Chapter 7

The Heavenly Palace, a grand mausoleum of white marble floating in the sky.

In the Great Crystal Room at noon, soft sunlight streamed in through the skylight.

Yukushia was sitting on a wooden chair by the wall, immersed in the warm sunlight, engrossed in reading.

Around her silk-like hair, particles seemed to float and sparkle.

The breeze from the balcony gently tousled her hair, and it was almost certain that no one could help but be captivated by her elegant profile.

Yukushia was not the only one in this space where time flowed leisurely.

Her friend, Renate Behr, a celestial student of the same age as Yukushia, was also there.

She sat cross-legged in front of a massive crystal, many times her size, and gazed into it with a blank expression. The crystal revealed the landscape of the Adamas Academy on the ground. Renate channeled her magic into the crystal and skillfully manipulated the delicate spell to change the scenery. Playing with her pink-blonde hair, she zoomed in and out, searching for something interesting.

Every year during the period when new students enrolled, there were always predictable incidents. Renate, anticipating one such event, focused the crystal on the Medical Center, where the most people were likely gathered due to the aptitude tests.

"I challenge you to a duel!"

At just the right moment, she spotted Muro giving Nis a challenge.

"Whoa! A duel!"

Finding the perfect distraction, Renate's delighted voice echoed through the Great Crystal Room.

New students challenging upperclassmen to duels was a tradition that had been going on for years, long before Renate and Yukushia became celestial students.

For Renate, this ground viewing was one of the few diversions in the Heavenly Palace, where popular entertainment was generally frowned upon. Unlike other celestial students who preferred a stoic life of constant training, Renate did not enjoy such a lifestyle.

On the other hand, descending to the ground for entertainment was something her pride as a celestial student, who had chosen the "endless training," would not allow.

Ignoring Renate, Yukushia added another thick book to the pile on the floor, having finished reading it, and picked up another one. The number of books in the grand library of the Heavenly Palace was so vast that Yukushia could not finish reading them in a lifetime.

However, the number of books that she carefully selected and found satisfying to read was limited. The large stack of books in front of her represented the long time she had spent reading whimsically.

"Hey, Yuk! Come and watch with me!"

Even when Renate called out to Yukushia using her nickname in a cajoling tone, she showed no interest in the ground scenery. It was understandable, as Yukushia had not descended to the ground for about eight years since becoming the youngest celestial student, and she spent her days in the Heavenly Palace in a carefree pursuit of training.

Before becoming a celestial student, Yukushia had accomplished many great deeds on the ground, but because she rarely showed herself, some people now doubted her existence. Renate, who had known her for a long time, understood that it was difficult to capture Yukushia's attention.

Renate gave up on watching with Yukushia and returned her gaze to the crystal.

In the crystal, Muro and Nis had moved to the arena and were facing each other. There was no way a new student could match an upperclassman who had received advanced lectures at the academy. However, the predictable flow of events made it all the more interesting.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Renate felt a sense of unease when she looked at Muro.

She couldn't pinpoint what was off, but Muro seemed unnatural in some way.

Then, Muro caught a pebble thrown by Nis, and Renate's expression changed.

"Wow, this guy is really strong."

Until then, Renate had been watching the duel as if it were a variety show, but now she placed her hand on her chin and began to observe it as a practitioner of skills.

Some people in the arena also recognized Muro's strength, but Renate saw even deeper. The subtle shift in his center of gravity, the deliberate openings he showed, and the efficient breathing to circulate his energy. He was a powerhouse at the celestial level.

"Yuk, look! There's a formidable new student!"

While manipulating the crystal's spell to make the sounds from the ground clearer, Renate called out.

However, Yukushia was using a spell to block out the sounds around her to focus on her reading. Renate's voice did not reach her, and she calmly turned the pages.

"By the way, I didn't ask your name. What is it?"

When Nis asked, Muro looked up at the sky. For some reason, his eyes met Renate's.

Renate realized what had been bothering her about Muro. It was that he had been aware of being watched.

"Arrogant. Just because you can do a little bit..."

Renate chuckled.

In the crystal, Muro smiled faintly and introduced himself.

"Muro Murozuka."

"Sorry, Muro. You're not... weak!"

Nis lunged at Muro.

To Renate, the outcome was clear. As expected, Nis was quickly neutralized, and the match was over.

"That was an interesting skill deployment just now."

At that moment, a tall young man with ash-gray hair walked up behind Renate.

His name was Elnas Kyutra. He had also been watching the duel.

Elnas was one of the "celestial candidates" who commuted to the Heavenly Palace from the ground, not yet a "celestial student," but he was confident of his eventual ascension and frequently visited the palace.

Renate disliked Elnas. His behavior in the Heavenly Palace was unrefined, as if he owned the place. He even ordered the palace servants to prepare a room for him, as if he were already a resident.

His actions seemed deliberately provocative.

"Yeah. He's probably from some noble family."

Hiding her disdain for Elnas, Renate put on a polite smile and responded casually.

In fact, Muro's skill deployment was impressive even to Renate. Maintaining the spell of amorphous, sand-like material required considerable concentration.

"Well, it's not good to show off skills like that."

Renate felt that Muro's skill use was natural, not showy, but she didn't point this out.

Elnas was right; if one possessed a hereditary skill, it was basic to conceal it except in critical moments. Renate also thought that using such overwhelming skills was excessive given the skill gap.

Renate had no intention of continuing the conversation and changed the scene in the crystal.

Elnas lost interest in the crystal and turned his attention to Yukushia, who was reading by the sunlit wall. He rudely broke through the silence spell Yukushia had cast and addressed her.

"Good afternoon, Yukushia."

Renate made a face behind Elnas. One of the reasons Elnas frequently visited the Heavenly Palace was to approach Yukushia.

Yukushia's beauty was like a flower on a high peak, and most people were too intimidated to approach her for romantic reasons. However, men like Elnas, with high self-esteem, were drawn to her like moths to a flame.

Yukushia, whose silence had been disrupted, stood up quietly without looking at Elnas. When Elnas reached out to touch her hair, she moved away as if she were a floating speck of dust.

"You're as aloof as ever."

"Back to their original places."

When Yukushia spoke, the books on the floor floated up and flew out of the Great Crystal Room, each one activated by the spell inscribed on its back cover.

After watching the books fly away, Yukushia swept her night-sky-colored cloak and glanced at her friend before leaving the room.

"And as always, you're a thorn in my side."

Elnas, left behind, muttered as he watched her beautiful, silk-like back.

No one noticed how distorted his face had become.