Horren’s hand went to his hair again, his voice cracked low, tight as a frayed rope.

"But still, you know he will not forget this, right? He will not just let it pass. And later... h-he will come for all of us too, one by one."

The words were shaking, but the fear was very real.

Ruvian could hear the rough sound in Horren’s throat, like he was forcing himself to speak even though he was scared.

Across the table, Yerin did not say anything.

She only looked at Horren quietly.

Her soft hazel eyes were calm but hard to understand, and somehow felt heavier than Horren’s obvious panic.

She understood the situation, maybe even more than Horren did.

Ruvian, however, did not react to their stares. He stayed calm, the same calm expression he had worn when facing Julian.

Even though they did not directly blame Ruvian or speak harshly about what he did, inside their hearts they were still worried about what would happen to them next.

The future was not clear, and that made them feel tense and uncomfortable.

Yerin’s earlier reassurance did seem to help, but as time slowly passed, doubt began to creep back again, slipping quietly through the smallest cracks of their confidence.

In the end, her words was not strong enough to completely silence their worries.

’Well... the least I can do now is reassure them a little.’

With that thought, Ruvian finally chose to speak. "Don’t worry. Julian will not do anything to us before the Vazrun Island Test... at least, not to you guys."

Shima clicked her tongue softly, clearly irked by the explanation.

"And? What makes you believe something like that? How could you know he wouldn’t try anything against us before the test?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Ruvian looked at Shima for a moment. The faint tightness in her expression made it clear she was not satisfied with his reasoning.

His next reply had already taken shape in his mind.

’That’s because—’

But the words died before they could leave his lips.

’...That was close.’

Out of habit, shaped by far too many conversations with Silvena, Ruvian almost gave the same excuse — that he knew the future.

That had been a little careless.

With Silvena, even absurd claims like that had a strange way of sounding almost believable. It only worked on her because of her blessing, which made her easier to trust Ruvian’s words.

Here, however...

Ruvian paused.

No, that would make him sound like a complete fool!

Who in their right mind would justify their actions by saying "I can see the future"?

Surely, not him.

...Well, unfortunately, it was him!

Or at least, it had been with just Silvena.

So, he did not rush to speak, he carefully chose the most reasonable answer before responding.

"No, he won’t. Trust me."

"That kind of move would be too reckless, even for Julian. The Vazrun Island Test and the squad assignments have already been officially announced. Any attempt to cause trouble now would be considered a serious violation under academy rules."

"Also, both of us have already been reprimanded once now. If he and I cause another conflict before the test, the consequences will not be light. The academy would not ignore repeated misconduct, no matter who that person is, and especially not from someone already under scrutiny."

"Anyway, what I’m trying to say is he isn’t foolish enough to risk heavier punishment right before an evaluation that could affect his standing as the top seat scholar. Until the test is over... he will restrain himself." (+100PP)

Shima fell quiet after hearing his explanation. She could not find anything to refute, as his reasoning did make sense, at least, to some extent.

Still, Julian was not the one Ruvian truly had to worry about.

It was his followers.

A pack of arrogant nobles with bloated pride and fragile egos — the sort who believed their status granted them the right to act without consequence.

Unlike Julian, who at least understood restraint when it mattered, his subordinates were far more volatile.

Impulsive too!

Sometimes far too eager to prove their loyalty through pointless hostility.

In the novel, their actions bordered on reckless stupidity, stirring up far more vicious trouble for Zian than Julian himself ever bothered to cause.

And furthermore, there was also that unknown variable.

—@DuchessOfGoon: "By the way, Author, is it true that it was Julian who caused Zian’s expulsion from the academy?"

—@SpicySteroids: "What do you mean?"

—@DuchessOfGoon: "Ehh... I don’t know. It felt like it’s not something Julian would do, no?"

—@SpicySteroids: "Well, I guess. So you’re trying to say?"

—@DuchessOfGoon: "What else, genius. I think there is a mastermind controlling Julian. Because as far as I believe... Julian would rather settle things himself."

—@TheCurator is typing...

The words lingered in Ruvian’s mind for a brief moment, refusing to disappear so easily.

A mastermind controlling Julian.

Ridiculous.

And yet, somehow...

But before he could dwell further, Shima’s voice came again, bringing him back to the present.

"Alright, I will trust you. For now."

Ruvian blinked a couple of times before a faint smile formed on his lips. "But anyway, I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t already weighed the cost."

He leaned forward, arms resting on the table, the wood cool beneath his skin.

"If my actions drag any of you into danger, then I’ll take responsibility. I didn’t make that choice lightly. But whatever happens between now and the Island Test, I’ll make sure none of it disrupts our chances. That much, I can promise."

Yerin studied him for a long moment, her hazel eyes narrowing as though trying to peel him open.

"So, you’re saying that you had already considered everything? And have a backup plan if Julian retaliated?" she asked.

Ruvian held her gaze, letting the silence press for just a while.

Then he exhaled through his nose.

"Yes and sort of. I know Julian. If he wants to settle things between us. Then, it will only be between us. So don’t worry, it won’t involve you guys. I’ll make sure of it."

The table hushed.

Even the dining hall noise seemed distant for a moment. They exchanged glances, measuring him, and in the end they didn’t argue.

Trust between them wasn’t firm yet, more like thin roots probing shallow soil.

But the roots are all the same.

Even Horren, still jittering in his seat like he’d rather bolt, kept his mouth shut. Ruvian’s recklessness hadn’t gone anywhere. But resolve had a gravity of its own, and for now, it held them.

They would have to trust his words.

For now...

"Well, that’s all I need to know. Ha!" Arlok scoffed.

Then, two figures drifted toward his table, dragging their steps. Their steps were careful, almost apologising for existing.

It was Vanessa and a boy trailed beside her, the same one who’d practically folded under Julian’s glare earlier.

He stuck close to her shadow, chin dipped, fists locked so tight his knuckles paled, as if that would hold his shame in place.

’Hmm... now what?’

Ruvian didn’t bother lifting his eyes.

His gaze stayed on the tabletop, tracing the faint scratches carved by generations of hands.

It took Vanessa longer than it should have to find her voice.

But eventually, she said it.

...

──────── ✦ ────────

[Chapter 141: Thin Roots of Trust]

Plot Points= 23,150