By Zephyria 
Side Story 1. Joyful Graduation and Shocking News
About a year after the war ended. The damage caused by the Fiends had been completely restored, and the fresh-faced freshmen of Merzel Academy were now on the verge of graduation, ready to enter society.
And Tom Simyurel, Raymond Valentasia’s best friend—or so he thought—both desperately hoped for this day to come and, at the same time, wished it wouldn’t.
He wanted it to come quickly so he could participate in one of the graduation day traditions: giving a necktie to the person he liked.
He didn’t want it to come because he was sad to part ways with his Class A friends, with whom he had spent the last two years.
He was especially saddened by the thought of Ardian, Zeon, Herman, and Raymond scattering in different directions.
Ardian was a prince, so it wouldn’t be easy to meet him after graduation. Zeon, for some reason, was returning to his homeland instead of becoming a hunter. And Raymond had already reached the realm of the Black Class, so his activities would be different from his own.
He found solace only in the fact that he would likely be able to meet Herman often.
‘Come to think of it, Raymond… hasn’t he been smiling a lot lately?’
He was showing much more emotional expression than when they first met. He could smile like his peers, get angry, get annoyed, and even express sadness. He still had some of the gauntness of a winter tree, but it was quite a change.
And strangely enough, Ardian was the same.
‘They’re dating… I guess people really need to be in love.’
Then, Tom checked the time and panicked.
“Oh, I’m going to be late.”
He finished getting ready and headed to the banquet hall where the graduation ceremony would be held.
The students from Magic Department Class A and Class B, as well as the students from the Swordsmanship Department, were seated separately. As he approached Class A, Herman spotted Tom and waved lightly.
“You’re just in time.”
“Yeah! Raymond and Ardian aren’t here yet?”
Zeon was sitting next to Herman. The other kids had arrived early and were all seated. Only Raymond and Ardian were missing, so the question naturally arose.
“Not yet.”
“It’s going to start soon…”
Herman just shrugged at Tom’s worry.
Zeon simply smiled faintly when Tom looked at him.
‘Could they be oversleeping?’
It was their first and last graduation ceremony.
Tom stared anxiously out of the banquet hall.
☠
“You’re really horny for me all the time, aren’t you?”
Raymond nudged Ardian’s head away with his foot.
He had woken up early for the graduation ceremony, but he ended up being late because he had to play along with the rutting beast since morning. He glared, pressing down on his forehead, which felt hot after the climax. Ardian, who was holding onto his ankle, kissed the sole of his foot.
“I’ve waited almost a thousand years, so it’s understandable, isn’t it?”
His face looked so smug that Raymond found him annoying.
“If you’ve been fucking diligently for a year, shouldn’t you have learned some self-control by now?”
“Ahahaha.”
Ardian laughed with a pretty face, as if he was happy to be scolded.
Raymond stared at his face for a moment before getting up. He felt a lazy drowsiness that made him want to skip the ceremony, but he couldn’t because he was giving a speech as the representative of the Magic Department graduates.
He wiped the semen off his body and picked up his discarded uniform to put it back on. Ardian also straightened his pants and disheveled clothes. They were a little late, but they could still arrive before the speech began.
“I would like to thank Merzel Academy for giving me the honor of standing here today…”
Raymond began to recite the speech he had prepared in advance. Ardian, Herman, Tom, and others had helped him revise it since he wasn’t good at this kind of thing.
Thanks to them, the representative address went smoothly, and he could see the professors’ pleased expressions.
“You did so well, Raymond!”
As he went back to his seat, Tom was very excited and made a fuss in a hushed voice. That meant he was nervous that Raymond would mess up. Objectively speaking, Raymond knew that he was terrible at anything that required “social skills.”
He nodded, feeling a little proud.
Finally, all the graduation procedures were completed.
Iclus, the vice-principal, blessed the graduates’ future in place of Headmaster Raculus, who had not shown up again this time, and the students cheered and got up from their seats in a hubbub.
However, they were not completely disbanding yet.
Merzel Academy operated a full dormitory system, and the dormitory students needed time to pack their belongings, so they would be staying at school as usual for the time being.
“Raymond, Raymond! Why don’t we go out tonight?”
“Where?”
“Ifrit Cafe! They have a new menu!”
“You just want to drag me along because you want to eat it.”
“Let’s go together, please?”
Tom clung to Raymond’s arm, his eyes sparkling. Herman, who was laughing next to him, swept Raymond’s hair back and touched it.
“I heard the new menu is really good. You’ll like it too.”
“Right?! Raymond, let’s go! Herman and Zeon will come with us too, right?”
“I’m always up for it.”
“I don’t mind either.”
Zeon nodded. It seemed like they were all going together. Raymond sighed briefly and suddenly realized that one person was missing. He looked around for a moment.
“Come to think of it, where’s Ardian?”
“Ah… that’s right. Where did he go?”
Zeon belatedly checked the seat next to him and was flustered.
The answer came from Herman.
“A female student called him out a little while ago.”
“A female student?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if she’s a student from Magic Department Class B or the Swordsmanship Department.”
“Ah! Could it be that girl from back then?”
Tom clapped his hands as if he had remembered something.
“Back then?”
“You know, the girl who gave Ardian a Brooch at the festival.”
“…Ah. That happened too.”
It was after they became second-year students.
The second school festival they faced.
At that time, there was a noble girl who gave Ardian a Brooch. When he thought about it, her face wasn’t unfamiliar, and he realized that she was the girl who danced with Ardian at the first-year ball. Since he was his anyway, he didn’t ask in detail…
“That bastard, is he trying to cheat on you?”
Herman suddenly smiled mischievously and said.
“Cheat? How dare he…!”
Zeon’s eyes widened in anger when he heard that.
He reacted as if he had heard nonsense. Seeing that he was more angry that Raymond might be hurt than expecting a chance for himself after hearing this story, Raymond was once again deeply moved by Zeon’s extraordinary loyalty to him.
Raymond quietly got up from his seat, and everyone’s eyes followed him.
Herman asked.
“Are you going to look for him?”
Raymond nodded, and Herman sighed softly.
“Then we’ll be waiting here.”
“Bring Ardian back, Raymond! We have to try the new menu together!”
Tom waved his hand, telling him to go. Raymond acknowledged the greeting and left the banquet hall, immediately casting the ‘Sense Perception’ Magic. It was a high-level Magic that only those who had achieved 7 stars or higher could use, spreading Mana subtly to identify the energy and location of all living beings with Mana.
It was also the Magic that Cloud had used during the training camp.
However, it was common sense that Ardian had a much higher level of achievement than him and wore Mana Concealment to protect himself in everyday life, so Ardian also wore a high level of Mana Concealment. Raymond couldn’t pinpoint his location.
But he could do it for others.
‘He’s at the entrance of the Maze Garden.’
Raymond found out the location of the girl who gave Ardian the Brooch. The Maze Garden wasn’t far from here, so he walked there. There were many children near the Maze Garden.
‘Neckties…’
They were shyly exchanging neckties with each other. Not just one or two, but most of the children nearby were doing that. That reminded him of what Tom had been saying recently, twisting his body.
-It’s a tradition to give a necktie to the person you like on graduation day.
‘Was that why?’
Raymond averted his gaze from the naive children and turned towards the entrance of the Maze Garden. And he found a familiar figure leaning against the bushes that were trimmed into a maze shape.
It was Ardian.
And a girl standing in front of him.
She was a woman of dignity, showing that she was a daughter of a noble family. Raymond watched her hand Ardian a necktie. Ardian accepted her necktie.
The girl came out of the maze before Ardian. Then, she found Raymond standing in the path and glanced at him, but only nodded in greeting, without any further reaction. Only after she had completely left the garden did Raymond approach Ardian.
Feeling his presence, he turned around and smiled softly when he realized it was Raymond.
“Ray. Why are you here?”
“I came to catch you since you suddenly disappeared.”
Ardian chuckled.
Raymond pointed to the necktie in his hand.
“Is that precious to you?”
“No.”
The answer was more firm than he expected.
“Then give it to me.”
Raymond held out his hand, and Ardian handed it over without asking why. Raymond burned it on the spot. He scattered the ashes on the ground, dusted off his hands, and untied the necktie he was wearing. He put it around Ardian’s neck and pulled him closer.
“Don’t accept things from others carelessly. Take this instead.”
Ardian, who had been pulled down powerlessly by the force, narrowed his eyes and lowered his head a little more to kiss his lips.