*

Chapter 71: Enrollment

A month had passed since the results of the entrance exam were announced.

Perhaps because those who had failed the exam had left, the noise on Hailen Street had diminished a bit.

Of course, it was still quite noisy for Hailen’s standards.

“Is it goodbye to Hailen for now?”

Gwen thought as she gazed out the window of the inn at the view of Hailen.

The city of heroes, Hailen.

It was likely that it would be the end of the year before she returned here again.

In the meantime, she had to hustle.

“But before that…”

She knocked on the door.

“Elsie! It’s about time you came out!”

“Just a minute!”

“It’s been thirty minutes since you said just a minute! We really have to go now.”

It had already been an hour since she started getting ready for the entrance ceremony.

Elsie still hadn’t come out of her room.

“Why is this taking so long?”

From the noises inside, it seemed she was busy with something.

But to Gwen, there shouldn’t be any reason for it to take this long.

The only thing that could affect time was organizing her luggage, which could easily be shoved into her inventory.

“I’m counting to three and coming in.”

She couldn’t wait any longer.

“One, two…”

“Gwen? No!”

“Three.”

Gwen forcefully unlocked the door with a dagger slipped through the crack.

Then she opened the door and entered.

“Elsie?”

She quickly scanned the room for her.

What to say… It was a complete mess.

“Are you telling me you can’t even put on your school uniform?”

There wasn’t a single proper part from the blouse to the skirt.

In fact, it seemed the clothes she had ironed were all wrinkled from her fidgeting.

“But in the palace, others always helped me, and after that, I haven’t worn clothes like this…”

Elsie started to make excuses, her face turning red.

Gwen understood her struggle, but she never expected it to be this bad.

“You should’ve called for help earlier.”

She quickly closed the door she had just forcefully opened.

Then she began assessing Elsie’s outfit.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to ask for help just for putting on clothes.”

“Just? You’re enrolling in a school. Clothes are so important for a girl.”

“But I don’t particularly want to be a normal girl…”

Gwen’s hands, which were adjusting Elsie’s clothes, suddenly stopped.

Elsie turned her head to look at Gwen.

“Gwen?”

Gwen wore a strange expression on her face.

But she quickly tried to smile and said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t impose my thoughts on you. But clothes are still important. At least…”

Her hand paused over Elsie’s chest area.

“Shouldn’t you wear underwear? Right?”

“…But it’s uncomfortable.”

Gwen’s hand went into her inventory.

Before Elsie could react, Gwen pulled out the Relic Ignis.

With quick movements, Elsie hastily took off her blouse and began putting on her underwear with awkward hands.

“Look at this. Now you’re not just taller than me.”

Gwen complained while helping Elsie.

“But that’s only for now. Just wait until I find the Rose Sword. Then I’ll turn the tables fast. I’ll definitely become a long and glamorous beauty.”

“Yes, I’m sure you will.”

Elsie responded outright, having heard it a countless number of times.

Finally dressed, she stood in front of the mirror.

However, the reflection looking back at her seemed strange.

“Is this really okay?”

This was her first time seeing a girl’s image of herself.

Short yet glossy smooth blonde hair.

Her baby fat was almost gone, leaving her face with a slightly sharp look.

And most notably, the school uniform accentuated her figure.

She simply couldn’t adapt.

Yet Gwen said to her, “You look pretty and it’s nice.”

“But being pretty doesn’t help with revenge…”

“Allen promised to meet again someday.”

It seemed that when Gwen had introduced Allen, he had left a letter saying they could meet again someday.

Thinking back to how neatly he had said goodbye without such words, she felt a twinge of jealousy.

Still, she knew that promise was something Elsie needed.

Having relied on Allen for help, her dependency must have grown quite a bit.

But Allen had to leave her. He had his own tasks to tackle.

That promise of meeting again was likely meant to give Elsie some glimmer of hope for the future.

Whether it could be kept was another story.

“When you meet Allen again, do you want to meet in this state?”

“No, I don’t want that.”

Elsie touched her bobbed hair as she replied.

“I’m just worried he won’t recognize me. That’s why I don’t grow my hair out.”

At that, Gwen chuckled lightly.

“Worrying over everything, huh? Save those worries for after you meet him. You just have to recognize him first.”

Of course, Allen must have grown somewhat over the last two years.

But he likely hadn’t changed as much as Elsie had.

“That’s right, isn’t it?”

Finally feeling relaxed, Elsie smiled.

Seeing that, Gwen thought, ‘But it’s a bit comical, huh?’

Still, it was a reality that there was no guarantee Elsie could meet Allen again.

Allen had vanished after becoming a High-ranking Hero.

The only chance left would be at the graduation tournament, but even that couldn’t be promised.

With a bittersweet smile, Gwen said to Elsie, “If you’re done, let’s hurry. We’re late.”

*

“Well, I’ll be going, Gwen.”

In front of the Hero Academy, where outsiders were completely banned except during graduation tournaments or festivals.

Before entering the school, Elsie took one last look back at Gwen.

Her time with Gwen hadn’t been long, and they had fought a few times, but… Gwen was still a precious mentor to her.

Not just in swordsmanship but a lot of things.

Though Gwen was petite, even now that she was taller than Elsie, she still felt grown-up.

What on earth had led Allen to refuse to be the disciple of someone like her?

It was puzzling.

“Okay, see you at the graduation tournament.”

On the other hand, Gwen couldn’t help but feel a bit worried for Elsie.

She had seen how she couldn’t even properly dress in the morning, and growing up in the royal family, Elsie sometimes displayed a lack of common sense in various ways.

However, she couldn’t just hover around and watch over her constantly.

‘Feels like I’m a parent now.’

It was a strange feeling.

But in the end, she turned her back on Elsie and began to walk away.

She had her own tasks to tend to as well.

‘Speaking of which…’

Warm spring breezes fluttered the petals in the air.

‘It’s spring.’

In her hurry, she had hardly paid attention to the seasons.

At least, that moment had paused a bit after meeting Allen.

From the autumn when she met Allen, to the winter when they parted.

From spring, summer, fall, winter when she met Elsie.

And back to spring again.

That’s when she spotted a boy.

A black-haired boy dressed in the Hero Academy uniform.

She was sure she’d seen that boy before.

‘He was the one I saw at the church headquarters…’

The boy who had been shooting arrows.

Since he was in uniform, he must have passed the entrance exam for the Hero Academy.

This year must have had quite some competition due to Ludmilla, but it seemed he had decent skills.

‘But why is that?’

Even though she had felt it last time, there was a familiar atmosphere about him.

Considering his build, it made sense that he had grown, but his hair color and face were completely different.

And Allen, who had already risen to become a High-ranking Hero, had no reason to enroll in the Hero Academy…

That was the moment.

“Ah…”

There’s a sufficient reason.

For him, the Hero Academy was likely the fastest and simplest means to acquire a new identity.

Given his preference for quietly moving due to his lacking physical abilities, it made sense.

Moreover, in that case, it even made sense that he was using a bow instead of a sword.

‘But still…’

She questioned the Divine Seat.

‘This must be a wild guess, right?’

There was no response.

‘Well, it figures.’

Even so, she couldn’t just stop the passing boy and ask.

She had no basis other than the similar atmosphere.

Eventually, she passed by the boy without saying anything.

“Long time no see.”

The words echoed as she brushed past him.

She hurriedly turned back.

But the black-haired boy simply continued walking forward.

Leaving the falling petals behind, he boldly moved ahead.

‘Allen?’

That silhouette was definitely Allen.

But she couldn’t call out to him.

She understood the resolve he must have had to face three Demon Kings and still enter the Hero Academy.

Suddenly, Elsie felt envious.

This meant Allen would keep the promise he made to her.

Of course, Elsie didn’t know that fact.

‘It’s a shame, but I’ll see you next time.’

At the end of the year, during the graduation tournament, they would meet again anyway.

Then she wanted to talk more.

She had so many things to ask about what he had been doing, how far he had come in swordsmanship, and more.

But not now.

She too turned her head and began walking in the opposite direction.

A fleeting reunion. And at the same time, a second goodbye.

*