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Chapter 202: Loren: Huh?
Chapter 202: Loren: Huh?
Along the avenue of Elcrite Academy, ancient oak trees spread their dense canopies, casting dappled light and shadow on the cobblestone path from the sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Not far away, the Learning and Education Building stood tall, one of the iconic landmarks of the academy, always bustling with activity.
Lanchi, Hyperian, and their new classmate were walking along such a path when they suddenly came across Loren.
The sound of Loren's leather shoes gently scraping against the ground as he approached, the only other sounds were the distant laughter of other students and the rustling of leaves in the breeze.
"Lanchi, Hyperian."
Dean Loren addressed them, his eyes fixed intently on the pair.
"What's the meaning of this challenge between you and Adams?"
He had no time to ponder why Lanchi and Hyperian were associating with a student from the Yaloran Kingdom.
It wasn't a big deal as long as they didn't get into trouble and send innocent students to jail. Loren didn't think it was a big deal.
Lanchi and Hyperian glanced at each other, clearly not expecting to encounter the dean here.
"Dean Loren!"
Lanchi, as if he had been looking for him, was delighted to see the sudden appearance of Dean Loren.
"My friendly match with Adams is over. He chose the 'Despairing Bone-Chilling Prison' artificial shadow world, and I agreed."
Lanchi answered Loren's question first.
"It's over?"
Loren asked, confused. If it was over, why was Adams still in the seventh-layer courtyard?
"...And why hasn't he contacted Julianne all day?"
"Adams is still in the shadow world..."
"Huh? You didn't win?"
"I lost."
Loren shuddered at the thought.
He never expected Lanchi to lose so easily; there was only one possible explanation—
He never intended to win.
For a moment, Loren couldn't fathom what Lanchi was up to.
He quickly turned to Hyperian for answers.
Hyperian, a rare voice of sanity, at least spoke more sense than Lanchi.
"Hyperian, tell me what's going on."
"..."
Hyperian glanced at Lanchi and then stammered, her lips pursed,
"Lanchi and Adams made a bet. If Lanchi won, Knight Commander Julianne would go on a date with you, Dean Loren."
"..." Loren was shocked by the terms of the bet but breathed a sigh of relief when he heard it.
It was a relief that Lanchi hadn't won!
But then another thought struck him.
What could have possibly convinced Julianne to agree to such an absurd condition? And what would be the consequences if Lanchi lost? Loren looked at Hyperian expectantly, waiting for her to finish her explanation.
Hyperian twisted her dress in her hands, looking awkward and unable to speak.
Loren started to feel anxious, sensing that he was about to receive some earth-shattering news.
At that moment, sensing Hyperian's discomfort, Lanchi took a slight step forward and explained:
"It's like this, Dean Loren. If Adams wins, you don't have to pay any additional price. You just need to go with the flow. Then you can prepare for your date with Knight Commander Julianne."
"?"
Loren was perplexed by Lanchi's words.
How could there be such an unequal treaty?
And why would Julianne agree to a date with him either way? What did one thing have to do with the other?!
"Knight Commander Julianne agreed that as long as you apologize to her and earn her forgiveness, she will go on a date with you..." Lanchi explained to Dean Loren.
As they conversed along the path on the academy grounds, a stirring scene unfolded at the distant building's entrance, capturing their attention and drawing their gazes. Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps reached their ears.
A medical team, their white uniforms emblazoned with the emblem of the Alchemy Institute, strode out from the Learning and Education Building. Their demeanor exuded professionalism.
In the recent days, they had been dispatched several times, and now they were pulling off a hat-trick.
But what was even more shocking was the person being carried on the stretcher—Adams.
His once confident and cheerful countenance was now deathly pale, having just endured a harrowing ordeal that left him near death. His face was etched with frost, as if he had been pulled straight from a freezer.
Loren's gaze was transfixed on Adams, unable to look away.
"This..."
Loren's face contorted in a mix of disbelief and shock, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.
He tilted his head slightly backward, seeking answers from the incomprehensible scene unfolding in the distance.
As the stretcher carrying Adams passed by Loren, Lanchi, and the others, Adams, who had been trembling slightly, noticed the look of astonishment on Loren's face.
Soon, a victorious smile appeared on Adams' face, like a fleeting glimmer of light before death.
He had emerged triumphant! His academic visit to the Kingdom of Hutton had been well worth it, just to see Loren's expression.
However...
As the angle of the stretcher changed, and Adams noticed Lanchi standing beside Loren, his eyes narrowed.
Lanchi, in stark contrast to Adams, looked refreshed and vibrant.
While Adams had suffered in the prison, Lanchi had likely spent the previous day feasting, drinking, and sleeping soundly, enjoying a wonderful day.
Adams' mind began to race.
"Lan... Lanchi... You..."
His lips quivered, and he uttered weak words as the stretcher passed by Lanchi.
"..."
Lanchi pressed his lips together, his expression a mix of pity, regret, and reproach.
It was as if he was asking Adams why he hadn't trusted him, as it had merely been a friendly match.
"Hello, Lanchi..."
Finally, Adams turned his head away and closed his eyes.
"..."
Silence fell upon the road.
They watched as Adams was carried away.
Loren was at a loss for words.
Some things transcended the realm of language, and he now understood what Lanchi had meant by "going with the flow."
He would have to go and apologize to Julianne.
"Dean Loren, go happily on your date with Knight Commander Julianne. If you need any more matchmaking in the future, just let me know. I guarantee I'll get your marriage settled!"
Lanchi, with his hands in his pockets, sighed and looked at Loren once more with a smile as sweet as a cherub holding a love arrow.
"..."
Looking at Lanchi, Loren's expression changed several times.
Being able to go on a date with Julianne should have been a dream come true.
Loren had never even dared to imagine such an opportunity.
But why did he now feel exceptionally desolate?
His already rocky path to love had likely been transformed into a heavenly road, thanks to Lanchi's meddling.
Finally, Loren laughed.
It was a laugh tinged with sorrow.
"I'm so stupid, truly..."
Loren lifted his lifeless eyes, shook his head, and couldn't form a coherent sentence.
The sun had set, and the day had come to an end.
(End of Chapter)
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