Chapter 25: Dorothy (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25: Dorothy (2)
A magical talent seemingly blessed by the heavens themselves—the depth of her power was said to be unfathomable.
At level 180, her presence was overwhelming.
Oh my…
I never imagined I would actually meet Dorothy Heartnova in person. I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her beauty. Perhaps it was because she was my favorite character, but I realized I had been genuinely looking forward to seeing her.
A small blue jewel brooch hung from the ribbon of her uniform. The color blue represented the second year.
“I was training… but what about you, Senior?”
Struggling to maintain my composure, I answered her question with one of my own. Despite having just asked, I already had a guess as to why Dorothy had fallen from the sky. She must have been drifting through the air, admiring nature’s beauty.
She did it all the time, but today, she just happened to use a corner of the Butterfly Garden as her landing point.
“Me? You saw, didn’t you? I was falling from the sky!”
“Then why were you up there in the first place?”
“I was watching the rain clouds gather. I left because there was nothing more to see, so I came down,” Dorothy answered with a bright smile. “When I’m up there, I can see the horizon. I love the line where the sunset meets the sea. It’s so romantic to watch the sun disappear beyond the edge of the world.”
In an excited voice, she began rambling about things I hadn’t even asked about.
“I especially enjoy the moment when rain clouds form. Should I call it aesthetically pleasing? Anyway! I was flying around watching the clouds, and when I decided I was done, I just dropped down.”
“…”
“Nihihi.”
Dorothy laughed innocently.
Her Starlight magic allowed her to manipulate fundamental forces like gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces. This was what allowed her to levitate high enough to see the horizon. It was on an entirely different level from simply floating with wind magic.
“So, what kind of training are you doing? Ice element? Why are you doing it here? Are you usually alone? What kind of magic are you using? How many stars can you cast?”
She walked up to me with quick steps, showering me with questions.
Since she was "pretending" to be curious, I played along. In reality, she felt no true curiosity or interest; it was just an act to put the other person at ease.
Dorothy treated everyone with friendliness, but despite her outward warmth, she never truly opened her heart. She wore a mask of smiles, always maintaining an invisible boundary between herself and the rest of the world.
She was the exact opposite of Luce Eltania. While Luce was indifferent to others, once she opened her heart, she opened it completely—mostly because she had no idea how to maintain a proper social distance.
Whoa.
Snap.
Dorothy leaned her face uncomfortably close to mine. Startled, I reflexively jerked my head back.
She was always smiling, always trying to make everyone like her, but there was a heavy layer of pretense beneath that expression. Under the brim of her witch’s hat, her eyes—which looked as though they held the entire universe—stared into mine. It felt as if she were trying to penetrate my very soul.
That wasn’t just an analogy. She really could see straight through me.
I had a passive skill thanks to the Abyssal Ring called [Psychological Insight]. Dorothy possessed a similar ability called [Emotional Insight].
Fear, affection, longing, love, friendship—she could read exactly what emotions a person harbored toward her. Furthermore, she possessed a unique trait called [All In The World], which allowed her to see the very essence of living things. The full scope of that ability hadn't been revealed in the game, likely to maintain her sense of mystery.
Well, the ability to see the essence of things was usually reserved for the late game, relegated to a basic skill for high-level characters.
“Do you know me?”
As expected, she saw right through my facade. I wasn’t sure how my state of mind was being reflected to her, but it clearly wasn't subtle. I couldn’t exactly tell her, "I know you because I played Magic Knight of Märchen," so I decided to pivot.
“Yes. Everyone knows Senior Dorothy.”
“Hmm.”
Dorothy tilted her head, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. In hindsight, her reaction made sense. It would be strange not to know Dorothy Heartnova at Märchen Academy. There had to be a deeper meaning to her question.
She was my favorite character. In other words, there was a high possibility she was sensing "affection" from me, which was a significant red flag. From Dorothy’s perspective, it would be incredibly suspicious to feel such strong emotions from someone she had never met.
If so, what would be the best way to handle this?
Maybe I should just say it.
It didn’t take long to come up with an answer I knew Dorothy would love.
“I’m a fan of yours, Senior,” I said with a confident nod.
“Oh, really?” Dorothy looked genuinely surprised.
She was an attention seeker who loved to stand out—a classic case of celebrity syndrome. She lived for the spotlight, which was why she always used flashy Starlight magic whenever she was in front of a crowd.
That’s exactly why I like her.
Dorothy was a named character, but she wasn't an official heroine. Even so, she was my absolute favorite in Magic Knight of Märchen. Back when I was exhausted from studying for exams, I felt like a nobody—just another face in the crowd with nothing special to offer. My life felt empty.
I would head to the library at dawn before the sun rose, and when I finally left, the stars embroidered in the night sky were the only things there to welcome me. Because of that mundane, insignificant routine, Dorothy—a person who wanted to shine and reveal herself to the world no matter where she was—resonated deeply with me.
You have no idea how much strength I gained just thinking about you.
“Hmm, I see. A fan of mine, huh~?”
Dorothy stepped back, closing her eyes and nodding as she cleared her throat. She looked slightly embarrassed. That was a genuine reaction; I knew it from her character sprites in the game.
As it turned out, being a "fan" was the best way to disarm her. Since she could literally read my feelings, there was no room for her to doubt the sincerity of my claim.
“If I already have fans among the freshmen, does that mean I have a fan club?!”
“…Yes?”
Does that actually exist? Wait… is it real?
“Ahhh, what the heck! Can I have a fan meeting? The time has finally come for my autograph to shine!”
Dorothy’s imagination went into overdrive, excitedly planning a fan meeting before anything was even confirmed. Still, she was cute, so I just watched her in silence.
It felt like watching a preschooler declare she was going to be a superstar when she grew up, already worrying about her future schedule. How could I not find that adorable? Of course, I’ve never been married, so I didn’t truly know the feelings of a parent, but the sentiment was the same.
“Who’s the president?”
“For the first years? Me.”
“Eh? It’s already divided by grade?!”
I didn't actually know. Even if such a club existed, I was just playing along to be nice. I had no clue about the other years, but I was damn sure I was Dorothy’s No. 1 fan among the freshmen. I had the playtime in Magic Knight of Märchen to prove it.
“About that autograph…”
I decided to lean into her rhythm. I pulled a piece of parchment from my class materials and handed it to her. She giggled, produced a quill, and scribbled her signature onto the paper.
When I got it back, it was mostly just illegible scribbles.
“Nihihi, nice to meet you!”
“I’m glad you’re happy. It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Look at the way you talk~ You’re so cute! Nyahaha!”
Dorothy smiled broadly. Just looking at her expression made me feel better.
“Oh, right. I’m taking up your training time, Mr. President.”
“Ah, it’s fine.”
“Mmm! That’s right. Since you’re my fan, just looking at my face should be enough to recharge your energy, right?”
I wished it worked that way. Otherwise, I was definitely going to fall behind on my schedule.
“Just kidding~ I have to go now. Train hard!”
“Ah, yes!”
Dorothy turned and began to walk away, waving her hand over her shoulder. Once she disappeared into the trees and was out of sight, my fanboy expression finally relaxed.
“That was a good experience.”
She was truly kind and beautiful.
Why isn't Dorothy an official heroine?
That was my biggest complaint about the game. If there had been a Dorothy route, I would have spent two-thirds of my total playtime on it.
Anyway…
It was time to focus. Regardless of the pleasant distraction, I had to get back to training. Now that I was a bit stronger, I needed to head to the training grounds soon to work on increasing my [Elemental Synergy] as well…
“President!”
“…!”
Dorothy’s cheerful voice rang out again. Turning toward the sound, I saw her peeking her head out from behind a tree. She still had that massive smile on her face.
“What’s your name?”
Ah, right. My name.
“It’s Isaac.”
“Yes, Isaac! See you again tomorrow!”
“Yes… huh?”
See me again "tomorrow"?
Before I could ask why, Dorothy waved and walked away, her feet glowing with starlight mana. A cluster of colorful lights lingered in her wake for a moment before fading into the air.
“Tomorrow?”
What was that about?
She made it sound like a promise—or a command.
Is it because I said I was a fan? I mean, I am, but…
“…”
I pondered her meaning for a moment, but realizing it was a waste of time, I forced myself back into a training mindset.
If she really shows up tomorrow, I’ll just ask her then.
*
“That’s interesting. I’ve never seen anything like that before…”
The man with the silver-blue hair she had just left—he was hiding something sinister, something even Dorothy Heartnova had never encountered.
Her unique trait, [All In The World], allowed her to see the essence of everything under the heavens. Using this power, Dorothy had peered into the soul of the man named Isaac the moment she saw him.
Inside his essence lurked an enormous existence, something capable of swallowing the entire world.
The Unknown.
It was an entity that could only be described by that name; its true identity was a complete mystery. It was of immense scale and appeared terrifyingly ferocious—a mass of near-infinite mana that defied the laws of providence.
Its countless eyes had all stared at Dorothy in unison, each one exerting a crushing sense of oppression. It made her feel like an insignificant speck.
And then, it had spoken to her.
──── [■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■■ ■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■, ■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■ ■■■?]
The sound was like a piercing high frequency, but Dorothy instinctively grasped the meaning behind the noise.
“You dare gaze upon me with those naked eyes? Do you wish for death?”
For a brief moment, she had been terrified. It was fascinating to her that she could feel such primal fear from something hidden within a human’s essence.
Moreover, that giant thing had been completely assimilated by Isaac. It belonged to him entirely. If that power ever went on a rampage, Isaac would be able to wield strength beyond comprehension.
On the outside, Isaac seemed like a mild-mannered, sincere student. But in reality…
“He’s a monster.”
Dorothy’s lips curled into a wry smile.
She had heard rumors of the so-called geniuses among the freshmen, like Luce Eltania and Kaya Astrea. They were certainly talented—Luce, in particular, had the potential to reach the top in no time.
Even so, it was clear that if Isaac ever unleashed his true power, none of them would stand a chance. Even if every single freshman attacked him at once, they would be swept away. If Isaac could tap into that power at will, he could easily surpass even Dorothy herself, the "genius among geniuses."
In short, Isaac was not an opponent to be taken lightly, even for someone like her. He was the man who might very well become the strongest person in the academy.
“As expected of Märchen Academy. This is why I love this place~”
There was a reason it was called the most prestigious academy on the continent. With the power of [All In The World], Dorothy had begun to feel like she knew everything. She had grown bored.
But now, something new and mysterious had appeared.
It was fun.
Dorothy smiled brightly and hopped across the academy grounds like a rabbit. She decided she would keep a very close eye on Isaac for the time being.
*
It was the middle of the night.
The sky was choked with rain clouds, masking even the moonlight. High atop the roof of the towering Kalis Hall, a demon clad in black sat on the railing, surveying the landscape.
His grayish-brown hair cascaded neatly down his back. His face wore a hint of mischief, and his physique was small. Though he appeared human, his skin was a dull, deathly gray.
A [Black Flame Curtain] swirled around him. The moment raindrops touched the barrier, they evaporated into nothingness. The demon hummed a tune, swinging his legs back and forth over the ledge.
He scanned the grounds with his two pairs of eyes, looking in every direction. He had come up here for some fresh air after a meeting with Alice Carroll, the Student Council President of Märchen Academy…
[Hmm?]
A peculiar sight caught the demon’s eye.
Far below, a man in a navy-blue tracksuit was running across the grounds, an [Ice Curtain] wrapped around his body. It would be one thing for a student from the Knight Department to be training in this weather, but that tracksuit clearly belonged to the Magic Department.
The demon focused his gaze. Thanks to his supernatural eyesight, he could make out the man’s features perfectly, despite the distance and the dark.
[Ah, it’s that Grade E.]
The demon spoke in a low, raspy voice.
Silver hair with a bluish tint and crimson eyes. Thanks to the Student Council President, the demon had memorized the records of every student, including the mana evaluation results that had recently been made public.
He recognized the man immediately. The bottom-feeder with E-rank mana. It was Isaac, the commoner known as the Academy’s Weakest.
[What a fool, what a total fool. You aren’t at the bottom for nothing. Go ahead, run in this weather for a hundred days, a thousand days—see if your mana goes up even a single point.]
The demon giggled. Isaac looked pathetic to him. No wonder he lived such a miserable life at the bottom of the rankings. He’d be better off practicing basic spells at the training grounds instead of jogging in the rain.
[Ah, I want to play with him~ Whenever I see something weak, I just want to crush it~]
The demon swayed his body, agonizing over the decision. Should he go down and harass the jogger?
…He decided against it. The boy was a freshman. He couldn't afford to cause a scene and disrupt the schedule before the dueling evaluations began.
On the day of the Magic Department’s freshman dueling evaluation, the demon planned to slaughter every single student. He would imprison them all with the 8-star magic [Fictional Hell] and force them into a massive death game.
I’ll hold back until then. I must suppress the urge to torment and kill. That way, when the day finally arrives, the exhilaration will be even greater.
[Come quickly, dear day~]
He suddenly recalled the mission he had received from the Evil God, Nephid. It was an instinctive, driving force.
— Kill the Child of Light.
The "Child of Light" was a student named Ian Fairytale, currently enrolled here at Märchen Academy. The light element had properties that demons found loathsome and terrifying, making the target easy to identify.
If possible, he would deal with the Child of Light and any other pests all at once.
He was looking forward to it—the thought of playing with the Child of Light, the various troublemakers, and the masses of students before mercilessly ending them all with his own hands.
The demon, Leafa the Illusive.
His night was drawing closer.