NOVEL NEXT 155- Dinner Time.
Before dinner, in my room, there's one last thing I want to do: review the experience gained today.
I've gone from 4590 XP to 6703 XP in my count toward level 11. You can tell we shared experience with Mary. The seed of darkness has gone from 60% progress toward level 8 to 70%. The math is simple. The 2113 XP I get is actually 95% of 2224, the experience I would have received if I didn't have a pet. Those missing 111 points are the 5% that goes to him.
When dinnertime arrives, I enter the dining hall and see that Mary and Ronan have already started eating. Vincent and his friends are also at the table, along with his sister and the fire mage.
Uh.
Karina.
I wave without approaching and head for my food. When I return, I notice there's only one free spot, next to Ronan. The prince is surrounded by Lily and the clingy girl.
The dining hall's surprisingly crowded today, given that we're in the trial period and regular classes are on hold. Even the third-years we ran into in the dungeon are here. By the way, the conceited idiot is sitting at a table with the dark-haired swordswoman, while the tank, the healer, and the other swordsman from his party are sitting at the far end of the room.
Good for them! At least they don't have to put up with that moron anymore.
I set my tray down at our table, in the empty spot.
"Hey, how was everyone's day?" I ask with a smile, glancing around the table.
"Good, got more points," Vincent replies.
Now I let my eyes focus on him. Karina is way too close to him for my taste, but at least she's not clinging to his arm and lets him eat in peace. They're both blond, but Vincent's hair is a lighter shade. They don't look bad together, but she shouldn't get her hopes up.
Actually, when we make the engagement public, I imagine she'll back off. For now, I think she's still holding onto some romantic hopes about my boyfriend.
Yes, my boyfriend. That's what he is. Maybe that's why I'm being a little possessive and too harsh with the fire mage. I should relax.
"We did well too, we went with Mary," I comment as I take my seat.
"Yeah, she already told us."
He stares at me, as if saying "and you guys won't let me come with you anymore." I smile while shrugging. I'm sure he knows the reason is to help my friend.
Look, if it weren't for the clingy girl, Mary could go with them.
Bianca... I mentally scold myself. You just agreed to stop having that unjustified grudge against Karina.
"How about you, Lily? Are you doing some quests with your friends?" I ask.
"Yes, though it's not going too well so far."
"Oh, no?" Alistair asks. "How come?"
"We have to go to a pond to collect aquatic flowers, but the local fauna is pretty aggressive. So far, we're not having much success."
"Sister, you're good with a sword, you should have more confidence in yourself."
I try to remember the aquatic dungeon; truth is, I didn't see her fight. From the otome game, from what Beatrice told me when she played her, the girl had low magical affinity if I remember right—earth element.
"Yeah..."
"I have a feeling this is going to happen," Darius interjects. "You guys ran away without fighting again?"
The girl tilts her head and looks down at her food tray. A couple of strands of her dark hair, which have come loose from the ponytail she's wearing, follow the movement, falling toward the table.
"Looks like it," Karina says, not bothering to sugarcoat it. "Too bad you can't come with us, we're already five."
"Maybe if I go with Ronan's group..." Vincent begins to suggest.
"No, sorry. I need the points. Actually, Mary and Ronan, I want to ask you to let me do it alone on Saturday and, on Sunday, alone with Ronan." I turn to them. "Sorry, but I want the 300 points for the store."
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"300 points?" Karina's mouth drops open in surprise. "But... is that even possible?"
"Alone?" Darius asks at the same time.
"Uh... Yeah. Yes to both."
"How many worm pouches are you guys collecting?" Karina asks.
Darius falls silent, looking at me speculatively. Knowing him, he's probably wondering who would win in a fight between the two of us or something like that. As long as he doesn't get worked up and challenge me to a practice duel, we're fine.
"Nothing, they won't let us take more," I answer the mage. "The remaining ones are being saved for that group of third-year students who also took the quest on the first day."
Though I think it's a waste of a quest, because from how they're sitting, they're not talking to each other. So I seriously doubt they'll go farming together. I certainly haven't run into them in the dungeon again.
"So?"
"They gave us a mission for yeti blood."
"What?" The girl elbows Vincent, causing him to nearly choke on the piece of meat he was just swallowing. "You're supposed to have connections because you're a prince. So how come she has a special mission that gives lots of points, and our group doesn't?"
"Karina, please, show some restraint," he replies after coughing and drinking some water. He has a few tears in his eyes from how badly that went. "And I would never try to abuse my position as a member of the royal family."
"Oh really? What about your access to dungeons for training?"
"I think you use it more than I do," Lily speaks up, referring to the fact that, as a duke's daughter, Karina also has privileges.
"Well, that's because you don't feel like training."
And now that Karina mentions it, I realize Lily was supposed to come with us to the desert dungeon, but she didn't show up.
"Hey, I've trained with her a few times and she's really good," Alistair defends her. "Don't listen to Karina, Lily."
She smiles at him somewhat shyly.
"Well, I think I can come up with a solution. Do you have room for one more in your party?" he asks her.
"Yes, there's only three of us."
"Perfect, this weekend Mary goes to your brother's group and I'll go with you, guys. Sound good?"
The princess's blue eyes light up.
Her brother already told this girl she could return to the palace, that she didn't need to prove anything. I picture her as a spoiled little princess, but who knows? Maybe I'm wrong.
"Thank you so much, Ali."
Ali?
There's definitely some familiarity between them. But of course, Alistair and Theodore are childhood friends of the prince. I'm sure they all played together as kids, including Lily.
"And in the meantime," her brother interjects, "you should look for an easier mission for these days. Herbs gathering if you want, but something that doesn't necessarily involve fighting."
Lily nods.
"Oh, what a nice brotherly concern. Nothing like me and my brothers," Karina half-mocks.
No kidding, I can imagine them... All with fire magic and explosive temperaments.
Ugh... what a nightmare, right?
Visualizing something like that, I almost stop feeling that little thorn of pain I carried on Earth for not having siblings.
By the way, Sol is finishing dinner. With her two inseparable yes-women sidekicks. They've been watching us with nasty looks almost the whole time, and I've exchanged some glances with them, making Ashe and Caroline lower theirs in embarrassment, but not Sol.
The antagonism between her and me is even more tense than before, and we haven't exchanged a word since I grabbed her arm in the hallway and she slapped me. It was clear that we both intend to win this war; it's just that for now neither of us is making a move.
Well, I'm preparing myself. That's why I'm training the healing spell. And she... she's probably weaving something evil to discredit me and get me kicked out of the academy. Or Ronan or Mary, since she knows exactly where it would hurt me.
The three of them get up from their table. I don't take my eyes off Sol. She looks at me and I smile at her. She glares at me. I don't stop smiling. Karina notices and kicks me under the table to get my attention.
"Hey, are you two still feuding?"
"Karina, that wasn't very polite," I say, referring to the kick to my shin.
"Oh, I see you are. Her father and mine are in different factions. If you want my help, just ask."
Yeah, great. That's exactly what I need: being in debt to the clingy girl.
Shit, Karina isn't doing anything wrong except trying to hook up with the prince. I force myself to answer politely.
"Not necessary right now, thanks. I'll keep your offer in mind if I ever need it."
"Oh please, no politics," Vincent says.
His sister gives him a slightly disappointed look. Makes sense, since she seems to love anything that involves court gossip or intrigue.
There are four siblings: two brothers and two sisters. In birth order: the crown prince, Vincent, another princess, and Lily.
"Do you know who Sol's going to the ball with?" I ask.
"She tried to go with me." The prince shrugs. "I think she's going with that guy she owes a favor to. Kai."
"Kai Greylark?" Karina laughs. "But his family isn't even high nobility. Sol's father is going to have a fit."
"Those social conventions can be a bit unfair," Mary says gently. "The young man might have value in his personality and character, beyond just his noble title."
"No offense, girl," Karina tells her, "but being a commoner takes all the value out of your words."
"Hey, don't mess with Mary," Vincent quickly intervenes, having seen how Ronan tensed up.
Well done, I think to myself. Ronan's just itching to find someone to practice his curses on.
In fact, he relaxes when he sees Vincent defending Mary.
"Sorry, you guys are really boring here."
"Then don't go with them," Ronan says to Karina, like that makes total sense.
Karina pouts and falls silent. Since she uses fire magic, she can't see Ronan's dark aura, but I can, and it flared up quite a bit when she made that comment about the commoner. She's smart to avoid a confrontation with the necromancer.
Is she being careful because of Ronan's bad reputation?
Probably.
We finish dinner and go our separate ways. Ronan, Mary, and I each head to our rooms to rest, since we're getting up early tomorrow.
Since I haven't used healing today, I do it before going to sleep. It's still at low level. I'm confident I'll level it up before the ball.