Editor : Amethyst00



Rustle, rustle—

"This weather is unbelievable…"

Celia shook her head as she gazed at the thick snow. For some unknown weather anomaly, Davienne was in the depth of winter.

'Leo seemed to sense something…' Celia thought of her cousin and pouted. She doubted he'd spill any hints even if asked.

Meanwhile, Celia was heading toward the capital, Deang.

"Why did you summon me, Garin?"

"Celia, are you free this afternoon?"

"Not really."

"Then would you like to go to Deang with me?"

"Huh? Sure."

"R-Really? Then let's meet later at the Deang gate!"

By lunchtime, Celia shook her head again at the thought of Garin asking her out.

"Elves sure are inconsistent. They used to be so uninterested in human culture, and now they're desperate to learn it."

Celia assumed Garin wanted her to guide him around Deang. It made sense—they had gotten friendly during the Lumeiren Competition and the Hero Festival.

As Celia thought of Garin, her mind drifted to his twin sister, Alice. Garin specialized in swordsmanship, Alice in magic. Though Celia and Alice only knew each other through Garin, lately Celia found herself oddly aware of Alice's presence.

'Does Alice like Abad?' too many sightings of them together stirred Celia's curiosity.

'Enough, Celia. Admit it—you have feelings for Abad.' Chen Xia's words a few days back made her bristle.

'Who'd ever like that butterball?' she snapped internally, but immediately stopped herself:

'Wait… what is Abad to me?'

Abad was her childhood friend. Their families—Zerdinger and Lewellin—competed but were not mortal enemies. Celia had always seen Abad as a rival. She worked relentlessly to surpass him—and he did the same.

Their relationship shaped both families: she, supporting her brother Rhys in Zerdinger, and Abad preparing to lead Lewellin. Rivalry had ironically been their bond.

'But somewhere along the line, it changed.' Their synergy—her flame aura paired with his wind magic—had grown surprisingly strong, unlike with anyone else.

As Celia pondered all this, she reached Deang.

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"Celia!" Garin greeted.

"You beat me here—did I keep you waiting?"

"Not at all—I just arrived. Though…"

Garin studied her. She wasn't in her usual uniform but wore Zerdinger white formal wear. She stood tall, hand at her chest:

"You might not know Deang well, but as it is a human city, I'll properly guide you."

"What? No—I'm the one guiding you."

"No—ask me anything you don't know."

She smiled and took the lead like a poised knight. Garin—flustered—followed.

bl

Meanwhile…

Walking the Deang streets, Celia and Garin passed by an alley, and Chen Xia and Chloe peeked out.

"They've met," Chloe observed.

"Why's he dressed like that on a date?" Chen Xia asked.

"This might not be a date to them," Eiran replied, flustered.

"Isn't following them creepily rude?" Eiran worried.

"It's fun," Chen Xia smirked.

Eiran: "Fun? That's stalking!"

At that moment, Alice sneaked a peek and couldn't hold back a laugh:

"Ha! He's trying so hard to look cool with that doe-eyed expression—it's hilarious! Heehee!"

To anyone else, Garin was a handsome elf—but to Alice, he was the enemy incarnate and endlessly amusing.

"Why are you here?" Chen Xia asked.

Alice sighed and shrugged. "He's out on a date with Celia Zerdinger. He's going to get rejected for sure—I wouldn't miss that trainwreck for the world."

Eiran raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so certain?"

"Isn't it obvious? Abad's totally into Celia. Our dumb brother doesn't stand a chance."

Chloe blinked. "Wait—how do you know that? Did Abad actually say something?"

Alice gave another casual shrug. Chen Xia nodded knowingly beside her.

Chloe looked stunned. "Why am I the last to hear about this?"

Chen Xia grinned. "Because you're hopeless when it comes to romance, Chloe."

Chloe jabbed her in the ribs. "Maybe I just need to broaden my reading list."

Chen Xia smirked. "Try something like Eiran's scandalous novels."

Eiran gasped and started poking Chen Xia furiously in retaliation.

Lunia watched with an amused smile as Chloe muttered under her breath, "Seiren kids are really something else."

Chen Xia narrowed her eyes. "We're gonna lose them if we stand around.

Let's move."

With that, the group hurried after Celia and Garin.

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Elsewhere, near Deang's entrance, Leo sat in a quiet café across from Abad, lazily watching the street.

"Everyone seems so relaxed," he mused. "Think I should ramp up their training?"

Abad chuckled over his coffee. "If you crank it up any higher, we'll have a full-blown rebellion. Imagine Zerdinger and Seiren's top students teaming up—they could topple a small kingdom."

Leo smirked. "Let 'em try."

They shared a quiet laugh before Abad's tone shifted.

"Leo, be honest—do you think I'm a good match for Celia?"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking me?"

Abad hesitated, then said, "Because she once said… her ideal type is someone like you."

Leo blinked. "She said that?"

He leaned back, and somewhere in his head, Lysinas' dry voice echoed: Your cousin thought you were jealous. But if it's true, it's true.

Leo shook off the thought with a chuckle. "Well, if you both like each other, that's all that matters."

"I'm not looking for something casual," Abad said seriously. "I mean it. I want this to be real. And if it works out, maybe it'll bring Zerdinger and Lewellin closer."

Leo nodded slowly. The idea made sense. A union between their houses could strengthen the Lordren Empire—especially in such unstable times.

Abad continued, "You know how chaotic things are now. But if fire and wind work together… Zerdinger and Lewellin could become a force no one wants to mess with."

Leo gave a half-smile. "Then confess already. That's your move to make."

"I will," Abad said. "But I might need your help."

Leo gave him a skeptical look. "Why would I need to help?"

"You know how the elders are. A direct marriage between our families? It's unthinkable. Even if Celia agrees, the pushback would be massive."

Leo took a long sip of his coffee. "So you're saying there's a way to smooth it over?"

"There is," Abad said.

Leo leaned in. "Well?"

There was a pause.

Then Abad met his eyes and said, dead serious:

"You marry Chelsea."

Pfffft!

Leo choked, spraying his coffee everywhere.

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"Disgusting."

Fhyry, the third Priestess, clicked her tongue as she gazed down at the city below.

"This city is foul, Phlegethon. Wouldn't it be better to simply purify all those pathetic things?"

"Don't forget, Fhyry—Lady Nyx has taken interest in the hero candidates."

Fury scoffed. "And those who grovel for the approval of vulgar gods… are they truly worthy of the goddess's blessing?"

"No one is born beautiful," Phlegethon replied calmly. "And besides, our goal this time isn't to burn everything down."

A faint smirk tugged at Phlegethon's lips.

"This is a day of celebration. A day to let humanity know… their true master has returned. The goddess walks among them again."