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After the invasion of the Demon King’s Army, the Academy had to deal with quite a headache. Just as the entire city suffered damage, the Academy itself also faced considerable losses, including casualties among students, teachers, and staff.

Due to the many casualties, there were gaps among the students who needed to be taught, the teachers who needed to conduct classes, and the staff who kept the Academy running. Even those who were not injured had left the Academy in droves.

Each returned to their families, hometowns, former knightly orders, or merchant guilds…. No matter how important education was, it was impossible to ignore the crisis right in front of them.

Restoring the destroyed buildings would take a considerable amount of time. Ultimately, Griffin Academy chose to suspend classes, both voluntarily and involuntarily. However, they made arrangements for students from commoner backgrounds who had nowhere to go and the faculty who wished to remain, allowing them to stay in a few intact buildings.

Surprisingly, this accommodation turned out to significantly aid the city’s recovery.

The remaining students were mostly those without sponsors. Moreover, since it wasn’t the semester, there could be no scholarships. While the Academy’s arrangement took care of basic lodging, basic living expenses were still necessary.

As a result, the remaining students reluctantly took on part-time jobs while participating in the city’s restoration efforts.

Even though they were students, they were the talents who would lead the Empire and the continent in the future. They were even exceptional enough to receive scholarships within the Academy.

Students from the Swordsmanship Department and Magic Department displayed an unimaginable workload and overwhelming speed of work, while Theology Department students provided recovery for the exhausted workers, pushing them even harder.

The students from the Administration Department were fewer in number, but they were already active in various areas beyond the recovery work.

On the other hand, the professors at Griffin Academy, due to their established abilities and experience prior to their appointments, had much better circumstances, and except for a few, there weren’t any remaining.

Frecia was one of those few professors.

That day, three years ago, resonated more as the day Elysia left rather than the day the Demonic Race invaded. Frecia learned a rough idea of what happened through Gomtaengi and Tokki. Yet, unable to believe it, she rushed to Elysia’s room, only to find only friends and Saint Mariel, with Elysia nowhere to be seen.

In a desperate attempt, she transformed into a cat and checked the contract magic she had established with her. Thankfully, she could feel Elysia’s presence beyond the magic. However, since it was a contract only for the purpose of conversation with Elysia while in cat form, it was difficult to pinpoint her exact location. At least, it was too faint to find Elysia, who had already left the city.

Why did Elysia leave her? What Gomtaengi and Tokki heard was that it was Elysia who safely brought her to the laboratory and the farewell she gave as if she would never see her again.

Had she become a burden? Did she become unnecessary? A myriad of nonsensical imaginations swirled in her mind. She knew Elysia’s disappearance wasn’t due to such reasons, but negative thoughts were inevitable.

It wasn’t just Frecia. Gomtaengi and Tokki. Even though they were artificial beings created by Frecia, they, too, were capable of thought and had emotions. If only she hadn’t encountered Elysia, it would be different, but feeling powerless for not being able to hold onto Elysia as she left filled her with frustration.

However, the three did not give in. Even if Elysia left without a word, there remained a deep-seated belief in her heart that Elysia did not hate her. Although negative emotions and thoughts arose, they only stirred the surface and could not touch the heart’s core. Hence, even in despair, they could rise again.

Frecia never forgets. That promise when Elysia said she would always be by her side.

Above the irresponsible act of Elysia leaving without a word, she believed in the sweet and gentle voice from back then. Elysia had only left her side due to some circumstance. There must have been a reason she couldn’t take her with her as she left.

Alright. Blaming herself only goes this far. Elysia wouldn’t like seeing her like this. She couldn’t spend each day filled with guilt and lethargy instead of cherishing the joy of living every day that Elysia had taught her.

If she had left, then this time, she must take the first step toward Elysia. Just like Elysia had approached her first.

She can’t always expect Elysia to come first. She couldn’t remain a child who only received all the time.

This time, one step from her side.

*

She was determined, but Frecia had several shortcomings in finding Elysia. First, she needed to know where Elysia was to go meet her.

However, lacking strong human connections, Frecia didn’t have anyone particularly skilled at gathering information to determine Elysia’s whereabouts.

She somewhat knew the Emperor, but they weren’t close enough for personal favors. Though she had received many things from the Emperor, it was not that simple for a mere wizard to meet the Emperor…. This was all just Frecia’s misunderstanding.

Frecia did not recognize her own worth. At most, only recently has she started to think of herself as possessing a certain exceptional skill and talent, observing the level of the wizards around her, but she was still too inexperienced to realize her true value.

She was not just any wizard. If even the Chief Wizard of the royal court, Isis, admired and acknowledged Frecia’s talent, she would have been able to meet with the Emperor whenever she wanted. Moreover, the Emperor, who possessed insight to perceive everything, knew Frecia’s worth better than anyone else in the continent. That’s why he disregarded reports from the Academy’s principal about Frecia’s negligence. Rather, he ordered her to do as she pleased.

Ultimately, Frecia had to determine Elysia’s location solely by her own strength. The good news was that there was still a temporary contract she had established while in cat form, the bad news being that since it was temporary, she couldn’t pinpoint Elysia’s location.

However, Frecia did not feel anxious. She had already experienced enough frustration on the day Elysia left. Instead, she was grateful for the fact that there was still a faint hope remaining.

She carefully traced the contract magic connected to Elysia. If she rushed, the connection could break, erasing even this small hope. Determined to take step by step as if she were learning magic from the beginning, she revisited the steps carefully. Naturally cautious, progress was slow even after one year and two years, but she did not feel impatient.

Sometimes, when Elysia thought of her as a cat, the feeling of nostalgia transmitted through the contract magic became a source of comfort. Though it was merely a faint feeling, it was enough to give Frecia strength.

And finally. With just a temporary contract magic that could break at any moment, Frecia was able to ascertain Elysia’s location. However, since the contract had formed in cat form, she had to stay as a cat. Moreover, both parties had to be thinking of each other.

Thus, after the tracking magic for Elysia was completed, Frecia remained in her cat form. As a black-furred cat, she spent her days being served by Gomtaengi and Tokki.

It wasn’t particularly difficult. She was used to thinking of Elysia all day long. There was no sense of urgency. Instead, all she felt was excitement at the prospect of meeting Elysia again.

One day, as she curled up and spent her time, she received a sentiment of longing from Elysia through the contract magic that connected them.

Frecia did not let that moment slip away. Using her magic skills honed over time, she instantly opened a space-jumping spell. Although it would not be easy for even the greatest wizards to jump to a place they had never been before, Frecia had a faint magic connected to Elysia.

And finally, crossing over the long span of three years, Frecia leapt through space in the form of a cat and finally reached Elysia.

*

“Meow!”

She was momentarily startled by the sudden appearance of the cat. Perhaps I had dozed off unknowingly due to fatigue, but the dampness from Luna’s drool on my thigh, where she was sleeping, told me this was no dream. There was no way this excessively realistic damp sensation was a dream.

So how could I explain the sudden appearance of the cat?

However, before my curiosity could be resolved, the cat immediately lunged at me.

Without even acknowledging Luna’s head resting on my thigh, the sprightly cat jumped on top of me, landing on my chest and nuzzling against my neck. I felt both startled and delighted and quickly embraced the cat.

“Ouch.”

At that moment, I felt a sharp prick on my neck.

It was the sensation of the cat’s sharp fangs biting me. It wasn’t painful per se, just a prickling feeling. It ended with maybe one or two drops of blood.

Then shortly after, on top of the pricking wound, I felt a scratchy sensation.

The cat bit my wound and began to lick it.

Only then did I finally feel the emotions connected through the magic with the cat.

Longing for not having met for three years, happiness, and even a tiny bit of resentment.

Immersed in the cat’s intense emotions, I hugged the cat tightly.

Um…? Something feels…. The cat seems to be… getting bigger…?

 

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