As the lecture came to an end, those who typically treated Herbology like an afterthought now carried their notebooks with more appreciation.

Corwin was among them.

He walked beside Ruvian through the wide, mana-lit corridors of the academy.

His hands moved animatedly as he recapped the lecture, his words tumbling over each other in barely contained excitement.

’Look at him go...’

"That was incredible. The idea that a single herb could act as both remedy and toxin depending on the sequence and timing... It makes me wonder how many others are like that. What else have we misunderstood?"

"And the counteragent... if we could isolate the reactions and reproduce them reliably, it wouldn’t just change medicine, it could reshape entire doctrines!"

Midway through his rambling, Corwin cut himself off.

His excitement faded into embarrassment, and he cleared his throat, lowering his gaze.

"—I must sound ridiculous," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Ruvian, who had been listening with an amused smile, simply reached out and patted Corwin’s shoulder.

The touch was firm, closer to approval.

"I told you, Alchemy and Herbology suit you. You just didn’t believe me back then." (+20PP)

Ruvian said, his voice tinged with dry satisfaction.

Corwin let out a small, sheepish laugh. He stared ahead for a moment, letting the hallway stretch in front of him, then sighed slowly, as if letting go of something unspoken.

"Yeah... I guess I was being stubborn. It was fun," he admitted. His voice softened on the last word.

Then his gaze sharpened. He drew in a breath, steadied himself, and said the words aloud.

"I think I want to pursue alchemy seriously." (+50PP)

Ruvian stopped walking. He turned, watching Corwin in full now, his expression devoid of its usual dry amusement.

Just an appraising look, serious yet thoughtful.

"Then you have to be prepared. It won’t be easy."

Corwin blinked at the sudden shift in tone.

"The world doesn’t hand out rewards just because you care about it, or because you really want it. The thing is, passion fades and skill isn’t always enough."

"You’ll be doubted along the way, probably ignored, maybe even mocked. There will be setbacks, some worse than others. And there will be days... when you want to give up."

Corwin absorbed the words without questioning. He looked down for a moment, as though weighing them.

Then, slowly, he looked back up again, his eyes burning with resolve. And before he could say anything else, Ruvian spoke once more.

"But if it’s you, Corwin..."

"I think you’ll make it."

[You have received +100 Plot Points!]

Corwin found himself puzzled, but he said nothing. He just nodded and the smile that followed wasn’t sheepish anymore.

"...T-thanks, Ruvian. That’s very... motivating. I really mean it."

"If you really mean it, then you don’t have to thank me yet," Ruvian said as he turned toward the staircase.

"You should tell me that after you prove me right."

*****

Ruvian walked down the quiet hallway toward his room. The hour was late, and most of the dormitory had already fallen into silence.

He was only a few steps away from the bend that led to his room when a murmur, hushed but lively, slipped through the wall.

Ruvian stopped walking.

The voices came from beyond the corner, loud enough to carry far but not nearly careful enough to be private.

There was laughter in them, smug and indulgent.

"Did you see how she looked when they kicked her out?" A chuckle followed.

"I can’t believe it. She sat in Noble Etiquette like it was her birthright. Truly, the delusion of commoners knows no bounds. Haa... It is almost endearing!"

’Now, what’s this about?’

Ruvian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He remained hidden, listening.

"Oh, I think Julian handled it well. He absolutely tore her apart! I swear, I thought she was going to cry when he asked her why she was even bothering."

"Haha, he wasn’t wrong, though. She has no title or status to be there. Why would she apply for that elective? That’s beyond foolish!"

"She really thought the instructor would defend her too. But of course, even she sided with Julian. What noble would want to associate with a beggar commoner? She should know her place."

"By the way, what was her name again?"

"I think that poor thing’s name is Violet, she’s from Class E, she also stupidly tried to stand against Julian the other day during Class A and Class E joint sessions."

They spoke as if they had enjoyed an entertaining show.

Ruvian remained rooted in place, refusing to move until the corridor was empty and the air no longer carried their laughter.

When he finally stepped around the corner, his gaze was calm, almost absent, as though the entire exchange had left no impression.

But there was a subtle tension in his hand, briefly curled into a fist at his side.

He said nothing to the empty hallway, offered no closing words and walked the rest of the way to his room.

But in his mind, the thought remained.

’So, it has begun.’

The turning point of the story where Julian will keep on targeting Violet.

From now, Ruvian will be seeing Julian more often.

’I need to get ready then.’

*****

[Rosalin’s POV]

The plush fabric of the rabbit doll was soft against Rosalin’s palm. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the golden glow of the bedside lamp, and somehow, her mind was elsewhere.

’That poor girl... is she alright?’

Even now, Rosalin couldn’t shake the guilt pressing heavily against her chest. She had been there. She had seen everything unfold right before her eyes.

And yet, when it mattered most, she hesitated.

’In the end, I didn’t do anything...’

She sighed softly as she hugged her rabbit doll.

As she kept on staring absentmindedly, the memory slowly began to replay in her head without permission...

It was 3 hours ago...

During the Noble Etiquette elective class.

──────── ✦ ────────

[Chapter 85: The Second Piece Moves (2)]

Plot Points= 14,080