For the sake of organization, the serial numbers will continue, but please note that this marks the beginning of Part 2, “Academy Arc: The Iron Rose Princess.”
The scene begins with a snapshot from within the academy.
Royal Magic Academy. The most historic educational institution in the Kingdom of Claydale, it only permits entry to those of noble blood who turn thirteen in that year.
Ostensibly, the reason for its establishment is to teach nobles with high Mana Capacity how to control their Mana, but it has now become a three-year educational facility to bridge the educational gap caused by the assets of noble families, providing the necessary education for nobles.
Therefore, non-nobles are not allowed to enroll, but for that very reason, even lower nobles such as knights who serve as retainers to nobles, or “nobles in name only” who have been adopted into noble families, are allowed to enroll if they are “nobles.”
The biggest topic at the academy recently has been the enrollment of Crown Prince Elvan last year. He is a gentle prince who is said by some to lack ambition, but last year he gained three fiancées from powerful noble families in the country and began to solidify his position.
Patricia, the daughter of Duke Foudel, who is a candidate for the Third Consort, is already enrolled in the third year, the highest grade at the academy, and Clara, the daughter of Margrave Dandole, who was unofficially decided as the leading fiancée to become the First Consort, also entered the same year, so it is no wonder that the academy became filled with a frivolous atmosphere.
However, this year’s academy, welcoming new freshmen, has become even more boisterous.
Many children were born the year after the Crown Prince was born in an attempt to gain an opportunity to get closer to the Royal Family, resulting in more students than usual, but the enrollment of First Princess Elena, including Carla Leicester, the daughter of the head court Magician who is a candidate for the Second Consort, has meant that very conspicuous girls have passed through the gates of the academy.
Among them… there was a freshman girl from a lower noble family who entered as the First Princess’s “attendant.”
The Princess’s attendant also serves as a maid who takes care of her personal needs, and the girl of the same age who will be taking care of her at the academy is highly likely to become the master’s favorite for life.
Those who take care of royalty at the academy also serve as classmates, so it is common for the second or third daughters of at least middle-ranking noble families to become attendants, but this girl, despite being the daughter of a baronet family, a lower noble, was rumored to be the closest to Princess Elena.
On a clear afternoon with a spring breeze blowing, the “attendant” girl was sitting alone at one of the terrace seats, which had become sparse with students, perhaps during a meal break, reading a small notebook-like book while having a light meal.
When passing students noticed her, they stopped as if drawn to her, their feet halting as if yearning.
Since she is a freshman, she must be only twelve or thirteen years old. Even for nobles whose growth is accelerated by Mana, the average appearance is about fourteen years old. It is generally said that lower nobles, who cannot receive much Magic education, have low Mana Capacity, but the girl’s appearance seemed more mature than the girls of the same age, including the upper nobles with high Mana Capacity.
She had shining, pinkish-gold hair, rare even in this country.
Her white skin was glossy and without blemishes or moles, and her eyes were a vivid emerald green.
If you looked for it, you could probably find more beautiful women and girls than her, but more than that, her cool and mature appearance gave off a certain “allure” rather than age-appropriate “loveliness.”
If she stood up, she would be about half a head taller than the girls of the same age, about as tall as the average male student. Perhaps because of this, there were many female students as well as male students among those who stopped and stared at her in fascination.
Still, no one spoke to the girl, not so much because they were intimidated by a flower on a high peak, but because they did not want anyone to defile her surroundings, which should be called a solitary flower… perhaps because such a common feeling was born.
However, there are always those who cannot “read the atmosphere.”
“Hey, you there. Look up.”
The one who spoke such condescending words was a second-year boy, judging from the insignia on his uniform. A large boy of about fifteen years old, perhaps with a high Mana Capacity, entered the space, causing the surrounding female students to let out inaudible screams.
“…What is it?”
The boy, momentarily overwhelmed by the “iron”-like tone of her voice, which was neither low nor high, involuntarily gasped at the beauty of the girl who then raised her face from the book, her pink hair flowing smoothly over her cheek.
“…Young master, young master.”
“O-Oh.”
The boy, called out by a man who seemed to be a servant from behind, blinked as if suddenly awakened from a dream, and perhaps feeling as if he had been embarrassed, took an even more arrogant attitude.
“You’re the girl who became Princess (Your Highness)’s attendant, aren’t you? I am Rudolf of the House of Hedel. I’ll give you a role. Create a connection between me and Elena-sama.”
When the boy—Rudolf—pointed with his chin, one of his thuggish-looking servants placed a small leather bag in front of the girl.
Judging from the heavy sound of it being placed on the table, it probably contained several gold coins. The girl, slightly frowning, glanced at the leather bag and then quietly closed her book.
“What is this?”
“It’s an advance. There are ten gold coins. It’s a large sum of money that a baronet’s daughter like you rarely sees, isn’t it? If it goes well, I’ll give you twice as much.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The Princess (Your Highness), who is physically weak, will not marry into another country. In that case, she should marry into a high-ranking noble family in the country… our House of Hedel.”
“…………”
Rudolf grinned, showing off his short-cropped dark blonde hair, and menacingly flexed the muscles he had forcibly stuffed under his uniform.
Rudolf is a student in the Knightry Department and has the rank of 2, which is high in the Knightry Department.
If he used his connections as a Count’s family, he should be able to become a Royal Knight and have contact with the Royal Family, but he only wanted the Princess’s name and the benefits that came with it, so he sought easy power within the academy and tried to win over the attendant girl.
“At that time, I’ll make you my mistress. How about it? I’ll give you a life that you can’t have as a lower noble.”
As he said this, Rudolf reached out to touch the girl’s neck, but the girl, who had stood up, smoothly avoided his hand.
“Tell your nonsense in your sleep.”
“…What?”
Rudolf, who understood the girl’s words after a moment of silence, became enraged and tried to punch the girl, who was already walking away with her back turned, but was stopped by his servant.
“Let go!”
“Young master, this is bad. There are people watching here.”
As if noticing the words of the servant who was whispering, Rudolf glared at the onlookers who were watching from a distance, and the students scattered while whispering to each other.
“Let’s change locations for now, young master.”
“…Tch.”
With Rudolf, who clicked his tongue openly, at the center, they left the scene for the time being.
The Magic Academy, located in the suburbs of the Royal Capital, has a vast site including forests and hills, and over the years, several research facilities built by professors have remained in the forests and elsewhere.
When they entered one of them, an abandoned stone research facility that they were using without permission, Rudolf, still seething with anger, kicked and destroyed a wooden chair, pushing aside the underlings who greeted them.
“That woman…!! I’m the one who’s talking to her…!”
The servants, including the few who had been waiting inside, secretly sighed at the large child who was destroying the furniture that had maintained its shape in the old laboratory.
“No, young master. That girl, she’s kind of dangerous. The moment I saw those eyes, look, I got goosebumps.”
“Gordon, are you saying that I would be defeated by a woman like that!!”
“No, no, I know your abilities well, young master. But isn’t that girl a guard of the Princess (Your Highness)? If we lay a hand on her carelessly, it could become troublesome.”
“Are you saying we should just back down silently!!”
“That’s not what I’m saying. Let’s make her realize that there’s a world that noble ladies can’t even imagine. If we kidnap her when she’s alone with a few people and use some dangerous drugs, then… you understand, right?”
At the words of the servant in his thirties—Gordon—who wore a sinister smile, Rudolf finally regained his composure and wore a nasty smile that was hard to believe came from a child.
“That’s right… I have high expectations for you guys, the Thieves’ Guild.”
The County of Hedel used to be a place with good finances and good security, but the branch of the Assassin Guild with which it had a partnership disappeared, and outlaws who had been afraid to approach the Guild began to gather in the vacant area, and security deteriorated rapidly.
The Count, the lord of the territory, contacted the Thieves’ Guild in search of maintaining law and order and bribes, and with their help, the apparent security was restored.
However, this has led to the “Thieves’ Guild” becoming involved in the political center of the county, and the increase in unsavory characters has given the County of Hedel a somewhat decadent atmosphere.
When Rudolf entered the academy, most of the attendants and servants he brought with him were members of the Thieves’ Guild.
Their purpose was, of course, to protect Rudolf, but their real aim was to establish a base for the Thieves’ Guild within the academy, where noble daughters gathered, and to collect information on the nobles.
And as they plotted to infiltrate the heart of the country by having Rudolf marry the Princess, they began discussing how to abduct her attendant girl—
“So, it’s the Thieves’ Guild after all.”
Everyone in the room simultaneously looked up at the sudden sound of a young woman’s voice.
“Who’s there!”
“Where are you!”
As the thieves looked around, reacting to a slight breeze, they saw the figure of that Pink-Haired Girl beneath the skylight that had opened unnoticed.
“You are…”
Rather than wondering how that girl had appeared there, Rudolf grinned lewdly, thinking of a delicate butterfly caught in a spider’s web.
“Catch her! If you capture her unharmed, I’ll let you all have a taste!”
At Rudolf’s words, two young thieves stepped forward eagerly, grinning.
“Wait, you guys!”
Gordon’s voice, trying to stop them, was unheard as the young men, “drawn” by something, pounced on the girl as she walked “gracefully” in her slender uniform that reached her ankles, giving off an odd feeling.
“Gah!?”
In that instant, the girl’s hand blade pierced the throats of the two men simultaneously.
Before the men could collapse, the girl, sliding forward while throwing them to the left and right, grabbed the chin of a nearby man who couldn’t react and twisted his head sharply to the side.
“…What the…?”
“Y-you bitch!”
Even though they were confused and didn’t understand what had happened, several men, understanding only that they had been attacked, drew their blades and lunged forward.
“Stop it!”
Gordon’s voice, trying to stop them, didn’t reach the confused men. One man had his throat crushed by the girl’s fingertips, another had his groin kicked in, and the girl’s palm strike, stepping in behind him, shattered the sternum of the man behind.
“Hii,”
The girl, kneeing the face of a man who jumped at her while trembling at the sight, wrapped her arm around his neck from above and lightly snapped it.
“…aaah…”
As Rudolf stood frozen, uttering an inarticulate groan at the gruesome beauty of her killing, staining her white fingertips with blood, he was suddenly grabbed from behind by Gordon’s thick arms, a dagger pressed against his neck.
“D-don’t come near! I’ll kill this kid!”
“W-what are you doing…”
“Shut up!! I’m not going to die playing along with your little game!! Even if he’s a stupid kid, he’s the heir of a high-ranking noble, he can at least be a hostage!”
“Gordon!”
Even if he was declining, if the heir of a high-ranking noble family from the Aristocratic Faction was killed within the academy, it would become a matter of responsibility for the royal family, and the Aristocratic Faction would gain momentum.
For the girl, it was nothing more than infighting, but it was still troublesome. However, she coldly watched the two and quietly muttered a single word.
“—Iron Rose—”
In that instant, her pinkish-gold hair turned to an ash-iron color like burnt ash.
Remnants of light scattered like wings, and the girl’s figure disappeared from the two’s sight. Rudolf was kicked away, and Gordon’s thick arms were shattered like withered branches.
However, Gordon couldn’t scream or utter a word of resentment. Looking at the girl’s iron-colored hair, like “ash,” Gordon knew what he had opposed.
“…Ash-Covered Princess…”
Hearing Gordon’s mutter, as if it were the end of the world, Rudolf, who had heard the name of the person who had destroyed the Assassin Guild from his father and the Guild, leaned against the wall he had been kicked into and collapsed as if his legs had given way.
“H-help me…”
“I won’t kill you. But don’t misunderstand.”
Casting a glance at Rudolf, who had shown a moment of hope, with an expressionless face, her jade eyes looked down at the two with an icy gaze.
“I will arrest you as members of the ‘Thieves’ Guild.’ Don’t think that the Princess’s judgment will be lenient for a noble who brought thieves into the academy.”
What is this “Ash-Covered” girl to the Princess?
What is the reason she is wearing the uniform of an academy that only nobles can enter?
To get that answer, the story goes back in time a little.
[Aria (Alicia)] [Race: Human Female] [Rank 4]
[Mana Capacity: 265/300] 30Up [HP: 234/250] 40Up
[Strength: 10 (14)] 1Up [Endurance: 10 (14)] 1Up
[Agility: 15 (22)] 1Up [Dexterity: 8]
[Dagger Arts Lv.4] 1Up [Martial Arts Lv.4]
[Throwing Lv.4] 1Up [Archery Lv.2] 1Up [Defense Lv.4] [Thread Manipulation Lv.4]
[Light Magic Lv.3] [Dark Magic Lv.4] [Non-Attribute Magic Lv.4]
[Utility Magic x6] [Mana Control Lv.4] [Intimidation Lv.4] 1Up
[Stealth Lv.4] [Night Vision Lv.2] [Detection Lv.4]
[Poison Resistance Lv.3] [Abnormal Resistance Lv.1] New
[Simple Appraisal]
[Overall Combat Strength: 1152 (Body Enhancement in progress: 1440)] 236Up
[Combat Art: Iron Rose Ability: Body Enhancement Level 10]
All Status +1 +100%
Thank you for waiting.
The beginning of the second part was a scene inside the academy, but from the next chapter, I will start with the events after the dungeon and the story leading up to entering the academy.
Aria, who is raising her close combat and magic skills, already has the power of a high-ranking Rank 4.
[Combat Art: Iron Rose Ability: Body Enhancement Level 10]
All Status +1 +100%
The true value of this is not the increasing combat strength, but the overwhelming control due to the doubled status. Aria’s agility would be more than three times the speed of an ordinary person.
I will update about three times a week. The next update is scheduled for Monday at noon.
Thank you for your continued support for the second part, “Academy Arc [Iron Rose Princess]”.
Spring Day