Chapter 107
Though it had only been two months, seeing the Magic Tower standing tall gave Elena a renewed sense of appreciation.
‘I’m back,’ she thought, a smile spreading across her lips.
“Everyone did a great job. Take some time to rest,” she said, bidding farewell to the team members who had worked hard alongside her. Then, she made her way to the central tower.
Returning home, her first order of business was pretty much set in stone. As she entered the main tower, familiar scents filled the air—the aroma of old books, the fragrance of unidentifiable potions, and more.
Elena smiled involuntarily as she took it all in.
‘Surprisingly, nothing has changed,’ she mused. But then again, she hadn’t been gone that long. It would be more interesting to see what subtle changes had occurred.
She looked around the tower before heading directly to the Archmage’s office.
‘It’s still daytime, so she must be there,’ Elena thought. Even if it wasn’t, the Archmage would already know she had arrived.
‘That’s just the kind of person she is.’
As Elena approached the office, the door opened on its own. She smiled and stepped inside, where Karen was already there, ready to welcome her.
“Come here, Elena.”
“Archmage, it’s been a while,” Elena said, approaching and greeting her respectfully.
Karen smiled, clearly pleased. “You’ve had a challenging two months.”
“No, not at all,” Elena replied.
“I want to hear all that happened to you,” the Archmage said, gesturing into the air. A soft sofa appeared behind Elena.
Elena sat down and began recounting her time in the Black Continent. The tasks there had been more manageable than she initially thought. Although she had doubts about completing everything at first, the power of Henus made it surprisingly easy.
‘All the spirits were unharmed,’ she reflected.
It had taken about two months to purify the vast continent. She worked on cleansing it for a few hours each day, then rested. During her breaks, she quickly regained her strength, thanks to the magical energy provided by her team members.
“So, overall, it was quite rewarding,” Elena concluded.
“I see. Even so, after two months away, you should take a month to rest,” Karen advised.
“A month?!”
Elena was surprised. She had expected some vacation time, but not this much; her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Yes. You must be exhausted from the arduous trip,” Karen replied.
“Thank you for your concern, Archmage,” Elena said, trying to suppress the smile that kept spreading across her face at the thought of a whole month of free time.
“Also, take this,” Karen said, handing Elena a golden envelope.
The moment Elena saw the seal in the middle, she recognized where it was from.
“It’s from the imperial family.”
“Why would the imperial family…?” Elena murmured, tilting her head in confusion. She couldn’t think of any reason they would invite her again.
‘Maybe they’re trying to keep tabs on me,’ she thought.
After bidding the Archmage goodbye, Elena left the office and opened the royal invitation as she exited the central tower.
To the hero Elena Respell, who defeated the warlock and safeguarded the continent from grave danger.
Elena’s eyebrows furrowed at the unexpected title.
‘Hero?’
As she continued reading, it became clear why the imperial family was lauding her as a hero. They were commending her for slaying the warlock, saving Fortnen Kingdom from peril, and creating the potions that had saved countless lives.
Somehow, word of her deeds had spread throughout the Empire, regardless of the language spoken.
‘Thank you for acknowledging me as a hero…’ Elena thought. The invitation she received today was for a party being held in her honor.
‘How embarrassing,’ she mused, not eager for the attention.
She quickly tucked the invitation into her cloak and hurried to her lab.
‘There’s still some time before the party…’
Once in her lab, Elena immediately set to work drafting a letter.
I appreciate the imperial family recognizing me as a hero, but I regret that I won’t be able to attend the party due to personal commitments.
After sealing the letter in an envelope, she infused it with magic, sending it fluttering out of the laboratory.
With that done, Elena began packing up her things.
‘I didn’t use as much magic potion as I thought.’
It was a relief. Of the few potions she did use, most were restorative.
‘Even the occasional monsters were easy to handle.’
After tidying up, she smiled softly. Now it was time to reunite with the one who had been waiting for her.
Thump! Thump!
‘I’m nervous at the thought of seeing Lexion after so long.’
With that happy anxiety in her chest, Elena made her way to the portal.
‘I hope he’s doing well.’
She crossed the portal with a faint smile.
“So this part…”
As she entered the office, she saw Lexion talking with Kerr.
‘Lexion, you’re still as amazing as ever.’
As Elena involuntarily smiled and took a step forward, both Kerr and Lexion turned their heads at the same time.
“El-lena?”
Lexion’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw her.
“Lexion, how are you?” Elena greeted him with a bright smile, but Lexion remained frozen in place. His eyes gradually reddened, and tears began to well up.
“Le-Lexion?” Elena was taken aback by the sight of his tears. She quickly rushed over to him. Kerr, who had been standing nearby, was equally surprised and, after greeting Elena, quietly left the office.
“Lexion, why are you crying?” Elena asked, gently wiping the tears from his eyes.
“I missed you so much,” Lexion replied.
His response was so endearing that Elena smiled playfully and spread her arms wide. Understanding her gesture, Lexion stood up and walked over to her, immediately pulling her into a tight embrace. With Elena being much smaller than Lexion, it looked as though she was completely enveloped in his arms.
Elena gently patted his back, offering comfort. “I missed you too.”
Each word she spoke only made Lexion’s tears flow more freely. He held her waist tightly, tears streaming down his face. Elena continued to comfort him, a soft smile on her lips.
It took about five minutes for Lexion’s tears to finally stop.
“Lexion, you’re such a crybaby,” Elena teased, softly stroking his cheek.
“Only for you,” Lexion replied, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Finding his reaction adorable, Elena pulled him down by the neck and kissed him. Lexion froze momentarily in surprise but quickly returned her kiss. After a deep kiss, they gazed at each other.
“Lexion, I’ve got a month off,” Elena said with a soft sigh.
Lexion couldn’t hide his joy at hearing the news.
“A month?”
“Yes, a whole month. I want to spend it with you… How does that sound?”
At her question, Lexion’s face lit up immediately. “You’re welcome anytime.”
“Really?” Elena’s smile widened.
“Of course. But… could you give me three days?” Lexion hesitated.
“Three days?”
“Yes,” Lexion confirmed.
The reason Lexion asked for three days was simple: he planned to finish a month’s worth of work in advance so he could fully dedicate his time to Elena.
“I can wait three days, but can you really finish a month’s work in that time?” Elena asked, concerned about him overworking himself.
Lexion nodded confidently. “Absolutely.”
“Hmmm. Then I’ll help you,” Elena declared, determined.
“It’s okay. You’ve just returned, so you should rest,” Lexion gently protested.
“No. I don’t have much to do for the next three days anyway, so I want to spend that time with you. I might not be as efficient as you, but I can handle some of the tasks!” Elena insisted, her resolve clear.
Seeing her determination, Lexion finally gave in with a nod. “Then… All right.”
*****
They got to work right away, aiming to complete everything as quickly as possible. Elena assisted Lexion with his tasks, which mostly involved organizing and filing paperwork—something she was already familiar with. For the things she didn’t know, Kerr and Lexion took turns explaining them to her.
Hours passed quickly, and before they knew it, night had fallen. Elena stretched, feeling the strain from the repetitive work.
‘It’s a simple job, but doing it for hours is exhausting,’ she thought, letting out a small sigh.
Meanwhile, Lexion and Kerr continued their work with focused intensity, processing the documents with efficiency.
‘Lexion working… he looks so cool,’ Elena mused, watching him with a contented smile.
Soon after, Lexion began to organize the last of the documents. “It’s getting late, so let’s call it a day,” he suggested.
“Thank you, my lord. You did well, Lady Elena,” Kerr said, bowing before leaving the office quickly.
“Luckily, there’s no urgent work for the time being, so I think we’ll be able to finish everything within the deadline,” Lexion remarked as he stretched lightly.
“That’s a relief,” Elena responded with a smile, looking at him.
“Was it hard for you?” Lexion asked gently.
“Well… It was a little tough, but it was manageable,” Elena replied, trying to sound upbeat despite her weariness.
Lexion took her hand in his, his touch warm and comforting. “I’m glad to hear that… And don’t worry. Even after we get married, you won’t have to handle any of the family’s affairs. I can manage Halos on my own.”
He brushed a soft kiss against the back of her hand, then released it. Elena stared at him, momentarily caught off guard.
‘Marriage…’ She hadn’t really considered it amidst all the chaos of her life, but now it lingered, stirring something in her chest.
