CHAPTER 102: CHAPTER 102 : A MOTHER’S WORRY AND ALICIA’S CHOICE

The room was a strange mix of antiquity and grandeur. Towering bookshelves stretched toward the high, dome-shaped ceiling, crammed full of dusty tomes and glowing scrolls.

Golden runes pulsated faintly on the marble walls, etched so intricately that they seemed almost alive—breathing with power, whispering secrets long lost to the ages. A fireplace crackled softly, throwing flickering light over arcane diagrams hovering midair.

This was the office of Professor Rick—a legend in rune studies, feared and respected in equal measure.

At the center of the room, a wide oaken desk sat like a throne, behind which the professor lounged in an overly stuffed, rune-stitched chair. Rick looked to be in his late fifties, his grey-streaked beard trimmed with military precision. He sipped tea calmly from a porcelain cup, his expression unreadable.

Across from him sat a teenage boy with silver hair and narrowed eyes—Alex Dragonheart. He leaned back in his chair like a hostage trying not to provoke a lunatic, arms folded and gaze suspicious.

The silence stretched.

Then Professor Rick broke it with a light chuckle. "I must apologize for my earlier... outburst."

He set his cup down gently.

"My geni—I mean, Alex. It’s just... when I saw the way you used aero scripting—I simply couldn’t help myself. You’re something else."

Alex sighed, a long, drawn-out breath as if this wasn’t the first time someone had lost composure around his brilliance. "It’s okay, Professor. Even geniuses like yourself can be overwhelmed when faced with someone as amazing as me."

At that, Rick just stared at him blankly.

Then burst out laughing.

"You really don’t know how to be humble, do you?"

Alex tilted his head in mock confusion. "What do you mean, Professor? This is humility. If I weren’t being humble, I would’ve told you to start worshipp—"

"Alright, alright, that’s enough, you brat," Rick cut him off, waving his hand. "I already know what you’re doing."

Alex blinked innocently. "Doing what?"

"You’re trying to annoy me enough that I lose my temper and kick you out—so you can pretend you wanted to leave all along. You’ve got one cunning mind, you little schemer."

Alex clicked his tongue in frustration. ’Tch. This old bag of bones really is sharp,’ he thought.

Rick squinted. "Did you just think something rude?"

Alex’s eyes widened. "No, no! Professor, how could I? You’re the most distinguished scholar I know!"

The professor sighed, rubbing his temples. "Enough games. I don’t like beating around the bush."

He looked Alex square in the eye, his voice taking on a rare seriousness.

"I want you to become my disciple and learn about runes from me. I’ll teach you myself. Consider it an honor."

Alex blinked. "But Professor... didn’t you promise that position to Lilia?"

Rick leaned back with a smirk. "My class, my rules. It’s not her choice to choose someone—it’s mine. So, what do you say?"

Alex paused, rubbing his chin dramatically. "Hmm... but Professor... how could I trust someone who goes back on his own word? That’s a little dangerous, don’t you think?"

A vein throbbed on Rick’s forehead. "Alright, enough! Just tell me what you want, you cunning brat."

A sly grin spread across Alex’s face. "Now we’re talking."

He held up a finger. "First condition—whenever I get into a little trouble, just have my back. I tend to attract... situations."

Rick nodded begrudgingly. "Fine."

"Second," Alex continued, "I want resources—mana stones, intel, and your full academic support. Like access to the third-year department of the library."

Rick grumbled something unintelligible but nodded again.

"And third—"

"You said two!" Rick barked, interrupting.

Alex leaned in with mock hurt. "Do I need to remind you, Professor, that you just secured the most handsome, talented, and amazing student on the continent? A little generosity wouldn’t kill you."

Another vein throbbed visibly on Rick’s forehead. "...Go on."

Alex grinned. "Third condition—I want a mana contract. Full magical accountability."

Rick snapped. "You don’t trust me even a little bit, do you, brat?!"

Alex shrugged, expression dead serious now. "How could I? You dropped Lilia like an ant the moment you saw someone better. That’s... impressive. But not comforting."

Rick froze for a second. His eye twitched. ’This cunning little bastard... he brought up Lilia on purpose, knowing I’d discard her. And now he’s using it against me...’

The professor let out a long groan, defeated. "Fine."

With a flick of his fingers, two glowing scrolls materialized in midair—mana contracts etched in ethereal light. He signed one and tossed the other across the desk.

Alex took his time reading the fine print, even pulling out a monocle from seemingly nowhere just to be extra obnoxious. Then he signed.

The moment both signatures were complete, the scrolls disintegrated into radiant particles that sank into their bodies—marking the contract as sealed.

Rick slumped back in his chair. "You can go now, brat. We start training from tomorrow. Try not to drive me crazy before then."

Alex stood with a devilish smirk. "Wouldn’t dream of it, Professor."

He turned on his heel and exited the room, the large wooden doors closing behind him with a soft thud.

Silence returned to the office.

Then—shiver.

A chill ran down Rick’s spine. He looked at the door Alex had just exited through.

"...What the hell was that?"

He rubbed his arms, trying to shake off the sudden dread.

"I made the right decision, didn’t I? That brat’s got potential... but why do I have this horrible feeling?"

He groaned again. "He’s too intelligent for his own good. And far too confident."

Shaking his head, Rick turned back to his desk and resumed reviewing an ancient rune scroll—though his hand trembled just slightly as he picked up his tea.

---

Meanwhile, in the luxurious Third-Year Top Cadets’ building of Zenith Academy, a scene very few had ever witnessed was unfolding. Alicia von Crestvale—the famously elegant, genius student council president of Zenith Academy—was currently anything but that.

Wearing an oversized hoodie, fluffy socks, and with her white hair tied in a lazy bun, Alicia was crouched on a high-end gaming chair, furiously clicking away on her holographic screen.

Empty cola cans surrounded her, and an open box of spicy fried chicken lay half-eaten nearby.

Her eyes burned with fierce focus, lips muttering curses that would make a sailor blink.

"Are you blind?! That’s not the way to gank, you potato-brained excuse for a player!"

She hammered the keys as her character unleashed a barrage of spells. "Nice job feeding again, donkey! Do you even know what ’strategy’ means? Ugh, rank decay incoming!"

Just as she landed the final blow and celebrated with a victorious smirk, her EtherPad buzzed loudly on the desk, pulling her back to reality. She groaned in frustration, stuffing a fry into her mouth before glancing at the caller ID.

Her smug expression dropped instantly.

"...Not again," she muttered darkly.

She picked up the call with a practiced sigh. "Mother, I swear, if this is about setting me up on another blind date, I already told you—"

Before she could finish, a soft chiming sound played and a hologram of a breathtakingly beautiful woman in her early thirties appeared in the air. With the same white hair and sharp eyes as Alicia, she radiated elegance.

Serena von Crestvale, the matriarch of the house, gave a dazzling smile that could shake kingdoms.

"My lovely daughter," Serena said sweetly.

"Relax, I’m not calling for that."

Alicia squinted suspiciously. "Really?"

"I heard from Alden that the Academy is hosting a Freshman Ball soon," Serena continued, voice gentle but knowing. "All I want is the name of your partner. If you give me that, I promise, no more blind dates."

Alicia’s face froze. She hadn’t picked anyone yet. Mostly because she hadn’t been interested.

But now... this was an opportunity.

As if reading her thoughts, Serena’s expression sharpened with amusement.

"And don’t try to lie to me, dear. I have plenty of little birds inside the Academy. One word and I’ll know who you’re actually going with."

Alicia’s mouth twitched. "Are you spying on me?"

"It’s hardly spying when your life is this boring, pumpkin. Let me guess—you’re in those horrible loose clothes again, playing your ridiculous games and eating junk food."

"I’m not!" Alicia said, pouting, though she quickly covered the chicken box off-camera.

But she knew. She couldn’t hide from her mother’s sharp eyes. Trying to outsmart Serena von Crestvale was like trying to out-fly a hawk with paper wings.

Serena smiled. "Anyway, I have something more fun to show you."

She tapped her EtherPad and sent over a file. Alicia raised a brow, clicked it—and then froze.

On the screen appeared a photo of her.

It showed a stunning young man with silver hair and blue eyes—gracefully kissing Alicia’s hand like a proper gentleman.

Her eyes widened. Her pupils shook. "Wh-Where did you get this?"

Serena burst out laughing. "Oh, that face is priceless. I should have recorded this! My little ice queen flustered!"

Alicia slammed the desk. "That’s not an answer! Where did you get this?!"

"Sorry, confidential," Serena said with a wink. "But tell me honestly. Do you like him?"

Alicia turned as red as a tomato. "Wh-Who said I like this bastard?! H-He’s a shameless idiot! Noisy, smug, and so annoyingly good-looking it hurts!"

Serena grinned knowingly. "You said it, not me. But honestly, I quite like him. What do you think about going to the ball with him? You don’t have a date yet anyway.

And let’s be real—his looks are to die for. I finally understand why Alden always grumbles about his face."

"Absolutely not!" Alicia yelled, cheeks still glowing. "No way! I am not going with that shameless man!"

Serena’s expression turned serious. "Think carefully before you answer, Alicia. If not him, then I choose your date, and you will be attending all the blind dates this week."

Alicia’s eyes widened in horror.

Her mind raced through dozens of options, calculating the social fallout, the embarrassment, and most importantly, how annoying it would be to deal with all those desperate noble suitors her mother always found.

If one little evening with that irritating brat could stop all that... Then it was a decent deal.

Also... Mother had slipped. She mentioned Alden, which meant he was tied to that picture somehow. I can beat the source out of my baby brother later. Bonus.

With a long sigh, Alicia leaned back and muttered, "Fine... You’re right. I’m going with him."

Serena’s face lit up like a star. "Really?!"

"Yes. Really." Alicia crossed her arms, cheeks still slightly pink.

"...You didn’t show the picture to Father, right?" she asked suddenly, panic creeping in.

Serena blinked. "Do I look like a madwoman? If I showed him that, he’d deploy half the family’s shadow guard to ’investigate’ the poor guy. And if he found something suspicious—well, there’d be no dance, only a funeral."

---

Meanwhile, on the 10th floor inside the luxury penthouse, a chill ran down Alex’s spine. He paused mid-bite into a sandwich.

"Zara," he said cautiously, "did you turn the cooling up in here?"

Zara’s voice responded calmly through the AI assistant: { No, Alex. The temperature is normal, as always. }

Alex frowned. "Then why do I suddenly feel like I’ve been cursed by fate?"

He looked around warily. ’I have a bad feeling.’

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A/N:

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