NOVEL NEXT Chapter 290: Oh Really, Showing Off Your Love in Public?
The students crowding at the entrance of the Arcane Hall stared at the scene before them in disbelief, frozen like fragments of rock wedged between mountain cliffs. Their jaws dropped nearly to the ground at the explosive sight before them - Lady Gwen, the great knight, had just directly kissed Viktor on the lips!
Oh wait - perhaps it wasn't that shocking after all. Gwen was Professor Viktor's fiancée, so this kind of thing seemed quite normal. But what truly surprised them wasn't the kiss itself.
As the former captain of the Royal Knights, Gwen had always given people a sense of calm composure. However today, they saw an entirely different side of her. It was a scene that seemed impossible - Lady Gwen was actually displaying affection in public!
She had come to the academy, fought with the top freshmen from two classes, and then started showing affection with Professor Viktor. The whole situation left all observing students bewildered and unable to comprehend.
But wait another minute! The students suddenly realized that both top freshmen - Erica and Princess Aurelianne - had deep connections with Viktor. Combined with Professor Viktor's reputation for liking younger girls...
"Could Lady Gwen have come to... catch him in the act?!" This statement made countless students' eyes light up. It made much more sense! Considering what Erica said earlier and Gwen's reaction just now - obviously, Lady Gwen was jealous!
Viktor heard the students' discussions. Seeing public opinion heading in an extremely unfavorable direction, he decided to act. He grabbed Gwen's wrist and slowly removed her hand from his face. Then, he wrapped his arm around her waist. Though her armor felt cold to the touch, the gesture appeared quite intimate.
Without turning to look at Erica and Aurelianne behind him, he spoke in an admonishing tone: "You two. Don't take today's events to heart."
As his words fell, both women were stunned. At that moment, the crow on Viktor's shoulder began flapping its wings. In its single eye flashed pitch darkness as its gaze swept across everyone present.
In an instant, the students felt their vision darken. Their minds became fuzzy and their heads heavy. When they looked again at the familiar Arcane Hall, they felt somewhat lost. Viktor's figure had vanished, leaving behind only a single black crow feather.
What had happened? The students looked at each other in confusion. They vaguely remembered seeing Lady Gwen come to find Professor Viktor. At the Royal Magic Academy, most students except freshmen were familiar with Gwen as Viktor's fiancée. The only clear memory they retained was of her kissing Viktor in front of everyone.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Damn it, why them!" Some students were indignant about this public display of affection.
Vladimir came to his senses, having felt an extremely strange power - unlike any magic he knew, containing no elements, yet capable of mass memory deletion without causing harm. His body bristled with goosebumps at the terrifying implications.
"Was it to minimize the impact?" His own memories remained intact, perhaps due to his power level, or maybe Viktor simply trusted his discretion. But Vladimir understood one thing clearly: "That knight girl... something's not quite right with her."
A gentle breeze swept across the verdant grassland as black feathers drifted down from the sky. Two dark figures materialized from the swirling feathers - Viktor and Gwen standing in the grass.
Viktor observed Gwen in her beast-faced armor, silver hair dancing in the spring breeze, beautiful yet cold as a frost knight. He could sense this was the true Gwen he once knew - the emotionless killing machine devoted solely to her sense of justice. The one who would kill without hesitation once her mind was set.
"Gwen," he asked coldly, "Do you realize what you just did?"
"I know," she replied without emotion. "That's precisely why I did it."
Her voice carried absolute conviction that killing those two would have been right - exactly like the Valkyrie he had known before. Viktor felt helpless seeing her revert to this state, unable to scold or warn her. Had all his efforts been undone by that goddess and her fanatics?
For the first time, Viktor felt truly powerless. Would he have to face that future outcome? Or perhaps now, right here... He looked at his palm as magic power stirred within, feeling an impulse that would make him regret for life if acted upon.
Suddenly his eyes widened as Gwen's cool white hand grasped his. Though she trained constantly with a sword, he felt no calluses as she pressed his palm to her cheek. Her other hand traced from his shoulder to his face.
"I had a dream," she said, her emotionless voice gradually softening. "I dreamed I forgot you, forgot everything about you."
Like winter ice beginning to thaw, warmth crept into her cold words.
"In the dream, I was afraid. So in my weakness, I chose to run away. I was so weak I escaped from reality and gave up on myself. It was hopeless."
Her icy gaze held deep meaning. "I don't want to struggle anymore."
She released his hand and removed her own from his cheek. Then she actively opened her arms and embraced his broad frame.
"I don't want to lose you again. I don't want to only follow behind, watching your back. So..."
Viktor stood stunned as clouds gathered and gentle rain began to fall. Gwen buried her face in his chest, as if trying to merge their bodies completely.
Her final words rang in his ears with the wind: "Please wait for me on your path."
The light rain pattered continuously on the grass, water droplets splashing off the leaves. A barely perceptible stirring, like countless nature spirits traversing the crisp grass. Only the silence remained as raindrops slid from leaves into soil, gradually burying Viktor's long wordless contemplation in the sound of falling rain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
patreon.com/BZDXG - Unlock a HUGE stash of advance chapters now!
Dive deeper into the story ahead of everyone else!