Celin experienced her second puberty in life.
If the first puberty was the threshold of a girl becoming a maiden, the second puberty was the process of a maiden becoming a woman. Only after enduring cold and dark days like winter did flowers begin to bloom.
The trigger was simple.
It was merely the realization that she was not special. When she entered the Academy, she was full of dreams, but now she understood.
The wall between a genius and a prodigy was high and thick.
While an average talent might catch up to a prodigy with hard work, it was impossible for a prodigy to catch up to a genius. Even if she swung her sword until her palms were torn, the harsh reality didn’t change.
Thus, Celin had to give up the seat beside the man she loved.
That place was too dazzling for someone like her.
A wave of gloom swelled over the maiden, suffocating her. Just before drowning, Celin met someone.
It was a woman.
She didn’t remember the details of their conversation. Only vague memories floated like fog in her mind.
Just as she regained her senses, Celin’s once troubled heart felt light, as if all distractions had been cleared away. Her sword was sharper than before.
No, a hatchet now.
What bothered her was the fact that she didn’t know why.
After tilting her head in confusion, when she returned to the Academy, the first person she encountered was a familiar face.
“Celin Unni!”
It was a girl with pale skin and jet-black hair forming a peculiar contrast.
Her name was Ria Percus, another childhood friend of Celin.
She was also the sister of the man Celin loved, and because of her deep affection for her brother, they often argued since childhood.
Still, it was hard to ignore the bond that had built up over the years.
Ria’s eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost, and she quickly approached with an excited voice.
“Where have you been?! I couldn’t find you no matter how hard I looked! Reto Oppa said it was nothing…!”
It seemed she was worried for no reason.
Celin could only offer an awkward smile in response.
“Ahaha, sorry… Were you worried?”
“Of course! How can someone just disappear without a word?”
It took a while for Ria to calm down.
Celin had to soothe the girl, who was puffing her cheeks and clearly showing that she was sulking. No matter what, the youngest was still the youngest.
As the two shook off their minor grievances, their steps soon aligned.
Naturally, it was inevitable that they began talking about their recent lives.
“Celin Unni, have you met our brother?”
At those words, Celin’s dazed eyes turned toward Ria.
Her expression was one of confusion, unable to even guess the intent of the question.
Ria looked taken aback.
“Ian Oppa! Do you know how worried we were when you disappeared?”
“…Oh, really?”
At that dull response, Ria’s cheeks puffed up again.
When it came to her brother, Ria became a bit eccentric. Of course, she would want to relay any worry about her brother as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, Celin realized this too late.
She had been flustered when her beloved man’s name was suddenly mentioned. To be more precise, she was taken aback that Ian cared about someone like her.
Someone useless who could offer no help.
It felt like sticky mud was clogging her heart’s veins. Her usually vibrant golden-brown eyes dulled, and her gaze lowered, becoming hazy. She even bit her lips slightly.
It was an odd reaction that anyone could see. Had it not been about her brother, Ria should have picked up on this sooner.
“Of course! The moment our brother heard about you, he rushed down from the Northern Region… Huh?”
However, Ria’s fury was cut short when she noticed a shadow approaching from the front. A man was walking closer toward them.
With black hair and golden eyes, it was a color too familiar.
Ria’s frown instantly lifted. She even leaned forward, her eyes sparkling.
She looked just like a dog that had found its owner. If left as is, she might wag her tail instead of her rear.
That cold-hearted Ria could only be like this around one person. Realizing this, Celin sighed and lifted her gaze slightly.
As expected.
Ian Fercurus was approaching.
For reasons unknown, Celin felt smaller and lowered her head. Facing a man like him directly was hard.
On the other hand, Ria immediately abandoned Celin and ran to Ian.
“Oppa, where have you been? You weren’t around yesterday… Oh, by the way, Celin Unni is back!”
And so, the chatter began.
The man’s voice was devoid of any mix. Only Ria continued talking about her daily life.
At this moment, Celin felt an odd sense of discomfort.
As much as Ria loved her brother, Ian also cherished his younger sister dearly. It was only normal for him to greet her the moment he saw her, or at least react to the news of Celin’s return.
However, the man remained silent.
Could it be, when Celin lifted her gaze to meet his eyes?
A bolt of pure white lightning pierced her spine.
Shivers coursed through Celin, rendering her unable to move even an inch.
His golden eyes examined her intently.
Yes, it truly felt like he was examining her. Every muscle, every bl**d vessel, even the mana flowing through her body could not escape his gaze. Instinctual fear arose within Celin.
It was an overwhelming disparity.
Had this been before, she might have passed by without noticing. Just a few days ago, that would have been the case.
But now that she had taken a step forward, she could see the scenery clearly.
A path to a far and high peak.
Could it be that this man had already reached that height?
Celin’s complexion instantly turned pale. Soon after, her body trembled, and a faint foreign gleam flickered in the man’s eyes.
Her breath, which had been held, finally returned at that moment.
While Celin gasped for air, the man turned his apathetic gaze toward Ria.
The girl was in the middle of excitedly bragging about herself.
“So, you see, I have arranged to receive the monster carcasses from the Holy Kingdom, right? There were so many that it was a tough situation, but who am I? I hired the mercenaries who became jobless right after the monster hunt…”
“Ria.”
It was an incredibly indifferent summoning.
His exhausted tone resonated with a chill that penetrated to the very marrow of her bones. Ria trembled at hearing her brother’s voice for the first time.
And for a few seconds, she blankly stared into the man’s eyes.
Gradually, confusion began to veil Ria’s expression.
“Don’t talk about business in a public place. It only makes you look unrefined and is not good for confidentiality. What if someone were to target you?”
It was a rational comment.
Unlike before, Ian had become a public figure, and the younger sister he cherished was of high value. It was only right to avoid carrying out schedules without a guard.
Moreover, openly talking about future endeavors was rather irresponsible.
This was something to be mindful of. Yet Ria awkwardly opened her mouth, as if something was bothering her.
“B-but…”
“A nuisance.”
That one word was a fatal blow.
Ria froze in shock. Regardless, the man remained indifferent.
“Don’t wander around with no strength to back it up. And give up on that monster business… That’s the only way you’ll be of any help.”
With that sharp admonition, the man and the girl passed one another.
Celin closed her eyes tightly, listening to their conversation. As she always thought, this ‘Ian Fercurus’ from the future had a terribly sharp tongue. Was it really necessary to be like that?
And she feared it.
The man’s evaluations were always cold and objective. The next target of his blade-like words would be none other than herself.
Would she be able to handle it?
Being told she was inept, useless. Her heart had already been thoroughly worn out from self-recrimination.
But surprisingly, the man did not leave behind harsh criticisms.
“Have you gotten used to it?”
When the man, who had drawn closer, posed that question, Celin was momentarily at a loss for words.
It was a brief hesitation. Just following his gaze made the intent of his question clear.
The battle axe tied to her back.
Celin quickly nodded.
“Y-yes, yes….”
Before she knew it, Celin’s speech had elevated to honorifics.
She was different from before. She had already caught a glimpse of the man’s power.
He was a person of a different caliber as a martial artist.
To speak casually to such an opponent was beyond Celin’s courage.
Of course, the man seemed indifferent to whether Celin spoke casually or politely.
He merely patted Celin’s shoulder a couple of times, offering words of encouragement.
“Sure, do your best.”
It was praise she hadn’t expected.
No, it was hard to envision that this man would compliment anyone.
That’s why Celin stood there for a while, with a puzzled expression. Even though she had just received a compliment, it didn’t feel real. She even wondered if she had heard it wrong.
Actually, it was someone else who voiced their opinion.
“…Don’t be ridiculous.”
It was a voice that came out while gritting their teeth.
Celin and the man’s gazes instantly turned toward the source. There stood Ria, trembling with her fists clenched tightly.
The expression on the girl watching them from behind was fiercely hostile.
“Don’t be ridiculous, who do you think you are… Who exactly are you to act like my brother? My brother would never say something like that to me!”
In the end, she had caught on.
Celin felt her heart sink. She wanted to confess the truth to Ria immediately, but this was the Academy.
There were way too many passersby around.
Whispers already tickled her ears. Celin panicked, feeling as if her senses were spinning.
What should she do?
The answer came not from Celin, but from the man.
“Just because you don’t say it doesn’t make it untrue.”
It was a clear provocation.
Facing Ria’s fiery gaze, the man spoke calmly.
“Did I say something wrong? Regardless of who I am, it’s evident that what you’re doing isn’t helpful.”
“That’s, that’s… still uncertain!”
“Don’t act like a child, kid.”
At that moment, the man turned his back to walk toward Ria again.
With each step he took, all eyes became fixed on him and Ria.
Initially, Ria’s boldness began to wane. As the man closed in, Ria bit her lip in frustration but couldn’t meet his gaze.
There was not a hint of wavering in the man’s eyes.
A strong conviction would naturally lead to strong persuasion.
“We don’t have time to humor your childish games. Business? The more capital, the better, right? But when weapons are dancing and bl**d is pouring like rain, what does it even mean?”
“W-well, I’ll figure something out….”
Stammering, Ria desperately tried to piece together an excuse.
She looked so pitiful that it was almost comical.
However, her opponent was a monster devoid of human emotions.
“Then go ahead and try.”
Before Ria could even ask what he meant, the man struck her in the gut with a kick.
