“Hurry up, aren’t you walking too leisurely?”

It’s a floating sensation.

My body moves even though I’m not moving.

Like a puppet moving as if it were predetermined.

I said those words earlier, but it wasn’t my will.

‘…Where is this?’

I struggled to gather my unfocused mind and looked at the surrounding scenery as my vision moved.

It was a vast prairie.

As evening was approaching, a beautiful red sunset cast its glow at the end of the prairie, and a gentle breeze tickled my ear.

Next to it was a lake, and in the distance, a forest could be seen.

“Hairel is always so slow.”

My mouth moved on its own again.

More importantly, who is Hairel?

As soon as that question arose, someone entered my field of vision.

Snow-white hair like snow.

Similarly, white skin.

A rather tall figure, and a luxurious robe covering his body.

It was a man bowing his head.

Is that person Hairel?

“Let’s look around the scenery a bit… You’re too fast, Eleina.”

The man said, lifting his head.

And the moment my eyes met his clear blue eyes.

I woke up from the dream.

“…Hah!”

I’m covered in cold sweat.

Sweat is pouring out of my body, making me feel damp.

“That dream from earlier…”

It was too vivid to be just a dream.

It felt like it was showing me a memory of something.

My body also felt natural, as if it were truly my own.

What is this…

“More importantly, is this a hospital?”

I put the dream aside for a moment and looked around, finding myself in a private hospital room.

Ha-yeon was lying on a bed that was a bit too wide for a patient bed.

Various medical devices were lined up around me.

Perhaps the most noticeable thing was the photosynthesis beam coming in through the window.

Seeing that sight, reality set in, and then I felt the pain.

“Ugh…”

I frowned at the pain in my abdomen and lifted my patient gown a bit.

What I saw was a line where only a scar remained.

Seriously, is this all it takes to hurt this much?

[The Constellation, ‘Moon-Cleaving Flash,’ says there will be aftereffects due to that bastard’s skill and the characteristics of his equipment.]

“Ah, Constellation-nim.”

The connection with the Constellation seems to be very smooth now.

That means it wasn’t a dream that I took that bastard’s head.

“More importantly, what about the students? Especially Cheon-seo-a.”

As I was about to ask the Constellation about the current situation.

Someone entered the hospital room.

“Cheon-seo-a?”

That was quite an unexpected person.

Wasn’t Cheon-seo-a badly injured?

Why is she here?

Looking at her current condition, she seems perfectly fine.

‘No… strictly speaking, she’s my disciple, so maybe it’s possible?’

As Ha-yeon was having such pointless thoughts, Cheon-seo-a approached and said.

“You’re awake?”

“Huh? Oh… yeah. More importantly, how many days have I been asleep?”

Thinking that Cheon-seo-a spoke very casually, I thought I hadn’t been unconscious for long and asked, but an unexpected answer came back.

“Two weeks.”

“Seriously, why are you greeting me so naturally!”

If it’s been two weeks, shouldn’t you say something?

Why are you greeting me so casually, as if I just woke up after sleeping for a day?

“I knew you’d wake up.”

“Oh well, I guess that’s possible.”

“Even so, I heard you won’t be able to walk for about three days, and you’ll have to stay for about a week before you can be discharged.”

Then I can just use Super Regeneration and leave…

“And I heard you have recovery-type skills, but don’t even think about using them. Your mana circuits are twisted like a maze, so if you use mana incorrectly even once, your condition could worsen.”

“…That’s a shame.”

Ha-yeon said, leaning her head against the pillow.

Cheon-seo-a, who had been standing next to her, also sat down on the chair next to the bed.

“So, did you just come to visit?”

“Well… that too, and I wanted to give you some compensation.”

Compensation?

“After all, you practically saved me and the academy, right?”

“I guess? More importantly, now that I think about it, how does that incident happen in just a week?”

Even the Cardinal, who had never shown himself to the world, appeared.

Seriously, isn’t the timing too strange?

“More importantly, what’s the compensation?”

As she said that, Cheon-seo-a smiled slightly and put her hand on her waist.

“It’s something special, so I can’t give it to you now. Should I just tell you the name?”

“…? What is it that you can’t give it to me now?”

Is it bulky? Even so, you could use reduction magic to give it to me.

“Let’s hear the name first.”

“A Constellation Explorer ticket.”

“…What?”

A Constellation Explorer?

Did I hear wrong?

“A Constellation Explorer ticket!”

“Seriously!?”

What is a Constellation Explorer?

It’s one of the few items in this world that allows you to ‘directly meet a Constellation.’

A giant machine that came out of a high-rank gate in the West hundreds of years ago.

Currently, the ownership of that Constellation Explorer is with the Thunderclap Palace, and just using that artifact once would cost an astronomical amount of money…

And she’s saying she’ll just let me use it.

[The Constellation, ‘Moon-Cleaving Flash,’ is gaping at the unexpected luck.]

[The Constellation, ‘Moon-Cleaving Flash,’ is sparkling, wondering if he can directly meet his contractor.]

The Constellation is also surprised and happy, as if he didn’t expect it.

“Thank you… You must have been badly injured too.”

“It’s nothing, Teacher? Well, not anymore, but if it weren’t for the Sword Demon-nim, we would have already died.”

Hearing her words, I thought that the incident at the academy was really over.

It was a short attack, but from the perspective of those attacking the academy, they had to end it quickly and surely.

It would be a big problem if outside support came.

“More importantly, what about Kiara?”

Thinking about that, I naturally thought of Kiara.

Judging from the barrier collapsing, it must have been quite serious.

“It’s just mana exhaustion. If someone with as much mana as that person experiences mana exhaustion, the aftereffects are severe… but she’ll recover completely after a few months of recovery.”

In short, she won’t be able to use big magic for a while, but her life isn’t in danger.

Relieved for a moment, I bit into the apple (which was quite well-cut) that Cheon-seo-a handed me when the door opened again.

“You came too?”

“Ah, you’re awake.”

The person who came in was Ha Seon-woo.

Ha Seon-woo had registration time and was temporarily away from the academy due to the initial contract support policy.

Shin Jin-ah was the same.

“You’ve been working hard, huh?”

It wasn’t obvious, but now that I see it, the amount of mana had increased and been purified compared to when we first met.

The purer the mana, the better the blacksmith is at engraving and forging.

“It’s thanks to Sword Demon-nim… My rank has also risen to B+.”

Ha Seon-woo said, scratching his cheek as he approached.

Surprised by that, Ha-yeon said.

“Already? Even if you made a contract, it would take quite a while, right?”

“I reached B as soon as I made the contract, and after practicing for a few days, I reached B+. I don’t know the exact reason, though.”

Talent is crazy.

I’m not one to talk, since I reached S-rank as soon as I made a contract.

“Congratulations. I’ll buy you a meal next time we meet. And Shin Jin-ah said she went back to her family’s house. They called her home.”

Well, that’s understandable.

The Divine Bow Clan cherishes their children very much.

The New King Church is threatening even S-ranks these days.

A Cardinal, who is expected to be one of their elites, came down and carried out a terrorist attack, so how could they not?

I understand.

“Nothing happened for two weeks, right?”

“Yes, nothing happened. Oh, and it’s about time for him to come.”

“Huh? Who’s coming?”

Ha-yeon asked, wondering about Cheon-seo-a’s words that someone was coming, and Cheon-seo-a said with sparkling eyes.

“The Association President-nim! He’s been coming every day since Sword Demon-nim collapsed. It’s about time for him to come.”

“Ha-jeong?”

He comes every time I get hurt.

Isn’t he just an S-rank Hunter affiliated with the Association?

‘Or is he…?’

Are we friends?

Actually, I don’t really know my relationship with that guy.

To be honest, I know that we’re not just an ordinary Association President and affiliated Hunter.

But I think it’s a bit ambiguous to call us friends.

“Sword Demon-nim, Sword Demon-nim!”

“Call me Ha-yeon instead of Sword Demon, it’s awkward.”

“Then Ha-yeon-nim! Is the rumor circulating on the internet really true?”

The internet?

What’s circulating on the internet?

There are so many articles about me these days that I don’t know what you’re talking about.

“That you’re dating the Association President-nim!”

“…Huh?”

My mind went blank at those words.

Me?

With that guy?

I thought that rumor about us dating had disappeared after it was a bit of a thing at first, but it’s back?

“There’s no way I’m dating Ha-jeong, we’re probably just friends…”

“Not really. Were you and I just ordinary friends?”

The moment I opened my mouth to explain to Cheon-seo-a, someone fully opened the slightly open door and entered.

A handsome man with black hair and red eyes, wearing a plain T-shirt and coat instead of the usual suit.

It was Jin Ha-jeong, no doubt about it.

“What are you talking about!?”

Ha-yeon shouted in surprise at his words, and Ha-jeong smiled slyly and approached.

“Hey, let’s go.”

“Huh? Ah, okay.”

“Hey! Where are you guys going!”

And Ha Seon-woo and Cheon-seo-a escaped the hospital room to avoid those two.

Ha-yeon desperately called out to the two who were escaping so naturally.

But I couldn’t stop them.

Because I’m hurt.

“Um… long time no see… I guess?”

And so, only the two of us were left in the hospital room.