The air shifted quickly; murmurs spread throughout the students. We had returned.
The three of us appearing together immediately drew every gaze. Seeing two of the strongest people in the Academy so badly injured was shocking—but seeing me, the "useless one," completely unharmed and helping them stay on their feet was something no one could process.
As soon as Julius spotted certain individuals in the crowd, his composure shattered. Summoning strength from nowhere, he charged at them with blind fury. The ones in question reacted instantly; they looked at us as if our survival were either a miracle—or a nightmare.
"Wait, Julius!" Nicolas started, stepping back. "I truly regret it, but we thought it was certain death. Just look at you—"
"You left us to die!" Julius roared, igniting his fist with fire as he lunged at him.
Nicolás barely managed to dodge the first blow, but Julius gave him no respite. He was about to land a strike that would have undoubtedly caused serious injury when a presence stepped in between them.
"I don't know what happened between you, but fights between students are not allowed outside designated areas," the professor stated, stopping the attack with a sharp gesture. "If you want to fight, request a formal duel and settle it later. Now, everyone line up; the test results will be announced shortly."
However, seeing that Cassane and Julius were injured, he instructed them to immediately go see a mage specialized in healing.
I said goodbye to them and went to look for Sera and Klaus to see if they had already returned. Luckily, it wasn't hard to find them.
"Cassian!" I heard a shout behind me. "What was that? Since when do you get along so well with them? And they're injured! Are you not hurt?"
It was Sera, who anxiously checked me from head to toe to make sure I was fine. I explained what had happened, and by the end, she looked quite upset.
"And you? Did everything go well during the exam?" I asked.
She hesitated before answering.
"Damian disappeared on the night of the third day; we don't know where he could have gone."
"Hmm, that's strange. He probably just went off on his own to earn more points," I commented.
At that moment, it seemed like the rankings were finally about to be announced, and we could all return to normal. Cassane and Julius came back just in time; Klaus had also found us and greeted us with a relieved smile upon seeing we were safe.
Sera was especially excited about the results. If she had done well, she could finally leave the lowest rank and enter one more fitting for a duke's daughter.
Professor Elena began announcing the results, which appeared on a list visible to everyone. She started from the lowest ranks. Unfortunately for Sera, out of the six hundred students in the Academy, she ended up in position four hundred thirty-six. Klaus, on the other hand, improved quite a bit this year, placing at two hundred seventy-two.
Soon, however, they couldn't help but notice something strange: my name was nowhere to be found.
"Cassian, I think they forgot to rank you," Sera said, worried.
They had already reached the top ten. Among those we knew, Cassane was in ninth place and Julius in seventh; the defeat on the last day likely affected their ranking, but they had still done well. In third place was Lisbeth Vitalis; it seemed she found time to participate despite all the issues within the clergy. In second place, Valeria Astaford. That was expected—besides being a level five Aura warrior, she also possesses her family's inherited sword techniques.
And finally, the announcement came. The one that would undoubtedly lead to a visit to Elena—and to that headmistress who so enjoys spying on me—as well as several headaches trying to explain how this happened.
In first place: Cassian Varkas.
Apparently, two level-seven beasts were all I needed for that… though I had assumed Elena would cover for me, so I didn't bother removing the bracelet.
Immediately, complaints began to erupt. Everyone believed the calculation was wrong and that first place rightfully belonged to Valeria.
Sera looked at me in disbelief. Cassane, meanwhile, approached to congratulate me, while Julius seemed to start piecing together what had really happened, despite our attempts to hide it.
Sera seemed particularly affected. Whether it was because Cassane and I now appeared much closer, or because I had achieved what she had always dreamed of, her expression was far from happy.
As the protests grew louder, Elena had to intervene. Before she spoke, I shot her a glance to make sure she did what I expected. She clarified that they would investigate what happened, using the excuse that my bracelet might have had a technical malfunction.
Sera seemed to relax at those words. However, when she noticed the way Cassane looked at me—as if we now shared a secret no one else knew—jealousy overtook her. She grabbed my arm tightly, desperately trying to claim my attention.
As the crowd continued murmuring about the bracelet's "error," I could feel an intense gaze fixed on me. It was Valeria Astaford. Far from being indignant about losing first place, her eyes shone with a mix of respect and an almost obsessive curiosity. To her, this wasn't a technical failure; it was confirmation of what she had glimpsed on the day of the duel.
Meanwhile, Lisbeth pushed her way through the crowd. As she passed by me, she crossed her arms and immediately looked away, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"It's a joke", she muttered under her breath, close enough that only I could hear. "First you obstruct our search for forbidden magic after that "Invisible Death" incident, and now this… What tricks are you using to fool everyone?"
She kept that expression of absolute annoyance, avoiding my eyes at all costs. In truth, there was something I had noticed about her since our last altercation: it seemed she couldn't look at me for more than a few seconds.
Although she hid it behind her arrogance and the threats of the clergy, it was clear that Lisbeth had a fatal weakness. Unfortunately for her, the man she despised most for ruining her missions had exactly the kind of face that disarmed her. Her hostility was real, but her inability to hold the gaze of "a guy that attractive" was her greatest vulnerability.
Sera, noticing Lisbeth's strange blush and how she avoided looking at me, tightened her grip on my arm, as if she had detected a new rival hidden behind that mask of hostility.
…
Luckily for me, the exam results were quickly "corrected," so everyone calmed down and stopped thinking about it.
Sera and I will remain in the same class next semester, while Klaus will be promoted to the second level.
In case it's not yet clear how the Academy is structured, it has four levels for students of the same age: the first is the lowest, and the fourth is reserved for geniuses. My sister was in that last one, though in a higher year since she's older than me.
Now, at last, I found myself preparing to rest after all the chaos of the day.
Adela massaged my shoulders as I leaned against her, completely relaxing.
"Master, it looks like you got a little too close to that 'icy fiancée' of yours," she blurted out. You could hear a clear hint of jealousy and resentment in her voice.
I looked up, resting my head against her, and smiled mischievously at her.
"What's the matter, Adela? Do you want me to carry you on my back too?"
I asked, immediately recognizing the reason for her anger.
"Mmph, I don't need that," she replied with a snort. "Clearly, we've done things much more intimate than that."
And as if to emphasize that, Adela stopped massaging my shoulders. Her hands, once firm, slid down my chest with deliberate slowness, while her warm breath brushed my ear.
"That girl may have a title and a promise of marriage," she whispered, leaning in until her face was mere millimeters from mine, "but she doesn't know you like I do."
Her fingers dug into my hair with possessive force, forcing me to tilt my head back. In her eyes, there was no trace of the submissive servant; there was only the woman claiming her territory. With a swift movement, she closed the space between us, letting the weight of her body fall onto mine against the back of the sofa.
Her mouth sought mine with an urgency that brooked no refusal, a kiss that tasted of defiance and a loyalty that went far beyond anything Sera or Cassane could ever comprehend.
But I'm not one to be left behind.
With a swift movement, I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards me, reversing our positions until she was the one pinned against the backrest, feeling my full weight. Her eyes widened in surprise, but quickly flashed with a wild desire as she realised I had taken control.
My hands roamed her body with a possessive familiarity, breaking down any barrier that separated us. Adela let out a ragged gasp as my lips trailed down her neck, marking my territory with every stroke. There were no subtleties here; it was a hungry passion. When finally nothing remained to cover her, I entered her with a force that wrung a sharp moan from her, shattering the silence of the room.
I looked at her with a cold, almost diabolical expression, relishing the way her eyes misted over as she tried to catch her breath. I knew full well that I wouldn't let her rest that night; I would force her to beg for a respite that I had no intention of granting.
Adela clung to my shoulders, digging her nails into my back as her body arched, surrendering completely to my will.