Prologue

When I talk about other worlds, I’m not referring to other planets in a solar system or anything dinky like that. I’m talking about worlds governed by different natural laws and principles. I’m sure just about everyone would respond with “Aren’t those just fiction?” if they heard what I just said. But I believe in other worlds. Actually, it’d be better to say “I know of them.” After all, I, Tafelina Lowell Lera Duval, was reborn in another world.

Previously, I was an ordinary woman in a land called Japan on the planet Earth. I’m not sure how old I was when I died, but I recall being an adult when it happened. Next thing I knew, I had been reborn in the magical Kingdom of Ozeria, where I was kicked out of my home at age three. Awful, isn’t it?

Well, they did it because I had rampant mana that caused a “pigment shift,” which dramatically altered my hair and eye color while massively buffing my mana capacity. So goes their justification, for whatever that’s worth. Even so, just because they didn’t know what to do with a child, would any parent really ditch their kid like that?

Yeah, I guess some would.

So I got shipped off to the Peylon Earldom, a northern domain in a country already pretty far north. Peylon’s east was occupied by part of the monster-spawning Mystic Forest, turning this land into a meathead mecca where everyone was a fighter.

Peylon was the sort of place where even the women could swing a pan and beat down the average drunkard. The men were stronger still, killing forest monsters like it was nothing. Being raised in a place like that meant I, too, had some very fine muscles for brains. It’s only natural, really.

I wasn’t that good at physical attacks, so I favored magic entirely, thus becoming a full-fledged mage. Somewhere in the distance, I hear someone calling me a liar, but we can just ignore them. Even if someone’s mana pool was, say, tens of times, or even hundreds of times larger than usual, they would still be a novice if they didn’t know how to use it! While my excessive mana was the reason I got kicked out of my old house, it served me well in all sorts of ways. That of course included the Mystic Forest, but also in the royal capital.

I never would have thought magic would be so useful there. First off, it helped with life at the academy. Students at the royal capital’s noble academy lived in dorms, but what I got assigned to was an attic room. Since it used to be a storage space, it lacked running water and other amenities, the ceiling was rotting and prone to leaks, and there wasn’t even a lock on the door.

So I renovated it with magic. It’s quite a mystery really, but somehow, my room ended up far more livable than any of the others. I was very indebted to the mean old former dorm manager who had assigned me that room. Too bad she had since been fired.

Even at the academy festival, magic served me very well! Naturally, it helped during the general magic presentation, but it was also thanks to magic that we solved a kidnapping incident that took place during the festival.

There also was an incident of theft at the recent hunting festival held in Peylon, but that was also successfully resolved with magic. Granted, maybe that was more thanks to the black knight’s nose...

The black knight—sorry, uh, Sir Yuin, heir to House Fezgahn, had a special trait allowing him to distinguish mana via scent. It wasn’t exactly common knowledge, so he told me not to tell anyone. Thanks to him, we learned that the culprits were festival participants who wanted to make me look bad. Those people were full-grown adults. What did they think they were doing?

They said they did it because House Duval was on the decline, if you can believe that. Perhaps I had the continued failures of my birth father and grandfather to thank for that. But I hadn’t done anything to the thieves, so why had they tried to slander me?

Once the hunting festival was over, I returned to the royal capital. The new school year was starting, as sad as that made me.

Last year had been a bit bumpy, but maybe this one would be smooth sailing.

Chapter One: A New School Year

The beginning of a new term at the academy was a fairly lively period. It was, after all, the end of a long break for returning students. Everyone was just getting back from their domains, or wherever their parents lived. There were plenty of tales, whether they be interesting or boastful, to go around. Then there were the new students. Excited and nervous to begin their new lives, they could grow rather loud with their chatter. Their innocence was adorable, in a way.

“Goodness, Lera, that’s quite a grin you’ve got.”

As I watched the herd of new students outside the dorm entrance, the daughter of Marquess Aspozat, Colnesia—or rather, Colny—had only that to say to me. Given she was a year above me, I was supposed to respect her as an upperclassman, but I could relax around her. She was an old friend I’d spent a great deal of time with in the land of meatheads.

“What a rude way to put it,” I replied. “I was just watching the adorable new students.”

“Adorable, you say? One year ago, you were like that too... I think.”

That last bit was unnecessary. Last year, I had been innocent just like them. Colny, of course, paid my simmering irritation no mind.

“Innocent or not, you’re in the way standing around here doing nothing. Let’s get inside.”

“Okaaay.”

Definitely didn’t want to be in the way.

With the beginning of the new year, I was now a second-year. Yes, I successfully passed my first year! In fact, my scores were among the top ten in my grade. If they told me that wasn’t enough, I’d assume they were pulling my leg.

At our academy, the colors we wore would change with every year. Last year, the ribbons adorning my uniform were the dark red meant for first-years, and now I had the second-years’ lovely purple. Second-year. It had a nice ring to it.

My half sister, Ribbons—I mean, Darnir—had also advanced to the next year. Her grades, meanwhile, I’m pretty sure were near the bottom. Speaking of which, there was that one time after the end of term exams when she’d tried to accuse me of stealing her grades. How did she have the gall to say out loud that her grades had been stolen?

The point is, so far, nobody in my grade had failed or dropped out, and we had all made it to the next year. The noble academy was a pretty strict place—they weren’t afraid to make someone repeat a year if their grades weren’t up to par. However, since repeating a year was a really bad look, most parents just withdrew their child entirely if their grades were unsalvageable.

Were students ever expelled? Yes. I had learned this firsthand. Two people I had come across very briefly, Lineka Hogultar and one Miss Cucumis Melos, had both been expelled. Lineka Hogultar was the illegitimate daughter of Baron Hogultar. She’d spent most of her childhood in a common residential area, so didn’t act much like a noble.

There was, however, something about her that I found a lot more interesting—Lineka Hogultar was reincarnated from another world. Not only that, she’d probably come from Japan like me. Unfortunately, she seemed to be under the impression she lived in a dating sim world, leading her to pour her heart and soul into seducing guys left and right.

Still, I didn’t think she’d seduced any boys worth writing home about. By following her impulses and wooing who she did, Lineka ended up ruining at least three political marriages. As a result, she was expelled from the academy and kicked out of high society.

Miss Cucumis had reportedly been a recurring source of trouble within the academy, and the nail in the coffin fell when she had summoned me just to try attacking me. So she was expelled. The reason she ever called me out in the first place was because she didn’t want me getting close to the black knight—I mean, Sir Yuin of House Fezgahn. She apparently had her eye on him, which is fine and all, but I was never getting close to him to begin with. I’m still not sure what she expected me to do.

What’s more, she was trite enough to have this discussion behind one of the school buildings, where she had her friends surround me. Oh, the terror of it all. But I wasn’t going to lose against a bunch of frail young ladies. When Miss Cucumis tried to swing her fan at me, stopping it was a simple matter. That’s dangerous business, swinging fans at people. Gripping her wrist with just a bit of force was enough to make her collapse in tears. She could’ve at least shown a bit of grit.

What a shame, Miss Cucumis, I’ll never get to see your melons again. Well, she did sneak into the Peylon hunting festival later. Though that was thanks to the captain of the uh, well, it was the white knight captain. The white knight captain was my mother’s older brother, making him my uncle.

After all these years, said uncle decided he wanted to take me in, and asked Lord Peylon, the man who raised me, if he could do that. If he wanted to take me under his wing, shouldn’t he have done it when I’d gotten kicked out of my birth family at age three? Seeing as he was asking now that I was old enough to attend the academy, he probably had some ulterior motive. Not knowing what those motives were really bothered me.

However, the white knight captain wasn’t at all popular in Peylon. Given his attitude, I thought that was only natural, but there was more to it than that. Peylon had an institute for researching magic that could be used in the Mystic Forest. Three times, the white knight captain told them to hand over their results, or to be more specific, the rights to the spell formulas they had developed.

What a blindside, right? Some of those spells were even ones I had helped develop. Most notably, the portal. Those could transport you instantly between two preestablished magic circles. The idea was mine, but it was the institute that made it happen. Actually, it was mostly one specific researcher named Nielle.

Nielle was your typical research maniac—a prodigy with magic, but absolutely incompetent at anything else. She was so bad that she would forget to eat or sleep, meaning that putting her to bed was one of my jobs when I was in Peylon.

Nielle aside, the portal was an incredibly convenient piece of work. Since it was the institute’s speciality, using it ran a high fee. Setting up the magic circles was also an expensive and time-consuming process. So when the white knight captain came along and said to hand over everything regarding it, of course he made some enemies.

Speaking of which, Ribbons had been running around with Miss Cucumis at the hunting festival, and what an embarrassment that was. House Duval—or to be more precise, our father—had stopped showing up to the festival a long time ago. He was a noble, so I wished he would at least keep up with his social obligations.

Well, putting all that aside, I just hope the new school year doesn’t have any of that nonsense.

How come sometimes when you wish for something, you get the exact opposite?

“So you’re the girl from House Duval? Hmph, you don’t look like anything special.”

It happened shortly after the new term began. I was in the cafeteria, hoping to spend some overdue time with Lanmia and Luchirs—my friends from the same year. That was when a boy I didn’t recognize came up to our table and hurled that choice line at me.

Wait. Who is this guy?

I turned to Lanmia and Luchirs, but they both paled and shook their heads. I took that to mean he was an older student they didn’t recognize. His tie was black, which meant he was in the highest grade. I didn’t know anyone in the top grade. The middle child of Colny’s family and one of her elder brothers—Loksusad, or Loks—had just entered his fourth year, and I didn’t think this guy was one of Loks’s acquaintances. If he were, I’m sure he wouldn’t have been so darn rude.

The rude upperclassman hadn’t left in our confusion—he was standing next to our table imposingly and wouldn’t move. I really wanted him to hurry up and go somewhere he wouldn’t be a bother.

“Someone unremarkable as you could use my protection. Become my underling.”

Whaaat?

Come on, where did this third-rate line come from? He was really loud too, so everyone nearby was looking at us. This definitely wasn’t the sort of attention I wanted. Just as I was wondering what to do, I heard a much more familiar voice.

“It’s barely midday and I hear someone kicking up a fuss in the cafeteria. Once again, I find you, Reswell.”

It was Loks, with a tinge of annoyance on his usually soft smile. It sounded like this guy was a repeat offender.

The young man called Reswell turned away from Loks in disgust. “That’s what I want to say. You again, little Aspozat?”

“I’ll remind you I have a name: Loksusad.”

The older student scoffed. “You’re a second son! Nothing but a spare for your older brother!”

Wow. What a thing to say in a place full of second and third sons.

Whoop, hold on.

Not far away from our table, I spotted the third prince. He was the third son of the royal family. He was watching with a bitter expression, but the upperclassman hadn’t noticed. I didn’t see any reason to tip him off, but Loks went and spoiled it.

“The second son is only a spare for their older brother, you say? So would you say the same thing about my contemporary Prince Lumers? By the way, are you aware that the third prince is present as well, just over there?”

“Wha?!”

Even this guy seemed to understand that slandering the royal family was a bad idea.

“R-Remember this!”

That was, uh, a pathetic move. Don’t worry, I won’t remember a second of this.

I was confident I could pass this man in the hallway and not recognize him. After all, the student body was pretty sizable!

After he left, the quiet cafeteria burst into chatter.

“Whatever was that all about?”

“Wasn’t he that son of Viscount Nogdeid?”

“Ah, the less than competent one.”

“I hear it frustrates him, so he’s always going around acting high and mighty.”

“Oh, how disgraceful. Do you suppose the viscount plans to let this continue?”

“He can’t do much because the great-grandfather will interfere.”

“Ahh.”

There was quite a lot of information circling around. While I concentrated on picking up what I could, Loks came up to us.

“That was a real disaster, wasn’t it, Lera?”

“Not at all. Thank you very much for coming to my aid.”

“That’s such a formal way to thank a friend,” he said with a snicker.

Hardly. Even in Peylon we’re taught the value of formalities.

Since he was here, Loks decided to join us for lunch, and I could practically see the hearts forming in Lanmia’s eyes.

“Do you know that guy from earlier?” he asked.

“No, I just pieced things together by listening to the chatter.”

“Oh, that’s how. You know some convenient magic.”

He he he.

“Just to be sure, I’ll give you a less jumbled version,” Loks said, his voice lowering to a near whisper. “His name is Reswell. He’s the oldest son of Viscount Nogdeid, and set to inherit the title. Now, this is the important part: Viscount Nogdeid and his house are fairly high in the noble faction hierarchy.”

“Even though he’s a viscount?”

“That’s right.”

It wasn’t absolute, but having a higher status did make it easier to go up the faction rankings. Simply put, a viscount would usually land somewhere in the lower-middle or upper-bottom rungs. Was there a reason he was so high up?

As I wondered about this, Loks said it outright. “There’s a reason he’s so high up.”

“I figured there was.”

“So you noticed that. Well done.”

Loks, I greatly appreciate the praise, but I’m not sure how to feel about you patting my head like I’m a child. Not to mention I’m getting some looks of burning envy.

Still, I let him pat my head. I liked the way he was so gentle about it. Loks’s brother and the oldest son of House Aspozat, Winville, or Ville, always put too much strength in his hands when he did it. I couldn’t be sure if Loks noticed the looks we were getting, but he continued on.

“It’s a poorly kept secret, but the current Lord Nogdeid’s mother is the secret child of Syvel, the current head of House Bilbroza, which is the leading house of the noble faction.”

“Secret child.”

“A child he had with a woman of low status. I guess this isn’t a nice way to put it, but he shoved that child off onto House Nogdeid. However, by forming this connection with House Bilbroza, Nogdeid flew up the faction ranks, so you might say it was a good deal for them.”

I paused to wonder how that daughter (though I guess she was too old to be called that) they married off—that is to say, the mother of the current Lord Nogdeid—felt about it all. Though it was sort of a heavy subject, Loks clapped his hands and shifted the mood.

“Now, this part is what we’re here to talk about. Reswell, Lord Bilbroza’s great-grandson, just tried to stick his nose in Lera’s business. Is that a coincidence or not? What do you think?”

“It’s the latter, isn’t it? But why would someone from the noble faction try to insert themselves into my life?”

It couldn’t be a coincidence. He said “become my underling.” What era did he walk out of? Actually, maybe that didn’t sound all that out of place in this school, but I didn’t think many guys had girls for lackeys. Generally, people here surrounded themselves with flunkies of the same gender.

Speaking of which, that guy probably didn’t have any flunkies. If he did, then they should’ve been with him. Perhaps he didn’t get a lot of respect. Listening to people whisper about him, I had a feeling that was the answer.

Loks smiled at my question. “Surely he’s doing it because your house is part of the royal faction, don’t you think?”

“Loks, are you trying to dodge the question?”

He glanced to the side.

I’m going to take that as a yes.

The dorm was fairly peaceful this early in the new school year. The new students were desperately trying to make friends, while older students were using all their brain power on their new classes. It might’ve been the calmest time of the year. I had the day off, and was hoping to spend it hanging around my dorm room.

“Maybe I should start planning out the Peylon amusement park.”

I was planning on building a permanent amusement park in Peylon. Of course I planned to get Lord Peylon’s permission, but I had to at least have it all thought out if I wanted that to happen.

Now, roller coasters went hand in hand with amusement parks. I wanted to have both long and short tracks. No, I wanted to ride both long and short tracks! It would also be nice to have the old standbys like spinning teacups, a carousel, and gentle rides for little kids. I could also make a pond for boating, since Peylon didn’t have any lakes or ponds. I didn’t have to stop there though. I could also make an artificial river—I could make a canal, and send boats down it.

Hm? Isn’t this starting to sound like a certain jungle cruise?

“All right! Other worlds don’t have intellectual property laws! I mean, it’s not like anyone on Earth knows what’s going on here! I think.”

That said, it seems like there’s been other reincarnated people, so there could be some out there right now.

Oh right, Lineka Hogultar is a reincarnee. I wonder what she’s up to?

Setting that aside, I also considered indoor attractions, like a botanical garden, or an aquarium even though we were landlocked. We could bring in plants and marine animals from all over the kingdom, and put them on display. If we did that, we’d need the cooperation of people familiar with ecosystems. We wouldn’t get anywhere unless we gave them the right environments. Maybe we could toss a zoo in as well? Would there be demand for something like that?

I was sitting on the floor, directly on the rug, though it was considered rude here. Groaning, I scribbled my ideas down on a piece of paper. Realizing there was a limit to what I could do on my own, I thought I might contact Nielle, but then there was a knock at the door.

Colny maybe?

“Comiiing.”

Nobody else ever came here, though she sometimes brought friends. Lanmia and Luchirs rarely came by, but that was because we would see each other in the cafeteria, or around the academy. Anyone uninvited, by the way, generally didn’t do me the courtesy of knocking. They’d pound on the door like they were trying to break it, or try to enter without permission. Here I was thinking any girl at the academy was supposed to be a young lady of the nobility.

Not exactly looking my best, I opened the door and saw a girl I didn’t recognize. Oops. I should’ve checked who it was before opening the door.

The girl smiled at me. “Pardon me. This is the room of Lowell Duval, correct?”

“Huh? Oh, yes, it is.”

The ribbon on her uniform was light blue, meaning she was in her fourth year—the same as Loks.

“Please, forgive my sudden intrusion.”

“Is there something I can do for you?”

I was doing my best to keep a welcoming tone, but she saw right through me.

“Oh, you have nothing to be wary of. You see, I’m here at the request of someone else. Would you be so kind as to come with me?”

Hearing “request of someone else” and “come with me” both struck me as very good reasons to be wary. On the other hand, I did have permission to use magic on academy grounds. The headmaster most likely didn’t mean it in that sense, but permission is permission. Not to mention there was Miss Shenoa—the assistant dorm manager at the time—who was happy to let me use a purification spell when she’d learned I had “permission.”

I guess I’ll take her up on this.

Once I had changed into my uniform so I looked presentable, the fourth-year girl led me out of the dorm to one of the school buildings. I had heard that outside of extended breaks, there were rooms that stayed open for clubs even on the weekends. So maybe that’s where she was taking me?

Instead, I found myself brought to the campus café of all places. This was a spot that offered drinks and light meals, commonly used by hungry students who were up late due to remedial classes or club activities. Outside of that, I heard it was used for people to chat with their friends or their betrothed.

The café was open all days of the week, but since I didn’t leave my room much on the weekends, this was news to me. Looking around, I wasn’t surprised to see there were fewer people than usual. That aside, I was glad we were somewhere fairly open with watching eyes. I still didn’t know who had called for me, but if they tried anything, all I had to do was hit back. The other patrons would be my witnesses.

Without stopping, the fourth-year girl strode through the café, eventually stopping near the back. There was just one person waiting for us: a boy with a light blue tie. Like the girl who led me here, he was a fourth-year.

“I hope we didn’t make you wait too long,” the girl said.

“No, I’m the one who asked for your help. I can wait if I have to.”

It appeared this was the person I was to be meeting. At his suggestion, I sat down across from him. Having seen me here, the girl headed off.

Huh? You’re leaving me here?

“First off, let me apologize for the sudden invitation. I don’t really have the time on the weekdays. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m Zodian Nogdeid, the second son of Viscount Nogdeid.”

Huh. Didn’t I just hear that name? If I’m right, that’s the name of the guy who declared that second sons are spares for their older brothers.

So this meant that the guy in front of me was that other guy’s spare?

“As you might have already guessed, the man who caused you so much trouble yesterday is my older brother. I wanted to apologize for that.”

My, what a sharp contrast from the older one. Maybe that statement yesterday was born from a complex about this younger brother.

“That was something your older brother did,” I said. “I don’t need you to apologize for it.”

“Yes, well, even so...”

He set this up knowing that I might say that? What a polite person. I was starting to feel like this might not really be any of my business, but then he lowered his voice.

“There’s also something I should tell you.”

“You’ve got something for me?”

“Watch out for my brother. I’m his brother, and even I find him unpredictable. He thinks he can get away with just about any sort of behavior because our great-grandfather always indulges his every whim. However, the academy is one place I don’t think that influence reaches.”

That great-grandfather was the man Loks had told me about before—the one who practically ran the noble faction and whatnot. It sounded like that old man had a pretty different approach from the royal faction. Among the royalists, the children of the higher houses were subjected to stricter discipline. A good example was House Aspozat. All three of them were thoroughly disciplined. While I’m sure they were naturally well-behaved, I was willing to bet their parents played a big role.

It sounded like the noble faction was the total opposite. Even in the academy, a place under the purview of the royal family, they seemed to think they could get by if they flaunted their rank and status...or maybe it was just Reswell. I think he just was under that impression because that’s what his great-grandfather taught him. Either way, I was probably better off steering clear of the noble faction.

When dinner rolled around that evening, Colny dragged me off to some seats she had reserved behind a partition. I guessed she knew I had been summoned by an older student. As long as you make sure to say something in advance, you can get seats out of view from everyone else.

Why does the dorm cafeteria even have something like this?

Seating aside, it was going to be just me and Colny having dinner together. Thanks to a noise-canceling spell used on the partition, we couldn’t be overheard, nor could we hear the rest of the cafeteria.

No, really, why are there tables like this?

To begin with, it was weird that magic tools were just fine when the academy and the royal capital banned casting spells. All sorts of spells and tools carried the risk of exploding, among other things, yet magic tools were permitted because only items determined to be safe were allowed into the city at all, or something like that. It was very unreasonable.

“So? What happened?” she asked the moment we sat down.

“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to answer that...”

“Don’t get evasive. Tell me everything.”

“Okaaay. All that happened was Zodian apologizing for what his older brother Reswell did.”

“Is that really it?”

“Also, he had a warning, I guess. He told me to watch out for Reswell.”

“Hmm...”

When I thought about it, I realized what a strange conversation that was. It wasn’t often that people from different factions, especially opposing factions, talked at the academy. All the more so if they were from (or connected to, in my case) high-ranking houses. Not only that, the younger brother wanted to warn me because he thought his older brother might do something nefarious. Since we were on opposite sides, he could’ve left me alone.

What’s Zodian after?

“What’s the matter, Colny?” I asked, noticing how grim she looked.

“Lera, tomorrow you’re going to have lunch with Loks and me. Turn down any invitations from your friends.”

“Huh?”

“Do you understand me?”

“I understand...”

I can’t really say no when Colny gets like this.

Classes at the academy were pretty slow during the first days of a new term. Starting the next week or so, things would be back to normal, not that I realized this last year, being a new student and all.

After a somewhat leisurely morning, it was time for lunch.

“Let’s have lunch together, Lowell.”

Lanmia’s usual cheeriness was blinding. Normally, I’d love to have lunch with her.

“Sorry, I promised to eat with Colny today,” I told her.

“Colnesia? Does that mean you’ll also be with Loksusad?!”

“Hm? Yes, most likely.”

That was an understatement; Colny literally told me he’d be there. The two were probably eagerly awaiting my arrival, which scared me. Speaking of scary, Lanmia was getting a little too riled up.

“I wanna goooo! I wanna have lunch with Loks!”

“It’s nothing special. It’s just lunch in the cafeteria.”

“Stiiill! I take it I can’t join you?”

She was giving me the puppy dog eyes. Too bad this was the one day she definitely couldn’t join us.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

She hung her head with disappointment. “I get it...”

I’m really sorry.

Loks was probably joining us so we could talk about the previous day’s incident and consider what to do about those brothers. She’d have to endure it so she wouldn’t get dragged into this mess. While Luchirs consoled Lanmia, I left the classroom.

I need to get going, I thought, moments before bumping straight into Colny. Or maybe she came to get me?

“Oh, how wonderful,” she said. “Just the person I was looking for.”

“Just the person...”

“For today’s lunch, we’ve prepared a private room. Let us make our way there.”

C’mooon.

The academy cafeteria had several private rooms available. I was told these were originally for sensitive little lords and ladies who couldn’t stand being seen when they were eating. Except now they were used for students of friendly families to eat together without having to be wary of watchful eyes. To put it more bluntly, children of connected families used private rooms to exchange information while having a meal. It was common for private repasts to be held among students of the same faction.

Speaking of which, I had never heard of the Aspozats hosting one of these private repasts. Asking Colny about this earned me a look of exasperation.

“Well of course not. Our faction already holds a major event.”

“Oh, the hunting festival.”

“That’s right. So there’s no need to trouble ourselves with hosting meals at the academy. The other children attend the hunting festival, remember? We can socialize with them then.”

So that was it. Since children weren’t allowed to participate in the hunting, they had their own separate area, where they would play with other children their age. I would go off on my own, so I had next to no interactions with them. There was also the whole issue with my birth house. Sheila and the other adults probably knew about it and just looked the other way.

According to Colny, the other factions, particularly the noble faction, didn’t have any big events like the hunting festival.

“After all these years, there’s very little chance Marquess Bilbroza will allow it. He has a deep-seated distaste for the royal faction.”

Oof. So what could it mean that one of that man’s distant relatives—well, not really; it was his great-grandson—approached me?

While I thought about it, Colny hit me with a warning.

“While it may not be clear to us yet, there must be a reason if someone from the other side approached you. Exercise utmost caution around the viscount’s sons. Use magic if necessary. After all, you do have permission to cast on academy grounds.”

“Okaaay.”

After the little dorm room mishap at the beginning of last year, I took advantage of some minor confusion to get permission from the headmaster himself. Following that, nobody said I had to stop using magic, so I had been very liberal with it for my convenience.

Being a boy, the older Nogdeid couldn’t enter the girls’ dorm, so I was safe there. If he tried to use violence or anything in that vein on academy grounds, then I could strike back in full force. Though he might scream and try to play the victim, like Miss Cucumis did when she had me brought out behind one of the buildings. For times like those, I had a camera installed inside the brooch I wore. With that, I recorded everything, giving me solid evidence!

I actually forgot to record the encounter at the cafeteria, but I made sure to get everything when the younger brother called me over. Next time something happened, I wasn’t going to forget to keep the camera rolling.

Colny and I chatted for a bit, then Loks arrived to round out our party for lunch.

“Now then, let’s hear about what happened with Zodian,” Loks started.

“Actually, it started with a visit to my room.”

“Huh? Zodian was in the girls’ dorm?”

If he did, it’d be a huge deal, wouldn’t it?! Loks, do you hear yourself? Ah, Colny’s prodding him.

“Brother, don’t interrupt! Lera, continue.”

“Right. The visitor was a fourth-year girl. She said someone had asked her to fetch me.”

“So then you followed her just like that?” Loks said. “Lera, you need to be more careful.”

“Oh, I’m sure Lera would’ve been just fine,” Colny objected. “Isn’t that right?”

Please keep me out of your sibling bickering.

Well, it’s not like they were serious about it.

“Still,” Loks said, looking serious all of a sudden, “I knew those brothers didn’t get along, though I didn’t think something like this might happen.”

“What do you mean, brother?”

“House Nogdeid is of the noble faction, and a branch family fairly close to the House Bilbroza main family. Given that he’s a son of Nogdeid, I can understand Reswell’s attitude. Granted, I can’t wrap my head around suddenly saying, ‘Be my underling.’”

“Truly awful,” Colny commented.

She had that right. If there hadn’t been people watching, I would’ve blown him away.

Ignoring our indignation, Loks continued thinking, muttering to himself. “The issue is Zodian’s behavior. Unlike Reswell, he’s a smart one. There has to be a reason for what he did.”

He really wasn’t mincing words. But after meeting both of them in person, I agreed the younger was the more competent of the two.

Still not convinced, Colny furrowed her brow. “Could it not simply be that he apologized because of the trouble his brother caused?”

“I think he’s using that as a pretext to get close to Lera; I just don’t know what his motivation is. Maybe he simply wants to put his brother at a disadvantage, or maybe he has some other reason. Knowing Zodian, both seem perfectly possible.”

Ooh.

Seeing the very underhanded Loks this concerned was all I needed to tell me that I should stay away from Zodian too.

“Whatever their reasons,” Loks said, turning to me, “be sure not to get involved with those two. Even if they approach you, stay away, all right?”

“All riiight.”

Since they were members of the noble faction, I didn’t have any need to get along with them in the first place.

That evening, I had some free time before dinner. Colny was visiting my attic room, and the two of us didn’t have much to talk about.

“Take a seat,” I said. “I’ll put on some coffee.”

“Thanks.”

Since it was just before dinner, I didn’t think we needed snacks.

Sitting in her usual spot, Colny was enjoying the feel of the rug. “This has a nice texture.”

“That’s because it’s made from forest sheep wool.”

“That makes sense.”

The materials, of course, had been obtained by yours truly a while back. However, weaving a rug by hand is a lot of work, so I had to wait two years for it.

Just as the wonderful scent of coffee began to fill the room, there was a knocking at the door. Okay, it was more apt to call it slamming.

“Do you suppose it’s her?” Colny asked.

“Think so? Last time she knocked properly.”

“Hey! Open this door right now!”

That voice was painfully familiar, however, and the two of us couldn’t help but look at each other.

“That was...”

“Ribbons?”

I had a security camera built into the door, so I checked the monitor. Yep, it was Ribbons and her flunkies. What were they doing here?

I wagered she didn’t like that I hadn’t yet opened the door, because she started kicking it. Those were some pretty bad manners. Those minions really should’ve done something to stop her from acting so unladylike. She was an earl’s daughter.

Maybe that’s asking for too much. Those girls look like they’re scared of Ribbons.

“Ahh, ahh. You there, the girl kicking my door, if you don’t stop, I’ll call the dorm manager.”

“Do you think this is a goddamn joke?! Open this door and apologize immediately!”

Apologize? Again, Colny and I exchanged glances.

“Lera, did you do anything to that girl that would warrant an apology?”

“Nope. Nothing comes to mind.”

Tilting our heads, we soon got our answer.

“Say something already! I went all the way to that backwater domain of yours, only for you to kick me out! Thanks to you, I missed the opportunity to watch Fezgahn hunt!”

Ohh, she meant the hunting festival. Despite showing up uninvited, she’d made a bunch of noise in the stands. That resulted in her being banned from Peylon. But that wasn’t my fault; she and Miss Cucumis were the ones who made all that racket.

“Hurry! And open! This! Door—”

“Who’s making all that noise?!”

Oh, another voice.

Through the monitor, I saw the flunkies all panicking. Up the stairs came the source of their distress—the dorm manager. I was pretty sure that was Miss Ruta Shenoa, now promoted from assistant to manager. She also taught embroidery classes.

Heels clicking, she marched up to Ribbons. “Causing a commotion outside someone’s room is very unbefitting of a lady.”

“B-But, she’s the one not opening her—”

“I don’t need any excuses! All of you, come with me!”

Facing Miss Shenoa’s wrath, Ribbons and her gang all disappeared from the monitor.

I turned from the monitor to Colny and muttered, “What the heck was that?”

She shrugged. “It sounded like she had a complaint for you. As always, it appears she wasn’t thinking things through.”

What a way to bother your neighbors. But more importantly...

“It looks like even Ribbons has friends.”

“Yes, those girls are all daughters of barons. Since that girl is technically an earl’s daughter, perhaps they think it a good idea to earn her favor?”

“Perhaps it’s a birds of a feather sort of thing.”

Bad personalities attract just that.

With the beginning of a new school year, we had to sign up for elective classes. However, barring any special circumstances, most people took the same subjects as the previous year. Therefore, I would be taking general magic, magic tools, alchemy, mystic-jockeying, and archery. Today was my first day of general magic. I thought I’d see just the usual faces, but in fact, I saw more.

I was looking around the room when I heard someone suddenly speak from behind.

“It seems general magic is a popular subject this year.”

You scared me.

Coming up behind me was the third prince. Apparently, he would be continuing with general magic as well, and so would Ribbons. Feeling a sharp gaze, I turned and saw it coming from...who else but her.

Can you at least pick whether it’s him or the black knight you’re after?

“Though it’s a new subject,” the third prince continued, “it has far more practical value than the other magic classes, don’t you think? I hear that’s earned it some interest among the older students.”

“You’re very well informed regarding the older students.”

“It’s because I’ve got my brother.”

That’s right, the second prince is still attending the academy. He’s in the same year as Loks.

Hmm. So Bear’s class is a popular one, huh?

Bear was a bear capable of human langua— I mean, he was the chief of Peylon’s research institute. He looked like a bear, so the institute members also called him that. Lately, even people at the academy have started calling him Bear. The point is, said chief was the instructor of general magic.

When I really thought about it, Peylon’s institute was famous across Ozeria; anyone with an interest in magic knew about it. There was nothing strange about people taking an interest in general magic when they learned that it was being taught by the chief of that very institute. So then why did last year only have people from our grade attend?

“It’s my understanding that many people didn’t believe it was actually the chief teaching the lessons,” the third prince said, answering my question.

“Oh?”

“I believe they all thought he was letting his name be used while someone else ran the classes.”

That was a funny idea. Bear was thorough about these sorts of things. He would never let someone borrow his name. That said, I myself had been pretty startled when I learned he would be teaching, so I guess I can’t blame anyone else for not believing.

Once our first day of general magic was over, Bear called me into his prep room.

“Oh man, another year with Bear...”

“Who you calling a bear?! What’s the matter? We can conduct research here just as well as we can at the institute.”

“You’re the only one satisfied with that, Bear.”

“Again! Quit calling me Bear!”

What an obnoxious bear, I groaned internally.

“Oh, that’s right,” he said with an abrupt shift in his tone, “I heard some brat from the noble faction is giving you trouble?”

I guess the “brat from the noble faction” was that one older student.

“Did you hear from Loks?”

“No, from a colleague.”

So a teacher snitched to him? Well, maybe it wouldn’t be snitching, just gossiping? To be fair, there were lots of watchful eyes in the cafeteria, so plenty of people knew who got in my face and how it went down. Even if another instructor hadn’t said something, Bear might’ve learned eventually.

“He’s not giving me trouble or anything like that,” I said with a sigh. “He just caused a scene in the cafeteria.”

“Ah, in the cafeteria. If someone from Nogdeid was being a twerp, I’m guessing it was the older brother?”

“I thought another teacher told you about it?”

“All I heard was that some little shit from House Nogdeid went at you.”

I was still wondering how Bear knew it was the older son when he grinned at me. “I can’t see the upstanding younger brother stirring something up where so many people could see it. Only that dimwit older brother would be willing to pull something like that.”

Oh my, so even Bear knew of the discrepancy between the two. Before I could get over that surprise, the door was suddenly flung open. I looked over and saw the Nogdeid dimwit—I mean, Reswell—standing there.

“I was looking for you!” he said. “You think you can hide in a place like—”

“Hey!” Bear roared, cutting him off. “Don’t come in here without permission!”

He recoiled. “Wh-Wha?”

Yeah, most people would tremble if they were hollered at by what appeared to be a bear.

“Y-You can’t talk to me like that. You’re nothing more than an instructor!”

“Where the hell did you pull that idea from? I can talk like this precisely because I am an instructor.”

“Argh!”

Wow, I’m learning a lot about what a dimwit this guy really is today.

All instructors at the academy held higher status than the students, regardless of their house or their family’s authority. Even this bear here was superior to Loks, the son of a marquess. This was supposed to be another part of our teaching before we became members of society or whatever. We were supposed to learn this from our parents, but I could imagine that went in one ear and out the other with this guy. Maybe that was because of his great-grandfather, the head of the noble faction?

Whatever it was, it looked like it was going to be giving me headaches.

Besides, if he was cowing after just a few lines from Bear, then I had my proof he was an idiot. If he was gonna take the classist discrimination route, he could at least stick to it until the end. What a dimwit he had to be if this was all it took for him to back down.

Without saying anything more, the dimwit brother ran off.

“At least close the door behind you. Was that boy raised in a barn?”

“Funny talk coming from a bear.”

“Quit calling me that!”

Ha ha ha, you and your jokes.

“And that’s more or less what happened.”

Later that day, I reported the prep room incident to Colny. It was after dinner, and I had invited her to my attic room, to which she gladly accepted when she noticed something was up. Once we were in the room and had the barriers set up, I told her what had happened.

“He barged into Chief Bear’s prep room? Without permission?”

“Yep.”

She furrowed her pretty brow. “Do they not teach even the most rudimentary manners at House Nogdeid?”

“Mmm, the younger brother, Zodian, was plenty courteous, so I don’t think that’s the issue.”

“So then perhaps it really is the influence of Marquess Bilbroza’s coddling?”

“That might be it.”

But was having a bigwig for a great-grandfather really enough to explain that much arrogance?

“I must say, Lera, first he accosts you in the cafeteria, then he follows you to the prep room. He’s certainly fixated on you.”

“Huuuh?”

Okay, the thought had crossed my mind. Even still, to me he looked to me like nothing more than some kid trying to make another kid his flunky. And his great-grandfather actually adored that immature dolt? Maybe he was the type to find stupidity endearing. Man, was this making me tired.

“This must be dreadful for you,” Colny said with concern. “Your half sister is harassing you, and now the oldest son of House Nogdeid won’t leave you alone.”

“I haven’t even done anything wrong...”

Why are they just coming at me like this?! Augh! Ribbons should just focus on chasing the third prince. Or the black knight? I don’t know anymore.

Speaking of Ribbons, she had been trying to kick down my door. By now, the trap had probably activated, giving her a very fitful stomach. I prayed she would learn her lesson and not come back to the attic room, but something told me I was asking for the impossible.

During my first year, a walking ball of chaos called Lineka Hogultar disappeared, and a source of commotion—one Miss Cucumis—was expelled, restoring a fair amount of peace to the academy. But what were they doing letting in so many problem children in the first place? Nobles are wild, aren’t they? Well, another problem child—that’d be Ribbons—was still at the academy.

It was only September. The semester was just getting started, yet she had already sprung the trap on my door. My head began to hurt just thinking about what other nonsense she might get up to. There was also that dimwit older brother.

That reminds me, I’ll be an adult next July, which will make me a noble proper. I mean, I’m technically already an earl’s daughter. I’ll make my debut into society the February after the next one.

“Lowell, electives are next. Are you sure you should be sitting around like that?”

“Oh, whoops. I’ve got mystic-jockeying, so I’ve gotta get outside. Thanks for the save, Lanmia.”

“You’re quite welcome.”

If I had stared off into space a moment longer, I wouldn’t have had enough time to get to class. Mystic-jockeying classes were held in an outdoor facility separated from the building I was currently in. However, with no mounts that I could ride, I spent all my time on the sidelines. I got by just by scoring well on the paper exams.

Or so I thought, but the instructor had some very good news for me.

“Your long wait is over, Duval. We finally got a mysticstock that even you can ride!”

“What? Really?!”

Hey, what do you mean “even you”?

This was all because the other mysticstock shrank or fled in fear when they saw me. It wasn’t that I lacked the necessary skills or anything. Actually, since I hadn’t yet ridden any mounts, it was still too early to tell if I had the skills or not.

That aside, the new mystic-jockeying instructor had a level of energy the previous one didn’t. Of course, the previous instructor got deep into gambling and ended up becoming an accomplice to a criminal organization.

As I wondered what they had gotten for me to ride, I was led to where it was being kept. And for my own personal use, they had obtained...a huge bear.

“Tell me, what do you think?”

“Instructor, is this...”

“A fellow like this won’t cower at the sight of you! What do you think?! That imposing frame! Those bold eyes! It’s like he has no intentions of doing anything you say!”

Wait, doesn’t that disqualify him from being a mount?

This wasn’t just any bear. It was a black greatbear, to be precise. Mysticstock were the product of wild animals mating with monsters chased out of the Mystic Forest. They were generally sturdy and harder to take down than your typical animal. The black greatbear was the result of ursine monsters mating with wild bears. There had also been attempts to make a stronger variety by breeding black greatbears with each other.

There was just one thing: These were violent creatures that ate people. What were they doing bringing something like this into the academy?!

“Instructor, was this brought here from Peylon?”

“No? I’m told it was born in one of the southern petty kingdoms. I asked for a mysticstock that wasn’t intimidated by greater things, and this is what I got.”

Who did this?! Which jerk called this monster a mysticstock and pawned it off on us?! And what does he mean “greater things”?! Is he saying I’m a giant monster?!

The black greatbear made a discontented gon gon sound like he was trying to intimidate me. There was a thick collar around his neck, and that was it. He wasn’t in a cage or anything of the sort.

“By the way,” I said, “how is he being kept from rampaging around?”

“He’s been drugged!”

Mystic-jockeying might actually be pretty dangerous.

If the bear had been drugged, then that meant we’d be screwed once the effects wore off. Though the instructor did have a point—unlike the other mysticstock, this one wasn’t afraid of me.

All right, I’ll follow the rules of the jungle and show him who’s the stronger one!

I spread my mana out in a thin layer, knowing that this would make me look like a looming presence in his eyes. It was a hunting technique for scaring off creatures that were too much trouble to kill.

Now, let’s see—ah. He stood up.

“GOOOAN.”

With his maw wide open and his front legs held up, he was ready to fight. The nearby students started to scream.

You’ve got a lot of guts if that didn’t keep you down, fuzzball. You’re nothing more than a captive greatbear. You’re no match for me!

Glancing to my side, I saw the instructor evacuating the other students. Good job, instructor!

“Binding barrier! And taste this! Hallucinatory strike!”

Since the academy had paid for this black greatbear, killing him was off the table. So I started by locking him down with barriers to keep him from going on a rampage, then I scared him with hallucinations.

Oh, it’s working, it’s working.

“Oho ho ho. Obey me and I’ll free you from your fears.”

Of course, I was the one creating said fears. Making gon gon sounds, the black greatbear cried and writhed.

I’d suggest you obey me!

“G-Gon. Gon...”

“You’ll be a good boy, won’t you?”

“Gon...”

“If you get violent or attack anyone, I’ll show you something much scarier than what you just saw. Understood?”

“Gon?! Gon gon!”

“That’s good to hear. If you do as I say, I’ll feed you delicious food. Give it your best.”

“Gon!”

What a good boy, and a smart one too. He could understand what I was saying, which was going to make him easy to handle. Since he kept making gon sounds, I thought about calling him Gonsuke.

Ah, but this is the academy’s bear, so I can’t just go and call him whatever. He’ll be Gonsuke in my heart.

My now tamed black greatbear, Gonsuke—at least to me—hung his head before me.

“Sooorry,” I called. “That went on longer than I, uh, huh?”

I didn’t get it. The instructor and the students were all looking at me in terror.

Gonsuke won’t do anything bad. Don’t worry.

“Lowell, is it true that in mystic-jockeying, you won a duel against a bear?!” Lanmia said sans greeting.

After school that day, I was about to head back to the dorm, when she caught me on the stairs.

“Mia, that’s an unflattering way of putting it.”

Luchirs was trying to stop her, but there was no holding back Lanmia’s excitement.

“Huh? But she won against a bear, didn’t she? You don’t hear things like that every day.”

“Uh, it wasn’t even a duel,” I said. It was more like discipline.

“Huh? Really? Oh. Well, that’s a letdown.”

What’s a letdown? I’d really like to know.

“Goodness, Mia...”

“C’mon, Lulu, the whole academy’s talking about it. Since we’ve got the girl herself right here, how could I not ask for details?”

Wait. The heck? The whole academy’s talking about it? Do you mean that stuff about the duel?!

Mystic-jockeying started in the afternoon. After that, I had changed out of my riding clothes back into my uniform, heard a few announcements during general education (homeroom essentially), then classes were done for the day. In what couldn’t have been more than an hour, the whole academy had heard what happened?

“How did that get out when classes only just ended?”

“I believe you can see the mystic-jockeying arena from some of the other elective rooms. Some people saw your classes and started spreading rumors of some crazy girl.”

Now that she mentioned it, the mystic-jockeying arena was indeed roofless. I could see how maybe some of the classrooms might have a line of sight. Noticing my shock, Luchirs began to awkwardly prod Lanmia with her elbow.

“Uh, well, I don’t think they mean it in a bad way. I mean, they’re just saying you did some crazy thing nobody else can do—”

“Mia, perhaps you should stop talking.”

“Okay...”

Very smooth, Luchirs, keeping a smile while you’re angry.

Lanmia, meanwhile, had wilted, knowing well the anger behind Luchirs’s smile. With them calm at last, I was able to tell them what had actually happened during mystic-jockeying. By the time I finished, Lanmia’s eyes were sparkling with excitement.

“Incredible! You won without even leaving a scratch! So can you ride this bear?”

“Huh? Yeah, I can. He’s for my personal use, for what that’s worth.”

“Umm, that’s good to hear? I suppose? But black greatbears are awfully large, aren’t they? I hear they’re also quite ferocious. Though I suppose I would like to see him for myself...”

Hey, Luchirs, I’m not sure about that last part? Gonsuke might be cute, but I still think bears should be handled like wild beasts.

“Of course it’s good!” Lanmia cried while I was still puzzling over what Luchirs said. “Lowell’s had a terrible time with mystic-jockeying since she hasn’t had a mount. I’m sure tests aren’t any fun at all for her. But this bear solves all that. So I think it’s very good.”

She was a strange girl. When she said it was a good thing I found myself agreeing with her before I knew it. Still, she was right. With this bear, I could finally start properly taking lessons, and I was happy about that.

Well, I could do without those rumors though.

On another note, these two childhood friends were calling each other by nicknames. Lanmia was “Mia” and Luchirs was “Lulu”. Must be nice, that sort of friendship. Colny and I called each other by nicknames, but we were more like relatives than friends. I hoped that I could one day make a friend who would call me by some sort of nickname.

Anyways, now I was able to partake in mystic-jockeying thanks to Gonsuke. Back in Peylon I had learned to ride horses, but bears were a different beast. He struck me as a smart bear, the sort that would intuit a rider’s thoughts. He might’ve been smarter than most black greatbears. Maybe he was a mutant or something.

For some reason, the story of me besting a bear spread beyond the confines of the academy.

“Lera! Is it true you gave Bear a beatdown?!”

Nielle, you’re talking about the chief, aren’t you?

How did the story get all the way to Peylon’s research institute? And was she really allowed to use the transmitter for something like this? Oh, whatever.

“I did not give Bear a beatdown. All I did was tame the black greatbear I’m supposed to ride for my mystic-jockeying class.”

“Huh? A black greatbear. Ohhh. I was sure you gave our Bear a pummeling.”

“Wait, wait, wait, Nielle. Would you have been happy if I did pummel your chief?!”

“Mmm, I don’t know if I’d be happy, but I’d say he had it coming.”

Bear, my friend. What did you do to Nielle?

“Nielle, did you call me just to ask me that?”

“Hm? No? I was just thinking maybe you’ve thought up some new spell or something.”

Just what I’d expect to hear from the woman whose only love was magic. She never changed.

But do I have anything? Ah.

“Well, I found a pretty old spell. It obstructs a target’s casting. Do you think you could convert that into a magic tool?”

“Oh? That’s interesting! Tell me more!”

I’ve got you now, Nielle. Except if this gets converted into a magic tool, it’s definitely gonna interfere with your experiments. Ah, you might use it to stop my hypnosis beam. I’ll have to start upgrading it.

“Well then, I’ll send you the details later, so give it your all.”

“Leave it to me!”

Now we didn’t have to worry about her doing any dangerous experiments for the time being. She had a baffling habit of thinking up dangerous spells and putting them to the test whenever she had any free time. A number of researchers considered her a nuisance because of this. At the same time, however, all the most accomplished researchers looked forward to seeing whatever she tried next. That place was full of weirdos, after all.

Now that Gonsuke the black greatbear was at the academy, I could fully participate in mystic-jockeying classes. The only issue was that the others understandably gave me a wide berth. Black greatbears were carnivores, and stronger than any of the other mysticstock in the class. They might get scared and freeze up if they got too close.

“But they’re moving just fine. In fact, they’re behaving better than usual.”

The instructor was right. Last year, the mounts would lash out from time to time, yet now they were doing just as the students told them. The mysticstock used as mounts were selected only by their affability to people, so it was no surprise that they sometimes disobeyed orders.

“Oh, well this is really something. The black greatbear is dominating the other mysticstock!”

Instructor, is that something to laugh about? It looks like Gonsuke is overwhelming the others.

Probably because of their monster origins, mysticstock had a tendency to obey stronger creatures. Out here, Gonsuke was the strongest mysticstock, resulting in all the other mounts watching his every movement so they could follow his orders. Gonsuke, meanwhile, was a smart bear who could intuit and convey that I wanted the mysticstock to obey the humans. That was the instructor’s interpretation of events, anyway.

At first, this all seemed like a good arrangement, but it meant we couldn’t really learn what we were here to learn. Classes were good environments to get all sorts of different experiences. To put it another way, these classes were here so we could learn to deal with problems, a very valuable sort of experience.

“So what should we do?” I asked the instructor.

I was not expecting the answer I got.

“Hmm. If the black greatbear will listen to you, then maybe we can use that to teach accident management. Here, could you order your bear to tell the other mysticstock to get just a little wild?”

“What? Are you certain?”

“Yes. Remember, just a little wild.”

There weren’t many students in our mystic-jockeying class. Among the second-years, there were twelve people, including me. With so few, even if we lost control of our mounts, we should still be able to take care of the situation. If really necessary, I could use magic to handle it!

All right, let’s see if Gonsuke can do it.

“Gonsuke, can you get those mysticstock over there to get just a little bit restless?”

“Gon!”

With that hearty cry, Gonsuke looked at the other beasts with a piercing glare. Immediately, the mounts with students on them started panicking.

Hey, it really worked. Black greatbears are incredible. Or maybe it’s Gonsuke that’s incredible?

The students were thrown into a panic of their own when the otherwise docile creatures suddenly began to rampage.

“Calm yourselves! Remember, you’ve been taught what to do in these situations.”

Hearing the instructor, the students all made expressions of dawning realization. During classroom lessons, we were taught the first thing you should do is cover the mount’s eyes, because this would cause most creatures to stop moving. Being blinded would apparently override any panic and instill a strong sense of fear.

The next thing you were supposed to do was whisper reassuring words while lining your voice with just a touch of mana. Though they wouldn’t necessarily understand the meaning of the words, the mana would convey the sentiment that their rider wanted them to calm down. For this same reason, when a panicking rider called out to their mount, it only made the situation worse.

The students began to calm down, most likely because they had remembered the same thing I had. Moments later, everyone was successfully getting their mounts under control. Even if you have the knowledge, it’s important to experience putting it into practice.

Just as I was getting into a groove with the new school year, the first term exams were coming in hot.

Oh my, we’re already hitting the end of the year. Time flies.

After my first encounters, I still hadn’t seen a lick of the Nogdeid brothers. This was a good thing. One day shortly before the exams, I was having lunch in the cafeteria with Loks and Colny. It was one of those days Lanmia and Luchirs had lunch with their clubs, leaving me all by my lonesome self.

“Lera,” Loks said, “I know you’re lonely without your friends, but showing it so openly on your face isn’t helping.”

“Quite so,” Colny added. “You’ve already been spending so much time with those two you’ve barely spared a minute for me.”

“Rmm. Sorry.”

But c’mon. You spend plenty of time with your friends from your grade, don’t you? I guess I shouldn’t say that out loud.

Whenever I was with Loks, I’d get thorny glares from the other girls. Colny was fine because she was his actual sister, but I was in a different position.

“That’s right, have either of those brothers shown up again since we’d last heard of them?” he asked casually, referring to House Nogdeid’s dimwit older brother and upstanding younger brother.

“The last time was when I saw the older brother in Bear’s prep room.”

“Then I guess that means father’s protests worked.”

“Hm? Thand did something?”

Where does Thand fit into this?

“You see, I told my father you were having some trouble. Our house then issued a formal protest against House Nogdeid.”

Gotta say, this kind of blew up without me knowing about it. House Aspozat, the top house of the royal faction, was formally protesting House Nogdeid, the top house of the noble faction.

“Loks, should this really be happening?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, isn’t this becoming a factional thing?”

I kept it vague since I didn’t really know much about these matters. Loks just smiled when he noticed my concern.

“Don’t worry. Father said that if anything, he appreciates that you’ve given him some ammunition.”

“What?”

“While I have my sympathies, if those brothers harass you again, I want you to tell me immediately.”

“Whaaat?”

So I might have to deal with more harassment? Is that what this means?

“Brother, can’t you stop the harassment before it happens?” Colny cut in when tears started forming in my eyes. “If they bother Lera too much, things could get bad. For them.”

Wait. That’s your concern?!

“That’s why father issued the protest, didn’t he? As a result, the brothers are behaving themselves.”

“And I can only hope it stays that way.”

Colny, you look worried. But it’s not me you’re worried about, it’s what’ll happen if I use magic, isn’t it?!

I resisted the urge to scream.

“I don’t think we can expect that,” Loks said. “I mean, he’s not very bright.”

Loks was ruthless.

“Brother, I don’t see the connection between being dimwitted and being unable to behave oneself.”

Colny had my vote. I didn’t see the connection either. We both tilted our heads, drawing out a sigh from Loks.

“Listen, you two. If he were smart, he would understand the gravity of his parents’ scolding. If he were really smart, he never would have accosted Lera in the first place. Though maybe he didn’t know the connection between our house and Lera.”

“So you mean to say that because Reswell isn’t smart, he won’t think anything of it if his father scolds him. Therefore, he won’t stop bothering Lera. Correct?”

“That’s right.”

Put like that, I could see it. Maybe it was that youthful tendency to go through a rebellious phase and blow off anything one’s parents said. That opened up another concern: did this mean he was going to get mad, thinking I snitched on him? If so, I might find myself having to resort to force.

“If father’s protests get Reswell to behave, then great. If not...”

“If not?” Colny prompted.

After a brief pause, Loks turned to me. “You may find yourself having to resort to force.”

So that’s what it comes down to?

For a while, Thand’s protest remained effective. The dimwit brother still hadn’t appeared before me, leaving me at peace.

That day’s elective was general magic as taught by Bear. I had a black greatbear in mystic-jockeying, and I had a bear here too. Maybe I was fated to be around bears.

“All right, let’s get started. End of term exams aren’t far off, so really put your backs into it.”

In our second year of general magic, there was a big increase in the range of spells we used. Most importantly, we started using spells that required coordinating with other people. You could say they were smaller versions of synchronized spells. They involved two or three people combining their power to make a bigger spell. The general magic students with the best grades already had experience with synchronized spells, because they used a large-scale one at last year’s academy festival. That, of course, had involved me.

There were three types of spells that required coordination. The first involved everyone using the same spell, then bundling them together. The second had one person as a sort of conductor, to whom everyone else transferred their mana. The third variety was what we used at the academy festival, where everyone controlled their own spells to give the appearance of one greater spell.

Here, we were using the first type. It was a lot of work, because everyone had to harmonize their spells. I had three students assigned to me, and there was something I didn’t quite understand. While my grades were among the best, I had been assigned three people with less than stellar marks. Bear said the top students could learn a lot from guiding the lower-ranked students. Damn him—he probably just didn’t want to do it himself.

One of the three was a boy, Roselt Yasets. The other two were girls, Shinsea Dorza, and Wizelle Ohiveid. But I had bigger concerns than their names.

“Now then,” I began, “as for the spell we’re supposed to—”

“Excuse me? Why do I have to be taught by the likes of you?”

“He’s right. I’d much prefer to receive instructions from His Majesty.”

“We haven’t fallen so low that we need a class like this.”

I had to deal with, well, this, right out the gate. I didn’t know if they lacked motivation, or if they just didn’t feel like listening. These three had all started taking general magic this year. I thought they might be the sort the third prince had mentioned earlier, but it seemed I was wrong. They weren’t any better when interacting with Bear.

So what am I gonna do about this?

Option one: Give a rudimentary explanation, then abandon them on account of their lack of motivation.

Option two: Somehow persuade them.

Option three: Rule with an iron fist.

Personally, I was leaning toward option one. Except I saw Bear giving me that stupid grin of his, so maybe it would be option three after all? Option two? I threw that out there, but it was hardly realistic. Being a meathead, I preferred more physical methods of persuasion.

I started off by making it perfectly clear the position they were in.

“There’s a reason I’ve been put in charge of you three. You see, it’s because your grades are bad. Do you all get that? Meanwhile, my general magic grades were the best in my year.”

I said this with a big grin and a haughty voice, which they found intimidating for some reason. Three months had passed since the new school year began, and in that period, these three had never once scored passing marks. In other words, they were falling way behind.

It might surprise you, but Bear was actually good at teaching. Anyone who paid attention and followed his instructions should’ve had no trouble getting passing scores. If they were struggling to even keep up, then it meant they weren’t doing a good job listening. I really wanted to know why they were taking this class in the first place. If they wanted to learn spells, there were other magic-related classes they could’ve taken.

Whatever the case, as they had just made abundantly clear, they didn’t have any respect for Bear or me. At this point, giving them a taste of reality seemed like a good idea.

Though my high and mighty act was putting them on the back foot, they still knew how to run their mouths.

“Urgh. E-Even still, don’t think you can act like you’re better than the son of a viscount!”

“Oh? If that’s how it’s going to be, I’ll have you know I’m the daughter of an earl.”

Everyone knew that earls held higher status than viscounts. Even if the rank card could work here, it wouldn’t for him. However, the trio all gave me nasty grins like they had been waiting for this moment.

“Hmph. Don’t get ahead of yourself when you’re nothing more than an illegitimate child!”

“He’s right.”

“Someone like you is well beneath us.”

Oho? Illegitimate child, am I?

Speaking of which, my half sister Ribbons was in this class. I glanced her way and saw her smiling at us. Was she the one who had gone and made this more complicated than it needed to be?

“While I’ll deny that, more importantly, if you don’t have any desire to take this class, you should quit. You can still change your electives midway through the term.”

“Don’t make fun of us!”

The moment Roselt Yasets finished his sentence, he attacked me with the spell we were supposed to be doing. Since it was a spell that was meant for at least two people, it wasn’t hard to cast it solo. Nonetheless, it could still hurt pretty bad if it hit. If it hit.

The spell fizzled out a few inches from me.

“Wha?!”

It wasn’t the caster himself, but instead the two girls who were shocked.

“If you improve your magic, you can do things like this,” I said. “Now then, I’ll return the favor.”

I prepared a cast with three times the strength of his and unleashed it.

“Eeek!”

Of course I didn’t hit him. I dissipated the mana at the last moment. Not that any of the trio saw it; they were all covering their heads and had their eyes tightly shut.

Looking down at them, I asked with a laugh, “Now, do you want to keep this up?”

They started crying. If this was enough to bring out the tears, they shouldn’t have picked this fight in the first place.

The end of term exam for general magic wasn’t going to involve any spells that required cooperation. That was for the final exams. However, you couldn’t get any credits if you still couldn’t manage a coordinated spell before next year’s exam.

Not that I cared if those three had to repeat a year.

“If that happens, it’ll make you look bad,” Bear told me. We were chatting in his prep room after class.

“That’s not fair at all!”

I can’t believe this.

“Nothing odd about it. In any elective, the students with the better grades have to give their less talented peers a helping hand.”

“Don’t give me this role I didn’t ask for.”

“Just accept it. It’s academy policy.”

Damn.

“Did you know those three all think I’m House Duval’s illegitimate child? They’re never going to listen to me.”

“If you have to, feel free to beat the snot out of them if you think it’ll make ’em listen. You can just heal ’em afterward.”

I had a tendency to forget that Bear was also from the community of meatheads.

“Besides,” he continued, “it’s not just because they think you’re an illegitimate child that they don’t listen to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Those twerps are from the noble faction.”

“Uuugh.”

Our parents’ faction affiliations were getting in the way of classes? What did they think this place was? Well, not that I had any particular attachment to what this place was or wasn’t.

“And you see, if they’re part of the noble faction, it’s possible they’re acquainted with that dimwit from House Nogdeid.”

That moron, huh?

He might not have been much, but he was backed by the marquess at the head of the noble faction. In which case, it wasn’t that strange that students from the same faction might do as he said to curry favor, or sporadically do things that might make him happy. So when they called me an illegitimate child, maybe they didn’t actually believe it, but just wanted to deride me?

“This pisses me off,” I said. “I guess I should just take care of this the Peylon way?”

“Just don’t go overboard.”

“If I feel like it.”

I probably won’t feel like it.

With that, I secured permission from Bear for a certain idea I had. He seemed oddly pleased, but I ignored that. I was looking forward to our next class.

General magic was split evenly between textbook learning and application. Today was the latter. On these days, we would practice in an outdoor arena. It was the same one used during mystic-jockeying classes, which was just perfect for me.

On the fringes of the arena, I stood opposite three people. It was the same trio I had been assigned earlier. We were close to the walls of the circular facility, so I was pretty sure we wouldn’t be a nuisance to the other students. Again, pretty sure.

“You again?”

“We want to be taught by someone of a respectable background.”

“Would you please learn to understand that? Oh, maybe I’m asking too much of someone improperly raised.”

They certainly weren’t keeping their feelings to themselves. But I was in a good mood, so I let it slide.

“Listen up team, do you know what you lack? Muscle!”

“Huh?” they all said in unison.

“In order to make up for this deficiency, I’ve brought with me a powerful assistant! Gonsuke! Come on out!”

“Gooan!”

My very smart bear had been patiently hiding in the stands until I called for him. How do you hide such a large creature? You cover him with an optical barrier of course! Flying from the stands, Gonsuke made a smooth landing, eliciting screams from the trio and the other students.

“What is that?!”

“Wha?! A black greatbear? What’s it doing here?”

“Ah, it’s got one of those collars they put on mounts?”

“Then does that mean it’s a mount? I suppose it’s fine then.”

I knew I could count on general magic students to quickly recover. The only people still freaking out were the trio before me. I guess seeing a mysticstock up close could be pretty terrifying.

“Today, you three will be running laps around the arena for me. Gonsuke and I will be chasing after you.”

“Gooan.”

“And don’t get any funny ideas about trying to escape.”

Following that, the arena was filled with some very pleasant shrieks.

“H-Help meee!”

“AAAGH!”

“EEK!”

If they can scream, they’ve still got plenty of energy. No need to let up on the reins yet.

“Ha ha ha, run, run. If you stop, you’ll get flattened by Gonsuke.”

“Gon gon!”

As they ran around the edge of the arena Gonsuke followed slowly behind. This is what I had secured permission from Bear for the other day. He gave the okay under the condition that if Gonsuke did hurt them in some freak accident, then I would take responsibility for it and heal them. Bear handled getting the approval of the mystic-jockeying instructor. He said it would go better if a fellow instructor asked for approval. He could be pretty sharp sometimes, that Bear.

Since those three had once again decided to show me no respect, I incorporated some classic Peylon-style methods into our training. The first rule of Peylon-style training was to temper the mind and body before learning any magic. Muscles can solve any problem, hence my decision to make them run around the arena. I brought along Gonsuke since I didn’t think they’d listen to me otherwise.

Not only was he big—he had a terrifying face, making him perfect for giving a fear-induced jolt. After one roar, all three of them started hoofing it. Using barriers, I formed a lane parallel to the edge of the arena, and ran them along it. Behind them was Gonsuke, on one side was the wall, and on the other was a barrier. There would be no escaping for them.

“I-I can’t...”

“I’m dying...”

“Ahhh, no more!”

If they can wail, they’ve still got plenty of energy. Here, I’ll use a recovery spell.

Those could also be used to recover fatigue, but they’d leave you with some insane muscle aches later. After about ten laps around the arena, all three were on the ground.

“Wh-Why is this happening to me?”

The one boy still had enough energy to complain, but the girls were dead silent.

“That’s what I’d like to know,” I said. “I already told you, don’t take this class if you aren’t serious about it.”

“I-I just wanted to put that commoner in his place! It’s not right for a mere commoner to teach the nobility!”

What the heck?

So they basically just want to harass a teacher that wasn’t going to pamper them? I hadn’t the slightest as to how they thought that was going to work when they were so out of shape. They needed to focus on building up their bodies. If they did that, they wouldn’t have time to think up harebrained schemes.

They ended up spending the entire class period being chased around by the bear. While I gave them several breaks, by the end of class they were unable to speak and had a vacant look in their eyes. I’ll say it again: Muscles are the solution to everything!

Once class was over, the students all left the arena, but I stayed behind to clean off Gonsuke and cast a spell to smooth out his fur.

“Great work out there, Gonsuke. Thank you.”

“Gon!”

“You were so good, but those three just had to be difficult. You might need to chase them around again, so I’ll be counting on you if that happens.”

“Gon gon!”

Just as I was about to return my bear to the stables, Bear appeared behind me.

“Hey, Lera.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure about this?”

About what? Give me a sentence with a proper subject.

Well, I could tell he was probably worried Gonsuke might attack one of them.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Even if one of them gets nibbled on, I can heal them right away.”

Won’t even leave a scar.

“You should probably train that bear to not go nibbling on people.”

“He is trained. Accidents just happen sometimes.”

Accidents are very scary. You can take the necessary precautions, yet incidents can still happen at no fault of your own.

But man, those three are really out of shape. It might be a while before we do anything besides running.

That evening, I was heading to the cafeteria with Lanmia and Luchirs per my usual routine, when I heard a voice behind me.

“Just one moment. You’re the Duval from general magic, are you not?”

Turning around, I saw four girls I didn’t recognize, and behind them the two girls I had been forced to work with in general magic. The quartet in front all had blue ribbons. Fourth-years, in other words.

“I’m afraid there are two Duvals in general magic,” I answered with a grin.

“Excuse me?!”

Well, considering the two in the back, I was probably the Duval they were looking for. One of the four in front, who I assumed was the one to call out to me, was going red in the face—probably because she hadn’t expected me to talk back.

“You are Lowell Duval, correct?”

“That is correct.”

So you are looking for me. Shoulda said so at the start.

One of the fourth-years folded her arms and pointed her chin at me. “There’s something we need to talk to you about.”

“Well, I can hardly reciprocate, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Huh?! H-Hey, wait!”

Why did she think I would do whatever she said just because she was an older student? Utterly baffling.

“I told you to wait!”

“I will not wait. The dorm’s cafeteria isn’t open all night. If I miss dinner on account of your business with me, will you take responsibility?”

“I beg your pardon?”

The dorm had fairly strict rules, particularly when it came to schedules. There were set times for breakfast and dinner, and if you didn’t show up, you would be shut out. I wasn’t thrilled at the idea of missing dinner for some random student I didn’t know.

“Listen, you!”

“Quiet in the dorm. Don’t blame me if you anger the dorm manager.”

“Urgh.”

Interestingly, all this noise was coming from one person, even though there were three other fourth-years. I couldn’t tell if they were better behaved or if they simply didn’t feel like opening their mouths.

Meanwhile, Lanmia and Luchirs were showing polar opposite reactions. Lanmia appeared absolutely fascinated by this exchange, while Luchirs seemed quite concerned about my back talking. She didn’t need to worry; resisting an older student’s unreasonable demands wasn’t the sort of thing that could get you expelled. Also, the small camera in my brooch was running, so I could verify everything.

Completely oblivious, the crowd of six followed us into the cafeteria, and the girl at the head wasn’t getting any quieter.

“More importantly, you’re the one bullying these two during class!”

“Bullying? Oh, table for three, please.”

The host approached us, so I asked for a table. It seemed like they pieced together the situation, because they went off to prepare our seats without question.

“Don’t play dumb! Did you not make these two as well as the Yasets boy run until they could barely move?!”

“What of it?”

“Wha?!”

Again, she recoiled as if she didn’t expect me to talk back. Like, of course, I’m not going to sit quietly and take it. What status did she think she had because she had been born two years before me? Adding in the years from my previous life, I was far her senior, but since I couldn’t just say that, I had to make a more conventional argument.

“The instructor entrusted me with the task of guiding those three, so that’s what I did,” I explained. “Furthermore, I had permission to teach in whatever manner I felt was appropriate. If they have any complaints, they should change electives or speak with the instructor.” Just as I finished saying my piece, our table was ready. “Now then, if you’ll excuse me.”

“H-Hold it!”

“What a racket.”

Oh? I recognize that voice. Ohh, in comes Besheallina, fiancée of the second prince.

She had entered the cafeteria with three girls in tow. I didn’t know if they were her friends or lackeys, but they and Besheallina all shared the same disdainful glare.

“I heard a voice loud enough to reach beyond the cafeteria. That’s hardly something you should hear from a lady. I hope you understand Miss Shenoa will be none too happy.”

“B-Besheallina! I’m—”

“I need no excuses.”

Ooh, I knew she wouldn’t play around.

The sextet, particularly the one barking girl, were all giving me some nasty looks of their own before they scattered. I just hoped nothing would come of it later.

The next day, I had lunch with Colny and Loks, on account of Lanmia and Luchirs both being occupied with private repasts—some end of year tradition. My two friends’ houses were “factionless,” as they referred to it. According to them, they couldn’t get into any factions because their houses weren’t major political players. However, there were still relatives and children from allied families at the academy, so they found themselves invited to private repasts. A parent’s social life could change a lot about their child’s.

That was when something occurred to Colny, making her interrupt my bustling train of thought.

“Oh, that’s right,” she said, “we’ve been invited to a private repast the day after tomorrow.”

“Hm? Including me?”

“Naturally. It’s a meal for the royal faction, and it’s being hosted by Shenavaroa.”

That was the crown prince’s fiancée. After observing last year’s Lineka Hogultar kerfuffle, Ville had snagged me and put me in a room with Shenavaroa. Ever since, we would exchange greetings when passing each other in the academy and the dorm.

The girls that followed her around, I might add, were potential candidates to be future ladies-in-waiting at the royal palace. They were all exceedingly courteous to me, though interactions with them felt somewhat impersonal.

I hadn’t known this, but apparently, royal palace ladies-in-waiting didn’t do the sort of work maids did, but were more like aides to people such as the crown prince and the queen consort—secretaries of a sort. Therefore, academic achievements were a part of the selection process. This explained why Shenavaroa was always surrounded by smart girls.

That reminds me, Besheallina came to my rescue just yesterday.

But more importantly, why was Shenavaroa inviting me to a repast? Colny had just told me that the royal faction didn’t hold these sorts of things.

Colny noticed my visible confusion. “This is a special occasion,” she said like she couldn’t believe she had to. “Here, my brother and I are both going to be representing our house. Since she’ll enter the royal palace upon graduating, I believe Shenavaroa wants to take this time to strengthen our bonds.”

Well, that made sense. But we didn’t do this last year. Was that because Colny’s social debut was closing in?

“But if my house is on a steady decline, why is she inviting me?” I asked.

Colny gave me a slightly troubled smile. “That’s exactly why. While you’re not an adult yet, academy students are treated as quasi members of society.”

I think she was tacitly implying I would inherit my house once I became an adult. It was a possibility at least.

“Will other children from the royal faction be there?” I asked.

“I haven’t been informed either way.”

“I’m betting not,” Loks said, joining the conversation.

“What makes you say that, brother?”

“The room they’ve reserved is one of the smaller ones. It can’t be easy inviting everyone in the faction, so I think they’re narrowing it down to us, since we’re from a major house.”

“Yet Lera’s also been invited?”

“Lera’s an exception.”

There it is, I’m an exception.

The day of the repast was upon us. Loks was right; we were shown to a room empty but for the three of us. Except the table struck me as awfully large, and there were more than four chairs.

“Do you think Besheallina will also be here?” I suggested.

“That still wouldn’t account for so many chairs,” Colny answered.

True enough.

Shenavaroa, Besheallina, Loks, Colny, and I made five. Yet there were eight chairs. Who could the last three be for?

“Could it be—”

Before Loks could finish his sentence, someone entered.

Hm?

“Ville?”

Entering was Loks and Colny’s older brother, Ville.

“It’s been what? Three months?” he said. “Are you all doing well?”

“You’ll be joining us?” Colny asked.

“You almost sound like you don’t want me here,” he said, grinning sardonically for some reason. “His Highness brought me along. Since you three don’t leave the academy much, I haven’t seen any of you since the hunting festival.”

He wasn’t wrong. On weekends, some students would return to residences in the royal capital, but going back and forth like that was a pain, and we spent our days off lounging around our rooms instead. Besides, even if Loks and Colny did go home, they still wouldn’t see their older brother very much. He was preparing to inherit House Aspozat on top of serving as an aide to the crown prince, which kept him more than a little busy.

Loks placed his hand thoughtfully against his chin. “So the crown prince will be gracing us with his presence as well. Now then, does that mean Prince Lumers will be kind enough to join us as well?”

“Yeah, they’re off fetching their fiancées.”

That explains the eight seats. So this means two princes, huh? We’re getting very royal in here.

Shortly after, the crown and second prince both arrived with their respective fiancées, and it was time to eat. Another scrumptious meal. We mostly made small talk while we ate, but once it was time for dessert, the crown prince said something unexpected to me.

“I hear a son of House Nogdeid has been giving you trouble.”

“Hm?”

That could be the dimwit older brother or the upstanding younger brother, but if he said “giving you trouble” then it had to be the former.

How come his highness knows about that? Oh, maybe Shenavaroa told him.

Glancing at her, I saw a subtle, vexed smile on her face.

“Just so you know, I didn’t hear about it from Roa,” he said. “Actually, it’d be more accurate to say I also heard about it from Roa.”

Hm? Not just her? Then who?

Ah.

“I heard about it from Lord Aspozat. It seems the marquess filed a formal protest against House Nogdeid.”

“I requested that my father file it,” Loks answered. “You’ll forgive me if I found his behavior unbearable. I assume the way he acts is a result of poor discipline at House Nogdeid.”

“Is that it? Typically, a student’s poor etiquette stays within the academy. Though I suppose in this case, it’s in Reswell’s best interests.”

Your Highness, I would greatly appreciate it if you didn’t glance at me when you said that.

“Your Highness, please, that’s enough of this foolishness. Can’t you tell Lowell is having a hard time?”

Oh, Shenavaroa isn’t too happy with her fiancé.

“Is she now?”

Okay, that doesn’t mean you should turn the conversation— Wait. This concerns me. Of course they’re turning the conversation to me.

“It’s a nuisance,” I stated.

I don’t know why, but that caused all the men to pause.

“She’s a very frank one,” the second prince said mirthfully.

“Don’t forget that she was raised in Peylon,” Loks replied in a similar tone.

Is it just me, or is there more to those smiles? Like, “She was raised among meatheads, so of course she’s unladylike.” That sort of thing. Well, I know how I am, so I guess I shouldn’t let it bother me.

“Either way,” the crown prince continued, “this must be a terrible humiliation for Viscount Nogdeid, forcing him to reeducate his older son. Terrible enough that the viscount’s grandfather won’t interfere.”

His tone shifted during that last sentence. The dimwit brother’s grandfather—no, it was his great-grandfather, wasn’t it? The man in question ran the noble faction. I got the feeling these two members of the royal family weren’t too fond of the old man. Granted, considering the attitude of his great-grandson, that was kind of obvious.

“I suppose we should allow Lord Aspozat to take care of the Nogdeid matter,” the crown prince finished.

That does sound like the best option, but will that stop him from pestering me at the academy?

“Your Highness,” Loks said, picking up on my concerns, “if he does accost Lera again, would you allow her the option of using force?”

“I’ll allow it. Do what you like.”

Huh? You sure about this?

“Your Highness, are you certain of this?” Ville said. It seemed I wasn’t the only one surprised. “A counterattack from Lera could leave him with serious injuries.”

I won’t say you’re wrong, but isn’t there a better way you could’ve phrased that?

“If he comes to harm, it’ll be his own fault.”

The crown prince didn’t waver in his response. The second prince, meanwhile, looked a bit uncomfortable.

“If that happens, brother, won’t the great-grandfather get involved?”

“If his great-grandson gets beat by a younger girl, I’m sure even that old bastard Bilbroza will stay out.”

Your Highness, language. Shenavaroa’s mood is not getting any better.

The second prince, on the other hand, was smiling at him. These brothers really had a bone to pick with Lord Bilbroza.

After getting a quiet scolding from his fiancée, the crown prince cleared his throat. “Well, my point is, I think it’s fine if you resort to force if someone from that house gives you trouble.”

“Brother, should she assume that goes for all houses?” the second prince asked, throwing a wrench in the conversation.

“Hm? Are there other houses making life difficult for her?”

“Indeed, such as in general magic.” He turned and winked at me. “Right?”

Your Highness, how do you know about—oh.

I remembered that their younger brother, the third prince, was in that class. He must’ve been his brother’s source. So had only the second prince heard of it?

“General magic? Did someone interfere with lessons?”

“Yes, but maybe rejected them would be more accurate?”

The crown prince was only growing more confused. “Tell me more.”

“Well, I’m told that in general magic, the students with better grades help instruct the students with poorer grades.”

“Right; at the academy’s encouragement, that happens all the time in other electives.”

“Her marks in general magic are quite good. Better than Shenille’s.”

“Oh, I see. I take it those underachievers are from the noble faction? But aren’t they only hurting themselves?”

“Truly. They’ve been unable to keep up with lessons, and have requested to transfer to different classes.”

“A bunch of fools. Did they just pick a class without considering their skills?”

“They’re all still fourteen—not even adults. Is it really odd that they don’t yet know what they’re good at?”

“Even so.”

What followed was a very long and heated debate between the two princes regarding how best to pick electives. Thanks to them, dessert was further delayed. I was starting to worry that I’d end up having to leave for my afternoon classes without any sweets.

But at long last, my dessert was placed before me! It came in the form of a fruit tart; the ingredients probably came from a region that could export fruit even during the winter. Some domains in the kingdom used magic to produce warm weather crops throughout the year, and fruits accounted for a large portion of those products.

The technology, by the way, was provided by the institute. In other words, it was my idea. What they used wasn’t a greenhouse, but a house made from the insulating sap of a certain monstrous tree. The fruits weren’t as large when grown out of season, but their flavor was all the stronger for it.

They’re sooo goood.

The recipe came from Peylon. While the crust was already common enough, I heard Peylon was the first to develop custard cream. Naturally the recipe for that—and pudding—came from me. Though I couldn’t remember exact recipes, I knew the ingredients, so Castle Varchudar’s head pastry—I mean, the patissier was able to replicate them.

Speaking of which, she was going to open a shop, wasn’t she? Oh, now’s not the time for that. I should be focusing on the fruit tart in front of me.

We didn’t say much over our desserts, but once those were finished and the coffee was brought out, the crown prince hit us with a curveball.

“By the way, Ville, how’s Yuin doing?”

He means the black knight, right?

After his sudden inclusion in the hunting festival, he had stayed in Peylon, but I wasn’t sure what had happened after that. Last I recalled, he was still in the forest when I left for the royal capital. Since Aspozat and Peylon were good friends, the Aspozat’s royal capital residence and Castle Varchudar both had transmitters so they could easily get in contact. This meant that if Ville wanted to know how the black knight was doing, it wouldn’t be hard for him to find out. The question was why did the crown prince care?

“About that.” Looking very aggrieved, Ville turned to me for some reason. “Lera, sorry to ask this of you, but could you write that moron a letter sometime soon? It doesn’t have to be anything special.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s determined to reach Layer Six of the Mystic Forest, and nobody’s been able to sway him.”

Huh? Six? How long is he gonna stay in Peylon?

The Mystic Forest was a massive area that covered Peylon’s eastern flank. The layers referred to the forest’s depths, each one a set distance from the entrance. The area near the entrance was Layer One. The deeper you went, the higher the layer.

“Wait, Ville,” the crown prince said before I could get a word in. “You mean the Mystic Forest’s layers, correct? How deep is Layer Six then?”

“Hm... Here. A one-way trip to Layer Six is eight hours. Though I guess you can reduce that by more than half if you use magic.”

“Layers correlate to distance from the entrance, right? So even a hastened trip is around four hours?”

That’s Layer Six for you. Heck, Layer Five was a pretty long trek. And with all the monsters and foliage, you couldn’t go on horseback; your only choice was to hoof it.

After a brief moment of contemplation, the crown prince gave an order to Ville. “Get Yuin back here immediately! Don’t waste a moment!”

This sure caught Shenavaroa off guard. “Your Highness! You’re asking the impossible.”

“Am I? The Aspozats maintain a portal that—”

“Your Highness!”

This time, her voice echoed.

Gotta watch what you say, Crown Prince. That portal is officially one-way.

The portal connected to the Aspozat residence was unique in that it worked both ways. However, it required a mana charge to use it, and there was a trick to how you did that. Simply loading it up with mana wouldn’t work; it was set to zap anyone who didn’t do it with the right rhythm. This was, of course, a trap to prevent misuse, made at my suggestion. At the time, Bear and Nielle had both called me a villain. But it wasn’t long before someone up to no good had come along and triggered the trap. Those two then changed their opinion of me.

Portal talk aside, the crown prince was now a bit sullen after being so strongly chided by Shenavaroa. While she was in on the portal secret, it appeared Besheallina had not been in the loop. That was a surprise. Though they were both engaged to princes, being engaged to the crown prince must’ve made a large difference.

The crown prince cleared his throat and gave another order. “What we just said doesn’t leave this room, everyone. Forget about it once you all leave.”

“As you wish,” we all replied.

Still, the Aspozat siblings had always been aware of the portal, and I had been involved in its development, so how could I not know? The second prince was part of the royal family, so I assumed he knew. In other words, though he said “everyone” he really only meant Besheallina.

“Now, Ville, I need you to take care of that knight.”

“I’ll have Lera write him a letter urging him to return to the royal capital. Bear with me for a bit.”

So that letter to the black knight was supposed to be one convincing him to come back.

What the heck are you doing out there, black knight?

Loks chuckled when he saw the distant look in my eyes. “Yuin’s pretty desperate, you know.”

Ville furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about, Loks?”

“Come now, you were the one who said it, brother.”

“Said what?”

“That if he couldn’t at least reach the same layer as Lera, then she wouldn’t even talk to him, much less consider any advances.”

“Ah.”

That’s right. The black knight did mention Ville said something like that. I forgot. And apparently, so did Ville!

“Ville. Did you really?”

The crown prince and second prince were both looking at him reproachfully, which he just had to endure.

So that’s how I ended up writing the black knight a letter that said “get your ass back to the royal capital” but coated in one hundred layers of sugar. I entrusted said letter to Ville.

“But will this really be enough to bring him back here?” I asked.

“I’m sure he’ll be back immediately if you promise to spend some time with him upon his return,” Loks said with a laugh.

Whaaat? I don’t wanna. He’s laughing! So that was a joke? Well, I’m not gonna try it! You hear me?! I didn’t say anything like that in my letter!

The day after the private repast, Ville headed straight to Peylon via portal, letter in hand. I was told he planned to return via portal as well. I wanted to tell him those weren’t meant to be used for every little inconvenience. If he kept that up, it wouldn’t be long before people stopped believing that the portal really was one-way. If that got out and caused trouble for Peylon and the institute, it would be his fault.

With the three troublemakers transferred to another elective, my Peylon-style lessons came to a disappointingly early end. And to my bafflement, with them gone, I just ended up with two new students to teach.

“We’ve been over this,” Bear said. “It’s the better students’ job to teach those falling behind. Think of it as another part of your education.”

“C’mon, I want to work on my own spells.”

“You can do that another time. These two should be much easier to herd than the last bunch.”

Herd?

Still, the last three really had no grit. All I did was make them run around for a bit.

“Yeah, well, you did make them run laps when they were here to learn magic.”

“You say it yourself all the time: You need to be strong if you want to learn magic.”

Muscles solve everything. Besides, those three didn’t have any motivation from the start. Look how little respect they had for us. Bear saw it too—they didn’t have the slightest interest.

“Well, they were no good, so it’s no loss for us.”

Guess you’re right.

Those three weren’t interested in learning anything, and it’s pretty hard to pick up anything in that state of mind. I didn’t know which class they switched to, but there was a good chance they would fall behind there as well. In fact, I hoped they would. May a curse be upon them. Like, if they cared about an instructor’s rank, they wouldn’t get anywhere in any class. Plenty of teachers came from families of barons or knights, and there were some commoners like Bear. If they kept fussing over pointless details, the academy might have them removed.

Hiring instructors regardless of their status was really something, especially when you realized the noble academy was the only school in Ozeria attended by nobles. This was per the wishes of the royal family. If those three couldn’t understand that, then good luck trying to make it in high society.

Among other things, winter was the season of end of term exams. Last year, I stupidly went and got good scores, thereby forcing me to take part in a royal ball the following February. I told myself that next year, I would let myself make a few mistakes, but then Sheila explicitly told me not to do that. For good measure, she just now sent me a letter containing a stark reminder.

“There’s no getting past our mother,” Colny remarked.

“She never fails,” Loks added.

Can you believe those two?

We were eating lunch in the academy cafeteria. Lanmia and Luchirs were eating with other people, which was common around this time of year. They weren’t at private repasts this time, but instead eating with their club friends. At times like these, joining a club sounded pretty nice, but my general aversion to difficult things made that pretty unlikely.

Just as I started to space out, Colny tilted her head and said, “But if you repeat what you did the prior year, your scores should be good this year as well, no? I’m sure you’ll have no difficulties.”

“I sure hope so.”

Frankly, general education subjects were no problem. Like the paper exams from my previous life, the range of questions didn’t fluctuate wildly, and the instructor always covered the important points during class. As long as you had a grasp on that, a good score was feasible.

The problem was electives.

“Even with electives,” I said, “I should be able to pull through for general magic, magic tools, and alchemy.”

General magic and magic tools both involved the same sort of stuff we did at the institute, so I just had to think of it as an extension of that. As for alchemy, that was a nifty craft that I couldn’t get enough of.

“That leaves mystic-jockeying and archery,” I said.

“I guess you should be fine as long as you don’t outright fail, right?” Loks suggested. “You’ll just have to do well on the other subjects.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage,” Colny assured me.

That sure sounded different coming from two people who had always been among the best in their grades. Still, starting this year, mystic-jockeying would involve practical exams for me. That would be a big change. Previously, I had only been able to take the written and oral exams, forcing me to make sure I didn’t make a single mistake. But now I had Gonsuke! Archery, meanwhile, I should be able to pass, even if I was no match for Loks’s performance.

The days passed quickly, and before I knew it, the end of term exams were upon us. During this period, all classes were canceled to let students focus on their exams. Sort of like middle and high school exams from my previous life. All tests happened in the morning, even for electives, which were usually in the afternoon.

My first exam was mystic-jockeying.

“Finally. I can finally take a proper exam.”

“Gon.”

“Thank you, Gonsuke. This couldn’t have happened without you.”

“Gon gon!”

Unless I was imagining it, the instructor was also tearing up. Unsurprisingly, the other students were watching us from a very safe distance.

Gonsuke won’t do anything bad. He’s a good boy.

“Now then, Duval, it’s your turn!”

Mystic-jockeying classes naturally focused on riding techniques, but also taught the handling and care of mysticstock. The most important of those lessons was how to calm your mount if it lost control.

“Duval, you’ll be exempted from the calming test, as you’ve proven yourself capable on the first day. Again during general magic, you displayed perfect control over your mount.”

“Gon!”

“Certainly.”

You’re getting awfully full of yourself, Gonsuke. Remember that I had to rein you in on your first day because you were disobedient? Don’t forget that.

Sensing just a bit of pressure in my gaze, Gonsuke shrank back. Whether man or mysticstock, humility was important.

“You’ve also shown during classes that you can take care of a mount. Right, for today’s test, how about you show me how fast that black greatbear can go?”

All right! So does this mean I just need to make Gonsuke run as fast as possible?

Not wasting a moment, I got on my bear and ran around the edge of the arena. We started off slowly, gradually increasing our speed.

Oh, this feels nice.

It was winter, so the wind was cold, but even that felt nice in my state of excitement. Together, Gonsuke and I became the wind. After we got a little carried away and ran ten laps, the instructor finally stopped us.

“I know you enjoy riding the black greatbear, but there are other students.”

“Oh, my apologies.”

The instructor had to get around to every student before the period was over. I sympathized. But thanks to Gonsuke’s valiant efforts, I got a great score. It’s incredible what a good bear can do.

The next test was archery. I felt like I had gotten a bit rusty, but still got a score I could recover from. I’d just have to give it my all on the remaining tests.

The first day was only two subjects, but because the test periods were long, it was already noon by the time we were done.

Time to get ready for tomorrow!

The next day started with general magic. For whatever reason, the practical exam had me casting a group spell by myself. The normal test just required you to use two spells of different varieties in succession. I had no clue why I had my own special exam, but I sure hadn’t asked for it.

“You’ve got more than enough mana for four people,” Bear said with a grin.

“I guess that’s true, yeah.”

“Look, this spell’s real good in a fight.”

“I’ve used it before; you don’t need to tell me.”

I had cast this spell plenty of times while hunting in the Mystic Forest. Back then, I hadn’t even heard of “coordinated” magic. Heck, I was pretty sure it was Bear who first taught me this spell.

“Oh yeah, I did, didn’t I?”

The guffawing moron. Gonsuke was cute, but there was nothing endearing about this bear.

So I gave him what he wanted. By myself, I cast a coordinated spell meant for four people. Going for looks, I used fire, and man, the pillar of flame that reached for the sky sure was beautiful. I had used water in the Mystic Forest, since fire was off the table there.

I wasn’t the only one who did this; anyone who wanted to could try to cast a coordinated spell solo and let that be their exam. Of course, all the top students succeeded.

“If you can’t do it now,” Bear announced, “I’ll make sure that you can at least do a two-person spell solo before the end of the next term.”

Everyone at the lower end of the bell curve let out a wail.

“Don’t worry,” I tried to assure them, “once you get used to it, it’s not hard at all.”

The third prince looked at me agog. “Maybe so, but a four-person spell must be impossible.”

“Hmm? Do you think so? I think it’s more than feasible.”

Funny that the prince would say that, considering that he could manage a three-person spell. It was just a matter of acclimation.

For magic tools, I used my devil-tusk shells from Peylon to make a music box that was pleasing to the eye. Devil-tusk shells, sort of like mother-of-pearl, were a common material used in making accessories. Though they had brutal exteriors, once you peeled away—or rather, hammered away—the exterior, the insides were quite pretty.

Instead of clockwork, the music box ran on mana. I thought about bringing it to the institute to see if they’d be interested in selling them.

Working with the shells was fun, and caught the eyes of the other girls. Not only were they used for decoration, but by shaving the shells down thin, I used them to produce sound too. I had found that when used right, the shells could produce pleasant sounds, which was where I got the idea for the music box. These were, after all, monster materials. Even thinned down, they were sturdy, and didn’t bend or break easily.

Once I’ve compiled what I know about this surprising trait, I’ll send it off to the institute.

The magic tools instructor wanted me to register it under the academy’s name, but I had to politely decline. If I was going to sell these, I’d be better off going through the institute.

For alchemy, I made an antidote for plant toxins. I got good scores in both magic tools and alchemy, and I hardly need to say how I did in general magic. Thus my scores were once again among the best. Not that I really wanted that though, it’s just that if I didn’t, I’d incur Sheila’s wrath. Truly a dilemma.

Regardless, with tests behind us, I could enjoy the break that followed, which I’d be once again spending at the Aspozat residence.

It would appear I have a busy winter break ahead of me.

“Have you been measured for your dress?”

“Do you have your accessories in order?”

“When will your shoes be ready?”

“Don’t forget your bag.”

“Oh! Your fan!”

I would be enjoying the Aspozat’s hospitality for the short break, but when I arrived, I found pell and mell.

“What’s all this noise?” I wondered aloud.

Loks laughed at me. “Did you forget, Lera? Next February is Colny’s social debut.”

“Ah!”

They’re getting ready for that now?! I mean, I get that dresses and whatnot take a while to make.

So that was it. They were getting next year’s dress ready. Asking about it some more, it turned out they had been preparing since this spring. Just last fall, she had been in a predebut, as well as making appearances at tea and garden parties.

Watching everyone rush around, I voiced my honest opinion. “Must be rough.”

That was when Colny, who had returned to the residence ahead of us, made her appearance. “Oh Lera, you say that as though it has nothing to do with you. We’ll be getting a dress for you too.”

“Wha? Oh. Since my grades were so high...”

From each grade, the ten students with the highest scores were given top tier treatment. Namely, said students were invited to a royally sponsored ball that would be held the following February. Having easily crossed that threshold, I would once again be participating.

“Be sure to enjoy it, just as you did last year.”

Colny, there’s no need to say it with such a satisfied smirk.

I ended up getting my measurements taken alongside Colny. Though I hadn’t noticed it, I had grown a fair bit taller.

“We’ll have to have your uniform adjusted,” Sheila murmured.

“I grew that much?”

It’s my own body, but I really hadn’t noticed it. Probably because my uniform had already been a bit large on me. But now that she mentioned it, it had grown tighter around the shoulders, and the hem of the skirt was higher. My stats were indeed growing, and yet the growth rate of my chest defense was decidedly still lacking. What was this? Was I fated for flatness? Was I going to be small-chested two worlds in a row?

Augh! I don’t need this sort of debuff!

I only needed one dress made, but Colny was getting multiple. Just the measuring required her to jump through all sorts of hoops, and it didn’t look fun at all.

I got my measurements over quickly so I could take a seat next to Sheila. Still in measurement land, Colny looked utterly drained. That’s probably why she told me, “Around this time next year, you’ll be doing the same thing.”

You’re staring really intensely.

“Don’t say unsettling things, Colny.”

“You might as well use this year you have to make plenty of dresses.”

She wanted to drag me into her fatigue vortex.

“What are you saying?” Sheila said with exasperation. “If she’s grown so much in a single year, her size might change again before next.”

“I see no reason for Lera to get any taller,” Colny said through pursed lips.

Well I did. If I was going to be slender, I might as well be tall. Yeah, that’s a better word than flat-chested. Slender. The more you know. Though I guess Colny didn’t care for the thought that I might grow taller than her.

“I’d much prefer it if Lera remains cute as she is.”

I know it’s funny coming from me, but I think you’re the only person who might describe me as cute.

Sheila’s wry smile backed up this assertion. Besides, my association with Peylon had given me a reputation as an irregularity. That’s what happens when you start entering the Mystic Forest at age seven. I set a new record for youngest person to enter the forest, and that record was yet to be broken.

With measurement hell over, I was set free for snack time. We had started in the morning, yet somehow barely finished in time for afternoon tea. Of course Colny was tired. Just sitting in on that had left me exhausted. Struggling to stay upright, Sheila, Colny, and I enjoyed some tea and baked treats in the family drawing room.

“Oh, I just remembered, I was told Sir Yuin finally returned to the royal capital.”

This came as a surprise to Colny and me.

“Huh?”

“Is that true, mother?”

It was still before exams when Ville had asked me to write him a letter telling him to come back to the royal capital. I thought he’d come right back, but that was more than two weeks ago.

“I hear he was spending days at a time in the Mystic Forest,” Colny said. “Ville said he had made considerable progress on Layer Five.”

Oh hoh.

Here I was, forced to return to the academy and unable to enter the forest. It frustrated me.

Ignoring my poor mood, Colny asked, “Do you suppose Sir Yuin took a liking to Peylon?”

“Who’s to say?”

Sheila please stop it with that meaningful look.

Our short break was over all too quickly, bringing me back to the academy for a new term. Going from the Aspozat residence to the academy by carriage didn’t even take fifteen minutes. We left shortly after noon, so the sun was still high in the sky. Arriving at my dorm room, I found the door marked with signs of a trespassing attempt.

Which one of you did this? Who tried to force their way? I’ve got video evidence.

“Oh, Ribbons?”

On the monitor I saw Ribbons, and unless I was mistaken, she had gained more ribbons. What was that idiot doing? Looking at the date, it appeared she returned early so she could try to bust into my room. In which case, one very upset stomach would keep her at bay for the time being. This wasn’t even the first time she had triggered the trap. Some people just never learn.

In the video, she rattled the knob, then kicked the door when she saw that it wasn’t opening. Was this girl really raised in the house of an earl? Okay, I know, I didn’t have any room to talk. But even though I was raised among musclebrains, kicking a door would’ve incurred the fiery wrath of Sheebis the caretaker.

Either way, she was causing a ruckus, getting in my business. Presumably the black knight was the cause of this? Or maybe the third prince? Whoever it was, she was barking up the wrong tree. Except Ribbons wasn’t the listening type.

“And that’s the gist of it.”

As a matter of course, I reported the Ribbons trespassing incident to Colny. Though we could’ve talked about this in the cafeteria, she thought I might want to talk to my friends, so we met up in her room.

“How dreadful. What do you suppose she was trying to accomplish?”

“For now, all I know is that she wanted to enter my room.”

I didn’t know what she would’ve done if she had made it in. After she tried to accuse me of stealing her grades, there wasn’t much nonsense she could get up to that would surprise me.

“I wonder if she thought it up herself, or if her father put her up to it,” Colny wondered. “Perhaps we should notify Loks.”

She then got up and headed to her desk. She pulled out a...transmitter?

“Oh? You’ve got a transmitter?”

“Mother lent it to me. She thought I may need to contact my brothers at some point.”

Which would imply Ville and Loks both had one as well.

After a brief discussion over the transmitter, Colny put me on.

“My brother wants to talk to you.”

I took the receiver and spoke.

“Moshimoshi, Lera speaking.”

“You still open with that odd greeting.”

Through the receiver, I heard Loks’s mirthful voice.

“I hear Darnir Duval tried to break into your room?”

“That’s right. Just like with Miss Cucumis and her gang, I have it recorded.”

“Miss Cucumis? Oh. The Nallison girl. If you have footage, be sure to hang on to it. There might be a use for it.”

“All riiight.”

What sort of use? I was too afraid to ask.

“That’s right, Lera.”

“Yes?”

“Is the door mechanism still there?”

“Trap? You mean the thing that gives them an upset stomach? Yes, it’s still active.”

“I see. Then as long as that spell is in effect, she shouldn’t be any trouble.”

“I hope so.”

Only that wasn’t the first time Ribbons had tripped it.

That evening, I was having a lively chat with my friends about our break.

“I’m so jealous, Lowell. You were with both Winville and Loksusad, right?”

“Both were busy most of the break, so I barely spent any time with them.”

“Is that so? But you ate meals with them, didn’t you? Ahh, I wanna eat with theeeeem.”

Lanmia’s fervor for the Aspozat brothers hadn’t dissipated. Next to her, Luchirs was very tired. Apparently these two had spent the break together. Their mothers were good friends, so they had been visiting each other since they were young.

“That’s right, this is something I heard from my mother,” Lanmia said, lowering voice. “That boy from the viscount’s family was bothering Lera, right?”

“Oh, the older son of Viscount Nogdeid,” Luchirs added.

That’d be the dimwit brother. Wonder what happened to him.

“I hear he caused quite a bit of havoc throughout town.”

“What?”

According to Lanmia, he and his friends went on a rampage through a shopping district during the break. Not only that, they took things and didn’t pay for them, like they were common robbers or something.

That moron is a noble, isn’t he? I’m sure he isn’t struggling for money.

“They went into a shop and took items on display without paying. I hear it was a shop mostly used by commoners,” Lanmia continued, answering the questions in my head. “He then told the shopkeeper, ‘A man of the nobility is deigning to use your shop. Let your tears be ones of joy.’”

What the hell? Is everyone in the noble faction like that?

“Supposedly a fair number of academy students witnessed it, so I’m sure they’re talking all about it in the boys’ dorm.”

Lanmia sneaked a glance at our surroundings. Perhaps she thought the other tables were discussing the same gossip. With just a little bit of auditory focus, I gave it a listen.

“So they say. I can’t believe it.”

“He might be the great-grandson of Marquess Bilbroza, but he can’t get away with everything.”

“Oh, I hate to imagine what people might think if I’m in the same faction.”

“My father was quite frustrated when he heard the story.”

Similar conversations were happening throughout the cafeteria.

Oh, there’s Colny. But her table has a sound-blocking barrier around it. That’s just like her. She probably knew I’d do something like this.

“Lowell, it can’t be easy having someone like that accosting you,” Lanmia said. Both she and Luchirs looked worried for me.

“Don’t worry,” I responded brightly. “I’ve got permission.”

“Huh? Permission?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

I couldn’t really tell them that the crown prince had given me total freedom in how I responded to the dimwit brother if he came at me again. There was a chance I’d end up very grateful for the crown prince’s decision. Now I could send that boy running for the hills if he tried anything.

“That reminds me, that’s not the only reason people are talking about you, Lowell.”

“There’s more?”

“Um, well, it concerns the Duval from the other class. She hasn’t been feeling well for the past few days, and she hasn’t left her room.”

I nearly spit out my drink. The trap must have gotten her good. By the sound of it, the would-be intruder was still suffering. Those effects were set to last twelve days, after all. I wonder if she understood that her stomach was like that because she had tried to open my door.

Probably not. Nonetheless, it didn’t worry me since I didn’t think she’d be able to get the magic lock open, and if she got the runs every time she tried, she’d probably give up.

Chapter Two: Nothing but Weirdos

The new semester got off to a smooth start, and soon enough it was time for the ball. Hosted by the king, this little shindig was for all the academy’s best students. Colny also had her social debut (her debutante ball, as they called it), but that wasn’t until the end of the month. Evidently, praising academic excellence came first. Not that there weren’t students attending both. Like Colny. Ville and Loks, by the way, had done so themselves in the past. The Aspozat siblings were just built different.

Like last year, we got ready at the Aspozat residence before taking a carriage to the venue. Loks, Colny, and even Ville all finished getting ready before me.

“You’ve got two more years of this, Loks?” Ville asked.

“That’s right. Now that I’ve come this far, I’d like to participate all six years.”

That sounds like the sort of thing he’d do.

“Not that much comes of it,” Ville added.

He could say that because he had also participated in these academic balls all six of his years at the academy.

“Having two competent brothers only makes life harder for the young sister,” Colny whispered to me.

“I bet,” I whispered back. Though she was no slouch herself.

Since Ville and Loks weren’t my actual siblings, I didn’t have it as bad as she did. Or so I liked to believe. I still had Sheila threatening me if my grades dropped. If I had known this was going to happen, I would’ve made sure to slip in some mistakes in my first year.

The royal opera house was overflowing with ladies and gentlemen fabulously dressed. Okay, maybe that was normal for this place. I hadn’t been here since the last ball.

My dress that evening was a silver gray fabric with deep blue embroidery. While the colors looked a bit muted, the large flower embroidered into it gave it plenty of splendor. Colny’s dress was indigo with silver. She also had a floral pattern, making her a rather pleasant sight. Once again, we were matching, which is to say we had the same sort of flowers in our embroidery. We didn’t match up perfectly though, as the blossoms were arranged differently.

As for accessories, we used pearls obtained in Peylon. Gold for Colny, and black for me. Our hair ornaments, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings—all pearls, and no expenses spared for the quality. There couldn’t be too many other women with so many pearls. Even Sheila looked a little envious.

Maybe I’ll make her a set sometime soon. I wonder if she’d appreciate that?

As we did last year, we headed to the waiting room, where we found a familiar face—the competent younger Nogdeid, and the girl who had previously brought me to him. Seeing them together, it clicked in my head that they were both fourth-years.

Just as I noticed them, they noticed us in turn, and greeted us with smiles.

“Good evening,” the girl said. “It’s a fine evening, isn’t it?”

“Good evening,” I replied after a pause.

“You don’t have to be so wary,” the Nogdeid boy told me. “Though I guess I can’t blame you.”

Well of course not. Nobody likes being bothered, and his dimwit brother was an expert at being a bother. And after those young lords and ladies made so much extra work for me in general magic, I didn’t have a good impression of the noble faction. Except this one in front of me didn’t look like he would give me any trouble. Granted, he had been warned not to, for whatever that was worth.

Before I could resolve my internal argument, Loks stepped forward. “Hey there, Nogdeid. I see you got invited once again.”

“Evening, Aspozat. Oh, maybe I should call you Loksusad?”

“Guess so, since my brother and sister are here.”

That was a pretty normal exchange, wasn’t it? So what’s with this tension?

It wasn’t just me; other attendees had taken notice and began keeping eyes on us.

“That reminds me, your older brother has said some less than pleasant things to an acquaintance of mine. He isn’t here, is he?”

Oof.

Loks was basically saying “I take it your brother isn’t here because he’s a dimwit.” That remark was made all the more vicious by the presence of both Loks’s older brother and his younger sister. So how would the younger Nogdeid respond? Would he get angry? Express displeasure? Something else?

The competent younger brother smiled and laughed. “Yes, he would be out of place at an event like this.”

Just as he laughed, the girl next to him wore a knowing smile. Were we supposed to take that as a tacit agreement that his brother was an idiot? Everyone nearby appeared unsure how to react. However, some of them were giving Nogdeid dirty looks. I was willing to bet those kids were from the noble faction.

As I focused on our surroundings, the younger brother offered us some—what might be described as—encouragement. “For now, let’s not worry about factions and other trifles. Let’s celebrate our hard work and enjoy this ball His Majesty has so graciously arranged for us.”

“Yes, let’s,” I replied. I didn’t know what else I could say.

When the two fourth-years were called for, I watched them leave the now awkward waiting room. Without saying anything, they noticeably glanced at me as they departed, which brought everyone’s attention my way.

Honestly, what did you do that for?

Still, everyone in the waiting room was here because they were good students. The room emptied as, one after another, their names were called, reducing the potential discomfort. Put to it, that was kind of a relief.

Just as I was starting to space out a bit, my escort, Ville, called out to me. “Lera, we’re almost up.”

“Okaaay.”

Reality doesn’t go away, no matter how much you avoid it.

With our names soon called, we entered the hall, where I saw many faces that I recognized from last year. Even with the strict invitation criteria, there was a sizable crowd.

“Ville, would it be fair to say dancing to one song would be enough to fulfill any obligations I have?”

“You never change.”

I certainly don’t. Just be glad I haven’t made a break for it. But if I did that, Sheila would actually drop a thunderbolt on me.

Once I was done with my singular obligatory dance, I set up on a sofa near the wall and had no intentions of going anywhere else. Why was a ball being used as a reward for good grades in the first place? It made no sense to me. That said, the other students looked like they were having a good time, so maybe I was the odd one here.

Damn. Guess this is what happens when you’re raised by people with muscles for brains.

As my mood started to tank, Ville hit me with another stabbing dose of reality.

“Next year won’t be this easy, Lera.”

“Really?”

“You’ve got your debut next year, don’t you?”

Ugh.

As much as I wanted to run from this sort of drudgery, I couldn’t. If I was going to inherit my house, I had to pay attention to my social life. After all, my father hadn’t been putting in any effort on that front. We had a pretty bad reputation thanks to him—he could’ve at least made sure our house was in good standing within our own faction. I hadn’t the slightest what was going through that man’s head.

While all this went through my mind, Colny finished dancing and came to sit next to me.

“Oh my, look there.”

“What is it, Colny?”

“Do you recognize the man watching us from that pillar?”

Using my fan, a necessity for all ladies, I discreetly looked in the direction Colny indicated. Indeed there was someone looking—or glaring?—at us. He was a handsome old man, though I could’ve done without the sharp look.

So wait, who is this guy?

“That’s Marquess Fezgahn.”

I’ve heard that name before. Oh, that’s the black knight’s house! Does that mean this is his father?

If he’s glaring at me, he’s probably thinking something like, “Useless dullard getting close to my son.”Except his son is the one approaching me.

After watching us for a bit more, the black knight father apparently left the ball.

With the new term underway, we were finally getting serious about coordinated spells in general magic.

“That said, you bunch can sit to the side.”

Bear, you’re just gonna throw that at us right off the bat?

“Are you for real?” I asked.

“Yeah, there aren’t any other students I can group you all with.”

“Then why not let the top students work with each other?”

“You guys all had a little too much fun with your spells, and the academy told me to put a stop to it.”

Damn.

It wasn’t just me; the other proficient students were equally disappointed. That didn’t come as much of a surprise though. If they picked general magic then, to some degree or another, they probably enjoyed magic and had a knack for it. Being told to sit back and watch because we were doing too well was bound to incite some complaints.

So I made my offer.

“Then can we work on another spell?”

“As long as it’s nothing too big.”

You don’t trust us, do you?What’s wrong with a harmless spell?

“Can we go big as long as we don’t do an offensive spell?”

“What are you up to?”

“The same thing we did at the academy festival.”

An illusory spell, that is.

Once Bear finally figured out what I was getting at, the sideline crew—the ten best in the class—got together for some synchronized magic. We got some prickly looks from the coordinated magic group, but I didn’t let it bother me.

You know, if you get distracted during class, your grades will slip and one of us will have to take care of you. If you’re unlucky enough to get stuck with me, you might end up like those three that transferred out, but if you want to get chased by Gonsuke, I sure won’t stop you.

Lacking any better subjects for our illusory spell, we tried depicting the flowers blooming in the academy garden. It turned out very pretty, and a satisfying experience.

Now, what are we going to project next?

Colny’s debutante ball was only getting closer. In the dorm, I started seeing more and more nervous faces. Though I thought they might be used to big events, I got the feeling this one was special—a thought I mumbled aloud during lunch.

“It most certainly is special,” Lanmia said, astounded by me. “You only debut once in your life. I don’t know what it’s like for boys, but it’s a vital event for girls.”

Luchirs then chimed with her own thoughts on the gravity of the debutante ball. “It’s fair to say that the course of your social life is determined by your debutante ball.”

Hmm, I see. So for a marquess’s daughter like Colny, it must be huge.

Well, okay, I shouldn’t be acting like this isn’t my problem too.

While I wasn’t disagreeing with my friends, I didn’t think we were on the same page either.

“That reminds me, is Colnesia still not engaged to anyone?” Lanmia asked.

“Nope.”

Not even Ville was engaged. While there was no shortage of candidates, working through the details was a lengthy process. Since Colny was going to be married off to another family, that gave her a different set of obstacles, which only grew taller when you considered how much Thand and Sheila treasured their daughter. There was a good chance they were thoroughly vetting candidates to find one who would make Colny happy.

“That would make it all the more stressful for her,” Lanmia said. “Many people find their partner at social events.”

So they doubled as events for men and women to meet. Thinking of it that way, they were sort of like big singles mixers. Looking at them that way actually made it sort of funny. What Lanmia said next, however, wiped the grin off my face.

“Lowell, you’re not engaged either, are you?”

Oh, now the fire’s on my lawn.

“Well, my family situation is a little complicated and all.”

“Ah.”

“That’s right...”

That was enough for those two to understand. At this point, there weren’t many people who didn’t know about the connection between Ribbons and me. Even the first-years knew about us.

“That must be so much trouble, Lowell.”

Hearing Lanmia’s sympathetic words, a wry grin was the only response I could offer.

***

Let’s wind back the clock a bit.

“Ville, can we chat after this?”

Just as I was wrapping up some work in my office, the crown prince had called out to me. It was a habit of his. It was the day after the ball hosted for the top academy students, and I was still recovering after attending with Lera. I didn’t adapt well to those sorts of events, though maybe she had it worse.

Once I was done coordinating His Highness’s schedule with someone from another department, I finally had a moment of breathing room. The next moment, he walked into my office. I’m certain he did that on purpose.

He left first, leaving a chamberlain who guided me to a room in the royal palace. Not only was it one of the crown prince’s private chambers, it was one meant only for personal acquaintances.

“Pardon me,” I said upon entering. I saw Prince Lumers and Nedon of the Knights of the White Summit. Oh, and Fezgahn was there too.

Does this have something to do with Lera?

“Ville, don’t look so beleaguered,” the crown prince chided me with a wry grin. My thoughts must’ve shown on my face.

“Forgive me,” I replied, “but you’re asking a lot, given the present company.”

“You really never show any tact around me!”

“If you’d prefer that I be more tactful, I can change at a moment’s notice.”

Responding with silence isn’t fair, Your Highness.

The room we were in existed solely as a place for His Highness to talk with the people he trusted most, so it was furnished with nothing but the bare necessities. Among certain nobles I didn’t much care for, getting invited here was considered to be a huge honor—it was anything but to me.

“So?” the crown prince began. “How are things with Lera?”

Is it really that intriguing? This prince can be such a maiden.

While I understood that men also enjoyed talking about romance, they tended to go in a more unsavory direction. This is to say nothing of who the question was directed at.

Fezgahn tilted his head. “What do you mean ‘how’?”

This guy wasn’t getting any easier to read.

“I’m talking about Miss Lowell. Are things going well?”

Where the crown prince’s face was shining, Fezgahn’s was growing darker. I didn’t know he was capable of such visible despair.

“Don’t tell me you got rejected?” the crown prince asked in a panic.

“No, nothing like that...”

“Your Highness,” Nedon cut in, “Yuin is frustrated that he couldn’t get deeper in the Mystic Forest.”

He didn’t need to bring that up, but the crown prince pounced on it.

“Are you referring to that bit Ville said? About how he needs to reach the same layer as Miss Lowell?”

“That’s right. He kept saying he wanted to hit at least Layer Five, if not Layer Six.”

If Nedon knew that, then perhaps he had stayed in Peylon after Lord Yulville had returned to the royal capital? Was he ordered to stay behind, or did something else keep him?

The crown prince’s accusing tone interrupted my thoughts. “Ville, you didn’t need to say that.”

“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. If nothing else, I can’t imagine Lera would show any interest in a guy who hadn’t even entered the Mystic Forest.”

Nobody in Peylon would listen to someone without the strength to back up their words. It was the exact opposite of high society, which demanded a silver tongue. To make things worse, my mother was oddly supportive of Fezgahn.

I suddenly noticed Fezgahn was glowering at me.

“Ville, Fezgahn doesn’t look at all happy with you.”

I can see that, Your Highness. God, Fezgahn’s a pain.

“Is there something you want to say?” I asked.

“Why do you refer to Miss Lowell as Lera?”

That’s your angle?! Oh, I’ll never get along with this guy.

“It’s a nickname,” I said after a sigh. “Actually, it’s just the name we’ve always used. Lera’s full name is Tafelina Lowell Lera Duval. In the royal capital, she goes by Lowell so she doesn’t get confused with her half sister.”

“Her half sister? Why would she get confused for her half sister?”

“Because the head of the family, Lera’s father, gave both her and her half sister the name Tafelina.”

Everyone furrowed their brow at that. Yeah, I mean, most people didn’t go around giving their wife’s and mistress’s daughters the same name. Given the name choice, I’d wager their father was planning to swap them out from the moment they were born. The issue with that theory is that Hepiner would’ve still been alive at the time. You have to wonder what he would’ve done if she wanted a different name. Not that the old man’s plans make any difference to me.

“In that case,” the crown prince said, his cheery voice cutting through the awkward atmosphere, “why don’t you start calling her Lera, Yuin?”

Again with the unnecessary remarks!

I thought Fezgahn would jump on the idea, but a cloud once again fell over his face.

“I can’t do that. Not without her permission.”

So you do say sensible things sometimes.

“Then why not get her permission? I think you could do to show a bit more initiative.”

Your Highness. Please. Stop. What if Fezgahn gets serious about this?

“Your Highness,” I said, “could you kindly refrain from such emboldening remarks?”

“Ville, do you really dislike Yuin that much?”

“This isn’t about whether I like him or not. As I’ve repeatedly stated, Lera is set to inherit House Duval. Her husband will be inducted into her family, so she cannot marry the heir to another house.”

Fezgahn was the only son of his house, inevitably making him the one who would succeed his father. There wasn’t anything to argue about here. Yet not even my mother seemed to understand or care.

What I said seemed to catch the crown prince off guard, but he needed only a second to recover. “Oh, that’s all?” He said it so casually. “It’s not impossible for two heirs to marry.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Huh? Really?

“It’s happened a number of times before. Of course, I won’t say it’s a common occurrence. There are ways to arrange for an heir’s child to inherit the house in their place.”

Did my mother give Fezgahn those conditions with this in mind?

“Marquess Fezgahn is still young, and I see nothing wrong with Sir Yuin’s child becoming the next heir,” Prince Lumers said.

“You think so too, Lumers?” his brother asked.

“Oh yes. And if this means House Fezgahn joins the royal faction, then all the better.”

Very cunning of you, Prince Lumers.

House Fezgahn had a fair bit of sway. They played a major role in kingdom affairs, and had produced several civil administrators. They would be a welcome ally to have on the political side. Though maybe that was all the more reason it would be better for them to stay neutral?

Frankly, when it came to playing politics, Prince Lumers surpassed Crown Prince Leor. However, Leor was the much more popular figure. Even if a king lacked a mind for politics, he could get by if his underlings were enough to support him.

But if the king didn’t have the charisma to attract supporters, then he was in trouble. In that regard, Leor had what it took to be king. At least, that’s how I saw it. It’s why I was serving at his side.

Still, I questioned his idea of fun sometimes.

“There you have it, Yuin. Aim for the stars.”

“You honor me.”

This is exactly what I was talking about.

“By the way, Yuin.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Why Miss Lowell? I’m quite curious as to when and where you fell for her.”

He wasn’t the only one who wanted to know. When did this guy get the chance to fall in love when Lera so rarely went anywhere in the royal capital? Fezgahn looked at the floor as if deep in thought.

Is it something you’d rather not say?

After some moments of silence, he lifted his head. “She’s...not like other girls.”

“Huh?” we all replied at once.

What did that mean? Even His Highness looked dubious.

“Different how?”

“When she sees me, she doesn’t try to flirt or get close to me.”

What’s this guy on about?

“Of course not,” I said. “Lera was still thirteen when she first met you.”

She hadn’t even been to a friendly tea party, much less any part of high society. She wouldn’t know how to flirt. I couldn’t believe this guy, yet he had the nerve to snort at me. What was his deal? He pissed me off.

“How naive, Aspozat.”

“Pardon?”

“No matter their age, girls of the nobility will flirt and look for any inroads they can get.”

Why are you nodding, Your Highness? You too, Prince Lumers. Nedon, you don’t have the right to nod. Not when you’re always the one making advances.

Fezgahn wasn’t done yet though.

“Also...”

“Also? Is there another reason?”

Your Highness, why do you look so pleased? Can we take a moment to have a thorough chat about this?

“Miss Lowell has a nice scent.”

“Huh?!” I yelled in spite of myself. Actually—no, it was a normal reaction. “What the hell do—”

“Her mana is very high quality.”

“Wha?”

How did we go from scents to mana? I had indeed heard that Lera’s mana had a nice quality to it. Not that she seemed to care one way or another.

At the institute, they ran regular checks on her mana, which they did on account of her unprecedented pigment shift. She was the sort of research subject the people at the institute dreamed of. While I had been worried she might end up the subject of shady experiments, Lera ultimately ended up being a conductor of shady experiments, and there was nothing I could do to stop her.

They not only checked on the nature of her mana—they also watched for any and all changes to it. At this point, she was stable in both regards, and her mana was in excellent shape. Too much mana was said to be bad for the body.

When she was three years old, Lera’s mana capacity exploded over the course of an evening. As a result, her hair and eye color changed dramatically as well. Intense surges in mana were known to cause complications in the body, hence the regular checks. Though we didn’t let her know that.

I cast a suspicious glare at Fezgahn. Why did he know about her mana?

“Ville,” the crown prince said with a sigh, “keep what I’m about to tell you a secret.”

“As you wish.”

What’s he going to tell me?

“People born to House Fezgahn are often sensitive to mana. Many of them can detect it with one of their senses.”

“Huh?”

What’s this?

The crown prince went on regardless of my confusion. “Like he just said, Yuin can detect a person’s mana via scent. I’m told his father can detect it visually.”

“So just by looking, he can know the quality and quantity of someone’s mana?”

“I think it’s a bit different, strictly speaking, but that’s close enough. I’m told people with high mana capacities are blinding to him. The nature of their mana is expressed through color in his eyes.”

Even in the grand gathering of oddballs that was Peylon’s research institute there wasn’t anyone like that. At least now I could understand why Fezgahn had been evasive about why he took a liking to Lera—this wasn’t a thing you could just go telling people. Heck, I was amazed House Fezgahn was doing as well as it was.

Mana detection on its own wasn’t a particularly uncommon trait. However, what His Highness had just described, the ability to precisely discern quality and quantity, was fairly rare. While Nielle from the institute could detect mana, the best she could do was roughly gauge someone’s capacity, and she couldn’t even begin to guess at quality.

Fezgahn, if the institute gets word of this, they’ll come for you, frothing at the mouth. Maybe I should just go and sell you to them?

Amid my slightly dangerous train of thought, His Highness issued a stern warning. “The only people who know this are the royal family, our close associates, and anyone that the people of House Fezgahn have chosen to inform.”

I could see why. The more people that knew, the greater the chance of leaks. The best way to mitigate the risk of loose lips was to be selective about who you confided in. In which case, wasn’t it a bad thing that I had just been brought in on the secret? Sure Fezgahn was here, but it was His Highness who told me. Did this count as being chosen?

“Are you sure it was wise to let slip something so important in a place like this?”

“I see nothing wrong. After all, Yuin himself already mentioned it.”

He was right; Fezgahn had already mentioned something about scents and whatnot. So it was probably fine.

“Does Lera...”

“She knows. I told her during the hunting festival’s jewel theft incident.”

“What?!”

I started to clutch my head. Nobody had told me about this. I asked Fezgahn if my parents knew, and he confirmed that they did. That was the sort of thing I really wished they had shared with me. Actually, for something like this, telling me would’ve been a discourtesy to House Fezgahn. They must’ve sealed Lera’s lips as well.

“You look quite fatigued, Winville,” Prince Lumers said. “I think you should take the rest of the day to rest.”

Was I fatigued? Yeah, processing so much had left me mentally exhausted.

“You’re quite right. I’ll do just that.”

My exhaustion was in part because this was the time of day I was normally finishing up. I was already drained from my usual desk work, then I had this conversation thrown on top of it. Fatigue notwithstanding, I was glad I learned what I did.

“Well,” I said, “now I more or less understand why Fezgahn asked for Lera’s hand in marriage. So I suppose it’s for the best that I came.”

“Huh?! Yuin, you proposed to her?!”

At the very least, he seemed serious about it. While I never thought his motives were political, I definitely didn’t expect her scent to be the main reason. Some things are just impossible to predict.

Recalling Fezgahn’s proposal, Nedon lightly elbowed his friend. “That he did. Man, I’d love to know how you got your father on board with that.”

“I never received permission from my father.”

“Hold on! For real?! You just went and asked her to marry you?!”

A perfectly understandable reaction, Nedon. I’m sorry I ever thought you were flippant.

Fezgahn was oddly peeved, like he wasn’t the one who had just said something completely flabbergasting. Marriages among nobles were arranged between house heads. In this case, that would mean Marquess Fezgahn putting in a request to Lera’s birth father. Or, that’s how it would normally go. It’s hard to speak for Lera, since her situation was anything but normal.

Is there any chance Fezgahn made his proposal with that in mind? No. Probably not.

“So, Sir Yuin, did Miss Lowell accept your proposal?”

Prince Lumers, is this really the place to ask? I can almost hear the awkward tension forming.

Even the crown prince was at a loss by his brother’s slip of the tongue. “Lumers. Considering the situation, the results should be apparent.”

“Situation, brother?”

“If they were betrothed, the royal palace would have been notified. Now consider what a lack of said notification implies.”

“I see.”

Prince Leor probably knew from the start. He’s being so heavy-handed I sort of feel bad for Fezgahn.

The man himself might as well have been wearing a mask. Talking with him had proven he was surprisingly serious about Lera. But he didn’t have my sympathy—he was the one who skipped a few too many steps.

“W-Well, Miss Lowell is still a minor,” the second prince said. The atmosphere was heavy enough now that even he looked a bit uncomfortable. “She hasn’t even debuted yet, right? You’ve got plenty of time.”

“Once she debuts, it will be too late,” Fezgahn told him.

“Hm?”

“Her debut will only give me more adversaries.”

This man was clenching his fists. He actually believed there were other guys who might try to marry Lera.

Okay, sure, there were vultures who might come for her family’s fortune. Some fools might be under the impression that if they married her, they could have free access to the house’s finances, and maybe even inherit the title of earl for themselves.

Still, I can’t imagine that Lera might give anyone from that crowd the time of day. On the other hand, I don’t see her giving Fezgahn a second glance either!

In the end, our little gathering dragged on pretty long, leaving me absolutely wiped. Come to think of it, Rellogad, that guy always with Nedon, wasn’t there. I didn’t think Prince Leor cared much for him, so that was probably it. Personally, my mind was less on their business, and more on my sister’s debut.

I hope it’s a success.

***

Apparently, Colny’s debut was a big success. She told me so in the attic room the following day. The debutante ball was during the weekend, so she could’ve just spent the night at the Aspozat residence.

Since it was our day off, we spent the entire afternoon drinking coffee and eating snacks.

“Congratulations on your debut.”

“Thank you.”

Not that she didn’t look pleased, but her overwhelming relief was much more apparent. The preparations alone had been an ordeal. Having watched it all, I was pretty moved as well. Her classmates had all debuted with her. On account of it being hosted by the royal family, everyone debuted at the same ball unless there was some specific reason they couldn’t.

“So it was nothing but familiar faces no matter which way I turned my head.”

“Did being around friends make it easier to relax?”

“I’m sure next year’s will be quite the event.”

You’ve got that right! After all, we’ve got the third prince in our class.

“We’ve also got Ribbons! I’m sure she’ll raise a fuss the moment she gets a chance.”

“Oh? Will she be able to debut?”

“Wha? Won’t our father make it happen?”

Colny, what’s that funny look for?

“Lera, I’m speaking in general terms here, but illegitimate children don’t debut, regardless of their house.”

“Really?”

That reminded me: Ozeria was a land of monogamy. Having an extramarital lover was taboo, though that supposedly didn’t stop many nobles and rich people from having affairs. Having a child with one’s lover only complicated matters.

“Nobles with children born from affairs don’t take them out in public. Of course, they also generally don’t try to get them into the academy, as their entry would be denied.”

The former dorm manager had said something similar. In the case of Ribbons, she got in because our father made some under the table deals.

“So this means Ribbons’s debut isn’t going to happen?”

That looked like a source of trouble in its own way. I hoped she wouldn’t take out her anger on me.

Oh? Huh? Could this be one of the reasons our father tried to replace me with her?

Following her debut, Colny spent many of her weekends away from the dorm so she could return to the Aspozat residence and attend social events. That went for the other girls in her class as well, resulting in a much emptier dorm on the weekends.

“Oh, so that’s why the dorm gets so lonely on weekends this time of the year.”

“Exactly. Students are only allowed to participate in weekend events. Next year, we’ll finally get our turn!”

Lanmia was really passionate about this. I would’ve loved to avoid my debut if that were an option. When I considered the future though, that didn’t seem like such a good idea. I’d assumed my ties with my house had been cut when they kicked me out, yet here I was, set to inherit the whole shebang.

If it was just a matter of making sure the house survived and whatnot, then I’d refuse the role, but there were people living in the Duval domain. I wasn’t so audacious that I could just throw them under the bus. People’s lives were on the line here. In Ozeria, a bad pull on the landlord gacha could screw you for life. Not only that, you didn’t even get to pull the lever yourself; you had to leave your fate in the hands of the heavens.

“Lowell? Is something the matter?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s nothing.”

I tried to brush her off with a smile, but Lanmia didn’t seem entirely convinced. Still, I couldn’t exactly tell her what I had been thinking.

While February was socialite season and debutante ball time, it was also time for academy students to begin preparing for the academy festival. However, since that was in late April, work didn’t really start until March.

“Last year we picked a group of representatives to put on a synchronized spell,” Bear said.

Bear and I were in his prep room, discussing what general magic would do this year. Because the previous festival was general magic’s inaugural, last year had been just first-years. However, after seeing the play (if that’s the right word) we put on, plenty of older and new students joined the class. Thanks to that, Bear was being worn thin.

Wait, no. You’re a teacher. Do your job.

In his surprisingly clean and tidy prep room, he sat in front of his desk and fiddled with a small pen.

“What are we doing this year?” I asked.

“Since we’re doing coordinated magic, I thought we could have the entire class cast something?”

Oh, so that’s where we’re headed?

The difference between synchronized magic and coordinated magic was the number of people involved. Any more than four people involved and it counted as the former. Both became grander in scope and greater in difficulty the more casters you added. In other words, even with last year’s smaller group, casting wasn’t easy, so I shouldn’t have to explain what it meant if he wanted to have the whole class.

“Does that mean Ribbons will be part of it?”

“Unless she requests a transfer, yeah. Though I don’t think many people transfer this late into things.”

If you were going to transfer, you should at least do it before the new year. Like those three that got chased by Gonsuke.

“What if we just recruited people who wanted to take part?”

“Rejected. If we did that, you’d worm your way out.”

You caught me.

This didn’t sound like any fun, so I was looking for openings to escape.

“There’s a chance Darnir Duval might prove insufficient, in which case you won’t have to worry about working with her.”

“‘Insufficient’?”

“Listen, do you think she could manage a spell that requires cooperating with her peers? She still hasn’t made much progress in class.”

Ahh. Ribbons isn’t the sort of person who can get along with others. I suppose that means my earlier trio was still better than her.

Sure enough, general magic was set to put on a display using coordinated spells at the academy festival. The moment Bear made the announcement, the classroom erupted with chatter.

“Sir! Are we going to be doing something like last year’s show?”

“It sounds fun, but really hard...”

“Are we capable of something like that?”

Amid the many uncertain voices, Ribbons was bafflingly confident.

“Oho, so the instructor has finally noticed my talents.”

What talents?

At the very least, she would fail pretty regularly during our mini practical tests. I think it was four or five class sessions before she succeeded at a coordinated spell. It was anyone’s guess if she would be able to perform when showtime rolled around.

Besides general magic, there was also just magic. It’s only natural to wonder just how the two electives differed, but the curriculum was pretty far apart. Colny and Loks both took magic as one of their electives. They were definitely running from Bear—a choice I never had, since he picked me for his class.

Some of the students in magic had moved to general magic, and the novelty of the class meant many of them hadn’t known exactly what the class was about. The older students transferred from magic made up about twenty percent of our current class. All this information was courtesy of the third prince.

“We don’t have many upperclassmen, but they know their stuff,” Bear told us. “Heck, they might be better than you guys.”

“Isn’t that a matter of course, instructor?” one student argued. “They’ve been taking magic longer than we’ve been taking this class.”

Bear gave them a fierce grin. “What are you talking about? Which class do you think does more advanced work? Those older kids in magic are hardly special.”

That got everyone talking. Bear wasn’t wrong. Even I agreed that we were doing pretty advanced stuff. It seemed the other students weren’t aware of that.

If we hadn’t been doing lower tier spells, we wouldn’t have been able to pull off last festival’s illusory performance. That was some pretty complicated casting we did back there. It was a real feat, even for the best in the class. This was all to say it was fair to assume that anyone that transferred to general magic after seeing our illusory spell was fairly competent and had a passion for magic.

“That’s why,” Bear said, his gravelly voice cutting through the silence, “today’s gonna be another day of coordinated magic. Everyone, get in groups of no more than four.”

Once again, that didn’t apply to the top students.

“If you can do synchronized magic, then coordinated magic is child’s play, isn’t it?” Bear said this with a grin. Again, he wasn’t wrong. This was why I had been doing four-person spells by myself. Then he turned to me. “Still, I can’t just let you sit around doing nothing. How about you try to think up ideas for the academy festival?”

Are you just dropping your work on us?

We started by collecting ideas from students of each grade, which the third prince kindly did during our general education break.

“Last year’s illusory magic was well received. I think many of the faculty are expecting something similar, if not better.”

He’d even talked to the instructors, which just goes to show those royals knew how to go the extra mile. The bigger issue was that some people were expecting us to outdo our previous display. The groans and tilted heads of the other students told me I wasn’t the only one thinking this. Coming up with ideas isn’t exactly easy.

Hmmm, so we’ll be a large group doing coordinated magic. I guess that means splitting into groups of no more than four— Hm?

Last year we had put on a story by casting a sort of screen. So maybe this year we could do music? I was all but certain there was a sort of orchestra in Ozeria. After all, we had operas, and you can hardly have operas without orchestras.

Sounding like a symphony might’ve been out of our reach, but if we had each group making sounds like electronic notes, with a bit of coordination we could make something fun. Something like retro game music. We could also project images to accompany the music.

While this was sort of what we did last year, that performance put the story first and the background music second. This would be the other way around. We’d have images made to match the songs. It would be a collaboration of sound and footage. Or paintings, I guess?

Not wanting to stand out, I’d have to be sneaky bringing up the idea to Bear. Some people might not be too happy if my suggestion were to get picked.

If use of force were an option, a few unhappy folk won’t be a problem. Oh right, it is an option. Or was that only for the dimwit brother?

After class, I sneaked over to Bear and put forth my idea.

“Oh, that sounds neat.”

“Right?”

“Well then, you’re in charge. Give it your best shot.”

I tilted my head. “Why am I in charge?”

“Because I’m not getting any better ideas from the other grades.” Bear sounded exasperated. “So you can bet your suggestion will be the one that wins. And since you put the idea out there, it only makes sense that you see it through.”

“But I don’t know anything about music.”

“So then why’d ya suggest we play music?”

“Because I thought someone else would make it work!”

Of course I didn’t think the ball would end up in my court!

Bear very unenthusiastically offered a compromise. “Then go find that someone else and drop it in their lap.”

“Woo!”

I know just the person I can dump this on! This is what the royals are for!

That day, we didn’t have any other classes after electives. I dashed from Bear’s prep room back to our general education classroom. The person I needed was still there, and like always, in the middle of a crowd. This throng had layers since you couldn’t really talk to him outside of the academy, especially if you were a girl.

“Your Highness, I humbly request that you manage general magic’s festival display!”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

More than just the third prince, the whole crowd was thrown for a loop.

Oh, there’s also girls from the neighboring class. Mr. Popular over here.Ack, that doesn’t matter. We’re here to explain what Bear said.

“We’re set to go with my idea for the academy festival. However, I thought Your Highness would be better suited to the task of leading the effort. I believe we would be best off receiving the guidance of someone from the royal family.”

“I can tell you don’t mean a word of that. But I guess you’re right. This will be a good chance to practice keeping people in line.”

“Words fail to express my gratitude for this show of graciousness.”

If he hadn’t agreed, I would’ve given him a prodding reminder of his abrupt visit to the Aspozat residence the winter before last. Granted, that had technically already been sorted out by his brothers and Ville.

I thought the third prince would have a musical side to him, and if he didn’t, then he would at least know someone who was. Yes, that was me being completely presumptuous. I also thought he might have connections, ones that would bring us our coveted illustrators. But just as I was patting myself on the back for getting this burden off my shoulders, the prince smiled at me.

What’s that for?

“Though I’ll be taking charge of this project, may I count on your assistance?”

“Wha?”

“It’s only natural, isn’t it? This was initially your job, after all.”

Ugh. I should’ve known a prince wouldn’t be so easily played.

After that, everyone in general magic was made aware of what we would be doing for the festival. The Third Prince Effect was probably what kept anyone from objecting. The next week, we got together in the general magic classroom to discuss what songs we would perform. We only included the students with the best grades from each year. In other words, I had to attend.

Right next to me was the third prince, grinning away, along with some students training to be his aides. Looking around, I saw plenty of faces I recognized from class. Since this included every year, there were both younger students—endearing in their nervousness—and older students, who were much more confident. Imposing, you might say.

Though it was only a select bunch from each grade, that added up to a sizable group. The usually spacious classroom was now packed.

“I figured you’d never settle on anything if you had too many people,” Bear said, just barely acting like an instructor. “So we have only the best of each grade here.”

“Now then, we will begin our song selection conference.”

Serving as chairman (I think) was a boy wearing a black tie. He was the best of the sixth-years, and I was told he was the second son of Earl Humerson, who was a noble in the royal faction. In which case, there was a chance I had seen him back at the hunting festival.

Yeah, I don’t recognize him.

Glaring at our chairman was—going off his black tie—another sixth-year. I didn’t know what was bothering him, but he had been looking at the valedictorian like that since they entered the room. Did he have some deep-seated grudge or something?

“That’s Ilsun, fifth son of Earl Kalaharga,” a voice suddenly whispered in my ear. It was the third prince. “I hear he and Tufead of House Humerson have been rivals since entering the academy. Not only that, Humerson is a royalist, whereas Kalaharga stands with the noble faction.”

Give me a heads-up next time if you’re going to do that. Anyone would get surprised if a boy started whispering to them.

Still, he had told me what I wanted to know. But why bring it up?

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked.

“Hm? The way you were looking at him, I thought you were curious about Ilsun.”

This prince was awfully sharp for a guy who had showed up to the Aspozat residence uninvited. Not only that, he gave his explanation assuming I wouldn’t know their names or affiliations.

“Pardon me, but how did you know I was unaware of their circumstances?”

“Mmm, I guess because you didn’t look like you were aware?”

That’s it? That was all you needed to casually tell me all that? You’re a formidable one, Third Prince.

We weren’t wanting for ideas when we got to discussing what song to do.

“Shouldn’t it be something easy to appreciate?”

“Perhaps, but a simple song will bore everyone.”

“Doesn’t that depend on the arrangement?”

“I think we should go with something everybody knows.”

“I say we pick whatever’s popular right now.”

“And what about pictures? Should we speak to some students at the art club?”

I thought all their opinions had merit. I certainly agreed that we wouldn’t get much of an audience if we played a song nobody knew. However, making pictures for a famous piece would be daunting. It was a little too late to be asking this, but I had to wonder if any students would actually help us. If not, we could just go to Miss Derod like we had done last year.

I was watching like this had nothing to do with me, when the third prince said something I did not see coming. “I just remembered something. At the magic tool exams, Lowell made a very nice song. What sort of piece was that?”

Ough!

That was an attack I hadn’t been ready for! I’d totally forgotten he was in that class with me. Why was he bringing that up now when he hadn’t said anything at the time? He was doing this on purpose, wasn’t he?! That grin of his was getting scarier and scarier.

“I made that by recalling a song I heard when I was a child,” I said.

“Oh? Where’s it from? What’s it called?”

“I don’t recall.”

A boldfaced lie. That song was from my previous life. It came from a certain game’s soundtrack, which even featured a music box that played it in game. I was very fond of this song, so I used it in my magic tools. I definitely hadn’t thought it would get brought up in a place like this.

Even after denying any recollection and going as far as saying I didn’t know the song’s name, the third prince still hadn’t given up. “If you heard it as a child, then maybe it’s a song from Peylon? Or not? You wouldn’t remember, would you? Do you think Lord Peylon might?”

Please, spaaare me.

Everyone had gradually shifted their attention to us. Bear was grinning.

Stop looking at us.

At the end of it, the third prince hit me with a truly insane idea. “It’s such a lovely song though. I say we play it at the festival.”

“No, no, I must disagree. That song is too brief to be suitable for a performance.”

For starters, I didn’t see how we could all perform the song when we didn’t even have the music sheets. Not to mention it really was short—I had made the music box play a small section on loop.

“If it’s short, then we can simply arrange it into something longer. What do you think?” the third prince said to the chairman.

The Humerson boy thought about it. In my head I told him to stop. That there was no need to think about it. That we should just go with something famous.

That was when some upperclassmen offered opinions they definitely could’ve kept to themselves.

“Perhaps we should listen to this song first?”

“Then let’s borrow the box from the magic tools classroom.”

“Surely it must be a wonderful song if His Highness is vouching for it, no?”

That last one was unnecessary, Fifth Son of House Whatever. Don’t make this a factional thing just because you’re losing to your rival.

Before I knew what was happening, my music box from the magic tools was brought before us. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t submitted that for the exam. What an idiot I am. Like a public execution, my music box was set up in the center of the classroom, where it began to play. Where a normal music box would work using gears and springs, this one was mana-powered.

A slightly poignant tune emanated from it.

“Ohh.”

“Isn’t it a little dull?”

“I think it’s quite nice.”

“But doesn’t it feel a little lonely?”

“That’s a good thing.”

“It sounds dull to me.”

We were split pretty evenly. Personally, I thought we should go for something more uplifting since this was for the academy festival. Like a marching song maybe. As much as I wanted to say something, I just didn’t feel like I could. My past life in Japan had made me sensitive to social cues, so I ended up keeping my thoughts to myself.

Damn.

Selecting our songs took several more meetings after that. In the end, we settled on composing a medley of a number of shorter songs, and of course one of those just had to be the piece from my music box. I tried to stop them. Besides, Ozeria was a monarchy, I didn’t see why we were taking a democratic solution in the first place. However, leaving this to the royals would’ve meant letting the third prince decide, so I wasn’t escaping either way.

“What’s the matter, Lowell?” Lanmia said. “You look down.”

We were in the dorm, eating dinner together.

“It’s nothing much, just one of my electives...”

“Oh, right, I heard about that! General magic is doing a music performance, and they’ll be putting on a song of yours?”

Wait. Why do you know what general magic decided on? And what do you mean by a song of mine? If you mean the music box, then I didn’t make that.

“A song of mine, you said?”

“Hm? I was told you would be playing a song you made for magic tools?”

Told by who? Oh, from a club member? No, never mind that.

“I didn’t make it, so calling it a song of mine is inaccurate.”

“Is it now? Well, I’m not going to fuss over details.”

“No, I think you should. I wouldn’t exactly call that a detail, but still.”

No matter what I said, Lanmia remained stubbornly unconcerned. As I continued to press on, Luchirs tapped me on the shoulder.

“Lowell, I think you should save yourself the trouble.”

“Luchirs...”

“When she gets like this, there’s no changing Mia’s mind.”

You’re telling me to give up? How could you?

After multiple meetings, we had five short songs selected. We planned to take the climaxes of each piece and arrange them into one medley. As for the images, we had complete support from the art club, and all its members were pitching in. Apparently the idea of making illustrations to go with songs really struck a chord with them.

In today’s meeting, we were going to listen to our songs and get a sense of their flow. Besides my music box piece, I was a complete stranger to our selection, so I was a little excited.

I should mention that we would be listening through a playback device developed by the institute. While it didn’t have any recording functions, it could playback audio contained on storage media. It had small speakers built in, saving us the trouble of preparing those. This device was my idea, of course, so I earned royalties on the sales.

As for our storage medium, we used a record. Mana crystals were easier to use, but those were expensive. The record itself was made of a monster material—a sort of bone that would normally get thrown out otherwise. Both in terms of weight and durability, these bones were optimal for this purpose.

The other songs we settled on were all opera compositions currently enjoying immense popularity, so much so that they were known by pretty much everyone in Ozeria. Though they were a bit old, being opera pieces meant they’d harmonize well. Once we listened to my music box song, it was time for the last on the list.

“This was made around a century ago, but music lovers will recognize it,” the Humerson boy said before putting on his record. I thought I deserved some praise for keeping my cool when I heard what came from the device.

Which one of you did this?! Who was reborn here a century ago?! Who tried to pass off a certain dragon slaying game’s opening as their own work?!

The day following that shocking event, Ribbons once again got in my hair. I was headed to my electives when she grabbed me on a staircase that saw little traffic. I wondered why she knew so many of the academy’s out of the way places?

“One moment, you! You better learn your place, or you’ll be in trouble!”

And what trouble could she put me in? Physical? Magical? Or that thing that happened to nobles? That last one aside, I didn’t know where she was getting these ideas considering she had less muscle and mana than I did.

“Hey! Are you listening to me?!”

“What? No?”

That made her screech. “Don’t get any closer to Fezgahn if you know what’s good for you!”

Fezgahn. Oh, the black knight. Wait, Ribbons...

“I thought you were set on the third prince. Weren’t you?”

“H-How did you know?!”

How could I not? Actually, how did you think anyone didn’t know? That would be more surprising.

“Hmph! Very well. If it’s come to this, I suppose I can let you in on my master plan.”

“I’ll pass.”

“Listen to me!”

Ohhh, so you did want me to listen?

“Now pay attention. Soon enough, I’ll be Prince Shenille’s princess consort. Then I’ll place Fezgahn at my side by making him part of the royal guard. Perfect, isn’t it?”

“That made me stupider.”

“WHAT WAS THAT?!”

I didn’t see any way the illegitimate child of an earl could become princess consort, all the more so when said earl’s house had a pretty nasty reputation. That would take an actual miracle. I couldn’t tell if making the black knight part of the royal guard was because she wanted a handsome man at her side, or if she wanted something more.

Either way, I was pretty sure being the third prince meant he would eventually lose his status as a royal anyway. If that were to happen, she wouldn’t be getting near anyone in the royal guard. But before any of that, there was a nearly zero percent chance of Ribbons marrying the third prince.

Leaving her behind while she yelled about this and that, I headed to class. Today I had mystic-jockeying.

I wonder if Gonsuke’s behaving himself?

Come to think of it, this class also takes part in the festival.

“So you’ll be participating this year, won’t you?”

“General magic is more than enough for me.”

“Well! I’ll remind you that mystic-jockeying is an honored class.”

I got that. I just didn’t see how we could make Gonsuke part of the event. This class put on a race every year, but I didn’t think the other mounts would run very well in Gonsuke’s terrifying presence.

“So I think you should give up on that idea,” I explained.

“After all that work to obtain a black greatbear...”

“Instructor, it wasn’t you. It was the academy that obtained the bear.”

“Still! I wanted to show it off!”

So that’s your goal? As an instructor, shouldn’t you have other priorities?

The academy’s staff wasn’t at all lacking for talent, but sometimes “unique” wasn’t quite enough to describe their personalities. With their indiscriminate love for mysticstock, the mystic-jockeying instructor was one such person. I had heard that they came from a viscount’s house, and had a rival in mysticstock fanaticism from an earl’s house. Our instructor here wanted to flaunt Gonsuke in front of said rival. I couldn’t see anything good coming from them using the festival as an opportunity to get ahead in some personal rivalry of theirs.

“Honestly, what an irresponsible person. Right, Gonsuke?”

“Gon. Gon gon.”

“Huh? You’re fine with taking part? No, no, they’re gonna have a race. You can’t go out in that. The other mysticstock will be too scared to run.”

“Gon! Gon gon gooon.”

“You want to run by yourself? So like a solo event?”

Gonsuke running the track by himself? Hmm. What would be the point of that? And I guess I’d be riding him. General magic is enough drudgery for me.

I started by relaying Gonsuke’s idea to the instructor.

“I see. A solo run by the black greatbear. That sounds like a terrific idea!”

“Huh? Are you sure?”

“While it might not qualify as a race, we could show the audience how fast the bear can run.”

In a sense, competing for speed could be considered a race. It’s just that Gonsuke was pretty fast. Black greatbears were famous for their speed, and it’s why you went for the legs first when hunting them. I needed to make sure the instructor understood that. The speed thing, not the hunting bit.

“Instructor, Gonsuke’s pretty light on his feet, you know?”

“How fast can he go if he really tries?”

“He can probably do two laps around this course in the same time it takes most mounts to do one.”

And that was with a rider. On his own, I could see him doing three or four laps in that time. This wasn’t to say the other mounts were slow; black greatbears were just that fast. I thought telling the instructor all this would make them give up, but it did just the opposite.

“That’s wonderful! I wouldn’t expect anything less from a black greatbear! Please, we must have this bear partake in the festival. Oh, but we’ll make sure he runs on his own.”

“Really?”

Their switch had flipped, just in the wrong direction.

Oh c’mon...

Come lunchtime, my face was slumped against the table.

“What happened this time, Lera?” said a voice from above.

“Colny.”

Looking up, I saw the face of my beautiful childhood friend.

“Gloominess doesn’t suit you, Lera.”

“Loks.”

Next to Colny was her equally beautiful— Well, maybe that’s a weird word for a man. However you wanted to describe him, he was Colny’s very popular older brother. Lanmia and Luchirs had meetings relating to the academy festival, so they were eating with other people. That was all anyone was talking about. The academy festival.

I was starting to think I’d spend a lonely lunch by myself when Colny and Loks found me. Since I was at a table made for four people, there was plenty of room for two more.

“So? What’s keeping you from eating?” Colny asked.

I gave an honest response. “It’s my mystic-jockeying class.”

“Did your black greatbear turn violent or something?”

Let me finish. You’re not even close.

“Gonsuke wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Gonsuke?” both siblings said.

Hm? Didn’t I tell them his name?

“It’s the name of my black greatbear. He makes a gon gon sound.”

“So you dubbed him Gonsuke...”

Ah, she’s groaning. What’s wrong with Gonsuke? It’s straightforward!

“Well, it’s quite like you.”

I wanted to take a short hour to ask Loks just what he meant by that, but I didn’t have the energy.

“If he didn’t turn violent, then what’s the matter?”

That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Ah, whatever.

“You know the race put on by mystic-jockeying, right? Gonsuke and I are going to be a part of that.”

That caught Loks by surprise. “Huh? Aren’t those bears awfully fast? That can’t be a fair competition.”

“Gonsuke will be running by himself.”

“Huh?” they said at the same time. Those two had so much in common.

“What do you mean by himself?” Colny asked.

“That’s not really a race, is it?” Loks added.

They were both quite right. Races were normally done against someone else.

“Uh, it’s less of a race, and more of a showcase of his speed.”

Whether on horseback or mysticstock, it seemed in Ozeria people didn’t compete individually for best times, making it hard to explain to these two. Talking to them, I realized “exhibition” was the better word here. After a bit more explaining, the two siblings were finally able to wrap their heads around the idea of me running solo.

With general magic’s song lineup finalized, the third prince used his connections to find people willing to help with arrangement and pictures. While waiting for results, we sat down and worked out our teams. This was just deciding who would be with whom and which parts they would be performing.

“Now, would anyone be opposed if we kept the grades separate?”

Nobody had any particular objections to the suggestion posed by our chairman, the second son of Lord Humerson. I didn’t think anyone was against working with other grades, but it would be easier to be grouped with people we already knew. It was decided that we would sort out our teams once we returned to our respective classes.

That was when someone had a question.

“What should we do if someone is uncooperative or holding back the rest of the group?”

This came from a fifth-year, though I was sure there were students from every grade thinking the same thing.

“If they don’t want to participate, they should be removed from the group. Same thing for any dead weight,” answered one of the sixth-years. It was the fifth son from House Whichever-it-was.

“Wait. The academy festival is an opportunity for students to display what they’ve learned,” the chairman objected. “To force someone out simply because they’re holding back the—”

“Are you saying it’s fine for the performance to be ruined by people with no motivation or talent?!”

“Even if it does, that’ll simply be our class’s unvarnished state. Are such displays not also a part of the festival?”

“You hide behind pretty words! For some students, output at the academy festival can affect the course of their life! Does that not include you?!”

Neither of these two would be inheriting their houses. Since they were in general magic, both of them were no doubt good with spells. Maybe they were looking to join the Knights of the White Summit? But with the captain they had, that didn’t sound like an enticing path.

After some more going back and forth, they agreed that older students should have the right to remove students who were clearly disrupting the performance. There were a few in my grade who I expected to see pulled out. Namely Ribbons and her gang.

It won’t be my fault. Don’t get mad at me when you screw up.

The next time we had general magic, the teams were announced. Taking our various talents into consideration, Bear had sorted us out. He was pretty good at that sort of thing. It wasn’t for nothing that they put him in charge of all those eccentrics at the institute.

“All right,” he said, “I’m going to write the teams up on the blackboard here. Make sure to check for your name.”

As his large hand traced across the board, voices of excitement and disappointment rose throughout the room. One voice was louder than the rest.

“What is this?!”

Once again, it was Ribbons, probably angry that she wasn’t in the same group as the third prince. I, however, was put with him.

Bear, was this intentional?

The blood going to her head, Ribbons stomped on up to my desk even though we were in the middle of class.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

“The meaning of what?”

“Why are you in the same group as His Highness?!”

How the hell should I know?

Her wailing had left the room in stunned silence, which was broken by Bear’s husky voice.

“Darnir Duval, if you have a problem with the group distribution, bring it to me. I made the selections.”

“Pah! Given your connection to this girl, I see no reason to trust—”

“Try saying that again.”

“Eek!”

It wasn’t often Bear spoke with such oppressive force. This was the sort of pressure he exerted on monsters in the Mystic Forest, but Bear knew how to use it well. What was normally directed at groups was now aimed at a single person—namely, Ribbons. I was right next to her, and I didn’t feel any of the effects. As simple as it looked, what Bear was doing was actually quite advanced. As much as it pained me to admit it, I couldn’t match him in this regard.

“That goes for the rest of you, not just Darnir Duval. If anyone’s taking issue with the teams, I’ll be happy to hear them. I can give you a thorough explanation.”

Though they could endure the rough language, that savage grin was going to scare some people. In fact, half the students were scared stiff. Ribbons’s legs were shaking. Maybe it was stubbornness or guts that kept her standing, but whichever it was, I didn’t mind seeing it. Both traits got you plenty of respect in Peylon.

Everywhere I looked, preparations for the academy festival were moving along. In the cafeteria, morning and evening, as well as the common room, it was all anybody was talking about.

“Are things going smoothly for general magic?”

“So far.”

After our meal, Lanmia, Luchirs, and I were enjoying tea and conversation in the common room. Gatherings like this were based on the traditions of banquet parties, so these were a sort of learning experience for me. I was sure all the adults telling me to make friends I could talk with on even ground would be grateful to know I was doing this.

There were a number of groups eagerly chatting away in the common room. Surprisingly, that included Ribbons and her flunkies. They didn’t notice us, since we were in the shadow of a partition at the edge of the room, but they were blabbing loud enough that I could tell exactly what they were on about.

“Honestly, unbelievable! How can they allow such a brute of a man to teach here?!”

“You’re quite right, Darnir. This is exactly the sort of thing you should alert your father to, is it not?”

“She’s right. Your father is an earl. He should be able to do something about a commoner or two.”

That sounds like trouble waiting to happen. Too bad the royal family runs this place, and they won’t be having any of that talk.

“Umm, Lowell, is that...” Lanmia asked hesitantly.

I don’t care that we have the same father, I don’t want to be in charge of her.

“Let’s not worry about it,” I said.

Noticing the way I was smiling, Lanmia didn’t pursue the matter. I saw no reason we shouldn’t just enjoy our own conversation, held at a reasonable volume.

“Th-That’s right,” she said, changing the subject, “I hear the art club is helping with general magic’s festival display.”

“That’s right. We’ll be doing something different this year. We’re going to have illustrations paired with all the songs we’ll be playing.”

Lanmia looked enthralled. “A shame it won’t be the same as last year. That was so beautiful, I’ve been hoping I might get the chance to see it again sometime.” It wasn’t just the teachers; the students also adored last year’s illusory magic. “Though I’m sure this year will be quite a wonderful sight as well. I look forward to it.”

That led to us talking about the spell we planned to use.

“This year, it’ll be coordinated magic, instead of synchronized. That’s done with four or fewer people, as opposed to synchronized, which is five or more.”

At times, it felt silly to have separate names when that was the only difference, but increasing the casters noticeably upped the difficulty, not to mention the trouble that came from the inclusion of conducting spells. It’s just that explaining all that would only bore those two, so I skipped over it. Sure enough, the two of them didn’t look particularly fascinated. What they wanted to know was who would be working with whom.

“Who have you been grouped with, Lowell?”

Lanmia didn’t beat around the bush, so neither did I.

“The third prince, the second son of Earl Mazoent, and the third son of Earl Pasto.”

“You don’t call them by their names?”

I forgot their names.

I couldn’t say that though, so I brushed it off with a smile. Frankly, while Lord Mazoent’s second son was all right, Lord Pasto’s third son wasn’t great at magic. Apparently they had joined general magic so they could be by the third prince’s side. While they seemed aware of their lack of talents, I still thought they should have instead joined a class involving swords or spears. Our prince should have noticed their intentions.

When doing group work like coordinated and synchronized spells in general magic, most groups had a mix of boys and girls. Despite that, you didn’t see much mingling or social interaction in this class, even though I was pretty sure getting accustomed to the opposite sex was supposed to be one of the reasons we were at the academy.

Not that I was one to talk. The third prince and his aides more or less treated me like one of them. They didn’t quite interact with me like I was another boy, but neither did they treat me like a girl. I was quite fine with this.

I had heard that how you interacted with the opposite sex at the academy could have a big effect on your social debut. Recalling my earlier conversation with Lanmia and Luchirs, a vague look entered my eyes.

“Well, with my house on the decline,” I said, “I don’t really have the luxury of worrying about high society and what not. What if I tell them my house is declining? Present progressive form.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Lera,” Colny consoled me. It was the weekend, so we were having coffee together in the attic room.

Ah, it feels so nice when she pats my head like this. Has she always done this for me?

Enjoying the coffee and baked treats, Colny let out a small sigh. “But you’re quite right. Word of Duval’s poor reputation is spreading. Recovering from that will be no simple task.”

“Ugh...”

I wondered how much of that was Ribbons’s fault. Her commotion in the common room had caused a few furrowed brows, even among the older students. Talking about the grim road ahead of me left me slumped over the table.

“However,” Colny said, lightly patting me on the back, “your status as the daughter kicked out by the current house head is the exact reason it’s necessary that you take over House Duval.”

So she was saying they were going to prop me up as someone to be pitied, and use that to wipe away the mess made by my father and brother. By putting someone new in charge, there would be a brand new House Duval. That’s noble politics for you. I sighed. Colny then patted me on the back some more, this time with much more force.

“Get a hold of yourself. Seeing as we can’t just cut Duval off, neither my family nor Peylon are going to let you go through this unassisted. Keep your head up and let the adults take care of all the undesirable parts.”

Oh. That’s true.

Although I was going to inherit my house once I became an adult, I would still be regarded as nothing more than a young girl who had only just come of age. Nobody was going to expect a young girl to be able to handle everything from day one.

“I feel a bit better thanks to you,” I told Colny.

“I’m glad to hear it. Now, let’s focus on the upcoming academy festival.”

“That?”

My rising spirits stalled and took a nosedive. Though that was a certain group’s fault, not Colny’s.

“Did something happen again?” she asked.

“In general magic, we’re sorting into teams for the festival show.”

“Mmm.”

“Ribbons caused a fuss because she wasn’t happy with the groups.”

“Again? That reminds me, she was making quite a scene in the common room the other night.”

She looked like she couldn’t believe it, which I couldn’t really blame her for. She knew all about the trouble Ribbons caused shortly after we entered the academy, and then at the hunting festival.

“Bear told her off, yet she kept on complaining in the common room. She even said she’d have our father get Bear removed from the academy.”

“Words fail me. She still has a poor grasp on the academy, doesn’t she?”

That was for sure. The lord of a declining house like Duval didn’t have the sort of authority to alter an institution run in accordance with the wishes of the royal family.

“Ever since then, she’s been giving me nasty looks. I can’t stand it.”

“That girl never grows up.”

I was fairly sure phrases like that and “repentance” weren’t in her dictionary.

“Even if it’s not hurting me or anything, it gets on my nerves.”

“Well, she’s got her eyes on the third prince, and you’re the only girl on your team. I’d assume she’s envious of you, no?”

“Wha?”

There was nothing romantic about our teamwork. Honestly, the only thing on our minds was making our project for the festival a success. Third prince notwithstanding, I was under the impression life wouldn’t be easy for the second and third son, hence their determination to put on a good show. While they might be able to spend the near future as aides to the third prince, that job would disappear if he became one of the common people.

For a boy with little hope of inheriting his house, getting good grades and achievements in general magic probably seemed like a good chance to make a name for oneself. There would be lots of employers attending the festival, so it wasn’t impossible for them to be scouted if they did something noteworthy. Likewise, perhaps if a girl put on a fine display of embroidery or poetry she might entice a potential suitor.

And yet...

“Ribbons is awfully complacent,” I said.

“Indeed. Do you think she truly understands the position she’s in?”

“I bet not.”

If I were to inherit the house, both my father and brother would be removed. I didn’t know where they might go, but there was a good chance they might build a house to retire to in our domain. There was no room for Ribbons in that picture. If my father and brother retired in seclusion, they wouldn’t be able to spend money the way they currently were, and they wouldn’t have time to take care of Ribbons. More than anyone, she needed to be preparing for the future.

“She wouldn’t listen if it came from me, and I don’t feel like telling her,” I said.

“Indeed, that’s something for her parents to solve.”

Normally, our father should be doing something for her, such as setting aside some of his money for her, arranging for her to be adopted by a merchant, or finding someone for her to marry. Except doing that wouldn’t be easy now that she had been so thoroughly spoiled.

“What do you suppose she’ll do, come this fall?” Colny asked.

“I don’t think she or our father have given it any thought. That reminds me, do they know that the royal family has approved my inheriting the house?”

“They shouldn’t. If they did, they’d try to stop it.”

Which meant we were going to keep it a secret until the last moment.

Oh, that’s right.

“By the way, I have a question.”

Colny turned to face me again. “What might that be?”

“When I inherit the house, am I just going to be signing documents?”

“I couldn’t say. I don’t know much about that process.”

So she doesn’t know. Maybe Sheila will.

During our slow crawl to the academy festival, I had a visitor show up at the attic room.

Don’t tell me it’s Ribbons.

Checking the monitor, I saw it was the fourth-year girl who had visited previously. The competent brother’s girlfriend—no. Not his girlfriend; his dance partner at the ball.

“Coming,” I called. Opening the door, I was greeted by her smile.

“Please, forgive my intrusion. I was asked to see that you received this.” In her hand was an envelope. A plain old white envelope. “I trust I needn’t tell you who it’s from? And now I’ve done my job.”

Once she had firmly ensured I received the letter, she simply turned around and headed back down the staircase. She really had come here just to hand me this correspondence, which I noticed didn’t have its sender’s name anywhere on it.

“Figures.”

That said, if she were the messenger, then it definitely came from the competent younger brother. What could make him want to send me a letter? Closing the door behind me, I opened the envelope.

Inside was a card bearing a single sentence: Be careful during the academy festival.

Was I to assume this meant his dimwit brother would attack me at the festival? Or maybe it wasn’t me, but general magic’s performance? Or maybe the academy festival itself?

“Eh, I won’t get anywhere thinking about this by myself.”

Yep, this is something to shove off—entrust to the adults.

The next day, I swung by Bear’s prep room between classes. I figured he’d be here since there wouldn’t be any general magic classes today.

“Bear, you here?”

“Who are ya calling a bear?!”

Oh, he’s here. Except there’s also someone who shouldn’t be here. Why are you here, Competent Brother?

I was so surprised, I didn’t notice I was just standing in the doorway until Bear said something.

“Close the door behind you.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“It appears my presence puzzles the little lady,” the brother said.

“She’s not much of a lady,” Bear replied.

Why are these two talking like good friends?

“Excuse me, miss. I’m not in general magic, but I am in magic. I had a question, which I brought to my instructor, but they said it would be faster if I asked Mr. Fulmanson here. So here I am.”

“Oh. I see.”

I forgot it all the time, but Fulmanson was Bear’s last name. Not many bears have those.

More importantly though, was that really why this guy was here? It was a little hard to buy that he just happened to be here the day after he sent me that letter.

“Lera, I get that you’re concerned, but you can trust this guy, at least when it comes to his older brother. He says he’s got his doubts about their great-grandfather.”

“Huh?”

I turned my head to the competent brother, unsure if Bear really should have said that.

“Though I can’t go into any details,” he said with a smile, “not everyone in the noble faction obeys my great-grandfather out of belief in him. You can even count me among them. That’s why— Ah, is there any chance you came here because of that letter I sent?”

Competent indeed. I hadn’t even said anything, but the timing apparently made it pretty clear.

“There’s nothing more I can offer,” he said regretfully. “Not only do my brother’s motivations elude me, he has the backing of our great-grandfather. I’ll be powerless if the marquess puts his foot down. Plus, we don’t know how deep his influence runs within the academy.”

So in effect, it wasn’t so much the dimwit brother and his plans that we needed to worry about, but rather his backer—Marquess Bilbroza, the head of the noble faction.

Hold on, if that’s true, then I don’t stand a chance! I was approaching despair.

“Lera, we know about the letter,” Bear added. “We’re planning to bring House Aspozat into this.”

“Huh?”

Thand and everyone else?

“But they’ve already gone out of their way for me once, with the dimwit brother incident...”

“Dimwit brother...”

Ah, whoops.

It still hadn’t quite sank in that the brothers were actually related. The thing was though, he didn’t look particularly bothered. If anything, he was suppressing a snicker.

“No need to hold back, Zodian.”

“Pfft! Ha ha ha!”

I guess he’s got a good sense of humor?

Our chat concluded with Bear telling me not to make any moves, and that House Aspozat would look into things on the outside. After that, I made my departure.

“If the old man decides to make life difficult for you, it will be from outside the academy,” Bear had said. “In here, I’m keeping an eye out, and so are some of the other instructors. If you have to do anything, it’ll be on the day of the festival.”

“The day of...”

“We’re sure they’re going to interfere with general magic’s display. Stopping that and ensuring the show is a success is your job. Got it?”

Since I couldn’t really argue with that logic, I dedicated my focus to making sure the upcoming display went well.

As we got closer to the fateful day, it became increasingly common for our general education classes to be spent making preparations. Nothing odd had happened since my chat with Bear. Just Ribbons being a pain in the neck, mostly.

Because my team was all in the same general education class, we were able to practice our coordinated spells. We used the general magic classroom, where we saw students from other classes as well. Naturally, that included Ribbons. Her silent, fixated stare didn’t do anything to improve my mood. Unless I was imagining it, the third prince was similarly uncomfortable.

If she were to attack me, I could squash her, but there’s not much I can do if she just stares.

Ah.

“I have an idea,” I said, raising my hand.

“What might that be?” the third prince responded on behalf of the other boys.

“Since we’re receiving a rather unpleasant look, could we perhaps set up a sight-blocking barrier?”

“Hmm? Ah.” Glancing at Darnir, he seemed to understand. Then he asked the other two, “Are you fine with that?”

“I think it’s a fine idea.”

“It might improve our concentration.”

“There you have it, Miss Lowell. Of course, you have my vote as well.”

Woo!

I probably wasn’t the only one bothered by the way we were being stared at. I wasted no time putting up a gray barrier around the four of us. While I was at it, I made it block incoming noise as well. I thought it’d be easier to concentrate without any outside chatter.

“Well then.”

“Oh my.”

The two aides-in-training were surprised, but not in a bad way, so I kept the barrier up. Our prince approved as well.

“So this is how it feels to be in your own bubble.”

Now we could concentrate on our own tunes without the interference of outside noise. Resuming practice, it was much easier to review our work now that we had our own little space. Thanks to that, we improved our part a lot. Except we were still just making nostalgic beep boop sounds.

Once practice was over, I lowered the barrier to see...everyone looking at us. Stomping toward us, flunkies in tow, was, of course, Ribbons.

“One moment, you! What do you think you’re doing by placing something like that in a classroom?!”

“And by ‘something like that’...”

“It was just there a second ago!”

Oh, the barrier? That thing we had to put up because of you? Take a good look at my team behind me. They’re all recoiling.

Too bad Ribbons didn’t seem to notice.

“To hide inside something like that with those boys is nothing short of scandalous!”

“How so?”

“How? B-Because by hiding like that, who knows what you might be doing inside?!”

Might be doing? We were practicing. What else could we be doing?

I couldn’t even manage a look of anything but complete exasperation.

“Forgive my intrusion,” the third prince interjected, “but you’re saying that we neglected our practice in favor of doing unscrupulous things, correct?”

“Wha? N-No, I’m not trying to suggest that Your Highness would ever do such a thing...”

“Then what are you suggesting? I’ll have you know, being insulated from sights and sounds made that barrier an excellent practice environment. I’d suggest you all give it a try for yourselves.”

That endorsement piqued the other teams’ curiosity. We hadn’t done any barriers in class yet, but Bear had said we would start next year. Generally speaking, use of magic was prohibited on academy grounds, but we were in the general magic classroom, one place where magic wasn’t so restricted. In other words, barriers should be fair game here.

Some of these students regularly spent their afternoons practicing alongside older students, so that might be their chance at a headstart. While several of them inquired about the specifics of the barrier spells, Ribbon’s earlier complaints drifted off into the ether. Fine by me, since she was just trying to start something.

Making a barrier smaller would mean it would have to intercept less, thus making it easier to cast. I bring this up because from that day onward, everyone in the general magic room was practicing inside a barrier. Of course, hiding the interiors invited unsavory suspicions, so we switched to barriers that could be seen into, but not out of. After all, we mostly just wanted to avoid noticing any untoward looks.

“This is great!”

“We’re making more progress this way.”

“Maybe we could use this in study hall. If we can get permission, of course.”

“And we got to know some people from the other grades this way.”

The barriers were a big hit, with just one exception. That exception was at the edge of the room, stomping her feet.

Your uniform already looks bulky with all those ornaments. Now you look like a miorc.

A miorc, by the way, was a smaller orc. They grew to be around one hundred and forty centimeters tall, but otherwise looked like your typical orc. They also tasted good. Perhaps because of their size, they were timid and would run if they heard or smelled a human. Normally you could leave a creature like that alone, but their tasty meat painted a target on their back.

I could go for some miorc. It’s been too long.

Soon enough, we transitioned from practicing as individual teams to practicing as a class.

“You! You’re still falling behind!”

The student in charge was pointing at—you guessed it—Ribbons. After repeatedly skipping practice, claiming that it was dreary and boring, her team couldn’t even handle their own part of the song. So now they were constantly getting yelled at. Ribbons was staring at her feet, fists trembling, her limit probably not far off.

We were putting on a medley of the best parts of the songs we had picked. As I expected, it started with the dragon one. Rendered in nostalgic beep boops! Our timing was still a bit out of sync, but that could be fixed.

Playing together as a class gave the music some real impact. It gave it layers, you might say. I toyed with the idea of searching for songs from a certain crystal game. Something told me it would be out there somewhere.

Our rehearsal was continuing smoothly when a shattering sound rang out from the back.

What’s that?

“I’m done! I can’t take this anymore!”

It was Ribbons. Apparently one of the older students besides our conductor had been correcting her mistakes. She threw in the towel sooner than I would have thought. The next moment, she dashed out of the room, her flunkies following obediently behind. That was some real work ethic they had.

Her outburst had brought us to a halt, but the conductor grabbed our attention with a clap of his hands. “An obstacle has cleared itself for us, nothing more. Make sure to stay focused! They won’t be the only ones! Anyone who doesn’t want to put in the effort will get cut loose!”

“Yes, sir!”

I thought that was kind of harsh for a school event, but I couldn’t deny that anyone unwilling to cooperate would just drag us down.

Once practice was over, I headed to the dorm, where someone called to me on the staircase.

“Wait right there!”

Recognizing the voice, I turned around begrudgingly. There was Ribbons. And her gang.

“Need something?”

“Like you don’t know! You asked them to let me return, didn’t you?!”

“What?”

What are you talking about? Of course I didn’t do that. I mean, you’re the one who said you couldn’t take it anymore before walking out.

If she didn’t want to participate, she didn’t have to. Did she walk out thinking someone would stop her? Honestly, what a drama queen.

“You’re not seriously going to tell me you didn’t do it, are you?” she asked, placing a haughty hand on her hips.

“Of course I didn’t.”

“Why in the world didn’t you?!”

Oh shut up already. There’s no reason I should pave the road for you. Do you think I’m stupid? Actually, don’t answer that if you don’t want to get hit.

Let’s just make this as clear as possible.

“I have no obligation to do anything of the sort. If you want to return to practice, then work hard on your own part so the older students forgive you.”

“I don’t want to do that! That’s why I’m talking to you!”

“There are no shortcuts or backdoors here.”

She really didn’t understand that the honest path was the only way forward here. With my piece said, I was about to head up the stairs when she grabbed my arm.

Careful there. I could’ve lost my balance and fallen.

“Wait right there! We’re not done talking!”

Then there’s that tone of voice. Can you blame me if I snap?

“Would you quit it already?” I growled.

For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. I guess she thought she could do whatever she wanted and I would just take it.

As it just so happened, this staircase was the farthest from the dorm’s entrance, so not many people used it. That’s why, back when I’d entered the academy, it was full of stray, distorted thoughts, putting it a step away from becoming legitimately haunted.

With nobody around, I saw no reason to hold back. Grabbing Ribbons by the collar, I slammed her up against the wall. With a simple buff spell, I could lift her feet off the ground no problem. I applied just a bit of pressure.

“Uuurgh. It—hurts...”

“Over and over again, you act like you’re the boss of me. Do you really think you have the right to order me around? When you’re weaker physically and magically? Are you ever going to learn your lesson?”

There we go, that’s a good villain line. Or a bad girl line. The flunkies are also quivering.

“If you don’t want to get hurt, then stay away from me. Understood?”

With that, I let her go. The moment Ribbons’s feet touched the ground, she slid to her knees as though her legs had given out. Breathing heavily, she held her hands to her neck. All the while, she looked up at me spitefully.

“Father will hear about this! You’ll never be able to return home now!”

“Do as you please. I never wanted to go back there anyway.”

“Wha...”

Why was she so surprised by that? I didn’t have any attachments to a house that had kicked me out over a decade ago. Then again, I would be taking over the house this year, and my social debut would be the following year.

Oh. That’s not far off.

Leaving behind Ribbons and her gang, I headed up the stairs to my comfy attic room.

After that, Ribbons finally stopped pestering me. I took my newfound breathing room as a sign my intimidation had worked.

Our practice sessions were closing in on their grand conclusion, and we were in pretty good shape overall. To no surprise, a few more people had been removed on account of poor performance or motivation.

Something about Ribbon’s removal seemed to embolden the rest of the group. Like, if she could be removed, then so could a number of other people. Since their lack of drive was plain as day, nobody tried to defend them. Though the people exiled had a few words of complaint.

“Things have been awfully quiet around you, Lera,” Colny said to me one day when I was eating lunch with her and Loks.

“You think so?”

“Yes. That girl who always pesters you for nonreasons has been keeping to herself. Did you do something?”

Hmm. Can I tell her? Colny’s scary when she gets angry, but it’s Sheila that I really have to worry about. She might not be happy if I cause trouble shortly before I take over House Duval.

Eh, I’ll say it. I don’t regret what I did.

“You see, regarding our general magic performance, she said something I couldn’t really overlook.”

“And?” Colny’s eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

“And I used just a bit of my strength to scare her off.”

“Oh my.”

“Wow.”

Both siblings were smiling at me.

Hm? They’re not mad?

In Peylon, people tended to lean into the idea that might is right. You could do just about anything as long as it wasn’t too extreme. Of course, that didn’t mean you could just be evil. Teaching a pest a lesson the way I had with Ribbons wouldn’t really raise any eyebrows. But this was the royal capital, and we were at the noble academy. I was worrying that maybe the Peylon way of doing things wouldn’t fly here, but maybe I was wrong?

“Lera, I take it you thought we were going to be upset with you?” Loks pointed out.

“How’d you know?!” I asked, heart thumping wildly.

Do you know how to read minds?!

“I can see it on your face. Now, given who you were dealing with, mother and father probably won’t be angry.”

“Besides, that girl ought to be more aware of her position.”

So it was Ribbons Colny was angry at. That was pretty normal when an illegitimate child was picking a fight with the legitimate child. Normally that didn’t happen, and if it did, it never ended well for the former. In this world, or rather this kingdom, illegitimate children were that low in status.

The church taught that you shouldn’t have children with anyone but your spouse, and the nobility were not to turn their backs on the teachings of god. Not that the commoners could either; it’s just the nobility were meant to be a model for all royal subjects, so they were held to a higher standard.

If someone in Ribbons’s position tried to start something, nobody would have her back if she got knocked down. Normally. However, we weren’t normal. Our father favored her so much he tried to swap us out.

“Ribbons will probably go crying to our father,” I said. “At which point, I think he might try to get rid of me for real.”

“If she’s going to bring adults into this, so should we. We’ll contact our house,” Loks said.

He had a transmitter in his dorm room, so he could easily get in contact with the Aspozat residence. Even if neither Thand or Sheila were home, he could leave a message with someone there.

I didn’t think they needed to confront my father, but it was reassuring all the same. I wasn’t averse to dealing with him myself, really—it’s just that there’s no telling what an adult might do.

A few more days after my encounter with Ribbons and still nothing. One day busy with festival preparations, I found myself eating lunch with Loks and Colny again, so I brought it up with them.

“She hasn’t approached me in the dorm or anywhere else in the academy. Then despite how late in the year it is, she requested to transfer to a different class.”

Bear had told me about her and her lackeys switching classes. I wasn’t complaining or anything. I just thought it wasn’t like her.

“Wasn’t she scared off by your threat?” Colny interjected.

“How rude. I went easy on her, and I never said she was scared.”

“‘Easy’ by your standards,” Loks said. “If you went hard, I imagine she’d be dead.”

You too, Loks! Do neither of you know any tact?!

While I sat there fuming, Loks’s smile shifted into something much more serious. “Still, looking back on her previous behavior, she is acting strange now.”

“You’ve got that right,” I said. “Would a little bit of force really have that much of an effect on her? She’s usually pretty obstinate.”

All I did was push her up against the wall. Not in a romantic way—a shoving way. And I lifted her off the ground, which I bet was uncomfortable.

“By the way, Lera,” Colny said with a tilt of her head. “Just how much force did you apply?”

“Hmm, enough to stun a fanged rabbit on Layer One, I guess?”

Both of them blanched.

“Lera, I’m starting to suspect you are the reason she’s acting this way,” Colny said.

“Huh?”

She was giving me an odd look. But I mean, a fanged rabbit was something children in Peylon hunted with sticks.

“You might have forgotten,” Loks said in a heavy voice, “but people in the royal capital don’t exactly encounter monsters at all. This city is a safe place, especially compared to some other parts of the kingdom. People here don’t take well to feeling fear.”

“What?”

Even that little bit was too much?

I gave Colny a pleading look, but she just shook her head. “Here you went and gave her the treatment you’d reserve for a monster. She’s probably scared out of her wits.”

“Whaaat?”

Even if that were true, there wasn’t much I could do. I didn’t know much about being forceful with people. I gave them a teary-eyed appeal, but they simply shook their heads at me.

Huh? Am I at fault here? That’s ridiculous!

Three days after Loks and Colny had told me to repent, Ville dropped by the academy.

Oh man, is he here to give me a lecture?

I was called by myself to one of the academy’s meeting rooms. These were here so students could have a private place to chat with parents and relatives. After knocking on the door, I was told to come in. There I found Ville and the black knight.

Why these two?

“Don’t just stand there, Lera. Take a seat.”

The shock had left me frozen in the doorway. At Ville’s suggestion, I sat across from them.

“Now, let me tell you why we’re here.”

“Are you here to lecture me?”

“Hm? Did you do something you shouldn’t’ve?”

Oops, wrong guess. Me and my big fat mouth.

“Lera, did you do something?”

“Uhhh...”

“I’ll talk to Loks later.”

“I intimidated Ribbons a bit, but Colny and Loks scolded me for going too faaar!”

Saying it out loud like that, it sounded kind of stupid. A glance at Ville revealed an exasperated face.

“The heck? Well, that might have something to do with what we’re here to talk about.”

“Hm?”

What could that mean?

“Miss Lowell, has your house contacted you at all?” the black knight asked worriedly.

Contact? From my house? Not at all.

They hadn’t contacted Peylon once after sending me away. And why was the black knight asking this? I looked to Ville for an answer, but he was just making a sour face. He really didn’t care for the black knight, yet the two of them were here together.

“Ville, this is very weird,” I said. I couldn’t help but speak in my usual frank manner.

The amazing thing about childhood friends is that was all it took for him to understand me. I know what I said was a bit rude, but he didn’t seem too bothered.

“I know what you’re trying to say, but he’s our source of information.”

“Information?”

Still looking less than pleased, Ville enlightened me. “It appears some people have heard that this guy here went and proposed to you. Your father submitted a letter of protest over that.”

“Huh?”

My father didn’t have any right to do that, but did he understand that? It didn’t seem likely.

“I’ll worry about the merits of the proposal another time. But what you should know is that the letter from House Duval included a line stating that they would be the ones to decide who you marry.”

“What?”

Why would they say that?

Wasn’t I going to inherit the house, not marry into another one? Wasn’t it too late to change that if the royal family had already granted their approval? Oh wait, my father didn’t know that. Meanwhile, the two before me did know all that.

“We don’t know when he might try and pick a partner for you,” Ville said. “If he makes a decision by himself, the royal palace won’t approve it. Looking at it that way, we don’t have much to worry about.”

Noble marriages required the permission of the royal family. They were generally more than willing to grant their approval, but they would step in if the arrangement involved a major house or some other source of significance. In my case, the royal palace knew I would be the successor of House Duval, so they wouldn’t approve any marriage requests should they pop up.

However, Ville had more to say.

“There’s no way to know what that man might try. If things get really bad, he might try and force you to spend the night in a room with someone he picked out.”

“If that happens, can I bring down the building and run for it?”

“Sure—rip the guy’s hair out while you’re at it.” It was pretty rare for Ville to greenlight violent solutions. He was usually trying to keep me in check. Saying all this seemed to take a weight off his chest. “Oh, I just remembered. The daughter of his lover has been on leave from the academy, and hasn’t left the Duval residence in the royal capital.”

“Really?”

I hadn’t known. That would explain why I hadn’t seen Ribbons around the academy.

“You did something, didn’t you?”

“Huh? Huuuh?”

C’mon, she was being so annoying.

“If her encounter rate— I mean, if she just left me alone, I wouldn’t have done anything.”

“She’s probably desperate to bring you down. Both what she hears from her father and the gap between the two of you have been a source of stress for her.”

Wait, really? Well, any normal father would have written her off as a dolt.

“Where did you learn all this, Ville?”

“Loks and Colny. Who else? I take it they didn’t tell you anything?” Ville smiled when he saw me grumbling to myself. “Don’t let it get to you. They were doing what they thought was best for you.”

“Even though it directly concerns me?”

“Your expressions and behavior are too easy to read. That girl might only get worse if she knew that you knew.”

Agh, I couldn’t say he was wrong. Ribbons was already obnoxious enough. If she found out that I learned about her self-doubts, she might attack me outright. Though I was confident I could fend off anything she could send my way!

“Lera, you’re thinking about fighting her off, aren’t you?”

“How?!”

Could Ville also read minds? It was bad enough that Loks could.

“While it’s true you have permission to use magic on campus,” Ville said with a heavy sigh, “don’t attack anyone, okay?”

“C’mooon.”

“Don’t give me that. With your powers, you can hunt in Layer Six. Don’t forget that.”

Except I hadn’t gone to Layer Six yet. Come to think of it though, Colny said that the royal capital was safe. There weren’t even fanged rabbits here, if you can believe that.

I caught the black knight in my periphery. He looked dissatisfied—no...sad, perhaps? Noticing where my gaze was, Ville looked at him as well.

“If you have something to say, let’s hear it,” Ville told him. “It’s something you could stand to do more often.”

“Why are you and Miss Lowell so friendly with each other?”

What?

Ville and I both paused.

“This entire conversation, you’ve acted as if you understand Miss Lowell better than anyone else. Who do you think you are?”

“Nobody. We’ve been around each other since we were kids, so I know how she ticks, that’s all.”

“Is now the time for bragging?!”

“How could you possibly take that for bragging?!”

It wasn’t often Ville looked so caught off guard, but that’s what happens when you get struck from an unexpected angle. To be clear, I had been thrown for a loop as well. While we weren’t connected by blood, Ville and I were like siblings. Since we both knew well how the other operated, evading subjects and beating around the bush didn’t really work. And with our high concentration of inner skull muscles, neither of us were particularly romantic.

“Would you focus?” Ville said. “This isn’t what we’re here to talk about.”

“Mmm. I suppose you’re right. Miss Lowell, should you receive any letters or other communications from your house, please don’t respond to them. It could prove dangerous.”

Danger in a letter from your own father. Well, given his child-swapping plot, he’d already proven himself to be pretty dangerous. Did he really think he could do that without Peylon or Aspozat noticing? Maybe he thought he could get away with it since we were in the royal capital. If that were the case, he was awfully naive. This behavior was exactly why I was set to take over the house from him once I was old enough. He just didn’t know about that yet.

After making it abundantly clear that I was to watch my back, Ville and the black knight left. For all their bickering, it seemed like Ville was finally coming around to him. I wondered if the black knight’s time in the Mystic Forest had earned him a degree of respect. That was because Ville would sometimes think with the muscles in his skull.

That aside, I was considering telling the other siblings about the conversation I had just had. Ville might talk to them, but I still thought they should hear it from me.

That evening, on my way to the common room with Lanmia and Luchirs, I found myself abducted by Colny.

“A moment, if you would.”

“Okaaay. Lanmia, Luchirs, see you two tomorrow.”

While being dragged off by Colny, I waved to my friends. They silently waved back. What nice kids they were.

Colny took me all the way back to the attic room.

“I’ll put on some coffee,” I volunteered, guessing she wanted to talk here.

“Thank you. Now, what did my brother and Sir Yuin want with you?”

So she had come charging at me just because of a little visit.

“They wanted to talk about my house.”

“How so?”

“It seems my father’s pretty mad that the black knight proposed to me. So he’s planning to find me a partner and marry me off to another house.”

“Really now?”

Oh! That’s a voice dripping with disdain.

I couldn’t see her face because I was busy making coffee, but she didn’t sound happy at all.

“H-Here’s your coffee. Have some snacks too.”

“Thank you. Now, what did that thoughtless imbecile do?”

Eee!

Colny’s anger wasn’t directed at me, but that didn’t make it any less scary.

“Eh, here, let’s calm down first. No matter what my father does, the royal palace won’t permit any marriages he sets up. They’ve already approved my inheritance of House Duval, remember?”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Good, that seemed to mollify her.

“But my brother told you this? How did he come across such information?”

“Yeah, about that. He got it from the black knight.”

“Oh? From Sir Yuin?”

Yeah, I was surprised too.

“He was the first one to know because he got a letter of protest from my father.”

“Protest?”

“Something to the effect of ‘Don’t make proposals without asking.’”

“Ahh.”

She didn’t seem to care for the idea of my father suddenly acting like he had anything to do with the daughter he’d kicked out so long ago. I had grown up hale and hearty in Peylon, so he could leave me alone. He could just fawn over Ribbons. The only problem was, that might come to an end this summer.

A week after Ville and the black knight visited, nothing had happened. Even if this were just the calm before the storm, I was going to enjoy it. The academy was wonderfully chaos-free. Well, that’s how it normally was.

“Sure is peaceful,” I mumbled without realizing it.

Lanmia smiled at me. “What are you talking about, Lowell?”

“Hmm? Oh, I guess it just really sank in how peaceful it’s been lately.”

She and Luchirs looked at each other. Had I really said something that strange? Yeah. I had. Most people our age didn’t make comments about how calm everything is. Not that I had experienced war, whether in this life or the last. Though I did have experience hunting monsters in the Mystic Forest.

“Uhh, look, I was raised in Peylon, you know? You can’t go a day there without hearing about monsters.”

Granted, that was mostly people boasting about their catches. But neither Lanmia or Luchirs interpreted it that way.

“Ah, that’s right. They’ve got a real monster problem over there.”

“Life is much safer in the royal capital.”

Yeah, that’s it, I thought while giving them a vague smile. I didn’t know how Lanmia interpreted that, but it spurred her to change the subject.

“That’s right, I haven’t seen the other Duval girl as of late.”

“Hey! Mia!” Luchirs chided her as though she had said something wrong.

Hm? Do you mean Ribbons?

Last I’d heard, she was away from the academy, living the shut-in life in the capital’s Duval residence.

“Are there many people talking about that?” I asked.

Again, the two of them exchanged glances. They had a brief unspoken debate which resulted in Lanmia being the one to speak.

“Um, for some time now, people have been talking about how the Duval girl in the other class hasn’t been seen in the dorm or on campus.”

She told me that this talk was held in politely hushed voices. Since every student was required to live in the dorm, if they weren’t seen there or on campus, people were bound to talk.

“I heard she’s returned to her residence in the capital,” Lanmia said.

“Th-That’s right,” Luchirs agreed. “I hear there are some extenuating circumstances.”

“I hope she isn’t gone too long.”

Both of them appeared to seriously mean it. What good kids they were. Still, I didn’t think Ribbons would be coming back. At the very least, I didn’t see her returning for the rest of the school year, but I couldn’t just go and tell them that.

After that chat in general education, I returned to the dorm, where I was stopped outside the entrance.

“Lowell Duval, there’s a letter for you from your family.”

Oh, so it actually came.

Chapter Three: Trouble Here, Trouble There

I checked the letter first thing after getting back to my attic room, and the seal did indeed bear the crest of our house. Seeing no reason not to, I performed a magic scan to make sure there was nothing funny inside. I found nothing but paper and zero traces of magic, so I opened it up...

What’s this?

All it said was: Your suitor has been selected.

I flipped it over, but there was nothing on the back. I set it on the table and stared for a moment before heading to the transmitter to contact the Aspozat residence. With any luck, Thand or Sheila would be around. The call was picked up by the servant on duty, and after asking her to relay my message to one of them or to Ville, I found myself talking to the lady.

“Lera? Did something happen?” she asked.

She skipped the greeting, but in all fairness, I wouldn’t have contacted her otherwise.

“Uh, today I received a letter from my house. It said ‘Your suitor has been selected.’”

“I see.”

Just by the brief answer I could tell she was furious. Good thing I told her over the transmitter—her angry silence was chilling.

“Keep the letter. And ignore them, no matter what else they say.”

“Understoood.”

“Though I don’t plan to let them say any more.”

That last line actually terrified me.

Three days after getting the letter, as I was returning to the dorm, I was told I had received a message this time, not a letter.

“Here you are.” I was handed a slip of paper with a date, time, and place. “They ask that you head to the stated place at the designated time.”

“All right. Thank you very much.”

Returning to my room, I headed straight to the transmitter. This time, Ville was able to join us.

“And that’s all the message said,” I finished.

“I see.”

Over the transmitter, I heard a snapping sound. That was definitely Sheila’s fan that just broke.

“Uh, Lera?” came Ville’s voice. “You probably already know this, but you don’t have to do what that message told you.”

“I knooow.”

I wasn’t going to walk into what was absolutely a trap. Not that I’d let them have their way even if I did walk into it, but I didn’t want the headaches that came with dealing with my family. While I had permission to use force, making a break for it sounded like the easiest solution to me.

“We’ve determined which house is involved here, so we’ll take care of this. Don’t do anything to make the situation worse.”

House that’s involved? Oh, the house of whoever my father plans to marry me to.

“Don’t worry, I’ll behave myself.”

“I’m going to make sure Colny knows about this.”

“Don’t you trust me at all?!”

What a terrible man.

“I noticed just how happy you were when I gave you permission to use force.”

Oh? That’s funny.

“Don’t worry. I won’t get anywhere near them unless they do something like come to the academy.”

“Be sure to remember that, okay?”

I’ll remember.

Still, I couldn’t escape the feeling a flag had just been triggered. Maybe I was imagining it.

Two days later, they came to meet me at the academy. Classes were done for the day, so I thought I could just head to the dorm, only for someone from the faculty to call me over.

“Lowell Duval, there’s someone here to see you in one of the meeting rooms.”

“There is?”

Meeting room? Maybe it’s Ville. Or Sheila?

Tilting my head, I asked who it was.

“I’m told it’s your father and your fiancé,” they said with a smile.

My father? And my fiancé?!

“Now then, take care,” they said, leaving me in my stunned silence.

There were still some people hanging around the general education classroom, so I now had some very curious gazes on me.

These people. They really like to gossip.

The first question came from Lanmia.

“Lowell, when did you get engaged?!”

“I’m not.”

“But that person just said...”

“I think my father made some decisions without talking to me.”

“Oh... But if it’s your father’s decision, doesn’t that mean it’s settled?”

Yeah, in a normal noble house, the father had the final say when it came to marriages. It’s just that our house wasn’t normal.

As I considered whether or not to try and explain this, the third prince approached us. “Miss Lowell, did I hear something regarding a fiancé?” His handsome brow was furrowed. Being from the royal family, he probably knew a bit about my circumstances.

“Uh, my father’s been talking about finding me a suitor. I’ve never had the chance to meet them.”

“Lord Duval has? Do Houses Aspozat and Peylon know about this?”

“Yes, they’ve been notified.”

I thought Sheila had intervened, but it seemed that wasn’t enough. Sheila wasn’t enough? To me, that sounded unbelievable.

Well, let’s go and see what happens.

If things took a bad turn, I could blast them away with magic. I just had to be careful not to ruin the building.

The meeting room was deep within the same building that had the staff room and all that. I had been here just the other day, when Ville and the black knight came by. The meeting rooms all had unique names. This one was called the Violet Room, like we were in some Japanese inn.

I knocked, then opened the door, only to be immediately yelled at.

“You’re late! Do you think we’ve got all day?!”

Huh? Which one of us unilaterally set this meeting up, asshole? I nearly blasted you with a fire— Hm?

“A miorc?”

Sitting on the sofa was a short, stout man that looked like a miorc. Next to him was a twiggy man in his twenties with a mean expression and sharp, high-angled eyes.

Could this miorc-looking man be my father? I had barely seen him in the last ten years, so I had forgotten what he looked like. I think the last time I had seen him was five years ago at my mother’s funeral. Except when I say I saw him, I don’t mean I met with him, I really just mean he entered my vision. Hence my inability to recall what he looked like.

“A miorc? What’s that?” my father asked while I stood absentmindedly in the doorway.

Huh? You’re technically a distant relative of Peylon and your territories are right next to each other, yet you don’t know what a miorc is?

“Miorcs are classified as a minor monster and believed to be a smaller breed of orcs. They’re exceptionally timid and have keen hearing and noses, meaning they flee the moment a human gets near. Therefore, attacking from range with magic is recommended. The meat, by the way, has a nice texture and tastes wonder—”

“Y-You’re calling me a monster?!” he said, utterly infuriated.

Miorc meat tastes great, but I’m sure you wouldn’t. Useless.

“Ha ha ha! Lord Duval, I’m sure the young lady is just nervous seeing her father after being apart for so long.” Mr. Sharp Eyes was laughing, but there was a condescending ring to it. That didn’t bode well. He gestured to the seat opposite him and said, “Here, take a seat first.”

Before sitting down, I wondered if they’d let me step out for a bit. If I had known this was going to happen, I would’ve returned to the dorm and contacted House Aspozat. Just in case, I cast a protective barrier over the walls and furniture so they wouldn’t get broken. Making barriers with curves and angles was a drag, but I had plenty of practice from the Mystic Forest. I couldn’t protect the sofa across from me, but it would be fine if I used a spell to lift it and dump the people sitting on top.

Given what we were here to discuss, there was a chance of me turning violent. Always make sure to think a few steps ahead. With that done, I reluctantly sat down on the sofa.

“Hey, girl—”

“Excuse me?”

Both of them recoiled.

Do you have any right to call me that?

Quickly recovering, sharp eyes cleared his throat. “We’ve come here to discuss the recent arrangements.”

I didn’t trust that phony smile of his. I tried to come off as cold as possible with my reply. “Arrangements? I don’t believe anything’s been arranged.”

“Hm?”

Father and sharp eyes both looked at me with wide eyes.

“Of course we did!” the miorc erupted. “I’m sure I had a message sent to you! Girl—”

“Excuse me?”

Again, quit calling me that. A miorc can’t survive in the Mystic Forest if he’s dumb, y’know?

As I glared at my decidedly unintimidating father, sharp eyes took over.

“R-Regardless, Lord Duval had a servant leave a message at your dorm, did he not?”

“Yes, a message that contained nothing but meaningless information. It had a place, time, date, and nothing more. I assumed it was some sort of prank.”

That was a lie. I reported it to House Peylon, then put it out of my mind. I hung on to the paper, but only because House Aspozat had told me to. If it was up to me, I would have burned it like it had the plague.

Hearing my response, sharp eyes cast a doubtful look at my father. “Lord Duval, what is the meaning of this?”

“D-Don’t look at me! I made sure to inform my daughter that her marriage has been arranged!”

Oh, I have more explaining to do.

“Yeah, there was that other letter. Someone I don’t know very well suddenly sent me a card saying nothing more than that they’ve arranged my marriage. I thought it was a prank, so I told my guardians about it.”

“Guardians?” my father and sharp eyes asked at the same time.

I bet that was pretty confusing, since the old man across from me was supposed to be my guardian.

“While I’m in the royal capital, I’m in the care of House Aspozat,” I added.

The moment I said that name, the two grew very pale.

Ha ha ha, scary, isn’t it? After all, they’re at the top of the royal faction. Oh? Are they here?

Just as the two started to tremble, there was a familiar presence beyond the door. They rapidly approached the door and entered without knocking.

“Pardon our intrusion, but we’ll be joining you.”

It was Sheila. And Thand was with her.

“Eee!” my father squealed as he jumped from his seat. Pathetic. Honestly, what did my mother see in this man?

There was a flash of confusion on Sheila’s and Thand’s faces, but then they turned to me.

“Lera, this isn’t necessary. Please remove it.”

“Okaaay.”

They must have noticed the barriers. My father and sharp eyes, on the other hand, probably would have said something if they had noticed. Sheila and Thand both joined me on my side, sandwiching me between them on the sofa.

“It’s been some time, hasn’t it, Quinevan? I believe we last met at your wife’s funeral.”

Despite her smile, Sheila was overpowering. My father’s river of sweat was proof of that.

“Y-Y-You might be right about that,” he stammered.

“Hm?”

“My apologies! You’re exactly right!”

He looked like he might start groveling at any moment. It’s painful knowing your father is such a small man.

“So?” Sheila continued, her voice instantly dropping low. “What are you doing inviting Lera to a meeting here?”

“W-Well, I’m...”

He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t tell her that he had gone ahead and brought me a suitor.

Since Sheila already knew about the messages, she continued on. “Yes, that’s right. You sent some strange letter to this girl. It would appear you’ve gone and arranged a marriage for her.”

“Th-That’s...”

“It’s what? Speak clearly now!”

“A parent has a right to manage their child’s marriage!”

“Typically, yes. However, have you been a typical father?”

My father didn’t have an answer. What could he say? When I was three, he kicked me out, sending me to a distant relative. After that, he never once sent me a letter or came to see me. I only ever thought of Duval as the house that kicked me out.

“I’m sure you’re very, very well aware of this,” Sheila said with a frightening smile, “but noble marriages require the approval of the royal family. Do you have that approval?”

Again, he had no answer. This time, it was sharp eyes who panicked.

“Lord Duval? What is this? Don’t tell me you haven’t—”

“D-Don’t worry! I’ll absolutely get approval!”

We’re gonna need to see the evidence.

Hearing his excuses, Sheila became increasingly incensed. It’s funny—the room got plenty of sunlight, yet I felt cold.

“That would imply you haven’t yet received approval. So how do you explain all this?”

“Eeek!”

My father looked like he was about to fall from the sofa and crawl out of the room.

Sheila shifted her attention to sharp eyes. “Oh, you there. I believe you’re Qualos of House Boht, yes? I don’t know what Quinevan might have told you, but he has no authority whatsoever regarding this girl.”

Sheila’s bewitching smile ordered him to put two and two together, which he signaled he could do with a shake of his head.

“P-Pardon me. Lord Duval, you can forget we ever spoke.”

“Huh?!”

Sharp eyes left the room without sparing my father another glance. Left behind, my father appeared on the verge of death.

“Now, let’s have a little talk, shall we?” Sheila said. “Oh, Lera, you can return to the dorm now.”

“Okay. Excuse me.”

I let the adults take care of the miorc from here.

***

Let’s go back a bit.

“Faaather!”

My dear daughter showed up at our residence in the royal capital while the academy was preparing for the upcoming festival. Seeing her burst into tears upon returning home, I was too flustered to do anything. How was I to make my darling daughter stop crying? No, more importantly, I had to know why my beloved girl was crying in the first place.

“What’s wrong, Darnir? Ohh, there, there. What happened to make you cry like this? Did someone bully you? Did your friends do something to you?”

“Sh-She...” Darnir said between sniffles.

“She?”

“That Lowell girl.”

“What?! You were bullied by that wretched woman’s daughter?!”

“Y-Yes.”

Damn you, you deplorable girl.

My dearest Darnir was the child of Maesoya, the woman I truly loved. Sadly, I couldn’t marry Maesoya on account of her being a commoner, but I never thought of anyone but her as my wife. That wretched daughter of mine was born from Hepiner, the woman I had been forced to marry. We didn’t have any need for another child. We already had our son, Taeid, yet that woman had gone and had another. Despicable.

When she was three, our daughter underwent a change known as a “pigment shift.” It’s caused by some sort of sudden mana increase. Supposedly Hepiner’s family had a history of it, but none of their cases had been so dramatic.

In just a night, the girl’s chestnut hair and hazel eyes became a silver-blue and a deep azure. It was like she had become someone entirely different. That’s why it was the right decision to send her away. I’d heard she had since received a good upbringing in Peylon.

And yet she came here and mistreated my daughter?! Didn’t she know her place?!

“Darnir, take a brief reprieve from the academy.”

“Father?”

“While you’re away, I’ll chase that girl out.”

“Really?! Thank you, father! I love you.”

Darnir smiled through her tears. Oh what a wonderful thing her smile was. It instantly cheered me up. If I was to protect this smile, I would have to rid the academy of that girl.

As it just so happened, a certain someone had granted me a plan to make that happen. In fact, it’s strange that it took this long. This person understood me, so I needed to talk with them.

The noble academy generally did not permit withdrawals. The only exceptions were children removed for misbehavior or some physical reason, such as being unable to do coursework on account of illness. However, there was one more exception—a girl could be permitted to leave if she was getting married. Most people now waited until after graduation, so very few ever took advantage of this system. That obscurity is what allowed the policy to survive this long.

“I’ll get her married, then she’ll be gone from this house and the academy.”

Being an earl, finding her a partner wouldn’t be difficult. We held fairly high status, giving us a number of houses interested in forming connections with us. I was only trying to get rid of that deplorable daughter of mine, so anyone would do just fine. They could be from a lower house, a knight’s house, or anything—it didn’t matter.

However, I was told to make sure it still looked like a proper affair, so that’s what I had to do. That certain someone helping me introduced me to a good candidate. It was Qualos, the sixth son of Viscount Boht. House Boht was neutral, but leaned toward the noble faction.

Being a sixth son, Qualos wasn’t going to inherit his house. What he did have was a job as a civil servant. He wasn’t high up in the ranks, but that was fine. All I needed to finalize the deal was include a dowry from our house. On top of that, he had been promised preferential treatment from the one aiding me. Qualos was quite pleased to see that he had a shot at a promotion at the ministry of domestic affairs.

So I sent the freak at the academy a letter telling her that her marriage had been arranged. Given what she was, she should’ve been glad to see that she could have a normal marriage. And yet...

“A letter for you, your lordship.”

“Hm? Who would send me a letter via messen— Eek!”

I couldn’t help but screech when I saw who it was from. The crest on the wax seal left no room for doubt.

Why did Viltheoshila send me a letter?!

Viltheoshila was a distant relative of mine from House Peylon. Because our houses were connected, we had known each other since childhood. This woman had always had a violent streak and had caused me pain of all sorts on a number of occasions. Don’t all boys engage in skirt flipping at some point? Once, I’d told her to stop hitting me, so she instead blasted me with a spell. Not a peaceful bone in her body.

With those memories engraved in my bones, I still had trouble dealing with her.

“Your lordship, may I suggest you show courage and read the letter?”

“S-Silence! I know!”

With trembling hands, I broke the seal and removed a single card containing only a sentence. Keep your hands off Lera.

That reminded me, I had heard that Viltheoshila still cared for House Peylon. Aspozat and Peylon were tightly knit. The former, her husband’s house, ran the royal faction. The latter, her birth house, hosted the annual hunting festival, an important event among the royalists. That must have been why she sheltered that deplorable girl.

However, as much as it bothered me, the girl still belonged to House Duval. It was a father’s job to decide who his daughter would marry. The royal family couldn’t interfere with that, and the other houses certainly couldn’t either. I didn’t spare the letter another thought.

After that, I set up a meeting with Qualos. I told that despicable girl where to be and when, yet she stood us up! Honestly, what did they teach her out in Peylon? Without any other options, Qualos and I headed to the academy. It’d been a long while since I’d seen her—she wasn’t too bad on the eyes. Qualos reacted positively as well. That reminded me: I believe she was at Hepiner’s funeral.

Since first impressions are vital, I scolded her for being late and making us wait. But that damnable girl, she treated me like a monster of all things! The complete lack of manners!

O-Oh forget it. I’m a forgiving man. I’ll overlook her discourtesy.

“Hey, girl—”

“Excuse me?”

What did she just say to me?

Her voice low, she looked at me with a steady glare. Ah, she was just like that fearsome woman!

I managed to push the conversation along, but that wretched girl insisted no arrangements had been made. The gall!

“Of course we did! I’m sure I had a message sent to you! Girl—”

“Excuse me?”

Again! This accursed freak! She should show a little respect to her father!

Despite everything, Qualos picked up the conversation. It was there that we found that the letter and message had both reached her, but she had ignored both. Not only that; she told House Aspozat about them! The nerve of her!

After all that, those two arrived. They sent the girl back to the dorm, then brought me to the marquess’s capital residence. They took me to a windowless room, one far from the entrance. This didn’t strike me as a place normally used for guests. It was a stark room with nothing more than a table and a few chairs. There was no decor to speak of, no cushions, no amenities, not so much as a painting adorning the walls.

They put me in one seat and the woman sat across from me. The lord stood behind her.

“Now, let’s have a nice chat.”

What could we possibly have to chat about? I had always hated this woman. She was stronger than the men and excelled at magic. This led to my parents always scolding me, telling me I was pathetic for losing to a girl. Ever since, strong women have made me uncomfortable. A woman should be protected by a man, just like my dearest Maesoya was.

“I sent you a letter meant to put an end to this. Did that slip your mind?” Viltheoshila brazenly crossed her legs right in front of me. “It seems your memory hasn’t gotten any better.”

“Ugh...”

I wanted to say something back, but I didn’t think she’d let me finish a sentence. That’s the sort of person she was.

“Allow me to repeat myself. You cannot interfere with Lera’s life. You don’t have to act like her father; just keep to yourself. Do you understand me?”

Why did I have to hear that from someone from a different house?!

“Th-That girl is from House Duval!”

“Excuse me?”

“Eek!”

Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.

This woman once killed a large bear herself! She was no woman!

“Let me make this clear,” she said, glaring at me. “The last time you acted like Lera’s father, she was three years old. His Majesty has been made aware of this.”

“Wh-What?!”

Wait. Why was the king being brought up here? Even the royal family had little authority over the affairs of noble houses, especially a house as old as the kingdom like Duval. I’ll admit our reputation was on the decline, but that didn’t change the fact that we had a long history. Yet this woman before me wasn’t showing the slightest shred of respect.

“Where do you get this arrogance when you’re the one who cast her aside? Perhaps I should make it public that you threw her away?”

“W-Wait! If you do that, what will happen to my daughter?!”

My precious, precious daughter. Compared to the girl from that woman I had to marry, she means so much more...

“Just for clarity’s sake: By your daughter, you’re referring to Darnir, right? The daughter of your mistress.”

“Of course! She’s the only daughter I have!”

I didn’t care about the girl from that political marriage! I forgot myself for a moment there, until I noticed Viltheoshila’s vicious glare.

Wh-What? Are you going to kill me? Even someone from your house wouldn’t be able to get away with that.

Yet all she did was sigh.

“Honestly. Are you aware of your contradictions? Also, you ought to do a better job keeping an eye on your mistress. Letting her do as she pleases is how we ended up here.”

What? What are you talking about?

I watched in confusion as she placed a bundle of documents and a thin glass slab on the table.

“What’s this?”

“Read carefully. This should inform you of the real nature of your lover and where her money is flowing.”

What? I grabbed a few documents from the top of the pile and looked over them. What? What is that? Then, my daughter...

“Th-These must be fake!”

“They’re the truth. The mistress you feel you must cherish and protect has another man she’s dedicated to. Now, we caught the face of this man, as well as a scene of him enjoying time with your lover. Take a look.”

With trembling hands, I lifted the glass slab. As instructed, I pressed the circular part on the bottom. It showed a man a bit younger than myself.

“Slide your finger over the slab and look closely. Indeed. That will show you the next view.”

Image after image, the slab showed Maesoya cozying up to the man as they entered the house I had bought for her. It showed them embracing. It showed them exchanging a kiss.

The slab was trembling. No, my hands were trembling.

“Look carefully at the man’s face. Wouldn’t you say it resembles someone?”

“Someone. That someone...”

I couldn’t tell. No. I could, but I didn’t want to. This couldn’t be real.

“Look around his eyes. Does he not resemble Darnir in that aspect?”

She’s lying. This can’t be happening. It shouldn’t be happening.

“The eye color in particular. It’s an exact match, don’t you think?”

His eyes were the same aquamarine as Darnir’s. I never knew where the color came from. Apparently it came from this man. That reminded me of how Maesoya would often say what pretty eyes Darnir had. What a nice shade of blue they were.

“Did you know there are ways to use mana quality to confirm a person’s lineage?”

“Are you going to...”

“I have little concern for what happens to you, your mistress, or that daughter of yours, but I cannot sit back and let the funds of House Duval be siphoned off to this man via your lover.”

“This man...”

The eyes on the slab looked so much like Darnir’s. The documents said he was the son of a knight, and his older brother would be inheriting the title. His name was Philos Talt. He was unemployed.

“Wake up to reality. This woman you want to protect cares only for your cash.”

Giving your money to that man is pretty ruthless, said a voice inside my head. So I really had been betrayed by Maesoya?

“Why? What for?”

“Didn’t I already say it? For money.”

“For money...”

“You could’ve been a bit more objective in your judgment once money got involved. You were too infatuated with her. I thought I should make you face reality.”

Reality. How could that be something so terrible?

“We’ll take care of your lover. I can all too easily see her stringing you along if we left that task to you. In addition, we’ve arranged to take care of you until this autumn. By tomorrow, you’ll be living a quiet life in our domain. Is that fine with you?”

Honestly, I was barely processing her words at this point. Maesoya, my beloved Maesoya, had betrayed me. No, that wasn’t right. From the very beginning, I was nothing but an open purse to her. I had simply seen what I wanted to. Her love lay elsewhere.

“Ha. Ha ha ha ha...”

I couldn’t stop laughing. I felt faint. This— This was truly something. What was my life for?

“Is he all right?”

“All that matters is that he keeps living. We’ll ready a portal immediately. If he remains in the royal capital, he might run off to that woman.”

“That’s true.”

I heard more talking, their voices getting more distant by the moment, but it had nothing to do with me...disgrace that I was.

After that, Viltheoshila sent me to the outskirts of the Aspozat domain. My life here was a comfortable one, but I didn’t feel like doing anything. The lover I’d given everything to had never loved me back. What an unfortunate man I was.

Perhaps I should just continue to live like this, doing nothing.

That’s fine. I’m tired.

I don’t care what happens anymore.

***

That evening, I got a message from Sheila saying “It’s taken care of. Sorry you had to deal with that.”

She didn’t need to apologize, it was my father who had caused everything. But it seemed Sheila had worked out a solution, one adult to another. She said something about investigations taking some time, but what had she been investigating?

A few days later, Ribbons still hadn’t returned to the academy. I saw her flunkies from time to time, but they had all dispersed to different groups. I also caught the third prince occasionally giving me concerned looks. Did he know something? Sticking my nose in seemed like it would only get me burned, so I left well enough alone. Danger is best avoided, and I knew not to put my hand on a hot burner.

We were entering the good part of festival preparations. After practicing inside their barriers, the various teams had successfully gotten their parts down, and now that everyone had their bit mastered we sounded even better putting it all together. The pictures were getting finished and we were making progress integrating them into our spells.

They were planning to put the illustrations on display in the academy once the festival was over. Our performance was sort of like an advertisement for them, which I thought was nice. What better way to utilize the academy festival?

Now that classes had come to a full stop so we could allot all our time to preparations, the big day didn’t feel far off at all. That said, we still had a month to go. I don’t know, it just felt like we had already been practicing for at least a few months. I guess it was just my imagination. I’m sure it was my sense of time getting thrown out of whack by Ribbons’s pestering and my father’s sudden offensive.

Now days had taken a peaceful turn, so I hoped it would stay that way as we made our final sprint before the festival.

Hoping for serenity only ever brought me trouble.

“Hm? They’re withdrawing from the festival?”

Right as we were entering the final stages, some of the older students began to announce that they wouldn’t be participating. This info came from the third prince, delivered with a sour look.

“It’s odd that so many of them are saying this at the last moment. Apparently Mr. Fulmanson threatened to remove them from general magic if they didn’t agree to stay in the festival, but that didn’t change their minds.”

They had real guts if Bear couldn’t intimidate them. Not that this was a good time for them to be showing it. The Humerson boy, our chairman, had tried talking to some of the deserters in private, but they still refused to explain why they were leaving.

Could this be...

“Do you know which faction all the withdrawing students are from?” I asked on a hunch.

“Faction? Could that be it? Now that you mention it, they’re all from the noble faction.”

Ooh, leave it to him to know which house’s allegiances lie where.

Naturally, I didn’t know. It never came up in our lessons, though I recalled Colny saying this was the sort of thing you learned at home. Peylon didn’t interact much with the other houses, and I wasn’t just estranged from my birth family—I was pretty much cut off from them. There was no way someone like me would know something like who was in what faction.

But as I expected, there was a good chance the head of the noble faction, Marquess Bilbroza, was behind this. Or maybe it was the dimwit brother doing this.

That’s right. The competent younger brother said to watch out. So this is what they’re up to.

As a simple student chased from her house, there honestly wasn’t anything I could do. So I cried to an adult who could.

“And that’s what happened,” I sniffled.

“That’s certainly no good.” After contacting the Aspozat residence, Sheila had been put on. “We could do something if their plan was a bit more transparent.”

She sounded vexed, and I couldn’t really blame her. Asking the quitters to reverse their decision hadn’t gotten us anywhere. Just like last year, participating in the festival wasn’t absolutely necessary; it just did a lot to improve your grades. Anyone looking to improve their grades took part.

These students must have had a strong reason if they were willing to quit despite the consequences. Maybe they were promised that their work or marriage prospects wouldn’t be affected even if their grades dropped.

“For now, we’ll see if we can find some hard evidence. Lera, do your best to ensure the event is a success even if they pull out.”

“Okaaay.”

Ensure the event is a success, you say?

Filling the holes that had been opened would be a pain, but not impossible. I could cast coordinated spells by myself, and I wasn’t planning on letting that skill go to waste. It wasn’t just me either. General magic had other excellent students that could pull through. And none of the remaining lot belonged to the noble faction. With them, we should be able to make something work.

The only problem was that our enemy might try something else if they learned that we could still put on our performance in our current state. We’d have to push forward in secret.

So the next day, at our training spot, the chairman—all right, let’s just call him the Humerson boy—the third prince, a few of the older students, and I all had a little talk. Needless to say, we used a barrier to ensure nobody could hear us. Once we made sure the others knew we were having a strategy meeting, we dyed the barrier so nobody could see inside it.

I gave a quick explanation of what was going on. It included plenty of conjecture, so I was going to tell them to keep what I said a secret. But they all seemed to know where I was going.

“I mean, considering which houses all our quitters are from, the connection is obvious,” the chairman said with a wry grin.

So they all knew the allegiances of their classmates’ houses. Maybe I was the only one who didn’t. That shocked me a bit, but it made our conversation easier.

“Well, now we’ve identified our enemy,” I said.

“Enemy,” the chairman echoed with a laugh.

This is no laughing matter.

“They are our enemies. They’re trying to interfere with our performance all because of a difference in factions. They’ve even infringed upon some students’ right to take part in the festival. Are you okay with that? I’m not. Therefore, they’re our enemies.”

I was mostly saying that to rile the other students up, but momentum is important for these things. The acquiescence of everyone in the barrier had proven this point.

Yep. Sometimes muscle-brained reasoning is the best.

“Y-You’re right. And right now, our enemy believes their plan is working.”

“Yeah, but our performance is going to suffer either way.”

The chairman was quite right.

“Just to be sure,” I said, “you can all manage a coordinated spell by yourself, right? The third prince and I both can.”

This sent a ripple of surprise.

“A coordinated spell solo?”

“That’s impossible!”

“But she said she and His Highness can do it. Your Highness, is this really true?”

The third prince responded with a silent nod, startling the other students, including the chairman. Was it really that unexpected? Either way, actions spoke far louder than words at times like these.

“I understand your doubts, so let me show you,” I said.

“Huh?”

There were all sorts of coordinated spells, but the best proof would be the spell used in our upcoming performance. So all by myself, I began to cast. I played another team’s part in order to avoid any suspicions that the third prince might be helping me.

The older students were completely bewildered.

“It’s really possible...”

“No way. I can’t believe a second-year could do that...”

Some of the reactions were a tad insulting, but I let them slide. Now they all believed that casting a coordinated spell solo was possible.

“As you can see, even an individual can handle a coordinated spell,” I said. “Now, this isn’t feasible for anyone with a low mana pool or if they’re just plain bad at magic.”

“That’s a frank way to put it,” the chairman said with a chuckle. “So in other words, the students with the best grades should still be able to manage?”

He was quite right, meaning everyone inside the barrier would be able to cast solo once they practiced it a bit.

“Seeing as we applied to use coordinated spells on academy grounds, most people would assume that we’ll be helpless if we lose too many members. Of course, that includes our enemies.”

“And we’re going to take advantage of that assumption by practicing coordinated spells solo so we can finish the performance.”

I nodded. “One more thing: We should probably not let anyone know that we can do this. That includes everyone still left in general magic.”

The chairman and the other upperclassmen were outraged.

“You think they’d inform the enemy?!”

Well, yeah.

“I don’t believe they would do it intentionally. However, someone might let it slip out while chatting with friends in the dorm. They can’t leak what they don’t know.”

What if someone unintentionally spilled the beans, allowing the enemy to come up with a new plan and ruin the event? Wouldn’t that student be flooded with guilt? They’d probably agonize over it. More than necessary if they were the diligent sort.

The outraged students accepted my careful explanation.

“In that case...”

“Nobody will complain if we just say that the top students are practicing on their own.”

“Won’t that leave their teams shorthanded?”

“We’ll have to reorganize...”

I hadn’t thought of that. But this was just another thing we could foist onto an adult!

“How about we ask the general magic instructor to take care of team composition?”

That made their eyes go wide. The third prince seemed more exasperated.

Don’t worry about it. It’s a good idea.

“Our instructor also handled the initial composition,” I said, pressing on with a smile. “I see no reason we can’t ask for an update. Our practice is already keeping us more than occupied.”

Nobody objected to that. Like I said, they all understood that they would otherwise end up doing it themselves. Nobody wanted that chore.

After that chat, we decided that the chairman would talk to Bear on our behalf. Thank goodness for that. If I went, Bear would find some way or another to make me help. In the end, he agreed to take charge of reshuffling the teams, along with allowing the top students to use coordinated spells solo.

In exchange, the second-years (myself included) would teach the older students the method—or trick—to solo casting. The first-years wouldn’t be part of this because they still hadn’t officially learned coordinated magic. Oh? But last year, we did synchronized magic, which was even more of a challenge. I would’ve started to get bitter if not for my friends’ support.

All it took was a simple explanation and the chosen students had the hang of it. It probably helped that our musical performance didn’t ask for anything too difficult. Normally, you’d think putting on a little concert would be a lot of work, but everyone was in charge of just a single sound bite each. The important part was working together so it all formed something coherent.

I thought organizing the performance was a much trickier job than actually performing. The messy task of herding all of general magic fell to the chairman, and he was doing it splendidly. Maybe he was just born for roles like this.

I could never show the same level of attention to detail that he had. Again, my meathead tendencies were showing, but that was fine. I wasn’t meant for taking the lead. What’s that? I needed those skills if I was going to inherit my house? Well, it was probably too late to tell them I didn’t want the job.

One day while getting ready for the festival, I was called upon by Bear. The top students had already gotten comfortable handling coordinated spells solo and were busy practicing their parts. So what did Bear want with me? The new teams had already been sorted out and I didn’t think there was anything else he could drag me into.

“Pardon meee.”

Opening the door to Bear’s prep room, I saw him and someone who looked out of place there. It was the girl who was often with the competent younger brother. If she were here, did that mean the boy had another message for me?

“Ah, you’re here. Take a seat.”

“Good day to you,” the fourth-year girl said with a bright smile.

“It’s been some time since I last saw you,” I replied.

“Oh, I hardly think it’s been that long.”

At this age, not seeing someone for a month feels like a long time. But never mind that.

“What brings you here? I don’t think you’re in general magic.”

“I’ve a message, which I relayed to your instructor. But I must be going.”

And then she got up and left. I didn’t even have a chance to tell her to stay.

Once she was gone, I turned to Bear. “So? Did she have a message from the competent younger brother?”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page. It sounds like the dimwit brother is going to try something again, and he plans to play dirty.”

What?

“What does he plan to do?”

“Before that, do you know about the institution’s new magic tool? The one that disrupts mana to prevent casting?”

“No, but I suggested something like that to Nielle once.”

Casting a spell invariably required using mana, and at least part of that came from the body. The line of thinking went that by interfering with that release of someone’s mana, they could be prevented from casting any spells. The idea had been around for a long time, but I had only learned about it last year. When Nielle had asked if I had any spell ideas, mana interference slipped out. I was pretty sure I had suggested it as a magic tool, but I didn’t think she’d crank out something so fast.

“What does the magic tool have to do with this?” I asked.

“Bilbroza apparently made a knockoff.”

“Huh?”

Ozeria had a system similar to patents, in which just about every magic tool had to be registered. It was illegal for anyone but the inventor to make and sell a registered tool. Even if you didn’t sell them, making more than a certain number was treated as engaging in illegal commerce.

Marquess Bilbroza should have been aware of these laws, and even if he wasn’t, he presumably had a legal expert in his service. Either way, he had no excuse not to know.

“Isn’t that a crime?” I said. “Lord Bilbroza realizes that, doesn’t he?”

“Probably. But he can’t be charged if he keeps it hidden.”

What? It’s not a crime if you don’t get caught?

Bear gave me a bitter smile when he saw I was furrowing my brow. “It looks like he plans to install it in the temporary arena we’ll be setting up. Then they’ll have it destroyed when the stage is disassembled.”

“Do you mean...”

“He plans to directly interfere with the performance.”

Whaaat? He’s going that far?

As with last year, general magic would be performing in the same arena used for mock battles. If he was planning to interfere with us, the duels and mysticstock race might also be ruined. I could barely believe the marquess was willing to be so reckless.

“I’m told Zodian learned about this from his father,” Bear added in a whisper.

“Hm?”

That would be Viscount Nogdeid. The secret grandson of Marquess Bilbroza. Even if it were being done indirectly, why was someone like that helping general magic?

“What’re you thinking about?” Bear said, interrupting my train of thought. “You always act before you think, so what good is using your head?”

“Is anyone going to teach you any manners, Bear?!”

“And you quit calling me Bear!”

The general consensus is that that’s what you are. Anywho...

“Why would Lord Nogdeid undermine his grandfather?”

“I’ve just heard bits here and there, so don’t put too much stock in this, but I hear Lord Nogdeid was never very fond of his granddad.”

“Really?”

What’s up with that?

Seeing my surprise, Bear offered an explanation, again prefacing with a warning not to put too much stock into what he said.

“Lord Nogdeid’s mother was Lord Bilbroza’s illegitimate child. Now, who was his mother’s mother? A maid serving House Bilbroza.”

“Reeeally?”

“Now, when Lord Nogdeid’s mother was a child, she was still with her mother—the maid, that is. During this time, she was often bullied by the Marquess’s legitimate children. All the while, the marquess did nothing to stop this, or help the maid or her daughter.”

“Wow.”

What a scumbag. I had never met the man, but between this and his plans to disrupt the festival, I had decided he must be an awful person.

“After that,” Bear went on, “he treated her like a tool, marrying her off to House Nogdeid, but things weren’t much better for her there. She didn’t have a happy life until her son stole the title of viscount from his father.”

“Ooh.”

According to Bear, the current Lord Nogdeid got the title by driving out his father. He did this with the aid of the current Lord Bilbroza’s wife’s son. But hadn’t the wife’s son once bullied the girl Lord Bilbroza had married off? Bear answered that question, explaining that the son in question—the eldest—wasn’t part of the bullying. Though he had turned a blind eye to it.

The man had thought Lord Bilbroza might be furious with him, but instead the marquess supposedly praised his gumption. The one he was angry at was the former viscount for being so impotent that his son usurped his position.

“And that’s why the current Lord Nogdeid despises Lord Bilbroza. Pretty much everyone in high society knows about this.”

“Wouldn’t the marquess be mad about this being public knowledge?”

“Well, that’s what makes the old bastard so interesting. No matter how much you speak against him, he’ll let it go if you do what he says.”

“What an odd man. I don’t know if he’s got a lot of tolerance or just a few screws loose.”

Something told me it was the latter. Bear tilted his head, asking what screws had to do with it. This world had screws, but apparently they didn’t have that phrase. Screws aside, I was glad to have the aid of Lord Nogdeid and his competent younger son now that I knew their reasoning.

“Do you think it’s safe to assume they’ll be focusing their efforts on the arena?”

“Probably. That dimwit brother seems pretty intent on ruining your day.”

What a terrible person. But as I expected, he overlooked the funniest thing.

“If we know what they’re planning, we can come up with a counter! If they’re using a magic tool to interfere with mana, we can just make a tool to interfere with theirs.”

“Do you have the spare time to be doing that?”

Honestly, I didn’t. But there was someone who might be able to make it work. Probably.

“I’ll contact the institute and ask Nielle to make it!”

“Hey! She’s got a lot on her plate, you know! She isn’t your personal servant.”

“If Nielle says no, I’ll make it myself. She can manage her own schedule.”

“Well, yeah, that’s true.”

Bear got pretty overprotective when it came to Nielle. To be fair, Lord Peylon had asked him to look out for her. Despite her eccentricities, she was the daughter of a baron.

The moment I was back in the attic room, I contacted the institute, and they put me through to Nielle.

“Hey, what’s up, Lera? Ah! I made the magic tool you asked me about a while back.”

“Congratulations. But you see, I need to ask you about that.”

“What have you got for me?”

Nielle was married to magic. She had a good hand for magic tools, but preferred to dedicate herself to research. Though research wasn’t quite what I had for her, I was sure she would get fired up over it.

“So you see, it seems another house copied the tool you made, and plans to use it.”

“What?! Which house?!”

Oops. The only thing I stoked is her anger. No, that flame should be for research.

“Calm down. We’ll get rid of the tool later. Now, can you make us something that prevents their tool from working?”

“What do you mean?”

All right, I’ve got her now.

I told Nielle about how the interference would work.

“How does that sound?”

“I see. Um, I should be able to make this work. Right. No time like the present for experiments!”

“Thanks in advance. Oh, can you have it ready before the academy festival?”

“I’ll do my best!”

Now that that was settled, I just had to worry about people confronting me. Lord Bilbroza sounded like a ruthless person. I could imagine him making another plan while letting the dimwit son carry out his own. I hated that my intuition was always right when it came to these kinds of things.

Seriously, I wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that my bad feelings usually turned out to be right.

“An underclassman shouldn’t rebel against their seniors, you know?”

“You just have to take a liiittle break from the academy—that’s all we’re asking.”

“You don’t want to see her get hurt, do you?”

“If you don’t do as we say, you know what that’ll mean for your friend here, right?”

I was behind one of the school buildings. It was just me, a blanching Luchirs, and some bulky older guys holding her hostage.

“L-Lowell,” she stammered, “I’m sor—”

“Don’t worry about it, Luchirs. These jerks are in the wrong, not you.”

“What did you say?!” one of them hollered; perhaps because I called him a jerk, perhaps because I said he was in the wrong.

I mean, he took a hostage to threaten a girl—a younger girl at that—so he was plenty wrong. Did he really think he could get away with doing something like this on academy grounds? Perhaps Lord Bilbroza was behind this too.

Either way, my first problem was the students in front of me. If I wanted to quickly neutralize them, the hypnosis beam was the best option. It was so strong that one good blast was enough to make research nut Nielle sleep like a log. That would leave everyone here collapsed on the ground, but I just had to inform Bear and he would see that they were all taken care of.

Now then.

“Take this: Hypnosis beam!”

“Wha—guh...”

The older boys all let a short yell before hitting the ground.

Crud!

“I put Luchirs to sleep toooo!”

I gently extracted her from the clutches of the snoring seniors, then used another spell to rouse her.

“Mmm. Oh, am I...”

“Are you all right, Luchirs? Do you know where you are?”

With slowly fluttering eyes, Luchirs drowsily lifted herself out of my arms.

“Umm... Oh! Those older students, they...”

She looked at the students sprawled out on the ground. Then her gaze slowly drifted back to me.

“Um, are they...”

“They’re fine. They’re just asleep.” And they’d stay that way for three days without magical assistance. “I’m going to go report this to Bear—uh, I mean, the general magic instructor. Could you come with me?”

“Sure. I’m not sure I’m really up to returning on my own.”

That’s for sure. That’s why I thought we could go together.

The impromptu sleepover was a little more spread out than I liked, so I levitated the students into a tidy pile. Just as we were about to head for the general magic prep room, I heard a voice coming up from behind.

“Augh! What the hell happened?!”

I spun around and saw the dimwit older brother.

“Why are they all on the ground?! What did you do?! What am I supposed to do?! I went to all the trouble of finding these guys!”

I knew it! So you are behind this kidnapping!

“You too, scum! Hypnosis beam!”

“Urmgh—ohhh...”

The dimwit brother fell without a fight. I gave him a stronger dose than the other thugs—enough for five whole days. I’d have to report that to Bear as well.

Once my report was delivered, Bear let out a heavy sigh.

“What in the world is wrong with that numbskull?! Doesn’t he realize you can’t be taken down with violence?”

“Is that really your concern?”

Say you were worried or something. We’ve known each other a long time. Maybe it’s exactly because we went so far back that he knew there was no way I’d lose to that dimwit. But maybe that wasn’t great either.

“Point is, I’m leaving the rest in your hands. I’ll have to contact the Aspozat residence later.”

Grumbling, Bear grabbed a notepad and started writing something—probably a list of things he had to do.

“I’m guessing you used the hypnosis beam to knock them out?”

“Yeah. But I gave the dimwit brother an extra heavy blast, so I don’t think he’ll wake up for five days.”

“Hell you mean ‘extra heavy’? Still, that explains...”

Bear sank into a contemplative silence. He was also a researcher, so when this happened, it took a while before he returned to reality.

“Shall we head back to the dorm?”

“Hm? Is it okay to just leave the instructor?”

“It’s fine. He’ll be like that for a while.”

Leaving Bear in the prep room, Luchirs and I returned to the dorm.

After that, there were no other direct attacks. Fortunately, they hadn’t tried taking another hostage, so I didn’t have to do anything more than keep an eye out. Since the first group hadn’t shown up to any of their classes, I could easily imagine they were too scared to strike again. If they did come at me again, I’d assume they were stupid or afraid of whomever was giving them their orders. Putting them all to sleep and reporting to Bear was no big deal, but it was a mood killer.

Meanwhile, a strange rumor began to circulate around the academy. “Don’t mess with the Duval girl,” it went. Was I some evil spirit? It’s not like I was attacking people without provocation.

Oh. That’s what the “don’t mess with” part was referring to. Still, I didn’t care for it.

After spending the morning practicing my part for the general performance, I was making my way to the cafeteria when someone called out to me.

“Miss Lowell, can I talk to you?”

It was the third prince.

What? I’m on my way to lunch.

“Don’t look so displeased. Do you know you’re the only person who makes that face when approached by a member of the royal family?”

I certainly wasn’t hiding my dissatisfaction. So other people were glad to see these guys?

“I want to talk about this recent rumor about you,” he whispered.

About how I’m being treated like an evil spirit? Fine, I’ll listen. It’ll delay my lunch, but I’ll live.

I was taken to a gazebo in the school’s garden. It was a very comfortable space surrounded by dazzling flowers. But nobody was here. Perhaps due to the time?

“This garden is open for third-years and above, but I rented it out for the day.”

Wow. Royals really live in a different world.

The gazebo had a table and two chairs, which wasn’t very many given the table’s size. Maybe there were more when the place wasn’t rented out? I sat down and began to look around when an aide brought a basket.

“They’re boxed lunches from the cafeteria.”

“They’ll do that? I didn’t know.”

The aide opened the basket, revealing a main dish in a porcelain container, alongside bread and salad. There was also soup in a porcelain pot, along with matching cups. It all looked wonderful, and very fitting for an academy tailored to the nobility. There was shrimp and onion marinade, white fish fritter, and steak cut into small cubes. The salad was rife with seasonal vegetables, plenty of which were also in the soup. I was sure it was going to be delicious.

“There’s something I’d like to tell you. Feel free to eat while I talk.”

“As you wish.”

“I hear you hit an older student from the noble faction.”

“What?”

I didn’t hit him, I put him to sleep.

“I heard my mother and Leor discussing it while I was at the royal palace...”

You were eavesdropping, weren’t you, Your Highness? Your attendant’s making a funny face. I couldn’t just say that out loud, so I kept it to myself.

“They shouldn’t have done that,” he insisted. Perhaps he could tell what I was thinking. “They attacked you on Lord Bilbroza’s orders, didn’t they?”

Sir, that’s not a name you should’ve said out loud. You even startled the aides.

“Don’t worry,” he said, unperturbed. “We’ve cleared the area of people. Nobody can hear us.”

Having my doubts, I checked for any nearby presences. I found some people, but judging by their equipment they were probably guarding the prince. They didn’t seem intent on hurting him or committing any other misdeeds, so I didn’t worry.

“It’s true that some older students told me to come to them, and I put them to sleep. I haven’t concerned myself with whatever happened after that.”

“You haven’t?”

I wanted to ask why he was so surprised, but I resisted the urge. I slapped on a superficial grin and replied, “I believe adult matters are best left to adults.”

Because it’s nothing but headaches there.

Yet the third prince didn’t seem satisfied by that answer. “Hm, but with your skills, couldn’t you feasibly strike back against Lord Bilbroza? If you chose to do so, I could lend you my support.”

Again, that’s not something you should just say.

I glanced at the aides and saw them clutching their heads. Really, if they served him, then they should have been stopping him. Or were they just aide candidates? Either way, they should have done something, yet they didn’t. Real job shirkers, I guess.

The third prince was looking at me with shining eyes, not paying any attention to the delicious lunch before him. He must have really wanted to see an adult get knocked down a peg by a child. Personally, I thought he was better off getting that joy from fiction.

“A mere student like myself doesn’t have the power to grapple with an adult,” I told him. I wasn’t lying. I was only fourteen, so I was going to act like it, even if my mind was past thirty.

The third prince pursed his lips, still not ready to accept my answer. That was very rude, not something a royal should have been doing.

“Has anyone told you you’re too well-behaved?”

“Nobody has ever once told me anything to that effect. Thank you for the wonderful lunch.”

Without giving him a chance to stop me, I got up and put the garden behind me.

Man, that really was a good meal. Maybe Colny and I can do something like this in the future.

As we continued to practice for the festival, attacks from the noble faction kept coming. They really didn’t learn. If this kept up, the attacking students would have to skip the festival. Were they sure they wanted to do this? Well, they didn’t have my sympathy or concern.

Then one day, I got a call from the institute in Peylon.

“It’s dooone!”

“Woo! I knew you could do it!”

The magic tool I had asked for was complete. Construction had already begun on the temporary arena hooked up with the mana interference device. Peylon’s research institute was providing technical support, but the actual building was being done by a crew from the royal capital. Every year, the academy commissioned them through the guild, and they had the know-how to get it done quickly.

But more importantly, the new magic tool was ready.

“I already knew the ins and outs of the mana interference tool. After all, I made it. Making something that could mess with that was easy.”

She sounded underwhelmed. She was always one to prefer a challenge.

“I can’t thank you enough. Could you prepare a few and send them to Bear?”

“Can do. How many?”

“Uhh, about three hundred?”

The festival arena was huge. Covering every bit of it probably required about that many interference devices, so we would need around as many of our own devices to counter them.

“Are you guys on the brink of war over there or something?”

“No, there’s no battle happening. I told you, these are for the festival!”

“Yeah, but...”

Nielle trailed off, grumbling something.

“As I said, I need three hundred,” I said definitively. “Get them to Bear as quickly as you can.”

“All right.”

That settled the magic tool issue. Though seeing a few hundred show up might catch Bear off guard. Or maybe they’d show up in a magic storage bag.

After that, preparations continued. I continued to repel attackers. Both my individual part in the concert and our overall coherence were improving. Everything was going well.

Not long after my conversation with Nielle, the day of the festival was upon us. Just like the previous year, Colny and I waited at the gate to greet Thand and Sheila. We were just a few in a crowd of students doing the same thing. Loks couldn’t join us because he was a prefect. Too bad for him.

“Do you suppose Sir Yuin will be showing up?” Colny wondered. “I can’t wait to find out.”

Yuin? Oh, the black knight. The whole festival thing sort of wiped him from my mind.

Even while we waited, my head was filled with thoughts of the upcoming mystic-jockeying exhibition. Apparently a solo run like what we had planned was a first for the festival. They said it might become a staple event if the reception was good. Did that mean I was going to have to run next year? And the year after that?

Just as this occurred to me, a carriage bearing a familiar crest pulled up in front of us.

“Colny! Lera!”

“Brother!”

“It’s been too long, Ville.”

Ville descended from the carriage looking a little haggard. Being the crown prince’s aide couldn’t have been easy.

I was wondering if he was going to be followed by Thand, but next was the black knight. Both of them were on the unkempt side, sporting no tie, just a jacket. Not only that, the black knight was wearing a black shirt, like some sort of number one club host. Not that I had ever gone to one of those places. If the black knight was number one, then Ville was number two. Just the pair of them would be enough to make any establishment flourish.

Perhaps because of the heat, the black knight had his top two shirt buttons undone. Between that and his overall rugged looks, he was inciting choruses of squeals from the nearby girls. That number one host—I mean, the black knight—came up, took my hand, and gave me a gentleman’s greeting.

“It’s wonderful to see you again, Miss Lowell.”

“G-Good day to you.”

Now that he mentioned it, the last time we’d met was when he and Ville came to deliver their warning to me. About a month had passed since then.

“It’s good to see you two again,” Thand said, getting out of the carriage.

“What a relief it is to have such fine weather today,” Sheila said, following behind him.

It was scorching out, so both of them were dressed lightly. Sheila’s dress was especially lovely. It was a very seasonal cream-yellow, made with thin, light fabric, and lace around the shoulders, chest, and sleeves. Just the sort of fine taste I expected from her.

Colny and I led a tour around the festival, same as last year, but having Ville and the black knight with us garnered some stabbing glares. Thinking back on the adoring cheers they had received at the hunting festival reminded me just how popular these two were. They really could run a host club.

They had been enough to make Miss Cucumis Melos and Ribbons sneak into the festival, even. Since the former girl was from another faction, and the latter wasn’t in good standing with the royalists, neither of them had received an invitation. If Ribbons hadn’t gone on the offensive at me and just attended the academy normally, she could’ve been here to see the black knight.

Being with both him and Ville—and notably related to neither of them—meant I was getting a far worse response than Colny from the nearby girls. As much as she got along with Ville, she was his sister. If anyone was looking to marry Ville, then getting on her good side was a smart move. Therefore, all the spiteful, jealous looks were directed only at me, much to my despondence.

“Is something the matter?” the black knight whispered into my ear.

“Eep! N-No, nothing.”

I couldn’t just tell him it was his fault. Still, I wanted our number one host to show some restraint. If looks could kill, I’d be on the ground after that little whisper.

This year, the first one who had to run off was me. “Now, I need to get going,” I said.

As I got on my way, Ville, the black knight, and Colny all offered words of encouragement.

“Give it your best.”

“Be careful.”

“Do show us just how fast you are!”

The mystic-jockeying instructor and the other students were ready to go. All I had to do was get on Gonsuke and start running.

Oh, I have to get changed first. If I run in my uniform, everyone will see my underwear.

As I changed into my riding clothes, I could hear the student serving as commentator.

“Now, we have something brand new for you this year! A black greatbear from the mystic-jockeying class will be running solo. Mounts won’t be competing for time today. Instead you’re going to see the incredible speed of this bear...”

Once again, they had done a good job with the mic and speakers.

With my riding clothes on, I donned my helmet. Now all I had to do was check on Gonsuke, but something was causing a commotion.

What’s this?

“What’s the matter, instructor?”

“Oh, it’s you. You see...”

“Gon. Gon...”

The instructor was before the black greatbear’s cage, and inside it Gonsuke looked to be in pain.

What’s the matter?

“Is there something wrong with Gonsuke?”

“I don’t know. He seemed just fine not too long ago.”

Not too long ago? If he got worse so quickly—ah.

“Instructor, may I cast a recovery spell on Gonsuke?”

“Huh? Oh, I see. Certainly. I’ll permit it.”

“Thank you so much!”

Giving him my thanks, I ran up to Gonsuke.

“Gon. Goaaan!”

Sorry, this is for your own good. Just grin and bear it.

In his poor condition, he began to thrash when I touched him. In his cage, I wrapped a barrier around him. Once he was still, I opened a slit in the barrier, through which I placed my hand against him.

Where could the problem be? Ah, here it is. It’s spreading from the right foreleg? This must be the cause.

In which case, I just had to remove whatever it was in his leg. I did a search to see if he was still suffering any, but it seemed he was fine. Since I had treated the cause early, there were no lingering effects. Gonsuke, for his part, was jolted by the sudden removal of his source of agony.

“Instructor, I removed this from Gonsuke. Could you look into it?”

Using a barrier as a container, I showed him the liquid I had extracted. It was colorless, and I didn’t check for a scent out of concern that it might have been enough to harm me.

“Understood.” Creases formed on the instructor’s brow. “I’ll get something to carry it, so keep him like that a bit longer.”

“I appreciate it.”

It was most likely a poison, but I didn’t have any proof. Luckily, the academy had an alchemy instructor said to be versed in pharmaceuticals. If anyone could determine what this was, it was them. This was one of those times I was glad our academy had experts in so many different fields.

The mystic-jockeying instructor gave me a vial they had procured somewhere. “Put it in this.”

“All right. Now, if you would.”

“Leave it to me!”

Being a proper mystic-jockeying instructor, they adored mysticstock, so there was nothing they hated more than seeing one come to harm. They had used drugs to sedate Gonsuke when he was first brought to the academy, but those had been harmless. They just made him loopy.

Regardless of whatever that liquid was, Gonsuke seemed fine now.

“Are you ready, Gonsuke?”

“Gon!” he answered proudly.

Oh, I see, now you’re itching to get out there! Well let’s show everyone just how fast you are!

An underground elevator lifted us up to the race track. It was powered by magic and was meant to be another trick to delight the audience. It was, of course, made by the institute. It was like in ancient Rome, where they had beasts brought up during gladiator matches.

I told them I had found the idea while reading about ancient civilizations, and the researchers were all for it. They ended up making a test model that could raise even some of the largest monsters in the Mystic Forest, though I had no idea where they planned to use it. It scared me the directions those people sometimes took their talents in.

When Gonsuke and I reached the surface, we were greeted with roaring cheers.

Oh, this is really something. I feel like a star. No, no. Gonsuke’s the real attraction; I’m just here on the side.

The referee guided us into position. Then they gave the signal and we were off! Thanks to a strong start, we quickly reached top speed. Since Gonsuke was such a good runner, I barely felt any bumps.

Ah, it’s like we’ve become one.

“Gonsuke, you’re incredible!”

“Gon!”

He sounded pretty happy, probably because he couldn’t go all out like this during classes. In the wild, he would’ve only run like this while hunting prey. But this was different. Here he knew his limits, and he was trying to overcome them.

Ten laps around the arena were done in what felt like the blink of an eye, and Gonsuke didn’t falter even a bit as we hit the finish line. After running so fast, I made sure we took it easy coming to a stop. Not doing so would have been bad for his legs.

I was so lost basking in the joy of our run, it took me a minute to realize the arena had fallen dead silent.

Hm? Was it boring? Was this a flop?

Just as I finished that thought, someone in the audience started clapping. It spread from there, and it was only a few seconds before the applause was deafening.

Oh, man. This is great. I could get addicted to this.

With a simple wave, we left the arena on the same elevator we had come in on. After changing back into my uniform, I regrouped with Colny and everyone else. She, Ville, and the black knight were all bursting with praise.

“Lera, you were marvelous!”

“Black greatbears sure are fast.”

“That was excellent!”

He he he, I’m glad to hear it.

“But how did you manage to tame such a creature?” Sheila asked.

“That can be a very troublesome mysticstock if handled poorly,” Thand added.

Those were very natural concerns. Gonsuke was docile now, but black greatbears were prone to challenging creatures stronger than them. Nielle had once said they were thoughtless creatures with busted survival instincts.

“At first, I tried exerting the sort of pressure used on monsters, but that didn’t work at all. It only made me more likely to get attacked. So instead, I bound him with a barrier and terrorized him with illusions.”

“Hm?”

Hm? Why does everyone look so surprised? Gonsuke’s been a very good boy since.

“Lera, just one question,” Colny said. “Did you do that in front of other people?”

Why was her voice so low?

“It was during class, so yeah, the instructor and other students were there.”

The moment I said that, Colny and Ville both sighed in unison.

“Lera,” Ville said, “even if it’s the academy, even during class, you went overboard.”

“Indeed. It would be terribly inconvenient if people started gossiping that you were a hazardous girl to be around.”

Oh come on. I had a black greatbear that needed taming, and I couldn’t take half measures with something like that.

“I take it you disagree?” Colny said.

“Well, yeah, that was a black greatbear I was dealing with. Tepid methods could’ve gotten me mauled.”

You generally put your life on the line when working with monsters. I thought Colny understood that.

“In that case, you ought to have simply given up! You’re growing ever more distant from the image of a lady!”

That sounded just fine to me, but telling Colny that would’ve invited a new round of lectures.

We all visited some other displays around the academy until about an hour before noon, which was my time to leave for the general magic performance.

“Well then, I need to get ready, so I’ll be going again.”

“Take care.”

“Give it your best.”

Colny and Sheila saw me off. As for Thand, an acquaintance had snagged him to have a chat. Ville and the black knight were quickly bombarded with a gaggle of girls. Ville had given us a look that begged for help, but Sheila had simply told him to handle it himself. She wasn’t one to spoil her oldest son.

Just like the previous year, general magic would be performing in a sort of, uh, coliseum-esque circular arena. Last year, however, we had been the festival’s finale, and the evening light beautifully complimented our spells.

This year, we would be the last to perform before noon, and I had to wonder just who had made that decision. I could hear people saying all sorts of stuff.

“Nobody really goes to performances at this time of day.”

“Yeah, everyone’s busy finding a place to eat.”

“Man, who put our performance right before lunch?”

It was just a hunch, but I thought a certain marquess I had never seen before might have something to do with it. But if he could do that, that meant his faction’s influence extended within the academy. Wasn’t that a pain? Lord Bilbroza had already interfered with the arena construction. Maybe our academy could’ve used some improvements. Good thing this time we had a tool to ruin their scheme.

“Everyone!” called the chairman, bringing me back to reality. “The timing isn’t what’s important! All we have to do is show them the fruits of our efforts!”

That silenced the scattered complaints better than I could have managed. After all, this would be the chairman’s final academy festival.

In the waiting room, we all got into our teams and ran our final checks without any gripes or grumbles. There was something nice about the excitement that came with the thought of working together to make something.

“General magic’s performance will begin soon. It will be held in the mock duel arena.”

There was the announcement. Still, I wasn’t sure we’d be getting anyone but friends and family since everyone would be preoccupied with lunch. But that was fine.

“Are you all ready?!” the chairman yelled. We all responded with an affirming shout. No lack of enthusiasm here.

Watching the teams enter the hall one at a time made me realize that the time had really come. To no surprise, some people grew a bit restless when they saw that some of us were standing not with a team, but by ourselves. They quieted down soon enough.

It was time to make our entrance. Lined up, we went in and got in our designated positions. Having already practiced here twice, we had written down our positions and labeled them with a spell. A “spike,” as they’re known in stagecraft. They couldn’t be seen from far above, like in the audience stands, but from where we stood, we could see faint numbers written in the ground. These corresponded to our team numbers.

“This is a good system.”

“Why thank you.”

It was the festival—even praise from the third prince sounded nice. Except as was so often the case, I came up with the idea and Bear was the one who’d spent three days making it. Granted, he had some help from the institute, so he didn’t have to make it himself, though he did have to set the spikes.

Thank you, Bear. You’re not the only bear helping me out. I’ll have to say thanks later.

Since we didn’t want to have any leaks, the top students had hidden the fact that they would be casting solo even during the previous practice sessions. By doing so, we managed to keep it a secret until showtime. Now it was too late for anyone to try to disrupt that plan. However, the enemy seemed pretty confident in the trap they set in the arena. But we had something to circumvent that too!

Once we were all in our places, the conductor stepped forward. Being on a circular stage meant we had spectators on all sides. Not only that—we had a pretty good turnout. Some of those seats were sort of like VIP seats, and since this was a school for nobles, those seats were naturally occupied by the royal family.

The conductor turned to face the royals and bowed. After a moment, we did the same. Then the conductor turned to us, their back now to the royals.

Now, let’s get started.

Our opening song was the famous dragon one. The first-year teams managed its distinctive opening, which was followed by the fourth and fifth-years doing the main melody. The second and third-years managed the harmony, and the sixth-years handled the rhythm. Every sound flowed throughout the venue as one.

The picture accompanying this piece of course featured a dragon. It was an armored hero standing before a large scaly beast. It wasn’t half bad.

Partway through the performance, I sensed something odd, but didn’t pay it any mind. If there were any clear threats to us, someone from the academy would dispose of them. I had to focus on the performance.

Even what resembled cheap-sounding electronic notes carried a real weight when you had so many people playing in unison. Thanks to our great composition work, we seamlessly transitioned from one song to the next. We played the third and fourth pieces, then looped back to the dragon one. Then, once that one was over but the sound still lingered in the air, we began the awaited music box piece.

This was also a game song—forgive the blatant plagiarism. But maybe it was better that we had a slightly somber melody to wrap things up. Like with the dragon song, I’d had the game in mind when making my suggestion to the art crew.

There was a girl standing on a beach, facing away from the audience. As the music progressed, she slowly turned toward the camera, revealing an unforgettable smile. The ocean was clear and blue, the sky seemed to go on forever. It was an odd picture, one that was sort of lonely despite its bright colors. At the end, it zoomed in on the girl’s face and faded to sepia.

We played the final note in unison with the fading illustration. After a few seconds, the conductor turned and bowed to the royals again. Once the rest of us performers had done the same, the audience erupted with applause. I saw boys crying with their arms around each other’s shoulders, and some girls smiling and exchanging compliments.

Finally, we turned to the audience and bowed, then lined up and left the stage. Making an exit like this was also my idea. In Ozeria, walking in lines like this wasn’t common in schools and other places. I’d heard you hardly saw it outside of parades put on by the knights.

So I suggested that we try it, since it looks nice to spectators. Some of them had their doubts, but I’d picked about ten people to give it a try, and the older students quickly took a liking to it. They spent some time using spells to order students around like pieces on a game board while debating what would look best.

The applause continued until we all left the stage, which told me this had been a success. While we had walked like this last year, it probably hadn’t looked as nice at the time with our smaller class.

But that’s enough about orderly walking methods. I was glad to see the more important performance was well received.

When I reconvened with my group, I got my first reactions from Colny and Sheila.

“That was wonderful! A magic concert!”

“Who was it who thought that up?”

Ahh, you’re overwhelming me! It’s too much!

“Calm down, both of you. I’m sure it was you, Lera, wasn’t it? But I must say, that was spectacular the way you entered and exited the stage.”

Thank you, Thand. And I guess there’s no point trying to hide it.

“As I recall, last year’s illusory magic was Lera’s idea. It’s hard to imagine Jian coming up with something intricate like that.”

Jian... That’s Bear’s name.

I always called him Bear, so I wasn’t always sure what to do when I heard his real name. And what a harsh remark from Thand. Granted, it was true, so I couldn’t really dispute. This was Bear we were talking about.

We had performed in our uniforms, so there was no need to change this time around. I had simply left the arena and headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Just like the year prior, there were plenty of stalls set up. Except after that kidnapping incident, they became stricter about authorizing vendors. Shouldn’t they have always been strict? Everyone here was from a noble family.

The swarm of customers made it hard to approach the row of stalls. Nobles were never one to pass on rare things, and this was supposedly their one chance to enjoy the normal flavors the common people enjoyed. I even saw a few people approaching stalls after giving in to their child’s ceaseless begging (or at least, using that as a pretense).

Looking in the direction of the stalls extending from the front gate, Sheila let out a sigh. “I’ve always wanted to walk down there at least once, but it’s never been feasible.”

Oh, do I see a business opportunity?

“Sheila, what if we were to set up stalls at the hunting festival?”

“Tell me more, Lera.”

Hook, line, and sinker.

“Do you know of the stalls set up in the square outside the Mystic Forest? But they have to shut down during the course of the festival, right? I think we have them as a special attraction on the middle day.”

“I see. That’s an interesting idea.”

“It might also be worth inviting vendors from the royal capital.”

I had heard of hawkers that traveled the land going from one event to another. If they went to so many places, maybe they’d come to Peylon? The stalls in Peylon were pretty static. Colny, Ville, and I had long since tried all they had to offer. When returning from the forest on an empty stomach, those aromas were hard to ignore. Nothing wrong with a little snack. Except Sheebis would scold me later.

This was all to say, my real goal was just poaching the royal capital’s stalls, which still had so much I hadn’t yet tried. It wasn’t just Sheila either—Thand and Ville jumped on the idea.

“That sounds fine. Our house can arrange transportation and protection.”

“Good idea, father. I’ll assist with the latter.”

Oh my, Ville’s on board. That’ll be some very illustrious protection.

Though Ville could use magic, swords were his speciality. He was so good, he would sometimes intervene in fights between hunters, beating down both parties. I could never do something like that. If I had to resolve a dispute, I’d just put them to sleep. Long live the hypnosis beam.

During the festival, the attendees were allowed to use the student cafeteria. Thus the place was completely packed.

“Well, this is no good.”

With things like this, we weren’t going to be able to have lunch, and I was starving. Just as we were wondering what to do, Bear passed by us.

“Oh? Lord Aspozat. Hello to you and yours.”

“Ah, Bear.”

He gave the usual response.

“Why d’you keep calling me a bear?!”

Sheila and Thand were just smiling, not saying anything. Perhaps they knew Bear was a bear. Looking at us, then at the cafeteria, Bear figured out our predicament.

“Oh, the cafeteria’s full. Then why not come to the faculty cafeteria? Students can’t use it, and nobody goes there during the festival, so it should have plenty of room.”

For real?! You can really come in handy sometimes, Bear.

The faculty cafeteria was pretty large and very comfortable.

“It’s almost empty.”

“It’s not open to just anyone.”

“If we opened it to the visitors, this place would fill up in an instant, and then we’d have nowhere to eat.”

While the adults chatted, I looked around and saw some staff members I recognized. During the festival, everyone in the faculty was doing patrols around the campus. Thank goodness for them; that couldn’t have been an easy job. That’s all the more reason they needed a quiet place where they knew they could get a meal without having to wait. We were equally grateful to have a spot where we could have a bite.

On the menu was fish in white sauce with potatoes and leafy greens. Another delicious lunch. There was also soup, salad, and bread, with plenty to go around for everyone, leaving us stuffed.

We spent the afternoon enjoying the sights of the festival, including Colny’s horse riding. As always, the wasteless movements of her and her steed were beautiful.

Though the festivities weren’t yet over, our guests made an early departure.

“We’ve seen you two perform,” Sheila said, “and that’s all that matters to us.”

Yeah, that’s how most parents would feel deep down. Loks, by the way, wasn’t in any shows on account of being a prefect. He’d spent last year behind the scenes too.

With the academy festival over, normality returned. It was our usual schedule, yet it felt like something was missing. Maybe that was because the festival had been just too much fun. For all my complaints, the buildup for the event had been a joy.

During those peaceful days, I received a not-so-peaceful summons—Bear was waiting for me in the general magic prep room. After class, I did as instructed, running into yet another unexpected person—the mystic-jockeying instructor. He wore a stony expression uncharacteristic of him.

“Excuse me.”

“Hey there. Close the door and come over here.”

As I closed the door, I put up a sound-blocking barrier. Bear’s glance suggested he knew what I was doing, but he didn’t say anything. I took that as tacit approval.

“Now, the two of us have something to tell you. You probably know what it’s about.”

“The interference attempts at the academy festival?” The traps laid by Marquess Bilbroza to ruin the events. Specifically, to make me fail. There were also the attackers I had taken out beforehand. Now Bear had a follow-up report.

“Everyone who attacked you was a second son or lower, all from houses of knights. As a result their houses were willing to cut ties with them.”

“Huh.”

In other words, they had been disowned, meaning they would also be removed from the academy. Man, expulsion just for attacking a younger student. Those noble families didn’t play around.

“I get the feeling you think that’s too harsh, Lera.”

Ack. How’d he read me?

“Nobody got hurt, since it’s you they went at,” Bear said with a sigh, “but what do you think would have happened if it were any other girl?”

“Hm?”

“If things really went south, a girl could’ve been erased from polite society.”

So that was it. Nobles made a big deal about a girl’s virginity. Even if nothing was done, rumors hinting at the possibility could ruin a girl’s marriage prospects. Though depending on the size of the house, those rumors were sometimes stamped out in advance. The world of nobles was a whirlpool of conspiracies.

Either way, what they had done was serious enough that their punishment really wasn’t too heavy.

“By the way, you should know that they’re still asleep.”

“What? They should have woken up a long time ago by now... Hm?” Bear was grinning for some reason. That didn’t bode well. “Bear, did you do something?”

“Quit callin’ me that! All I did was give them a teensy bit more. That’s all.”

Really?

Bear, of all people, had hit them with an extra dose of the hypnosis beam. Well, he knew the spell, so there was nothing stopping him from using it. “They can’t cause as much trouble if they’re asleep,” he said.

“I can’t believe you. But won’t all that sleep be bad for them?”

“For what it’s worth, I left them with some guys who know how to use healing magic. We’re sending the bill to their houses.”

Ohh, healing magic is not cheap. What a way to get under someone’s skin.

Those parents probably hadn’t expected their sons’ stupid behavior to dig into their coffers too. I was starting to feel just a bit of sympathy for those houses when Bear continued.

“Also, about those magic tools installed in the mock duel arena. I recovered them all, and the headmaster was there to see it.”

“You did?”

That’s the king’s brother. I’m pretty sure, at least. Someone told me when I first came here that only members of the royal family could get that job.

If someone like that had been there as a witness, then nobody could object to Bear’s findings, which is probably why he’d enlisted his aid.

“I examined all of the devices I recovered. Just like we thought, they were made illegally. Not only that, they were defective.”

“Seriously?”

I couldn’t believe it. I knew they were illicit products, but they didn’t even work?

“Even when I try to activate them, they don’t do anything,” Bear said with an idiotic guffaw. “Oh, but those things Nielle made for you worked like a charm. But since their targets didn’t work, she did all that for nothing!”

Whaaat?

“Then what was that strange feeling I got during the performance?”

“Strange feeling?”

“Yeah, I felt it occasionally during the concert. Oh, but it stopped when we were finishing up.”

“Hmm. That’ll require another investigation. For now, I’m handing the stage to our visitor.”

With that, Bear gave the mystic-jockeying instructor a forceful pat on the back. At some point, the instructor had pulled out a small vial.

“Did you find out what that contains?” I asked.

“It’s poison,” he answered flatly. “A very painful one, at that.”

Just as I’d assumed. Back then, Gonsuke looked like he was in agony. This poison was to blame for that. If we had started running while that was in him, he would’ve collapsed before we were finished. In which case, I could’ve been flung off his back, which must have been the plan.

“I believe this poison was made for mysticstock—getting rid of them, to be precise, from a region or otherwise. At higher concentrations, even a single drop can induce considerable pain.”

Unforgivable.

“Cool it, Lera. I might be used to it, but this guy isn’t.”

“Ah.”

My emotions got the better of me, and apparently my mana went with it. Since that mana was carried by anger and spite, it could be overpowering for anyone who didn’t know how to manage it.

“F-Forgive me.”

“That’s quite all right. That’s just proof of how much you value your black greatbear. I understand. I understand very well!”

Oh god, that flipped his weirdo switch.

I thought we were going to have to listen to him talk about mysticstock until he was sated, but Bear thankfully interrupted by loudly clearing his throat.

“We can talk about mysticstock another time,” he said. “So, can you figure out who made the poison?”

“Well, according to the alchemy instructor, the distillation method is unique. If we could find other drugs made by the same culprit, that might lead us to them.”

“That won’t be easy to come by. Besides, a major noble family will have their own personal alchemist or apothecary.”

“Mr. Fulmanson...” The mystic-jockeying instructor looked uncomfortable.

Bear was suggesting that it was Lord Bilbroza who had commissioned and used this poison. But as long as he lacked solid proof, he couldn’t outright accuse the head of the noble faction of anything.

It frustrated me. If he went after me, I could handle whatever he sent my way. But instead he went after Gonsuke, who couldn’t fight back.

I can say with certainty, I will never forgive you for this, Lord Bilbroza.

For all the new information I had gained, I also learned that I couldn’t do anything in our current state. I hated it.

Leaving the prep room, I plodded my way back to the dorm. Times like these made me lament that I was still a minor—a powerless child. If I had power, status, or something else...

That’s as far as I got before I shook my head. If I occupied some special position or station, that would probably bind me in its own way. Things don’t always go as we’d like them to.

Walking along the small path connecting the main building to the dorm, I stopped and looked up at the sky, which was just the perfect ultramarine. Summer was pretty close.

After the academy festival, the next big thing was final exams. They covered a much wider range than the term exams, making them a real nuisance for us.

Being the last tests of the year, failure naturally meant you wouldn’t be able to proceed to the next grade—you’d be held back. If you didn’t like the idea of that, you could endure the hellish ordeal of spending your entire summer break studying.

Repeating a year at the noble academy was something you could never live down. Most of your fellow students would be people you’d continue to run into in high society. It was terrifying. They’d keep saying “Oh, that guy? Yeah, he repeated a year,” until you died. And if you were unlucky, even your death wouldn’t be the end of it.

So that’s why the only real option was remedial lessons. The problem with that was that the teachers weren’t thrilled by the idea of spending their own break doing even more teaching. As a result, remedial lessons were unpopular, and some instructors harbored secret grudges against certain students. Isn’t that scary?

Therefore, I was studying as much as I could. I put most of my effort into general education because those were paper tests. Electives were mostly practical exams. Not only that, our efforts during the academy festival were factored in, so I could pass mystic-jockeying and general magic without even taking a test, which was pretty sweet. That left archery, magic tools, and alchemy, which was actually a lot when I thought about it.

During lunch that day, my friends were off at private repasts, meaning I was once again with Colny. Loks’s prefect duties prevented him from joining us. Real dedication there, working during lunch.

All the two of us could talk about were the upcoming exams.

“I should at least be set for archery,” I said. “Lately, I’ve been hitting the targets more often than not.”

“Well that’s good,” Colny replied with a smile. “Now you’ve got more means of attack at your disposal.”

“Yeah. Yeah? Are you okay with that?”

“I think an optimistic approach is best.”

Still, I didn’t see myself using a bow in the Mystic Forest. If I needed a projectile, I’d sooner just fire a magically targeted arrowhead. That’s what I’d done when taking down the Peylon baboon. Back home, if you wanted to pick up a new weapon, most people expected you to watch and learn. I assumed they didn’t feel like teaching, and probably didn’t know how.

That was one aspect of Peylon that had room for improvement. Just as I was thinking of how to efficiently train people, I noticed Colny grinning at me.

“Oh, that’s right, Lera.”

“What?”

“Have you received any invitations from Sir Yuin following the academy festival?”

“No, nothing really.”

All told, I had totally forgotten about him until now. During the festival, my brain power had been dedicated to stopping any interference and making sure our performance was a success. It’s easy to say this in hindsight, but I’m really glad the events were a success. If anything had gone wrong, I might have ended up personally kicking down Lord Bilbroza’s door. But I digress.

“Why are you bringing up the black knight?” I asked.

“Your birthday isn’t far off, correct? Is that not his deadline?”

“Deadline?”

“Have you already forgotten? He’s trying to woo you before time runs out.”

“Ah.”

That’s right. We had something like that. It had been cast to the distant edges of my memory.

“I take it you completely forgot? It seems you still don’t even care enough to call him by his name.”

Well, yeah. It’d be weird if I suddenly changed my mind. But there’s something more important than that.

“I wonder how the Mystic Forest is doing with the looming overflow?”

Last year, we’d found the preliminary signs of an overflow—an outpouring of monsters. While that didn’t mean danger was imminent, Lord Peylon did say that it demanded that we exercise caution for a while.

Colny wrinkled her brow. “I haven’t heard anything at all.”

If she wasn’t being kept in the loop, that probably meant they didn’t want the students to get involved. Maybe we’d show up in Peylon for summer break and find out it was already over or something. But overflows weren’t that simple, were they?

I had already received a passing grade for mystic-jockeying and general magic, so as predicted, I didn’t need to take exams for either of them. Yet for some reason, Bear decreed that I had to take a test. Just me. Utterly baffling. The test involved illusory magic, the same stuff we did at last year’s festival.

“You did that with a group, right?” he said. “I think you can manage on your own.”

“Yeah, that’s true. What should I project?”

“Just whatever.”

“Just whatever?” Hmm. Well, it’s a bit early in the year for it, but how about a firework show?

There wasn’t much known about gunpowder in this world, so there were no fireworks. Using magic as a replacement sounded feasible, but my plate was too full at the moment. I almost considered throwing it Nielle’s way, but then I considered how close she was to working herself to death. I could easily imagine her throwing aside her other tasks and burying herself in firework spells.

I put up a black screen for a backdrop, then cast images of fireworks in front of it. The results were awfully pretty. Since this was my test, it was being held during class hours, meaning everyone in general magic was present to see. And boy were they captivated.

“Oh, that’s pretty,” Bear said with admiration. “So? What are they?”

“Fireworks.”

“And those are?”

“I don’t know what to say. Fireworks are fireworks.”

I’m not sure what other explanation I could offer when fireworks didn’t exist here. Bear wasn’t satisfied with my answer, but that was his problem. Man, this wasn’t really an exam, was it? It was more of a rehearsal. Well, it’s fine if it was well received.

For magic tools, I made a cuckoo clock. Though it was the tabletop type, it was big enough to need both arms to carry. When it struck three, six, nine, or twelve o’ clock, a little doll would pop out and twirl around, along with ringing a bell. I just had to make sure to keep the noise down. It was fine during the day, but we couldn’t have loud bells ringing in the middle of the night.

Though it lacked practicality, I went for entertainment value. If I wanted something practical, I could just buy one somewhere. This was for fun. Actually, it was so I could pass my exam.

Alchemy was a test of our fundamental skills, but there was also a paper segment. Because we had already done the written exam and scored well on that, I would be fine as long as I passed the practical section. This wasn’t the sort of class where being able to just pass a written exam was good enough. Each portion accounted for about half our overall score.

The assignment was to make a low grade salve, one meant to heal cuts and scratches without leaving the slightest scar. Amazing, the things you could make with alchemy. But it really earned its status as the final challenge of second year alchemy. Compared to last year’s final assignment, this one was magnitudes more finicky.

The mana attenuator made for the first-year final and the antidote made during the last end of term exam both required nothing more than mixing ingredients. With this salve, however, heat management entered the picture.

Taking medicinal herbs processed for this specific recipe, we added them in a prescribed order, and at designated temperatures. Only the right amount of heat could draw out their medicinal properties. At the end, we used magic to stabilize it and set its potency.

A lot of people stumbled when it came to heat management. I could tell by all the people looking intently at their thermometers.

So let’s try asking.

“Instuctor, may we use magic to manage heat?”

“I don’t see why not. The steps don’t matter so much as the result.”

I wasn’t expecting such a bold response. Looking around, I wasn’t the only one surprised. With permission acquired, I got to casting. I felt some people staring at me, but I ignored them. The instructor said we could use magic, so they might well have followed my example.

Managing the temperature with magic wasn’t exactly easy. You’d be amazed at how hard it was to maintain a consistent heat level.

Thanks to some magic, I managed to finish my salve. Given the difficulty involved, I wasn’t too shocked to see that a fair number of us didn’t finish at all. Much to the exasperation of the instructor, those students were going to have to retake the test.

“Heat management is an important part of alchemy,” the instructor said. “At this phase in your learning, you must make sure to develop a solid grasp on it.”

That was for sure. But this was an academy exclusively for nobles; I didn’t think more than a few would actually go on to make a living from alchemy. Unless I had the wrong idea, just about everyone was here because the topic interested them or there wasn’t anything else they wanted to do. Meanwhile, I was here because I wanted to be, so my motivation was a step above the rest. Even still, the majority of us passed, proving that we were a talented bunch.

But aren’t you guys going to learn the spell for heat management? Bear will teach you if you ask. He’s real strict though.

Overall, I scored fifth in my grade. While I didn’t get perfect marks in general education, I got darn close, and managed to land near the median for archery. I already had a passing grade for general magic, then with bonus points from the illusory spell, I reached top in our year for that. I was also number two in magic tools, and number one in alchemy.

Thus I found myself ranked higher than last year. What mattered was that I was among the top ten. Now I could return to Peylon with peace of mind.

Chapter Four: Summer Begins

With our exams over and the results announced, my second year at the academy came to a close.

While everyone in my grade apparently moved on to the next year, there were a handful of older students who withdrew from the academy—specifically, the guys who had attacked me. Even if they were acting on the orders of someone higher up, assailing a younger girl was unacceptable. Judging by their expulsion, the academy thought so as well. The expelled students didn’t try to fight the decision either. And by that, I mean their houses didn’t try to fight the expulsions. The boys had been disowned, naturally.

Though the culprits had been punished for their crime, the one who gave the orders got off scot-free. Marquess Bilbroza, head of the noble faction, was a bit too big of a fish for a sole child like myself to fry. But I made sure to remember his name. I was going to pay him back one day!

Going into summer break, I didn’t leave much behind in the dorm. I brought my spare clothes and everything else back with me. I wasn’t sure about the other students, but Sheila had talked about getting me a new uniform, so I couldn’t leave the old one here. She said the old one would be incinerated. If you can believe it, even in this world, there was a black market for student uniforms. We had to thoroughly dispose of uniforms so they wouldn’t end up in one of those places.

With my bags packed, I headed to the gate to meet up with Loks and Colny. We would all be heading to the Aspozat residence in the same carriage. When I got there, I saw a whole crowd of students doing the same thing. We didn’t have to wait long before we headed off to the Aspozat residence, where Sheila was waiting to greet us.

“Welcome back, you three.”

“We’re back, mother.”

“Oh, I’m so glad to be back, mother!”

“It’s good to see you, Sheila.”

Sheila’s wide smile was stunningly beautiful as ever.

It was still the middle of the morning, and we had a few days before we were scheduled to return to Peylon. We would, of course, be going by portal.

Still in our uniforms, Sheila took us to the inner drawing room, to begin the grade-reporting ritual.

“The two of you did very well. I can tell you worked hard.”

“Thank you very much.”

Loks and Colny both looked pleased with themselves, glad to hear their mother’s praise.

Ah, it’s my turn.

My final grades earned Sheila’s approval. Thank goodness.

“There was a lot of effort involved! Gonsuke’s effort.”

“Gonsuke?” Sheila echoed like it was a foreign word. “Ah, the black greatbear. That’s right, you mentioned that your mystic-jockeying scores last year were purely from written and oral exams.”

Yeeep.

But thanks to Gonsuke, I could now score on the practical exams! Having extra credit from the festival made things so much easier.

“This is enough for me to go to Peylon again this summer, right?”

I thought it was a simple question, but Sheila’s smile faltered.

Umm. Huh?

After a bit of deliberation, she said ruefully, “About that. I don’t believe that will be feasible this year.”

“Hm?!”

Why not?!

It wasn’t just me. Loks and Colny were both taken aback.

“As you three know, signs of a forest overflow have begun to appear.” Sheila gave us all a mournful look. “In light of that, they’re limiting who can approach the domain, and the forest in particular.”

Are you kidding me?!

Last year, a monster was caught in a layer of the forest it shouldn’t have been in. Monsters appearing in lower layers than typical was considered an indicator of an overflow. The person who’d slain said out of place monster was me, completely oblivious to the implications at the time.

“Mother, can’t we go just once?”

“That’s entirely up to those in Peylon.”

Not going to Peylon left Colny pretty glum. And who could blame her?! I wanted to go too!

They said they were limiting who could enter the forest, but both of us were capable hunters. If there were signs of an overflow, I thought we might be able to help out a little bit. Was that still not enough?

However, Thand was the only Aspozat going to Peylon. With Ville and Loks remaining in the royal capital, Colny didn’t have as much room to protest.

Being unable to argue made her all the more stressed, and what better way to relieve stress than with exercise? The only problem with that idea was that the royal capital had next to no places where a woman could move her body. Dancing was about the only option.

Colny knew how to dance since she had made her social debut, but that didn’t do us any good when there weren’t any balls hosted in the royal capital during the summer. That’s because it was so darn hot.

The Aspozat residence here was equipped with an institute magic tool made to control heat and humidity. What I’m saying is that it had air conditioning. So at least we could spend our time here in relative comfort.

However, none of the ball venues had cooling at all. They were all closed during the summer on account of the heat. In fact, the buildings as a whole were completely shut down during the season.

But even air conditioning couldn’t make exercising inside any more appealing.

“If we want to get some exercise outside, I don’t know what we can do besides taking a stroll,” I said. “But it’s just unbearable out there.”

Putting up a barrier then lowering the inside temperature was possible. I had used magic to manage temperatures during the alchemy exam, and there was a set spell on account of its difficult and tedious nature. However, we weren’t supposed to use magic in the royal capital.

“But magic tools are fair game, right?”

I couldn’t quite see the logic behind banning magic while permitting magic tools, but those were the rules, and I couldn’t change them. Besides, we were going to take that rule and turn it to our advantage.

Making advanced magic tools was beyond most people who weren’t specialists. Actually, maybe that’s why magic tools were allowed inside the royal capital. While tools couldn’t be sold until their safety had been verified, you only needed to apply for an inspection if you planned to sell what you made. Had we found a legal loophole? They must’ve assumed nobody would make a complicated magic tool only for them to keep it to themself.

So why not make a magic tool that could keep us cool outside? With something like that, we could stay comfortable while enjoying a stroll around the city. Nearly two years had passed since I first started living in the royal capital, but there were still so many places I hadn’t gone yet. If I was going to head out, I wanted to see somewhere new.

Seeing as I wasn’t going to be going anywhere anytime soon, I figured we might as well make the best of it. Hence my decision to get cracking on the cooling tool. The summer sun really beat down on the royal capital. Though parasols weren’t used in Ozeria, hats were. So why not make the cooler take the form of a hat?

I started by making the hat reflect heatwaves, so it wouldn’t absorb so much warmth. Next, I enchanted the hat to reduce heat and humidity in a cone beneath it. I set the temperature to about, oh say, twenty-five celsius, and fifty percent seemed like a good number for humidity. Even in summer, nobles didn’t care for showing much skin, so these were probably suitable settings.

Though on second thought, the royal capital isn’t very humid, is it? Maybe I don’t need to mess with that. But there’s no harm having the spell there, so in you go.

“Lera?” Colny entered my room, catching me messing around. “Oh my, did you make something?”

“Yeah, this is a magic hat. With this, you can be comfortable even in the burning sun.”

“Truly?”

Ooh, she sounds excited.

I was right—the heat was stopping her from getting out and about. Since the humidity wasn’t too high, unlike Japan from my previous life, taking shelter in the shade made a big difference. But it was still hot, and the sun was harsh.

Chatting with Colny, I kept working.

“All right, that should do it.” Test piece number one was complete.

“And that will keep one comfortable?”

“It will. Here, give it a try.”

I placed the newly made hat atop Conly’s head.

“Oh, it’s a bit chilly.”

“If you wear this outside, the heat won’t bother you.”

“This is quite lovely.”

“Isn’t it? So now that you’ve got it, let’s go for a stroll!”

Informing Sheila that we were headed out somehow resulted in her, Ville, and Loks all joining us. Naturally, I had to make magic hats for them as well. While I was busy enchanting, Sheila and Colny delighted in their new headwear.

“These truly do keep you cool.”

“I thought the same thing, mother. Now we can go out regardless of the heat.”

Ville and Loks both intended to join the club as well. In the summer, head coverings were a matter of course for men just as much for women. Not to mention they wore jackets more than women did, which seemed downright infernal.

I’d recommend any jacket-clad gentleman try one of these cooling hats. Any takers?

We took a carriage to the royal capital’s commercial district, reminding me of the last time we all went shopping together.

First on the list was a gentlemen’s clothier so Ville and Loks could buy new hats.

“All right, we’re going to take a quick look around.”

“The three of you can wait for us in a café.”

We separated in the square, as the two brothers said the shop was no place for women. Our little trio went on to a café—one that turned out to be very packed.

“This is quite a crowd, considering the heat,” I remarked.

“That’s why so many shops make sure their seats are in some form of shade,” Sheila told me.

“I see.”

Just as she had said, lots of establishments had large cloth canopies set up over their outdoor seats. They were aiming for people looking to get out of the burning rays.

While Colny and Sheila both had juice from some citrus-adjacent fruit, I enjoyed the light clink of ice cubes in a glass of tea. Both very good choices for a summer refreshment. Savoring my drink, I gazed across the square, when I heard Loks’s distant shout.

“Lera! We need you!”

The next moment, I saw him running our way. The three of us exchanged glances, wondering what this could be about.

The bill had been settled when our drinks had arrived. Sheila signed a chit, which told the café to send an invoice to her house.

Without stopping, Loks ran up to me, grabbed my hand, and took off again. “Over here!”

Wha? Wait. Where are we going?

“Loks, what is the meaning of this?!” Sheila asked, chasing after us.

“Lord Fezgahn suddenly collapsed!” Loks answered, still running. “Lera’s good with healing magic, so I thought she should help!”

Hm? Fezgahn. That’s the black knight’s house? He said lord, so that probably means the father? And said black knight father collapsed? What happened?

I had a lot of question marks floating through my head, but for the time being, I let Loks lead me across the square to the hat shop he and Ville had gone to. Inside, I found a store that screamed rich and noble clientele. The wares were finely arranged, and a number of very comfy-looking chairs were placed throughout. In one of them was a very handsome old man.

Ah! It’s the guy who glared at me at that one ball. Oh, that’s right. Colny told me he was the black knight’s father.

A few strands of his carefully groomed hair had fallen out of place, drifting over his agonized face. His beard was also finely maintained.

Wait, that’s not important right now.

“What happened to him?”

“We don’t know. All of sudden, he just—”

“Father!”

There was a familiar voice at the entrance. It was the black knight. I turned and saw him, dressed in slick getup similar to his father’s. I looked back at his father. I had a pretty good idea what was wrong.

“Pardon me.”

A mana search showed what I expected—it was the heat. His internal temperature was hitting heat stroke numbers. He was conscious, but hardly responsive. He didn’t need any help taking in liquids, so I started by cooling his body.

But first we also needed to loosen his clothes. “Ville, could you remove the marquess’s coat and loosen his collar?”

“Got it.”

Even if it was one meant for summer, wearing a three piece suit, tie included, in this heat was pretty dumb. But if you told me that was just how nobles were, I wouldn’t be able to say you were wrong. People here still didn’t understand how scary heatstroke was.

Ville loosened the lord’s clothes around his neck and torso, allowing me to direct a cold breeze inside. A sudden chill was likely to startle him, so I lowered the temperature gradually.

“Could you prepare some water mixed with a bit of salt and sugar?” I asked. “In a large bottle, add two tablespoons of sugar, a pinch or two of salt, and a little bit of citrus juice.”

I got my response from the black knight.

“I’ll get it immediately.”

There were several cafés nearby, so getting some water was a simple task.

While keeping an eye on his temperature, I surrounded his body with some water a few degrees warmer than the wind. By controlling it with magic, I made sure his clothes and the chair stayed dry. Magic sure made some things easier. I slowly lowered the temperature of the water. Anytime it became lukewarm, I removed it and magically cooled it off. It was like I was circulating the coolant of a human engine.

“Wh-Wha...”

Oh, he can speak now.

All he needed now was to hydrate and get a bit more rest. While I managed his heat, the black knight returned with a bottle. Except the water was lukewarm, so I chilled that too. I moved some of the liquid into a glass borrowed from the shop, then handed it to the black knight father.

“Please drink it all. There’s more in the bottle, and you’ll need to drink that as well.”

“I... So I will...”

With his temperature lowered, he was much more responsive. His hands were trembling, so I helped him hold the glass. With little trouble, he downed all the liquid.

“You’ll be fine as long as you don’t push yourself,” I said.

“I’ll make certain I repay this debt.”

I didn’t need to be repaid when I did so little. But since this guy was a powerful noble, refusing in the wrong way might only make things worse. I gave him a vague response and an ambiguous smile. My past life in Japan made me very good at both those things!

After the black knight father got a bit more rest, I left the shop with Ville and Loks, both bearing new hats. Outside, Sheila and Colny were anxiously waiting. I was about to explain everything when the black knight spoke up.

“Miss Lowell, you have my thanks for saving my father.”

“I didn’t do much. But next time you go out on a hot day like this, I would recommend some lighter garb.”

Both Loks and Ville were dressed a bit too light by noble standards. However, their fine make meant that they were at least considered luxury. It was like what Ville had worn at the academy festival: a jacket, shirt, and slacks. No tie, and the jacket and shirt were both thin materials with decent airflow. The black knight father had a shirt, vest, jacket, and a constricting tie. That’s pretty hot.

Unsurprisingly, I got a noncommittal response from the black knight. I sometimes wondered if these people lived by subsisting off pride. Did he really think collapsing was a better alternative to dressing a bit lighter? It wasn’t just that he had collapsed—he had been risking his life. So I made that pretty clear.

“If he doesn’t care for lighter clothes, then please refrain from going outside, and instead spend days like this indoors. Otherwise, he will die.”

His symptoms hadn’t been too bad thanks to the quick response, but he had been in real danger. The mention of death was enough to jolt not just the black knight, but everyone present. Still, that was the truth of it.

“I’ll exercise caution,” the black knight said.

“Take care,” I replied.

That man would probably find a lecture from his son much more convincing than the same coming from a young girl he had never met. The issue still remained as to whether or not he would believe that his life was at stake.

Upon arriving back at the Aspozat residence, I found myself tasked with enchanting the brothers’ new hats. On top of theirs, they also bought one for Thand, so I did that too. These hot days weren’t ideal for outings.

A huntless summer / is a sad, lonely summer / take me to Peylon.

Yeah, I’m not great at haikus. Point was, finally getting my summer break only to be barred from Peylon was a huge letdown.

“Besides, I feel like we could be of some help!” Colny said, evidently feeling the same way.

“That’s right!”

“Yet they won’t let us go! Honestly!”

“That’s right!”

“Why don’t we just go there ourselves?!”

“That’s right—wait. We can’t do that.”

“It’s not every day I hear something sensible from you, Lera.”

That’s going a bit far. Is she going to tell me teasing me is a form of stress relief next?

Four days after we saved the black knight father, both father and son showed up at the Aspozat residence. Colny and I were in the family’s personal drawing room when we were notified of their arrival. We were told that the lord and lady of the house were entertaining the guests, but I was going to be called in later. I tilted my head in confusion, much to Colny’s disbelief.

“Is it so odd that he might want to express his gratitude after you saved his life?”

“Hmm, I guess you’re right.”

All I’d really done was offer some basic aid. Though I suppose things could’ve gone much worse if I hadn’t been there.

Shortly after the initial report, I was called over.

“The mistress requests your presence.”

“Take care.” Colny saw me off with a smile.

“I’ll be back.”

I was taken to the nicest drawing room in the house. It only made sense that they roll out the red carpet for a man of equal stature as Lord Aspozat.

With the door opened for me, I entered. “Pardon me.”

I saw Thand and Sheila, and the black knight and the black knight father sitting across from them. They all turned to look at me, the black knight father glaring at me as he’d done at the ball a while back.

Wait. What did I do to deserve that look?

“Over here, Lera,” Sheila said, beckoning with her hand.

“Certainly,” I said, taking a seat next to her.

It was hard to sit comfortably with the look I was getting. Noticing this, Sheila held her fan over her mouth and said to the black knight father, “Lord Fezgahn, you’re liable to scare the girl with that look in your eyes.”

“Mm? Oh, that wasn’t my intention. Forgive me if I gave you the wrong idea.”

Wasn’t your intention? That was a glare, no doubt about it. I scooted ever so slightly closer to Sheila.

“It’s just,” he continued, “I couldn’t help but stare. It’s not often I see mana so bright as yours. I think I also owe you an apology for my rude behavior at the ball.”

“You can see mana?”

My confusion was written across my face. This was the first I had heard of something like visible mana. Was mana something you could see?

“The ability to detect mana with the senses is a unique trait of our bloodline,” he explained. “For me, it’s a matter of sight, but my late father was capable of touching mana.”

Touching mana! Incredible! Nielle would’ve been thrilled if she had been there to hear it. She would pounce, investigating everything she could.

I recalled how the black knight had told me during the hunting festival that he could smell mana. It was thanks to his nose that we figured out where Miss Cucumis was hiding.

“That reminds me, I’ve heard Sir Yuin can detect mana via scent,” Sheila said. “So he inherited it from his father.”

“My son informed me of that. Normally, this is a matter we don’t share with others, but...” But I had saved this guy’s life. “It appears I’ve been rather rude to someone I owe my life to. Please, forgive me for that.”

Uh, what do I say at a time like this? I glanced at Sheila and she gave me a small nod. Take it away!

“You needn’t worry, Lord Fezgahn. As you’re no doubt aware, thanks to your son’s assistance, Lera was cleared of suspicions placed upon her. In light of that, how about we just move past the event at the ball?”

The black knight father didn’t quite seem satisfied. Did he really want to thank me that badly? I couldn’t see why.

The black knight and I went out to the garden. I thought Colny might still be in the drawing room, but I couldn’t see her through the window. She must have gone back to her room.

While this was a capital residence, it was still a noble’s mansion. There was a proper garden, complete with a small gazebo. It was big enough for about four people, which very much appealed to my residual Japanese senses.

The servants brought out refreshments, served cold since it was such a hot day. Believe it or not, we were having barley tea. Barley was a common crop throughout Ozeria, including in Peylon. One day, I had asked Lord Peylon for some seeds, which I steeped in some water. It wasn’t long before he was hooked, along with everyone at the institute.

Given that it’s delicious and simple to make, I would have been surprised if they hadn’t taken to it. Being easy to prepare is enough to make any drink a hit with the people of Peylon, who never had an eye for precision. It wasn’t just Peylon either. The Aspozat domain was another region that enjoyed a nice cool glass in the summer. There was no better drink to beat the heat!

Though it was generally hotter outside than inside, the shade from the gazebo roof and surrounding trees kept us pleasantly cool. I took a drink from my glass, and it was just as refreshing as I expected. With a glass this small, I would have chugged it all if the black knight hadn’t been present. Not the sort of thing you want to do in front of others.

“This is an odd drink,” he remarked.

“It’s called barley tea. It’s nice when you want to cool off on hot days.”

“Barley...”

“It’s made by steeping barley seeds.”

It was rich in minerals, making it a good option for anyone who sweated a lot. But I couldn’t just tell him that. Things like vitamins and minerals remained a mystery to this world.

“I believe dehydration was one of the reasons your father collapsed the other day,” I said. “I’d recommend taking small drinks occasionally, even if your throat doesn’t feel dry. Especially in the summer. This tea is a good source of hydration.”

He held up his glass and peered closely at the contents. “I see.” He returned his drink to the table and gave me a strange look. “You’ve already heard it from my father, but please accept my apologies for his discourtesy at the ball.”

“That’s quite all right. I’ve come to realize that he didn’t mean anything by it.”

I totally understood. If I was at a dance and there was something sparkly and shining, I’d find myself looking at it, even if I had to squint. The black knight, however, wasn’t convinced.

“Still,” he objected, “he glared at a young woman.”

So I tried to push the conversation in a slightly different direction.

“Well, your father detects mana visually, right? I assume he can’t control that any more than you can stop smelling mana.”

“It’s an innate part of us, so nobody’s even proven capable of restraining it,” he admitted with a nod. “All you can do is endure it.”

Sounds rough, but I guess that’s just how they are. Wait.

“The institute has bracelets that suppress mana. If your own mana is the source of your ability to see or smell other’s, then perhaps one of the bracelets could ease the effects.”

If they could detect mana, then mana had to figure into the equation somehow, no matter what form the ability took. So while mana suppression might not be able to completely numb the sense, it might at least dull it.

“With the right research and measurements, perhaps the institute can make a magic tool suitable for your powers.”

“Is that possible?”

If my memory served, then there was an old model lying around the Aspozat residence. Maybe we could borrow that and see what happened? The black knight was very receptive to this idea. He must’ve endured some terrible smells, the poor soul.

Though I was confident that a mana-suppressor would work on their unique senses, suppressors had to be used with caution, or else things could get gnarly. The best thing would be for the black knight and his father to pay a visit to the institute in Peylon, where they could have various measurements taken for a custom bracelet. But with the possibility of a forest overflow, I wasn’t sure we could even access the institute.

What do I do?

“Is something the matter, Miss Lowell?”

“Oh, it’s nothing...”

If I had known this was going to happen, I would’ve asked someone to take his numbers last year. Nielle would’ve been more than happy to oblige. Children tended to have mana of a similar nature to their parents, so a tool that worked for the black knight would most likely work for his father as well.

Darn it! I hope this overflow doesn’t last too long! Honestly, I want to go to Peylon and take down all the monsters myself!

After that, I had some fun asking the black knight about the scents of various people.

“By the way, what’s Ville’s scent?”

“Aspozat? He smells like fresh spring leaves.”

That sounded pretty nice. While the black knight could smell mana, anyone with a bad personality or one incompatible with his would have an unpleasant scent. When searching for Ribbons and Miss Cucumis, he showed a pretty strong reaction to the stench of their luggage.

Did this mean he and Ville were actually pretty compatible? They seemed pretty antagonistic at first, but they had since grown to at least tolerate each other.

“What about Loks and Colny?”

“The younger Aspozat brother smells of mint, and the younger sister has a fruity sweetness.”

Even Colny’s mana was girly! A scent like that suggested she had pretty good compatibility with the black knight pretty well too, didn’t it? Oh, but perhaps this was mana compatibility we were talking about here? Maybe I could ask Sheila or someone else.

***

As I watched my son and the young lady leave for the garden, the Aspozat minx began to speak.

“So what designs do you have, coming all the way to our house? I have some trouble believing that you came here just to show your gratitude.”

It wasn’t often this woman showed her true colors. She must have felt it was fine to speak freely, given the private setting and that so many of her contemporaries knew what she was truly like. No point in hiding what’s already apparent.

“I heard something troubling. I wanted to see if you were already aware.”

“Troubling, you said?”

“It’s regarding House Yulville and the movements of the noble faction.”

That got her attention. I couldn’t think of any group she was more interested in. The young lady talking with my son was the daughter of a woman from House Yulville. Lord Yulville, who had been quite active as of late, was the young lady’s maternal uncle. With this connection to her, he would typically have the right to decide her marriage partner, but I had been given the impression he was trying to bring her over to their side.

House Yulville being in the neutral faction put a limit on how much information a house from the royal faction could gather. Similarly, while they could at least look into the movements of the noble faction, they couldn’t learn much unless they dug deep. If you don’t want information getting out, you limit how many people know in the first place.

“Would you tell me more?”

House Yulville had been acting strange lately. While we were both neutral houses, we had little to do with each other. Yet one day, they told me out of the blue to keep my hands off the Duval girl. Unsure what this was all about, I sent them off as politely as I could. However, apparently it had something to do with my son. My heart nearly failed me when I heard how he had gone to Peylon uninvited and asked the young lady for her hand in marriage.

I immediately sent a series of letters telling him to come home, but he ignored them. Not only that, he then went and joined in the hunting festival—an event held by the royalists. Honestly, was that boy trying to shave years off my life?

To make things worse, a few days later, Lord Duval himself sent me a letter of protest. Given that my son was courting his daughter, I felt the earl had every right to be displeased.

Further investigations revealed that something very odd was happening with that house. I knew the man’s wife was deceased, but I was only just learning about how he had sent his daughter away, and when she was only three years old, no less. And the daughter of that house was now being courted by my son.

More recently, I learned that Lord Duval hadn’t been sighted in some time. The servants of his royal capital residence had all been put on leave and the building itself was closed down. Now, the abandonment of the residence didn’t seem so strange when I recalled that the house’s reputation had begun to decline not with the current lord, but the previous one. Then there was the unsettling news that this minx in front of me had overseen his removal.

I knew that Duval had next to no branch families or relatives. Even the house of his wife, House Yulville, had distanced themselves from him after he’d treated his spouse so poorly. After what Lord Duval had done to that woman, it was no wonder they had a bone to pick with him. However, that ire mostly came from the former Lord and Lady Yulville. The current Lord Yulville didn’t much care for his sister.

This new lord was now looking to be bedfellows with Marquess Bilbroza, the head of the noble faction. It was a strange move for a house that had maintained its neutrality for so long.

Not that they were ever truly in the middle; they had always been loyal to the crown. Yulville was a big name among mages. Members of the royal family and many more besides, myself included, had learned the basics from the previous Lord Yulville and his wife. That was why they had long been a neutral house.

Yet the current head, who wasn’t on good terms with his predecessors, was now trying to cozy up with the noble faction. I was making progress in my investigations, but these were snakes from houses experienced in political games. The minx and her people probably weren’t faring any better than myself.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed that the noble faction has been acting odd lately,” I said.

“That I have. I never imagined that man might interfere with the academy.”

“Lord Bilbroza is a cunning man. He ordered those boys from lower houses to attack, all without leaving a shred of proof.”

“Just how long does that old man plan to cling to power?”

I barely managed to contain my laughter. She was right—Lord Bilbroza was a despicable old man. He didn’t know how to keep his hands off women or the bottle, and nobody seemed to be certain how many children he had fathered as a result. Most of them he had gotten rid of before society was any the wiser. A few he had made use of by shoving off onto lower houses.

The most notable of those was House Nogdeid. I was told the eldest son of that house had recently made some extraordinary failure. Until recently, the boy had been coddled by the old man, which only made him come down even harder when the lad screwed up. Supposedly, he had been disowned and exiled from House Nogdeid. The younger brother, Zodian, was a sharp one, so the house wouldn’t be wanting for a suitable heir.

But there was something more important on my mind. “By the way, what brought that worthless old man’s attention to the young lady in the first place?”

“Who knows? I’m not him, so I couldn’t tell you.”

No use asking directly, I see.

While the academy festival was held on the campus, it attracted parents and guardians from all around into one place, making it as much a social event as an academy one. I couldn’t ignore the fact that the old man had tried to use the event to harm the Duval girl. He definitely had some ulterior motive.

As much as I don’t want to say this, I’ve got no other choice.

“I hear my son has asked for that young lady’s hand in marriage.”

“Indeed he did.”

“If they do wed, she’ll marry into our house. I’d say she requires our protection.”

“Oh my!” The minx began to laugh for reasons entirely beyond me. “Oh, how funny. Indeed, normally, you would be quite right. But, unfortunately for you, that girl will be taking a groom into her house.”

“What?”

The daughter was to take in a groom? I had been led to believe Duval had a suitable son, one the daughter’s elder. Though maybe not? There was no record of that son graduating from the noble academy, a rite of passage for all children of the nobility. It was a necessary condition for inheriting a title. Though there were exceptions for special cases.

“The Duval boy is sickly, right?”

“That’s the official story.”

So the truth was different? The mother was said to have had a stifling love for her son, some people even saying they had a warped relationship. That was perhaps a side effect of Lord Duval giving all his attention to his lover.

Duval was a royalist house. However, for two generations straight, they had been falling down the rungs and getting along poorly with Aspozat, the head of the faction. Some people suspected it wouldn’t be long before they were kicked out. So now House Aspozat was looking out for the girl exiled from Duval. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say they wanted to help her since she had been sent to Peylon, a house with close ties to Aspozat. The minx sitting across from me was the daughter of the previous Lord Peylon.

The Duval girl was the object of my son’s affection, and this minx adored her like one of her own. Unable to fully understand why, I’d headed to that royal ball for academy students, and was shocked, to say the least, by what I saw. I had never seen such fine control in someone so young. It was a vast, seemingly boundless font of mana, yet it matched her outline perfectly.

Even the most expertly trained mages struggled to fully control their mana. In fact, the current Lord Yulville, from a house known for arcane skills, had dreadful control. He radiated energy like shimmering heat. The former lord wasn’t nearly so bad, but unfortunately, the son fell very short of his father. I didn’t think the son had much talent at all.

The minx glared at me. “My point is, if your son marries Lera, then you’ll have to give up on him being your successor. Now, we’ve digressed considerably. Have you learned what the old man is after?”

“The Mystic Forest.”

“Did I just hear you correctly?”

That certainly startled the minx. While the Mystic Forest was a trove of valuable resources, it was also a savage land teeming with dangerous monsters. If the old man was trying to stick his nose into that, the logical assumption was that his age was getting the better of him.

“I don’t have a clue what he’s trying to do. But as your kin know much better than I do, that forest is a dangerous place to play around in.”

“Very true. And now’s a terrible time for it.”

“The overflow? My son brought a report to the royal palace.”

“Simply because he was the only one available at the time.”

She used my son as a messenger and that’s all she had to say for herself? By god I hated dealing with this woman.

“Back then, Yulville was also in Peylon.” The minx now had an indescribable look on her face. “He stooped very low in order to join in the hunting festival.”

“What do you mean?”

“He joined the hunt by intimidating the parents of a novice from his order.”

What a travesty. The position of captain of the Knights of the White Summit was an esteemed one, yet he trampled all over that.

“Then he made some audacious demands to the Peylon research institute.”

“Demands? What did—”

“He wanted the rights to the portal.”

I was at a loss. The royal palace had specifically trusted the research institute—no, trusted Peylon, with ownership of the portals.

“What’s Yulville thinking?” I wondered aloud.

“That’s what we’d like to know. It’s also curious that he used surveying the Mystic Forest as a cover for staying in Peylon. His investigations apparently had the approval of the royal palace, but I can’t imagine who there would’ve been willing to give him that.”

So they were in Peylon? Well, that connects some dots.

“They probably only looked for the approval of their managers, the ministry of domestic affairs,” I told her. “The ministry wants the Mystic Forest under their jurisdiction—there’s too much money to be made from monster materials.”

The minx was certainly aware that our house was closely tied with the ministry of domestic affairs, with many of us finding employment there. It was just like how Aspozat had a history with foreign affairs. Though we didn’t require our kin to work there, good connections make any job easier.

“Indeed, your house has a history with them. But are they really so foolish that they think the Mystic Forest can be managed by humans? They ought to come to Peylon and take a good look in person.”

The Mystic Forest had been a part of her life since the day she was born. She was also no stranger to the dangers it posed—something nobody from the royal capital could understand.

“So both Lord Bilbroza and the ministry have their eyes on the Mystic Forest,” I said.

“Does that old man’s reach extend to the ministry of domestic affairs?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me. They have members of the noble faction among their ranks.”

“I shouldn’t let that shock me.”

The royal faction had always been more strongly involved in foreign affairs. They were the ones who negotiated with the southern petty kingdoms, and had used their diplomatic skills to avoid a war with our northern neighbor Garnoban. Their comparatively weak role in domestic affairs was now working against them.

“At the royal palace, people are starting to see the Knights of the White Summit as a de facto asset of the ministry of domestic affairs.”

The White Summit was an order of mages that was dispatched wherever in the kingdom they were needed. They handled a much broader swath of duties than the other orders. While this had meant they were always working at the behest of the ministry of domestic affairs, that had become much more apparent in recent years. And now the noble faction was sinking their claws into the ministry.

I couldn’t help but ask, “I know you’ve already said it, but is it really true that Lord Yulville participated in the hunting festival?”

“It is. He tried making some surreptitious movements, but he picked the wrong mark. He picked Lord Zokbahr of all people.”

“What did he do?”

“He suggested that Lord Zokbahr consider changing factions.”

“How reckless...”

House Zokbahr was a house of warriors from the south. They were as old as the kingdom itself, and known for their fierce loyalty. A little urging from Lord Yulville would never sway a man like that.

“Indeed. Reckless.” The minx looked contemplative. “Yet why would Lord Yulville do something so transparent?”

“If someone wants Zokbahr in a different faction, they’re probably from the noble faction. Since Yulville is neutral, he was probably acting on behalf of someone else.”

“That ‘someone else’ was probably the old man. That’s obvious enough to not warrant concern. At this point, there’s nothing surprising about Yulville’s favor for the noble faction. But why did he make a blatant attempt in the middle of the royal faction’s biggest event? I can’t begin to wrap my head around it.”

The minx seemed to think there was some ulterior motive. It was this very masculine strength of hers that made so many people fear this woman. She could accurately assess any situation and turn it to her favor. I was sure old Bilbroza was feeling the pain of crossing her already.

So she thinks there’s more to what that old man is doing?

“Maybe you’re overthinking it?” I thought aloud.

“You’re just not thinking enough. Just like always.”

Rude as ever.

“Thand, don’t you think it’s a little shameful to leave everything to your wife?”

“Hm? Oh, no,” he answered. “I just thought Sheila was better equipped to converse with you.”

That grin of his reminded me of our academy days. Even after all these years, I didn’t find him any more agreeable.

“That aside,” the minx continued, summing up our conversation, “we now have much more reason to believe that the noble faction is trying to use the ministry of domestic affairs and the Knights of the White Summit to make the Mystic Forest their personal property. A naive move on their part. I can only hope they personally feel the brunt of their own idiocy.”

“Once the overflow begins, what if we throw their leaders into the forest?”

“Oh, now that’s a fine idea. We’ll have to figure a way to lure them out.”

Damn, I should’ve kept that to myself.

I meant it as a joke, but the minx was enthused, like she really might give it a shot. Glancing at Thand, I just saw the man smiling—that infuriating smile. He wasn’t going to do anything to hold this woman back. I let a heavy sigh escape me, but I forgave myself for it.

Suddenly, the minx’s lips twisted into a grin as well. “Oh, that’s right. Your son will hit his deadline next month.”

“Deadline? What deadline?”

“He has a set time frame to court Lera. If he doesn’t win her over before the deadline, we’ll forget about his proposal.”

“What?”

What does that mean?

“You see, his abrupt proposal last year came as quite the shock to Lera. I understand your son was in something of a panic, but there are still steps and formalities to be taken during these matters, are there not? So it was my idea that if he manages to win Lera’s heart before her next birthday, then I’ll formally begin negotiations with you.”

This can’t be.

I recognized this smile of hers from our student days. She made this same face when giving someone a deadline like she did to my son. I forget what it was for, but it was something that seemed feasible at first, only to turn out practically impossible. In other words, this minx didn’t actually envision my son swaying that girl.

I let out another brief sigh. I’ll be the first to admit he wasn’t exactly a smooth talker.

“However, looking at him now, he might not be such a poor fit for Lera after all.”

“What?”

“As the child of a noble, Lera has to get married one way or another. In which case, I’d prefer she have a partner who understands and supports her.”

That was true. As a young noblewoman, her house required that she get married. If she remained single forever, people would begin to suspect it was because there was something wrong with her.

On top of that, Sheila said the girl would be taking a groom into her house. If she was inheriting her house, then she would inevitably need a successor, which would necessitate a husband. However, I had some trouble believing that my son was really an ideal candidate.

“Do you think Yuin’s capable of that?” I asked.

“If nothing else, I don’t believe anyone else would try to reach the same layer of the Mystic Forest as Lera.”

“He did that?”

What the hell has that boy been up to?

I had been told he went to Peylon for training on how to counter mysticstock. They said more of those had been appearing in the environs of the royal capital. Yet he was running around like a loon, making marriage proposals, joining the hunting festival, returning home late.

After all that, I find out he had been working his way through the Mystic Forest? Had he forgotten he was my heir? He very well might have, or else he wouldn’t have proposed to a girl who couldn’t even leave her own house. Perhaps it didn’t matter either way.

“Has he lost his mind?”

“My, I’d say he’s doing quite well. Unlike you, he’s skilled in both magic and bladework.”

“Oh stop it.”

When we were students, I had been found to have little talent for swords or spells, so I dedicated myself to statesmanship. To this day I think I made the right choice, but it still left me feeling inferior. I certainly never expected my son to join the Knights of Obsidian. I figured if anything, he might join the Golden Lion, whose duty as royal guards kept them in the palace at all times.

“Nonetheless, as long as Sir Yuin doesn’t give up on Lera, he has a chance. For the time being, anyway.” The minx smiled again, a predatory glint in her eyes.

Oh, my son, do you truly want to marry a girl tied up with this woman? There’s plenty of other fine ladies out there.

However, I couldn’t deny that that girl’s perfectly controlled mana made her a good fit for Yuin. Those with compatible mana also shared compatible personalities. That must have been why he had made such a sudden proposal. I could understand his mindset. Even so, I couldn’t pretend he had made a good pick.

“But I must say how funny it is to see a member of the neutral faction pay our house a visit.”

“I might be neutral, but I don’t recall ever opposing you. We’ve never forgotten our loyalty to the crown.”

“Indeed. And your house’s role in organizing the neutralists has given us much peace of mind.”

Nobody could dispute that House Fezgahn had sworn their loyalty to the royal family. However, that wasn’t to say we were blind to the logic in the noble faction’s assertions that it was the power of the noble houses that strengthened and brought prosperity to the kingdom.

If the royal family gained too much sway, then things could get messy if a tyrant took the throne. However, a weak royal family would leave the kingdom on uncertain footing. Our house believed that it was best if the crown and the nobles were of equal power.

It was for these ideals that we couldn’t accept the noble faction’s recent activity. They appeared ready to make a power grab if left unchecked, and we couldn’t let that happen. Thus our best option was to work with House Aspozat, head of the royal faction.

“We’ll run our own checks on the noble faction,” I said.

“If you would.”

First, we had to figure out what old Bilbroza was up to. He was a crafty man, but we’d regret it if we waited any longer. I wished my intuition could just once be wrong at a time like this.

***

There was an odd tension hanging over the drawing room when we returned. Adults really like to hide things behind smiles.

“Welcome back,” Sheila said. “I trust you had a riveting chat?”

A past life in Japan meant that I could brush things off just as well as her.

“Yes, it was wonderful.”

The trick was to not lie. It’s true that our chat was riveting; it just hadn’t been a chat between a man and a woman.

When the black knight father and son left, a troubled look formed on Sheila’s face. Had something happened between her and the black knight father? I gave her a furtive glance, when she turned to me with a funny look on her face.

“Lera, we’re going to ensure your ascension happens as soon as possible.”

“Whuh?”

What’s this about?

Last I checked, that was supposed to happen once I became an adult, which, when I thought about it, was only a month away. Except Peylon was dealing with the overflow, and Duval, being right next door, was going to feel the effects. I couldn’t see how anyone was going to find the time to pass down a title to me, but Sheila seemed serious.

“We need only conduct the ceremony. The public announcements can wait. First, I’ll have to drag Quinevan over to Duval.”

She was already forming a schedule, albeit unilaterally.

“Thand, is there any way to stop her?”

“Not for me, there isn’t. Why don’t you take a crack at it, Lera?”

“I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

I raised the white flag before the battle began. It was a losing one. But now it wouldn’t be long before I was in charge of Duval.

“That’s right—is my father aware that I’ll be succeeding him?”

“Who’s to say? He’s got bigger concerns at the moment.”

“Hm?”

What does that mean? Is there something preoccupying him?

“Uh, hmm... You’ll understand soon enough.”

What a vague response. If that’s what Thand was going with, I knew there was no point trying to get anything more out of him. Well, since it was just my father, I didn’t really care either way.

Epilogue

Sheila really managed to sort out the details of my inheritance in just a few days. She worked fast.

“We must first go to Duval. Oh, but we’ll pass through Peylon on the way.”

“What? We’re going to enter Peylon?”

They had just been talking about how they were limiting traffic in preparation for the overflow.

“Castle Varchudar is off-limits,” Sheila calmly explained. “We’ll be using Swanille Manor.”

“We will? Isn’t it still closed this time of year?”

Swanille Manor was only opened for the annual hunting festival. Since cleaning generally got started around my birthday, I didn’t see why it would be open now.

“Actually, Quinevan is staying in Swanille Manor.”

“Really?”

What was he doing there? I had been certain he was in the royal capital. Hadn’t he been avoiding the hunting festival for ages at this point?

Sheila sighed when she noticed how confused I was. “Do you recall when Quinevan visited you at the academy not long ago?”

“Yes, I do. That was because he brought me a fiancé he had picked out, right?”

It was, uh, a lower son of some viscount, I think.

It didn’t seem like pertinent information to me, so I couldn’t remember much about the guy. Heck, partway through, I left everything to Sheila and Thand and took my leave.

“Ever since then, Quinevan has been in the care of our house.”

“Huh?”

How the hell did that happen?

Despite all appearances, that man technically was an earl. Even if they were in the same faction, I didn’t think House Aspozat had the right to abduct an earl.

Guessing what was on my mind, the look on Sheila’s face turned very grim. “If we had left Quinevan as he was, he might have taken his own life before he could cede his position to you. It was an emergency, and we had to act fast.”

“What in the world happened after I left?”

“I’ll tell you...after your succession is complete.”

Hmm. My father always seemed too dense for fear, yet something shocked him enough to make him consider suicide. That’s the bigger surprise here.

Perhaps because of my startlement, Sheila only told me what was going on at Swanille Manor.

“At first, we were keeping him in our domain. However, an unwelcome visitor showed up without permission.”

“Would that be...”

She said visitor, but I got the feeling she meant an intruder with ill intentions. As much as I wanted to ask, I couldn’t.

“In light of that,” Sheila continued, “we moved him from the house he was hiding in, to Swanille Manor. Single-use portals are wonderful things.”

That was the same thing Bear had used to come to the royal capital.

“Those who still think Quinevan is in Aspozat have been walking right into a trap. Let me tell you, it’s providing no end of amusement.”

The intruders weren’t even breaking into the right place. I started to feel bad for the ones who got captured...but then again, they didn’t really deserve my sympathy if they were up to no good.

“Some cursory investigations found that most of them were ruffians who had been paid. As I expected, there wasn’t a paper trail to follow.”

Sheila sounded quite disappointed. If she knew who was behind these intrusions, she genuinely might go banging on their door. If she did, I only hoped she’d invite me for the ride. I’d love to be part of that.

If we were going to pass through Peylon on our way to Duval for the succession, we needed a few days to make sure our schedules lined up. I was also supposed to keep this business a secret from the Aspozat siblings. If they found out we were going to Peylon, one of them would more than likely raise a fuss, asking to go along with us. Not going to Peylon was really eating away at Colny in particular.

But man, I was seriously going to take my father’s title. I thought that was something a bit more...down the road. Wasn’t this normally something that happened after one’s social debut, if not later? What was causing Sheila to hurry it along? Did it have to do with the Mystic Forest?

Sheila never gave me a straight answer when I tried asking. I was willing to believe there was a good reason for that. Probably. I just reaaally wanted to know that reason. There was a chance I’d understand it all once I took the title, but that didn’t ease my nerves.

Honestly, what could possibly be in Duval?

“I guess there’s no point in worrying about it right now.”

Whatever came at me, I’d take it head-on. Just like I always did. I was pretty confident I could overcome this, just I had overcome everything before!

Afterword

For those who are new here (which I can’t imagine there are many of you, but if there are), it’s nice to meet you. For those of you I’m meeting a second or third time, it’s been too long. Riko Saiki here.

Disowned but Not Disheartened Volume 3 is here!!!

Like the previous volumes, this one deviated from the web novel by placing lots of attention on a festival event. A certain elder son who appears sporadically throughout the web novel has a prominent appearance here, and his younger brother showed up much earlier. The unnamed background girl also appeared. I hope I can include her again sometime in the future.

The cover has everyone’s beloved Gonsuke. At last, the bear makes his appearance. He’s this series’s only mascot. Even if the man himself—I mean, bear himself—doesn’t reappear, he’ll live on in Duval in some form or another.

At long last, next up is that. I hope the next volume makes it out okay...

Now then, I sincerely hope we can meet again some day, here or elsewhere.