Chapter 10
Forgotten Promise
In the original story, Noah Vesellion played a major role.
This novel is a ruinous tale disguised as a romance fantasy.
The previously tense relationship between the two main characters shifted drastically after the heroine’s coming-of-age ceremony.
From that day onward, the monsters—once used only to frighten children thanks to the long efforts of previous generations—invaded the empire.
The reason the chaotic situation could be resolved so quickly was the Blue Hawk Knight Order directly under the royal family, of which Noah was a member.
Among them, Noah’s performance was unsurprisingly the most outstanding. He was the first to assess the situation during the monster’s initial attack and struck down the creature, ensuring minimal casualties and a swift resolution.
Thanks to Noah’s continued efforts, the empire managed to repel the monsters far faster than expected.
The one who unleashed the monsters like a “mad dog of the temple” was, of course, Nigel, and Noah ended the story by dealing with the “mad dog” Nigel.
All of this happened after he confirmed his love with the heroine, joined the royal knight order, and underwent grueling training.
Not at Sienia Academy, which was at best an academy-level institution.
“…Why?”
Why did he come to Sienia instead of joining the Blue Hawk Order like in the original story?
Why?
Nigel had thought that if only he, the variable and villain, stayed out of the way, everything would unfold smoothly.
But the question—one he could not answer—kept multiplying, gnawing at his mind.
“Are you… okay?”
A gentle voice sounded above his head.
Too careful and warm to be the voice of someone who could slay tens of thousands of monsters.
“No… not really.”
Where had it all gone wrong?
What was this…? What could it be…?
Was it hiding in Tilin, only to be dragged to the temple later? Persisting for seventeen years, avoiding the temple’s eyes for no reason?
Dreaming of attending the royal academy despite being an orphan?
Or… being born inside the novel?
“Don’t tremble. It’s okay—there’s no one else around here.”
He misunderstood Nigel’s fear, thinking he worried about wild beasts nearby.
Unaware that Nigel’s real fear was standing right in front of him.
“Why are you here…?”
“I like the forest.”
A coat with warmth still lingering rested over Nigel’s shoulders.
Just as he said he liked the forest, the coat carried a faint, refreshing scent of woodland.
Tilin… the scent of Tilin.
Blinking, Nigel’s eyes regained focus, drawn to the familiar, nostalgic aroma.
“You seem to have regained your composure. Don’t worry—nothing happened.”
Noah’s eyes met Nigel’s, his gaze soft as he half-closed them.
He was right. Nothing had happened yet.
No monsters had attacked the empire. The entire empire had not been laid to ruin. Nothing at all.
There was still time.
Regaining his senses, Nigel lowered the heels he had been clutching and forced them back onto his feet.
The throbbing pain that surged immediately brought him fully back to reality.
“…Allen!”
He suddenly remembered Allen’s promise.
Allen, surely, would be waiting for him in front of the cursed Golden Dragon statue.
Ding. Ding.
From afar, the seven chimes of the bell rang faintly. He was already thirty minutes past the promised time.
Growing anxious, Nigel spoke to Noah.
“You… a new student?”
“…Yes? Yes.”
Noah’s eyes widened at the sudden flip in Nigel’s tone.
“Then do you know where the banquet hall is? If you’re heading there, we can go together. Unless, of course, you’re hiding here to avoid the party.”
“No, I… I’ll go with you.”
“Good. By the way, thanks for the coat.”
Nigel removed the jacket from his shoulders and returned it to Noah.
“And please keep what just happened a secret.”
Out of habit from the orphanage, Nigel extended his right pinky without thinking.
Noah hesitated but eventually hooked his pinky with Nigel’s.
“…?!”
“…?!”
Then, without a clear signal, both withdrew their hands simultaneously.
A sense of wonder flashed in Noah’s eyes, while a mixture of fear and realization crossed Nigel’s.
“Where on earth is Nigel?”
Allen looked around the Golden Dragon statue from below.
More than ten minutes had passed since the clock tower struck seven times, yet there was no sign of Nigel.
“I should’ve listened to Sebastian… I should’ve said to meet at the main gate instead of the statue…”
He had known from the first meeting that Nigel was bad with directions, but he hadn’t expected this level of disaster.
The Golden Dragon statue stood prominently in the square, just a short walk from the entrance. It would have been harder not to find it.
Now Allen began to worry—had something happened on the way? Was Nigel lost?
“Well… I’m sure nothing serious happened!”
Allen recalled his meticulous friend, who always spoke his mind while carrying that heavy luggage with ease, and smiled.
Besides, Sienia had magical barriers installed everywhere, even more extensively than the royal palace. Rumor had it the academy was safer than the palace, so there shouldn’t be any danger.
“…Huh? Isn’t that Allen?”
“Seems like it.”
At that moment, a group of four boys approached Allen. He vaguely remembered brushing past them about a month ago.
“Weren’t you at the New Year’s party? Nice to see you again.”
“How’s your father?”
“Hey, why ask that? Of course he’s fine. Everything he touches goes well.”
“Right. Be sure to send him my regards.”
They giggled among themselves, oblivious to Allen’s stiff expression.
“But… why are you here… waiting for someone?”
“Wow, Allen, you actually wait for someone? Interesting.”
“Hey, why don’t you come with us? The party is about to start anyway.”
“That sounds good. There’s a lot we didn’t talk about at the New Year’s party!”
“No, I…”
They grabbed Allen’s shoulders without asking, and he, thinking he should’ve exercised as Sebastian said, was helplessly dragged toward the banquet hall.
When he regained focus, Allen was surrounded by people, all eager to ask about their parents.
A student social event wasn’t much different from a high-society party. People attached themselves to those who could benefit them.
“Nigel… when will you get here…!”
Under the colorful lights of the chandeliers in the grand hall, Allen—who usually enjoyed the attention—found the party unusually dull.
He wanted to see Nigel, who didn’t change his attitude even when judging people by appearance and wealth.
As no one responded to Allen, the group began chatting among themselves about recent business and social events.
When Allen sipped a fruity aide, the bustling hall fell silent.
The cause was a man appearing in the center of the hall.
His waist-length hair first drew attention. He was called the Sage of the Continent, the principal of Sienia Academy, Widlun.
“New students and current students here to celebrate, I sincerely bless and welcome you all.”
Snap!
Widlun snapped his fingers, producing a clear, crisp sound. A pure rose fragrance filled the hall.
“Look up!”
At someone’s shout, everyone raised their heads.
White rose petals fluttered from the ceiling, falling gracefully in all directions.
“Wow… so beautiful…”
“Is this real?”
A tall boy reached up to touch the petals.
“…No! They disappear when touched!”
“It’s a massive mana formation. At this scale, it either required almost all of one person’s mana or a fist-sized mana stone.”
The girl beside him explained seriously.
As the petals vanished, disappointed sighs spread throughout the hall. Widlun began speaking again.
“White roses symbolize a new beginning. I hope all students will approach each day this semester with a fresh mindset. And… although I usually skip this part, there’s one piece of news too significant to overlook.”
Widlun smiled at the students’ various expressions.
“A perfect score has appeared on the entrance exam for the first time in a long while.”
The atmosphere in the hall shifted again.
“Of course, it must be a political studies freshman, right?”
“Of course. Our department is on a whole different level from those with no mana or sword skills. This is… different.”
A girl tapped her head with her finger.
“Wow—so much fuss for an empty carriage, yet these kids who can’t even manifest mana are so talkative. Do you know how delicate mana control is?”
“They probably think it’s easy because they only use magic tools. Anyway, they only care about themselves in political studies.”
“Oh, and the magic department did so well last year, winning silver for a magic tool thesis, right?”
Arguments erupted spontaneously in multiple corners, leaving freshmen bewildered. Sword-wielding students watched silently, displeased.
“Everyone, please settle down. Would the perfect-score freshman come forward?”
A minute passed, yet no one approached Widlun.
“Oh, did I make it too intimidating? It’s fine—don’t be shy, come forward comfortably.”
BANG!!
At that moment, a thunderous noise came from the hall’s entrance.
