Unedited
“Damn it, what the hell is up with you? Can you really tell wisps apart?”
“Where is Ed?”
“Perfectly fine.”
“How can I believe you?”
“So what if you don’t believe it? Are you going to lie down on the floor or something now? Not that it’d change anything.”
There was something that Bryce Nadon, who looked like he was fed up to death, was overlooking. Ariel Dalton is a treefrog among treefrogs who would fling herself into muddy waters just to piss someone off.
But the blouse I wore today was one that the poor magic dolls had just washed yesterday so I decided to show some generosity.
“Do you want to be king?”
I asked instead of rubbing my back against the floor. Then he responded as if I’d asked something absurd.
“Is there anyone who doesn’t want to be king?”
‘And by the way, you keep sliding your notebook toward me like you want me to take notes for you or something? Seriously, knock it off,’ Nadon said, irritably swatting away my notebook back to me, which had now completely overtaken his seat’s desk.
I pretended as if I had no intention of pulling any tricks and focused on diligently copying down Professor Conley’s lengthy explanation of ‘the basic structure of the five barriers according to their purposes.
Anyway, if Nadon had the will to ascend to the throne, it wasn’t the worst thing. If he had even lamented about the life he never wanted as a royal and the freedom he couldn’t enjoy, I would have kicked him in the shin. My blood is already boiling at the thought of Edgar Ramos going back and forth on the firing line trying to protect a position his brother never wanted.
Nadon, who couldn’t bear not to do anything after seeing the soundproof barrier I had drawn carelessly, snatched my notebook. Once the perfect soundproof barrier was created with the tip of his quill moving smoothly, I took out a clay golem with a slightly crushed arm from my bag. When I placed it inside the barrier and infused it with mana, it opened its mouth like it did in the magic tool production lab. But this time no one heard the tearing scream of the clay golem.
Nadon and I slapped our palms together excitedly, but then remembered that we didn’t exactly get along, so it became awkward as we pulled back our hands. After all, he loved Blossom, and Blossom hated me. From what I experienced at the Beginning Month Banquet, Nadon probably hates me too. Even if he were an angel who fell into this world by mistake or Jaden Spencer, it wasn’t easy to like someone who hated you.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
Nadon, who was watching over his shoulder as I climbed over the mountain of the soundproof barrier and began my lonely fight against the heatproof barrier, suddenly said something that didn’t make sense. Without even pretending to think about it, I answered, ‘No.’ Then Nadon threatened me, asking if I wasn’t curious at all about Edgar’s well-being. It was to the point where I got confused if I was talking to a prince or a thug.
Anyway, Edgar Ramos was in the category of ‘my dearest friends.’ I felt like I could handle an uncomfortable encounter for his sake. So I decided to comply with his words—but it was never my intention to comply obediently.
“I guess you are free now that Blossom has a boyfriend?”
“Shut up. I’m already in a shitty mood.”
It was a retort I put all my effort into, and it felt quite satisfying seeing his reaction. I murmured and recited the spell that the genius wizard Eddie had taught me. I faithfully followed Professor Conley’s instructions to test the heatproof barrier (of course, what Professor Conley suggested to use for practice was not magic but candlelight. However, in my opinion, it wasn’t proper wizarding behavior to not use the magic you’ve mastered).
Perhaps due to the influence of the human magic stone sitting nearby, the embers that erupted from the magic circle were unprecedentedly large. It was far too much for my hastily constructed barrier to handle.
“Fire! Fire!”
“What the—!”
When I pointed at the burning notebook and made a fuss, Nadon, who was flustered, recited the transference spell without even having time to control his overflowing mana. True to his identity as the prince of a desert country, the table was soon flooded with sand. Not only that, even the area under our table and the table next to it were covered in sand, including the sleeves of Manuel Cleveland, who was loitering nearby for no reason.
As Cleveland’s coughing died down, Professor Conley appeared, holding up three fingers and pointing to the back door with his other hand. Nadon scoffed as if it were unfair, but in the end, he couldn’t find any logic to confront him with and eventually gave up. And I, who didn’t feel any grievances, just quietly followed Nadon as he left the classroom.
***
The dinner menu on the first day of school was fried kelpie, famous for tasting and feeling like chewy rags. That is why my roommate and I were planning to enjoy dinner and dessert on Finnigan Street and trying to figure out a plan to get back before curfew.
There was a knocking sound that sounded like fingernails scratching, so I opened the door and saw six gnomes slightly shorter than the length from my wrist to my elbow, carrying something similar to a palanquin.
One of the gnomes handed me a thick, smooth sheet of paper. There was a short poem written there praising my insight and wishing me eternal youth and a long and healthy life. It was Brennan Stokes’s doing.
Perhaps they were gnomes under Liz and Brennan’s authority. Certainly most mining entrepreneurs employed gnome miners. This is because gnomes work much more quickly, cautiously, and diligently than humans, as long as they provide an environment in which they can drink alcohol to their heart’s content.
“So what do you want me to do?”
When I asked, the gnome who handed me the paper knocked on the palanquin with a slightly proud gesture. It looked fun, so I got on it, and they hoisted me up with impressive ease.
They were moving so fast that Brianna, who was following behind, had to walk quickly to keep up. She briefly considered riding along with me but decided against it because she was worried it might be misunderstood by the dwarves in the academy. (The ancient dwarves ruled the gnomes harshly, so in modern times, they are more sensitive to the way gnomes are treated than other races.).
The final destination of the gnome train carrying only one person was a very deserted cafeteria due to the infamous fried kelpie on the menu. Students who probably had not heard of Kelpie’s notoriety or who had no sense of taste snooped on me, who appeared like the king of gnomes. The same was true for the student council, with the exception of the Kelrose couple—who were probably in a high-end restaurant somewhere.
Jaden barely exchanged a nod with me as he was busy eating a mountain of fried kelpie. I’d never noticed anything wrong with Jaden’s tongue during my time at the Spencer mansion, but perhaps I should reconsider that assessment. Truly disappointing, Jaden Spencer.
Bryce Nadon, impersonating Edgar Ramos, made eye contact with me and made a hand gesture that was a clever mixture of a greeting and an insult. He must still be incredibly resentful about being kicked out of the Barrier Arts class. I responded to his hospitality with the same gesture but with the use of both of my hands.
Marquise Bolton was the one who had the least interest in the Gnome King among them all. He was gnawing at the kelpie with a pitiful dejection. It seemed like it was because of Rosemary Blossom’s dating news.
Since the iron-blooded nobleman had never sat on a magic tool that made farting noises or ridden a palanquin carried by a gnome, his heartbreak was sure to be accompanied by a longer-tailed depression than my heartbreak.
As a proud Fitzsimmons prankster and a fellow heartbreak survivor, I felt it necessary sooner or later to remind Bolton of the need for a good joke. I think we were close enough to share and recover together from the same pain.
The gnomes took me to the table where Liz and Brennan were waiting, then mercilessly overturned the palanquin. I fell on the floor miserably. Bree giggled loudly.
“If you’re going to carry me, at least do it properly until the end. What the heck is this?”
“I was trying to recreate Oswald II of ancient Milua, but I guess my gnome friends don’t know much about the history of the continent.”
When I scolded her while rubbing my numb buttocks, Elizabeth shamelessly responded. As she said, Oswald II, also known as the Great King, was famous for never setting foot on the ground and riding a palanquin, no matter how short a distance.
In ancient times, when the existence of mana and magic existed beneath the surface, Milua, which had a large territory even if it was not fertile, was very different from the Milua of today. It is said that Oswald II’s power at the time was stronger than that of Kaitlyn the Great today, so it was not impossible for him to ride on the palanquin while going to poop.
“Oh, Miss Dalton, your… .”
“Never mind, let’s see what grand feast you prepared in honor of your guardian angel of love.”
When Brennan, who was trying to recite something, got cut off by me and sat down at the table, Liz confidently pointed to a plate. There was a large bone-in veal steak sitting there. A peculiar aroma mingled with the rising steam and tantalized my nose. It was definitely seasoned with truffles.
“Honestly, considering what you did for me, Brennan, and the McCarthy family, it would be right to feed you the heart of a dragon…”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in living forever.”
I was actually doing everything I could to avoid living forever. The thought alone was unnerving.
“What I mean is, you are a benefactor worth a dragon’s heart to us, and no matter what, we’ll always stand by your side.”
Liz spoke seriously, paying no heed to the jokes I deliberately made as I was weak in heavy and serious atmospheres. She and I made eye contact for quite some time and exchanged thoughts and feelings that were difficult to put into words.
Feeling uplifted, I sliced into my veal steak, and soon the sweet taste of friendship filled my mouth.
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