Petra frowned.
Above the fallen youth stood a group of nine boys, eight of whom were clearly noble children from Llynun. As for the ninth boy, he was a tall and handsome young man, his disdainful expression strongly standing out among his peers. He wore expensive clothes, somewhat ostentatious, but unlike the other boys, he seemed to be from an even 'higher class...'
Mm, or at least, he seemed to think he came from a higher class…
The leader, the noblest youth, had a cruel yet indifferent face.
His boot still dripped with blood as he lowered his foot. "Look at this! I can't believe that people like him actually live in the city! What's the academy staff even doing, allowing this kind of thing to come here!!" He spat on the ground in disgust.
The surrounding boys all laughed.
They didn't seem to care at all about this kind of complete disregard for human life. It was clear to anyone that these boys were trying to curry favour with this outsider.
Petra stared at the man in front of her with a blank expression.
Did the academy really allow people to act this way?
Who was this idiot?
What was he doing?
Was there even a point?
No, wait a second…
She seemed to actually recognise him…?
The young man turned slightly, noticing some movement to the side.
He turned, and their eyes met.
In an instant, Crossal froze! His entire body instantly stiffened!
Petra stared at him, her big black eyes shining. Then she slowly tilted her head, looking as if she was deeply contemplating something.
After what felt like a very long time—
Oh, it was him!
She remembered meeting him on her way to the southern region!
At that time, she was just passing through. They had stopped for a resupply when suddenly, a noble brat appeared and played out this exact same scene with Petra!
Ahem, and when I say, 'exact same scene,' it was almost like a template encounter! One had to even wonder if this was intentional…
Unfortunately for Crossal, back then, unlike this young mage from just now, when he kicked her, Petra didn't budge, not even an inch! In the end, she had broken both his legs directly in front of his lackeys, leaving him crawling on the ground like a worm, then publicly castrated him with a huge hammer and had Mell paint a picture! She literally blackmailed him before leaving, telling him not to seek revenge or else…! Hump!
What a small world! Hahaha!
Petra still remembered him screaming about being from the Sky Tower and whatnot!
The surrounding noble youths all sensed the strange atmosphere.
For a moment, neither Petra nor Cross spoke.
Time seemed to stretch.
Petra's eyes narrowed slightly.
Her fingers twitched.
Crossal felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
Something about the way she was looking at him felt deeply unpleasant!
Petra slowly raised her hand.
A thought flickered across her mind.
Mm, maybe she should just poison him for good. Wouldn't that keep him out of her hair? She didn't really like this kind of person, even if he was a good punching bag!
No, wait! Perhaps—
She should just turn him into a girl...? It had been a while since she had created any new beauties!
The thought crossed her mind very naturally.
Her fingers began leaking a strange pink mist, but before anything could happen—
Swoosh!
"Wait!"
A sudden blur lunged through the air! Arthur suddenly appeared between them! He landed dramatically in front of Petra with a loud thud, arms stretched out like some kind of shield.
"Hold it right there!"
Petra: "…"
Crossal: "??"
Who was this person? That was the only thing that was running through Crossal's mind right now…
In truth, he had just arrived at the academy for the first time today. He planned to enroll.
How could he have known things would be so eventful.
Arthur glanced left, then right, then looked down at Petra with a tired expression.
"…No! Not at the academy!" Once again, he almost seemed to scold her like some kind of pet.
Petra frowned.
Should she comply? This was not the first time this annoying guy got in her way…
Her hand slowly lowered, and the faint pink mist dissipated before it could condense.
"Tch!" She clicked her tongue!
If it wasn't for her slight interest in Rotell, she definitely wouldn't let this lightweight four-eyes off!
Arthur sighed.
"Please don't randomly turn students into girls while visiting the academy."
Petra crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks! What did he take her for? Some kind of feminizing freak? Bah! Petra wasn't that petty! At least, she definitely would have waited for him to attack first! As long as she had a proper reason, then it wouldn't be random, right?!
"…Boring!" She spat, the harsh curse not fitting her cute face.
With that, she turned around and began to walk away.
From behind, Arthur let out a long breath.
Just as Petra stepped onto the garden path to leave—
Drip!
—A cold drop of water landed on her nose, causing it to twitch.
Petra stopped.
Another drop followed, then another! Within seconds, the sky had opened up, and rain began to fall.
Petra frowned and looked upwards.
"…Hmph!" She was no longer in a good mood!
Around her, the surrounding students immediately began to react to the rain.
"Ah! Rain!"
"Hurry! Get inside!"
Several students covered their heads with books and bags as they rushed back towards the academy doors, while others ran beneath nearby archways and outdoor overhangs to escape the sudden downpour. The peaceful garden quickly turned into a flurry of movement, filling with chaos.
Petra simply left, unaffected.
The rain soaked her hair and clothes within mere moments, yet she continued strolling through the academy garden as if nothing was happening. Stone paths glistened under the falling water while the hedges trembled beneath the growing storm.
Petra walked quietly through the rain.
Her small figure slowly disappeared along the winding path that led away from the academy.
* * *
At the same time, from just behind, near the main entrance of the school—
Another strange scene was unfolding!
Miss Green and Hesta were dragging 'someone' across the garden steps, their feet quickening as the downpour began to build. That someone was naturally Jura, who had been tied up tightly with a rough red rope. No matter how hard she struggled, she was incapable of escaping. She screamed as she was dragged through the mud, "Let me go! I said I was sorry! Hay-hay-hay, Miss Green! Please! For old times' sake! Let me go! Hey! Are you listening? Hey!"
Miss Green glared at her. "Quiet!" She spat, her mood already soured from the rain.
Jura shut her mouth.
Hesta held the rope with both hands while panting.
"Miss Green… She's still fighting so hard! How can she have so much energy…?"
"Of course she is," Miss Green replied with in a flat tone. "Those freaks from the Poulifna Family are nothing like the lazy little meres from your Holzeyras Family!"
Hearing this, Jura hissed and tried to kick them both. Unfortunately, she was being dragged just out of range, not allowing any of her attacks to connect.
She felt helpless!
The rain continued to fall…
* * *
Some time later…
High above the Royal Academy of Magic, in one of the highest towers overlooking the city of Llynun, a quiet room stood in silence. This was a small chamber that was simple but elegant, with tall stone pillars that framed a large circular window that opened up towards the distant skyline. From this height, the entire city could be seen at a glance, stretching outwards beneath the darkening sky.
An extremely old man stood before the window with his hands folded behind his back.
His long white hair fell like ethereal strands of silver silk across his shoulders, and the deep wrinkles lining his face gave the impression of someone who had lived far longer than most men should. His body was frail, skinny, and decrepit, but something about his appearance made each movement carry an unimaginable momentum, like a quiet tide ready to erupt at any moment. There was no question that this man was ancient, but just how ancient was difficult to tell, but if observed, those who knew would likely suspect that he predated the initial migration period.
His thin frame was draped in loose silver-patterned white robes, embroidered with faded runic patterns shaped like flying birds, and faintly rippling with a dense spiritual power.
He watched the city quietly, one eye closed, lost in thought. It was impossible to know what he was thinking, but the light that occasionally flickered in his eye seemed to surpass distance, making him appear to be glancing past the horizon.
The storm had arrived, and the rain had begun to fall.
He could feel the 'weight' of this storm far clearer than Petra, causing him to frown. If he were asked what he felt, he would only say that the wheels of fate were jamming…
Behind him, the door opened, and Principal Inel stepped inside.
He silently closed the door and approached the old man before stopping a short distance away.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Time passed as they both peered out the window.
Eventually, the old man's voice broke the silence. It was deep and grainy, and held a strange reverberation that made him feel less like a human and more like a mountain.
"…So," he said calmly, his gaze still fixed on the distant city, "you've met the little girl..."
Inel nodded.
"Yes."
A faint pause followed the response.
"Then… what do you think of Petra?"
The principal slowly sighed.
"…She's far more 'dangerous' than the rumors suggest."
His response didn't only mean in terms of power. From their conversation alone, Inel was capable of determining that Petra's abilities in deduction, strategy, comprehension, and understanding of the unknown far surpassed those of a normal genius. In fact, the restrained self that she had displayed already made him question what was so good about the other heroes. He had hinted at the 'tide of geniuses' that was coming, but even he had to wonder just how much of the future had to be sacrificed to create a monster like Petra. Even though he couldn't fully understand her, he knew that Petra was a monster beyond one's imagination. If all the Heroes were like that, then perhaps he could start to see the slightest flickers of hope of overcoming the Nine Calamities.
Regardless, his answer caused the old man to smile faintly.
"Yes," he murmured to himself. "I suspected as much..."
He shook his head, "How could 'that person's' daughter be any less extreme."
Inel looked at the old man, not understanding who he was talking bout.
Just as he was about to ask, something deep within warned him against it, and he chose not to ask.
The wind softly knocked against the window.
For a while, the two men simply watched the rain fall over Llynun.
"In addition to beginning early, the calamities are also appearing more destructive than we predicted," Inel said quietly. "We're already behind on our preparations, but using only Elena's information, it is proving more difficult to prepare than we had expected."
"It's ashamed that those old fellows across the ocean are too stubborn to listen…"
The old man nodded slowly.
"The world is moving whether we like it or not. All we can do is do our best to prepare for those who will affect this place. As for those involving the church or the overseas powers, you can just give up and leave that to the others." His voice carried the tone of someone recalling something, not quite focused.
"As for our main focus right now… have you had any luck finding the monolith?"
Inel remained silent.
The old man finally turned his head slightly, his aged eyes sharpening.
He understood that was a no…
How troublesome, he thought internally…
"There's more, isn't there?"
Inel hesitated.
Then he spoke.
"…People from Amaranda have arrived."
The room grew quiet.
"They came too quietly this time," Inel continued to explain. "There was no official announcement or special envoys. They just arrived as a small handful of individuals entering the continent under false identities alongside the other powers who were invited by the empire. Although we have our suspicions, it's impossible to confirm who's right now."
The old man's brows slightly furrowed.
"…I see."
Across the distant ocean stood Amaranda Academy. It was the greatest magical, no! It was the greatest academy in the known world! If they were sending people secretly, it most likely meant something significant was happening.
Inel spoke again.
"There's also news about 'the successor'."
The old man tilted his head slightly.
"Mellia?"
"Yes, I believe that was her name."
Inel nodded.
"The girl who will inherit Amaranda Academy in the future has 'already' appeared... fascinating!"
Silence returned to the room.
Rain continued tapping against the tall stone walls of the school from outside.
Eventually, the principal stepped back.
"That is all I have to report."
The old man gave a small nod, allowing him to leave.
Inel turned around and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
-
Once again, the old man stood alone…
He slowly walked closer to the window, pressing his thin hand against it, watching the distant streets below where the small figure of a green-haired girl had long since disappeared into the storm.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…The world is accelerating again." His voice was so low it appeared almost a whisper.
"I wonder how many variables will appear this time…"
For a moment, he thought about the calamities… the foreign academy… the future conflicts already beginning to form beyond the horizon, and then—
He thought about Petra...
A faint sigh escaped his lips.
"I don't know what path that child will walk…"
His gaze drifted back to the storm outside.
"But one thing is certain…"
"That girl—"
Ka-Ka-Kacha! The sky lit up!
"—is going to have a very difficult life…!"
* * *
Ka-Ka-Kacha—BOOM! Lightning split the sky!
Rain poured down across the academy, smashing into the marble paths and fractured fountain as thunder rolled across the darkened sky of Llynun.
Petra stood motionless in the storm.
The rain soaked through her hair and clothes, but she did not move.
Her back was straight, but her expression was void.
Behind her, Nebula stood silently beneath the falling rain, her black eyes fixed on Petra's still figure.
For some reason, she trembled ever so slightly.