Book 1 Chapter 1001

1001.

In a secluded alley in Seirune.

Luna and Lena stood there.

"What? Is this all?"

Luna, frowning, shook the pouch she was holding this way and that.

The contents of the pouch rattled.

"Uh, there's nothing."

Lena hunched her neck, her face slightly terrified.

Luna clicked her tongue, looking at such Lena.

"Kids these days really have empty wallets."

Luna and Lena showed no significant difference in their outward appearance.

Their actual ages were also similar.

'But from this point in time, I'm a person from the distant past.'

Moreover, she wasn't just any old person.

The greatest luminary of the elf race, known as the progenitor of the Nebula.

Luna didn't feel the weight of this title and the great feats she would achieve in the future, but the fact that it was the truth remained unchanged.

'In the end, it means that for the people of this era, I am a very distant elder.'

Having concluded that, Luna unhesitatingly acted like a senior.

As a result, Luna extorted money from Lena.

Of course, it wasn't extorted without reason.

"You know this is alimony, right?"

"Al-alimony?"

"Yeah. You called me a grandma when I was frozen solid."

Luna smiled faintly.

"My delicate heart was deeply wounded by your outburst. This money is alimony for that."

Her brazen talk was nothing short of that of a thug, no more, no less.

"Anyway, is this really all?"

"Pardon?"

"What will you do if I find more?"

'Is she really a gangster?'

Lena thought that to herself and said.

"That's really all there is."

"Want to jump around a bit?"

At her words, Lena jumped in place.

At that moment, Luna's ears perked up.

"Stop. I heard coins rattling in your inner pocket."

"Th-this is change left over from buying something earlier! Ju-just pocket money!"

"Money is money. Goodness. A young lady who knows nothing of the world. You were raised delicately, weren't you?"

In the end, Luna took all of Lena's paltry change.

Having Lena bang her head on the ground while taking it was an added bonus.

After counting all the money in Lena's pouch, Luna said.

"Get up."

Lena scrambled to her feet.

And trembled, watching Luna's expression.

It wasn't simply because she had been extorted or punished.

Lena couldn't move a muscle in front of Luna.

Because behind Luna, her immeasurable magic was visible.

Luna smiled faintly, looking at Lena trembling in front of her.

"From what time period did you come?"

"Pardon?"

Luna smiled faintly, looking at the bewildered Lena.

"That reaction confirms it. You're not a child of this time, are you? Did you come from the future?"

"H-how…?"

"Hmm… should I say the wavelength felt from your magic is different, for starters?"

The origin of magic is ultimately mana.

And mana is one of the fundamental elements that constitute the world.

The characteristics of mana reflect the flow of its era.

As such, the mana pattern of a being from a different time period was fundamentally different.

This was a fact Luna learned after coming to this era, which, from her perspective, could be called the future.

"How fascinating. The mana of someone from the future has a bluish glow around it."

Each person has their own unique mana color.

No such phenomenon occurs in the mana of those living in the current era.

But a bluish glow surrounded Lena's mana.

'How interesting. Mine and Seirune's have a reddish glow.'

In this current time period, her own and Seirune's mana, as beings from the past, had a reddish glow.

'Hmm… if I consider that my and Seirune's time is moving away from the present… and the future time period is getting closer… is that the reason for the difference?'

Luna smiled faintly, forming a hypothesis about time in her head.

Lena gaped blankly, looking at such Luna.

"As I thought, Grandma…"

*Squeeze-*

"L-Lady Luna, as I thought!"

Realizing her slip of the tongue, Lena quickly changed her words upon seeing Luna clench her fist.

Veins bulged on her fist.

"How peculiar? For some reason, hearing you call me grandma makes me feel terribly bad."

Lena's use of the word 'grandma' had no intention of teasing.

It was literally heartfelt.

That's why she got even angrier.

Lena subtly watched Luna's expression.

"So? I came from the past by chance, but how did you get here?"

This encounter, crossing time, couldn't help but be curious for Luna.

Lena, rolling her eyes this way and that at Luna's question, said.

"I cannot tell you…"

"…?"

Luna, who had tilted her head at Lena's words, smiled faintly.

"Do you perhaps have something urgent to do?"

"No. Not yet…"

"If so…"

Luna held out her hand.

"Want to play with me?"

At those words, Lena's eyes widened.

***

*Rustle- Rustle-*

Leo was watching the Ruseon (Luna vs. Sena fight) by himself.

Seirune, in his case, had remained in Galaxy Square to continue watching Lunia's admissions briefing.

'Well, Seirune isn't an idiot, he wouldn't cause trouble, right?'

Thinking so, Leo watched Rumerne and Seirune students offering food and entertainment to the elf spectators.

'Not all elves are displeased with this change, after all.'

Leo looked at the elf spectators who were frowning at the sight of the Seirune students.

Of course, even if they expressed negative views on this change, they probably weren't traitors to their race like the Purist Society.

Extremely conservative elves.

No matter how much Luna and Seirune appeared and changed perceptions of other races, not everyone changed all at once.

'Well, should I say it's amazing that they don't have a fit seeing such things?'

Just as Leo smiled faintly looking at the lamenting elves.

Suddenly, Leo's vision went dark.

"Guess who?"

Someone who had secretly approached from behind covered Leo's eyes.

"Get off. Lil."

"Gasp! How did you know it was me?"

Lil startled and put some distance between himself and Leo.

He had felt someone approaching.

But Leo didn't know who it was.

Because Lil had used spirit art to erase his presence.

"I know by your voice."

"Ah…"

"And."

"And?"

Anticipation appeared on Lil's face.

"Among the guys I know, you're the only one who can handle spirit art like this."

"I don't know what to do with myself, receiving such praise from you, Hyung-nim."

"Still a monster."

"…"

The shy Lil grabbed Leo and shook him violently with resentful eyes.

"You promised not to call me that!"

"But you keep acting like a monster."

From Leo's perspective, at this point, Lil's spirit art was an oddity, akin to a strongman's show.

"Ugh!"

Lil, making an angry face, sharply turned his head.

"What are you two doing?"

Just then, Elena approached and asked.

"We were talking about Lil's monstrosity."

Hearing that, Lil began to punch Leo's shoulder repeatedly.

"That feels good. Hit me harder."

"Agh! Hyung-nim is a grumpy old man!"

"Yeah. That's right, I'm an old man."

Lil tried to say harsh things to get revenge in his own way, but Leo didn't even bat an eye.

Elena smiled faintly, looking at that scene.

"Leo, you're not busy right now, are you?"

"No, why?"

"Then let's go on a date."

"I'm busy."

"Didn't you just say you weren't busy?"

"Because something might come up."

"I'm graduating now, can't you grant my request?"

"You're graduating, so I already went to the beach with you last time."

"…"

Elena made a sulky face.

Leo smiled faintly, looking at such Elena.

"Want to go on a date?"

"Yes."

Elena's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Come back when you've grown a bit more."

"…"

Elena stared at Leo, who had toyed with her, with a cold gaze.

After looking at Leo for a moment, Elena spoke to Lil.

"Hey, Lil. Come here."

"Yes? Why?"

"You still have a wish left, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Let's use it now."

"What?! Why are you saying we should use it as you please, Senior Elena?"

Lil flared up.

"You have no use for it anyway."

"I-I do!"

"What will you use it for?"

"When I become a fifth-year, I'll ask for a key to Hyung-nim's room that I can use anytime."

"No. That's not allowed. It's against school rules."

"There are no ulterior motives! I just want to show Hyung-nim the results of my training anytime."

"I sense plenty of ulterior motives. And even if there aren't any now, they'll develop later, won't they?"

"I am not Senior Elena."

Elena pinched Lil's cheek once.

And looking at Lil rubbing his cheek, Elena said.

"Do you think that grumpy old man would grant a wish that violates school rules?"

"Ugh. That's…"

Lil couldn't retort to that and glanced at Leo repeatedly.

"So. Shouldn't we get revenge on that old man who treats you like a monster and me like a child?"

"How?"

Elena whispered softly into Lil's ear.

A moment later, Lil's eyes widened, then he rolled his eyes this way and that, at a loss.

"B-but still. Would Hyung-nim grant something like that?"

"Why? It's not like we're doing anything bad."

Elena whispered to Lil like a demon.

"Don't you want to see it?"

"I-I do want to see it… yes."

"Here, the application form."

Elena smiled brightly, looking at Leo with mischievous eyes.

Lil, holding the paper he received from Elena, approached Leo.

"H-Hyung-nim. The wish you said you'd grant last time. I'll use it now."

Leo asked, looking at Lil who had a somehow nervous expression.

"What is it?"

"P-please participate in this!"

Leo tilted his head, looking at the paper Lil held out.

Leo knew about it.

It was an event planned by Kal.

"It's a beauty pageant application form?"

"Yes."

"Participating isn't hard. But this is the women's division application form."

Kal had planned an event that ran separately for men and women.

And what Lil handed him was the women's application form.

Elena, watching from behind, laughed at Leo's words.

"Oh my? Leo. It's a wish, do you really think Lil would ask for something easy?"

At those words, Leo narrowed his brows.

"So, you're telling me to cross-dress?"

"Something like that, yes?"

"Why?"

"Because you're always teasing us!"

"Yes! That's right!"

Leo let out a deep sigh, looking at Lil, who agreed with Elena.

'I teased them for no reason.'