Chapter 277: Academy Excursion (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 277: Academy Excursion (3)
A few months ago, in Horan, the Land of the Fire Blossoms.
Miya had swiftly reclaimed her status as the Priestess. The power of the blue flame—a divine authority—served as undeniable proof of her right to lead.
Miya went to see the imprisoned Mei. The contrast between the fallen elder sister and the younger sister, who had ascended to the highest authority in Horan, was stark.
“It’s been a while. Did you come to mock me?”
Mei’s voice was cracked and dry. Having endured relentless interrogation and torture, not a single trace of her former vitality remained.
Miya leaned against the cold stone of the prison wall. She didn’t want to look Mei in the eye. No matter how deep the betrayal, this woman was still her sister. Seeing her face might have caused her resolve to waver.
Still, Miya spoke firmly. “I won’t let you die easily. But… you will be treated as something less than human until the day you draw your last breath. It is only fair, considering how you trampled upon this nation and its people.”
“Cut the bullshit. Just kill me.”
“And why should I do what you want?”
“Hmph. The girl who lived only in dreams didn't just waste her years, it seems. You’ve certainly learned how to talk back.”
Mei had nothing left. She craved the release of death and hoped her sister would be the one to provide it.
“You were the one who started this.”
“Shut up and just kill me! Fuck!!”
Mei screamed at the top of her lungs. Her curses echoed through the damp prison several times before fading into a hollow, heavy silence.
“Did you know, Sister?”
“What?”
“The person you messed with… He was actually the Nameless Hero.”
“…What are you talking about, you bitch?”
Mei couldn't wrap her head around Miya’s words.
“I found out that you were desperately searching for the Nameless Hero. You were obsessed with finding out who he was… It was Isaac. It was him all along. Recently, he even became the Ice Sovereign. It’s common knowledge now.”
“Do you honestly think… that makes any sense…?”
“It’s the truth. Why would I lie to you about this?”
“I told you to stop talking nonsense…”
Mei clenched her teeth, her body trembling. A bitter, jagged laugh escaped her throat. Tears welled up in her wide-open, bloodshot eyes.
“Do you think I’ll believe that? That I’m that unlucky…? Stop bullshitting me… There’s a limit to how much you can joke, damn it… I said, stop it…”
Mei continued to curse and laugh hysterically, eventually bowing her head as she began to sob uncontrollably.
The man she had called her prince, the powerhouse she had wanted to recruit more than anyone else to seize control of the world—it was Isaac, the very man who had been a constant thorn in her side.
That revelation gnawed at Mei’s shattered mind like a starving rat. Her entire plan had been fundamentally flawed from the very beginning. The truth made her feel physically nauseated; it made her existence feel even more pathetic.
“Then… take care, Sister. Let’s never see each other again.”
It was a short conversation.
Miya ignored Mei’s sobbing and left the dungeon, escorted by her guards.
Memories of their childhood were still vivid in her mind. Miya bit her lip hard. Mei’s cries felt like sharp blades carving into her heart. However, Miya took a deep breath and steadied herself.
She would never see her sister again.
*
Several faculty members in charge of the excursion program and a guard from Horan took their places at the back of the Class A classroom.
The visiting students opened the textbooks they had been provided, and Professor Philip began the lecture.
The exchange students were there to experience the high-level curriculum of Märchen Academy’s Class A. Naturally, the content was difficult for them to follow. Because of this, Professor Philip was being exceptionally thorough with his explanations, showing consideration for the guests.
“Hmm?”
Miya tapped my arm.
When I turned to look at her, she scribbled something in her book and subtly tilted it toward me.
We have a lot to talk about, right?
We certainly do.
Miya needed to repay the favor I’d done for her—specifically, by giving me her trust and becoming my ally. It felt a bit calculative and perhaps even mean-spirited of me to think that way, but what choice did I have? The threat of the Evil God was a grave matter.
I lightly jotted down an answer in the corner of my own book and showed it to her.
Yes.
Then, can you spare some time later?
Miya revealed the part of the page she had been covering with her arm. She seemed to have anticipated my "yes" and had written the follow-up in advance.
I feel like I’m back in high school.
Back then, we used to pass notes to friends during class when we wanted to chat. A strange sense of nostalgia washed over me.
Let’s do that.
After writing that, I looked up and met Miya’s eyes. She smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling into crescents. For someone so innocent, her smile had a certain fox-like charm to it. It felt like a scene straight out of a teen drama.
Judging by her demeanor, Miya was very well-disposed toward me.
“Hey, focus on the class.”
At Professor Philip’s sharp remark, Miya and I both snapped our heads back toward the blackboard.
Luce glanced sideways at us with a look that could only be described as murderous, but Miya simply offered her a bright, unfazed smile.
*
When the class ended, the exchange students followed the faculty members out. Before leaving, Miya beamed at me.
“I’ll be going now, Senior Isaac.”
“Hmm? Okay…”
I could only manage an awkward reply. The sense of cognitive dissonance was intense. She looked exactly like Mei, yet she was so different.
Strictly speaking, Miya had much gentler features. While Mei had a sharp, aggressive presence, Miya looked more like a friendly puppy with soft, drooping eyes.
“Oh, Senior Luce.”
“…?”
Suddenly, Miya approached Luce, smiling radiantly. The eyes of every student in the room—including mine and the exchange student Taryn Bartin’s—locked onto the two women.
“I noticed you’ve been staring at me for quite a while.”
The atmosphere in the room instantly turned icy.
Did she notice?
Luce glared at Miya with cold, undisguised wariness. Given the tension during the lecture, Miya’s words could easily be taken as a provocation.
But Miya’s next move caught everyone off guard.
“Hehe.”
Miya giggled and suddenly reached out, grabbing Luce’s hand.
The students’ jaws dropped. Luce looked just as stunned, her brow furrowing in sheer confusion.
“You wanted to talk to me, right?”
“…?”
“It would be such an honor if someone as beautiful as Senior Luce wanted to talk to me. I won’t be here for long, but I really hope we can become close friends while I am!”
Miya’s sparkling eyes were the very definition of pure innocence. She had interpreted Luce’s cold, piercing glares throughout the entire class as a sign of friendly interest.
“What…?”
Luce looked utterly perplexed, clearly having no idea how to handle this type of person. Miya was, quite literally, Luce’s hard counter.
“See you later, Senior Luce!”
Miya waved to the faculty members waiting for her with a cheerful smile. Professor Philip promptly led the group out of the classroom, looking as if he were fleeing a disaster zone.
Luce stood there trembling, still staring at the hand Miya had grabbed. To someone as gloomy and reserved as Luce, such a radiant presence was like a vampire being forced to stand in the high noon sun.
“…My goodness.”
The classroom fell into a stunned silence. Ciel’s quiet exclamation was the only thing that broke the quiet.
*
Is she… is she serious…?
Taryn Bartin glanced at Miya walking beside her, a bead of cold sweat rolling down her temple.
She wanted to ask if Miya actually meant what she’d said to Senior Luce, but her instincts told her to keep her mouth shut. It was clearly a sensitive topic. Recalling the thick tension in the classroom, Taryn was certain Miya had just engaged in a high-level battle of wills. There was no way she could have missed Luce’s intense hostility.
And yet, Miya was smiling casually as if she didn't have a care in the world. That made her seem even more terrifying!
“Taryn, do you have something on your mind?”
“Ah…!”
Miya noticed Taryn’s stare and asked without hesitation. Startled, Taryn scrambled for a topic.
“Uh, um, Priestess… are you already acquainted with Senior Isaac?”
This was something she was genuinely curious about. Miya shook her head.
“We’re meeting for the first time today.”
“Really? You two seemed quite close for a first meeting… You even sat right next to him.”
“He is my Savior.”
“Savior?”
Taryn didn’t know the specifics, but she could take a guess. “Is it related to the Grand Festival incident the professor mentioned earlier?”
“Yes. There were some… complications on my end, but thanks to Senior Isaac, everything worked out. He… saved my life.”
If Isaac hadn’t intervened, Miya knew she wouldn't be standing here today.
He saved her?
Taryn wondered what kind of incident could threaten the safety of someone with Miya’s status. Having lived her life as a commoner, Taryn couldn't even begin to imagine the scale of such an event.
“It sounds like there were some very complicated circumstances…”
“Yes, there were.”
“…”
Taryn didn’t push for more. Miya seemed reluctant to delve deeper into the details of the past.
The exchange students followed the faculty out of Orphin Hall, heading toward their next scheduled destination.
“…!”
Suddenly, a sharp shiver ran down Miya’s spine.
The cause was a man walking toward them from the opposite direction. Miya spotted him and narrowed her eyes. He was dressed in neat robes and had unremarkable brown hair.
As they passed each other, Miya subtly turned her head to watch his back. Her eyes glowed with a faint blue light for a split second before returning to normal.
“Who is that man…?” Miya whispered to herself, her voice so low no one else could hear.
Miya’s unique sensory abilities were screaming at her that something was fundamentally wrong with the man she had just passed. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but she was certain of one thing.
That man was not an ordinary human.
“…”
It bothered her, but since she didn't sense a blatant evil aura like that of a demon, she decided to let it go for now. This was the most prestigious academy in the empire; it wouldn't be strange for a few unusual individuals to be walking the grounds.
“Priestess? What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.”
In response to Taryn’s question, Miya smiled with her eyes and shook her head.