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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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“Ethan, your victory was well-deserved.”
Sylvia, the announcer, explained the reasoning behind the decision.
“Ethan has defeated three demons, and he also displayed remarkable resourcefulness in protecting his comrades on Arvis Island.”
Three demons.
Officially, I had only defeated two: Andromalius and Zagan.
The defeat of Vine, the demon I had fought in Atlan, had been kept a secret. Only a handful of people at the academy knew about it.
But I had received the reward for defeating him, and I had also told Master Sylvia.
‘So the other professors know too…’
Otherwise, Reus, who had defeated the 53rd ranked demon Caim, would have received the award. Caim was ranked higher than both Andromalius and Zagan.
The original story was completely off the rails.
Sylvia continued,
“And Ethan is also a talented Spirit Summoner and swordsman. After careful deliberation, the professors have chosen him as this year’s top Hero Candidate.”
The audience erupted in applause.
Arthur, Sepia, Tia, Tesha, and Anya nodded, as if they had expected this.
But I was still in a daze, even as I walked onto the stage.
“Congratulations, Ethan. You have grown into a fine warrior.”
I accepted the golden statue of the Goddess from Master Sylvia.
It was a symbol of being the top first-year Hero Candidate.
I glanced at the audience and my eyes met Sepia’s. My mind went blank.
It was all because of her blue dress. I didn’t know where to look.
“…Thank you. I didn’t expect this… I would like to thank my teachers and my friends for this honor.”
I rambled, having not prepared an acceptance speech. The audience applauded.
That night, I received seven offers from major guilds.
It was a wonderful night. A night of recognition, of friendship, of celebration.
And now,
I was sitting in Master Sylvia’s office, talking to Dania.
“Congratulations, Ethan! The top Hero Candidate! I’m so proud of you, I could cry!”
Dania placed a cup of tea on the table. She was keeping me company while I waited for Master Sylvia.
She chattered away, telling me about the latest gossip.
“I heard there was an attack on the Northvan auction house. They say it was a demon.”
She shrugged, but most of her information was inaccurate.
It was all just rumors.
It wasn’t a demon who had attacked the auction house. It was a vampire apostle.
“The demons were after one of the auction items. But there was a hero there.”
I, a mere Hero Candidate, had been mistaken for a full-fledged hero.
“And from what I heard, he was handsome, strong, and a skilled mage. Can you believe it? Aren’t you curious who it is?”
A white knight?
It was embarrassing to hear such a distorted version of the events. I didn’t react, and Dania looked at me, puzzled.
“Aren’t you curious, Ethan?”
“It’s an interesting story.”
“You don’t sound very interested. Your voice is so flat.”
I took a sip of my coffee. My lack of enthusiasm seemed to have dampened her spirits.
Just then, Master Sylvia entered.
“What were you talking about, Dania? I could hear you from the hallway.”
Dania jumped, startled, and smiled awkwardly.
“Oh, just… nothing…”
“You should be practicing your swordsmanship. You should be able to protect yourself. You would be a 5-star knight by now if you had spent all that time gossiping on training.”
“Y-yes… haha.”
Dania’s swordsmanship was at the 4-star level. It was a far cry from Master Sylvia’s 7-star level.
But it was still impressive. It was the level of a mid to high-ranking knight.
The average knight in the Linchester Knight Order was a 4-star knight.
And the knight commanders were around 5-star or 6-star. Dania’s skills were nothing to scoff at.
“Dan-ah, I saw your match against Arthur during the final exams.”
Dania prepared a cup of coffee for Master Sylvia.
“You’ve improved.”
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to you, Master.”
I couldn’t help but be polite in front of her.
It was probably because of my Confucian upbringing.
“So… how about you spend your winter break training in Linchester?”
It was exactly what I wanted.
The demon cult was about to make its move. I had to become stronger, as quickly as possible.
“I will do my best to learn from you.”
“Fufu, I’m looking forward to it, Dan-ah.”
I suddenly remembered Master’s promise.
She had told me to become strong enough to take her within three years.
“Yes, Master.”
“I’ll be expecting you in three days.”
I was going to spend December in Linchester. But there was one thing I had to do first.
I had to ask Sepia to arrange a meeting with Yuffie, the Wise Witch.
She was a reclusive figure. But I hoped Sepia would be able to contact her.
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In Sepia’s dorm room.
Sepia was lying on her bed, clad in her polka-dot pajamas, enjoying her free time.
Two teddy bears, gifts from Ethan, sat on her bed.
One was from the festival, the other from the Northvan auction.
And the third teddy bear, the one she always slept with, was a gift from her mother.
“I’m so happy.”
They were all gifts from the people she loved.
‘It’s a tribute, Sepia. A bribe, if you will.’
That’s what Ethan had said when he gave her the teddy bear from the auction.
She had accepted it with a feigned reluctance, though she had been thrilled.
‘A tribute? For what?’
‘I have a favor to ask, Sepia.’
He had asked her to arrange a meeting with Yuffie, the Wise Witch.
Master Yuffie.
Sepia had learned the basics of magic from her.
But even Sepia rarely saw her.
She was like the wind, coming and going as she pleased.
Of course, the imperial family would be searching for her, hoping to recruit her as a royal mage.
So, it wasn’t surprising that she was difficult to contact.
But she was usually available during breaks.
‘So, I’ll invite Ethan to the Logness territory…!’
It felt a little manipulative, but it was a good excuse to have him stay at her place.
‘We’ll go on dates, and I’ll finally be able to cross some things off my list.’
She had a long list of things she wanted to do with him.
Yuffie’s lessons were difficult, but if Ethan learned with her, his magic would also improve.
And they could have tea together after their training sessions, just the two of them.
Buzz.
A message from Ethan.
―Sepia, are you free?
She wanted to play hard to get.
She had been reading a dating guide with Vivian, and it had suggested that she should create some distance to maintain the upper hand.
―What is it? I’m a little busy right now. I have plans this morning.
She was just lazing around, but it would take her a while to get ready.
―Oh, okay. Let’s talk later then.
His resigned tone surprised her.
‘What?! Why is he giving up so easily?’
Sepia pouted and quickly typed a reply.
―But I’m free this afternoon. How about 1 PM?
―Okay, see you then.
A date was a date, even if it was just a brief meeting. Sepia was thrilled.
It was 10 AM.
She had three hours to get ready. She contacted Vivian.
She needed help with her hair, her makeup, and her outfit.
She stood in front of the mirror, practicing her poses.
Her braided hair looked good today. She considered putting on some perfume, then shook her head.
‘That’s for girls like Tia. I’m beautiful even without it.’
She was confident enough not to need it.
She would rather curl her hair.
But she was becoming increasingly conscious of Tia and Tesha.
Tesha had even worn a padded bra to the awards ceremony.
Sepia, her heart fluttering with anticipation, headed to the cafe. Ethan was sitting by the window, staring out at the street.
“Oh, you’re here.”
Ethan looked at her.
“You must be hungry. What do you want to eat?”
Ethan’s smile made her heart skip a beat.
‘Anything you like.’
She had to suppress a giggle.
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