Chapter 45: Isabel’s Wish (1)

“How did this happen, Princess? Who is that old man, and why did he take that student?”

“…You don’t need to know. Just report to the Empire that the situation is resolved. And don’t forget to check if any demonic beasts have strayed into civilian areas.”

“But…”

“Just do as I say for now.”

“Understood.”

Isabel stared blankly at the spot where Drakan had disappeared.

She had no idea where he had gone. 

That old wanderer had dozens of hideouts scattered everywhere.

Even if she wanted to find him, who could possibly track him down?

After all, he was the strongest man on the continent at this point.

But questions lingered.

Why had he taken him?

‘He said not to worry, but… I can’t help feeling uneasy.’

He wouldn’t do anything reckless? Well, maybe not now.

But if someone were to provoke him, there was no telling what might happen.

‘…Theonar.’

Isabel clenched her fists tightly, her lips pressed together.

Her short nails dug into her palms, occasionally drawing blood.

‘Waiting around won’t do any good.’

She had to find him.

Before the Martial God, her teacher, did something irreversible.

***

Their first conversation had likely been after the final exam of her third year.

It was right after she had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Rozennia, Sylvia, and Ian, leaving her in a highly sensitive state.

He had shown up at the training ground where she practiced every day.

Their first meeting had been quite intense.

He had abruptly started giving her absurd advice.

“If you keep doing it like that, you’ll keep losing.”

“…Who the hell are you?”

“Me? I’m someone here to help you.”

“Stop talking nonsense and get lost. I’m not in the mood.”

At first, she thought he was just some weirdo and brushed him off.

But he kept coming back, persistent as ever.

“Hey, your footing is off. And you’re not just gathering mana—you need to use centrifugal force to spin it…”

“Ugh, seriously! Why do you keep bothering me? Do you want to get hit again?”

She tried to scare him off.

She threatened him, even beat him up badly at times.

But he didn’t budge.

Even with his eyes swollen or his head wrapped in bandages.

Every day, he would show up and offer his advice.

At first, she was angry.

Then annoyed.

Later, she found it absurd.

And by the end, she was even a little intrigued.

‘What if I just give it a try?’

It wasn’t like she had anything to lose.

She just had to close her eyes and do as he said.

But her pride was a bit bruised, so she waited until no one was around.

‘No one’s watching, right?’

She recalled his words and tried to follow his instructions.

She adjusted her stance, changed the angle of her foot.

As he had suggested.

More fluidly, more powerfully.

‘…What the, why does this…’

As she moved, she couldn’t believe it herself.

The awkwardness in her posture that had felt like hitting a wall was gone.

The movements that had been difficult now felt easier.

Perhaps because the frustration that had been gnawing at her had disappeared.

Isabel continued her movements, lost in the flow.

She kept going tirelessly, as if she had found enlightenment.

She, who had been stuck at the 5th rank for so long, suddenly broke through to the 6th rank.

“Wow, this is unbelievable.”

That’s when it started.

When he began to occupy her thoughts.

Of course, given her personality, it was hard for her to express it directly.

Having lived her life with a sharp tongue, it was difficult for her to show a sudden, dramatic change.

It was a week later when she saw him again.

“What happened to your face? I didn’t hit you.”

“…It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Who said I was worried? I just noticed, that’s all.”

Even though she said that, she was concerned.

How could she not be?

He had the insight to correct someone like her, who was considered a top talent at Arcane.

Yet he was getting beaten up by others? It didn’t make sense.

‘What kind of guy is he?’

It was only then that Isabel realized she didn’t even know his name.

So she hurriedly started digging into his background.

His name, his upbringing, his grades… things like that.

The more she learned, the more questions she had.

‘A commoner? Ranked 987th overall… but first in theory? What the hell?’

She didn’t care about his commoner status—she wasn’t one to discriminate—but being ranked around 1,000th overall was shocking.

‘With eyes like that, why…’

It was hard to believe that someone with such keen insight, who had effortlessly lifted her to the next level, was stuck at such a low rank.

Even if he lacked talent, he shouldn’t be that low.

‘Wait, first, those guys.’

At Arcane, a commoner with no backing was like a tasty snack for predators.

Especially someone as unnoticeable as him.

She had seen it countless times—people being toyed with until they broke, only for the perpetrators to brush it off as a mistake.

‘Right, this is just paying back a debt.’

That green-haired noble, who thought he was some big shot, bullying commoners.

She just needed to straighten out his twisted mind.

“Why, why are you doing this, Princess…?”

“Shut up, you brat. Keep your head down if you don’t want to die by my hand.”

She thought a few punches and a warning would be enough.

After all, she was a princess from another country—not someone to be trifled with.

But no.

The brat only grew more vicious, tormenting the commoners even more meticulously.

‘He’s out of his mind.’

So she started planning how to beat him senseless.

If she left him alone, he would only cause more harm.

Like a predator stalking its prey, she watched him closely every day.

Then, unexpected news arrived.

‘He won?’

The green-haired noble who had been tormenting him had been utterly destroyed.

It wasn’t her doing, but she couldn’t help feeling a sense of pride.

She hurried to the site of the duel, mana swirling around her feet.

‘Oh, he beat him to within an inch of his life.’

The green-haired noble was carried away, a bloody mess.

But he stood there, unscathed and composed.

‘…But how did he get so strong all of a sudden?’

At the time, she didn’t think much of it.

If he had the insight to advise her, it made sense that he might be hiding his strength.

‘This is interesting.’

She was intrigued.

Out of pure curiosity.

Isabel was the type to act immediately, so she started staying by his side.

Of course, it wasn’t easy. He was incredibly guarded.

“Why me?”

“Why not? You helped me last time!”

“Well, that’s all I know…”

“Stop making excuses and just do it!”

Under the pretext of training, she lured him in.

If she hadn’t, she might never have gotten close to him.

The time they spent together gradually increased.

And it didn’t take long for her curiosity to turn into something else.

Isabel herself didn’t know what it was.

She just found it fun to be with him, and it made her laugh.

That was enough.

Her entire life had been weighed down by the responsibility of being a princess, keeping others at a distance.

It had been so long since she had talked to someone so freely.

‘I wish it could stay like this.’

She didn’t know what would happen after graduation, but she hoped this life could continue.

If necessary, she could even recruit him to her kingdom.

But her sweet dream was soon shattered.

“…You, something’s off.”

“I’m fine.”

“Something happened. What did those bastards do to you?”

“…”

Half a year before graduation, he, a year below her, was sent to the front lines of the Black Field.

It was supposed to be a practical experience, not too dangerous.

After all, it was something every Arcane student went through at least once.

She thought nothing of it and started thinking about what she would say when he returned.

Surely, facing so many demonic beasts for the first time would have been terrifying or difficult.

She planned to cheer him up with some lighthearted words.

But when he returned, his eyes were empty.

It was as if his soul had been ripped out. His hollow, colorless eyes sent chills down her spine.

It didn’t take long to find out what had happened.

The news spread like wildfire across the Empire and Arcane.

‘A large-scale demonic beast outbreak in the area where Arcane students were deployed? How could this happen…’

It was supposed to be a quiet area where demonic beasts rarely appeared.

But unexpected mutations had emerged, leading to a massive attack.

The death toll was so high that Arcane held a joint funeral.

She thought it was a miracle he had returned alive.

At least he was in one piece, unlike those who had died.

But he gradually became someone she no longer recognized.

Outwardly, he seemed fine.

He attended classes, continued training.

But sometimes, he would clutch his head as if in pain, or suddenly zone out mid-conversation, leaving her uneasy.

‘No, it’s fine. I’ll just stay by his side. That’s all I need to do…’

She scolded herself for imagining a future where he fell apart, vowing to stay by his side no matter what.

Until that damned Demon God appeared.

“What… what is that?”

“The sky… it’s splitting!”

“The Demon God, the Demon God has returned! Run!!!”

That is, until that damn demon god showed up.