Chapter 107

“Did you see Lord Castion? What was that just now!”

“He was looking toward Arvina, right? He must have come personally to help with Arvina’s training.”

“Ah, I’m dying of jealousy.”

…My ears felt hot enough to burst. No, it felt as though lava were flowing down my ear canals. I had never even imagined that I might see Gerard at Hartheon.

I pressed a palm firmly against my rapidly pounding heart. Wow, it feels like it’s going to burst.

It wasn’t as though this was my first or second time seeing him in uniform, but the Gerard I saw outside and the Gerard I saw at the temple felt like entirely different people.

So he really is the Commander of Melvers and a first-rank Awakened.

Even among all those distinguished Awakened, he alone stood out conspicuously.

“Now, now, trainees! You need to preserve your dignity. Everyone, calm down!”

The priest tried to stop them, but the atmosphere, once heated, didn’t settle easily.

At Gerard’s appearance, even the other priests entered the training room. I stole glances at his profile as he received each of their greetings in turn and exchanged words with them.

It struck me anew that his power and status meant he didn’t have to bow his head to anyone.

The priests who had swarmed in all at once then swarmed back out.

They really had come all this way merely to show their faces to Gerard. Those lazy, conservative old farts.

“All trainees, please stand. Normally, purification practice is conducted separately by rank, but today, everyone will participate together regardless of rank. None of the Awakened from Melvers are below second-rank, so there is no reason to separate you. Each Awakened may choose one of our trainees and assist them with the practicum.”

Gerard’s eyes were fixed directly on me.

Separate from my surprise and delight that he had come here, I didn’t want to train with him.

Gerard said he no longer had feelings for Arvina, but only Gerard and I knew that.

If he chose me while Arvina was here, what kind of rumors would spread?

I chewed on my lip and slowly shook my head.

‘Don’t come to me.’

Reading my meaning exactly, he pressed his tongue against the inside of one cheek. His puffed-out cheek was filled with displeasure.

But he ignored my desperate plea and walked straight toward me. There was no hesitation in his long strides.

He was clearly going to choose me.

My breathing quickened as the distance between us narrowed. Then, when he finally stood before me.

“W-Would you like to partner with me?!”

I urgently grabbed the arm of a random Awakened passing by.

“Hah.”

I could feel Gerard laugh as though amused, but it couldn’t possibly have been a pleasant smile. I refused to turn my head until the end and stared at the Awakened I had grabbed.

Despite his large build, the Awakened had deer-like eyes and looked younger than the others. Startled, he looked down at the hem of his clothes caught in my hand.

“Uh… yes!”

Had he only recently become a fully qualified Awakened? His reply was filled with spirit.

“Lord Castion, I can finally purify you while you’re fully conscious.”

A softly murmured voice reached me. Just as I had planned, Arvina became Gerard’s partner.

* * *

“Guys, look over there. Doesn’t Arvina look like she’s struggling?”

“She does.”

“They say purifying Lord Castion isn’t easy. Still, I thought Arvina might be different since she supposedly stopped his rampage, but I guess not.”

Thirty minutes into the practicum.

The focus of every Purifier’s attention was, without question, Gerard and Arvina. Whenever there was a break, they gathered like a flock of sparrows and busied themselves watching the two of them.

Arvina and Gerard devoted themselves to purification practice without even taking breaks. When purifying Gerard didn’t go as she wanted, her competitive spirit seemed to have flared.

Gerard’s expression was ambiguous too.

“……”

Ah, I’m screwed.

I realized I had made an enormous mistake.

“Even when I received purification from other fourth-ranks, nothing changed. You were the only one who could do it.”

“…I was beside you when Arvina purified you. I suppose I must have affected it somehow then.”

That was the lie I had told, but the purification of Arvina herself, who was supposedly responsible, wasn’t working.

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