Chapter 110: Friends Forever

“She’s heavy, isn’t she? That’s why you didn’t want us to see her.”

“Everett, you’re being silly. If she were a heavy woman, we would have heard her leaving.”

“Ah, guess you’re right… Plus, there’s no way she could have jumped out of that window by herself. I guess the lunch ladies are out.”

Everett turned to Solomon with a raised brow. “Unless you tossed her out.”

Solomon paused with a cup mere inches from his lips. “…Why would I do something like that?”

“I mean, if she’s with you, then she clearly must like it rough.”

“I can’t tell you how I know… but just know you aren’t far off the mark.” Raizel grumbled.

Raunchy laughter ripped through the room, all at Solomon’s expense. As the butt of the joke, he was inclined to drop his fist on the heads of everyone present, but he couldn’t find it within himself to do so.

This was the first time in years now that Solomon had felt like a normal twenty-one-year-old man. Laughing, discussing nonsensical things that had nothing to do with training or swordsmanship.

They were being friends. Dumb, genuine friends. It was a simple thing, and yet that did nothing to diminish its impact.

The three of them had barged in at around nine this morning. It was already nightfall, and the group showed no signs of leaving anytime soon.

They had gone to the mess, brought food back to the room, eaten, laughed, and talked more.

Among the topics was, of course, the identity of the mystery woman Solomon had snuck out of his room earlier. But of course, Solomon would never have divulged her identity even for all of the gold in the world.

Naturally, the group gave up at some point and began discussing other topics.

It wasn’t long before the competitive nature of Nila and Everett reared it’s ugly head in the most unexpected way possible.

“Come here, boy.” Everett waved a carrot over his shadow. “Say hello.”

The shadow rippled suddenly, and the head of a large black horse poked out of the ground.

Everett had been incapacitated when the others placed him onto his mount. They hadn’t had the time to get properly acquainted at first.

However, after returning to the academy, the pair had become as thick as thieves.

The horse was nearly pitch black, with a bright blue aura that ran across most of its body. It’s glowing eyes were a bright cerulean, reflecting a thoughtful, patient gaze that contradicted his more uncouth name.

“You know what, I’m just going to say it.” Everett leaned back as his horse nibbled monotonously on a carrot. “I think Riot is the best damn horse a guy could ask for.”

Nila snorted audaciously. “Any horse that would accept you as its rider cannot be that bright in the head. On the other hand, my Scorn shares my warrior’s heart and accepted me as their other half as if our meeting was preordained!”

Everett and Riot both turn to her with looks of offense. “A preordained meeting? And you couldn’t even figure out how to give her a name that she would actually like?!”

Their argument got more intense as the minutes went on. Meanwhile, Solomon and Dakota sat side by side, drinking and people watching.

Eventually, she tugged at his shirt to get his attention.

“I don’t really know what they’re talking about, but… I think Trauma is the best because she’s kinda like a big house cat.”

“That’s nice, kid.” Solomon patted her on the head like a child. Something Dakota did not seem to find unpleasant at all.

As it became progressively later, Nila’s bad habit ended up kicking in.

While holding Everett in a dangerously efficient headlock, her eyes began to feel heavy, and before she knew it, she was snoring in his ear.

Everett did not particularly seem to mind, as her headlock had already succeeded in rendering him unconscious. Like that, the pair slept on the floor like twin newborns.

Dakota giggled at the sight for a moment before her eyes turned slightly melancholic.

“Solomon… Will we always be like this?”

Solomon blinked at her, unsure of the source of the question. “What do you mean?”

“…It should come as no surprise to you that I do not have… friends or anything like this back home. This is the first time in my life where I have felt… almost at peace. Even though we could die at any moment, I still do not know if I would wish for anything to change.”

Solomon opened his mouth to speak, but bit his lip at the last moment.

He wanted so very badly to tell Dakota that Nila would not return after this semester. Even his own return was something that was up for debate.

But as much as he wanted to tell her the truth, he couldn’t take the chance.

Dakota had already let it slip that she had been hypnotized by the dean before. If Solomon told her something here, and she accidentally let it slip, she would compromise the safety of Yari, Nila, and maybe even Jiaoying.

Instead, he wrapped his arm around her and allowed her to lean on him. “…No matter what, we’re always going to be friends, kid. Nothing could ever change that.”

Dakota seemed to find comfort in his words. Even deeming them believable. Her lips spread into a contented little smile as she let her eyes drift closed.

Soon, all of them were asleep on the floor. Save for Raizel, who couldn’t take his eyes off of Nila and Everett.

As he watched them sleep together, he brought a hand to his chest. When the sound of cool metal clinking together hit the air, his mood became noticeably worse.

Downtrodden, he brought his hands to his head and tried to resist the urge to scream.

’…Damn it…’

Raizel sat on the floor quietly before leaving his armor.

Once he was free, he took one final look at Nila’s sleeping face before fleeing the room.

Unfortunately, he left before he could witness four hooded men enter through the front door…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep