Although Alex didn't sustain major injuries or break any bones, he was still battered and bruised. His entire body ached from the ordeal.
He had been taken to the academy's medical center, where a healing spell was administered. Currently, he lay on one of the beds, recovering.
"Hey Alex, how are you feeling?" Aurora inquired softly, her tone cautious to avoid hurting his feelings. Alex had lost the match, and she feared he might be disheartened.
"Honestly, I'm not feeling that great, but it's not too upsetting. I lost, and that's all there is to it." Alex replied nonchalantly.
The ward was mostly empty, with only Alex occupying one of the beds, allowing him and Aurora to converse openly.
"You were so cool out there. I was thoroughly impressed by that fight and thought you had won for a second. Let's train some more after this until you can beat that human. I can also teach you some other cool spells if you want." Aurora encouraged him, concerned that Alex was putting on a brave front.
"I'm really okay; you don't need to worry so much about me. Sigh, let's just say Marcus was way stronger than I expected. I guess I became overconfident after defeating that Monster Wolf and rashly challenging him due to the system."
"Are you sure you're okay? Is there something I can do to help you feel better?" Aurora sensed from Alex's tone that he was not his usual cheerful self and was feeling a bit disheartened.
"It's okay; I'll feel better with some rest." Alex replied.
He was saddened by his defeat, but he wouldn't sit back and sulk because of it. He knew he needed to train harder and more diligently than ever before.
Suddenly, Aurora's next words left Alex utterly speechless. "I heard somewhere that boys your age cheer up when they see a girl's breasts."
Alex, who had been trying to get some sleep to aid his recovery, opened his eyes wide and stared at her in surprise.
Despite her teasing tone, Aurora's ears reddened as she continued, "I...I can let you peek at mine if that cheers you up! I've noticed you ogling them sometimes."
"I-I never look at them that way." Alex immediately retorted.
"So, you do look at them. Alex is a pervert."
"..."
"Hahaha, I see you blushing and imagining things."
"Anyways, you shouldn't say something like this casually to any guy."
"I'll never say this to any guy! You're the only lucky one to even hear me say this. Humph." Aurora turned to the other side to hide the current blush on her face.
"I-I'm sorry." Alex stammered. He didn't have any experience with such conversations, and Aurora was the first closest thing he ever had to a friend, especially a female friend.
"Don't get upset now; I was just teasing you. Hahahaha, did you really think I would show them to you?" Aurora playfully teased Alex as she jokingly lowered the top of her dress to reveal her cleavage.
"You-you perverted ghost! Just wait and see how I'll ignore you from now on."
"Ahh, no no, don't! I was just joking to cheer you up. But if you really want to see, there's nothing I can do." Aurora panicked and added her last words as if Alex were blackmailing her.
"Sigh, I really am stuck with a perverted ghost."
"And me with a perverted human. Who knows, he might jump on me someday." Aurora said, playfully embracing herself with both hands.
"Hahaha" "Hahaha"
Laughter soon erupted as they shared a lighthearted moment.
"Feeling better now?"
"Much better, thanks to you, I guess."
"Take some rest, and we'll start again tomorrow. Next time, we'll win for sure." Aurora declared as she decided to leave, giving Alex time to heal and rest.
"Hey, I wanted to ask you something."
"Hmm?"
"I wa..."
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted as someone entered the medical room and approached Alex's bed.
"So, there you are. I've been searching for you for quite some time."
The newcomer was a petite woman with pink hair and eyes, dressed in the academy uniform identical to Alex's, with some subtle distinctions.
The main contrast from Alex's uniform was her black tie, which bore a logo featuring a magic wand set within a magic circle. She also sported a star badge on the lapel of her red blazer.
The logo clearly marked her as a magic faculty student, and the star badge indicated that she was part of the Elite class. In the academy, female students wore red blazers as part of their uniform.
In simpler terms, the newcomer was a first-year academy student in the Elite class, from the magic faculty.
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Sherry Barnet is an endearing young woman of moderate height and a slender physique, adorned with pink hair and eyes.
Her short, shoulder-length hair is intricately braided on both sides, culminating in an adorable apogee atop her head.
She's renowned as a model student at the academy, known for her intelligence and shyness. Her quest for knowledge knows no bounds, and it's reflected in her remarkable academic achievements.
Sherry consistently ranks at the top of her class, including the elite class, making her the highest academic scorer among her peers.
Her intellect extends to deciphering ancient languages, a remarkable feat, even among intellectuals. Her academic pursuits occupy much of her time, limiting her social interactions.
As an elite-class student, she enjoys the privilege of infrequent class attendance, which she uses to delve into the world of rare ancient books.
The academy has allocated her a personal lab where she dedicates most of her time to research and experimentation.
One fateful night, while immersed in her work, Sherry noticed her magic compass's needle acting unusually. It consistently pointed in a specific direction, primarily in the evening after classes.
Initially dismissing it as a malfunction, she couldn't ignore the repeated occurrence. 'It has been pointing in that direction a lot; should I check it out?', she pondered.
After much contemplation, she decided to investigate the matter, hoping to discover something genuinely significant. On the weekend, she set out to explore the area but couldn't find precisely what she was seeking.
However, her hunch led her to some promising information: a knight faculty student was rumored to be residing in the old boys' dorm. Although not precisely her target, she decided to verify this information.
Upon visiting the knight faculty, Sherry stumbled upon a group of students discussing the mysterious individual. Feeling awkward about inquiring abruptly, she overheard their conversation.
And now, in the medical room, she was here to meet this enigmatic person and clarify her suspicions. That individual happened to be none other than Alex.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
"So, there you are. I've been searching for you for quite some time."
With those words, Sherry approached Alex's bed and began a thorough examination of him.
"Ahh, she's the same person who came a few days back in search of something at the dorm." Aurora recalled, recognizing Sherry from a previous encounter.
Alex's mind raced as he tried to place where he had seen Sherry before.
'Do I know her, or more specifically, does she know the previous Alex?' he wondered, lost in thought for a moment as the unfamiliar woman inspected him from every angle.