Chapter 298 (Patreon)

Kana hadn’t paid much attention to it at first. Or perhaps she had noticed, but never truly stopped to think about what it meant. It had become part of the background, like the quiet hum of the academy halls or the distant chatter of students between classes. But lately, it stood out more clearly.

Students greeted her.

Not casually, not the way students greeted one another out of habit or politeness. They greeted her with intent. Some nodded with respect. Others went further, bowing their heads as she passed, as if acknowledging someone above them. It wasn’t quite reverence, but it was close enough to make her uncomfortable.

Kana wasn’t a noble.

At least, she didn’t think of herself as one.

Yet this was how they treated her. Of course, not everyone followed that silent agreement. There were still those like Valdis and the group that surrounded him, students who met her gaze with smirks instead of respect, their expressions edged with something sharper. Pride, perhaps. Or resentment. Kana didn’t dwell on it. If anything, their reactions felt more normal.

The rest… didn’t.

Mornings in the academy had become strangely quiet in structure and loud in presence. Officially, they were free. No required classes. No attendance to track. Yet, as if bound by an unspoken rule, most second-year Mythril students still gathered in their classroom. It had turned into something between a habit and a refuge they got from the copper classroom last year.

Kana sat near the front as usual, resting her chin lightly against her palm, her thoughts drifting. Around her, conversations rose and fell like waves, familiar voices blending into something almost comforting.

At the front of the room, Wor-en sat behind his desk, as he often did. He wasn’t teaching. He rarely spoke during these hours. He simply worked, flipping through parchments, occasionally glancing at the class as if observing rather than instructing. His presence alone was enough to keep the room from descending into chaos.

“Kana.”

The voice came from behind her, persistent in a way that had become increasingly familiar.

“When are you going to tell me?”

Kana closed her eyes briefly.

Joan again.

She didn’t even need to turn around to know the expression on the Holy Kingdom student’s face. Curious. Focused. Unrelenting. Joan had been asking the same question for weeks now, circling it from different angles but always returning to the same point.

What was the source of Kana’s strength?

More specifically, how had she grown so strong without even relying on prayer?

Kana exhaled quietly, buying herself a moment. Joan wasn’t wrong to be curious. In her world, strength followed a structure, a belief. Kana didn’t fit into that structure, and that made her an anomaly Joan couldn’t ignore.

How do I stop her from asking? Kana wondered.

Telling the truth wasn’t an option. The leveling system wasn’t something she could casually explain, not when she wasn’t even certain where the Holy Kingdom truly stood. Allies, perhaps. Or something less certain.

She needed an answer that sounded real… but revealed nothing.

Then an idea clicked into place.

Kana lifted her hand slightly, summoning a small dagger into existence. The motion was subtle, practiced, but it still carried just enough weight to draw attention. The blade caught the light faintly, its surface darker than ordinary steel. The [Bold Dagger Style].

“I have this,” Kana said, keeping her tone casual. “A special dungeon item. That might be the reason.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie.

Behind her, Joan went quiet for a moment. Kana could almost hear the gears turning in her mind. Then, after a pause, Joan summoned her own weapon. A smaller version of her greatsword appeared in her palm, condensed but unmistakable.

“That’s strange,” Joan murmured, studying it. “I have something similar. I’ve had it since I was awakened.” She looked back at Kana, brows knitting slightly. “Do you think it’s a matter of mastery?”

Kana smiled, though it felt a bit forced,“Maybe.”

It was enough to satisfy her for now. Hopefully.

“Kana!”

The call came from the doorway, bright and energetic enough to cut through the layered conversations of the room. Kana turned her head just in time to see one of their newer classmates approaching with quick, confident steps.

Misty Sea.

Her silver hair shimmered faintly under the light, matching the sharp clarity in her eyes. Even her presence felt… crisp, like the air before snowfall. A [Frostbinder], if Kana remembered correctly. Though unlike most of her kind, Misty didn’t fight from a distance like the usual [Mage] with ice variants like Yuri’s mother. She was closer to tanks, more durable, more aggressive.

And currently—

Very determined.

“Can you watch me again?” Misty asked, stopping just beside Kana’s desk. “I’ve improved. A lot this time.”

Kana blinked slowly. Tomorrow. That word had become her shield.

“Tomorrow,” Kana replied simply. “I’m sleepy.”

Misty’s expression tightened immediately,“That’s what you said yesterday.”

Kana didn’t even try to defend herself this time.

Before the conversation could continue, a sudden burst of loud clapping erupted from the back of the room. It wasn’t polite applause. It was chaotic, enthusiastic, the kind that demanded attention whether you wanted to give it or not.

Kana glanced over her shoulder.

It was the boys at the back. Boris stood at the center of it, grinning like he had just discovered something incredible. Perched nearby—or rather, moving in ways that made perched an insufficient description—was Thorne.

The small lizard… was changing size. Not dramatically, but enough to be obvious. One moment it fit comfortably on Boris’s shoulder. The next, it stretched slightly larger, then shrank again, as if testing the limits of its own form.

“I had my doubts before,” Adam said, leaning forward with interest. “But now? That’s definitely not a normal beast.”

“Very few magical beasts can adjust their size,” Toby added, his voice thoughtful. “Thorne must be something rare.”

Thorne puffed up—literally—growing just a little larger as if basking in the attention. It strutted across the desk, movements exaggerated, almost theatrical.

Kana couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips.

“She likes the attention,” Suri muttered from nearby, arms crossed.

“Just like you,” Kana and Rin said at the same time.

The timing was perfect.

Suri froze. Then slowly turned her head toward them, her expression flat, eyes narrowing just enough to promise retaliation.

“For some reason,” she said, voice calm in a way that wasn’t calm at all, “I feel like hitting both of you.”

Kana leaned back slightly in her chair, the faintest hint of amusement lingering in her eyes. Some things, at least, hadn’t changed or was it the opposite?

…..

Unlike their first year, when every night felt like it belonged to the academy’s rules, their second year had begun to stretch outward, spilling into the hours most students reserved for sleep. The trio had taken advantage of that freedom without hesitation. Night after night, they slipped beyond the walls, diving into raiding dungeons with a quiet routine that felt almost natural now. The only interruptions came on weekends, when they returned to something softer, something grounding, visiting the orphanage as if to remind themselves that not everything in their lives needed to revolve around blades and danger.

The patrols had thinned, then nearly vanished, students weren’t required any longer to do the duty unless announced. Reports of people losing themselves to that strange substance had dwindled until they became whispers rather than warnings. Whether the danger had truly faded or simply learned to hide better was something Kana hadn’t known yet. But for now, the nights felt safe at least.

Suri had leveled up after Boris not long ago, her steady climb pushing her to lvl 28 while Boris at lvl 27. Kana, on the other hand, had stopped moving forward entirely at lvl 30.

She could feel it like a wall she kept walking into. No matter how many dungeons they cleared, no matter how efficiently they fought, nothing changed. It lingered at the back of her mind, a small but persistent unease. Progress had always been something she could rely on. Now, it felt… uncertain. The dungeon exp bar seemed higher compared to before.

The dungeons near the capital weren’t endless either. They had been rotating through the same range for days now, low-mid to low-high difficulty, efficient but repetitive. Kana had started to wonder what would happen when even those ran dry.

Would they have to travel farther?

“Kana.”

Yuri’s voice pulled her back to the present.

“Can you tell us what you’re really looking at?”

Kana blinked, realizing she had been staring at the same cluttered stall for longer than necessary. They were in the central district, surrounded by rows of vendors selling what they claimed were dungeon relics. Most of it was junk. Old trinkets with exaggerated stories attached, polished just enough to look convincing. Some might have once held power. Most never had.

Still, Kana looked.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, crouching slightly to pick up a small, worn object before setting it back down. “I’m just checking. Some things here might be useful someday.”

That wasn’t entirely true. She was searching for something specific. Something rare. Something that might break the wall she was stuck against. An item that could boost experience.

She hadn’t found anything close yet, but the fact that these items sometimes carried strange, English descriptions kept her interested.

“Can I leave?” Boris’s voice cut in, heavy with boredom.

Kana glanced back at him. He stood a little apart from the group, arms crossed, his large frame unintentionally blocking part of the already narrow path. People were starting to shift around him, some giving him wary looks.

“I think we’re blocking the path,” he added.

It wasn’t just the usual group today. Alongside Kana, Suri, Rin, and Yuri were a few of their newer classmates—Misty, Joan, and Maria—drawn in by curiosity or perhaps simply by proximity. It made the group larger than usual, harder to ignore.

“You can’t just leave delicate girls like us alone,” Suri said, placing a hand over her chest in mock offense.

Boris coughed hard.

On top of his head, Thorne mimicked him perfectly, producing a smaller but equally dramatic cough. The timing was so precise that a few nearby people glanced over, confused.

Boris let out a long sigh, clearly unimpressed.

“I don’t think you need me here,” he muttered. “Besides, Hen is here.”

He turned his head, scanning the area as if expecting to find the so-called backup nearby.

Then he paused. Hen was there, just not in the way Boris had hoped.

The man stood a short distance away, surrounded by a small group of women, all of them engaged in animated conversation with him. His posture was relaxed, his smile easy, his attention divided just enough to keep each of them invested.

Boris stared for a moment.

“Or not,” he finished flatly.

Kana followed his gaze briefly, then looked away, uninterested. There was one thing that was running on her mind—get another exp booster item.

Post note:

Will Kana find one? Suri is almost lvl 30.

Active nearby dungeon scarcity….

Have a great weekend!

Sixth chap of the week.

Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

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