Chapter 11: In our next life..

“So this is Sinara Academy, huh?”

On a foggy morning where visibility was limited to ten feet ahead, two silhouettes stood before a large double-gated entrance. The gate, twenty feet high and made of marble, was intricately carved with a scene of light bursting from a man during a grand battle.

Guarding the gate were large carvings of snake-like creatures on either side. With four limbs sprouting from near their bellies and long, thin mustaches, these creatures eerily resembled someone Azrael knew.

‘Chunyong, those carvings were based on your race, huh?’

‘…Master, those carvings are based on me.’

Azrael thought Chunyong was boasting and began to laugh. But noticing the serious silence from the three of them, he wondered if Chunyong was speaking the truth.

‘How do you know they’re based on you, Chunyong? Couldn’t they be representations of another Azure Dragon?’

‘Master… there can only be one Azure Dragon.’

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‘Eh?’

‘Only the strongest water dragon elemental at the time of an Azure Dragon’s death can become an Azure Dragon…’

‘…. I never knew that. Are there any other elementals like that?’

‘….ummm...master? It’s the same for me…’

‘…… And you, Samjoko?’

‘…I am the only three-legged crow… But unlike Chunyong and Bonghwang, no one can rise to my position or race…’

‘……. You three didn’t think it was important for me to know?’

‘What would change if we told you, master?’

‘…………..Alright, we’ll talk about this more later.’

Even though Azrael wanted to retort Samjoko, the information didn’t really change anything. It wasn’t the time to discuss it. At that moment, someone was coming out of the shack beside the gate.

An old man emerged from the shack. He wore a plain grey robe that concealed his features. Standing at only 5'4" with a humped back, his wrinkled skin spoke of many years, yet his blue eyes were still full of vitality.

“How can I help you two?”

As the elder approached, Byrael stepped forward and introduced them.

“Hello, Elder. My name is Byrael Celeste. I’ve brought my son, Azrael, here for the opening ceremony. He will be starting at Sinara Academy today.”

“Hoo… so this little one is the famous Azrael, huh?”

“?? You’ve heard of me, sir?”

“Ho ho ho, don’t worry, child. Like your father said, the news of your talent hasn’t been spread. Only the senior members of the school know.”

…So, he’s one of the senior members of the school, huh? Why is he down here, though?

“Anyways, let me introduce myself. I am Walker Bohlez, the supervisor for this freshman class. I would like to congratulate you on your acceptance to Sinara Academy.”

“Thank you, sir. I look forward to being under your care this year. What should I do now?”

“After passing through the gate, go forward for about 400 feet, and you will see a five-story building on your left. Go there and sign in. Once you’ve completed registration, you will receive your identification card and keys to your dorm.”

“Thank you, sir.”

After bowing and thanking Walker Bohlez, Azrael turned to his dad. Despite Byrael’s usually cheerful demeanor, he seemed to be struggling with his emotions. Seeing this, Azrael couldn’t help but hug his dad.

“Hey, Dad, thanks for bringing me all the way here!”

Seeing his son’s broad smile, Byrael couldn’t resist hugging him back with great force.

“Of course I brought you here. Even the Baron wouldn’t be able to stop me. While you’re here, be courteous to the elders and your classmates, okay? Don’t skip any meals. Brush your teeth and wash every day. It’s fine to practice hard, but don’t push yourself too far and hurt yourself, okay? If you run into trouble or feel homesick, just send us a letter.”

“Haha, Dad, you sound exactly like Mom! I’ll be fine by myself. I’ll make sure to send a letter soon, okay?”

Azrael couldn’t help but laugh at his dad’s detailed list of instructions. Despite the humor, he appreciated his father’s concern. After a few more reassurances, Byrael finally seemed satisfied and headed back home. As he looked back at his son, he smiled and kept waving until Azrael disappeared into the fog.

‘He really must be worried, huh?’

Once his father finally left, Azrael turned around and entered through the now-opened double gate into the campus. As the sun rose, the fog began to lift, revealing the campus more clearly.

Sinara Academy was nestled in the mountains, surrounded by nature, making it an ideal location for meditation and training. About three hundred and fifty feet from the gate, buildings began to appear.

There were ten buildings in total, clustered in pairs of five with a 300-yard gap between them. Each building had five stories and an elaborate design, far more dazzling than any buildings Azrael had seen in Byranze, let alone his humble village. Following the supervisor’s instructions, he headed toward the first building on the left.

After registering, he went to the third building on the left to find his room. Arriving on the fourth floor, he reached room 342, his new home for the immediate future. Opening the door, he paused to survey the room. It was spacious, large enough to comfortably accommodate four people, even though only two were assigned here. Along the two walls were a large bed, a drawer, and a desk. To the left was a door leading to the washroom, which had a sink and a tub.

‘This room really is extravagant for students. As expected of the prestigious Sinara Academy.’

Thinking this, Azrael started unpacking his belongings. He didn’t have much—just five pairs of clothes and a couple of books. Noting that his roommate hadn’t arrived yet, he took the left side of the room.

As he was putting away his last set of clothes, the sound of the door knob rattling caught his attention. The door finally opened, and his new roommate entered.

“Yo, looks like we’ll be roommates. My name’s Winston Wozeal. Nice to meet you.”

Winston, standing at 5'8", was a tall kid with light clothing that revealed his well-toned tan skin. His short brown hair and hazel eyes carried a hint of youthful charm. Overall, he was a handsome fellow who could easily win favor with others.

“Hey, I’m Azrael Celeste. Nice to meet you too. Hope you don’t mind that I took this side of the room. No one was here, so I just chose it.”

Azrael extended his right arm for a handshake.

“Haha, no worries, bro. Either side works for me. Anyway, let’s introduce ourselves. I’ll start. Like I said, I’m Winston, and I’m from the Kingdom of Sunder. My family runs a merchant company, and my dad works for the royal family.”

“I’m from the Nifl Kingdom. As for my family… well… my father’s the sword instructor for one of the Baron’s soldiers.”

Azrael hesitated to discuss his background. It was clear Winston’s family was well-off, and working for the royal family! Azrael’s family, by contrast, was rather ordinary, which made him feel somewhat inadequate.

Though he had never met any nobles in this world, he had encountered disdainful nobles in his previous life who looked down upon commoners. Even so, he was determined to be honest about his background.

Winston, however, seemed genuinely interested and excited.

“Ho, your dad’s a sword instructor? That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to learn swordsmanship!”

Winston’s enthusiasm made Azrael relax, and he was glad he didn’t have to deal with any superiority complex. Happy to oblige, Azrael and Winston continued discussing swordsmanship until it was time for the Welcoming Ceremony. As they walked to the ceremony’s location, their conversation remained lively.

The Welcoming Ceremony was held in the training facility inside the main campus. The main campus comprised four buildings: The classroom building, the library, the administration building, and the training facility.

The classroom building, standing three stories tall, occupied a massive space, stretching over two hundred feet in length. It housed over one hundred classrooms.

The library, located two hundred yards northeast of the classrooms, featured an elegant design with marble pillars, aiming to impress its visitors unlike the other buildings on the campus.

The administration building, situated two meters east of the classroom building, was a five-story structure. It served as the hub for teacher activities, including lesson preparation, meetings, relaxation, and had private residences for faculty who wished to stay on campus.

The final building, the training facility, was a large open-air arena located at the center of the campus between the buildings. It was designed for practice and classes, with rows of seats for spectators during tournaments or duels.

As they waited in a crowd of freshmen to enter the training facility, Azrael suddenly felt a strong urge to look to his left. When he did, his mind went blank at the sight of a female freshman. A vivid memory flashed before his eyes.

He was on the ground, holding a female elf in a pure white wedding dress. The dress was stained with a large circle of dark red spreading from her abdomen. Supporting her back with his left hand, Azrael desperately tried to stop the blood flow.

Chrystal, her

face pale from the loss of blood, smiled faintly at him.

“Azrael, no matter what, today was the happiest moment of my life. To have become the wife of someone like you makes me wonder what I did right in my past life. The only regret I have is that our time was so short…. Even though I can’t be by your side, I pray that you live your life with joy. I hope that in our next life… we will… be… able… to… stay…”

With a final, serene smile, Chrystal closed her eyes for the last time.

Though the green hair was different, the face and figure were exactly the same. Without warning to Winston or the surrounding students, Azrael rushed forward. Doubt and fear gripped him as he frantically moved toward the girl, who resembled his wife from his previous life.

“CHRYSTAL!”