Rattling Roads and a Locked Door

Rumble, rumble.

The carriage's steady vibrations hummed through me. Unlike the harsh jolts of the escort wagon before, this was a smooth ride.

I propped my chin on my hand by the window, staring blankly outside. All I could see was the endless imperial road stretching into the barren plains.

It had been a whole week since leaving the ducal territory.

"Haa..."

Boring.

So damn boring.

Finally, I understood how Leoness must have felt on her way north. She'd probably been stuck with this exact mood the whole trip.

'A monster popping out would be better than this.'

I wished the scenery would change, but the imperial road just kept going forever. Scattered farmhouses and cows lazily grazing offered brief distractions from the tedium, but they didn't last.

I turned my gaze to my wrist. A crude bracelet woven from black cord. The pebble embedded in the center sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the window, warming my heart each time.

Charlotte's gift. I rubbed my finger over the pebble's smooth surface.

'Hope she's doing okay.'

Her face, holding back tears at the end, kept nagging at me. But she'd promised to wait bravely, so I had to trust her. And I'd live up to her expectations too.

Fiddling with the bracelet, I sank into thoughts of what lay ahead.

'Now the real trouble starts.'

There was a mountain of things to do once I got back. First, make up for the month's absence. Then, salvage my trashed reputation.

Or maybe not salvage—since it was already in the gutter, just accept it.

'Everyone knows I'm a Black Magician now.'

School life wouldn't be smooth, that was for sure. And then there was the demon king subjugation.

The original story's flow had twisted a lot, but the demon king still existed, and the looming threat hadn't changed.

Of course, I couldn't handle it alone. Time to start thinking about party composition.

"Hoo."

Complicated thoughts made my head throb. As I spaced out like that, the scenery outside finally began to shift.

The quiet countryside faded, replaced by bustling streets and buildings popping into view one by one.

The imperial capital. And beyond the central walls, a familiar sight rose up.

Towering spires, stately stone buildings, and students in uniforms hurrying about.

Theodora Academy.

"We've arrived, miss."

The coachman's voice snapped me out of it. The carriage door opened, revealing the academy's familiar main gate.

I grabbed my luggage bag and stepped down. It was class time, so the place was quiet. The few passing students' eyes locked onto the silver collar around my neck.

"Hey, isn't that Lady Bellaph?"

"She's really back?"

"Shh, she'll hear you...!"

Their whispers drilled into my ears, but I ignored them, straightening my back stiffly. This reaction was expected anyway. Good—in fact. No one would bother approaching me now.

The coachman unloaded my bags from the luggage compartment and asked,

"Where should I take the luggage, miss?"

That question made me pause.

Come to think of it, where was my room?

Thinking back, I'd possessed this body, used black magic at the banquet hall, and gone straight to prison. Never even set foot in the dorm room.

'If I say I don't know, it'll look weird.'

Acting as casual as possible, I shot the question back.

"Right. You know which room I used, yeah?"

"Pardon? Oh, of course. The noble dorms, A Wing, room 301 special suite, isn't it?"

The coachman answered with a puzzled look.

"Yeah, A Wing 301. Take it there. Been away a month, so I got mixed up."

"Ah, yes! Got it!"

The coachman bowed politely.

"Thanks. Appreciate it."

I replied curtly and trudged off.

'A Wing 301. Gotta remember that.'

Passing the main building and crossing the garden, familiar sights filled my view. The grand hall Leoness and I had wrecked was still under repair, covered in scaffolding.

'We really did a number on it.'

The scale of my deeds hit me anew. The cliff with the underground prison had a "no entry" tape around it.

From a normal student's perspective, a criminal who'd pulled off an unprecedented academy terror attack, busted out of prison, and even taken a saintess hostage was back. No wonder they stared like I was a wild beast.

I hurried to the noble dorms to avoid their gazes. A lavish building of marble.

I passed what looked like a lobby and headed up to the third floor. Room 301 was at the end of the hall.

"Haa... Gotta get in and crash."

I pulled the key from my pocket and inserted it into the lock.

-Click, thunk.

Huh?

It wouldn't turn.

"What the hell."

I twisted harder, but it just spun uselessly, like it didn't fit.

Rusted maybe? Wasn't this the dorm key?

I double-checked it was the dorm key and tried again. Still nothing.

That's when I noticed the nameplate by the door.

It should have said [Elise de Bellaph], but it was blank. No— not blank. A different name was there.

"..."

What the hell was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this?

Had they sold my room while I was gone?

The coachman wouldn't have lied.

"Hey! Anyone in there?"

No response. Class time, probably empty.

"Hah, what a pain in the ass."

I raked a hand through my hair. Exhausted, and now even the room was trouble.

First, figure out the situation. Suppressing my irritation, I headed back outside the dorm.

Standing alone in the vast courtyard, helplessness washed over me. The coachman had the luggage— if the room changed, where'd it go?

'Admin office maybe.'

But I didn't know where that was. In a game, one click and I'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be there. Reality was different. The academy was too damn big to wander.

Then, I spotted a girl walking by with arms full of books. Striking orange hair.

Her uniform lacked noble fabrics or accessories— commoner student.

No one else around worth asking.

'Gotta ask her.'

I strode over.

"Hey, you."

"Eek, eek?!"

She jumped back in terror at my voice, books wobbling precariously in her arms.

"Wh-wh-what do you want...?"

Her face paled the instant she saw me. Even more so at the restraint collar.

"Where's the admin office?"

"Y-yes?"

"Admin office. Where."

"Oh... The admin office is... behind the main building... there's a fork... left there..."

She explained shakily. Sounded complicated just from words. And her stuttering made it hard to follow.

I flicked my hand lazily.

"Yeah. Show me."

"P-pardon...?"

Her eyes went wide.

"I-I'm on my way to return books to the library..."

She showed the books, looking troubled.

"Gotta do it before class... Sorry..."

"Oh. Yeah?"

"Yes... Really sorry, but..."

"So?"

"Pardon?"

"What does that have to do with me."

My shameless reply short-circuited her brain.

"B-but class..."

"Missing one or two classes isn't a big deal. I skipped a whole month and I'm fine. So guide me."

"It's really important class..."

"Then can I wait next to you till it ends?"

"Th-that's even scarier...!"

She looked around desperately, face crumpling, but no help in sight.

"O-okay... This way..."

"Took you long enough."

I followed behind her. She kept glancing back nervously, gauging me. Looking for a chance to bolt, probably.

"You."

"Yes?!"

She flinched just from me calling.

"What's your name?"

"L-Lu, Lu-Luna... that's me."

"Right, Luna. Can you walk faster? I'm tired."

"Y-yes!"

Luna sped up to a trot at my urging.

Soon, we reached ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the admin office behind the main building. Definitely a maze-like, out-of-the-way spot.

'No way I'd find it from directions alone.'

Lucky I ran into Luna.

"H-here it is..."

Luna panted, pointing at the door.

"Yeah. Good job."

"Th-then I'll..."

She turned to flee the second she bowed.

I grabbed her shoulder before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she could.

-Grab.

"Eek?!"

"Where you going."

"Pardon?"

Luna's face went ashen.

"You're walking me back too."