Year 105, New Calendar — Central Continent
~Babylonia, Federation of Gaïa
Babylonia was a magictech marvel, a mega-city where Gothic spires and steel-and-glass towers shared the skyline. And on its far western edge, secluded from the urban sprawl, was the domain of the Roschild family.
Their estate was a private world, encircled by a formidable, fortress-like wall. At its heart stood a mansion of colossal scale, backed by ancient, guardian mountains and framed by a vast, meticulously cultivated forest. The only entrance was a gate of black iron, emblazoned with the family's emblem: a crimson phoenix, its wings unfurled as if ready to ignite the heavens.
This was the House of Flame, a lineage renowned for generations for producing flame-wielders of unmatched power.
°°°
On a sunlit mountainside behind the mansion, a young man lay sprawled in the shade of a great tree. A piece of straw danced on his lips as he rocked it idly. He was dressed simply in light gray pants and a white shirt, a silver ring glinting in his right ear. His hair, a striking mix of gray and white, shone like silver in the light. With smooth skin and handsome, well-defined features, he was Leo Roschild—the second son of the main family.
Eyes closed, he basked in the day, the summer breeze a gentle caress on his skin.
"Ah, what a perfect day," Leo sighed to himself. "All it's missing is a lap pillow from a buxom older sister in tiny shorts... Hah! Just the thought is enough to make me melt."
He was, to put it plainly, a hopeless and unapologetic pervert.
His fantasy was shattered by a voice cutting through the calm.
"Leoooo!Where are you?"
It was a sweet,melodic call, the kind that promised a charming face to match.
Leo jolted. "Guh!" He spat out the straw, sat up, revealing dazzling blue eyes for a second before a mischievous idea took hold.
He flopped back down, arranging himself in a carefully casual, then deliberately dramatic, pose.
Let's play a little prank on her.
Minutes later, a girl with vibrantly pink hair stumbled into the clearing, panting.
"Huff… huff… There you are, you jerk!" she snapped, sweat on her brow.
But her anger vanished the moment she saw him. His head was lolled to the side, arms splayed limply.
"L-Leo?!"Her heart leaped to her throat. She rushed over, dropping to her knees and carefully lifting his head onto her lap.
"Speak to me! What's wrong? Don't scare me like this!"
The response was not a dying breath, but a resurrection. His eyes snapped open, and his hand darted up to flip the edge of her skirt.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Oho!Blue lace today, I see," Leo declared, his face a mask of smug satisfaction.
"You damn pervert, dieee!" She launched herself into the air, spinning to deliver a furious dropkick to his head.
Leo rolled aside effortlessly, a fool's grin on his face. "Oi, oi, Rina—trying to kill your future husband?"
The words froze her mid-lunge. Her cheeks flushed a brilliant crimson.
"H-Hmph! Who would ever want to marry you?" she shot back, puffing out her cheeks.
"Heh. Blushing and avoiding my eyes… You're not fooling anyone. The Easterners have a word for this—'Tsundere!'"
"Y-Y-Y-Youuu—!"Her embarrassment ignited into pure rage, and she lunged again, determined to teach him a lesson.
And so the field echoed with their chase, a familiar dance of taunts and flailing strikes.
To any observer, this chaos was clearly their normal.
Eventually, they collapsed, breathless, back under the great tree. They sat side by side, leaning against the sturdy trunk as the summer breeze rustled the leaves above.
"You're as energetic as ever," Leo remarked with a half-smile.
"Hmph!Don't talk to me, you pervert," Rina retorted with a sharp harrumph.
She was a picture of budding beauty. Her crisp white blouse, with its ruffled collar and delicate golden buttons, was accented by a vivid red bow tie. A high-waisted black skirt flowed to her thighs, contrasting with her porcelain skin. Her modest figure hinted at the young woman she was becoming, and her eyes, the same soft pink as her hair, held both warmth and stubbornness.
She was Rina Ellis—Leo's closest childhood friend, his most frequent partner in crime, and though he'd never admit it aloud, the girl he secretly cherished the most.