Editor : Amethyst00



Upon hearing the news of Leo's arrival, Sith Zidma rushed out to greet him without hesitation.

"Your Majesty! You've returned after completing your studies! One whole semester! You must have suffered so much, being trapped in such tedious academics!"

Kneeling before Leo, Sith beamed with joy, but Leo responded with a faint grimace.

"Not really. It wasn't that hard."

"Of course! Academics! As if such trivialities could ever hinder the one true king of the world! Indeed! Indeed!"

Sith nodded so violently it seemed his neck might snap.

"Truly, I still don't understand why Lumene hasn't just graduated Your Majesty already! What's left for someone like you to learn? Frankly, they should've awarded you the first early graduation in history—"

As Sith began grumbling about something again, Leo let out a quiet sigh.

"This old man gets more dramatic by the day."

The land they stood on, soon to become the new Kingdom of Arhi, had once been part of the fallen Tonkan Kingdom, nestled within the Lezentan region.

Sith's family had long been one of the most loyal and trusted vassals of the Tonkan royal line.

Tonkan itself had a long tradition of respectable governance, and Sith took great pride in having served such a royal family.

That pride and reverence remained even after the kingdom's fall. It was why Sith had spent years wandering, searching for a rightful heir to Tonkan's royal blood—refusing to establish a new kingdom until he found one.

And so, the moment he first laid eyes on Leo, the direct descendant of the Tonkan line, Sith welcomed him with absolute loyalty.

He acknowledged Leo's legitimate claim to the Lezentan region, and devoted himself entirely to building the new Arhi Kingdom under Leo's rule.

Even if the name of the kingdom changed, it meant nothing to Sith.

"Tonkan's legacy will live on."

What mattered was that Leo bore the Tonkan blood.

And to Sith, nothing could be more honorable.

In truth, the opportunity to follow such a worthy heir made his heart pound each day with renewed purpose.

Because of that burning loyalty, he could sometimes become… overzealous.

As Sith ranted about Lumene, Leo interrupted.

"Sith, didn't you graduate from Lumene yourself?"

"Yes."

"And you're okay insulting your alma mater like this?"

"Absolutely. As a graduate, I believe I've earned the right to complain."

Leo decided to drop the argument. There was no winning this one.

He turned to look at the newly built palace.

The original had collapsed during the suppression of the Fire Elemental Lord, Ishtar, but it had since been fully restored.

"Wow, so this is Leo's new house? Not bad."

Elena stepped forward and let out an impressed whistle.

Sith's eyes sharpened at the sight of her.

"Your Majesty, this lady is…?"

"Nice to meet you, Sith Zidma of Crimson Wave. I'm Elena Zeron, vice president of Lumene's student council."

Elena lifted the hem of her uniform skirt in a graceful curtsy.

Every movement radiated the noble elegance of a Zeron heir—one of the three great houses of Lumene.

"Oho… your reputation precedes you, Lady Elena. How are the Infinity Speller and the Mage of the Mystic Eye doing these days?"

Elena smiled at the mention of her father and uncle.

"They're doing well, as always."

Altec, the Infinity Speller, was still active on the frontlines at the Tartaros Front.

Albi, the other, was working diligently as a teacher at Lumene.

"They're both extraordinary mages and admirable heroes," Sith nodded, having once stood beside them in battle.

He turned his gaze back to Elena, eyes slightly narrowed with interest.

Sith, too, had heard of Elena.

And not just her fame—her notoriety as well.

'A beauty worthy of being called the jewel of the realm. Talented. Noble lineage. But also… a notorious troublemaker, or so they say.'

Examining her with rising curiosity, Sith finally asked, "So, if I may ask… why are you here with His Majesty? The coronation is still some time away."

Elena answered with a bright smile.

"I'm going to spend a week on a private island with Leo."

"Ooooh! Your Majesty! Does this mean you'll be announcing your queen alongside the founding of the kingdom?!"

Sith grew visibly excited, but Leo only sighed.

"We're just going on a trip."

At that, Sith smacked his lips with clear disappointment.

"Well, the coronation is coming up, so we'll be heading out soon."

"I understand, Your Majesty. Please enjoy your time together."

bl

Kkiruk— kkiruk—

The cries of seagulls echoed in the air.

Lezentan, being close to the northern continent, was generally a cold region.

However, its coastal areas enjoyed a relatively mild climate—especially the western coast.

At the very southern tip of Lezentan, an unnamed uninhabited island lay hidden.

Standing on the sandy shore, Elena, now changed into her swimsuit, crossed her arms.

"Well then…"

With a bright smile, she dashed toward Leo, who was in the middle of pitching two tents.

"Leo! Let's go play in the water!"

"Just the two of us?"

"Who else? Isn't it just you and me here?"

Grinning, Elena dragged Leo along toward the beach.

Then—she splashed him with seawater using her hand.

Leo, in turn, splashed her back.

They played for a while like that, laughter ringing under the sun.

After some time, Elena stepped back onto the sandy shore.

"Leo, lie down here."

She patted the sand beside her, and Leo obediently lay down.

Immediately, Elena began scooping sand and piling it over Leo.

"Planning to bury me?"

"That does sound fun, but you wouldn't let me win that easily, right? It's just a sand bath. A proper sand bath."

She giggled as she sculpted the sand on top of Leo.

Then, shaping it further, she let out a playful whistle.

"Leo, your body's in great shape. Maybe even better than mine?"

What she'd sculpted on Leo was the body of a woman in a bikini— complete with curves and all.

She poked at the sandy chest with her finger.

"Leo, want to try on girls' clothes sometime? I bet you'd look really cute in drag."

Leo, watching her mischievous grin, replied flatly.

"I've already disguised myself as a Seiren female student before."

"…What?"

Elena's eyes widened in shock.

Then she pouted.

"I will lend you my uniform, then! I want to see!"

"Rejected."

Leo sat up without hesitation.

"My masterpiece!"

Elena whimpered, while Leo casually brushed the sand off himself.

Still holding his hand, Elena tugged him toward the sea again.

"Let's go swim again!"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Leo quietly followed her lead.

bl

As the sun began to set, Elena struck flint to light a campfire.

"I'll cook something delicious. Just wait."

With a soft smile, she pulled out a cooking knife and began prepping ingredients.

From inside the tent, Leo watched and commented:

"You're surprisingly… normal."

"Well yeah. If I used magic, it wouldn't be any fun. In a place like this, it's best to just enjoy nature and relax."

"You're not even trying to act grown-up."

"You want me to?"

Elena grinned and teasingly tugged at the edge of her swimsuit top.

"If you'd like, I could really act the part."

"You never back down."

"I learned it from some annoying man."

Snap!

The sound of the swimsuit strap snapping back against her skin rang out sharply.

"Hmhmm-hmm~"

Elena hummed as she prepped the food.

Once everything was ready, she pulled wine and glasses from her subspace and poured two cups.

"All done."

At her call, Leo stepped out from the tent and sat by the fire.

Elena handed him a plate of grilled meat and vegetables, then stretched with a long sigh.

"This feels like paradise."

She sipped her wine, then smiled.

"Thanks for accepting my request."

"It wasn't a hard one. And besides… it felt like it was more for me than for you."

"You noticed? I knew you were sharp."

Elena leaned her chin on her hand and watched Leo eat.

"After the coronation, things are only going to get busier. I figured it's important to take a moment to rest before then."

"How thoughtful of you."

"Right? I'd make a great mother someday."

She laughed, raising her plate in a toast.

"Since you enrolled, you've barely had a chance to rest, Leo. And moving forward, you probably won't get many chances at all."

This wasn't just about founding a new nation and becoming its king.

As the King of the World, it was certain that the world's entire balance would begin to shift around Leo.

"When all power must unite under one banner… that's inevitable."

And the path ahead would be a grueling one.

"In fact, dealing with people will probably be more frustrating than dealing with enemies."

Because politics always is.

"That's why I've been thinking… after graduation, maybe I'll just support you from the sidelines."

"Sounds like you're putting quite a lot of emotion into that."

"You should've taken better advantage of me when you had the chance."

Elena shot him a look and gulped down the rest of her wine.

"I mean, I did want to be a princess once. You know? The kind who marries the prince who saved her and supports him from behind?"

She stared into her empty glass for a moment, then spoke.

"But there's a flaw with that."

"What flaw?"

"When the prince is the one in danger, the princess can't save him."

"…I see."

"Yeah. Just being the one who gets saved… it's not enough. I'll never stand as equals that way. So, I've decided on a goal for after graduation."

"What kind of goal?"

"To become the strongest mage."

Elena tilted her head back and gazed at the night sky.

The sun had fully set, and the stars had begun to twinkle.

"I'll never be able to catch up to Lady Luna, I know that. But just like the strongest mage beside the Hero of the Beginning became the Poet of the Star… I want to be the strongest mage beside the King of the Beginning."

"That won't be easy."

"I know. But I don't care."

She looked at Leo and smiled gently.

"Because I've made up my mind."

Proud. Arrogant. Majestic.

But it suited her so well.

In this moment, she truly looked like a queen.