Even the host leaving was quite the embarrassment; no wonder the atmosphere felt odd when she entered.

“Shouldn’t we leave too?”

Having heard the gossip and filled her stomach, Aresia decided to head back.

Karina, having had her fill of gossip, was ready to share this juicy tidbit with her roommates, having appreciated Aresia’s decision.

Aresia glanced around, but it seemed like Jorgus had already left.

They retrieved their magic hoverboards and flew back to the dormitory.

As the others departed, they chose a longer route, passing by the library, which led to the path toward the dormitories of the magic department.

During the quiet walk, Karina paused for a moment and suddenly asked, “Aresia, what do you think about Jorgus?”

“Why are you asking about him?”

“Just curious to hear your opinion.”

In truth, Karina suspected that Aresia might have feelings for Jorgus.

The rumors floating around seemed to suggest Aresia had a certain fondness for Jorgus. Karina couldn’t quite figure it out.

Karina compared the two and believed that Jorgus didn’t hold a candle to Lord Amos, being just a novice warrior. Despite Aresia’s reluctance, on closer observation, it seemed Aresia might genuinely have feelings for Jorgus but was unwilling to admit it.

After observing tonight’s events, Karina became even more convinced that her speculation about Aresia’s feelings was accurate. Aresia seemed to dislike being touched by others, yet she did not reject Jorgus’ help. Aresia’s attitude toward others was noticeably cold, but with Jorgus, she was quite friendly. This wasn’t just a fondness—it was more.

In reality, Aresia felt pity for Jorgus due to his unfortunate background.

Her perception didn’t really change; the Aresia who had grown up in solitude understood Jorgus’ circumstances. Despite Karina’s attempt to influence her thoughts, Aresia simplified her opinion of Jorgus: “He’s exceptionally talented, hardworking, humble, potentially a top-tier warrior, and have a potential to be on par with my father.”

Aresia firmly believed that Jorgus would eventually become a dominating force, not just due to his soon-to-be advancement as a level five knight upon graduation, but because she recognized his potential.

She even briefly entertained the notion that Jorgus had some otherworldly connection due to his exceptional potential.

This evaluation perplexed Karina. How could a newcomer to the warrior department be comparable to a duke who was already a level seven knight?

Karina became more convinced that Aresia’s view was clouded by personal biases, leading her to overvalue Jorgus.

Though Aresia seemed unwilling to let others know of her fondness for Jorgus, Karina refrained from further discussion, realizing that persuading Aresia otherwise might not be her place.

Their return to the dormitory was late; the curfew was at eleven, and it was already ten. They bid each other goodnight and retired to their rooms.

The next morning, a fresh rumor had replaced the previous one, now centered around the embarrassing incident involving Alice Howard.

“Last night, they say that person who left the assembly early had fallen ill and used it as an excuse to take leave. She might not dare to come back to the school for a while.”

Given the awkwardness of this incident, the leave indeed seemed understandable.

What Aresia was unaware of was that Jorgus’ rumors had escalated, suggesting a closer relationship between them.

Karina knew this but refrained from mentioning it due to Aresia’s demeanor, feeling it wasn’t the right time.

Today, Aresia happily darted into the lab, continuing with her device fabrication.

Based on the information from her recent visits at her home, Aresia decided to momentarily forget about it.

Since she wouldn’t be taking any more leave in the near future, she planned to meet Jorgus on the weekend, writing a letter to her mother to explain her unavailability.

Having found a convenient excuse, Aresia temporarily set aside the matter.

Remembering her promise to teach Karina magic, hence, every noon, when the lab was free, she pulled Karina aside for some special training.

In this world, magical aptitude testing wasn’t data-driven; it relied on a unique magical stone. During the test, the stone would emit light if the individual possessed magical aptitude, but the specific values weren’t measurable. Instead, the brightness and color of the stone’s glow determined the level of aptitude.

As for their current stage, Karina’s adaptation to the magic wasn’t high. Although she managed to keep up with the curriculum, her result wasn’t particularly exceptional.

This disappointment stemmed from the initial test wherein the mage responsible for testing her magic aptitude result in her having an aptitude for fire magic. Yet now, either people were trying to console her, or her aptitude was genuinely lacking, showing no sudden improvement in fire magic.

“Don’t judge yourself harshly. Even if the Academy’s test results are important, your aptitude isn’t bad.”

While the Royal Academy might have preferential treatment for nobles, still the magical aptitude is required in the magic department, it doesn’t need to be particularly high, but having the aptitude is a must.

Aresia noticed Karina’s test and, as if recalling something special, she had the the urged to borrow a magical stone from the school.

The testing stone was a crystal stone slightly larger than a face, not transparent but pure white. When infused with magic, it changed color, which experienced mages could analyze to determine the person’s magical affinities.

Nodding towards Karina, Aresia said, “Come, infuse your magic into it; let me see.”

Taking a deep breath, Karina placed her hand on the magical stone, closed her eyes, and began to channel her magic based on her past experiences.

After a while, feeling the time seemed longer than during her previous tests, she almost heard Aresia call out, noting that the magic couldn’t hold. Unable to resist, Karina opened her eyes, asking, “What’s wrong?”

Concentrated on the stone, Aresia sounded uncertain, “Wait, let me check again.”

Karina felt nervous, so she had a brief pause before continuing to exert her magic, trying to maintain composure as she waited quietly.

After a while, Karina couldn’t hold on any longer. Aresia finally called a halt, standing upright with a strange expression on her face.

“Karina, the situation seems a bit complicated…”