Book 1 Chapter 978

978.

Due to the Grand Families’ meeting, Rumel was closed for ten days.

Of course, only classes were canceled; assignments, homework, and supplementary classes proceeded as normal.

Whatever the reason, humans feel the most freedom when suddenly freed from their duties.

Students were seen shouting "Freedom!" excitedly.

Of course…

"Agh?! You want to go to Rumelia City on a weekday? You bastards want to die! I said it's closed, not a vacation!"

*Bonk!*

"Eek!"

"S-sorryyyy!"

There were students who got too excited and crossed the line.

A few students who mistook the school closure for a holiday went to get an exit permit and were beaten and kicked out by the disciplinary professor, Professor Artian.

As a result, students being chased by Artian was a common sight around the Tower of Heroes.

"Pathetic."

Eliza, who was reading a book while drinking coffee at a street cafe in the Tower of Heroes, clicked her tongue as she watched.

Students passing by the street let out exclamations of admiration or blushed as they looked at Eliza.

"Speaking of Eliza-senpai, doesn't she seem to be getting prettier lately?"

"Yeah."

Juniors whispered quietly as they passed.

As always, Eliza enjoyed her alone time, unbothered by the surrounding gazes.

"Eliza. Are you alone?"

Then, a familiar voice was heard.

Eliza lifted her gaze slightly from her book.

She then placed her bookmark, straightened her crossed legs, and sat up straight.

"May I join you?"

"Yes."

Elena and Lil sat down opposite Eliza.

Lil placed a cup of milk tea in front of Elena.

In front of herself, she placed a small slice of cake and a glass of milk.

"Does coffee taste good to you, Eliza-yang?"

"Yes."

"You don't have any sugar in it, isn't it bitter?"

"Yes."

"You're like an adult."

Lil exclaimed, and Elena said.

"Hey, Lil. Is that something you should say to a junior?"

"But I can't eat bitter things."

"You eat alcohol just fine, though."

Elena chuckled and picked up the only fork.

"Ah. Elena-senpai. Didn't you say you weren't going to eat?"

"I suddenly feel like eating it."

"Then you could have just ordered your own, why are you taking mine…."

"It tastes better when I steal it."

Lil looked resentfully at Elena, who was stealing her cake, with a pouting face.

Meanwhile, Elena, with the fork in her mouth, propped her chin on her hand and looked at Eliza.

"By the way, reading a book? It doesn't suit you."

"Senpai, that's rude to Eliza-yang. Eliza-yang, you seem like a literary girl."

"Pfft! Literary girl!"

At Lil's words, Elena burst into laughter.

Of course, Eliza didn't particularly feel offended.

Rather, Lil's considerate compliment made her feel a bit embarrassed.

"I know it doesn't suit me, so Lil-senpai, you don't have to push it."

"Um… um…!"

Seeing Lil flustered and unsure what to do, Elena said.

"Lil, do you know that being flustered like that is ruder than laughing openly like me?"

"Ugh!"

Lil, flustered, cautiously said.

"As an apology, I'll buy you cake."

"It's fine. You don't have to worry about it."

"Lil, I should buy you your own cake, not Eliza's."

Elena, who had finished all of Lil's slice of cake, shrugged.

Lil sent an angry glance at Elena.

"You bought it for me anyway. Put it under my name."

Hearing that, Lil went to order cake.

"By the way, what book are you reading?"

"It's a newly released novel. The author is an elf, and it's a complete new release."

"That's strange. An elf publishing a new novel in human society."

Considering the proud and arrogant nature of elves, it was unimaginable until recently.

Usually, elven novels would appear in other races' bookstores much later.

Both books going out and coming in were subject to censorship.

Of course, with the recent active acceptance of other races', especially human, culture, that has disappeared.

"Is it interesting?"

"Yes. It's the beginning, but it's very interesting. For an elf author, the content is very dynamic."

Elven novels tend to be static and calm, but this novel was the opposite.

Elena tilted her head at the mention of an adventure novel.

"Is it a famous author?"

"It's a pen name I've never seen before."

Just then, Lil, who had bought the cake, sat down.

"Oh, that novel…?"

Seeing the book cover, Lil's eyes widened.

"Do you know that novel too, Lil?"

"Yes. I've read it all. It's an adventure novel."

"……?"

"The content towards the end was quite explicit."

"What?"

"It was very erotic."

At that, Elena chuckled playfully.

"The successor of the Hergin family has a hobby of reading erotic novels?"

"It's not!"

Eliza sighed and put the book in her bag.

"Aha? Now that you have a fiancé, you're interested in things like that…"

"It's not!"

Eliza, who had been calm, blushed and snapped back.

Seeing Eliza like that, Lil said seriously.

"Eliza-yang, you shouldn't react that way when Elena-senpai teases you. This evil witch will tease you even more cruelly."

"Lil, you've really grown a lot, haven't you?"

"I've been taller than you since the first grade."

"I raised a tiger cub."

Elena smiled broadly at Lil, who wasn't intimidated by her at all.

Eliza pressed her temples as she watched the two of them.

"By the way, the Grand Families' meeting is just around the corner, and you're so relaxed?"

As the successor of the Hergin family, Eliza should have had many preparations to make.

To Elena's words, Eliza replied calmly.

"This time, the representative of the Hergin family is Kal, after all. My father and Kal are busy. I'm just the figurehead."

"But the more I think about it, the more unconventional it is. Your fiancé is the family representative. The Hergin patriarch must have really liked Kal."

"……."

"What a shame. I taught Kal my skills well, and then Hergin just took him away."

"Senpai, to put it coldly, didn't you just force the work onto Kal instead of teaching him?"

"Is it my turn to keep picking fights with senpai?"

Elena playfully pinched Lil's lips as she laughed.

Eliza, sighing as she watched them, suddenly spotted Kal walking in the distance.

Then, she noticed a girl walking beside Kal and paused.

Walking beside Kal was none other than Juen.

Elena followed Eliza's gaze and smiled faintly as she saw the scene.

"Kal is surprisingly popular, isn't he?"

"Yes. He's going to be my husband, so he has to be at least that."

As Eliza said calmly, Elena smiled faintly.

"Aren't you going to follow him?"

"It hasn't been long since Kal and I became lovers, but I've watched him since the first year, and we even lived in the same dormitory in our second year. So I can confidently say I know Kal well. Even better than Leo Flov, who has been by Kal's side for all three years."

"Oh?"

Elena looked amused.

"Kal is not the type to betray the trust of someone he cherishes."

"Your trust is so firm it's boring."

"Senpai. Say you're jealous."

*Thwack!*

"Oof!"

Lil said something from the side and was hit in the side by Elena.

***

"Thank you, Juen. For explaining the relationship between the Grand Families of the Southern Continent and the Hergin family."

"I'm glad I could help."

Juen smiled brightly.

Kal, watching Juen, scratched his head with a troubled expression.

Kal wasn't stupid.

He had already sensed what kind of feelings Juen had for him.

However, his heart was already full of someone else, so he couldn't accept those feelings.

Because of that, he had been awkward with Juen lately.

Providing information about the Southern Families was also something Juen had brought up first.

Juen, who had been staring intently at Kal, said.

"Kal-senpai."

"Yes?"

"The best thing I did after enrolling in Rumel was choosing Kal-senpai as my mentor."

"……."

"Thanks to you, I've grown as a mage, one step… no, two steps."

"Even without me, you would have surely…."

"No, that's not true."

Juen shook her head.

And looking straight at Kal, she said.

"Kal-senpai. I like you. I really wanted to say this."

"Juen… that…"

"You don't have to answer. I already know the answer."

The heart of a teenage girl is complex.

It is fierce and impulsive.

If it were up to her, she would want to cry and throw a tantrum, saying she could do better.

She would want to cling to him, asking if he wouldn't even cheat, even if it was unsightly.

That's how genuine Juen's feelings were.

But because they were genuine, she knew.

She knew Kal was not someone who would betray trust.

Juen smiled faintly.

"Please continue to be my mentor. There's still so much I need to learn from you."

"Alright."

Kal nodded.

"Then I'll be going."

Saying that, Juen turned around and walked away.

Watching her retreating figure, Kal glanced to the side.

*Thud- thud-*

Leo was suddenly standing beside him.

"Did you hear?"

"Sorry. It just happened."

Leo looked apologetic.

Watching Leo, Kal said.

"Leo."

"Why?"

"Can you make it rain? Please."

"……."

At that, Leo summoned Undine, the Great Spirit of Water, and made it rain.

*Pitter-patter- whoosh- whoosh-*

As the rain began to fall, Leo took out an umbrella from an alternate dimension.

"Leo, what should I do in times like these?"

"……Well. There's no right answer, but probably."

"Probably?"

"Time will solve it."

"……That's something an adult would really say."

Kal let out a hollow laugh.

When Leo offered him the umbrella, Kal shook his head.

"I'll just get wet."

At that, Leo nodded and turned away.