'The soil is dry. This means no one has watered it today.'

Sedina would come to the teaching assistant's office early in the morning to water the plants, showing how much she cared for them.

Even on busy days, she would come out early in the morning and never forget to water the pots.

Given how consistently she had maintained this behavior, it was unusual to simply dismiss it as forgetfulness.

'That kid who would always come in apologetically no matter what, suddenly didn't show up without any notice?'

Suddenly, the conversation other teachers had at the cafeteria today came to mind.

Rudger looked down through the window.

On Theon's grounds, which were as peaceful as ever, students could be seen walking around in the warm sunlight.

Though the scenery was no different from usual, today it felt particularly strange.

Finding Sedina was the priority for now.

With that thought, Rudger opened the faculty office door and came face to face with a student who was about to enter.

"Julia? What brings you here?"

"Sedina didn't come today. I was wondering if something happened, so I came to ask...Is Sedina here?"

"I was just about to go look for her myself. It’s strange for such a diligent student to suddenly be absent without notice."

"I know where Sedina's room is."

They headed to the dormitory where Sedina stayed.

Sedina had her own room, and since it was in the women's dormitory, Rudger decided to wait outside.

It didn't take long for Julia, who went to look for Sedina to return but her expression was more serious than ever before.

"Teacher. Sedina..."

"What happened? Is she inside at least?"

Julia nodded while her lips trembled.

"Sedina won't wake up."

* * *

Zero Order was floating in the sky, at high altitude where it was difficult even to breathe.

Though it was a harsh environment where frost would form on skin after just a brief stay in sub-zero temperatures, he was fine.

Beneath his feet spread pure white clouds, and above them stretched the vast blue sky.

It felt like having everything in the world beneath his feet but Zero Order still looked upward because there was something even higher than himself above the sea of clouds.

It was a massive wing.

A peculiar being that had spread three pairs of bird-like white wings wide open, while another three pairs of wings wrapped around its body.

With one flap of its wings, it could flip the earth.

With two flaps, it could erase a kingdom.

With three flaps, it could tear the sky apart.

A legendary being that, according to ancient documents, would bring storms with wind and rain whenever it appeared, the Wind Elemental Lord.

The Wind Elemental Lord maintained its position without fluttering its wings even in the high altitude where oxygen was scarce.

One might wonder why it had wings necessary for flight if it wasn't going to use them, but that would be missing the point.

When those wings moved, it meant an irreversible situation would unfold.

Zero Order silently gazed at the Wind Elemental Lord.

The Wind Elemental Lord appeared to be sleeping.

Beyond just appearing that way, it was actually in a sleep from which no one knew when it would wake but getting any closer would surely invite trouble.

Zero Order stood exactly at the boundary line.

If he took one more step forward, the Wind Elemental Lord would sense the presence of the intruder and react.

That wasn't what Zero Order wanted.

-Beep.

Just then, the magical device in Zero Order's possession lit up.

"Hmm."

After confirming the signal, Zero Order's body sank downward.

Zero Order passed through the sea of clouds, leaving a white trail as he continued to fall.

The high-altitude fall that lasted several minutes and eventually a forest dense with trees came into Zero Order's view.

Just before impact with the ground, Zero Order's body made a light rotation and his feet touched the ground.

Zero Order, who accomplished this without giving it much thought, didn't show any joy as he directed his gaze forward.

"Were you watching the Elemental Lord again?"

The one who had sent the signal was waiting there.

"Well, there's no harm in checking periodically."

The man who sent the signal, Franz, raised his head to look beyond the clouds hanging over the forest.

His eyes couldn't see the being beyond the clouds but the fact that Zero Order had been there meant the Wind Elemental Lord existed in that place.

"Why do you pay so much attention to a spirit that's been sleeping for hundreds of years?"

Zero Order gave a small laugh at those words.

"Because it would be such a headache if the Wind Elemental Lord wakes up."

All Elemental Lords are dangerous beings in their own right but the Wind Elemental Lord was on a different level.

If it wanted to, it could cross continents at speeds exceeding Mach 5, flying at invisible speeds with a wingspan of 300 meters.

It wasn't an exaggeration that a single flap of its wings could flip the earth.

The Wind Elemental Lord could tear apart the stratosphere if it wanted to, and could slaughter all life forms living on the surface, though such a being of nature wouldn't do such things the Wind Elemental Lord was somewhat different in temperament.

Other Elemental Lords mainly took an observant attitude no matter what happened in the world.

Though the Earth Elemental Lord recently observed showed somewhat unusual behavior patterns, it still didn't interfere with the ecosystem but the Wind Elemental Lord was different.

The Wind Elemental Lord was the only Elemental Lord in the distant past that created a 'contractor.'

An Elemental Lord is the ultimate representation that all spirits existing in each element can reach.

Naturally, creating a contractor like other spirits wasn't theoretically impossible.

"That one carries a covenant."

The Wind Elemental Lord, who created a contractor, has an eternal covenant engraved that will never be erased.

Even now that the contractor is dead, that covenant still exists.

If the trigger is pulled and if it opens its eyes because of the covenant even Zero Order had difficulty predicting what would unfold in this world then.

Because the moment it moves, there exists no being in this world that can stop it.

That applies even to other Elemental Lords.

The Wind Elemental Lord's range of activity is this entire vast sky.

The Fire Elemental Lord lives in magma in volcanic regions.

The Water Elemental Lord is submerged in the depths of the great sea.

The Ice Elemental Lord is residing only in extreme lands.

The Earth Elemental Lord exists underground.

The Wind Elemental Lord has an overwhelming range of activity that exceeds all those Elemental Lords combined, that was why it needed to be watched.

"It's better for the typhoon to not wake from its sleep."

"Is there not another reason?"

"Well, I can't say there isn't another reason. So, why did you come all the way here to call me?"

Zero Order naturally changed the topic.

Franz had no intention of pursuing that point either. He also had important business at hand.

"It seems that one has already moved."

"Hmm. In this situation, suddenly saying 'that one' means."

Zero Order, quick to catch on, showed a bitter smile.

"So, it has finally awakened. [Nirva]."

* * *

"Sedina is inside but her condition isn't good."

"What do you mean not good?"

"She's sleeping."

Sleeping?

It wouldn't be strange to take a nap at this hour in the dormitory if tired or feeling unwell but the one who said those words was Julia Plumhart, a mage of the Dream School and a talented Dreamwalker who could become the next School Master.

Of course, this meant she would know better than anyone whether Sedina was just tired and sleeping, or lying down for some other reason.

"What exactly is Sedina's condition?"

"She's sleeping as if dead. No matter what external stimulation is given, she won't wake up. Literally fallen into a sleep she can't wake from."

"Have there been similar cases?"

"Yes. But it's never been observed in ordinary people. It mostly happened to Dreamwalkers. And that too, to those who became too greedy beyond their capacity."

"Too greedy, could it be what I'm thinking?"

Julia nodded heavily.

"Yes. Sedina is currently trapped in the Dreamland."

Julia looked around the dormitory, though the dormitory appeared no different from usual, after confirming this abnormal situation, it looked different.

In there, right now, there were other students besides Sedina who couldn't wake from sleep.

Not just here.

The same would be true for the men's dormitory, and where the staff stayed.

"So multiple unspecified individuals have fallen into the Dreamland. This doesn't seem natural at all."

"Yes. I suspect this might be a deliberately planned terror attack."

"Terror."

It wouldn't be strange for something like this to happen.

Attacking a place like Theon could cause huge worldwide repercussions but the method was somewhat strange.

This isn't something that groups like the Liberation Army could do.

Making people fall into an unending sleep?

Even Rudger had never heard of such a thing.

'Could it be because of what I saw in the depths of Dreamland before?'

This incident couldn't be said to have no connection with the god stuck on the stake.

After all, it was deeply connected to Dreamland but they couldn't come up with a proper answer right away either.

Right now, how to solve this was more important than why this happened.

"I should report this situation to the Principal."

"There's no need for that."

Another voice was heard then.

Rudger and Julia's gazes simultaneously turned toward the person who spoke.

"Since I came here myself."

Theon's Principal, Elisa Willow appeared with light footsteps.

Though her face showed the usual gentle smile, there was subtle irritation mixed in.

"I was actually on my way here to meet Julia regarding the current situation. I didn't expect to find Teacher Rudger here as well."

"So you were already aware of the situation, Principal. How did you know?"

"Because Wilford didn't come to work today."

"...That's quite serious."

Wilford is a retired knight and he even possesses at least the skills of a high-ranking knight.

Though he may have aged, Wilford had mental and physical capabilities far surpassing ordinary people.

'If even Wilford couldn't resist and fell into sleep.'

This meant that this unidentified situation affecting unspecified individuals wasn't influenced by the target's strength.

"We might need to evacuate the students and staff outside of Theon."

"That's considering the worst-case scenario. Though we don't know how the situation will develop, if we work hard to search now, we might be able to end it here."

"I understand. It's only been a short while since the semester started, and if such a situation occurs, it could become problematic in many ways."

It hadn't reached a dangerous level yet but the fuse was already lit, and the burning spark was racing toward the powder keg.

Now, they didn't know when it would explode.

They couldn't afford to be complacent either.

"Suddenly falling into dreams, is this related to Dream magic?"

Julia denied this.

"If it were dream magic, I would have noticed it faster than anyone. The fact that I didn't notice until the situation got this far means it's something of a different nature."

"Hmm. As Principal, I feel a bit sorry to ask this, but is there no possibility of a more skilled mage than student Julia?"

"There isn't."

Julia firmly denied it.

Her answer was so sharp that both Rudger and Principal Elisa were slightly surprised.

"I've been chosen as a candidate for the next Master. There might be more skilled Dreamwalkers than me right now, but there are no Dreamwalkers who can skillfully use dream magic to the extent of deceiving my eyes. Even if it were the current Master."

She said in an unwavering voice and her clear eyes were pleading her conviction.

This was an attitude that couldn't be shown without firm belief in one's own talent.

Indeed, worthy of being the overwhelming top student.

Elisa gazed at Julia with eyes containing strange emotions.

To Principal Elisa, Julia was a peculiar child.

Should one say she evoked a strange nostalgia in her?

'That's right. This child resembles me.'

She realized the source of the familiarity she felt from Julia.

Julia was exactly like herself during her school days.

From the part where she looked down on everyone with overwhelming talent among her peers, to the infinite trust in her own abilities.

'It's somewhat nostalgic.'

She too had such a spirited time but not anymore.

It's not that she became humble. She just learned to naturally hide such proud feelings now.

Would this child grow up to be like her, or would she grow into someone different?

While imagining an interesting future, Elisa faced the current reality.

"Whatever the case, the fact that this happened means the caster exists somewhere. And they're likely inside Theon."

"The caster, that's right. But wouldn't it take too much time to identify who it is? There are over ten thousand people staying here."

"For now, it would be better to split up and search. Before the situation becomes more serious."

"Just as Teacher Rudger says."

"Will you inform the other teachers about the situation?"

"I suppose I should. Not all of them, but those we can trust with such matters."

For now, they would split up and search for clues.

The three who agreed on this dispersed and Rudger headed outside Theon.

Though it happened inside Theon, someone might have secretly infiltrated from outside.

There was nothing better than his own independent information network established in Leathervelk to confirm this.

As soon as he entered Royal Street, a guide attached himself as if he had been waiting.

"Owner. We've been waiting."

"What's the matter?"

Usually, he would have pretended not to know and passed by, but coming to find him directly meant they had some business too.

The guide couldn't answer Rudger's question and from that hesitation, Rudger felt unease.

"Where is Hans?"

"I'll guide you."

Guide? If it was Hans, he should be looking at documents in the secret branch hideout as usual.

Rudger followed the guide to where Hans was said to be.

It was Hans's personal mansion where he usually stayed.

"..."

And Hans was sleeping like he was dead in his room.

He was in a very deep sleep from which he wouldn't wake no matter how much he was shaken.