Chapter 624: Hugs and Greetings

The children of Ashenlocke, along with the other adults of Ash, walked into the airport building, where the younger members of the family who had gathered to welcome them were waiting.

The moment they came inside, several familiar faces moved through the crowd to meet them.

Some had been waiting for their friends since the Dirigible landed, while others had only just caught sight of the people they wanted to greet.

The noise from the welcoming party continued behind them, but the children were already busy looking for their own friends and family members.

"Lady Priscilla!"

Mira called out as soon as she spotted Priscilla Ashenlocke.

She hurried forward and wrapped her arms around Priscilla, hugging her tightly.

Priscilla had barely finished turning toward her before Mira had already pulled her into the embrace.

"I was so happy that you took him out."

Mira’s voice grew quieter as she looked around to make sure nobody nearby was paying too much attention to their conversation.

She leaned closer to Priscilla, then whispered into her ear.

"Sir Felix."

Priscilla’s expression changed slightly at the name.

"Hehe... Hehe... Did you really think I would lose to that asshole?"

She wore a smug smile as she answered, looking rather pleased with herself.

There was no sign that she regretted the result of the match, and the way she spoke made it clear that she had never intended to let Felix get the better of her.

Mira looked at her for a moment before smiling.

Priscilla had returned safely, and she was still acting like herself.

That was enough to reassure Mira that the festival had not changed her in any troublesome way.

Not far from them, Nate Ashenlocke joined the conversation.

"Hey, ladies... I’m guessing you all missed me."

He greeted them with a simple smile.

Niki immediately pointed at his chest, looking at him as though she had just discovered something strange.

"Since when did you start smiling like that, Lowline?"

Smack!

Before Nate could respond, Priscilla’s hand struck Niki’s finger.

Mira and Niki both widened their eyes.

"Cough! Cough!"

Priscilla cleared her throat, suddenly looking rather awkward about what she had just done.

She turned her face slightly, trying to regain her composure while pretending that the incident had been nothing more than a misunderstanding.

"I thought I saw an insect on your finger. I’m sorry for smacking your hand."

She spoke as calmly as she could, though the excuse sounded suspicious even to her own ears.

Niki stared at Priscilla for a moment.

She did not look entirely convinced. After all, there had been no insect on her finger, and Priscilla had struck her hand almost immediately after she pointed at Nate.

Still, it was Priscilla who had given the explanation.

Niki eventually let the matter go.

Nate, who had been standing nearby throughout the exchange, continued wearing his simple smile.

He did not say anything about what had happened, and Priscilla seemed perfectly content to leave the matter there.

Soon, more of Priscilla’s former group members from the Trial of Steel began gathering around them.

Some greeted her with smiles, while others immediately started asking about the festival and her matches.

The group had been through enough together during the trial that their reunion quickly became lively, with several people speaking at once as they tried to catch up.

The same thing was happening around Henry and Bess.

Their friends had also gathered to welcome them, and the moment Fay Ashenlocke appeared, a group of girls raised their hands and called out to her.

"Fay!!!!"

Fay turned toward them.

"Wait! Wait!"

She quickly waved both hands in front of herself, already looking worried about what they intended to do. Unfortunately, her warning came too late.

Boom!

The girls rushed forward and pounced on her without the slightest concern for elegance.

Fay staggered under their combined weight, her feet shifting as she tried to keep herself upright. Before she could properly protest, one of the girls had already wrapped an arm around her, while another leaned close enough to press her cheek against Fay’s.

"Don’t mind your academic result."

The girl rubbed her cheek against Fay’s, speaking as though the result were the least important thing in the world.

"You did well, my baby."

Another girl reached up and rubbed Fay’s hair, messing it up with several affectionate strokes.

Fay tried to pull herself away, but the girls were not willing to let her go just yet.

"You girls should stop! I’m not sad about my result or anything!"

She protested, shifting her shoulders as she tried to escape their embrace.

Her words did little to help.

The girls continued holding her, seemingly more interested in making sure she understood their feelings than in listening to her complaints.

"Seriously, the fact that you passed the exam is already a big win, and you really tried your best. Honestly."

The third girl spoke with a proud smile, looking directly at Fay as she said it.

Fay opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out immediately.

She had spent so much time trying to convince everyone that she was fine that she had not expected her friends to approach her like this.

They were not making fun of her result or asking her to explain why she had performed the way she did.

Instead, they were treating her as though passing the exam and giving her best were already reasons worth celebrating.

She tried to keep her expression steady.

However, before she even realized what was happening, tears had begun to run down her cheeks.

"Awwn, our Fay."

The girls tightened their embrace around her.

Fay lowered her head slightly, unable to stop the tears as they continued to fall. Her earlier protests grew quieter, and she eventually stopped trying to push the girls away.

They had clearly noticed that she had been feeling down, even though she had repeatedly claimed otherwise.

Now, they were making sure she did not have to pretend in front of them.

A short distance away...

Keith Balor and Bale Ashenlocke watched the scene with pleased expressions.

The two had managed to slip away from Duchess Hailey’s grasp earlier, giving them a chance to stand aside and observe the reunion without being immediately dragged into another conversation.

Bale looked at Fay and the girls surrounding her, a helpless smile appearing on his face.

"I knew she was feeling down, all those times she said she was fine."

He had suspected as much for a while.

Fay had tried to act as though her academic result did not bother her, but her behaviour had made it difficult to believe that she had truly moved on from it.

At least her friends had noticed as well.

"Well, thank the Scholars we have the girls to help her express herself before she meets her parents."

Keith replied calmly.

Bale turned toward him, his smile growing a little wider.

"Look at you, talking like a normal person."

He spoke in a teasing tone, clearly amused by Keith’s response.

"Well, you did call the girls and ask them to speak to her upon our arrival. I always thought you never cared about anyone’s feelings apart from your own. Even Michelle keeps complaining about that."

Bale looked at Keith with a proud smile, as though he had just witnessed a rare and important event.

Keith’s expression changed at once.

"Urghhhhhhhhh!!!"

He made an irritated face and rubbed his shoulder, looking as though Bale’s words had caused him physical discomfort.

"Don’t ever look at me with that smile ever again. I will vomit from the weirdness."

Keith’s reaction only made Bale look more amused.

"And that Michelle Drakes brat has been fighting with me ever since I made fun of her because Fatima lost to Big Bro Ezra."

He spoke lazily, as though the argument had already taken more effort than it deserved.

"I don’t even want to think about her for now. It’s draining my two percent energy. I’m going to sleep."

Keith waved a hand dismissively and began walking away, apparently having decided that the conversation had lasted long enough.

Bale watched him leave.

"Why do I even bother?"

He narrowed his eyes at Keith’s retreating back, wondering why he had bothered praising him in the first place.

The boy could show a little consideration for someone else’s feelings and still find a way to complain about the people who noticed.

Bale shook his head before turning his attention back toward the others.

On another side of the airport...

The route taken by Veda and Vera was being kept clear by several Guards of Ash.

They walked alongside the Duchesses and their older siblings, moving through the airport building while the guards ensured that the crowd did not block their way.

The welcoming party remained busy around them, but the guards maintained enough space for the group to pass without interruption.

Duchess Hailey looked around as they continued walking.

"Where did Bale go?"

She had noticed that he was no longer where she expected him to be and began searching the nearby crowd with her eyes.

"Duchess."

Her personal Maid returned to her side and leaned closer to speak quietly.

"I have found the young master."

The Maid’s expression remained composed as she delivered the news.

"Bring him back if he’s done with what he’s doing. We are going to meet the Duke."

Duchess Hailey gave her order without wasting any more time.

The Maid bowed slightly before moving away.

She made her way through the crowd with quick steps, searching for the young master she had been sent to retrieve.

Veda happened to witness the exchange.

He watched as the Maid went to fetch his brother, and before long, she returned with Bale, who was brought back toward the group with little opportunity to escape again.

Bale’s expression changed as he approached his older brother.

The earlier confidence with which he had slipped away from Duchess Hailey was now replaced by a look of awkward embarrassment.

"Hello, brother."

He raised one hand and waved at Veda.

Veda looked at him.

For a moment, he nearly laughed.

Seeing Bale return in such an awkward state after trying to escape had been amusing enough, but he managed to keep his expression under control.

He did not want to make things worse for his brother in front of the others.

Veda simply continued walking with the group as they made their way out of the airport.

Vera followed quietly behind them.

When the Servant opened the door of the Noble Phantom Rolls prepared for her, she stepped inside without making a fuss.

The vehicle’s door remained open just long enough for her to enter before the Servant began preparing to close it.

The Duchesses of Ash and the Duke’s children were the first to leave, making their way toward the Ashenlocke General Hall.

That was where the welcome party and the Duke’s congratulatory celebration for reaching a new Alchemist rank would be held.

The Elders and members of the High Board also departed with their children, heading in the same direction.

The airport gradually began to settle down as the different groups left for the General Hall, though the servants and workers still had plenty to do after the arrival of the Dirigible.

"Ezra!!!"

A familiar voice rang out brightly just as Ezra was about to enter the Royal Steam Carriage prepared to take him to the ceremony.

He paused, looking back.

Gena Miles was running toward him with both arms spread wide, her face bright with excitement.

She moved quickly through the remaining distance, apparently eager to greet him before he left.

When she finally reached him, however, she stopped herself rather abruptly.

Her boot dragged slightly across the tilled ground as she came to a halt, leaving a small mark behind her.

"Boss."

Gena looked up at him with a bright smile.

"You really did it! I always knew you were super strong and would reach the finals. I was so confident about it, but who knew that New Sun boy would be so powerful that you would lose..."

Her words came out quickly, and she seemed to realize what she had said only after the sentence was already out of her mouth.

"Wait, I’m not saying you lost badly! I didn’t say that! I mean, you gave your all, and it was so cool seeing you use the Law of Inversion. Like, seriously, what was even that? We at Ash Academy went wild when we saw you use that method. I don’t even know what to call it!"

Gena’s expression kept changing as she spoke.

She had started with excitement, stumbled into awkwardness when she mentioned Ezra’s defeat, and then returned to excitement as she remembered his use of the Law of Inversion.

Her hands moved along with her words, and she seemed to have several more things she wanted to say.

Each time she appeared ready to finish, another thought came to mind, sending her into another burst of hurried explanation.

Ezra listened until she had finished.

"Hi, Gena."

He raised one hand and gave her a brief wave.

Gena’s eyes sparkled even more.

She had clearly expected him to respond, but even that simple greeting was enough to make her look delighted.

Her smile widened as she watched him, while Ezra remained as composed as ever.

A short distance away, Lucy had just finished inspecting the Servant who was loading Ezra’s luggage into the vehicles.

Once she was satisfied that the luggage had been taken care of, she turned toward Gena and offered a polite bow.

"Good afternoon, Miss Gena."

"Lucy!!"

Gena immediately rushed over and hugged her.

Lucy stiffened slightly when Gena suddenly wrapped her arms around her.

The embrace had caught her off guard, and for a moment, she did not seem to know how to respond. Still, she did not push Gena away or make a fuss about it.

"I didn’t even get to catch a glimpse of you throughout the whole festival!"

Gena said excitedly, still holding Lucy close.

Lucy looked at her, then tilted her head slightly to the left.

"I was not available for a long time."

Her voice carried a faint sadness, and her expression became rather lifeless as she answered.

The words reminded her of what she had missed.

Lucy had not been able to watch her Master throughout most of the Combat Festival.

While the other students and spectators had followed the matches, she had been unable to remain there and see Ezra’s progress for herself.

She had only managed to watch the final.

Even now, the thought of missing so much of the festival left her disappointed.

She had wanted to see her Master’s matches, especially after everything he had accomplished, but her meditation advancement had prevented her from doing so.

Gena seemed too excited about the reunion to notice the full weight of Lucy’s sadness.

She was still happy to see her, and the sudden embrace had been her way of expressing how much she had missed her friend.

Ezra glanced at the two of them before turning toward the Royal Steam Carriage.

"We will speak later, Gena."

He said it in his usual calm voice and stepped into the vehicle.

"Remember the meeting time I told you about. Don’t be late."

Lucy released Gena’s grip on her.

Then moved toward the carriage door.

After Ezra had entered, she closed it carefully, then hurried around to the door on the opposite side and climbed into the vehicle.

Gena remained outside, watching Ezra through the window of the Royal Steam Carriage.

His tone hadn’t changed, even now.

After all the attention he had received during the festival, after reaching the finals and demonstrating the Law of Inversion in front of so many people, he was still speaking to her in the same plain manner as before.

But...

Gena’s smile returned.

"Yes, Boss!"

She raised her hand and waved at him through the window.

The Royal Steam Carriage began to move, carrying Ezra and Lucy away from the airport and toward the ceremony location.

Gena continued waving until the vehicle had moved farther away, then slowly lowered her hand.

She had not been able to speak with Ezra for long, but that was fine.

There would be another opportunity when they met for the scheduled meeting.

For now, she watched the carriage drive off, her excitement from seeing her Boss again still written clearly across her face.