Noble Schemes and the Awakening Kin

Events at the Arcana Academy were always the hottest topic in the Empire's high society. After all, the members of that society were nobles who also happened to be the parents of the academy's students. In such circles, it was only natural for talk to swirl around the academy's new professor. The owner of the new wand was a girl from a slave background. Without the professor shielding her, dealing with that slave girl to their liking wouldn't be all that difficult.

"Even the slightest issue will do. Find some way to remove that professor from her post, no matter what it takes."

High society specialized in turning petty rumors into scandals, then inflating them until their target was ruined. Now, that talent was focused on a single person.

The major families moved first. With their own intelligence networks, they began digging into everything about Professor Ria. The results were shocking.

"...Nothing at all?"

It was as if she'd dropped out of the sky. No information guild could uncover any past for this Ria. Even the world's top espionage capabilities found not a single trace.

"Someone deliberately hid it!"

It was natural for those who dealt in information to think that way. Cleaning up a person's history? That was one of the main services information guilds provided. So, was there anyone capable of erasing traces so perfectly that even guilds across the lands couldn't find them?

Surprisingly, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there was. The academy principal, Sylvia.

"It's Sylvia's doing."

The major families, unaware of who Ria truly was, spread their own fabricated assumptions through high society. But they couldn't touch Sylvia directly. The principal, who had held her position for five hundred years, was no one they could challenge lightly, given their own lifespans of mere decades.

So they shifted targets.

"If there's no blemish in her past, then just find one mistake during her time as professor, right?"

Even a minor slip of the tongue would suffice. Rumors only grew more exaggerated as they spread. A little nudge in that process left no hard evidence. It was the insidious art of agitation perfected by the Empire's high society over a thousand years.

And so, with eyes blazing, high society hunted for a slip-up. Finally, an opportunity arose.

"So, as a professor, wouldn't it be fine to say I'm better than Lady Olivia?"

The sentence itself was flawless. But the subject—Olivia—was the problem. Who was Olivia? The Red Tower Master, the Empire's Third Prince, the Eastern Union Kingdom, Nordenburk, the academy principal. She was the prime architect behind placing all five continental lords in their seats.

A "wand craftsman mad enough to claim superiority over Olivia." The perfect material for agitation, without a single lie. As if heaven itself had intervened, Olivia appeared in the Empire's high society. Just relay this "truth without lies" to her, and the game was won.

High society approached Olivia with that certainty—and

"Heh heh, she spoke true. Even if young Ria has a sharp tongue, she's indeed better than me at teaching students. Rest easy."

They froze at Olivia's own response.

"Pfft...!"

I barely stifled the laughter bubbling up, continuing my thoughts. The academy was a microcosm of high society. So I knew the nobles there had no reason to feel kindly toward me. But...

"Lady Olivia, about the academy's new professor Ria..."

I hadn't expected them to bare their fangs so openly. Reporting me straight to me? What kind of stunt was this?

No. In a shadowy world where they hid smirks behind fans and stabbed at each other indirectly, was it my fault for expecting straightforward questions?

I muttered inwardly, lightly covering my mouth with my left hand. I didn't want Lily seeing me burst out laughing. That would be... embarrassing. I was dressed in dignified elegance, after all.

As I held back the laughter inside, a prickling gaze hit me from the side. It was Lily, leaning on the railing beside me.

"...Professor."

"Hm?"

"Were you acquaintances with Lady Olivia too?"

"Yeah. She's the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one who taught me wand-making. I'm sort of her first disciple, you know?"

Thanks to my prepared excuse, it flowed naturally. But the interrogation was just beginning. No more peaceful chat with Lily.

"Keep an eye on the hall. Talk about you will come up soon enough."

I turned Lily's gaze to the hall and tapped my left eye. A magic circle appeared over it, linking my vision to Luna's. As the viewpoint shifted to her, my head buzzed momentarily. The discrepancy between my leaning posture and Luna's bent one caused a brief lag as it adjusted.

The Second Prince approached just as I grew accustomed.

The crowd parted naturally for the golden-haired young man.

"I am Second Prince Askleon. May I say a few words on behalf of my fellow students at Arcana Academy?"

"Speak freely, lad."

"I hesitate to bring this up, but Professor Ria's reputation among the students isn't favorable. It's early in the term, so judging her skill or personal abilities might be premature, but her dignity hardly suits..."

Honestly, I was impressed. How could he deliver such shameless lines with that "for the students' sake" expression? No wonder his "peace-loving prince" persona sold so well.

I retorted incredulously.

"Hah... If the 'dignity' students speak of means challenging the one chosen by my wand by drawing your own, then even I wouldn't stand for it."

Second Prince Askleon's face stiffened. He'd spent his life hearing only praise and flattery; no one had ever spoken to him so bluntly. Stunned by the sharp criticism he'd never heard before, he glanced around furtively, but no one stepped forward for him. Naturally. No one would risk offending Olivia for the Emperor's second-in-line.

I delivered the final blow.

"Judge her after a full term together. Proving if she's a good professor is her role."

Of course, I didn't think this ended threats to my position. There were limits to what I could say through "Olivia." No matter how much I praised myself as a great professor via her lips, shoddy classes would drag down Olivia's credibility too. Seeing is believing, after all. I'd prove I was a good professor by winning over even the students who hated me.

"Withdraw now. Plenty want to meet this old woman."

The speechless crown prince tried to retort, then quietly retreated. Lily whispered from beside me.

"Lady Olivia, you speak so well."

"Heh heh, right?"

I smiled faintly, secretly pleased, and refocused. The first batter was out; the second stepped up.

The Holy Kingdom's Saintess, Clara. She jumped straight to questioning the wand's choice.

"My healing, faith, and total mana are all higher—why did the wand choose that girl? Wasn't there a mistake in the selection process...?"

"Child, that's a dangerous thing to say."

Those chosen by wands always became remarkable. The six owners had shaped the continent, for better or worse. In that sense, the saintess's question ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was rather naive.

"Claiming the wand chose wrong implies everyone else who bought from me might have unworthy owners too. Is that what you mean?"

"Ah, no... that's not..."

Her face paled instantly. In the Empire's high society, rife with agitation and fabrication, words that could spark misunderstanding were suicidal. She knew that well.

"Mind your words always. Doubting a wand's choice isn't wise on this continent."

Reinforcing Lily's legitimacy here would be easy. Few would dare question Olivia's endorsement. But that wouldn't let Lily grow. Greenhouse flowers bloom quick but hit limits fast.

"Those chosen by wands always proved themselves. Lovable Lishansus did, ambitious Third Prince did, steadfast Nordenburk did, clever merchant lad did."

...And that wicked one did too.

The unspoken words lingered in my heart. The Maou who torched the world three hundred years ago was a formidable foe. Six of us, including me, united humanity's will and barely won. But now? The Empire hid his revival, and humanity hated each other more than ever.

United we live, divided we die. Lily had to reunite scattered humanity.

"The new Olive Wand's owner will prove herself too. Doubt if you must, but dare not condemn without grounds."

So please, prove yourself, Lily. Before the long night returns, so we don't lose our way. So this fractured world can unite again. So I can atone for my sins.

For that, I'd do anything—even use "Olivia" to crush every noble pressuring unjustly. I'd thwarted the Second Prince and Saintess's vain attempts.

"No slow pacing or frustrating tropes allowed."

Any future external pressure on the academy, I'd smash personally. That's why I'd dragged "Olivia" into the spotlight myself.

Students who heard her would keep testing me and Lily. I hoped Lily would shine through it brilliantly.

"Lily, you heard?"

"Yes."

Her resolute reply was admirable; I stroked her head.

"Back at the academy, we're training hard, got it?"

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dispelled the linked magic circles with my other hand. With the Second Prince and Saintess sunk, no one dared approach "Olivia" anymore. Lucy and Sylvia could handle the rest.

"The party's highlight's coming soon. Shall we head down?"

"Highlight...?"

"The dance, obviously."

I offered my left hand with a laughing tone.

"Chances to dance in a glamorous place in a pretty dress don't come often, you know?"

"Pfft, true."

"So... Kyaa!?"

Sudden, searing pain unlike any I'd felt pierced my ear.

"Professor?!"

"Hah, hah, huaa...!"

The burning agony made it impossible to think. Gasping against the railing, the auditory enhancement magic circle activated wildly. A ominous dark-blue magic circle hovered by my ear, voices echoing.

Unfamiliar men's voices. Incomprehensible—no, I didn't want to understand—the conversation. Before I could dwell, a dark-blue magic circle appeared over my eye.

"Professor! Pro... fessor! Are you oka..."

Lily's voice right beside me faded away. Nausea hit as my viewpoint shifted.

A dark lake exactly 3km southeast of the hall. The water mirrored a beautiful cosmic procession. Staring, my brain itched. Beyond the densely packed pretty stars, something writhed.

The water rippled. The starry procession filled my vision, drawing closer.

"Ah..."

"Beautiful..."

The men's faint voices overlapped. Stars scattered like snowflakes from the depths. Or were they stars? Were those writhing tiny white orbs truly stars?

That was—

Right, that was—

"Kin of the Outside."

Far beyond the northern end of the Absolute Defense Line. Something that flowed in from outside this world. What the Maou commanded as kin.

"Fuck."

No time to think—I activated the ear's communication circle and yelled.

"Sylvia! Halt the party and start evacuation now!"

"Sis, what—"

"3km southeast from the hall, empty lake! Disaster-class kin!"

"Disaster-class kin? What do you— I got it!"

Even with this sudden report after three centuries, Sylvia followed without hesitation. I felt grateful yet sorry. Always burdening her.

"I'll evacuate Lily and follow!"

Vowing someday to repay her, I grabbed Lily's hand and pulled.