Chapter 16 - Leading a Great Army
Translator : Elizabeth
The life of a third-rate villain is originally tiresome.
It is inevitably bound to be so.
Because being third-rate,
They can never build an independent force and always have to live leeching off somewhere.
That was true for school days in South Korea on Earth,
And the Academy attended mainly by noble children also shared a similar trajectory.
No, rather, the Academy, where classes are clearly divided visibly, could be said to be worse.
And if there is one young lady who was granted the role of such a third-rate villain by the world.
She would surely have a name like this.
None other than—
—『Erancia de Valmonde』.
“Commoner Special Scholarship Student.”
Erancia shot words leisurely at the blonde commoner in front of her.
“Surely you haven't forgotten what happened during the Introduction to Dark Magic Basic Theory class, have you?”
Behind the Alchemy Hall, where people were scarce.
It is a place that has become completely avoided due to unclear rumors that the magic residue coming from the Alchemy Hall is harmful to the body.
Just like electromagnetic wave ghost stories in the Earth world.
‘How stupid. Magic residue or mana wrapped around the body are the same mana anyway.’
Of course, Erancia didn't believe such stories that made one seem brainless at all,
But thanks to that, it was perfect to use as a place to cause trouble quietly.
“Well? Commoner Special Scholarship Student. Do you have anything to say?”
Just like right now.
“Ugh…….”
At Erancia’s interrogation, Iris flinched for a moment, but soon glared back with her eyes wide open.
However, since she had originally never fought with anyone, it felt closer to this emoticon >_
“I-I h-have no intention of w-withdrawing my words from back then……!”
Iris summoned her courage and continued speaking.
“O-Of course, one might feel it strange that the Saintess knows well about Dark Magic…….”
She wasn't trying to fight the noble children in front of her again.
No matter if it’s Iris, she knows there is a difference like heaven and earth between a commoner and a noble.
If she committed rudeness one more time here, it really might not end as just a matter within the Academy anymore.
Therefore—
“……S-Still, the name of Professor Snake’s class was Introduction to Dark Magic Basic Theory from the start!”
—She imitates the noble’s way.
“B-But looking at the Darkness attribute badly…… in front of the Professor…… S-Surely that wouldn't have been right……!”
The reason why Iris, a commoner, had no choice but to act like that in class.
Furthermore, what is called 『Justification』.
Iris was claiming that she had sufficient justification to do so.
Of course, there was no need for noble young ladies to accept a commoner’s justifications one by one.
“This mere commoner! What makes you think you’re so great to talk back—”
“Clarice, quiet.”
However, Erancia was different.
Her retainers, mostly consisting of daughters from Baron and Viscount families.
But Erancia is a Marquess’s daughter.
Three ranks higher than a Baron, and two ranks higher than a Viscount.
Just as it was said there is a difference like heaven and earth between commoners and nobles, there was a similar degree of difference between them too.
So she must always care about how she looks to the surroundings, and even if the opponent is merely a commoner, she must deal with them befitting a noble Marquess’s daughter.
“Putting forward a justification…… You rolled your brain quite a bit for a commoner?”
“Ugh…….”
“Unexpected. When you pointed your finger at us and such during class, I thought you were just an uneducated commoner who could only speak recklessly.”
Erancia laughed slightly as if it were ridiculous.
Immediately after,
—Snap!
She folded the fan in one hand familiarly, and pointed it, which had now become like a pointer, as if to stab Iris.
“Right, like this. You pointed your finger at us like this, back then.”
“Ah……!”
As if realizing something bad, Iris’s face gradually turned pale.
On the other hand, Erancia continued speaking without withdrawing the tip of her fan.
“A retainer’s fault is the master’s fault, fine. I will go apologize to Professor Snake personally. To the Saintess too, since there’s no need to get close but also no need to be on bad terms, I’ll arrange a separate meeting to express regret at least. However…….”
Erancia raised one corner of her mouth fishily.
“It won’t do for you, will it? Commoner Special Scholarship Student?”
Iris’s body trembled.
However, she couldn't think of any excuse to say anymore.
So only Erancia continued speaking.
“The sin of a commoner daring to point fingers recklessly at a noble. The sin of tarnishing the honor of our Marquess family and other nobles like that. At least, shouldn't you pay the price for this?”
The form took a question, but in reality, the content was like a sentence.
A sentence that if you committed a sin, you must receive punishment.
Erancia let go of the fan in the air, and a retainer who was prepared in advance received it with both hands instead.
Having her hands free, she soon took out a new thing to hold from her bosom.
“Commoner Special Scholarship Student, kneel. Politely, with sincerity respecting the noble in front of you.”
It was that very whip she had shown once in class before.
“Don’t worry, I will make sure the corporal punishment remains inside the clothes so it doesn't leave marks on bare skin, so rest assured.”
“Ah, ugh…….”
It was then.
—Rustle.
“Haha…… H-Hello…….”
Suddenly, a completely strange person popped out from the bushes.
A light-green-haired female student.
“L-Lady Clara?!”
Clara approached the startled Iris naturally, turning her head continuously toward Erancia’s group as if embarrassed.
While doing so, she laughed awkwardly and said.
“……That, our Iris has quite a few problems, right?”
Then immediately turning towards Iris, she shouts like a mother scolding her daughter.
“Iris, you! I told you not to go around doing that! Huh?!”
Clara shouted so and simultaneously put her hand roughly on the crown of Iris’s head.
Then pressed her head down.
“Come on, apologize quickly! Say you’re sorry!”
“I-I’m sor…… ry…?”
“Louder! I’m sorry!”
“I-I’m sorry……!”
“Right, like that! Don’t do it from next time? Understand?!”
Clara shouted at Iris one more time like that,
“Haha…… Then, excuse me…… Good work, everyone…….”
Grabbed Iris’s wrist and began to leave the spot naturally.
As if in some other world, not this one, a parent was taking away their child who caused trouble to others.
And,
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Because it was something that happened so suddenly and out of the blue, everyone almost accepted it naturally and let it pass.
“……You there, wait a moment.”
Except for Erancia.
“Ugh.”
It was a scene where one might wonder if she would really stop just because told to stop, but it couldn't be helped.
Because the opponent was a Marquess’s daughter.
What meaning those words held, Clara, a noble, understood much better than Iris, a commoner.
Erancia looked at Clara’s frozen back and spoke.
“That crest on your chest seen just now, surely it is the crest of the Hermain Viscount family.”
—Whisper whisper.
Erancia added after hearing a few facts from her retainer.
“Hmm, eldest daughter of Viscount Hermain. Clara von Hermain.”
Eventually, following the family, even her name and identity were caught.
Like this, she really couldn't run away anymore.
“Y-Yes…… That is so…… Lady Erancia…… To know the name of a mere Viscount’s daughter like me…….”
“Oh my, I wasn't remembering a name like yours. I just heard it. However, you know my name? It seems I haven't had a chat with you at a social gathering…… Hmm.”
“H-Haha…….”
Clara couldn't really make any retort and just kept laughing awkwardly.
Of course, inside was completely different.
‘O-Of course! Who would get close to a third-rate villainess like you?! What good is there in getting close to something like you! None at all!!’
“A-Ahaha…… As you know, the honor and reputation of the Valmonde Marquess family are well-known even in the rural countryside like where I’m from…….”
“Is that so?”
“O-Of course it is~ Since it’s so rural and countryside, you know, even in our territory, there were so many uneducated brats who didn't recognize a noble and pointed fingers…… E-Every time that happened, their parents would drag them out like I did just now and say sorry, sorry so much that I’m practically sick of it? Hahahaha.”
“I see. So?”
“Seeing that she does exactly the same, this Commoner Special Scholarship Student must be from our Hermain territory, obviously uneducated! Ha, haha! S-So I will definitely educate her properly and strictly…… Rather than wasting your precious time on this busy day, how about just leaving it to me and resting here…….”
“Oho. That means, that commoner is an existence like a retainer to you?”
“Oh dear, it’s not…… exactly that but practically no different…… maybe…?”
Clara bowed her head continuously, not knowing how many times it was now.
“Hmm, fine.”
And perhaps Clara’s effort wasn't in vain.
“Then, I will do this.”
Erancia changed her words.
To be precise,
“The fault of the raised dog is the fault of its owner.”
She changed the target.
“Lady Hermain, may you pay the price instead.”
Clara’s awkwardly smiling face froze completely white.
“Wow, look over there. It’s the Saintess.”
“She is beautiful and holy as always today too…….”
“Yeah. Indeed. I can see her sparkling even from afar.”
“How can she emit such pure light as if breathing.”
Students chatting near the fountain smiled warmly as soon as they saw the Saintess.
Two weeks have passed since Louise entered the Academy.
Everyone has already adapted to Academy life to some extent.
Seeing Louise walking while sparkling twinkle twinkle and humming hmph, hmph~♬ like that has also become one of the natural daily scenes of Saint Royal Academy now.
“But what is she carrying like that? A box?”
However, Louise’s walking appearance today was a bit different from usual.
Louise, who usually walked empty-handed, writing metaphysical letters of light in the air that no one could recognize.
But today, a huge box that even covered her face was held in her arms.
Naturally, the box was filled with something.
“Hmph, hmph~♬ As expected of Lucia, I didn't know she would procure this amount in such a short period~”
Whether something sparkling was contained inside, whenever the light shone in the shape of a musical note according to Louise’s humming, the box sparkled even more through the gaps.
“I wanted to bring everything left in the villa too if I could, but yep, that’s greed~♪ This is enough for the experiment demonstration~♩ The Tea Party venue preparation is over there~♭ In the first place, it’s too heavy to carry all at once~♬”
It was when Louise was walking unsteadily humming with the huge box.
“S-Saintess! It must be heavy, we will help you!”
“Hm? No, no~ It’s fine, I’ll just take the thought. I can’t feel at ease unless I move important experiment equipment or materials myself.”
“Still, that is too big compared to the Saintess…… Ah, d-dangerous! That’s a flower bed……!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine~ Going this way is the shortest distance! According to the principle of least time, light always proceeds only by the shortest distance.”
Louise stepped over the flower bed holding the huge box like that,
Crossed the garden,
“Ah, Montmorencia. How you grasp and release my heart like this……!”
“Gishvel, really……! N-No, not here…… If people see…….”
“Heave-ho~!”
“……Kyaaaak?!”
“W-Woaah?!”
Climbing over the back of the bench where a noble couple was dating,
She was moving toward the shortest distance more than anyone else.
And every time she did,
“Uh, what do we do? If she falls like that…….”
“Shouldn't we catch her at least when she falls?”
“Indeed. Seeing her carrying it directly so preciously…….”
The students following Louise only increased more and more.
—Twinkle twinkle!
Moreover, the sparkling objects inside the box and Louise’s light, which had now become completely like a dog’s tail or cat’s ears.
The two created synergy and sparkled even more strongly.
It was like an SOS signal reflecting sunlight with a broken mirror to signal for rescue when stranded on a desert island.
If one turns their gaze toward the sparkling light like that, the Saintess is holding a box taller than her height, and people are following behind her.
Suppose one witnesses that scene.
And suppose the people witnessing it are noble children who consider the Saintess important.
Naturally, they couldn't not follow to see.
In other words,
—Buzz buzz!
—Rumble.
Gathering,
—Buzz buzz buzz!
—Rumble rumble.
And gathering,
—Buzz buzz buzz buzz!
—Rumble rumble rumble.
They gathered in droves.
And since Saintess Louise is light, she always heads for the shortest distance.
Even if that path tramples on flower beds,
Crosses gardens,
“Ah, Saintess! That way is behind the Alchemy Hall so magic residue comes out!”
“That’s right! They say magic residue is bad for the body!”
“Men lose their seed, and women can become infertile…….”
Even if she has to pass through a place everyone avoids because it’s behind the Alchemy Hall.
“Hm? Magic residue? Infertility? Ahaha~ It’s not like talking about electromagnetic waves! It’s fine, it’s fine. Electromagnetic waves and magic residue are just electromagnetic waves differing only in whether they contain mana, and with that energy scale, it does no harm in the first place. In other words, Harmless~”
“S-Saintess……!”
Louise only heads for the shortest distance like light, always.
Just that, this time,
—Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz!
—Rumble rumble rumble rumble!
Leading a great army.