New Elf Professor (3)
For the moment, I set aside Yustina and Elfin, deciding to weigh the pros and cons purely from the standpoint of swapping my own body. As rationally as possible, considering only my own interests. For example, if I revived my original body and transferred my soul there—though there's no guarantee I could revive the original body or even know how to move the soul—ignoring the fact that Elfin would be thrilled about it.
First off, looking at it piecemeal, it feels like I'd lose more than I gain.
Changing my appearance would likely mean losing the Lehinar name. Not only that, but I might grow distant from the family of this new life, the ones I've shared the last seventeen years with. Of course, it's not just about time spent together breeding affection. Take Yustina, Elfin, and Liwin—those three girls alone, and I've only known them for exactly ten years, yet the bond feels several times deeper than with this life's Lehinar family.
Still, losing my status as the Lehinar count's youngest son could dilute the blood ties I've gained in this life for the first time.
Moreover, my past life's body had no innate talent for magic. But this body of Deneb Lehinar's has surprisingly decent skill with general magic and is even praised for exceptional aptitude in aura magic. I'd lose that magical prowess too if I swapped bodies.
And my age would probably double at least.
I was about thirty-five when I died in my past life. I don't fully understand the principle behind the resurrection flowers, but reviving at the exact moment of death would age me up in an instant. Of course, if I've already passed thirty-five by the time I find the flowers and figure out soul transfer, this might actually be a gain.
Yeah, thinking about it, there are upsides.
As I just recalled, I might end up younger instead, and as Elfin mentioned, I could ditch this hopelessly pathetic stamina. My past life self at thirty-five didn't lag behind my current seventeen-year-old Deneb in physical prowess. I trained diligently every day back then and now, but Deneb Lehinar's body was flawed from the constitution up.
It's like it was designed for a rear-guard magic supporter.
What if I hadn't remembered my past life? What if I'd just been the frail magic prodigy youngest son of a count's family? I might have stuck to aura magic alone, diligently honing it without stubbornly insisting on swinging a sword, and reaped the rewards.
But I couldn't abandon the sword, so I pursued both magic and blade. Ignoring how I'd gasp after a short run or collapse after sparring.
If I returned to my original body, stamina wouldn't be a headache anymore.
As a kid, I thought taking those "health-boosting" medicines would fix it. But none of the drugs or foods suited me. It was as if my stamina had hit its absolute limit, capped with no room for growth.
In the midst of that, the one hope was aura magic.
With aura magic support, I could manage the stamina somehow...
Swapping bodies restores stamina but strips magic. Sticking with this one keeps the pitiful stamina but allows aura magic to compensate. Choosing between them was a dilemma for me now.
"Ughhh..."
Even trying to think selfishly, excluding Elfin urging me to go and Yustina telling me to stay, I couldn't decide.
"Let's go, Master... no, Deneb. You're only half a master right now, so I'll call you Deneb."
"Fine, let's go then, Deneb. This Yustina won't just sit idle either."
Elfin and Yustina glared fiercely at each other, their eyes clashing like sparking flames.
Caught between them, I groaned for a while before speaking up.
"...We don't have to decide right this second, so how about tabling it for now?"
The sharp glares turned on me instantly, but eventually, they seemed to accept it and slowly looked away.
"...Frustrating, but you're right. You—er, Deneb—probably need time to mull it over. It'd be ridiculous for me to push 'let's go now' when I haven't even found the resurrection flowers or a soul transfer method yet."
"This Yustina agrees. Unless you declare you're going, Deneb, I won't go overboard. If I truly clashed with you, Elfin, my precious academy might get wrecked, so I'll hold back."
Elfin bowed low, tapping mini Yustina's forehead with her index finger, grinning slyly.
"Really? Not scared you'll lose me to your master?"
"Why, you...! I thought I was being considerate of our shared past!"
"Uh-huh, playing big sister, huh. Anyway, I get it—this isn't the time for this. Most urgent is smashing those demon siblings hiding in the academy's back mountain."
Come to think of it, Elfin's goal was scouting the demon siblings. Telling students it was a magic beast hunt practice, when it was actually hunting extremely dangerous demons—something felt off.
I pointed it out to Elfin, who scratched her head sheepishly.
"Ah, yeah, I know roughly. But with Yustina and me here, it should be fine, right? Besides, those two aren't combat standouts... they're pros at hiding every which way."
"I get not bringing a big search party, but kids wandering clueless is still iffy."
"Ugh... yeah? Truth is, this is my first time teaching as a professor, so I'm not sure what's best."
Sighing, about to suggest alternatives, I suddenly froze. I'd thought Elfin's look and vibe had totally changed, but at some point, she'd reverted to the Elfin I remembered. Her appearance was still altered, but her speech, atmosphere, and that reckless, sloppy attitude—she was seeking my guidance.
Skipping five hundred years, right here, right now.
"What do you think is right, Master?"
I answered readily.
"Tell them everything."
"That we're scouting demons?"
"Hold on, Deneb. Telling the kids everything seems off, no? This Yustina was asked to avoid drawing eyes, so I held back on wide-area magic too."
Mini Yustina tilted her head at my idea, but I explained step by step.
"Preparing to hunt magic beasts with no guarantee of safety is worlds apart from being alert to real demons that could pop up anywhere."
"...Is that so?"
"Mm, not wrong. Mindset makes all the difference."
"Plus, kids this age get reckless—Konet especially might charge first and get badly hurt. Better tell them it's real combat, and once it's over..."
Elfin pulled out a small vial packed with strange pills and showed it.
"Wipe their memory of the demon scout, right?"
"Well... not thrilled about memory wipes, but if it's your job, can't be helped."
"Got it—classic Master. Er, Deneb. What do I call you?"
Elfin tugged her tightly bound golden ponytail and grinned.
"Heh, guess I still have tons to learn from you."
I almost chided her—shouldn't five hundred years of real combat make her surpass me?—but held back.
Long-awaited reunion; no need to scold.
To avoid further delay, I headed with Elfin and mini Yustina to where the other special class students waited. We'd gone deep chatting, and with the soundproof barrier, it took time to dispel, but anyway.
Walking through the awkward vibe somehow lifted my spirits.
Already reunited with Elfin and Yustina.
I'd figured at least ten years, maybe never. But now, only Liwin left to meet all my past life's bonds again.
Haven't asked yet, too scared.
What happened to Liwin? I'd been certain about Elfin and Yustina's survival. Elfin, being an elf with insane necromancy and sword talents, had to be alive. Yustina, a dragon living at least ten thousand years—no brainer.
But Liwin, a time mage—even with her genius, five hundred years might've claimed her. I'd lost sleep over it sometimes.
Don't know time mages' lifespans.
But now seemed right to ask. They'd know Liwin's whereabouts.
With odd anticipation, I broached it.
"Hey, by the way."
"Yeah?"
"Something else to say?"
I nodded lightly, scratching my cheek.
"Just so happy reuniting with you two. Wonder if I could see Liwin again? If you know where..."
"..."
"...Deneb?"
"Ah, haha, if she's gone from this world or something, no need to say. Five hundred years passed. Some things are inevitable."
But the mood turned heavy. Yustina hung her head gloomily; Elfin scowled furiously.
Their unexpected reactions tensed even me, sweat beading on my forehead.
"Master... no, Deneb."
"Yeah? Elfin."
"You know time mages can fully revive the dead, right?"
"...Yeah."
Realizing the contradiction hit me like a bolt. Elfin always carried my ashes; Liwin could rewind time on them. Yustina once said rewinding a specific entity's time was feasible, unlike the whole world—even for a genius time mage.
Liwin's first talent bloom: reviving a wilted flower on the spot.
"Think about it. Wouldn't I have sought Liwin, shown your ashes, begged her to rewind?"
"Too much time passed, beyond her power...?"
"No, Deneb. Might be tough now after five hundred years, but back then? Totally doable."
Elfin drove it home bluntly.
"Liwin refused. Said no to reviving you."
A dizzying vertigo hit. Betrayed by Liwin's choice despite her power?
No, not that. Absolutely not.
If like Elfin and Yustina, she'd lived her own life unshackled by my death over five centuries, no blame. My revival was accidental; I'd never ask them to bring me back.
If she'd escaped my shadow independently, I'd support and bless that decision.
Then what's this vibe...?
Elfin grinding her teeth. Yustina's dark gaze on me. Something off, no doubt. Something I didn't know.
"Deneb."
Mini Yustina tugged and shook my sleeve in panic.
"...Yustina?"
"Don't think about Liwin anymore."
She gazed at me with melancholic eyes.
"Searching would just hurt you."
"Come on, what the hell..."
"That child changed. A lot. So please, drop this."
Yustina's plea left me speechless. No, probing further felt impossible. I swallowed my churning confusion alone.
What the hell.
...What happened in those five hundred years?
Meanwhile, a brother-sister pair crouched on a thick tree branch. Snow-white skin contrasting pitch-black eyes and hair. Their otherworldly aura marked them unmistakably as the demon siblings Elfin hunted desperately.
"They're coming, coming, coming..."
"Coming? Brother, the enemies are coming?"
"Yeah, Gruetta. They're coming. Coming now!"
Hans, the brother, peered through a magitech telescope at the special class students clustered at the mountain ridge far off.
Gruetta, the sister, snatched it, spotted them, and beamed.
"Fight time? Huh? Fight now?"
"Yeah, light 'em up however. Kekekekeke!"
"Brother fight good too? Kyakyakyakya!"
Lowering the telescope, they grinned at each other.
"Us three together? We can do anything!"