Chapter 111: Graduation
111 Graduation
When they arrived, obviously, Firia took the charge. She led him inside.
"Let\'s go, Alex" Though her face still red, she already recovered.
"Young Lady Firia" A butler comes toward them and bowed.
"Ah, Butler Simon. Where are Father and Mother?"
"Master is in his study room, while madam was in the garden. She was waiting for you all these days. She was very worried when she heard you drop out of the academy"
"Ugh…" Firia looks down, she was a bit guilty about it. But she didn\'t regret her choice.
"And who is this?"
"I am Alexander Sirius. I\'m very sorry. The matter about her wanted to drop out is related to me…"
"No, it was my choice" She immediately denied him, She then said. "Butler Simon, can you call mother and father. There is something important that I wanted to discuss with them"
Simon looked at her, then he looked at Alex for quite a while before he nodded. "I will call master and madame"
"Thank you" then she grabbed Alex again, "Let\'s go"
She brought him to the meeting room. Soon enough, Her father and mother came in. Her mother immediately went toward Firia and hugged her. "I really miss you. What happened? Do you feel uncomfortable in the academy? Is that the reason you wanted to drop out?"
"Mother" Firia smiled. Her mother was the one who cared for her the most. She hugged her back.
"Cough… and what do we have here? Do you come back here with a man?"
"Father!" Firia glared at him. But before she continues, Alex stood up. "My name is Alexander Sirius. Uncle Marcus, Aunt Linda, I am here for Firia\'s hand on marriage" Firia already told him about their name so he called them with uncle and aunt.
"Alexander Sirius?" they were shocked. They looked at him in unbelieve.
"Mother, It\'s really him" Firia whispered to her.
Linda looked at her daughter for a while. Then she turned to Alex, she walked slowly to him, "Do you really love her?"
"I love her" Alex looked at her eyes.
Linda frowned, There is no lie in his eyes. Her daughter seems also fell in love with him. She pondered for a moment and finally "Fine. I will leave Firia to you. She was unworthy for you but please care about her."
\'That\'s it?\' Alex\'s eyes widened, he was a bit shocked. He already prepared for a few reasons if they asked for something from him.
"Well, since she loves you and you love her, I don\'t really mind. I only care about her happiness. If you are her choice, then I will support her. That\'s why, if you dare to hurt her, whoever you are, I will make sure you will pay for that"
"I can\'t promise you anything about the future since I don\'t know what kind of thing will happen in the future. I can only swear this. I will love her and that won\'t change no matter how long time has passed. I will try my best to make her happy and If someone wanted her life, They can only get it after my dead body"
"Alex…" She looked at him, she recalled Alicia\'s matter. He still feels guilty about that matter. That\'s why he said that.
"Not the best, but acceptable. But since Firia chose you, I will leave her happiness in your hand" Linda nodded. "Though my husband there, already searching for her spouse. Luckily that I still haven\'t agreed to it. They can\'t be compared to you. Even if they meet me, they will only throw flowery words and empty promises"
"Father did?" Firia glared at her father. Though from the start she already knows that her fate as a noble daughter. But she still hates it. She was more than fortunate to meet Alex.
"You don\'t mind, right? Husband" Linda glared at Marcus.
Marcus immediately shook his head. "No"
Alex looked at them, it seems in this household, the one in charge is the madame. Firia also noticed Alex\'s expression, she came to him and whispered. "You know our household was a merchant before we become a noble, right?"
Alex recalled that he heard this from somewhere, so he nodded.
"Mother business talent was overwhelming. That\'s why my mother is the one in charge in this house."
"Ah, so that\'s how it is"
"Uncle Marcus, Aunt Linda. This is a little from me, please accept it" Alex took out the array that he laid out on the monster skin.
"You didn\'t need to do that. I only want you to promise her happiness"
Alex smiled. "Please accept them. Each of them can block a full-frontal attack from a rank 8."
"Mother, please accept it." Firia said while blushing.
Linda took a glance at Firia a bit. "Alright, I will accept it. Then, when are you going to marry her?"
"We are planning to hold the marriage in two months"
"Two months? But aren\'t you still a student?"
"Actually, I am planning to hold my graduation earlier."
"Earlier? Are you sure you can? I never heard someone graduate earlier in the academy?"
"Mother, the situation…" Firia whispered the situation to her.
"I see, Then, we will prepare the wedding" Linda nodded. "Alright, how about you stay for the night?"
"This… actually, I want to meet Teache- I mean, the dean after this so I can hold the graduation tomorrow or the day after."
"Hmm, fine then"
"I will see him off" Firia holds her mother\'s hand joyfully. Linda nodded.
Firia immediately grabbed Alex\'s hand and left, the process went smoothly so now, it\'s better to retreat in triumph as to not make it more complicated. When they arrived outside, She finally said. "I will explain the matter about Alicia to them"
"I\'m sorry to make you do that"
"It\'s alright, if not the matter will be more complicated." It\'s like what she said. If Alex was the one who said something like that, this whole marriage thing will become more complicated. If Firia told them after Alex left, the matter will be much smoother. She sure that she can persuade them in these two months "When are you leaving for the demi-human territory?"
"After the graduation"
"Then, go. I will watch your graduation"
"See you later"
"See you later"
Alex left. He flew toward the academy. He immediately went to his teacher\'s courtyard after he arrived at the academy. "Teacher"
"Oh" The dean nodded, "Since you come to me like this. Is it about your graduation?"
"Yes. I\'m planning to leave soon"
"I see, how about the day after tomorrow."
"I will leave it to Teacher"
"Alright. I need to remind you. In the graduation, you need to fight a teacher. This is also the tradition for the graduate. Well, they will only fight rank 6 or rank 7."
Alex nodded, "I will leave it to Teacher"
"Alright, come again tomorrow to handle the formality"
"Then, I will excuse myself"
The next day, he come again to meet him. After completing the formalities, he didn\'t go to Alicia or Firia. Instead, he went back to his room in the dorm. He recalled something.
"System, I still have 10 premium tickets right?"
[Yes, Host]
He forgot about this since he was overjoyed when he got the Box of Time. Now, that the situation is already calmer, he finally remembered these tickets.
"Use the 5x draws two times"
[Processing]
Soon enough, two boxes arrived in front of him. He opened the first one. The nostalgic five gacha balls. He opened them one by one.
The first one is a pill. He felt the energy from it. he scanned it with the system.
[Foundation Building Pill (R)
Use: Increase one small stage in Foundation Stage
Limit: 1]
"Eh? This pill… I can break through to the middle-phase Qi Manipulation stage with this pill. Or should I give it to Firia? But, I know the recipe, I can make it again for her later. Before, I thought that I can\'t make this pill since the ingredients were very rare. But Master has all of them. So I can make them again. And also…no, nevermind. Let\'s check the second one"
He opened the second ball. This time, it was a bow, judging from the look of it. It was weaker than his spear.
[Trans Bow (UC) Acquired]
"Ah, so it was a UC one. No wonder. It was useless for me since I don\'t use a bow. Well, I will just store it for a while" As he said that, he opened the third one. This time, it was a jar. Alex scanned it again
[Rainbow Wine Jar (SR) Acquired]
"…" Alex facepalmed. "A wine… and it even classified as an SR? Well, I will store it for now. I never have any wine since I am a minor on earth. And also I don\'t have any money to spare for them."
"Alright, next" He opened the next last two balls. It was a spear and a card.
[Spear of Aria (R) Acquired]
[Blackwade Card (SR) Acquired]
"I got a spear and a card…?"
He checked the spear first. The spear seems to be the same rank as his current spear. He didn\'t have any qualms to it. He can throw one of them and equipped with the other one. It basically a spare for him. But…he turned to the card. He looked at it from top to bottom, front to back. There are no noticeable things besides the writing of \'Blackwade\' on it.
"What should I do with this card? But… this is classified as an SR…Ugh… I will store it for now"
He stores them in the inventory. Then he opened the second box.
[Safety gloves (R) Acquired]
[Unbreakable Helmet (SR) Acquired]
[Foundation Building Pill (R) Acquired]
[Guitar Manual (C) Acquired]
[Spirit Eyes Manual (UR) Acquired]
"What? UR?" Alex stood up. He immediately took out the item. He looks through it briefly. "Training my eyes to the level of the spirit? It can see through the flow of energy? I will practice this later, rather than fighting with a new technique in mind. It\'s better to fight without it since the fight is tomorrow"
Suddenly Sherry pop out from his body, Alex was startled a bit, Sherry was in his body all this time, She decided to go back to his body after they reached the capital city. Suddenly go out like this make him startled.
"Wuu Wuu Wuu"
"You wanted the pill from before? The Foundation Building Pill?"
"Wuu" Sherry nodded
"Well, I have two anyway. I can make another one for Firia later. So here for you" Alex took out the Foundation Building Pills from the inventory. Sherry immediately ate one of the pills and fell asleep.
"Eat and sleep, it was really an enjoyment to live like that" Alex shook his head. "Well, I will also take one too"
He equips himself with the Safety Gloves and the Unbreakable Helmet. Like when he equipped his Safety Shoes the gear didn\'t show themselves but still protect his hand and head, then he ate the pill. At first, he wanted to take it after he reached the Middle-phase Qi Manipulation Stage so he can instantly reach the Peak-phase. But he thought since he was going to the demi-human alone, It\'s still better to take it now since there is no rank 9 in this world. That means he was safer if he goes as a rank 8. As soon as he takes it, the pill melted in his mouth and the energy contained within it burst out and flowing to every inch of his body. Alex closed his eyes and use his cultivation technique to refine all of those energies.
When he finally finished refining all of them, He opened his eyes and the sky already bright. It took him a whole night to refine them. He checked his body. He confirmed that he break through to Middle-phase Qi Manipulation Stage or rank 8 according to this world standard. He looked at Sherry who still sleeping. She seems still hasn\'t finished refining them. He then got out of the bed and left the room.
"Teacher" He met the dean first.
"You finally come… I thought you forget about it"
"I\'m sorry"
"Alright, since you have come. Go to the arena first"
Alex nodded. When he reached the arena. There is already a teacher stand by. "You finally come"
"Yes. Is teacher my opponent today?"
The teacher shook his head. "Me? No way. I will only embarrass myself there. Today, I will only be the referee. Let\'s go to the arena"
Alex nodded and followed him to the arena.
As soon as he arrived. A burst of cheers rumbling in the arena.
"Kyaaa!"
"Our Prince"
"Good Luck, my prince"
"It\'s so sad to see our prince graduate so early. We can\'t see him anymore"
Now that he looked at it. The arena was full of audiences. Not only the academy students. There seem to be some middle-aged and even some old men. But when he saw the duke and the king in the audiences, he knew. All of them were nobles. Alex also found Alicia and Firia beside them. He smiled at them.
"Kya!"
"My prince just smiled at me"
"No way. He just smiled at me"
"Shut up"
Alicia and Firia looked at each other with a weird smile. They giggled. Finally, the teacher finally let out a sound.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Today, we will have the graduation for our student, Alexander Sirius. According to our tradition. Every graduate will fight a teacher on their graduation day. We hope every graduate will fight their earnest. Of course, for today, We hope that Alexander does his best. Please give him a round of applause."
\'Clap clap\'
"My prince"
"Good Luck"
"How about waving back at them?" The teacher advises him.
Alex nodded and waved back.
"Kya!"
"Now, the teacher who will fight him will show himself to us. Let\'s welcome him with a round of applause"
\'Clap Clap\' As they applauded, they also anticipate who will be Alex\'s opponent today?
A male teacher… suddenly come inside the arena. The cheers immediately erupted once more.
"What?" Alex was shocked when he saw who was his opponent today.