Ch.3532 – Daily Life

“El… las… mmnya… mbreum…”

“NoName, time to wake up?”

“Ssshhh… just a little… more sleep.”

“How do you plan to get to the Academy next week if you keep waking up this late?”

NoName rolled herself up in the blanket, tumbling halfway across the bed.

Professor Cheon smiled gently at NoName, who had transformed herself into one giant kimbap roll.

Eventually, NoName’s eyes opened halfway.

“Is it today? Fitting the uniform.”

“Yes. Hurry and get ready.”

“Ugh, I don’t want to go…”

“Sigh… what am I going to do with you.”

Even the loudest alarms were insufficient to wake NoName in the morning.

But leaving her alone would surely mean she’d sleep all day, so Professor Cheon had no choice but to get her up and push her toward the washroom this morning as well.

After NoName finished washing her face, Professor Cheon asked:

“Breakfast?”

“This is enough to fill me up.”

“Alright. Let’s head out then.”

The potion bottle in NoName’s hand sloshed around.

Professor Cheon looked at NoName and felt newly impressed that she could drink such an unpleasant medicine every day without even flinching.

How could she drink something that most people would struggle to take even a sip of?

After finishing her morning dose, NoName scurried to the entrance and put on her shoes.

Of course, she didn’t forget to grab her scarf.

“It’s quite cold outside.”

“It’s still winter after all.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to take the car?”

“I want to walk for once. I might forget how to stand at this rate.”

True to NoName’s words, she rarely left her room except to visit Lora.

Her limbs were so frail that it was questionable whether she could properly commute to the Academy.

She definitely needed to move her body at times like this.

The March air was still too cold to breathe in all at once.

NoName buried her face in her scarf, trying to warm her cold cheeks with the heat of her breath.

“Hwa. Hwa.”

As NoName breathed out, misty air spread in all directions.

Professor Cheon suddenly stopped in his tracks, saying he had a good idea.

“I know a fun spell. Would you like to see it?”

He took out a portable rune inscriber from his pocket, put it on his finger, and wrote down a formula.

[Cast: Local Crystallization]

Concentric magical circles formed around his hand.

He carefully brought the magic circle in front of NoName.

“Would you blow your breath again?”

Seeing no reason to refuse, NoName puffed her cheeks with air.

“Hoooo.”

Her exhaled breath passed through the magic circle, and as the circle rotated, ice fragments showered down from the other side.

Before they could hit the ground, Professor Cheon caught the crystal pieces in his hand with perfect timing.

“They’re ice flowers. Pretty, aren’t they?”

NoName’s typically expressionless face gradually brightened.

“Ohhh…!”

“When I was young, my mother would make this magic whenever winter came. I would beg her to go outside just to see this.”

Professor Cheon closed his eyes, reminiscing about the memory.

“It’s really beautiful.”

“Isn’t it?”

“You’ve maximized the freezing nucleation effect observed in the microscopic world by partially blocking other physical forces interfering with the quasi-liquid layer.”

“Huh?”

“The way the two runes interlock on both axes of the magic circle without colliding but intersecting is truly genius.”

“Ah, so that’s what you found pretty.”

Good grief.

A sigh escaped Professor Cheon’s lips.

Setting aside the beautiful hexagonal ice pieces, he never expected her to be so fascinated by the magic circle itself.

No matter how emotionally detached he considered himself, this child was on a whole different level.

But despite that, NoName’s eyes still sparkled as she watched the spinning magic circle.

‘Well, I guess if she likes it, that’s what matters.’

With that, the little episode between Professor Cheon and NoName concluded, and they arrived at the uniform specialty store.

Ding-a-ling

Instead of an AI-generated sound, an analog bell rang throughout the store, stirring nostalgic feelings.

“Welcome!”

“Hello. We’re here to get a school uniform for the child.”

“Did you make a reservation in advance? Or are you here to take measurements?”

“Well, it’s our first time here.”

The store clerk kindly explained everything to Professor Cheon, who was completely clueless about children’s uniforms.

Nowadays, she explained, you could take measurements at home, send the information, and then just try on and pick up the uniform at the store.

“That’s why there’s no fun in dressing kids these days. In the past, we at least checked if the size fit before leaving, but now the measurements are so accurate that people don’t even try them on before taking them home.”

“Ah, yes, is that so?”

The small clerk lamented.

She quickly bent her knees slightly to meet NoName’s eye level.

“Hello! Are you here for your uniform? You must be a first grader!”

“Ah, she’s actually in second grade,” Professor Cheon interjected to correct her.

“She’s in second grade and getting a new uniform?”

“She’s transferring schools, so she needs a new uniform.”

“Most elementary schools around here have standardized uniforms though. Did you move from far away?”

“That’s part of it, but she’ll be attending Cephiron Academy.”

“Wow, Cephiron Academy? And as a transfer student? You must be really smart, little one!”

The clerk’s voice grew louder.

It made sense, as students attending Cephiron Academy were the envy of this region.

If someone were to ask whether elementary school really mattered that much, most parents would be offended by the question.

With support from the Magic Foundation that was on a completely different level from public education, six years was enough time to create a significant gap with others.

Moreover, it was generally easier to progress through the system starting from elementary school rather than trying to pass the fierce entrance exams for middle and high school.

And the connections formed with other parents through the Academy were too numerous to even begin discussing.

The fact that a child was accepted as a transfer student at an academy that hadn’t reportedly admitted transfer students in recent years proved how exceptional this child must be.

“She is an outstanding child. When our NoName goes to the Academy, the school will surely be turned upside down.”

Professor Cheon spoke proudly.

After all, who was NoName?

She wasn’t inferior in any way compared to the university students he taught at Korea University.

NoName tugged at Professor Cheon’s collar, indicating she wanted to get her measurements taken, and he relented to her urging.

“Well then, I’ll leave her in your care. The child is quite shy, so please understand if she doesn’t talk much.”

“Haha, of course! NoName, come over here? Let’s hang your outer clothes here for now.”

While NoName was organizing her clothes, the clerk brought a measuring tape from the desk.

“Now, like this. Please spread your arms out for a moment.”

The clerk’s smile kept spreading as she watched the child following her instructions well.

“I’m sorry I mistook you for a first grader earlier.”

“I don’t really mind.”

“Our young lady will grow up to be beautiful! I’ve been in alterations for 20 years. I can tell just by looking.”

Indeed, although her height was smaller than her peers, NoName’s limbs were longer than others, and her head was perfectly proportioned, making her comparable to child models.

However, what caught the clerk’s eye was NoName’s long hair.

“Your hair is really long. Are you intentionally not cutting it?”

Normally, when hair grows beyond a certain length, nutrients don’t reach the ends, causing split ends.

But NoName’s hair didn’t look dry at all—it flowed smoothly from roots to ends, which the clerk found fascinating.

“I’m scared of scissors touching my head. I cut it myself.”

“Ah, I see.”

NoName answered in a subdued tone.

There were certainly children who feared hair salons.

There were various reasons—usually because they were ticklish or afraid of sharp objects.

While measuring the sleeve length, NoName’s hand moved toward her head.

The clerk looked puzzled as NoName suddenly stroked her own crown.

“Is something wrong?”

“No…”

But all she felt was the texture of her hair. She calmly spread her arms again to help with the rest of the measurements.

* * *

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go home quickly.”

I stroked my head again with a complicated expression.

Right, this body doesn’t have horns.

Memories from my past life flooded back—how I suffered because of those horns, waking up at dawn to file them down with metal files so no one would discover them.

After leaving the Academy, I actually left them alone because it became too bothersome.

In the Magic Tower, I mostly stayed alone in my research lab, and when meeting others, I could temporarily conceal them with magic.

During the war, people didn’t care whether someone walking down the street was human or demon, so there was no need to hide.

Although I once truly hated those horns, I must have grown attached to them because now I felt a sense of loss thinking about their absence.

Horns serve many purposes for demons.

While useless in daily life, they helped with magical calculations and detecting abnormal mana flows.

Since I lived without horns for much of my life, I didn’t feel major inconvenience without them.

It was similar to taking a test without a calculator, I suppose?

Still, allowing sharp objects near my head remained difficult.

Think about it.

A hairdresser isn’t just someone who cuts your hair—it’s a complex relationship.

When you wear a salon gown, your hands are restrained in a defenseless state, and you’re seated in a chair where it’s difficult to look behind you.

The hairdresser stands very close behind you, wielding scissors.

If the hairdresser wanted to, they could easily snip your neck with those scissors.

I personally thought it was a dangerous activity where you risk your life.

Besides, cutting hair isn’t difficult if you wrap mana around your fingers to make them sharp.

Returning home after what wasn’t a long journey but certainly an exhausting outing felt welcoming.

Even before entering, I could feel the warm heating through my feet.

“We’ll pick up the uniform this Friday.”

“Professor Cheon, may I ask a favor?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Tomorrow is Lora’s birthday, and I was wondering if I could invite her over.”

“Of course! She’s welcome anytime. But there’s not much to do here—what are you planning?”

“That thing over there.”

NoName pointed to the capsule.

“Lora really loves magic, you see.”