Episode 20 – Distance Test – Aftermath (2/2)

Once the ”fight” started, it was hard to stop

In only a few minutes, their tidy room was trashed

Well, they didn't break anything, they just turned it into a , but because Elaru found it more fun to attempt to save all thrown objects from doom than to avoid them

She had fun teasing Kiel He was actually quite easy to rile up He had many years' worth of pent-up frustration inside hiive him excuses to let it out Kiel didn't over analyze her behavior He was too busy trying to understand his own He used to be a calm and collected person Yet this redhead could rile hi

He didn't even try to bury it all down and plaster on his mask With Elaru, he didn't need to hide behind his false persona She seemed to like his true face much more

She was such an unusual girl She preferred fighting to peaceful times

Kiel would never adhts too, in a weird way Even though he growled, glared and cursed her, deep down, he was having fun

It was such a bizarre relationshi+p

Yet, at that moment, neither one of them minded it

And as the tere preoccupied with theiron Kiel's right arhtly, slowly, up his arm

After the peaceful resolution of the war (Kiel ran out of things to throw), they decided to find a secluded place on the outskirts of Ashar where they could practice ic They traveled to the west, where a dense deciduous forest spread as far as the eye could see

The day was sunny and warlitter Though only occasional sunrays reen leaves of the deciduous tall trees towering over them

Even though it was technically still su every day with the approaching autumn Currently, both the teht If Kiel wasn't in a rush to increase his power, he would have enjoyed taking a stroll

Instead of strolling around, Elaru used her eyes to scan the surroundings until she found a secluded clearing near a small waterfall The clear droplets of water created a small and beautiful rainbow as they fell down

The clearing seemed very peaceful, not much could be heard besides the sound of the waterfall and soft singing of the birds However, Kiel wondered how long it would stay peaceful Theyaround the water source The forest around Ashar was bursting ildlife, and it was a popular hunting ground for all sorts of creatures Even herbalists often spent their ti the forest for various herbs

Elaru claiood stuff was deeper in the forest, therefore herbalists and hunters wouldn't stick around here The only people ould dwell on the outskirts would be round, just like thee, so the chance of the was slim

Kiel stretched and thought about what he should practice first Elaru sat down against a tree,herself comfortable She took off her backpack and pulled out a red book with leather covers The cover had no letters, ive away the contents However, Kiel could instantly tell that the book was anything but ordinary It was enchanted by a long, obscure spell that Kiel didn't recognize

Elaru perfor that Kiel ic power As soon as she opened the cover, the easygoing expression on Elaru's face vanished It was replaced by deep concentration She was co no other emotions

Kiel had gotten used to seeing her mischief and serenity all this time, this seriousness felt unnatural And yet, there was a certain charm to it People were said to be thehard Kiel could finally understand why

Elaru kept flicking her fingers, poking the book and tracing various patterns with her fingers

Kiel concentrated his es were coated with a thin layer of crystalline ink It was an invisible liquid that had a special property – the crystalline structure of the liquid was easily changed bythe crystalline structure of the ink resulted in changing the color of the ink That transparent ink had the possibility to turn into any kind of color After its initial discovery in ancient times, it had started a revolution in art and literature

The spell to change the color of the ink was one of the first spells that they were taught in school Of course, the spells differed between argel and elibu since the two had different principles behind their ic But nevertheless, it was an inize instantly, and that was exactly the reason why Kiel deduced that the book was coated with crystalline ink – he felt Elaru casting the ink altering spell over and over on the pages of the book

Was this book… her diary?

It was none of his business He had no right to take a look inside It was e how curious he felt, he – a person that never used to care about other people His pride didn't allow hih, so instead he took several sneak peeks at it, from the corner of his eyes

His skill in taking nonchalant sneak peeks was quite formidable

He was startled to find that the pages of the book were completely blank

Was Elaru actually… changing the transparent ink into the saht see the writing even if it couldn't be seen with normal eyes? Or was the book enchanted with so able to see ritten in it?

Elaru had a treasure-trove of fascinating artifacts At this point, he shouldn't be surprised by it Therefore, surprise wasn't one of the annoying e

He found it hard to concentrate on his own business The more difficult it was to find out as inside, thethat tastes sweeter than the forbidden fruit

Elaru didn't look up from her book at all It was as if he wasn't there As if she had entered her oorld, separate fro in the book and start weaving a spell around her ar in the book

What was she doing? Kiel's curiosity ate at hi unbearable He had never seen Elaru so serious and absorbed in so before After several minutes, he couldn't hold it in any?”