༺ Social Gathering (3) ༻
“Gahhh!! You’re weak!!”
No matter how late it was, Lisetta Lionheart felt unable to leave the training grounds.
As she wielded her gem-studded Rock Bat, Lisetta continually cast rock magic against demonic illusions. She had already defeated several high-level illusions but remained unsatisfied.
Lisetta didn’t know how long she had been fighting for.
Drenched in sweat, she exhaled, giving her a brief moment of respite.
Suddenly, she cried out to herself, repeatedly blaming her own weakness.
“One more time!!”
The demonic illusions reappeared, taking the form of 5 minotaurs. However, after a brief skirmish, all the illusions had been defeated.
Still, she wasn’t satisfied.
The rock magic that so many had praised her for until now, was a source of great pride for her.
However, her magic now felt incredibly dull.
It was all because Isaac, who had accompanied her inside the body of the underground giant, felt so much greater in comparison.
As Lisetta sank in the mud, she reflected on the strong sense of dejection she had felt, accompanied by a sense of inferiority.
“Ha, I don’t feel better at all.”
Within the spacious dome-shaped arena, only Lisetta’s lamentation could be heard.
Her ideal man was someone her own age who was stronger than her. That was one of the reasons why she had chosen to attend Märchen Academy.
While it may seem that she had finally found such a man, he was far beyond her.
All she wanted was a man who could defeat her after a long and fierce fight.
The difference in strength between her and Isaac was so large that she felt it could pierce the heavens.
It was as though he was from a completely different world.
Rather than curiosity, excitement, admiration, or affection, Lisetta only felt fear and helplessness.
That line of thought inevitably led her to feel shame about her past. Had she really been so full of herself? Did she really think she was that strong? Was it so wrong for her to only look for potentially strong partners?
“Maybe it would’ve been better if I had never met him.”
Lisetta closed her eyes and sighed.
This was something she had repeatedly thought about over the course of the past few days.
In the pitch-black evening, Lisetta left the training grounds, noting how eerily quiet the academy was.
As she lowered her head, she gazed at her own trembling hands.
Even if she continually trained for hundreds, even thousands of hours, could she eventually reach Isaac?
Isaac, who effortlessly manipulated high-ranking familiars that transcended her imagination and effortlessly cast powerful spells.
There was a long way to go, but she had no idea where to begin to overcome this inferiority complex.
Lisetta walked forward, clenching her trembling hands into fists.
***
Even a week later, the quiet autumn night remained vibrant.
It was now the eve of the social gathering hosted by the Four Constellations.
The gathering would be hosted at ‘Palace Hall’.
Consisting of four separate buildings and a large tower, Palace Hall was a venue reserved for special occasions and large-scale academic events.
With three of the buildings surrounding the fourth, it formed a unique configuration.
The building in the center was the main party area where only students who had received invitations to the Four Constellations could enter.
The party space in each building was magnificent in its own way, and there was enough space to accommodate potentially every student in Märchen Academy.
The orchestra played the strings of the vielle and rebec, and performed on a long tromba marina. The sound of the plucked strings from a convex medium-sized organ blended into the performance. Various instruments filled the party atmosphere with a refreshing melody that was just right for the occasion.
The students present were enjoying the food and music as they danced, elegantly dressed in formal attire.
“Ha! Truly, this is a fitting occasion for me!”
At the luxurious heart of Palace Hall, dubbed Atla Hall, many of the top students from various departments within the department were gathered.
This included the Magic Department, Knight Department, and Alchemy Department.
Amongst the students was a vain noble noted for his blond hair, Tristan Humphrey. He leaned on the railing of the second floor, raised his wine glass, and cried out joyfully.
He laughed alongside the other top Class B students and toasted to each other. They had also received an invitation from the Four Constellations.
Nearby, Mateo Jordana, a male student with light brown hair briefly glanced at them before returning his focus to his food.
As a commoner, it was rare for him to enjoy such luxurious food. It would be a waste not to eat it.
Sat near him was a black-haired male student named Ian Fairytale, who was engaged in a conversation while enjoying his meal.
Tristan’s vain ramblings had become a part of their daily lives.
“Oh…”
“Lady Kaya, I’ve heard of you, but I never imagined you’d be so beautiful…”
Suddenly, Mateo heard the admiring voices of his fellow students. By looking around, he could see that the focus of their admiration was a female student of the Magic Department.
The one attracting their attention was a lovely freshman girl with emerald green hair.
It was Kaya Astrean, the second seat of the Magic Department.
With her charming appearance and grace befitting a member of the Astrean family, many of the male students continually looked on in awe.
‘Sir Isaac, I want to see you…’
Unfazed by their gazes, Kaya licked her lips.
Vibrant red eyes. She had taken on her dark personality.
‘I put so much effort into my outfit too.’
Kaya was dressed in a striking dark green dress, intentionally choosing a short skirt that accentuated her legs.
She had intentionally chosen this revealing attire, determined to seduce Isaac during this gathering.
Instead of her usual twin-tails, her hair was intricately braided in an updo style.
Kaya also wore various luxurious accessories, which added to her noble appearance.
Elsewhere, a beautiful girl was devouring a tomahawk steak in a way unbefitting of her noble appearance.
She was wearing a yellow dress, and her orange hair was styled in a ponytail.
It was Lisetta Lionheart.
‘Is that bastard not coming?’
Even though she was devouring her favorite meat, Lisetta’s mind was elsewhere.
More specifically, she was thinking about Isaac. He, who was undoubtedly stronger than anyone present, hadn’t revealed himself.
Well, he had his reasons for pretending to be weak, so it was possible he hadn’t been invited. After all, he was a monster capable of hiding his mana.
Lisetta thought to herself, chewing on her meat.
“Huhu. It’s nothing compared to the texture of a hundred-year-old pork that has been frozen in the north, but it’s delicious enough.”
A girl with short pink hair, Keridna Whiteclark, was laughing softly as she answered the question of her classmates on whether she liked the food or not.
However, she didn’t let her true thoughts show.
When she first entered the social gathering, she worried that she might run into Isaac.
However, it seemed he had failed to receive an invitation to Atla Hall. Otherwise, he would already be here.
That thought brought a sense of peace to Keridna.
Because Isaac is terrifying…!
“Is the top seat not coming?”
Her interest shifted to the top seat within the Magic Department, Luce Eltania. She was someone who definitely received an invitation from the Four Constellations, yet she was nowhere to be found.
Although it was difficult for Keridna to have positive feelings regarding Luce, she knew having a good relationship with her would be beneficial for the future.
Despite being close to a sociopath and refusing to interact with anyone but Isaac, Luce was an exceptional individual.
With the party being so lighthearted, today should have been the perfect opportunity… but it seemed Luce had no interest in the gathering at all.
Such a shame.
Soon afterwards, the elegant arched doorway of the venue opened.
As Keridna reflexively looked over to the entrance, her face turned pale.
The person who entered was a male student with tousled silver-blue hair.
It was Isaac.
As Isaac entered, his bangs were curled upwards, and his white suit perfectly complimented his well-toned physique. Additionally, his friendly demeanor seemed quite genuine.
The students of the Magic Department were taken quite aback, as they didn’t understand how he was able to attend without being kicked out at the entrance.
Students from other departments also snuck glances at Isaac, with the female students taking sight of his charm.
Lisetta glared, Keridna’s eyes shook in fear, and Kaya’s eyes widened in awe.
“…!”
THUMP!
Kaya’s heart almost stopped, the sensation making her want to vomit blood.
The sight of the silver-blue-haired student passing through the doorway wasn’t something Kaya could mentally handle, but she did her best to endure it as she bit down on her lip.
‘Ah, Sir Isaac… have you decided to kill me…!? H-how can you be so cooooool…!?’
Kaya couldn’t help but blush at Isaac’s appearance. She turned her head to the side as she covered her cheeks with a sinister laugh.
He’s so handsome…!
In reality, there were several people in the room as handsome as Isaac, but in Kaya’s eyes, he was the most handsome of all.
In Kaya’s eyes, he was exuding charm from head to toe.
The urge to wrap herself in wind magic and fly straight into Isaac’s arms was overwhelming. However, she couldn’t do as she pleased.
‘Since Sir Isaac said to pretend not to know him….’
She had to restrain herself like how they had agreed upon before.
She wasn’t allowed to interfere with his actions.
“You. How did you get in here?”
“Hmm?”
At that moment, Tristan Humphrey approached Isaac with a displeased expression.
It was clear he was unhappy at the fact that Isaac had been allowed into the same Atla Hall as him.
“This isn’t a place for the likes of you. With your level of skill, you shouldn’t have received an invitation from the Four Constellations.”
Kaya’s eyes darkened as she expressionlessly began walking towards Tristan.
The sight of Tristan raising his voice at Sir Isaac was disgusting.
“No matter how strong you may have gotten, your mana is still pathetic. How could you, who doesn’t have any remarkable abilities, have received an invita-”
As Kaya contemplated sending Tristan flying with her wind magic, someone placed their hand on his shoulder.
Tristan wore a confused expression as he turned to see who had restrained him, but quickly gulped in terror.
It was Lisetta Lionheart.
“I don’t usually meddle in these matters.”
Lisetta approached Tristan and quietly whispered into his ear.
“But shut up and go away if you want to live.”
A single bead of sweat appeared on Lisetta’s forehead as she issued her warning.
Lisetta felt a growing sense of foreboding as she watched Tristan taunt Isaac, she was unable to remain still. Saying such things to him was suicidal.
If an aspiring knight challenged their commander, their fellow knights might feel a similar emotion.
It felt as though Lisetta was watching a similar situation unfold before her.
The only difference was that Isaac was a true monster.
Lisetta believed it was her duty to save a fellow human, no matter how little she cared about that person.
It was a reasonable decision considering Lisetta was unaware of what Tristan had done to Isaac up until now.
“I’m off…!”
Lisetta swiftly separated herself from Tristan and ran off. She didn’t want to be near Isaac any longer.
‘What was that…?’
Tristan’s mind became muddled.
Lisetta Lionheart, what that feisty woman had essentially said was to stop immediately if he didn’t want to die.
Why in the world was she taking Isaac’s side?
Suddenly, Tristan recalled the class placement evaluation during the first semester. Kaya Astrean, who was currently present, had also taken Isaac’s side.
Even during the end-of-semester evaluation, Luce Eltania had protected Isaac.
“…”
He didn’t know the reason.
However, one thing was for certain. A student from Class A who was far stronger than him was siding with Isaac.
He was trying to catch a fish, but that fish was surrounded by predators such as sharks and killers whales protecting it.
Tristan was engulfed with a sense of danger.
“I don’t know what Lisetta told you.”
Suddenly, Isaac began conversing with Tristan.
“But it’s been a while. Good to see you.”
After lightly tapping Tristan’s shoulder, he walked past him.
Tristan was left speechless.
༺ Social Gathering (3) ༻
“Gahhh!! You’re weak!!”
No matter how late it was, Lisetta Lionheart felt unable to leave the training grounds.
As she wielded her gem-studded Rock Bat, Lisetta continually cast rock magic against demonic illusions. She had already defeated several high-level illusions but remained unsatisfied.
Lisetta didn’t know how long she had been fighting for.
Drenched in sweat, she exhaled, giving her a brief moment of respite.
Suddenly, she cried out to herself, repeatedly blaming her own weakness.
“One more time!!”
The demonic illusions reappeared, taking the form of 5 minotaurs. However, after a brief skirmish, all the illusions had been defeated.
Still, she wasn’t satisfied.
The rock magic that so many had praised her for until now, was a source of great pride for her.
However, her magic now felt incredibly dull.
It was all because Isaac, who had accompanied her inside the body of the underground giant, felt so much greater in comparison.
As Lisetta sank in the mud, she reflected on the strong sense of dejection she had felt, accompanied by a sense of inferiority.
“Ha, I don’t feel better at all.”
Within the spacious dome-shaped arena, only Lisetta’s lamentation could be heard.
Her ideal man was someone her own age who was stronger than her. That was one of the reasons why she had chosen to attend Märchen Academy.
While it may seem that she had finally found such a man, he was far beyond her.
All she wanted was a man who could defeat her after a long and fierce fight.
The difference in strength between her and Isaac was so large that she felt it could pierce the heavens.
It was as though he was from a completely different world.
Rather than curiosity, excitement, admiration, or affection, Lisetta only felt fear and helplessness.
That line of thought inevitably led her to feel shame about her past. Had she really been so full of herself? Did she really think she was that strong? Was it so wrong for her to only look for potentially strong partners?
“Maybe it would’ve been better if I had never met him.”
Lisetta closed her eyes and sighed.
This was something she had repeatedly thought about over the course of the past few days.
In the pitch-black evening, Lisetta left the training grounds, noting how eerily quiet the academy was.
As she lowered her head, she gazed at her own trembling hands.
Even if she continually trained for hundreds, even thousands of hours, could she eventually reach Isaac?
Isaac, who effortlessly manipulated high-ranking familiars that transcended her imagination and effortlessly cast powerful spells.
There was a long way to go, but she had no idea where to begin to overcome this inferiority complex.
Lisetta walked forward, clenching her trembling hands into fists.
***
Even a week later, the quiet autumn night remained vibrant.
It was now the eve of the social gathering hosted by the Four Constellations.
The gathering would be hosted at ‘Palace Hall’.
Consisting of four separate buildings and a large tower, Palace Hall was a venue reserved for special occasions and large-scale academic events.
With three of the buildings surrounding the fourth, it formed a unique configuration.
The building in the center was the main party area where only students who had received invitations to the Four Constellations could enter.
The party space in each building was magnificent in its own way, and there was enough space to accommodate potentially every student in Märchen Academy.
The orchestra played the strings of the vielle and rebec, and performed on a long tromba marina. The sound of the plucked strings from a convex medium-sized organ blended into the performance. Various instruments filled the party atmosphere with a refreshing melody that was just right for the occasion.
The students present were enjoying the food and music as they danced, elegantly dressed in formal attire.
“Ha! Truly, this is a fitting occasion for me!”
At the luxurious heart of Palace Hall, dubbed Atla Hall, many of the top students from various departments within the department were gathered.
This included the Magic Department, Knight Department, and Alchemy Department.
Amongst the students was a vain noble noted for his blond hair, Tristan Humphrey. He leaned on the railing of the second floor, raised his wine glass, and cried out joyfully.
He laughed alongside the other top Class B students and toasted to each other. They had also received an invitation from the Four Constellations.
Nearby, Mateo Jordana, a male student with light brown hair briefly glanced at them before returning his focus to his food.
As a commoner, it was rare for him to enjoy such luxurious food. It would be a waste not to eat it.
Sat near him was a black-haired male student named Ian Fairytale, who was engaged in a conversation while enjoying his meal.
Tristan’s vain ramblings had become a part of their daily lives.
“Oh…”
“Lady Kaya, I’ve heard of you, but I never imagined you’d be so beautiful…”
Suddenly, Mateo heard the admiring voices of his fellow students. By looking around, he could see that the focus of their admiration was a female student of the Magic Department.
The one attracting their attention was a lovely freshman girl with emerald green hair.
It was Kaya Astrean, the second seat of the Magic Department.
With her charming appearance and grace befitting a member of the Astrean family, many of the male students continually looked on in awe.
‘Sir Isaac, I want to see you…’
Unfazed by their gazes, Kaya licked her lips.
Vibrant red eyes. She had taken on her dark personality.
‘I put so much effort into my outfit too.’
Kaya was dressed in a striking dark green dress, intentionally choosing a short skirt that accentuated her legs.
She had intentionally chosen this revealing attire, determined to seduce Isaac during this gathering.
Instead of her usual twin-tails, her hair was intricately braided in an updo style.
Kaya also wore various luxurious accessories, which added to her noble appearance.
Elsewhere, a beautiful girl was devouring a tomahawk steak in a way unbefitting of her noble appearance.
She was wearing a yellow dress, and her orange hair was styled in a ponytail.
It was Lisetta Lionheart.
‘Is that bastard not coming?’
Even though she was devouring her favorite meat, Lisetta’s mind was elsewhere.
More specifically, she was thinking about Isaac. He, who was undoubtedly stronger than anyone present, hadn’t revealed himself.
Well, he had his reasons for pretending to be weak, so it was possible he hadn’t been invited. After all, he was a monster capable of hiding his mana.
Lisetta thought to herself, chewing on her meat.
“Huhu. It’s nothing compared to the texture of a hundred-year-old pork that has been frozen in the north, but it’s delicious enough.”
A girl with short pink hair, Keridna Whiteclark, was laughing softly as she answered the question of her classmates on whether she liked the food or not.
However, she didn’t let her true thoughts show.
When she first entered the social gathering, she worried that she might run into Isaac.
However, it seemed he had failed to receive an invitation to Atla Hall. Otherwise, he would already be here.
That thought brought a sense of peace to Keridna.
Because Isaac is terrifying…!
“Is the top seat not coming?”
Her interest shifted to the top seat within the Magic Department, Luce Eltania. She was someone who definitely received an invitation from the Four Constellations, yet she was nowhere to be found.
Although it was difficult for Keridna to have positive feelings regarding Luce, she knew having a good relationship with her would be beneficial for the future.
Despite being close to a sociopath and refusing to interact with anyone but Isaac, Luce was an exceptional individual.
With the party being so lighthearted, today should have been the perfect opportunity… but it seemed Luce had no interest in the gathering at all.
Such a shame.
Soon afterwards, the elegant arched doorway of the venue opened.
As Keridna reflexively looked over to the entrance, her face turned pale.
The person who entered was a male student with tousled silver-blue hair.
It was Isaac.
As Isaac entered, his bangs were curled upwards, and his white suit perfectly complimented his well-toned physique. Additionally, his friendly demeanor seemed quite genuine.
The students of the Magic Department were taken quite aback, as they didn’t understand how he was able to attend without being kicked out at the entrance.
Students from other departments also snuck glances at Isaac, with the female students taking sight of his charm.
Lisetta glared, Keridna’s eyes shook in fear, and Kaya’s eyes widened in awe.
“…!”
THUMP!
Kaya’s heart almost stopped, the sensation making her want to vomit blood.
The sight of the silver-blue-haired student passing through the doorway wasn’t something Kaya could mentally handle, but she did her best to endure it as she bit down on her lip.
‘Ah, Sir Isaac… have you decided to kill me…!? H-how can you be so cooooool…!?’
Kaya couldn’t help but blush at Isaac’s appearance. She turned her head to the side as she covered her cheeks with a sinister laugh.
He’s so handsome…!
In reality, there were several people in the room as handsome as Isaac, but in Kaya’s eyes, he was the most handsome of all.
In Kaya’s eyes, he was exuding charm from head to toe.
The urge to wrap herself in wind magic and fly straight into Isaac’s arms was overwhelming. However, she couldn’t do as she pleased.
‘Since Sir Isaac said to pretend not to know him….’
She had to restrain herself like how they had agreed upon before.
She wasn’t allowed to interfere with his actions.
“You. How did you get in here?”
“Hmm?”
At that moment, Tristan Humphrey approached Isaac with a displeased expression.
It was clear he was unhappy at the fact that Isaac had been allowed into the same Atla Hall as him.
“This isn’t a place for the likes of you. With your level of skill, you shouldn’t have received an invitation from the Four Constellations.”
Kaya’s eyes darkened as she expressionlessly began walking towards Tristan.
The sight of Tristan raising his voice at Sir Isaac was disgusting.
“No matter how strong you may have gotten, your mana is still pathetic. How could you, who doesn’t have any remarkable abilities, have received an invita-”
As Kaya contemplated sending Tristan flying with her wind magic, someone placed their hand on his shoulder.
Tristan wore a confused expression as he turned to see who had restrained him, but quickly gulped in terror.
It was Lisetta Lionheart.
“I don’t usually meddle in these matters.”
Lisetta approached Tristan and quietly whispered into his ear.
“But shut up and go away if you want to live.”
A single bead of sweat appeared on Lisetta’s forehead as she issued her warning.
Lisetta felt a growing sense of foreboding as she watched Tristan taunt Isaac, she was unable to remain still. Saying such things to him was suicidal.
If an aspiring knight challenged their commander, their fellow knights might feel a similar emotion.
It felt as though Lisetta was watching a similar situation unfold before her.
The only difference was that Isaac was a true monster.
Lisetta believed it was her duty to save a fellow human, no matter how little she cared about that person.
It was a reasonable decision considering Lisetta was unaware of what Tristan had done to Isaac up until now.
“I’m off…!”
Lisetta swiftly separated herself from Tristan and ran off. She didn’t want to be near Isaac any longer.
‘What was that…?’
Tristan’s mind became muddled.
Lisetta Lionheart, what that feisty woman had essentially said was to stop immediately if he didn’t want to die.
Why in the world was she taking Isaac’s side?
Suddenly, Tristan recalled the class placement evaluation during the first semester. Kaya Astrean, who was currently present, had also taken Isaac’s side.
Even during the end-of-semester evaluation, Luce Eltania had protected Isaac.
“…”
He didn’t know the reason.
However, one thing was for certain. A student from Class A who was far stronger than him was siding with Isaac.
He was trying to catch a fish, but that fish was surrounded by predators such as sharks and killers whales protecting it.
Tristan was engulfed with a sense of danger.
“I don’t know what Lisetta told you.”
Suddenly, Isaac began conversing with Tristan.
“But it’s been a while. Good to see you.”
After lightly tapping Tristan’s shoulder, he walked past him.
Tristan was left speechless.
