One of the peculiarities of being an elf is having incredibly heightened senses.
That doesn’t mean I can see through walls like Superman or that everyday life becomes impossible.
It only happens when I want it to, precisely when I choose to adjust my senses.
To see farther, hear deeper, and feel more intensely, just at the moment I desire.
… Elenia’s Master.
The energy emanating from deep below the grand training hall was massive and razor-sharp.
It felt like standing before an unfathomable, colossal iceberg.
Even without touching it, the imagined cold seemed sharp enough to bite into my skin.
I couldn’t help but let out a faint laugh.
So, this is a human?
Though I haven’t met many of my kin, they were all quite extraordinary.
But this presence, exuding a chill I’ve never felt even among them…
A giant who is hard to confront.
Just as Elenia said, this human is more than human.
If this aura alone can make an elf shrink back, what kind of person could they be?
I followed closely behind Elenia, maintaining my tension and letting my imagination run wild.
“Now that I think about it… Elenia doesn’t seem nervous at all.”
It’s hard to believe she’s so calm just because this person is her master.
This is someone who could’ve easily ended our lives instead of welcoming us.
Even though it’s been a long time since they last met, her composure seems almost abnormal.
Meanwhile, the attendant who guided us here disappeared as if fleeing.
At first, I thought he was uneasy about dealing with elves, but if that were the case, he would have acted differently earlier.
The real reason for his hasty departure was the person we were about to meet.
According to Ronnos, this individual reportedly turned fifty imperial knights into invalids.
Ah, my mistake.
Not invalids—patients. Well, aren’t those basically the same?
Anyway, this person, who supposedly did all that, is down below, and they even put a hole in the pillar right next to my head.
If I were an ordinary human, I wouldn’t look back either—I’d run.
Step, step.
Finally, my feet touched the grass as we descended the last stair.
“Ugh.”
A biting cold wind, twice as frigid as before, swept over me.
This wasn’t natural wind.
If it were, it wouldn’t have felt like it was slicing through my flesh.
This was an artificial current created by the aura of the person ahead, shaking the surroundings.
It was a feat unimaginable for anyone but an extraordinary master.
And this person, Elenia’s master, was casually emitting this overwhelming presence as if it were as natural as breathing.
Now I understood why Elenia constantly claimed to be inferior to her master.
Though she herself possessed remarkable skill, before someone of this caliber, she had to bow her head.
I had a feeling—a vague, unsettling intuition—that I should stay close behind Elenia.
So, I subtly stepped aside and followed a step behind her at a cautious pace.
“Master.”
After walking for what felt like forever, Elenia finally stopped.
She slowly bowed her head forward, her waist bending low.
If other elves saw this, they might have screamed about disgracing their kind.
But if they could feel this electrifying aura, they might have kept their mouths shut.
I followed Elenia’s lead, bowing deeply, my waist almost at a 90-degree angle.
I wondered how her master would respond.
What kind of reply would they give?
Would it be a warm greeting?
An inquiry about how she’d been?
Or perhaps a question about what was behind her?
It was none of those.
What greeted us was an endless silence.
Elenia remained bowing, not lifting her head.
Her greeting was far from over.
Never mind her elven pride—surely her back must be hurting, but she didn’t waver.
My curiosity grew. Who exactly was this human before us?
How extraordinary were they?
How strong?
Most of all, what kind of appearance accompanied this fierce aura?
I couldn’t resist.
I slightly raised my head and glanced ahead. Wait.
“Why can’t I see anything?”
It was strange.
Even with my slight movement, I should’ve been able to see something.
There’s no way Elenia’s figure could completely block someone of such stature.
I raised my head a little more, but still, nothing appeared in my view.
Despite the undeniable presence of this overwhelming aura, there was nothing visible.
Someone capable of emitting such power must surely be a giant-like being.
Yet, on the other side of Elenia, there was nothing.
As if responding to some invisible change, Elenia slowly straightened her body.
I followed suit, cautiously waiting for what would happen next.
Then, as Elenia silently stepped aside, the person standing before us finally came into view.
“…An academy student?”
The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.
Elenia quickly shook her head.
And the moment the words left my lips, I realized my mistake.
Elenia had clearly said earlier that her master was here.
Even so, uttering such foolish words was truly embarrassing, but to be honest, this was a very natural progression.
“A master, you say? A master? But, no matter how I look at that person…”
No matter how I see it, that’s just a girl.
A girl who, at most, is in her late teens.
Her appearance says it all.
There’s a youthful air that can’t be hidden or erased.
The person in front of me, the one called ‘Sir Noah,’ is exactly that.
No matter how I see it, she’s a girl.
“This reunion isn’t particularly pleasant, and you’ve brought along something ridiculous to boot.”
But at the same time, I realize that she’s not an ordinary girl.
The way she speaks.
The look in her eyes when she stares at me.
And the aura emanating from her entire being.
Outwardly, she’s a girl without any pretense or disguise, yet her substance is the complete opposite.
“Still, you wouldn’t bring just anything along.”
Sir Noah, who passed by Elenia and approached me, looked me up and down as if appraising an animal.
Thanks to the reduced distance, I could also observe this mysterious girl more closely.
Her head barely reached my chest.
Her thin arms and legs, far removed from anything that might suggest physical labor.
No matter how you look at her, she’s not someone who could embody the pinnacle of anything.
‘Yes. That’s only from an elf’s perspective. And only when seen through such eyes.’
At the same time, though, I could see it.
Thanks to the training I received from Elenia.
With every step she took, the distance between us shifted into a perfect position to suppress me completely.
Even the most meaningless of gestures hinted at the ability to target vital points or joints at any moment.
This is something a normal elf like me would never have noticed.
For those who devote their lives to magic or spirit arts, this is utterly beyond perception.
It’s like… how should I put it?
It feels as if stepping into her domain would mean instant death.
“Let’s see. Judging by your build, it seems you’ve laid a solid foundation.”
Sir Noah extended her hand to my chest and tapped lightly, as if testing a steel plate.
Then, glancing at me, she smirked mischievously, as if to say, Look at this one.
Now I understand why Elenia said she’s eccentric.
That smile.
It looks downright sinister.
“What’s wrong? Do you feel insulted being evaluated by someone who looks much younger than you?”
“No, not at all.”
“Not at all? Your face says it all—‘What on earth is this little thing?’”
“I was just surprised to see Sir Noah, whom Elenia refers to as her master, like this.”
Suddenly, Sir Noah’s face twisted with annoyance.
I was about to ask what was wrong, thinking I had made a mistake.
“So they’re still calling me by that ridiculous title, huh?”
“…Sir Noah, you mean?”
“Thanks to those idiots mistaking it for my name, I’m about to forget my own name entirely,” he muttered, clicking his tongue before moving behind me.
Then he lightly tapped the back of my leg.
Of course, my body didn’t react as if it had received a light tap—instead, I stumbled forward helplessly.
“Ugh.”
With just one touch, my muscles lost strength, and I collapsed.
“Disciple, now explain. Why is the one who said he was returning to his homeland here? And why are you, who don’t even have much talent for teaching, dragging this along?”
“I wanted you to take a look at Tyreal, Master.”
“That name is a mouthful. But tell me, don’t you pointy-eared folks usually disdain martial arts?”
“It’s different. Tyreal approached me first, asking to be taught and criticizing the flaws of the forest clans, saying they need to change.”
“Words like that—I’ve heard enough of them from the League.”
So “Noah” wasn’t a name but a title.
The term “pointy-eared folks.”
And the mention of the League.
If I can’t figure it out after hearing this much, I might as well throw away my reincarnated memories.
It’s baffling, but if a human can become an elf, why wouldn’t other possibilities exist?
“Excuse me, Sir Noah. Could it be that you’re from somewhere else?”
“Hah, this novice has a good eye. Yes, I came from very far away. Look, don’t I look a little strange to you?”
I knew it!
I was right!
Wow, this is incredible!
So, I’m a reincarnator, and he’s a dimension traveler or something like that?!
“Heavenly Demon…!”
Without realizing it, the words slipped out of my mouth.
But somehow, as if he understood them, Sir Noah looked at me.
Oh no.
Is this where he interrogates me, demanding to know how I’m aware of that title?
“Kid, what kind of nonsense is that supposed to be?”
Why do ‘heavenly’ and ‘demon’ go together like that?
Sir Noah looked at me with an exasperated expression.
No, but… isn’t Heavenly Demon a given?
If it’s a martial arts master from another dimension, isn’t “Heavenly Demon” mandatory?!