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Chapter 41: Taking Leave

Inside Instructor Ella’s office at the Magic School.

The beautiful instructor Ella stared in shock at the black-haired boy asking for leave, for he had just told her he would leave the academy to train alone and would not attend classes for a while.

Saint Gobban Academy always granted students maximum freedom, letting them schedule their cultivation as they liked so long as they passed each Tier Stage exam and met the graduation requirements.

Yet she truly did not wish to approve the request from this 16-year-old, for even as his homeroom instructor she had scarcely seen him attend class, and rumor had it he spent his time on the training field practicing Martial Techniques.

She had nothing against dual mage-warrior cultivation, but she had no idea of Ashura’s rank or progress.

The black-haired boy never discussed academic matters with her, and she truly could not figure him out.

Now he wanted leave to train outside the academy, without saying where or for how long; this student was giving her a real headache.

Instructor Ella looked at Ashura with mild displeasure, her right hand drumming on the desk as she prepared to wield a instructor’s authority to deny his request.

Before she could speak, Ashura promptly produced a cup of floral tea and set it on her desk, fawning as he said, “Instructor, you work so hard… have some Youth-Preserving Flower Tea to keep your beauty!”

No girl could resist the lure of beauty tea; she sipped lightly, looked at the boy’s ingratiating smile, sighed inwardly, and said, “Fine, I will let you train on your own, but you must agree to three conditions!”

Ashura immediately played the obedient student: “Say it, Instructor, I’m all ears!”

Instructor Ella grew solemn: “First, while you are away you must guarantee your own safety and be responsible to yourself and the academy!”

“Second, one year from now the academy will hold an important assessment; you must return before it begins, or you will be expelled!”

“Third, since you choose solitary training, you must be confident in your plan; if, when you come back for the assessment, your strength fails to satisfy me, I will never again approve off-campus training and may expel you outright… understood?”

Ashura clicked his tongue inwardly, for Instructor Ella’s three rules were not excessive; as always she supported him like a good instructor.

After thinking a moment, Ashura replied meekly, “I can’t promise the first one, but the others are fine!”

Hearing that, Instructor Ella, who was drinking the beauty tea, spat a mouthful all over Ashura’s face.

Ignoring her loss of composure, she raised her voice and shouted, “What? What exactly are you planning? What dangerous training could a mere student possibly do?”

Ashura wiped the tea from his face in embarrassment, and as he faced the agitated beauty he felt a touch of awe toward this instructor for the first time.

He knew the instructor meant only kindness, yet he had reasons he could not ignore.

Ashura hurried to soothe her: “Don’t get excited, Instructor, it was only a figure of speech… pretend I’m afraid of choking on my lunch, okay?”

That answer clearly failed to satisfy Instructor Ella, who kept glaring at the problem student, her cheeks bulging with anger, unsure which of his words were true and which were lies.

Yet she sensed that if she refused, he would probably cut class and leave anyway.

Rather than have him disappear without contact, it was better to grant the request so he would still come to her next time he needed help.

She sat back in her chair in a huff, fell silent for a moment, and then said in a low voice, “Remember the three points you promised me, and return as soon as you finish training!”

Ashura let out a long breath and cheerfully agreed to everything.

Instructor Ella found his expression both infuriating and amusing, then waved him out of the office.

Leaving the office, Ashura forced a bitter smile, for he truly had no confidence in the first condition.

After all, it was the Beast Forest; just thinking of the unknown dangers there made his skin crawl.

He still needed to prepare and bid farewell to the people he knew before setting out.

With low spirits, Ashura returned to the classroom of Magic Class 13 and saw yet another student from another class try to sit in his empty seat, only to be driven away by a few cold words from the silver-haired girl beside it.

Countless male students coveted that seat, yet Clara seemed unwilling to accept anyone but him.

Sometimes he returned from the training field dripping with sweat, and the other Magic students shunned him, for a noble Magician should never look so slovenly.

But Clara had never despised him; she had even prepared a towel for him to wipe his sweat.

In this class, only Clara and the chubby Na Wei ever spoke to him; the others all thought he was an eccentric underachiever, though he knew he could now beat them until they cried for their mothers.

As for Clara herself, he had always felt a potent sense of danger radiating from the girl.

Ashura sat back in his seat with a blank face and stayed silent for a long time, neither happy nor sad.

Before long a notebook written in delicate script slid over from beside him, bearing a single line of concern asking what was wrong.

Ashura took the notebook and casually wrote, “It’s nothing, I just wanted to tell you that I’ll be away for a while, and it might be a long time.”

“Don’t bother saving this seat for me either; I plan to auction it off… whoever bids the most credits can have it. I’ll give all the credits to you, treat it as my buying you Youth-Preserving Flower Tea… drink as many cups as you like!”

When Ashura passed the notebook back, he clearly heard the girl beside him let out a soft exclamation, ignoring the strange looks from the surrounding students.

Clara hastily wrote, “Where are you going? What are you doing? Don’t you dare!”

Seeing the words that were equal parts concern and threat, Ashura felt a warmth in his heart; this young lady might have a temper, but she was kind, instructoring him and preparing notes.

He had always remembered her kindness, so he intended to auction off his seat and leave her the credits… perhaps the only thing he could do for her.

He did not rush to reply in the notebook; instead he slowly lay on the desk in silence.

It would be a lie to say he was not afraid of entering the Beast Forest… a paradise for beasts and a forbidden zone for Humans… but he knew that as a dual mage-warrior his advancement was far harder than that of ordinary students and that only combat could raise his strength quickly.

Of course, if he followed the curriculum and sparred on campus his power would rise gradually, yet he would never join the strongest echelon of students.

He still needed to grow stronger quickly and return to the Olei Kingdom to settle the trouble with the Black Water clan.

He too wished to become like the heroes immortalized in the academy’s statues… feared by enemies, protector of his family, and revered by those who came after.

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