Chapter 135: Day of the Entrance Exam — Interlude
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 135: Day of the Entrance Exam — Interlude
“Kaya, is there a boy you like?”
“Pffft—!!”
At a sprawling training ground near the Astrea Mansion, Kaya Astrea—a girl with dark green twin tails—erupted into a coughing fit at her mother’s sudden question. She had been in the middle of a grueling special training session with Historia.
Kaya whipped her head away, her face flushing a deep crimson. Steam practically rose from her scalp, and her jade-colored eyes spun like frantic whirlpools.
“Wh-what? Mother, what on earth are you talking about…?”
“Aren’t you being a bit too formal all of a sudden? Anyway, is there? A boy you like?”
“A-a-a boy I like?! I mean, I suppose such a thing could exist, but obviously, there isn't one! Choosing someone to like requires careful deliberation, and if I were to deliberate, there might be—no, no! It’s only natural that I don’t have one! I don’t!”
“Now you’re just starting to scare me, dear.”
Historia watched her daughter’s frantic rambling with a knowing, amused smile.
Kaya eventually gave up. She was someone who could never hide her feelings, especially not from Historia.
“It was painfully obvious. Let’s take a break. Why don’t you tell your mother all about your little love story?”
“Ugh, Mother… Even if you are my mother, I can’t just talk about that…”
Ten minutes later.
Kaya had been completely disarmed by Historia’s relaxed, coaxing tone.
Before long, the two were sitting side by side in a corner of the vast training ground. Her face still flushed, Kaya hesitated, having already spilled most of the story.
The reason she hadn't put up a stronger fight against Historia’s prying was simple: deep down, she desperately wanted to talk about the person she liked. Historia had seen right through her.
“I see… So you have many rivals? That’s a serious problem. I never thought my cute daughter would have such a hard time with boys. You need to stake your claim on him soon, or things will get complicated.”
“Mother… the term ‘stake your claim’ is a bit… you know…”
“Oh, you’re still such a child. Love is war, Kaya. It’s about conquest. Petty pride and consideration only create openings for your rivals.”
“I think you’re getting a little too emotional about this, Mother…”
Perhaps reminded of the times she had to fend off women clinging to her husband, Historia’s eyes burned with an intense fire.
“Oh, sorry! Anyway, what I’m trying to say is this: if it’s not a one-on-one situation, you have to be selfish. You have to be aggressive.”
Kaya thought of Isaac.
Then she thought of her rivals—Luce and Dorothy.
Her fists trembled with a sudden surge of competitive spirit. Could she really overcome such powerful competitors and win Isaac’s heart?
“Yoo-hoo! I’m so excited! I wonder what kind of man our daughter will bring home!”
Historia threw an arm around Kaya’s shoulder.
Startled, Kaya unclenched her fists.
“I’ll be sure to evaluate whoever he is objectively! I’ll see if he’s a good man or not. Is he a noble’s son? A tycoon? Ah, I can’t wait! It’s like I’ve found a new source of entertainment!”
Historia was cheerful, largely because she had no idea who the boy actually was.
Kaya liked Isaac, but the thought of a formal meeting between him and her mother made her feel dizzy.
The youngest archwizard in history.
The Nameless Hero who had single-handedly defeated the Floating Island—a powerful demon that had tormented humanity for a millennium.
Kaya wondered if Historia could truly remain "impartial" when faced with someone like Isaac.
Reflecting on it again, she realized just how incredible the boy she had fallen for truly was. Kaya felt herself shrinking in comparison.
“…Hehe.”
Still.
“Someday, I’ll bring him here. Definitely.”
She couldn't give up on Isaac.
Kaya reaffirmed her determination. She would not lose to Luce or Dorothy.
*
As dusk settled over the academy, the escort wizard from Horan was running through the grounds in tears, searching for Priestess Miya. Fortunately, she found her in the Butterfly Garden.
Miya grumbled about needing to find her "prince," but the escort wizard earnestly persuaded her that, according to academy rules, all examinees had to depart before sunset.
This was the academy where the Nameless Hero lived in seclusion. Though regretful, Miya decided to respect the rules of his domain.
Miya obediently followed the wizard back to the Horan carriage, allowing the poor escort to finally stop her crying.
Meanwhile…
“Life is truly empty.”
The imperial carriage of the Zelver Empire was departing Märchen Academy, crossing the bridge that connected it to the mainland.
Examinees were required to leave before sunset; if they had travel issues, they had to find external accommodations. Even members of the Imperial Family were not exempt from this rule.
Imperial Princess Snow White gazed out the window at the Arkins Sea.
To her distant, melancholic voice, Merlin Astrea gave a perfunctory response. “Is that so?”
“…”
When Princess White glanced at her, hinting for her to ask why, Merlin finally let out a small, “Ah.”
“And why do you feel that way, Your Highness?”
“Because the title of Princess means nothing in the face of humanity’s fundamental fears and an uncertain future.”
“Yes, I see…”
Merlin nodded as if impressed.
From Merlin’s perspective, White seemed utterly defeated, her entire body radiating a sense of profound discouragement.
‘She really does seem down in the dumps.’
Merlin stroked her chin in thought. As she moved, her partial armor clinked with a metallic ring.
The skills of the Saintess and the Priestess were exceptional. Merlin knew this from the gossip of passing examinees and White’s own mutterings.
According to the Emperor’s orders, White was supposed to build good relationships with them to ensure the peace of the Zelver Empire and the world…
But White, being innocent and less skilled than those two, was clearly overwhelmed.
“Princess White will do just fine.”
Merlin decided to offer some comfort.
“Haha… Do you really think so?”
“Without a doubt. Besides, wouldn’t the Priestess and the Saintess be moved by your good character?”
“B-but they didn’t seem like that kind of people at all! What on earth were you looking at, Merlin?”
The Saintess and Priestess White had encountered today were nothing like her imagination.
A noble Saintess? She was tougher than anyone.
An elegant Priestess? Her personality was absolute trash.
Both seemed like people who lived entirely on their own terms without a care for others. It was questionable if they possessed any social skills at all.
If not for her official duties, White would have resolved to never speak to them again.
“I only meant that you shouldn't worry too much. You’ve only just finished the entrance exam, after all.”
“Ahaha…”
White let out a forced laugh, then pulled a small pocket watch—about the size of two fingers—from beneath her clothes.
“Princess, what is that?”
It was a pocket watch, but the face had no numbers, and the hands didn't move.
However, its design was breathtaking, looking as though it had captured the night sky with the Milky Way flowing through it. The case was made of platinum; it was clearly an item of immense value.
“It’s a broken watch. I like to look at it when my mind is cluttered. It helps clear my head, I suppose? It makes the stray thoughts fly away.”
The watch was a masterpiece of art. Having lost its purpose of telling time, its only remaining value was its exceptional beauty.
White stared at the watch, trying to swallow the anxiety and the burden of an uncertain future. It was her way of forgetting the passage of time and casting aside her heavy thoughts.
“It must be a precious memento.”
“Mother gave it to me.”
“…I see.”
She had said ‘Mother’ instead of ‘Her Majesty the Empress.’ Merlin understood the weight of that distinction immediately.
The watch was a gift from a mother to a daughter.
Feeling an inexplicable pang of heaviness in her chest, Merlin turned to look out the window.
The Arkins Sea was shrouded in darkness—a familiar sight for Merlin, who had graduated from the Knight Department of Märchen Academy.
She reflected on her mission: to protect Princess Snow White.
She vowed to the moonlight and the dark sea that she would protect this kind, lovely princess.
But then…
“Hehe… hehehe…”
White started laughing, sounding as if she had a screw loose.
She stared at the broken watch, laughing eerily as if she had lost her mind.
‘Did she say it dispels random thoughts…?’
The effect of the watch seemed even more potent than Merlin had expected.
*
A floor patterned like a chessboard in black and red.
Sporadic lights of unknown origin shone down from a dark ceiling.
The red walls were adorned with patterns of black thorny vines and lined with various clocks, all hung at haphazard, slanted angles.
In this space, four people sat among sparsely placed furniture.
This was Alice’s Labyrinth—a realm independently created by Alice Carroll using spatial magic.
The four individuals were waiting for the arrival of the one they served.
Click-clack.
The sound of footsteps echoed from the darkness, drawing the attention of all four.
However, the figure that emerged was merely a fat purple cat wearing oversized, ill-fitting shoes.
[Meow~. Did you think I was Alice?]
“…Cheshire.”
A serious-looking male student with glasses, sitting with his arms and legs crossed, glared fiercely at the cat. His voice was sharp.
On the back of his left hand, a navy blue spade symbol—depicting a shovel—emitted a faint light.
It was a Paladin’s mark, though its glow was muffled by his black glove.
“Kyahaha! Cheshire, what is that look? It doesn't suit you at all!”
[Meow!! I don’t want to hear that from you, Shera!]
Perched precariously on the backrest of a red sofa was a cute girl named Shera. She wore red heart-shaped earrings and a golden heart hairpin.
She laughed heartily before toppling backward along with the sofa.
Thud. A small “eek!” escaped her, and the laughter stopped abruptly.
“Why did you come instead of the Queen?”
A kind-looking boy asked in a gentle tone. He wore a tie pin with a green three-leaf clover, the symbol of peace.
[Well, I’m just here to deliver a message. There’s no need for Alice to come personally, right?]
“…”
A female student with a yellow diamond symbol on her forehead leaned against the wall, looking indifferently at Cheshire. She looked like the type who usually lacked courage.
Meanwhile, the girl with the heart symbol scrambled up, righted the sofa, and rested her chin on the backrest. She was bouncing with excitement, her anticipation plain to see.
[Now then, here is Alice’s message. I assume you understood the briefing last time, so I’ll just give you the essentials.]
The boy with the spade adjusted his glasses and stood up.
The girl with the heart ran to the front of the sofa with a broad smile.
The boy with the clover stood beside the spade boy, his expression thoughtful.
The girl with the diamond moved away from the wall to join them.
The four stood in an orderly line before the strange Cheshire, ready to receive their orders.
Cheshire grinned and kicked off the oversized shoes.
[First: Hinder the Black Monster. Second: Uncover the identity of the Black Monster. Third: Eliminate the Black Monster. That is your mission as Paladins. Remember, he is an enemy too strong to be taken down head-on, even if you all combine your strength. So, discreetly and meticulously… eliminate him.]
The four Paladins crossed their left hands behind their backs and placed their right hands over their hearts, bowing deeply.
They spoke in perfect unison.
“Everything as the Queen wills.”
Morning. Briggs Hall, the middle-lower dorms.
I leaned against the window frame with my arms crossed, feeling the cool winter breeze. The quiet landscape of the school grounds stretched out before me.
In my left hand was a cup of freshly brewed hot coffee; in my right, I habitually conjured [Frostfire]. It was my routine for shaking off morning drowsiness.
I took a sip of the coffee, feeling the fog in my mind gradually lift.
“Haa…”
My breath turned into white mist, scattering in the cold air.
Time to organize my thoughts.
Alice had dispatched the four Paladins to hunt me down. Every single one of them was incredibly powerful; I couldn't defeat them through brute force alone.
So, how should I deal with them?
I’d love to just take my favorite characters and steamroll them, but…
Attacking people who weren't yet suspects would just turn me into a criminal. I’d be expelled, and that would be the end of it.
The better approach was to gather evidence that Alice was colluding with demons and that the Paladins were her subordinates. If I could direct suspicion toward them…
‘It won’t be easy.’
Alice was meticulous. She never did anything conspicuous.
Moreover, with Cheshire lurking around, it was difficult to unravel her secrets even with [Clairvoyance].
It seemed I wouldn't be able to avoid a confrontation with the Paladins during my second year.
Suddenly…
[Here comes the valiant killer whale, Bello!]
“…?”
While I was lost in thought, a small killer whale magic beast wrapped in water mana flew up in front of me. It was Bello.
[Isaac! I have a message for you! My master wishes to go on a personal date with you, so get dressed and come out at once—kahaaak!]
Splaaash!
A powerful blast of water sent Bello spiraling away.
Looking down at the source of the magic, I saw a woman with rose-gold hair standing in front of the dorm, her arms extended as she finished a magic circle.
She quickly dispelled the magic.
Seeing that her first instinct was to blast her familiar for blabbing nonsense rather than simply unsummoning him, she was clearly in a hurry.
“Luce?”
Luce Eltania waved at me when our eyes met. She was smiling awkwardly, looking quite embarrassed.
Today was the day I had agreed to be Luce’s sparring partner and training assistant.
Isn’t it a bit early for this?
‘Not that I mind.’
Standing on the snowy path, bathed in the morning sunlight, Luce looked incredibly beautiful.
Eager to meet her, I absentmindedly gulped down the steaming coffee. It was bitter and scalding. I was supposed to let it cool, damn it. I quickly used ice magic to soothe my burnt tongue.
[Kahak! Bello is shocked by Master’s tyranny! No violence! No violence!]
Ignoring Bello, who was still spinning in the air and protesting in a voice like a young boy’s, I got ready to head out.
I left the dorm.
Luce was waiting for me with a bright smile.
*
[Potential in [Growth Rate] has reached MAX!]
[Your perseverance and effort will surely be rewarded...]
[Congratulations! You have acquired the unique Trait [Rapid Growth]!]
Year 2 at Märchen Academy had begun.