I Level Up Dragons with My Evolution System-Chapter 48: Aurora Ashford has something to say

Three days later.

If there was one thing Edward appreciated about the room he was given in the academy dormitories, it was that it had a balcony, which was relatively large. After several renovations, it was perfect. From here he could enjoy the view... Although, at the same time, he had to curse the fact that the view was a cave.

Although there was an entire civilization down below, for him it didn’t compare to the view he had when he looked out the window of William’s room every time he went to visit him.

That’s why he was very tempted to live outside the academy grounds.

"If only it weren’t so expensive..." He lamented, but continued to look at the landscape.

Trssh. Suddenly, the sound of the door snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked back.

Arnold came out with his beanbag cushion and threw it on the floor, sitting down next to it with a book in his hand. However, he didn’t open it.

"Aren’t you going to training today? It’s important, and Kael Vorren is teaching it," said Arnold.

"It’s in two hours," Edward replied, shrugging. "And it’s precisely because Kael Vorren is the instructor that I feel disgusted. Please don’t remind me."

Arnold laughed. "I understand. That guy is disgusting."

Edward just shrugged again, he couldn’t agree more...

Still, Arnold looked at him. "Then why are you getting dressed two hours early? It looks like you want to go ahead of time."

"I’m interested in the training. We’ve been studying magic theory these days and it’s boring. For the first time, we’ll have magic training... naturally, I’m interested," Edward replied. "But I’m not dressed to go right now. I’m meeting someone in 30 minutes."

"You’re meeting someone?" Arnold’s tone of complete disbelief made Edward frown.

"What’s so strange about that?" he asked, looking back at him.

"No offense, Edward..." Arnold said, laughing slightly mockingly. "But you don’t have any friends."

"Neither do you," Edward countered.

"But I don’t need them," Arnold replied, leaning back on his beanbag chair. "I’m perfectly happy without friends. Friends are a nuisance, they bother you about everything, they want you to go out all the time, and worst of all, they can betray you."

Edward shook his head. He knew this guy’s philosophy: If you don’t have friends, no one can betray you. So that’s why I won’t have friends.

Apparently, he was traumatized by betrayals... who knows why.

Still, Edward had to fight back somehow. "What makes you think I’m not like you?" he asked...

Big mistake.

Arnold laughed out loud. "Don’t kid yourself, Edward. You’re not like me. You don’t crave loneliness, nor are you friends with it. I know this because, even though you knew I was grounded for a month, you still wanted to talk to me."

"I remind you that you were the one who spoke to me first."

"I had lost my dagger, Edward," Arnold recalled. "And you were the only one with the keys."

"In the end, you had it on your belt," Edward sneered, and Arnold exploded with rage.

"Bastard, it’s okay to be forgetful, but that’s not the point here!" he shouted, pointing at him with the book. "We’re talking about loneliness, loneliness!" He made sure to emphasize it twice so he wouldn’t forget.

Even so, the mocking look on Edward’s face infuriated him, and he decided to ignore him.

Edward stood up at that moment. "Well, I certainly don’t have many friends..." He sighed. "But I have one very valuable person who has helped me a lot. Don’t you want to meet her?" He asked.

Arnold frowned. He wanted to ignore him, but something he said made him curious. "Is she a woman?" He asked.

"Her name is Aurora, a high-level student," Edward replied, confirming it.

Arnold’s eyes lit up.

"Aurora Ashford?!" he shouted, in shock.

--

At the door of a high-end restaurant in the Academy’s Underground City.

"I can’t believe it..." Arnold stood there with his mouth open, staring at Aurora Ashford’s beautiful face in front of him. "It really is Miss Aurora Ashford."

Aurora looked at him for a moment and then returned to Edward. "Ed... Who is?"

Edward moved to introduce him. "He’s my roommate, his name is Arnold. He may not look like a nice guy, but he is."

"Hey." Arnold grabbed him by the sleeve. "What the hell are you saying?" He quickly proceeded to bow respectfully to Aurora. "Greetings, Miss Ashford. I am Arnold, Edward’s roommate. I am a 3-Star student, without a regiment for now."

His introduction was impeccable, and the movement of his hands and body was reminiscent of nobility.

Edward was perplexed. Since when was this guy such a good speaker and so respectful?

Aurora laughed at their exchange, knowing they were friends or on their way to becoming friends. Her laughter lightened the mood in the restaurant, immediately drawing attention to her.

"Nice to meet you, Arnold," Aurora replied. "You already know me, I don’t need an introduction. But you don’t know that I’ve also been friends with Edward for several years, call me Aurora."

Arnold felt like he was floating on cotton clouds... His idol had actually introduced herself to him. Was he dreaming? He couldn’t help but want to pinch himself to find out, but it would be rude to do that in front of her.

Unfortunately, finally meeting Aurora Ashford, one of the most legendary women in the academy, left him speechless...

"He usually talks a lot," Edward said when he saw Arnold silent. "I guess he had to shut up at some point."

Aurora smiled at Edward’s joke and pulled him into a private room in the restaurant... Along the way, Arnold couldn’t take the pressure anymore and had to go to the bathroom.

In the end, the two were left alone in the room.

As soon as he sat down, Aurora grabbed his hand. "How are you, Ed?" she asked with genuine concern.

"About what?"

"About what you saw in that place," she replied firmly. "You can hide it from others, but not from me. Your discomfort is written all over your face."

Edward stared at her for a brief moment before his mask fell apart. Contrary to Aurora’s expectations, he did not reveal an overly darkened expression, but rather one of confusion.

"What do you know about it?" he asked.

Several seconds passed in silence until Aurora decided to speak. "I don’t know much either. But I know where I can get information."

"Really?" Edward frowned. "Where?"

That was just as valuable as knowing the information itself...

"The closest one to us is Regiment 101," she replied, almost in a whisper.