The Extra Seeks Chaos

Chapter 96 Heading To Brownleaf Village

The carriage continued moving, rolling steadily through a path in the forest. It was different from the routes the Academy carriages usually took to the cities where expeditions were held.

This particular path led to the villages. Like the Academy, most of the villages were located outside Starshine City, but despite the distance, they were still considered part of the city's domain, simply lying beyond its borders.

Tessa's frown deepened as she glanced at Arin, who was staring out of the window with an indifferent expression. The two sat in silence, their thoughts occupying the space between them.

'Maybe I really am overthinking things,' Tessa thought, sneaking another glance at Arin. 'I mean, there's no way he can be Chaos, right? He doesn't seem like someone capable of hiding his identity.'

She wanted to dismiss the idea entirely, but no matter how much she tried to convince herself, a small voice in her mind refused to let go of the suspicion. The similarities she had noticed were too hard to ignore.

It wasn't unusual for others to have indifferent expressions or give short replies, but the combination of those traits and his ability to use the Water Element made him a concrete suspect in her eyes.

'I can't rule out the possibility,' Tessa thought. 'I'll keep watching him.'

Meanwhile, Arin had his own concerns.

'She's been glancing at me for a while now,' he thought, catching Tessa's quick looks from the corner of his eye. 'What's going on in her head?'

The carriage jolted slightly as it hit a bump, and Tessa shifted her gaze to the road ahead. Her thoughts moved on.

'Classes resume tomorrow, so I'll see him in class. I'll keep observing him closely to see if he really is Chaos.'

Suddenly, Tessa furrowed her brows as a new thought crossed her mind.

'Speaking of Chaos, I forgot to ask him about that other Vampire I partnered with to fight Alex.'

When Seraphine had appeared to battle Alex during the expedition, Tessa had been as shocked as Alex himself. She never thought Chaos would work with a Vampire, but she had hidden her surprise. Any visible reaction would have shown Alex that their plans weren't as organized as they seemed.

'I didn't ask about it because I was more concerned about him being a Vampire than him bringing one,' Tessa thought. 'Though, I have an idea who that Vampire might be.'

They nodded in response before the carriage rolled away.

Even though almost all the villagers had entered their homes, three men approached them. One was bald, while the other two had thick black hair. The bald man stepped forward and spoke first.

"Welcome, honored Mages of the great Greenfield Academy."

Arin and Tessa nodded silently. They hadn't spoken much during the journey, both consumed by their own thoughts.

Tessa opened her mouth to respond, but Arin stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. He had taken this mission, and Tessa was merely observing him. He wouldn't let her take control of the situation. Apart from when it would be time to fight the bandits, he had to show that he was capable of handling matters.

"Greetings," Arin said, his tone firm. "We don't have much time. Tell me—how long until the bandits arrive? And where do they usually attack from?"

Tessa was caught off guard by Arin's directness.

"So straightforward...." she murmured.

The bald man, noting Arin's seriousness, answered immediately. "They could arrive at any moment. In fact, they might already be on their way."

Arin raised an eyebrow. "Good. Then I won't have to wait long."

This mission was more than just a task. For Arin, this mission will solve three of his problems. First, he'll be able to get a weapon after this mission, and as for the other two problems, they were pretty serious.

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[A/N]

Did you guys remember that Tessa hadn't spoken to Chaos about Seraphine? Just wanna get your response!