Wein moved as he casually accepted Aria's offer. Before leaving the room, he also wanted to get some fresh air.
He didn't forget to return briefly to the dining room, grabbing two cups of coffee before heading up to a floor where the air was still safe to breathe.
It was quite cold here. Wein had picked the wrong outfit, causing his body to shiver slightly. Was that why everyone always stared at him when he first appeared?
Now I just need to find Loraine… he muttered under his breath, carefully carrying the two nearly full cups of coffee.
Paying close attention to his steps, Wein finally reached the top floor—only to find the mist had already reached it. By tomorrow, the entire dorm might be submerged.
Walking on the carpet, the sound was muffled before he stepped onto wood, which calmed him slightly. He used his shoulder to push open the dormitory balcony door.
The silhouette of a silver-haired girl stood directly before him as the wind blew perfectly, causing Loraine's hair to flutter in a way that stirred the heart.
"Evening! Looks like you wanted to talk to me." Wein managed to enter through the door behind him without spilling the coffee.
Loraine signaled toward something just a few steps ahead—some wooden branches that could trip him if stepped on, though they didn't look like much.
After pointing it out, she returned to gazing at the sky without saying a word. Wein carefully passed the obstacle and handed one of the coffees to Loraine.
"Thanks, I really needed something warm," she said softly with a smile, taking a sip before the coffee cooled down.
Wein, whose coffee was iced, followed her lead. A few seconds passed as he observed Loraine.
She was wearing her uniform—or no, just a white shirt and a fairly long skirt as outerwear. Wasn't she cold?
"Aren't you cold?" Wein asked with concern, stepping a little closer.
Upon hearing his question, she shook her head side to side. "I'm an elf made for the snow!" she said with a grin.
Wein blinked and slowly smiled, realizing it was a joke. "Do elves really live in snow?" he asked, thinking it was a fact.
"I was joking. I'm just a regular forest elf like the others, not the kind that lives in snow. But they do exist," she explained, chuckling after successfully tricking Wein.
Snow elves were a sub-species among elves and other sapiens. In the elves' case, they had distinct physical traits, while sapiens looked the same except for minor immune mutations.
Elves, on the other hand, had longer ears than average and slightly thicker bodies, with dominant white eyes and light blue wavy hair.
Loraine, with her silver hair and bluish-green eyes, was a noble elf. Her silvery-white hair gave her a graceful appearance.
"Oh, right, I wanted to talk to you," she said shortly after placing her cup on the flat railing of the balcony.
Something warm then touched his palm. A sudden reaction made Wein turn toward Loraine, his lips still marked with coffee.
Her small hand pinched his, sending a sharp jolt through his body and snapping him back to reality.
She stared directly into Wein's eyes with the expression of a patient listener. Wein nodded, and soon Loraine began to speak.
"Director Claudia has a message for you and the rest of the dorm." She paused to gather her thoughts. "You might be the one to deliver it."
"What is it?" His curiosity slowly bloomed as he waited for Loraine to continue while she took a deep breath.
Loraine gathered her courage and looked directly into Wein's eyes, reassuring him with her expression. "Do not accept the offer to go on the expedition outside the academy. It's a trap."
"Wait… how could it be a trap? I just accepted that expedition." He was stunned, stepping back a few paces before looking back at her.
"What? You accepted it? Who delivered the message?" Her face showed surprise. Loraine thought the invitation hadn't spread yet when she was on the balcony earlier. She shouldn't have come up so soon.
"Aria delivered the message, but she said she'd reconfirm it with Director Claudia while she's still in the dorm. Maybe she's talking to her right now."
"..."
"Can you give me a solid reason why it's a trap?" Wein pressed. He wanted a compelling reason to believe this, especially since this was a golden opportunity to investigate Lucas.
"Because it's not from..."
[It's not entirely from the Academy. It's not Director Claudia who initiated this but something that is forcing the academy.]
"It's not from an academy program."
Unable to look away from her gaze, Wein's eyes widened, his brows raised. He was completely taken aback—even Persephone had to deliver the message directly.
"Why are you reacting so dramatically?" Loraine stepped closer, glancing across his face before looking away again.
The fact that Wein was shocked by Persephone's message made it clearer. He composed himself and looked back at Loraine.
"So… our dorm won't participate?"
[It could—if you immediately invest your money into the academy.]
Damn, she really loves draining everything I have. Can't she think a bit more?
"Of course not, as long as we have someone strong in politics on our side. Director Claudia also mentioned that for this particular issue."
Really? Even Director Claudia fully supports the Arcveil family taking over this game?
Maybe I should meet my brother first? I might want to talk with him a bit.
"I understand now, but still, that expedition sounded fun, didn't it?" His face darkened, disappointed that he couldn't go.
Loraine smiled, though widely, with a soft laugh barely audible.
{Even someone this strong and handsome can act like a baby.}
Her slightly blank expression returned when Wein reacted to her CyFil ancient language, though he quickly looked confused and asked:
"What did that mean?"
"The sky is beautiful."
"But you're not looking at the sky." He looked at her again. "Am I the beautiful one?" Wein chuckled lightly before Loraine playfully punched his shoulder, silencing him for the rest of the moment.
"Wein!" A hoarse, birdlike voice echoed in their ears, making them both look around as it called out a second time. "Wein!"