The Beginning (1)
The days had flown by in a blur. After such a long absence, part of me wanted to linger a little longer, but unfortunately the academy schedule was merciless. An important main event was about to begin soon. I clicked my tongue, a touch of regret in the sound.
The members had turned into an absolute sea of tears the moment I mentioned returning.
Why did they always act like this? It wasn’t as if this was the first time they’d been through it, yet their reactions never failed to feel overwhelming. I forced myself to look indifferent and took a step forward.
Two people were waiting by the door. A girl with long silver hair and a middle-aged man whose striking crimson hair immediately caught the eye. I greeted them in turn.
Thankfully, having these two around put my mind at ease. The members were all incredibly strong, but they were also so unpredictable that I’d been a little anxious.
Both of them gave reliable answers. Thanks to that, I was able to leave the basement with peace of mind.
And just like that, I returned to the academy.
“Wouldn’t you say we spent the weekend rather productively?”
“I suppose so.”
“It was a bit tiring, but… it was nice seeing everyone’s faces after so long.”
“The children certainly seemed to be doing well.”
“Hehe.”
On our way to class as usual, the snake, the fox, and the tamer walked side by side down the corridor. I asked lightly,
“How was Miss Legia?”
“Y-yes?”
“I was wondering how you spent your weekend.”
“Ah… I-I just wandered around the academy. It’s so vast that there are still many places I haven’t visited yet…”
“How interesting.”
As expected of the protagonist. She showed great interest in her surroundings. The original story had felt the same way—a tale of traveling across wide fields, meeting people, and building connections. Personally, I’d always enjoyed that gentle, tranquil atmosphere.
Good to see her having fun.
A faint smile touched my lips. Even in a world that treated her as nothing more than an outsider, the way she steadfastly bloomed like a lone flower was beautiful. My hardened heart softened ever so slightly.
That warm, tender feeling lingered as we walked. Then—
“Student Yuda.”
A sudden voice called out. When I turned, I saw an elderly man with a bushy beard that left a strong impression. He carried an air of refined antiquity.
“Might I have a word with you?”
He was one of the academy’s professors. The one in charge of Extreme Manifestation of Magic, a veteran among Galimar’s faculty. He was also deeply respected by many students.
“It won’t take long.”
“Professor Raphael.”
“I didn’t expect you to even know this old man’s name.”
“Aren’t you known as the wisest sage? I’ve long been familiar with your reputation, Professor.”
“Heh heh… Quite the sharp one. I like that.”
The old man smiled as if impressed. He was already famous for being kind to students, but this felt like overt favoritism. I had a pretty good idea what this was about. I listened quietly as he continued.
“There’s something I’d like to propose to you.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Would you be interested in learning magic on a deeper, more profound level?”
“……”
So it had come to this. The familiar bait. The conversation was unfolding exactly as I’d predicted. I let out a mental sigh.
How many times has this been today?
It had been the same story for the past several days. The duel a while back had been shocking in more ways than one. Ever since that day, the faculty had begun visiting me daily as if they’d made a pact. They all shared the same goal.
“Our research lab is short on hands these days. If there’s a promising student, I was thinking of taking them on as a disciple…”
Professors who had set their sights on me. Perhaps it was because of the string of shocking performances I’d shown. Scout offers were pouring in from every direction. This was already the seventh one I’d received today alone. They were practically competing to get to me first.
Some promised me the position of disciple, assistant, head assistant… and there were even those who offered to name me their successor. The psychological warfare between professors was fierce. Every time, I could only respond with an awkward smile.
“……So, what do you think?”
“Those are truly gracious words.”
This time was no different. I gently lifted the corners of my mouth while maintaining a polite tone.
“However…”
“However?”
“The offer is so sudden that I find myself with many thoughts.”
“I understand completely. You must have received many similar proposals.”
“It might sound a bit arrogant, but… would it be all right if I took some time to consider it carefully?”
“Of course.”
The old man nodded readily.
“You’re quite prudent.”
“I apologize.”
“Not at all. On the contrary, I like it even more. It’s the mark of an outstanding mage.”
“Thank you. I’ll let you know once I’ve made up my mind.”
“Very well. Until next time.”
With those parting words, the professor clicked his tongue in mild disappointment before turning and walking away. As I watched his receding back, Irene, who had been observing from the side, spoke up softly.
“That’s strange.”
“Pardon?”
“You. You have no intention of placing yourself under anyone, right?”
“That does seem to be the case.”
“Then why don’t you just refuse outright?”
The fox narrowed her eyes and tilted her head in genuine confusion.
“If it’s really that bothersome, you could just cut them off cleanly… so why do you always leave things so vague?”
So that was what she was curious about. Well, from an outsider’s perspective, it probably looked like I was just toying with people I had no intention of accepting.
I answered quietly.
“Because I feel sorry for them.”
“……What?”
“They all seem to think rather highly of me. It feels wrong to reject them so bluntly.”
“That’s… surprisingly timid and considerate. It doesn’t really suit you.”
“How harsh.”
Still, her observation wasn’t entirely wrong. My appearance did give off a rather ominous impression. What a world, where a warm heart could be misunderstood simply because of how one looked. A bitter smile naturally spread across my lips.
I added softly,
“And by leaving some room like this, I can make use of them whenever I need to later, can’t I?”
“……?”
“I’ll probably be able to ask them for a few favors under the guise of ‘considering their offer.’”
People always grew more anxious when faced with postponement rather than outright rejection. Right now, the entire faculty of Galimar was desperate to obtain me. I intended to use that situation to my advantage. The longer I delayed my decision, the more restless they would become, and the more they would show their sincerity through increasingly special means.
“It may be a bit unfair to the professors… but in short, I’m just playing with them for a little while.”
It would be beneficial for my grades, convenience, and daily life. From their perspective, I was a ‘raw gemstone’ worth that much effort. Of course, going too far might cause side effects.
“Hehe, but I’m confident I can use them appropriately.”
“……”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“……”
“Miss Irene?”
“……”
It was a perfect plan. I was grinning cheerfully when I felt an odd gaze on me. Those black eyes stared at me with a complicated sigh, as if saying, Of course you would. In any case, it was an extremely disrespectful look.
I asked awkwardly,
“Did I say something wrong?”
“……”
“That’s simply how the world works. I’m not particularly strange.”
“……”
No, at least say something. She wasn’t giving her usual sharp retort, just staying completely silent. It was strangely irritating.
Grab—!
In my annoyance, I seized her gently swaying tail. The fox’s shoulders flinched, and the silence finally broke.
“H-hyaa?!”
“This is your punishment.”
“W-wait, hng…! I-I didn’t even say anything, eek…!”
“Your disrespectful gaze was the problem.”
“Hiiik?! S-stop…! It feels really weird, I swear!!”
“Just accept it obediently.”
The noisy cycle of sin and punishment continued. The atmosphere between us grew oddly affectionate as we bickered. For a while, the corridor echoed with the fox’s loud screams.
The wild professors kept popping up endlessly. Their relentless “please take me” offensive had been pouring down for days, but after a while it slowly began to ease. They didn’t seem to have given up entirely.
—I will consider it carefully.
By repeating that single phrase over and over, I had, before I knew it, left most of the professors with the answer “pending.”
It had been quite dizzying for several days, but… well, good things were still good things. It was the first peace I’d enjoyed in a long while since the duel. Thanks to that, my daily life had grown quiet. The snake was enjoying a leisurely moment beneath the warm summer sunlight… or so I thought.
“Hello.”
If only this girl hadn’t suddenly greeted me out of nowhere.
“It’s been a while.”
While I was enjoying a solitary walk, someone approached me. Platinum hair that swayed with the lukewarm breeze, blue eyes reminiscent of the sea. A gentle aura rose and fell softly.
“Your Highness…?”
It was none other than Charlotte. The persistent professors had finally backed off and the surroundings had grown quiet, yet now the imperial princess herself had latched onto me.
Actually, this might be even better.
A character I had been fond of in the game. And not just any character—Charlotte, who could be considered one of the pillars of the story, had come to speak with me first. How could I not be delighted?
I smiled brightly and said,
“I greet the Empire’s first star.”
“Mm. Nice to see you.”
“What brings you here?”
“Nothing special. I just wanted to see you.”
“You came looking for… me?”
“Yes.”
The girl nodded quietly. Her transparent pupils were fixed on me. After staring for a moment, Charlotte suddenly leaned in close. Before I could even react, the tip of her nose pressed against my chest.
“……”
“Your Highness?”
The sudden, unexpected action left me flustered as I called out to her, but she simply stayed silent, sniffing quietly. It really looked like she was smelling me.
“Sniff, sniff.”
What kind of fourth-dimensional move was this? While I was silently drawing question marks in my mind, the girl who had been pressed close finally pulled away. A faint smile lingered on her lips. Pure white, shining transparently.
“It smells refreshing.”
“Hmm?”
“It really is fascinating. You smell like winter.”
“By ‘a scent like winter,’ you mean…?”
“It’s a good thing.”
“I see.”
She was a hard person to understand. Last time she had praised my clean smile as pretty, and now she was saying I smelled refreshing. Was this her way of showing affection?
“I don’t quite understand the meaning… but thank you nonetheless.”
“Mm.”
Charlotte blinked. At some point her hand had moved to stroke my head. A gentle pat, pat.
She’s been treating me like a baby ever since we met.
Even though she knew my true power, she still reacted with such innocent delight. I decided to play along for a while. After all, the way she had to stand on her tiptoes because of her small stature was rather adorable.
As she continued patting my head, the girl suddenly spoke.
“It’s unexpected.”
“What do you mean?”
“What happened a few days ago. The duel.”
“You’re referring to Lady Vanity.”
“Yes.”
Come to think of it, this was the first time we’d spoken since then. Charlotte tilted her head.
“I was surprised. I thought you would kill her.”
“Pardon? That I would kill Her Ladyship…?”
“You wouldn’t?”
“Of course not.”
“But she offended you. She went around badmouthing you.”
“That’s hardly a crime deserving of death.”
Just what did everyone think I was? Why did they always assume I’d kill someone at the slightest provocation? They had no idea how soft-hearted and kind I truly was.
“You really are strange.”
“Am I?”
“What kind of person are you? A good person? Or a bad one?”
“That depends on how you interpret it.”
“Mm, I suppose so.”
Charlotte nodded expressionlessly. Our strange back-and-forth continued for a few more exchanges.
“The midterms are coming up soon.”
“They’re already next week. Quite a tight schedule, isn’t it?”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Hmm?”
“I told you I’d be watching.”
She must have been referring to the class placement test. I reflected briefly on that short memory. The platinum-haired girl smiled softly.
“For now, at least. I still want to know more about you.”
“I don’t believe I have much to hide… but I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations.”
“Mm.”
Galimar’s midterm exams. While the students were fiercely focused on their daily routines, the date had crept right up to our doorstep. It was also an event I had been personally looking forward to.
The Nightmare of Belsen.
There was an event that came to mind. It was one of the core storylines of the original work and among the episodes that received the highest praise.
It was also the event I had looked forward to the most in the early part of the story. I smiled faintly.
“Next week is going to be quite entertaining.”
I murmured quietly to myself.
Several more days passed. As the exam period drew near, the academy’s atmosphere froze over like ice. Perhaps because everyone was sensitive about their studies, the air itself felt like a frozen sheet.
As previously announced, this midterm examination will be conducted in teams of three students chosen at random.
Please form your groups promptly and submit the roster to your assigned professor.
Galimar wishes all students the best of luck.
May this be an opportunity for you to prove yourselves.
The notice had come two days before the exam. It was an unexpected instruction. The students were flustered but still hurried to form teams in order to take the test. I was no exception.
“Y-Young Master… d-don’t we only have two people in our group?”
“It’s all right, Miss Legia.”
The exam would ultimately be conducted in teams of three. Even including myself and Legia, we were still one person short for the roster. Of course, I wasn’t worried.
“We have one more friend, don’t we?”
I had already built a connection for exactly this kind of situation. I walked forward with a bright smile, heading toward the girl with blue roll-shaped hair who was hunched over her desk.
“Lady Vanity.”
Just as I approached with a cheerful voice—
“Step back.”
Someone blocked my path. What entered my vision was a boy. He had blue hair that resembled the villainess.
“Yuda Snakers.”
A strangely overbearing aura. The sword at his waist was ornately engraved with the Vanity family crest. I recognized him immediately.
“I will no longer tolerate you doing as you please.”
Ruska Vanity. Emilia’s twin younger brother, and an extra who also played the role of an early-story antagonist. His blue eyes glared at me.
“I will protect Emilia.”
A declaration full of spirit. As he spat out the line like a hero protecting his precious family from an evil mastermind, I thought blankly to myself—
What the hell is this now?