Chapter 209: Back To Home
Back at the Academy
Noah stood in front of the mirror one last time before leaving his dormitory.
He wore a fitted white T-shirt beneath a black leather jacket, paired with dark jeans and black boots. The casual outfit suited him surprisingly well, making his snow-white hair and glacier-blue eyes stand out even more.
He adjusted the collar of his jacket before smiling faintly.
"Not bad."
Thanks to Heart of Absolute Frost, he no longer had to worry about the summer heat. Although he could still feel warmth, it no longer affected him. Even if he stood beneath the scorching sun all day in desert, his body remained comfortably cool.
His gaze shifted toward the bed.
Nancy lay curled into a small black ball of fur, lazily watching him with half-open golden eyes.
"No, let’s go."
He picked up his travel bag before looking at the cat.
"It’s time to visit my... ex-home."
"Meow?"
Nancy tilted her head in confusion. She had absolutely no idea what this strange human was talking about.
Noah had never discussed traveling anywhere with her. He crouched before her and smiled.
"I can’t leave you here alone."
Nancy blinked.
"Who would take care of you?"
"Meow! Meow!"
She immediately protested. Her cries almost sounded as though she were saying,
’I was taking care of myself perfectly fine before I met you!’
Unfortunately for her, Noah had no intention of listening.
"Don’t argue."
Nancy narrowed her eyes.
"Meow—!"
Before she could finish protesting, Noah scooped her up with one arm.
"I mean... let’s go."
The cat continued grumbling beneath her breath. Sadly her opinion carried very little weight.
Morning sunlight illuminated the academy grounds. The campus had become much quieter now that the summer vacation had begun.
As Noah stepped out of the dormitory building with Nancy resting comfortably in his arm, two familiar figures immediately caught his attention.
Lyria and Arisha were already waiting near the entrance.
Lyria wore a simple cream-colored summer dress beneath a light cardigan, while her long golden-blonde hair flowed gently in the morning breeze.
Beside her, Arisha wore a black fitted T-shirt beneath a light gray jacket, paired with dark jeans that complemented her cool demeanor perfectly. Her long violet hair had been tied into a high ponytail.
Both girls looked toward Noah.
"Good morning, guys."
Lyria smiled warmly before waving.
"Good morning, Noah."
Arisha was just about to greet him as well.
"He—"
Her words suddenly stopped.
Her eyes locked onto the creature resting comfortably in Noah’s arm.
"...N-Noah?"
She blinked.
"...That cat?"
Lyria also noticed Nancy.
Her pink eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Noah! You have a cat? And you never told us? It’s so cute!"
Noah laughed awkwardly.
"Haha... I wanted to tell you both."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"But I never really got the chance. And honestly...It’s just a cat. Her name is Nancy."
Arisha slowly narrowed her eyes.
"...That’s the same cat. The one I tried to pet about a month ago. But she never let me touch her."
She looked directly into Noah’s eyes.
"Since when has she been your pet?"
Nancy immediately frowned.
Yes. The cat genuinely frowned. She clearly disliked being referred to as someone’s pet.
Unfortunately she couldn’t exactly argue.
Noah smiled nervously. "I found her before our written examinations."
He thought for a moment.
"It was the same day you, Regnar, and Draven taught me."
The moment he finished speaking...
Arisha’s expression turned noticeably colder.
Lyria, meanwhile, had absolutely no idea why Arisha suddenly looked upset.
"So..."
Arisha folded her arms.
"The reason you acted so strangely back then, it was because of her?"
Noah nodded honestly.
"Yes."
"Damn you, Noah!"
She marched straight toward him. Within seconds, she stood directly in front of him.
Noah couldn’t help smiling helplessly. He knew exactly how much Arisha loved cute things despite always acting like an indifferent ice queen.
"Hey. I told you now."
He gently lifted Nancy slightly.
"If you want... You can pet her."
Arisha looked at the cat.
Then at Noah. Before she could respond, Lyria stepped forward first.
"Really?"
She smiled brightly.
"Then let me."
She carefully extended her hand toward Nancy.
The cat flinched. She was fully prepared to hiss.
Unfortunately Noah’s free hand gently held her in place.
"Behave. Be a good girl."
"Meow!!"
Nancy protested indignantly. Yet she could do absolutely nothing.
Lyria gently stroked her soft black fur.
"So fluffy..."
She smiled happily. At that exact moment...
Arisha calmly raised her own hand.
Instead of petting the cat, she placed it atop Noah’s snow-white hair.
Then she gently began stroking it.
Noah immediately blushed.
"H-Hey! You’re doing it again!"
Lyria froze.
She slowly withdrew her hand from Nancy before looking toward Arisha with wide eyes.
Arisha merely smirked.
"This is your punishment."
She continued patting his hair.
"For hiding such an adorable cat from me."
She looked at Noah with obvious amusement.
"...Although. I actually prefer patting you rather than Nancy."
She finally withdrew her hand.
Lyria continued staring at them.
Her cheeks gradually turned pink. She quietly looked down at her own hand...
Then toward Noah’s head.
For some reason she suddenly wanted to try it too. The thought embarrassed her enough that she immediately looked away.
Arisha casually adjusted her jacket.
"Anyway. We should leave. My train departs in half an hour."
"Oh, right. Shit."
Noah started following after her.
"Lyria. Let’s go."
She snapped out of her thoughts.
"O-Okay."
Still blushing faintly, she hurried after the two of them.
---
BEEP!
A bright flash of light filled the teleportation chamber.
Moments later Noah stepped out of the portal. A cool breeze immediately greeted him.
He slowly looked around.
"The weather here isn’t nearly as hot as Novaris City..."
He smiled faintly.
"...Though I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore."
"Meow~"
Nancy lazily stretched inside his arm before looking around curiously. Her bright yellow eyes carefully observed everything surrounding them.
Noah gently scratched beneath her chin.
"We’re home."
He paused.
"...Well. Can I really call this place home anymore?"
A complicated smile crossed his face. Unlike most students, Noah had returned through a teleportation gate. The academy certainly wasn’t generous enough to provide free long-distance portal access for every student.
Fortunately his elder brother, Nathan, had already arranged everything beforehand. Without Nathan’s help, Noah would have spent long time traveling by train like Arisha.
Lyria, on the other hand, had naturally returned to her duchy through a teleportation gate as well.
Leaving the teleportation station behind, Noah entered the capital city of the Eldritch Duchy.
Gelidra City.
The duchy occupied the northern region of the empire. Every winter, heavy snowfall blanketed nearly the entire territory.
Farther north, beyond the last settlements where civilization ended, stretched endless frozen lands covered in snow throughout almost the entire year.
Beyond those icy coasts, across the northern sea, lay Glaciara—the Frozen Continent.
The second-largest continent in the world. A land where eternal snowstorms ruled. Gelidra itself presented an unusual sight.
The city perfectly blended modern civilization with ancient aristocratic elegance.
Glass office buildings and sleek commercial districts stood beside towering Gothic cathedrals that had endured for centuries.
Modern trams glided through wide stone-paved avenues, while elegant horse-drawn carriages still traveled the older districts.
The central city bustled with modern architecture. Yet the noble quarter retained its centuries-old identity.
Magnificent stone mansions, medieval fortifications, towering Gothic estates, stained-glass windows, wrought-iron gates, and narrow cobblestone streets created an atmosphere unlike anywhere else.
It reminded Noah of several cities from his previous world.
"...Edinburgh, Prague or perhaps London."
None matched perfectly.
Instead Gelidra felt like a seamless fusion of all three.
It was ancient, modern, elegant and powerful.
Noah slowly walked through the city instead of hiring a carriage. He wanted to enjoy the scenery.
"Meow~"
Nancy quietly watched everything with endless curiosity from his arm.
"It’s beautiful..."
Noah muttered softly. Nearly half an hour later he finally stopped walking.
His eyes slowly rose upward. Before him stood an enormous manor surrounded by towering iron gates and perfectly maintained gardens.
The estate resembled something taken directly from an old European aristocratic painting.
Gray stone walls, countless gothic windows and elegant balconies, everything radiated dignity and prestige.
Noah smiled helplessly. "I inherited memories of this place..."
He looked at the grand mansion in silence.
"...But seeing it with my own eyes. It really feels like I’ve stepped into the medieval era."
After taking a slow breath, he finally stood before the gates of the place that had once been his home.
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