Souta walked back towards his class and saw Bryan preparing to leave the classroom. He looked around and found that Alice was gone. It seems that she already left.
"Bryan!!" He turned to Bryan and called him.
Bryan looked around when he heard someone called his name. He found that it was Souta. "What's wrong, Souta? Do you want something from me? I'll tell you I don't have any money."
"No, I don't care about money. I have a lot of money." Souta shook his head.
"Then, what is it?" Bryan asked as he tilted his head.
"About Cluster. You see, class rep is going back to her home so she needed someone to take care of Cluster. I'm busy so can I leave her to you?" Souta explained to him Lumilia's situation.
"Cluster? Okay, leave her to me and I'll protect her." Bryan said as he patted his chest.
It seems that Bryan understood what he's saying.
Souta nodded in satisfaction. He smiled and said, "Thanks, that's all."
"Okay, I'll go now! I still have something to do after class!" Bryan said as he bid farewell to Souta while waving his hand. He then ran towards a certain direction of the institute.
"Sure, be careful on your way," Souta said as he placed his hand inside his pocket. He then saw a person blocked his way.
"Hmm...?"
It was Nayo. She was Lumilia and Lynn's friend. She was standing straight in front of him while her hands were resting on her waist. She had a serious look on her face.
Souta instantly guessed why she's blocking his way. She wanted to know where's Lumilia or what did they talk about. Maybe both of them.
Before she could say anything, Souta opened his mouth first.
"Where's Lynn? I thought that you two are always together." Souta asked as he looked around and he didn't saw Lynn.
"...She have some business." Nayo said, then she shook her head. "That's not it..." She looked at Souta and asked, "Where's Mila, and what did you two talk about?"
"If she didn't leave she's still there..." Souta said as he pointed his finger on the left side where he just came from. He knew that Nayo was worried about Lumilia as Lumilia was really out of character today. "For your second question... I will not answer it. If you wanted to know it, you can ask her directly." He said seriously.
"That..." Nayo didn't know what to say now that Souta said it like that.
"You're her friend, right? Just ask her directly." Souta said to her before he left since there's nothing to do in this place.
He guessed that the internal battle of Lumilia's family was getting worse. It raised up to the point where she needed to go back.
Well, that's only his guess and there's a possibility that he was wrong. But that's how the plot always moved, right?
...
Bryan was standing in front of Bargan. Both of them were in the training ground of the institute.
"Are you ready?" Bargan asked Bryan.
"Yes, I'm ready." Bryan nodded with a serious expression.
"I will train you harder than you can imagine," Bargan said seriously.
"Yes, I want to grow stronger and protect my friends," Bryan replied to him.
Bryan used his points so that Bargan would teach him privately. Here in the Ladro Institute, every student could use their points on anything in the institute except for a few things like buying the life of students or teachers.
In this case, he used his points so that he could get a teacher to teach him privately.
Bryan wanted to get stronger because he saw how weak he is when the assassins attacked them. He couldn't do anything at that time to protect the people. If not for Yanagi, all of them would die.
"Come, show me your full power," Bargan said as he lifted up his hand and taunted Bryan.
"Okay," Bryan shouted as his mana flared up to the peak.
Boom!
He then went straight to Bargan while pulling back his fist.
"Too weak." Bargan smiled and he grabbed Bryan's fist easily. He tightened his fist and smashed Bryan on the ground.
Boom!!
"Argh!" Bryan spat a mouthful of blood as the floor cracked like a spider web.
"Use every spell that you know or else I will knock you out," Bargan said before he kicked Bryan.
Bang!
Bryan flew and rolled on the ground a few times before he stopped. He looked up at Bargan and used the spells that he knew.
[Lightning Boots]!!
[Lightning Edge]!!
[Scorching Hand]!!
...
"Teacher!!"
A woman with long green hair and pupils turned around when she heard someone called him. The dark blue robe she's wearing couldn't conceal her voluptuous figure. She was Sabrina, the teacher of the Mage Class 3-A.
Sabrina saw a student wearing a small dark blue robe. The student has long purple hair and purple eyes. The robe indicated that this girl was a Mage major.
She observed the girl in front of her and asked, "What do you want from me?"
"I want to use my points and help me get stronger!" Lynn said in a loud voice.
"You want to use your points." Sabrina looked at Lynn from head to toe.
"Yes, I wanted to catch up to someone I admire," Lynn said with determination in her eyes.
"You know, that getting stronger wouldn't let you become closer to the man you admire," Sabrina said to her.
"I know... but I still want to fight beside him... I want him to acknowledge me..." Lynn said as she clenched her fists tightly. She wasn't the type of girl who pursued strength but this time... It took a lot of time before she managed to decide that she wanted to grow stronger. Not just for him but for herself too.
"Okay, I've seen your determination." Sabrina smiled at her.
"Really?" Lynn looked at her with bright eyes.
"Yes, what's your name, girl?" Sabrina asked her.
"Lynn Yaoli, a student from Mage Class 1-B!" Lynn replied in a loud voice.
"Mage Class 1-B...?" She recalled that this class was the talk of the institute in the past few days because of what happened in the special test. A single student of Mage Class 1-B dominated the whole special test.
Souta Ieshi, yes that's the student's name. The student who showed overwhelming might in the special test that shook the whole institute. Right now, almost every person in the institute knew his name.
And this girl in front of her was a classmate of that person. Hmm? It looks interesting.
"A lot of points are needed to hire me, you know?" Sabrina squinted her eyes and said.
"Yeah, I will use everything I've earned," Lynn replied to her with a serious expression.
Actually, she has a lot of points because all this time she only used it to buy food in the canteen. She didn't even redeem a single skill all because she thought that it's not that important to her. But everything changed ever since she saw his fight. She thought that it would be awesome to fight beside him. So she decided to use all the points she has to get stronger.
"Then, it's good. Follow me." Sabrina nodded before she turned around and started to walk away.
"W-We're going to train now?" Lynn asked.
"Yes, I thought you wanted to get stronger." Sabrina glanced at her from behind and said.
"Yes." Lynn nodded at her.
"Then, follow me. Don't complain because I will train you harshly." Sabrina said.
"Yes!" Lynn nodded and followed behind Sabrina. 'Just wait and I will be able to stand by your side.' She thought.
...
Bryan and Lynn were not the only ones who asked a teacher to teach them privately. The other students also were beginning to use all kinds of tricks they knew to train.
Some of them asked the people outside the institute to teach them while the other used points like what Bryan and Lynn did.
Yujin, Brando, and many other students asked some of the teachers to train them.
Everyone was training hard despite the upcoming cultural festival. Well, everyone knew that after this festival it would start another special test that wasn't limited to year level. It means that they will have to fight their seniors if necessary.
The next special test was going to be a huge battle between the first year and their senior. It was going to be an all-out battle.
...
Souta looked in the blue sky and muttered, "It seems that a lot of people are busy today."
He shrugged his shoulder and went to the market to buy something for Yuko. Of course, he wouldn't forget Yuko's favorite fruit and honey. It was an important part every day he went back to his home.
"After this, I'll take some herb gathering test or monster subjugation," Souta muttered as he walked towards the direction of the market.
