Expanding My Network?
The next day.
Rubelia boarded the carriage looking rather haggard.
She had barely slept a wink, having spent the entire night scouring theses on the dantians.
Every single one of them was a paper proving why magic became impossible to use once the Middle Dantian was severed.
After compiling and editing as much of that research as she could, she copied it all down into a thick notebook before heading to the academy.
"My lady..."
Her nanny looked at her with an expression that suggested she knew exactly what Rubelia was obsessing over.
"Are you still fixated on that matter?"
"That matter? What do you mean?"
"I heard about yesterday's class."
"...Rumors certainly travel fast."
"Do you believe that professor is one of the Reformists, my lady?"
"..."
"A peculiar teaching style, and an attempt to demolish established theories. It certainly fits the typical mold of a Reformist. I heard she tore up the textbook—a clear rejection of the existing order, was it not?"
"Exactly, Nanny. It's the classic behavior of Reformist educators."
"But surely that does not automatically make her an evil person?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"My lady. What happened with 'that man' that day was simply..."
"Stop!"
The moment her nanny tried to bring it up, Rubelia cut her off.
"An excessive obsession with the past is poison, my lady. That professor has nothing to do with your ill fate..."
"Do not cross the line, Nanny. Do not speak of my past so lightly."
"..."
"And absolutely do not defend the Reformists. You know how much Father and our family are suffering right now because of them, don't you?"
"My lady. His Grace's conviction is to maintain neutrality between both sides, not to reject the Reformists."
"But because of that, our main family is being investigated by the Imperial Court."
"That, too, is regarding the radical revolutionaries, not the Reformists..."
"Be quiet! In the end, those Reformists are the ones who bred those revolutionaries!"
"...My lady."
Rubelia snapped, stepping down from the carriage.
Her nanny watched her walk away with a worried gaze.
"...I'm sorry for raising my voice, Nanny."
"No, my lady."
"I'm leaving."
"Yes, my lady."
With that, she entered the academy without looking back.
"Ah! Lady Rubelia! You've arrived?"
"Oh my! The lady of the Estel Family!"
As befitted the daughter of an influential family, Rubelia drew a great deal of attention the moment she stepped into the academy.
Rubelia accepted their greetings with as much grace as possible, walking with a haughty stride.
"By the way, didn't you attend that class yesterday, Lady Rubelia?"
"..."
"That class... there are some rather nasty rumors going around about it."
And.
Contrary to Rubelia's expectations, things were taking a strange turn.
"P-Professor Selene? What on earth did you do in yesterday's class?"
Mona, the maid, rushed into the room and shook Selene, who was curled up asleep on the floor.
Selene sat up with a creak, rubbing her eyes with both hands.
"Ugh... Noisy."
"This is no time to be sleeping!"
"Why?"
"What do you mean, why? Today's schedule... No, that's not even what's important right now!"
Because Mona kept nagging her about the room being dirty, Selene had simply handed over her room key to her.
But thanks to that, her long slumber had been rudely interrupted today.
"Yesterday! What on earth did you do yesterday?"
"Yesterday?"
"Yes! In your class!"
"Class? Took questions."
"Just questions?"
"Did practice."
"Why would you do a practical demonstration in a theory class?!"
"Mona said. No practice, boring."
"What? Me? No, that's not what I meant..."
"Not boring. Students stayed awake. Listened to class."
"No, that demonstration has caused an absolute uproar! Why of all people did you have to lay a hand on a Valcazar?!"
"Valca?"
"Kyran Valcazar! He's a member of the imperial side-branch!"
Selene tilted her head, looking slightly dazed from sleep.
"Ah."
Then, as if remembering something, she nodded.
"Lab rat student."
She uttered the nickname she had arbitrarily given him.
"Calling a Valcazar a lab rat... You're going to get yourself into serious trouble!"
"Why?"
"You must not know because you're still young, but..."
Mona began rambling on, explaining this and that to Selene.
However, Selene was already nodding off again.
Telling her to go beg Kyran Valcazar for mercy immediately, Mona began cleaning the room.
"Yaaawn."
I let out a long yawn as I stepped out of my room.
I could hear Mona's worried nagging behind me, but I ignored it.
I figured I would just take a light stroll around the academy, but...
"O-Oh? B-By any chance, are you P-Professor Selene?"
"Huh?"
Someone called out to me.
I turned my head.
Standing there was a woman with messy, pitch-black curly hair and horn-rimmed glasses.
"Ah, w-well, I am, hehe, P-Professor Viera Nebul. Yes-yes."
"Viera..."
"Yes-yes."
The professor named Viera Nebul awkwardly shuffled closer and offered a handshake.
Peculiarly, she grabbed my single hand with both of hers and shook it.
It felt slick and clammy.
Up close, Professor Viera smelled of sweat.
It was a sweetish scent.
"Y-Yesterday's class... I-I heard the rumors. Yes-yes."
"Class?"
"Yes-yes. T-To think you would shatter a century-old law in your very first class."
"Shatter? What?"
"Ah, of course you think it's only natural. Y-Yes, exactly, hehe. It's not that you shattered it because it was wrong, but rather that this is the actual correct answer, hehe."
"Huh?"
When I tilted my head, completely lost, Professor Viera panicked for a moment.
"Ah, s-sorry. I haven't introduced myself properly."
"Viera Nebul."
"No, not that, hehe."
She suddenly thrust her face, dark circles and all, right up to mine.
"T-To tell you the truth, I am also... a R-Reformist. Yes-yes."
She babbled some incomprehensible nonsense.
"Hehe. L-Let's leave it at this for today."
Then, she slithered away like an earthworm slipping through mud.
"????"
Unable to make heads or tails of the situation, I simply kept walking.
"Huh? Is that her?"
"Ah, Professor Selene. Do you have a moment to chat?"
But I didn't get very far before I was stopped again.
This time, a larger crowd began to surround me.
"Hmm, quite an intriguing experiment you conducted. And on a student, no less."
"Not just any student. One bearing the arrogant name of Valcazar."
These ones were male professors.
Being men, they were taller than me.
Actually, that Viera professor from earlier was taller than me too.
Mona was taller than me as well. Come to think of it, it seemed I had transformed into a rather short female.
"..."
"Hahaha, look at her. She's completely frozen."
"Indeed. I bet you never imagined the student you laid hands on would be a Valcazar."
"And trying to break an unbreakable truth on top of that. You've really done it now, you know?"
As I stood there blankly, the male professors kept babbling whatever they pleased.
"But don't worry. If you play your cards right, there's a way out."
"Yes, yes. If you bow and scrape to the conservative elders, we can write it off as the reckless folly of a rookie professor."
"While casting magic without a Middle Dantian is still nonsense, the hypothesis that one can use 'micro-magic' with other dantians has actually been gaining some traction."
"You conducted that experiment because you were interested in that, right? It'd be best if you said so."
"After all, a rookie needs to pull off a stunt like that to make a name for themselves... Shall we go with that scenario?"
"If kind senior professors like us help you spin that narrative..."
"There will be plenty of ways out."
"Hehehe... other openings... Ahem. Anyway, we're saying we'll help you if you show us a little something."
The professors kept blocking my path, speaking in riddles.
One of them slithered closer, pressing his body against mine.
His hand reeked of stale, musty cigarette smoke.
"So, if you happen to need our help..."
"Just say the word. We... ahem, your big brothers will protect you."
"Oh, and just to be safe, don't go hanging around those Reformist bastards."
"Exactly. Don't make us mistake you for a Reformist. You know the Imperial Court is looking for any excuse to target them lately, right? Linking them to the revolutionaries?"
One of the professors put his hand on my shoulder and began to squeeze it.
The stench was so foul I was starting to lose my patience.
I decided to sever his hand for a moment and then reattach it.
Receiving a brand-new hand free of that stench would be a good thing for them too.
"Move."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Smelly. Move."
"What? Did you just say we smell..."
I raised my finger.
To bring my hand toward the reeking hand resting on my shoulder.
And to circulate my dantian to blow that smelly hand to pieces.
"Would you mind stepping aside? You are blocking Professor Selene's path."
Just then.
A voice interrupted us.
"Huh?"
"What's this? Student Leonia."
"We professors are having a conversation. What is the meaning of this?"
"A conversation?"
A red-haired female student in a neat uniform stood there.
Her name seemed to be Leonia.
"Yes. Do not interrupt when adults are speaking."
"Adults? I wonder. I heard Professor Selene is actually younger than me."
"So?"
Leonia glared at the professors.
"In this body's eyes, it does not look like a conversation between decent adults."
"What are you talking about?"
"It looks like a bunch of middle-aged men in their forties failing to act their age and bullying a child."
"What?!"
"How dare this brat speak to a professor like that?!"
The professors began to flare their mana in anger.
At that, Leonia subtly shifted her stance, revealing the sword at her hip.
"Oh? Do you intend to cause a scene? Against this body?"
"..."
"If you so desire, I shall accept your challenge."
"Tch!"
The cigarette-reeking men clicked their tongues.
"You... don't you know Valcazar is gunning for this girl?"
"Oh? Then do you wish to be bitten by us Valterias instead?"
"Ugh..."
"W-We'll see about this."
One by one, they slunk away.
"Are you unharmed?"
"What?"
The student named Leonia approached, glaring in the direction of the departing male professors.
Her scent was like coarse earth, yet with the faint, hidden fragrance of roses underneath.
"If something like this happens again, do not hesitate to make your refusal clear. If any trouble arises, I shall defend you."
"????"
"Ah, forgive my rudeness."
When I stared at her blankly, unable to understand what she was talking about, Leonia bowed slightly and began to introduce herself.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor Selene. I am Leonia Valteria, the Student Council President of this academy."
"Yeah."
Leonia offered her hand.
It was a hand built for holding a sword.
Yet, it felt surprisingly soft.
"Those men used to hit on the female students in the past. To think they would dare do such a thing to a professor..."
"Hit on?"
"At any rate, do not worry. Though I am the Student Council President, I am also a Valteria. If you ask for help, I shall assist you at any time."
"????"
"Especially to someone who delivered a blow to that arrogant Valcazar! For the Valterias are always on the side of justice!"
Meanwhile.
"Phew..."
In truth, Leonia wasn't the only one whose blood had nearly boiled watching the scene unfold.
Having heard that Professor Selene's standing had plummeted, Rubelia had been tailing her for quite some time.
"To think things... would come to this..."
It was true that Rubelia harbored a deep hostility toward the Reformists.
But was this truly fair?
When not a single soul had been able to disprove the results of the experiment from that day?
"N-No. Who are you pitying, Rubelia? She is a Reformist. The very faction that is causing Father so much trouble right now... and..."
But,
"She is a Reformist, just like that man... the one who brought such terrible disgrace upon me."
Rubelia shook her head, pulling herself out of her thoughts.
No matter what, the Reformists were dangerous.
They were beings who preyed on sympathy to bewitch and incite the masses.
Beings who would bring down the empire.
She reminded herself once more that Selene was undoubtedly no different.
"Until the very end... I must never let my guard down."
