Transfer Student (3)

"A court lady is a fairly high position, you know. Even maids and butlers are only chosen from verified families' children. You could receive treatment at least on par with a baron or viscount, yes?"

It was the kind of proposal any ordinary noble might make. Yet, considering Rosemary's ulterior motive to corner me while hiding her true intentions, even these words felt barbed.

Maybe against Clion, but dealing with Rosemary required a lot more mental gymnastics.

"I'll get that sort of title once I graduate from here anyway. I don't particularly want to go live in the imperial palace."

Still, I'd spent a long time rolling around as a cog in the machine of a society called South Korea, eating humble pie. Maintaining a poker face and picking the right words on the spot was a piece of cake.

"...I see."

Had my argument gotten through?

Rosemary adopted a stance suggesting she would back down for now. She then promptly took the seat directly behind me. For some reason, the back of my head prickled. Had Vermel witnessed this scene, wouldn't he have had a full-body seizure?

Come to think of it, why was that bastard nowhere to be seen?

"Alright, everyone! Long time no see!"

Professor Herlein, who had walked in with a massive magic tome tucked under one arm, offered us a light morning greeting. Since Professor Haspelt had gone missing on the northern front, it seemed she had been assigned as our homeroom teacher for the second semester.

"It's the first day of the second semester, so there shouldn't be any special announcements. Ah, right. We've arranged a half-semester exchange student program with Iliad Academy in Kaurelia this time. If any students want to go to the elf country and earn credits after midterms, come talk to me after homeroom!"

Not a full semester, but a half-semester exchange program.

I'd never seen an exchange student system so poorly thought out before. It was so absurd that I found myself raising a hand to ask a question before I knew it.

"How would the grading be handled, then?"

"Good question. We'll arrange for you to take the exact same subjects over there, and you'll come back here to take the final exams. Since we're running this on a trial basis this time, we're trying to take applicants mainly from first-years, whose grades are easier to process."

Well, whatever. It was a story that had nothing to do with me.

It still looked like it would take me some time to master all the elemental magic except Air. I wouldn't even dream of heading to Kaurelia until then.

"Any other questions?"

The classroom fell silent at Professor Herlein's question.

Ah, in that case.......

...After a brief moment of thought, I lowered the hand I had been about to raise back under the desk.

I decided not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to ask where Vermel was. I'd only just escaped from Angelica's misunderstandings, and if I did something else that could be misconstrued, it would only spawn more rumors.

I felt sorry for him, since we came from the same place, but I resolved to ignore him for the time being.

And above all else....

"Professor, do you know why Horde didn't come today?"

There were other kids who shared my question, after all.

It was the girl serving as class president, 'Meyril'. With her thick glasses and hair braided back, she gave a strong impression of being plain. She had that typical goody-two-shoes image you'd find at least once in every class.

If there was one defining characteristic of this Meyril, it was that she looked after her classmates as much as Rote did.

"Oh, now that you mention it. Could he be sick or something?"

"Maybe he's in the infirmary?"

"I'll look into it myself. You all get ready for your first-period class."

Just then, the sound of a bell ringing outside signaled the end of homeroom. I rose from my seat and approached Professor Herlein.

"Hello, Professor."

"Oh my, what is it? Are you interested in the exchange student program, by any chance?"

"No, not that...."

After casually striking up a conversation, I smoothly transitioned into small talk. I chatted mostly about how I had spent my summer vacation, mixing in a few exaggerations.

Professor Herlein was a good teacher who cared for her students on campus, but against the imperial family, she was a member of the Reformist faction, secretly plotting rebellion alongside figures ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like Chairman Robespierre. Right after the vacation ended, I had ended up in the same boat as them.

As a courtesy, I felt obligated to report how things stood. In any case, these Reformist people were the ones who had paid the tuition for a mere commoner like me while the national economy was going to hell.

"Mm-hm, you had a productive vacation."

Herlein smiled with satisfaction. The two of us exchanged a covert glance.

Since I'd been acting this way, it was an inevitable sequence that the magic beast who had started observing me directly would catch the scent and come running.

"What are you two talking about?"

Waving a Western-style black feather fan gently back and forth, Rosemary wedged herself between Professor Herlein and me.

"I was just giving my greetings since it's been a while."

"Hmm, is that so."

Good, you'd come at just the right time.

"By the way, Professor, you mentioned before the vacation that you'd be going on a business trip to the north. Did you have a good trip?"

"Ah, you mean that? I couldn't go."

Seeing Professor Herlein here, it was at least certain that Vermel had managed to stop her from going. According to what Vermel had said, Herlein would have gone on an expedition to find Professor Haspelt and never returned.... So at least the worst-case scenario had been averted, I suppose.

There was only one reason I was bothering to ask the professor something so easy to figure out.

It was so I could deceive the magic beast in front of me.

Rosemary was an Extinction-class. The only thing that could perfectly deceive an Extinction-class was another of the same rank.

I wasn't certain yet whether I was the same 'breed' as this creature, but the likelihood was increasing. That bastard Vermel, how great would it have been if he'd given me a few details about this too? At this rate, I was going to have to figure it out all on my own.

Anyway.

"Ah...."

I drew a breath from the very bottom of my lungs and expelled it.

I said nothing else besides letting out a sigh. That was the most human reaction possible, and also the most appropriate one I could display.

"......."

Rosemary's expression subtly shifted. Though she somehow maintained a blank face, it seemed she couldn't entirely prevent the corners of her mouth from twisting.

Probing Rosemary was like rowing a small boat out into the open ocean and dangling a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fishing line. And when the fish you had to catch was something like a shark, that said it all. In any case, this reaction alone wouldn't be enough to decide everything.

"Well then, I'll go find Horde. You two hurry back and get ready for class."

Rosemary and I bowed our heads and returned to our seats. The moment I sat down, Rosemary poked my back repeatedly.

"Sis, do you really not think we've met somewhere before?"

"Yeah, I do feel like I've seen you somewhere."

"Really?"

"At the Yellowcake Cafe."

"......Just say you're lying, please."

I shrugged my shoulders and brought out my textbook.

First period... It was Spirit Magic Studies—the magic beasts' least favorite subject.

**

It had been the elf named Vermel who had desperately prevented Meriga Herlein from heading to the northern front.

Rosemary, who had been observing Vermel through Scope after he changed his attitude shortly following Aether's departure from the capital, realized she had taken a significant blow. Looking back after the semester started, she should have sent Herlein north to be killed back then.

'That elf.... just let me lay eyes on him.'

Perhaps reading her thoughts in advance, Vermel had completely vanished. She disliked every bit of that, too.

"Sis, I heard there's a male elf student in your class. Is it true he didn't show up today?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Why?"

"It's my first time seeing an elf. I was a little curious, so I wanted to meet him."

"He'll come back on his own. Bear with it till then."

Feigning disinterest, Aether took a writing implement from her pencil case and scribbled graffiti in the newly purchased textbook. Perhaps finding it terribly boring, she went so far as to pull out a ruler and compass and was now in the middle of constructing a regular heptadecagon.

'What's this? Why is she so composed?'

Something felt off.

According to Rosemary's assumptions, there were only two possible states for Aether at the moment.

The state where she'd lost her memory, and the state where she hadn't.

If her memory had returned, she would have to act wary of Rosemary in some way, or treat her amicably. That was only natural, as the two of them had lived like real sisters for a long time. If any emotional fragments remained, it would be normal for her expression or tone to be shaken at least a little.

But without any of that, her face was completely emotionless. She was serene, like someone who had neatly brushed off everything that had happened.

"Sis, do you really not think you've seen me somewhere ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before?"

"I saw you at the semester opening assembly today. You gave a good speech, didn't you?"

Even if I kept asking, I only received these kinds of answers one after another.

'Does she really not remember me......?'

Knowing my big sister's character, she wasn't good at lying to others. Whenever she tried to play innocent, it was bound to show.

It had been the same just moments ago when she was talking with Herlein. If that elf and my big sister were in league, there would have been no need for her to go out of her way to ask Professor Herlein, 'Did you have a good trip to the north?' She would have already known because she'd been talking with the elf who stayed in the capital.

'It's puzzling. I'll have to watch a little longer.'

Wasn't that the very reason she had personally entered this class?

There was still plenty of time. If, during that time, she saw proof that her big sister had regained her memories, she planned to execute her plan immediately and utterly wreck the academy. And if not....

'I'll just have to make her regain her memories, somehow.'

Rosemary possessed both the capability and the capital to do so.

"I'll just go to the restroom for a moment."

Stepping out of the classroom for a moment, Rosemary locked the restroom door and perched on the toilet. It was because she had to burn a Mana Cigarette first in order to use magic in secret.

[Supreme Unique Magic ─ Scope]

[Low-Grade Unique Magic Art — Auto Mapping]

Scope's functions weren't limited to merely spying on others.

Rosemary moved her fingers and adjusted the scale. The Scope that had been illuminating the skies above Tillet zoomed in on the mountain located north of the academy.

"The location.... this should do."

[Dungeon Creation — 'Cave That Devours Light']

[Item Placement — 'Mirror of the Inner Self']

Constructing a demon cave in a specific location was no ordinary task, but if she used her own ability, 'Requiem', she could finish it in one night and still have time to spare.

"This item is a little expensive, but.... whatever."

It was for the future of the mightiest race on the Arens Continent. An expenditure of this scale was less than pocket change.

Giggling to herself, Rosemary deactivated Scope and came out. Before she knew it, first period was about to begin.