Softwood April was one of the Twelve Moons that had no physical form. Unlike most others, who appeared as bipedal beings—humans, elves, dwarves—she had chosen no form at all.

“This is so boring…”

Scarlet was climbing a mountain, decked out in brown hiking pants, boots, a jungle hat, and a dark brown backpack, sweating deliberately as she made her way up. A 50-year-old trot song played on the radio at her waist, and she held a hiking pole, favored by middle-aged hikers, in her right hand.

Despite looking like a professional hiker, her high schooler appearance and striking white hair made the outfit look completely mismatched. She seemed more like a mischievous girl dressed in her dad’s clothes, which, in its own way, was endearing.

“Ugh, I’m so tired~ When are you going to answer me? Hm? Stop ignoring me~”

Thud…!!

As Scarlet struggled up the mountain, talking to the air, the mountain suddenly shook, and a large boulder began to tremble and slide down.

“Oh no! That’s dangerous!”

She exaggeratedly threw herself against the cliffside, narrowly dodging the rock as it tumbled down.

“Sis, I almost died there. Can we not play this kind of prank? Please?”

Rumble!!

This time, dozens of rocks came crashing down in a landslide. Scarlet smiled awkwardly, her face showing a hint of panic.

“Oh, sorry.”

BOOM!

The ground quaked with such intensity that it felt as if the whole area was collapsing. After a while, Scarlet’s head poked out from the rubble, her clothes caked in dirt, as she dusted herself off and let out a shriek.

“Aaaah! I lost my jungle hat!”

Then, as if by miracle, the jungle hat fell right in front of her.

“Oh.”

When she put it on, a shadow fell over her face. Looking up, she saw a man with green hair, smiling down at her.

“Witch Queen, my master does not wish to see you.”

“What? Why?”

“You stole the Root of Life. As much as my master would love to flatten this entire mountain, there are many lives here, so she’s holding back.”

“Gasp! So I’m holding them hostage?”

“Yes. But if you anger her any further, she might bury you with the hostages underground.”

“Oh, please, I know she’d never do that. Softwood April cherishes life too much. She probably hasn’t even hurt a single ant.”

The man didn’t respond, simply smiling in silence.

“Hey, kiddo, can’t you just pass along my message?”

“Speak. She is listening.”

“It’s not like I stole the Root of Life. I just borrowed it briefly. Isn’t this reaction a bit harsh…?”

Rumble!!

As the tremor hit again, Scarlet covered her mouth with both hands.

“…Fine, I’ll return it, okay? Seriously, I only borrowed it because I needed it for something super important.”

“She says if your reason isn’t satisfactory, she will turn you into a flower.”

“I’m already a—fine, fine!”

As the man turned to leave, Scarlet grabbed his arm.

“Damgal Toiwal. I was trying to put him to sleep. Is that enough?”

“…Damgal Toiwal?”

The man stopped and turned to look at her.

“She says to explain it properly.”

“Ugh…”

Scarlet climbed out of the crack in the rocks, brushing off the sand from her clothes as she spoke.

“It’s just like I said. Damgal Toiwal has been stirring again. I don’t get it—why does he keep doing this after hundreds of years? He’s impossible to communicate with. Don’t you know anything about it?”

“We do not. What does the Root of Life have to do with it?”

“No idea.”

She tilted her head innocently, and a massive earthquake suddenly rumbled beneath them.

“Wait, wait! I really don’t know! I only did what was written in the records.”

“The records…?”

“Yes, that one. Part of the notes left by the twelve disciples of the Progenitor Mage when they reviewed the ‘Constellatio Project.’”

“Most of those records were said to be lost. You’re not lying, are you?”

“Who do you think I am? I’m the Witch Queen!”

“There aren’t even ten witches left. That hardly makes you a queen.”

“You little—!”

Scarlet raised a fist but then paused.

“Hm? Maybe you’re right. Should I just be the village chief instead?”

“…Please stop your nonsense. So, according to you, there’s some connection between Damgal Toiwal’s restlessness and the Root of Life?”

“But that doesn’t make sense. The Progenitor Mage designed the Twelve Moons to avoid interfering with each other.”

“Whatever!”

Realizing the conversation was going nowhere, the man ignored her and walked away.

“Hey, hey! Wait!”

Scarlet called out, but he didn’t respond. He simply stopped at the edge of a cliff, and with a creaking sound, his skin transformed into a rough brown substance… as he became a tree.

“Ah… he’s gone.”

Scarlet sighed as she patted the newly-formed tree, realizing that Softwood April had severed communication.

Left with no choice, Scarlet started descending the mountain, muttering wistfully to herself.

“I wasn’t lying…”

She truly hadn’t lied, but her words carried little weight, so no one believed her.

It was a sad reality.

---

A total of 200 Stella Academy students applied for the exchange program, but unfortunately, not all could go.

Since learning elven magic was so rare, many students had eagerly signed up. However, only 100 would be chosen—40 from the first year, 40 from the second, and 20 from the third year, as third-year students often refrained due to graduation preparations.

When the 100 Stella cadets arrived at Starflower Magic Academy by airship, a grand welcoming ceremony awaited them.

As the Stella cadets walked, vibrant elven magic made flowers bloom along both sides, while the dance and vocal clubs performed, showcasing elven culture.

Finally, the headmaster of Starflower, Elhain, took the microphone to welcome Stella with a short greeting. However, just as the ceremony was set to conclude…

- This year, the queen of all fairies and elves has come to personally welcome Stella. If you have a wish, please clasp your hands and offer a prayer.

The arrival of Flower-Embracing, the Elf Queen, caused a small commotion.

In contrast to human kings, who demanded respect from other nations, the Elf Queen did not command others to bow. She merely asked them to offer wishes.

For the elves, making a wish to the World Tree was the ultimate form of reverence, so this was a deeply respectful gesture.

‘What’s going on?’

Amid the gathered students, Baek Yuseol observed Flower-Embracing’s brief prayer with a sense of curiosity. There was no apparent reason for her to be here.

Glancing around, he noticed the students were entranced, kneeling and praying with rapturous expressions.

Even though the World Tree wouldn’t grant wishes to humans, her face, partially hidden by a veil, still radiated an enchanting smile that left everyone mesmerized.

‘Seriously?’

These same students had been swooning over Scarlet not long ago, and now they were head over heels for Flower-Embracing. To Baek Yuseol, it was all a bit pathetic.

“Hey, aren’t you going to make a wish?”

Flame, kneeling on the ground, poked Baek Yuseol’s thigh.

Then Angel, tugging at Baek Yuseol’s pant leg from the other side, said, “Since everyone else is seated, maybe you should join them?”

“Do I really have to…”

“Humans are social creatures, after all.”

“Annoying.”

Reluctantly, Baek Yuseol didn’t kneel but instead plopped down cross-legged, yawning as he stared at Flower-Embracing.

After finishing her prayer, she stood, waving and smiling warmly—a stark contrast to the reclusive figure who once confined herself to her room, burdened by depression.

Seeing her so happy, Baek Yuseol felt a tinge of joy himself… yet he noticed something.

[Happiness, worry, concern]

Though she radiated happiness, an underlying anxiety lingered within her. Even during such a significant event, something weighed heavily on her mind.

‘Is it the Awakening?’

It likely wasn’t.

In *Aither World Online*, the *Awakening of Damgal Toiwal* was only a sub-episode. It didn’t escalate into a major incident unless the player chose to intervene.

This was because Eltman Elthwin, who had been absent for a month, would seal Damgal Toiwal completely, preventing him from waking again until the storyline concluded.

Afterward, players wouldn’t encounter Damgal Toiwal unless they actively sought him out.

‘Since Damgal Toiwal is asleep, it must be something else…’

Lost in thought, Baek Yuseol suddenly looked up.

‘Wait.’

He almost fell into the trap of relying too heavily on the original storyline.

He had assumed that Damgal Toiwal’s seal, being unrelated to him, wouldn’t be affected by his actions. But one never knew.

Scarlet’s unexpected visit to Stella and her gifting of the Root of Life surely had a purpose.

*…No way. Could it really be?*

The exchange episode was supposed to be a simple, relaxing arc. He had even won over Jellyel, the main antagonist of this part…

R

umble!!

As he absentmindedly pondered the episode, a sudden earthquake shook the ground, causing students to scream and stumble.

“What’s going on?!”

“An earthquake? Isn’t this the World Tree?”

As the students began to panic, Starflower professors quickly guided them back to the dorms.

A group of mages and knights rushed to Flower-Embracing, whispering to her urgently. Her face paled.

- Attention, students. Please remain calm. There was a minor incident nearby, but the queen herself will handle it. You may enjoy Starflower without worry.

With this announcement, the students relaxed and began to follow the elven professors.

Watching the Stella cadets crowd around their teachers, Baek Yuseol quietly slipped to the back.

Thud!

He accidentally bumped into someone standing behind him and turned to apologize.

“Oh, sorry…”

“Baek Yuseol.”

“Jellyel?”

Baek Yuseol’s eyes widened as he met the gaze of the high elf girl with pale skin and pointed ears.

Jellyel was usually meticulous about her image. While her true self was cold and cynical, she always wore a warm, business-like smile. Those who knew her well understood how sharp the thorns hidden in that smile could be.

Recently, however, opinions of her had begun to shift.

More and more people were saying, “It seems like she’s genuinely smiling.” Her carefully constructed mask was slowly blending with her real emotions.

And now, Baek Yuseol could sense no falsehood in her smile. Thanks to his ability to read emotions, he was certain.

[Happiness, excitement, joy]

For some reason, Jellyel seemed genuinely delighted.

“It’s been a while. But where are you off to as soon as you arrive?”

“Oh… suddenly, I need to use the bathroom.”

“If you follow the professors, they’ll guide you to the new residence hall.”

Jellyel spoke with a strangely eager tone, though the matter of a new residence hall meant little to Baek Yuseol.

“I wanted to experience nature’s bathroom.”

“…Please don’t say such dirty things.”

“Actually, that was just an excuse. I have other things to take care of.”

Upon hearing this, Jellyel’s mood shifted drastically.

[Disappointment, sadness]

‘What? Just from that?’

Baek Yuseol was astonished at the abrupt shift. Jellyel was a character close to a sociopath, someone who rarely showed any emotions. Seeing her mood change so drastically, like someone with a mood disorder, was bewildering.

“Hmm… On second thought, I guess it can wait. Let’s go check out the dorms first.”

“Good choice.”

Once again, her emotions shifted.

[Happiness]

Baek Yuseol thought to himself how utterly incomprehensible women’s emotions could be.