Chapter 169: Four Beauties, Ten Masters

After some tidying up, a few simple belongings were packed into his small bag and then stuffed into the magic bag, a sight that amazed Kiro and the others. A magic bag was no ordinary luxury item—it was not only extremely expensive but also virtually unobtainable for ordinary people. Yet Kiro wasn’t surprised that Rod possessed such things. After all, having a grandfather who was a quasi-war god spoke volumes. Though rare, such a magic bag meant nothing to someone of Rod’s status; he simply saw it as wealth left behind by his grandfather.

With everything ready, surrounded by several people, they headed out of the medical room in a grand procession. “You’re leaving?” As soon as they stepped outside, they encountered Nurse Linda, who was walking in their direction. Having had plenty of free time these past few days, Rod had become quite familiar with this girl—she was a wonderful person, very considerate of others. No wonder she chose to work part-time at the medical room. According to Rod’s knowledge, Linda was a second-year student in the Magic Department of the Holy Light Academy, specializing in light magic, and was already at the level of a mage!

“Yeah, it’s time to go. Hehe, I don’t want to make this place my home!” Rod said jokingly with a smile. Glancing back at hisward, he felt a bit reluctant to leave. After staying there for a few days, he had developed some affection for it.

“You’ve recovered quickly. Remember to come by if you have time!” Linda said softly, looking at Rod knowingly, her eyes showing a hint of reluctance. In just a few short days, she had already regarded this man as her best friend. He lacked the arrogance typical of geniuses and didn’t look down on others; he was calm and easy to get along with.

“Sister Linda, don’t worry. We’ll definitely come often. You’ve been taking care of the captain these past days, right? Thank you so much. Well, if we have time next time, we’d like to invite you to dinner to express our gratitude. The captain thinks the same, right?” As Rod spoke, the others around him lit up, especially John, who couldn’t wait to extend the invitation. He even winked at Rod, clearly hoping he would go along with his lie.

“Well, if I have time, I’ll treat you to a meal. I’m not sure if that’s convenient!” With a helpless sigh, Rod turned to Linda. After all, Linda’s careful care over these days had indeed helped him solve many problems. It was only right to express gratitude. If not for John’s words, he might have forgotten about this altogether.

Hearing Rod’s words, Anderson and the others looked at Linda with hope, seemingly waiting for her answer, creating an awkward atmosphere. After a moment of silence, just as everyone thought she wouldn’t agree, a faint smile appeared on her lips as she said to Rod, “Sure, I’ll let you go to the expense. Hmm, how about tomorrow? It’s a day off, so come find me then!”

Her response almost took everyone by surprise. Linda was also a well-known figure in the academy. Though not one of the four most beautiful girls, her reputation and popularity were no less than theirs. Unlike Alice, who was wild, or Lucia, who was cold, she was the most popular and adored, her reputation and reputation far from inferior.

However, it seemed many people had invited Linda before—whether for meals or outings—only to be rejected. So seeing her agree to Rod’s invitation so quickly really surprised those who had little hope.

“Hmph, we should go!” A cold voice cut through the harmonious atmosphere, like a shock to everyone’s senses. Looking at Alice, who looked displeased, everyone understood what was going on.

It’s hard to deal with petty people and women. Not only was it a woman, but a young one at that—even harder to deal with. Her obvious jealousy, seeing everyone looking at Linda with envious eyes, and feeling ignored made her uncomfortable. She glared at Linda with a hint of defiance in her eyes.

“Hehe, then you go ahead. Sister Alice is waiting for you! Just come find me at this time tomorrow! I’ll be waiting here!” Hearing this, Linda didn’t show any reaction or opinion, just smiled faintly. Her tolerant attitude earned her quiet praise from everyone.

“Who’s your sister? Delusional!” Alice’s spoiled side resurfaced, and her muttered complaint reached everyone’s ears, turning the atmosphere awkward again.

Linda’s smile seemed a bit frozen and stiff. Rod frowned deeply, and the others also stopped smiling, standing there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Both parties involved were difficult to deal with, leaving them helpless.
“Hehe, well then I’ll be going. I have things to attend to. See you tomorrow!” In such an awkward atmosphere, Linda naturally didn’t know what to do. A girl already has thin skin; what could she do against someone like Alice? Perhaps the best option was to leave that place as soon as possible.
“Mm, see you tomorrow!” Rod said with a smile as he watched Linda leave, though his smile was a bit stiff.
As Linda walked away, Alice’s eyes showed displeasure and frustration, as if Linda had taken something from her in that moment.
Seeing this, only Kiro in the group maintained a somewhat intriguing smile; the rest looked awkward.
“Let’s go!” Rod said coldly, looking back at everyone. He was quite dissatisfied with Alice’s behavior earlier. After glancing at Alice, who acted as if nothing had happened, he turned and walked ahead, making the atmosphere even more awkward and dull.
“Hehe, Captain, remember to take me out for dinner tomorrow!”
After walking for a long distance and seeing the atmosphere gradually ease, John approached Rod from the side and said with a sly grin.
It was obvious that the real intention wasn’t what it seemed. At the same time, others gathered around, including Kenny. It was hard to believe that the usually upright and polite guy now wore a lecherous smile. This puzzled Rod greatly.
“Is Linda famous? Do you all know her?” Rod asked, looking at them in confusion.
“Come on, Captain. Even though you’ve been at the academy for a short time, you must know about the four beauties of our academy!” John exclaimed exaggeratedly, staring at Rod as if he were a monster.
“Mm, Alice is one of the four beauties of our academy! And Lucia too!!” Anna added immediately.
Hearing Anna’s words, Rod glanced at Alice beside him. She had also heard Anna’s words. At that moment, Alice was looking up with a self-satisfied expression. Which woman wouldn’t like to hear someone say she’s beautiful? They would never get enough of such compliments.

Like a proud peacock with its tail raised, Rod sneered in disdain at this sight. What’s the use of being pretty? He admitted that Alice was beautiful and not inferior to Linda, but with that expression of hers? Probably no one would like her.
“You… Knight Rod, you scoundrel! Do you have some objections?” Rod’s expression and gaze fell right on Alice. Seeing this, she let out a cold snort and shouted loudly.
“By the way, John, is Linda also one of the Four Great Beauties? Who came up with this list?” It was the first time he had heard such things, so Rod couldn’t help but ask curiously, showing interest. Alice, watching from the side, realized that she had been completely ignored by this annoying ruffian, who clearly cared more about Linda. Fuming with anger, she was about to explode when John’s words interrupted her.
“This list was made by some guys in the academy, but it’s quite convincing and widely recognized and admired! Hehe, you’ll meet those people soon. For example, you’ve now been ranked among the top ten experts in the academy—your rank even surpasses Viski, who’s now in eighth place. I believe you’ll have a lot on your plate soon; many people are already clamoring to challenge you. Haha…” It seemed he had found something interesting, as he temporarily set Linda aside.
“Hm, really?” Hearing this, Rod also frowned. When had he made it onto the top ten expert list? It made him both amused and annoyed—seems trouble was coming indeed.
“By the way, Linda isn’t one of our academy’s Four Great Beauties, hehe. But if there were Five Great Beauties, she’d definitely be among them. Many say she’s no worse than the Four Great Beauties. Back then, she was almost able to defeat Alice and make it into that group, but unfortunately lost by a narrow margin. Yet that doesn’t affect her popularity at all—she’s even as popular as Alice!” The words that followed froze everyone’s expressions. John was telling the truth, but he seemed too engrossed to notice Alice beside him. Speaking like that in front of her was almost like seeking death. Looking back at Alice, whose face was pale as steel, everyone silently prayed for John. Rod kept signaling with his eyes, hoping John would stop, but the guy grew more and more excited, showing no signs of stopping. Rod’s glances were completely ignored.

“You know, there are tons of people lining up hoping to win her favor. Unfortunately, though she’s kind and friendly, she never gives others a chance. The college infirmary also becomes extremely busy because of her presence—some people even make excuses to get treated there just to see her. Captain, you’re really something; you succeeded with just one invitation. That’s true charm! Hehe, Captain, I can’t miss out on such an opportunity. You have to take me—I’ll pay for the food, and you can pick any place. If others find out about this, you’ll be super famous, gaining Linda Senior’s favor—haha… It’s bound to be big news!” John kept talking nonstop, while Alice behind him grew increasingly pale, her pupils widening as if overwhelmed by extreme excitement. Her face and wide eyes seemed ready to devour someone! She slowly walked toward John, as if the temperature between heaven and earth had cooled down and frozen at that moment. It was only then that John sensed something and slowly turned to look.