Chapter 28 – A Lucky Day

“Hicc… S-seven million… Sel?”

“Yeah. This is a private room, you know. No records, complete confidentiality. And look—your leg doesn’t even have a scar.”

“…You’re right. If I went to a hospital, hic, it would’ve taken two weeks to heal…”

“Why do you keep talking about hospitals? The entrance ceremony is in less than two days.”

“Ugh…”

Stella rubbed her snow-white thigh, making sure the wound had fully healed, and then started rummaging through her belongings.

She pulled out an old, worn-out wallet.

It was dark blue, with a purple stripe across it—matching her hair color.

The edges were frayed and yellowed as if mold had crept in, and the original shape was so worn it was hard to imagine what it once looked like.

“What’s that?”

“Can’t you tell? It’s a wallet.”

“No, I mean… Why is it in such a state—”

“My mom… gave it to me as a birthday gift a long time ago.”

“—And you’ve kept it like that? Something so important? Sarah, can you clean it up a bit? Polish it or, I don’t know, make it look nice again? Can you make it look brand new?”

“You could’ve just asked nicely, you know. Why are you yelling?”

“Because it’s a gift! It’s a waste if she lets it fall apart.”

Breaking out in a cold sweat, I glanced at Sarah.

“I’ll do my best.”

Of course, Sarah could read my mind and respond perfectly. She really is the best.

“See? Sarah’s really good at this. Just leave it to her.”

“…I’ll ask later, when it’s more worn out.”

“Anytime is fine.”

“Th-thank you.”

Stella hugged the wallet to her chest, then opened it with a small sigh.

She began pulling out crumpled bills, counting them carefully with trembling hands.

One, two, three…

She counted to ten, then looked up slowly, biting her lip in frustration.

Her hiccups even stopped from the shock.

“Not enough?”

She didn’t answer, only stared at me with tear-filled violet eyes.

“Want me to lend you some?”

“…Ugh.”

Lowering her head, Stella carefully placed the empty wallet back into her coat and gripped it tightly.

“…Yes. Please.”

Her voice was heavy with frustration.

She clutched the blanket tightly, her dejection obvious, even as she kept the bills smooth in her hands.

I made a quick glance at Sarah, signaling her to step outside. Without a word, Sarah understood and left the room.

“Hey.”

“…What?”

“I already paid for the treatment.”

I slumped back into my chair.

“You don’t have to repay me. I was the one who brought you here, after all. We could’ve gone to a hospital, just like you said.”

Stella raised her head, her violet eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

“…I’ll pay you back.”

“How? We’re starting at the academy soon.”

“If I maintain the top or second rank next semester, I’ll get a stipend. I can repay you with that.”

“And if you don’t?”

“If not, then I’ll hunt monsters in Gevihenum during the break and sell the materials to pay you back.”

“Oh…”

Hunting monsters in Gevihenum.

She had mentioned it multiple times during the entrance exams—claiming to have spent over two years adventuring in the Demon Realm and calling herself a renowned adventurer.

It’s true that monster hunting in Gevihenum could easily cover seven hundred thousand Sel. The only problem is how dangerous it is.

I rolled the candy around in my mouth, watching Stella thoughtfully.

After a brief silence, Stella finally spoke, her voice steadier.

“Lady Eliaernes.”

“What?”

“…Why are you being so nice to me?”

“You think I’m being nice? Do you like being insulted and beaten or something?”

“W-What?! Don’t say weird things! That’s not what I meant!”

Before she could start yelling, I popped the candy into her mouth.

My timing was off, and my finger got some saliva on it, but I didn’t care.

“Hey.”

Stella, caught off guard, covered her mouth in shock.

“W-What’s wrong with you?! Your hand—there’s spit on it!”

“Did you eat?”

“What? Uh, yeah… I did.”

“Let’s go eat.”

“I told you, I already ate.”

“We’re having steak tonight.”

At that, Stella’s body visibly trembled.

“And dessert at Six and Nine, too.”

“It’s Nine to Six…”

Gulp.

I didn’t need to guess whether it was the candy in her mouth or the thought of food that made her swallow hard.

“What was the name of that place? Salsa Garden? Anyway, we have a reservation there tonight.”

“It’s not Salsa Garden. It’s Sunset Garden.”

Well, well. She knows it well enough.

“Close enough. So, are you coming?”

“Didn’t you already make the reservation for a specific number of people?”

“I’ll just pay extra. We’ll figure it out.”

“…You know that’s inconsiderate, right? Abusing your status like that.”

I chuckled and stood up.

“I’m good at that. Let’s go.”

“C-Can I really come?”

“Of course.”

“Won’t I be a bother?”

“You sitting here and moping is more of a bother. Now, get up.”

“R-Really? I can come?”

“Sigh.”

I heaved a dramatic sigh and placed her belongings on her lap. Not that she had much—just the staff she carried everywhere.

Clutching the staff tightly with both hands, Stella glanced around nervously as she sat on the bed.

Just then, Sarah returned.

“I brought what you asked for.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Sarah handed over two hoodies—one dark blue, similar to Stella’s original, and one white—along with a pair of comfortable sneakers.

I grabbed the white hoodie for myself and tossed the rest to Stella.

“Here. This is for you.”

“Wait, this isn’t mine.”

“I threw the old one out and got you new stuff.”

“What?! Why?! It was still good!”

“Good? It was soaked in blood—completely ruined.”

“You could’ve washed it!”

“Blood doesn’t come out that easily. Just wear these. And start wearing sneakers instead of dress shoes. You’ll stunt your growth.”

“Stop sounding like some old man. And you’re shorter than me, so don’t talk about height—it’s hilarious.”

“Listen. One day, you’ll thank me—”

Before I could finish, Stella was already dressed.

She even twirled around, checking herself out, as if she actually liked the outfit.

“Ha.”

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

Even Sarah smiled warmly.

“Do you like it?”

Realizing I was watching, Stella’s face turned red, and she pulled the hood over her head.

“Ugh… Th-thank you. I’ll wear it well. Thank you for… buying it.”

Then she carefully tucked the crumpled lottery ticket into her pocket.

“You’re supposed to give that to Sarah, not keep it.”

With a reluctant sigh, Stella pulled the ticket out and handed it to Sarah with both hands.

“Are you sure… you don’t need a commission?”

“Yes, I’m fine—”

“Give her 30%.”

Stella’s eyes widened in shock.

“Thirty percent…? That’s… one million five hundred thousand Sel…”

But she still nodded.

How does someone this naïve survive in the real world?

Sure, she’s trying to act tough, but…

I snickered, pulled my hood over my head, and led the way out of the cathedral with them.

The streets of the capital were bustling, even late at night.

It was hard to believe that just a few hours ago, black magicians had caused chaos here. Everything seemed peaceful now.

And so were we.

At least, for the moment.

I stopped walking and let out a small sigh.

“Sarah, take Yurasia and Stella and go ahead.”

There was still something I needed to take care of.

“I’ll join—”

Sarah started to protest but closed her mouth, understanding my reasoning.

She knew it might be dangerous to leave Stella and Yurasia alone.

Not because Yurasia was weak, but because an ambush could come at any moment—and she wasn’t experienced enough to handle an unexpected attack in a crowded place.

Besides, Stella didn’t seem eager to share the details of what had happened.

“Still…”

I knew Sarah was worried about me, too.

But there wasn’t much else to do.

“Go on ahead. I’ll be fine.”

After a brief pause, Stella mumbled, “Why don’t we all go together?”

“Just go. You almost threw up just from what you saw earlier.”

“That’s…”

“See? You’re already gagging again. Go. Order for me—Sarah knows what I want.”

“…If you’re not back in 30 minutes, I’ll come looking.”

“Fine. If I get kidnapped, I’ll leave a mana trail.”

I waved them off and set off on my own.

First, I needed to pick up the gift for Yurasia.

***

I picked up my pace, weaving through the busy streets toward my next destination. In my hand, I carried a small, specially ordered box.

The contents? A necklace for Yurasia.
A gift I had decided on immediately after the entrance exams, convinced that Yurasia would secure the top rank after her stellar performance.

I had commissioned it from the most renowned alchemist in the capital. The necklace was not just a simple trinket—it held subtle enchantments for stamina and energy recovery, with other latent magic woven in for emergencies.

The alchemist had told me my design was too dull and insisted on adjusting it.

“It’s just a cherry blossom shape,” I muttered, glancing at the piece inside the box.

Five petals in full bloom, with a gemstone at its center—intended to match Yurasia’s blue eyes.
However, now that I looked at it closely, it seemed more like my own eye color.

Even the petals matched the color of my hair.

The alchemist had scoffed when I requested matching colors, saying it was old-fashioned and unfashionable. I figured it was just the eccentricity of an artist, so I left it up to him.

But now that I saw it, I couldn’t decide if it looked nice or just strange.

“Is this really the kind of thing kids these days like?” I wondered aloud.

There was no point in dwelling on it. It was too late to change anything now.

Clicking my tongue, I closed the box and resumed walking.

***

When I reached the back alley, I was surprised to find it completely deserted.

I had expected at least a few stragglers, but there was no one in sight. Perhaps word had spread about the earlier commotion. Or maybe someone was waiting in the shadows, biding their time. Either way, it worked out in my favor.

I steadied my breathing and heightened my senses, letting my steps glide noiselessly across the ground.

Soon, the drum I had left behind came into view.

Thanks to Sarah’s magic, the bloodstains and stench were gone, leaving no trace of the earlier battle.

The only signs left were faint scars on the walls from spells and scuffles.

The lid of the drum hadn’t been disturbed. If anyone had tampered with it, Sarah’s magic would have alerted me.

“Looks like nothing happened after all,” I muttered.

I set down the leather sack slung over my shoulder and opened the drum.

A wave of putrid air hit me, reeking of rotting flesh.

“…Damn.”

I chuckled dryly, the smell doing little to phase me.

What awaited inside was something unexpected.

Crunch. Crunch. Snap.

The corpse was gone.

Not stolen. Eaten.

The gnawed remains left no doubt.

Only a few severed fingers, a half-crushed skull leaking brain matter, and scraps of internal organs remained at the bottom.

Snap. Munch. Chew.

And a snake.

A snake, leisurely devouring the scattered remains.

“Don’t snakes usually swallow things whole?” I muttered, watching the creature tear at the flesh.

The snake paid me no mind, continuing to gnaw at the chunks of meat before it.

Then, without warning, it began biting into its own tail.

Within three seconds, it devoured itself completely, vanishing into thin air.

Nothing was left in the drum.

There was no point in staying any longer.

“Damn it, they’re still the same, even after 400 years.”

I clicked my tongue and closed the lid.

I had no idea why they wanted to make the corpse disappear. Maybe the victim’s identity was significant, or perhaps they just didn’t want Stella to recognize the face.

Either way, I hadn’t expected them to erase the evidence by feeding it to one of those damned snakes.

I probably should have unmasked the body earlier. I hesitated, thinking it might traumatize Stella, and now this mess happened.

But at least one thing was clear.

Stella couldn’t be left alone.

If I let her out of my sight, she’d go missing within two days—guaranteed.

“It looks like I’ll have to stay with her until the entrance ceremony.”

Now, what about Sarah? I could keep this incident from the palace knights for a while, but sooner or later, my father would find out.

Before that happened, I’d need to tell him myself and ask him not to interfere.

I’d come up with an excuse—something plausible enough. I couldn’t tell him it was all part of investigating Verheigen.

Having made up my mind, I rummaged through my pocket for the candy I had taken from the cathedral.

“Haup.”

I popped it into my mouth and set off for the restaurant where the others would be waiting.

***

As I expected, the scene awaiting me was… something else entirely.

“Lady Stella! You have to try this too!”

“Ah, th-thank you…”

“Lady Stella! This sauce is amazing!”

“B-but I still have food in my mouth…”

“Lady Stella!”

“Eek!”

“Why are your arms so thin?! This won’t do! Here, eat more!”

“I-It’s your food though—”

“No, no! I’ve had plenty already!”

“…I’ve also eaten a lot…”

This wasn’t quite the friendship dynamic I had imagined.

It was more like an overenthusiastic golden retriever meeting a scrappy stray cat for the first time.

The large, cheerful dog eagerly offered its favorite treats, while the nervous cat, accustomed to rummaging through trash and getting swatted away, looked overwhelmed by the boundless energy and kindness.

To be fair, I understood why Yurasia was so excited.

It must have been a rare sight—someone small and grumpy like Stella making such blissful faces every time she ate something. Of course, Yurasia would want to keep feeding her.

And Stella, for all her tough talk, couldn’t bring herself to refuse the food.

In the end, their dinner dragged on until Stella started dry-heaving, signaling the meal’s end.

I had already told them to stay with me at the dormitory until the entrance ceremony. I didn’t explain the reason, but Stella quickly caught on and agreed.

There was a bit of arguing along the way, but the main point was this:

“Lady Eliaernes. Promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“When you see where I live… no matter what happens, don’t say a word about it. Got it?”

“Do I really have to promise something like that?”

“Yes. Just promise.”

I had survived countless battlefields over the last 400 years.

And I already suspected that Stella’s home wouldn’t be the Verheigen family estate.

But still, I wasn’t the type to make a big deal out of someone’s living conditions.

“Fine. I promise.”

And so, we finally arrived at Stella’s place to collect her belongings.

And as I took in the sight of it, I found myself saying something I shouldn’t have.

“Are you… homeless?”