“The Oblix Bridge of Jerion Academy.”
A woman stepped down from a carriage that had just crossed the bridge.
Her blue hair danced in the wind, and underneath it, her piercing blue eyes sparkled.
She possessed an appearance that radiated more coolness than beauty.
The unyielding Blue Flame.
It was Eve.
Waiting for her was a professor of martial arts.
His name was Professor Barcob Debliju.
He was the second-year martial arts instructor.
With a wide grin that shook his entire blue face, he couldn’t help but smile instinctively at the sight of the beautiful woman.
It was an extremely unpleasant smile, but Eve didn’t even glance at him.
Because, after all, there was someone who annoyed her even more than Barcob’s distasteful grin.
It all started when that guy had the gall to confess to her at the international solo exhibition meeting.
The man who provoked her at the exhibition and then was captured after unleashing the Magic of the Ice Dragon was Hanon Irey.
Just thinking of him made Eve grit her teeth.
This transfer made her feel miserable about the labels that stuck to her like a tail.
A love-struck fool chasing after love, even going abroad to study.
Love?
She had never felt such a thing in her life.
Eve was not particularly fond of men.
To be precise, she wasn’t very fond of people, regardless of gender.
Eve’s status was that of a commoner.
It was an academy filled with nobles who had a strong sense of superiority.
It was easy to guess how she was treated there.
Being called derogatory names simply because of her pretty face had happened more than once.
Nothing could be more infuriating than being judged on looks instead of skill.
‘Sure, there are good people, but…’
Eve had received more jealousy than recognition.
Could such a person ever feel love for another? No way, she couldn’t live her life that romantically.
To have the label of a love-struck fool attached to her was utterly humiliating.
A sigh escaped Eve’s lips.
‘Was this a hasty decision?’
Of course, she couldn’t deny that Hanon had an influence on her transferring.
She chose to transfer in a fit of rage, heavily influenced by him.
But that wasn’t the only reason she moved.
The main reason she transferred was Iris.
On the day she clashed swords with Iris, she sensed something chilling behind her.
Though still only a perception, it was enough to drive Eve to action.
Thus, she willingly transferred to Jerion Academy.
‘Honestly, I thought Ordo Academy would hold on to me longer.’
Ordo Academy let her go more easily than she expected.
The influence of the martial arts professor played a significant role in that.
“Eve, as you know, Prelitz is on its decline. Thus, support for Ordo Academy has decreased as well.”
The martial arts professor at Ordo Academy was someone Eve respected greatly.
Despite having a less impactful voice for a professor and often being overlooked, he always worked hard for the students.
“Soon enough, Ordo Academy will merge with Jerion Academy. So, I would rather see you spread your wings at Jerion than perish at Ordo.”
He always wished for Eve to reach a wider world.
Eve found the kingdom of Prelitz too small for her.
So, he willingly handled the transfer process for her.
Eve thanked her professor multiple times for his sincere intentions.
‘One disappointing thing, though.’
None of the classmates she had spent time with seemed to care about her transferring.
Instead, they looked relieved as if to say, “Good riddance!” when she left.
That fact left Eve feeling quite troubled.
She tried her best to get along with the kids, but her efforts seemed to have gone to waste.
‘Will I be different at Jerion?’
The memory lingered, leaving her worried.
Could she really mingle with her classmates at Jerion Academy?
But Eve quickly shook off the thoughts.
She hadn’t lived her life long enough to cling to human relationships.
She decided to prioritize the reason she was at Jerion.
“Wow, to see the unyielding Blue Flame in real life! Nice to meet you! I’m Professor Barcob Debliju, the best martial arts instructor!”
As Eve sank into her thoughts, Barcob suddenly thrust his thick hand forward.
Despite his greasy hand, Eve didn’t shy away and shook it.
Then, Barcob grinned widely, subtly trying to grip her hand tighter.
Eve quickly pulled back her hand, glaring at him with distaste.
“Oh, okay.”
She was a woman before being a martial artist.
She was sensitive to the lustful gaze of men.
Although she doubted a martial arts professor would act that way, Barcob’s eyes were bluntly obvious.
“Haha, I’ve got martial arts all sorted, so just make sure to get on my good side!”
Barcob laughed heartily, shooting a glance at Eve.
Just as Eve’s mood was about to sour, she noticed a boy running toward them, kicking up dust in the distance.
As her eyes widened in recognition of his familiar figure, the boy suddenly soared into the air.
He was flying!
In a daze, Eve watched as the boy’s feet landed squarely on Barcob’s face.
“Guuugh!?”
With a scream, Barcob flew backward and landed face-first into the ground.
The boy landed casually on top of Barcob’s head.
Without a care, he lifted his feet.
“Wow, I didn’t expect Professor Barcob to be such a gossip—word travels fast, huh?”
The boy grinned, focusing pressure on his feet.
“But how are you planning to handle the fallout?”
Without a moment of hesitation, he aimed his foot down at Barcob’s head.
Thud!
And just like that, the boy’s foot met a sword.
As his red eyes turned, Eve reflected in them.
Eve glared at the boy, her eyes twisted in frustration as he interrupted her.
“Hanon Irey.”
He was the reason she ended up at Jerion Academy in such a fury.
“What on earth is this sudden act of violence?”
The guy she had been looking forward to seeing was now right in front of her.
*
At the entrance of Jerion Academy.
I saw Eve, who was restraining Barcob from retaliating.
I suspected Eve would transfer soon, but I didn’t expect it to be today.
So, I revealed a friendly smile to Eve.
Now was the time to build a friendship with her.
“Eve, it’s been a while. Now that we’re classmates in the same academy, can I speak informally?”
“Do as you please.”
She permitted me to speak casually.
We might just become good friends.
“More importantly, could you explain this situation to me?”
Eve asked me to clarify why I had stomped on Barcob.
I understood the situation.
In Eve’s eyes, I was the one who was attacking the innocent Barcob.
“It’s wrong to attack an innocent person like this.”
“I agree. I was really upset when I was ambushed at the party.”
I recalled the incident where I was attacked due to the Magic of the Ice Dragon.
Eve’s eyebrows twitched quietly.
“But Barcob isn’t innocent.”
My gaze fell upon the fainted Barcob.
“You know, it’s actually better for him to be punished by me. This guy might be killed soon.”
I had found out the source of the rumors about Barcob circulating in the Academy.
Vinasha was determined that she would only gaze at me for a lifetime.
Finding out that he had another love was a humiliation she couldn’t bear.
She would definitely come for him.
If it was Vinasha, she would surely come to do harm.
So, I came to deal with Barcob before her hands were stained with bl**d.
After all, he was already on his way to being expelled from Jerion Academy, so I thought I might as well expedite his exit.
“Killed? What do you mean?”
Clueless Eve couldn’t comprehend my words.
But Eve stepped away from my sword, clenching her fists.
“I’ll explain soon. I think they’re coming this way, so I need to finish quickly.”
Just then, as I was about to finish with Barcob, Eve’s sword ignited with Blue Flame.
I hastily pulled back my foot, stepping out of reach of the Blue Flame.
Then I stared at Eve, utterly astonished.
“Eve?”
“Hanon Irey, you have always lied to me.”
Eve’s sword gleamed with Blue Flame, aimed straight at me.
“Don’t you think your past deeds are too many for me to take your word at face value?”
Somehow, it appeared that Eve had taken on the position of protecting Barcob.
Her words meant that she was insisting on verifying the truth before acting.
But I couldn’t just say, “Okay, I understand.” and drop it.
“I get that you might not believe me, but this time it’s genuine.”
“I dislike your brazen attitude.”
“The reason Barcob spread those rumors was purely because the girl he loves has feelings for me.”
I reluctantly explained the situation.
Eve’s gaze shifted to Barcob.
She didn’t seem to believe my words outright, but it looked like she recalled Barcob’s visage.
She hesitated, her lips twitching.
I could sense her indecision in her eyes.
Certainly, Eve probably didn’t see Barcob as a good person.
At that very moment, I heard Dorara’s anxious voice.
In the distance, I spotted Dorara rushing through the wind.
Simultaneously, something dark was hastening towards us behind him.
The figure with elongated arms was a specter.
Hundreds of red eyes sparkled among its long black hair.
Just seeing those eyes made it clear how deeply the specter was rooted in evil.
It was a specter sent by Vinasha to k*ll Barcob.
“Am I late?”
A sigh escaped my lips.
Eve, too, appeared dazed, her eyes wide at the sight of the specter.
“G-Ghost?”
Her face turned pale.
She seemed to be weak against anything occult, despite her strong appearance.
“Ugh, ugh.”
Just then, Barcob opened his eyes.
He raised his arms, puffy and trembling.
Then, he grabbed Eve’s white ankle.
“S-Save me.”
“Eep!”
Eve, startled by Barcob’s grip as she was staring at the specter, instinctively swung her sword.
Woosh!
“Guieeeek!”
At that moment, Barcob screamed as he burst into Blue Flame, the sound resembling a pig being slaughtered.
Barcob rolled on the ground.
In shock, Eve sheathed her sword.
The Blue Flame clinging to Barcob extinguished.
Soon after, Barcob lay there, charcoal black, eyes rolled back in unconsciousness.
Barcob had overcooked, it seemed.
The specter that had been charging madly toward us halted in its tracks.
It glanced at Barcob, then vanished into thin air like smoke.
“Phew, did we… get rid of it?”
Dorara wiped the sweat off his brow, looking as if he had just run a marathon.
That guy sure knew how to say all the wrong things.
But still, he came all this way to save a human who didn’t even resemble one.
He was fulfilling his duty as a student of Jerion Academy to protect lives.
I turned away from Dorara and looked at Eve.
She wore an expression of utter bewilderment over what she had just done.
With a friendly smile, I regarded her.
“Well, now we’re accomplices.”
Eve’s face shifted to one of slight distress.
