Chapter 134: Day of the Entrance Exam (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134: Day of the Entrance Exam (2)
“Princess, how about having a meal before you go?”
“Sounds good! Ehehe.”
After leaving Duke Hall where the practical exam was held, Princess Snow White let out a forced laugh in response to Merlin Astrea’s invitation.
It was all water under the bridge now. White decided she would simply enjoy some delicious food at the academy’s cafeteria and then head back.
Sure, it’s better to forget this damned reality and just enjoy the meal. Everything will be taken care of by my future self, anyway.
As she passed by the crowds of examinees gathered around Duke Hall…
Suddenly, Merlin noticed four specific examinees. They were all around White’s age, scattered across different parts of the campus.
Merlin quickly scanned them.
“…”
In the Astrea family, there was a principle that Sword Saint Gerald Astrea had emphasized when Merlin first joined the Imperial Knights:
‘Cultivate the habit of constantly observing and analyzing your surroundings. This alone can prevent half of all crises.’
The reason these four examinees caught Merlin’s attention was that each of them bore specific markings on their bodies.
Having accompanied White from the written exams at Orphin Hall to the practicals at Duke Hall, Merlin had been closely observing the candidates. Her sharp vision scrutinized the markings. They were all trump card symbols.
The examinees noticed Merlin’s gaze but deliberately pretended they hadn’t. Realizing this, Merlin turned her eyes forward again.
These guys don’t seem to care whether Princess White is here or not.
White was the Princess of the Empire. Every other examinee showed her some level of deference or special interest. But these four, marked with the trump symbols, showed no emotion toward the Princess, the Priestess, or the Saintess.
Whoever they were, Merlin couldn’t shake an ominous feeling.
“By the way, for a place where demons have appeared so many times, it’s quite intact. Honestly, I imagined ruins before coming here. I thought there’d be big banners hanging everywhere saying ‘Our Academy is Operating Fine’ or something like that…”
“Of course not, Princess.”
After a brief response to White’s chatter, Merlin kept her focus sharpened on the four with the trump symbols.
*
“Lady Miya!!”
The personal escort wizard ran frantically across the campus.
Miya, the Priestess, had disappeared, leaving only a fox-fire behind. It was a spell that created a temporary clone that would dissipate over time. The real Miya had slipped away long ago.
“Sob… Lady Miya!! Where have you gone now?!”
It was time to return to the carriage guarded by the Horan escorts, but the Priestess was nowhere to be found. The escort wizard searched for Miya while sobbing. If anything happened to the Priestess, it would be her head on the line.
*
At a corner of the butterfly garden, I leaned against a zelkova tree and manifested a [Frostfire] in my right hand.
Since today was the entrance exam for new students, I couldn't use the training grounds. Instead, I decided to train in this secluded corner of the garden, just like I used to.
However, I needed to check for any potential issues, so I was currently observing the academy with [Clairvoyance].
The main and supporting characters seem fine.
The Pure White Princess, Snow White von Kairos Eifelto.
Insignificant for now, but somewhat sane. She is the core protagonist of Year 2 in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱. To prevent a bad ending, I have to get involved with her no matter what.
The Priestess of the Red Lotus, Miya.
I didn’t particularly like her sociopathic, discriminatory personality. It’s worth noting that her lack of a surname was for religious reasons; the 'Divine Maiden' isn't supposed to be associated with the concept of being born to a mere human.
The Agent of the Lord, Bianca Entourage.
Her… well, I really don’t want to get involved with her unless it’s absolutely necessary.
It seemed the other supporting characters I had kept an eye on had all successfully passed the entrance exam without issue. However, as expected, there was one significant deviation that didn't betray my suspicions.
“Paladins…”
The mid-bosses of the 「Alice Subjugation」 arc.
The elite knights among Alice Carroll’s trump card forces—the four Paladins. They had actually come to take the Märchen Academy entrance exam.
This was a scene completely different from the original scenario of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
I expected this.
I didn’t panic. I had already anticipated such variables. The game scenario I knew was just a baseline, like a set of predicted lottery numbers. It was only natural to account for deviations.
Alice was currently in a position where she had to cautiously find and assassinate the 'Black Monster.' Moreover, as the Student Council President, she was intimately familiar with the academic schedule for the coming semester.
This meant she needed allies who could move freely within the academy, maintain a student schedule, and interact with the student body—all while being powerful enough to act as her limbs.
Indeed, nothing fit the bill better than the Paladins.
Don’t they feel any guilt lying about their age?
I wasn't exactly one to talk, but they had clearly crossed a line by falsifying their appearances and ages. The age gap between them and the actual students was several decades.
For the record, the Paladins were human. Even if I poured stats into [Vs. Human Combat Power], I wasn’t sure if I could reach the specs necessary to defeat them by force by the time the 「Alice Subjugation」 began.
Initially, you had to max out [Vs. Demon Combat Power] to get the most out of the [Hunter] trait. Without hitting a stat of 100 in [Vs. Human Combat Power], it was unrealistic to expect a dramatic advantage. Moreover, I had to prepare for fights against heavenly beings, so I couldn't focus solely on anti-human combat.
Once those four Paladins teamed up with Alice, it would become risky to monitor them carelessly because of Cheshire, who could track [Clairvoyance]. Using [Clairvoyance] to scout the academy today had been the right choice.
I deactivated the skill, clenched my fist, and extinguished the [Frostfire]. All that was left was to figure out a countermeasure for Alice and her Paladins.
I need a plan…
“Hey, there’s something I’d like to ask.”
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, a gentle voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned my head toward the sound.
With red cat-eye makeup and beautiful, jade-black hair, a girl was looking at me. It was the Priestess, Miya.
[Miya]
Lv: 155
Race: Human
Elements: Fire
Danger: X
Psychology: [Considers you a somewhat good-looking insect.]
Why is she here?
I was momentarily surprised. Miya’s familiar, the Nine-Tailed Fox, might have sensed my [Clairvoyance], but it didn't have the ability to track the source like the Lightning Sovereign or Cheshire. That was why I had been so relaxed while watching…
My eyes naturally drifted toward Miya’s right index fingernail, where the Nine-Tailed Fox would be residing, before I quickly shifted my gaze back to her face. It was best to avoid drawing the fox’s attention.
“Where is this place?”
Ah, right. She’s terrible with directions.
Her character traits came flooding back. Now I didn't even have to wonder why she’d ditched her escort. In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, Priestess Miya often slipped away from her guards to wander alone. It wouldn’t have been an issue if she had any sense of direction, but she got lost constantly, which was a perpetual headache for her staff.
Her psychological profile was spot on, too. She viewed anyone weaker than herself as an insect and didn't give them a second thought. This was far more extreme than Lisetta’s habit of ignoring people; at least Lisetta didn't view them as literal vermin.
Anyway.
Since I had been using [Clairvoyance] until a moment ago, I must have been emitting mana, which she sensed. She would have realized immediately that I was much weaker than her.
“This is the butterfly garden. Are you lost?”
I put on a polite smile. I didn’t particularly want to use honorifics with her, given her personality, so I decided to pretend I didn't know who she was. I could just use the excuse of being an uneducated commoner from the countryside who only focused on his studies.
“…You’re a senior, right? Who are you to speak so informally to me?”
This brat…
As expected, she had zero manners. Fortunately, my expression didn't falter. I just smiled as if I were slightly troubled.
“You spoke informally first.”
“Oh ho, that makes sense. I forgot this is an academy. There must be customs unique to this place.”
Sigh.
“And why do you assume I’m your senior?”
“I’m going to be admitted here. It’s a done deal, so it’s not a problem, right?”
There are plenty of problems with that logic, you idiot.
Still, she had every reason to be confident. In the original game, she took the top seat among the freshmen in Year 2.
“More importantly, I don’t have time to chat with you. I felt the gaze of my prince…”
“Your prince?”
“The Nameless Hero. Surely he was watching over me…!”
“Ah, the Black Monster. How do you know abou—?”
“You pig.”
Priestess Miya’s attitude shifted instantly to one of pure contempt. Her gentle eyes narrowed, and her voice, which had held a hint of cuteness, became sharp and authoritative.
“Who do you think you are, calling him a monster? Truly a foolish man.”
“…”
That was the tone she used as the Priestess of the Eastern Nation. It came out as a habit whenever she was angry.
“…I apologize for my choice of words. You seem to really admire your ‘prince.’”
“Hmph, of course I do. The strength that wiped out the demons and single-handedly brought down the Floating Island is undeniably captivating. He is not someone to be rudely referred to as a monster.”
After I brought down the Floating Island, I’d heard that followers of the 'Nameless Hero' had sprouted up like bamboo after a rainstorm. Originally, the term 'Nameless Hero' was coined specifically to avoid calling the savior of humanity the 'Black Monster,' so it was obvious what his fans would prefer.
She, too, was a follower. When I used [Psychological Insight], I caught a glimpse of the heart of a devoted celebrity fan.
“Ha, enough. I’ve unintentionally bestowed upon you the honor of a long conversation. If I were to meet a senior for the first time, I would have expected someone like Lady Luce Eltania or the Wizard of the Emerald Fairy. To think a man like you would be my first… my luck is poor.”
“Is that so…”
Kaya was being called the Wizard of the Emerald Fairy. She had earned the nickname after awakening the plant element and continuing the lineage of Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy. Luce would eventually be known as the 'Empress of the Abyss,' but that was a story for later.
At this point, Luce and Kaya were already quite famous. As Märchen Academy became the center of global attention, the exploits of its talented students—following in the wake of the Nameless Hero—became the talk of the world. Most of the examinees today likely idolized them.
“I wish I could see the face of my prince instead of this. Hehe.”
Miya, seemingly thrilled just by the thought of the Nameless Hero, closed her eyes, pressed a folded black fan to her cheek, and let out a bashful moan. She really didn't care what others thought of her…
…She’s doing that on purpose.
She was likely trying to make it clear that she wasn't looking for someone as insignificant as me, but rather the strongest of the strong. I realized once again that the phrase ‘a flawlessly beautiful doll’ suited her perfectly, even if her personality was rotten.
Then, Miya looked at me and sighed in annoyance.
“Well then.”
She turned and walked away without another word.
“Ha, seriously.”
It was unbelievable.
*
[Miya.]
“What?”
Beneath a sky awash in the vibrant hues of sunset, Priestess Miya walked away from Isaac, deeply pondering where the Nameless Hero might be. A mature, mystical female voice resonated in her head.
[Didn’t you feel anything when you encountered that boy with the silver-blue hair?]
“What’s there to feel about an insect?”
[He looked in my direction at first. After that, I felt as though he were deliberately avoiding my gaze.]
Miya’s familiar, the Nine-Tailed Fox, resided inside her right index fingernail as a faint mana entity. It was a form nearly impossible to detect with average mana perception.
“How would a pig with that level of mana know your location? Avoiding your gaze on purpose? It must be a coincidence… You’re not suggesting that he is my prince, are you?”
Miya glared at her fingernail with a fierce look. A tiny blue flame flickered on the nail, revealing a red inner light.
“My prince has a cool demeanor, short hair, stands over two meters tall, and has bulging muscles—a completely masculine, macho man. That’s what the witnesses testified. He’s in a different league from that feeble-looking, soft boy I just saw. A totally different class.”
[Ah…]
“Ah, my prince. To touch those enormous arm muscles… or lick them…”
Her voice, which had been sharp, suddenly became coquettish. Miya often lost herself in her own fantasies without warning.
The Nine-Tailed Fox did not respond.
Having no experience with men due to her life as a cloistered Priestess, Miya had constructed an image of the Nameless Hero through endless fantasy. No matter what anyone said, her delusion wouldn't break unless she saw him with her own eyes.
However, the Nine-Tailed Fox decided to remember the silver-blue-haired boy.
Because the unease it felt had never once been unfounded.