Chapter 96
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: A Cultured Archmage (2)
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I was deep in a sound sleep when my eyes suddenly snapped open of their own accord.
At the same time, my upper body sprang up from the bed like a coiled spring.
I blinked dazedly for a moment before stretching my arms out wide.
"Kuh-aaah—"
A groan escaped my lips unbidden.
I'd been sleeping so well, too. I really hated how my body had been conditioned to wake up reflexively at 7 a.m.
Of course, I was confident I could fall right back asleep the second my head hit the pillow.
Speaking of which, it was about time for Odette and her squad of maids to burst into the room...
"Sleep well, Luna?"
"...?"
Then, a bright voice came from beside me.
I turned my head with a creak, and there was Princess Celestina, seated at the table by the window, enjoying her morning tea time.
Sipping her tea in the morning sunlight, she looked like a painting come to life.
"Good morning, Your Highness."
"Yes~ Good morning indeed. Hehe."
I blankly turned my head back to face forward.
Tilting my chin up slightly, I blinked.
And then it hit me.
"Ah—"
Right, this wasn't my room.
My bed had turned to a handful of ashes and vanished, so I'd ended up sleeping in the princess's room.
No way those aggressive maids would dare fling open the door to Her Highness's room—that would be utterly improper.
"...Jackpot?"
I'd survived.
Relief washing over me, I pulled the blanket all the way up to my head.
"Then, good night."
"..."
Tomorrow was Dean Lilliana's magitech class. For the sake of my condition, I needed to sleep soundly.
Roughly a full day and six hours—thirty hours straight—then head to afternoon class. Perfect timing.
A flawless sleep schedule. Mmm.
But my plan was thwarted exactly three seconds later.
"You woke up on time, so why are you trying to go back to sleep?!"
"Nngh..."
The princess had set down her teacup and come over to the bed, yanking the blanket away.
"Sleep is something that's never enough, no matter how much you get..."
"No. You have class today."
"Just today...?"
"...Today too."
I let out a groan with a world-weary expression, but it had zero effect on the resolute princess.
I curled up like a hunched dwarf, desperately clutching at the blanket's edge.
"I'm absolutely not getting out of bed today. For real."
"Keep that up, and I'll drag you out by force!"
"Try it, then."
I mumbled from inside the blanket cocoon.
"No matter what you say about friends asking or whatever, I'm not getting up today."
If she kept pretending to be soft-hearted and giving in, I'd end up as a total pushover.
Even friends had boundaries, and it was time to teach this naive princess about the ways of the world.
Drag me out by force, huh.
I couldn't help but snort.
What could this frail princess possibly do?
Call in some knights? Didn't seem like her style.
Maybe use magic? Or grab my arm and tug futilely?
With her strength, she'd top out at basic spells, not even intermediates.
The nerve to try overpowering an archmage with brute force. How innocent...
"Luna's surprisingly ticklish, isn't she?"
A finger suddenly poked my side.
I let out a shrill "Eek!" without meaning to.
In that moment of carelessness, the princess had climbed on top of me and slipped her arm between my sides.
"Keep ignoring me, and I'll tickle you to death."
"W-Wait, Your Highness. Let's talk... Hyaaah!!"
Eek! Ahaha! W-Wait! This, this is really no... Hyaah!!
"I-I'll get up! I'll get up, so stooop...!"
"Hm~"
I surrendered unconditionally, but she didn't stop—instead, her fingers danced even faster.
"You know, on second thought, maybe you don't have to get up after all, Luna."
"?!"
"This is more fun than I expected. I might get addicted."
"No, I really will get up... Eek! Hngh!"
"Ehehehe~ Right here, your weakest spot?"
"S-Stop... Mercy... Hyaaah!!"
Stepping out into the hall revealed a bizarre scene.
"...?"
The corridor was lined with maids and knights standing in perfect formation.
The moment we emerged, they dropped to one knee in unison, heads bowed as if greeting a hero who'd slain the demon king.
"Wh-What are you all doing? Get up."
Princess Celestina waved her hands in flustered panic, but they didn't budge.
Odette, the head maid, was especially misty-eyed, uncharacteristically emotional.
"Your Highness has brought peace to Linea Hall—and to Elterion Academy itself."
"...Pardon?"
"To think you'd get Miss Lunaris to walk to class on her own two feet, on time no less...!"
Odette wiped away a stray tear as she spoke.
An awkward smile crept onto the princess's lips.
"I'm not sure 'walk to class on her own' quite fits..."
Her gaze ended on me.
More precisely, on me draped over Arke like a blanket hung out to dry, folded in half and being carried along.
The junior maids gasped softly at my pathetic sight.
"What? What."
I shot them a pouty glare, and they squeaked, clapping hands over their mouths.
They looked downright traumatized.
"Just getting that lazy Miss Lunaris to attend lectures is a miracle in itself."
Odette, of course, was utterly unfazed.
"Your Highness. I know it's presumptuous, but may I make a humble request?"
"What is it? Speak."
"Could you wake Miss Lunaris on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays as well?"
"...Oh my."
The princess pretended to ponder, tapping her lips with her index finger.
Soon, she nodded with a beaming smile.
"That much is easy. I quite enjoy spending mornings with Luna anyway."
Cheers erupted softly from the maids at her words.
Watching them rejoice over no more morning ordeals, I felt a twinge of spite.
Dangling limply over Arke, I stuck out my lower lip and grumbled.
"Hmph, I let my guard down today, but next time I won't fall for it... Eek!"
The princess poked my side again, making my body twitch involuntarily.
"Luna. You can't make things hard for people working so hard for us."
She smiled sweetly, flexing and relaxing her fingers.
"Nngh— Fine. I get it."
Whimpering under the silent threat, I gave in, and the maids buzzed with chatter.
"Even Miss Lunaris can't defy Her Highness."
"As expected of Her Highness's grace and charisma...!"
"At least the young lady still has a shred of humanity left. Sniff!"
Being treated like some inhuman entity wasn't exactly pleasant.
As we headed down the stairs, the knights naturally fell in behind.
"Ah, no need to come today."
The princess stopped them.
"I've got the world's sturdiest bodyguard right here."
The knights' eyes turned to me.
Half pitying, half reverent.
"Are you sure?"
"What do I have to worry about with an archmage by my side?"
"Yeah. Just don't get caught in stray magic. Yawwwn~"
Chiming in lazily from the side drew the princess's gaze.
She gave me a pointed look for my cheeky remark, so I averted my eyes and whistled innocently.
"Well, in terms of raw power, she's tied for the academy's best with the headmaster..."
The guard captain gave a wry smile and stepped back.
"Then we'll escort you back when 'Ancient Language Deciphering' ends."
The princess nodded helplessly at his mention of skipping afternoon class.
On the way to the lecture hall.
I fed natural mana into my autonomous staff and asked Princess Celestina,
"You're taking Ancient Language Deciphering too, Your Highness?"
"Yes. In the imperial family, you deal with a lot of records in ancient languages."
She hugged her textbook close as she replied.
"Might as well learn it properly. I took it last semester too, but I still have gaps, so I signed up again this term."
Her expression was unusually serious as she said it.
It wasn't just academic curiosity... More like a will to survive.
Well, surviving in the imperial family probably meant clinging to ancient texts or whatever.
Though the first and second princes I'd seen didn't seem like the type to harm siblings.
The first was just sickly, the second a bit off mentally.
Of course, I hadn't met the first princess or third prince or all the royals, so maybe they were gunning for Celestina.
"More than that, I didn't know you were so interested in ancient languages too, Luna."
"Ah, well."
I yawned languidly in response.
"I got my hands on an ancient grimoire recently, but it's all written in squiggly worm script. Gotta learn to read it if I want to decipher it."
"Hmm~ Moments like this really show you're a mage through and through."
The princess chuckled and continued.
"I couldn't picture you researching magic... Ah! Come to think of it, you caught a bad cold over break from magic experiments, right?"
"Eh, that was just an unavoidable accident... So, what image did you have of me?"
When I asked back, she hummed thoughtfully before grinning mischievously.
"Someone who sleeps all day?"
"Fair."
"And..."
The princess, who had been leading the way, suddenly stopped.
I halted too.
She wiped the playfulness from her face and looked up at me steadily.
Her eyes held an oddly wistful glint.
"What is it... You feel like a mirage."
"A mirage?"
"Yeah. The more I look, the more fascinating you are, but so dreamlike..."
She reached out and lightly pinched the end of my sleeve.
"Like if I look away even for a second, you'll slip away."
As if confirming I was real.
"You're right here, but sometimes you feel like you're worlds away."
That's why—
The princess paused, choosing her words.
Then she flashed her usual bright smile and tugged my sleeve playfully.
"I end up getting clingy. Just to check you're really here."
"..."
"Am I too annoying?"
I blinked blankly, then shrugged.
"I told you. Between friends, a little annoying is fine."
"Hehe, good."
Relieved, she hugged my arm tight.
"So, I can keep waking you in the mornings?"
"No, could you maybe go easy on that...?"
Despite my grumbling, she just smiled radiantly, arm locked around mine.
The warmth of her arm against me felt nice.
Eh—Not bad at all.