Book 1 Chapter 1004

1004.

"Wow! That looks delicious!"

Lena silently watched Luna's retreating back as Luna dragged her around various places in Seirun.

Luna tilted her head, having bought two ice creams from the Lumern students.

"It looks delicious, but what is this, exactly?"

"It's ice cream."

"A cold food?"

"Yes."

"Hooh. Hooh. Eating something like this in this cold weather. Have the future people lost their minds?"

"Even though the weather has become warm through magic, elves living in the cold North don't usually eat it. It's probably the Lumern students who thought of selling this."

As Lena said, selling ice cream in the North is an idea no elf would ever come up with.

"Hmm. The North was originally a warm region, you know."

Luna smiled and took a bite of the ice cream.

"Hoooom! This is delicious!"

Then she handed the ice cream in her other hand to Lena.

"This older sister is buying it for you specially."

"… It's my money."

"Huh? What did you say?"

"Thank you for the treat."

Lena, feeling like she might get scolded, quickly accepted the ice cream.

Then, she looked at Luna's back as she walked ahead, humming a tune.

Although she didn't know why Luna looked young, Luna's current appearance was at most similar to her own age.

"Luna-nim."

"Why do you call me?"

"Do you know about Luna-nim's future?"

"Yes. I save the world, right?"

Luna wore a disbelieving expression.

"And then I die in the process."

"……"

"From what I've gathered, it doesn't seem like it would have been a very happy life."

Luna's records didn't detail the life she lived.

Only Luna's actions and the great deeds she accomplished were written.

But even from that, Luna could guess the life she would experience in the future.

A world on the brink of destruction.

And herself struggling to prevent that destruction.

'I don't know why I devoted myself so much to the world.'

Luna licked her ice cream and questioned herself internally.

Was she this attached to the world? Not really.

She didn't hate or resent it, but there wasn't anything that made her struggle so hard.

Until coming to Barharlun.

No, even after coming here, Luna's life hadn't been smooth.

'Why did my future self work so hard for that?'

While Luna was having such thoughts.

Lena carefully asked,

"Aren't you scared?"

"Scared of what?"

"You have a lot of hardships ahead."

Lena's eyes slightly dimmed.

"Everyone in this era praises Luna-nim."

"Yes, I know. That's why it's strange."

"Aren't you scared that you have to live up to those expectations?"

"Hmm."

Knowing the future isn't always a good thing.

As Lena said, Luna's life ahead won't be smooth.

She will have to endure all sorts of terrible and difficult things.

It's enough to feel burdened by people's praise, considering that she has to achieve all those great deeds herself.

From that perspective, people's praise could easily become a burden.

Luna shrugged her shoulders at Lena's words.

"I haven't thought about it deeply."

"Huh?"

"Whether I will go back to where I belong with these memories, I don't know."

Luna let out a faint chuckle.

"Well, I'll give it a shot."

"……"

"If I can't do it, I can just give up."

Luna finished the remaining ice cream in her mouth.

"As long as I try my best to the extent I can, right? What does it matter what others say?"

At times, her words seemed carefree, almost thoughtless.

But in fact, those words were the answer.

"As expected, Luna-nim is Luna-nim."

"Huh?"

Lena burst into laughter.

The Luna before her was a Luna from a time Lena didn't know.

But she was undeniably Luna-like.

She didn't care about the opinions of others.

The Luna that Lena knew wanted to become a great archmage.

She was an elf who dreamed of becoming a being who could bring light to the world while being praised by people, and she achieved that dream.

But Lena knew.

Even if she didn't become the person she desired, Luna would never have been disappointed or frustrated.

'The fact that I tried won't change, and the fruits of that process won't disappear. That's the kind of person she was.'

Lena smiled brightly, recalling the benevolent voice that told her Luna's story.

As Luna tilted her head at that sight.

"Ah!"

A startled voice was heard.

Luna and Lena turned their heads.

"Huh? Eiran-unnie. Are they acquaintances?"

After the performance, Eiran and Chelsea, who were briefly enjoying the festival, spotted Luna and Lena.

Upon seeing the two of them, Lena gasped.

And she tried to flee in a hurry, but Luna grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.

Eiran knew that the past Luna had come to the present.

So, after a brief moment of conflict, she whispered Luna's identity to Chelsea.

Upon hearing Eiran's words, Chelsea's eyes widened.

"Hello."

Luna smiled and waved, then pulled Lena along.

"Did you do something wrong? Why are you trying to run away?"

"You! When I saw you in the Northwest Sea, you were human, so why are you in an elf's form now?"

At that moment, Eiran, who recognized Lena, quickly approached and grabbed Lena's wrist.

"Huh?"

Eiran tilted her head for a moment.

"Is this the suspicious kid Eiran-unnie saw? She's still a child. But…"

Chelsea stroked her chin and looked closely at Lena's face.

Then she tilted her head.

"Doesn't she look a bit thin?"

"She does. She looks a bit frail."

"Ah, no! I eat well and live well!"

At Chelsea's and Eiran's words, Lena reacted with inexplicable intensity.

Eiran and Chelsea looked at each other with puzzled expressions at her reaction.

"You guys seem to know about me too?"

Luna smiled brightly.

Then, patting Lena's shoulder, she said,

"Although she's suspicious, she's not a bad kid."

"Why do you think so?"

Chelsea asked, tilting her head, and Luna smiled.

"She's from the future."

"What?!"

"Fu-future?"

Chelsea and Eiran wore expressions of shock.

"Yes."

Upon hearing that, Chelsea wore a serious expression.

'According to Eiran-unnie, Luna-nim now is the young Luna, right?'

She recalled the information she had heard from Eiran a moment ago.

But even as a child, Luna is Luna.

'Leo-oppa once traveled to a parallel world.'

And Chloe had laid the foundation for the magic theory that could traverse those parallel worlds.

'There's no reason why magic that can traverse time wouldn't exist.'

She reasoned quickly, as a mage would.

"Luna-nim, why do you think this kid is from the future? Is it simply because she claims to be from the future?"

"No. Um… how should I put it. I can see magical wavelengths."

"Magical wavelengths?"

"Yes. Only I can see them."

Considering Luna's talent, it wouldn't be strange for Chelsea to not see something she could.

"You mean the wavelengths are different only for this child?"

"Yes. You don't see any colors. However, for people like me and Seirun who came from the past to the present, I see red. In this child's case, I see blue wavelengths."

"Hmm… Magic is rooted in mana, so it must be influenced by that. The fact that characteristics invisible to people living in the current time are visible to people from different timelines… means the current timeline is the standard timeline. If the wavelengths change according to that standard… perhaps Seirun-nim's red wavelength is stronger?"

"Oh? That's right. Because I came from the further past. You're smart, aren't you?"

"Um… In the future, Luna-nim didn't mention having these wavelengths. Hmm… I suppose. When one is younger, their senses are more vivid."

Chelsea nodded in understanding at Luna's words and looked at Eiran, who was examining Lena with curious eyes.

"Ah, so that's why you called Iliana-yang 'Grandmother'."

At that remark, Chelsea burst into laughter.

"Pfft. She must have jumped for joy when she heard that. Do the same next time you see her."

"Yes, Grandmother."

"No… not to me."

Lena said, looking at Chelsea, who was frowning.

"But you are my grandmother."

"You know me?"

"Because you're famous?"

"What kind of ambiguous answer is that?"

"Don't be too harsh, Chelsea. She said she's from the future."

Eiran said with a smile, patting Lena's head.

"Aren't you happy? The fact that there's a child who calls us Grandmother means we won. Right?"

"Um… probably?"

"I've noticed it since earlier, but you tend to answer ambiguously. Is it some kind of rule?"

Luna asked with interest, and Lena rolled her eyes.

"Probably?"

"That's interesting."

Luna curled the corners of her lips.

"Isn't it important not to cause trouble? What's your name?"

"It's Lena."

"Lena-yang, shall I buy you something delicious?"

"Um… I'm fine. Grandmo… no. Eiran-nim."

"It's okay not to refuse."

"I'm really fine, Grand… Eiran-nim."

Lena sweated and politely refused.

"By the way, I never thought I'd meet someone from the future."

Chelsea said with a look of wonder.

Just then.

The atmosphere inside Seirun became noisy, and the crowd began to part to the sides.

"What is it? What are they doing?"

Chelsea tilted her head, and an answer came from behind.

"It's a parade before the beauty pageant."

The speaker, with a voice full of laughter, was Elena.

"Beauty pageant parade?"

"Yes. It's quite an interesting sight."

[Ladies and gentlemen! Introducing the participants of the Beauty Pageant to choose the most beautiful! I am Runba Tess of Lumern, your commentator! This is my graduation year! My retirement commentary!]

The cheerful voice of Runba, the MC, echoed.

[Now, for my final commentary… Ssssta…rt…]

Runba's energetic voice gradually weakened.

[Sob… Sob! I don't want to graduate… I don't want to enter society… I want to remain a student forever…]

A gloomy, sobbing voice was heard.

At that moment.

[I could fail you for disgracing the school right now?]

Halind's cold voice was heard from behind, and Runba shouted cheerfully.

[… I will do it!]

Along with that, festival music played, and a large carriage carrying the participants appeared.

"They even do that."

Eiran exclaimed in admiration.

"Yes. But who are these children here? Especially this one, she looks a bit arrogant?"

Elena tilted her head as she looked at Luna and Lena, finally pointing at Lena and asking.

Looking at Elena, Lena said,

"You were a shrew even when you were young?"

"Hooh? A new type of provocation."

Elena's lips curved into a smile, but her eyes were not smiling.

At that moment.

"Gasp! Leo-doryeong?!"

Eiran exclaimed while watching the parade.

"Huh? Leo-oppa is also participating?"

Chelsea looked around at the participants in bewilderment.

Elena, seeing Leo standing among the participants, clapped her hands with laughter.

At that moment.

"Her Majesty?!"

Lena's exclaimation of shock erupted.

At that word, Elena, Chelsea, and Eiran's gazes turned to Lena.

"Her Majesty?"

"What are you talking about?"

Chelsea, not knowing that Leo was in disguise, and Elena, not knowing that Lena was from the future, wore puzzled expressions.

However, Eiran, who knew both facts, gaped.

Looking back and forth between Leo and Lena, Eiran realized something.

'White hair and red eyes…'

"Huh?"

Elena and Chelsea's puzzled gazes turned to Eiran at her blank exclamation.

A moment later.

"Huh?!"

Eiran then let out an exclamation of shock.