Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Hill of Four Seasons (2)
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“Hill of Four Seasons. There's something I want to tell you.”
“Hill of Four Seasons?”
“Yeah. It's on the grounds, so it won't take long.”
Ronan shrugged. It wasn't a completely unfamiliar name. Naviroje had mentioned it once during the doppelganger incident.
What kind of place was it again? As no answer came right away, Adeshan asked in a voice tinged with anxiety.
“...You don't want to go?”
“No, I'd love to. Shall we head there now?”
“Ah, yeah. Wait just a...!”
Adeshan's face lit up instantly. Thud! She suddenly dashed into the office and shut the door. After about three minutes, she emerged again, flashing an awkward smile.
“Sorry. Just had to wipe off some sweat. Shall we go?”
Ronan nodded. Aside from her unbound hair, nothing seemed particularly different.
The two left the arena and headed west across the campus. As they walked side by side, Adeshan pointed at Ronan's waist.
“Oh, right, how's that dagger?”
“Way better than I expected. What about your senior's crossbow? It looked like it was exploding earlier.”
“Oh, it's structured so that infusing mana enchants the bolts automatically. I have no idea how that's possible.”
Adeshan let out a sigh of admiration. Just like Ramancha and Imir, Doron had given her crossbow a strange name: Arjuna.
Arjuna's ability was simple yet powerful. Normally, you'd have to enchant each bolt with magic, but with Arjuna, injecting mana into the crossbow itself let you imprint fire or ice attributes onto the arrowheads as desired. Ronan chuckled, recalling Doron's excited face.
“He's one hell of a genius, that's for sure.”
By now, it was full evening. Crimson hues from the setting sun dyed the western sky. The campus, cast in sunset glow, seemed to burn with light.
“It's so quiet.”
“Yeah. The usual bustle is nice too... but this has its own charm.”
Phileon during break was serene. With students gone, nature's sounds rang louder: lake waves lapping in the breeze, birdsong from summer evensong. Ronan, hair tied back in a ponytail, spoke up.
“It really is.”
The tranquility suited him well. Heading west, they soon reached a hill. The vast grounds meant Ronan had never been here before. Adeshan stopped in her tracks.
“We're here. This is the Hill of Four Seasons.”
“Not much to look at, huh.”
Ronan shrugged. Aside from four trees at the summit, nothing stood out. Adeshan smiled with a knowing glint and led the way.
“Hehe, want to head up?”
Her laugh carried subtle confidence. Upon reaching the top, Ronan soon understood why. Looking up at the trees, his eyes widened.
“Conjoined trees?”
“Right. Four trees intertwined as one.”
Four trees of different species and sizes were linked together: cherry, crape myrtle, maple, and evergreen. The sprawling crape myrtle bloomed profusely with purple flowers.
Ronan realized they represented the seasons. Some magic was clearly at work.
“No matter the season, one tree always blooms beautifully. That's why it's called the Hill of Four Seasons.”
“...Pretty amazing.”
“And the view from here is gorgeous too. I try to come once a month.”
Adeshan pointed down the hill. Following her gaze, Ronan nodded in agreement. The campus, blended with late summer greenery, looked like a fairy-tale paradise.
Whoosh— A cool breeze tousled his bangs. Gazing at the sunset, Adeshan spoke.
“...I went home recently.”
“Yeah, you said you were visiting your father.”
“Mm. He'd put on a bit of weight, but thankfully he's healthy. I saw Mom and my brothers too.”
Her voice was calm. Ronan's lips twitched faintly. He knew the tragedy her family had endured.
Soldiers who met dog-like deaths due to command blunders. The girl who dreamed of becoming Grand General bore their names etched on a corner of the memorial碑 for the fallen.
“But I'm here now. I used to cry every time.”
“Huh?”
“At the memorial. Seeing Mom and my brothers' names would make tears come automatically. But this time... I didn't cry for the first time.”
Suddenly, Adeshan rummaged in her pants pocket. A small wooden box appeared in her hand. Ignoring Ronan's puzzled look, she continued.
“I thought about why, and... I think it's because I have hope now.”
“Hope?”
“Yeah. Hope that I might actually become Grand General. I kept telling myself I'd make it, but it always felt like a pipe dream... Now, it feels real.”
Her voice trailed off as she raised her hand. Suddenly, shadows large and small rose from everywhere in sight. Whoosh! Wings beat loudly, echoing around them.
“With the power you awakened in me...”
“Whoa.”
The shadows flew toward the hill—hundreds, at least. Realizing they were all birds, Ronan grinned.
Incredible.
Jet-black mana rose from Adeshan's shoulders. She'd long surpassed handling ordinary mana. Her growth was unbelievable.
“...You've been working hard.”
Instead of replying, Adeshan let out a soft laugh. The birds swirled around the hill like mist, maintaining perfect spacing without collision—like well-drilled soldiers.
Snap! Adeshan flicked her fingers. Whoosh! The birds scattered. She withdrew the shadow mana and offered the box.
“Thank you for letting me dream.”
“What's this?”
“My gift. Open it.”
Ronan opened the box. A small white orb rested on soft silk, pure crystalline mana swirling within. His eyes bulged.
“Damn, is this a Millennium Frost Flower Pearl?”
“Yeah. You recognize it.”
“Even royalty struggles to get these...”
Millennium Frost Flower: a mystical bloom said to live a thousand years, found only in the far north's eternal snowfields. Once bloomed, it rarely withered, storing absorbed essence in its roots. Starting plant-like, the roots transformed into pearl-like spheres over time.
A Millennium Frost Flower Pearl referred to roots with at least a century's essence. Needless to say, it was priceless. Adeshan smiled.
“I found it with the animals' help. So glad I got one before returning to the capital.”
“You serious? You know what it'd fetch on the market?”
“I do. And compared to the favor you did me, it's cheap. So... just take it without a word.”
She squeezed his hand. Without her shadow mana, even attempting to find it would've been impossible. She'd probably summoned the birds today just to hand this over.
Her eyes shone with resolve; no arguing. Ronan pocketed the box silently.
“Thanks. I'll put it to good use.”
“Hehe, thank you for accepting. Want to sit a bit?”
Ronan nodded. They leaned against a tree side by side. Crickets began their chorus. Scanning the campus, Ronan whistled.
“Bet it's stunning in winter too.”
“Totally. Snow blankets the roofs and leaves...”
“No need to explain. We'll come together then.”
“...Yeah. Sounds good.”
Their talk paused. Deeper twilight wrapped Phileon. Adeshan broke the silence first.
“I get what Mom meant now.”
“Huh?”
“She loved sunsets. Said fighting to survive was admirable.”
It sounded cryptic. The reddened world rippled in her eyes. Ronan shrugged.
“Fighting?”
“As a soldier, she called sunsets the sun's final war. Sinking below the mountains before its life ends. Struggling desperately, only to lose and yield to night.”
“...Deep stuff for a kid.”
“Yeah. But now I get it. It's not about winning or losing—the struggle itself is beautiful...”
Her voice trailed. Ronan felt warmth on his left shoulder and turned. Adeshan's head rested there.
“Senior?”
“It's pulling in all the world's light to avoid dying. Like a fading flame reaching for more fuel...”
She murmured softly. Wind-tossed hair hid her face. After a pause, Ronan gently stroked her head.
“A fight... Yeah, it does look that way.”
His gaze returned to the sunset. He didn't fully grasp it, but it made sense. Any struggle for life was beautiful.
Adeshan flinched briefly, then leaned closer. Her warmth and pulse transmitted through their touching shoulders.
“Right?”
She nodded faintly. They held the pose until the sun fully set before descending the hill.
A month of break remained. Back in the capital, Ronan tackled tasks he'd skipped due to academy schedule.
Foraging herbs to pair with the Millennium Frost Flower Pearl in distant mountains... Visiting the capital police for Nebula Klazje intel... Of course, he made time to relax too.
“No joke, this guy handled everything on that desert trip. Would've been in deep shit without him.”
“Really? What happened?”
“Sliced a bastard trying to steal our stuff—in one stroke. From fifty meters away.”
“Whoa, that far? How?”
Iril's eyes sparkled. Ronan had invited Schlieffen to dinner with his sister—a thanks for his help. He was softening the Dahinhar tale appropriately.
“Well, see...”
Schlieffen mechanically sliced steak into perfect bites. His flawless motions made him look like a finely crafted doll. Staring at Iril entranced, he finally spoke.
“...Twas nothing. Merely a paltry enlightenment.”
“Aw, don't be coy—show me once!”
Ronan poked Schlieffen's side, pointing at a watermelon on the table. Normally he'd bitch about being treated like a clown, but not today. Ronan whispered.
“Sis really wants to see it.”
Schlieffen gripped his hilt without hesitation. Shwick! A gust blew, and the watermelon split into eight pieces.
The vanished blade reappeared. Clap clap clap! Iril's eyes widened as she cheered.
“Wooow! Amazing!”
“If you desire, anytime. I shall show you.”
Schlieffen resumed cutting steak. A sauce droplet splattered his cheek. Iril pulled out a handkerchief and leaned in.
“Ah, you've got some here!”
“...!”
“Hehe, even little Duke has his clumsy moments.”
Iril gently wiped the sauce from his mouth. Schlieffen froze. His perfect rigidity lasted over ten minutes—long enough to suspect death. Ronan, stuffing five layers of meat, shook his head.
“What a clown. Total clown.”
Time passed. Secret returned just before term start.
Ronan rushed to his office, Sepharaccio. Seeing a girl reading in the study center, his eyes widened.
“Secret...?”
“Oh, Ronan. Long time no see.”
“...How'd you end up like that?”
Ronan's face twisted. After two months, Secret was shockingly female. Fortunately, just longer hair from his boyish phase made her recognizable.
“Ahaha, I absorbed a curse from the north, and this happened. Who'd have thought it'd swap my gender?”
“Damn, can you revert?”
“We'll see with research. No need to worry.”
Secret waved it off. Her crisp voice was jarring.
Then again, this was the guy who turned wrinkly old at night—probably overthinking. Sighing deeply, Ronan spoke.
“Can you still use magic like that?”
“Hm? Of course. Just gender changed—no issues.”
“Good. I brought it.”
“Brought what...?”
Ronan pulled a black crystal from his inner pocket. Secret's eyes widened.
One glance at the magic stone, and he knew all Dahinhar stones paled in comparison. The forearm-sized crystal pulsed with profound mana unique to desert wastelands.
“Can you do it? Right now?”
Dozens of questions surged in Secret's mind. Thud! He calmed with a deep breath and closed his book.
“Of course. Come closer.”