Inside the main hall of the Sanctum of the Sacred Sword.

  "I have established contact with Glacial Arcana Academy through the summoning crystal. I believe they will send someone to receive you this afternoon," Vaelor said calmly.

  "Thank you," Evelyn nodded slightly.

  "No trouble at all. It is but a small favor," Vaelor replied with a wave of his hand, offering a symbolic salute.

  As soon as his words fell, Evelyn turned and, with Ryan trailing behind her, walked straight out of the hall.

  "Evelyn, where are we going now? We can't just stand here at the hall entrance, can we?" Ryan hurriedly followed, scratching his head.

  "I don't know. Wait," Evelyn said succinctly, leaving Ryan momentarily speechless.

  Could she really expect him to just stand here and wait for that group of haughty women from Glacial Arcana Academy? Ryan muttered to himself.

  Truth be told, he had no desire to visit Glacial Arcana Academy. Those people, relying on their status as a top-tier academy, put on cold expressions, spoke with hidden jabs, and showed no courtesy whatsoever.

  He would much rather take the opportunity to search for the treasure buried a thousand years ago. Whether anyone else got to it first didn't bother him in the slightest.

  Back then, he had formed a soul-blood contract with it using his own essence. Even after ten thousand years, that bond could never be severed.

  If it dared not recognize him as its master, Ryan would not hesitate to personally intervene and acquire it in exchange for its Magic Origin Value.

  Thinking back to the previous incident, Ryan's anger flared. At that time, he had used the Wind-type Swift Magic Scroll, planning to burst out of the Sanctum of the Sacred Sword in one go and leave.

  Unexpectedly, he had run into that misleading guide, causing Evelyn to catch him on the spot. Now, recalling it, he wanted to run back and punch that person again.

  Ryan glanced around and, with Evelyn, searched the western side for a quiet lawn. He waved his hand, producing a foldable table and chairs along with a basket of exotic fruits.

  Evelyn stared briefly, a hint of confusion in her eyes. How could his storage bag contain such a bizarre assortment of items?

  "Want to try?" Ryan sat down, picking up a flame-red fruit, slightly larger than a strawberry, and held it up to Evelyn's lips.

  "No," Evelyn began to refuse, but before she could finish, Ryan gently nudged it forward. The scene mirrored the last time he had fed her.

  This time, the flame fruit was slightly bigger, so it didn't fit entirely in her mouth. Instead, it rested between her red lips, making the atmosphere a bit awkward.

  Ryan suppressed a laugh, his eyes playful, curious to see how she would respond.

  "Don't be shy," he deliberately added.

  Evelyn frowned slightly, giving Ryan a sharp look. He always acted without her consent. She extended her slender fingers, gently pinched the base of the flame fruit, removed it from her lips, and examined it closely, the fresh sheen catching her attention.

  Just as Ryan thought she would refuse to eat it, Evelyn slowly brought the fruit to her mouth and took a gentle bite.

  The flesh was sweet with a slight tang, delicate in texture, and surprisingly delicious.

  For someone like Evelyn, who rarely consumed ordinary food, the flavor of the flame fruit was truly remarkable.

  "Tasty, isn't it?" Ryan asked, his eyes full of anticipation.

  Evelyn said nothing, instead placing the remaining flame fruits in her mouth. She no longer hesitated and gradually reached for the star dew fruits and frost berries on the table, sharing them with Ryan.

  Seeing this, Ryan couldn't help but chuckle softly.

  His laughter caused Evelyn to pause slightly. She glanced at him before returning to her usual cold composure, quietly continuing to enjoy the fruits, though a faint blush crept up at the tips of her ears.

  The two of them sat quietly like that, and before they knew it, the entire afternoon had passed, along with the time spent eating the exotic fruits on the table.

  Ryan had long since stopped eating, simply watching Evelyn as she brought one fruit after another to her mouth, his gaze carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible warmth.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  It was only when the table was completely cleared of food that Evelyn finally snapped out of her focused eating.

  She lifted her elegant eyes, meeting Ryan's gaze, and at that moment, her delicate hand lingered over an empty little tray, her fingertips curling slightly.

  The atmosphere instantly became somewhat awkward. Ryan had eaten only about thirty percent of the fruits, while Evelyn had eaten seventy percent.

  He had never expected her to enjoy the fruits so much. He had assumed she would just taste a bit and then stop.

  Especially the moonlight grapes, she seemed particularly fond of them. Ryan had eaten only two of the grapes from the full basket, and the rest had all been consumed by her.

  Evelyn slowly withdrew her hand, trying to appear composed and mask the embarrassment from earlier.

  But just thinking about how Ryan had seen her eating without restraint made the tips of her ears involuntarily flush with a deep, shameful red.

  "Do you like them?" Ryan asked, putting away the empty tray and glancing at the red tips of her ears with a teasing smile."If you like them, I'll bring them to you often."

  "I don't," Evelyn said in her usual cold tone, though the words carried an unmistakable contradiction. Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the side.

  "Since you don't like them, I'll just throw all these dishes, chairs, and tables away later. They won't be in your way anymore," Ryan said seriously, as if he truly intended to discard everything the next moment.

  "No need," Evelyn quickly replied, her voice a little louder than before.

  "Then answer me again. Do you like eating them or not?" Ryan persisted.

  Upon hearing this, Evelyn lowered her head further, her eyes falling on her hands resting on her lap, her fingers lightly twisting the fabric of her clothes.

  "Mm," came a soft response, so quiet it was almost inaudible.

  The instant the sound fell, her cheeks burned uncontrollably, and a faint blush spread across her neck.

  Ryan was about to take advantage of the moment to tease her further when a hoarse yet powerful voice suddenly called out from afar:"Headmistress! I've come to fetch you!"

  Both of them looked toward the voice at the same time. Seeing who had arrived, Ryan nearly froze in shock.

  It was one of the three Grand Elders of Glacial Arcana Academy, Elder Mora!

  Over ten thousand years had passed, and this old woman was still alive! Her appearance had not changed in the slightest since a millennium ago, still marked by the deep wrinkles and aged features of old age.

  What shocked Ryan even more was the magical aura emanating from her it was far more terrifying than ten thousand years ago, already reaching Ninth-tier Elder Mage.

  In the era before the Grand Magus appeared, she had stood at the very top of the continent, one of the most formidable forces in existence.

  "Let's go," Evelyn whispered, gently tugging at Ryan's sleeve.

  But Ryan seemed as if frozen by a binding spell, unable to move an inch.

  Elder Mora's deeply lined face fixed its murky yet sharp eyes on him, locking him in place, and in the depths of her gaze lingered a faint but unmistakable aura of lethal intent.

  It was the cold disregard of a being toward an insignificant insect, combined with an intense hostility toward his proximity to Evelyn.

  Evelyn seemed entirely unaware of the tense atmosphere. She subtly shifted half a step closer to Ryan, positioning herself perfectly between him and Mora's icy gaze.

  This small but resolute movement created an invisible barrier between the two.

  That instant of protection struck Mora with a violent shock, her pupils constricting sharply. Could it be that Evelyn's heart was actually being swayed by this unknown brat?

  The heir of Glacial Arcana Academy, whom she had long protected, was deliberately shielding a stranger from her scrutiny?

  "Let's go," Evelyn said, turning her head toward Mora.

  Mora dared not show the slightest hesitation. Even though her magical power far surpassed Evelyn's at this moment, her respect for Evelyn ran deep, embedded in her very bones.

  More importantly, she had no doubt that Evelyn could suppress her, perhaps even without relying solely on her own magic.

  "I will prepare for the return journey immediately," Mora said, bowing slightly. She then stepped aside in a guiding gesture, signaling for Evelyn to follow.

  The three of them quickly arrived at the Sanctum of the Sacred Sword's grand hall to meet Vaelor.

  "Thank you for taking care of her these past days," Mora said, flipping her hand to reveal a crystal of ten-thousand-year ice essence in her palm.

  Vaelor accepted the crystal and felt the dense magical fluctuations emanating from it, his face lighting up with delight.

  "No trouble at all. Providing assistance for her is our honor. Perhaps you could stay a few more days so I might show some hospitality?"

  "No need. The academy has pressing matters that require attention. I must return with Evelyn immediately," Mora replied, waving her hand dismissively.

  From start to finish, she made no mention of Ryan, as if he were an insignificant shadow, not worth even a glance.

  Before she finished speaking, Mora summoned with one hand a large dimensional teleportation array engraved with intricate spatial runes.

  She tossed the array into the air, channeling her magical power into it. In an instant, golden light erupted, and a cylindrical barrier of light descended from the array, forming a sturdy spatial shield that firmly enclosed the teleportation area.

  "Headmistress, shall we depart?" Mora bowed respectfully, her tone deferential.

  Hearing the title Headmistress made Vaelor's heart skip a beat, nearly causing him to lose composure.

  This woman was the Headmistress of Glacial Arcana Academy? But her magical power seemed too low; she looked more like the academy's heir.

  No wonder she carried the academy's token. The Headmistress of Glacial Arcana Academy was famously enigmatic, never revealing her true appearance to the outside world.

  "Take him with us," Evelyn said, lifting her gaze to Ryan. Her tone was calm but carried an unmistakable command, leaving Mora no room to object.

  "Headmistress!" Mora quickly interjected, her voice clearly showing protest. Her brows were tightly furrowed; she clearly did not want this unknown man stepping even a single foot into Glacial Arcana Academy.

  "Once we return to the academy, I will explain everything to you. Do not waste time," Evelyn said coldly.

  Mora's expression was one of helplessness, her gaze on Ryan growing darker as she calculated silently: once back at the academy, if this brat harbors the slightest ill intent, she will unleash the academy's Ice Prison punishments and eliminate him on the spot. He must never tarnish Evelyn's reputation.

  In the end, she stepped aside, allowing Evelyn to lead Ryan into the column of light, following only afterward herself.

  Mora then began weaving spatial incantations, chanting softly under her breath. The floating teleportation array spun rapidly, the runes glowing ever brighter.

  Before Vaelor's astonished eyes, the array, carrying the three of them, transformed into a streak of light and vanished from the grand hall in an instant.