Track 00. Prologue

In the highly modernized magical era, crystal balls created by mages to alleviate the inconvenience of telegraphs and telegrams have undergone many changes over the years.  

Smaller and prettier.  

Able to send as many words as possible with minimal magic.  

Thanks to this, the recently made crystal balls allowed quite a lot of text to be sent, almost as if having a conversation.  

And it was known that exchanging very, very intimate conversations using them was a trend among young people these days!  

[I want to lick the bright red tip that rises from your soft, peach-like flesh.]  

She never imagined she would receive something like this!  

‘Wow, amazing. Honestly, I wondered how intimate it could be, but it says everything subtly!’  

His Majesty the Emperor judged that the blatant exchange of words among the younger generation was undermining social discipline and designated hundreds of words as forbidden.  

But human nature is such that the more you are told not to do something, the more you want to do it.  

‘So it became a trend to speak indirectly.’

But isn’t it even more suggestive when spoken indirectly like this?!

‘Oh, who could have sent such an embarrassing message?’  

First, she decided to see who sent her such a passionate message.  

She placed her finger on the crystal ball. It shimmered, revealing the code of the sender.  

“What?!”  

Seeing the code, she could only gape. The code was a complex 16-digit number.  

But she knew at a glance whose it was. It was the code of someone very familiar, someone she frequently exchanged messages with.  

“T-this is.”  

Kanin Albrecht.  

How splendid were the titles attached to that name.

Top of the academy, a genius who could solve infinite geometric series in his head, a powerful water mage known for his delicate control, the second son of the Albrecht Dukedom.  

However, she called him this way.

“No way, my friend?”  

……He was her childhood friend who knew even the moles on her bottom.  

* * *  

‘Ah, the sunlight is so warm.’  

She looked up at the sky with weary eyes.  

From the moment she realized her childhood friend had sent the problematic message, she couldn’t sleep a wink.  

‘Why did Kanin do that? Why did Kanin send me such a message…….’  

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find an answer.  

As she walked like a zombie to work, a playful colleague slapped her on the back.  

“Can’t you straighten your back, Vivi?”  

“Ah!”  

Lost in thought and moving like a jellyfish, she was startled when her back was suddenly hit.  

With her scream, uncontrolled magic rampaged around her.  

Whoosh!  

“Ah! Vivi set it on fire!”  

“Vivi, put out the fire quickly, hurry!”  

“Well, that is…….”  

She was born with rare and vast magic power and was recognized as a mage from a very young age. But honestly, it was hard to say she was an excellent mage.  

‘I can’t control it well!’  

Magic could only be stopped by the caster or extinguished by a mage of the opposite element—in her case, a water mage.  

But unfortunately, there was no water mage present.  

“Ah, Vivi! Do something quickly!”  

“I-I’m trying to control it.”  

“Vivi!”  

Who told them to startle me!  

With a tense face, she tried to focus her strength into her hands. But the flames didn’t subside, and cold sweat formed on her forehead.  

‘Please. Please. Please. Please!’  

If the caster’s magic power was exhausted, the flames would naturally die down. But in her case, her innate magic was so strong that it wouldn’t matter even if the fire burned for a whole month.  

‘Oh, really. If only I had less magic.’  

As she bit her lower lip, feeling frustrated, it happened.  

Sizzle.  

The flames went out in an instant, almost unbelievably quickly. She blinked in disbelief.  

In such a case.  

‘A water mage must have come!’  

And there was only one person in the Imperial Magic Knight Order Moonlight Division who could handle water-type magic.

“What’s going on here again?”  

The very person who made her heart flutter.  

Her childhood friend, Kanin Albrecht.  

“K-Kanin.”

She turned around with a flushed face. Behind her stood a tall man with skin paler than most women, a cold expression, thick black hair covering his forehead, and icy blue eyes. He had his hands on his hips.  

With a finger, he pushed up the thick black-rimmed glasses resting loosely on his high nose and asked,  

“Are you okay, Vivi?”  

“Yes. You came quickly.”  

Even as she answered, she couldn’t meet Kanin’s eyes.  

‘Ah, so embarrassing!’  

Just the fact that Kanin was standing in front of her reminded her of the message she received last night.  

[I want to lick the bright red tip that rises from your soft, peach-like flesh.]  

‘Ugh!’  

It was so embarrassing. She tapped her forehead with her palm.  

‘Go away, perverted thoughts!’  

Until now, she hadn’t thought much of it, but suddenly she found it unbearably embarrassing, likely because of the message.  

As she closed her eyes tightly, Kanin grabbed her hand.  

Looking down at her with a pitiful expression, he said,  

“You’ve been acting foolish for a while now, but maybe you should stop hurting yourself.”  

“I am not hurting myself! I’m just trying to clear my mind.”  

“Really?”  

His deep blue eyes were like a calm, unfathomable sea.  

So.

A look with no emotion, just indifferent eyes.

‘Huh?’  

She realized something was wrong. A loud voice echoed from behind her.  

“Everyone, come in! The Commander will be here soon.”  

“Yes, Senior.”  

Perhaps because the order was composed of mages, Moonlight Division had a more relaxed atmosphere than other knight orders. The members walked towards the headquarters, chatting like students.  

“Phew, as expected of Grand Duke Albrecht. What would we do without him?”  

“Only Kanin can handle the troublesome Vivi.”  

“Vivi still can’t control her magic…….”  

‘Kanin.’  

She could ignore the words belittling her, but she couldn’t ignore the name mixed in with them.  

She bit her lip hard.  

‘Looking at me with such cold eyes.’  

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand.  

‘Why did Kanin send me such a message?’  

With such indifferent eyes, he sent such a passionate message last night.  

‘I don’t get it.’  

As she pursed her lips and sulked, a heavy voice suddenly echoed in her ear.  

“Vivi.”  

“Ah! Uh, uh?”  

The low voice that felt like it was squeezing her heart sounded right next to her ear. It was none other than Kanin.  

Kanin looked at her through his glasses and asked,  

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”  

“What? Ahaha. A-a fire mage can’t catch a c-cold, right?”  

She waved her palm and laughed awkwardly. Kanin narrowed his eyes as if he were examining her closely.  

“But your face is red.”  

“……!!”  

Before she could avoid it, Kanin’s large palm touched her forehead. The cool temperature typical of water mages tickled her forehead.  

“You seem to have a fever.”  

“Haha.”  

She laughed awkwardly and removed Kanin’s hand.  

‘I thought my heart would explode.’  

Her hand, which had touched Kanin’s palm, trembled.  

Avoiding his gaze, she mumbled,  

“Fire types naturally have a higher base temperature. Don’t worry.”  

“Okay.”  

Without much change in expression, Kanin withdrew his hand. He started walking with steady steps. His sharp eyes focused unwaveringly ahead.  

‘Kanin is the same as usual.’  

She glanced at him and eventually sighed.  

‘Is it just me who’s conscious?’  

Even after sending such a message that made her anxious. In the end, it seemed she was the only one shaken.  

‘I got nervous for nothing. Well, it’s not like Kanin sent it because he likes me.’  

Thinking that, she lowered her eyes gloomily. Kanin, who had been walking confidently, slowed his pace slightly.  

“But Vivi.”  

“Yes?”  

She blinked. And froze at his next words.  

“Why didn’t you reply to my message yesterday?”  

“……!!”  

As soon as she thought she would let it go as meaningless, his question hit her like a brick.  

Her face turned red as if it would burst.  

“W-what?! M-message?”  

“Yes.”  

‘Am I supposed to reply to that?!’  

Her mind became tangled like yarn. She bit her nails nervously.  

‘How am I supposed to reply to a message saying he wants to lick my peach? Should I say I want to break his banana?’  

What a crazy thought.  

‘Banana? That’s a stretch.’  

She tapped her forehead again with her palm.  

‘Get a grip, get a grip!’  

Her erratic behavior seemed strange to Kanin. He narrowed his eyes and watched her intently.  

“Don’t you remember what I sent?”  

“R-remember…….”

Her gaze fixed on him as if nailed in place.  

Between Kanin’s peach-colored lips, his red tongue subtly appeared like a snake and then disappeared.  

“Ugh.”  

With that tongue, he would……  

‘Is he asking for a reply now?’  

Just imagining it made her head feel like it would explode. Her palms were sweaty.  

Kanin continued in a very calm tone.  

“I asked if you were ready for the field training next week.”  

“Chest… what?”  

His words felt like pouring ice water on her boiling mind. Stammering, she looked at him with a dazed expression. He tilted his head slightly.  

“Chest?”  

“N-no!”  

She shook her head vigorously. Then quickly repeated what Kanin had said.  

“The field training next week?”  

“Yes. It’s 10 nights and 11 days, and the southern region is too harsh for you.”  

“R-right. Field training is just around the corner.”  

She nodded quickly. Even though they were mages, because they were part of the knight order, they had to undergo field training every quarter.  

And the location for this field training was the southern region. As a fire mage who struggled with heat, it was a nightmare for her.  

And if she collapsed, it would naturally be up to the water mage, Kanin, to take care of her.  

So it was only natural for him to worry about her and ask if she was prepared. It was something he always did.  

“……Right.”  

She was suddenly sure.  

‘He sent it to the wrong person.’  

The lewd message she received and the field training message Kanin said he sent.  

‘He sent it to the wrong person, confusing me with another woman.’

Thinking that, everything made sense. Kanin’s unyielding calmness, and her foolishly anxious heart.  

‘Of course.’  

Her head might have understood, but for some reason, her heart felt hollow. She sank deeply, her excitement fading.

Kanin looked at her curiously as she suddenly became gloomy. She forced a smile to show it was nothing.  

A sharp pain, like being pricked by a needle, passed through her heart.