“Everyone, attention. If Gilbert has thawed out, please return to your seats.”
“Ughhh…!”
The morning assembly continued with talk about Rohan.
Juyun praised and encouraged him in front of everyone for doing a good deed, but she also emphasized the most important point: he had contacted the guardian instructor.
And thank goodness it all worked out.
The morning assembly ended longer than usual, with a reminder that such situations are usually very dangerous.
As Juyun left, Gilbert shook his head vigorously and immediately spoke up.
“My friend! You did something amazing!”
“Thanks. It’s nice not to have you yelling.”
Maybe the excitement had died down a bit after being trapped in ice.
For Gilbert, this was practically whispering, even if his voice was still louder than most.
“You still don’t get it. The depth of praise isn’t measured in decibels!”
“This guy knows that all too well…”
“But! A powerful voice can sometimes be an irreplaceable seasoning!”
As expected, it seems his habit of shouting won’t be fixed anytime soon.
After exchanging a few more words and finishing some small talk with a couple of friends, Rohan prepared for class by taking out his books and washing his hands. When he returned, Ichinose and Noah, who were passing by in the hallway, stopped and spoke to him.
“You really deserve the praise. Well done.”
“Enough already. It’s not something that needs to be brought up over and over.”
At Rohan’s words, Ichinose closed her eyes and shook her head.
“Whether it was intuition or not, it’s not something just anyone could do.”
“Isn’t she actually a beastkin too?”
Ichinose squinted and glanced at Noah, as if questioning what she was saying.
“That aside, I also heard you helped Noah with her studies over the weekend.”
“Oh, that? I was just bored being alone.”
Noah’s face lit up as if she remembered something important, wagging her tail.
She poked Ichinose with her tail, as if to tattle on Rohan.
“Nose! Rohan tried to torture me with workbook reviews! Scold him!”
“Rohan handled it correctly. Well done. If a similar situation arises, please do the same.”
“Okay. I’ll make sure to do it thoroughly.”
Noah tried to hug Ichinose from behind, complaining it was too much.
But Ichinose, without even opening her eyes, lightly stepped away, dodging Noah’s embrace. Her movements were like a small animal evading a tiger’s attack.
‘She’s good at this.’
To Rohan, their interaction was like a comedy skit and a heartwarming scene.
Noah Frozenheart.
Ichinose probably knew she would react like this. Maybe she just needed an excuse to hug a friend.
“According to the laws of Samhwa Kingdom, torture is prohibited! How can you encourage such inhumane torture?!”
“…Stop memorizing only what’s convenient for you and learn other things too.”
Noah tries to hug Ichinose with both hands, but of course, she can’t catch her.
In that state, without breaking the light conversation, the three naturally led the way, walking side by side.
Finally, break time is over.
“Is everyone here? Please take your seats.”
Juyun, who returned to the class with a textbook, continued the theory lesson as if nothing had happened.
Noah’s tail swished as she tried to memorize formulas, clutching her head and groaning.
Ichinose answered Juyun’s questions without a single hesitation, giving clear answers. Rohan was barely keeping up, just taking notes.
It was the usual class time.
And so, the theory session ended, and the long-awaited lunch break arrived.
Rohan, as usual, headed to the academy dining hall while checking his phone.
“!”
He stopped in his tracks upon seeing a message from Clara.
Rohan immediately changed direction and started running towards the dormitory.
*****
Sion Testarossa.
The girl worried that her visit might be a nuisance to Rohan.
Although Rohan had said she could come anytime, showing up just a day after his casual invitation might be burdensome for him.
She thought so. She was sure of it.
With that resolve, she put down the public phone receiver and returned to her cold, hard bed.
‘It’s cold…’
The contrast felt stark.
The chilly residence, which refused to let her adapt even after so much time, and the warmth she felt from the casual chat with Rohan over the public phone in the academy city.
The gap between joy and sorrow felt vast. Was this the pain of falling off a galloping horse?
She had used up all her tokens just to make the call.
But it didn’t feel like a waste.
Those 30 minutes of chatting with Rohan. It allowed her to momentarily look away from the overwhelming despair.
That’s why the girl couldn’t hold back.
And so, Sion came to the academy city of Elysium again today.
She thought she should hold back as much as possible, but the encouragement she received from Rohan over the phone made her think it might be okay to visit.
“…”
On a weekday, at 11 a.m.
It’s 10:50 PM.
Who would even be at the academy dormitory at this hour? The area was as quiet as the dead of night, even though it was still somewhat bright.
Even so, Sion checked multiple times to make sure no one was around.
*Thud!* She stretched her leg and gracefully began climbing the academy dormitory wall.
As she got closer to the window, she couldn’t help but laugh at her own actions.
This is ridiculous, isn’t it?
Back when she first met Rohan, she coldly snapped at him, saying she’d never call him even if something happened. How did it come to this?
*Click──.*
Feeling relieved that the window lock was open, Sion perched herself on the windowsill.
Before stepping onto the floor, she took off her thick military boots and rolled her eyes to scan the room.
“Rohan?”
She called out in a voice that wasn’t loud but was clear enough to be heard.
But no answer came from Rohan. Not even a hint of movement or noise.
‘As I thought from outside… Is he not here?’
Come to think of it, Rohan seemed to be infiltrating the academy. Maybe he went to attend classes diligently.
After climbing down from the windowsill, Sion closed the window while holding her boots in one hand.
Before deciding whether to go back or wait for Rohan, she at least had to show some manners.
She neatly placed her boots in the shoe rack and turned around.
“…?”
The room was empty, devoid of its owner, Rohan.
Sion narrowed her eyes and lowered her stance as she quietly observed the empty space.
Her right hand slowly reached for her weapon.
A subtle sense of unease lingered in the silent room.
A strange clue caught in the realm of intuition, something that couldn’t be explained in words.
Regardless of Sion’s senses being as sharp as a beast’s, this awareness came from the combat style she had honed over the years.
Those who desperately try to avoid being detected and give it their all.
Snipers or assassins are always skilled at finding hidden things because they themselves strive to remain concealed. That’s what made her suspect someone was in this space.
Even Clara, who tried to hide in a split second, wasn’t perfect, which played a big part in this.
How long had Sion been frozen, even holding her breath?
“Uh, um… excuse me…”
“!”
There it was. Her intuition wasn’t wrong.
One thing was certain: it wasn’t Rohan’s voice.
Reflexively, Sion drew the dagger from her waist with a *ping!*
*Shing!* *Click!* Clara also unfolded her butterfly knife with a flashy hand.
She unfolded it as a tease.
‘To the right!’
Sion, with her pointed ears, caught the faint metallic sound and then swung her dagger towards where someone hiding might be.
*Clang!*
The short blade made contact—krrrrack!!!—producing a grating noise.
While blocking the attack, Clara recalled something.
‘Is this person the one my brother mentioned yesterday…?’
[Brother Rohan: When I’m not around, there might be a guest related to work visiting the dormitory. I tried to call and let you know someone might be at the dorm, but——]
She remembered every single word of the long message she received yesterday.
It mentioned an elf, but it didn’t say anything about her being a woman. Nor did it mention that she’d be such a beautiful lady.
‘Brother, seriously…’
Clara pouted her lips without realizing it, her cheeks puffing up.
Even as she expressed her frustration towards the absent Rohan, Clara noticed that Sion’s dagger was held with the blunt side out.
There was no intent to kill, just a will to subdue.
Sion, whose dagger was blocked, didn’t continue the exchange but instead leaped back to create distance.
She spun the dagger in her hand, now gripping it properly, and observed the mysterious woman.
“W-wait a second…!”
A twin-tailed girl, who seemed to be in a state of half-dressed, appeared.
She was hastily buttoning up her clothes to hide her revealing underwear.
The bizarre sight only heightened Sion’s wariness.
‘She’s strong. Can I win with the equipment I have now? Plus… she’s wearing shoes.’
Does that mean she’s an intruder? The possibility is high.
She might even be someone targeting Rohan.
From Clara’s perspective, it was an instinctive act to erase any traces, but even so, there was no excuse for how it looked.
Sion, now holding a gun in her free hand, asked the other.
“Who are you?”
