Editor : Amethyst00



The next day.

After enjoying their allotted free time to the fullest, Class 5 reluctantly set aside their lingering regret as evening fell and stepped onto the teleport gate.

“It was still a fun field trip!”

“Yeah. It was worthwhile.”

When Eliana stretched as she spoke, Nella also agreed with her usual languid smile.

“I bet no other class had a field trip as fruitful as ours.”

“Right, right. Who else would have had the chance to do joint classes with Seiren students?”

At Tade’s words, Carl chuckled and agreed.

“It was fun, wasn’t it, Leo oppa?”

Chelsea, grinning mischievously, asked as she laughed. Leo nodded in response.

“Yeah.”

Just as the entire Class 5 was stepping onto the teleport gate—

The Seiren students appeared through another teleport gate.

They, too, were planning to return to Seiren through it.

“Lumene students, travel back safely. I look forward to the day we meet again.”

When Herdium said this with a warm smile, Class 5 also smiled brightly.

“See you next time, Teacher Herdium!”

“The class was fun!”

Besides Herdium, other Seiren students with whom they had built ties also came to say goodbye.

Leo waved cheerfully toward Lunia—who had gone back to her honor student demeanor—and toward Eiran, who stood at her side.

Eiran smiled back and waved, while Lunia gave a sharp snort, turning her head away.

But even so, she sneaked a glance at Leo and gave a small wave.

“Everyone, you haven’t left anything behind, right? We’ll depart now.”

“Yes!”

At Sena’s words, Class 5 answered loudly in unison.

Whoooom—!

The teleport gate activated, engulfing them in brilliant light.

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By nightfall, Lumene’s first-year dormitory was bustling with students.

“Hey! How was your trip?”

“Us? Heh, don’t be surprised! We even went on a monster subjugation mission!”

“Whoa, all we did was volunteer work or something like that.”

They were busy sharing stories with students from other classes whom they were close to.

Carl, heading toward the boys’ dormitory bathhouse, burst out laughing.

“Heh. Ridiculous. No class had as fulfilling a field trip as ours.”

He washed himself in the communal bath and sank into one of the large tubs.

“Ahh, I missed this hot soak.”

During the field trip, they could only take quick showers at best, so Carl savored the luxury of the dormitory’s grand bathhouse.

Leo, too, was soaking when—

“Move aside, Walden Thaiden. This bath is mine.”

“You don’t seem to know your place, Duran Moira.”

“What did you just say?”

“I merely stated a fact. If my words bother you, prove yourself with strength.”

“How amusing. I was already thinking of knocking you down.”

One side of the bathhouse grew noisy.

“Yikes, so they’ve finally decided to clash.” Carl clicked his tongue.

The boys’ dormitory could house many students, so its bathhouse was massive, with many tubs scattered throughout.

Among them was one particularly luxurious tub—smaller than the others, only enough for four or five people. But for nobles, it was the perfect size for a personal bath.

Few dared to use it, though.

It had essentially become the private seat of none other than Class 1’s Duran Moira and Class 7’s class president Walden Thaiden.

The two strongest among the first years, they treated the spot as their personal territory.

“Up till now, their bathing times were different, so they never ran into each other here.”

Just as Carl said, they had never crossed paths in the bathhouse before. But with students crowding in after returning from the field trip, they finally met.

The atmosphere between them turned tense, making the other boys nervously glance at each other.

Duran and Walden.

Both were among the top fighters of the first year and equally infamous for their rough personalities.

Just as the tension between them thickened—

Splash.

“Why not just wash together peacefully?”

All eyes turned to Leo.

Leaning against the edge of the tub, Leo tilted his head back lazily to look at the two.

“Why fight over a tub? You’re not children.”

“As first-year representative, are you saying you’ll meddle to mediate disputes, Leo Plov?” Duran asked.

Leo’s expression was flat.

“Do you think it’s something that grand? I’m just telling you not to cause trouble.”

“If you don’t want trouble, then fight me yourself.” Duran grinned provocatively.

“Wow—! Our prince really does interpret everything however he wants!” Carl exclaimed in mock admiration.

Duran’s deadly glare shot toward him.

“Yikes.” Carl turned his head away innocently.

The tense standoff continued until—

Creak—

“Huh? What’s with this mood?”

The bathhouse door opened, and someone walked in.

It was none other than Abad Lewellin.

With the first-year boys’ top four now gathered in one place, the other students swallowed nervously.

Sploosh—

“……”

“……”

Abad entered the very spot where Duran and Walden were facing off.

He, too, often used that particular tub.

But unlike Duran and Walden, Abad never scared off others from using it.

Rather, the students themselves avoided sharing a bath with him. Nobles simply disliked bathing alongside others.

Everyone stared blankly at Abad.

“What?” he asked with his characteristic smiling face.

Duran and Walden’s expressions twisted further.

“Pfft!”

Leo let out a low chuckle.

His laugh only made Duran and Walden look even more vicious.

‘Don’t laugh, hey!’

All the boys screamed inwardly.

And so, the bathhouse incident that had felt like the calm before a storm ended anticlimactically.

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["My wings! My wings! Yaaay! I’ve got my wings back!"]

Whooosh—!

When Leo finished bathing and returned to his room, Kiran was spinning in circles in the air above, scattering sparkling dust with every flap.

“You’re noisy. How long are you going to keep that up?”

["Leo! Look! My wings! They’re back!"]

Flying right up to Leo, Kiran showed off by fluttering the wings on his back.

“I’ve seen enough already. And it’s only one pair out of three, anyway.”

Leo’s reaction was indifferent.

["The great Fairy Prince has regained his power, and that’s all the amazement you can show?!"]

Fairies were such powerful phantom beasts that summoners treated them with near reverence.

But expecting that sort of awe from Leo was misguided.

["Hmph! Maybe you just don’t understand my power yet! Fine! I’ll show you a glimpse of it, especially for you!"]

“And how exactly are you going to do that?”

When Leo asked flatly, Kiran twirled dramatically in the air, then flew toward Fiora, who was casually eating chocolate in the corner without paying the slightest attention.

Chirp?

["Here we have a cheeky little red chick!"]

As though performing a magic trick, Kiran pointed grandly at Fiora.

Chirp—

["Ack!!"]

Fiora pecked Kiran squarely on the head with her beak.

Then, as Kiran rolled on the ground clutching his head, she stomped on him.

["Get your foot off me! I’m about to show something amazing!"]

Chirp?

Kiran barely pulled himself up and summoned magic. He raised a hand, sprinkling a gentle dust of light over Fiora’s head.

At once, Fiora’s body began to glow with a soft silver radiance.

“Polymorph?”

[Polymorph].

A magic that allowed beings with high-level consciousness to summon forth another aspect of themselves.

Dragons were the race that most commonly used it.

But fairies rarely bothered with such magic—because high-ranking fairies could summon their other selves through sheer power, without magic.

Fiora was still too young to manage that on her own. But with the aid of Polymorph, she could.

“Why did you even learn this?”

["To prank people."]

‘Right. This guy was exiled by Sylord for causing trouble, wasn’t he.’

Leo clicked his tongue just as the light faded.

What emerged was a little girl who looked about five years old, dressed in a cute crimson dress.

Her hair and eyes were a brilliant, fiery scarlet, as if they might ignite at any moment.

Her delicate features were so perfectly doll-like that one couldn’t help but be charmed.

["Heh! How about that? The might of yours truly!"]

While Kiran puffed himself up, Leo ignored him, resting his chin on his hand.

Fiora, startled by her changed eye level, widened her eyes and then approached the mirror.

Seemingly pleased with her appearance, she spun lightly before it.

Then she walked over to Leo.

“This is my first time greeting you like this.”

She tried to put on a dignified, solemn expression, but paired with her childlike looks, it only made her seem cuter.

“Your contract…”

Flap-flap—

["Behold! Witness my astonishing power!"]

Just as Fiora was about to speak, Kiran flitted about in front of her face.

“Don't interrupt me.”

["Hmph, what clumsy movements."]

Fiora reached out her small hands to grab him, but he slipped away mockingly.

Frustrated, Fiora forgot about greeting Leo and chased him instead.

Then she suddenly remembered herself, hurried back, and gave a graceful curtsy, slightly lifting her dress.

“I’m Fiora, your contractee.”

Leo burst out laughing—it was just like a child playing at imitating adults.

“How polite.”

“Mother told me to treat my contractor with courtesy.”

["Ohh~ What a good little girl."]

Kiran fluttered down onto her head and gave her forehead a couple of playful smacks with his tiny hand.

Fiora’s eyes narrowed as she tried again to grab him, but he slipped away easily.

“Stay right there!”

Chasing after him angrily, Fiora soon tripped, unaccustomed to her human body, and fell over.

[:Wahaha! Did you really think you could catch me with those stubby little arms and legs?"]

Kiran teased her mercilessly, darting around in front of her.

Fiora puffed out her cheeks, fists clenched, her big eyes glistening with tears as her small body trembled.

["Hahaha! Maybe go peck some millet and come ba—oof!!"]

Kiran, jeering smugly, was stomped flat by Leo.

Not missing the chance, Fiora smacked him repeatedly with her tiny hands.

Looking satisfied with her revenge, Fiora said,

“Leo, I want to show this form to my mother too. Please open the way.”

“Alright. And take him with you too.”

Leo picked up the twitching Kiran from the floor and handed him to her.

Leaving this fairy unattended in the dorm was bound to cause trouble.

‘I’ll have to keep him in Fyrina’s domain for now.’

“And tell her I think some etiquette lessons might be necessary.”

“Yes.”

Fiora nodded and stepped through the summoning circle Leo opened.

‘Finally, some peace.’

With the noisy, chattering fairy gone, Leo towel-dried his hair, at last able to gather his thoughts.

‘For now, my Hero Record and dagger found in Velkia are in Seiren’s custody.’

He gazed out the window.

The Monster Queen, Sillatna lurked in Lumene.

In Seiren, it was the Lich King Hell Kaiser.

From the shadows, Tartaros’s threat continued unabated.

As Leo narrowed his eyes at the view of Lumene outside the window, he thought,

‘Seiren had Rauta, a direct traitor.’

There was no guarantee that Lumene didn’t have one as well.

‘For now, rooting out the forces of Tartaros infiltrated within Lumene must be the first priority.’