Chapter 92: A Mysterious Figure

The Wounds of the Azure Flame Arc, featuring the protagonist Eve.
I was visibly taken aback by her statement.
She mentioned being struck by the magic of an elder dragon.
This meant she had realized that traces of the elder dragon were dwelling within me.

How?
I’ve played as Eve before, so I know.
She doesn’t have a Mirinae-like ability like Sharin.
There’s no way she should be able to notice the traces of the elder dragon.
And yet, Eve had noticed and was now speaking to me.

My face grew complicated for a moment.
At the same time, I quickly tried to read the emotions on Eve’s face.
Eve is an incredibly stoic character.
Perhaps because of that, it wasn’t easy to read her expressions.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
For now, I feigned ignorance.
At that, Eve’s eyebrows slightly furrowed.
True to her protagonist status, her well-crafted appearance lent credibility to her actions.
Even such subtle reactions seemed picturesque.

Now, I understood her emotions.
I could sense Eve’s feelings.

“Lie about something you can actually lie about.”
Eve said this while taking a step closer to me.
Of course, I also stepped back.
Eve’s eyes gleamed with a subtle light.

“…Why are you backing away?”
“Because you’re approaching me in a threatening manner.”
Her eyebrows furrowed even further.

“Threatening? In what way?”
I’m sorry, but you are absolutely threatening.

Eve, along with Lucas, is one of the protagonists.
What’s more, at this point, Eve surpasses Lucas in pure combat capability.
‘And to think someone like her would notice the elder dragon’s magic.’

Granted, the traces of the elder dragon within me aren’t widely known.
However, powers related to elder dragons are globally recognized as forbidden magic.
Though I may not show it, I was quite flustered.
I never imagined Eve would discover the traces of the elder dragon.

‘What do I do now?’
I had intended to speak with Eve in some way or another.
But I never expected to get tangled with her like this.

“…Am I really that threatening?”
Then, to my surprise, her unexpected response came.
Eve was hugging her arms while staring down at her toes.
She was showing a timid side of herself.
Seeing this, I tilted my head.

It made sense, though.
Eve’s defining strength is her unwavering resolve, no matter what happens.
Her title as the Unyielding Azure Flame wasn’t for nothing.
‘Did something happen on her side over the past six months?’

I don’t know much about Eve’s backstory.
Although Prellis is called a fallen kingdom, it still holds on for the current generation.
So, apart from briefly appearing in the international tournaments, Eve wasn’t someone you’d encounter in the main storyline.

“Who said you were threatening?”
Still, maybe because I’d played as her before and felt some attachment to the protagonist, I couldn’t help but ask back without thinking.

At that, Eve looked visibly flustered.

“…Sorry, it’s nothing to worry about.”
From her expression, it was clear that someone had said something like that to her before.
However, this was now a chance to continue the conversation.
Without hesitation, I took the bait Eve had thrown.

“If I had to say, you do come across as intimidating.”
Eve’s shoulders flinched.
Her eyes wavered uneasily.
It seemed that being called intimidating in the past had left a scar on her.
To think that words could wound the Unyielding Azure Flame—it wasn’t an easy thing to do.

“It’s just that you’re usually expressionless and have a sharp aura about you.”
“A sharp aura? I don’t think so.”
“Well, regardless of what’s on the inside, an aura is something you’re born with.”

Eve is beautiful.
But there are different kinds of beauty.
For example, Isabel gives off the vibe of an endlessly cheerful golden retriever.
Her bright and radiant face makes her seem harmless to anyone who meets her.

Eve is on the opposite end of that spectrum.
She’s beautiful, but in a fierce, tough older-sister kind of way.
In real life, she’d probably rule as part of the top caste in a school setting.
Add to that her exceptional abilities, enough to place her among the six stars, and it’s no wonder she could come across as intimidating.

“…I’m not entirely unaware of that.”
Eve, looking slightly glum, fiddled with the ends of her hair.
“I even grew out my hair so I wouldn’t look so tomboyish.”
To be fair, the tomboyish vibe isn’t entirely absent.

“…Even kids are scared of me.”
Now I understood who had told Eve she was intimidating.
‘It must’ve been the kids.’
Hearing such remarks from peers wouldn’t faze her at all.

But there’s one thing that could hurt Eve.
And that was hearing it from children.

Eve really loves kids.
To be precise, she has a fondness for most small creatures.
So being told she was intimidating by the children she adores must have been a big shock to her.

“In that case, why not try smiling a bit to change the mood?”
Smiling can easily change the atmosphere, even for someone who looks intimidating.

“When I smiled, the kids got even more scared.”
“That’s probably because you didn’t smile properly. People often don’t know how to use their facial expressions well.”
As I said this, I demonstrated a variety of expressions.
“Kids, in particular, are sensitive to facial cues. The more exaggerated the expression, the better the effect.”

Eve’s eyes widened.
“…You’re really good at using your face.”
“I practiced.”

To be precise, it was part of my rehabilitation therapy.
After an injury, I suffered from facial paralysis as a side effect.
To treat it, I would look in the mirror, massage my face, and work hard to move my mouth, eyes, and nose.
Through that process, I learned how to make more pronounced expressions.

Of course, my case was unique.
I wouldn’t assume that other facial paralysis patients would experience the same thing as me.

Still, thanks to this, I’ve been able to navigate various situations with my expressions ever since joining the Flaming Butterfly arc.
It was particularly useful in front of Isabel.
Even now, Isabelle probably can’t tell the difference between my fake expressions and real ones.

…Although, who knows about recently?

“Should I teach you?”
When Eve hesitated, I asked her.
At that, she flinched, her eyes darting around.
The faint redness on the tips of her ears made it clear—she wanted to learn.
But then, as if recalling something, she turned back to me.

“Wait. This isn’t the conversation I was trying to have.”
Oh no, did she notice?
It seems my attempt to change the subject casually had failed.

“The real issue is the elder dragon’s magic. It’s dangerous. If you can’t resolve it soon, you might end up being consumed by the dragon.”

Eve hadn’t approached me to assign blame.
She had spoken to me out of genuine concern, despite this being our first meeting.
As expected of the protagonist of a side story,
Eve, too, was inherently good-hearted.

Seeing the kindness in her eyes, I couldn’t help but smile slowly.
“It’s certainly dangerous.”
“Exactly.”
“But I need it.”

Eve froze.
The moment she realized I possessed traces of the elder dragon,
I’d already been stalling for time with unnecessary chatter.
And now, I had made up my mind.
I’d decided to embrace the opportunity to use the elder dragon’s remnants.

“I have something I need to do. So could you keep this a secret?”
A faint smile played on my lips, tinged with a subtle trace of malice.
“Of course, if you don’t keep it a secret…”
An icy aura began to seep from my body.
I lightly awakened the remnants of the elder dragon.

“It’s going to be very troublesome for me.”

Eve’s eyes narrowed.
At the same time, a blue flame began to flicker and rise from her body.
“So, you’re threatening to silence me now?”

She was one of the Six Stars, a peerless fighter of this generation’s top six.
No matter how much power I borrowed from the elder dragon,
Eve’s Azure Flame was my worst matchup.

If we fought, I’d lose nine times out of ten.

“Yes. So, how about I teach you how to express emotions properly? Will you keep my secret then?”
“What?”
“You want to learn how to show expressions, don’t you? Consider it the price for your silence.”

I smiled shamelessly.
“Unless you’d prefer money? Though I don’t really have much, so that might be tricky.”

“…I’m not asking for money.”
Eve stared at me as if she couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

But I was being sincere.
“So, what do you think? Pretty good deal, isn’t it?”

“No, I’m telling you, the elder dragon’s magic is dangerous!”
“Yes, I know. But I have to take the risk.”

Eve frowned deeply, staring at me intently, as if trying to discern my intentions.
But she wouldn’t find anything.
Of course not.
I had no immediate plans to do anything with the remnants of the elder dragon.

No matter how much Eve tried to dig into my motives, there’d be nothing to uncover.

“Alright then, I’ll teach you how to make expressions later. But for now, I’ve got something I need to do today.”

I turned around without a moment’s hesitation.
Eve, with a flustered expression, tried to stop me, but it was too late.
I swiftly turned my steps back toward the dorm room at Zeryon Academy.

My heart was racing.
Never had I expected Eve to discover the elder dragon’s magic.
But knowing Eve’s personality, she wouldn’t report the magic to anyone.
She wasn’t the type to act recklessly without understanding the situation.
Most likely, she’d try to handle things on her own.

As I exhaled quietly, the stillness of the room settled around me.
Inside were two people, cautiously observing my every move.

“Y-you’re back?”
“Hanon, take a rest.”

I blinked.
‘Oh, right. I’d scolded them before I left.’
I’d completely forgotten.
I should’ve given it a bit more time before coming back.
I’d returned too soon.

It seemed I would have to act angrier to sell the illusion.
“Hanon, I’m hungry.”

But then I realized there was no need to pretend.
Just seeing Sharin annoyed me all over again.
Thanks to her, my frustration from earlier still hadn’t dissipated.

* * *

International Individual Tournament Meeting
As I mentioned earlier, the true highlight of this meeting was the party that followed.
A party where everyone could freely converse.
Since it brought together key figures of the future world, every single conversation at the party became a connection and an asset for the future.

Thus, the children attending the party eagerly sought out conversation partners, their eyes practically glowing with ambition.
In this arena, they were nothing short of political hyenas.

And into this crowded party hall, a confident woman strode in.
The woman, clad in a flowing black dress, was none other than the third princess of the Hyserion Empire.
Iris Hyserion.

With every step she took, countless eyes turned toward her.
Iris’s signature decadent charm captivated the atmosphere in an instant.
The children, entranced, couldn’t help but stare at her.

Iris resembled a black rose.
An alluring beauty that drew attention effortlessly, yet gave off the sense that reaching out might prick you with thorns.
Such was the danger and allure that defined Iris.

But the individuals following behind her were no less striking.

First, there was a woman with a drowsy expression, not wearing a dress but instead a school uniform.
Ironically, this only made her stand out even more.
She was Sharin Sazaris, daughter of the Blue Tower Master.
Her dark blue hair swayed as she yawned lazily, her nonchalant demeanor attracting even more attention.

Beside her stood a woman as radiant as the sun.
Dressed in a tidy, coral-colored gown, her bright smile seemed to glow.
Her cheerfulness was so infectious that those who looked at her couldn’t help but smile as well.
She was the main heroine, Isabel Luna.

As the three women entered, the children began to whisper among themselves.

Trailing behind them, however, was a single boy.
‘Oh, looks like no one’s paying attention to me.’
That would be me, Hanon, master of stealth techniques.

Of course, my face disguised as Hanon was decent enough, but realistically, it couldn’t compare to the presence of those three.
And that worked perfectly fine for me.
With all attention focused on them, I planned to quietly slip away.

‘Alright, let’s keep it low-key.’
I began to step back and observe the situation from a safe distance.

It was at that very moment—

Step.
The sound of footsteps reached my ears.

I lifted my head with a reluctant expression, thinking, Surely not.
I hadn’t expected anyone to approach me in this moment where all eyes were elsewhere.

But I had overlooked one key fact.
The person in question wasn’t someone who cared about such things.

“Hanon Airei.”
She called my name with precision, as if she had known it all along.
I turned my head, swallowing a quiet sigh.

And there she stood—a woman with blue hair, clad in a vivid sapphire dress.

The unyielding azure flame.
Eve.

Now, of all times, when every gaze in the room was gathered, she had come to stand before me once again.

I couldn’t believe she would make such a bold move.
How fitting of a side-story protagonist—her actions were as unpredictable as ever.

Eve, who could draw as much attention as the earlier trio, had started a conversation with me.
As a result, the children in the room turned their curious eyes in our direction.

But it wasn’t just them staring.
I could feel two sharp gazes piercing into me.

Isabel and Iris.
The two of them were glaring at the back of my head, as though they wanted to burn a hole through it.
It felt as if they were speaking directly to me without uttering a word.

“So, in that brief moment when you stepped out… you went off to charm another woman?”

And then, Sharin said it aloud.
“Is that what happened?”

This is unfair!