Interlude — The Chaotic Entrance Ceremony
A week had passed since that incident.
Ordinarily, an ambush of that magnitude would have forced the Academy to suspend all operations. But to avoid unnecessary complications, the entire affair had been quietly hushed up. We were officially placed on medical leave, allowing the curriculum to proceed without disruption. Fortunately, classes weren't scheduled to begin until a full week after the entrance ceremony anyway, so I didn't have to fret over falling behind in my studies.
Going public with what had happened would have triggered massive societal upheaval, to say nothing of completely gutting the Academy's prestige—neither of which I had any desire to see. But more than anything else...
'Those people were so genuinely thrilled when I told them I was going to the Academy...'
Recalling the folk back in the Demonic Realm who had been moved to tears, rejoicing that I could finally live as an ordinary girl my age instead of sacrificing my flesh and blood on the front lines, I let out a weary sigh. If those good people ever caught wind of a demon-related catastrophe nearly taking my life within these prestigious walls, all hell would break loose.
I would have loved to think, Surely they wouldn't overreact like that... but I knew better. The Grand Duke of the North and his entire garrison might literally throw down their arms and go on strike. And I had zero intention of letting humanity's final defensive bastion crumble over an incident like this. You might wonder if they would truly abandon a wall they had guarded for centuries just because a single demon surfaced at some academy—and how I could possibly be so certain of it. All I can say is, having lived alongside them for two years, I knew those overprotective knights all too well.
In any case... it was a relief that things had worked out as well as they did. My true power remained concealed, and aside from some lingering psychological scars, nobody was permanently maimed or killed. We had even managed to capture a High Demon alive—a beast that, according to the original storyline, should have slipped away into the shadows. It weighed on my conscience that I had inflicted something resembling severe trauma on both Stella and Evan, but... it wasn't my fault to begin with. Frankly, I felt a little wronged.
I had deliberately taken a suspension on Evan's behalf just to keep him far away from the training grounds, and I had gone out of my way to wake Stella up early and point her in the opposite direction so she wouldn't wander anywhere near the fray. Yet despite taking every possible precaution, reality found a way to deliver a development far more absurd than the original plot. How on earth was I supposed to predict that the two of them would cross paths, team up, and charge right into the barrier together? Thank goodness it had resolved cleanly; otherwise, the main scenario would have gone up in smoke before it even properly began.
'Well, as long as it turned out fine in the end...'
Their mental trauma was something I could nurse back to health over time. For now, it was best to count my blessings: the crisis had passed, my full strength was safely hidden, and we had bagged a division-commander-level demon. Moreover, unlike Stella, who was struggling visibly, Evan had spent years roaming the corners of the world before enrolling at the Academy. Thanks to that worldly experience, he wasn't nearly as emotionally shattered, which was a tremendous relief. Had he been paralyzed by shock, he never would have regained his composure in time to strike while the demon's arm was skewering right through my midsection, so I suppose his resilience made sense.
Still, unavoidable though it was, Stella had practically suffered a nervous breakdown after witnessing my gory "organ display," dissociating entirely on the spot and nearly shattering her sanity. Considering how close she had come to utter ruin, Evan's fortitude was all the more praiseworthy. Even so, while not quite as shell-shocked as Stella, Evan clearly bore his own psychological scars from that night; whenever his eyes met mine, I could feel a subtle shudder ripple through his frame.
'Our first lecture is right around the corner. I wonder if he'll be all right...'
We were going to be seeing a lot of each other moving forward. In fact, whenever various catastrophic incidents inevitably erupted across the Empire, I was bound to be right by his side.
“[Well then... take care of yourself, Brother Evan.]”
“Uh... y-yeah... See you tomorrow...”
“Good night.”
What was with this suffocating atmosphere? Evan had never seemed quite this gloomy before. At this rate, I felt like a criminal awaiting sentencing.
...
Would it have been better if I had simply purified the demon in secret and acted like nothing had ever happened? Then again, who knew how badly the timeline might have warped if I took that route. Besides, that would have meant missing out on savoring all that agonizing bliss, not to mention throwing away the chance to hand a live demon over to the authorities. Pointless what-ifs weren't worth dwelling on.
More than anything, one genuine mystery lingered in my mind.
'How on earth did they figure it out...?'
How had they known I was locked in combat with a demon? If they hadn't deliberately sought me out, did they really just happen to wander into the training grounds and stumble upon the barrier purely by coincidence? Was that sort of timing even mathematically possible?
It was a total enigma.
Sensing the deeply complicated expressions on both Evan's and Stella's faces as we were discharged from the infirmary together, I let out a faint, inward sigh.
Stella didn't utter a single word the entire walk back to the dormitory.
She was naturally a woman of few words, but whereas her silence before had felt like pure lethargy, now she seemed completely withdrawn, huddled inward like a wounded animal. Thanks to the comfort I'd offered her, she was far better off than she had been on the first day, but the phantom memory of that night clearly refused to leave her alone.
'Isn't there some way I can help her?'
If I wanted to offer genuine emotional support, I needed to lean into the things that brought her comfort. Sifting through everything I remembered about Stella from the game, her deepest desire boiled down to a single thing.
'Family...'
She harbored an intense yearning for someone who would genuinely love and cherish her. In the game's original route, once that person became Evan, she had poured staggering effort into keeping pace with his rapid ascent as the Hero, ultimately achieving a dramatic breakthrough to reach the realm of Archmage at the youngest age in history.
Yet now... far from forging a deep bond through shared trauma as they originally were meant to, Evan and Stella seemed more awkward around each other than ever. If anything...
“[S-Sister Stella...?]”
“What...?”
“[Um... it’s a bit suffocating...]”
Why on earth was she hovering directly behind my shoulder, watching me prepare dinner with unblinking intensity?
“...Sorry.”
At my polite protest, Stella shuffled hastily back to the dining table.
Her bizarre behavior didn't stop there. Throughout our meal, she continued to stare holes straight through me. And where she normally would have whined for me to cast Purification on her, she didn't utter a single lazy request—she actually went into the bathroom all by herself, bathed thoroughly, and emerged clean and dry.
It was nothing short of a seismic shift. To make things even more surreal, Stella—who would typically collapse onto her mattress and pass out within seconds—was now sitting at her desk, studying magic theory without anyone prompting her. It was honestly beginning to creep me out.
“[Um... Sister Stella.]”
Unable to endure the eerie succession of oddities any longer, I called out cautiously to Stella as she pored over her open grimoire.
“Yeah?”
“[...Never mind, it’s nothing.]”
I mean, how was I supposed to ask? It wasn't as if I could politely inquire, Excuse me, but have you completely lost your mind? Nor could I say, You’ve changed so much, when we had only known each other for a mere week—bringing that up would make me look like the bizarre one. I knew her canonical personality inside and out, but from her perspective, having a roommate she had met seven days ago say "You seem different" would just sound unhinged.
“[I just wanted... to wish you a good night.]”
In the end, unable to press the matter, I offered a flimsy excuse and tucked myself into bed. I had to wake up early tomorrow morning to attend our very first lecture anyway. Besides, no major incidents were slated to disrupt the Academy for a good while, so there was nothing left to fret over.
Or so I thought, just as drowsiness began to pull me into slumber.
“...Hey, Aria.”
“[Yes? Is something the matter?]”
What's this all of a sudden? It was the first time Stella had ever initiated a conversation with me, catching me completely off guard. Masking my surprise, I kept my tone mild and receptive.
“Could I... sleep in your bed once I'm done studying?”
Without even turning around to face me, Stella whispered the question in a frail, trembling voice. There was no earthly reason for her to sound so terrified, yet hearing that fragile tremor made me realize she was probably terrified of being turned away.
I stifled a soft chuckle.
As if I would ever reject her.
If anything, I had just been racking my brain trying to figure out how to treat her like real family, so having her reach out on her own was an absolute godsend.
Smiling warmly beneath the covers, I projected my answer:
“[Whenever you wish.]”
Stella didn't reply out loud, but through the omnidirectional divine awareness mapping out every corner of the room, I perceived it clearly: a faint, tender smile blossomed across her lips, practically radiating quiet elation.
Good grief...
At first glance, she might seem prickly, obnoxious, and utterly slovenly, but once you managed to slip past her prickles, she truly possessed an irresistible, endearing charm. That was why she had been one of my favorite heroines back in the game.
Chuckling inwardly at the adorable sight of her suppressed delight, I let myself drift peacefully toward sleep once more.
Ready to welcome tomorrow and our very first class.