The Academy’s Barbarian

Chapter 95: What Happened In The Capital (7)

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Bang!

The sound of the room door closing echoed and the magic lamps attached to the ceiling lit up automatically. The light quickly illuminated the darkness, and soon the view of the suite unfolded.

"It's spacious."

Ulan briefly marveled.

It was much larger and more comfortable than the dormitory.

If one were to compare, it looked about three times as spacious. This was Ulan's first time in such a place, and he curiously examined the surroundings of the room.

Ibella, on the other hand, had a different reaction.

‘...I really came here, huh?’

'I never thought I'd actually use it....'

No, let's correct that; to be honest, she had imagined it to some extent.

I swear to the heavens that I did. But it was the unexpected downpour and the resulting suspension of carriage operation that forced her to come here.

It had to be better than sleeping rough outside.

‘Ugh, now what?’

Up until the moment she checked in, all she could think about was getting into a warm place, but now that she was actually in the room, reality has hit her like a brick.

Tension, confusion, and a strange sense of expectation.

While all sorts of emotions were swirling around in her head, Ulan suddenly turned to her.

"Ibella."

"Huh, what?!"

Am I too nervous? She found herself speaking in an unusually formal way. Ulan seemed to notice this too, and he gave her a puzzled look.

"Why are you suddenly speaking so formally?"

"That's, well..."

She wanted to respond that she made a mistake due to nervousness.

But her tongue was tied, and she couldn't seem to get the words out. It was clear to anyone who saw her that she was flustered.

Meanwhile, Ulan went back to the original topic, "I think you should take a shower first."

"Sh-shower?"

"Yes. You'll catch a cold if you sleep like that."

He was right; for now she looked like a drowned mouse.

She was soaked to the bone, thanks to the downpour that had gotten much heavier and her broken umbrella.

"So go take a shower first."

"Mmm, I will."

With that bit of consideration from Ulan,

Ibella headed straight for the bathroom. As the sliding door closed and she was finally isolated from the rest of the room, she let out a sigh that she had been holding back.

"Haaah."

It was a sigh of relief.

Then, she placed her hands on her chest and felt the strong vibrations of her pounding heart. That meant she was conscious of Ulan.

Of course it was natural for her to be conscious of him.

This was the first time she had ever spent the night with a member of the opposite sex, let alone for so long.

'But this can't go on like this.'

Somehow, she had to ease the tension.

As she was lightly patting her cheeks, she suddenly caught sight of the bathtub; that's right, soaking in warm water would warm up her frozen body and help her relax a little.

Right after making the decision—

Swoosh! Swoosh!

—First, she took off the soaked dress that clung to her body; then, completely removing her underwear, she stepped into the bathtub.

"Hyaa."

It felt like warmth returning to her chilled body.

Soon after, a relaxing feeling overcame her. As she lazily soaked herself, enjoying the pleasant warmth, Ibella's expression subtly changed.

'I thought this would relax me……'

It didn't relax her at all.

In fact, she was more worried about what would happen after she washed up.

Not only was she worried about being alone with Ulan, but she was also worried about how she would look at him and what they would talk about.

'Let's change my mindset.'

In reality, this was nothing.

They had come to the hotel to escape the sudden downpour, just planning to spend an ordinary night. Yes, just like everyone else does.

So, it shouldn't be a big deal.

"........."

No, in reality, it was a big deal.

Her increasingly flushed face was proof of that. No matter how much she thought about it, the current situation was far from ordinary.

‘I-is this really okay?’

At least according to her common sense, this was definitely not a normal situation. As a result, instead of regaining her composure, she became even more conscious of the current situation.

Ibella shook her head vigorously.

‘But there was no other choice.’

It was difficult to know in advance that it would rain this much today, and that the carriage would be stopped because of it.

In other words, this was a natural disaster.

'Right, this is beyond my control!'

It wasn't intentional, so there was no need to be conscious of it. After reaching this conclusion, Ibella's eyes sparkled.

She had successfully changed her perspective. So, instead of being too conscious and flustered like before, she decided to approach it as she usually did.

After calming her mind, she stepped out of the bathtub; as she dried herself with a fluffy towel, she suddenly remembered something she had forgotten.

"......Ah."

She realized she didn't have a change of clothes.

Of course, she hadn't planned an overnight stay outside, so it was only natural. But she couldn't put on the wet dress again.

‘Uh, what am I going to do?’

As she looked around in a panic, her eyes fell on a bathrobe. It was just the right size. Just big enough to cover her body.

She tied the belt of the robe tightly and went outside the bathroom.

"Oh, did you wait long?"

She felt a strange sense of nervousness.

Clutching her throbbing chest, she glanced back toward the living room, where she could feel the stirring—

"I'm cleaned up, so you can go in now......."

—And she closed her mouth right away.

It was because of the sight before her eyes. Ulan was concentrating on his bare-chested workout. He was probably doing it because he felt restless if he stayed still.

However, that wasn't what caught her attention.

Her eyes were drawn to the muscles that were heated up from the long workout, and the thick veins that stood out.

Gulp!

Ibella swallowed hard, her mouth dry; her composure was shattered by the sight of Ulan's muscles and her face began to heat up again.

"Are you done washing?"

"......Huh? Uh-huh."

Their eyes met.

Ibella answered a little late; she'd been watching his muscles mesmerized, and had come back to consciousness a beat too late.

"But your face is a little red."

"That's......."

"It's better to take shorter baths."

He seemed to think that her face was flushed from the long bath.

"You should get some air by the window, it will make you feel much better."

Ibella nodded silently. It was only after Ulan went into the bathroom that she let out the sigh she had been holding back.

But that didn't last long.

As soon as she thought about the muscles she had just seen, her face quickly flushed red.

‘Da, let's think of something else!’

As she was fanning herself with her hands and trying to clear her mind, she suddenly remembered what Ulan had said.

He said that it would be cool if she went to the window.

As she approached the half-open window, a cool breeze soon brushed against her cheek.

'Ah, he was right.'

A cool breeze that smelled like rain.

Thanks to it, she felt the heat on her face gradually disappearing. In addition, the distracting thoughts in her head disappeared like grains of sand swept away by the waves.

As she felt a gradual sense of calm,

Drrrrr!

…the sound of the bathroom door opening rang out.

Ibella slowly turned her head.

Somehow, she felt confident that she wouldn't be flustered even if she saw Ulan now. But at that moment, her confidence was shattered.

"......!?"

Ulan stepped out, dressed in a bathrobe just like her.

She had expected this much.

However, the problem lay elsewhere.

It was the fact that Ulan's body was too big compared to the size of the bathrobe.

And the result.

His firm chest muscles, which the bathrobe couldn't quite cover, struck Ibella's gaze.

At the same time, her breath caught in her throat for a moment.

His muscles were too perfect. She simply couldn't take her eyes off them. But she pinched her thigh and managed to turn her head.

'You're too stimulating.'

Continuing to stare would undoubtedly lead to embarrassment. Unconsciously, she glared out the window, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.

At that moment,

Ulan, having finished his shower, gulped down some cool water and sat across from Ibella; a moderately soft sofa. Leaning against it, he, like her, gazed out the window.

Shoo-oo-oo-oo!

The rain poured down refreshingly.

As they both stared, unable to overcome the awkward silence, Ibella suddenly spoke up.

"The rain, it's pouring so much."

"It seems that way," Ulan nodded in agreement.

Then he thought of Perticia, his former companion, whom he had met briefly in the evening.

"It's still an accurate prediction."

"What? Accurate about what?"

"No, nothing," Ulan shook his head.

It wasn't something he needed to explain right now. It was something he could talk to Perticia about someday, after they met.

"More importantly, Ibella."

"Huh, what is it?"

At the sudden call, she turned her head.

At that moment, she saw Ulan's eyes.

‘Those eyes......!’

As if they were longing for something.

It gave a feeling that some primal human desire had surfaced. Ibella tensed up considerably.

What could he possibly be trying to say?

She gulped down a dry mouthful.

"Can I eat that?"

"......what?"

"The fruit on the table."

Ulan pointed at the apples and bananas on Ibella's side table. Only then did she grasp the situation, and a disappointed expression appeared on her face.

"It's probably fine."

"Good. I was just getting hungry."

Ulan chuckled slightly as he devoured the fruits.

Crunch! Crunch. The sound of him chewing the flesh of the fruits, which disappeared in an instant. Ibella sighed lightly at the sight.

'Phew, somehow since earlier...'

It seems like she often has illusions.

It was the same during the day.

'Well, Ulan would never do that.'

The Ulan she had seen at the academy was a man full of consideration and a gentleman.

Although he had a slight dullness as a drawback, he was much better than being swayed by desires.

So, perhaps nothing unusual would happen today. She was sure of that. However, her conviction shattered in less than a minute.

"Hiyat!"

Her turquoise eyes widened with a scream; her body trembled as if struck by lightning.

Suddenly, Ulan, who had approached, grabbed her neck. A sudden impulsive action. Startled, she shouted, "U, Ulan?! What are you doing now......!"

"Be still."

A deep voice with a low pitch that tickled her ears.

Ulan began to knead the back of her neck, applying a little pressure. As if he were kneading clay.

And then, at that moment,

"Aaah!"

A strange sound that came out of nowhere.

Realizing this, Ibella hurriedly covered her mouth. Ulan, on the other hand, continued to knead her neck.

After a while,

Perhaps it was because of the warmth of his large palm? She felt her body gradually getting warmer.

As the strength drained from her body, Ulan spoke, "Your muscles are tense."

"......He, muscles?"

She stuttered in confusion.

Ulan nodded, "Yes. It seems like you're often tense."

That was half true.

It wasn't usually like this, but today had been a series of tense moments ever since she left the dormitory.

"It's better to loosen up tense muscles right away. If you leave them alone, they can lead to muscle pain."

In case a combat situation arises.

To respond immediately, it's necessary to loosen the muscles when there's time. Anytime, anywhere, to be ready for combat in the best condition.

Meanwhile, as Ulan continued to explain, Ibella sighed inwardly.

'Oh, it was a massage.'

A strange mix of relief and disappointment showed on her face.

A short time later.

Ulan removed his hand from the nape of her neck.

"There you go. Try moving now."

At his words, Ibella turned her head lightly and her eyes widened in surprise. Indeed, it felt smoother than before.

"Oh, really? It feels much better."

"Isn't it?"

"How did you do it in such a short time......."

"Because I infused it with spirit."

"Spirit?"

"They call it 'Aura' here."

Ulan added a brief explanation.

If you infuse your opponent's body with spirit and let go of their muscles, they can recover at a much faster rate than normal.

"That's interesting. So, do Masters not suffer from muscle pain?"

"Generally, that's right."

Unless it's an extremely intense battle, muscle pain doesn't usually occur.

And with this as a starting point,

Ibella's eyes sparkled as she asked a series of questions. Questions she'd always wondered about, questions about the Master's domain.

They were the kind of questions that could never be answered unless you were a Master, and this was her chance to put them to rest.

It also served the purpose of breaking the awkward silence.

Fortunately, Ulan didn't mind and patiently answered her curious questions one by one.

How much time had passed like that?

"Haaaahm."

After all her curiosity was satisfied, she yawned, feeling drowsy. She didn't know if it was because of the massage or because the night had deepened, drowsiness poured over her.

Seeing this, Ulan spoke up.

"If you're sleepy, you should go to bed."

Just after finishing his sentence, his eyes drifted to the bed.

End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . .

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