Chapter 197

At the Royal Cavalry Academy of Bastia, everyone on the training ground, in classrooms, or in the hallways couldn’t help but rise from their seats, looking up at the extraordinary scene beyond the archway—

Freya stared blankly, her eyes reflecting a line of silver light piercing through the clouds. Under the vast sky, the light connecting the mountains beyond the horizon resembled the Tower of Babel from ancient myths. The clouds slowly moved outward from the light at its center, forming a radiating fish scale pattern across the sky, a grandeur beyond all earthly descriptions that could resonate deeply within the soul.

What is that?

The girl, wearing training gear, absentmindedly held her ponytail, forgetting to release it, her face reflecting the colorful light of the clouds as she stood still, staring in that direction—Lady Martha, what is that signaling to the world?

The training ground at the Royal Cavalry Academy began to fill with people. The crowd screamed and exchanged information, as if the end of the world was imminent—everyone raised their heads to the southern sky, holding their breath; whispers transformed into a roar. The instructors who came out to maintain order quickly joined in, shaking their heads in disbelief at what they saw.

“Is this a resonance reaction?”

“What did you say?” The girl, still holding her ponytail against her head, turned around, looking inquiringly with her bright hazel eyes. Count Bakeberg’s second son felt a jolt—this was a rare opportunity! The Royal Cavalry Academy was primarily male-dominated, and the few female students each term naturally became the targets of the noble youths’ pursuit—someone like Freya, with outstanding appearance and temperament, especially rare without any influential background, was regarded as a delectable prey.

This hunting game circulated among the upperclassmen, the prey itself being largely unaware. However, Freya instinctively felt an unusual number of individuals gathering around her, causing her to feel a natural tension and unease, though she couldn’t help but glance back at the golden-haired boy who answered her question.

He seemed to know something.

“It’s a type of magical response, but this strong… I’ve never heard of it before.” Count Bakeberg’s second son quickly showed his best side and replied with a slight smile.

“Magical response?”

Freya’s heart jumped slightly, suddenly recalling that night in the Golden Tree Gorge, wondering how that guy was doing. But she quickly turned her head, afraid that her flushed expression would be seen by others, the girl from Buche gazing up at the silver light—gradually, the light began to weaken. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her anxiety, asking, “Where—what place is that?”

“That direction should be Rendener.”

“Rendener.”

Freya couldn’t help but gently place a hand on her chest, feeling her heart beat vigorously, “Brendel, is it you? I miss you all so much…”

The maiden’s display of restlessness and shyness in front of the young man revealed that her feelings had an effect, “A naive country girl,” he thought to himself, but maintained a gentle smile, wanting to say something further. It was just then that a series of urgent bells echoed across the training ground, interrupting the young man’s yet-to-be-formed sweet words—everyone had no choice but to reluctantly shift their gazes from the phenomenon in the southern sky to another direction on the training ground.

The silver bell of Bastia Academy hung atop the clock tower of the administrative hall, ringing only during celebrations or in the most urgent situations. Thus, everyone couldn’t help but wonder, what has happened? Is it related to the earlier phenomenon?

But a squad of cavalry had already entered the training ground from the other side. As soon as they arrived, they began to separate the crowd. The leading rider was a girl dressed in a purple tailcoat, running her horse around in front of everyone before turning her horse and stopping—slightly lifting her chin to look at everyone: “All students from every grade, from the moment you hear this order, return to your places. I give you three minutes to prepare for battle—”

The girl’s voice was somewhat low, slightly hoarse, yet it swept through everyone’s hearts like a biting cold wind, causing everyone to pause for a moment.

Prepare for battle? What battle? A simulated battle? But it seemed it wasn’t time for the test yet—

“The preparatory students…”

“What?” Freya looked at the dark-haired girl standing upright on her horse like a spear, unable to suppress her shock. She heard the young man behind her mumble to himself, turning back to ask Count Bakeberg’s second son.

“That woman is a preparatory student; the preparatory grade is akin to reservists for the Black Knights or Imperial Guards, which means they are actually also military personnel. That woman’s name is Nemeses, and she is Lady Miller’s daughter—or to put it in a way you might understand better, Lady Miller is the sister of Duke Luun. She married a knight years ago, her husband died in the Ten-Year War, and she has remained a widow since. This daughter is her only child.” Count Bakeberg’s second son answered seriously, “That woman is a genius at Bastia Academy. However, being able to enter the preparatory grade means they cannot be compared with us worthless fools.”

Nemeses, Freya noted this name. Meanwhile, she glanced at the young man, offering a small smile of gratitude, “Don’t say that. I think you’re impressive for knowing so much.”

Bakeberg’s second son was taken aback, seeing the genuine sincerity in the girl’s eyes, causing a subtle stir in his heart.

But this feeling was fleeting.

The young man coldly smiled to himself, thinking, “Once you’ve tasted my charm, you’ll know my true capabilities, hehe—”