Several days had passed since the incident.
The academy had been restored with surprising speed, thanks in large part to the work of the elemental spirits. The Spirit of Gaia, in particular, had aided the reconstruction by summoning raw materials directly from the earth.
As for Lys—her punishment had been lighter than many expected. She had merely been assigned extra-curricular duties. It was clear the director had chosen not to be too harsh, and for good reason: she was the first person in recorded history to form a contract with three legendary spirits simultaneously. An achievement no one could ignore.
With this, Lys had certainly lived up to the expectations placed upon her. But fame always came with a price. Now, instead of admiration, many looked upon her with unease. Her name had spread far beyond her year—whispered in the halls by first-years, second-years, and even the more experienced third-years.
Still, as Noah had reminded her, public opinion no longer concerned her. Only one person’s thoughts mattered to her now.
And that person was Noah.
"Alright, my little ones," Lys said softly, her voice light with affection. "Help me clean up this mess. Afterward... we’ll go see Papa."
She was currently inside a practice classroom, gathering scattered equipment and wiping away the last traces of the recent chaos.
Meanwhile, in the academy’s bustling cafeteria, Noah sat in a quiet corner.
His black hair framed eyes of deep crimson, calm yet alert. Across from him sat Cordelia Ross—her platinum-white hair falling in soft waves, ocean-blue eyes steady and clear.
They had chosen a secluded table in hopes of avoiding attention. But after the public commendation delivered by Director Adler, it was too late for that. Their names were on everyone’s lips now—and the room buzzed with curiosity.
"Look, look! See? They’re always sitting together."
"Is it true? Are they a couple?"
"They say opposites attract, right? I mean—just look at them!"
"Yeah, yeah! They’re like complete opposites!"
The whispers continued to swirl around them. Neither spoke of it—both were used to attention by now. But under the table, Cordelia’s fingers tensed slightly against the fabric of her skirt.
Cordelia let out a sigh, her fingers tapping irritably against the table.
"This is getting on my nerves."
Noah glanced up, arching a brow.
"What is? The rumors?"
She huffed. "Yes. How could I possibly be with someone like you? You’re nothing like the Noah from the novel..."
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Noah’s mouth.
"Oh, forgive me for not living up to the novel version of myself. Maybe spending five years helping what I thought was my best friend changes a person just a little."
Cordelia’s gaze narrowed.
"Well... I still don’t know if what you’re telling me is true."
"And how exactly would you like me to prove it?" Noah asked, leaning forward. "It’s not like I can revive Cael so he can vouch for me. Honestly, I don’t even know why I was left with those last five years of memories and he wasn’t."
Cordelia’s eyes widened slightly.
"That seems like an important detail you conveniently forgot to mention."
Noah shrugged. "What’s done is done. Let’s change the subject."
A brief pause. Then, Cordelia exhaled softly.
"Fine. Let’s talk about the second scenario—assuming it hasn’t already changed because of you."
Noah leaned back, resting an arm casually on the chair.
"Whether it’s changed or not shouldn’t matter too much. After all, aren’t we both the protagonists of this story now?"
Cordelia tilted her head. "It amazes me how calm you can be in this situation..."
"I already told you," Noah replied smoothly. "What’s done is done. No point wasting energy stressing about it."
Cordelia folded her arms. "Fine. Let’s focus on the second scenario. It revolves around that second-year student, right? The black-haired quad enchanter."
"Correct," Noah said. "Our next target is the goth girl."
"Goth girl? That’s her nickname?"
Noah gave a faint grin. "Not exactly. It’s just the nickname I gave her."
Noah’s smile widened.
"Her magic. Necrotic spells. And she dresses the part—black clothes, no uniform, full gothic vibe."
"I see..." Cordelia muttered.
A mischievous glint appeared in Noah’s eyes.
"Now that I think about it... were you originally a woman or a man?"
Cordelia shot him a glare. "Can’t you tell?"
"Judging by how you act, you lean more towards a tomboy."
A vein visibly throbbed on Cordelia’s forehead.
"I see... Well, since it seems you don’t need my help, I’ll be going. You disappeared on me last time too, so clearly I’m not needed."
Noah reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"Pulling the same trick I used on you? That’s cheating."
Around them, soft whispers began to ripple through the nearby tables.
"Look, look! The couple’s fighting!"
"Nooo! They looked so perfect together!"
Noah sighed. "Sit down. Let’s talk about this properly. And... sorry about earlier."
Cordelia sighed and sat back down across from Noah.
"Alright," she said. "So, what’s your plan this time?"
"It would be best to stop her from trying to revive her master. That’s the key objective."
Cordelia nodded slowly."In the novel... she succeeded, right? And because of that, the academy was overrun by monsters."
"Exactly," Noah replied. "That’s what happened last time. Which is why we’re going to stop it."
Cordelia narrowed her eyes."And how do you plan to do that? I doubt she’s the type to listen to reason."
"We need to prevent her from buying the item she needs at the auction."
Cordelia blinked."Auction? But... that auction didn’t happen until much later, did it?"
Noah nodded."Correct. Last time, we went to that auction three years later, to buy something for Cael. But this time, we’ll be using the auction early. The problem is... money. Even though I spent an entire month doing missions after we split up, I doubt I have enough. Not when she’s backed by her family—one of the most influential necromancer families."
Cordelia leaned back, a faint smile playing on her lips."Don’t worry about that. My family has more than enough money."
Noah raised an eyebrow."Your family? And who exactly are they?"
Cordelia’s smile widened."The Ross family."