Chapter 43: Amy
He already let me stay in the cave. Asking to share his fire might be pushing his generosity too far.
Amy kept looking toward the fire, then back to her cold position, feeling increasingly conflicted about whether she should request permission to move closer to the warmth. The internal debate continued for several minutes as she tried to weigh her discomfort against the potential social awkwardness of asking for more consideration.
Finally, Draco’s calm voice cut through her indecision, freeing her from the misery of her internal conflict.
"You can sit next to the campfire."
It was as if he could see her internal struggle and had decided to resolve it without forcing her to make an awkward request. Amy felt a surge of inexplicable happiness at his unexpected consideration.
Tt was an act of small kindness, but one that meant the difference between a miserable, cold night and comfortable rest.
"Thank you so much," she said with genuine gratitude, quickly moving to a position opposite him near the welcoming flames.
The warmth immediately began driving away the chill that had been seeping into her bones, and she found herself relaxing for the first time since entering the gate. Across the fire, Draco had already closed his eyes again, resuming his alert rest without seeming to expect conversation or acknowledgment for his generosity.
[Master is nice! Even when he doesn’t have to be! (◕‿◕)] Zephyr observed quietly, clearly approving of his master’s decision to help a fellow student in need.
...
Amy stared at Draco’s peaceful figure across the flickering campfire, studying the face that belonged to someone her friend Clair had repeatedly warned her to avoid. Even in the dancing shadows cast by the flames, she had to admit that she still found him handsome, there was something about his features that had always caught her attention, despite all the negative stories surrounding his reputation.
The same person Clair told me was beneath our notice, she thought, remembering her friend’s harsh words about the "talentless bastard" who had somehow managed to awaken a talent.
She shook her head softly, trying to dispel the confusing thoughts that were arising from the disconnect between expectation and reality. With a quiet sigh, she shifted her position to lean against another section of the cave wall, finding a comfortable spot where she could rest while maintaining a respectful distance.
Focus on getting through the night safely. Don’t overthink this situation.
As she settled in to wait for sunrise, Amy found her mind wandering to the aspects of their shared shelter. While she felt genuinely grateful for Draco’s unexpected generosity, she couldn’t completely ignore the competitive element of their situation.
I could probably overpower him if I really wanted to, she thought, though the idea felt distasteful rather than tempting. He may have awakened a B-rank talent, but he’s still newly awakened. I’ve had my C-rank abilities for longer.
The logic seemed straightforward from a purely theoretical perspective. Her earth manipulation abilities were well-developed and versatile, capable of both offensive and defensive applications. Draco’s Beastmaster talent, while higher-ranked, was still in its early stages of development, and his tiny hummingbird companion didn’t appear particularly threatening in direct combat.
But what would be the point? He’s sharing his shelter and fire with me when he could have easily turned me away. Attacking someone who’s shown kindness would be... wrong.
Amy had heard stories about students who had betrayed temporary alliances during examinations, stealing cores or sabotaging competitors who had trusted them. Such behaviour was technically within the rules, as long as no one was seriously injured, but it always left a bad taste in her mouth.
Besides, I’m not desperate enough to resort to theft. I’ve accumulated a decent number of cores on my own, and there’s still tomorrow to improve my score. Besides, I don’t think he accumulated much anyway.
The warmth from the campfire was making her drowsy, but she forced herself to stay alert. While she trusted Draco not to attack her, his behaviour so far suggested he was more honourable than his reputation indicated, she couldn’t afford to be completely defenceless in an examination environment.
Just rest lightly. Stay aware of sounds from outside, and be ready to move if necessary.
As the night progressed, Amy found herself occasionally glancing at Draco’s resting form, trying to reconcile the person she was observing with the stories she had heard. His calm demeanour and unexpected consideration were so different from the pathetic, desperate character Clair had described.
Maybe Clair’s judgment was coloured by family politics and academy gossip. This Draco seems... different from what I expected.
The gentle crackling of the fire and the steady breathing of her temporary shelter-mate created a surprisingly peaceful atmosphere. Despite being in a dangerous examination environment, Amy felt safer in this cave than she had since entering the gate.
With that thought, Amy allowed herself to relax slightly more, and before she knew it, exhaustion from the gate’s trials overtook her completely. Her breathing deepened, and she slipped into peaceful sleep as if she were safely tucked away in her own bedroom at home.
Draco’s eyes slowly opened sometime later. His gaze landed on Amy’s sleeping figure across the dying embers of the campfire.
’Fool,’ he thought with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
She was sleeping so peacefully and trustingly, as if she were in her parents’ home rather than in a dangerous examination environment with a competitor she barely knew. Her guard was completely down, her breathing steady and untroubled, showing absolutely no awareness of the potential risks her situation presented.
She’s incredibly naive.
Despite her obvious vulnerability and the opportunity it presented, Draco made no move to take advantage of the situation. There was simply no need for such desperate measures. He wasn’t so weak or incompetent that he needed to resort to robbing sleeping classmates to succeed in the examination.
Besides, she trusted me enough to fall asleep. Betraying that trust would serve no useful purpose.
He closed his eyes once again and settled back into his alert rest, waiting patiently for the sun to rise and signal the beginning of the examination’s final day.