The Exalt Cultivation Fantasy

Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 41: A Friend

Oscar did not know how to answer the girl before him. He had never been in this situation before. Not only that, she was the princess!

In all his knowledge, there was only one appropriate course of action. He slowly and awkwardly turned back to his open book and started reading again. There was no way she'd make a scene in the library, so he swiftly retreated.

"...." Celestina's eye twitched from Oscar's slow retreat. Her usually composed pale face contained a small hint of anger. She pulled out one of the novels and began to read it.

There was nothing but the sounds of pages turning as the two sat opposite one another for a good hour. Finally, Oscar finished his first book on shield basics. He closed the book and set it aside, taking another in his hands.

'Is she still there?' He had been too occupied by the book that he forgot about Celestina sitting right in front of him. To his shock, she was in her chair.

Seeing a beautiful girl reading a book with her silver hair falling on her back was enchanting. She was completely absorbed in reading that Oscar's little actions did not interrupt her.

Oscar noticed the title, 'The Red Hat', with a funny expression. It was a mystery book he had read earlier and one of his favorite series.

"Hello?" He decided to quit ignoring her. She could have forced her way with her status, but she was kind not to bother him.

Not only that, she seemed really into books. As she read, the entranced look on her face was charming but also made him feel a sort of affinity toward her.

"?" Celestina looked up from her book in a troubled and irritated tone. She had just gotten to the story's climax, and someone rudely interrupted her. But there was Oscar within her sight, making her realize where she was and why.

"Oh! No need to be scared!" Celestina tried to relax Oscar, who had gotten pale from her response.

Anyone would be scared if she talked to them like that. She is the princess and a Grade Eight Exolsia prodigy of the Inner Hall. Her words were like a death sentence.

"What did you want to ask?" She said in a soothing voice, making Oscar's head feel like it was in the clouds.

"That book you're reading. How is it?" Oscar scratched his cheeks in embarrassment. He never believed he would be talking with the princess directly.

Celestina's eyes began to shine with delight. The smile on her face made Oscar's heartbeat quicken; he thought he had accidentally used 'Awaken'.

"This one, 'The Red Hat', is amazing. The main character is an amazing detective, and the mysteries are so enthralling." Celestina started into a long one-sided conversation about the book, and Oscar could not help but lose all pretense, laughing at the situation. "What is it?"

"Sorry, forgive me. But I thought it was a big contrast that our princess could be so into such a story."

Exalt families focused heavily on honing their children's potential, especially the Royal Family. There was no room for fun or games, only time for training and improvement. Thus, he found it odd yet somewhat comedic that the much-lauded princess was a fellow bibliophile.

"Is there anything wrong with that?" Her eyes seemed to darken slightly.

"I love books too. I can tell you that this is only the series' first book; it gets really good later on." Oscar saw her slowly saddening expression and quickly changed the topic.

"This is only the first book? I have so much to read!"

"I am surprised that you read these stories. Lots of people think they're a waste of time."

"I love books." Celestina pursed her lips, looking graceful even while slightly pouting. She held the book in her hands endearingly. "It doesn't matter whether they're stories or textbooks; they all make me happy."

"I feel the same way." He smiled, recalling the first time he had picked up a book. The wonderful words spun together to let his imagination run wild—the anxiety or anticipation of what was on the next page. All of it was fulfilling and fun.

Celestina noticed Oscar's heartfelt smile and knew that she was not wrong. This person also loved books.

"We haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Celestina Lovre Dragnar." Celestina placed her hand on her chest and bowed slightly. It was an act of respect that made Oscar feel awkward.

"Everyone knows who you are. I don't think it's a good idea to be this accommodating to a commoner like me." Oscar tried to dissuade her partly for her image and to avoid any trouble for himself. The talk about books made him forget his manners.

"Here in the Pavilion, we are all students. There is no distinction between nobles and commoners."

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"But you're in the Inner Hall, and I'm in the Outer Hall."

"That doesn't matter either. We are in the same year." She was persistent and constantly shot down Oscar's excuses. "As fellow book lovers, we shouldn't be so distant."

"...." Oscar felt like this was more complicated than it seemed. But he gave in. He conducted himself gracefully, basically copying Draven's elegance. "Greetings to your highness. I am Oscar Terr, a student of the Outer Hall.

Celestina was not pleased. "You can be more casual. But I am pleased to meet you, Oscar. You can call me Celestina." Of course, she already knew Oscar's name from her conversation with the librarian, but she wanted to have a proper introduction.

"Ms. Dragnar?" Oscar tried to find a middle ground. It was still too much for him to suddenly call her by name.

"Celestina." The silver-haired princess was unrelenting and stared Oscar down, pressuring him to comply.

"C-Celestina?" He felt it would not be good for him to continue angering her.

"Yes, Oscar?" Celestian replied candidly with a grin.

"Are you truly here to talk about books?" Oscar felt suspicious. Although he saw how much she loved books, it was not enough to convince him that she approached him for this reason alone.

"Yes?" Celestina tilted her head, not understanding the meaning of Oscar's question.

"Can you explain why?" Oscar knew she truly was here to talk about books from her actions. However, that confused him even more.

"Everyone else is focused on training and becoming stronger Exalts. I understand that desire, but I also love books. No one else can understand me."

"I noticed you in the library many times. At first, I thought you were just another one of my pursuers who tried to approach me about books or look distanced and fake it."

"But I saw you here daily, reading book by book, shelf by shelf. I noticed the face you made and knew you truly loved books. I've never had a friend I could talk about books with. You never tried to contact me, so I decided to take the initiative." Celestina's pale face was slightly red from saying her deep desire. All she wanted was someone she could relate to. Someone she could talk with about books.

Oscar sighed and understood her plight. In his small village, there was only Isabella, who did not care that much about books. She read some, but they could never talk about it.

It must have been harder for this princess. To not know if anyone was genuine or had ulterior motives. There was one question nagging at him that he had to ask. "Why do you love books so much?"

Celestina looked down at the book in her hands and back to Oscar somberly, causing the previously joyful air to be gloomy.

"If-if you don't want to talk about it, we can just forget it!" Talking with the princess was like walking on eggshells. Oscar had to be careful.

"Yes, we can just forget it." The smile on her face after she finished talking was as enchanting as before. But Oscar felt a small difference, as if she was forcing herself a little.

"Do you want to talk about 'The Red Hat'?"

"I'm still reading it, so maybe after I'm finished. I am curious about this stack you have. A book on shield wielding."

"I use a shield as a weapon. I've been reading on how to wield it properly."

"A shield? That's an odd choice but not unheard of."

"Not unheard of?"

Celestina leaned to grab Oscar's pile of books and went through the covers of each one before stopping on one, 'The History of Shields'. She flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for, handing it to Oscar. It was a chapter titled, 'The Life of Ulric Ishfron'. "He's the most famous warrior who used a shield. I know because his statue is placed in the Royal Palace for his services. They say he was like an unbreakable moving fortress that crushed his foes."

They engaged in a conversation about Ulric and his achievements. Oscar saw how excited the girl was to retell the stories she had heard, smiling along with her.

"Oh, sorry! I've been keeping you away from your reading." She apologized.

"It's alright. I had a lot of fun talking with you."

"This is a good spot; barely anyone comes here. I love it." Her pursuers would typically be roaming around, following her from a distance. But, it appeared that none of them could find her here.

"The Archives is well organized, but it can be like a maze as you go deeper. I found this spot to be perfect for reading in peace." Oscar found this place after much effort.

"Sorry for the intrusion." Celestina apologized again. She did not want to make any bad impressions.

"It's fine; we're friends." Oscar was still uncomfortable being so casual with the princess, but he knew this was what she had wanted for so long. It was rude to keep denying her.

"Friends…." Celestina mused and ruminated on that word. The palace had been a great lonely place for her. Although she loved her family and trained hard to meet their expectations, no one was that close except her brother.

The other nobles only saw her as a possible way to enter relations with the Royal Family. The people her age only had ulterior motives besides a few. But none of them shared her attachment to books.

She tried many times, but the topic would always steer another way. Her family always impeded her from reading too much because it ruined her time to train. But now, she was free in the Blue Ocean Pavilion; her family could not stop her here, and the Neptune Archives was a dream come true for her.

"Do you want to meet here tomorrow? I want to keep talking about books." Celestina nervously made her invitation. It was a complete contrast to her usual dignified and otherworldly demeanor.

"Sure!" Oscar smiled. He was also glad to have someone to talk to about books. Frederick was an amazing friend, but they had differing interests.

"Let's meet tomorrow night." Celestina got up from her seat, carrying the books. "Goodbye, Oscar." Her graceful figure disappeared into the array of shelves, leaving Oscar behind.

Oscar followed suit, shaking his head helplessly. It nearly seemed like a story in that he'd befriended a princess. 'Hopefully, nothing bad happens because of this.'

…….

Returning from the odd encounter to his dorm, Oscar set down his pillow and got in bed, looking at the other side of the room. The bed at the other end was still empty. Frederick had not returned at all in the hours he was at the Neptune Archives.

His mind wandered to Celestina. He always believed that a person born with an extraordinary talent, such as Grade Eight Exolsia, would be content and happy. But Celestina turned that notion on its head; she had all the talent in the world and was a part of the most powerful family in the Empire, yet, she was still lonely and desired a friend.

Tired and not wanting to think more, Oscar closed his eyes to sleep. But the door burst open with a loud shout from a familiar voice.

"I'M BACK!" It was Frederick with his green hair and yellow eyes.

Oscar's eyes nearly popped out of his skull from Frederick's appearance.

Frederick's handsome features and yellow eyes were the same. But there was a glaring difference. His green hair was so short, like a trimmed lawn, almost to the point of being completely bald.

"HAHAHAHA!"

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