Endless Leveling Done Right!

Chapter 740: If You Lie, I Will Never Talk To You Again

The next day…

Alex and Astrea sat on the parade float that was prepared just for them.

Both wore the same clothes they used during the singing competition. Cassian also wanted to be on the float, but Professor Arienna rejected him, saying only the winners of the tournament could board.

If she made an exception just for him, it might make the other students want to follow his example, which would cause a major problem if not handled properly.

In the end, Cassian relented and gave Alex a stern warning.

“My sister is off-limits, got it? If I see or hear that you did something to her, you’re dead.”

Alex nodded in understanding, promising he wouldn’t do anything that would blemish Astrea’s reputation.

On the other hand, the young lady found her brother’s overprotectiveness a little embarrassing.

“Brother, I’m already an adult.” Astrea pouted. “Stop treating me like a child.”

“I’m not treating you like a child,” Cassian replied. “I’m just telling Alex not to take advantage of your innocence.”

Even now, he believed that it was Alex who had initiated the incident that happened in the ballroom, all just to steal a kiss from his sister.

Although he had no evidence whatsoever to support his theory, he stubbornly refused to consider any other possibility.

It was as if he had forgotten Astrea’s extraordinary talent that was as good as her singing.

Her clumsiness.

She would always stumble, trip, and find trouble in the most unlikely situations.

In fact, if there was a perfectly flat road with nothing on it, she would probably still find a way to trip over it!

It was then that Eiko and Dim Dim made their way onto the parade float.

Since Alex had requested that Eiko and Dim Dim join the parade, Professor Arienna placed a small pedestal for the two of them to perch on.

When the little bun and the little blue slime settled in their respective places, Astrea cooed and greeted the two newcomers.

She had already seen Dim Dim many times in the past, but this was the first time she was interacting with a slime.

They were considered as the blessed race in Arcana, so people treated them kindly.

“What’s your name, little one?” Astrea asked the blue slime in a respectful tone.

“Eiko,” Eiko replied.

“That’s a very cute name.” Astrea smiled. “Did Dim Dim give you your name?”

“No.” Eiko shook her head. “Papa!”

“So, you have a papa?”

“Ei!”

“What is your papa like?” Astrea asked.

Alex watched this scene with a faint smile, fully knowing that Astrea liked to befriend anyone.

While she was happily chatting with Eiko and Dim Dim, Professor Arienna approached the parade float, telling them that the parade would start soon and that they needed to head to the location where the other parade floats had gathered.

The coachman, who was wearing the colors of the Kingdom of Faelarun, told Alex, Astrea, and the two little ones to remain seated as they headed toward their destination.

Since they were passing through the streets, a few people noticed them and waved in their direction.

In response, Alex, Astrea, Dim Dim, and Eiko waved back, enjoying the cheers they were receiving from the locals of Everdawn City.

“This place is beautiful,” Astrea said softly. “I hope we can return here next year.”

“The next Inter-Academy Tournament will be held in the Kingdom of Avalon,” Alex replied. “Though, if you want to go here as a tourist, you can visit anytime as long as you get a recommendation letter from either Aeris or Lapiz.”

“That sounds doable.” Astrea nodded. “Will you accompany me if I go here to visit?”

“I’m sure your brother will have something to say about that.” Alex smiled wryly.

Astrea giggled. She couldn’t refute his words. To be honest, she somewhat enjoyed her family’s protectiveness. Not everyone had her privilege.

But occasionally, it felt so restricting that she was getting tired of it.

“Do you want to know a secret?” Astrea whispered in Alex’s ear.

“Sure.”

“Actually, my brother and I are half-siblings.”

The young lady was paying close attention to Alex, observing how he would react.

However, when Alex didn’t look surprised by her words, a look of disappointment appeared on her face.

Truth be told, Alex knew a bigger secret about Astrea that even she didn’t know about.

“Do you know who your mother is?” Alex asked.

“No.” Astrea shook her head. “But my brother’s mother has always treated me like her own daughter, so I also treat her as my own mother. By the way, why didn’t you look surprised when I told you this secret?”

“I was surprised, actually.” Alex lied. “It just didn’t show on my face.”

“Liar.”

“…”

The young man sighed then looked at Astrea with a solemn gaze.

“Why did you tell me this secret?” Alex asked. “This is something that you shouldn’t tell anyone, you know.”

“You’re right.” Astrea nodded. “But, for some reason, I felt like even if I told you this secret, you would not tell anyone about it.”

“Where is your confidence coming from?” Alex arched an eyebrow. “I can tell this to my lovers, you know? It will be good for idle gossip.”

“You won’t do that, Alex.”

“And why would I not do it?”

“Because if you do that, I’ll hate you.”

The playfulness in Astrea’s face disappeared at those words, being replaced by a serious gaze that she rarely showed to anyone.

“Then, why did you tell me?” Alex inquired. “There must be a reason, right?”

“I believe in equivalent exchange.” Astrea’s expression soon returned to normal. “Since I told you my secret, I want you to tell me your secret as well.”

Alex wanted to say that ‘That’s not how the world works’. However, Astrea was an innocent and pure person. She hated lies. Plus, when she wished to know something, she would do things that were out of the norm.

In the end, the young man relented and asked her what she wanted to know.

“Fine…” Alex sighed. “What secret of mine do you want to know? I am a man of many secrets, so I’ll tell you one of them because you put your trust in me.”

“Then, I want you to answer one question honestly,” Astrea said. “Can you do that?”

“I can.” Alex nodded. “Ask away.”

The young lady stared at him long and hard before she asked a question that made the smile on his face disappear.

“Alex Stratos,” Astrea moved to whisper in Alex’s ear. “Are you the lost prince of the Aetherion Empire, Prince Aetherius Alexian Vademont?”

Alex didn’t know how Astrea came to know about this information. He had recently realized that he might indeed be a Prince of the Aetherion Empire.

However, only a few people knew this secret.

Evangeline, her father, as well as the Guardian of the North, Luthor Vademont. Only they knew about it.

Even the Headmaster of the Academy, Professor Rowan, didn’t know about this secret.

So why…

Why did Astrea suddenly ask this question out of the blue?

“Don’t lie, okay?” Astrea said in a serious tone. “If you lie, I will never talk to you again.”

He met her gaze in return, not knowing how to answer or react to her question.

Yet, one thing was clear.

He believed that Astrea wasn’t lying. If he really didn’t tell her the truth, then the young lady would keep her word and probably never speak a word to him again… for as long as she lived.