Chapter 229
Chapter 82: The Last Day
The afternoon classes always made Nia feel drowsy, and she often fell asleep instantly.
Only Nia dared to doze off in the presence of the strict homeroom teacher, Sato.
Of course, poor classroom performance meant losing points, and too many penalties could even affect graduation.
The magic academy operated on a credit system. Thanks to Nia’s excellent practical skills and a perfect score on her previous exam, she had credit to spare. Taking advantage of that, she either skipped class or took long naps to maximize her time.
Amidst the envious and respectful gazes of her classmates, and the deathly glare from the black-haired female teacher, the green-haired girl, fast asleep, suddenly opened her eyes and groggily lifted her head.
Almost simultaneously, the bell for school dismissal rang on time.
Years of adapting from adventuring had Nia trained to ensure she never missed any breaks or dismissal bells.
As soon as class ended, Nia instantly revived and, along with her two close friends, dashed out of the classroom first to forage for food in the academy’s shopping street.
With Nia leading the way, the trio, who had already snagged ice cream, managed to avoid the rush of students and strolled leisurely.
Excitedly, Nia invited, “Hey, how about we gather at Roy’s place this weekend? Let’s celebrate our perfect midterm scores!”
Amy, who was taking small bites of her ice cream, couldn’t help but tease, “You just want to hang out, don’t you?”
“Just answer yes or no, will you?”
“Of course! Alice’s cooking is amazing. We can’t miss that!” Jenny responded enthusiastically, raising her hand.
“Of course we’re going, but since it’s a rare gathering, don’t just get lost in your games.” Amy leaned closer to Nia, playfully brushing her hair aside, and teasingly remarked, “Don’t worry, we’ll help you create opportunities.”
Nia, who was in the middle of enjoying her ice cream, suddenly choked, the cold hitting her throat and causing a sharp pain in her head.
Every time this topic came up, watching Nia’s embarrassed fluster was one of Amy’s greatest joys.
But this time, Nia didn’t muster a smile to deny it; she just turned her head slightly away.
“Ugh, whatever, do as you please.”
Amy and Jenny exchanged glances at the sight of Nia’s adorably flushed face, both wide-eyed and grinning ear to ear.
Oh boy, this is getting interesting!
Nia’s attitude was clearly different than before!
Ever since the practical test, Nia had often been seen grinning by herself, and her excitement about the test topic was unusually high.
The two had long suspected Nia had some development with Roy during the practical test, but they never expected her attitude to have changed so drastically!
“Indeed, you clearly like Roy now…”
At that moment, Nia, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed in another direction.
She turned back and flashed an apologetic smile, “Sorry, something just came up. You guys head back without me!”
Nia said this and quickly finished off her ice cream before sprinting away, not giving her friends a chance to stop her.
Looks like she’s still shy after all?
Amy and Jenny shook their heads, revealing wry smiles.
However, this didn’t stop them from discussing how to help their dear friend.
In the woods far away from the students, no one noticed a visitor distinctly different from the teachers and students.
She wore a cool, thin tank top, and runes were tattooed on her bare arms. But the most eye-catching features were her sharp, pointed ears and her stunningly beautiful face.
She was an elf.
A slender figure and a delicate visage would draw attention in any country, yet the passing students failed to notice her presence.
Every descendant of an elf is adept at stealth; even if she wasn’t a Forest Elf, her extraordinary bloodline endowed her with stealth capabilities.
And Natasha was an Extraordinary Being of the Earth Elf lineage.
Nia wasn’t particularly surprised by the other’s stealth skills but was astonished by her appearance at the academy itself.
“Nana, what brought you here? You didn’t miss me, did you? Coming all the way from the Emerald Council just to see me?” Nia said as she opened her arms for a big hug.
Originally impassive, Natasha shot her a glare and swung her fist, landing a punch on Nia’s head, making her yelp in pain.
“Ow, can’t we just talk? Why resort to violence?!” the girl crouched down, clutching her head in defense, looking utterly wronged.
“How dare you say that?! What were you thinking, running off from the Emerald Council all alone? The entire nation is in chaos over it!”
After her furious words, Natasha rubbed her temples in frustration and added, “I’m fine, but your mother is definitely going crazy!”
At that, Nia trembled, instantly losing her playful mood, and slowly stood up, a deep sense of annoyance and fear overtaking her.
“Y-you don’t mean even Mom has come after me?”
Natasha gave her a weary, powerless smile. “What do you think?”
Nia rolled her eyes, nearly fainting on the spot.
What kind of joke is this? As the chief of the Emerald Council, how could she just chase her daughter all the way across the country to the Academy City?!
Nia thought her mother might send some pursuers at most or even abandon the search altogether, but she never expected her to abandon her duties and come personally to find her!
This was a clear declaration: she was determined to drag her back!
“Come on, does the head of state have nothing better to do?!”
“If you hadn’t run, would she have had nothing to do and traveled all the way here?!”
Such a logical rebuttal left Nia completely speechless.
Gripping Nia’s shoulders, Natasha gazed at her with concern, speaking earnestly, “Nia, it ends here.”
“You’ve seen the outside world as you wished; it’s time to go home.”
After so many days, Nia had gotten used to the wonderful school life, and now to be forced back into the bland, boring life of the Emerald Council felt as painful as cutting off internet access for a gaming addict.
Nia had thought about this day, well aware that she couldn’t go against her mother. Eventually, she would be caught and dragged back.
She had prepared herself for it long ago.
She believed she was mentally ready.
Yet at this moment, thinking about never seeing that black-haired boy again made her tremble uncontrollably.
The days of toasting under the brilliant starry sky, dreaming of future adventures, felt like they had just happened yesterday, but were now fading, accompanied by a soft mist of confusion.
Seeing Nia with her head down, silent, Natasha was about to continue persuading her when Nia suddenly spoke up.
“Give me some time.”
“One day, just one more day. Then I’ll go see Mom myself.”
As a citizen of the Emerald Council, Natasha’s task was to bring Nia back today.
But the fragile look in the girl’s eyes and her hoarse, muted voice made Natasha’s heart ache; she ultimately couldn’t bring herself to be harsh.
“Alright then, just one day.”
Nia squinted her teary eyes and smiled gently, “Okay, the last day.”
