It was suggested that everyone find a place to sit down and have a good talk, but in reality, they all ended up at an outdoor vendor next to the stage.
The stall was selling takoyaki and appeared to be run by an entire class. It was spacious, with plenty of seating and a roof, resembling an outdoor restaurant, which made the atmosphere lively and inviting.
Fang Li and his group managed to find a spot to settle in.
Around them, people were pointing and whispering, their voices carrying through the air.
It was understandable.
Even though Fang Li and Sylvia were in disguise, Julis, Toudou Kirin, and Amagiri Ayato hadn't changed their appearances at all.
Among the three, the first two were partners who had reached the semifinals in the Phoenix Festa— one was the top-ranked student from Seidoukan Academy, and the other was ranked fifth.
The latter had also been a partner who claimed the runner-up title in the Phoenix Festa, having just defeated Toudou Kirin. It was no surprise they were drawing attention.
Of course, there was another reason this gathering was particularly noticeable.
"Ara, I'm surprised to see everyone gathered here."
Like a vision stepping out of a dream, a girl with dazzling golden hair and a radiant smile approached the group, her words floating through the air.
As they watched this beautiful girl glide in, effortlessly capturing the attention of those around her, Fang Li's group fell silent.
Especially Julis, whose already stern expression deepened into one of displeasure as she confronted the newcomer.
"Could it be that our Seidoukan Academy Student Council president has so much free time that she can come to a place like this to lounge around?"
The newcomer was none other than Claudia Enfield, the second-ranked student of Seidoukan Academy, known for her Ogre Lux named Pan-Dora. She had once put Fang Li through a compatibility test, leaving a lasting impression.
In response to Julis' sharp words, Claudia simply smiled sweetly.
"I can't help it. With one of the champions from Jie Long and the top student from Queenvail here, as the Student Council president of Seidoukan, I couldn't just ignore it. Someone would have nagged me to come and take a look."
Claudia's words left Julis' group momentarily stunned.
After a brief pause, they seemed to grasp the implication, their expressions stiffening as they turned to look at Sylvia.
In response, Sylvia shot a somewhat dissatisfied glance at Claudia and said, "I finally managed to disguise myself like this; I really hope you won't expose me so quickly, 'Qianjian Leader.'"
"I'm very sorry about that," Claudia replied lightly, "but I'm also concerned that people here might overlook you, and that wouldn't be good, 'Zhanlu Strega (Witch).'"
"If that's the case, there's no need to worry," Sylvia said playfully, "I'm just here to date today; as long as nothing interferes with that, I won't consider it neglect, okay?"
"Date?" Claudia looked genuinely surprised.
Not just Claudia, but even Julis, Toudou Kirin, and Amagiri Ayato were taken aback.
"Wait… wait a moment!"
After a moment, Julis suddenly stood up, her expression a mix of shock and hesitation as she stared at Sylvia.
"First-ranked girl of Queenvail? 'Zhanlu Strega (Witch)'? That means you're…!"
Before Julis could finish her thought, Sylvia interrupted her.
"Nothing of the sort!" Sylvia winked playfully, laughing lightly, "I've already said I'm just here to date today; everything else is irrelevant."
With that, Sylvia wrapped her arm around Fang Li without hesitation.
"You… you guys…" Julis was completely flustered.
"Ugh…" Toudou Kirin's face turned bright red.
"Haha…" Amagiri Ayato could only chuckle awkwardly.
"I didn't expect you two to have this kind of relationship," Claudia said, amusement dancing in her voice, "This really is quite rude of me."
As a result, Fang Li, who had been silent throughout the exchange, felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.
"Is this really okay?" Fang Li said to Sylvia with irritation, "You just revealed everything like that."
"What's the big deal?" Sylvia replied with a smile, "If it's the people here, they should be able to keep a secret, right?"
Moreover, Sylvia didn't care at all about the exposure issue.
She had already mentioned before that if it really got exposed, she would just retreat; she had no reservations whatsoever.
"Forget it." Fang Li could only curl his lip, looking at the crowd from Seidoukan, who was completely caught in confusion and said with amusement, "Alright, snap out of it. Your reactions are just too cute; you're practically broadcasting that you have no experience in romance."
As soon as these words were spoken, except for Claudia, Julis, Toudou Kirin, and Amagiri Ayato all had exaggerated reactions.
"W-Who cares about that kind of thing?!"
Julis slammed the table and shouted loudly, her face flushed, whether from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to tell.
"L-Love…"
Toudou Kirin's youthful and charming face looked as if it were boiling, turning so red that it seemed to be emitting steam.
"Ahaha…"
Amagiri Ayato could only continue to chuckle awkwardly.
These reactions seemed to delight Claudia, who happily laughed.
Just as Fang Li had said, these people were too easy to read; they were so pure and innocent that it was simply cute.
Of course, Amagiri Ayato's reaction might not be pure and innocent but rather clueless; perhaps he simply couldn't keep up with the topic.
"Seeing you all like this, I can't bear to continue; otherwise, it would make me seem like I'm bullying you," Fang Li said while laughing despite himself. "But compared to my apprentice brothers over there, you guys seem a lot happier."
This made Fang Li think, when he first entered this world and chose a faction, if he had chosen Seidoukan Academy, would he have had a completely different experience?
Unfortunately, while choosing Seidoukan Academy might be joyful, it wouldn't bring him the benefits that Jie Long could offer.
After all, Fang Li had received systematic training at Jie Long, developed his potential, and ultimately perfected his combat style.
If he were at Seidoukan Academy, he certainly wouldn't have achieved such results.
Besides, if he had chosen Seidoukan Academy, whether he could meet someone like Sylvia and end up with her would have been unknown.
Thinking this far, Fang Li couldn't help but glance at Sylvia.
"Hmm?"
Noticing Fang Li's gaze, Sylvia tilted her head.
Her cute reaction made Fang Li poke her forehead playfully, eliciting a look of displeasure from Sylvia.
But to the onlookers, that scene would probably just look like a display of affection, right?
(End Of The Chapter)
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