Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Autumn, New Semester (2)
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It goes without saying, but Aphria is brimming with talented people. Whether mages or scholars, those born with the qualities to achieve greatness are everywhere. In fact, it's harder to find someone lacking talent.
That's why it's called the Cradle of Stars.
That's the name the world gives to Aphria. A place where the stars that will one day light up the night sky pass through briefly. A place to hone oneself. That place is Aphria Academy.
'A gathering of the stars who will lead the next generation.'
The key point here is the phrase 'next generation.' Everyone gathered at Aphria will become vital talents leading the next era in some way or another. In other words, there's no better place to build meaningful connections...
Scratch.
The quill gliding over the paper comes to a stop.
She sets the quill down on the table and gazes contentedly at the roster she's compiled. It's a summary of each student's characteristics.
"This should do it."
The Fourth Princess, Aila.
Her platinum hair, a symbol of the royal family, sways as she hands the roster to her guard knight.
"I'm planning to make contact with each student listed there, one by one. Want to take a look, Havel?"
Her guard knight, Havel, checks the roster his lady has produced. Seeing the page densely packed with names, he clicks his tongue inwardly.
"...All of them?"
"Yes, all of them."
Aila nods as if it's the most natural thing. Havel hesitates for a moment before speaking up.
"The people at the top of the list are so famous and dignified, so I get that... but do the students lower down really have that kind of value?"
"That's why I wrote them down, isn't it, Havel?"
Even with that, Havel doesn't look entirely convinced. Aila lets out a short sigh at his expression. She can understand why he's acting this way.
'As you go down the list, the grades drop off, and there are students with poor evaluations among the faculty... that's probably it.'
But Aila was certain.
Because she'd met them and talked with them before.
"They just haven't bloomed yet. Give them the slightest trigger, and they'll shoot right up."
"...Is that so?"
"You know, Havel."
Aila taps the corner of her eye.
"I saw it with my own eyes and decided. Any complaints?"
The child loved by the stars, Stella.
Havel knows full well how extraordinary her insight is. He continues in a slightly subdued voice.
"...I'd never dream of questioning Your Highness's decision. I'm just worried whether they're worth the time you'd invest..."
"Anyway, set up some meetings. I want to talk in a proper reception room."
"Understood."
After sending Havel off, Aila, now alone in the room, rests her chin on her hand and gazes out the window. The view from the dormitory feels quite different from what she saw in the palace.
A semester had already passed.
With the new semester's opening approaching, she spots lines of students returning to the dorms with their luggage. Watching them, Aila falls into thought for a moment.
Aphria Academy.
She'd chosen to enroll here to escape the blood-soaked palace and get some rest. But it wasn't just for relaxation that she'd come.
"Connections."
Aila murmurs with her chin propped up.
"Connections, the most precious asset of all."
A line from some book.
Relationships between people are priceless. Those built on authority and gold are shallow. They can crumble anytime. That's not the kind of bond Aila wanted.
Bonds built person to person.
Steadfast ties built up solidly.
That was a kind of relationship Aila had never built before. She yearned for it. She longed for people who would truly stand by her side in the future, people she could trust and who would trust her in return.
For her, Aphria was the perfect stage.
Everyone was treated as equals, as students.
Unlike life in the palace, there were no tedious procedures to meet someone.
In short, natural encounters were possible. That appealed to Aila immensely.
'During the last semester, everyone was too busy adjusting to make full use of that advantage...'
This semester would be different.
They'd adapted somewhat. Faces were familiar now. Familiarity breeds closeness. Aila lets a faint smile slip.
The seeds of connections she'd sown over the semester.
Now that autumn, the season of harvest, had arrived, it was time to reap them.
"I'm looking forward to it."
As she murmurs that and gazes out the window, Aila suddenly furrows her brow. She stands and approaches the window.
Squeak.
She opens the window and looks down.
Among the procession heading to the dorms, there's an unfamiliar girl. The girl with striking white hair stands with her mouth agape, staring at the Central Hall.
Aila's golden eyes pierce the girl's essence. She reads the starlight pooled in the girl's body precisely.
'...Come to think of it.'
Her sister had mentioned that the next Hero candidate would enroll at Aphria incognito. Aila smiles faintly.
"One more person to meet."
2.
Aphria Academy has spared no effort on its exterior. To live up to its reputation as the capital's premier magical academy... Aaron had boldly invested the budget.
Thanks to that, Aphria's exterior outshines most tourist spots. Meticulously tended gardens. Gleaming tiles and patterned paving stones. Even the clock tower piled up by top architects with utmost care.
Aphria's students lack the leisure to admire it... but to visitors or new freshmen, Aphria appears filled with dreams and hope.
And here stands one such girl.
A girl full of dreams and hope, transferring into Aphria.
"Whoa..."
Chloe stares blankly at the Central Hall with her mouth wide open. From the day her enrollment was decided, she'd pored over the guidebook Aphria sent countless times. How many times had she revisited the page with the photo of the Central Hall where she'd live?
She'd looked at it countless times.
Even cut it out and pasted it on her wall.
She thought she'd grown used to it from the photos... but seeing it in person left her in awe. Ever since passing through Aphria's main gate, it had been one gasp after another.
Chloe tugs at the sleeve of her childhood friend standing beside her.
"Belnoa, Belnoa."
"Yeah, what?"
"Am I really going to live here?"
"If you weren't, would I have carried all this heavy luggage all the way here?"
Gulp. Chloe swallows dryly.
Inside this dazzling building, a room for her? Chloe's shoulders tremble.
"This is... Aphria?"
Everything exceeded her imagination. The Black Mage Tower Lord might cry hearing this, but it was worlds apart from the dreary Black Mage Tower facilities. Comparing them would be an insult.
Perfect. Utterly so.
Aphria fulfilled every expectation Chloe had. Stepping into the Aphria of her dreams, Chloe makes a vow.
"I'll really work hard."
"What at?"
"Everything. I'll just work hard at it all."
What could be a problem when learning in a place like this? No matter how massive the trials that come her way, she'd gladly overcome them.
"I feel like I can do anything."
"......"
"Huh? Belnoa, what's wrong?"
"Nah, just... nothing."
Belnoa looks at Chloe with pity.
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
'Very soon. Imminently.'
Belnoa steps into the dorm. Chloe scurries after her.
"Whoa..."
Ignoring Chloe's gasps, now like background music, Belnoa sighs. How long until those sparkling eyes turn into the dead gaze of an undead?
In Belnoa's view, not long at all.
And for her childhood friend about to face the nightmare, all she could offer was lukewarm encouragement.
"...Do your best."
"Huh? Yeah, got it!"
3.
About a week remained until classes started.
As Aphria bustled with returning students, Lania sat on the sofa in the faculty office, pondering something for once.
"How should I teach her?"
A very professor-like dilemma.
But slightly different from the usual professor's worries. Lania glances at the report on her assigned 'special student.'
「Next Hero Candidate, Chloe.」
A special student indeed. Picturing the girl—who even looked special—Lania mutters.
"Wonder how long the kid will last."
A chilling remark echoes in the office.
She's not alone in the office. Someone reacts to the eerie words.
"...Lania?"
"Yes? What is it, Master?"
Rosel calls Lania's name.
He eyes her suspiciously. He has much to say... but condenses it into one line.
"Aphria is a place of learning, not a training ground to test human limits."
"Oh..."
Lania nods as if impressed.
Rosel suppresses a sigh and merely rubs his eyes. Lania slowly rises from the sofa.
'First off, she does need to catch up.'
A transfer student in the second semester.
To put her in the same classes as those who've attended since the first... she'd need remedial lessons for the missed material. That was the issue.
About four months of classes.
How to cover that in a short time?
She already knew the method. On battlefields where speed was life or death, 'injecting' knowledge directly happened often enough.
"Embodiment."
Knowledge gained through personal experience.
Or hammered into the body through repeated trials.
'But as Master says... this is Aphria Academy.'
Overly harsh methods wouldn't do.
She needed a milder approach. And moderation was always a tricky topic for Lania.
'Why go the long way when there's a fast, efficient method?'
Pushing that question aside, Lania continues pondering. She tries structuring a crash course in her head... but it won't come together.
'To plan the lessons.'
She needs to gauge the student's level first.
"Here goes."
Lania stands from the sofa.
She grabs her cape from the rack and drapes it over her shoulders. Ready to head out, she strides toward the door.
"Master, I'll be right back."
"Going to the café?"
"Uh..."
Lania touches her lips and says.
"Yeah. With one student."
Buy some coffee, chat.
While chatting, subtly probe her mana flow. That should naturally reveal her level.
'Perfect plan.'
A truly perfect plan. Lania smiles brightly and nods. Rosel's expression sours at the sight.
"Then I'm off."
"...Yeah, go ahead."