NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30: Another One
Chapter 30: Another One
Morning arrived, but Sevi had a hard time getting out of bed due to the rigorous sparring and training he had done with Noemi the previous day.
'Huuuu... my body aches but then again, training with Noemi was worth it.' Sevi thought as he opened his personal stats screen.
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Sevi Bladesworth (Human..?)
● Strength: D- --> D
● Intellect: A- --> A-
● Charm: E+ --> D-
● Conversation S.: C --> C+
● Flirting A.: F- --> F+
● Bgn Swordsmanship (S) --> Intermediate Swordsmanship (F)
● Bgn Magic: F --> F
Skills: Parry ( A-), Counterattack(A), Tactical Awareness (B-), First Aid(B-)
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Sevi couldn't help but smile at the small yet significant improvements.
'Strength up to D, charm up to D-, and swordsmanship to intermediate. Not bad, Sevi, not bad at all.'
Despite the progress, his thoughts quickly shifted to the Noemi's incident.
'Kane and Evelyn are the obvious suspects, Evelyn is still suspicious but... there's something off.'
'Everything else will fall into place eventually. Time to push through the pain and get to class.' Sevi thought as he shook his head, trying to clear his mind.
With a deep breath, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, feeling the stiffness in his muscles.
Sevi moved through his morning routine but at a slower pace.
By the time he left his quarters, the halls were bustling with students. He made his way toward the lecture hall, his pace quickening despite the soreness. As he rounded a corner, he nearly collided with Sir Varric, their stern yet fair instructor.
"Good morning, Sir Varric," Sevi greeted, trying to sound composed despite his obvious rush.
Sir Varric raised an eyebrow, his expression in a mild disapproval.
"Running late, Sevi?"
Sevi nodded, catching his breath. "Yes, sir. I had a rough training session yesterday."
Sir Varric's gaze softened slightly, and he nodded. "Understandable. Training is important, but so is punctuality. Make sure it doesn't become a habit."
"Sure sir," Sevi replied earnestly.
Sir Varric nodded, then added, "Since you're here, walk with me to class."
Sevi nodded and fell into step beside Sir Varric. They walked in silence, and reached the lecture class.
Sevi stepped inside and immediately spotted Noemi sitting in their usual spot. She looked up as he approached, her expression as stoic as ever, but her eyes perked up slightly upon seeing him.
"Hey, Noemi." Sevi smiled at her as he slid into the seat beside her.
Noemi gave a brief nod in response, her face remaining neutral.
"Morning, Sevi."
Sevi could tell she was pleased to see him, even if she didn't show it outwardly. Noemi was always hard to read, but he had learned to pick up on her subtle cues.
"You made it," Noemi said, her tone even.
"I thought you might skip after yesterday's training."
"I was tempted, but I couldn't afford to miss class." Sevi chuckled softly.
"Alright, everyone, settle down," Sir Varric's voice commanded the room. "Today, we'll be covering advanced combat strategies and their applications in various scenarios."
Sevi's attention shifted to the front of the room, ready to absorb as much as he could.
But midway through the lecture, Sevi kept glancing at Noemi, his mind wandering back to the time she had a fever due to the medicine.
It was one of the rare moments when her stoic facade had cracked, revealing a more vulnerable side.
'She's so strong and independent, but even she has her moments of weakness.' he thought, watching Noemi as she took meticulous notes, her expression focused on the discussion.
When the class finally ended, Noemi immediately turned to Sevi.
"Let's head to our training spot," she said, packing up her things with swift efficiency.
Sevi blinked in surprise.
"Oh? We aren't going to the clinic?"
"I go there once a week. I already went yesterday before training with you, you know." Noemi replied, shaking her head slightly.
Sevi nodded, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
'I thought I would be able to observe Evelyn more...' he thought, hoping to gather more information about Evelyn and determine if she was truly a suspect in switching Noemi's medicine bottles.
Noemi led the way, her pace controlled as she noticed Sevi's soreness from their previous training session.
While walking to their training spot, Noemi suddenly turned to Sevi, her brow slightly furrowed in curiosity.
"By the way, how did you know where my room is?" she asked.
"Oh, I know because our classmate, Carla, mentioned it." Sevi replied casually.
Noemi's eyes narrowed slightly, "Carla?"
"Yeah, she sits in front of us and mentioned your dorm and room number during a conversation," Sevi said, noticing a shift in Noemi's demeanor.
A brief, awkward silence followed, and Sevi could sense that Noemi's vibe had turned a bit strange.
"...Is it something that I should not know?" Sevi asked, his curiosity piqued.
Noemi hesitated for a moment, then quickly shifted the topic.
"Is Carla a beastman?"
"No, she isn't. Why do you ask?" Sevi looked puzzled.
"...That's unusual. Normal students should not be aware of where the beastmen's dorms are located due to the potential for discrimination." Noemi's expression remained guarded.
"That's extremely suspicious..." Sevi muttered as he recalled the events that occurred when Noemi was absent.
"Carla was also the one who mentioned that you were sick recently. Did you tell anyone else about your illness?"
Noemi shook her head, her gaze steady. "No, I didn't mention anything about being sick to anyone else. I don't even know who Carla is."
"You don't know her? That's strange. The way Carla was talking about you seemed like you two knew each other for a while."
Noemi's expression remained thoughtful, a hint of unease in her eyes.
"No way..." Sevi's mind raced as he put two and two together.
'Another potential suspect... Carla huh.' Sevi thought as they continued walking to their training spot.
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