Chapter 699

Book 1 Chapter 699

The next day.

As always, the Clock Tower dormitory began its vibrant day early.

—Hey, hey! Look at this. I learned it yesterday in magic class.

A female student, who looked like a first-year from the Magic Department, cast a spell in front of a student from the Knights Department. The young girl’s body levitated and began to fly freely down the hallway.

—Isn’t it amazing?

Upon seeing her, the first-year boy from the Knights Department snorted.

—Hmph! Flying with magic is nothing special. I’ll show you something more surprising.

The knight student gave a leap and stood firmly on the hallway wall.

—See that? This is the latest trend in aura theory.

—Is that supposed to be impressive? If you use magic, you finish the matter instantly.

—Hmph. What would a mage know, who solves everything by simply memorizing a spell?

—What? Did you just say magic is simple? Is that all you have to say?!

—I’m not finished! What are you going to do about it?!

Just as the two first-year students were standing face-to-face, growling at each other…

—You two, stop right there.

—Hah!

—S-Senior Niel!

Niel appeared in front of them. No matter how much they now shared the same dormitory, to the newly entered first-years, Niel was an unreachable superior.

—Wow, how cute. Are you two fighting?

Behind Niel, Elena poked her head out. At the appearance of the “Queen of Lumern,” who practically led the student council, the faces of the two rookies, already frightened, turned pale. If making a bad impression on Niel already complicated school life, now the person who held the real power in the academy had appeared.

Fighting in the hallways was a violation of school rules. Niel looked at the trembling students and said in a stern voice:

—Fighting is not allowed in the hallways.

—Y-yes!

—O-of course! We had no intention of actually fighting…

—Didn’t you put your hands on your sword and wand, though? —Elena intervened.

—Hah!

—T-that is…!

At Elena’s words, the rookies were on the verge of tears. Elena smiled at them like a witch. Niel let out a small sigh and gave Elena a light nudge in the ribs to get her to stop teasing them.

—Don’t do it again, understood?

—Yes!

—Of course!

—Good. Now, make a pinky promise that you won’t fight again.

—A-a promise?

—Yes. Looking at each other.

At Niel’s urging, the two students looked at each other in bewilderment.

—Come on, intertwine your pinkies. Promise.

Hesitating, the two students linked their fingers.

—Good. As a punishment, you will eat breakfast together today.

—Y-yes!

—You’ve made up now, right?

—O-of course.

—We will never fight again.

—Good! I like that.

Niel showed a satisfied expression and smiled radiantly at the confirmation from both.

—First-years usually have emotional clashes because they overflow with energy —Niel said, shaking his head with resignation.

Elena nodded as if empathizing deeply.

—Yes, it’s true. We had a time like that too.

Niel looked at her with an expression of total disbelief.

—No, I can state with absolute certainty that you were never like that.

He vividly remembered her monstrous image bringing the fifth-years to their knees from her very first day of class. Niel shuddered at the memory of the past.

—Anyway, don’t you think you treated them a bit too much like children, even if they are first-years?

—Eh? Ah, now that you mention it… —Niel scratched his cheek. Certainly, the pinky promise thing might have been a bit too childish—. Was it too much? But I wanted them to get along.

—Why? They are from different departments.

—Even if they are, if they’re going to lead a school life, there will be many more times when they have to join forces, won’t there? Besides, in this situation…

With the dormitories divided by departments, Niel regretted that opportunities to build friendships from the first year had decreased.

Of course, competition was necessary. Strong competitiveness makes a student grow. Honestly, Niel himself had grown quickly due to his rivalry with a certain female mage. Thinking of her, Niel blushed slightly.

—It looks like you’re thinking about Senior Marchel.

—Well, something like that.

Elena smiled seeing Niel scratch his head awkwardly.

—So? When is the baby due?

—What are you talking about?!

—Oh? Aren’t you two getting married?

—T-that’s true, but…!

—Ah… so you’ve already gone all the way…

—Shut up!

—My, my? You’re not denying it.

—Hey!

Niel, his face beet red, grabbed Elena by the collar and began to shake her. Arguing back and forth, the two continued patrolling the hallway. There was a reason they patrolled so early: incidents like the one just now occurred frequently.

Especially this year, students of the department that won the Departmental War could advance to the next grade without risk of expulsion. In Lumern, the difficulty of advancing a grade increased exponentially every year. For fourth-years, passing to fifth was an ardent desire. Because of this, the motivation to win was extreme. The professors also encouraged the students by putting the pride and honor of their departments on the line.

‘It’s the time when the competition starts to overheat.’

The third and fourth-years at least didn’t fight inside the dormitory.

‘Currently, the place with the strictest rules in Lumern is the dormitory.’

It would be a disaster to receive demerits for breaking the rules. But the first and second-years were still immature. Especially the first-years tended to argue often. In the current situation, nothing guaranteed that a fight between rookies wouldn’t escalate into a fight between veterans. If they fought inside the dormitory, things would get difficult. Furthermore, wasn’t Artian himself one of the professors in charge of the dormitory?

Because of this, the fifth-years took the initiative to patrol. It was Elena’s decision, under the premise that the fifth-years, not being involved in grade advancement, could control the underclassmen with greater coolness.

‘Though I didn’t think Elena herself, who proposed the idea, would be the first to set the example.’

Niel looked at Elena in awe. Elena, known as the “Queen” or “Witch” of Lumern, always capricious and selfish, had become a perfect model student since last year.

‘Though her twisted personality hasn’t changed.’

Even so, it was a surprising change compared to her “delinquent” attitude up to her third year. ‘Why did she change all of a sudden? Did she mature?’ The biggest troublemaker in Lumern settling down? ‘I don’t think that’s it.’

While Niel doubted, he spotted someone walking alone down the hallway.

—Ah, Young Master Leo.

It was Leo, who had returned yesterday from his mission. Just as Niel was about to greet him joyfully, Elena stopped in front of a mirror in the hallway and began to fix her uniform. After even touching up her hair, she gave a radiant smile to her reflection.

‘Ah.’

Niel exclaimed internally at the sight. Elena, transformed into an innocent young girl, ran, leaped, and clung to Leo’s back.

—Leo! It’s been so long!

Elena’s radiant laughter exuded a different charm than usual. Normally she possessed a destructive attractiveness capable of bewitching anyone, but what she showed now was on another level. She showed herself exactly as she was, without reservations.

‘Wow.’

Niel fanned his face and walked away from the spot. Partly to avoid feeling awkward, and partly because he thought seeing that honest and candid side was a lack of respect toward the “Queen.” After all, Elena Jeron was the haughty sovereign of Lumern.

—You’re heavy.

—Did it go well?

Ignoring Leo’s words entirely, Elena asked with sparkling eyes. Leo used magic to detach Elena from his back and set her on the floor in front of him. Elena’s pink eyes twinkled. It was a gaze with a magical power capable of captivating anyone. Of course, it didn’t work on Leo. Elena wasn’t intentionally emitting magic either; her power was simply releasing naturally because she was in a good mood.

—It took a long time, didn’t it? Which hero’s dungeon was it?

—It’s classified.

At Leo’s words, Elena pouted with slight dissatisfaction, but then displayed a seductive smile and clung to Leo’s arm.

—Can’t you even tell me?

—What kind of relationship do we have?

—One where I take care of you? I’ve even gone to your bed at night, haven’t I?

—That sounds like something others might misunderstand.

—But it’s also true, isn’t it?

Elena smiled and squeezed Leo’s arm tightly. Without realizing it, a few buttons of her uniform had come undone.

—So? Do you feel like telling me now?

Leo stared at Elena, who was speaking to him in a suggestive voice, and pulled something out of his pocket. Right after, he stamped it onto Elena’s forehead.

—What is this?

—A demerit stamp.

On Elena’s forehead, a stamp clearly remained that read: [Please try harder], a stamp with Sedjen’s characteristic style.

—What did I do wrong?!

—Violation of the rules for indecent conduct.

At Leo’s curt reply, Elena frowned.

—Normally everyone falls for me with just one look…

—You’re not a child.

—This old man…?!

Elena looked up defiantly. Leo let out a chuckle and said:

—The world we conquered was Dweno’s.

Elena looked surprised.

—And we also subjugated Gias.

—Wow…

She was left speechless. ‘Seeing things like this, one remembers that he really is the Hero of the Beginnings.’ Elena shook her head with a bitter laugh.

—By the way, this… —Elena pointed to her forehead with an angry face—. Is it really a demerit? I worked very hard as vice president while you were gone. Even now, I was diligently patrolling.

Leo chuckled, pulled out another stamp, and stamped it on Elena’s cheek. Seeing the [Very well done] merit stamp, Elena clicked her tongue. Leo stamped another one on her other cheek. Elena, looking at the stamps on both sides of her face with a cross expression, complained:

—You treat me completely like a child.

—When you mature, I’ll treat you a bit more like an adult.

—Hmph.

Elena snorted and turned her head away. Leo laughed and kept walking. Elena followed him with an expression of dissatisfaction, but suddenly stopped.

—Wait, why are there two merit stamps?

Certainly, what Elena did to Leo a moment ago was a violation of the rules, so it wouldn’t be strange to receive a demerit stamp. The first merit stamp was because she worked hard as vice president. But what was the meaning of the second one?

—It means you should work harder in the future.

Seeing Leo smile slyly, Elena narrowed her eyes.

—Leo. Look at me for a moment.

At those words, Leo quickened his pace.

—Hey! Leo Flobe! Stop!

Elena hurriedly pursued him with a serious expression.

—You’re going to cause another incident, aren’t you? You gave me that stamp so I would clean up the mess afterward, right?!

With a face that looked like she wanted to devour him, Elena chased Leo. He turned the corner of the hallway. Elena, turning right after him, found herself in an empty hallway and brought her hands to her head.

Sometimes people called her the tyrant of Lumern. However…

—I’m only at a “cute” level compared to him.

The real tyrant, after all, was someone else.