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Hailey’s first action upon returning to her room was to head straight into the bathroom to wash herself.

Even though she hadn’t trained like the day before and wasn’t sweating, the muggy weather of Sarham, which was edging closer to summer, made it impossible to shake off the discomfort without a good rinse.

It was still early summer, and though the day wasn’t too hot, one might think Hailey was being dramatic. But for someone like her, who had lived her entire life in a place where snow was always visible outside, the heat was an unfamiliar acquaintance.

Sitting in a chair, with her hair towel-dried after washing with cold water, she shivered as heat left her body momentarily, but the chill that enveloped her afterward was more than enough to induce satisfaction.

“Whooo…”

She exhaled pleasantly and recalled the events of the night before.

“Hehe, I’ve made a night friend, haven’t I?”

The brief time she spent talking with Alphonse was a moment of comfort for Hailey. It felt refreshing to reveal even a part of what she had long kept to herself.

The image of the cute little boy looking at her with bright, sparkling eyes was also quite healing.

Though she hadn’t imagined things would unfold this way, Alphonse’s participation in the dawn training was good news for Hailey.

Using the training grounds in the early morning prior had been unauthorized, so it was technically wrong, but with Alphonse joining, it no longer felt wrong.

“Still, I bet he saw everything when we parted…”

When she returned Alphonse’s luminous stone that he had dropped before they said goodbye, Hailey could tell what kind of expression she wore without needing to look in a mirror.

The stone had not shown any light when she held it, but the moment it touched that little boy’s hand, it shone brightly. The sound of her lingering voice echoed in her ears once more.

Alphonse’s slight disappointment in his voice during their farewell was likely because he saw Hailey’s expression. She felt guilty for unintentionally burdening him with any lingering ill feelings; after all, there was no resentment from Alphonse’s side.

“Talent.”

However, even so, she didn’t correct him and hurriedly left the topic behind due to her own envy concerning talents she felt she lacked.

The House of Kraus, rumored to have slain a dragon from legends and gained its power.

Everyone in the Empire had at least heard the tale, whether they were of martial lineage or not. It was famous enough to rival the heroes of the founding legends.

And much like the story, the descendants of the House of Kraus were born with exceptional gifts unlike ordinary people. Among the superhumans known as knights, none bearing the name Kraus had left a mark in history without significant feats.

Even if Alphonse’s blood was diluted compared to Damian and Arthur, it couldn’t be said he did not inherit any talent from them.

The light emitted by a luminous stone generally correlates with the size of the ‘vessel’ the holder possesses.

The light Alphonse had shown to Hailey was surely something that could not possibly come from a seven-year-old boy just beginning to understand his powers.

“Talent, huh…”

Lost in thought for a moment, Hailey turned her gaze to the desk in her room.

There lay a torn letter, and it was this letter that had compelled her to act in ways she normally wouldn’t. The broken seal on the letter bore the wolf emblem of the House of Hartmann, revealing its sender’s identity easily.

The contents of the letter were quite ordinary. It only included a check-in about the recent royal assassination attempt and the admission documents for Estellia Academy. That was all.

It had been ages since she had already sent a reply to the check-in. Now, holding the admission documents that had arrived alongside it, Hailey lay back down on her bed.

Estellia Academy, known to be the best educational institution in the Empire.

Typically, students needed to gain recognition from other lower institutions or take entrance exams to enroll, but for the children of nobles tied to the Empire, there was one perk: they could enroll in whatever department they desired for their first admission without regard to grades. Of course, if they didn’t maintain a certain level of performance afterward, they would be expelled just like other students.

Since Hailey was a noble’s daughter, she was entitled to such a benefit, and all she had to do was choose which department she would join.

Had it been the Hailey before coming to Merohim, she would have thought little of it, but after hearing the clang of knights’ training and witnessing peers like Sir Gwen, known as one of the Empire’s finest knights who followed in the footsteps of her grandfather Wilhelm, her passion for the sword was reignited.

This was the reason for Hailey’s dilemma.

While in this place, her feelings swayed, and though she already had her heart set on the department she wanted, she could easily foresee the situation she might find herself in if she chose that path.

Objectively speaking, her skills weren’t at a level that could endure there.

Choosing a non-combat major within the Department of Knights meant she would have to endure for a year at the very least. How could she, with a body of mere mortals, possibly endure among those just beginning their journey to becoming superhumans? Hailey lacked confidence in that regard.

“But still…”

She understood in her mind that it made no sense, yet it still felt too early to give up on her aspirations.

Hailey pushed the admission documents out of her sight and gazed endlessly at the ceiling until the bell for breakfast rang.

*

Knowing somewhat of my usual schedule, it was quite rare for Alphonse to seek me out while I was working. I understood it was so as not to disturb my tasks, and the fact he came looking for me now indicated there was something urgent.

“So, why are you suddenly asking how to change a person’s constitution, Alphonse?”

“Um…uh, well, you see…?”

Alphonse stuttered in a trembling voice before me.

I hadn’t intended to interrogate him, but his nervousness made the atmosphere awkward.

Yet, changing a person’s constitution wasn’t as simple as curing a cold. I felt compelled to hear why he was inquiring.

I casually tossed out the idea that perhaps Alphonse had some dissatisfaction with his current state of being.

“When I first awoke your aura, I said you had innate talent for it. While our House of Kraus is characterized by outstanding strength and a substantial ‘vessel’, you instead possess far superior control over aura.”

“Uh…that’s right?”

“This, in a sense, is also a constitution. You inherited your mother’s traits more than your father’s bloodline; your mother was quite adept at manipulating magic. Now, if you want to enhance your strength because you feel lacking in your current state, there are indeed ways to do so…”

“N-no! I’m talking about someone else. I meant Hailey!”

“Hailey? Why her?”

“Ahaha…um, that’s…”

But the name out of Alphonse’s mouth was totally unexpected.

Hailey Hartmann.

Her name, which I’d never thought would come from Alphonse, a close friend of Elena’s and her handmaiden. I had believed they had little interaction. When could they have gotten close?

After a moment’s hesitation, Alphonse took a deep breath and shared everything with me.

He had secretly been training in the early morning at the training grounds, where he coincidentally encountered Hailey and became captivated by her sword dance. He was lost in thought.

After hearing his story, I suddenly recalled that Hailey’s grandfather was Sir Wilhelm.

I had heard that her understanding of swordsmanship and her skills were remarkable, but the issue was the ‘vessel’. I think I understood why Alphonse was asking about ways to change a constitution.

“Just to be sure, did she ask you to do anything regarding this?”

“No. Hailey hasn’t said anything about that to me. I just want to help, Brother.”

That makes sense. If she and Elena are close, she could have simply asked Elena directly. But knowing Hailey’s personality, she probably didn’t want to bother Elena with such issues.

It seemed like it was almost coincidental that the words from Hailey reached me through Alphonse.

I nodded at Alphonse’s words and continued.

“Right now, I can’t give you an immediate answer, Alphonse. Matters of ‘vessel’ are quite complicated; it’s not something to be taken lightly. However, it’s not impossible. As you may know, there’s a method called ‘Hwangol Taltae’ (환골탈태), which might be one example.”

“Ah, just not anything painful.”

“Hahaha. Hwangol Taltae is just an example, so don’t worry. For now, I’ll look for more answers and talk to you again. It shouldn’t take too long.”

I sent Alphonse out of the room and immediately rang the silver bell to call Ken. He must have been nearby, as Ken arrived quickly.

“Today, you’re quite rare in spending time with Alphonse. Did you enjoy a pleasant conversation?”

“Is that the first thing you say when you see me?”

“Well, it’s because you seem quite cheerful.”

Cheerful?

As Ken noted, I touched my face and felt the corners of my mouth lift unconsciously. Without a doubt, I was in a good mood. Alphonse had confided in me about his secrets, and I was also intrigued by Hailey’s story, which was unfolding very differently from the original narrative.

Hailey Hartmann. While she was very close to Elena in the story, she was not the central character. Compared to Damian, she had a bit more significance.

She had played a decisive role in separating Damian from Elena, described as a rather decent supporting character in the narrative. But, like always, novels don’t provide perfect narratives for every supporting character. Stories evolve around the protagonists. Inevitably, there lies a gap in narrative depth between supporting and main characters.

Yet, just like how I knew Damian and discovered the unmentioned family ties of Kraus in the novel, Hailey’s tale once again thrillingly shattered my perception that this world was a mere story. So how could I not feel good?

“It was an interesting story. By the way, Ken. Those elixirs I asked you to gather when I was little? Could you bring them all here?”

“The little master wishes to consume elixirs? You’re quite the one to ask me…”

“Well, it’s somewhat similar.”

Not Hwangol Taltae, but methods for changing constitution. I knew quite a few, but they were all rather extreme; if Alphonse heard them, he might faint in shock.

Fortunately, a specialist in this field happened to be staying in our Lord’s Castle. She had a deep connection with Hailey.

After making my request to Ken, I headed towards Isilia Pavilion.

 

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