In the Kingdom of Farmedas, the atmosphere inside the king's study suddenly turned tense when a servant arrived carrying a letter sealed with golden wax—the official seal of the Kingdom of Alcarius.
The King of Farmedas broke the seal, skimmed the contents… then his eyes widened.
"What? The King of Alcarius wants us to host an inter-academy mage tournament!?" he exclaimed in disbelief.
Miera, standing beside him, was startled.
"Are you serious, Your Majesty?"
The king nodded heavily and showed her the letter.
"This… is an official order."
Miera furrowed her brows.
"Why so sudden? As far as I remember… they haven't contacted the Kingdom of Farmedas for years."
"You're right," the king replied, letting out a sigh.
"This is the first time they've sent us a message directly."
Miera's expression shifted slightly—alert.
"I have a bad feeling about this. It's as if there's something hidden behind this invitation."
However, the king raised his hand, trying to calm her concern.
"We should stay positive. Alcarius is the central kingdom, after all. If they chose us as the host, perhaps this is a good opportunity."
Miera finally nodded slowly.
"That may be true, Your Majesty."
The king placed the letter on his desk and reached for his pen.
"I'll send a letter to the headmaster of the Farmedas Magic Academy. We need to prepare for this tournament immediately."
As he began writing, Miera suddenly spoke again.
"Oh, right. Please include Luna's name on the list of participants."
The king froze mid-sentence.
"Are you sure!?"
"Of course." Miera smiled faintly, her confidence unmistakable.
"Luna defeated those dragons on her own. If she participates… our chances of winning increase dramatically."
The king leaned back in his chair, hesitant.
"Have you forgotten, Miera? Luna is a Meyer. By origin… she belongs to Alcarius."
Miera immediately countered, her tone firm.
"We can prepare an alias for Luna. No one will suspect a thing."
The king fell silent for several seconds.
Then slowly, a small smile formed on his lips.
"Hm… that's a good idea."
He lowered his head again and continued writing the official letter carefully.
An inter-academy tournament…
Luna's involvement…
And the mysterious cooperation from Alcarius…
All of it was slowly forming something far greater than a mere competition.
---
Elsewhere, under the midday sun—just past noon—
Inside the central library of the Kingdom of Alcarius, Mahiru Count Kerbeck was tidying up a stack of books on her desk. Once everything was neat, she sat down comfortably and opened a thick book that had caught her interest earlier.
The library door suddenly opened.
Mahiru glanced up for a brief second, then returned her attention to her book without concern.
The Prince entered and walked straight toward her table. He sat across from her and let out an exaggeratedly long sigh—dramatic enough for someone clearly in despair.
There was no reaction.
Mahiru merely raised an eyebrow slightly and continued reading.
"Ah… so the student council president won't pay attention to a student in need," the Prince said sarcastically.
"Tch. What is it, Your Highness?" Mahiru finally closed half of her book.
"Mahiru," the Prince looked at her seriously,
"You understand how women think, don't you? You're a woman yourself."
Mahiru flinched slightly and immediately closed her book completely.
"Eh? You… fell in love? With whom, Your Highness?"
The Prince sighed, his expression genuinely gloomy.
"I had grown quite close to Luna. A first-year student this year. But suddenly, she removed the necklace I gave her… and said something that sounded like a farewell. It's strange. I have no idea why."
"Oh… a junior student, I see." Mahiru rested her chin on her hand.
"Do you have any ideas? Any advice?" the Prince asked.
"She is beautiful, I'll admit that," Mahiru said calmly.
"But she's your junior. Her mindset isn't as mature as ours yet. People her age can be sensitive… or confused about their own feelings."
The Prince lowered his gaze.
"Perhaps you're right…"
They fell silent for a moment. Then the Prince changed the subject, clearly trying to distract himself.
"Oh, by the way—how is your father? Count Kerbeck rarely visits the palace these days. And since you're an adult now, you hardly appear either."
Mahiru reopened her book.
"The Kerbeck family is very busy managing the Western Nations Alliance. It's only natural my father has little time. As for me, I'm busy being the student council president—handling events, managing the library, and so on."
"You're talking to me, but your eyes never leave the book," the Prince commented, glancing at the cover.
"What book is that?"
"A book about someone's feelings," Mahiru replied lightly.
"Coincidentally, you're looking for answers—and I found something suitable."
"What does it say?" the Prince asked quickly.
"I'll summarize," Mahiru said.
"Give her attention—but not too much. Talk to her occasionally. Take it slowly. Who knows? She might open up."
The Prince's eyes gradually brightened, as if light had returned to his heart.
"That's a good idea. I'll try it."
Mahiru simply nodded and returned to her book, reading calmly—as if the prince's love drama was nothing more than a minor interruption to her break.
---
At that time, Luna was having her lunch break in a small garden within the school grounds. The place was quiet; only the sound of wind brushing through leaves could be heard. Luna carefully opened her lunch box and placed it on her lap, letting out a small sigh of relief.
From behind the bushes, Aether—her small black cat—walked out with the relaxed steps of a noble inspecting his territory.
"Oi! Luna!" Aether shouted shamelessly.
Luna quickly raised her index finger to her lips.
"Ssh! Not so loud…"
Aether jumped onto her lap and sniffed the food, his eyes sparkling.
"Hmmm… smells good," he muttered appreciatively.
"You want some?" Luna asked softly.
Aether nodded eagerly, his tail swaying happily.
They ate side by side like two longtime companions.
Soon after, footsteps approached.
"Luna!" Rey called out, waving his hand. Beside him stood a girl with neatly tied brown hair—Artexy.
Luna turned, slightly surprised.
Artexy leaned forward, her eyes lighting up when she saw Aether.
"Wow, a cat! He's so cute," Artexy said instinctively.
Luna immediately grew nervous.
"S-sorry… he's my cat. D-does he bother you?"
Artexy shook her head quickly and smiled.
"Not at all. Relax. I'm Artexy."
"I-I'm Luna…" Luna replied hesitantly.
Rey chuckled.
"Luna always gets nervous when meeting new people."
Artexy nodded.
"I can tell. Oh, by the way—have you done Mr. Luis's assignment?"
"Not yet," Rey said, scratching his head.
"He said it requires magic practice, right?"
Artexy nodded, then looked at Luna.
"How about you, Luna?"
Luna lowered her head, gripping her spoon.
"I-I haven't either. But… I don't think I can do the magic practice…"
"Why?" Artexy asked gently.
"I… I can't read spells in front of many people…" Luna whispered.
Rey smiled reassuringly.
"But Luna, your written exams and explanations are always perfect."
Artexy agreed.
"Yeah. I'm sure you can do it. You just need a little courage. Do your best."
Luna fell silent for a moment—then smiled softly, warmly, sincerely.
"Thank you…"
Beside her, Aether paused his meal and nodded like an adult approving their words.
---
In the Kingdom of Alcarius, the teachers' conference room was filled with stacks of documents and student lists. The headmaster sat at the end of the table, staring at scattered grade records.
"It seems… there are only three students with enough talent to send," he muttered with a sigh.
"Since third-year students aren't allowed to participate, we don't have many options."
A teacher beside him nodded while opening another file.
"That's right. Even though Zuna is weak in written subjects and mathematics… her magical ability is extraordinary. Her potential is unlike the others."
Another teacher added,
"And then there's Sir. He's not just a student—he's the school's finest magic developer. In both theory and practice, he's nearly unmatched."
The headmaster nodded slowly.
"That makes two. And the last one…"
The room fell silent.
The teacher holding the final file placed it carefully on the table.
"He's our perfect student. A second-year ranked at the very top. Magical power, theory, stamina, intelligence—everything far above average."
The window of the meeting room opened slightly, letting in the orange glow of the late afternoon sun. The light fell upon a lone boy standing on the outer balcony—his silhouette firm and composed.
He stood with his back to the teachers, gazing calmly at the setting sun. His black-and-blue Alcarius school uniform fluttered gently in the wind.
No name was needed.
Even without introduction, his aura was different from an ordinary student.
The headmaster looked at that back and gave a small nod.
"With those three… perhaps we still have hope of not being humiliated."
The teachers could only sigh deeply, fully aware of the heavy tournament that awaited them.