Supreme Magus novel Chapter 94

The following morning, Lith and Phloria were taking a small walk before picking up the rest of the team for breakfast.

Descending from a long line of Mage Knights, Phloria had more experience with swords, and since she had to attend only one specialization course, she was his main teacher between the two girls.

That allowed them to spend quite some time together, since both of them had free afternoons to practice swordsmanship. Actually, Phloria sometimes needed to cram at night, to catch up with her studies, but it was something she gladly did.

She would have not given up the weekend lessons about first magic for the world. Besides, once she managed to get to know him better, she really enjoyed his company. The same went for Lith, up to that point, she was his favourite.

Phloria was mature and level headed, speaking her mind so often that sometimes she came out rude. She also had various interests and hobbies, making her able to talk about almost every topic, not only about magic or Court life.

Lith enjoyed their talks, learning about the new world mentality and non-written society rules. Having lived most of his new life in a small village, Lith could learn more from one of her anecdotes that from an entire book.

That day Phloria wore her long black hair down, making them dance in his face every time she turned her head suddenly.

"Why are you still growing your hair?" Lith asked. "I thought that having them short was more convenient for a fighter."

"Yeah, you got that right. But during the last break, my mother kept nagging about me not being feminine enough. She said that if I cut them even shorter, people would mistake me for a boy. What a load of sh*t!" She grumbled.

Lith could only keep silent, inwardly agreeing with her mother. Phloria was very tall, even more than most Professors, and she still had plenty of time to grow further. She also had wide shoulders and enough strength to easily lift him, like during the mock exam.

"What do you think about it?" She abruptly asked.

"That I hope she didn’t phrase it so cruelly. But I have to give it to her that you are prettier this way." Lith dodged the question with a compliment.

"Of course not, my mother is of noble origins, she would never be so straightforward. She just pointed out how hard it is to find suitors form me, adding how scared she is at the idea that our bloodline would die with me and all that cr*p."

"I thought you had siblings." Lith raised an eyebrow at such arguments. He clearly remembered that her parents had three children.

"I do. And when I pointed it out, she replied with the bogus theory that women are more likely to pass down a greater degree of magic. At that point I gave up. You know parents, you are always on the losing side of any discussion."

Lith nodded, not knowing what to say. No one had ever tried to control that aspect of his life.

"While we are at it, you do know that Quylla has it bad for you, right?"

"Yes." He actually suspected that Quylla was developing a crush, but he hoped that with time and not giving her special attentions, it would pass. He did not want to openly reject her and hurt her feelings.

"Yet I don’t understand why."

"Well, she’s an orphan. She clearly has daddy issues, and between your big brother and drill sergeant vibes, I’d say you make the ideal candidate."

"But why me and not one of the Professors or something? I mean, I’m nothing special, just..."

"Tall, good-looking, talented and caring?" Phloria cut him short. "You are right, is a complete mystery."

Lith glared at her in annoyance.

"That’s not funny. Stop ruffling my feathers."

"Well, right now I have to take back the good-looking and caring part. With that face, you are creepy."

Lith’s expression returned to normal.

"Much better. By the way, I would keep an eye on Friya too. It would not surprise me if her family sent her after you. Talented magicians with no family name are much sought-after."

"Please, I’m just a fourth-year student." Lith scoffed. "It’s too soon for that kind of shenanigans."

"Nah, you are still too naïve. It’s the perfect moment to start an approach to develop in the future without seeming too desperate or interested. During the fifth year it would be too late, one needs an edge over the competition.

It’s not like they are going to make you marry after all. If you do not live up to their expectations, they can always back off at any moment."

"That makes sense." Lith furrowed his brow, thinking about the unexpected problem.

"Thanks for the heads up."