Ch. 82.1 - Heavenly Spirit Tree’s Ascension Day(1)
Stella Academy often had field trips more frequently than expected.

The sight of a grand airship and dozens of large airships taking off simultaneously was quite magnificent. They had the Stella logo on them, and could accommodate a few hundred people.

"I'm riding an airship’s warp gate for the first time."

"It's not much different from a regular warp gate, is it?"

"Well, that's true."

It was not common to have the opportunity to use a warp gate while aboard an airship.

The dedicated warp gate for airships itself was of immense scale, but its operational efficiency was seriously inefficient.

Therefore, there were barely twenty locations on the continent where airship-exclusive warp gates were installed.

Some notable examples were the High Elf Kingdom's "Cradle of Heavenly Spirit Tree," the Dwarf's "Black Iron Kingdom," and Arcanium's "Stella Academy."

Thanks to them, Stella's students had the chance to experience airship warp gates frequently during major events.

"It feels refreshing..."

Eisel enjoyed the gentle breeze entering the airship. In truth, it was more like artificial wind, but it still gave her a sense of freedom, and she felt good.

A romantic airship journey racing through the clouds.

Although it had the purpose of field trip learning, she thought it wasn't bad to enjoy this leisurely experience. And on such an airship...

"Kwaaap."

Eisel was eating ‘extra-large Jajang Tteokbokki’ with her friends.

It wasn't just regular Jajang Tteokbokki. It was an extra-large Jajang Tteokbokki.

"You pig! Eat them one by one."

When Claire looked at her with a disgusted expression, Hariren, who was stuffing four pieces of the extra-large Jajang Tteokbokki into her mouth, chuckled smugly.

"Hehehe. Ehehehe."

(Meaning: This is how you're supposed to eat it.)

"Eww! Swallow it all before you speak!"

"Ugh, it's really gross."

"Muhu."

The grosser it was, the more she enjoyed it.

Eisel blankly observed the mischievous acts of those female students.

When you think of Stella Academy girls, you expect them to have noble and elegant dining habits, but the reality was completely different.

Of course, most of those girls were commoners, but still, it was quite... a slightly shocking sight.

"Eisel, why are you looking like that?"

"Oh no... It's just that, um... you eat so wild and tough..."

"Do you want some too? If you can't fit more than three in your mouth at once, you have to spit it out."

"Why are you teaching me such weird things again?"

"Hehe, hey, they say it's a trend nowadays? Eating a lot of extra-large Jajang Tteokbokki at once."

"Unlike you, Eisel is a fine lady, right?"

"Nonsense. You can't judge people just by their appearance."

Well, that was true.

“Hey, do you see that full face over there? If she keeps her mouth shut, she looks like a proper lady, but as soon as she opens her mouth, she turns into a monster."

Eisel glanced at the adjacent table.

"Kwaaap."

There, with her tiny pink lips that couldn't even eat a single strawberry in one bite, she was effortlessly swallowing five servings of jumbo-sized Jajang Tteokbokki.

Such a cute face being distorted like that... The surrounding students sighed as if it were pitiful.

"I wish she gave me that face."

"Well, I could make better use of it."

"That's right. Your usual antics would work better with that face, wouldn't they?"

"What? You crazy girl."

It was a conversation among ordinary female students. Eisel was gradually getting used to the pattern of these friends.

"Oh, right. Eisel, what do you think?"

The conversation arrow shifted to Eisel, and she tilted her head.

"What?"

"Well, you know. The 'Baek Yu-Seol’s Theory.’"

After the incident, there wasn't a single person on campus who didn't know his name.

No, it wasn't just on campus.

Perhaps his name had spread throughout the entire Arcanium.

Aspiring mages from all over the world knew that he managed to snatch a coveted pass to the "Aslan Seminar," a dream event, right out of Duke Atalek’s hands.

He even turned out to be a co-developer of alchemical engineering, and for a few days, there were restrictions on public access as journalists swarmed around him, trying to interview him under the pretext of capturing his charisma.

But at the moment, students' interests were focused elsewhere.

As students of Stella, while they were definitely envious of Aslan tickets or the fact that he was a co-developer of the formula, it felt distant and overwhelming due to his great achievements.

They were teenagers before being globally renowned talents, so they had a deeper interest in campus life.

"He was constantly being criticised before. But now, no one touches him."

"It seems like Senior Edmon spreading false rumors became a fact, so some seniors came to apologize."

"Oh, yeah. I saw it too."

The reason why seniors were apologizing to him wasn't because he became an untouchable figure.

Even if he was a co-developer of the formula, his power was nothing compared to real nobility.

However, Baek Yu-Seol’s usual behavior had shed light on him. He treated seniors respectfully and showed polite manners, trying to improve his image as much as possible.

Moreover, the majority of seniors who had been harassing Baek Yu-Seol were forced to do so under Edmon Atalek's orders.

Of course, there were still seniors who were jealous of him and didn't like him, but they couldn't easily harass him because of the impact he showed in the previous duel.

"By the way, Eisel, can you introduce him to us later?"

"....... What?"

"You're really close to him."

"Oh, no, not really."

‘Close? We're not that close to use such a word.’

"What? Really? I thought you two were dating."

"Wha-what?!"

Eisel was so surprised that she even shouted. Juice spilled out of her mouth.

"W-well, what I mean is, why would you think that all of a sudden..."

"Why? It's just that whenever something happens, Baek Yu-Seol always looks after you, right?"

"Right. Yeah, do you remember? During the mock battle with the demon, you probably didn't see it, but Baek Yu-Seol was so cool flying around with a sword, saying he would protect only you."

"Honestly, he looks a bit young and innocent, but I think he'll be quite handsome when he grows up, don't you?"

"Yeah, he's cute."

As the stories about Baek Yu-Seol poured out like a tide, Eisel’s mind began to spin.

"That...why are you reacting like that? Baek Yu-Seol makes it so obvious that he likes you."

‘Is that so? It does seem like that? I'm not sure, but I wouldn't mind if that's true…’

'What am I thinking?'

But the more she thought about it, the more it felt like the right thing to say. He was always there wherever she went, always taking care of her. He even said something like that before.

‘I've been watching you all this time.’

The meaning of those words was what she thought...

The fiery heat showed no sign of subsiding.

Dating was truly a perplexing topic for Eisel.

It was truly strange.

Until now, she had received quite a few confessions from guys, but at that time, she didn't have any thoughts about it.

But for some reason, it was difficult to brush it off so easily now.

Why was that?

It had been like that from the beginning.

During the necromancer attack at the Martevis Cemetery, why did he appear there alone?

During the mock battle with the demon, did he really need her to be able to defeat the Intermediate Demons?

Even if he had teamed up with someone else, his strategy should have been enough to hunt them down...

The club activities, the Persona Gate, and every little detail in between.

"But Eisel, it feels like he’d become more unapproachable lately, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Hasn't he been getting closer to Princess Hong Bi-Yeon?"

"Oh my, what a player. I wonder if even the princess would be tempted by an ordinary person?"

"Hey, stop it. It's been a complete mess lately because of that, you know? I heard that the princess's gaze towards Baek Yu-Seol is not normal."

"Eisel, no way."

"It's like a complete romance novel, right? Love that transcends social status! That's what going to the academy is all about!"

Love stories were the main topic of conversation among girls.

Just like typical teenagers who were sensitive to rumors, they quickly shifted the focus of the discussion towards Hong Bi-Yeon, and every time Eisel heard those stories, her heart felt heavy.

‘Could it be true...?’

‘You’ve been expressing your feelings so diligently, but did you stop because I couldn't notice it?’

‘Why does it matter?’

‘After all, dating is a distant concept for me. Even if I polish myself for the future, there's not enough time, so how can I make time for dating?’

Besides, she had no interest in the boy named Baek Yu-Seol.

… That was what it should have been.

‘Why is there a growing sense of unease and loss in a corner of my heart?’

Ch. 82.2
After finishing the meal, Edna went out to the balcony of the spacecraft alone, partly to aid digestion.

"Phew, this feels good."

After releasing a hefty burp, her stomach felt refreshed.

While patting her slightly protruding belly, she let out a yawn when someone suddenly approached from the side.

"Hey, I have a favor to ask."

It was Baek Yu-Seol. He casually sat on the floor and started rummaging through his expanding backpack.

Edna frowned as if annoyed. "What's up, Mister?"

"Just grow one flower for me."

"Am I some kind of flower vending machine?"

He took out a small potted plant from his backpack.

Edna looked at it with a puzzled expression. "Here?"

"A request for a Hanbaram flower."

"Huh?" Edna’s expression became noticeably more perplexed. "That's a bit difficult for my level..."

No matter how much she handled the plant magic of the elves, it was difficult to summon high-grade flowers.

The Hanbaram flower was famous as a flower that only looked in one direction wherever it was located, thanks to its characteristic [Absolute Sense of Direction].

It was handy for finding directions in dungeons or ruins, but... because of this characteristic, the rating of the plant was strangely high.

"I'll buy you a meal later."

"Yeah, I got it. For now..."

Baek Yu-Seol placed the flowerpot on the floor, and Edna squatted down, holding out her hands.

She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing.

"Inhale!"

After a while, the magic should have been activated, but nothing happened.

Baek Yu-Seol waited.

"Hoo! Huhuhuhuh!"

"....."

"Huhuhu!!"

....... Her face turned bright red, and she exerted some force in a noisy manner, but the flower did not grow.

"Did you poop?"

"Ah, damn it. Just shut up, please."

"What are you doing?"

"I have to give it some force, but I don't know where to channel the force..."

It was a disadvantage for humans to possess foreign magic.

Compared to elves, angels, or dwarves who could naturally manipulate that magic, Edna had to learn that sense acquired later in life.

It felt like trying to move wings or a tail.

Moving non-existent organs was undoubtedly a laborious task.

However, the hardship was only temporary.

“Oh, it sprouted."

"Hoo, huh... damn it, it's so exhausting."

Edna, who finally managed to make the flower bloom, wiped the sweat off her forehead. She thought it would be difficult, but the results were quite satisfying.

"But, what is this used for?"

She threw the question and imagined the place where the next episode would take place.

"........ Sir, you're not thinking of taking me to the 'Fourth Layer,' are you?"

"Of course." Baek Yu-Seol chuckled.

"Let's go. Otherwise, why did I bother giving you this?"

He had a lot of things to handle during this episode.

First, he planned to obtain the Divine Heart for Spirit Leafbane, and second, he wanted to meet one of the Twelve Gods in earnest, who slumbered deep in the root of Heavenly Spirit Tree.

Of course, entering into a contract with a god immediately was not possible. He didn't intend to bite off more than he could chew.

However, there was hope.

It was the ordinary flower necklace he received as a proof of friendship from Spirit Leafbane.

Since the setting was that Edna had a very close relationship with the spirits, he thought there was a possibility of them showing some affection towards him, who had even become friends with a spirit.

Of course, even if they didn't necessarily show affection, he planned to slowly build rapport while attempting to have conversations.

"Hm, the Fourth Layer, huh? What are you going to do down there... Ugh!"

Suddenly, Edna grabbed her stomach and Baek Yu-Seol, who had been smiling satisfactorily while looking at the flowerpot, was taken aback.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Did she forcibly try to cast a high-level magic and experience side effects?

However, Edna turned pale and said, "No... I ate too much earlier... I gave too much strength to my stomach... the signal..."

"Oh, is that so..."

"I'll go... to the restroom."

"Enjoy yourself."

Leaving behind Baek Yu-Seol, who looked dumbfounded, Edna hurriedly left the spot.

'Restroom, restroom!'

The signal had reached its limit in her stomach. She was confident that if there was anyone blocking her way, she would simply push past them.

However, just as she turned the corner, she unfortunately encountered Haewonryang at the wrong time. He was standing against the wall as if waiting for someone, but when he saw Edna, he relaxed his stern expression and spoke to her.

"Edna, I have something to discuss briefly."

"Sorry! I'm in a damn hurry right now!"

"Wait..."

"Hey, you bastard! You're acting weird!"

Unfortunately, Edna had already reached her limit and hid her exhausted appearance behind the cabin.

Haewonryang lowered the hand he had reached out to Edna and slowly turned around.

In the distance, Baek Yu-Seol and Edna were sitting together, playfully teasing each other in that cozy spot.

What were they whispering to each other in that secluded place, even leaning their heads together?

What kind of conversation could have made Edna wear such a bright expression?

He was curious, but he forced himself to suppress his naughty curiosity.

The pain that pierced his heart kept trying to devour his thoughts, but he held onto his beliefs that he had always upheld and resisted the "erosion" while repeating them in his mind.

‘This... isn't my own emotion.’

However... His beliefs gradually began to waver.