Bang!

The loud sound of someone slamming a desk startled Eisel awake.

Her head was still foggy, and her vision blurry. It was only then that she realized she had been dozing off.

"Hey. Were you sleeping?"

Forcing her bleary eyes open to focus, she saw Edna smiling brightly.

"… Huh? No?"

"Pretending not to sleep, huh? Meditation time is basically nap time anyway."

"Ah…"

Only then did Eisel realize that the lecture she had been listening to was meditation. Normally, she would have fallen into a deep meditation, but perhaps due to the fatigue she had been feeling over the past few days, she couldn’t focus properly during meditation and kept nodding off.

Whether you were meditating or sleeping, it wasn’t a class where you’d get scolded since they looked pretty much the same.

"Here, take a look at this. I’m busy, so I’ll be off now."

"Huh? No, wait…"

Edna tossed a magazine onto the desk and briskly walked away with her friends down the hallway.

Eisel tilted her head in curiosity and checked out the magazine.

[Arcanium Magic Magazine]

‘Ah.’

Now that she thought about it, such a thing did exist.

At the five prestigious academies of Arcanium, joint club activities were often held, and the ‘Arcanium Magic Magazine’ was a joint club activity of the student journalism clubs from all five academies.

Eisel had heard that there were quite a few clubs that collaborated and interacted in this way, but since she wasn’t particularly interested, she didn’t know much about it.

‘...As expected.’

Flipping through the magazine briefly, Eisel smiled slightly.

Witches, witches, witches.

It was all about witches.

It seemed the student reporters were eager to prove they could cover stories just as well as professional journalists. They ran around everywhere and interviewed professors and even members of the Stella Knights.

The content was predictably about questions regarding how Baek Yu-Seol hunted the witch and mostly praised the achievement of the witch hunt.

However, there were also some impressive reflections on why witches still existed in the modern day. The description was befitting of a mage.

However, there was a limit to what student reporters could cover, so the core aspects of the incident were all simplified in the article.

They didn’t seem to know that Edna, Eisel, and the rest of the squad helped behind the scenes, nor did they mention that the witch was the heir to the last witch.

As she was reading through the magazine casually while treating it like a light postscript, she noticed something that caught her attention.

‘Huh?’

 

It was an interview with one of the Stella Knights. Unlike the others, this knight didn’t have a very favorable opinion of Baek Yu-Seol.

Though he tried to put it nicely, it was clear that he didn’t think highly of him.

‘Baek Yu-Seol acts independently, has a self-centered way of thinking, and doesn’t fit well in a group setting.’

With her interpretation skills, Eisel roughly translated that to mean just that… It seemed he had made quite an impression on the Stella Knights, but what could have happened?

"How did Baek Yu-Seol work together with the Stella Knights on this joint investigation?"

That was the question written in the article, and it was something that piqued Eisel’s curiosity as well.

A while ago, the commander of the Stella Knights, Arien, had shown a strong interest in Baek Yu-Seol, so she always thought there was some kind of connection between them. However, she didn’t expect the Stella Knights to work together with a first-year student.

But perhaps the results weren’t so great after all, since it was mentioned in the article that Baek Yu-Seol didn’t leave a good impression on the Stella Knights.

’Baek Yu-Seol acquired temporary Stella Knight status but gave up that right himself. Why?’

Eisel widened her eyes and read the sentence again.

‘He gave up his knight status right away?’

It was widely known across the academy that Commander Arien had temporarily granted Baek Yu-Seol the authority of a knight.

But to give up that status immediately after the incident… There seemed to be no reason for that.

‘Why would he do that?’

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand. The position of a knight in Stella was as prestigious as that of a magical warrior.

And it wasn’t just anyone; it was Commander Arien who had personally granted him the temporary knight position.

Surely, if he had maintained that temporary knight status until graduation, he would have been guaranteed a relatively high position.

Despite successfully completing the witch hunt mission this time, which could have brought him enormous benefits in the future, Baek Yu-Seol gave it up without hesitation…

For Baek Yu-Seol, the position of a Stella Knight seemed to be merely a temporary tool to solve the immediate problem.

‘… Even if he is a regressor.’

Or rather, it might be because he was a regressor that he could make such decisions so easily.

For someone like Baek Yu-Seol, who had lived countless lives, wealth and honor likely no longer held any meaning.

Since there wasn't enough time to read the magazine to the end, Eisel put it in her bag and left the classroom.

The hallway was unusually noisy, but such occurrences had become frequent recently due to preparations for club projects, so she didn’t pay much attention.

'I wonder what our club is planning…?'

The very fact that it was a gourmet club made it difficult to present anything significant for the club project.

Baek Yu-Seol said he had some ideas and prepared a plan called the ‘Gourmet Roadview Project,’ but Eisel wasn’t sure how well it was going.

As someone who enjoyed anything tasty, Eisel didn’t really understand the concept of a gourmet and was honestly skeptical about his preparations.

Moreover, she had a somewhat unpleasant experience at the Witch's Restaurant the other day, which made her skeptical of the word gourmet altogether.

'Well… I guess I’ll just trust him to handle it.'

 

‘It’s fine to leave it to him.’

‘Baek Yu-Seol is good at everything.’

————

The entrance to the warp hall gate connecting the main tower and the separate towers was always crowded with students.

This was because the warp hall could only direct to one location at a time, so students heading to location A would gather and leave simultaneously, while those going to location B had to wait for a brief moment.

Usually, the group that gathered first or had the most students would be the first to move.

Given the large scale of the academy and the fact that students often didn’t know each other, it wasn’t uncommon for arguments over warp hall usage to break out. However, due to technical limitations, even the professors couldn’t find a solution.

Of course, there were exceptions—people who could put an end to these arguments.

A professor using the warp hall gate… Or a student with a very strong presence.

This time, it was the latter.

The students, who had been arguing over who would use the warp hall gate first, instantly fell silent and made way when a third-year female student appeared.

‘Saye-Ran Orkan.'

With her black hair and doll-like pale skin, Saye-Ran had a very lifeless gaze, making it easy to understand why she was nicknamed the Living Doll.

Saye-Ran was the eldest daughter of the Orkan Duchy, one of the two major powers in the Adolveit Kingdom, and was also known as the right-hand of Princess Hong Si-hwa.

Click! Click!

As Saye-Ran walked down the hallway, her attendants followed closely behind.

Each of the attendants was a Stella student, but they had lived their entire lives with the single goal and that was to serve the Orkan Family. Maybe that’s why they had quite a different aura from other students.

Their eyes were fixed solely on Saye-Ran, and their aura was so eerie that the other students kept as much distance from them as possible.

Wuuung!

The warp hall gate activated, shifting its destination. Despite the fact that she was the last to arrive, Saye-Ran waited for the warp hall to be ready to activate for her as if it were the most natural thing.

“Ahem! Where are you headed?”

The assistant managing the warp hall seemed uncomfortable using honorifics for a student. It appeared that he hadn’t been in charge of this place for long.

But what choice did he have?

Despite her status as a student, he couldn’t speak informally to a noble who lived in the upper echelons of society.

“… To the 19th separate tower.”

Saye-Ran spoke curtly, and the assistant nodded before attempting to operate the warp hall.

That was until—

“Wait. I’m going to use it first. Could you step aside?”

That was until Hong Bi-Yeon suddenly appeared.

"Change it to the 13th separate tower."

Hong Bi-Yeon appeared alone without any attendants. She stood with her arms crossed and her chin slightly raised as she waited.

Her posture seemed to say, ‘You have no right to refuse my command,’ which made the assistant’s face turn pale.

'Oh no…'

The two were complete opposites.

If Saye-Ran’s presence made people obey out of pure fear and dread, Hong Bi-Yeon’s presence was fundamentally different—it evoked a sense of awe and reverence as if her orders were to be followed without question.

But such subtle emotions didn’t matter to the assistant.

He was just a regular person who started managing the warp hall gate as a part-time job to get into the university's main tower.

There was no way he had the courage to deal with both the Orkan Duchy and the Adolveit Royal Family at the same time.

"… I was here first, Princess."

Saye-Ran frowned. She was clearly displeased.

Hong Bi-Yeon tilted her head in response.

"Is that so? Then I’ll use it first."

"You can't do that."

Although Saye-Ran’s status was lower than Hong Bi-Yeon’s, Hong Bi-Yeon wasn’t in a position to treat her carelessly either.

Saye-Ran had the support of Princess Hong Si-hwa as a strong ally.

"Why not? What's the reason?"

In response to Hong Bi-Yeon’s question, Saye-Ran pressed her lips together.

If she were to respond with, ‘Because I was here first,’ Hong Bi-Yeon would likely reply, ‘Then what about those who arrived before you?’

She knew it well.

Saye-Ran had power, and she wielded it as if it were only natural. But in this situation, something unprecedented had happened.

What should one do when a presence with even greater power, which one couldn’t handle alone, appears to infringe on her rights?

Saye-Ran thought.

Why was Princess Hong Bi-Yeon acting like this all of a sudden?

Previously, she was just an arrogant, self-deprecating trash. She was inferior in every way to the noble Princess Hong Si-hwa.

The coward who couldn’t even dare to speak to her, and would quickly run away even if their eyes met… Saye-Ran had never expected that she would openly provoke her like this.

"No reason? Then I'll use it first."

"… Go ahead."

After saying that, Hong Bi-Yeon casually operated the warp hall and disappeared in an instant.

"Miss… Are you all right?"

"That… disrespectful princess did something rude again."

‘It’s fine to leave it to him.’

‘Baek Yu-Seol is good at everything.’

————

The entrance to the warp hall gate connecting the main tower and the separate towers was always crowded with students.

This was because the warp hall could only direct to one location at a time, so students heading to location A would gather and leave simultaneously, while those going to location B had to wait for a brief moment.

Usually, the group that gathered first or had the most students would be the first to move.

Given the large scale of the academy and the fact that students often didn’t know each other, it wasn’t uncommon for arguments over warp hall usage to break out. However, due to technical limitations, even the professors couldn’t find a solution.

Of course, there were exceptions—people who could put an end to these arguments.

A professor using the warp hall gate… Or a student with a very strong presence.

This time, it was the latter.

The students, who had been arguing over who would use the warp hall gate first, instantly fell silent and made way when a third-year female student appeared.

‘Saye-Ran Orkan.'

With her black hair and doll-like pale skin, Saye-Ran had a very lifeless gaze, making it easy to understand why she was nicknamed the Living Doll.

Saye-Ran was the eldest daughter of the Orkan Duchy, one of the two major powers in the Adolveit Kingdom, and was also known as the right-hand of Princess Hong Si-hwa.

Click! Click!

As Saye-Ran walked down the hallway, her attendants followed closely behind.

Each of the attendants was a Stella student, but they had lived their entire lives with the single goal and that was to serve the Orkan Family. Maybe that’s why they had quite a different aura from other students.

Their eyes were fixed solely on Saye-Ran, and their aura was so eerie that the other students kept as much distance from them as possible.

Wuuung!

The warp hall gate activated, shifting its destination. Despite the fact that she was the last to arrive, Saye-Ran waited for the warp hall to be ready to activate for her as if it were the most natural thing.

“Ahem! Where are you headed?”

The assistant managing the warp hall seemed uncomfortable using honorifics for a student. It appeared that he hadn’t been in charge of this place for long.

But what choice did he have?

Despite her status as a student, he couldn’t speak informally to a noble who lived in the upper echelons of society.

“… To the 19th separate tower.”

Saye-Ran spoke curtly, and the assistant nodded before attempting to operate the warp hall.

That was until—

“Wait. I’m going to use it first. Could you step aside?”

That was until Hong Bi-Yeon suddenly appeared.

"Change it to the 13th separate tower."

Hong Bi-Yeon appeared alone without any attendants. She stood with her arms crossed and her chin slightly raised as she waited.

Her posture seemed to say, ‘You have no right to refuse my command,’ which made the assistant’s face turn pale.

'Oh no…'

The two were complete opposites.

If Saye-Ran’s presence made people obey out of pure fear and dread, Hong Bi-Yeon’s presence was fundamentally different—it evoked a sense of awe and reverence as if her orders were to be followed without question.

But such subtle emotions didn’t matter to the assistant.

He was just a regular person who started managing the warp hall gate as a part-time job to get into the university's main tower.

There was no way he had the courage to deal with both the Orkan Duchy and the Adolveit Royal Family at the same time.

"… I was here first, Princess."

Saye-Ran frowned. She was clearly displeased.

Hong Bi-Yeon tilted her head in response.

"Is that so? Then I’ll use it first."

"You can't do that."

Although Saye-Ran’s status was lower than Hong Bi-Yeon’s, Hong Bi-Yeon wasn’t in a position to treat her carelessly either.

Saye-Ran had the support of Princess Hong Si-hwa as a strong ally.

"Why not? What's the reason?"

In response to Hong Bi-Yeon’s question, Saye-Ran pressed her lips together.

If she were to respond with, ‘Because I was here first,’ Hong Bi-Yeon would likely reply, ‘Then what about those who arrived before you?’

She knew it well.

Saye-Ran had power, and she wielded it as if it were only natural. But in this situation, something unprecedented had happened.

What should one do when a presence with even greater power, which one couldn’t handle alone, appears to infringe on her rights?

Saye-Ran thought.

Why was Princess Hong Bi-Yeon acting like this all of a sudden?

Previously, she was just an arrogant, self-deprecating trash. She was inferior in every way to the noble Princess Hong Si-hwa.

The coward who couldn’t even dare to speak to her, and would quickly run away even if their eyes met… Saye-Ran had never expected that she would openly provoke her like this.

"No reason? Then I'll use it first."

"… Go ahead."

After saying that, Hong Bi-Yeon casually operated the warp hall and disappeared in an instant.

"Miss… Are you all right?"

"That… disrespectful princess did something rude again."

"I’ll report it separately later."

"No need."

Saye-Ran’s eyebrows twitched slightly in displeasure, but that was the extent of it.

Losing one’s composure over something like this was the behavior of amateurs.

To dominate the political scene in the future, one had to endure this level of humiliation. In fact, it could even be considered a good experience.

"You seem to be in a rather bad mood…”

"My bad mood isn’t because of that."

It was one thing to have the warp hall taken from her. But what really bothered Saye-Ran was…

The fact that Hong Bi-Yeon had been smiling brightly and cheerfully throughout their entire conversation. It was as if she were the sun itself.

As if something really good had happened to her.

Since something good for Hong Bi-Yeon usually meant something bad for her, it naturally bothered her, but not knowing what it was made it even worse.

And the brief moment she had to endure that smile head-on had been particularly difficult.

'Whatever the reason…'

It wasn’t an immediate concern.

Saye-Ran thought as she stepped into the warp hall.

She was far too busy to waste time paying attention to someone like Hong Bi-Yeon.