Chapter 237: The Reason For Her Diligence

Christine immediately made a move. She stretched her hand out and dragged Calvin behind the wall.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh!"

Christine silenced him with her pursed lips and said, "That Fatty Zachary is crying!"

"Yeah, I saw that." Calvin casually replied, "Is there anything wrong with that shameless guy crying? Didn't you hear what he said earlier about visiting the Hamlet of Azucar? That guy's probably crying because of a woman!"

Christine stared helplessly at Calvin, "Are you really his friend?"

"Hey, I'm not that heartless." Calvin raised both of his hands and surrendered, "It's indeed very strange that someone as comedic as that bastard can actually cry. I wonder what is the reason?"

"Didn't you just say that it's because of a woman?"

"Hey, I was being sarcastic."

"That's even worse..."

Christine facepalmed. Calvin said that he was being sarcastic.

Did that mean that he believed that Fatty Zachary would never be able to woo a woman in his life?

Was this guy really his friend?

Christine could recall that the two of them seemed to be the best of friends, yet they were casually insulting each other like this.

'Is this how men create their friendships? How strange...' Christine mumbled in her heart.

"Are you not curious as to why he is crying?" Christine asked.

"I sure am, but I won't lend him a hand if he doesn't need my help," replied Calvin.

"I didn't expect you to be that heartless," Christine added.

"I was just trying to protect the Fatty's ego." Calvin shrugged.

"Ego, here, Ego that... What's that? Can that be eaten?" Christine rolled her eyes at him.

"Wait, he's going out!" Calvin interrupted.

Fatty Zachary had crumpled the letter that he was reading and stuffed it into his pocket.

Then, without looking in any direction. He walked down the stairs and exited the dormitory area.

"Hey, isn't it quite suspicious that we are acting like this?" Calvin asked.

Both of them wore oversized coats as they discreetly followed the Fatty.

"He's heading for the backdoor? He's going out? Where is he going?" Christine ignored Calvin's question and retorted with her own.

"The Southern Borough is quite far away from him, so he is probably going to the Hamlet of Azucar," Calvin replied.

"The Hamlet of Azucar?" Christine was astounded, "Why would he be going there? Isn't that a place a hub for that kind of thing?"

"A hub for what?" Calvin stared at Christine and revealed a teasing smile, "What kind of place is Azucar?"

"N-Nothing!" Christine sent a jab at Calvin's side and the latter almost keeled over and collapsed onto the floor.

"Damn, you're being so violent!"

"Serves you right!" Christine rolled her eyes at him, "Let's go, he's moving!"

Fatty Zachary was more agile and fast than the two of them had expected. The former had just vaulted over the wall, but he was already a few meters away from the training camp's wall.

"That's the direction of the Hamlet of Azucar. It seems that I was right!" Calvin pointed out.

"Is there something else that's in Azucar apart from those 'those' establishments? It just doesn't make sense for someone like him to cry for a woman. I don't think that he's that kind of a person," Christine asked.

Calvin stared at Christine in shock. "How did you know that he's not that kind of a person? Do you know that Fatty?"

"No! It's just that..." Christine hurriedly waved her hand and denied, "It's just that I've always observed everyone and from what I saw—he's not that kind of a person."

"I see..." Calvin nodded. A smile spread on his face. Perhaps one of the reasons why the masses loved this so-called Goddess of Blade back then was due to the fact that she was this observant and thoughtful of everyone around her? Indeed, people like her had this ability to form a halo of positivity that always inspired the hearts of everyone around them to do good.

"It seems that the Fatty is about to ride a carriage-taxi." Calvin saw that Fatty Zachary stopped at a T-junction.

Calvin could also vaguely hear the sound of hooves through his Predator Senses.

"Where? There isn't even a car—" Christine was doubtful at first, but right as she finished her sentence. The air around them vibrated and the sound of hooves entered her ears. She turned to look to the right and saw that there was indeed a carriage coming in Fatty Zachary's way.

Fatty Zachary flagged down the carriage-taxi and went inside.

"What should we do now?" Christine asked.

"Oh, you can't keep up with that carriage-taxi?" Calvin teased with a smile.

But Christine stared at him as if he was dumb.

"That's a horse right there, do you expect that a human being like me can catch up to a horse?"

"You sure are underestimating the Art of Wind-Chasing. It is a formidable art that should be able to let you do what an average human being cannot do—one of them is overtaking a horse."

"Ah, I know what you are talking about. You're saying that I should try to use the Art of Wind-Chasing to lighten my footsteps? No, no, no. It wouldn't work, well it technically does work but I would still be exhausted. If I did this, then I should be able to last halfway to Azucar. But catching up to that horse? It's basically impossible."

Christine shook her head firmly.

"Also, my leg will get too sore if I do that. Since I will be doing double the morning routine tomorrow as punishment, then I can't be so reckless or I might die of exhaustion." A bitter smile escaped on Christine's lips.

"Who said something about running?" Calvin teased.

"What? Are you trying to say that I am supposed to fly?" Christine furrowed her eyebrows.

"Not exactly. Well, you are smart. I guess I should just let you watch and learn." Calvin smiled.

Christine stared at him in intrigue.

Calvin bent his upper body forwards and placed both of his hands behind him and parallel to the ground. With his knees bent, the Art of Mana Manipulation or the so-called Art of Commanding Wind and Cloud in Christine's eyes circulated throughout his body. A breeze seemed to have appeared out of nowhere as Christine stared at Calvin in shock.

It's similar!

It really is similar!

Calvin's so-called Art of Commanding Wind and Cloud is really similar to the Art of Wind-Chasing!

Christine exclaimed in her heart.

But before she could even say anything, Calvin looked at her with a teasing smile. "Make sure to keep up, or you'll be eating my dust!"

A booming sound resounded as Calvin kicked both of his feet off the floor and leaped high up into the air.

Christine stared at him in shock, "Hey, that's too hi—" She was about to criticize when her pupils suddenly contracted.

It was because she saw that a breeze seemed to be enveloping Calvin's ankles, calves, and thighs.

Before she knew it, Calvin had leaped about three meters into the air and eight meters forward.

In just five seconds, he was now about twenty meters away from Christine.

"What the hell are you doing there? We've got to hurry up!" Calvin chided from afar.

A smile spread on Christine's face.

To be honest, Christine had no idea why Calvin was helping her so much.

But there was something that she was sure of...

Calvin had no bad intentions for her at all.

In fact, he wasn't even looking at her in a way similar to the young men that Christine had met and interacted with before from those noble families.

Yes, he was looking at her like she was a human being.

Not a woman whose only purpose was to give birth to a child.

Christine gnashed her teeth.

The outside world knew that she was being diligent because she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her elder sister.

But they were wrong.

She was only being diligent and doing her best in all things because she wanted to prove to anyone that she was valuable like her sister.

As someone born from a noble family... If she didn't prove her worth, she would undoubtedly become nothing but a marriage tool.

Christine didn't want to be like that.

She always hated things that she couldn't control.

And this was why she hated her life back then.

But when she saw from her elder sister Thea that there was a way out from the destiny of being a breeding tool.

Christine knew that she had to do her best.

And so she did.

But her diligent training was always accompanied by loneliness—her parents were always busy, while her sister was the same.

Furthermore, as a child wiser than her age. Christine had always seen through the facade of those young men from noble families.

She had always known the reason why they were looking at her in admiration. She knew that it wasn't because of her capabilities, and the fact that she was excellent with everything. It was because she was a woman that could birth a child. Since then Christine hated the concept of childbirth. Her belief was further reinforced when she saw just how many children were living in the slums.

If you cannot afford to feed your children? Why even bring them to this world in the first place?

This question was a mystery for Christine—a mystery that she could never answer.

It was on that day when Christine decided to remain childfree in her entire life. But it wasn't that this decision wouldn't change. In fact, Christine was still very interested in having a child despite hating the concept of childbirth, but she made a vow to herself—until she was strong enough, or until she found a husband who was strong enough to give her the life that she desired for her and her children.

She would never birth a child on her own.

And thus—the woman who chased relentlessly after strength—was born.

The smile on Christine's face deepened.

Calvin's actions enlightened her that there was more to the Art of Wind-Chasing than what was known.

She felt as if she had just completed a puzzle, yet there was an even harder puzzle after it.

But was she afraid?

Of course, not!

She would solve this puzzle by herself and become stronger than anyone!

Swoosh!

The Art of Wind-Chasing circulated.

A faint breeze surrounded Christine's body.

With a single leap into the air, she caught up to Calvin who was waiting for her in the distance at once!

The wind softened her landing and Christine landed gracefully in front of Christine.

"What's with that smile on your face?" Calvin commented.

Christine held her face. "I'm smiling?"

"Yeah." Calvin looked at her strangely, "How could you not notice yourself that you're smiling?"

Christine merely chuckled at his words and asked, "Calvin."

"Can we be friends?"

Calvin was taken aback by her words. But inside, he was already trembling in excitement.

The future Goddess of Blade herself was actually expressing her intention to be his friend? What kind of luck was this!

Of course, Calvin didn't show any excitement on his face.

In fact, he was even staring at Christine with a weird look on his face.

"Aren't we already friends? What are you talking about? Are you planning on taking this friendship to a whole new level?" He teased.

"W-W-What?! It's nothing like that!" Christine hurriedly waved her hand.

A blush spread on her cheeks as she stammered through her words. "I-I-I was just asking if we can be friends... I never had any friends before, so please don't blame me if it sounds wrong?"

The blush that spread on her neck up to her cheeks made her look incomparably adorable.

But a frown spread on Calvin's face as he asked, "Wait, you seriously never had any friends?"

Christine nodded in embarrassment, but she didn't say anything in the end.

A teasing look appeared on Calvin's face. "Damn, you're so pitiful!"

"All right..."

"I—Calvin—will reluctantly take you as my friend!"

"S-S-Shut up! I'll take it back! I won't be your friend anymore!" Christine pounced at him and pounded hard on his chest.

Calvin's boisterous laughter resounded afterwards.

The two soon settled down after a moment of bickering.

They walked for a few minutes to rest until Christine broke the silence with a question...

"Hey, Calvin. Since we're already friends, can you teach me how to improve my Art of Wind-Chasing every day?"

"What?" Calvin turned to look at her before his face changed in shock, "Y-Y-You woman! Could it be that you only befriended me because you want to take me as your mentor?!"

Shockingly, Christine didn't refute his claims.

Sticking out her tiny pink tongue, she pulled on her eyelid and made a wacky face.

"Yeah, so what? You're my friend, so you should help me as a friend, all right?"

Calvin was rendered speechless.