“Ugh.”
Seira let out a low groan as she opened her eyes. A fleeting thought crossed her mind.
‘Where am I?’
She had drunk too much and passed out. If that were the case, she should either be in the Imperial Palace or her temporary quarters at the academy. But this cozy bed…
“Oh, goodness…”
Seira—no, the future Seira—tapped her head lightly to clear her thoughts.
The bed she lay on was soft. The breeze coming through the open window was devoid of magi. Despite winter still gripping the world, the warmth radiating through the room kept the chill at bay.
Her vision was sharp.
This clarity led her to a conclusion: this was not the world she had lived in.
Perhaps it was the strong intoxication. Her mories had briefly beco jumbled.
In her ruined world, she had sensed a massive surge of magical power and gone to investigate. There, she encountered her long-thought-dead disciple and another version of “herself” from a different world. A long contemplation and a once-theoretical suspicion were confird through this otherworldly observation. She had let go of her attachnts. Giving up her physical body had co without hesitation, and thankfully, the spell had worked.
That was the past.
‘I did possess her.’
And now, in the present, future Seira was moving Seira’s body.
‘Why?’
Future Seira sat up with a stiff body and thought.
She had no idea why. She hadn’t intended to seize control of the body, but here she was, moving freely. The most plausible explanation was that the original Seira had drunk so much she lost consciousness, allowing this consciousness to awaken in her stead.
“…It’s not my fault. You drank too much. This is on you.”
Future Seira muttered, blaming her body’s owner.
Still, she was kind at heart. Though she had often joked about taking over whenever Seira hesitated to advance her relationship with Shiron, or during monts of irresistible desire, she felt guilty about actually seizing control of the body.
For instance… if Seira liked Shiron but lacked the courage to act, future Seira had decided she would only take control during such dire circumstances.
‘Anyway.’
Future Seira looked closely around the room.
A guesthouse. Her last mory was of passing out at a banquet, but thankfully, soone had moved her to this place.
“…My disciple.”
It all beca clear in an instant. The faint scent of a man lingered. Future Seira was certain Shiron had brought her here.
In the chaos of the banquet, how had he managed to avoid the jealousy of other won and move her here? She didn’t know, but she was grateful.
“He’s kind, after all.”
Even in a different world, so things remained constant. Smiling to herself, future Seira recalled what had happened.
Seira was tall for a woman, well-built yet lean. How had Shiron managed to carry her here? It must have been heavy… Perhaps he had thrown her over his shoulder like a sack, or maybe carried her piggyback.
Thinking about Shiron’s usual nonchalant attitude, the forr seed likely. But then again, this Shiron had a surprisingly affectionate side, so the latter might also be possible.
The important thing was that Seira’s body had been in close contact with Shiron’s for quite so ti.
Sniff—
She inhaled deeply, as though savoring the lingering scent on her body.
The aroma was vibrant, like misty citrus with hints of wintergreen, damp leaves, and orange blossoms. It exuded a sharp yet calming energy that enveloped her senses. It wasn’t sothing her current body could sense; it was sothing her “original self” could perceive—Shiron’s essence.
“Huh?”
Her heated mind suddenly cooled.
Even if they had been in close contact, it was impossible to pick up such vivid details unless he was a beastman. This ant Shiron was nearby. Future Seira, captivated, followed the scent’s source.
She arrived at the training ground behind the guesthouse.
It wasn’t the central training ground in the heart of the Prient estate, but a private area reserved for Shiron alone.
As expected, Shiron Prient was there.
‘Isn’t he cold?’
Though winter hadn’t ended, he wore only a sleeveless top and sat on the ground. Curious, Future Seira approached him.
The dense mana she felt grew stronger with each step. It was as though he was practicing martial arts. The moonlight reflected the surging mana, and she could feel its flow on her skin.
Gulp.
Her violet eyes widened at the incredible density. Future Seira even felt a bit dizzy. Could this be possible? For a re human, a young man in his mid-twenties, to manipulate mana of this magnitude?
‘He’s not a dragon, is he?’
The Shiron Prient she knew could not use mana. His contract with a demon had only barely allowed him to wield it. Thinking back, she realized she didn’t know how this world’s Shiron had gained such power.
“…Haha.”
Future Seira let out a hollow laugh.
Of course, to defeat an apostle, one would need this level of power. Shiron Prient’s strength didn’t rely solely on his holy sword. He had trustworthy comrades and nurous serendipitous encounters.
And despite his exhaustion, he trained diligently through sleepless nights.
“…Seira?”
How close had she gotten? Shiron had stopped his training and risen to his feet.
“Am I bothering you?”
“No, I was just finishing up. Like you said, there’s only so much elixir one can absorb in a day.”
“Limits… yes, that’s true.”
Future Seira nodded in relief. It seed Shiron hadn’t realized she was the Future Seira.
‘Should I keep pretending to be “her”?’
“Ahem… ahem. Hmm!”
She cleared her throat playfully. Maybe sothing lighter, more teasing? As long as she didn’t act too strangely, it should be fine.
“What’s wrong? Hangover? Feel like throwing up?”
“Ah, no! It’s nothing! More importantly, what about the elixir?”
Future Seira awkwardly laughed, deciding to change the topic.
“Lucia said I did a good job and gave a ton of elixirs. I figured I’d absorb them while I had ti.”
“I see.”
Future Seira glanced at the scattered bottles on the floor and suddenly found them familiar.
Mugryeonghwan, Baekbohwan, Cheongshinyu, Unicorn’s Blood, Surahyeon…
‘Those… weren’t those what Lucia was collecting?’
A lifeti’s worth of elixirs, gathered to train successors.
But that was a story about her Lucia—the future Lucia, not this world’s version.
‘Didn’t Lucia hate Shiron enough to want to kill him? Maybe eting this world’s Lucia changed her perspective…’
They said people only change right before they died.
Perhaps future Lucia, unwilling to see her hoarded elixirs go to waste, wanted anyone to use them if it benefited the world.
“Want to share so? There’s enough to last a year, even if I take them daily.”
“Um, no thanks. Even if I take them, they’re not very efficient for . It’s better if… you use them.”
“That’s a sha. It’d be nice if we all got stronger together.”
Shiron clicked his tongue regretfully. His face softened as he spoke, his expression tender.
‘How… how can soone be so kind…’
Most people would light up at the ntion of elixirs, but her sweet disciple only talked about sharing them so they could all grow stronger together.
Her body burned. She wanted to drop her pretense, grab his head, and shower him with “You’re so kind~” praises.
But wasn’t this her rare chance to control the body?
As heated as she felt, the thought of deceiving her pure disciple sent a chill down her spine. A fleeting impulse couldn’t waste such a precious opportunity. Future Seira forced herself to calm down.
“Give them to soone else. Siriel or Yoru. There are plenty, right?”
“Siriel’s pregnant, so she can’t. And Lucia probably gave Yoru her share.”
“…Now that you ntion it, I haven’t seen the others.”
Future Seira spoke, recalling her mories.
“Yoru’s sleeping in the main house. Siriel and Lucia said they had sothing to discuss with Victor, so they told to go ahead.”
“Oh…”
“So, I just quickly brought you here since you’d passed out.”
“Sorry. I must’ve been a bother.”
“You did mumble a bit in your drunken stupor, but co on, it’s you and . We can look after each other, right?”
‘You and ?’
Future Seira’s eyes widened. What did that an? Teacher and disciple? Friends? Or perhaps… secret lovers?
“More importantly, do you have a mont?”
As she got lost in strange thoughts, Shiron fixed his gaze on her.
“Uh, what is it?”
“I think I’ve reached 7-star. Can you confirm for ?”
As Shiron spoke, he took off his shirt.
Fwoosh!
Steam, hot enough to freeze in the winter air, rose as beads of sweat clung to his taut muscles and slid down.
‘…What are those abs?’
Future Seira muttered absentmindedly. Her skin prickled with goosebumps, her lips parched as she reflexively licked them. Her heart, which she had barely cald, now pounded furiously.
And then—
Drip.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Huh?”
She felt a hot trickle. Touching her upper lip, she checked with her fingers.
“…A nosebleed?”
“Are you sure you’re not unwell? I told you not to drink so much.”
Shiron grabbed her nose with fingers imbued with divine energy, his firm body leaning closer.
Gulp.
The solid chest, veins bulging in his arms—though her nose was pinched, the primal scent filled her nostrils.
-“Sex makes you stupid.”
The words soone had once used to try to convince her replayed in her head, over and over.
Huff—huff—
Her breath grew ragged, her vision spinning.
Those words, dismissed as nonsense at the ti, now felt unshakable. She hadn’t even had sex, and her thoughts were already plumting.
Slap!
“?!”
Fidgeting… Shiron tilted his head as her hand road his chest.
‘What’s with this kid? Why is she touching so much?’
“Are you struggling to stand?”
“…7-star.”
The woman barely clung to her fleeting sanity.
“Jumping from 5-star to skipping two whole levels is… unexpected.”
“Right? That’s why I wanted you to check.”
“Congratulations. Just three more levels, and you’ll be an Archmage.”
Future Seira said, quickly turning around. She couldn’t let him see how unsteady her breathing was.
“To celebrate… I’d like to give you a gift.”
Her voice trembled even though she wasn’t looking at him.
“Could you… co to my room in 10 minutes?”
“Ten minutes? I’ll need at least 30 to wash up.”
“Then don’t wash. If you don’t co now, I won’t be able to give you the gift I’ve prepared.”
She was sorry. She could deal with anyone but this man.
The woman fled into the guesthouse as if escaping.
Her patience was nearing zero. It wasn’t just her intelligence that had plumted.
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