Strata Magic School (3-16)
“Lady Karin… hates Louis even more than just disliking him.”
“…What?”
A sister hating her little brother?
…Wait, isn’t that obvious?
[….]
Now that I thought about it, I hated my own sister too—I’d just forgotten that obvious fact because we hadn’t seen each other in ages.
Maybe encountering a unique case like Cho Seo-hyun had made me completely forget.
Thinking of that bitch after so long made a flicker of annoyance bubble up, and I felt a strange kinship with Louis as I mused inwardly.
‘You little shit, I’ll get revenge for you on your sister this time.’
[….]
While I was off drinking my fantasy broth alone, Luna calmly began explaining.
“Lady Karin has been extraordinarily talented since childhood.”
They said that in any field, if you taught her one thing, she’d grasp ten, and use those ten to understand a hundred.
A true genius who could mend an entire outfit from the first button her teacher fastened, even going so far as to craft clothes from scratch.
“Back then, Louis didn’t have the talent he does now.”
“So things were fine at first, but later…”
“No. They were already on bad terms from that time.”
“Heh…”
Even before their talents reversed, every exchange felt like conversing with cacti in their mouths, she explained.
A relationship where they were dying to devour each other but couldn’t.
But it did strike me as odd.
‘No matter how bad things are between siblings, it’s hard for it to be that toxic from childhood.’
[Perhaps….]
Armonia offered one guess.
[They might be half-siblings.]
‘Oh ho!’
It was a highly persuasive theory, but unfortunately, Armonia missed the mark.
Luna shook her head at my words.
“I don’t think so. I’ve never heard any such rumors.”
“So they’re full siblings, yet still on such bad terms.”
Since Luna had known Louis since childhood, her word was reliable.
Anyway…
In the past, Karin had held a far superior position, but that flipped once Louis’s talent shone through.
Once Louis awakened to his magical gifts, he devoured all of Karin’s past achievements, drawing immense attention.
In contrast, Karin…
“Lady Karin… was already deemed to have no talent for magic.”
“Hmm…”
I couldn’t know exactly how bad things were between her and Louis.
But a woman who’d been so talented suddenly falling behind, facing an insurmountable wall—she wouldn’t accept that easily.
Her pride wouldn’t allow mending ties with Louis, turning them into true enemies, just as Luna said.
“Since Louis and I get along well, she probably doesn’t like me much either.”
“Hmm…”
And with Luna talented in magic too, jealousy must have flared up fiercely.
Yet Luna didn’t badmouth her.
“But when I was going through tough times, she secretly looked after me. Of course, once things stabilized, we stopped talking again.”
“…She’s not a bad person.”
By Luna’s account, she wasn’t a villain.
But it also meant her approach to me wasn’t purely innocent.
[If she has bad blood with Louis, she could be an ally. On the other hand, she might just be scheming to use you, Su-ho.]
‘If she’s scheming like that, she needs a good punishment.’
[….]
Why? Punishing her would be fun. Best if it’s with sex…
As I pondered Karin deeply, Luna pouted her lips and grumbled.
“Sigh… I went through all the trouble to dress up, and you won’t even look at me.”
The dress Luna wore now was of far higher quality than her usual ones.
She’d shed her bright-colored dresses for a bold black one.
Her breasts were slightly exposed but neatly gathered, the hem trailing just above the floor—a black dress that made her silver hair stand out alluringly.
I slowly approached Luna from behind, embracing her as I whispered.
“Sorry… You think I’m not interested? I’m holding back because I’m too interested and might not be able to control myself.”
“Hmph… You’re so smooth.”
“It’s true. How about right now, then…”
“W-Wait! No!”
Luna hurriedly pushed me away, speaking urgently.
“I just put this dress on. If anything happens, I’d have to fix it… and call someone again.”
Maids could be summoned without issue, but seeing Luna’s state, they’d go from suspicion to certainty.
About our relationship…
Despite her stubbornness, I gradually pulled her into my arms.
Luna squirmed and fussed.
‘No… like this…’
I gently gathered her murmuring hair in my hand, pressing my lips to it as I said.
“Are you ready, Miss Luna Staatfeld?”
“Ah… Y-Yes, I’m ready.”
“Then let’s go.”
Walking side by side on my arm, Luna quietly hummed.
“I taught you well, after all.”
…
…
The banquet was utterly boring.
Louis and Luna were already swept up in crowds, chatting nonstop.
Sonya was handling other nobles alongside Karl.
As Levin natives who’d scored top marks at Strata, they were receiving a hero’s welcome.
Even as a fallen noble, Luna’s top Strata rank drew people like moths to a flame.
Mostly, older high nobles or women approached Louis; young male nobles went for Luna.
I wanted to barge in and scatter the punks hovering around her right now, but I held back, eyeing the names above their heads.
‘I’ve memorized all your names. Watch your backs at night.’
[….]
Your names will be just as clear at night, so be careful.
Crowds gathered around Sonya and Karl too.
With a Strata professor visiting their nation, they all wanted to squeeze out some gain.
And the biggest prize among them…
(Will the Dean be attending the banquet?)
(Do you know what the Dean might like?)
(Is there anything the professor desires…)
…was an audience with the Dean.
In that moment, the nobles were no different from the merchants in the villages.
Strata alumni nobles or not, they all craved a meeting with the Dean.
But as I figured, the Dean didn’t show, so Sonya attended as his proxy.
And against those nobles, Sonya handled things simply and gracefully.
(The Dean wishes to rest for the time being.)
(Ah… I see.)
While all my acquaintances dealt with the nuisances around them, I leisurely wandered the banquet, taking in the sights.
Countless chandeliers, luxurious tables, soothing music calming the heart, and the lively voices of people.
It was more enjoyable than expected.
And seeing no one around me, I nodded to myself.
‘This is how it should be.’
[Karin Brandt Rup… I’m curious where such exceptional intelligence comes from.]
In this non-digital world, she’d anticipated my presence and gathered intel on my movements.
Other nobles had decent info networks too, but Karin surpassed them.
‘Meaning she’s not working alone…’
As I mulled over Karin while scanning the room, some nobles who couldn’t mingle with the main crowd were glancing at Louis and Luna, chatting among themselves.
“Sigh… Jealous. I wanted to enroll at Strata too.”
“You never know. Magic talent might awaken suddenly…”
“Has that ever happened? Sigh… Better give up early and find another path.”
I nibbled at the table’s food without looking their way.
My ears alone pointed toward them…
‘All these guys lack magic talent.’
No pity stirred in me.
If anything, I enjoyed it.
‘Eavesdropping on others is the best.’
I hummed inwardly, focusing my ears intently.
Most chatter was self-pitying laments, comparing themselves to Luna and Louis with a sense of deprivation.
Then one man’s line shifted the topic.
“It’s basically confirmed now, right?”
Amid the mundane talk, a phrase perked up my ears.
“The Brandt Rup family’s official heir will be Lord Louis after all, yeah?”
“…”
I concentrated every nerve on my ears to catch their conversation.
The nobles paid me no mind, flowing casually into the discussion.
“The Duke said he’d decide the heir in three years… but it’s already over.”
“Practically ended the moment he enrolled at Strata.”
“Lady Karin… so brilliant, yet crumbling before magic.”
Karin Brandt Rup…
I listened closely while surveying the room.
But even scrutinizing the banquet hall, no sign of Karin or her Disposition window appeared.
This confirmed it.
‘What? She’s not here?’
[No Disposition window visible. She’s definitely not at the banquet.]
She shook me up earlier, yet skipped the banquet…
I’d only faced Karin for about a minute, but her Disposition suggested she’d enjoy the spotlight.
Especially since this banquet celebrated the Dean’s visit to Levin Kingdom.
Yet here she was with the delegation but not showing a single hair.
‘Damn… just when I thought I had her figured out.’
[Her Disposition shows a calculated type. There’s surely a reason for today too.]
‘I wanted to at least see her face…’
With the banquet well underway and no sign of her, meeting seemed impossible.
I resigned myself, picking at food—
When one noble’s words pierced my eardrum like a needle straight to my brain.
“Come to think of it, Lady Karin… they say the ducal house is already preparing to marry her off.”