Chapter 93 : Chapter 93

In the library, there was an unspoken rule.

The long desk by the window, along with the two or three adjacent tables, had almost become Ryan’s default area.

At first, this was due to the invisible exclusion caused by his notorious reputation. Over time, even though his public image had subtly changed recently, this habitual territorial division was still silently respected by the other students.

Ryan and Cosette always occupied one end of the long table, while the other end and the nearby tables remained empty, forming a quiet, slightly isolated space centered around him.

However, Cecilia walked in without any hesitation, stepping directly into this area. She walked to the opposite side of Ryan and naturally pulled out a chair from the unoccupied end.

With a slight flutter of her skirt, she sat down gracefully, her legs crossing slightly, and the edge of her knee-high stockings revealed a glimpse of pale skin between the skirt and stockings. Ilis silently stood behind her chair, like the most loyal shadow guard.

"Looks like you’ve prepared quite thoroughly," Cecilia said, glancing over the maps of the forest and magical beast catalog spread out on the table, a faint smile playing at the corner of her lips.

Ryan nodded, not showing any signs of panic from her sudden appearance.

"Of course, it’s... for the agreement with Your Highness."

Cecilia chuckled softly. "I told you, Ryan, with our relationship, you really don’t need to keep calling me 'Your Highness' all the time. Or should I just call you Ryan instead, to make it less formal?"

Her blue eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief as she looked at him. Ryan sighed and said, "Cecilia, then."

"That's better." The princess nodded in satisfaction before getting to the point. "I came here because I have something important to tell you. However, this isn't the place for a proper discussion."

She glanced at the window and then asked, "You... haven’t had lunch yet, have you? Would you like to join me?"

When she said "you," she obviously meant both Ryan and the slightly confused Cosette, who had lifted her head from her book and was now looking at the two strangers standing in front of her.

The little maid didn’t recognize Cecilia, but instinctively sensed that the woman was someone of considerable status, and their relationship with Ryan seemed... unusual?

She nervously gripped the edge of her book.

Ryan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. After closing the book, he gestured for Cosette to follow him.

The four of them left the library, walking through the shaded paths toward the academy’s renowned "Golden Oak" restaurant, known for its elegant ambiance and expensive prices.

Their presence attracted countless astonished and curious glances along the way.

Many students speculated privately that perhaps Ryan and the princess had already shared some sort of unspoken connection, especially after Cecilia had made her appearance to settle matters during the recent trial.

They entered the private room reserved in the restaurant, and the waiter respectfully handed over the menu. Cecilia casually ordered a few signature dishes before handing the menu to Ryan.

Ryan glanced at it, adding just two seemingly good desserts before returning it to the waiter. The waiter bowed and exited.

As soon as the door closed, Ilis silently took out a deep blue cube-shaped magic tool, about the size of a fist, with intricate runes floating across its surface.

She placed it at the center of the table and infused it with a small amount of mana.

The cube vibrated slightly, and a nearly invisible light membrane of pale blue expanded from the center, silently adhering to the walls, ceiling, and floor of the room, forming a perfect soundproof barrier.

"Alright, now there are no outsiders." Cecilia relaxed her posture and looked at Ryan. "I came to tell you that the Whispering Forest Selection Tournament might have some differences from what you expected."

Ryan listened quietly.

"First, I believe in your abilities. Even in a traditional arena battle, you would certainly stand out. But this time, it’s a survival exploration, and there are many more variables. And..." she paused, "...this time, it’s not just your third-year students from the beginner’s department. The intermediate department... will also send a few of their own, under the guise of a special assessment, to join you in the Whispering Forest."

Ryan’s eyebrows twitched slightly. The difference in average strength between beginner and intermediate students was significant, which undoubtedly raised the difficulty. His mind briefly flashed to Eleanor Astrea.

Cecilia seemed to read his thoughts: "As for your old rival, Miss Astrea... she will most likely receive her qualification for the ruins exploration directly through her family’s channels, and she probably won’t be appearing in this selection tournament. You can rest easy for now."

Ryan felt an inexplicable sense of relief, but even if Eleanor did participate, he wasn’t without countermeasures.

A defeated foe, after all.

"Now, let’s talk about the assessment itself." Cecilia lightly tapped the table with her fingertips. "The core of it is survival and exploration. You’ll need to stay in the forest for seventy-two hours. The ways to exit early include being defeated by magical beasts, getting lost, or running out of supplies. But there’s another important point—being eliminated by other participants. The rules allow, and to some extent, even encourage combat between contestants, because there are only five spots available in the end. This is essentially a... much larger elimination tournament. With your current... hmm, still not the best reputation, you’ll need to be wary of others teaming up to target you."

This was indeed the reality Ryan would have to face. Even though his reputation had improved somewhat recently, his past deeds and personality were enough to make some students consider taking advantage of this largely unregulated environment.

"Another important source of points is exploration points," Cecilia continued. "The academy has placed at least several hundred special runes in the forest, divided into twelve different types. Collecting a full set of twelve different runes will automatically secure one of the spots. Otherwise, the more types and quantities of runes you collect, the higher your points. Runes can also be stolen."

She looked at Ryan: "So, most people will form teams once they enter. I see you... seem to have no intention of doing that? You’ll need to be extra careful, then."

Just then, a soft knock echoed at the door. Ilis quickly retracted the soundproof magic tool and opened the door to let the waiter bring in the dishes. The exquisite dishes, full of aroma and flavor, were laid out on the table.

After the waiter exited, the soundproof barrier was once again erected.

"Let’s eat first, and talk while we do." Cecilia picked up her utensils and made a gesture.

At this moment, she seemed to notice Cosette, who had been quietly standing behind Ryan, still somewhat at a loss, as well as Ilis, who was still standing behind her.

"Oh, is this your little maid? I remember her name is Cosette, right? Very cute." Cecilia smiled.

Cosette, caught off guard by being addressed, fumbled nervously and curtsied: "Y-yes, it's me... You are?"

Ryan introduced her: "This is Princess Cecilia Ishtar, the second princess of the Empire."

Cosette’s eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly bowed again: "Your... Your Highness, hello!"

"No need for formalities." Cecilia waved her hand. "Please, sit down. Ilis, you sit as well. There are no outsiders here, relax."

Ilis silently walked around the table to sit on the opposite side, her back still straight. Cosette glanced at Ryan, who gave a silent nod of approval, and then cautiously sat beside him, lowering her head.