Yggdrasil Forest (2)
Seong Hyun-jin stared blankly at Eleonora for a moment before speaking to her in a resolute voice.
“You said Yggdrasil Forest, right? We need to go right now.”
“What about your academy classes if you go now…?”
Ciela tried to calm him down. “The finals are coming up soon anyway. We’ll have vacation right after, so let’s go then.”
“I can’t wait that long… If I do, I’ll have to take the finals without my spirit.”
“Oh, right. Then what do we do…?”
“If Seong Hyun-jin really needs to go as soon as possible, I can approve a few days as sick leave for that period,” Eleonora chimed in.
“You can do that?”
As Seong Hyun-jin’s face lit up, Eleonora smiled faintly and continued.
“But only if you’re okay making it up with remedial classes during vacation.”
“Remedial classes? That’s a bit…”
“Yes, we’ll do that!”
“Huh?”
Ciela let out a weird noise as she looked at Seong Hyun-jin, then spoke as if urging him to think again.
“Junior, you really want to take remedial classes…?”
“Why not? I just won’t rest during vacation and attend classes instead.”
“That’s true, but there’s nothing tougher than not resting when everyone else is. Plus, most academy staff take time off during vacation. Especially the assistant instructors—they all leave for their own stuff, so it’s basically empty.”
“What’s the problem with that?”
Ciela explained. “After class, you have to clean up and tidy everything. That’s normally the assistant instructor’s job, but since they’re gone, the remedial students handle it.”
“I guess so. But it’s not just me, right? There’ll be other remedial students too.”
“…Why do you think students take remedial classes? Have you ever seen anyone miss lectures on purpose?”
“……Oh.”
Students at the academy were generally self-disciplined. Sure, some had rough edges, but they were all there to hone their exceptional talents, so skipping classes was rare unless they were seriously injured.
So, no one was missing classes for days on end like Seong Hyun-jin planned.
“…There must be at least one or two.”
“You want to attend classes every day while everyone rests, and handle all the cleanup too? Be honest, junior. Do you really need your spirit’s power for the finals?”
“I do.”
Seong Hyun-jin stated firmly. “This time, I’m aiming to take the top spot for real.”
“…To beat Serena?”
“My master is watching my every move while I’m at the academy. I can’t spend the whole semester in second place.”
Seong Hyun-jin spoke boldly, but Ciela’s gaze held little expectation.
“…To take first, you need to ace the written exam first, don’t you?”
“…Yeah, I’ll prepare thoroughly for that too.”
Ciela snickered at Seong Hyun-jin’s suddenly deflated voice.
“I could help with that, but if you head to the forest now, you won’t have time.”
“Hmm…”
Seong Hyun-jin glanced at Eleonora. “How many days will it take?”
“Even taking a carriage from here and going as fast as possible, it’ll take a full two days just to reach the elves’ forest.”
“What about magic?”
“With magic, obviously it’d be instant…”
Eleonora trailed off, pausing. “…How do you know that, Seong Hyun-jin?”
“My master told me when she came to the north. She said she got here right away with the dean’s help.”
“Sigh, Lady Karin really…”
The teleportation spell Eleonora had used for Karin hadn’t even been published as a paper yet. She had no intention of hiding it forever, but casually telling someone without permission before formal release?
She’s so indifferent about magic…
It might be because she pursued the sword, but Karin was remarkably nonchalant about magic—practically disinterested. No spell stood a chance against her anyway; she’d shatter it in one strike. She’d probably mentioned it to her disciple without a second thought, out of that same indifference.
“She didn’t tell anyone else, right?”
“No, just me when we were alone.”
“Good.”
Eleonora let out a small sigh. “Alright, here’s the deal. As a reward for doing well in the exchange meet, I’ll use the spell for you.”
“Oh, right, that.”
“I was going to give you a scholarship as encouragement, but we’ll call it even with the spell.”
One might think, What’s so expensive about one spell? But Seong Hyun-jin understood the woman before him was the utmost authority on spirit magic. Just as he respected and admired Karin, the pinnacle of swordsmanship, he held Eleonora in similar regard. To him, anyone who reached the absolute top in their field deserved respect.
“I’d be grateful if you did.”
“…You’re surprisingly chill about it? I’m saying no scholarship in exchange for one spell. I thought you were secretly money-hungry.”
“I don’t hate money. That’s why I like this even more.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a steal. Using the dean’s magic for free.”
Eleonora blinked at his response. Caught off guard, she stared at him for a moment before breaking into a quiet smile and chuckling softly.
“Pfft, you have a real talent for making people feel good, Seong Hyun-jin.”
“Then what about the remedial classes…”
“I can’t do anything about attendance rules. Those are academy policy.”
Seong Hyun-jin’s head drooped slightly at Eleonora’s firm refusal. It couldn’t be helped. What you gain, you lose elsewhere. Instead of accelerating his physical growth, he’d just have less vacation rest. With that mindset, he lifted his head again.
“Then send me to the elves’ forest right now! I can’t afford to wait until tomorrow.”
“It’s already late; you’d just get turned away at the gate. Even showing up empty-handed to meet the chief, they wouldn’t see you.”
Eleonora shook her head and gestured for the excited Seong Hyun-jin to calm down. “Come back tomorrow morning. I’ll send you then—and I’ll include a letter explaining why you’re there.”
“…Got it.”
“And don’t go alone, Seong Hyun-jin. Who knows what might happen. Take someone with you.”
Eleonora glanced at Ciela. “Ciela, you go.”
“Me?”
Ciela stared at her in disbelief. Going with him meant taking remedial classes herself.
“You want me to go?”
“I can’t pull instructors for a student’s personal errand, and I have my own duties… Wouldn’t it be right for the disciple to stand in for her master?”
“Urgh, true, but…”
Ciela looked reluctant about the remedial classes. But Eleonora had intended exactly that. She knew her one and only disciple, Ciela Teraport, had feelings for Seong Hyun-jin. If she could give them time alone together, it was her duty as a master to help.
“That okay with you, Seong Hyun-jin?”
“Yeah, better than going alone to an unfamiliar place.”
With Seong Hyun-jin agreeing, Ciela couldn’t refuse. She felt a bit dizzy at the thought of remedial classes but took solace in spending time with him and nodded.
“Alright…”
# The next day, Seong Hyun-jin visited the dean’s office early in the morning. To go to the elves’ forest with Ciela.
He’d been a little worried telling Serena last night—she might throw a jealous fit and insist on coming too—but surprisingly, she understood easily.
If it solves your physical issue, it’s something you need. Something you need.
Knowing it was essential for him, she permitted it willingly. She wasn’t thrilled about Ciela going, but accepted it when he explained it was on Eleonora’s behalf.
With Serena’s approval, Seong Hyun-jin approached the dean’s office with a lighter heart.
“Ah, come on in, Seong Hyun-jin.”
“You’re here, junior?”
Ciela was already waiting in the office.
“Have you been to the elves’ forest before, senior?”
“No, first time for me too. Someone from the forest visited our family once, though.”
“Then it’ll be a good experience for you too.”
Seong Hyun-jin spoke as if worried he was wasting her time for nothing.
“Glad it’s not meaningless time.”
“…I wouldn’t think it was meaningless anyway.”
“Huh?”
As Seong Hyun-jin tilted his head, Ciela snapped back to reality and hurriedly denied it.
“N-no!”
“Hmm.”
At the odd reaction, Ciela whipped around. Eleonora was gazing at her with a pleased smile she couldn’t hide.
That look made Ciela realize her master had deliberately sent her with Seong Hyun-jin.
M-Master…!
Ciela glared as if to say What are you thinking? but Eleonora pretended not to notice.
“Alright, let’s get going? Both of you, gather in the center.”
As instructed, Ciela and Seong Hyun-jin stood in the middle, and she invoked her spirit power. Potent water-attuned spirit energy rippled out, forming a magic circle on the floor.
And then.
“Have a safe trip.”
Flash—the magic circle blazed brilliantly, vision flickering.
When Seong Hyun-jin, who had closed his eyes against the light, opened them again, the familiar dean’s office had become an unfamiliar scene.
“Whoa……”
Trees soared endlessly toward the sky, dense and lush. Bridges connected intricately between the towering trunks. Elf workers carried fruits and firewood along them, joined by other elves moving about.
Ciela looked a bit surprised too. “So this is the elves’ forest…?”
This was the elves’ forest, home to countless elves.