Magical City, Arcanium.
This colossal floating tropolis was ho to five prestigious magic academies and boasted countless modern anities and luxurious facilities.
Young Lady Mirinae.
Her full na was Dallain Rihina Stahrz.
A na woven from the legacy of Duke Stahrz, fad for his mastery of psychology and astrology, and Rihina, a celebrated war hero.
Her full na alone spoke volus about the wealth and privilege she was born into.
Freya Hotel, 78th Floor.
This VIP-level penthouse, reserved for the highest echelons of society, was so exclusive that only a select few stepped through its doors even once a year.
Dallain quietly gazed out at the moonlit sky.
While most students awaiting Stella Academy's entrance exam stayed in hotels near the academy, Dallain had distanced herself, choosing instead the grandeur of this hotel in Arcanium's bustling city center.
But indulgence was not the reason she was here.
Dallain had never spent money on herself purely for pleasure.
"Wow! So this is the VII Room..."
Anella's voice, full of awe, echoed through the space. Her wide, innocent eyes sparkled as she admired the grandeur of the room.
For her, this luxurious suite was an unimaginable splendor.
Winning Anella's trust and admiration, however, was worth far more than the cost.
"C-Can I sit on the bed? Or do I have to pay extra just to touch it?"
Anella pointed nervously at the massive king-sized bed, her fingers trembling slightly.
Dallain smiled warmly and reassured her.
"Of course, you can. Do you want to sleep there tonight?"
"Really?! I can?!"
"Yes. If you want to, go right ahead. After all, we're friends."
"Wow..."
Anella's face lit up.
Having grown up as a commoner - or perhaps worse - Anella had always looked up to the opulent lives of nobles.
But—
"Hmm, sorry. Actually, I think I need to head back to Stella tonight."
"... Why?"
"Yu-Seol told not to spend the night outside. He said I have to report back to the dormitory every night so he can check my attendance."
Dallain fell silent.
Anella doesn't even have to say anything more.
This girl - if Baek Yu-Seol commanded it - would jump into lava without hesitation.
As a specialist in magic psychology, Young Lady Mirinae easily understood Anella's emotions and reactions.
"Well, if that's the case, there's no helping it. But you'll at least stay for dessert, right?"
"Of course!"
Dallain smiled softly and pressed the call button.
Monts later, a waitress arrived, pushing a cart overflowing with cakes, candies, cookies, and marshmallows... a literal mountain of sweets.
"Wow... There's so much!"
"This much is nothing. After all, we're friends."
"T-Thank you!"
As Anella eagerly picked up a cookie, Dallain grabbed the sa type and spoke.
"These cookies taste even better if you roast them a little."
"Really?"
"I'll show you."
Dallain softly chanted a brief incantation, and in the blink of an eye, a small fla danced above her fingertip.
Among girls her age, few - if any - could manipulate fire magic so quickly.
It was undeniable proof of the countless hours Dallain had poured into honing her craft.
"See? Just hold it near the fla like this, and it'll taste even better. Want to try?"
"Yeah!"
As soon as Anella answered, flas burst from her index finger with a loud whoosh!
"Ah! I made it too strong."
She quickly adjusted the intensity, carefully controlling it until her fla matched Dallain's size, and began roasting her cookie.
"Like this, right?"
Anella grinned proudly, her face glowing like a child showing off a new skill.
For a fleeting mont, Dallain's expression faltered.
"That's right. You're doing great."
"Oh wow, it's so delicious!"
Watching Anella devour cookies without a care, Dallain's eyes darkened.
'The gap in our talents...'
It had been less than six months since Dallain first t Anella.
Back then, during a high-profile social gathering, it would have been impossible to overlook the young girl trailing behind Jeliel of the Starcloud Trading Company.
She displayed adorable, childlike behavior and speech, yet assisted Jeliel with extraordinary intelligence and knowledge that seed far beyond her years.
Even the brilliant Jeliel occasionally revealed gaps in experience, but Anella filled them effortlessly... her innocent tone leaving an even stronger impression.
At the ti, Anella had just begun learning magic. She was a complete novice.
When Jeliel ntioned her goal of sending Anella to Stella Academy, Dallain had initially thought it was a joke.
After all, Dallain had spent her entire life dedicating herself to rigorous study and endless practice from the mont she first learned to read, barely managing to reach her current level.
But after about a month, Dallain began to notice sothing unbelievable.
While ordinary beginners would still be struggling to sense the flow of mana, Anella was already casting spells.
She had succeeded in wielding magic within a single month!
'...I thought she was a genius.'
From then on, Dallain couldn't take her eyes off Anella.
Anella's skills skyrocketed, her growth accelerating at such a terrifying speed that she soon surpassed even the 'geniuses' of her age.
Driven by instinct, Dallain began to investigate her further.
She was obsessed... desperate to uncover the secret behind Anella's rapid mastery of magic and her extraordinary strength.
And then, she uncovered a critical clue.
Anella had a close connection with Baek Yu-Seol.
Baek Yu-Seol.
His na alone stirred a sense of unease.
He was the most talked-about figure in the past year... famous, yet wrapped in mystery.
And those in certain circles already knew the truth.
Baek Yu-Seol held a special secret.
He could achieve what others deed impossible, shatter barriers others claid could never be breached, and bend reality in ways no one could explain.
But when Young Lady Mirinae tried to dig into his background, she found nothing.
His daily life appeared completely ordinary just like any typical teenage boy.
Instead... Young Lady Mirinae shifted her focus to Anella and began investigating her thoroughly.
Jeliel's tight security posed challenges, but Anella's lack of social awareness made her an easy target.
And at last...
Young Lady Mirinae uncovered Anella's secret.
A special and unique constitution that existed in no one else in the world.
'...I can beco like you.'
With a sharp, calculating gaze, Young Lady Mirinae studied Anella, who continued munching on cookies, completely unaware.
Such exceptional talent shouldn't belong to a carefree girl who didn't even seem to understand its value.
No.
It should belong to soone prepared to protect their holand and ready to beco a 'Saintess' standing at the frontlines of war.
'Just a little more.'
It had been easy to lure Anella in and even draw Baek Yu-Seol into the situation.
Although Anella's guarded nature and unexpectedly quick thinking had so far prevented Young Lady Mirinae from learning everything, there was no need to rush.
"Wow! This one looks delicious too."
Young Lady Mirinae smiled brightly and handed Anella a slice of cake.
'Anella, show your secret already.'
Just one more step... and she would have it.
***
D-4 Until the Entrance Exam.
Baek Yu-Seol took advantage of the weekend to leave Arcanium.
Since returning to Stella after the ambush incident during transport, he had been devoted to training and hadn't stepped outside the school even once. This was his first outing in a long ti.
There wasn't any urgent reason for this trip.
He simply needed to collect a rare winter herb that only grew in specific conditions.
"It should be around here..."
Five hours by airship.
Seventeen hours by train.
Four transfers through warp holes.
After enduring such a long and arduous journey, Baek Yu-Seol finally set foot in the Kiliman Mountain Range.
Its rugged terrain and hostile weather ant that most climbers ca fully equipped and well-prepared. However, none of that applied to Baek Yu-Seol anymore.
With his superhuman physical abilities, there was no danger of him freezing to death or collapsing from exhaustion.
The fact that he was climbing the mountain in his school uniform, ard with only a dagger, made that abundantly clear.
Roar!!!
A red-skinned bear, resembling a moon bear, roared and lunged at him.
In an instant, Baek Yu-Seol flashed behind it and cut it down effortlessly with a swift slash of his dagger.
Wild beasts like this no longer stood a chance against his Flash.
After traversing the rugged landscape for what felt like hours, Baek Yu-Seol finally reached the summit.
[Dungeon 'Song of the Harsh Wind' discovered.]
"Hmm. Just as I thought."
According to the guide logs stored in his Sentient Spec, this dungeon only opened once or twice a year. And even then, it was incredibly rare.
However, Baek Yu-Seol had no intention of stepping inside.
He knew it was nothing more than a trap, designed to lure adventurers while hiding the real treasure nearby.
Those who entered would waste an entire day climbing through the dungeon only to leave empty-handed.
"It should be around here... Ah, found it."
Wandering near the dungeon entrance, Baek Yu-Seol pushed aside so grass and uncovered a glowing blue herb.
This rare herb was capable of removing cold energy from the body and restoring vitality.
Although Baek Yu-Seol could certainly benefit from it himself, this herb was a gift for Eisel.
Lately, Eisel had been struggling, unable to fully adapt to the new type of magic she had inherited from her father.
Seeing her bedridden and struggling had troubled Baek Yu-Seol enough that he decided to personally fetch this herb for her.
"Alright, that's done... Huh?!"
Just as he stored the herb in his subspace and prepared to descend the mountain, a sudden violent wind began to howl around him.
"... What's going on?"
Baek Yu-Seol, who could now sense even the flow of air, imdiately realized that the wind had been artificially created.
Then, a deep voice echoed around him.
— Oh traveler... Can you... Hear my voice...?
Baek Yu-Seol's face twisted into an expression of disbelief.
"What? Who even greets people like this anymore? This is so outdated..."
— Traveler, your words are... Quite rude for a first eting.
"First eting? I can't even see your face."
Adjusting the strap of his backpack, Baek Yu-Seol brushed the dirt off his shoes and prepared to leave.
"I'm leaving. Don't bother ."
— W-Wait! Traveler, please... Just a mont...!
Whoooosh...!!!
The wind howled fiercely again, but this ti it barely ruffled his hair.
And then—
She appeared.
A girl with milky white hair and golden eyes. She was elegantly dressed in a white gown.
It was none other than the Witch Queen, Scarlet.
"Hi! Long ti no see?"
Baek Yu-Seol instinctively stepped back, drawing his Terriphon Sword as her sudden appearance caught him off guard.
"Whoa, seriously? You're on guard just because I played a little prank?"
Then, rembering that she had helped him greatly before, he lowered his weapon.
Not that it mattered. If Scarlet ca at him seriously, he wouldn't stand a chance anyway.
"What do you want?"
"Excuse ? Is that how you talk to a professor?"
"If you don't want to explain, then leave."
"H-Hey! What? Aren't you being a bit too rude? I'm a forr Stella professor and also the Witch Queen, okay?! Besides, I even helped you—"
"Ah."
When Scarlet brought up the past incident, Baek Yu-Seol abruptly turned around and bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.
"Thank you sincerely for giving the staff back then."
"H-Huh...?"
Caught off guard by his unexpected behavior, Scarlet's eyes spun in confusion.
"Thanks to you, I was able to help turn Dusk Soil Moon to normal and save countless lives."
"O-Oh... Right. That was... because of ..."
"Well then, I'll be going now."
"Wait, what?!"
Before Scarlet could say another word, Baek Yu-Seol vanished, flashing away with his teleportation magic.
Panicking, Scarlet imdiately gave chase.
"W-Wait a second! It's so hard to find you unless it's in a place like this!"
Whether he could hear her or not, Baek Yu-Seol only sped up.
'Why is he so fast?!'
Scarlet's frustration mixed with reluctant admiration as she watched him move.
It was clear that Baek Yu-Seol had grown much stronger since the last ti they t.
But no matter how proud she felt, chasing after him was proving to be exhausting.
"Wait for ee!!"
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