Kapitel 103: I Want A Friend!
The night slipped away, and the golden light of morning bathed the academy in its warmth. It was 7:00 AM, the usual time when the gym buzzed with activity. For most students, this was a sacred hour dedicated to building their physical strength, a crucial part of being an awakened individual. Even the girls, who were just as strong and determined as the boys, never skipped this routine.
But today was different.
The gym was unusually quiet, or rather, a specific area of it was. Crowds of students moved cautiously around the room, making sure to avoid one particular corner.
Why?
Because in that corner, Kaelith—the daughter of Lilith and the infamous Silver Dragon—was working out.
Kaelith was not someone who typically worked out. In fact, she had never needed to. Her dragon blood gifted her a physique far superior to everyone else's. Her body was built for power, speed, and resilience, and she had always relied on her natural abilities. Yet, for the past few days, she had been a regular at the gym, shocking everyone who laid eyes on her.
"Do you know why she's been coming here every morning?" whispered one girl to her friend, her voice low with curiosity.
The other girl stole a quick glance at Kaelith, careful not to make it obvious. "How should I know? Maybe it's because she lost the competition recently? But whatever the reason, we'd better not get too close. Nobody wants to accidentally get on her bad side."
Kaelith, who was doing push-ups with massive weight plates stacked on her back, heard every word. Her dragon senses were sharp, far beyond human levels. She could hear them clearly.
Her face remained blank, her breathing steady, even though the plates on her back weighed hundreds of tons. To her, it felt no different than lifting paper. But her calm exterior was a mask. Inside her mind, a single question echoed over and over.
"Why?"
Kaelith couldn't stop thinking about it. The question circled in her mind like an unrelenting storm. For days now, the thought had consumed her, taking over every waking moment.
She remembered the fight vividly. It wasn't just any ordinary battle—it was the one where she faced Esdeath, Maruti, and Ethan. For the first time in her life, she fought people who challenged her. It wasn't easy. The three of them were skilled, clever, and determined.
But it wasn't enough to defeat her.
Kaelith knew she could've taken them all on her own if she wanted. Her power, her heritage as the daughter of Lilith, ensured that much. Yet something about that battle lingered in her mind.
"Why were they so desperate? Why are they fight like their very lives depended on it? What is there to gain from a simple competition?"
These type of thought came to her mind at that time.
She closed her eyes, replaying the moment when their gazes burned with unshakable resolve.
"Are they in the same situation as me?"
Her thoughts turned inward. Kaelith was Lilith's daughter—the daughter of the great dragon queen. From the moment she was born, her path had been laid out for her. People didn't see her as Kaelith; they saw her as Lilith's daughter.
No matter what she accomplished, the reaction was always the same:
"As expected of Lilith's daughter!"
No matter what she wanted to do for herself, the response was predictable:
"This doesn't suit you. You're Lilith's daughter. You'll surpass your mother one day. You should follow the path she walked."
Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith,Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith, Lilith.
It was suffocating.
Her mother's name echoed endlessly in her mind, as if it were a curse. She was always in Lilith's shadow, no matter how brightly she tried to shine on her own.
Kaelith gritted her teeth, her chest tightening.
Every time she wanted to follow her own desires, someone interfered. Every time she succeeded, her achievements were credited to her mother's legacy. And every time she failed, it was as if the world reminded her of how she was falling short of that impossible standard.
She hated it.
It was strikingly similar to Lortell Mariette's.
Lortell, the daughter of the Archduke, had endured the same expectations. Every step she took, every word she said, was scrutinized. As a child, Lortell had no choice but to create a barrier around her heart. She became emotionless, detached—a perfect doll with no feelings, no desires, no weaknesses.
But then Lortell met Esdeath, and everything changed. Her carefully constructed walls crumbled, and emotions she had buried for years surged forward. She fallen in love with esdeath but in the blink of an eye Love turned into obsession, and the once-detached Lortell became fiercely possessive of Esdeath.
Kaelith wasn't so different.
To protect herself from the weight of expectations, she had built her own shield—an arrogant, domineering attitude. She acted tough, spoke with the confidence of a tyrant queen, and pushed people away with her sharp tongue and prideful demeanor.
But it was all a mask. A fragile shield hiding a vulnerable heart that desperately wanted to be free.
What hurt Kaelith the most was knowing that no one truly understood her. Even in Free Life Fantasy, Kaelith's character was left as little more than an arrogant side character. There was no backstory, no depth, no explanation for her behavior.
Even esdeath didn't know about this side of kaelith.
"No!" Kaelith shook her head as the thought troubled her. "Ethan is just a commoner, and Esdeath is only a baroness. They don't have the kind of family pressure I have to win. As for that girl, Maruti… she's probably just some nobody with no background."
But as Maruti's name crossed her mind, Kaelith couldn't help but recall that moment.
The truth was, Kaelith hadn't been fully defeated in that fight. She had chosen to lose. And the reason? Maruti.
From the very beginning, Maruti had been the one taking the brunt of Kaelith's attacks. She was like a shield for her team, absorbing hit after hit to protect Ethan and Esdeath. Out of every eight punches Kaelith threw, seven of them landed on Maruti.
Her face was swollen, her body battered, and bruises covered her from head to toe. But despite all of that, she stood firm, refusing to back down. She was the perfect tank, holding her ground for her teammates, especially Esdeath.
Kaelith had noticed it.
"Why are you blocking my punches? My strikes can shatter your jaw. If your injuries become severe, the academy will charge you for healing, and there's no way someone like you can afford it. They'll do the bare minimum, and your face will be permanently disfigured. Do you even realize what you're risking? A girl's face is everything!"
These thoughts flooded Kaelith's mind as she swung another punch toward Maruti.
But just before it connected, something stopped her.
Kaelith hesitated. Her grudge wasn't with Maruti; it was with Esdeath. She wasn't a heartless monster, and the idea of permanently harming someone who wasn't her true target felt… wrong.
So, she pulled back slightly, reducing the power in her punch. Even then, when the blow landed, it was still strong enough to make Maruti stagger. She saw Maruti's body sway, her legs faltering, but the girl didn't fall.
Maruti stood there, blood dripping from her lip, and looked at Kaelith with unyielding determination. Kaelith stepped back, retreating for a moment, and her gaze shifted to Esdeath.
"Are you doing this for her? But why? What's in it for you to be so desperate? Did she save your life or something? From what I know, you two only met here in the academy. How could your bond be so deep already?"
Her anger grew.
No matter how hard Kaelith tried to land a finishing blow on Esdeath, Maruti was always there. She intervened every single time, even at the very end.
Kaelith remembered it clearly. She had aimed a decisive punch at Esdeath, but Maruti had thrown herself between them, taking the full force of the blow yet again. Even as Kaelith's fist slammed into Maruti's face, the girl retaliated with a punch of her own, striking Kaelith across the cheek.
The crowd watched as Kaelith collapsed to the ground, seemingly unconscious. But the truth was far from that.
She wasn't unconscious.
Lying there on the ground, Kaelith stared up at the sky, her thoughts swirling in confusion. She didn't feel defeated, but she felt… hollow.
"Why? Why does Esdeath have someone like her? Why does she have someone willing to stand by her side, no matter the cost?"
Kaelith's chest tightened, and her fists clenched.
"I want that too," she thought, her heart aching. "I want someone who will stay by my side no matter what. I want… a friend."
Closing her eyes, she pretended to faint. The crowd cheered for Esdeath's victory, but Kaelith didn't care. Winning no longer mattered to her.
"Let them win," she told herself. "I can win the next rounds if I feel like it. This fight doesn't matter anymore."
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"Lalalala... Lalalala..."
Lortell hummed softly as she strolled through the academy's bustling hallways, her steps light and carefree. Her voice carried a melodious tune that caught the attention of nearby students, but she paid them no mind. Let them whisper, let them stare—it didn't matter.
Today was a good day.
She was in an unusually great mood because of the news brought to her by her trusted head maid, Lorraine.
Lortell smirked as she thought about the rare essence stone Lorraine had mentioned.
"Blood Connection."
A C-rank blood-path investigation stone. Its ability was simple yet powerful: if someone had ever consumed another person's blood, the essence stone could track the location of that person, provided they weren't using strong concealment techniques.
And Lortell? She had drunk Esdeath's blood plenty of times.
"Esdeath is just an E-rank anyway," Lortell mused, her crimson eyes gleaming with excitement. "She wouldn't have any advanced methods to hide herself. She's probably just wandering around looking for luna. There's no way she could block the stone's effect."
Her smile widened as she hugged herself, practically vibrating with excitement. The thought of reuniting with Esdeath filled her with a strange, obsessive joy.
"The person who owns the essence stone is in the Awakened Kingdom. Lorraine has already gone to make contact. And Lorraine never fails me. Once she gets the stone, it's only a matter of time before Esdeath and I are together again."
She twirled in the hallway, her skirt swishing dramatically, oblivious to the students who paused to gawk at her eccentric behavior.
But her daydreams were interrupted when a young maid rushed toward her.
The maid bowed deeply, her voice trembling slightly. "My lady, Vice Principal Lilith has summoned you to her office."
Lortell's hum ceased. Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly as her thoughts shifted.
"Lilith? What does that hag want now?"
She had a pretty good idea why.
The academy was buzzing with rumors about five girls she had been tormenting. One of those girls had mysteriously died, and suspicion had naturally fallen on her.
Her lips curled into a sneer, and she snorted disdainfully. "Hmph! That old hag is calling for me over this nonsense? Didn't I already tell her I didn't kill that girl?"
Despite her irritation, Lortell knew she couldn't ignore the summons. Refusing a direct order from Vice Principal Lilith wasn't an option.
She adjusted her posture, flicked her long hair over her shoulder, and began walking in the direction of the Vice Principal's office.
-----------
Lortell reached the Vice Principal's office and, without hesitation, pushed open the door. She didn't bother knocking—why would she? She had never felt the need to respect anyone's authority.
But as the door swung open, her sharp eyes caught sight of something unexpected.
Her brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.
Lilith wasn't alone.
Seated across from Lilith was someone unexpected—a student, not a professor or member of the academy staff.
It was Princess Ravenna.
Lortell's mind raced as she assessed the situation.
"So that's her plan," Lortell thought, her lips curving into a bitter smirk.
Lilith and Lortell were equals in authority, bound by academy rules. Despite Lilith's warnings and complaints about Lortell's actions, she couldn't take direct action against her. But Ravenna was different.
Who held the highest status in the academy?
Not Lortell.
Not Lilith.
Not even the Principal.
It was the Princess of the Kingdom—Ravenna Thorne.
Although Ravenna was a first-year and far weaker than Lortell in terms of raw power, her royal status gave her authority that even Lortell couldn't ignore.
Lortell clicked her tongue in irritation. She had been cornered.
She turned sharply on her heel, intending to leave without a word. But just as she reached for the door—
"Stop. Do not leave," Ravenna's firm voice rang out.
Lortell froze, her body tense. She gritted her teeth in frustration but turned back reluctantly. With an exaggerated sigh, she strode over to the chair opposite Lilith and Ravenna and sat down.
Even seated, Lortell's towering height was intimidating. She met Ravenna's gaze with an air of defiance, her head held high. Ravenna, though tall for a girl, couldn't match Lortell's presence.
Still, the Princess didn't falter.
"I've heard you've been bullying some students," Ravenna began, her voice calm but with a sharp edge.
Lortell rolled her eyes. "Bullying? That's a bit much. I was just having some fun with the freshmen. If they're too sensitive, that's not my problem."
Her tone was dismissive, her words dripping with arrogance.
Ravenna's expression didn't change. She pulled out a folded paper from her lap and began reading.
"You refused to let a girl use the washroom, forcing her to humiliate herself by wetting her clothes. You put a dog collar on another girl, made her crawl on all fours, and paraded her naked through the halls. And there's more."
Ravenna's voice was steady, but her eyes were filled with disappointment.
Lortell's smirk faded slightly as Ravenna continued.
"It's fortunate the second incident happened at night when most of the academy was asleep. But the few who witnessed it were appalled. Your actions aren't just cruel—they're damaging the academy's reputation."
Ravenna's tone hardened with anger as she finished speaking.
Lortell shrugged, leaning back lazily in her chair. "It was just a little hazing. They're overreacting."
Lilith's lips pressed into a thin line, but she remained silent, letting Ravenna handle the situation.
Ravenna sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Let's set the past aside for now. I'll compensate the victims' families and ensure no rumors spread beyond these walls. But from this moment on, you are to stay away from the remaining four girls. You can't just go around doing whatever you please, Lortell."
Her voice carried authority, but Lortell wasn't impressed.
Leaning forward, Lortell's crimson eyes locked onto Ravenna's. Her voice was low and dangerous. "Is that a request?"
Ravenna didn't flinch. She met Lortell's gaze head-on, her own pink eyes burning with determination.
"No," she said, her voice steady and firm. "It's a royal order."
The room fell silent.
Lortell's jaw tightened as she sat back in her chair, her expression unreadable. But deep down, she knew she had been forced into a corner. For now, she had no choice but to comply.
Lortell gritted her teeth as she stood up, her eyes blazing with fury.
"Kids these days think they can bark orders at me!" she spat, her voice dripping with disdain.
With a swift kick, she sent the chair flying across the room.
BAM!
The chair slammed into the wall, shattering into pieces.
"My whole damn mood is ruined!" she hissed, turning sharply on her heel and storming out of the office.
As much as she hated it, she had no choice but to follow Ravenna's order. She couldn't bully those girls anymore, no matter how much she wanted to.
The thought of slapping Ravenna across the face crossed her mind, but she knew better. She clenched her fists tightly, her frustration burning like fire as she walked away.
Back in the office, Lilith let out a small sigh of relief. The situation had finally been resolved, and she could feel the tension leaving her body.
But Ravenna was a different story.
As soon as Lortell was out of sight, Ravenna's confident facade crumbled. Sweat poured down her face, and her breathing became ragged.
"Pant… pant… That was so scary!" she thought, clutching her chest to steady herself.
Her legs felt weak, and she barely managed to stay standing.
"I thought I might faint at any moment!"
She had been putting on a brave act, but inside, she was just a nervous girl facing someone far more powerful. Lortell's overwhelming presence had been suffocating, and Ravenna couldn't shake the fear that had gripped her throughout the conversation.
---
Meanwhile, Lortell's face was still twisted with anger as she stomped through the hallway. Her thoughts were consumed by frustration until she spotted her head maid, Lorraine, waiting for her.
Lorraine quickly bowed her head upon seeing her mistress.
"My lady," Lorraine began, her tone calm but serious, "I've contacted the owner of the Blood Connection essence stone through telepathy. He's a blood mage, without a doubt a criminal who's taken many lives. However, he's agreed to give us the essence stone. But there's a catch—he's too afraid to come here. We'll need to go to him and retrieve it ourselves."
Lortell's fiery anger began to cool as she listened. Her scowl softened into a smirk.
"That's good news," she said, her voice regaining its usual composed tone.
She took a deep breath, pushing aside her earlier rage.
"I can't wait any longer. I'll go with you personally," she declared, her crimson eyes gleaming with determination.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein