Chapter 36: Shield
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 36: Shield
As time passed, the vibrant leaves deepened into a dark green, signaling that the warm season was just around the corner.
Due to the mildly balmy weather, students had begun shedding their school uniform jackets. I was no different.
Yesterday was the performance evaluation for the Elemental Flower Craft. Although I wasn't perfect, I managed to achieve a satisfactory result. It was all thanks to Luce helping me every time I practiced.
We had already decided how we would spend our time together. Even if we chose to meet, it would be in private, just the two of us. As a justification, I reiterated my stance: ‘I stand out too much when I’m with you, Luce.’
She seemed to enjoy our friendship so much that she couldn't help but feel regretful. It appeared she had expected a daily routine of walking to school together, eating together, and hanging out constantly, regardless of what others thought.
But what could I do? I wasn’t in a position to be that bold.
As expected, rumors were already spreading that there was an unusual atmosphere between Luce and me. Well, the die was already cast. There was nothing I could do about it now.
Sooner or later, I’ll have to pretend to be as incompetent as possible so people stop paying attention. I need them to think, ‘Ah, Isaac’s just a hopeless bastard, and the top seat has finally lost her mind!’
If Alice Carroll ever heard the rumors regarding the two of us, I could only hope she’d dismiss it as nothing and move on.
“Hey! I’m going to be the test proctor for the freshman end-of-semester evaluation!”
I was in a corner of the butterfly garden at noon, the sky shining brilliantly above.
It was the weekend. Today, I planned to spend twice as much time practicing magic as I usually did, mostly because the magic craft practice had been eating up my schedule.
Even today, Dorothy Heartnova sat with her back against a nearby zelkova tree, interrupting my training with her chatter. But this time, her news was worth listening to. It was a detail that had a lot to do with the main scenario.
“Aren’t you a senior? Wouldn’t you normally hate that kind of hassle?”
“Nyahaha, of course! But~ this Big Sis wants to see if our President will do well on his exam~. Aren’t you honored? You’re a fan of mine, after all!”
“Ah, yes. It’s an honor.”
“That reaction is so boring…”
Dorothy pouted and grumbled.
Originally, the position of test proctor wasn't something entrusted to students. However, the academy’s administration had been plagued by the recent appearance of demons. In the end, they decided to select the strongest students within the academy to serve as proctors.
One of those candidates was Dorothy Heartnova. This aligned with the original scenario of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
Without Dorothy, the Thunderbird Subjugation itself would be impossible. Without her, the odds were stacked too heavily against the academy.
“I even beat out the student council president…”
My head twitched. Alice Carroll volunteered to be a test proctor?
“The student council president?”
“Yeah, she said she wanted to do it too. So we made a bet, and I won.”
This was different from the scenario I knew. It was clear she had taken it upon herself to find out who was going around fighting the demons. I asked Dorothy what kind of bet it was, and she answered that it was a "violent" one. I didn't ask any further questions.
“Thank goodness…”
In the end, it was a massive relief that Alice Carroll didn't become the test proctor. I let out a sigh of relief and muttered to myself, but Dorothy’s ears perked up. Wrapped in starlight mana, she practically flew toward me.
“Do you like me being the proctor that much?”
Ah, I had been thinking out loud.
As usual, Dorothy leaned in close, peering at me with a lively, mischievous smile. I nodded. I didn't want to disappoint her, even if it was based on a misunderstanding.
“Yes. I’m a fan of yours, Senior, so there’s no doubt about it.”
I really was glad she became the proctor. That thought was sincere. Thanks to her victory, the scenario hadn't gone awry.
Dorothy let out her signature “Nihihi!” laugh, her smile brightening like the sun.
In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, 「Act 3, Chapter 3: End of Semester Evaluation」 leads directly into 「Act 3, Chapter 4: Thunderbird Subjugation」.
At that time, Luce’s 8-star familiar, ‘Thunderbird Galia,’ becomes demonized. Dorothy, acting as a proctor, would be a key player in the subjugation alongside the protagonist, Ian Fairytale.
In a true one-on-one fight, Dorothy was strong enough to defeat the Thunderbird alone. However, the battle would have been so fierce that the surrounding land would have vanished. Since she had to fight while protecting the other students, she couldn't go all out. If she did, they would all die.
This was where Ian came in, delivering the killing blow with his light element—the demon’s ultimate weakness.
“Hmm, do you like me that much, President?”
Suddenly, Dorothy narrowed her eyes playfully, letting out a sinister little giggle.
That expression seems a bit ambiguous…
“Oh my. I wonder if our cute junior heard that embarrassing talk?”
Dorothy flashed a mischievous grin and tilted her head toward a girl standing a short distance away.
Rose-gold hair cascaded around her face, the sides adorned with braids the color of morpho butterflies. She was my classmate and one of the official heroines, Luce Eltania.
She had her arms crossed, her face expressionless as her eyes locked onto Dorothy’s.
“…….”
Luce exuded an oppressive aura of unspoken pressure, a silent warning that enveloped my entire body and sent a chill through my heart.
Ugh, the chills…
Even someone as eccentric as Dorothy wasn't entirely immune to Luce’s icy persona.
“It’s not like it’s anything to be embarrassed about,” I said.
By the way, Dorothy didn't actually have feelings for me, but today she was using a lot of loaded expressions, almost as if she were flirting. Of course, I didn't hate it.
Dorothy, my favorite character, felt like a lovely daughter to me. I’ve never been married, let alone had a daughter, but that was the general vibe.
Dorothy covered her mouth with her hand and flashed a sly smile.
“Didn’t the President just say he likes me? Isn’t that kind of embarrassing?”
“I said I liked that you became the test proctor, didn’t I? No matter how you look at it, that was the context.”
“What a good boy~ You’re so flustered. How cute~ Nihihi!”
Dorothy, being shorter than me, reached up and stroked my hair.
First of all, thank you for the fan service.
Afterward, Dorothy hummed a tune as she returned to the zelkova tree. She leaned back, pulled a mysterious book out of her witch’s hat, and began to read.
I smoothed down the hair she had ruffled. There had been a lot of physical contact lately…
Dorothy wasn't an official heroine in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, and she was an opponent whose mind I couldn't read with [Psychological Insight]. Even though she was my favorite character, it was difficult to tell if her behavioral changes were accidental or if there was a specific cause. I simply didn't have enough information.
“Isaac, let’s get started,” Luce said in a soothing voice. I turned toward her.
Her expression, which had been ice-cold while facing Dorothy, softened into a gentle smile the moment she looked at me. It was a truly dramatic transformation.
“Uh, yeah. Please take care of me.”
[Come on, rock! This Bello will deal with you!]
[Kyuu?]
Beside Luce, the small killer whale magic beast, Bello, swam through the air, propelled by swirling water mana. Next to me, Eden, my small golem magic beast, tilted his head and tried to look cute.
Luce had offered to help me train over the weekend, and here she was. I had readily agreed since we were out of the public eye and Dorothy wasn't a threat.
Luce had looked so excited when I agreed, her cheeks flushing enough to make me blush in return. I should have been the happy one, but she seemed even more thrilled than I was. Of course, the moment she saw Dorothy, she had reflexively raised her guard.
Dorothy had been briefly offended by Luce’s coldness, but she seemed to take it in stride as a senior and stepped back.
“Eden, prepare for battle.”
[Kyuuu!]
Luce was the top student of the first-year Magic Department. Among the freshmen, no one was stronger—even though she was currently using over half of her power just to suppress the Thunderbird.
She extended her right hand toward me. A blue magic circle appeared before her palm and began to rotate slowly.
I could feel a dense mana that made my entire body shudder. Motivation surged through me. I conjured cold ice flames—[Frostfire]—in each hand and faced her.
From now on, I would engage in a duel with her. I would cast, block, and dodge. Dueling her would be of immense help in mastering magical warfare.
Soon, Luce and I began our battle.
“Ugh!”
…It was more like a one-sided assault.
✦✧✦✧
‘I guess I was right after all.’
Near the butterfly garden, on a nearby hillside, Eva Heilov watched from behind a tree.
The glasses-wearing girl was a student at the bottom of Class D in the Magic Department, but she possessed a talent most others lacked: [Stealth] magic. It allowed her to conceal her presence entirely. To an observer, her translucent body was indistinguishable from the landscape.
‘Is there something special about you, Isaac?’
She recognized the male student with silver-blue hair; they were in the same class.
His name was Isaac. He was the one who had shocked everyone by using 5-star magic during the dueling evaluation, despite having a lowly Grade-E mana measurement at the start of the semester.
It had been an amazing sight, but it was quickly forgotten. Even if a Grade-E wizard achieved tremendous growth, mastering 5-star magic at an immature level was only so impressive. To those already using 5-star magic with high proficiency, it didn't mean much.
Then there was the light element—an indisputable rarity—that had appeared elsewhere. As a result, Isaac’s single feat was hardly enough to keep him in the spotlight.
The ‘Four Constellations’ was a student faction involved in the administration of Märchen Academy. Eva Heilov was one of them—an intelligence gatherer chosen to represent the ‘Red Elephant’ seat.
The Four Constellations could each recruit ten first-year students starting in the second semester, so they secretly competed to gather talent and information during the first. They often approached students with useful niche abilities who were below the middle of the pack—students who could never dream of joining a Constellation otherwise.
They would whisper sweet promises: “Gather some useful information. If you perform well, we’ll let you into our Constellation.”
Being affiliated with the Four Constellations was prestigious even outside the academy. Most students, whether interested in power or not, accepted the offer. Eva was one of them.
‘The top-seat ice princess, cold to everyone, is friendly to only one person… and that’s you.’
A few days ago, Eva had overheard a rumor that Luce Eltania, the number one target for recruitment, showed a cheerful side only to Isaac. She had started tailing him, and the harvest had exceeded her expectations.
“Don’t overdo it. Whenever I see our President in pain, this Big Sis’s heart aches.”
“Oh, thank you for the kind words.”
The strongest in Märchen Academy. A genius who seemed to have received Lord Manhalla’s Blessing. The 2nd Year Top Seat. The Star Witch.
Dorothy Heartnova, the sophomore girl known by all those titles, was currently wiping Isaac’s face with her own handkerchief.
‘Besides, he’s even involved with the famous Senior Dorothy…’
Dorothy didn't belong to any of the Constellations. Naturally, they had all tried to recruit her, but she had flatly refused, claiming she wasn't interested. She was self-centered and lived in her own world. To think such a monster was doting on Isaac… it was incredible.
It was clear that both Luce and Dorothy had favorable feelings for him. Whether it was romantic or platonic was unclear, but the fact that two of the Magic Department's monsters were revolving around Isaac was vital information.
“What is it about Isaac that makes him so special to those two…?” Eva whispered to herself.
Isaac seemed to have something special enough to attract them, but what could it be?
“I’ll have to report this to the seniors first…”
It was then.
Dorothy, who had been wiping Isaac’s face, shifted her gaze directly toward Eva.
“……!!”
In an instant, shivers ran down Eva’s spine.
She was in [Stealth] mode, a spell that consumed very little mana. Even Eva’s measly Grade D+ mana signature should have been undetectable. At this distance, there was no way!
…No, I overlooked it. Dorothy was a monster among monsters. It was highly likely her mana perception transcended common sense.
Eva quickly ducked behind the tree, her breathing quickening. She was terrified. She was an inferior Class D student with nothing but [Stealth] to her name—a commoner whose surname was just the name of her hometown. If she was caught spying on Isaac, she didn't know what those monsters would do to her.
“Haa, haa, whew….”
After a moment, Eva took a deep breath to calm herself. She poked her head out to look back. Isaac and Luce were clashing spells again, while Dorothy leaned against the zelkova tree, watching the "duel" (the one-sided assault).
‘Was it just my imagination…?’
Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, a white cat with a pink ribbon on its tail approached her. It bore the mark of its owner on its back. A familiar.
[Hello there, friend.]
The white cat greeted her with the voice of a mature lady. She spoke so casually that Eva forgot she was supposed to be hidden.
[Why are you spying on my Dorothy?]
Eva’s face turned pale. She realized the white cat, ‘Ella,’ was Dorothy’s familiar.
[No, it was… Isaac…]
Eva’s shoulders trembled. Ella’s sharp eyes didn't miss the reaction.
[Where are you from? Black Tiger? Blue Wolf? Golden Eagle? Red Elephant?]
“Uh, well, that’s…”
[The Four Constellations have certainly been annoying lately. Why do they keep doing the same things?]
“Huh…?”
Eva was confused, but she understood exactly what Ella meant. Other students had heard the rumors and followed Isaac too. They were all in the same boat.
[Now, a message from Dorothy.]
Charararara──
A sudden cluster of colorful stars appeared in the air. The starlight spell Dorothy had implanted in Ella activated.
[I know your purpose. It’s irritating, so can you stop being such a nuisance?]
The starlight magic surrounded Eva on all sides, leaving her no room to escape.
“Eek…!”
Fear engulfed Eva like a tidal wave. Dorothy’s magic felt heavy, weighing down on her very soul. Before long, Ella chuckled and withdrew the spell.
[Keep what you’ve learned between us. Otherwise, who knows what Dorothy might do? She might even dismantle the Four Constellations entirely, depending on her mood. ‘Because of you.’]
There was no one at Märchen Academy who could stop Dorothy Heartnova. Her presence was equivalent to a large-scale natural disaster that just happened to be playing around with students.
Eva deactivated her [Stealth], which was now useless, and nodded frantically, her face pale with fright.
“Yes, yesss…!”
Her voice cracked. Eva bowed deeply to Ella and sprinted away from the area.
‘S-Scary!’
Eva sniffled and vanished from sight. Ella let out a long sigh. This was already the fourth time she had driven off stalkers under Dorothy’s orders.
[My Dorothy is finally starting to show interest in a boy, yet they won't leave her alone…]
Don’t disturb my Dorothy’s pure love.
For the record, Dorothy had never said she had a crush on Isaac. More accurately, she said she was ‘curious.’ Well, curiosity was the perfect soil for love to sprout. Ella felt like a mother rooting for her daughter to find a good man and live a happy life.
…Besides, watching people fall in love was just fun.
Dorothy had mentioned that a "friend" with a crush on Isaac had arrived today; she seemed excited at the thought of teasing the girl with the rose-gold hair. Ella wasn't sure of Dorothy’s true feelings, but if she had any affection for Isaac at all…
Ella hoped her master wouldn't regret letting him be stolen away.
[But what is there to see in that child… I don’t think there’s anything special about him other than being cute. He even made me eat firecrackers for him.]
Fuaaa!
“Ugh!”
[Kyuuuuuu!]
The sight of Isaac and his golem familiar, Eden, being swept away by Luce’s water magic was reflected in Ella’s eyes. Ella furrowed an eyebrow.
[Ooh, that must have hurt…]
But Isaac scrambled to his feet and charged back at Luce.
“Eden, get up! Let’s go!”
[Kyuu… uu!]
“Ugghhh!”
[Kyuuuu!]
Ella sat and watched the "duel" continue. Still… the man’s willpower was certainly admirable.