Chapter 65: Until Then

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Until Then

"Sylvia, if there is something going on behind the scenes at the academy, I need to know" Xavier said, his voice firm and low, almost sensual.

The blush on Sylvia’s face deepened. She raised her hand and gently rested it on Xavier’s shoulder, feeling the firmness of his muscles for a second before pushing him back.

Xavier was shoved all the way to his seat in an instant. He could not even offer resistance. That was simply the difference between third-level mana control and fourth-level.

Mana reserve was the amount of mana one could hold in the body. Mana control level decided how much of that mana one could actually wield at once. It also naturally strengthened the body. Strength doubled with every level up to the third, then grew even further with each successive level.

The difference between Sylvia and Xavier right now was fourfold. Sylvia was four times stronger than him in raw strength.

"Did I offend you?" Xavier asked after being pushed back.

"No, but don’t get too close" Sylvia replied.

"I’ll tell you, but beware—your safety will be your own responsibility. I won’t take any blame if something happens to you later."

"I’m not the kind to blame others"

"There are three factions; the Frostborn faction, the Caldris faction, and the Church faction.

The Frostborn faction, led by Milfias Frostborn, is friendly with the Church faction, led by the high priestess of the academy’s church. Both of these factions stand against the Caldris faction."

Xavier recognized the name Caldris at once.

"Is the Caldris faction led by the vice dean?" he asked. The vice dean was Orren Caldris, an experienced senior mage at the sixth level of mana control.

"Yes. And the reason is that we highly suspect the Caldris faction is somehow involved with the demons."

That piqued Xavier’s curiosity.

"But how? Isn’t the demon territory sealed all the way behind the Red Forests?" he asked.

"That is true, but the seal only holds back the high-ranking demons. The low-ranking ones, if they somehow survive the Red Forests, can infiltrate our territory. It is still only a suspicion—we have nothing solid to prove the Caldris faction’s involvement with the demons. Otherwise Milfias would already have gotten rid of Orren."

"So you must be from either the Frostborn faction or the Church faction"

"I am from the Church’s faction" Sylvia replied, rubbing her gentle fingers across her left shoulder. A tattoo appeared on her silky, smooth skin. A circle with a star inside it and a sword cutting diagonally through. That was the symbol of the Imperial Church. The church preached the goddess of fertility and spread its word under the authority and influence of the emperor.

"The symbol for the Frostborn faction is a snowflake, and for the Caldris faction it is a pentagram."

"I’ll keep that in mind," Xavier said.

"Now that you know about the factions, you must decide which one to choose. I would highly advise you to choose either the Church or the Frostborn faction," Sylvia said.

"Of course. I’ll think about it after I return from the expedition in the Red Forest," Xavier replied.

"Do you think it’s all coincidence? The Caldris faction started gaining power at the same time the Emperor introduced wilderness survival lessons into the Imperial Academy, forcing students into the Red Forests," Sylvia asked.

"Do you mean even the emperor is involved in all of this?" Xavier asked.

"This is bigger than you can imagine. For now, I cannot tell you more unless you decide to join a faction. Just be careful out there in the Red Forests," Sylvia said, snapping her fingers once. The stone bath disappeared into the lake and she turned to leave.

"Hey, hold on," Xavier called, following her and catching her by the wrist.

"This was not the only reason I wanted to get close to you," he said, turning her around and closing the distance until her puffy tits brushed against his chest. The water rippled outward around them, disturbing the quiet, serene lake.

"Is there something else you want?" Sylvia asked, freeing her wrist from his grip. Her face was tilted slightly upward to lock eyes with him, her posture full of confidence.

"Not something, Someone. I already told you I find you extremely attractive, and I want to get close to you" Xavier replied.

"What’s the point of keeping up this facade?" Sylvia said.

"It’s not a façade, My feelings for you are genuine" Xavier answered, stepping forward. Sylvia did not move from her place. Her breasts were crushed between her and Xavier’s chest, the full plush weight of them yielding then cascading outward against him. She felt something warm and hard pressed against her belly.

"Can you feel it?" Xavier asked, pressing his hips forward and rubbing his huge cock against Sylvia’s lean stomach, against her smooth, soft skin.

The blush on Sylvia’s cheeks spread wider and wider until her whole face became red. She drew a deep breath to clear her mind and answered in a firm voice.

"It doesn’t matter. I already have a suitor. And besides, you’re too weak to become my partner."

Xavier was extremely charming—one of the most handsome men Sylvia had ever seen—but she could not simply let him take her on that account. He was weak, and she was involved in far bigger things she believed he could not handle at his current strength.

"If it’s that simple, then don’t worry. I’ll get stronger," Xavier replied. His hands slid to her thin, delicate waist, then down to the curve of her ass, giving both cheeks a gentle squeeze. The lush, rounded flesh shuddered under his palms. The way Sylvia said she already had a suitor hinted that the arrangement had been made by her family and that she was not truly involved with the man. Xavier still had a chance.

Sylvia grew slightly irritated by his overconfidence. She did not even raise a hand, but Xavier felt pressure build inside her and force outward. Before he knew it, the water around her began to bubble as if boiling. In the next instant he was blasted backward by a wave, the water around him thrashing in violent surges. Unlike before, this time he was thrown more than twenty meters.

The water beneath Sylvia rose, lifting her high as though she stood atop a tower of water. A fresh pair of clothes began to materialize over her body.

"We can talk when you get stronger. Until then, focus on survival."

Her huge hawk appeared from the dark sky and crashed into the towering water beneath her feet, shattering it and carrying Sylvia away on its back. Just like that, Sylvia and her hawk vanished into the night. The broken tower of water crashed back into the lake, sending violent ripples outward.

Xavier let the waves of the lake carry him as he stared into the darkness where Sylvia had disappeared.

So I still have a chance he thought. If all Sylvia wanted was for him to get stronger, then that was exactly what he would do.