Book 1 Chapter 997

997.

Young Luna's eyes sparkled as she looked at the flowers Leo had given her.

Seirun, watching Luna from behind, muttered.

"Wow. That human really… pretends not to be, but has an amazing way of charming women."

Seirun had conquered the world of the great heroes several times.

During that process, she had naturally seen Kyle countless times.

The conclusion she reached was that it was understandable for Luna and Lysinath to fall for Kyle.

It was true that Kyle had a bad personality.

He was pessimistic, cynical, and twisted, and often bickered with Luna or Lysinath.

However, he had never once ridiculed Luna or Lysinath's dreams.

Kyle's personality was less a natural trait and more a change that came from losing much over many years.

Despite that, he would occasionally say wonderful things that touched people's hearts like this.

If she were Luna, she would have fallen for him too.

"The problem is that he's unaware."

Seirun sighed deeply and looked to her side.

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

"I'll believe you for now," Luna said, slightly coyly.

Even for a genius like Luna, this was a time before her talent had fully blossomed.

She couldn't understand the mechanism of the 'Flower Blooming Magic,' which could be called the essence of magic built by her future self.

Even so, she understood that this magic was a miracle that transcended common sense.

That's why, while she didn't fully believe in the possibility of magic that could interfere with space-time, she didn't completely deny it either.

Leo stroked his chin, watching Luna.

At that moment, Lunia approached Leo and asked,

"Why?"

"No, it just strikes me again, geniuses are indeed geniuses."

"What do you mean?"

"To be inspired by magic they can't understand and change their way of thinking."

Leo, who knew Luna well, could see it.

Seeing the Flower Blooming Magic had flipped a switch in Luna, and she was completely changing her common sense about magic.

It wasn't that she was easily swayed.

She was rapidly reviewing her existing magical knowledge and expanding her worldview.

As Leo marveled at this,

Luna asked Leo, "You said this was a school, right? Are elves and humans studying in the same school in the future?"

"Well, it seems like such a time is coming, but for now, this is a school where only elves study."

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

"No, I'm like a representative of the human school. There's an exchange event between the elf and human schools starting tomorrow."

"Exchange event?"

Luna's eyes sparkled with interest.

Young Luna knew nothing of the world outside elven society.

She knew through books that there were various races, but it was only through books.

Moreover, even those books were written from a decidedly elven perspective.

Because of that, Luna didn't have much faith in the knowledge she gained about other races from books.

She could only imagine as objectively as possible.

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

Luna, her eyes shining with curiosity, asked, "So, are elves and humans studying together?"

"No, it's a festival, so we'll be playing."

Of course, it wasn't just playing.

As it was an exchange between schools, there were things like forums and competitions to test skills.

However, they wouldn't be studying.

Both Lumern and Seirun had finished their final exams and were anticipating the winter break.

It was obvious that forcing them to study in such a situation would lead to immense backlash.

Luna's face turned to disappointment at Leo's words.

Seirun reflexively said in response to her reaction,

"Immediate special lessons…"

At that moment, Leo covered Seirun's mouth.

"Don't talk nonsense."

He then looked at Luna.

Her desire to fill her thirst for knowledge rather than just play was characteristic of Luna.

"Enjoying the festival won't be bad either."

Luna nodded at Leo's words.

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

"By the way," Luna tilted her head.

"How do you all know my name?"

Leo smiled faintly at the question.

"Because you are a great elf who saved the world."

"What?"

Luna's expression turned flustered at Leo's words.

She looked at Leo as if to ask if he was joking.

"Keep what's concerning Luna and Seirun a secret for now. I'll entrust the exploration of the Northwest Sea to Mellina."

Saying that, Leo left the basement.

Lunia said to Seirun and Luna,

"For now, I'll classify you two as external guests."

***

The next day.

Lumern students arrived at Seirun.

Seirun students were busy with guest reception.

"There are some external invited guests, but Seirun will be fully open to external guests starting tomorrow. We need to finish preparations within that time."

"Time will be tight!"

"Let's prepare for the exhibition!"

"Where's the musical stage?"

Club students, guided by Seirun students, moved busily to prepare for the exchange event they had each prepared.

"Welcome!"

Meanwhile, Illiana greeted her friends at the accommodation Seirun had prepared for the Lumern students.

Nella looked at Illiana and asked, "Illiana. Was there any trouble?"

"Last night, the class president and…!"

"Nothing happened?"

Nella preempted her with a smile, and Illiana made a displeased face, "Tch!"

Amidst all the commotion, Eiran came looking for Chloe.

"Chloe."

"Have you been well? Eiran."

"Yes. More importantly, about what I asked."

"Yes. Everything is ready."

Chloe nodded, and Illiana looked puzzled.

"What's ready?"

"Silly. Chloe is going to hold an exchange student briefing, remember?"

"Huh? Was that so?"

Chelsea's words made Illiana's eyes widen.

"So, are we going to exchange students regularly from now on?"

Last year, Leo and Eiran had come to Seirun and Lumern as exchange students respectively.

At that time, both schools had seen significant positive outcomes, so this year they seriously discussed exchange students, and starting next year, they would pilot an exchange student program.

Chloe was scheduled to explain Lumern's educational curriculum, philosophy, and classes to Seirun students during this exchange event.

"Hoho! Hoho! So, from next year, we'll be able to see Seirun students at our school."

Illiana said with a surprised expression.

"Pay more attention to school matters," Chelsea said, and Illiana simply shrugged.

"By the way, where's Leo oppa?"

"The class president is touring the inside of Seirun."

"I see."

Chelsea nodded and moved with her club members to the stage where the musical would be held.

"Wow…"

Luna's eyes widened as she looked at Seirun's library.

Currently in the library were Leo, Luna, and only Seirun and Lunia.

"To receive one-on-one tutoring from Seirun-nim… it's an honor for my family!"

"Heh. It's my honor to teach such an excellent junior, too?"

Seirun smiled proudly at Lunia's words.

"It's strange," Leo said, folding his arms and looking at the scene with a curious expression.

"What is?"

Seirun asked back with a puzzled look, and Leo said,

"Azonia and Demian, their relationships with their successors were terrible at first."

Remembering Azonia and Ar, Demian and Driana, and the four who had quite a few troubles, Seirun sighed.

"They were both ill-tempered. One was a beast, the other a grumpy dwarf."

Seirun elegantly swept her hair back.

"Unlike those two, I am an elegant and cultured mage. It's natural that I get along well with my cute junior."

"You're ill-tempered too."

"Oh my, what a joke."

Leo clicked his tongue at Seirun's shameless smile.

Leaving the two who had started tutoring, Leo wandered the library with Luna.

Although it was a vast library in Seirun, Leo was almost monopolizing it at the moment.

Luna's eyes shone as she browsed the bookshelves, moving around.

Though it looked like she was just casually skimming, she understood the core of the book in that fleeting moment.

Eventually, Luna stopped.

In front of her were books about the great heroes.

"I heard from Seirun and Lunia all night."

Luna glanced at Leo.

"That in the future, I will become one of the great heroes who defeated the primordial evil, Erebus."

"Really?"

"Yes. And I also heard that you are one of those great heroes. That you and I were comrades who saved the world together, and that you are his reincarnation."

Luna reached out and took a book from the shelf.

It was a book detailing the records of Kyle, the Hero of Beginning.

Seeing Luna like that, Leo said,

"If you're curious about the path you'll walk in the future, I can tell you."

"It's a tempting offer, but… it's okay."

Luna smiled sweetly.

"I'll find out on my own."

Like a child facing an interesting puzzle, Luna's eyes were full of intellectual curiosity.

Hearing the story from Leo was akin to being told the answer.

For Luna, the process of achieving great deeds was as important as the answer itself.

That's why she enjoyed discovering her future deeds through books.

Even with incomplete information, she could imagine her future self.

The distant future.

The countless stories she would experience someday.

Leo watched Luna silently.

'As expected, she's different from the Luna I know.'

If it were the Luna Leo knew, she would have been arrogant.

But young Luna was cautious about everything.

'She had a cute side when she was young.'

As Leo thought to himself.

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

Luna furrowed her beautiful brow.

And then she looked at Leo with a frown.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Your face is to my taste, but your personality is not at all to my taste."

Luna, looking at Leo with a somewhat displeased expression, tilted her head.

"Did you lose your mind in the future?"

Leo muttered to himself, seeing Luna's completely sincere expression.

'Should I just smack her?'

***

"Celie, is this a painting you drew?"

"Yes."

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

"Huh? It's not difficult… are you sure it's okay with me?"

"Heh. With this level of skill, it would be my honor."

Chen Xia, who had come to check on the art club's exhibition preparations, admired Celia's painting.

Painting was Celia's hobby, and her skill was very good.

"By the way, Warden-kun's statue is also really amazing."

"The art club president barely managed to ask him to make a statue. He's so skillful with his hands, I don't know why he doesn't join the art club."

As Celia said, Warden's hobby was sculpting.

He was even so skillful that the art club had been eyeing him since his first year.

"Warden-kun is always busy with training. When I asked him before, he said sculpting is also a form of mental training."

At that remark, Celia made a fed-up expression.

Celia herself was also dedicated to training to the point where others got tired of it, but not as much as Warden.

Then.

Someone entered the exhibition hall.

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

"Huh? You don't look like a Seirun student…"

"Could it be an external guest?"

While the opening to external guests was tomorrow, she had heard that some invited guests had arrived today.

Celia approached the elf girl.

"Excuse me, what is it?"

"H-Hah? Could it be… Celia-nim?"

"You know me?"

"Yes, it would be strange if I didn't!"

The elf girl's expression was excited.

Then she took out paper and a pen from her pocket and handed them to Celia.

"Uh, excuse me! Could you give me an autograph?"

'I've heard that elves are very interested in human society these days… but it's strange that she knows me, not a hero.'

Celia signed the autograph.

"Please write 'To Rena!'"

"Uh, okay."

Celia smiled awkwardly and handed the autograph to Rena.

Then Rena happily exclaimed something unintelligible in English, "Zerdigner version of the signature!"

"Wow! Celia-yang is popular among elves too."

Chen Xia stood beside Celia, smiling broadly.

"Don't you need my autograph?"

She wasn't exactly envious of Celia being asked for an autograph, but she asked jokingly.

To Chen Xia's question, Rena replied with a bright smile,

"I don't need grandma's autograph."

*Twitch*

A vein popped on Chen Xia's forehead.

The word 'grandma' from the girl she had never seen before strangely bothered her.

'Oh? She's angry.'

Chen Xia was smiling, but the corners of her eyes were trembling.

Celia, startled by her rare display of anger, felt a little scared.

As if unaware of Chen Xia's reaction, Rena happily left the exhibition hall with Celia's autograph.

Even after Rena left, Celia couldn't help but gauge Chen Xia's reaction.