Chapter 6: First night at the academy

Every building at Lily Academy was considered a work of art.

Among them, the dormitory, a haven for students, was renowned for its beauty.
Yet, in its hallway, two students stood facing each other.
Or rather, one seemed to be intimidating the other.

A beautiful yet rebellious-looking blonde student with cold brown eyes stared down at a smaller girl.
The ash-gray-haired girl trembled, her red eyes downcast, under the intense gaze.

The quiet hallway was empty, the standoff seemingly endless.

****

Devoured.

My sharp senses blared a warning.

I hadn’t felt this chill since sparring with Father.
How could eye contact feel like facing a drawn sword?

I needed to calm down.

Hoo…

I took a deep breath.

If I cowered, I’d become a lesbian’s meal.

Hoo…

Why am I scared?
I’m an academy student who can dismantle three golems single-handedly.

Alright. I’ll show this arrogant girl what a pecking order is.

“Wh…what are you going to do by staring at me like that? D…do you think I’m scared or something?”

“…What?”

Gasp, I’m going to die.

Her slightly furrowed brows signaled my impending doom.

I closed my eyes, bracing for impact.

Nothing.

Confused by the lack of reaction, I peeked with one eye.

“…?”

The blonde, pierced girl looked perplexed.

“I wasn’t trying to scare you… I just wanted to know your name.”

I realized I’d misunderstood.

And I remembered my embarrassing behavior.
My face burned.

Wait, scared? Me? Never. I wasn’t scared of this delinquent.

Just because she’s tall, has an intimidating gaze, and looks like a thug with her piercings and necklace,
doesn’t mean I’m scared. Never.

“D…do you think I’d be intimidated by a weakling like you?”

“What…did you say?”

Hiding my flushed face, I fled.
My back felt cold, but I blamed the cool weather.

Her question about my name was strange.
How could I believe her after that chilling glare?

If she wasn’t trying to hurt me, was she trying to hit on me?

I wasted my time. I hurried to meet Sister.

“Ellie! Over here!”

Sister waited under the large tree by the dormitory entrance.

She looked even more beautiful. Did she get a boyfriend?
Oops, I shouldn’t look gloomy when seeing her after so long.

“Sister! Hee hee, I missed you!”

I ran to her, hugging her warmly and smiling brightly.

This is the joy of life. Nothing beats Sister’s embrace.

The tension melted away as I hugged her.

After our joyful reunion,
we explored the academy as she showed me around, enjoying a meal together.

When it was time to part, I lingered in her embrace, savoring her warmth.
She gently stroked my hair, comforting me.

“It’s okay, Ellie. We can see each other anytime now.”
“But…we’re in different years, so it’ll be hard.”

Students in different years had separate dorms and classrooms, making it difficult to meet unless we planned it.

If only we were together, I wouldn’t need to be wary of other students.

I clung to her like it was our last meeting,
finally separating as the sky darkened.

Reluctantly, I left, encouraged by her smile.

Back in my room, I forced myself up from the bed.
I couldn’t sleep without showering after a long day.

After a quick shower, thanks to my small size, I was ready for my first night at the academy.

****

Howl—

A distant wolf’s howl.

And something further away…

Flash—

A chill woke me.

I grabbed the sword by my bed.

I heard something. I should check it out.

I got dressed quickly—a comfortable shirt, shorts, and a thick cape—and left.

Silence filled the hallway.

Shivering, I wrapped my cape tighter and slipped out of the dormitory.

I pulled up my hood, not wanting to be recognized, and climbed over the wall next to the dormitory.

Lily Academy, located on the outskirts of the capital, bordered a large mountain range and a dense forest.

Climbing over the wall, I found myself in the forest.

Howl—

The wolf howled closer.

I slowly drew my sword, sharpening my senses.

I’d hunted wolves before; this shouldn’t be a problem.

Rustle—

Something moved in the nearby bushes.

I adjusted my grip and swung the sword behind me.

The sword flashed, slicing through a wolf.

Yelp—

Its death cry was followed by the glint of hostile eyes in the darkness.

The wolves charged.

My sword ignited, glowing white.
My ash-gray hair flickered with red, sparks rising.

As the wolves closed in,
flames erupted from my sword.

There was no blood.

****

The air reeked of burning flesh.

Why weren’t they afraid of fire?

Usually, wolves fled at the sight of fire during hunts.

I sheathed my sword, thinking they were dealt with.

I’d return for now.
I’d figure out the strange feeling after investigating this area.

As I turned back, a chilling sensation washed over me.

I quickly drew my sword and turned, meeting a pair of vertical, snake-like pupils.

A huge dragon…or rather, a drake, since it was smaller.

Too late to avoid those sharp teeth.

I imagined my body being torn to shreds.

Swish—

Ready to sacrifice an arm,
something huge slammed down in front of me.

Thud—

The drake’s head was crushed, its massive body crashing to the ground with a loud thump.

I stared at the drake, pinned under a giant sword, larger than myself.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

A voice startled me.

Looking up, I saw a woman with golden hair, backlit by the moon.

Her tight-fitting leather clothes
accentuated her curves, captivating me.

She wore a mask, concealing her face.
Strange symbols adorned the mask,
glowing faintly in the moonlight.

“Oh, yes…thank you for saving me.”

My heart pounded.

Relief washed over me, weakening my legs.

“I’m Elena. You can call me Ellie.”

“…Elena? Are you sure you’re Elena?”

“Yes, is there a problem?”

Her reaction to my name was strange. I’d never thought it was unusual.

“No, it’s nothing. I knew someone with a similar name.”

She seemed aloof. I chuckled, looking at her.

“So, what’s the name of my savior?”

“Hmm, my name is…Lena. Call me Lena.”

“Alright, Lena. Thank you again for earlier.”

“Ugh, don’t be so formal. I’m being casual, so you can drop the formalities too.”

Lena seemed uncomfortable with my politeness.

It took me a long time to get used to this casual speech after regaining my memories.

If she insists, I should reciprocate.

I liked her straightforwardness.

“Okay, Lena!”

I smiled brightly, and she seemed to avoid my gaze.
I couldn’t see her expression because of the mask.

“What do you do, Lena? You don’t seem like an ordinary resident, being here.”

“Well… I’m just a passing adventurer. I came here to hunt and wandered too deep.”

I nodded slightly.

An adventurer.

I’d been wary of everyone since arriving at the academy,
but if she wasn’t a student, I could relax.