A Spark of Defiance
"Haa..."
Back in her room, Katarin slowly turned over the words that audacious man had spoken.
Not the rude, disgusting remarks he had made in front of the Princess, but what he had said before that.
"An unhappy Claire is of no value to me."
It was a rather amusing statement.
"Do you really think that girl is worth using? Well, I suppose she could be sent as a gift to some noble with peculiar tastes..."
Having met him in person, Wade was not nearly as foolish as she had initially thought.
He was of her kind. A man who would never throw away everything for foolish sentimentality, someone worthy of ruling over others. At the very least, he was prepared to do so.
"There are many people like her, but few dark mages like her. Just by keeping her by my side, I can avoid unnecessary suspicion."
And he had found a value in her that Katarin herself had overlooked.
Notoriety was important. In the struggles of a dark mage, demonstrating just how powerful and cruel one could be was a vital task.
But dark mages were not the only ones in this world. To evade regulations and oppression, one sometimes had to wear the mask of a 'good' dark mage depending on the circumstances.
If one possessed a convenient dark mage like Claire, they could shift their stance to suit the situation.
It was an intriguing application. Someone of Katarin's stature had never felt the need to employ such methods.
A smiling face, a beautiful appearance—to her, these were assets to be used as 'useful bargaining chips,' not softeners to lower an opponent's guard.
After all, the daughter of the House of Ernst, an overwhelmingly powerful dark mage, could never blend in with others simply because she kept a 'gentle person' by her side.
Furthermore, her home was the House of Ernst. The actions of 'Lady Katarin' were always grand and unquestioned, and at least within the Margrave's territory, no one dared to stand in her way.
Yet, now that she was at the Academy, even she could not act entirely as she pleased. Perhaps his approach could prove useful after all.
"Hmm..."
What filled her chest right now was the satisfaction of having found a kindred spirit.
No one else operated with her mindset. Affection, loyalty, manners, morality—such terribly inefficient and flawed concepts dominated the minds of 'ordinary humans.'
But he had spoken casually of 'how to use Claire' as if he had read Katarin's mind.
It was fascinating. Amusing. It was rare to find someone who could lay bare their inner thoughts before her so boldly, without even a shred of guilt, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
In that way, he had captured Katarin's interest.
"If only he hadn't betrayed me, it would have been even better."
The path that 'wise man' chose was not Katarin, but the Princess.
The moment she met his confident gaze, Katarin realized his intention.
"Perhaps you wanted to place yourself in the same position as Claire."
He had not wanted to give up the title of 'the victim suffering under Katarin's tyranny,' sharing it alongside his notoriety as a dark mage.
If that had been all, Katarin would have laughed in his face.
For a dark mage, being looked down upon was a sin. The moment one was perceived as a 'pitiful human,' that dark mage could no longer strike fear into anyone else.
But he had gone a step further.
"To think he would set himself against me there."
At the time, she had been furious.
Countless dark mages would have begged for her favor, hoping to receive even a fragment of her demonic energy or a piece of her spells.
He had received recognition from none other than Katarin of the House of Ernst. It was only right for him to bow his head and express his gratitude for such grace.
Yet he had not done so. He was not satisfied with that.
The confidence and insolence he displayed had transformed him from a 'victim' into 'Katarin's adversary.'
"Since things have turned out this way, I have no choice but to kill him..."
For a brief moment, she had thought she might have found a friend.
She knew her concept of a 'friend' was somewhat warped, but even so, she had believed there was now one more person who could view the world from the same perspective as her.
If he had knelt before her, she might have used him as a decent advisor. Even though he was the culprit, she couldn't keep using Kellin forever anyway.
Perhaps it was only natural. A man with genuine ambition would never be satisfied with being 'Lady Katarin's most trusted subordinate.'
"What a pity..."
Conflicting emotions threw Katarin's mind into disarray.
She regretted the reality that she had to kill him. Yet, the prospect of killing a dark mage who dared threaten her authority excited her.
She resented Wade for creating a situation where they had to fight. At the same time, his choice to threaten her for his own gain, completely unafraid of her, was beautiful and captivating.
She found it laughable and pathetic that the dark mage had refused to submit to her. Yet, she couldn't help but anticipate whether he truly had a hidden trump card up his sleeve.
"Ah..."
She had expected her life at the Academy to be boring.
She had assumed predictable people would demand predictable things, launching predictable criticisms and checks against her.
But having just entered, she had to admit her predictions were wrong.
"Please, won't you survive?"
Katarin murmured a request that even she, the one plotting it, deemed impossible.
There was no way that man could survive.
"Not for long, just enough to beg for your life."
Closing her eyes, Katarin imagined the sight of Wade losing his composure and unsightly begging for his life.
It was a wonderfully sweet moment, one she eagerly anticipated.
"Puhahaha! Seriously, you were the best today! I've never envied you more! You got to see that bitch looking like that from the absolute best seat in the house!"
A petite, purple-haired mage patted the Princess on the back.
It was an appalling display of disrespect, but the Princess did not take offense.
"I was merely lucky. No... there was simply a dark mage with true grit."
"Whatever the reason, you dealt a blow to that bitch Katarin, didn't you?"
"You are right."
Yurisia nodded slowly.
"He was someone who did not abandon either manners or justice. To think there was someone who could speak like that in front of Katarin... Honestly, I never could have imagined it."
Yurisia recalled the events of the past.
There had been those in the Empire who claimed they only chose dark magic to grow stronger.
There were those who had sworn repeatedly before her that their loyalty to the Empire would never waver.
Yet, the moment a stronger dark mage—a dark mage of the House of Ernst—appeared on the battlefield, they turned their blades against the Empire.
But he had not chosen that path. Even though he could have.
A dark mage submitting to another dark mage was not an 'unavoidable necessity.'
"I felt a little... comforted."
Seeing the Princess's relaxed demeanor, the mage flashed a mischievous smile.
"Speaking of which... we still haven't decided how to choose our team members, have we?"
"Team members... Do you mean for the joint class?"
"Of course."
"Come to think of it... the conditions were certainly a bit tricky."
• Since this will be a dangerous practical exercise beyond the level of students, form the strongest team possible.
• Recruit at least one team member from each class.
Though the rules seemed disjointed at first glance, the instructors' intentions were clear.
They were openly hinting, 'Form a team with Katarin.'
"How foolish. It has not even been ten years since the Margrave of Ernst coveted the Empire's territory. I comforted those who were wounded on that day with my own hands."
The Princess remembered the days when she was still a young girl.
People whose entire bodies rotted away until they died, soldiers suffering from nightmares of their fallen comrades. They were all vividly etched in her memory.
"...I thought you said you didn't care?"
"I never said I didn't care. I merely thought that if I had to choose a dark mage, it would be meaningless regardless of who it was."
There was no way a dark mage untouched by Katarin's influence could remain at this Academy.
Even if there were, it would be pointless. The moment the Princess drew an innocent dark mage to her side, Katarin's overwhelming magic would crush them.
All of the Princess's information would leak through them, and that pitiful dark mage would surely become a victim of conspiracy.
She had simply thought it would be better to keep Katarin herself close by instead.
"But... if it is him."
The Princess thought of Wade.
The mysterious dark mage who did not fear making an enemy of Katarin, whom she could not fully comprehend.
"The instructors told me to form the strongest team I could. And by that standard... an 'untrustworthy team member' has no place in it."
"Well, that makes sense. Though he doesn't look all that impressive..."
"It does not matter. I will make it work."
A confident smile spread across the Princess's face.