-Crash!
The tip of the parasol violently scraped the ground.
“When are you coming?”
A parasol at night.
It was Elizabeth who grumbled about this oddly mismatching combination.
“We are way past the scheduled time, and outside, the golems are bustling. Could it be that he’s been caught? It’s troubling, and of course, they’ll be looking for the caster of the invisibility spell too.”
-Crack.
It’s a bad habit.
The act of bringing one’s nails to one’s mouth, unable to overcome anxiety.
Under the clear moonlight.
Her trembling eyelashes looked pitiful.
“Since it has come to this, we might need to prepare to cut our losses.”
She was muttering to herself, unaware that the person concerned was right behind her.
‘The effectiveness of the invisibility magic is certain.’
Even the caster could not properly see, and using the thief’s footsteps, I came so close without Elizabeth noticing.
The pink-haired Elizabeth felt a gentle hand settle on her shoulder.
“Ugh!”
“Aaaaah!”
Her face, filled with surprise and confusion, became clearly visible after a startled scream.
Thanks to that, a tooth even came off the fingernail she had been biting.
“Hehe, invisibility magic is quite something. To be able to see such a raw reaction!”
It’s something one would imagine doing at least once if they could turn invisible!
A deep sense of satisfaction emerged from witnessing such a pure shock, almost 99%.
“You…!”
Elizabeth’s face turned red as she swung the parasol toward me.
The swing, filled with magical power, quickly dispelled the invisibility.
-You’ve become quite accustomed to this. You truly have a knack for it.
Elizabeth’s shadow spoke freely, soon standing on its own two feet, slowly regaining its color.
“So, Frost Mane, how did it feel to use invisibility magic for the first time?”
“It’s really fun. It would be very effective for ensuring security. Could I possibly ask for it again next time?”
Although it was just teasing Elizabeth for now, it was indeed useful.
No, not just useful, it matched me too well.
How to deliver the stolen holy sword to Oparn.
How to secretly meet with Camilla.
All these concerns could be blown away in an instant.
“…Absolutely not! I know what you would do! You would probably engage in perverted acts.”
“Perverted acts? What do you think I would do?”
“I wouldn’t utter such irrational and immoral acts!”
Elizabeth, who lost all her ladylike composure, shouted.
In the moment of wondering what she was talking about, I saw her face turn even redder than before.
“…What exactly are you imagining? No, don’t tell me… How disgraceful, Lady Elizabeth.”
“Me, what I—!”
“In front of me, who can taste emotions, do you intend to lie?”
“Ugh…! I was just curious what kind of face Lucy would make when she’s alone!”
Thinking she couldn’t fool me, Elizabeth hesitated before revealing her thoughts.
Of course, she was just thinking and not actually planning to act on it.
It was indeed the perfect situation to tease her.
“Ah, your intentions seem very impure.”
“…”
Elizabeth, fanning her face with her hand, caused a snicker to escape from me.
“Don’t worry. Even without relying on such magic, I’ll find a time when it’s just the two of us. By then, you’ll have seen the unguarded face of Lady Luciana to your heart’s content.”
I do understand that feeling.
It’s not like I haven’t had similar thoughts about always seeing the perfect Luciana in a more relaxed state!
Just imagining it is enjoyable, isn’t it?
Of course, it’s just a momentary illusion.
How could I expose the private life of my favorite character!
This is paparazzi trash talk, not the words of a true fan!
“Enough about that! By the way, why are you so late? You’ve delayed too much.”
She tried to change the subject, her face still flushed with embarrassment, perhaps it’s time to stop.
“Ah, I got involved in an interesting incident. Your invisibility magic was a big help.”
Right after I stole the replica of the holy sword, a fanatic appeared.
Even the brilliant feat of deceiving him…
Both Bathory and Elizabeth should have applauded after hearing all that, but their reaction was unexpected.
“You really are reckless. How could you rely solely on flimsy invisibility magic in the midst of such chaos!”
“…Well, it’s kind of typical of you.”
According to the wizards, magic cast on a person could be canceled with just a slight shock.
“Well, the sword even brushed me, but he still couldn’t see me.”
“…Just like Eliz, it seems invisibility magic suits you well. It’s curious, considering you’re clumsy at using it.”
Bathory shook her head and then firmly grabbed my hand.
“Right now, your constitution matches the magic and you got away safely, but be careful in the future. …No, knowing you, you’ll act on your own anyway. If so, let me be by your side to protect you when you do.”
Was it because we were apart for a moment?
Her grip on my hand grew tighter.
“Ouch! That hurts!”
“S-sorry! I forgot about your frail body and…”
My hand enclosed in hers almost got crushed too.
“Phew, is that all then? I’m leaving?”
It seemed like she had brushed off the earlier embarrassment from her memory.
Elizabeth, who briefly looked disdainfully at the farce between the master and the collaborator, stood up.
No, judging by her reddened ears, she seemed to be trying to escape.
“Where are you going? We still need to discuss our future plans, please sit back down.”
“…It’s already five in the morning! I need to catch some sleep! Have you forgotten that I have my first class tomorrow?!”
“Have some tea or coffee.”
Staying up all night is nothing big.
Forgetting about assignments, I enjoyed “Under the Chandelier” for three days and nights with a can of caffeinated drinks—it was a piece of cake for me.
Of course, it might be a bit different for others.
“You might not need sleep being a demon, but I do!”
“Come on, don’t make such weak excuses.”
Tasks need to be completed, regardless.
Even if someone shows a clear dislike for participating, it’s the duty of the group project leader to keep things moving.
“Still, it’s better to have everyone move voluntarily rather than by force.”
“In a few days, I’ll arrange a private meeting with Lady Luciana.”
“…What plan have you concocted? What is my role?”
Everyone’s actions are driven by desire.
Seeing her unwittingly fall into the trap brought a smile to my face.
***
After everyone had left and only the two of them remained in the room,
Bathory sighed as she looked at her disciple shrinking the book with coffee.
“I’ve heard that drink reduces sleep. Isn’t this overdoing it?”
“Ha, what are you talking about? Coffee is the fuel for people.”
“Fuel? You’re making strange, incomprehensible noises again.”
Setting aside his odd choice of words, she voiced the question that had been on her mind for a while.
“Was the reason you called Eliz to use the invisibility magic?”
“Well, yes. Thanks to that, we now have connections with the cultists of the disaster church. Isn’t that a cause for celebration?”
“That may be so, but I don’t understand. Aside from the disaster cult, with your abilities, stealing the holy sword without invisibility magic should have been no problem, right?”
Instead of answering, he just chuckled.
“If I said it was to use up a vague wish, would you believe me?”
“You’d go to great lengths, wouldn’t you? Unless you intend to drain every last drop.”
She’d been caught up in his absurdities more than once.
He closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly contemplating whether to explain further.
“…Since it’s just Bathory here, and there’s no one else around, I suppose it’s okay to tell you why I involved Lady Elizabeth.”
Then, with his eyes narrowing,
Truly demonic.
A predatory intensity mixed into his gaze.
“Our alliance with her is nominal, but a nominal alliance is meaningless. …Do you know how a bee caught in a spider’s web gets eaten?”
“……”
“Struggling, it slowly gets bound. It touches more of the web, binding itself without realizing that its neck is tightening. Of course, the spider spins more web while the bee is unaware.”
A chill ran up Bathory’s spine as he unknowingly wrapped his arms around himself.
Using the pretext of the descendant of the warrior’s time as bait,
Under the guise of a wish,
Her disciple had undoubtedly lured her into his domain step by step, starting with the easiest tasks.
To slowly crumble her psychological defenses from underneath.
Eventually, for more personal and dangerous ‘favors’.
“Poor Eliz.”
“Poor? It’s just a stage where a superficial alliance becomes a true alliance.”
Batori quickly averted her gaze, as if to deny that she too was caught in the web.
* * *
“Hans? You look tired. Did you have trouble sleeping last night?” Luciana asked, her gaze filled with concern.
Indeed, I was a bit tired.
“It’s the first class after all. The thought of meeting the prestigious faculty had me nervous.”
“Pfft. You, who stood bold in front of my father, that doesn’t seem like something you would say,” Luciana replied, her sincerity apparently lacking, as she looked unconvinced.
“Perhaps you were looking forward to it a bit as well, Lady Luciana?” I noted, seeing through her efforts to hide it with makeup—the subtle darkness beneath her lovely eyes and the small veins in her pupils.
“…You caught me. Indeed, I was also somewhat looking forward to it.
“Is it the class?”
“Partly, yes…” Luciana suddenly gazed out the window, her mind seemingly far away.
“But more than that, it’s the time I could spend with the prince.”
It was fortunate that Luciana was looking out the window.
If we had been facing each other as usual, she would have seen my stiff smile.
“…I thought you felt slighted by the prince.”
“That too, you noticed. It would be hard to hide anything from you, given your knack for reading others.”
It wasn’t just a guess; I had seen it.
Despite the presence of the Emperor and Luciana, the prince’s attitude had been utterly cold.
‘Just thinking about it makes me angry. It’s clear there’s something wrong with his eyes.’
Even afterwards, the prince had ignored her and even asked the saintess to dance.
As strong and mature as Luciana was, it must have been a painful experience.
Yet, her demeanor remained gentle.
“Don’t look at me like that. A family alliance isn’t going to crumble over something so trivial,” she said, smiling faintly after catching my gaze.
“As the prince said, it’s cold because we’ve never been involved before. We can start making pleasant memories and connections from now on.”
“I think so too,” I replied, saying the opposite of what I truly felt, and quietly bowed my head.
‘Luciana, your path should only be filled with roses. Only beautiful memories should adorn it.’
The prince, who brought her painful memories and even ruin, should just stay out of the way.
Thus, I was resolved to continue supporting her happy academy life.
“Can you help make such a future possible, Hans?”
“I am always on your side, Lady Luciana.”
Pleased with my response, Luciana smiled faintly, her eyes filled with melancholy.
“Good. You’ve always done well, even in the North, so I trust you.”
“You flatter me too much.”
“Then, since class will start soon, let’s move. Let’s summarize the basic information about the first class.”
As she finished speaking, a status window flashed before my eyes.
[Quest Arrival!]
[NPC ‘Luciana Speda’ has achieved overwhelming entrance exam scores and is ranked first in her year.]
[However, the top position is always threatened by challengers.]
[As ‘Luciana Speda’s’ loyal servant, assist her in maintaining her top rank until the end of the semester.]
[Reward: ?]
[Penalty: Increase in Luciana Speda’s destruction progress]
What is this now?
‘I was going to do that even without the quest. Not just from the North, but as a dedicated servant at the academy, it’s my first task.’
Luciana naturally deserves to shine brilliantly from the highest place.
However, it’s strange that the penalty involves not just a drop in reputation from the North, but directly leading to Luciana’s destruction.
I quickly pulled out a notebook from my pocket.
‘With the ticking time bomb that is the prince, I certainly can’t afford to increase the destruction progress with this.’
The densely written letters in the notebook were the game information I had organized using my memory before coming here.
Naturally, most of it was about the main stage of the game, this academy.
“The first class for A class is a major in Knight Studies, ‘Practical Combat and Dueling.’ The instructor is someone named Marks.”
“Hmm?”
At my answer, she tilted her head to the left, puzzled.
I had felt it repeatedly, but the raw emotion she subtly expresses is quite dangerous.
…For the heart.
‘Is this the natural danger?’
While I was indulging in my admiration for the beautiful Luciana, as usual.
“A mistake uncharacteristic of someone who strives for perfection. Have you not determined which family he is from?”
“No, Marks is a commoner. Originally, he was not granted a last name.”
…Huh. A commoner as an academy professor?
A noble, especially a young lady from a ducal family, being taught by a mere commoner.
Surely, some would find that fact shameful.
“He must be quite skilled to hold a position here, overcoming many nobles. It will be worth learning from him.”
But where was Luciana ever just an ordinary figure?
Even as a girl, she was amidst soldiers and knights who were commoners.
The expectation shining in her eyes like stars in her bright blue eyes.
For her, only one thing mattered.
Is he highly skilled or not?
“I am impressed by your discernment, Lady Luciana, which does not discriminate based on status, but there is something you should be cautious about.”
“So, you have even grasped the professor’s personality in the meantime. Tell me what you know.”
“They might not take your kindness at face value.”
“Hmm?”
Indeed, I was about to meet a professor who was not only a commoner but also a stubborn old-school type, something neither Luciana nor most of the A class nobility had ever encountered.
Of course.
He and I were old acquaintances.
Cliche Novel 