-Julian Reinhard's Point of View
While walking, he ran into Emilia.
Julian then seized the moment and suggested to Emilia to take a walk for at least an hour.
It was evening and the air was cool.
There was silence all around, and barely their footsteps echoed lightly as they walked through the campus.
Soon they came to a tree-lined area with benches all around, just like a park.
Julian knew it wasn't a park, however.
It was similar, but a park had a lot more to it than just benches and trees.
Still, he took it for a park, knowing that it wasn't really a park.
He looked at a bench in the distance, lit by a streetlight.
Julian spoke up then.
"Uh, hey, shall we sit there for a while?"
He pointed his finger, and Emilia followed the direction Julian indicated.
Her answer came instantly.
"Yeah, it looks good."
She nodded, and then they both reached the bench.
Though at that moment, Julian felt that the mana near them was strange.
As if someone had used mana for something.
However, he paid it no mind and sat down next to Emilia, as they both looked up at the night sky, full of stars and with the moon hanging in the sky.
Meanwhile, there was a palpable silence, neither of them uttering a word.
A few minutes passed.
"Mmm..."
Julian looked at Emilia.
She was going to say something at that moment, after a prolonged silence.
"It's a nice night, isn't it?"
"Yes..."
"You seem a little..."
"What?"
"No, nothing, I just notice that you're a little nervous and distant."
"Uh, well... I... I guess."
"..."
Emilia looked at Julian seriously without saying anything else about it.
Noticing Emilia's serious look, Julian spoke up.
"I'd like to tell you something, Emilia."
It was the moment.
The moment Julián had been waiting for.
Ever since he was a boy, he had found Emilia very attractive.
His heart pounded harder every time he was near her.
Although they had been very close friends in the past.
In fact, they hadn't seen each other in several years, and now that they were at the academy, they met again.
Julian had his thoughts straight.
It wasn't here at the academy.
It was in the past, at home.
He had long ago developed feelings for her.
Julian liked Emilia very much.
She was very beautiful in his eyes.
Her looks, and the way she spoke to him, captivated him.
Everything about her attracted him.
This was truly love at first sight, and he would eventually express his feelings for her.
She was kind to him, and they had known each other since they were little.
You could say they were friends almost from birth.
Their families were close and very good friends: the Merwin family and the Reinhard family.
Both families were connected, and without a doubt, the patriarchs were best friends.
They had lived difficult lives and shared a similar past.
Therefore, both patriarchs were as close as best friends.
It would even be a blessing if Julian and Emilia were together.
Then the two families would be closer than ever.
But for Julian, it wasn't for his family or any other reason.
He liked Emilia.
However, he did not know if she had the same feelings.
No matter how he looked at it, Julian was in love with Emilia, and today was the perfect day and the ideal moment to confess his feelings to her.
He had waited many years for this moment.
Originally, he wanted to express his feelings once he turned 18, but that was impossible for him now.
His emotions were getting stronger and stronger, and he couldn't help it.
She had it all planned out.
There was no doubt that this was the perfect time to tell him.
Everything was at its climax.
The perfect moment, the words already selected, everything was in its splendor.
All that was left was to muster the courage to tell her that he liked her.
That was all.
It didn't matter what her answer was; whether she rejected him or not, she just wanted to release her feelings and tell him the truth.
So, he mustered up the courage as Emilia stood so close to him, their faces just inches apart.
"Is something wrong, Julian?"
She spoke to him, but Julian narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment.
He knew at once what words to say.
They were the common words to begin with.
That's when her words came out.
There was no way around it.
He simply had to say them.
If he was rejected, he would understand. It would be normal for her to see him only as her best friend.
If he thought about it, then it would be an opportunity, and at any moment he would receive her answer.
If he accepted it right away, it would be the happiest day of his life.
Even knowing those three possibilities, he had no idea which one Emilia would choose, but it didn't matter.
The most important thing was to release those thoughts.
To confess to her how he felt about her and finally feel at peace after putting up with it for so many years.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Emilia, I have something to tell you."
"What is it? You're acting really strange, you're pretty tense, you know?"
"I know, but it's important and I can't hide it anymore."
In fact, she couldn't hide it anymore.
It was time, everything was in its splendor and it was the decisive moment to tell him.
Finally, his first words came out.
It didn't matter what he said, however, it was the right moment.
"Emilia... You... I like you."
There was silence.
Julian closed his eyes without even looking at Emilia's expression.
He didn't have the courage to look her in the eye.
He was very tense, and his hands were shaking. His words came out in the most nervous way possible.
Then.
"I..."
Her first word.
Julian listened intently.
No matter what, he just wanted to wait for her next words.
Then Emilia answered him, and finally Julian would know her decisive answer.
One of the three possible answers would change everything for him; whatever the answer was, tomorrow would be different, and his relationship with Emilia would change as well.
It was then that she spoke.
"Also..."
"..."
"I also... like you, Julian."
***
-Scene change
-Gloriana Mengral's point of view.
She simply told them to move and get out of the place where they were, when she saw Emilia and Julian together.
Her only thought was.
"If they see us here, then they will think of another house."
Gloriana spoke instantly to Asher.
But she never thought her act would be so quick that she couldn't say anything.
Her hand went to her waist as she clung to Asher, and then Asher's mana came out. In an instant, they had stepped into a shadow and then appeared behind a tree, right in front of the bench where they had been.
Gloriana said nothing.
She was in shock, unable to think of anything.
Asher...
She took the initiative.
She was embarrassed.
She had nothing to say.
The momentum Asher took left her breathless.
She looked to her side and Asher's face was two centimeters from hers.
In one swift movement, the two of them might even....
"No."
She dismissed it immediately.
If she wanted that kiss, then they would have to go out first.
Seeing Asher, however, her gaze locked on the two cadets.
They sat down and kept silent.
"What are they doing?"
Gloriana wondered, trying to forget the fact that Asher was two centimeters from her face while his hand held her waist.
Simply put, the two of them were hiding while Asher held Gloriana very close.
Still, she tried not to think about it.
The whole atmosphere around those two was strange.
But Gloriana came up with an idea.
"One of the two will confess."
It was possible.
Looking at the atmosphere, it was the most logical thing to do.
But she thought back to when she was together with Asher, sitting on the same bench where Julian and Emilia were now.
"Wait... What if Asher was going to confess?"
She didn't really know anything, but everything indicated that he was.
Suddenly, he had told her some jokes, perhaps to create a more cheerful atmosphere, and after that would come the moment of confession.
But suddenly those two arrived, and Gloriana thought they had ruined the moment for Asher to confess his feelings for her.
Of course, it was all a joint idea in Gloriana's head, while Asher, in fact, had other ideas.
Soon Julian's voice came.
"Emilia, I have something to tell you."
They both spoke a few words, but Gloriana was waiting for the words of one of the two.
Immediately she knew it was Julian who was going to confess.
If that was so, then he would speak at any moment.
Finally.
Gloriana heard the words coming out of Julian's mouth and opened her eyes.
"Emilia... You... I like you."
That was the word she expected and maybe Emilia did too.
Gloriana wasn't sure, but one thing was certain when she saw Emilia's face.
"I accept it."
She came to a conclusion.
Emilia...
She was embarrassed, excited, and her face had turned a deep red as she looked at Julian, who had his eyes closed.
Soon, her answer reached everyone's ears and Gloriana smiled immediately.
"I also like you... Like you, Julian."
Gloriana smiled at the whole situation at that moment.
She looked at Asher, who also had a surprised face, however, he returned to his normal state immediately.
It seems that he really didn't know much about this.
But Gloriana didn't care.
"This time I'll be the one to make you fall in love, Asher."
She was determined to try to win Asher over in every possible way, and this time she would have no shame.
No matter how, it would be different for her too.
At that moment, Julian's shout of joy echoed as Asher and Gloriana began to leave the place.
There was nothing more to see, just to leave Julian and Emilia to their romance, and leave the two of them alone.
With that, they both left and left the new couple alone in their happiness.
***
-Scene change.
-Asher Frostblade's point of view.
It was Saturday morning, and the plan to enter a dungeon was today.
According to Gloriana, she told the others and they agreed immediately, so there was no problem.
The departure to the dungeon was in an hour, and the meeting would be in the dungeon management section.
There they would choose the dungeon they would enter.
According to Luna's research, the dungeon they were assigned was an open dungeon.
An open dungeon means that the monsters are sort of unlimited.
Everywhere you go, you will see at least one monster.
Of course, the dungeon is grade 9, as it was the first time the others entered a dungeon.
Being someone with experience, Asher would guide them in this dungeon.
He has experience.
Of that he was sure, he even received advice.
Therefore, he had enough knowledge to be a guide in a dungeon.
"In fact, I'm the best at this," he claimed.
Truth be told, Asher was the best in these cases, about monsters and all that.
Though, of course, it wasn't that he didn't like being in the academy.
What was really keeping him that way was that there had been no action.
His muscles were too relaxed and he feared his experience would deteriorate.
So Asher left his room and, after a few minutes, arrived at the dungeon management section.
The place where the others were already waiting for him and where the dungeon they were about to enter was ready.
As he arrived, he saw six cadets waiting right next to a large teleportation door. At the top, there were words written clearly.
It said "Grade 9 open field dungeon," visible for all to read.
Anyway, Asher arrived and then looked at a man in a black suit with a pen and a long sheet of paper, which looked like a list or something similar.
The man then spoke, as everyone looked at him.
"That's everyone, right?"
"Yes."
"Good, you can go in now. In any situation of danger, use the return stone that will be given to you. All you have to do is break it and you will be transported out of the dungeon. understood?"
"We understand."
"Good, now go in and take a return stone."
They began to enter while, next to the teleportation door, a woman held a box with several red stones loaded with great mana.
Finally, they all took one and instantly entered through the teleportation door, where the dungeon awaited them.....
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From now on, there will be no more romance at least until chapter 170 or so. This volume will be longer than the previous ones, so enjoy.