While walking and taking in everything around her,
Rena stood still in the distance, gazing at the magic school—now much closer.
The vast training ground stretched out before her, filled with lively, buzzing energy. The ground was dry, dusty—as if intentionally made that way. Every step the students took kicked up thin dust into the air, but strangely, the dust never really bothered anyone.
Magic circles etched at various points around the field glowed faintly.
Smooth. Stable.
As if maintaining balance—holding back the chaos from the magic being released, while also protecting the students from small things like dust that could break their focus.
Rena observed further.
On the eastern side, mage students stood in rows, practicing their spells. Flashes of light, bursts of flame, and small gusts of wind appeared one after another.
Not far away, marksmen focused their eyes on their targets. Arrows shot swiftly, while magic bullets left faint trails in the air.
At the edge of the field, healers seemed busy in their own world. Some practiced healing magic on dolls, carefully controlling their mana flow. Others directly treated students with minor injuries—the soft glow from their hands contrasting with the harsh training around them.
Everything moved as it should.
Structured.
Efficient.
Alive.
But—
Rena's gaze slowly drifted toward the center.
That field…
Was much larger than any other area.
Dominant.
Stretching wide as if connecting the west, south, and north sides of the school.
But unlike the other places—
It was… empty.
No students.
No training.
No sound.
Just a wide expanse of land left alone.
As if intentionally untouched.
Rena, walking slowly, squinted, still confused, clenching both fists.
…that place…
Why is it empty??
The Headmaster noticed Rena had slowed down and was looking at the same spot. She crossed her arms and explained.
Oh, that place…
I intentionally left it empty today. At least, besides the center, that area is always empty because… that used to be the knights' area.
The place where close-combat fighters trained.
Where swords clashed and heavy footsteps echoed.
As for the other parts—the west, south, and north sides—those have always been for simulation or sparring training.
Rena's eyes sparkled.
She became even more eager to explore the school grounds, even though she was just standing there. She clenched both fists, then raised them to her eyes as if peering through binoculars, without saying a word.
Then, sighing, the Headmaster crossed her arms tightly and looked down for a moment.
Back then, you could even say the simulation/sparring area was used more often by the knights training in the center field.
Yeah… but what can you do? Little by little, the number of people wanting to become knights started to decline…
Rena didn't respond to the Headmaster's words. Instead, her eyes suddenly became teary. Tears fell. Her legs trembled—as if even taking a step forward right now would be difficult. Then she spoke, her back still turned to the Headmaster.
Thank you, Headmaster…
Thank you for inviting me here.
Then, with a faint smile and her cheeks lifted, Rena turned around and looked at the Headmaster with sparkling eyes.
I never knew life like this could be so fun!!
Seeing Rena smile at her, the Headmaster remembered the first time they met. She looked at Rena and thought to herself.
Back then…
The wind in the lawless outer territories blew harsher.
No neat roads or sturdy buildings like in the royal capital—just a collection of makeshift shelters standing as they could. Rotten wood, tattered cloth, and narrow alleys filled with sharp stares from people used to living without rules.
A place where outsiders… usually didn't last long. That's what the Headmaster thought about that area. Even she herself wanted to quickly pass through and get to the city after finishing her mission as a knight.
But in the middle of all that—
there was one sight that shouldn't have been there. The Headmaster was slightly startled when she saw something strange.
From a distance, a little girl sat on an old wooden crate, her clothes tattered, covered in dust and tears. Her hair was a bit messy, but her eyes remained alive.
Yes… that was Rena.
She was eating her food eagerly, not caring about the world around her.
Bite after bite went in quickly—not out of greed, but like someone who knew the true value of every piece of food.
Around her,
people were watching.
But no one approached.
Their stares weren't just cautious.
They were… afraid.
The usually noisy alley now felt restrained. Even the wild children who normally ran around chose to stay away.
As if there was an invisible boundary no one dared to cross.
The Headmaster, seeing all this, took a moment to observe. Her gaze was sharp, assessing, but unhurried. She thought to herself.
Is this child not ordinary? Or a monster disguised as a normal human??
Then, getting into a ready position, wearing her knight armor, she gripped her sword in her right hand and started walking toward Rena—
Suddenly, footsteps were heard.
Someone—clearly not part of that environment—walked into the alley.
His gaze was wild.
His movements uncontrolled.
He saw Rena.
And smiled.
A wrong kind of smile.
The people around immediately noticed.
But—
no one moved.
No one warned.
Just silence.
Waiting.
The man approached, grinning with uneven breath.
Alone, huh…
His hand began to reach out.
That very moment—
Rena stopped eating.
She didn't panic.
Nor was she surprised.
She just… stopped.
Slowly, she turned her head.
Her gaze was empty.
Cold.
In one movement—
Crack!
Her leg shot out.
Fast.
Precise.
She struck the man's body without hesitation.
The man's body lifted for a moment before slamming into the ground, his breath instantly knocked out of him. The sound of the impact echoed through the narrow alley.
Silence.
No screams.
No chaos.
Just one result—
the threat… was over.
Rena turned back to her food.
As if nothing had happened.
Then—she continued eating.
The Headmaster watched everything.
Without blinking. She tried to analyze Rena.
Just an ordinary child??? B-but she…
Still not believing it, the Headmaster tried to calm herself and concluded.
If that's the case, it means she didn't survive this long just by luck.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she crossed her arms.
Rather…
She's… used to this.
She's been like this for a long time.
Watching Rena from a distance, the Headmaster slowly approached, analyzing in her heart.
Not just strong.
But knows when to move.
Without hesitation.
Without excessive emotion.
Then, with sparkling eyes, Rena quickened her pace, making the surrounding residents aware of the Headmaster's arrival—a city knight. Even so, the Headmaster kept walking, still analyzing Rena, and thought to herself.
That wild environment didn't make her a victim.
Instead… she adapted to it.
And for the first time, I stepped forward.
Not out of pity.
Not by chance.
But because I had just found something rare—someone who could even become my successor…!!
Then, with a slightly slower step, the Headmaster's cheeks lifted.
No…
Rather, a bright future for protection!!
Then the Headmaster got very close, still thinking.
Someone who… wasn't shaped by a safe world.
But by a world that should have destroyed her.
And yet, somehow… that girl (Rena)… is still standing.
With a single word, the Headmaster opened her mouth, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Rena and handed her a letter with her left hand.
Hey, kid… do you want your life to have more meaning? Please accept this letter.
Rena saw that and quickly tried to swat the Headmaster's hand away with a hard slap aimed at her right hand.
The Headmaster reflexively pulled her hand back before Rena's slap could reach her. Then she furrowed her brows and thought.
Ahh… I forgot…
She was raised harshly in the outside world. Of course formal approaches would only make her uncomfortable…
Sigh…
With a ready stance, Rena kept her distance from the Headmaster, staring sharply at her.
Who are you??
Don't tell me you're trying to take my food?!!!
Seeing Rena become aggressive, the Headmaster grew confused, her eyes darting around, crossing her arms.
Well… now what? How do I prove I'm not a bad person?
Suddenly, before the Headmaster was ready, Rena attacked first—right at the Headmaster's blind spot.
Shyaah!!!
The startled Headmaster tried to dodge, even reflexively using her sword from the right side of her armor.
And sure enough, an energy power slash nearly grazed Rena.
Swooshhh!!!
Boom! (Hitting several trees there)
Seeing the Headmaster's attack, many wild residents ran away.
Run!!
Runnn!!
Let's get out of here!!!
Seeing that, Rena just stood there, mouth agape, then knelt down, her gaze lowered, breathing heavily, and muttered.
What… was that?!!
Meanwhile, the Headmaster, who had nearly hit Rena, could only approach the kneeling Rena with a worried face, trembling lips, and then grabbed Rena's shoulders.
Hey!!
Are you okay??
Suddenly, Rena looked up at the Headmaster's face—not with sharp, negative eyes, but with sharp, sparkling eyes.
Please teach me that move!!!!
And that was how the relationship between Rena and the Headmaster began…
The Headmaster, just smiling to herself while remembering that moment, suddenly snapped back to reality. Rena was already on the school training field. Seeing that, the Headmaster panicked slightly, her brows furrowed.
Hey!!!
Rena!!
Wait!!!