Chapter 340 79.2 - Commotion
On the academy grounds, while the snow was falling, rare footage of three girls who had the fate of being exceptional in the future could be seen.
"Hey, do you have something?"
Julia raised her head, looking at the other two.
"Do I have what?"
Irina asked, seemingly perturbed. Her mind seemed to be elsewhere, completely unconnected to the present.
"Of course, something to talk about? I am really bored, you know."
Julia replied. Since they had been training and studying from the morning, she had already reached her limit, and her ADHD was kicking in, especially with her addiction to gossip and entertainment.
"Ah...." Irina shook her head. "I don't have..."
"You?" Seeing that she wouldn't be able to get anything from Irina, Julia turned her attention to Lilia, who had already expected what was about to come.
"Hmm..." Lilia put her finger to her lips to give the impression that there was something. Julia, seeing that, slightly twitched the corner of her mouth.
'She is doing it again.' Inwardly cringing, she maintained her expression, as she knew this was what Lilia liked to do.
Lilia finally smiled, her eyes lighting up with the kind of insider knowledge that only someone deeply embedded in the politics of high society would possess. "Actually, there is something," she began, her voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper. Julia leaned in, her interest clearly piqued, while even Irina seemed to momentarily snap back to reality, her ears perked up at the mention of something potentially juicy.
Lilia's eyes darted around to ensure no one else was within earshot before she continued. "The Blackthorn family is considering entering an alliance with the Harringtons," she disclosed, her voice barely a whisper. Julia's eyes widened; such news was exactly the kind of thing she loved to sink her teeth into.
"There are rumors," Lilia added, pausing for effect, "that they might merge their businesses on the archaeology front."
Julia's mind raced at the implications, and she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.
The Blackthorns and the Harringtons were two of the most influential families within their respective fields, while the latter was in the slightly lower ranks compared to the former.
A partnership between them could shift power dynamics not only in the academy but perhaps even in broader society.
However, while saying that, Lilia didn't forget to check Irina's reactions, and she saw nothing as if Irina didn't even care.
'Did she not understand what this implies, or does she really not care?'
There were two types of merging for noble families. One of them was a clear business contract where that was solely in the form of companies. The other one was to clearly manage families by entering an arranged marriage.
The latter would be the way of showing the world that the contract was a lot deeper and the alliance was a lot stronger as well.
Of course, being the heirs of such families, all three girls were very well aware of such topics, as arranged marriages were the fate awaiting those who lacked behind compared to their other siblings.
That was why Lilia was slightly surprised, as she knew Irina had long liked Victor and that he was the most likely candidate for the marriage.
"Why archaeology, though?" Julia mused aloud. "Both families have their fingers in so many pies. What's so special about archaeology all of a sudden?"
–SWOOSH!
However, their focus shifted abruptly as a wave of energy pulsated through the air.
"!"
The distinctive ripple of mana was unmistakable, indicating a disturbance nearby. Both Lilia and Irina, sensitive to such fluctuations, recognized it instantly as signs of a conflict or brawl—a rarity but not unheard of among the academy's passionate and sometimes hot-headed students.
"Someone is fighting." Not knowing why they were still speaking with whispers, Irina informed others.
"Yeah, I know."
Turning towards the source of the disturbance, Lilia's enhanced vision, honed from her training as a ranger, caught sight of a troubling scene within one of the cafes.
Ethan, with his face bloodied, was sprawled across a table, surrounded by a group of unknown individuals. It was clear from his posture and the tension around him that he was either in the middle of a confrontation or had just suffered the worst end of one.
Lilia's instincts as a protector kicked in, and she whispered urgently to her companions, "That's Ethan—he's in trouble."
"What?"
"Ethan is in trouble?"
Without hesitation, the trio's earlier mission of following Astron was put on hold. It was an unconscious act.
The importance of family alliances and camaraderie among their circle, especially those of notable houses, dictated their next actions.
Quickly and quietly, they approached the cafe, their minds shifting from curiosity about Astron's activities to concern for Ethan's well-being.
After all, the former was something they did just for entertainment.
–SWOOSH!
Without even wasting for a second, Julia, being the hot-
blooded girl she is, instantly dashed through the café.
"Hey!"
Lilia and Irina tried to calm her down to assess the situation first, but Julia was already far away.
"Sigh...." With a sigh, Lilia followed Julia, noticing that standing there wouldn't help.
"Wa-"
Irina was left alone for a second, being late in judgment. She threw a gaze at where Astron was but only to see that he was no longer there.
"Tch."
With a click of her tongue, she also followed her friends' tracks, instantly rushing to the café.
