Episode 7
Nox lowered his gaze and even shut his eyes tightly. He said they couldn’t be friends, yet he held Selly’s hands tightly.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“If you see me again… pretend you don’t know me.”
“…What?”
“You’ve never met me. Keep it a secret that I was ever here.”
“…”
“And if I’m different from today, don’t be hurt. It’s not your fault.”
“Okay… but why?”
Nox looked up and opened his eyes.
“There’s no time to explain.”
People had started gathering, surprised to see a flying ship land on the lake.
“I have to disappear before I get caught.”
Behind the confused girl with fire-colored hair, the sunset glowed like a halo.
“I have to get back before the sun sets.”
The fear in Nox’s voice as he mumbled to himself made Selly’s heart drop.
“Oh no! I have to take my medicine before sunset too!”
At this rate, the full moon might rise.
Selly quickly pulled out the nearly empty potion bottle from her bag and drank the rest. She frowned at the bitter taste, then opened her eyes—Nox was gone.
‘What the heck?’
He said they’d definitely meet again, but they couldn’t be friends?
As Selly tried to figure out Nox’s puzzling words, a classic line popped into her head:
“We can’t be friends… because we’re going to be more than that!” Ugh, so cringy! Is this a romance fantasy story? Then am I the female lead?
If he fell for me because I took down bad guys with a potato, his tastes are really something.
No! I’m going to focus on school!
Selly got off the flying ship and stepped onto the school grounds with determination.
A crowd had gathered like ants and stared at her with wide eyes. As she walked up, the crowd parted like the Red Sea.
While everyone curiously stared at her, Selly looked back at them just as curiously.
‘Wow… it really is a magic school.’
No matter their age, gender, or race, everyone wore long robes and wizard hats. That’s when it finally hit her—she was in a magic school.
As everyone watched her like some strange creature, a sharp-looking woman with a triangular pair of glasses and a clipboard stopped her.
“New student?”
“Yes! Hello. Are you a teacher?”
“You made quite the entrance. I’m the dorm supervisor for the girls’ dormitory. What’s your name?”
“S-Serena… something?”
Ugh, foreign names are so hard.
She had only learned her real name from the acceptance letter, so it still confused her. Selly pulled the letter out of her pocket to check and then answered properly.
“Laurelhart.”
Whispers immediately spread around her.
“What? Laurelhart?”
“That little girl?”
Why are they acting like this?
Even the supervisor’s tired, underpaid-office-worker eyes suddenly sparked with curiosity and disbelief.
Looking at Selly with a mix of suspicion and awe, the supervisor asked, “Which Laurelhart are you from?”
“Huh?”
Selly didn’t understand, and the supervisor’s eyes narrowed with full suspicion. She handed Selly the clipboard.
“Put your fingerprint next to your name.”
As soon as Selly touched it, a message appeared on the paper: ‘Identity confirmed! Welcome to the dormitory!’ and then disappeared.
“Hmph… So it is you.”
The supervisor kept her eyes on Selly suspiciously and waved her hand in the air.
Jingle!
A rusty key appeared and floated in the air between them.
‘My room key! Wow, this is my first time living in a dorm in both lives!’
She was eager to see her room. She hadn’t slept all night and was exhausted from traveling.
Selly reached out to take the key, but the supervisor flicked her finger, and the key moved out of reach.
The strict woman looked down at Selly.
“New student, personal flying ships aren’t allowed to land on the lake. You should’ve used the school boat that runs hourly the day before the entrance ceremony.”
“I didn’t know. I didn’t get the first letter.”
Well, technically it came, but if I didn’t get to read it, it’s the same as not getting it.
And they sent a second letter, but forgot to include the important instructions?
“Also, that wasn’t my flying ship.”
The supervisor’s scolding look turned to shock as Selly continued.
“That was a human trafficking ship that kidnapped me. You can go ask them. Oh wait—they’re all poisoned by Solanine right now and can’t talk. They’ll need a doctor. And the police too.”
While the stunned supervisor stared at the flying ship in disbelief, Selly jumped up and snatched the floating key.
After pushing through the crowd, she saw a golden arch above the castle gate with glowing letters:
Spellmore Academy
The name sparkled magically, and so did Selly’s eyes.
‘I’m a Spellmore student now!’
With her chest puffed out, Selly proudly stepped into the academy.
From up close, the castle looked even more massive—she couldn’t even see the top anymore no matter how far she tilted her head back.
Beyond the huge plaza, the entrance looked like the gaping mouth of a giant beast.
The doors were so tall that you could barely make out the colorful school crest at the top—only the dragon with its wings spread was clearly visible.
Selly boldly crossed the plaza, but stopped at the entrance.
‘It’s even more grand inside?!’
Statues, huge stairs—everything was overwhelming.
‘This is amazing. Feels like a European castle tour.’
While admiring everything, she looked down at the floor and finally saw the school’s crest properly.
Fire, Air, Earth, Water.
The four classical elements.
‘…But before I died, there were 118 known elements.’
Guess this world’s different.
Selly held back her inner science nerd and looked further down. Under the colorful marble crest, a flag bore the school’s motto:
Civilization begins and ends with Spellmore.
…Wow, someone’s full of themselves.
It was super arrogant, but the school had the pride to back it up. Selly recalled a passage from a history book on her bookshelf back home:
“After the rise of magical engineering, the world advanced more in one century than in the previous thousand years.
Every species, including humans, had their lives completely transformed.
Though many resisted the rapid change, it was magical engineering that helped defeat the Demon King and free the world.”
There were many magic schools in the world, but Spellmore was the leader in magical engineering.
‘So I guess I’m now part of civilization’s front line?’
Her heart started pounding with excitement again.
“Hey, are you a new student?”
A sharp but youthful voice called out. When she looked up, a boy and girl in school uniforms were standing at the base of a massive staircase, waving her over.
Selly walked over and joined a group of other new students wearing casual clothes.
‘Is she a dwarf?’
The girl was only half Selly’s height but smiled like an adult.
“Welcome to Spellmore! We’re your second-year student guides. I’m Flint Smelter.”
“And I’m Ydril Silvergrove.”
The tall boy next to her had pointed ears—probably an elf.
‘Wow… this is so cool.’
Selly had only seen fantasy races like this in books. It was her first time seeing them up close (aside from spirits).
She looked at the second-year guides with sparkling eyes.
They wore gold badges in the shape of the school crest on their ties. None of the other students had one—it must’ve been the mark of a class rep.
“Alright, let’s begin.”
And with that, the second-year reps started their school tour—
In a way Selly never expected.
