Chapter 12: The First Letter (12)
Chapter 12: The First Letter (12)
The Academy at midday was peaceful.
Birds chirped among the roadside trees, and the historic buildings, boasting centuries of tradition, reflected the sunlight in brilliant white. It was a scene that had become familiar to me now.
The Academy’s history spanned nearly a thousand years, predating even the founding of the Empire.
Back then, the continent was in chaos. The great empire that had once unified the world had collapsed, and countless nations rose up to claim its place. The world soon became one massive battlefield.
And as the wars dragged on, it was the common folk who suffered most, as they always did.
The terrifying amount of resources consumed by war, the looting by enemy forces, and the inevitable surge in the demonic beast population as military strength was concentrated on the front lines—all of it took its toll.
Decades of continuous warfare had turned the once-prosperous continent into a landscape of groaning corpses. It was around that time that the leaders of various nations began to feel a sense of crisis.
No matter how much territory they gained, it was meaningless if there were no subjects left to inhabit it. The prolonged conflict had caused the continent's population to plummet.
Furthermore, humanity faced a common foe: monsters known as "demonic beasts," creatures that possessed both extreme cruelty and formidable strength.
After years of summits between leaders, the wars finally ended. As a testament to the peace treaty, this Academy was established in a neutral zone.
It was meant to symbolize the end of an era of discord and the beginning of an age of harmony and coexistence—or so the story went.
The Academy remained a neutral zone for about five hundred years until it became the "Imperial Academy" during the reign of the Conquering Emperor.
It is said that even he, who trampled half the continent under his horses' hooves, respected the Academy enough to keep his armies off its grounds. However, from that day forward, the title "Imperial" was permanently attached to its name.
In the present day, the Academy has become a symbol declaring the Empire as the center of the world. Talented individuals from every nation still yearn to enroll, and once inside, they are greeted by the Imperial crest displayed everywhere.
The Empire seemingly believes that this symbolic dominance alone is worth the astronomical cost of running the Academy. Since that was a decision made by the high and mighty, it wasn't something for the second son of a rural viscount like me to worry about.
I was simply impressed by the fact that, despite its long history, the Academy grounds were so well-preserved.
It was a testament to the passion and sincerity the Empire poured into its operation. As a student, it was something to be grateful for.
While I was admiring the campus with such a peaceful heart, Reto was staring at me with wide eyes, as if he had just heard something impossible.
The drink he had bought at the tea shop looked like it might slip from his hand at any moment. When I looked at him with a slightly concerned gaze, Reto shook his head violently to snap himself out of it.
He asked in a dazed voice, looking as if he hoped he had misheard me.
"…What did you say?"
"I asked how you woo a woman."
Reto’s jaw dropped. He looked genuinely bewildered. He stood there dazed for a moment before frowning and asking, "Are you really Ian? Did you get hit with another weird curse or something?"
"No, is it really that shocking?"
I couldn't help but ask back, taken aback by his extreme reaction. Reto looked at me as if I were being absurd.
"Of course it is! A guy who’s never shown a lick of interest suddenly asks that? You, of all people… the guy who’s basically a block of wood…"
Reto adjusted his grip on his drink and sucked on the straw. He seemed to have a dry throat. Come to think of it, the question was a bit sudden.
Only yesterday, I had run back to the dormitory shouting nonsense, leaving him worried. Then, the moment we met again, I hit him with a question I’d never asked in my life.
I would have been just as confused if I were in his shoes. I nodded as if I understood his feelings.
"I’m a man too, aren't I? Of course I’m interested in women. It’s just that I’ve reached this age without knowing much about them, so I figured I should learn in advance."
Despite my lengthy explanation, Reto didn't look entirely convinced. He hummed, scanning me for a moment, before finally leaning back against the bench as if deciding it didn't matter.
He threw out a casual assumption.
"Is it something like this? You were actually nurturing a secret crush on Emma, and now you want to fill the void she left with another woman…"
"It’s absolutely not that, so stop talking nonsense. It’s disrespectful to Emma."
"Right, right." At my firm denial, Reto gave a smirk, as if he had expected that answer. He seemed to be getting interested now, judging by the glint in his emerald eyes.
"So, who’s the target?"
"…Target?"
I tilted my head at the sudden word. But Reto continued in a strong tone, as if preaching an obvious truth.
"Yeah, man. The target! Every woman is different; it’s not like everyone has the same taste. Is she a commoner or a noble? Is she older or younger? You have to choose your approach based on her personality and social circle. Otherwise, your success rate will be pathetic."
He added that the better you know the person, the better, but my mind was already a tangled mess.
I had a target, but I didn't know who she was.
Who on earth was "Sepia"? It sounded like a stage name taken from a flower, but there was no woman in my life who went by that name.
The only thing I was certain of for now was that she was related to the Hunting Festival.
However, that wasn't the kind of information Reto was looking for. I frowned, sucking on my straw in frustration.
Seeing my reaction, Reto looked dumbfounded once again. He suddenly barked out, "Wait, you haven't even decided on a target yet?! So you're saying anyone will do as long as they're a woman?"
"No, it's not exactly like that…"
I felt a bit hurt that he was shouting, but I tried to ignore it.
It was proof that Reto was taking my consultation quite seriously.
Mages are like that by nature. They are stubborn, and once they get serious, they become incredibly meticulous.
Though Reto claimed his life goal was to get hired as an advisory mage for some quiet estate and spend his days loafing around, he still possessed that innate mage-like temperament.
The fact that he was applying that temperament to the subject of women was just… very Reto.
Whether he noticed my thoughts or not, Reto simply shook his head and clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk. At this rate, will you ever manage to woo a single woman? Listen well, Ian. Generally speaking, a man needs three things to woo a woman."
"Three things?"
"Honestly, having just one of the three is enough, but the more the merrier."
Reto held up his index finger, as if he were about to explain them one by one.
"First, looks. You’re pretty handsome, so you’re fine on this front."
Is that so? It didn't feel like many women had shown interest in me so far.
The thought crossed my mind for a second, but I decided to set it aside. After all, Reto was the expert here, not me.
If he said it was fine, it was fine. Besides, being called handsome felt surprisingly good.
"Second, ability. Hmm, honestly, just being a student at the Academy is proof enough of your ability, but…"
He went to raise his middle finger but trailed off, stroking his chin. I knew what he wanted to say.
Being an Academy student meant your skills were recognized anywhere. However, that only applied outside the Academy.
Inside these walls, being a student wasn't exactly special. The place was crawling with them.
It was a gray area. To satisfy the second condition, one would need exceptional skills even within the Academy. Reto seemed to decide not to push that point for now.
He finally raised his ring finger. The last one.
"And finally, will. Actually, this is more decisive than the first two. What’s the point of being handsome and talented if you don't have the drive? You need to want to woo her… but right now, I don't feel any 'will' from you at all!"
A soft groan escaped my lips.
Even if he said that, I didn't even know who the person was, and I was only doing this out of a sense of duty. There was no way he could sense any "will" from me.
Only a vague sense of responsibility—the desire to prevent any more victims—weighed heavily on my chest.
In the end, Reto let out a deep sigh and took a sip of his drink, looking half-defeated. He spoke in a resigned voice.
"…Well, fine. I’ll just teach you the absolute basics."
"Oh, will that be enough?"
I asked brightly, but Reto only returned a look of utter disbelief. I shut my mouth, feeling sheepish.
"Are you crazy? Of course that’s not enough. But well, anything beyond that depends on the person… Just remember two things: compliments and physical contact."
"Compliments and physical contact?"
I’d have to hear more to understand exactly what he meant, but I decided to etch those two things into my mind first.
Reto seemed pleased with my reaction, a satisfied smile spreading across his lips.
"Yeah. First, when you see a woman, give her a subtle compliment. Even something cliché like 'You look pretty today' is fine. You’ve got the face for it, anyway."
"…What if I were ugly?"
"Making a move when you're ugly is a crime. They have their own methods, I suppose, but it’s not something we need to worry about."
Reto spoke nonchalantly and went back to his straw.
Hearing a handsome guy say that made me want to punch him, but since he’d grouped me in with the handsome ones, I decided to let it slide this once.
For the first time in a long while, a deep sense of gratitude toward my parents welled up within me. Come to think of it, my younger sister was quite pretty and lovely as well.
It was a relief. As I breathed a mental sigh of relief, Reto continued.
"And for physical contact, gauging the distance is key. Once you feel you’ve become close enough, subtly increase the points of physical contact. As bodies get closer, hearts get closer. That’s a universal truth."
"How do I gauge that distance?"
"Well, you see…"
Just as Reto was about to launch into a lecture.
From a distance, we heard someone calling our names. Reto and I turned toward the source at the same time.
A girl with a lively expression was waving her hand. She was wearing a brown cloak over her shoulders.
It was Celine. Reto smiled as if the timing couldn't be better.
"Perfect. Give it a try."
Before I could even ask what, Celine came running over and landed in front of me. Her petite frame touched down as lightly as a butterfly, without making a sound.
She tilted her head, likely noticing my bewildered expression.
"…? What’s wrong, Ian Oppa?"
"O-oh? It’s nothing. Just…"
My eyes flickered toward Reto. He was staring at me with intense determination in his eyes.
‘Do it now.’
I sighed inwardly and, having no choice, stared blankly at Celine. He said to start with a "compliment."
Celine just stood there, blinking at me. I threw a sudden compliment her way.
"I just thought you looked especially pretty today."
"…H-huh?!"
The moment she heard my words, Celine flinched as if she’d been electrocuted and looked up at my face. She was so startled that she even clasped her hands together in front of her chest.
Was it working? I couldn't be sure yet. I decided to compliment her a bit more.
"And you seem to have a nice scent… Did you change your perfume?"
"O-oh… hehe… It’s not perfume. There’s this new face wash that’s popular among girls lately, so I tried it. Is… is it that noticeable?"
Celine fidgeted as she spoke. She subtly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her fragrant neck.
A slight blush had risen to her cheeks, suggesting she was in a good mood. I figured it was time for "physical contact."
But how was I supposed to do that?
As I pondered for a moment, my gaze caught her exposed neck.
I stepped closer to Celine and used the back of my hand to brush away the hair covering her neck.
"H-hyat?!"
At the sensation of skin on skin, Celine froze up and let out a strange sound, but I was already committed.
I leaned my face slightly toward her neck and caught her scent for a brief moment. It was truly just a split second.
However, the aftermath seemed to be beyond anything I’d imagined. Celine stood there, frozen, her face turning beet-red.
Only broken sounds like "Ah, ah," escaped her lips. Her trembling lips couldn't form any actual words.
"…Yeah, you’re right. It smells nice."
When I nodded and gave my assessment like that—
"U-ah, u-u-ah, uuuuuu!"
Celine let out a cry, her body trembling, before she suddenly turned around and bolted, as if she couldn't take it anymore.
"I-I-I have something urgent to do, so I’ll be going now!"
Leaving behind a ridiculous excuse, she disappeared. I looked at Reto, feeling bewildered.
Reto had been barely holding back his laughter, making stifled choking sounds, before finally bursting into a roar of laughter. The sound of his laughter echoed loudly in my ears.
"Pfft… Hahahaha! Did you see that, Ian? That cheeky Celine ran away with a face as red as a beet! It was a bit too blatant, but good job. Well done. Hahaha…"
"Is it actually effective?"
When I asked in a voice still lacking confidence, Reto nodded as if to say just you wait and see.
"Of course it is! Pfft… Just watch. She’s probably going back right now to order a mountain of that face wash or whatever it was. I’d bet anything she’ll only use that for a while! Check for yourself later, okay?"
Though I thought there was no way that was true, I decided to stay silent since Reto was so confident. I figured I’d have to see if he was right.
And the next day, just as Reto had predicted, Celine appeared smelling even more strongly of that scent.
And Seria came to find me once again.
"H-here… ugh… This is the promised reward!"
She was holding a pouch filled to the brim with gold coins.