Chapter 52: The Appearance of an Old Friend

Suddenly, Yuna pulled a communication mana crystal from her robe pocket. The crystal emitted a soft, blue glow that pulsed steadily.

Yuna held the crystal to her ear, and after a few seconds, she let out a faint sigh.

“I am sorry, but it seems I must excuse myself.” She tucked the crystal away, a hint of helplessness appearing on her face. “There are some matters at the faculty office that require my attention. Honestly, and here I was thinking I had finally escaped…”

As she spoke, she waved to the three of them again.

“Once you find your dormitory, the keys will be in the mailbox at the entrance. You can open it using your own student ID badges. The registration office is on the first floor of the Central Administration Building; just go straight down the main road and you will see it. I will come find you once I am finished with my work. Bye-bye!”

With that, Yuna snapped her fingers. Her figure shimmered like a reflection in water before dissolving into countless specks of light that vanished into the air.

Following Yuna’s directions, the three of them headed toward the magic notice board to find their dormitory assignments. To their surprise, they ran into a familiar face.

“Vivi!”

The three looked toward the source of the voice and saw Ophelia walking quickly toward them from a distance.

Loran noticed she was cradling something fluffy in her arms. As she drew closer, he saw it was a ginger cat.

At first glance, Loran felt that it looked somewhat like an old friend.

“Are you all here to check the dormitory assignments too?”

Ophelia stepped forward and spoke with a bright smile. She was not wearing her formal gown today; instead, she had changed into the standard robe of the Aureole Class. The deep blue fabric made her fair skin look even more radiant. her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail that swayed gently with her movements.

“Mhm,” Chloe replied softly, her gaze landing on the ginger cat purring in Ophelia’s arms. “What is this?”

“Oh, I brought him from home. The academy allows students to bring pets, as long as they are registered.”

The four of them walked toward the notice board together. The closer they got, the more they could feel the lively, crowded atmosphere. Freshmen and parents were gathered in front of the wall, looking up to find their names or those of their children.

Loran looked up, his eyes scanning the rapidly scrolling notice board. Names and numbers flowed past like a stream, making his head spin.

Suddenly, his gaze froze.

It was not his own name he found, but Chloe’s and Ophelia’s.

The two of them had been assigned to the same room.

Loran opened his mouth, thinking it could not possibly be such a coincidence. He instinctively looked toward Ophelia. Sensing his gaze, the girl arched an eyebrow at him and gave a playful wink.

‘Well, the invisible hand is already starting to exert its influence, isn’t it?’

Seeing that Loran’s eyes remained fixed on the notice board, Ophelia leaned in and asked in a low voice, “Loran, have you still not found your dormitory assignment?”

Loran snapped out of it and nodded slightly. “I haven’t seen my name.”

“Perhaps it hasn’t been entered yet?” Ophelia mused before giving a shallow smile. “In that case, Vivi and I will head to the dorm first to unpack. She seems to have quite a lot of luggage.”

As Ophelia spoke, she naturally took Chloe’s arm. However, the girl’s gaze lingered on Loran, her lips pursed unconsciously.

“Then… I’ll head over first.”

Loran nodded in response. “Alright.”

Ophelia pulled Chloe away, but after a few steps, Chloe suddenly broke free from her grip and jogged back to Loran’s side.

“I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done sorting things out,” she whispered. Then, without waiting for Loran to react, she ran back to Ophelia’s side.

Ophelia watched this scene calmly, gave Loran a polite nod, and then departed down the tree-lined path with Chloe and Elia.

As the figures of the two girls faded into the distance, Loran withdrew his gaze and looked back at the massive magic notice board.

He checked it carefully several more times, confirming that his name was indeed not there.

While he was still puzzled, a gentle voice sounded beside him.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Loran Lufenias?”

Loran turned to see a male student wearing the senior uniform of Alatras Academy standing nearby. A silver Student Council badge was pinned to his chest, and he wore a practiced, polite smile.

“That is me.”

The student nodded, stepped a few inches closer, and whispered, “The dormitory assignments for the Radiant Class are handled differently, so they aren’t usually posted here. To avoid unnecessary attention and trouble, a member of the Student Council usually guides the students personally.”

Loran thought about it and decided it made sense. He followed the boy onto a small path that branched off from the main road. Tall cedars lined the way, their lush foliage making the path feel much quieter and more secluded than the main road.

Loran followed behind at a leisurely pace.

The direction was correct, but the distance felt off.

Loran had walked the map of Alatras Academy countless times in his previous life; no one knew this place better than he did. Although he could tell the other boy was taking him the long way around, Loran did not expose him yet. He wanted to see what the other was trying to accomplish.

The boy walked steadily in front, doing nothing but leading the way.

He led the way in silence.

Time passed… ten minutes, fifteen minutes. They had long since exceeded the necessary travel time.

Just then, the boy’s brow furrowed slightly.

In reality, he was far from as calm as he appeared on the surface. Being personally named by the principal and admitted directly into the Radiant Class might not be unheard of, but it was incredibly rare for a freshman with no prominent background.

Unlike the outside world which treated it as mere gossip, the news had caused a massive stir within the academy. There were those who were curious, those who were indignant, and countless others who wanted to see the truth for themselves.

His primary study was illusion magic. When he had finished welcoming new students and was returning, he had spotted the somewhat familiar black-haired youth under the notice board at a glance.

After the Holy Rite, Loran’s portrait had already begun circulating within certain small circles.

The boy had quietly used a subtle spell to hide the Radiant Class information on the board before approaching Loran with the invitation. Along the way, he had maintained a cognitive interference spell on Loran, creating an atmosphere that suggested “this path is perfectly reasonable.”

But as they walked, a strange sensation began to grow in his heart.

Loran was too quiet—unnervingly so. His pace was steady, his breathing was even, and he showed not a single trace of confusion or anxiety.

Common sense dictated that even someone with the dullest perception should have realized something was wrong after walking for nearly twenty minutes on such an obviously deviant path.

‘Is he really unaware? Or… does he simply not care?’

‘Or perhaps he saw through my illusion long ago and is just waiting for me to slip up?’

The more he thought, the more uncertain the boy became. He suddenly felt that he might have made an unwise decision.

Finally, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face Loran.

The polite smile on his face faded slightly, and his eyes grew more discerning and serious. He no longer hid his gaze, letting it fall openly on Loran’s face.

Loran also stopped and looked at him quietly. There was no expression on his face, as if he had long foreseen this reaction.

The boy took a deep breath, deciding to stop beating around the bush. He first gave Loran a standard formal salute, then spoke in a clear voice.

“Tavell, third-year student of Alatras Academy. Please advise.”

Loran watched him for two seconds, then took a half-step back and returned the salute.

“Loran,” the youth responded indifferently.