Chapter 26-30: I’m the Saintess’s Younger Sister

Chapter 26: Admission? (1)

Ch. 26

Inside the rattling carriage.

The destination of this carriage was the Academy's entrance ceremony venue.

As if to prove it, carriages of various colors stretched along the road.

Some people used magic to travel on foot, but most preferred carriages to conserve their energy.

“Are you also an incoming student at the Academy, miss?”

“That’s right.”

“Haha, youth is enviable.”

The coachman, seemingly bored by the congested road due to the influx of carriages, struck up a conversation.

He simply laughed and replied, even to my somewhat curt response.

“I heard a rumor that the Hero and Saint are entering the Academy this year. You’ll meet them if you’re entering this time, won’t you?”

“The Hero and the Saint… I suppose I will.”

I'm already entangled with them, to the point that they’re the ones approaching me.

Especially Lucia. For some reason, she seems to have already noticed my true identity.

I wish she’d just give up…

“Looks like we’ve arrived. You can get off now.”

“Yes, thank you for your service.”

The coachman took the payment I offered, turned his horse around, and disappeared.

The uniform was primarily white with gold accents.

The bottom half consisted of pants for men and a long skirt that reached the knees for women.

Lastly, each uniform had a differently colored brooch on the chest.

These brooches, awarded based on academic performance, were divided into red, yellow, green, blue, and white.

Twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, and sixty of each were distributed, respectively.

Among them, I received a red brooch, awarded to only twenty students each year, male and female combined.

In other words, my academic standing was within the top twenty.

The red brooch, shining just like the ruby necklace around my neck, reflected the sunlight.

As I was looking for my designated spot, someone ran up to me from behind.

I roughly guessed their identity, so there was no need to turn around.

“It’s been a while, Lena.”

“Huh? How did you know?”

“Because you’re the only person I know who would approach me like this.”

“I-is that so?”

As I was talking with her, the Hero’s party approached.

“You’re here too, Aria?”

“Well, I have to be here since I was accepted.”

Looking at their brooches, as expected, everyone except Lena had a red one.

“Aria, you have a red brooch too?”

“Amazing! I heard only twenty are awarded each year!”

“The same goes for all of you, doesn’t it?”

As we were chatting, Elena looked around and spoke with a puzzled expression.

“Come to think of it, there are a lot of people besides us, aren’t there?”

“Oh? You’re right!”

She’s more perceptive than I thought.

The Academy admits two hundred students each year.

However, the number of people gathered here was easily more than double that.

“Maybe they came to watch the entrance ceremony? It’s a once-a-year event.”

“But they all seem to be armed.”

Lucia offered a guess, but for spectators, most of them were armed with their own weapons.

An attack during the Academy’s entrance ceremony was unlikely.

However, it was hard to believe they had good intentions.

“Do you know why, Aria?”

“Who knows? Perhaps those who failed the exam came to watch?”

Well, that’s half-correct.

“Ah, I do see some familiar faces.”

Elena nodded at my words.

As we continued our conversation, a man and a woman stepped onto the platform.

Their presence was perfectly concealed, imperceptible to most students.

Less than thirty people, including myself, noticed and looked towards the platform.

“Ah, greetings, incoming students.”

The students finally looked towards the platform as the voice, amplified by a magical tool, echoed around.

A man with brown hair, looking like he was in his twenties despite being middle-aged.

“I am Lian Anderson, the host of this glorious entrance ceremony and the new swordsmanship instructor.”

“Lian… Could he be the former Knight Commander of the Empire?”

Murmurs spread among those who recognized the man.

The surroundings became briefly noisy, but the woman who took the magical tool from him quickly silenced everyone.

An icy voice and stiff manner of speaking.

At the same time, with her blue hair and eyes, her identity was…

“I am Glesia White, and I’ll be the homeroom teacher for Class A.”

“Haha, Professor Glesia, isn’t the atmosphere a bit too stiff?”

The eldest daughter of the White family, one of the Five Great Families.

‘G-Glesia? Could she be one of the ‘Heroes’ of the front lines?’

‘The one who earned the title of Hero at the youngest age ever…’

And one of the Heroes of the Empire.

Unlike Lian, who appeared gentle,

Glesia's predatory aura instantly froze the atmosphere. Lian quickly took the magical tool back.

“Hahaha, the atmosphere seems to have become a little tense.”

“…”

“Anyway, let me explain the final entrance exam.”

Professor Lian tried to lighten the mood with an awkward laugh.

But realizing that the already frozen atmosphere wouldn’t thaw easily, he seemed to give up.

“Excuse me, but I think I heard ‘final’ exam?”

“You heard correctly.”

“Wasn’t the entrance exam already over?”

The students asked, bewildered by his words.

But as if he had anticipated this, he spoke with a smile.

“As you all know, the ‘entrance’ exam is over. We have selected the two hundred of you sitting here as the finalists.”

“Then what…”

“The exam from now on should be considered a final ‘demonstration’ rather than a test.”

“Demonstration?”

I glanced sideways and saw Alicia's expression stiffen.

She probably hadn't heard about this final stage.

Because Beatrice had placed a non-disclosure clause on the graduates regarding this exam.

“You all have the brooches we distributed, correct?”

The students took out their brooches.

“From now on, you must protect these brooches until you reach the main Academy building after passing through the forest behind me.”

At first glance, it seemed like a simple rule: just keep the brooch safe until you reach the destination.

“However.”

But what exponentially increased the difficulty of this exam was…

“If your brooch is taken or stolen by those who failed the first round, and they pass in your stead, you will be automatically disqualified.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the rejected applicants began drawing their weapons one by one.

The accepted students, sensing this, also started to draw their weapons.

“Could this be why they were gathered here?”

Elena muttered in disbelief.

They probably received letters around the same time we received our acceptance notices.

However, unlike ours, their letters contained the details of the game that was about to begin.

The final exam, a battle between two hundred accepted students and roughly eighteen hundred rejected applicants.

“Then, I hope to see you as glorious students of the Academy.”

As Professor Lian finished his words,

“Let the final exam begin.”

Waaaaaaaah!

Hundreds of people charged forward all at once.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 27: Admission? (2)

Ch. 27

Battles, big and small, erupted throughout the forest as if a war had broken out.

Of course, a real war hadn’t started. If a war were to break out in the middle of the Academy, where renowned powerhouses of the continent served as professors, it wouldn’t be on this small a scale.

“Leon! They’re coming from the front!”

“Got it!”

Leon reacted immediately to Elena’s urgent cry.

Twisting his body to avoid the incoming attack, he swung his sword, sending the attacker flying.

“What kind of test is this?!”

“I don’t know!”

Elena yelled in frustration.

But despite her complaining, her hands continuously fired new arrows.

Thanks to her cover fire, the enemies couldn’t easily approach.

Those who occasionally broke through her barrage were no match for Leon or Alicia and fell quickly. With Lucia's holy power buffing them, there was no one who could stand in our way.

As we continued running, Alicia spoke, as if realizing something.

“Something’s strange. We should be faster, but why are the enemies coming from the front?”

As she said, the closer we got to the main Academy building, the more enemies appeared.

We still had about half the distance to cover, but it was odd that there were so many enemies already.

“That would be the case if they all started from the same location.”

“What? You mean they were ahead of us?”

“It’s not surprising, considering they received the exam details first.”

The rejected applicants were already waiting at the entrance ceremony venue.

However, out of the eighteen hundred, only about two hundred were there.

That meant about sixteen hundred were unaccounted for.

“I wonder where they could be?”

“…They were prepared from the start.”

Their faces paled as they grasped the truth.

But that wouldn't change the reality of the situation.

Honestly, if I were alone, escaping this encirclement would be a piece of cake.

If I revealed even a fraction of my power, none of the students could match my speed.

However…

‘Too many eyes are watching.’

Magic circles were hidden all around us.

The professors were likely observing us through them.

I could easily deceive the weaker professors.

But Lian and Glesia were formidable opponents, even for me. No matter how much I tried to hide it, they would see through me. Any suspicious behavior would immediately draw their attention.

Just then, a pillar of fire erupted from the middle of the forest.

Its power was clearly visible despite the distance, momentarily startling not only the enemies but also the Hero’s party, except for me.

“What was that?”

“I think I know who it is.”

The party turned to look at me.

It wasn’t difficult to guess the person’s identity.

There was only one person among the incoming students who belonged to a family that wielded fire magic.

“Diona Scarlet of the Scarlet family.”

“What?”

“There’s only one person among the incoming students who can use a technique with that kind of power.”

Leon’s expression hardened at my words.

He was probably contemplating whether to help her.

“What are you going to do? You’re the leader of this party, Leon.”

“Of course…”

Leon tried to answer my question immediately.

But I wasn’t looking for a simple answer.

“There’s no benefit for us in helping her. On the contrary, we might put ourselves in danger.”

“…”

This was a question to myself and a confirmation of sorts.

If he were the protagonist, he would go to her aid, just like in the original story.

But now that the original story had become reality, there was no reason for us to help her.

We could just ignore her and move on, like the other battles we’d seen.

“…I’m going to save her.”

“Why?”

“A Hero doesn't weigh things based on personal gain.”

So, a protagonist is a protagonist after all.

There wasn’t a shred of doubt in his eyes about his decision. As if it were the most natural thing to do.

“Aria? Are you okay?”

“…We should hurry.”

That technique Diona used was likely a gamble for her.

Just like in her sparring match with Elena, she must have bet everything on one powerful attack.

In other words, she didn’t have much magic power left.

“She probably doesn’t have much time left.”

“Understood.”

Well, he was the leader of this party for now, so I would follow his lead.

Whether it would remain that way in the future, I didn't know…

There was no further conversation after that.

“Gasp… Gasp…”

Diona Scarlet, the red-haired girl, gasped for breath, exhausted.

There hadn’t been any problems at the beginning when she entered the forest.

But somehow, she had been surrounded and forced into a defensive position by those attacking from the front as well.

Having just used a wide-area magic attack, she was out of magic power.

Although the number of enemies had decreased significantly, there were still quite a few left.

“As expected of the Scarlet family? She's a real monster.”

A man clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Being eliminated here would bring dishonor to her family.

She could see them approaching to finish her off, but in her current state, she couldn’t even lift a finger.

Just as the man's hand reached for Diona's brooch.

“Take your hand off her.”

“What…!”

The man stopped, interrupted by a black-haired girl who suddenly intervened.

The shadow cast by the sunlight fell darkly over her, but her crimson pupils glowed ominously.

Even those around them involuntarily stepped back.

The man, regaining his composure, tried to say something, but he was struck by the girl’s attack and sent flying backward.

Adjusting her grip on her sword with one hand, she glared ahead and spoke.

“It seems I’m not too late.”

Well, it was to be expected.

This world was kind to its protagonist.

He was gifted with talent, a prestigious family, and many other things.

He couldn't possibly fail to save a single heroine, could he?

I could feel gazes directed at me from behind.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Ah, I… um…”

I wish she wouldn’t drag this out.

The girl flinched, seemingly noticing my look.

“Thank you for saving me!”

What was I supposed to say?

She wasn't even the reason I did this.

“Thank him, not me.”

“Huh?”

“I wasn’t planning on helping you.”

I raised a hand and pointed at Leon, who was running towards us.

This should be enough.

This was a form of repayment.

A repayment for confirming that this world still followed the original story.

Yes. Nothing more, nothing less than repayment.

Just that much.

Whoosh

I dodged an incoming arrow by tilting my head.

The arrow grazed past me and embedded itself in the tree behind me.

I glanced at the arrow, then at the attackers. I could see them freeze in place.

If they showed such blatant fear on the battlefield, they would be the first to die.

Once consumed by fear, there was no coming back.

A single moment of hesitation would be their end.

“You b
…”

Finally, after a prolonged silence, a man spoke.

He looked familiar… who was he again?

“Karon Heinrich, the young master of the Heinrich Marquisate.”

Alicia's voice came from behind, answering my question.

Aha.

Karon... I remember now.

The tutorial boss in the original story, who clashed with Leon to save Diona.

“You know me, so this makes things easier.”

“…”

“If you hand over the brooch of the young lady from the Scarlet family, I’ll let you go without a fight.”

Karon said, pointing at Diona.

She glanced at me with an anxious look, but it seemed Leon had no intention of handing her over, so there was probably no need to worry.

“You mobilized this many people just to capture one person?”

“Well, she is from the Five Great Families.”

Diona was strong, but he should at least make it sound believable.

Others might not know, but I, who knew the original story, wasn’t buying it.

“You had no intention of letting us go, did you?”

“Haha, what are you…?”

“Mobilizing hundreds of people just to capture a single member of the Scarlet family?”

There’s no way this many people gathered just for her.

It meant there was more attractive prey.

For example…

“‘Capturing the Hero’s party members, who all have red brooches.’ Something like that.”

“…How did you know?”

“The answer was so obvious. It wasn’t difficult at all.”

Karon’s demeanor changed immediately, his plan exposed.

At the same time, those lined up on either side of him began drawing their weapons.

“Hey, commoner girl. If you run away now, we won’t chase you.”

He spoke to me as if offering a final chance.

“You have no reason to get caught up in this. It’s not a bad deal, is it?”

“…I refuse.”

Did he really think he was in a position to offer me a deal?

Born as the young master of a Marquisate, he likely got everything he wanted growing up, so his arrogance was understandable.

But.

“It’s not you who’s in control here, it’s me.”

He should at least understand the situation.

I may have distanced myself from them, but that was only on a personal level.

I had no intention of letting go of those who were essentially at the center of this world’s fate.

“So, if you still can’t grasp the situation…”

Besides, now that the fight had begun, this place was a battlefield.

And on the battlefield, the first target was always the enemy commander.

In other words,

“…Stop running your mouth and come at me, you bastard.”

You’re dead.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 28: Admission? (3)

Ch. 28

A room where the air was filled with giant screens.

The space, which would normally be buzzing with discussions about the various incoming students, was currently filled with silence.

“What is that…?”

“Is that even possible?”

The reason for their silence was a single screen, significantly larger than the others.

Every time the girl in the screen disappeared, someone collapsed.

Dozens of people attacked her, but she cut through them as if it were nothing.

Their identities were those gathered by Karon, the heir of the Heinrich Marquisate.

Due to the nature of the final exam, it wasn't unusual for students to form teams, but the number gathered there was at least two hundred.

Concerned about the fairness of the exam, some suggested imposing sanctions on Karon to Beatrice, the Headmistress, but…

‘Seems interesting. Just leave them be.’

‘But if we do, other students might get hurt…’

‘Try it. The Academy I built isn't that easy.’

Her words not only rejected sanctions but forbade any interference.

No one in the Academy was unaware of her formidable nature, so they simply watched, hoping they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.

However, contrary to their expectations, Karon’s group left most of the incoming students alone.

As if they were after bigger game.

While they were puzzled by this, the first battle finally broke out.

Karon’s target was Diona, the heiress of the Scarlet family.

Their fight was fierce, but in the end, most professors sensed Diona's impending defeat as her magic power seemed to deplete against the overwhelming numbers.

However, just as one of the students reached out to snatch her brooch, something unexpected happened.

“[Take your hand off her.]”

“[What…!]”

A girl suddenly stepped between them and swung her sword at the approaching student.

The startled student, unable to defend himself, was sent flying into a tree.

“Who is that woman?”

“It’s the student named Aria, who placed third in the entrance exam.”

“Judging by the lack of a family name, is she a commoner?”

The girl’s identity was revealed by one of the professors.

Most of them remembered her fight with Trevor, so it wasn't difficult to recall her.

The Hero’s party arrived soon after.

But Diona, her magic power exhausted, was out of the fight, leaving effectively five against several hundred.

Despite the overwhelming odds, it was the larger group that seemed to be on the back foot.

Karon, sensing this, attempted to negotiate, but the talks broke down after only a few words.

The professors, assuming the five were the Hero’s party, expected them to overcome the disadvantage through teamwork.

Contrary to their expectations, the fight was not only one-sided but utterly overwhelming.

About half of the attackers were incapacitated in an instant.

Meanwhile, Aria on the screen remained unscathed.

They couldn’t be sure about her magic power or other factors, but at least outwardly, she seemed capable of continuing the fight.

“Where did she come from?”

“Who knows…”

“Could she be a hidden disciple of the Sword Saint or something?”

The last comment was made half-jokingly.

Why would a disciple of the Sword Saint hide their identity? Yet, considering her strength, it wasn't entirely implausible.

“What do you two think?”

“Well, I don’t think she’s the Sword Saint’s disciple…”

Lian answered the professors who turned to look at him and Glesia.

They were probably asking because he, a candidate for the next Sword Saint, might know something.

“Why is that?”

“Because if he took a disciple, there would be rumors within the Empire.”

His playful answer drew laughter from some of the professors.

“What about you, Professor Glesia?”

“…”

“Professor Glesia?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“It’s alright. Neither do we.”

Glesia’s expression was stiff for some reason.

Seeing that her mood didn’t improve, a few professors asked with concern.

“Is it because of your injury?”

“No, I’m fine.”

The reason why Glesia, who should have been on the front lines as a Hero, was here.

It was because of the injury she sustained while fighting the Zeroth Legion Commander.

“You don’t have to push yourself too hard.”

“I’m really fine, so please don’t worry.”

Legion Commander Lucifer’s sword had pierced her heart cleanly.

She barely recovered thanks to the help of nearby Heroes and priests, but it wasn’t an injury that could heal in a short time.

Since she couldn’t just rest, she accepted the offer to teach at the Academy.

“…”

Their hair color and aura were completely different.

But every time she looked at Aria, a scene flashed in her mind.

‘Is this the end?’

‘I’ll listen to your last words.’

Throb

‘Ugh…!’

A sudden pain shot through her heart.

“[Is this the end?]”

A voice, she couldn’t tell if it was real or an illusion, echoed in her ears.

The wound was healed, yet the pain remained. Glesia silently bit her lip.

“Well, we’ll have to look into it.”

She didn’t hear Professor Lian’s words.

“Is this the end?”

“M-mercy…!”

Crack Thud

The surroundings became quiet as the last remaining enemy’s head twisted and he collapsed.

I looked around, but everyone else was in a similar state.

“What in the world…”

The party stared at me with shocked expressions.

But there was no time for that.

“It’s over, so let’s move.”

The sun was setting.

It wouldn’t be a big problem if we arrived after sunset.

There had even been cases of students hiding in the forest for a day and arriving the next morning to pass.

As long as they could endure, that is.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Oh, r-right!”

However, the sooner we arrived, the more time we had to rest, so I chose to hurry.

I just wanted to get there quickly and rest.

After walking for a while, a building finally came into view.

Just as I was about to quicken my pace, thinking we were almost there…

“…! Wait!”

“What?”

Slash

As soon as I sensed something amiss and stopped, the ground in front of me was sliced open.

It wasn’t a direct attack, more of a warning, but the attack clearly carried killing intent.

The stone floor was cleanly cut, despite its hardness.

It was proof of the sharpness of the opponent’s swordsmanship.

“As expected of a skilled student.”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Alicia yelled angrily at the man who appeared from the other side.

But he didn’t answer, simply staring at us.

“Professor Lian! This is clearly an attack against the students, outside the parameters of the exam!”

“Haha, I just wanted to give them a little scare. I apologize if you felt threatened.”

Lian finally spoke, laughing awkwardly as if embarrassed by her words. He placed a hand on his chest and bowed, leaving Alicia speechless.

“So, what was that about?”

“Just a little curiosity about the new students, you could say.”

“Can we go now?”

My gaze met Lian’s in the air.

He nodded silently, and I walked past him.

“Student Aria. Perhaps, as an apology for today’s incident, I could treat you to a meal sometime?”

His voice called out from behind as I walked away.

He specifically singled me out of the six of us… was he crazy?

“I’ll have to decline. I won’t hold it against you, though.”

In short, I wanted to eliminate any excuse for him to approach me after today’s incident.

After we left, Lian was left alone.

He took out a communication stone and contacted someone.

After confirming the connection, he spoke.

“Yes, Beatrice-nim. It’s me.”

“[So, you ignored my warning and interfered with the students?]”

“Haha, I couldn’t resist my curiosity.”

He laughed despite the cold voice from the other end.

Those who knew who the Headmistress of the Academy was would have been shocked, but this was only possible for someone who had spent a long time with her.

The voice on the other end softened slightly.

“[So? Did you satisfy your curiosity?]”

“Well… I’m not sure.”

“[Not only that Aria child, but attacking the Hero’s party, the Saint’s escort dispatched by the Church, and even the daughter of one of the Five Great Families…]”

The list of names went on and on.

It was undeniably Lian's fault for interfering with the exam and attacking the students.

If they used this as leverage, things could get quite troublesome.

“[…Be prepared to write a formal apology.]”

“Understood.”

The communication ended with those words.

Meanwhile, around the time Professor Lian was speaking with the Headmistress.

I arrived at the dormitory and received my room assignment.

While the others went to their respective rooms…

“…”

“Um… I look forward to being your roommate, Aria?”

“Please take good care of the Saint.”

‘Sigh…’

[Room 501]

(Lucia Iris / Aria)

I couldn't bring myself to move after seeing the sign on the door.

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Chapter 29: Dormitory

After the incident with Professor Lian.

We finally arrived at the dormitory building.

More accurately, everyone except Leon.

Since the Academy had separate dormitories for males and females, he had no choice but to go in a different direction.

“I want to go in and rest quickly.”

“I agree.”

They spoke wearily.

Perhaps worried about my silence, Elena turned to me.

“Are you alright, Aria? You fought the most out of all of us.”

“I’m fine, just a little tired.”

I wasn't physically tired at all.

This body had endured hours of fighting against high-ranking Heroes on the front lines. It wouldn't get tired from dealing with a few students.

Of course, mental fatigue was a different matter, so I needed rest regardless.

As we entered the building, we saw a woman.

“Are you the new students?”

“Yes. I’m Aria.”

After hearing everyone’s names, she handed us keys with our room numbers.

“It seems I’m on the fourth floor.”

“Me too.”

“I’m on the fifth floor…”

Four keys for the fifth floor and two for the fourth.

The higher the floor, the fewer rooms there were, but the rooms became larger. There were a total of five rooms on the fifth floor.

Each room was for two people, and only the top ten female students could use them.

In other words, four out of the top ten incoming students were here.

Lucia, Elena, Diona, and I received keys for the fifth floor, while Alicia and Lena got keys for the fourth.

We climbed the stairs.

When we reached the fourth floor, Lena waved goodbye, but Alicia came up to the fifth floor with us.

“…Shouldn’t you go to your room, Alicia?”

“I want to check on the Saint’s roommate.”

“Honestly, Alicia…”

That was her response to my puzzled question.

As we climbed the last flight of stairs, we saw five doors.

Thankfully, there weren't many, so it seemed easy to find ours.

“I’m here. See you tomorrow.”

“Oh, I’m this way…”

Elena and Diona quickly found their rooms and went inside.

Now only three of us remained in the hallway.

‘501… is it this one?’

“It seems this is my room.”

I scanned the numbers on the doors and finally found mine.

Lucia also seemed to find her room and was about to open the door.

““Huh?””

…At the same time.

In that awkward moment, my eyes fell on the sign.

501.

(Lucia Iris/Aria)

The gold lettering engraved on the wooden sign stood out starkly.

The atmosphere in the hallway became awkward as we exchanged glances.

“…”

After a long silence, Lucia finally spoke.

“Um… I look forward to being your roommate, Aria?”

“Please take good care of the Saint.”

‘Sigh…’

Why were the rooms arranged like this?

“Aren’t you the Saint’s escort, Alicia? Why aren't you in the same room?”

“Well… I didn't place within the top ten, so they said it would be unfair to give me a room on the fifth floor…”

Alicia didn't place within the top ten?

“What was your rank, Alicia?”

“I was twenty-first overall, eleventh among the female students.”

“…”

“It’s all because I’m lacking.”

Alicia answered, avoiding my gaze.

However, I also felt a pang of guilt.

‘I thought it was strange… but I didn't think it would come back to bite me like this…’

If I remembered correctly, Aria was originally assigned to the fourth floor.

However, my current rank was third overall.

In other words, everyone below me had their ranks shifted down by one because of me.

That’s why Alicia’s rank was pushed down, preventing her from being assigned to the same room as Lucia, and leading to Lucia and me sharing a room.

“Are you okay?”

“…Probably. I’m just a little tired.”

My head throbbed as I pieced together what happened.

I was annoyed that I hadn’t considered this simple fact, but I just wanted to rest.

“I’ll be going in now.”

“Good night, Alicia.”

“I’ll come to escort you in the morning, Saint-nim.”

The door closed with those words.

I turned and listened to Alicia's footsteps fading away, then looked around the room.

It was as luxurious as a five-star hotel suite I'd only seen in pictures in my previous life.

A large window filled one side of the living room wall, offering a view of the Academy, and the furniture inside was all high-end.

In other words…

‘This is familiar.’

It was similar to my room in the Zeroth Legion.

Of course, it was different from the Academy due to the nature of the Demon Realm, but I couldn't help but feel that the level of luxury was similar.

Well, it didn’t matter to me. I just wanted to rest.

“Which room will you be using, Saint-nim?”

“Huh? Oh, then I’ll take this one…”

“Then I’ll take the other room.”

Lucia seemed flustered by my question, then pointed to the room on the right.

I walked to the opposite room without hesitation.

My luggage would probably arrive by tomorrow morning, so I didn’t need to worry about it.

I could wash the uniform I was wearing using the provided magical laundry tool.

I took off my outer clothes and brooch and came out, only to find Lucia still standing in the living room.

Not wanting to get involved, I ignored her and headed to the bathroom.

Thankfully, I was quite pleased with the bathroom.

The next morning.

Knock, knock, knock

Someone knocked on the door, despite the early hour.

I opened the door to find Alicia standing there.

“Saint-n… Oh, it’s Aria.”

“Yawn, what’s the matter so early in the morning?”

“I apologize if I woke you up.”

Alicia seemed flustered that I, not Lucia, answered the door.

She quickly regained her composure and apologized.

“It’s alright, I was getting ready anyway.”

“That’s good. Is the Saint-nim…?”

Did she come to wake up Lucia?

“She’s probably still asleep. Come in.”

“Then, excuse me.”

Alicia entered.

I showed her Lucia’s room, and she went inside.

‘Saint-nim, it’s time to wake up.’

‘Um… five more minutes…’

‘You’ll be late even if you start preparing now.’

I heard their voices, and soon Lucia came out and headed to the bathroom.

Alicia followed her out and sat on the sofa.

“You look tired.”

“No, I’m used to it now.”

“Would you like some tea?”

“…Please.”

I put the kettle on the stove, and the water quickly started to boil.

I poured the boiling water into a cup with tea leaves, and a pleasant aroma filled the air.

“Alicia, I’m ready~”

As I sipped tea with Alicia, Lucia emerged from her room.

She was late compared to us, who had finished preparing a while ago.

After finishing the breakfast delivered to our room, we left.

Unlike yesterday, we went to the auditorium for the actual entrance ceremony and finally arrived at our classroom.

Since all the members of the Hero’s party, including myself, had red brooches, we were in the same class, unlike in the dormitory.

“Leon is popular, isn’t he?”

“Well, he’s the Hero, and he’s famous.”

Lucia said, looking at Leon, who was already chatting with some of the heroines.

Well, I was the exception for not being interested in that face.

“Don’t you feel anything, Aria?”

“Why would I?”

“I thought you were interested in Leon.”

Me? What was she talking about?

As I wondered, Lucia continued, as if answering my question.

“You were clearly the one holding him ba… Mmmph…!”

I covered Lucia’s mouth before she could finish.

‘It’s not you who’s in control here, it’s me. ’

Did she really interpret it that way?

I covered Lucia’s mouth, dragged her to a seat, and sat her down. Alicia naturally sat next to her.

I tried to sit somewhere else.

But Lucia offered me the seat next to her, so I had no choice but to accept.

How much time had passed?

A man entered the classroom, looked around for a moment, and then walked towards us.

I didn’t want to get involved in anything troublesome, so I hoped I was mistaken, but…

Bang

The man slammed his hand down on my desk, and I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

They say if you have ten people, you'll have at least one
.

It seemed the same applied to a group of twenty.

“Move.”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Alicia angrily reacted to his rudeness.

But he ignored her and stared only at me.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

“Where do you think you’re sitting, commoner?”

“What do you think you’re doing to Aria?!”

“This doesn’t concern the Saint.”

The man spoke irritably in response to my question. Lucia tried to intervene, but he seemed to completely ignore her.

“This isn’t a place for the likes of you. Move.”

“What if I refuse?”

“I’ll make you move by force.”

“You?”

Just you? Seriously?

It was beyond ridiculous. I was almost impressed by his confidence.

Well, he could try.

“Go ahead.”

“You b
…”

The atmosphere grew tense, as if one of us would draw a sword any second.

Lucia and Alicia beside me, and Leon further away, looked ready to intervene.

“What are you two doing?”

A voice cut through the tension.

An icy voice and an equally chilling aura.

Glesia White.

She had entered the classroom and was standing at the podium.

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Chapter 30: First Lesson (1)

The atmosphere in the classroom froze instantly.

Glesia’s chilling magic power, unique to the White family, unconsciously filled the room.

Frost began to form on the floor and walls.

‘Chilling…’

It was a truly overwhelming display of dominance.

Despite not being at full strength due to her injury, she exuded this level of power.

As expected of a Hero.

While I might be used to it, it wouldn't be easy for others to even move under this pressure.

“I asked what you two were doing.”

“This commoner dared to take the seat next to the Saint…”

Glesia frowned at his words.

He must have thought he was explaining himself, but it only backfired.

“Everyone is equal in the Academy. Isn’t that the most basic rule?”

Or perhaps.

“Do your so-called nobles not even know such a basic rule?”

“…I apologize.”

It seemed he wasn’t bold enough to defy a Hero, despite his unruly behavior.

In the end, the man was the first to back down.

“What’s your name?”

“Luke. Luke Myers…”

“Aria.”

“Luke, you’re penalized. Go back to your seat.”

Luke glared at me before returning to his seat at Glesia’s words.

“As you heard at the entrance ceremony, I’m Glesia White, and I’ll be teaching you for the next year.”

Glesia looked around the room and continued.

I felt like her gaze lingered on me a bit longer than the others, but I must have been mistaken.

“Normally, the first week would be for getting to know each other.”

“…”

“But I doubt anything will change even if I give you time in this atmosphere.”

Luke reacted as if convicted by her words.

On the other hand, I showed no reaction.

“Follow me to the training grounds. I’ll give you three minutes to prepare.”

With those words, she walked out of the classroom.

The stunned students finally started to gather their weapons and get up.

Lucia and Alicia immediately approached me as soon as there was an opening.

“Aria, are you alright?”

“Yes, there’s no problem.”

“What a rude person…”

They both glared at Luke, who silently turned and left.

However, due to the limited time, they also headed outside.

Following Professor Glesia, we finally arrived at the training grounds.

The ground was flat and packed earth, and training weapons were placed in the corner.

After confirming that we were all gathered, she spoke.

“Choose your sparring partners. However…”

Sweep

“Aria and… Luke, was it? You two are exceptions.”

The surroundings buzzed with murmurs.

I could feel some worried gazes directed at me.

A huge man who looked at least two meters tall and me, barely over 170cm, facing each other wouldn’t create a good image.

But well…

Look over there. Those who had seen me fight, like Lucia and Leon, didn’t look worried at all.

“Both of you, choose your weapons.”

At her words, we both headed towards the weapon rack in the corner.

Among the various weapons, I chose a wooden sword of average length.

He chose a wooden greatsword almost as tall as himself.

“The rules are simple. Do not aim for your opponent's life.”

As we faced each other, I heard her explanation.

“Other than that, any means or techniques are allowed. So…”

As her last words fell.

“Let out all your pent-up emotions here.”

Dash

We charged towards each other.

Swish

His greatsword swung down towards my head.

Even though it was a wooden sword, it had enough force to split a normal person’s skull.

But.

“Is that all?”

“Tch…!”

Crash

His greatsword slid off my blade and slammed into the ground beside me. Did he not see me during the entrance exam? Or did he overestimate his own strength? He seemed to have not anticipated this, leaving him wide open.

Whack

“Ugh!”

He immediately tried to retrieve his greatsword and defend himself, but my knee slammed into his abdomen before he could react.

With a dull thud, he cried out and was sent flying. However, contrary to my expectations, he landed gracefully using a breakfall technique and glared at me.

“You b
!”

“You’ve got decent resilience.”

Honestly, I didn't expect him to get up so quickly after that hit.

His resilience was about the same as Trevor's, whom I fought recently.

“Die!”

I sidestepped to avoid the sword beam Luke fired at me after imbuing his sword with magic power. However, as if he’d anticipated my dodge, he closed in and spun his body.

His greatsword swung at high speed, boosted by the centrifugal force.

Arms, legs, abdomen, even my chest.

The deadly blade aimed indiscriminately at every visible part of my body.

“Why, why won’t you get hit?!”

No matter how threatening his attacks were, they were meaningless if they didn't connect.

I had already moved out of the trajectory of his sword before it even swung.

“Your movements are too big.”

I ducked under his sword and immediately punched him in the exposed side.

With the sound of something breaking, he was flung back.

“Gyaaaaaah!”

He continued to rush at me as if in a frenzy.

But I wouldn’t get hit by such a reckless attack.

Luke Myers.

If Myers was the Myers I remembered, then his family was quite renowned.

They were known for their robust bodies and defensive fighting style, enduring attacks while striking back.

Physically, they were among the top three in the continent, but…

‘It won’t work on me.’

A strong body? Vast magic power? Solid defense?

I had fought against such monsters for years on the front lines.

Just look at Andras, another Legion Commander. His body was incomparably tougher, and compared to his speed and sharpness, this was like a lullaby.

I’d even encountered a Hero from his family several times.

A monster boasting near-invincible defense as long as they had magic power remaining. But,

“Not you.”

Crash

His body flew back from a punch infused with a bit of magic power. I didn't even need a weapon.

Was that supposed to be a Myers?

Perhaps I was too lost in thought.

“Die!”

“Luke Myers! What are you doing…!”

I didn't immediately notice the sudden change.

Despite Glesia’s warning not to aim for each other’s lives, the tip of his sword…

“Graaaaaah!”

…was now pointed at my throat.

“…What. Do you think you're doing?”

Chilling

Glesia gritted her teeth.

‘Luke Myers! What are you doing…!’

Despite her explicit warning, he was clearly aiming for the girl’s throat.

She was furious at that bastard for ignoring her warning, and at herself for not anticipating this situation.

Even if she ran now, the sword would have already slit the girl’s throat.

All she could hope for was that Aria's skills, as witnessed earlier, would be enough to minimize the damage, or at least ensure her survival.

If that were the case, she could take her to a healer and somehow save her…

…That should have been the case.

A cloud of dust arose as the sword reached Aria’s neck.

Glesia was about to rush forward, but…

“…What. Do you think you’re doing?”

A voice rang out before she could move.

The dust settled, revealing Luke frozen in his attack stance…

…and Aria, holding his sword in one hand, staring at him with chillingly glowing crimson eyes.

Crack

As she tightened her grip, cracks began to appear on the thick wooden sword as if it were glass.

Startled, Luke tried to pull his sword back, but no matter how much force he exerted, it wouldn’t budge from Aria’s grip.

Snap

Finally, his wooden sword shattered with a loud crack, leaving him holding only the hilt.

“S-stay back!”

Luke retreated, holding the broken hilt.

But faster than he could move,

Slash

Her sword flashed, and something fell to the ground.

Everyone’s gaze followed the sound to Luke’s severed right arm.

“Aaargh!”

“Aria! That’s enough! Stop!”

“…Die.”

Luke collapsed to the ground, clutching the wound.

Glesia, finally snapping back to reality, tried to stop Aria, but…

“Tch, has she lost her mind?”

Aria’s eyes were unfocused, as if she couldn’t see or hear anything.

Judging by the killing intent emanating from her, Glesia realized that Luke might actually die if she reached him. She started to move urgently.

Crackle

She instantly fired her magic power, freezing the ground beneath Aria’s feet.

This should be enough to restrict her movement…!

“…How annoying.”

“What?!”

Crack Crackle Crunch

Aria looked down, as if realizing she couldn’t move her feet.

As she muttered something, the ice formed by Glesia’s magic power started to crack like ordinary ice.

Glesia was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected sight of her ice breaking. But she was also a veteran of countless battles.

She quickly regained her composure and continued to freeze Aria’s legs, up to her knees.

“This will hurt a little.”

Thud

Seizing the opportunity while Aria was distracted, Glesia moved behind her.

She struck Aria’s neck, and the girl collapsed forward.

“Sigh… I guess teaching isn’t for me…”

Looking at the terrified students and Luke groaning on the floor,

Glesia let out a small sigh, already feeling overwhelmed.

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