Gust didn't linger for long. They had just gone through a great battle, and there were still many matters that required a Grand Arcana Master like him to handle and clean up. On top of that, a sudden urgent Arcana message had reached him, so he began bidding everyone farewell.
"It's been a pleasure being with you, children, but I have to leave now."
Just then, as if something had suddenly come to mind, he turned to Linen.
"Linen, there's also an acquaintance of yours in the academy. If you have the time, I think you should go meet her."
An acquaintance?
Linen frowned.
Right now, the academy was in complete chaos. If they didn't go into full lockdown with entry-and-exit control, that was already fortunate enough. And yet there was someone he knew who could just stroll in and out?
"Master Gust, could you tell me who she is, and where she is right now?"
Linen asked.
"Of course. It's your imperial sister, Her Highness the Silver Dragon Princess Quinn. When you leave the teleportation channel and head back to your dorm, just take the right-hand corridor and you'll see her."
With that, Gust's voice faded into the wind along with his figure, disappearing without a trace.
Upon hearing that the visitor was Linen's sister, Hysteria showed no interest at all. She'd met plenty of princes and princesses—just like her own elder brothers and sisters, all flashy but useless types who could cry for ages after a single punch from her.
Elena, on the other hand, as a native of the Zijinghua Empire, had heard of the princess who had awakened the Silver Dragon bloodline. That person was actually an Arcana Mage of the same element as herself, which made her something of a senior to Elena.
And beyond that, what caught Elena's attention was another identity—
She was Linen's elder sister. What kind of person would she be?
If only she could get along peacefully with her…
Carrying that little private hope, Elena followed Linen out of the teleportation gate—only to see him, without a moment's hesitation, heading straight for… the left-hand corridor.
"Linen, you're going the wrong way. Your sister's waiting for us in the right-hand corridor."
Elena couldn't help reminding him.
Who would have thought that at her words, Linen didn't slow down; he actually sped up.
"Not wrong. It's because I already know that Quinn woman's lying in wait for us on the right side that going left is the right move."
This answer left Elena momentarily stunned. Linen, however, rolled his eyes.
Joking aside, if he were to rank the people he least wanted to run into, Quinn— that lunatic—would easily make the top ten. The only ones ahead of her would be the three Sages of the Tower of Chronomancy, his imperial mother, Empress Tivira, and the Flame Rose Emperor he was destined to snatch a cabbage from.
However—just as his words fell—a refined and gentle female voice suddenly rang out:
"Oh, my dear little brother. From the sound of it, are you… avoiding your sister, whom you haven't seen in so long?"
Linen's shoulders stiffened. He turned his head toward the area by the teleportation gate—
A small round glass table had appeared there without anyone noticing. Behind it, in a wicker chair, sat a woman in form-fitting silver light armor, all elegance in her manner, smiling sweetly at the group.
So beautiful.
That was the first thought in both Elena's and Hysteria's minds when they saw Quinn.
With dragon blood in their veins, the Norton royal family had no ugly women or men to speak of. And even among such beauty, Quinn was a rare sight indeed.
Her silver-white hair cascaded like moonlight down her back; her fine, exquisite features carried an intellectual grace. Meeting their eyes, she set down the teacup in her hand and lightly pushed up the rimless glasses resting on her delicate nose—an image of pure, intelligent charm.
Linen, however, was staring fixedly at the spot where she'd appeared.
He was sure that when he'd stepped out of the teleportation gate just now, that place had been empty.
He'd thought taking the other direction would avoid her—never expected this damnable woman to go invisible and camp his respawn point!
"Since we've met, won't you sit for a bit?"
Seeing the three of them, Quinn smiled invitingly.
With a casual wave of her hand, three wicker chairs and matching tea sets appeared beside the table.
Well—nothing more to be said. Linen had been trying to avoid her, but since they'd run into each other, he had no choice but to accept the invitation.
Time to deal with this fun-loving silver dragon and get it over with.
He was the first to walk to the table, pulling out a chair and sitting down without ceremony—leaving Elena and Hysteria a little surprised.
"These aren't… illusions?"
Hysteria asked in surprise.
Even for a princess who had seen much, this was rare.
Quinn covered her mouth and chuckled.
"Fufu, what a cute little girl. Just a small trick. For an Illusion-type Arcana Mage, making the false seem real is basic skill."
Elena also chose a chair and sat, the light in her eyes growing brighter with admiration and anticipation.
So this was the true power of a master of Illusion Arcana. If she kept working hard… could she reach that level someday?
Hysteria, on the other hand, was faintly annoyed.
She didn't know why, but she heard a certain sarcastic undertone in Quinn's voice—especially when this tall, long-legged "big bear" Quinn called her "little girl." Hysteria's sharp instincts told her it was intentional…
"Go ahead, try it. This is fresh black tea from the kingdom of Laru."
Once they were seated, Quinn gestured toward the tea.
The two girls accepted. The black tea was mellow on the tongue, with a sweet aftertaste; even Hysteria, who had tasted countless delicacies, found herself pleasantly surprised. Elena felt her heart ease a little.
Linen's sister… seemed like a very approachable person. She couldn't understand why he didn't want to see her.
"I'll pass, dear Second Sister. You're here this time to help the Shadow Knights and the academy smooth over the examiners, aren't you? Master Gust is busy as can be, and you're sitting here sipping tea—does that really seem proper?"
Linen refused flatly.
At her brother's coldness, Quinn immediately put on a wounded expression.
"Oh my, dear little brother, are you trying to chase me off already? Just to see you, I went and applied for this troublesome task from Mother herself, you know~"
"Mm… but actually, tea wasn't my main reason for coming. I heard my brother had joined a study group, so I wanted to see what the members were like. And now that I see…"
Quinn took a small sip of tea, her silver eyes lifting slightly.
"…it's just two ordinary little girls. A bit disappointing."
"Why, you—!"
Hysteria's face darkened, looking ready to flip the table. Elena's own expression was growing serious; she realized she might have judged too quickly.
Linen just felt a headache coming on. This fun-loving silver dragon was definitely doing it on purpose!
"Oh? Just a few words and you're ready to strike? Let me feel it… hm, yes, fire-element Arcana. Shame your figure's not as fiery and alluring as your attribute~"
Quinn didn't even lift her head—but everyone knew exactly who she was talking about.
"I'll burn you flat, you giant-boobed hag!!"
Hysteria exploded.
"Alright, enough. Stop making a scene!"
Linen cut her off with a sharp voice before things could escalate.
He pressed Hysteria back into her seat and leaned toward the two girls, lowering his voice:
"She's got brain problems. Don't bother with her."
Before Hysteria could calm down, he turned to Quinn and said seriously:
"My teammate's got brain problems, so I suggest you stop provoking her."
It might sound like offending both sides, but every word Linen said was true.
Hysteria's was physiological—the "sand dollar" princess had limited brain capacity and a short fuse. Once someone realized how easy she was to toy with, a mischief-maker like Quinn could swindle the shirt off her back.
Quinn's, on the other hand, was pathological.
She was genuinely ill.
Her dragon bloodline awakening had been so strong it affected her mind, splitting her into two personalities—one was the rimless-glasses-wearing schemer in front of them now, all tricks and bad ideas, the other a battle-mad maniac who went wild in combat.
Linen didn't want to deal with either.
Maybe only their Empress mother could keep her in check.
"So mean, little brother. After so long apart, you greet your sister with such cold words and attitude? Life at the academy must be hard, hmm? It's alright to act a little spoiled and ask for some help, you know~"
Saying this, Quinn set down her teacup and spread her arms toward him. The generous curves framed by her silver bodysuit were dazzling enough to drown any man.
Linen, however, instinctively leaned further away from that dangerous chest.
Sure, men liked them big—but being almost smothered to death by them as a kid wasn't an experience he cared to repeat…
Still—speaking of help from Quinn—Linen did have something in mind.
"Go ahead, say it. Helping an ungrateful little brother is a sister's duty, after all."
Quinn smiled lightly, unconcerned.
Linen nodded, looking serious—
"I want you to guide my friend Elena in her Illusion training."
"Eh—help me?"
Elena hadn't expected Linen's request to be for her, her eyes filling with shock.
For any Arcana Mage, the chance to be instructed by a senior of the same element was a rare and precious opportunity.
Among the three of them, Hysteria was of noble birth and hardly lacked famous teachers. Linen, with his System, didn't need one at all—though if he wanted one, it wouldn't be hard. Only Elena, born poor and specializing in the extremely rare Illusion element…
At low ring levels, this difference wasn't so obvious. But once growth accelerated, the significance of Linen's request would be anything but ordinary.
"Don't overthink it. It's just because you're too weak."
Linen said coolly.
And he wasn't lying. The stronger the heroine became, the richer the rewards when she rejected him—nothing more.
Elena lowered her head, two quick blushes blooming across her cheeks.
So he said it on purpose, so I wouldn't take it to heart? Linen-kun's kindness is still the same as ever…
Quinn, watching the exchange, glanced from the two of them to Hysteria quietly sipping tea, and seemed to see right through something. She chuckled softly.
She shifted her gaze, set down her teacup, straightened her back, and smiled.
"Alright, since it's my dear little brother's request, of course I won't refuse. It's been a while since I met a promising junior anyway. A little guidance is nothing."
"Th-thank you, Your Highness!"
Elena hurried to express her gratitude.
"No need to be so polite. To be honest, I never really worked for it—once my bloodline awakened, I learned everything naturally. So what I can teach you is limited. Just take it as a reference."
After casually dropping a line that would make most people hate her, Quinn suddenly turned to Elena.
"Elena-san, right? What do you think is the core of Illusion—or rather, our ultimate goal when we cast it?"
Elena, who never let her guard down in front of questions, gave her answer in a single second.
"To deceive, I suppose. Deceive the enemy… even deceive oneself."
"Yes. Very good."
Quinn nodded approvingly.
"In the early stages, Illusion Arcana Mages are neither strong in attack nor defense. But our unique ability to deceive—that is our best attack, and our best defense."
"Then—what do you think is the best form of Illusion, and when is the best time to cast it?"
This time Elena's thinking took noticeably longer.
"It's… a perfect, indistinguishable illusion. And… cast it at a critical moment?"
"The first one barely passes. The second—not quite right."
Quinn shook her head slightly, a trace of disappointment in her tone.
"Linen, little brother, you seem to be thinking about it too. Any thoughts?"
"The answer should be—every moment."
When Quinn asked, Linen thought for a bit before replying.
Something unusual flickered in the silver of her eyes.
"As expected of my imperial little brother. To answer that so easily… Onee-san really feels like giving you a proper reward~"
Then she turned back to Elena.
"Elena-san, your answer isn't without merit. But tell me—who defines this 'critical moment'?"
"Is it the instant you meet the enemy's gaze?"
"The moment their attack reaches you?"
"No. A good illusionist uses every moment to release the most fitting Arcana. For example—when you saw me just now, at what moment did you get the illusion that I wasn't using Illusion?"
She means her sudden appearance by the teleportation gate… and the table, chairs, and tea?
Elena lowered her head, as if in dawning realization.
Beside her, Linen also lowered his head—
But not to think.
Because the moment Quinn had said she wanted to reward him, he had suddenly felt something smooth, nimble, and delicate brushing against his calf.
He jerked his head down, and through the clear round tabletop, he caught sight of Quinn's long legs across from him.
Only—the silver leather boots that had covered them were gone, replaced by a pair of fine silver silk stockings.
As if sensing his gaze, those dainty, pale feet—so at odds with her cool, elegant demeanor—gave a slight wiggle, as though showing off.
And that silky touch… in the next instant, began climbing up along his leg.
She's not worried the other two will notice?!
This damned fun-loving silver dragon woman!
Noticing Linen's eyes on her, Quinn's smile only grew more pleased, more leisurely.
"Take your time, Elena-san. We still have plenty of…"
"Mm—! The tea… it's a little hot."
For just an instant, a flash of fluster broke through the calm in her gaze.
Because while Linen still sat upright, face expressionless, under the cover of his robe, his hand had found her foot beneath the table with unerring accuracy.
"That's right. Don't rush, Elena-san. We still have plenty of time."
Linen's own voice carried a quiet laugh.