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The next day, dawn.
The forest behind the Medio Garden.
Known as the Forest of Spirits.
Four students gathered at the entrance of the forest.
"This is the only place left."
"We've searched every forest within the first-year area. This is the only place left."
"Is it okay to just go in here like this?"
"What does it matter? It's just a forest here too. It's just that spirits appear a lot."
Latia joined in Luna and Liber's conversation.
"Are you sure it's even here? That Ether or Ever flower."
Luna replied.
"It's Ever flower. And I don't know if it's here or not..."
"You said the flower is green and the stem and leaves are red, right?"
"Think of it as the opposite of ordinary flowers. The flower color is all green, but the stem and leaf colors are diverse. It's not just red. There are yellow and white ones too."
Davian took the first step.
"Then let's hurry in and find it. You said we can make the potion Luna mentioned if we have it."
Luna hesitantly followed Davian from behind.
"Um, I... I'm sorry. It's all because of me. Everyone probably doesn't have enough time to prepare for exams."
Liber pushed Luna's back as she hesitated and entered the forest.
"What are you talking about? This is also an exam. Making and submitting a top-grade potion is a substitute for the practical evaluation of the healing magic class. You said you can make the secret potion passed down in your family if you find that Ever flower or whatever."
"That's true... but I feel like I'm taking up too much time."
"We should be thankful! Who would have even dared to try making such a high-level potion if it weren't for you? Let's try to find it. Well, if we don't, there's nothing we can do."
Finally, Latia followed her friends into the forest.
"Let's split up and look for it."
"Okay. I'll go this way."
"I'll go this way."
"Then I'll go that way."
Davian, Luna, Latia, Liber.
Four magic students decided to split up and search the forest.
Ever flower.
A flower with reversed flower and leaf colors. Mixing this flower with the Dalgaengi grass allows you to create the top-grade potion that has been passed down only in the Luna Fieri family.
They already got the Dalgaengi grass but came to this forest behind the Medio Garden because they couldn't find the Ever flower.
If they can't find the Ever flower here, Luna's secret potion cannot be made.
Mixing the basic ingredients distributed during the healing magic class with ingredients available within the academy to create a high-level potion.
That was the assignment that would replace the practical evaluation of the healing magic class.
Davian, Latia, and Liber, who heard about the Ever flower and the potion containing the secrets of Luna's family, decided to go looking for this flower without hesitation.
Otherwise, they could only make a mediocre potion that all the other students make.
An hour later.
Davian, who had been looking down while walking, stretched his back and twisted his neck this way and that.
'A flower with reversed flower and leaf colors...'
He came quite deep into the forest, but he couldn't see such a flower.
"Davian!"
Suddenly hearing a familiar voice.
When he turned his head, Glacier, the fairy-sized fairy, was floating in the air, smiling brightly.
"It's been a while, Glacier."
"Yeah! Nice to see you."
"But aren't spirits supposed to not appear so often? You only have me as your contractor."
"I'm not very interested in the human world. Kkya-roo-roo. But what brings you to my forest?"
'Come to think of it, Erium Alcancia, the first king, gave this forest to Glacier as a gift.'
"I came to find something. Ever flower."
"Ever flower? Why?"
"It's an ingredient to put in the potion I'm submitting as an assignment."
"It will be difficult to amplify the potion effect with just one Ever flower?"
"What was it called? Dalgaengi grass, I think. They said to mix it with that. I already got that."
"Oh! That's right? As expected of Davian. You have great friends."
"Do you happen to know where it is?"
Glacier's face, which had been smiling brightly, instantly froze coldly.
"By the way, Davian."
"What?"
"You dare come to my forest and not only tell me you're going to pick my flowers, but also ask for their location? You want me to help the flowers of my forest be picked by human hands?"
Instantly, an enormous coldness wrapped around Davian's body.
The bone-chilling cold felt much colder than what he felt in the caves of the Northern Ice Region.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't think about that. But what's with that expression right now? Are you going to freeze me to death?"
"I'm thinking about it."
"Stop kidding and let it go."
"Was I caught? Kkya-roo-roo."
"The prank you pull when you appear after a long time is to say you're going to freeze me to death?"
"Hey, I was going to tease you a little more. It's boring. How did you know so quickly?"
'Wait, come to think of it?'
Davian was also curious as to why he noticed it so quickly.
He just had a feeling that Glacier would never hurt him.
He didn't know why he suddenly felt that way.
Davian said anything in response.
"We're friends, aren't we?"
"That's right. Friends. Kkya-roo-roo. Come here. I'll show you where the Ever flowers are."
Whether Davian's answer pleased her, Glacier began to lead the way with excited flapping.
Before long, he could see several Ever flowers blooming in the place Glacier was pointing to.
They looked like roses or tulips, but as Luna said, the flowers were green.
The leaves and stems were bright yellow.
"Is it okay to pick them? I'm afraid I'll be frozen to death if I pick the flowers."
"That much is okay. They've already spread all their pollen anyway. Blooming and withering and living forever is the true vitality of flowers."
Davian carefully began to pick the Ever flowers one by one. Because Glacier, who claimed to be the owner of this forest, was right next to him, he felt nervous and his hand movements became careful.
Davian, who got the flowers, moved to the forest entrance where he parted with his friends.
Glacier, who appeared after a long time, chattered and floated next to Davian.
"...So when the spirits meet a human with spirit affinity and they like, they try to make a contract."
"You mean the spirit realm is too boring?"
"Yeah. We don't die and live forever, but there's actually nothing in the spirit realm. In a way, we're beings who live by obligation? Anyway, this world is much more interesting than that. But if you don't make a contract with a human, it's not easy to influence this world."
"Not easy means there are other ways, right?"
"There is. It's complicated, but there is. But if that's the case, it's easier and faster to find a human you like."
"But why don't you make a contract? Is there a reason why you're not interested in this world?"
"It's a long story. Long ago, I made a contract with a being other than a human, and I spent a really long time with that being."
Glacier's eyes gazed vaguely at the air.
"But even though their lifespan was long, death eventually came. As long as we were together, it was too hard to accept death. I never wanted to experience that pain again. After that, I chose to live leisurely in the spirit realm. ...As I lived like that, I got used to it again."
"Then can I ask why you made a contract with Erium?"
Glacier smiled.
"Their faces looked alike. It was as if they had been reincarnated. I couldn't help but be curious."
"Then what about me?"
"I told you. Your appearance is different, but I got a similar feeling from you as I did from Erium. I couldn't help but smile at the way you awkwardly wielded your ice club."
Actually, what Davian was curious about wasn't who Glacier had contracted with or why.
"Then how much power can you exert right now? Here in the human realm."
"Are you curious? The stronger you become, the stronger my power here becomes."
"So what is it now?"
"Well. Humans are constantly evolving. It's already been a thousand years since I've been involved in the human world. The size of power is actually relative, right? But the important thing is..."
"The important thing?"
Glacier raised both index fingers and made horns on her head.
"If someone makes you dangerous, I'll be angry, and when I'm angry, I'm a little scary? Kkya-roo-roo."
"Oh my. That's very reassuring."
"What? Your tone doesn't sound reassuring at all?"
"I haven't seen it yet."
"You're not even an adult yet, so that shouldn't happen. Not like Erium, who was in the middle of a war. Oh? Undine is looking for me. I'll go, Davian."
"Okay. Show up again later."
"Good luck with the midterm."
"You knew it was exam period?"
"Yeah. I'm always watching you, even when I don't show myself. I told you. I'm everywhere and nowhere."
A little while after Glacier disappeared, his friends appeared one by one.
Everyone was empty-handed, but it didn't matter.
Davian had already obtained the Ever flower.
"Wow! Great job, Davian. You got the flower?"
"Glacier helped me."
"Okay, let's go make the potion."
Davian and his party returned to the dormitory and made the potion according to Luna's instructions.
At Luna's suggestion that it would only be meaningful if they made it themselves, they had some trouble making it individually, but in the end, they completed the potion according to the secret method handed down in Luna's family.
"Now all we have to do is submit it."
"It's almost lunchtime. Let's eat and submit it."
Student restaurant, the usual seats.
It was now the regular table for Davian's group.
His swordsmanship department friends had arrived first and were sitting.
Nubes found the magic department friends and waved hello.
"Davian! Guys! Did you make that potion?"
"Oh, Nubes. I made it. Thanks to Luna for telling me everything."
"Did it come out properly?"
"Yeah. I can tell even without tasting it. It's a completely top-grade potion."
"That's great. I'm relieved. Davian, are you going to get perfect scores in every subject?"
Bellum, who had brought a plate full of noodles, sat down and said.
"That's going to be difficult. There's the swordsmanship department midterm evaluation tomorrow."
This time Liber asked.
"Didn't you say Davian is pretty good at swordsmanship too?"
Bellum waved his hands.
"Hey, you can't even come close with just being pretty good. Maybe Bonita could. Our opponent is a third-year. You have to win to get a perfect score, is that even possible?"
"What? You have to win to get a perfect score? I knew we were dueling with third-years, but you have to win to get a perfect score? Does that even make sense?"
"That's right. Maybe Bonita has a little chance. The rest of us can't even come close. Actually, it's not easy for Bonita either. There are tons of 3-star and 4-star swordsmen among the third-years."
Of course, it's not easy for a first-year to beat a third-year.
But it's not impossible either.
And in this seat, there is already a student who has been attending Elton Academy for over 10 years.
11th-year freshman, Davian Nowane thought.
'They're just hatchlings, even if they're third-years. It's not easy to fight with swordsmanship alone, but first-years and third-years are the same in that they haven't really developed their skills.'
Of course, he may be pushed back in terms of swordsmanship right now.
But Davian has a level of combat experience that they can't even imagine.
'Even if it's a swordsmanship evaluation, I can't lose to a nineteen-year-old. If I get a perfect score on the midterm without having to aim for the final exam, will I automatically become the top student in the swordsmanship department?'
The swordsmanship duel evaluation with the third-years.
It may be a stepping stone that can completely confirm Davian's double major.
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