46 - A Relationship?

A Relationship?

Beep... Beep... Beep... The piercing sound of the system's alarm echoed in Jon's mind, pulling him out of his deep thoughts. He had returned from Elara's room late into the night and, after a refreshing shower, lay down, immersing himself in memories of the previous evening.

Never in his wildest dreams did Jon think the night would take that turn. When he agreed to extend their time in Elara's room, he expected, at most, another passionate kiss and perhaps some bolder caresses...

However, events unfolded unexpectedly, and now, he found himself there, with a naive and contented smile on his face. In his past life on Earth, he had a girlfriend, but due to his more introverted nature, their relationship never really progressed. The betrayal surfaced when he discovered, after selling his Guild, that she was colluding with the vice-leader to deceive him.

Now, Jon was awash in a sea of doubts. 'Should I act as if nothing happened?' He wondered if Elara would prefer this approach, avoiding any awkwardness between them. 'Or are we now a couple?' Uncertainties swirled in his mind, but in the end, he decided to leave the room and headed to the academy's dining hall.

"Should a hero dine alone like this?" Nortis and Elija asked as they settled next to a pensive Jon. A somewhat surprised Jon retorted, "Hero?" The two exchanged a knowing glance and smiled.

"Going to pretend you weren't all cozy with Elara last night?" Nortis teased, fixing his gaze on Jon. Recalling the previous night, Jon flashed a goofy smile. "It was... unforgettable," Jon replied, lost in his memories, oblivious to Elara and Serana's arrival.

"So, how about we set another date?" Elara chimed in, catching the three guys off guard. Her smile concealed her blushing cheeks. Every time her eyes met Jon's light blue hair and green eyes, she'd get lost in thought: 'How can he be so irresistible?'

Jon, caught off guard, stammered, "Su... sure, I'd love to." He was still taken aback by the presence of the young woman who had given him such a special night.

"I have a feeling something more happened on that date," Elija, ever the observer, remarked, noticing the blush on Jon and Elara's faces.

"What? No..." Jon was about to deny it, to spare Elara any embarrassment, but she beat him to it: "Who knows? Elija, I sense a hint of jealousy here." She hit the nail on the head, making Elija shift his gaze to Serana, clearly uncomfortable.

'Does Elara know that Serana turned down my invitation?' Elija thought, recalling the time when Serana declined his offer to go out.

Changing the subject, Nortis inquired, "So, what are your plans for today? If you're free, how about we sign up for the battle arena? Seems like a great way to rack up points at the academy." The idea of the arena excited him, as for someone not so academically inclined like him, it seemed the best way to earn points.

"It's also an excellent way to lose them," Elija, still a bit shaken from his earlier exchange with Elara, remarked with a hint of gloom.

"My plan is to spend the morning in the arena and the afternoon at the training field," Jon shared, having already mapped out his day.

"Why don't we team up, then?" Nortis suggested, recalling how well they had worked together in the previous test. However, Serana, with her soft and shy voice, declined: "Thanks, but I'll pass."

"I'm out too. I plan to spend my points on practical magic classes. Archery isn't my focus," Elija added, leaving Nortis visibly disappointed. "You guys are impossible," he grumbled.

"Jon, how about we team up for the arena?" Elara proposed, getting ahead of Nortis. "Sounds good to me," Jon replied, smiling, oblivious to Nortis's disgruntled expression.

"Hold on, I was the one who brought up the idea, and now I'm the odd one out," Nortis grumbled, shooting a somewhat frustrated look at the pair in front of him. "Maybe I should find a girlfriend too."

Hearing Nortis's insinuation, Jon exchanged a knowing glance with Elara and thought, 'If she's not going to deny it, neither will I.' He was hesitant to clarify that they hadn't made their relationship official and inadvertently hurt Elara's feelings. Besides, if dating meant reliving moments from the previous night, he was more than on board.

"Actually, Jon hasn't officially asked me yet. So technically, I'm still available," Elara teased, delighting in seeing Jon's flustered expression. She loved catching him off guard and watching his reaction, which always swung between calm and embarrassment.

Jon, clearly taken aback, tried to formulate a response, but words seemed to elude him. He opened his mouth several times, searching for something appropriate to say, but came up empty.

Elara, noticing Jon's discomfort, let out a soft chuckle and said, "I was just kidding, Jon. No need to get so worked up."

Nortis, trying to lighten the mood, chimed in, "Come on, guys, let's not let a little misunderstanding get in our way. The arena awaits!"

Jon, still slightly flushed but grateful for Nortis's intervention, nodded. "Right, let's focus on the arena."

Elara gave Jon a reassuring smile and said, "Sorry about that. Sometimes, I just like to have a little fun."

…

Inside the vast academy arena, Jon looked around in awe. The design was strikingly familiar, reminding him of the simulated duel setting he had witnessed in the class for swordsmen.

An intriguing aspect of the arena was the absence of year-based restrictions. If a student deemed themselves skilled enough - or perhaps just daring - they could challenge someone from a higher year. Of course, this was a risky choice and not exactly advised.

The point system was straightforward. Each participant contributed 250 points to enter the fight, and the winner walked away with a total of 500 points. Each win influenced the student's ranking, and the top ten of the day received a bonus of 10,000 points. Moreover, there were monthly and yearly rankings, rewarding the top ten with 50,000 and 1 million points, respectively.

'Why so many points?' Jon pondered the generous rewards. So far, his assessment of the academy suggested that the initial 100,000 points were more than enough for a comfortable stay. But in the end, he didn't dwell on it too much. After all, more is always better, especially if he's on the winning side.

Another crucial detail about the arena was the real nature of the fights. Instead of simulations, duels took place in fields protected by magical arrays. While students felt the full brunt of the damage, safeguards were in place. If a blow threatened to cause severe or fatal injuries, a magical shield would activate, protecting the fighter. However, this protection came at a cost. Whenever the shield was triggered or treatments were required, points were deducted from the student's account. It was yet another clever way for the academy to monetize the system.