Chapter Index

    “Wow…!”

    “Is that from the Baek family…?”

    “The real person is even more…”

    As Yeon’s greeting ended, admiration and friendly cheers erupted from the crowd here and there.

    Even compared to the principal, it was more than enough, definitely not less.

    Just from the enthusiastic response, one could truly feel Yeon’s position in the cradle.

    “Hehe. Thank you, juniors. Being welcomed like this, I feel so embarrassed I don’t know where to put myself…”

    Grateful for the support towards her, Yeon continued her welcoming speech with her characteristic graceful smile.

    It was a smile that had been sorely missed, seen after such a long time.

    Meeting Yeon after two years, she was showing off an even more dazzling beauty than the last time.

    In her outstanding figure and elegant atmosphere, one could even feel a sense of nobility.

    But those eyes of Yeon’s were no longer looking at me.

    “…”

    The beloved of the Baek family.

    Possessing peerless beauty, and excelling far beyond active soldiers or veteran hunters in skill.

    Due to the excessive concern of the Baek family, she had not shown herself in society at all, until the time of the cradle’s enrollment when she revealed her excellence to the world.

    But despite her nobility, she treated the cradle’s students fairly and kindly regardless of their background, ultimately becoming the victor of last year.

    But how could I have known that person was you.

    The noble Yeon of the Baek family, one of the most distinguished among prestigious families…

    We were fated to never be together from the start.

    “…”

    My mind was filled with confusion and turmoil. The surrounding noise gradually faded away as if moving further away from my ears. I continued to ponder deeply, locked in an abyss with no end in sight.

    I am still dreaming the dream from two years ago.

    The sound of gunfire ringing loudly in my ears.

    The scent of death carried with the acrid smoke.

    The hole in the wall.

    The dead captain with his eyes wide open.

    The terrifying appearance of the demons that could not be distinguished as human or beast.

    The gravestones of my mother and friends standing in the ruined courtyard.

    And every single syllable of the icy and cold words Yeon spat out, and even the faint scent of the water parsley left in the morning hospital room.

    All of those things are still vivid as if they happened yesterday.

    A hole that will never be filled has been pierced in my heart that day, and I groan in pain all night long whenever the wind blows.

    But unlike me, Yeon was just smiling happily as if she had escaped a long nightmare…

    “Ah?”

    “…”

    Hyuna?

    “…”

    “Hyun~~a?”

    “…Huh?”

    As I suddenly became aware of something passing repeatedly in front of my eyes, I was instantly pulled out of my thoughts.

    When I shifted my gaze, I saw Ye-na pouting and puffing up her cheeks, waving her hands as if in distress.

    “Ugh, finally decided to answer. Did you fall asleep or something…?”

    “…I guess I was a bit tired.”

    I barely managed to open my mouth and offer an apology. Ye-na finally stopped her gestures. Her puffed-up cheeks returned to their original size.

    “Where’s the person who sleeps during the enrollment announcement? You must be really tired. Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

    “…Sorry. What did you say?”

    “About Senior Baek Se-yeon. Doesn’t she seem really cool?”

    “…Yeah. I think so too.”

    “I feel like a real princess from a fairy tale. Both in beauty and personality… Even to students like me who come from the outskirts, she treats everyone fairly and kindly. I didn’t realize how much my friends talked about her earlier.”

    I must have been satisfied with coming back to my senses, as Ye-na began to chatter on again.

    But the moment I heard the next words Ye-na brought up,

    I felt a severe shock as if several heavy rocks were falling on my chest.

    “Oh my, how happy must the fiancée of such a person be? It seems like our senior really likes their fiancée. Their face lights up whenever that topic is mentioned.”

    “What…?”

    “Oh, Hyun, is this your first time hearing about it? Well, it seems like you wouldn’t be interested in such things. Anyway, if it weren’t for me, who else would tell you about this…”

    “…”

    “But you know what’s really interesting? No one knows who the fiancée is yet…! I heard it’s a secret engagement arranged by the family, so…”

    I felt short of breath and my vision narrowed. Unbearable throbbing pain rose from the scar on my face.

    “I heard there was even an incident. Since the fiancée wasn’t revealed, some people even claimed to be that person. But when our senior heard about it, they challenged and almost killed the impostors in a duel… and even demanded… eventually leading to expulsion…”

    It felt like a giant snake-like creature was constantly suffocating me. Ye-na kept mumbling something beside me, but I couldn’t hear it clearly.

    “They even said that the household was ruined… But there’s no way someone like that would… just a rumor…”

    I tried my best to hold back the rising nausea, but it was futile.

    In the end, I just dashed out of Hwayang Hall.

    ***

    “Hehe, should we end the boring story here? We won’t have enough time to get to know each other if we keep talking. The academic schedule starts tomorrow, so I hope you all enjoy today freely. Once again, welcome sincerely to Hwayang Hall.”

    -Applause!

    As the welcoming speech ended, applause poured in from all directions.

    Baek Seo-yeon smiled brightly, waving her hands here and there, then descended from the platform and left Hwayang Hall. The other second-year students followed suit, streaming out through the doors.

    Today’s welcome party was entirely for the new students. Long movable tables were placed throughout the hall, and trolleys filled with food and drinks poured into Hwayang Hall.

    Following what she had just said, the new students took their seats in groups and began to introduce themselves and share stories.

    “Her voice was amazing… I want to hear more…”

    A female student sitting at a table quietly murmured. Every time the female student leaned forward, her golden hair fluttered. Her eyes, resembling emeralds, sparkled under the light.

    “Did you see it earlier? The particles of light flickering around her hair. I’ve never seen golden particles of light like that before. How talented must she be…”

    Another female student sitting next to her quietly agreed with the blonde student.

    “I can definitely see it now that I’ve seen it up close. She wasn’t just considered the strongest in our generation for nothing.”

    “Who says she isn’t. And she seems to have a really nice personality too. How can someone laugh so elegantly? I really want to call her ‘unni’ just once…”

    “Ugh, I feel too awkward to do that. She’s so… where…”

    At the same table, a male student suddenly interjected into the conversation of the two girls. Despite being a student, he had a remarkably large physique with short-cropped hair. The buttons on his well-trained muscles seemed to scream in protest.

    “In my opinion, if we’re talking about the strongest, it seems like Empath Seonbae would be a better fit…”

    As the male student let out a snort, the two girls who were laughing just a moment ago quickly turned cold and glared at him.

    The blonde, exotic-looking girl who had just delivered the oath as the representative of the first-year students, Jin Ye-seo, sharply retorted to the male student.

    “Hey, Cho Woo-jin. Have you lost your mind? How dare someone like you judge anyone. You can’t even reach the toes of the seniors…”

    “Why are you having a fit again? Did I say something wrong? It’s true, isn’t it? If you’re in a position of authority, you should show dignity to the freshmen, not laughter, right?”

    “Position of authority? Hey, get a grip. Don’t you know our country is a republic? The future of the Choi family in Seongsan, with a successor like you, looks bleak. Well, that’s why you always hover around the bottom…”

    “Is this crazy… Hey, Jin Ye-seo. You’re the one who needs to get a grip. Just because people treat you like you’re one of the five great families, you think you can act like that? You’re still being overshadowed by the Black Lotus family, who has been in hiding for 15 years. Are you slow in understanding the situation because of your mixed foreign blood?”

    “If this damn pig-like bastard really wants to try…”

    “Enough, enough! Guys, please stop! How can you fight even on the day of the entrance ceremony? Can’t you just hold back on a day like this?”

    Cho Woo-jin and Jin Ye-seo exchanged insults as if they were about to kill each other. Then, at the moment when they reflexively reached for their wands, a seemingly good-natured male student sitting nearby intervened and stopped them.

    “…Ha.”

    “…Tsk.”

    Suddenly interrupted by the male student, they seemed to lose their momentum, and eventually sat back down, not even looking at each other.

    “Phew…”

    “…Thanks, Seung-heon.”

    Finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, the male student, Seung-heon, sat back down. The other female student sitting next to him gently held his hand and offered words of comfort.

    “It’s okay. It’s always like this… Thank you, Yeo-ul.”

    Seung-heon responded with a smile that seemed genuinely relieved by Yeo-ul’s comfort. Yeo-ul’s face blushed slightly at the sight of his smile.

    They were all descendants of the country’s leading magician families. The original five families, and the 22 prestigious families that followed. People commonly referred to these 27 families as the Magician Twenty-Seven.

    Although not officially ruling, the Magician Twenty-Seven essentially controlled the country.

    They each possessed unique magical abilities and operated various businesses, accumulating wealth like a black hole. With such a massive background, they exerted significant influence on politics and the military, and even sent members of their families directly into the government.

    On the other hand, their relationships were complex, intertwined through power struggles and multiple marriages. The individuals present at the table had been close since childhood, frequently attending gatherings and forming close relationships early on. Perhaps because they were of similar ages, they got along exceptionally well.

    Seung-heon and Yeo-ul had even been engaged.

    But relationships between people were never without their complications. In fact, being close often led to more intense conflicts.

    From that perspective, Jinye-seo and Choi Woo-jin didn’t get along very well. From a young age, they always clashed and often engaged in duels.

    And it was always Ryu Seung-heon who intervened to stop them.

    “…Huh? Hey, look at that guy. What’s on his face…haha…”

    Looking around, Choi Woo-jin’s eyes widened as he suddenly burst into laughter. The person he was looking at was a new student wearing a badge similar to theirs.

    Unlike the confident appearance, he was wearing a smooth white mask covering the upper half of his face, so it was no wonder that laughter ensued.

    “Oh, a troublemaker. I…”

    Confirming his identity, Moon Yeoul turned his head back, seemingly unimpressed. Troublemakers were a term used to refer to students who engaged in peculiar activities.

    Every year, the troublemakers at the academy were never in short supply. Some wore strange mechanical devices on one arm, or wore witch hats from fairy tales, or simply ignored others with an intimidating expression without responding to any greetings.

    Most of them were either magic users from prestigious or headhunter families trying to catch the eye of recruiters. Or they were first-generation magic users who blossomed naturally without any foundation.

    Although she didn’t show it to Ryu Seung-heon, Moon Yeoul also didn’t particularly like such students. In fact, she was secretly thinking that maybe it was better to have sympathy in the recent argument.

    “Shouldn’t the academy cancel the enrollment of such students? This is supposed to be the best prestigious academy, after all.”

    Choi Woo-jin smirked as if not amused.

    “I heard even our senior was a troublemaker when he was a student. Don’t you get tired of it? If you want to stand out, do it with your skills. It’s always these kinds of people who lack skills and end up dropping out.”

    The male student with the mask stood still, fixating his gaze on the spot where Baek Seo-yeon had been moments ago.

    “Is he smitten at first sight? Look at him not even moving…”

    “Even those kinds of guys have eyes. Baek Seo-yeon, our senior, is truly…”

    “…”

    As Jinye-seo muttered, Choi Woo-jin looked at her in disbelief without saying a word.

    “Don’t be like that. There could be reasons behind it. People shouldn’t be judged based on appearances…”

    With a wry smile, Ryu Seung-heon intervened, stopping Choi Woo-jin. Moon Yeoul, clinging tightly to Ryu Seung-heon’s arm, said.

    “You’re always so kind. But Seung-heon, did your sister contact you…?”

    “…A letter came a few days ago. She’s going on a business trip to the East soon, so she might not be in touch for a while…”

    Seung-heon murmured with a bitter tone. Seeing his appearance, Yeoul muttered in a sarcastic tone.

    “…His sister is really something. How can she do that to her family? Not coming home for over 15 years is ridiculous…”

    “Don’t be like that. She’s probably trying not to burden me…”

    Upon hearing Yeoul’s words, Seung-heon shook his head slightly. It had been about 15 years since his sister, Ryu Se-hwa, had set foot in the family. The right of succession had long been passed on to Seung-heon.

    “Right. And from Seung-heon’s perspective, isn’t it a good thing? The position of the successor just fell into his lap.”

    “…Jaeryong.”

    Another male student who had gone to get drinks from the trolley joined the conversation. Seeing him, Yeoul muttered in a pitiful tone.

    “Do you, a guy like you, understand delicate feelings…?”

    “Men don’t need delicate feelings. But Seung-heon, is that true?”

    The second son of the Guk clan, one of the seventeen magical tribes, Guk Jae-ryong, asked Seung-heon.

    “What is it?”

    “I heard recently that the 66th Division drinks the blood of demons after extracting their hearts. And the commander there is famous for being crazy. Have you heard anything from your sister?”

    “…Jae-ryong. That can’t be true. Even rumors like that are a bit too much.”

    Seung-heon abruptly cut off Jae-ryong’s words. His face was smiling, but his voice was as cold as the night. Seeing the rare stern expression on Seung-heon’s face, Jae-ryong awkwardly apologized.

    “Sorry… I guess it was just a baseless rumor after all. I thought the same…”

    “Sigh, I knew you would think that way. I’ve seen Se-hwa unni before, she’s definitely not that kind of barbaric person. Maybe you should reconsider…”

    Seeing that scene, Yeo-ul sighed and turned her gaze away.

    The male student wearing a mask continued to stare intently at the spot where Baek Se-yeon had been. Then, he suddenly turned around and quickly left the Hwayang Hall.

    Behind him, a female student who seemed to be part of his group stood in confusion, not knowing what to do.

    “…What’s going on? Is he really a bit strange in the head…?”

    Yeo-ul muttered to herself as she watched the scene. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she turned around and asked Seung-heon.

    “Right. So, Seung-heon, which senior do you like better?”

    “I think I prefer Baek Se-yeon senior to Yeon-minha senior… Yeon-minha senior is a bit intimidating, I’d say… Haha…”

    “…Tsk.”

    Seung-heon awkwardly laughed in response to Yeo-ul’s question. Perhaps unsatisfied with his answer, Yeo-ul pouted slightly, turning her body away from Seung-heon.

    Jin Ye-seo, who was standing nearby, looked at the spot where Baek Se-yeon had left and commented.

    “How happy must the fiancée of such a person be?”

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