Chapter 154 Circles [ 3 ]

-Asher Frostblade's point of view.

Asher, once he reached his room, quickly placed the box on the bed and then thought for a moment before looking at the time.

[5:34 A.M.]

It was practically the next day.

He was with Freddy for over four hours in the cafeteria.

In short, he didn't sleep at all.

Looking at the box, Asher felt an incredible mana, though....

"What is it?"

On one hand, he didn't want to open it, as it might be something else.

"Haaa... I should open it."

Soon he placed his hand on the lid of the box and began to open it.

Slowly it started to open.

But...

Knock, knock!

"..."

"What...?"

She looked towards the door at that moment, as she felt someone's familiar presence.

"Oriana... what are you doing here?"

However, she hid the black box in her dimensional ring and opened the door shortly after.

Oriana scanned the entire place and then looked at Asher for a moment as she frowned.

"You didn't sleep."

"No."

She looked at him with a slight frown.

Because he didn't even get any rest.

The day before he had been in a dungeon and had even been busy with other matters related to it.

Therefore, Oriana thought he was resting.

It was true that she had planned to look for him at noon for that very reason.

However...

Here he was.

Awake, with black circles under his eyes.

"You should rest for at least an hour."

"I understand."

Asher, however, looked at Oriana.

He had no idea why she was there, and even at that hour of the morning.

Last night they had already talked.

"So..."

"Oh, I have a question."

"..."

Asher frowned.

What question does he want to ask?

Of course, if it was something related to him or his affinity, the answer would be a resounding "no," as he needed to keep his information hidden.

"What is it?"

"Well, I never asked myself this, but.... Why didn't you get stronger for a whole year and you're barely a third circle?"

Oriana had the idea that Asher could be even stronger than a fifth circle if he had actually trained.

Asher, though a little confused by the question, remembered.

The answer was easy.

But also complicated to understand, so he just answered without going into details.

"It's not the time yet."

"It's not the time... Why?"

"Why should I answer you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. If it's personal, it's fine."

"Fine."

In fact, he had no need to answer every question Oriana asked him.

She wasn't someone close enough to tell him all her secrets, of course.

But...

"Even if you were my sister, I couldn't tell you anything."

He never fully trusted anyone.

It was possible to do so to a certain extent.

However, in her past life she had learned not to trust anyone too much, even if you considered them family.

As the saying goes: if you trust someone close to you too much, that person will attack you from behind.

Because of theories about something like that and because it had happened before with other people.

Asher didn't fully trust anyone.

Of course.

Unless they were weaker than him, then he might reveal something, but not too much.

Still, Oriana's question wasn't too important to him, but....

"It's annoying."

Annoying because they were personal questions that he shouldn't care about.

Certainly, it was interesting too.

Because Oriana was neutral before, but now she was asking more than usual.

It was as if she... trusted Asher too much.

"I guess I won't get anything out of it, then I'll go."

"Fine."

Clank.

The door closed after that.

Asher then pulled the black box out of his dimensional ring and opened it.

Slowly, something began to emerge from inside the box and then....

"This... impossible."

***

-Scene change.

-Oriana Mengral's point of view.

Clank.

Once outside the dormitory building, right next to a tree, Oriana hit the tree trunk hard.

Not so hard that the tree collapsed, though.

"Asher... you..."

Because he had gotten angry.

True, the questions she was asking him were personal, and if he wanted to, he wasn't obligated to answer.

However...

"Why... why don't you trust me?"

Oriana could tell instantly, by Asher's indifferent and distant attitude.

She realized that he didn't fully trust her.

However...

Why, why doesn't he trust her?

Is it because they don't know each other well enough?

If so, then she could tell him more things, and they could both have more trust.

She is even his teacher.

Someone who would teach him and give him her secret skills and important information.

However...

This irritated Oriana a lot.

"Haaa... I should calm down..."

"..."

Oriana turned back because she felt a mana on her shoulder and then looked at it.

It was Briana.

This woman had a strange habit of suddenly appearing before everyone, just like that, out of nowhere.

However, it wasn't as if Oriana hadn't felt her presence before. She knew this would happen.

But...

"What's wrong?"

"Mmm, it's nothing. I just saw you and you seemed really... angry about something. Can I help you with something?"

"..."

Although Oriana knew Briana well, this woman?

She could be described as mysterious.

Everything about her: her information, birthplace, family, etc., was completely unknown.

However, she had a very high status on the continent due to her past circumstances.

Therefore, although no one knew anything about her, she was recognized, influential and had a status close to Oriana's.

In short...

She was trustworthy because she was close to the royal family and had contributed a lot to it, which made her reliable.

"Well, it's about... Cadet Asher."

"Oh, yes I remember, he's your disciple, isn't he?"

"Uh... well, yes, but... I realized that he doesn't trust me."

"I understand."

Both women sat on a nearby bench as Briana looked at Oriana and then spoke.

"Then try getting closer to him, maybe that way it will work."

"Impossible. I'm always close enough, but he still doesn't trust."

"If so... then you haven't asked yourself why he doesn't trust you. Maybe he doesn't trust anyone out of fear... of being betrayed."

"..."

Oriana opened her eyes.

With this, she realized.

It would be completely normal not to trust anyone for fear of being betrayed by someone you trust.

However...

That sounded like Asher had been betrayed before.

But it was impossible.

He was barely 12 years old and, as far as Oriana knew, Asher didn't remember anything about his past or anyone close to him, like his own family.

He was practically alone in the world.

Therefore, it would be absurd if he had been betrayed by anyone.

So it wasn't supposed to be that, was it?

"I don't think so, if he's afraid of that then..."

"That's right, I must be wrong, he's just a child, right?"

"Yes."

"Then it's more complicated..."

Briana stopped looking at Oriana for a moment and then opened her mouth, however....

"Oh."

"Uh, what's wrong?"

"Ah, it's nothing... I just felt something."

"It's okay."

"..."

Oriana noticed a smile on Briana's face at that instant, but her expression changed when she looked into her eyes.

This woman... she was completely mysterious in a sense.

Still, Oriana sighed.

The mere thought of Asher not trusting her was on her mind more than anything.

She never thought it would happen, let alone happen at that moment.

"You should try talking to him, don't you think?"

"..."

It made sense what she was saying.

However, Oriana didn't know exactly what she should say.

Maybe she had known him for a long time, but....

"Like what?"

"..."

Briana looked at Oriana a little incredulously as she narrowed her eyes and then sighed with a slight smile.

"I don't know... you're the one who knows him, aren't you?"

"Ah..."

As if her words made sense, Oriana realized.

It was a stupid question.

"Ahem... I'm sorry."

"Sure."

Briana smiled bitterly.

She soon looked around and then turned her gaze to the balcony of a certain floor of the dorm building.

Briana smiled as if she saw something rather curious.

"It looks like it's coming down.... why don't you watch him and see what he's doing?"

"Ah..."

She's right.

But that would make her look like a stalker.

Because of this, Oriana wondered something.

"Do you... stalk a man?"

"..."

Briana looked at Oriana with incredulous eyes at the sudden question.

"No."

She answered without hesitation.

Because she wasn't a stalker.

"Hehe, I'm sorry, it's just that your idea of watching Asher gave me a little..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

She shook her head as she stood up and looked towards the building just as Asher came out and headed towards the academy.

"Then let's go."

Briana got up likewise and started walking.

"Okay."

Oriana followed her after that.

This could be considered... two stalkers?