Chapter 205 - The Wolf Girl's Rival

  Chloe Evenhart:

  Nearly two weeks had passed since tured the kidnapper. I had reached out to Martha without Nathan knowing, feeling a pang of guilt, as the likely reason for the attack was me.

  Over the weekend, we discussed this possibility without Nathan. Nikous Wolves knows I'm engaged, and Nathan’s death would spark a major crisis for our family. It could drive Wolves tain what he attempted st time: pressuring my mother into a marriage alliance. He might even be behind the rising violen our duchy.

  Nathan, with his sharp mind, had deduced that this fa of nobles might be involved. Even my mother was surprised by his solution of cheg their financial activities. While it wouldn’t legally prove anything, it had set off arm bells: Nikous Wolves and his allies could very well have pooled their resources to pce a bounty on Nathan's life.

  A part of me wants to personally go ahat bastard for daring to threaten my fiancé!

  As a precaution, we weren't allowed to leave the academy unapanied. Aunt Katie and Martha remai the mansion, with the maids doubling as guards. Aunt Katie was busy creating golems, filling the pce with deadly pnts.

  My mother had decided not to report the assassination attempt on Nathan to the kingdom. She preferred to hahis her own way, and I khat Nikous Wolves was already as good as dead. He and his fa had crossed every line, and now it was our turn to ha in our way.

  My css had ended, and I was free for the afternooering our apartment, I was surprised at what I found.

  "Kinue? Looks like we're having lunch together today," I said.

  My friend was crouched down, searg through the et, and turo me with a smile.

  "Chloe, I was looking for something to cook."

  She stood up, and I noticed that her uniform blouse was a bit loose.

  Her chest is way rger than mine…

  "Don’t you wear a bra?" I asked.

  "They’re unfortable. Too tight for me."

  Of course… with a figure like hers.

  I sighed, menting life's unfairness. Kinue had a lovely figure and a charming demeanor, undoubtedly a beautiful woman.

  I'm only 15, and she's 17… I'll get there someday.

  "Let's have lun the dining hall. o cook; I'll go with you today," I said, and Kinue’s eyes lit up.

  "Will Nate be there too?"

  Hmm…

  "I’m not sure. He has a css on Builder Mages, and our css lit up. Practical lessons take forever."

  "True. At first, they make us sit through all the pragmatitent, even if we don’t have the element being taught."

  We left the apartment and began walking down the hall.

  "Speaking of mage csses, have you chosen yours yet? You’re both a transmitter and aer," I noted.

  "I chose She, given my early training as a bat Mage. Professor Adrihna is pushing me hard since she’s officially taken me as her appre the academy."

  A solid choice.

  "That makes two Shes then," I replied, showing her my wand.

  As we walked down the corridor, we came across Syvis and Thyra.

  “Fox girl!” Thyra muttered.

  “Flea-ridden mutt…” Kinue replied seriously.

  “Wolf! Thyra’s a wolf!” Thyra corrected.

  What’s going on here?

  “You two know each other?” I asked, interrupting the exge.

  “Is this your other rival?” Syvis asked me.

  “Rival?” I repeated, surprised.

  Kinue shrugged.

  “It’s nothing serious, just a dog girl who tried to fight me ond ended up gettiail kicked,” my friend ented.

  What? They fought?

  “You just got lucky that time, little fox! I’m going to beat you, just wait and see!” Thyra excimed.

  It seems like there’s some kind of invisible rivalry going on here.

  “You haven’t even fully awakened your beast form… or maybe it’s just the form of a little p dog,” Kieased, starting to walk away.

  Wow! Kinue’s bold…

  “Take that back! Thyra’s a wolf!” protested Thyra.

  “I think it’s better if we stop…” said Syvis.

  “I apologize for offending you… puppy,” Kinue added in a serious tone.

  The two of them showed their cws, ready t at each other.

  “Enough!” Syvis shouted, and something green ed around Thyra, pulling her back.

  I stared, shocked. In Syvis’s hand was what looked like a bamboo sword. It had extended and ed around Thyra like a whip, and with a flick of her wrist, Syvis pulled it back to its inal form.

  That was amazing. Is this her power? She’s using her pnt element to make the bamboo swrow and ge shape.

  “No fighting!” Syvis ordered.

  Kiracted her cws, her expression softening back to normal.

  “My apologies…” my friend murmured, now a bit shy.

  “I knew I smelled you around here…” Thyra muttered.

  Syvis gave her a light tap on the head.

  “No fighting,” she repeated.

  “Thyra agrees…” Thyra added with a resigone.

  Kiepped back, and Syvis guided Thyra away.

  “I’ll meet you both at lunch,” my elven friend said, disappearing into her room.

  “Alright,” I replied, rushing to catch up with Kinue.

  When I reached her, I noticed her face was bright red.

  “I’m sorry, Chloe… I ended up showing a bad side of myself.”

  “It’s no problem, but you were a little intimidating.”

  My friend hid her fa her hands, visibly embarrassed.

  “Don’t tell Nathan about this side of me…”

  Why is she so worried about what he thinks?

  ***

  We arrived at the cafeteria and picked up our trays. As we chatted, my curiosity about Kinue’s beast form ed me. I remembered that during periods when she showed small reflexes of her transformation, her mood would shift a bit, but I’d never had the ce to actually see her transformed form. Kinue mentiohat transf was something that drained her and couldn’t be used needlessly because of the physical toll it took. She told me she became a rge fox with golden fur.

  It must be really beautiful.

  We sat down at our usual table, which had essentially bee “ours” by habit. Some students still watched us, curious. Kinue was something of a mysterious celebrity at the academy, only showing up for csses. Since she lived with the professor, she wasn’t seen in the dorms, whily added to the fasation around her.

  “Have you decided what you’ll do free weekend?” Kinue asked, interrupting my thoughts.

  “I’m not sure yet. I want to explore the city a bit,” I replied.

  We’ll o put ourselves in trolled public spaces to try to lure out the assassin.

  Though I’m hoping he’s given up by now.

  Kinue nodded. “I explored some tourist spots st year, but there are some pces that are o visit with pany.”

  “You went alone?” I asked.

  “Sometimes I went with the professor, but she prefers reading. Even on outings, she’d just sit on a bend read. I didn’t make enough friends to invite anyone else.”

  It must have been hard for her.

  “Now that Nate and I are here, we always go out together,” I suggested.

  Kinue’s ears perked up with excitement. “That would be so much fun! I know several… romantic pces,” she said, her tone a bit shy.

  “Romantic? What do you mean?” I asked, intrigued.

  Kinue blushed. “Pretty pces! I meant to say pretty pces!”

  Hearing that, an idea sparked in my mind. “Tell me more about these ‘pretty pces.’ Do you think… I could… take someone on a date?”

  “Of course! I would, too… if I could take a certain someone,” Kinue said, a sparkle in her eyes.