715 I am leaving
Kyle stood amidst many bookshelves, immersed in the pages of the book he held, while Bia's small form rested serenely on his shoulder with her eyes closed.
Outside the mission hall's sole library, where he stood, the twin demi-humans bid farewell to their friends, who anxiously asked the duo to take care.
As their friends vanished from sight, the twins stepped into the library. They paused a short distance from Kyle when they saw him engrossed in the book in his hand. But noticing how the human flipped through the book's pages with remarkable speed, as if the latter was just counting them, the duo wondered if he was truly reading it.
Many students were around Kyle, but no one seemed to be paying attention to him, or rather, everyone was behaving as if they couldn't see the human at all. Logan glanced at his twin and whispered.
"Did he conceal his presence?"
Mason narrowed his eyes. Although he could see nothing around Kyle, he checked the energy in the air and detected subtle stirrings of divinity encircling the man.
"It seems he has created a protective barrier around himself, allowing only those he chooses to see him through it. But given what happened earlier, it's probably for the best that no one can detect him."
The twins sighed and began waiting for Kyle to finish whatever he was doing. The air was filled with the faint rustle of pages and the soft sound of books being returned to the shelf. To their annoyance, the human seemed to be merely flipping through one book after another.
He would examine the cover of each book, skim through all the pages, and then return it to the shelf, only to reach for another, repeating the entire process.
The air was thick with a sense of frustration as the twins exchanged glances, wishing for Kyle to hurry the hell up. In the end, the two brothers leaned against a bookshelf and dozed off.
Kyle turned to glance at the duo when he sensed their guard around him had relaxed, only to find them fast asleep. He hummed and began to wander through the library.
A wave of nostalgia washed over him, awakening emotions he hadn't felt in ages. His eyes roamed the space, pausing briefly on a group of students seated around the tables scattered throughout the space, all absorbed in the books before them.
A faint smile tugged at his lips, growing brighter with each step he took.
"The last spot in the practical exam, huh? That merman really did underestimate my abilities. I suppose even if I was weak in the past, my mind remained quite sharp."
His eyes flickered with amusement as he remembered how he had amassed so many mana stones from Nine after winning the bet, where the latter had wagered that he would come in last in the exam.
"It's a pity Alec and Carcel didn't join in."
With a shake of his head, Kyle grabbed another book from a shelf nearby.
The knowledge within wasn't very useful, but he had noticed that the books in this place contained many unique concepts.
What he liked the most so far was learning how to form a weaker version of the skills he possessed to share with others.
Bia stirred on his shoulder, but he patted the phoenix, and she relaxed. After putting the book in its place, he was about to wake the twins to leave when he spotted Zhask entering the library alongside an old elf.
Walking directly behind them was the demi-woman Bia had seen with the twins in the forest, accompanied by the blue-eyed demi-woman who had tried to strike up a conversation with Kyle not long ago.
In addition to the two girls, many other people followed behind the elders, all wearing expressions of curiosity.
Zhask scanned the area, but since Kyle's presence was hidden behind the barrier, he couldn't detect him with his senses.
In the end, he turned to the two demi-women behind him and voiced his frustration, since they were the ones who had caused a scene and alerted the elders. But the two women remained persistent, urging him to search the entire library, as it was related to the twins' safety!
Kyle shook his head at the sight.
"It's clear the elders don't want to create a scene since they know about me, but the youngsters aren't grasping their point."
He made his way toward the twins, raised his leg, and nudged Mason's body, causing the man to jerk awake the moment his foot made contact. Mason gasped at him and quickly roused his twin as well.
Kyle flicked his fingers, causing the barrier around him to dissipate. The twins followed closely as he made his way toward Zhask. Instantly, the two women's eyes locked onto him, and they quickly pointed him out.
"It's him! He was the one who caused a scene in the arena!"
The crowd surrounding the elders began to murmur their agreement as they recognized Kyle's face. However, to their surprise, the two elders remained silent. Zhask raised his hand, demanding attention.
"Silence. That is our guest."
Instantly, an eerie silence settled in the space as the two women and everyone around them gazed at Zhask in confusion. If the human was a guest, then why hadn't the old man mentioned it to them earlier?
The unexpected commotion captured the attention of everyone present in the library. Still, Kyle strode casually toward the elders and locked his gaze with Zhask.
The other elder with Zhask wanted to introduce himself to the nature's favorite, but he was utterly ignored as Kyle began to speak in a calm voice.
"I am leaving. My stay here wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either."
The twins behind him beamed with relief, exchanging gleeful glances; at last, the human was leaving from their planet!
Zhask nodded at Kyle.
"That's unfortunate to hear that your stay here wasn't entirely enjoyable... but may I ask where you're headed next? Also, since you are leaving, I believe I can let others know that you were here."
Kyle's eyes narrowed slightly.
"No, don't tell anyone because I will come back here after settling an old score. Just tell me if there's a group of people here who will soon join the war. I will follow them."
Zhask was surprised by his words. It was true that many youngsters from his planet would be selected to join the war every few years, but Kyle wanted to join the war with his people? He wondered how Old Hal and Sophia would react upon learning this.
He counted the time. Even though there were still three months before the selected group would leave, it wouldn't hurt to send them off a bit earlier to shorten the wait.
"A month from now, a group of youngsters will be departing; you can join them."
His response shocked the elder standing beside him and the individuals around who could somewhat grasp what he was saying. Yet, they could do nothing but watch.
Kyle hummed with a nod. A month was enough time for him to settle the old score he had remembered, along with many other past memories. Zhask seemed to want to say more, but he turned around and gestured for the twins to follow him.
Immediately, the twins' faces fell. They watched as a circular teleportation portal illuminated before them. They glanced at the elders for help, but the elders averted their gaze, extinguishing their last hope.
With heavy hearts, they stepped into the portal. Kyle followed behind, and then the portal shattered into many tiny particles.
Zhask let out a sigh as he sensed the numerous eyes upon him. He understood that he owed an explanation to many, but for now, he could only watch the fading bright particles before him.
"Where could he possibly be heading? When I first laid eyes on him, he seemed cold and unfeeling... yet now, his gaze is filled with so much depth. I can't help but wonder if this is a positive change or not."
He shook his head.
"But wherever he is going, I hope he doesn't encounter anything that would lead him to abandon the emotions reflected in his gaze once more. After all, losing one's emotions might be bearable once, but experiencing that desolation again makes it impossible to reclaim what has been lost."