Honestly, during the vacation, Elodie missed Constel.
Life at the Mage Tower was too hard, torturous, and grueling.
Elodie’s primary duty in the Mage Tower was as a research assistant, and research there meant literally stepping into the uncharted territories of magic.
But the actual stepping in was done by Elodie, not the researchers. That was the assistant’s job.
Even if something big happened, it shouldn’t happen to the researcher. That was the reason.
Of course, it was quite entertaining to see the expressions of the Mage Tower’s magicians when she secretly observed their research, mastered it all, and then demonstrated it right in front of their eyes.
Anyway, Elodie missed Constel. The Mage Tower was a place for highly leveled magicians. There was not a single magician of Elodie’s age.
So, when the vacation ended and she returned to Constel, Elodie was inwardly excited.
For about three days.
“…Ha.”
Sitting quietly in the classroom, someone approached her with sparkling eyes.
The start of the second semester at Constel was truly a time dominated by rumors. Especially for Elodie, who, along with Aster, had to endure immense attention.
The rumor, of course, was about the success of the three-element combination. It was true, and it was a proud achievement that Elodie didn’t need to be ashamed of. Naturally, at first, Elodie answered eagerly, feeling proud.
But to repeat this for three days, and even today, naturally, it could only become tiresome.
“Yeah, it’s true. You’re not the only one; more than a hundred have come and gone. Stop asking already.”
“Kyaa! It’s really true? Oh my, wow!”
But the reaction of her classmate was strange. It seemed like a mix of excitement and fun in their eyes, rather than just admiration for Elodie’s growth.
What could it be? Is the combination of three elements really that thrilling for others?
“So why did you stop?”
“…? Stop? There’s no need to do it here.”
“Oh my, of course. How could you do it without Frondier?”
…Frondier?
Then Elodie realized that the story had taken a strange turn.
“Wait, what’s going on?”
“Huh? What?”
“What’s the rumor you heard?”
“Well, it’s—”
It must be about the combination of the three elements, right?
She must have heard that story and responded ‘really?’, right?
Her classmate replied.
“You and Frondier, you were childhood friends.”
“What?”
“And you used to follow him around and call him ‘Fron~.'”
Elodie’s time stood still. She wondered what she had heard.
Elodie blankly looked into the empty space with her blue eyes, then an earthquake occurred in her pupils, and her face turned red.
“Ah, what, what are you talking about───!!”
* * *
This situation was not limited to Elodie.
The rumor changed strangely. So cleverly that no one knew when, where, or how it changed.
In the case of Aster Evans,
“Frondier, Sybil, and I are in a love triangle…?”
“Yeah!”
Aster’s brow furrowed. It was a strange feeling he had never felt before since entering Constel.
“Why is that story going around?”
“Remember when we went into the dungeon together? At that time, Sybil and Frondier got separated, and you got jealous and broke through the dungeon at super speed, that’s the story!”
Aster rubbed his face. His head was throbbing.
It’s true that we went into the dungeon together. It’s also true that Frondier and Sybil got separated along the way. It’s also true that I tried to clear the dungeon as quickly as possible.
It’s all true, but how could the connection change so much?
‘What kind of prank is this?’
Based on the facts, they filled the gap with lies. There’s definitely an intention.
Aster was feeling irritated for the first time in a long time.
…And on the other hand.
“Aten-nim is so kind that’s why!”
“No! Aten-nim is being blackmailed right now!”
In the garden of Constel, strange factions gathered and argued with each other.
Aten stood still in the middle of them.
“Ah, over there…?”
“Miss Aten! I’ve heard the rumors! I should have recognized that trash from the start! I will go and kill him right away!”
“Kill? What are you talking about! Miss Aten! I am truly moved by your mercy and compassion that reaches the heavens. We will follow Miss Aten Terst for the rest of our lives.”
Indeed, at this point, even Aten might break into a sweat.
She roughly understood the content.
There were two factions arguing about Aten’s involvement with Frondier.
One side claimed Aten was being blackmailed, and the other believed Aten was compassionately staying with Frondier out of pity.
‘Both are wrong. And both are displeasing.’
How can there be no right opinion in a situation where opinions are so divided?
“Miss Aten gathered eight people for a meal with Frondier recently! That alone shows how merciful Miss Aten is!”
“It seems you don’t know that one of those eight was ‘Selena,’ Frondier’s escort who first approached. It’s clear that Frondier hinted something to Lord Aten!”
Sigh.
Aten sighed and raised her right hand.
Ice magic
Spearpoint
“Gasp!”
An ice wall blocked between the two factions.
“Enough, everyone cool down.”
“Miss Aten…”
“And stop paying attention to baseless rumors from both sides.”
After saying that, Aten turned back.
She went because she heard there was an argument about her, but it was a waste of time.