Editor : Amethyst00



Young Luna's eyes sparkled as she looked at the flower she had received from Leo.

Watching Luna from behind, Seiren muttered.

"Wow. That guy… he acts like he's not interested, but he's insanely good at charming girls."

Seiren had conquered the world of the Great Heroes multiple times.

Naturally, she had seen Kyle countless times during that.

And the conclusion she came to was that it made perfect sense that Luna and Lysinas had fallen for him.

There was no doubt Kyle had a bad personality.

He was pessimistic, cynical, and twisted, constantly bickering with Luna and Lysinas at the drop of a hat.

But he had never once laughed at their dreams.

And it wasn't that Kyle had always been that way—he had changed after losing so much over the years.

Yet even so, he would sometimes say things that touched people's hearts like that.

If she had been Luna, she would have fallen for him too.

'The problem is, he's completely unaware of it.'

Seiren sighed deeply and glanced to the side.

Her direct junior, Lunia, was smiling gently as she watched Leo and Luna.

"I'll try to believe in it for now."

Luna spoke a little primly.

Even though Luna was a genius, it was still before her talents had truly bloomed.

She couldn't yet understand the mechanisms of the "flower-blooming magic," which was the essence of magic she would someday master.

Even so, she did understand that the magic Leo showed her had reached the realm of miracles, a spell that transcended common sense.

Therefore, while she didn't fully believe in the possibility of magic interfering with time and space, she couldn't entirely deny it either.

Leo watched such a Luna and stroked his chin.

Then, Lunia approached him and asked,

"What is it?"

"Nothing. I was just reminded—she really is a genius."

"What part?"

"Seeing a magic she can't comprehend and drawing inspiration from it to change her entire way of thinking."

To Leo, who knew Luna well, it was clear.

After seeing the flower-blooming magic, a switch had flipped inside Luna. She was now completely reworking her fundamental understanding of magic.

It wasn't that she was fickle.

She was rapidly reassessing the magic knowledge she had and expanding her worldview.

While Leo was silently impressed by this…

Luna asked him,

"You said this was a school, right? Don't tell me in the future, elves and humans study at the same school?"

"Well, that era might be coming, but for now, this school is only for elves."

"Then why are you here, as a human? Do you have elven blood?"

"No. I'm kind of like a representative from the human school. Starting tomorrow, there will be a cultural exchange between the elf and human schools."

"Exchange?"

Luna's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Young Luna knew nothing of the world outside of elven society.

She had read books about the existence of various races, but that was all through books—nothing more.

And even those books were written entirely from an elven point of view.

So Luna didn't put much faith in the knowledge of other races she gained from books.

She only tried to imagine them as objectively as possible.

Therefore, to young Luna, the cultures of other races were close to the unknown.

Eyes shining with curiosity, Luna asked,

"Then do elves and humans study together?!"

"No. It's a festival, so we're going to play."

Of course, not just playing.

Since it was an exchange between schools, there would be things like debates and skill competitions.

But no studying.

Both Lumene and Seiren were finished with finals and heading into winter break.

In such circumstances, forcing students to study would obviously be met with huge resistance.

Luna's face fell in disappointment at Leo's answer.

Seeing that reaction, Seiren reflexively said,

"Then let's arrange a special class…"

At that moment, Leo covered Seiren's mouth.

"Don't say nonsense."

Then he looked at Luna.

The way she preferred to learn over just playing was very much like her.

"Still, enjoying the festival might not be such a bad thing."

At Leo's words, Luna nodded.

Then she asked about something that had been bothering her for a while.

"By the way…"

Luna tilted her head.

"How do all of you know my name?"

At that, Leo smiled faintly.

"Because you're the great elf who saved the world."

"What?"

Luna looked flustered at Leo's words.

She looked at him with a face that seemed to say, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Let's keep everything about Luna and Seiren a secret for now. We'll leave the Northwest Sea expedition to Melina."

Saying that, Leo left the basement.

Lunia said to Seiren and Luna,

"For now, we'll register you two as external guests."

bl

The next day.

Through Seiren, students from Lumene arrived.

The students of Seiren were busy preparing to host their guests.

"There are already some external VIP guests here, but the school officially opens to external visitors starting tomorrow. We have to finish everything by then."

"Time is tight!"

"Let's get the exhibition ready!"

"Where's the musical stage?"

Club members, guided by Seiren students, bustled around to prepare for the exchange.

"Welcome!"

Among them, Eliana greeted her friends at the dorms Seiren had prepared for the Lumene students.

Nella, seeing Eliana, asked,

"Eliana. Everything okay?"

"Last night with the class rep…!"

"You're going to say 'nothing happened,' right?"

Before Eliana could finish, Nella smiled and interrupted. Eliana made a bored "Tch!" expression.

In the noisy atmosphere, Eiran came to see Chloe.

"Miss Chloe."

"Doing well, Eiran?"

"Yes. More importantly, about what I inquired before…"

"Yep. All prepared."

When Chloe nodded, Eliana looked curious.

"What did you prepare?"

"Dummy. Chloe's giving a presentation about the exchange student program this time."

"Huh? Was she?"

At Chelsea's words, Eliana's eyes went wide.

"So we'll be exchanging students regularly from now on?"

Last year, Leo and Eiran had been exchanged between Seiren and Lumene.

It had gone well for both schools, so this year, the two schools were seriously discussing establishing an exchange program, with a pilot starting next year.

During this exchange event, Chloe was to explain Lumene's curriculum, philosophy, and classes to the students of Seiren.

"Oooh! So next year, we'll be seeing Seiren students at our school too."

Eliana looked intrigued.

"Try caring a little more about school affairs."

At Chelsea's comment, Eliana just shrugged.

"Anyway, where's Leo?"

"The class rep is touring inside Seiren."

"Got it."

Nodding, Chelsea headed with her club members toward the musical stage.

"Wow…"

Luna widened her eyes as she looked at Seiren's library.

Currently in the library were Leo and Luna, along with Seiren and Lunia.

"Getting personal tutoring from Seiren… it's an honor for my family!"

"Hehe. I'm honored to teach such a gifted junior, too."

At Lunia's words, Seiren smiled proudly.

"That's interesting."

Leo crossed his arms, looking intrigued.

"What is?"

Seiren tilted her head curiously, and Leo said,

"Azonia and Damien didn't get along with their successors at first at all."

Azonia and Aru.

Damien and Drianna.

Thinking of the trouble between those four, Seiren sighed.

"Those two just had awful personalities. One's a beast, the other a grumpy dwarf."

Seiren elegantly brushed her hair back.

"Unlike those two, I'm a refined and cultured mage. Of course I get along well with my adorable junior."

"You're awful too."

"Oh my, such jokes~"

With a cheeky smile, Seiren made Leo click his tongue.

Leaving the two starting their tutoring session behind, Leo wandered the library with Luna.

Though Seiren's library was vast, Leo was practically monopolizing it now.

Luna moved along the shelves, eyes sparkling as she scanned them.

She looked like she was skimming, but in those brief moments, she fully understood each book's core.

Eventually, Luna stopped.

Before her was a section filled with books about the Great Heroes.

"I heard all about it last night from Seiren and Lunia."

Luna glanced at Leo.

"That I'll become one of the Great Heroes who defeats the primordial evil, Erebos, in the future."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. And I also heard that you are one of those Great Heroes too. That you and I saved the world together, and that you're the reincarnation of that person."

Luna reached out and took a book from the shelf.

It was a book about Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.

Leo said to her,

"If you want to know the path your future self takes, I can tell you."

"That's a tempting offer… but I'm okay."

Luna smiled brightly.

"I'll figure it out on my own."

Her eyes sparkled with intellectual curiosity like a child facing a fun puzzle.

Hearing Leo's story would be like getting the answer key.

But for Luna, the process of achieving great things was just as important as the outcome.

So she found joy in learning about her future self through books.

Even if the information was incomplete, she could imagine her future self.

A distant future.

Countless stories she would one day live.

Leo watched her silently.

'She really is different from the Luna I know.'

The Luna he knew would've been full of herself.

But this young Luna was cautious about everything.

'So she did have some cute traits as a child.'

As Leo thought that—

"By the way, I heard I fall in love with you…"

Luna furrowed her elegant brows.

Then frowned and looked at Leo.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You. I admit your face is my type, but your personality really isn't."

Luna tilted her head as she looked at Leo with clear displeasure.

"Maybe something's wrong with my future brain?"

Watching Luna, who meant every word, Leo muttered inwardly,

'Should I just smack her?'

bl

"Miss Celia, did you draw this yourself?"

"Yeah."

"Wow! It's amazing. Could you maybe draw a portrait of my coronation?"

"Huh? It's not hard… but are you sure you want me?"

"Hehe. With this level of skill, I'd be honored!"

Chen Xia, who had come to check the art club's exhibition preparations, was amazed by Celia's drawing.

Celia's hobby was drawing, and her skill was excellent.

"By the way, Walden's sculpture is incredible too."

"The art club president had to beg and plead to get him to make that. He's so talented with his hands, but I don't get why he won't join the art club."

Just as Celia said, Walden's hobby was sculpting.

He was so skilled that the art club had tried to recruit him since their first year.

"Well, Walden's always busy training. When I asked, he said sculpting is like mental discipline for him."

At that, Celia made a face like she was fed up.

Even though she herself trained obsessively, she couldn't match Walden.

Then—

Someone entered the exhibition hall.

A girl with white hair, red eyes, and pointed ears.

"Huh? Doesn't look like a Seiren student…"

"Maybe an external guest?"

The school officially opened to external guests tomorrow, but they'd heard some VIPs had arrived early.

Celia approached the elf girl.

"Um, can I help you?"

"Gasp? Are you… Miss Celia?"

"You know me?"

"Of course! Who wouldn't?!"

The elf girl looked thrilled.

She pulled out a paper and pen from her pocket and held it out to Celia.

"U-um! Can I have your autograph?"

'I heard elves are getting more into human culture lately, but… how does she know someone like me, not even a hero? This is strange.'

Celia signed.

"Please write, 'To Rena!'"

"O-oh, sure."

With an awkward smile, Celia signed and handed it to Rena.

Then Rena said something strange and incomprehensible like, "It's the Zerdinger version of her autograph!" and rejoiced.

"Wow! Miss Celia is popular even among elves."

Chen Xia stood smiling beside Celia.

"You don't want mine?"

Chen Xia wasn't exactly jealous, but asked playfully.

To that, Rena smiled brightly and replied.

"No thanks, Grandma."

Crack—

A vein bulged on Chen Xia's forehead.

The word "Grandma" from this girl she had never met made her feel irrationally offended.

'Huh? I think she's mad.'

Though Chen Xia was still smiling, her eyes twitched slightly.

Seeing her rarely angry friend, Celia was slightly spooked.

Whether she realized Chen Xia's reaction or not, Rena left the exhibition hall happily holding Celia's autograph.

Even after Rena left, Celia couldn't help but watch Chen Xia's expression.