Seeing the construct actually stop, Audrey's eyes widened in disbelief.
A moment later, as if clutching at a lifeline, she shouted the strange yet oddly beautiful phrase again and again:
"The King of Glory, greater than the sun!" (Ancient Elvish) ×3
The crimson glow in the construct's eyes flickered—then slowly turned green.
The rune-etched blade withdrew from her throat.
"A foolish slave… but at least one who knows to revere the great King." (Ancient Elvish)
The construct narrowed its green-lit gaze, studying her more closely.
"Was it that careless one who marked you? …Ah, never mind. They never pay attention to inferior human slaves. Always forgetting to brand them." (Ancient Elvish)
As it spoke, the construct raised its sword again—
and brought it down in a swift arc.
Audrey flinched and shut her eyes tight.
But the pain never came.
Instead, she felt a sudden chill across her chest—
followed by a strange warmth spreading through her skin.
Then the construct's voice echoed once more:
"It's done. The mark has been applied. Now leave—slaves have no place here." (Ancient Elvish)
Her eyes trembled open.
All that remained was rubble.
The terrifying guardian had vanished without a trace.
Only then did Audrey realize—
her clothing had been cut open across the chest, along with her undergarments, leaving her exposed.
And there, over her heart, was a delicate, glowing green sigil—
two sacred trees leaning into one another,
and beneath them, the silhouette of an elf raising a sword, crowned in glory.
Audrey, who knew of elves only as distant myths, stared at the mark in confusion.
Then, snapping out of it, she hurriedly pulled her torn clothes together, covering herself as best she could.
Relying on fragmented memory, she fled the ruin as quickly—and carefully—as she could.
---
By the afternoon, Mozo glanced at the clock in the library before slipping a bookmark into his book and closing it.
He planned to borrow it.
It was a clear and practical introduction to finance—something he figured would be useful for his future career.
But just as he began packing up—
he spotted Audrey, the girl he'd run into that morning, heading straight toward him at a brisk pace.
…She's not coming for me, is she?
No. Probably just a coincidence.
Please don't let it be me.
Audrey was one of the most well-known beauties in the Floriculture Faculty.
Even as a commoner, her future was practically guaranteed—most likely marrying into a mid-ranking noble family as a concubine, or perhaps even becoming the legal wife of a lower noble.
By any standard, she was already winning at life.
And that was exactly why Mozo knew better than to get involved with someone like her.
Especially on a campus overflowing with competitive, hormone-driven young men.
Trouble would follow. A lot of it.
But fate clearly had other plans.
The "Tulip" of the Floriculture Faculty stopped right in front of him.
She placed both hands on the table, clearly wanting to say something—but struggling to find the words.
After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke:
"Would you happen to have time… to join me for a visit to the café? The Rose Pavilion, just outside the university."
The moment she said it, the surrounding students collectively froze in shock.
The Rose Pavilion Café was famous—practically synonymous with dates.
It survived almost entirely on couples from the university.
What was going on today?
The Rose of the Floriculture Faculty being taken was one thing—her partner was a high noble, after all.
But now even the Tulip was inviting someone out?
And him of all people—an utterly unremarkable guy?
Even the noble young master who had just come down from the third floor glanced over with curiosity.
Only Anna, the Rose at his side, seemed lost in thought, not even bothering to look.
As for Mozo—
he felt nothing but a growing headache.
No matter how this played out, his life was about to get complicated.
After a brief pause, he decided to turn her down—
but just before speaking, he caught something in her eyes.
Anxiety. Unease.
He hesitated.
Then, with a faint, self-deprecating smile, he said:
"Miss Hepburn, is there perhaps an academic matter you'd like to discuss?"
A nobody like me… and I still can't ignore this kind of thing.
Audrey wasn't slow.
After a brief pause, she picked up on his meaning instantly:
"Yes, exactly. Since it may involve your academic work, please allow me to offer proper refreshments as an apology."
The tension in the room eased slightly.
Mozo nodded, then added:
"I don't mind—but if this does involve my research, I'd expect some form of compensation."
Perfect.
Now he was just a poor student—more interested in money than women.
That should keep the jealous idiots at bay.
But to Audrey—
his words meant something entirely different.
So he has encountered something like what I described…
If I want more information, I'll need to offer enough in return.
Her thoughts began to race.
An elven ruin.
A construct like that… definitely not something low-level.
Could she even afford the price of whatever knowledge this involved?
But this could be a matter of her life.
Could she really walk away?
In the end, her fingers tightened around her clothes, her expression turning strained.
Right now, the only thing she had of real value—
something that might interest him—
was her body.
She had always planned to use it carefully, preserving her virginity as leverage—paired with her status as a supernatural—so she could marry into a mid-ranking noble family as a proper wife.
She had worked hard to maintain that image.
But now…
She didn't have a choice.
Mysticism was terrifying because of the unknown.
And now she carried something like that mark on her body.
Lifting her head, her expression resolute despite the faint trace of desperation, she said:
"I'll prepare a reward that satisfies you."
Mozo frowned slightly.
…Was she misunderstanding something?