"I'm happy for you."
Hearing him, Her heart fluttered violently in her chest. She could feel warmth spreading through her whole body, her face flushing in ways she couldn't control.
'How long have I waited for this? For him to smile at me like this… Is this love?'
She bit her lip softly and sighed inwardly. 'Yes… yes, this must be love.'
"So…" she asked, voice almost trembling with anticipation, "what's your rank?"
"A." Bruce said it casually, as though it wasn't anything special at all.
The words hit Sophie like a thunderclap. She blinked, almost certain she had misheard him.
"Really?"
She had expected him to struggle. After his memory loss, even with her explanations, she thought it would be especially hard for him. She had already steeled herself to help him through any setback, even if his trial ended poorly.
But instead… A-Rank. He hadn't just done well. He had surpassed everyone!
Her lips curled upward again, this time into a genuine, glowing smile. "I'm happy for you, Bruce."
She reached out, taking his hand into hers, her thumb stroking softly against his palm. Then, without hesitation, she tugged him gently forward.
"As expected of my Bruce. I expected nothing less from you." Her tone was playful, but her eyes glimmered with admiration. "While it would be best to register as a full-fledged Awakened right now… with your memory loss, I think it's better to take you home first."
Her fingers tightened affectionately around his. "We can talk on the way."
Around them, their classmates could only watch with barely concealed envy.
The sight of Sophie, the academy's belle, holding Bruce's hand with such tenderness, smiling so warmly, and dragging him away as if no one else in the world mattered… it gnawed at them like poison.
That smile, the one she had never shown another man, belonged solely to him.
But there was nothing they could do.
Because she was Sophie Reign. And she had chosen Bruce. And most of all she's the daughter of Bane. No one would dare do anything that'll make her frown even slightly because of him...
Stepping out of the Ceremony grounds with Sophie by his side, Bruce glanced back once before asking, "Shouldn't there be a briefing after the Ceremony?"
Sophie squeezed his hand lightly, her smile soft but firm. "Don't worry about it. Your needs are my priority right now. Whatever the instructor says will just be long and boring. Besides, we've already graduated. The academy can't take any action against us anymore."
Her tone shifted, laced with a quiet steel. "And even if they try, I'll make sure no harm ever comes to you or your family."
Bruce studied her for a moment before sighing, shoulders loosening. He let it go. If she said it with such certainty, then there was no point stressing.
They walked in silence after that, Bruce taking the time to observe the world around him. To his surprise, it was… advanced. Skyscrapers gleamed in the distance, neon signs glowed, and the streets were far livelier than he expected of a so-called magical world. But it also contains some stuffs of medieval world like carriages...horses in form of magical horses and similar stuffs could also be seen...
He asked, "Why not take a car?"
Sophie's lips curved in a small smile. "Because your house is only a few thousand steps away. And more importantly… I want to spend as much time as I can with you on the way there."
Bruce nodded simply. "Ok."
After a pause, Sophie tilted her head. "By the way, what's your class? You didn't tell me earlier."
Bruce didn't bother to hide it. "Godly Healer."
Her eyes widened slightly, then sparkled with excitement. "Wow… it sounds really cool!"
He almost chuckled at her enthusiasm.
"You must be curious about my class too, right?" she asked, almost teasing.
"Yeah."
"Since you're curious, I won't hide it from you…" Sophie said proudly, her voice ringing clear. "My class is Arcane Swordmaster. It allows me to summon a sword that can cut through anything."
Bruce's brows lifted. He was genuinely impressed. 'Arcane Swordmaster, huh? It not just sounds strong, it might be a little terrifying if she were my enemy.'
Still, he reminded himself calmly, 'As long as I'm not killed in one hit, my defense is practically impenetrable. Once I have time to test my theories on mana circuits and create class-related skills, I'll be fine. Till I have everything prepared I shouldn't put myself into unnecessary danger.'
Suddenly, Sophie suddenly tugged on his sleeve, signaling him to lean closer.
He tilted his head toward her.
Her breath tickled his ear as she whispered, "Here's a secret. It's triple-S ranked."
Bruce blinked. "SSS?"
"Mm-hm." She beamed at him, her smile so bright it was almost unfair.
"Really? That's… impressive," Bruce admitted, tone flat but sincere.
Sophie's eyes twinkled mischievously. "There's more. Come closer."
He leaned in again, only for her to quickly plant a soft kiss on his chin before whipping her head away, cheeks burning red.
Bruce froze for half a second, then laughed under his breath. He'd been pranked.
'Quite the mischievous girl,' Bruce thought, strangely amused.
Sophie smiled faintly, her mind replaying the moment she had kissed his chin. Her gaze softened, turning almost dreamy.
'His skin is so smooth… his jaw so strong, so manly… Was he always this handsome?'
Her fingers tightened around his hand, rubbing it gently as if she never wanted to let go. Then, with her voice low and tender, she began to narrate her trial.
Bruce listened quietly, a small smile touching his lips, responding here and there with genuine interest.
Her trial was different from his, yet in its own way, no less grueling.
She explained how, in her trial, she was given a sword and ordered to defend an entire village from a goblin horde pouring out of a dungeon break. The pressure was immense, but she fought tooth and nail, cutting down wave after wave of enemies.
Her Exceptional Titles, she explained, came not from strength alone, but from the choices she made along the way, decisions that aligned with the Codex's point of view.
And in the end, her crowning achievement: she had defended the entire village with zero casualties. It was an outcome the Codex deemed extraordinary, but Sophie confessed that it had pushed her to her absolute limits.