As the departure ceremony for the Hundred Academy Exchange drew closer, the atmosphere within the academy grew increasingly lively.
It was a complex atmosphere, filled with both excitement and tension, like a taut string vibrating in the wind.
The excitement stemmed from the students' anticipation, hoping their representatives would perform exceptionally in this exchange to open the eyes of other academies and show them the true strength of Glory Cael Magic Academy.
In the corridors, the cafeteria, and by the training grounds, discussions about the exchange could be heard everywhere.
Some speculated on which representative had the highest chance of winning, some analyzed well-known representatives from other academies, and others had even set up private betting pools, wagering on the ultimate winner of this exchange.
Even the students who usually avoided crowds would steal a few extra glances at the representatives' names when passing the bulletin board, silently hoping they would bring glory to the academy.
The tension arose because, although Glory Cael Magic Academy was one of the Five Great Academies, there were still four other institutions of equal strength eyeing them like predators.
Ironpledge Crucible Magic Academy of the human Empire, being close to the territory of the Demons, excelled greatly in combat-oriented physical magic.
Ember-Eye Tower Magic Academy of the Dragon Duchy specialized in awakening Word Spirit magic slumbering within ancient bloodlines.
Branch-String Sanctuary Magic Academy of the Southern Elves taught traditional elven magic and archery.
Trench Altar Magic Academy of the Orc Federation focused primarily on shamanic magic, which could be cast directly through roars, battle cries, and totems.
These five magic academies had held the top spots among the Five Great Academies for years, making them the most coveted destinations for anyone studying magic.
Of course, aside from these, brilliant geniuses might also emerge from the other hundred academies, capable of competing with the representatives of the elite schools.
No one dared to let their guard down, as nobody knew if a genius capable of stunning the entire crowd was hiding in one of those obscure, small academies.
However, Greg, as a representative, did not feel a single shred of tension at this moment.
Because his mind was completely occupied by a single question:
“Why did I run into Vivian again!?”
“Is she intentionally ambushing me!?”
Earlier this afternoon, he had finally managed to seize an opportunity to escape the lab alone while Victoria was busy putting out fires.
He planned to use this rare opportunity to meet with Allie and Wendy to discuss the details of their trip to the Empire.
After all, they were departing in a few days, and he had to ensure that the clumsy maid could reach the destination smoothly instead of getting lost along the way.
As it turned out, just as he was about to step out of the academy gates, he happened to run into that beautiful and familiar figure once again.
Vivian was standing quietly at the academy gates, looking at Greg. The afternoon sun bathed her in its light, casting a gentle warmth over her cold temperament, yet it still failed to melt the natural aloofness between her brows.
Just standing there, she looked like an ice sculpture—beautiful and distant.
...
Greg's smile froze on his face.
The frequency of their encounters recently was indeed enough to make him highly suspicious.
Whether in the cafeteria, the library, or the hallways, he always seemed to run into the Student Council President.
He was even starting to suspect that it wasn't his bad luck at play, but rather Vivian intentionally laying in wait for him.
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence every single time?
But in reality, Vivian was indeed not intentionally ambushing Greg.
Since she had already decided not to take the initiative to bother Greg until he was fully prepared to marry her.
Therefore, the high frequency of their encounters lately actually made her believe that Greg was intentionally creating opportunities to meet.
He must want to see her very much, but was too embarrassed to say it directly, which was why he used this method—"coincidentally" appearing at different times and places every day, presumably just to have her spend more time with him.
This thought brought a surge of warmth to her heart, even though her face remained entirely expressionless.
“Haha... What a coincidence, Vivian.”
Greg managed to force a smile and greeted her. “Are you planning to head out of the academy for a walk at this hour too?”
“Mm.”
Vivian looked at him and nodded slightly.
Her expression was as calm as water, but her ice-blue eyes seemed to hold a slightly softer luster than usual, like a warm current flowing quietly beneath a frozen surface.
Greg felt the atmosphere turn subtle, with an indescribable awkwardness hanging in the air.
He quickly searched his mind for a topic to break the silence.
“Speaking of which, you're also one of the second-year representatives, right? Have you finished all your preparations for the exchange?”
“Mm.” Vivian nodded again, short and concise.
Greg was silent for a moment, then looked up at the sky and said, “The weather really is quite nice today.”
“Mm.”
Vivian once again replied with a soft hum, her tone completely unchanged.
Greg: “...”
Since you don't want to talk, could you take the initiative to let me leave?
Looking at how Vivian had absolutely no intention of ending the conversation, he suddenly felt a headache coming on.
Based on his understanding of Vivian, she was a cold person who valued efficiency and absolutely detested meaningless small talk and wasting time.
He had thought that by bringing up a few trivial topics, Vivian would find it boring and take the initiative to end the conversation and leave.
But to his surprise, she was incredibly patient today, showing absolutely no sign of wanting to leave!
Remembering that he still had important business to attend to and shouldn't continue wasting time here, Greg decided to take the initiative to end this awkward conversation.
He took a deep breath and spoke in as natural a tone as possible.
“Well... Vivian, you must have a lot of things to do, right? In that case, I won't bother you any longer. I'll be off now.”
With that, he turned to leave.
Vivian's lips pouted slightly.
Although she already fully understood that Greg was a tsundere, she still felt that this tsundere idiot was truly a handful.
In her view, running into Greg the moment she finished her Student Council duties and walked to the academy gates meant that this had to be another coincidental meeting intentionally arranged by him.
And the purpose of this coincidence was obvious—he must want to invite her to go for a walk outside, but was too embarrassed to ask directly. That was why he had laid the groundwork with those trivial topics, trying to find the right moment.
Yet this idiot, after talking so much to set the stage, actually started acting like a tsundere again at the crucial moment!
He clearly wanted to walk with her in his heart, yet he insisted on pretending like nothing was wrong and saying, “I'll be off now.”
This duplicitous behavior made her both amused and exasperated.
Thus, seeing that Greg was about to give up and turn away, Vivian took a step forward on her own initiative. She reached out, grabbed his wrist, and said in her cool voice:
“I'll accompany you for a walk.”
Greg: “Huh!?”
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