Chapter 174: On How Rumors Are Formed
"Good match. Thank you for your guidance, Miss Rita." Rovel nodded respectfully toward the maid-attired Valkyrie, his breathing slightly shallow, before turning to make his way back to his seat.
The training hall remained submerged in absolute silence. It took a long while before anyone, Rita included, managed to pull themselves out of their collective daze.
"What... what just happened in that last second?" someone finally whispered, breaking the spell.
"I didn't even see it clearly! Lady Rita's scythe was right at his neck, so how did Classmate Rovel's strike land first?"
"Wait, does this mean Lady Rita lost? An actual S-Rank Valkyrie lost?!"
"Does Rovel already have the strength of an S-Rank?!"
The barrage of questions instantly turned Rovel into the center of gravity in the room. Dozens of eyes locked onto him, burning with curiosity, but seeing the pale exhaustion clinging to his features, no one dared to approach and interrogate him directly.
"Class Monitor, did you catch that attack just now?" a student asked, turning toward Fu Hua with a hopeful expression.
"...No." Fu Hua slowly shook her head, her brow furrowing slightly behind her glasses.
However, her mind was racing. She hypothesized that Rovel must have triggered an effect similar to the Time Fracture systems built into standard Valkyrie battlesuits—a localized phenomenon that drastically slowed down surrounding space-time.
But that logic had a fatal flaw. If it were a mere Time Fracture, an opponent of Rita's caliber would have easily sensed the shift in temporal flow and reacted accordingly., the spectators standing at a distance hadn't felt the slightest distortion.
Therefore... it wasn't a deceleration. It was a complete halt.
Had Rovel somehow carved out a stagnant pocket of reality, a domain where only he possessed the privilege of motion?
If Rovel had any inkling of the deductions spiraling through Fu Hua's mind, he would have undoubtedly complained about her having a third eye. To dissect such a complex, cheat-like mechanism after witnessing it a single time—was this the terrifying insight of the Red Kite Immortal?
"As expected of Classmate Rovel. I concede." Rita finally spoke, her voice carrying its usual elegant lilt as she gracefully accepted her defeat.
Her admission sent another shockwave of gasps rippling through the training hall. It wasn't a fluke. It was a genuine victory.
"Mei, take Rovel back to the infirmary or his room to rest," Himeko instructed, her sharp eyes catching the unnatural pallor of Rovel's complexion.
"Understood." Mei nodded quickly, stepping forward to support Rovel's arm, gently guiding him away from the overwhelming crowd.
She assumed the day's excitement would conclude there. However, Rita's gaze lingered on the doorway where Rovel had vanished. The maid was clearly intrigued by that space-freezing sword technique and showed no immediate intention of leaving the arena.
"Rita, you should probably take a break as well," Himeko suggested, noticing the subtle shift in the S-Rank Valkyrie's demeanor.
Before Rita could respond, a hand shot up into the air with explosive energy.
"I want to challenge Rita too! This is a super rare chance to fight an S-Rank Valkyrie!" Kiana declared, practically bouncing on her heels.
"Kiana..." Himeko pinched the bridge of her nose, preparing to scold the energetic Kaslana, but Rita gently raised a hand to interrupt.
"It is quite alright, Major Himeko. Since I promised everyone a sparring session, let us continue," Rita said softly, a polite smile gracing her lips.
Kiana took a deep breath, slapping her cheeks to hype herself up before marching onto the stage.
Fortunately for the Kaslana girl, she didn't suffer a humiliating, one-sided beatdown. Her raw, unpolished strength actually managed to earn a nod of approval from the seasoned maid.
"Classmate Kiana is quite impressive in her own right. With this level of combat proficiency, perhaps you can secure a B-rank Valkyrie certification in this year's upcoming exams," Rita remarked, her tone laced with genuine encouragement.
Kiana, who had been bent over and panting heavily from the intense exertion, shot straight up as if struck by lightning.
"Really? Do I really have the strength of a B-rank Valkyrie already?!" Kiana asked, her blue eyes sparkling with absolute delight.
"Mhm... I would even say you sit comfortably in the middle tier among current B-rank Valkyries," Rita evaluated calmly.
"Yes!" Kiana pumped her fist into the air, fully revived. With an official endorsement from an S-Rank Valkyrie like Rita, there was no way Aunt Himeko could stop her from taking the exam now!
'As expected of Rovel, his training plan was totally spot on!'
Kiana hummed a cheerful, off-key tune as she skipped back to her seat, her mood soaring through the roof.
Following Kiana's success, the rest of the class eagerly took turns sparring with Rita. The maid offered tailored advice and gentle corrections to each student until the session finally drew to a close.
Meanwhile, the explosive news of Rovel defeating Rita spread like wildfire through the corridors of St. Freya Academy.
However, as with all gossip in an academy full of teenage girls, the message underwent a severe mutation along the way.
"What? Rovel defeated the S-Rank Valkyrie, Lady Rita?"
"What? Rovel completely dominated Lady Rita?"
"What? Rovel accepted Lady Rita's romantic confession?"
"What?! Rovel is committing domestic violence against Lady Rita?!"
And thus, a masterclass on how rumors are formed was perfectly demonstrated.
Fortunately, the two parties at the center of this escalating scandal were completely oblivious to the chaos.
At that very moment, Rovel was comfortably propped up in bed, thoroughly enjoying the supreme luxury of being hand-fed by Mei.
"Rovel, how exactly did you manage to pull off that move earlier?" Mei asked softly, her curiosity finally getting the better of her as she blew on a spoonful of warm porridge.
"I learned a specific sword technique from someone. It has the ability to freeze space itself. I locked down the immediate area for a fraction of a second, which gave me the window to land my strike on Rita before her scythe could reach me," Rovel explained, happily accepting the food she offered.
"Freezing space? A sword technique can actually do something like that?!" Mei's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment. She had never heard of martial arts breaching the domain of spatial manipulation.
"Yeah, it can. But I haven't completely mastered it yet. The proficiency just isn't there," Rovel said, reaching out to gently take Mei's free hand. "Once I've refined the technique and smoothed out the flaws, I'll teach it to you."
"You don't have to do that. I don't mind..." Mei murmured. She knew Rovel was only offering because he worried she might feel left out or inadequate regarding her own strength.
"It's fine. If my Mei gets a little stronger, then you can protect me even better, right?" Rovel smiled, his thumb lightly caressing the soft skin of her cheek.
"Rovel..." Mei's breath hitched slightly. A warm, rosy flush crept up her neck and settled on her cheeks, her gaze softening as she leaned into his touch.
The atmosphere in the room grew thick with quiet intimacy. Just as the two were leaning closer, entirely lost in the gravity of the moment, the door was violently shoved open.
"Rovel! Mei!" Kiana burst into the room like a localized hurricane, startling them both.
Mei instantly snapped her head down, her face burning crimson as she stared intensely at the bowl of porridge in her lap, blindly scooping up another spoonful and shoving it toward Rovel's mouth to look busy.
"Kiana, try to be a little more careful with the doors. I am a recovering patient who requires peace, quiet, and a stress-free environment," Rovel grumbled unhappily, chewing on the mouthful of food Mei had just aggressively fed him.
"Sorry, sorry! I was just way too excited!" Kiana laughed, completely oblivious to the romantic tension she had just shattered. "Rita told me earlier that my combat strength has already reached the middle-tier of a B-rank Valkyrie! That means I'm good to go for the exam, right?"
Kiana leaned over the bed, desperate for his validation.
"You should be fine on the practical side. Next, you need to beg Bronya to tutor you in your academics. Prepare yourself thoroughly. If you pass the combat test with flying colors but completely bomb the written exam, I won't be able to save you," Rovel reminded her, his tone shifting to a dry warning.
"I know, I know! Thank you, Rovel!" A massive, satisfied grin stretched across Kiana's face. She then turned her boundless energy toward the flustered cook. "Mei, you have no idea! That Rita is seriously strong, but I still managed to..."
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