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Chapter 307 Chapter 72.4 - Moving Pieces

Therefore, I knew he would help Emily once she reached him.

\'From now on, it is up to Ethan to how to deal with it, but it should help him improve himself quite a lot.\'

With that thought, I continued my solitary walk on the road, contemplating Ethan\'s role in helping Emily. The evening sky painted hues of orange and pink as the sun dipped below the horizon.

–RING!

Lost in my musings, my smartwatch suddenly buzzed, breaking the silence of my thoughts.

Curious, I checked the screen and noticed a message notification from the History and Arts Club. The message detailed this week\'s meeting, scheduled for Saturday morning.

The club was gearing up for another engaging session, but I also noticed a change in the writing style.

\'This doesn\'t certainly belong to Senior Maya.\'

I asked myself. Seemingly enough, even though Senior Maya was also someone who cared about her image and grammar, the tone of her writing was rather cheery. This one was rather serious and monotone.

\'It gives me the elderly vibes. Is it the instructor?\'

Thinking about the recent events, it made sense that the observer of the club would no longer neglect her duties and would participate in the club. After all, what transpired during the last club trip was rather detrimental.

Maya could have lost her life; Sylvie was the same. Though it wasn\'t directly related to the Club\'s activities, it certainly made the academy put a lot more importance on this matter.

"Well, I\'ll see if this claim holds true or not in the upcoming meetings," I thought, deciding to investigate further at a later time. For now, my focus has shifted to preparing for my daily training routine.

Returning to my room, I gathered my training gear and mentally prepared for the rigorous exercises that awaited me.

******

The Academy Grounds – Just as the training finished

"Wow….Haaa….Haaa…..How did you improve this fast?"

On the academy grounds, the young man holding a sword mumbled between his heavy breaths. The young man\'s name was Talim, a middle-ranked student.

Ethan, humbly wiping sweat from his forehead, smiled at Talim. "It\'s thanks to people like you, Talim. Our matches help me learn and grow. You did well today. It was a good match."

Talim, catching his breath, smiled happily at the compliment and took the hand Ethan offered to help him up. They strolled away from the training grounds, discussing the finer points of their sparring session.

As they entered the locker room to change, Ethan noticed a message on his smartwatch. It was from Emily. Ethan vividly remembered her; she was the one who called for help when they were in a tight spot.

After that, Ethan liked the genuine atmosphere of the guild and wanted to make an investment in the guild. He also liked the guild members and recommended the whole business to his family.

\'She hadn\'t contacted me after that.\'

But, recently, a lot of things have happened around him, and he wasn\'t able to look into this matter in more detail. Thus, he wasn\'t in much contact with Emily either.

\'I wonder what it is.\'

Curiosity piqued, Ethan opened the message from Emily. The contents were short and to the point. She requested him to call her back after he finished his sparring session, mentioning that it was urgent. A hint of concern crept into Ethan\'s expression.

After changing in the locker room, he dialed Emily\'s number. As the call connected, her voice came through, and it sounded a bit more somber than usual.

"Hey, E-Ethan," Emily greeted, her voice carrying a sense of urgency. Even from her voice alone, Ethan could easily see that something wasn\'t right. After that, Emily briefly told Ethan about the guild\'s spot, yet Ethan knew this wasn\'t a topic that they could discuss over the phone.

"Let\'s talk about this in the PhD Café."

"Ah….Right, sorry…."

Ending the call, Ethan swiftly gathered his belongings and left the sparring grounds.

Ethan, driven by a sense of urgency, made his way to the designated cafe where he was supposed to meet Emily.

The casual ambiance of the cafe clashed with the weight of the situation Emily hinted at in her message. As he entered, he scanned the area, and his eyes soon fell on Emily, sitting at a corner table.

Ethan quickly made his way to Emily\'s corner table. The café\'s ambient noise seemed to fade away as he approached her. Emily looked up, her eyes conveying a mix of worry and gratitude as she acknowledged his presence.

"Ethan," she greeted, her voice carrying the weight of the guild\'s troubles. "Thanks for coming."

Ethan offered her a reassuring smile and took a seat across from her. "Of course, Emily. What\'s going on? You sounded quite concerned on the phone."

After all, even though he had things to do, none of those were as important as the one Emily talked about.

He was just going to hang out with his friends, train, and probably play some games.

Therefore, for him, helping others is of much more importance, especially if the said person is his acquaintance.

Emily took a deep breath, composing herself before delving into the detailed web of challenges appearing all around the guild.

"T-to be frank….I didn\'t want to call you here." Though at first, she wasn\'t able to directly delve into the topic. After all, even though she was determined to call for her, a part of her still didn\'t want to bother Ethan. "But I had no choice."

\'It doesn\'t matter how I am perceived.\'

She inwardly reminded herself and then raised her head to look at him.

"To start….."

After making her inner resolve once again, she spoke about injuries, resignations, and the looming turmoil within their ranks. Ethan listened intently, his expression reflecting a growing understanding of the gravity of the situation.

"I see…." As Emily concluded, Ethan\'s gaze was thoughtful.

\'If what she said is true, there seems to be a deliberate attack on her guild.\'

Ethan was by no means a stranger to how guilds operated now. Though it might have been like that at the start of the semester, now that he was awakened, he constantly entered the dungeons under his family\'s supervision.

He also had spent some time under his aunt, Kaya Hartley. There, he slightly observed the ruthlessness of the industry and knew such schemes weren\'t uncommon. Though the things he observed were just the tip of the iceberg, Ethan didn\'t know it.

\'To think that even such a good-natured and honest guild is being targeted…According to what Emily is saying, they were even disenfranchised by the association.\'

Thinking about that, Ethan\'s blood boiled. Emily was Ethan\'s friend. At least, he thought so. The Azure Crest Guild was also a guild that he personally decided to sponsor; therefore, the fact that a guild was targeting the guild made him quite angry.

Emily hesitated for a moment after sharing the tumultuous state of her guild, feeling a pang of shame for once again turning to Ethan for help.

\'Why must it be like this?\'\'

This was the second time she had reached out, and it weighed on her conscience. She knew Ethan had no obligation to assist her guild, and the sense of dependency gnawed at her.

As Ethan absorbed the situation, his thoughtful gaze didn\'t escape Emily\'s notice.

\'Right…Of course, he wouldn\'t want to help. Who would want to help a useless person like me.\'

"I understand if you can\'t help, Ethan," she admitted, her eyes momentarily avoiding his. "I\'m sorry for burdening you again. It\'s just... things have become really difficult, and I didn\'t know who else to turn to."

Ethan\'s response surprised her. Instead of a refusal or a hint of annoyance, he smiled warmly. "Why feel ashamed for asking a friend for help?" he questioned, his tone gentle. Emily glanced at him, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Friends?" she echoed, her mind questioning the nature of their relationship. Of course, she wanted to believe that she was at least close to Ethan, but hearing it solidly like this from Ethan\'s mouth gave her a different feeling.

\'That….\'

Ethan chuckled, his smile widening. "Of course, Emily. We\'ve fought back to back in the dungeon and faced monsters together. You know we almost lost their lives there. If that doesn\'t make us close, I don\'t know what does."

Emily found herself at a loss for words as Ethan\'s response resonated in her mind. The sincerity in his hazel eyes was undeniable, and she couldn\'t refute his reasoning. Her attempt to downplay their connection, placing the burden on herself, was met with Ethan\'s steadfast perspective.

"B-but, it was my fault back then….You didn\'t have anything to gain from it, yet you risked your life," Emily stammered, a hint of self-blame lingering in her words.

Ethan\'s smile remained unwavering. "That is right. But, if I always do according to what I gain, what makes me different from a machine? It was not your fault, but my own decision to help you. It was also my own volition to stay with you, even though I knew your situation wasn\'t good. And, it is still the same."

Emily struggled to find a response. The logic in Ethan\'s words, coupled with his earnest gaze, left her silent. She realized that perhaps there was a genuine connection beyond the immediate gains and losses, something that transcended the transactional nature often associated with acquaintances.

"Why go to such lengths?" she finally managed to ask, her voice a mix of curiosity and confusion.

"Why go such lengths, huh? That is a good question." Ethan\'s smile softened, and he chuckled, almost as if sharing a secret. "I don\'t know."

"To satisfy my dreams and become someone like the figure in those dreams." The words were spoken almost under his breath, and Emily wasn\'t able to catch them.

"But, if there is one thing I know, it is that good and honest people deserve better in the world," Ethan continued, his words carrying a genuine warmth.

Emily felt a subtle flush on her face, a sensation of ease settling within her. The sincerity in Ethan\'s response resonated with her, and a soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips. As he turned to face her with that characteristic smile, Ethan added, "And for me, you are someone good and honest."

–THUMP!

A sudden thump echoed in Emily\'s chest, and she couldn\'t deny that something changed.

\'Not now…\'

She wanted to bury herself, but looking at Ethan, who was oblivious to the changes, she released a sigh of relief.

\'Thank god he didn\'t see it.\'

However, she would come to regret being happy over this fact in the future.