Editor : Amethyst00



"Eliza, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"You probably wanted to be in the same group as your future husband, but you ended up with me instead."

"You little brat…!"

Eliza felt a surge of irritation as Chelsea teased her.

So she shot back with something she knew Chelsea hated to hear.

But Chelsea stood proud.

"Heh! In the future, I'm this tall!"

Chelsea straightened her back confidently instead of snapping.

Eliza narrowed her eyes at Chelsea, who was just as tall as she was.

Then she lowered her gaze slightly to glance at Chelsea's chest.

Pff—!

As soon as Eliza let out a deflating breath,

Chelsea raised her staff and swung it at Eliza.

Eliza used her whip to coil around Chelsea's staff and pull it away.

The two glared at each other, faces just inches apart, growling.

But then they both backed off and began scanning their surroundings.

"Chelsea Lewellin, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"How did Leo Plov recognize the Spear of Punishment and the Necklace of Purification?"

It was a mystery to Eliza.

She found Leo's detailed knowledge of artifacts that had disappeared from history even 5,000 years ago deeply suspicious.

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Because you're one of the people closest to Leo Plov."

Eliza said calmly.

Of course, there were others close to Leo.

'There's also Chen Xia.'

But prying secrets from Chen Xia was a near-impossible task.

Chelsea, on the other hand, while not one to spill secrets easily, had more exploitable weaknesses.

"Isn't it strange that he knows so many specifics from the Hero's World? It's like he's actually seen them before."

Eliza looked down at her own hand.

Thanks to Leo's training, she had drawn out her potential and quickly formed a contract with Pegasus.

He'd said the source of her awakening power was also from the Hero's World.

That part made sense.

But his surprisingly detailed knowledge of the Age of Calamity still raised questions.

"Of course Leo oppa knows about the Age of Calamity."

"And why is that?"

Chelsea folded her arms with a snap and lifted her chin.

"Because he's Leo oppa. There's nothing Leo oppa doesn't know!"

Eliza stared at Chelsea, who was smiling and practically worshipping Leo, and shook her head.

"I'm an idiot for even asking you."

"What was that?!"

Chelsea flared up.

Leaving Chelsea behind, Eliza clicked her tongue as she walked away.

'Of course she wouldn't spill anything so easily.'

Chelsea pouted as she watched Eliza walk ahead.

'She probably saw through my act, huh?'

They'd both accurately grasped each other's intentions.

Eliza didn't press further about Leo, and Chelsea didn't say another word.

As the strange silence dragged on—

"Wait. Stop for a sec."

Chelsea called out to Eliza.

Eliza stopped and turned to look at her.

Chelsea brought her hands to her ears.

A move to hear better.

Her eyes snapped open sharply as she focused.

Seeing this, Eliza summoned her spiritual power.

Flash—!

A summoning circle appeared, and a Wind Wyvern, Chelsea's compatible summon, emerged.

Chelsea and Eliza both scanned their surroundings with keen eyes.

Chelsea had only heard an enemy's presence— She hadn't pinpointed the exact location.

Then, simultaneously, both their gazes locked onto one spot.

Eliza's Wind Wyvern unleashed a breath attack, and Chelsea followed with a Wind Break.

KWA-GA-GA-GA-GANG—!

A powerful gust swept the area.

Chelsea flicked her staff, and the wind dispersed cleanly.

"That's quite the violent greeting."

Appearing with those words was a demon who looked about mid-teens in human age.

If not for the ominous black mana radiating from his body, one could easily mistake him for human.

"For a demon, you look surprisingly normal."

Chelsea spoke with a puzzled expression, and the demon scoffed.

"What part of this looks normal to you?"

"Well, at least you're not hideous."

"From where I'm standing, you're the one who's hideous. Ugly woman!"

Chelsea blinked in surprise at his childish reaction.

"Wow! You're totally like a little kid!"

"Don't call me a kid! Ugly woman!"

The demon snapped sharply.

Watching this, Eliza chuckled softly.

"It's funny seeing you call that demon a kid. You're a kid yourself."

"Yeah, but I do grow up to look like this."

Chelsea didn't seem affected at all.

But the demon was different.

"Who're you calling a kid, you old hag!"

Eliza's face went completely expressionless.

"Uh-oh. That hit a nerve."

Chelsea looked at Eliza with wide eyes.

Their gazes met.

Faced with Eliza's deadly stare, Chelsea quickly looked away.

"Chelsea Lewellin. Stay out of this."

Eliza cracked her knuckles and stepped forward.

An ominous smile spread across her face.

"I'll take care of that damn brat myself."

Watching Eliza's back, Chelsea felt a twinge of pity for the demon.

'That kid's totally screwed now.'

bl

"Carl."

"Senior Lyl. Would you like some warm water?"

At Lyl's call, Carl offered her a steaming cup, blowing on it gently.

"How on earth did you win Eliza over?"

"Bluh?! Pft! Hot—!!"

Caught off guard, Carl inhaled and choked on the water, spitting it out.

It was hot too, so he clutched his chest as the burning sensation hit.

"You okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine… But why that question all of a sudden?"

"I was curious. You and Eliza—it's such an unexpected pairing. Not that I think you don't suit each other."

Carl looked puzzled, unsure how to respond.

"Well, I guess it started when I helped her with training."

"Hmm? Why did you help Eliza train? You're not in summoning class."

"I don't know. She just caught my attention."

Carl shrugged.

"Up through our first year, I thought she was just some stuck-up noble girl."

Eliza had a nasty reputation, rivaling Duran's.

She always had that arrogant look in her eyes.

That was the Eliza Carl had known in their first year.

"But once we were in the same dorm, I realized she wasn't just a stereotypical noble girl."

Carl had good observational skills and a broad perspective.

In their second year, even though he didn't quite fit in with the Noble dorm at first, he'd adapted seamlessly thanks to his adaptability.

And so he started noticing things.

Not just about Eliza.

His perception of Duran changed during their second year too.

Recalling the class tops who worked harder than he ever could, Carl said:

"One day, I realized Eliza had hit a wall. I saw her getting anxious comparing herself to Abad and Duran."

"Hmm. Well, summoners do grow slower than knights or mages. Still, noticing that… You really are observant."

"Ha ha. Isn't that why I made it to the Hero's seat? Thanks to these eyes."

Carl tapped his orange eyes lightly.

"Anyway, I just wanted to help. And we naturally got closer."

"And then?"

"Sorry?"

"There must have been some defining moment that made Eliza fall for you."

"…There wasn't really one."

"That's impossible!"

Lyl looked shocked.

Carl grinned playfully at her reaction.

"Well, there was this one awkward moment where I ended up naked in front of her."

Back in Lumene's world.

Eliza had been in a similar state too, but they hadn't actually seen each other's bodies.

Coincidentally, that was also when Carl started seeing her as a woman.

'She got casual and friendly with me, how could I *not start seeing her that way?'*

"You were naked?"

"Ah—no! Just kidding! Totally a bad joke, sorry—"

"Carl."

"Yes?"

"Do you know anything about Hyung-nim's preferences?"

"…"

Seeing Lyl's dead-serious face, Carl made a strange expression.

'Leo just seduces everyone simply by existing, doesn't he?'

Carl thought of Leo.

'If I were a girl, I'd probably fall for him too.'

"Not really."

"Don't guys your age talk about that kind of stuff with friends?"

"Sure, we do… But Leo doesn't really join in when the topic comes up."

'To him, our conversations probably sound silly.'

"Hmm…"

"Senior?"

When Lyl stared intently at him, Carl got nervous.

"Getting naked, huh."

"N-no! I told you, that was a joke! Leo would kill me if he heard that!"

Carl waved his hands frantically.

"It was a joke."

Lyl smiled faintly.

'Why does it not feel like a joke when she says it so seriously?!'

Carl screamed internally.

Then Lyl stopped walking.

"Someone's coming."

At her words, Carl looked ahead.

Then his mouth hung open.

"Eliza?"

What appeared was Eliza—but from her teenage years.

And she was wearing a stunningly seductive smile.

Most strikingly, her outfit was extremely revealing.

"Hmm. Where do they wear stuff like that?"

Lyl tilted her head.

"Ah. Isn't that what women wear in casinos? It's called a bunny girl outfit?"

"Y-yeah, that's right."

"But even for a bunny girl, that's way too suggestive."

"Y-yeah, not a good look."

Carl turned his head away abruptly, face flushed, covering his nose and mouth with his hand.

"Hmm. I see. Carl, never tell Eliza what your tastes are. She might beat you up."

"Eh?! What do you mean, my tastes?"

Carl cried out in surprise. Lyl looked at him with a face that said, Why are you so flustered?

"Isn't that your type?"

"N-not at all!"

"Deny all you want. It's useless."

Lyl shook her head.

"That's a succubus."

"Huh?"

"Looks like a succubus to me."

Lyl drew her war hammer and said:

"She's trying to seduce you, Carl."