Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Ice Princess
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A student's duty is to study.
So even during her free period, Anna was continuing her thoughts on "elliptical orbits" back in the dormitory.
"It's hard to verify directly how celestial mana works... So where do I even start debunking this?"
At that moment, the dormitory door burst open.
It was Anna's roommate, Stephanie.
She said,
"Anna!"
"No."
"...I haven't even said what yet."
"You're gonna ask me to go have fun."
"How'd you know? Are you using mind-reading magic or something?"
"..."
This had been going on for days now—every time they ran into each other, it was always "let's go play," and what else?
Stephanie was around the same age as Anna, but as a noble, she was a bit different.
...Which was exactly why she was always suggesting they go out and play.
'Nobles are all like that.'
Of course, Anna had become quasi-noble herself now that she was a mage.
Anna replied,
"I don't have time. I'm busy."
"Aw, come on! Let's go flower-viewing in the garden by the lake! The weather's perfect today! You'll get moldy staying cooped up in your room."
"...This room gets plenty of light and no humidity. No mold."
"..."
Stephanie shut her mouth.
"Tch. You're no fun."
"Yeah, that's right. I'm a boring person."
"I bet even Isaac wouldn't want you just buried in research like this."
"..."
Those words shook Anna's resolve.
"..."
"..."
Stephanie's gaze felt heavy.
'Stay calm in times like this. Think back to what big brother said.'
-'Anna, it's okay to have fun at university.'
No, that wasn't it.
This was a trap.
She had to recall what came next.
-'You'll end up doing a lifetime's worth of studying when you get to grad school anyway.'
Isaac often described Anna coming to his lab as some great misfortune.
But Anna knew that wasn't true.
His senior, his mentor, even people like Hans around him—all of them smiled whenever they met her brother.
Anna wanted to join them as soon as possible.
And to do that, she had to graduate early in two years with top grades.
Anna steeled herself and glared back at the parchment.
That's when Stephanie spoke up.
"As expected of the Ice Princess. Not even this sways you."
"...!"
Anna barely held back a curse.
But goosebumps were already rising on the back of her hand.
Among the Magic University freshmen this semester, the most famous was Anna Uphills.
She'd been known just for being top enrollee, but what really made her famous was something else.
It happened during basic flame magic practice.
The university students were split into older commoner groups and younger noble groups, and Anna was awkwardly floating somewhere in between.
Too young to be a noble, too young to fit with the commoners.
As practice began, a kind-hearted noble boy approached her.
"If you don't have a partner..."
But at that instant, a rough-looking man blocked the noble boy.
"..."
"...What's the problem?"
The man was a late-entry student who had once been in Hans's mercenary band.
Naturally, he knew Anna was close to Isaac.
He said,
"Hey, young master. Do you even know who this is before chatting her up so casually?"
The noble boy shrank back from the man's intimidating aura.
"Wh-who is she?"
"This is the sister of a hero...!"
"...!"
Anna hurriedly covered her ears and slipped away.
But whether she did or not, the rumors spread uncontrollably.
The next day, after becoming "the hero's sister," Anna earned a new nickname from her curt behavior the day before.
"As expected of the Ice Princess. Not even this sways you."
"...!"
That was how she became the Ice Princess.
Of course, Anna hated the nickname.
It made her cringe just thinking about it.
She wanted to shake off this bad rep somehow.
'If I just sit here, am I really turning into the Ice Princess...?'
She couldn't let that happen.
And so Anna ended up going flower-viewing.
On the hill overlooking the Magic University lake.
Stephanie and the other noble kids were playing catch or chatting on the grass.
Anna sat a bit apart, leaning against an apple tree.
She still held parchment and a quill in her hands.
...She'd come out to play, but her conscience wouldn't let her drop the homework she'd been agonizing over.
A ball soared into the sky from a student, tracing a parabola.
The blue sky held a faint moon even in broad daylight.
'Where does the celestial realm end and the terrestrial begin? Is the moon the boundary? Why?'
That's when it happened.
"Watch out!"
The ball the students had been tossing came flying at Anna.
It grazed the apple tree branches above her head, scattering white petals.
Anna reflexively cast floating magic.
No magic circle, no incantation—just brute-forcing it with massive mana to crush any rebound.
"How'd she do that?"
"Whoa..."
Starting with Stephanie's gasp, all eyes turned to Anna.
White apple blossoms fluttered in the air, the tossed ball hung frozen, and far away, the moon still floated in the sky.
Thud.
The magic released, and the catch ball dropped into Anna's hand.
"Anna! That was amazing!"
"Top enrollee for a reason! Knew you had it!"
The students shouted and rushed toward her.
But Anna just stared at the ball in her hand, lost in thought.
'Why does the moon stay up there, but the ball falls?'
Suddenly, a scene flashed in Anna's mind.
Her brother's steel marbles, shot at invisible speeds, shredding a massive orc into chunks.
'If I shot this catch ball at that speed, would it stay up like the moon without falling?'
Inspiration struck, and Anna jumped to her feet.
"I think I get it..."
She tossed the ball to Stephanie and said,
"Sorry! I'm heading back first!"
Anna bolted straight for the dormitory.
The kids left behind fell silent.
All eyes turned to the friend who'd thrown the ball wrong.
Stephanie yelled,
"You made Anna run off! How'd you even convince her to come...!"
The other students chimed in one by one.
"Suddenly wanna practice some magic."
"You bastard! How dare you insult Anna Uphills, top enrollee of Magic University, sister of a hero, and the Ice Princess?!"
"Hey! Surround him!"
These past few days, I just couldn't muster any energy.
All preliminary applicants rejected.
I'd tried changing the problem late, but it was already approved by administration—couldn't revise it.
This year's junior recruitment was over.
Had to accept it.
Just me again this year.
I cranked up my happiness circuit to full.
Not bad at all.
I had the best mentor and the strongest school head.
Didn't need anyone else from the start.
Damn right.
And through this, I reflected on my own arrogance.
'Who knew ignorance of history would bite me like this...'
Hundreds of years ago, there was conflict between the theology faction and the magic faction over why planets move.
It escalated to physical clashes, and mages crushed them, naturally.
How could prayer-pushers beat monsters spitting fire from their hands?
But in the process, mages committed excessive slaughter, so planetary orbit research was taboo until about a century ago.
If the previous emperor hadn't been into astronomy and built the imperial observatory, it'd still be taboo.
Hell, there are even fairy tales about persecuted theologians fleeing beyond the northern beast front, plotting against mages.
With that history, of course progress was slow.
To screw up because I didn't know!?
If I'd studied history while teaching Anna, this wouldn't have happened.
The ancients were right—no nation forgetting its history has a future.
That's when Dolloren's voice came from behind.
"Isaac, time to go."
"Huh? Where to?"
"To get your master's degree commemorative gift!"
"Oh."
She meant the ancient relic in the vault?
Too bad, but now wasn't the time for gifts.
I told Dolloren,
"I'm not worthy of such things. Save the relic for the white-horsed superhuman who'll come far in the future..."
"—What nonsense. Hurry up and follow before I drag you."
"Yes, ma'am."
Following Dolloren led to the underground vault of the Capital Central Bank.
Entering the mage-exclusive vault, Dolloren grinned at me before the massive safe.
"Go ahead, look around. Pick one you like—it's yours."
"..."
The vault felt like a dragon's lair.
What with all the piles of gold and treasures.
I asked Dolloren,
"Professor... are you secretly a dragon out playing?"
"If I were, I wouldn't have subjugated that evil dragon at age ten."
"Right?"
"But these treasures? Yeah, taken from the dragon I killed back then."
"Whoa..."
I continued, gazing at the gold ingot mountain.
"Taking stuff from here carelessly would cause big trouble, right?"
"Oh? You know economics too? I'm clueless. The bank president specifically begged me to notify him first if I touch any of this gold."
"..."
I gave up thinking.
"Look closely—artifacts are tucked between the gold coins."
At Dolloren's words, I cast detection magic.
Most treasures gave similar mana reactions, but one stood out.
A massive discrepancy between its detected size and actual mass.
...No way that one's got negative mass stuff too?
As my gaze fixed there, Dolloren grinned.
"That's a bag where outer and inner dimensions differ. Space distortion magic on it."
"Whoa."
I let out a gasp.
Until now, I'd carried my main weapon—steel marbles—in my robe pocket.
Ten of them.
Meaning if eleven Malachai-level mages showed up, I'd be in danger.
Unthinkable.
Terrifying.
But that anxiety ends today.
With that bag, even a hundred Malachais are no problem!
I pointed at the bag.
"I'll take that one as my gift."
Dolloren looked a bit troubled at my choice.
"...Is it too valuable?"
"Nah, not that. It's just got some gold coins inside."
"Should I empty it?"
"No. Too much hassle. Just take it all and use it."
"...How much gold is in there?"
"Dunno exactly. Just spend it. It'll be fine."
"..."
Seemed like I'd need to notify the bank president about this too.