Novus and Medea continue their walk laughing between themselves, the warmth around them making both of them feel more comfortable with each other the more they talk.

It is important to take note of the fact that the two of them are not just walking, but enjoying each other’s company in broad daylight, meaning that along the way, the two of them met more than just a few students who are capable of identifying them from appearance alone.

Given the kind of character the two of them has, such gazes don’t really make them too concerned as it hardly, if any at all, matters to them in any way or form.

Of course, just because the two of them don’t care too much about such matter doesn’t mean that the students who caught glance of them walking together also doesn’t care too much about it.

After all, people tend to be busybodies, and even more so when it comes to rumors that could be a good central topic to talk with.

"Senior Heavenblade, why is she even hanging out with that freshman?"

"Seriously, I heard he was hiding the entire time while Senior Heavenblade tries to help us during the surprise exam..."

"Tsk, admittedly, he looks really good, but he’s a coward..."

"Shh... they might hear us."

"Tsk, you know why would you even worry about—"

In this case, it only makes even more sense that talks and rumors spreads, as the subject matter are two of the currently most known names within the academy students, the mediocre son of that prestigious Argenta Family, and the great eldest daughter, the biggest talent of the Heavenblade Great Clan’s young generation.

The rumors however, stops circulating among circle of friends as soon as the presence of said Heavenblade Clan’s eldest daughter, the Sword Princess, closes in.

After all, one can never be too careful as only gods know what will happen to them if said Sword Princess hears of the rumors surrounding her coming off their mouths.

"Tsk, they’re really annoying..." even with all the attempts of other students to suppress their voices as they talked about this oddity of a duo walking towards the female dormitory, both of them could easily hear those words given their heightened senses.

This holds especially true for Medea who just started getting used to her body reaching higher levels despite her current tier now that she had started using Evolution Crystal as replacement to mana during meditation, her body still getting used to tuning out things that her senses pick up from her surroundings.

"It’s not like it’s your first time, is it?" showing her a comforting smile as he asks despite knowing, Novus pointed out, earning a nod from the lady as she replies, clarifying the reason for her annoyance.

"It’s not new, yeah, but still, isn’t it annoying that they are calling you names when they do not even know you?" the lady said with an aggrieved tone, her steps noticeably sounding heavier to the young man’s ears, showing how genuinely concerned she for him regarding this matter.

Which comes off as quite the surprise, as since he was a child, it has only been his family that shows such concern for him regarding matters similar to this, leading him to believe that all else outside of his family are people that he can never trust.

And this assumption holds especially true after the person, the lady who was supposed to be the only individual he could truly trust in this academy fails to meet that trust, abandoning him when she starts showing promise that he apparently isn’t deserving of.

Yet right now, that assumption of outsiders being untrustworthy gradually starts crumbling as each action, each reaction from the lady walking beside her exceeds his expectation of her time and time again.

From approaching a no-name freshman like him out of sheer interest, to dueling acknowledging him as an equal, then leaving her own back, trusting him in the battlefield, and even all the way to her not revealing to anyone, not even her own flesh and blood, the secret to such unique strength that the two of them now shares.

As he realizes all of this, the stiffness on himself disperses as the smile on his face widens just a bit more, his eyes narrowing a bit as his voice lowers from the comfortable air wrapping around them, allowing him to speak his heart out.

"Why should we care about them? It’s good enough that we’re happy with what we are doing, right? Senior Medea." He said as the two of them walks, faint, masculine laughter ringing across the air as his gait faintly changes, revealing himself to be stabler than he was before.

It is such a small change, sure, but Medea couldn’t help but notice it, causing her to fall into a short daze before she catches up with him.

"You know, Junior Novus, no matter how dull you might be most of the times, you always know what to say when it matters~~~" with a trace of teasing in her voice, the Sword Princess said, albeit her tone being dominated more of intrigue and curiosity as she pointed out what she truly thinks of him.

"I’ll take it as a compliment." the young man’s smile never left his face as he nods to her words, taking a stop as the two of them finally reached the entrance to the female dormitory.

Standing in front of the entrance gate, Medea took a few more steps forward before turning around, revealing a stunning, charming smile on her gorgeous face, a faint flush on her cheeks, the sun shining down on her night black hair making it shine like lustrous silk.

Morning sunlight reaches her eyes too, making her dark amber pupils shimmer in a tinge of gold that pulls his attention in.

In the future, if Novus were to be asked by someone how to describe Medea, the Sword Princess, his senior and who he considers is truly the first person he can consider as a friend among all the students there is in the academy, right at this moment, there is but one thing that he can say.

’She’s glowing... brightly...’

"It is a compliment, you dummy junior~~~"

Right now however, such thoughts won’t form too fast as his realization will be interrupted by the words uttered by the lady standing in front of him, that genuine, warm smile turning into the one he is all too familiar with.

Full of emotion, with her eyes forming into crescents, mischievous, teasing, yet nonetheless still warm, showing what sort of interesting character she has.

As soon as she replies, she turns around with such quick, almost practiced fluidity as in one swift motion, she opened the gate, closes it with a graceful kick, before she walks forward, never revealing the look on her face as she leaves the young man there, hanging alone.

That day, another rumor begins circulating among the female students one that seems to be more of an urban legend given just how unbelievable said rumor is.

The face of that violent beauty, the Sword Princess, in full blush as she rushes towards her own room without a care for anything around her at all.