Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 1005

The infirmary doors whispered shut behind Sylvie, the faint hum of the wards fading as she stepped onto the wide stone landing outside. Cool evening air kissed her cheeks, carrying with it the scent of fresh rain on old stone and the quiet, distant echoes of students sparring in the lower fields.

She exhaled, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

And then—

A figure leaning casually against the base of a lamppost caught her eye.

For a moment, her mind didn't register it. The evening light painted everything in hues of silver and gold, the breeze tugging at his cloak, making him look almost like part of the scenery.

But then he shifted—straightened—and she saw the unmistakable glint of yellow in his gaze.

Her breath hitched.

"…Brother?"

He smiled easily, as if they had agreed to meet here all along. His cloak bore an unfamiliar crest now—a half-risen sun over a distant horizon, stitched neatly onto his shoulder.

Solstice Dawn.

Sylvie's eyes flickered briefly to the emblem, confusion passing across her face, but she quickly masked it.

Leonard pushed off the lamppost with a casual grace, his hands slipping into his pockets. "Thought I might find you here."

His voice was light, familiar—but Sylvie didn't miss the way his eyes swept over her from head to toe, assessing. Not critically. Almost… proudly.

"You were watching?" she asked, folding her arms loosely over her bag, half defensive, half wary.

Leonard chuckled, a low, warm sound. "Not inside. I wouldn't interfere with an exam." He tilted his head slightly. "But yes. I was told the healers were being evaluated today. Thought I'd check on a certain little sister of mine."

Sylvie's lips twitched despite herself. "You could have just sent a message, you know." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Leonard shrugged. "Wouldn't have been the same." His gaze softened, the golden hue of his eyes catching the last edge of the sun's light. "Besides… I wanted to see it myself."

She hesitated—then asked, more quietly, "And?"

He grinned. "You were good. Better than good. You didn't panic, you didn't overreach, and you didn't waste a single drop of mana. Whoever's teaching you should get a bonus."

Sylvie looked away, hiding the faint color rising to her cheeks.

It shouldn't have mattered. She didn't need validation. She didn't need his validation.

And yet...

A small warmth settled somewhere beneath her ribs.

"Thank you," she said, softer than before.

Leonard walked forward a few steps, his boots silent against the worn stone, until he stood just a few feet from her. Not invading her space—but close enough that his presence filled the air between them.

"You've grown a lot," he said, almost to himself. "Stronger. Smarter. I'm proud of you."

Sylvie's chest tightened again at those words, and she cursed herself silently for how much they still meant to her.

She tried to focus on something else—anything else. "You're a scout now?" she asked, nodding lightly toward the crest on his cloak.

Leonard smiled, something sly flickering behind the easy expression. "For the time being. Solstice Dawn's running a few new recruitment circuits. I got assigned here." He glanced around, feigning casual interest. "Pretty convenient, huh?"

Sylvie didn't answer immediately.

A strange undercurrent ran beneath his words. An odd coincidence—or something more?

She studied him closely, but Leonard's mask didn't falter.

Not yet.

"Convenient," she agreed finally, her voice carefully neutral.

Leonard's smile widened just a fraction.

He knew she didn't fully believe him.

And that was fine.

There was still time.

He reached out and ruffled her hair lightly, in the same easy, affectionate way he used to when they were children.

Sylvie batted his hand away with a quiet huff, but the tension between them eased, just a little.

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