Morning arrived quietly.
Golden sunlight entered through the windows of the inn.
The distant cries of seagulls echoed above the harbor.
Ships drifted peacefully across the ocean.
The city slowly awakened.
Inside the luxurious room.
Evelyne sat upon the edge of the bed.
The woman stared at her own hands.
Human hands.
Even now.
Part of her still struggled to believe it.
The previous night felt like a dream.
A very strange dream.
A monster purified.
A mysterious student.
A clothing store.
An innkeeper convinced they were husband and wife.
The memories felt increasingly absurd the more she thought about them.
Meanwhile.
Not far away.
Kel had already awakened.
The silver-haired youth sat quietly upon the couch.
Reading a book.
Naturally.
Inside his mind.
Seiren floated lazily.
"You know."
"Hm?"
"Most students spend mornings worrying about classes."
Kel turned a page.
"And?"
"You are preparing a centuries-old dark mage for employment."
The Guardian paused.
"Your academic life is unusual."
Kel nodded.
"Fair."
The Guardian stared.
Then sighed.
Unfortunately.
That was probably the most reasonable thing he had said all week.
Several minutes later.
Kel closed his book.
Then walked toward Evelyne.
The woman immediately straightened.
Still not entirely comfortable.
Not because she feared him.
Because she respected him.
A strange feeling.
The silver-haired youth crouched beside her.
Then placed a hand against her back.
The action startled her.
Not because it was inappropriate.
Because she immediately felt warmth.
A strange warmth.
Pure mana.
Gentle.
Steady.
Power flowed into her body.
Like warm sunlight entering frozen limbs.
Evelyne's eyes widened.
"What are you doing?"
Kel answered simply.
"Helping."
The mana continued flowing.
The woman felt her exhausted body slowly awaken.
Her weakened muscles regained strength.
Her unstable magic calmed.
The lingering exhaustion disappeared bit by bit.
The sensation felt incredible.
Almost divine.
Inside his mind.
Seiren observed.
"You spoil people."
"I am accelerating recovery."
"That sounds less kind."
"It is more accurate."
The Guardian rolled her eyes.
Several minutes later.
Kel withdrew his hand.
"Stand."
Evelyne blinked.
Then attempted it.
Immediately.
Her legs trembled.
The woman nearly fell.
But before she could.
Kel caught her arm.
"Again."
The response was immediate.
Simple.
Calm.
No pity.
No concern.
Just confidence.
The confidence of someone who expected success.
Evelyne tried again.
One step.
Then another.
The room spun briefly.
Her body still felt unfamiliar.
For centuries.
She moved as a monster.
Now she had to remember how to move as a human.
The process was strangely difficult.
Several times she stumbled.
Several times she nearly fell.
And every single time.
Kel caught her.
Not dramatically.
Not heroically.
Simply naturally.
As though preventing someone from falling was normal.
Eventually.
The woman managed several consecutive steps.
Then ten.
Then twenty.
A smile appeared.
Small.
But genuine.
"I can walk."
Kel nodded.
"You can."
The simple acknowledgment somehow made her happier.
An hour later.
The two exited the inn.
The same innkeeper immediately noticed them.
And immediately misunderstood everything again.
The older man watched Kel supporting Evelyne while she walked.
His eyes became emotional.
Very emotional.
"Young love."
Inside his mind.
Seiren exploded into laughter.
Kel ignored it.
Completely.
Eventually.
They reached a crossroads.
The academy stood in one direction.
The city square in another.
Kel stopped.
Then looked toward Evelyne.
"Remember the story."
The woman smiled slightly.
"The woman without memories."
Kel nodded.
"Exactly."
Evelyne shook her head.
Even now.
The story sounded ridiculous.
Yet somehow.
She found herself following it.
The silver-haired youth adjusted his academy uniform.
Then spoke.
"If everything goes correctly."
A pause.
"You should have employment before noon."
The woman stared.
"You say that as though finding employment is easy."
"It is."
Silence.
Evelyne stared.
Then sighed.
Because arguing with him never worked.
Several moments later.
The two separated.
Kel walked toward Aetherial Institute.
While Evelyne walked toward the city square.
One toward lectures.
The other toward controlled chaos.
The city square bustled with activity.
Merchants shouted.
Children played.
Travelers wandered.
Guards patrolled.
The morning looked peaceful.
Then.
Evelyne arrived.
The woman remembered Kel's instructions.
Every absurd instruction.
Especially one.
Cause an incident.
A small one.
Just enough.
The woman took a deep breath.
Then extended her hand.
She intended a tiny magical fluctuation.
Tiny.
Very tiny.
Unfortunately.
Evelyne's definition of tiny differed from reality.
The ground trembled.
A nearby fountain exploded.
Stone shattered.
A decorative monument cracked in half.
Several windows broke simultaneously.
The entire city square fell silent.
Evelyne froze.
"...oops."
Several seconds passed.
Then everyone screamed.
Guards rushed forward.
Citizens panicked.
Merchants fled.
Children cried.
The situation deteriorated rapidly.
Within moments.
City guards surrounded her.
Weapons drawn.
Magic activated.
The captain stepped forward.
"Identify yourself!"
Evelyne blinked.
Then remembered the story.
Immediately.
She adopted a confused expression.
Which wasn't difficult.
Because she was genuinely confused.
"I..."
The woman looked around.
"What happened?"
The captain frowned.
"What happened?"
He pointed toward the destroyed fountain.
"You happened!"
Evelyne looked horrified.
"Did I?"
The confusion appeared entirely genuine.
Because it was.
The captain hesitated.
Then frowned harder.
Several interrogations followed.
Name?
Unknown.
Origin?
Unknown.
Family?
Unknown.
Memories?
Unknown.
The guards gradually became concerned.
Then suspicious.
Then confused.
Then concerned again.
Eventually.
The incident attracted attention.
Important attention.
Magical attention.
Several professors from Aetherial Institute arrived.
Long robes fluttered behind them.
Powerful magical pressure filled the area.
The professors examined the scene.
Then examined Evelyne.
Then examined the scene again.
Then returned to Evelyne.
One professor frowned.
Another adjusted spectacles.
A third nearly dropped his staff.
"Impossible."
The oldest among them stepped forward.
Then performed several evaluation spells.
The results appeared.
And immediately shattered common sense.
Dark affinity.
Absurd.
Mana capacity.
Absurd.
Magical control.
Absurd.
Magical knowledge.
Even more absurd.
The professors stared.
Then stared harder.
One finally whispered.
"Who is she?"
Nobody knew.
Not even Evelyne.
At least according to the official story.
Several hours passed.
Numerous evaluations followed.
Every result produced the same conclusion.
A genius.
No.
Something beyond genius.
An anomaly.
A phenomenon.
A walking magical disaster disguised as a beautiful woman.
Eventually.
The professors gathered privately.
The discussion lasted nearly an hour.
Then a decision emerged.
"Professor."
"Impossible."
"Why?"
"Because she has no memories."
Silence.
That argument was difficult to counter.
Eventually another solution appeared.
Assistant Professor.
A temporary position.
Observation.
Evaluation.
Employment.
Training.
The compromise satisfied everyone.
Mostly.
Later that afternoon.
Evelyne received the official offer.
Assistant Professor of Magical Studies.
Specialization pending evaluation.
The woman stared at the document.
Then stared toward the academy.
Then remembered the silver-haired student.
And for the hundredth time.
Asked herself the same question.
Who exactly was Aedon Flinth?
Because somehow.
Once again.
His ridiculous plan had worked perfectly.