Editor : Amethyst00



John from the Department of Knight Studies and Elisa from the Department of Magic.

Lastly, Redin from the Department of Summoning.

About 2,000 years ago.

They were renowned as the top students of Lumene, highly respected student council leaders with bright futures, drawing global attention.

But Chelsea looked at these far-removed seniors with pity.

John and Elisa were kneeling.

A knight in blood-soaked, hollow armor and a magician with a headless red cloak—it was a chilling sight.

Yet, it wasn't frightening.

There was just an overwhelming sense of insignificance.

Because of Leo, who sat in a chair before them, arms crossed and legs casually draped.

Next to John and Elisa, Redin was sprawled out.

The arm Leo had yanked was dangling at a bizarre angle.

The former self-important seniors now showed not a hint of pride.

They were merely crouching submissively before Leo.

Chelsea, who had been caring for Eliana, carefully approached Leo.

Then she asked the eerie-looking seniors, "I'm curious… Why can't you do anything in front of Leo?"

Chelsea had revealed Leo's identity to the spirits.

But they didn't seem to really believe it.

Understandably so.

Even in their time, the records of Kyle were already heavily damaged.

Of course, he wasn't completely dismissed as fictional or a fraud who stole a hero's glory.

But even among scholars of their time, there had been debate about whether the Hero of the Beginning ever truly existed.

A legendary hero whose existence was uncertain.

Given that, it was natural they didn't easily believe in reincarnation.

Even so, the three spirits were frozen before Leo.

Was it because Leo twisted Redin's arm into a grotesque angle?

'No, probably not.'

As much as raw power trumps law, they were still Lumene graduates.

She couldn't imagine them submitting just to violence.

"Well, it's because he's the one who summoned us," Elisa said in a sulky voice.

It was eerie to hear a voice from a headless being.

"He can send us back whenever he wants."

"Ah."

In other words, their existence as spirits was possible only through Leo's mana, and they were obedient because of that.

If Leo became displeased, he could dissolve them into mere, powerless mana.

As Chelsea nodded in understanding, another question arose.

"Then why do you all look so… scary?"

"These are the forms we had right before death, junior."

Elisa answered with a shrug, then pointed to John.

"This noble knight lost his body in the war. So only the armor got summoned."

Then she pointed at Redin.

"This summoner lost his lower half."

Lastly, she pointed to herself.

"And I, the great apprentice archmage Elisa Roan, tragically had my neck ripped out by a beast!"

With a grumble, she added, "That guy's spirit-evoking technique is sloppy. He couldn't even summon us in one piece."

Clearly dissatisfied.

"You must've been really pretty. What a waste."

"Oh my, oh my! I was indeed a beauty. Back in school, people often said I was like a delicate flower."

"More like a crazy girl with a flower in her hair," John scoffed.

"What was that? Like you've ever received a love letter in your life."

'Guess the inter-department rivalry hasn't changed in 2,000 years.'

Even when Lumene was first founded, things were probably the same.

Thinking that, Chelsea asked one last question.

"This is what I'm most curious about—why did you try to scare us?"

At first, she thought they were ghosts.

But after talking with them, it turned out they were just scary-looking… students.

'…The fact I can even think of them as "just students" probably means I'm not normal anymore.'

Her sense of normality had definitely shifted at Lumene.

'Do I appear like that to others now?'

Chelsea shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts.

Meanwhile, Elisa feigned ignorance.

"Hmm? What do you mean? I don't know anything about that."

Chelsea glanced at Leo.

"Can you make her talk?"

With Leo flashing a wicked smile, Elisa instinctively shrank back.

'Wow. He's like a gangster. Even his threats are effective.'

Chelsea silently admired that Leo really could do anything.

Then Elisa muttered, "W-When we were first summoned, we were almost completely irrational. So we acted on instinct."

"Acted how?"

"When we saw kids screaming and running away… it was kinda fun?"

Elisa sounded a bit excited.

"You know? Like playing tag!"

She waved her fists up and down gleefully.

"Back in school, it was all hard studying and combat training! So seeing them scream and run—man, it was actually fun!"

At that, Chelsea thought to herself, 'What about the others?'

John and Redin looked like they agreed.

'…These people really are our seniors, huh.'

Chasing them down like evil spirits just for fun?

Somehow, it felt like current seniors would do the same.

Seeing how naturally the three fit in, Chelsea sighed deeply.

"I've been wondering for a while now," Leo spoke up.

"Why are you the only one answering?"

He nudged Elisa with his foot.

Indeed, only Elisa was responding to Chelsea's questions.

She replied, "Well, isn't it obvious?"

"Obvious?"

"Yeah. I'm from the Department of Magic."

"So?"

"You weren't asking those guys, right?"

Drawing a clear line as if it were natural, Elisa seemed annoyed.

Chelsea tilted her head.

"But I did ask the other two as well…"

"Those two aren't your seniors! I'm your only true senior here!"

Elisa grabbed Chelsea's shoulders and shook her.

With a headless magician shaking her, Chelsea looked panicked.

Despite being told not to treat them as seniors, John and Redin seemed unfazed.

Watching them, Chelsea suddenly remembered something.

"Ah."

"What?"

"Come to think of it, there was a departmental war 2,000 years ago."

"What now?"

"I guess Leo oppa doesn't know."

Knowing that Leo wasn't big on history, Chelsea explained the class war to him.

Since it wasn't in Lumene's current curriculum, it was understandable.

Class War.

Just as it sounds, a massive conflict between knights, magicians, and summoners.

A civil war among humans, large enough to be mentioned in heroic history.

Although Lumene had been a neutral zone since 3,000 years ago and wasn't directly involved, the students attending during that time were inevitably influenced.

The three spirits, who studied during that period, still drew strict lines.

"The class war only ended after Tartaros' invasion."

Leo scowled at Chelsea's explanation.

"You people really found all kinds of stupid things to do just because your lives were easy, huh?"

Knowing how the world nearly collapsed during the calamity 5,000 years ago, stories of civil wars made Leo's blood boil.

"You think I saved the world just so you could fight among yourselves?!"

"W-We didn't start it!"

"W-We just got caught up in it!"

"Y-Yes, that's right!"

Sensing the deadly atmosphere from the self-proclaimed Hero of the Beginning, the three spirits quickly returned to formal speech.

They feared Leo might actually rip their limbs off.

It was a situation where the dead feared the living.

Chelsea looked dumbfounded.

'Wait… Leo oppa technically did die and come back, huh.'

Seeing the spirits completely cowed before Leo, Chelsea shook her head.

"If I hear any more departmental squabbling in front of me, I'll really disassemble you all."

"O-Of course."

"This must be the era of unity!"

"A true hero should value harmony!"

"But didn't Leo oppa cause our departments to fight?"

"…What did you say?"

"Nothing!"

Chelsea quickly shook her head at Leo's smiling face.

Though Leo found her cute, Chelsea knew better than to risk provoking him.

"So? What's your regret?"

Being a spirit meant you had lingering regrets.

Chelsea could already guess theirs.

'They were in the portrait hallway… probably upset they never fulfilled their potential.'

Looking at them with sympathy, Chelsea reflected.

Former student council presidents.

Young spirits who died before they could realize their dreams.

How tragic that must have been?

'The knight probably wanted to achieve glory in battle. The magician dreamed of becoming a great archmage… and the summoner likely wanted to bond with powerful summons.'

Lost in these idealistic thoughts, Chelsea was startled when John suddenly shouted,

"I wanted to be popular with women! In life, only smelly men liked me!"

"…."

At that humble yet lofty dream, Chelsea's face twisted in dismay.

"Uh… I wanted a girlfriend. I was popular, but I acted all proper and never got one."

Redin added sheepishly.

"I want a boyfriend too! I used to scoff at romance, but now I'm dead and feel so bitter!"

Elisa jumped up and down.

Chelsea covered her face with her hands.

'These are my seniors?'

After composing herself, she said, "But you're already dead. You can't date… Unless you three date each other?"

"I'd rather die again."

John replied without hesitation.

"You're already dead."

"Then I'll die again."

Redin replied coldly.

"No matter how much you bring, I'll pass," Elisa snorted.

"Then you won't be able to date at all."

The three looked at each other and spoke in unison.

"Then we'll sabotage other couples."

"Why does it end up like that?"

"We couldn't, so it'd be unfair if juniors do."

"…."

'What is wrong with these people?'

Chelsea massaged her temple.

"I approved."

"…?"

Chelsea turned at the ominous voice behind her.

Leo was grinning as if amused.

'Ah.'

Chelsea instantly knew what that smile meant.

'This is going to be a disaster.'

bl

The next morning.

Chelsea arrived at the cafeteria looking exhausted.

"Chelsea. You came in late last night?"

"Yes, brother."

"Should you really be out that late?"

Looking at Abad's worried expression, Chelsea smiled sweetly.

"I'm fine."

'…Just what is Leo oppa planning to do with those seniors?'

They were clearly the kind of spirits who enjoyed tormenting students.

And with Leo's recent habit of teasing students…

Chelsea didn't want to imagine how he would unleash them.

As she sighed and munched on her sandwich, she noticed Abad reading the paper and tilted her head.

"Unseasonal snowstorm in the eastern continent?"

"That's the Kingdom of Davienne, which recently had a civil war."

"A war between the second prince and first princess, right?"

"Yes."

"But it's nearly summer. A snowstorm now?"

"They say it's the work of a grand magician."

"What a waste of magic."

Chelsea muttered while chewing.

Abad chuckled faintly.

"Isn't it?"