Chapter 77: Social Gathering (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 77: Social Gathering (3)
"Dammit! You’re so weak!"
No matter how late it got, Lisetta Lionheart couldn’t bring herself to leave the training grounds.
Wielding her gem-studded Rock Bat, Lisetta relentlessly unleashed rock magic against demonic illusions. She had already pulverized several high-level constructs, but satisfaction remained out of reach.
She had lost track of how long she’d been at it.
Drenched in sweat, she exhaled sharply, allowing herself a fleeting moment of respite. Then, she cried out again, cursing her own perceived inadequacy.
"One more time!"
The demonic illusions flickered back to life, manifesting as five towering minotaurs. After a brief, violent skirmish, the illusions shattered into dust.
Still, it wasn't enough.
The rock magic that had earned her so much praise—the magic that was once her greatest source of pride—now felt agonizingly dull.
It was all because of Isaac. Having stood beside him inside the body of the underground giant, she had seen what true power looked like. Compared to him, she felt like a child playing with pebbles.
Lisetta collapsed into the churned earth of the arena, overwhelmed by a crushing sense of dejection and inferiority.
"Ha... I don't feel better at all."
Her lament echoed through the vast, dome-shaped arena, met only by silence.
Her ideal man was someone her own age who was stronger than her. That was one of the primary reasons she had enrolled in Märchen Academy. But while she had finally found such a man, he wasn't just stronger—he was in an entirely different league.
She had wanted a rival, someone who could defeat her after a long, fierce struggle. Instead, the gap between her and Isaac was so vast it felt as though it could pierce the heavens.
It was as if he belonged to a completely different world.
Rather than curiosity, excitement, or affection, all Lisetta felt was a cold, paralyzing sense of helplessness.
That train of thought inevitably led to shame. Had she really been that arrogant? Did she truly believe she was strong? Was she wrong to look down on everyone else while searching for a "worthy" partner?
"Maybe it would’ve been better if I’d never met him."
Lisetta closed her eyes and sighed. It was a thought that had haunted her for days.
She eventually left the training grounds, stepping out into the pitch-black evening. The academy was eerily quiet. As she walked, she looked down at her own trembling hands.
Even if she trained for hundreds, thousands of hours... could she ever reach him?
Isaac manipulated high-ranking familiars that defied imagination and cast devastating spells without breaking a sweat. The road ahead was long, and she had no idea how to even begin overcoming the shadow he cast over her.
Lisetta marched forward, clenching her trembling hands into tight fists.
*
A week later, the quiet autumn night was transformed by a vibrant energy.
It was the eve of the social gathering hosted by the Four Constellations.
The venue was Palace Hall, a massive complex consisting of four separate buildings and a central tower. Reserved for special occasions and grand academic events, the hall was a masterpiece of architecture. Three of the buildings surrounded the fourth in a unique, triangular configuration.
The central building served as the main ballroom, an exclusive space where only students who had received invitations from the Four Constellations were permitted to enter.
The atmosphere inside was magnificent. An orchestra played a sophisticated arrangement of vielle and rebec strings, accompanied by the resonant drone of a long tromba marina. The bright, plucked notes of a medium-sized organ wove through the melody, filling the hall with a refreshing, upbeat rhythm perfect for the occasion.
Students in elegant formal attire moved across the floor, enjoying the gourmet food and the music.
"Ha! Truly, an occasion befitting my status!"
At the luxurious heart of Palace Hall, known as Atla Hall, the elite of the academy had gathered. Top students from the Magic, Knight, and Alchemy Departments mingled under the chandeliers.
Among them was Tristan Humphrey, a blond noble known more for his vanity than his skill. He leaned against the second-floor railing, swirling a wine glass with a look of pure self-satisfaction. He laughed and toasted with other Class B students who, like him, had managed to snag an invitation.
Nearby, Mateo Jordana, a student with light brown hair, gave them a brief, unimpressed glance before returning to his plate. As a commoner, he rarely had the chance to indulge in such luxury. It would be a crime to let the food go to waste.
Seated beside him was Ian Fairytale, who was busy chatting while he ate. Tristan’s posturing had long since become background noise to them.
"Oh..."
"Lady Kaya... I’d heard the rumors, but I never imagined she’d be this beautiful."
Suddenly, Mateo heard a wave of hushed, admiring whispers. He looked toward the source and saw a female student from the Magic Department who had stopped the room in its tracks.
It was Kaya Astrea, the second seat of the Magic Department.
With her striking emerald-green hair and the effortless grace of the Astrea bloodline, she drew every eye in the room.
‘Sir Isaac... I want to see you...’
Kaya ignored the stares, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. Her eyes glowed a vibrant red—a sign that her darker persona had taken hold.
‘I put so much effort into this outfit, too.’
She was wearing a daring, dark green dress with a short skirt designed to accentuate her legs. It was a calculated choice; she was determined to seduce Isaac tonight. Her usual twin-tails had been replaced by an intricate, braided updo, and her accessories were as luxurious as they were tasteful.
Elsewhere in the hall, a girl was devouring a tomahawk steak with a ferocity that completely contradicted her noble gown.
Wearing a bright yellow dress with her orange hair tied in a high ponytail, Lisetta Lionheart was focused entirely on her meal—or so it seemed.
‘Is that bastard not coming?’
Despite the delicious meat, her mind was on Isaac. He was undoubtedly the strongest person in the academy, yet he was nowhere to be seen. Then again, he went to great lengths to pretend he was weak, so perhaps he hadn't been invited. He was a monster capable of completely masking his mana, after all.
"Hmph. It’s nothing compared to the texture of hundred-year-old pork frozen in the north, but it’s passable," Lisetta muttered through a mouthful of steak.
Nearby, Keridna Whiteclark, a girl with short pink hair, laughed softly as she chatted with her classmates. She kept her true thoughts hidden behind a polite mask.
When she had first arrived, she was terrified she might run into Isaac. But as time passed, it seemed he hadn't received an invitation to Atla Hall. The realization brought her a profound sense of peace.
Because Isaac is terrifying...!
"Is the top seat not coming?" someone asked.
Keridna’s interest shifted to Luce Eltania, the top seat of the Magic Department. Luce had definitely been invited, but she was nowhere to be found. While Keridna didn't exactly like Luce, she knew that maintaining a relationship with her was vital for her future.
Despite being a borderline sociopath who refused to speak to anyone but Isaac, Luce was an undeniable genius. Keridna had hoped today would be an opportunity to bridge the gap, but it seemed Luce had zero interest in the festivities.
Suddenly, the elegant arched doors of the hall swung open.
Keridna reflexively looked toward the entrance, and her face instantly went pale.
A male student with tousled, silver-blue hair stepped into the light.
It was Isaac.
His bangs were styled upward, and his crisp white suit perfectly complemented his lean, well-toned physique. He carried himself with a friendly, genuine demeanor that seemed entirely natural.
The Magic Department students were stunned. They couldn't fathom how someone like him had managed to get past the guards at the entrance. Students from other departments stole glances at him, the girls clearly taken by his charm.
Lisetta glared. Keridna trembled. And Kaya’s eyes widened in sheer awe.
"...!"
Thump!
Kaya’s heart hammered against her ribs so hard she felt like she might cough up blood. The sight of Isaac in that suit was more than her mind could handle. She bit her lip, trying to maintain her composure.
‘Ah, Sir Isaac... are you trying to kill me...?! How can you be so cooooool...?!’
A deep flush crept up her neck. She turned her head away, hiding a dark, giddy laugh behind her hand.
He’s so handsome...!
In truth, there were several handsome men in the room, but in Kaya’s eyes, Isaac was a god among men. To her, he exuded an irresistible charm from head to toe. She had to fight the overwhelming urge to wrap herself in wind magic and fly straight into his arms.
‘But Sir Isaac said to pretend I don't know him...’
She had to restrain herself. They had an agreement, and she wouldn't dare interfere with his plans.
"You. How did you get in here?"
"Hmm?"
Tristan Humphrey approached Isaac, his expression twisted with disdain. He was clearly offended that Isaac had been allowed into the same hall as him.
"This isn't a place for the likes of you. With your pathetic skill level, there’s no way you received an invitation from the Four Constellations."
Kaya’s eyes darkened. She began walking toward Tristan, her expression going cold. The sight of that insect raising his voice to Sir Isaac was nauseating.
"I don't care how much you've improved; your mana is still garbage. Someone as unremarkable as you has no business—"
Just as Kaya was about to blast Tristan through the wall with wind magic, a hand clamped down on his shoulder.
Tristan turned, ready to snap at whoever had stopped him, but the words died in his throat. He gulped in terror.
It was Lisetta Lionheart.
"I don't usually get involved in this kind of thing," Lisetta whispered into his ear, her voice low and urgent.
"But if you want to live, shut up and walk away. Right now."
A single bead of sweat rolled down Lisetta’s forehead. Watching Tristan taunt Isaac felt like watching someone play with a lit match in a powder keg. She couldn't just stand by.
To her, it was like watching a fresh recruit try to pick a fight with a legendary commander. The only difference was that Isaac was a literal monster. Even if she didn't care about Tristan, she felt a moral obligation to save a fellow human from certain doom.
"I'm leaving...!"
Lisetta practically fled, putting as much distance between herself and Isaac as possible. She couldn't stand to be near him a second longer.
‘What was that...?’
Tristan stood frozen, his mind a mess. Lisetta Lionheart—the fiercest woman in their year—had just told him he was going to die if he didn't stop.
Why was she taking Isaac’s side?
Then, he remembered the placement exams. Kaya Astrea had defended Isaac then. And during the end-of-semester evaluations, even Luce Eltania had protected him.
"..."
He didn't understand why. But one thing was clear: the strongest students in Class A were all, for some reason, circling the wagons around Isaac.
He had thought he was catching a helpless fish, only to realize the fish was surrounded by a pod of killer whales. A cold sense of dread washed over him.
"I don't know what Lisetta told you," Isaac said, breaking the silence.
"But it’s been a while. Good to see you."
Isaac gave Tristan’s shoulder a light, mocking tap and walked past him into the heart of the hall.
Tristan was left standing there, speechless and trembling.