Chapter 8
I thought I'd misheard "illegal tutoring."
"Partner?"
"In a few days, the imperial family will host a banquet to welcome the new semester."
"You mean to say you'll bring me along as your partner?"
Was she in her right mind? Sure, I was the top dog among commoners.
I had the confidence to make most nobles avert their eyes. But that was purely in terms of raw power.
No matter how exceptional I was, I was still a commoner. For a princess to bring a commoner like me as her partner?
What the hell does she want?
There were limits to acting. Losing a few times to the prince was one thing, but this offered no gain.
On the contrary, it wouldn't be strange if they rained down imperial wrath for tarnishing the royal honor.
"That look on your face says you don't get it."
Katrina smirked.
"I'll vouch for your authenticity."
"Not sure I have any authenticity worth vouching for."
Katrina quietly stared at Linea in response to my words.
"Is it because of the rumors about me?"
I had a rough idea of what the princess wanted. The rumor that I'd single-handedly wiped out the Rosianne family.
That rumor had spread far and wide across the empire. But most dismissed it as nonsense.
Only the imperial family had the full picture. That's why the princess wanted to validate the rumor as truth.
Whether I'd actually destroyed them or not, if she indirectly endorsed me, noble society would accept it as fact.
"Quick on the uptake for a commoner."
"You practically spoon-fed it to me."
"Most commoners wouldn't get it even if you shoved it down their throats."
"That's a pretty crude metaphor for a princess."
Shoved down the throat? Could someone raised as delicately as her really say that?
"I don't want to dress up too much here."
"I prefer substance over flashy decorations myself."
"Interesting perspective. Is it because you're a commoner? Or because you're different from the rest?"
"A princess of the empire should figure that out herself."
Katrina chuckled at my words.
"I will. Starting now."
Turning to leave, Katrina continued.
"The banquet isn't far off, so learn some etiquette. I'll assign someone to you."
With that, the princess departed.
She seems to like me quite a bit.
Attracting the princess's attention wasn't a good sign.
Of course, I'd anticipated this when I decided to come to the academy. I just hadn't expected it so soon.
On the bright side, it's like an opportunity to enslave her just rolled into my lap.
Katrina wasn't as hostile to commoners as Linea or Isana Sibtant. Nor was she a pure evil who hated seeing them rise.
But her ideology was dangerous. It aligned too closely with the demons' goals.
In fact, she was friendly with demons. That was the problem.
Her mindset matched theirs exactly, making reform impossible. She was the final boss of the villainess enslavement project.
"Master, are you sure you're okay with this?"
"Worried about me, Linea?"
I stared intently at Linea. Come to think of it, she could teach me etiquette.
"W-Why are you looking at me like that...?"
"I was thinking of learning basic etiquette from you."
Even if Linea was a total wreck, she was a marquess's daughter. No way she didn't know social graces.
"I could teach you..."
"Why the lack of confidence?"
"It's not that... Just. Stay back a little."
Linea pushed at my chest with her slender hand. Had I gotten too close?
I must have approached without realizing.
"Anyway, I'll take that as a yes."
"...Yes."
Leaving Linea in full sulk mode, I checked the ongoing spars.
Freshmen, so maybe that's why.
The level was lower than I'd expected. Even at the continent's top academy, they were just twenty-year-olds.
The real geniuses might be different. I'd never seen Katrina's full power.
No need to watch more.
The practical sparring class dragged on forever, so today's schedule ended here.
"Let's go."
I took Linea and left the training grounds. Naturally, eyes followed us.
After that flashy display, it was to be expected.
"Where to?"
"The dorms."
I needed to review the materials Sea had prepared.
"...Damn beast."
I ignored Linea's quiet mutter.
"Your Highness, that man is too dangerous."
Katrina's unseen aide, Ray, said as much. To her, Ethan was a poisoned chalice.
Perhaps even more dangerous.
"I know. I know he's dangerous."
Katrina picked up the documents. They detailed how Ethan had wiped out the Rosianne family.
"He went straight to the Rosianne estate the very day he came down from the Katrain Mountains."
"We investigated, but there's no record of any grudge against the Rosianne family."
"Was it really pure hatred for that house?"
No, Katrina didn't think so.
"The Sword Ghost lives in the Katrain Mountains."
"Yes. Circumstances suggest he's her disciple, but the Sword Ghost's peculiarities prevented deeper intel."
"I'm not blaming you for that. However."
The Sword Ghost had no ties to the Rosianne family either. So, had she simply caught the eye of her master and decided to eliminate them?
No, that wasn't it.
"There's something peculiar here."
Linea Rosianne. The lady of the marquess house.
A notorious troublemaker in high society. Backed by the empire, the Rosianne marquess house held more power than most dukes.
"Why make her a slave?"
"Perhaps as a body servant?"
"No."
The princess could easily glimpse a woman's purity. And Linea was a flawless virgin.
Untouched.
Why?
Not just for casual fun. To Katrina, Ethan didn't seem the type.
"He's still too dangerous. We can't read his intentions. And he copied Your Highness's magic too..."
"Not just that—he uses Sword Aura as well."
In the special exam earlier, he'd astonished even the dean with it, or so she'd heard.
"And he's a commoner. Parading him around will ruin Your Highness's reputation."
"Obviously. My idiot brother Kalian would love that."
"Surely you're not doing this just to spite him..."
"Of course not."
Kalian wasn't a real obstacle. Just an annoyance in seizing the empire.
"Ray. I have good eyes."
"Yes."
"I have good instincts."
Grabbing Ray's chin, she brought her face to her ear.
"That man isn't some poisoned chalice. He's the key to upending the entire board."
She whispered softly into Ray's ear.
"Ah, ah...!"
Ray trembled. Ragged breaths escaped her involuntarily.
Lost in ecstasy, her strength failed. Her limp body fell into Katrina's arms.
"Go on, Ray."
Katrina's tone shifted. Above the princess's head.
Sharp goat horns protruded vividly.
"Master, you really never studied magic before?"
"Please, drop it already."
How many times was this now?
"But it doesn't make sense! You understood this in one go?"
"The explanations are just convoluted."
- An act of temporarily expanding interpretive authority between existence and the world through high-density circulation of vital mana...
Even a sentence like that made the intent clear. Just circulate mana, right?
It wasn't much different from what I'd grasped watching the princess and prince spar. The rest boiled down to using imagination based on "circulation."
Of course, hearing the theory and applying it in practice were worlds apart. The materials mostly described ways to realize that theory.
"Of course! Freely manipulating mana like that doesn't make sense to begin with!"
"Why get mad?"
"I'm jealous! Jealous! I became even more useless as a slave..."
Linea pouted and kicked at the air.
"I can make you useful."
"Y-You're too fast! Suddenly saying that!"
Linea hugged herself and slumped down.
"I figured you'd spout nonsense again."
I grabbed her nape and lifted her. Our eyes met; she looked utterly flustered.
"Wh-What...?"
"Won't hurt."
I'd lifted her with telekinesis, not by the skin.
"T-Telekinesis already?!"
"Should I not be able to?"
It just worked when I tried.
"...The world is unfair."
"Not words you should be saying, Linea."
"I'm a slave, remember?"
Linea sighed heavily.
"You said you'd use me as a magic shield or whatever. So what's my purpose?"
"That's why I'll make one for you."
"You're already perfect at everything."
True enough. With magic on top of my skills, I was omnipotent.
But that didn't mean Linea was unnecessary. As my slave, she was a reliable ally.
Me getting stronger was great, but a stronger ally like her would help plenty too.
Especially when we didn't even know who the enemies were or their power level.
"I'll reveal how to make you useful."
I set Linea down.
"What is it?"
She rubbed her nape, asking.
"Follow me."
I left the dorm and headed to a lab.
"This is..."
"Professor Sea Reniar's lab."
Slaves can't attend academy classes? Just do illegal tutoring.
That hard?
"No. Rules are rules."
"Ah."
This was tricky.
Fuck...