she had to reveal her entire deal with Kael regarding the upcoming student council elections and the conditions that had been put forth by Kael.

Ashlyn had expected her father to be disappointed due to her leaning towards desperate measures to win the elections, but reality had been far off from Ashlyn’s perceived notion about her father’s reaction.

Damian hadn’t scolded his daughter, nor had he said anything about Kael’s proposal.

He had simply asked her to let Kael know that he was willing to listen to his deal.

Her father’s words made Ashlyn broaden her own perspective of the greater world.

Maybe things related with Syma weren’t as simple as she had thought earlier.

Looking at the mirror for the last time, Ashlyn adjusted her blonde hair, making it freely fall over her shoulders.

Wearing dark blue trousers, Ashlyn paired them with a cream-coloured tunic, with its hem reaching just above her thighs.

A thin belt surrounded her waist, giving a refined elegance to her already graceful appearance.

While being at her home, Ashlyn generally preferred wearing ankle boots, which gave her enough mobility to freely explore the city.

Though she was about to meet Kael as his guide, her current outfit for some reason made Ashlyn doubt whether she should really be wearing it... because it looked closer to being on a date than meeting a junior for the matters relating to her duchy and the political affairs in the academy.

Shaking her head to remove any unnecessary thoughts, Ashlyn walked out of her room, with her hands already on the device, messaging Kael of her intentions.

***

The steward had confirmed about my meeting with the duke, before arranging a staff member to guide me to the central mansion of the Levaiths, but just as we were about to sit in a vehicle arranged for me, my device buzzed, prompting me to look at it.

And—

"Did I make you wait?"

I had to wait for Ashlyn to arrive at the mansion in a vehicle of her own.

"No."

I answered with a straight face.

"Let’s go then."

Ashlyn motioned me to enter in the vehicle, while walking towards it.

Her boots tapped against the hard ground below, creating a sound effect that was hard to ignore, coupled with her outfit that was a little... more than a little—eye-catching.

I could even sense some students viewing us from the windows of their respective rooms.

This... was going to create some misunderstandings, but if Ashlyn didn’t have a problem with it, then who was I to care about it.

Making myself comfortable, I let my head rest while sitting in the backseat.

Ashlyn was seated beside me, but with there being nothing much to talk about, I closed my eyes for a quick nap.

"You sure don’t need someone from Syma to officiate the deal?"

The question made me open my eyes, as I gave the girl a brief glance, making my answer clear from the look in my eyes itself.

"As I had said earlier, I am a partner of sorts for the guild..."

My answer was sufficient, but Ashlyn didn’t seem to be satisfied with it, as her eyes still had a look of doubt in them.

I had the thought of letting go of the matter, but something in me compelled me to clear her doubts.

I couldn’t understand what the feeling was, but the way Ashlyn had asked about my credibility in being able to negotiate on behalf of Syma, had felt like... the girl was looking down on me.

"What is it now?"

This girl had never asked about anything after our deal in the academy had been made, so why was she curious all of a sudden.

My question made Ashlyn slightly bite her lower lip, as she appeared to be debating about whether to ask the question or not.

"Just say it."

The vehicle had already begun to move towards its destination, as I could see the mansion assigned for the students being left behind from the window beside me.

"Money."

"Hm?"

"Where had you received the money from?"

"..."

Was this girl for real?

I mean... I was a Frost, so shouldn’t it be normal for me to have—

"I mean... you were sort of kicked out from the house—"

"I wasn’t kicked out."

My expression remained deadpan as I uttered the words.

"Uh... yeah, I mean... still—"

That was it.

I closed my eyes once again, not caring to answer any of the other questions the Levaiths princess might have in store for me.