To Ludger, Selina was someone unforgettable—both in good ways and ill.
She had arrived at Seorn as a newly appointed instructor alongside him.
The subject she taught was Spirit Studies, and as a spirit mage, Selina possessed exceptional skill.
Her warm and gentle personality, as bright as a blooming spring day, coupled with the clear smile she offered freely to everyone—man or woman—naturally endeared her to all.
But Selina carried a tremendous problem.
Her true identity was Esmeralda, the First Order of the Black Dawn Society.
The “Selina” people knew was an artificial spirit created by Esmeralda.
In other words, the true consciousness in control was the spirit mage Esmeralda herself.
A person with two souls residing in a single body.
A case so rare that even Ludger’s teacher, Grander, had taken interest.
Of course, there was a long, tangled past behind how this came to be:
The deaths of the villagers she loved.
The lingering resentment that fused into another spirit—Quasimodo.
And Esmeralda being half-forced into walking a path of revenge because of Quasimodo.
And finally, the fragile remnant of her humanity—Selina—stitched together through sheer will.
The complicated triangular dynamic between the three, endlessly influencing one another, came to its conclusion through Ludger.
Quasimodo died. His existence vanished completely. And Esmeralda, whose soul had been shackled by Quasimodo, finally regained her freedom and was able to pass on.
Ludger still remembered that day vividly.
Inside the burning warehouse, he watched as the souls oppressed by Quasimodo were released.
Their feather-like luminous forms gathered together and drifted toward some final destination—
surely a spiritual path toward salvation.
With Quasimodo and Esmeralda gone at last...
Selina was left alone.
And she, too, vaguely sensed it—
that the chain which had bound her for so long had finally dissolved.
The loss came crashing over her, yet at the same time, Selina had become truly free.
But because of that, Selina awakened as a wielder of the Spirit of Darkness.
A Spirit of Darkness.
Among the countless natural spirits that existed, it was a case that was not merely rare—
it was unique.
No—rare is too soft a word. It was practically singular.
Light is an element—scientifically speaking, a mixture of particles, waves, and various forms of radiation.
Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, ice, metal—all were elements.
Only darkness was not.
Darkness was the absence of everything—a state of nothingness.
A non-existence.
Could one call darkness an “element”?
There was no light, no oxygen, no particles—nothing.
It was not an element.
The darkness Selina wielded erased all existence.
As they saw in the Holy War, it twisted even the divine power wielded by the Holy Emperor.
Selina named her Spirit of Darkness “Esmeralda.”
Of course, it couldn’t be the real Esmeralda.
The spirit newly born was entirely separate from the Esmeralda who had already passed on.
But naming it so felt like Selina’s stubborn refusal to let go of the person who had walked with her for so long.
Come to think of it...
He suddenly remembered the promise he made with Selina.
Back during the Seorn festival—after fighting Esmeralda—
Ludger had promised Selina they would watch the next festival together.
In the end... I didn’t keep that promise.
Even when he said it, he’d had a faint feeling—
that it was a promise that would never come true.
There were things he had to do.
Yet he spoke those words anyway, despite not being the type to make careless promises.
Even now, he couldn’t fully understand why.
Perhaps he had simply been swept up in the moment.
And now... she’s coming here.
He never imagined he would reunite with Selina in a beastkin nation.
He had assumed he would meet her only after returning to Seorn.
Was this what people called fate’s mischief?
Ludger looked out the window.
He was staying in a guest lodging prepared for honored visitors—built in human architectural style so humans could stay comfortably.
I should take a walk.
Ludger left his assigned quarters and wandered through the capital.
Even at night, the city was lively—lamps burning in every direction, people bustling about.
In older times, the beastkin tribes lit a few torches and retreated early to sleep, leaving only guards awake.
Now, even at night, the noise and activity continued—they had embraced civilization.
Although, that alone wasn’t the reason.
The wedding is tomorrow.
The next Great Chieftain was marrying.
And not just anyone—a human.
It was not just a marriage of love—
it symbolized a major step toward friendship between humans and the beastkin.
Furthermore, the story itself was picturesque.
Iona, who had gone to learn human culture, grew close to Leo and entered a genuine relationship with him.
No politics, no ulterior motives—just love.
A massive event prepared for weeks, now on the eve of its peak—today, the pre-ceremony festival, was the liveliest of all.
Aidan’s already gone off somewhere with Taishy, it seems.
With nothing urgent to do, Ludger decided to simply look around before returning.
He passed through markets filled with traditional beastkin crafts,
watched tribesfolk dancing wildly in traditional outfits around bonfires,
and observed beastkin racing horses across the plains while performing incredible acrobatic techniques.
Naturally, he wasn’t sightseeing alone.
Word of today’s sparring match had spread fast—
everywhere he went, beastkin recognized him and approached.
“Ah! It’s the strong human!”
“Hey, try this! I brewed this mare’s milk liquor myself—it’s amazing!”
“My shop sells food! Come try some—I'll take good care of you!”
Some meant well.
Some were merely fascinated by his strength.
But in their own way, it was all goodwill.
Ludger responded politely at times, declined gently at others, and continued through the crowds.
Eventually, after seeing so much, a wave of fatigue seeped into him.
I should find somewhere quieter.
Casting his mana outward, he searched for a sparsely populated area and headed there.
The city outskirts.
There, he gazed out upon the plains.
The sky was clear, with a bright full moon and countless stars glittering in vibrant colors.
The stars gathered into flowing patterns, forming a great Milky Way stretching across the heavens.
A night of stars over the plains.
Seeing this alone made him feel his trip here had been worth it.
Ludger sat on a nearby rock.
A cool breeze brushed his skin pleasantly.
The deep scent of grass and the sound of insects washed his mind clean of fatigue.
With eyes closed, he let his senses immerse in the world—
until he slowly opened them again.
Someone had arrived.
A woman stood before him, hands clasped shyly behind her back.
Ludger rose to greet her.
“It has been a while, Professor Selina.”
Even beneath the night sky, her soft pink hair shone like a single blooming flower—
its color unchanged by the passage of years.
Her eyes and expression, too, were just as they had been three years ago.
When everyone else had changed in their own ways, Selina alone remained startlingly the same.
She didn’t answer at first, likely unsure what to say.
Ludger waited patiently.
It was understandable—she had been through more than enough to make such a reunion complicated.
But surely she had matured after three years.
She had once been treated as somewhat younger than the other professors—
a trait that helped her connect with students easily, though she sometimes disliked not being seen as fully grown.
So perhaps now, she would greet him more calmly.
Maybe... she might even flash her usual bright smile.
Ssshh... hoo...
Selina inhaled deeply, straightened her posture—
And suddenly—
She threw herself into his arms.
“......!”
Even Ludger had not expected this.
His hands hovered awkwardly for a moment—
But the warmth against his chest grounded him, and he gently wrapped his arms around her back.
“...I missed you.”
“As a greeting after such a long parting, this is quite bold, isn’t it?”
“You have no idea how long I waited.”
“My apologies. I meant to return sooner, but it took longer than expected.”
Their prolonged embrace ended only when Selina—realizing what she’d done—quickly pushed him away.
Her face turned beet red.
“I— I didn’t mean— I was just so happy— I didn’t think—”
“Well, it happens. And if you hadn’t done it first... I might have.”
Softening the moment was the best gift he could give her now.
His playful remark worked—Selina let out a small, embarrassed chuckle.
“I was so surprised. I never thought I’d meet you here, of all places.”
“Yes. I was quite surprised as well. When Aidan told me you were coming, I could hardly believe it.”
“I heard from Aidan and Taishy after arriving here. They told me you’d probably be somewhere quiet like this.”
Those kids... they know me too well.
Ludger pushed the thought aside and asked:
“Have you been well?”
“I have... I suppose. I’ve mostly just been teaching for the past three years.”
“For that, your relationship with your students seems quite strong.”
It wasn’t common for a teacher to be invited to a graduate’s wedding in ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ another nation.
“Really? Being close with students is natural for a teacher, isn’t it?”
“That was unimaginable back when I was a teacher.”
If Selina symbolized warm spring,
then Ludger was the coldest winter.
The idea of forming personal bonds with students was unthinkable—
Though ironically, he ended up bonding deeply with quite a few.
“Don’t even get me started. After the Holy War, my popularity skyrocketed so much that people follow me everywhere—it’s exhausting.”
Ludger nodded knowingly.
Seorn instructors had participated in the Holy War as support.
Officially, the greatest hero had been Chancellor Eliza Willow, a 6th-Rank magician.
But that was only what people saw on the surface.
If Ludger were to choose the true key player of the Holy War, he would choose Selina without hesitation.
With her power over the Spirit of Darkness, she had dealt meaningful damage to Sallesin himself.
“Are your spirits well?”
“Yes. They’re all doing fine. And Esmeralda too.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“Um... then, Ludger... have you returned for good now?”
“Yes. Hard to believe, I know—but somehow, I’m back.”
At that, Selina’s face brightened; she fiddled nervously with her fingers.
“In that case... um... this is a personal question but... ah... that is...”
Selina hesitated far more than usual—her face overheated from embarrassment.
“Do you... by any chance... have someone you’re... seeing?”