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Time passed quickly.

The incident in Abanrat became a momentary uproar, and the wounds scratched by the Witchbeast quickly healed.

The emergence of the emperor due to the raid on Abanrat served as an opportunity for the central army to seek to increase its strength in earnest, and on the contrary, the movement of the magic beast army was greatly reduced.

Most of the troops were bitten on the front line, and even Ouroboros withdrew from the front line with a fatal wound, so the battlefield, where the conflict had subsided, entered a lull.

Thanks to this, peace had arrived in the domain of mankind for the first time in a long time.

So, time goes by.

Winter, which seemed to last forever, is over and the harsh winter season prepares to change into spring flowers.

Now, with the season of beginnings fast approaching, the first lecture at Avantrat has been completed safely.

The forced march, which lasted for 12 weeks, reached its final destination at the same time as the season changed.

“How about teaching? It’s very different from school lectures, isn’t it?”

“There wasn’t much of a difference.”

Skadi, who clung to her side, became more and more friendly after that day.

Normally, the distance was narrow, but now it feels like the small gap has disappeared.

“Anyway, the lecture seems to be over. Let’s enjoy today~”

She pulled out a bottle of sake from her bag.

An impressive red wine.

It was a wine called Cellavis, which cost thousands of shillings a bottle.

At the appearance of the precious liquor, even Roshua and Laflis, who were gathered together, burst into admiration.

“Ohh. Sellavis, did you spend any money?”

“Sueup…how do you know I like it?”

The reason why the two of us gathered together is because today is the day to have a party.

There was talk a while ago about holding an after party to celebrate the end of the lecture, and before I could say anything, they said OK among themselves.

Even the place was my office, so I couldn’t avoid it.

“Everything is fine, but why is it my office?”

“Um… because it’s the most comfortable place?”

“·······.”

Skadi replied with a natural face.

That’s right, if you go in and out every day, you’ll get used to it like it’s your own home.

Returning after a long time, the office turned into a drinking party, and I couldn’t stop sighing.

“Don’t do that, put some clothes on. Don’t show off that you don’t know how to play.”

“Coming to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Professor Kang drink and smoke.

As if Roshua’s question was plausible, the eyes of Skadi and Laflis were focused this way.

“Yes. I don’t.”

“Aren’t you bored? Is there a reason?”

Is it strange that I don’t smoke?

Laflis asked with a particularly strange face.

“Isn’t it bad for you?”

“What about your body? Is it because you don’t drink alcohol because your liver is getting worse, or something like that?”

“Yes, but.”

“Huh. Then cigarettes are lungs?”

“Yes.”

“·······.”

Upon answering, the three faces hardened.

Did I say something I shouldn’t have done?

The expression on his face looking at him was spectacle.

“What is it? Those gazes.”

“No… When I see what I usually do, it looks like I’m drinking a bottle of whiskey while smoking a cigar, which is surprising.”

Have you ever looked at me that way?

Naturally, the gaze at them narrowed.

“Health care is important, especially to me.”

Before I was alive, I was an ordinary person who only received magical powers, so health care was especially important.

Unlike Hunter, I wasn’t a superhuman, so if my physical condition deteriorated even a little bit, it would immediately affect my power, and on the battlefield, even such a small effect would directly lead to my life.

I had to stay away from anything that could ruin my body, even for survival.

The current body may not be like that, but it is impossible to get rid of the habit of living.

“Don’t do that, drink today.”

But Skadi was persistent.

“But I-“

“Ah! Are you going to refuse us when we suggest it!?”

“Professor. Aren’t they our colleagues? Yes?”

“You’re not going to come all the way here and catch the wind, right?”

what do i know

I think I just wanted to throw it all away.

“Whoa…”

But it didn’t work.

Maybe my personality has withered a lot in the meantime…

I thought it would be okay if it was just for today.

. . . With that in mind, I agreed to the drinking party, and after exactly one hour I regretted it.

*

Kang Yoo-jin’s office, where silence was a virtue, is buzzing with an unexpected drinking party.

Watching them drink and play noisily, Kang Yoo-jin realized that he had overlooked one thing.

That these three people drink more than you think.

“Huh? Professor Skadi, are you out of alcohol?”

“Ah~ There are still many, many~”

The number of bottles opened in one hour is already six.

Roshua was suffering from overwork, so it was natural for her to drink alcohol, and Laflis was a drinker, so she even blew a bottle and drank.

Skadi, like northern peoples, was naturally strong against alcohol.

“·······.”

On the other hand, Yujin Kang’s alcohol consumption was surprisingly average.

I don’t even enjoy alcohol, and I’ve never been strong with alcohol since my life.

The reason he kept up with the speed of the three was because he was able to decompose alcohol with pure magic…

And, as another surprising fact, he was terribly bad at the drinking game.

“Uh. You lost again this time?”

Along with Skadi’s exclamation, the eyes of the three turned to Kang Yu-jin, who was penalized.

He, who had already been down 10 times, was frowning with an uncomfortable expression on his face.

“hehehe… aren’t you too bad?”

“·······.”

Even though he handled mental magic and was good at mana control, there was nothing special about the psychology of a friendly and mischievous human being.

Naturally, it was because he had never trained against such a thing.

When a person who seemed to be good at anything showed an unexpected side, the three of them rushed like they had found prey, and that led to Kang Yu-jin’s losing streak to this day.

When they emptied 10 glasses and even had to wear a rabbit ear headband as an additional penalty, they all laughed because the drinking table was overturned.

“Ahahahahaha!”

“Kuhuhuh…”

“Aha… the face accepts it, so this is a delicacy as it is…”

“·······.”

The more his expression rots, the louder the laughter.

Moreover, thanks to the good-looking original, it was more fun to see the picture live no matter what it was covered with.

“…next time we win.”

Around that time, Kang Yoo-jin also had a problem and declared a re-entry, and the drinking game of the day ended after Kang Yu-jin lost 15 more times….

·······.

“Whoa. I think I’ve laughed all the laughs I’ve had in 5 years.”

“·······.”

Time passed, and the atmosphere gradually calmed down by the time it was late at night.

When Skadi and Kang Yu-jin became less and less, Roshua and Laflis, who were originally the main party, went out to a nearby garden in harmony with each other while fighting each other.

The two people, who had been in sync with the Kang Yu-jin School, became very close these days.

“When did those two become so close? People who knew each other even at the beginning of the semester.”

“There must have been a common corner.”

In fact, the consensus was Kang Yu-jin, but the person who didn’t know that was just sipping the alcohol in front of him.

Kang Yoo-jin, who lost a total of 25 matches, was especially uncomfortable today.

“hehehe… It’s funny to see that scene again…”

It was funny how those ferocious eyes twitched, so Skadi laughed again.

It was strangely cute because it contrasted with his usual appearance.

Seeing her start to laugh again, Kang Yoo-jin showed an uncomfortable feeling, and Skadi laughed even more.

“Ahahahaha… it’s amazing…”

Then, a sudden thought occurred to me.

Have I ever had a good laugh with someone like this?

It’s not the first time I’ve had a drink, and I know how to enjoy it to some extent, but I don’t think there’s ever been a day when I was genuinely happy like now.

No matter where she went, she was alone, and there was no one to openly share her situation with only business interests.

But, not now.

The mood was pleasant and the laughter was pleasant.

Perhaps, that’s for sure—

‘Because of this person.’

Someone who understands and cares about my pain while sharing a similar situation.

A person who gives me the advice I need and offers consolation, albeit bluntly, when I’m having a hard time.

9 Circle Arc Wizard.

Professor Helios.

The last princess of an extinct race.

Yujin Kang is not interested in any of them.

The only thing he sees in his eyes is ‘Skadi’.

she liked it

Like a rock that is always unchanging and honest.

He who only looks at me as I am on the spot.

Unlike the secular world where I had to change my mask according to the situation, I could be ‘Skadi’ in front of him.

“It’s amazing… I like it…”

It was nice to be with him. It was fun.

Because in front of Yujin Kang, I can genuinely smile as a skadie.

“What are you talking about from earlier?”

“B-wheat!”

She laughed like a ball and gulped down her glass.

Oh, I drank too much today.

“By the way, what are you going to do with the lecture this year? It overlaps with the second year lecture.”

“We should do it together.”

As the new semester began, Kang Yoo-jin had to take classes in the first and second years at the same time.

This is because there was no professor who was competent enough to teach mental control, and there was no professor to take over.

At least until he found the right person, he had no choice but to take two grades at the same time.

“You’re having a hard time too. To do two lectures in a row.”

“It’s okay to have a spare time.”

Fortunately, the consortium is over and the problem of Avantrat is almost being resolved.

With less work for the time being, Kang Yoo-jin was able to take time off as well.

“By the way, how is Rendire these days?”

“What’s going on there~ As expected, there’s not much progress~”

Since that day, Skadi has been working hard to revive her hometown, but so far there has been no major success.

“It’s not easy to regenerate because the magic is so thick. It’s not that you’re dying, it’s just a dead world.”

The voice shaking the glass was dangerous because of drunkenness, but the emotions in it were not negative.

“But, it’s better than not doing it.”

A new goal has been created in a life where the goal has disappeared, so that is enough.

Reviving his hometown, and further rooting out the demons that Balthazar belonged to.

So that a world like Rendier would never happen again.

With a new goal in mind, Skadi’s heart was beating with vitality again.

“It’s all thanks to you.”

With a bashful smile, she expressed her gratitude with a reddish face.

Because it was Kang Yoo-jin who rekindled the fire in my dying heart.

“no.”

However, he quietly shakes his head.

He took off his hat and mask and made a serious expression on his face.

He said that with his back to the bright moonlight.

“It’s just that you stand up for yourself.”

“·······.”

Indifferently giving credit to Skadi, he smiled faintly.

Yoojin Kang smiles with her back to the moonlit night sky.

The moment I saw that faint smile, I felt like my breath stopped.

Perhaps it was because of his drunkenness, his reflection in the moonlight was brightly embedded in his eyes and seemed to have engulfed his mind.

“ah.”

With a short sigh, she said.

“It’s a big deal.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think I just had a crush on you.”

tall-

Yujin Kang’s expression stopped.

“···Yes?”

Asked in bewilderment, Skadi drank the remaining alcohol from the bottle as if to hide her blushing face.

“Keuheu…! Ah! So, who would say such a comment with that face? Ah, look at my heart beating. Aww!”

“·······.”

“Please think of the destructive power of your face.”

He gulped down the water, but the heat on his face showed no signs of dissipating.

She slapped Kang Yoo-jin’s knee with her tail and said.

“I’ll take care of it later. It’s also the fault of the person who set the mood by removing the top!”

“·······.”

Yujin Kang’s eyes twitch. Still expressionless, Skadi knew deep down that he was bewildered.

It was a strange touch that I had known for a long time.

It was somehow cute too, so she finally caught his eyes with an ahahahaha laugh.

so i didn’t notice

The sight of two people approaching from the side.

“Huh. So when is the 1st?”

“Apart from that, you don’t seem to have much emotion over there, do you?”

Kyaaa

Surprised, Skadi screamed.

“Go away, you guys!!”

Two men and women running away and Skadi chasing after them.

And Yujin Kang quietly sipping leftover alcohol.

The companions’ night went deep like that…

*

Early spring, the end of a still chilly winter.

A girl steps into Helio’s campus, which is starting to get excited ahead of the new semester.

A neatly dressed uniform and skirt, a navy coat over it, and a hat with feathers on its head.

Estelle was standing in front of Kang Yoo-jin’s office, in an outfit that had completely settled into her taste.

“Whoa…”

A deep sigh leaked out, and blue eyes glared at the tightly closed door.

It must have been a thin door that could only be knocked on, but the gap between them was too far for Estelle.

A respected professor I haven’t seen in a long time.

And, the emperor I met in a remote world.

link between the two.

As the months passed, which seemed like years, it constantly disturbed Estelle’s mind.

“Greetings… First of all, greetings.”

Her heart pounded as she approached the door.

After catching her breath, Estelle couldn’t even knock, and only chose the awkward greeting.

“Hello… it’s not. Long time no see, Professor?… is a bit rude…

It’s already been 10 minutes to choose a greeting.

The roaming footsteps were about to wear out the floor.

-After wandering for so long, are you still hesitating?

“···Noisy.”

I suppressed the voice of the singularity and took a deep breath to calm my mind.

What kind of greeting should we start with so that we can talk naturally…

“Am I going to stand there until I die of old age?”

Then, Estelle’s shoulders trembled at the sound of a bruise coming from across the door.

“Come in before kicking me out.”

. . .

When I cleared my throat and opened the door, I saw Yujin Kang, doing her business as usual.

The only difference is that Adeline is next to him.

hat and mask.

Black coat and leather gloves.

After a long time meeting, he still hadn’t changed.

“It’s been a while.”

“···Yeah.”

I had something prepared.

Standing in front of him, I couldn’t remember a single thing.

Only the proposition that I wanted to ask remains in my mouth.

“professor.”

“yes.”

“I have something I want to tell you.”

Nice to see you after a long time.

I wanted to meet you.

There must have been a lot you could have said.

In the end, that was the only thing that came out.

“is it.”

Have you noticed the weight of your voice?

He quietly winked at Adeline.

She received attention, gathered the necessary documents and left the office.

It made room for the two of them.

“Tell me.”

“·······.”

I haven’t said anything yet.

Yujin Kang intuited that Estelle’s concerns were not small.

Although his attitude is blunt, he is considerate of his disciple.

still unchanged.

Estelle is.

He was ‘still’ Kang Yoo-jin’s disciple.

“······professor.”

His voice trembled a little.

Months of no news.

Because Estelle has gone farther than anyone else.

So, because she saw the ‘piece’ of the truth.

Estelle is far from Kang Yu-jin, who is right in front of her.

“What.”

He was looking at Estelle.

Indifferent, but inerasable, caring eyes.

Those eyes overlap with the dead ‘eyes’ that I once met.

Those cold, cold eyes.

Recalling the memories of the emperor, she approached him without a word, and met his gaze that was still warm.

“therefore.”

A melancholy voice rang through the office.

I met him over winter, and he is ‘still’ warm.

Feeling that warmth, Estelle intuited.

Now is the time to make a ‘choice’.

“The test of ascension… do you know about the end?”