Unwelcome Concerns
"I... actually did it, somehow."
It was clumsy, far from her full potential, but Claire had undeniably conjured a Dark Arrow.
"It's all thanks to you! See? I told you I could do it!"
Claire bounced up and down in excitement. She called out to me, her voice bubbling with joy, as if eager to show off her achievement.
"The joint class is coming up soon, so I have to do my best until then!"
"Right... I see."
Now that she had shown actual results, I couldn't just blindly tell her to give up dark magic.
But it was strange. As far as I knew, she was supposed to fail at casting even the simplest spells and abandon dark magic entirely.
I didn't know what had caused this change, but I couldn't bring myself to welcome it wholeheartedly.
Still, I couldn't scold her right now. Just as Claire said, the joint class was an event that couldn't be taken lightly.
"Are you ready, Wade?"
"More or less."
The 'joint class' brought together students from various classes for class-versus-class exercises.
It was a curriculum that gathered knights, mages, priests, and dark mages all in one place. Naturally, the expectations placed upon them were high.
Leaders were expected to have the charisma to assemble a party and the leadership to utilize their members' abilities in the right places.
Regular students were expected to have the self-discipline to follow their leader's orders in extreme situations, as well as the specialized skills to faithfully execute their assigned duties.
Of course, since it was a class for students, the objectives wouldn't be impossibly difficult.
They were fresh-faced novices who had just entered the Academy. Absurd mistakes could happen at any moment, and even if such incidents occurred, the instructors had to ensure no one was injured or killed.
However, pushing one's abilities to the limit before then was entirely up to the individual.
"I hope we end up on the same team!"
"..."
But I knew the truth. There was no way she would be chosen.
Even for me, letting a dark mage into a party required a massive leap of faith.
The public perception was terrible. And considering the nature of dark mages, one couldn't even call it groundless discrimination.
Ordinary people rarely had the chance to encounter dark magic, unless they were in the military, or they or their family members were dark mages themselves.
To the public, a dark mage was either a villain who had sold their soul for power, or a potential criminal who needed constant surveillance.
To reduce that prejudice, this class should have started as soon as possible...
Hatred could be diluted through cooperation.
Xenophobia and hatred for dark mages alike could be lessened. That was, in fact, one of the founding purposes of the Academy.
"By the way... do you know why the 'Understanding and Exchanging Foreign Cultures' class was delayed? Looking at the syllabus, it should have started a long time ago."
"..."
It seemed she didn't have many friends either. The instructors hadn't openly explained the delay, but the reason was already common knowledge among the students.
Then again, excluding my ability to utilize in-game knowledge, I wasn't much different from her.
"Wait, isn't it almost time for class? Why is it so empty—"
Before she could finish, a crowd of students strode into the lecture hall, making no effort to hide their dark mana.
A chilling, ominous energy flooded the entire room.
"It's... Katarin."
Claire muttered under her breath.
During dark magic classes, Katarin's arrogance was treated as entirely natural. No one in the room dared to question her control or authority.
After all, there was no dark mage among the freshmen stronger than her.
Considering that most dark mages came from humble or disreputable backgrounds, there was likely no student of higher noble status than Katarin either.
But this class was different.
Princesses of various kingdoms and even the Imperial Princess of the Empire were gathered here.
While Katarin possessed unrivaled mastery in dark magic, she could not claim absolute dominance over all the young nobility.
If someone opposed her rule—someone with the power and status to reject her—a clash was inevitable.
"She's pretty, but her behavior is utterly vulgar. Who does she think she is, leading a gang around like that..."
A purple-haired mage smirked, mocking Katarin.
She was someone who could afford to do so. Though her noble rank wasn't exceptionally high and she lacked a powerful faction, she was the successor to the Tower Master.
If the crowd refused to fall in line, Katarin's influence would inevitably wane.
...Hmm.
Nevertheless, Katarin was still Katarin. Ordinary students avoided making eye contact with her.
The students trailing behind her were also of respectable standing among the young lords and ladies.
"Isn't everyone here? We should start the class—"
Amidst the murmurs, the door to the lecture hall swung open once more.
A beautiful blonde female knight stepped inside with a confident stride.
Though she wore no armor, anyone who looked at her could tell she was a knight.
She was not dressed in imperial robes, but that did not diminish her nobility in the slightest.
An unblemished, noble conviction filled her eyes with a brilliant light.
"...So it has come to this in the end."
A princess and a knight. The woman boasting hair like spun gold entered the room.
Yurisia of the Armidiron Imperial Family. The most noble woman in the Empire—no, in the entire world.
Even if Katarin's House of Erst held significant status, compared to the majesty of the Imperial Family, they were merely a margrave family with little to boast of.
No one entered the room alongside the princess, but that did not diminish her presence.
There were plenty of students in the Academy who would do anything just to walk by her side.
If anything, the absence of an entourage only proved that the princess had absolute control over her followers.
"...Disgusting."
Without breaking eye contact, she glared directly at Katarin.
"S-so the rumors were true?"
A few ordinary students whispered under their breath.
"No one gave a proper explanation... but this is the only thing that makes sense."
Yurisia could not tolerate evil.
Broadly speaking, she detested anyone who wielded the power of darkness, including dark mages. Narrowly speaking, she detested Katarin.
In her eyes, Katarin was pure evil. Compromising with evil was shameful and pathetic.
"The rumor that she strongly demanded the faculty not to put her in the same class as dark mages... it was real."
Had it been anyone else, the Academy instructors would have dismissed the demand, wondering who they thought they were.
The Academy's highest value was harmony, not justice.
Unless they were a heinous war criminal—and sometimes, even if they were—the Academy would accept any applicant.
As long as the criminal's home nation backed them up.
Katarin's notoriety had already spread far and wide. It was only her cunning and the authority of House Erst that prevented any 'clear evidence' from leaking out.
Even ordinary peasants knew what vile methods they used to absorb dark mana. There was no way the princess was ignorant of it.
Yet despite the clash, the Academy instructors ultimately succeeded in enforcing their curriculum. In the end, the two were placed in the same class.
Striding through the lecture hall, the princess stopped right in front of me.
"Ah, it is you. Have you been well?"
...?
I didn't expect her to remember me.
"I am well. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
She was the one who had stepped in to stop Katarin when she tried to pick a fight with me.
"Did that wicked girl try to harm you afterward?"
Her voice was warm. Beneath her overwhelming authority lay a deep sense of compassion.
"No... nothing of the sort happened."
Strictly speaking, Katarin did have the intention to retaliate when she sent Kellin, but nothing had actually come of it.
"I am glad. Since I have not seen you in my classes, I assume you are not training to be a knight. Are you studying magic, perhaps?"
"No. I am studying dark magic."
This was a bit of a shame.
Given my abilities, choosing dark magic was undoubtedly the smartest move. Holy power required honest, painstaking accumulation, demanding an immense amount of effort and time.
Even if I could somehow manage the effort, I couldn't stop time. The time I could spend at the Academy was limited.
"Dark magic... I see."
Her expression faltered slightly.
She had just realized that the 'innocent-looking' boy she saved a few days ago was actually an aspiring dark mage.
What a pity.
If I were a knight, I could have aligned myself with the princess with minimal effort.
Even as an ordinary mage or priest, showing a bit of talent might have earned me a spot in her party for the upcoming joint class.
But not as a dark mage.
"I told you that as long as you did not stray into the path of evil... that woman would not be able to harm you."
The princess let out a sigh, unable to hide her disappointment.
"Hearing this only makes me worry more. As a dark mage, it must be difficult to defy the orders of those stronger than you. If a certain girl makes unreasonable demands of you, or subjects you to humiliation—"
"You are being quite rude, Your Highness."
Katarin glared at the princess and me.