After a walk of just over thirty minutes, Ren noticed a change in the crowds around him.
Most were boys and girls in uniforms, with the occasional adult who appeared to be a teacher. Though it was currently winter break, many were likely spending their holidays attending supplementary lessons.
(...)
He wasn’t as nervous as he had expected; he simply continued at his usual pace.
Ren didn't lose his way once as he headed straight for his destination: the Imperial Academy.
Among the students he passed, some were now wearing the specific uniform of the academy. Ren kept walking, his mind clear enough to even wonder what might be for dinner tonight.
"Wait there," a guard standing at the main gate of the sprawling campus called out. "Do you have business with the academy?"
A lone boy arriving without a uniform was bound to attract such questions.
"I’ve come to collect the application documents for the entrance exam."
"Understood. May I see some identification?"
"Yes. I have it right here."
Ren produced two items: his Guild Card and the brief letter of introduction Lezard had written for him before he left.
After verifying the information, the guard gave a polite nod. "Follow me. I'll show you the way."
He led Ren toward one of the structures connected to the main school building.
It was a magnificent edifice, more impressive than even the mansions of high-ranking nobles. Gazing at the academy’s pride and joy as it stood dusted in white snow, Ren stepped inside.
They entered a reception hall designed for visitors, such as parents or merchants. The interior featured white-painted walls and a thick, crimson carpet. Every piece of furniture was a masterpiece. Orange light spilled from the chandeliers, bathing the room in warmth.
"Please wait here."
"Yes. Thank you."
Ren sat on a nearby sofa. The guard informed him that a clerk would arrive shortly and then departed.
He only had to wait a few minutes.
"Thank you for waiting."
An academy clerk approached and led Ren to a wide counter at the back of the hall. The area felt open and airy, thanks to the massive glass windows running alongside the desk.
Ren glanced out the window at a connecting corridor used to travel between the buildings. As he did, another clerk behind the counter addressed him.
"You’re here for the entrance exam documents, I believe. Should I provide the General or the Special Merit forms?"
(I only need the Special Merit ones, but...)
Lezard’s letter guaranteed his identity, but it wasn't a formal recommendation for the exam. Licia hadn't sought a recommendation from a high-ranking noble either. While Ulysses would likely help if asked, Ren found the prospect of involving him a bit heavy.
Beyond that, Ren had a specific concern.
(A commoner showing up alone and immediately asking for the Special Merit track might raise some eyebrows.)
He doubted they would outright refuse him, but he wanted to avoid any suspicious looks or unnecessary hassle.
"Could I take both, as a souvenir?" Ren asked.
"Certainly. We get quite a few applicants who ask for the same thing. One moment while I get those for you."
Ren waited at the counter as the clerk stepped away.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
The Imperial Academy housed a magnificent library.
While it couldn't compare to the Imperial Library with its Forbidden Archives, it boasted one of the largest collections in Leomel.
Fiona had just stepped out of those doors. She had spent the day there, buried in her studies.
She looked stunning in her Special Merit Class uniform, a picture of grace with every step she took. Even during the winter break, her presence charmed everyone she passed, drawing gazes from students of all genders.
"Oh... snow," Fiona murmured.
The library was a standalone building connected to the main school by a long corridor. Looking out through the glass, the falling snow brought back memories of a year ago.
It was a memory that had been visiting her frequently this winter.
She remembered the days in the Baldur Mountains as harsh and painful. There had been nothing enjoyable about the experience itself, but meeting Ren—and the star agate he had given her on their journey back—were her most precious memories.
Fiona’s hand went to the necklace at her throat. As she gripped it, her heart felt a familiar, painful squeeze.
"Ren-kun..."
She wanted to see him. The feeling grew stronger every day.
Overcome by guilt for the trouble she had caused him, she had lost count of how many letters she had started and then abandoned. She wanted to thank him properly, so she settled for adding brief messages whenever Ulysses sent a formal letter. She never dared to write that she missed him, or to ask him to visit Eupeheim.
Her heart ached with the effort of holding back.
She bit her lip, looking up at the winter sky before closing her eyes. In the darkness behind her eyelids, the time they had spent together during that winter played out over and over.
But she couldn't stay here forever.
Fiona composed herself and began walking toward the girls' dormitory. Her steps were heavy, reflecting her somber mood.
Then, she stopped.
She turned back to the window, but this time she didn't look at the sky. She looked across the wide garden toward the visitor's reception hall.
She told herself it was just her imagination—a hallucination born of her longing, or a cruel fantasy meant to mock her. She expected to be disappointed the moment she looked closer.
Instead, her breath hitched. "...Huh?"
"Ren... kun?"
There, bathed in the orange light of the hall.
No matter how many times she rubbed her eyes, his figure remained.
Fiona bolted.
Without stopping to grab her coat, she ran through the corridor, her legs moving desperately toward the distant hall. She reached the doors and threw them open, somehow managing to do so without making a scene.
But Ren was gone.
She scanned the counter where he had been standing and the surrounding seats. He was nowhere to be found.
"..."
Fiona wandered through the reception hall. Seeing her looking so desperate and out of breath, a staff member asked if she needed help, but Fiona forced a smile. "I'm sorry. It’s nothing," she said before stepping back outside.
Perhaps it really had been a mistake.
Dejected, she didn't return to the corridor, instead heading further out into the grounds. She felt the urge to look at the snowy sky again. She tried to laugh at herself, convinced that her weakness had conjured a ghost, but she still wanted to see the snow.
She walked with her breath coming in white puffs, trying to recapture the feeling of the Baldur Mountains.
Her feet brought her to the courtyard.
A single, massive tree stood in the center. At this time of year, it was usually decorated with the light of magic tools, which combined with the orange glow from the school windows to create a stunning view.
Fiona looked up at the tree. No one was around. It was winter break, and at this hour, the courtyard was deserted.
"I have to work harder..."
Ever since the incident in the mountains, Fiona had pushed herself to the limit. Haunted by the trouble she had caused Ren, she had applied herself to everything with the goal of being able to protect herself.
That was the real reason she hadn't gone to see him. The thought of being a burden again was unbearable.
So she had endured. But seeing that vision of him had caused even her strong will to waver.
"But... I really did want to see you..."
She allowed her true feelings to leak out, just for today. As the last of her hope that he might actually be there collapsed, tears began to well in her eyes.
She fought them back. She let the tears pool, but she wouldn't let them fall.
Fiona’s shoulders began to tremble. Being outside without a coat in the dead of winter was starting to take its toll. She prided herself on her resistance to the cold as an ice magic specialist, but this was too much even for her.
Or perhaps the cold was coming from the hole in her heart.
She really needed to go back.
Just as she wrapped her arms around herself to leave, a sudden warmth settled over her shoulders.
A coat that wasn't hers was draped over her, covering her trembling arms.
"Eh?"
Fiona spun around in confusion.
He was there. The boy she thought was a ghost was standing before her with the same gentle smile she remembered.
"You’ll catch a cold, Lady Fiona."
"Ren... Ren-kun? Is it really you...?"
"Yes. It's been a long time. I'm Ren Ashton."
If this was an illusion, she didn't think she would ever recover. She might have finally snapped and demanded to see him regardless of the consequences.
But this was no dream. She could feel the warmth of the coat he had given her; she could hear the resonance of his voice. He was standing right there.
Fiona reached up and gripped the hem of his coat.
"I am so... so happy to see you again."
She gave him a smile of such radiant, breathtaking beauty that it seemed to outshine everything else.
Finally, the tears she had been holding back broke free and traced paths down her cheeks. Her face flushed red as she wiped them away, her heart a chaotic, joyous mess of emotions.