Chapter 37
“Hah…”
In the hospital room where gentle sunlight streamed in through the window, a woman with purple hair reminiscent of lavender sighed deeply as she gazed down at the boy in front of her.
‘Another demon attack, huh?’
What on earth were the Academy professors doing, allowing two assaults by the Demon Race?
Once was enough, but to let them waltz in not once but twice? The negligence was astronomical.
This latest assault by the demons had spread like wildfire throughout the Academy. After all, the Holy Kingdom had practically declared an open war against the Demon Race after the last invasion.
To the people of this era, it seemed like a distant tale, and yet here we were, facing the repercussions head-on.
Moreover, this incident during the martial arts competition would be even more catastrophic for the Academy. Class 1-A, known for housing the continent’s most brilliant talents, had been attacked.
But frankly speaking, no one had died or suffered serious injuries. The Vladis family was practically invincible, and Anubis was tough as nails.
Though some were said to be out for three weeks and more, they would bounce back quickly. Sure, many had minor injuries, but none were in real danger.
The most crucial person, Nova, had…
“Is your wound healed?”
There was definitely a significant hole in his abdomen. For an ordinary person, it would have been fatal. Yet after the man in the dragon-masque fled, Nova collapsed as if his thread of life had snapped.
After rushing to the infirmary, it turned out the wound on his stomach had nearly completely healed.
“What’s with that ridiculous display of strength?”
That odd energy, coupled with the cross pattern etched in his eyes…
So many incidents unfolded simultaneously that it was hard to keep up.
Despite another demon attack, the fact that he was alive was a relief.
I felt bad for the guard who had died, but the cost-to-benefit ratio for this kind of regression just didn’t add up.
“Honestly… you keep getting hurt and end up lying around, don’t you?”
With a gloomy expression, Stella brushed her fingers through Nova’s hair.
Looking at his peacefully sleeping face, oblivious to her worries, she felt a flicker of irritation grow within her.
Now that she thought about it, it had always been like this.
Even when they went boar hunting, he would get hurt while acting as bait to save her. When he was kidnapped by an assailant, it was he who recklessly charged in to rescue her and got hurt.
Time passed, and even upon entering the Academy, he faced the monster alone, sustaining serious injuries and unable to regain consciousness for a week.
Seriously, he was reckless with his body.
Well… this incident might have been unavoidable, but it still annoyed her.
From his point of view, he probably saw her as just an ordinary friend, but that wasn’t how Stella felt.
He was her first friend in this world, someone like family…
No, she was well aware that he could never truly be family.
Having a family that disappears without a word would be the worst from the other person’s perspective too.
Staying close to him like this would only lead to more heartache down the line, yet…
“…warm…”
Every time she touched his hand, it felt warm, bringing her a sense of security.
Though rough and calloused, those hands must have undergone countless struggles to reach this point. She longed to see his smile.
She imagined him waking up, acting as if nothing had happened, cracking a silly joke like…
“Nothing happened, right?”
But if he woke up now and went wild again, well… she wasn’t sure how she could hold him down.
In that moment, Nova had surpassed Stella.
“…But just in case he wakes up and goes on a rampage…”
Stella approached him lying down and climbed onto the bed.
Then, using magic, she began to weave cloth into bandages, wrapping his body tightly.
“I don’t mean any harm… no bad intentions… It’s all for you…”
She carefully secured Nova to the bed to prepare for if he suddenly leaped up.
‘What if someone sees this scene…’
A grown 17-year-old girl straddling a bed where a male student her age lay bound up. If he happened to wake up, she was ready to bite her tongue in embarrassment and die right then and there.
“Don’t you dare wake up… if you do, I’ll poke your eyes out…!”
*
“Hah…”
After Amelia left, the Chairman was left alone in his office with an unpleasant expression.
It had been a long time since the last invasion, and while he had anticipated that they might attack this world again, having it happen twice at the Academy and especially with high-level demons was far from a pleasant surprise.
Especially when they had broken through the barrier created with all the magical knowledge and power the Academy could muster, running riot inside.
The news of the Demon Race’s resurgence was shocking enough, but the greater concern was that the barrier had been breached.
The masks of the demons had come and gone as if it were their own home, something that had protected the Academy for centuries.
No matter how well-made the barrier was, if enough time passed, breaches aren’t just strange. It was a reckless miscalculation to have trusted it too much.
“My head is killing me.”
From the family emissaries that would be arriving soon to the Archmage who cherished his students, any friction with them would only make the Academy’s position more precarious.
Thinking about all that needed to be done gave him a headache.
And there was another issue that needed attention.
That boy, Nova, was once again at the center of yet another incident after the monster fiasco.
From what he gathered, the masked figures were definitely pursuing the boy for some unmistakable purpose.
He had also learned that Nova had responded quickly to the previous monster chaos.
“Does the boy have something special?”
When he reviewed the information on him, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.
An unknown adventurer, yet during the entrance exam, he had managed to pierce the magic-enhanced scarecrow, similar to Stella, and had even landed the only effective blow on his own daughter.
‘He certainly possesses considerable talent.’
His daughter, Amelia, was a level of skilled that had earned her the title of a war hero, once considered as a candidate for the top ten.
If she recognized his talent, it was evident that he was an essential figure for the Academy.
“However, does that reason alone warrant an assassination attempt by the Demon Race?”
He would need to meet him in person later to discuss. Just then…
“Oh dear… what an entrance.”
The heavy weight of magical power began to ripple, signaling that something terrible was about to unfold.
“Looks like Rockpelikan is really furious.”
It was only natural, considering that his treasured student had been attacked at the Academy yet again. He was bound to come to demand accountability.
*
“Excuse me… Mr. Magic Tower Master?”
“…”
“We’ve arrived at the Academy, so could you please ease up a little…?”
“…”
‘Oh no, this isn’t good. He must be really angry.’
The strongest wizard on the continent and the top power of the Magic Tower, the Archmage Ozwell Rockpelikan.
The Academy’s alumnus and the wizard Erica, who followed along as an envoy, found it nearly impossible to speak given the oppressive aura radiating from him.
‘Guess I shouldn’t have come along after all.’
Having been dragged along due to her status as an Academy alum, Erica thought she should have found any excuse to avoid this situation.
With that in mind, as she passed through the Academy’s main gate, she noticed a foreign-looking girl with black hair sitting on a bench.
Upon spotting her, Erica clapped her hands together and said…
“Hey! Before you go to the Chairman’s office, why not go see Stella?”
At this, Rockpelikan, who had been silent, seemed to ponder for a moment before responding.
“Sure, that sounds good.”
Feeling a bit of the heavy atmosphere lift, Erica sighed internally.
‘He completely loses it the moment Stella’s name comes up.’
Without meaning to differentiate between other wizards, the way the Master treated Stella was notably different.
Of course, both hers and the Tower’s talents were superb compared to other wizards, but their relationship struck a familial resemblance.
“Hello there?”
Erica greeted the exotic-looking black-haired girl admiring the flowers in the garden, and the girl responded warmly.
“Oh, hello there!”
‘Wow, she’s incredibly pretty; her speech is so refined… What noble family is she from?’
“We’re from the Magic Tower, are you Stella?”
The girl responded with surprise and joy.
“You’re from the Magic Tower? I’m Stella’s friend!”
“Stella’s friend?”
“…Is that really true?”
The reactions of Erica and Rockpelikan made the girl feel a bit uncomfortable.
“Yes, I’m Shia. I’m Stella’s close friend!”
“Wait… the ultimate outsider is friends with her?!”
“That girl… how peculiar.”
Shia, sensing the oddity in their response, gave a bashful laugh.
“Ahaha…”
Just then, Rockpelikan stepped forward, taking Shia’s hand and speaking as if deeply moved.
“Thank you for becoming friends with our child.”
“Uh…? Ah… sure.”
“That Stella found such a pretty friend!”
The junior he knew, at first glance, might look cold and even rude—actually, she was quite rude—but somehow, because of her unique awkwardness and personality, she had hardly any conversational connections at the Tower.
That such an outsider would befriend someone like her made him feel a warmth in his heart.
“I should introduce myself. I am Ozwell Rockpelikan.”
“Oh, really!? The Archmage? I… I apologize for my rudeness!”
“No need to be so formal. Just think of me as an old man passing by.”
“That… that can’t be…”
“By the way, do you know where Stella is?”
Shia responded with a hint of knowing.
“I believe she would probably be over there. Let me guide you.”
With that, Shia led them towards the infirmary building within the Academy.
“We’re here! If it’s Stella, she should be in here.”
‘Hopefully, this eases his fury a little…’
As she thought that, when the door to the infirmary was opened, the sight that greeted all three of them was Stella perched on top of a boy, who was bound up in bandages.
“Stella…?!”
“Wow… bold move…”
“Uh… Kid?”
“S-SHIA?! ..And your sister… and Master?”
At the sight, Shia’s face turned crimson, while Erica exhibited a look of shock, and Rockpelikan’s expression turned to sheer disbelief.
“J-Just wait a second! I’ll explain everything! Just a moment!!”
With a clatter, the door closed as Erica exclaimed.
“We might have interrupted something here! Having a good time? So sorry~!”
“No, that’s not what it is…! It’s a misunderstanding… I really mean it!!”
