Chapter 230: The Gauntlet and the Rose
The Monday of the Selection Trials dawned with a sky the color of bruised iron. The artificial weather system of the Academy had seemingly calibrated itself to match the mood on campus: heavy, overcast, and threatening storm.
I stood on the balcony of the Gilded Lotus Inn, watching the sunrise over Rolune one last time before we headed back to the Academy grounds proper.
My inventory was organized. My [Void Vault] was secure. The Holy Sword was sleeping in its lead-lined bed.
But there was one piece of unfinished business I needed to address. A personal quest line that had been flashing in my peripheral vision since the Labyrinth.
Establish a connection.
I checked the time. 06:30 AM.
According to my knowledge of the character schedules—and my observation of the last week—Maria Frostheart was an early riser. She practiced her mana control in the hotel's private garden before breakfast.
