“…Still can’t see it.”
Within the Royal Magic Academy grounds, which were said to be as vast as the Royal Capital, there was a mansion for the royal family. Similarly, upper-class noble families were also permitted to own mansions within the academy, depending on the amount of their donations.
In one of these, the mansion of the Margrave of Dandole, Clara, who had become Crown Prince Elvan’s primary fiancée, was using the Divine Protection (Gift) given to her by the dungeon spirit to foresee not the future of the country, but the future of herself and Crown Prince Elvan.
Clara’s given Gift was “Foresight.” In this world, which closely resembled the Otome Game “In Love With Silver Wings,” she combined the currently known information with her own game攻略 information as a reincarnated person, performing calculations in her mind while placing a heavy burden on it, to “foresee” the most probable future.
But that was not a guaranteed future. Unlike a game, in the real world that it was based on, even if things progressed according to the story, the actions of living people would gradually change the future.
Even Clara, who could foresee the future based on the information she had obtained and knew the game events that lay ahead, could not see a “happy future” in her eyes.
This was because there were three uncertain factors that differed from the original Otome Game.
The first was Alicia, the “Heroine” of the Otome Game.
The path she had taken had some temporal discrepancies, but was almost identical to the movements of the Heroine that Clara knew. However, precisely because Clara knew the “Heroine,” she felt a sense of incongruity with Alicia and her actions.
First of all, her appearance was different from the Heroine in the game Clara knew. Not only her features, but she did not have the pink hair that was characteristic of the Heroine.
Her reddish dark blonde hair would not look too out of place even mixed in with the reddish hair of the Melrose House, but to Clara, who knew the game, it was impossible to think of her as the Heroine.
However, her appearance was so lovely that she could be called a Heroine, and it seemed to Clara that she knew her own charm to the opposite sex and was acting in a way that emphasized it, which made her feel a sense of incongruity with the Heroine’s actions.
Her charm was tremendous, and by delving into the darkness that the capture targets held within, she had attracted Elvan, the Crown Prince, even though it was still early in the game. According to what she had heard, Amor, the Crown Prince’s younger brother, and Nasanitaru, the grandson of the head of the Holy Church Temple in the Royal Capital, were also frequently seen visiting her.
The terrifying charm of the “Heroine.” However… Clara also felt a sense of incongruity with the fact that the targets of capture, who should have been narrowed down to one person, were now multiple.
She suspected that she might be a reincarnated person from Earth like herself, but even after observing her, her mind was no different from that of a mere child, and the impression that she was simply acting as she pleased made her existence seem even more eerie.
The second was Carla Leicester, the “Villainess.”
The most formidable Villainess who stood in the Heroine’s way at the end of every route.
She hated this country that had ruined her life, and even invited the Evil Race into the country to destroy it. The incident in which she was stopped by the Heroine just before a civil war was the biggest event in the Otome Game that occurred during the capture of Crown Prince Elvan, and it was a difficult one that would result in a game over if the Heroine failed to “awaken her light attribute.”
But, now that she thought about it, Carla’s actions seemed to be directed at the “Heroine” from the middle.
Perhaps there was something that connected Carla and Alicia through the event. Carla seemed to be enjoying the conflict with the Heroine, even while seriously trying to interfere with Alicia and aiming for her life.
But the current Carla was different from the Carla in the game.
The Carla in the game did not have the Spirit’s Divine Protection (Gift).
The Carla in the game was not so particular about her own strength.
The current Carla’s strength far exceeded that of the game. And the biggest incongruity was that Carla showed not a shred of interest in the current Alicia.
For this reason, Carla, who had been so prominent in the game, had stopped making moves as if she had abandoned her role as a Villainess.
And finally… the third uncertain factor, Aria, the Princess’s bodyguard.
A street urchin girl picked up by an Adventurer. With the same pink hair as the Heroine in the game, her dignified beauty had changed not only the capture targets, but even Princess Elena, the Villainess, and she was an unidentified girl with an eerie atmosphere.
But she was not the “Heroine.” She couldn’t be the Heroine.
Her nature was harsh and ruthless. She faced off against Monsters of higher rank without taking a single step back, and her spirit of mercilessly killing anyone who was an enemy and her title of “Ash-Covered Princess” made even the Dandole Family’s spies, who knew the underworld well, cower in fear.
But the most terrifying thing was her “influence.”
Her solitary way of life resonated with Elena, who had been fighting alone, and even changed the way of life of the Princess, who had tried to live as the Crown Prince’s shadow, in order to protect this country.
The reason why the Villainess Carla was not interested in the “Heroine” was because she had become more interested in Aria than the Heroine. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the current Carla was living solely to fight Aria, even transcending the framework of a Villainess.
It was thought that the strong influence of Aria was the reason why Rookwell of the Dandole Family and Mikhail of the Melrose House, who were capture targets, were trying to distance themselves from the current Heroine.
She was not the “Heroine.” She couldn’t be the Heroine.
But her “influence,” which could even change the way people lived, was reminiscent of the “Heroine,” and Clara was wary of Aria.
“Clara…”
“Elvan-sama…”
Elvan gently called out to Clara, who was shut up in her room, divining the future while wearing away her life.
Elvan was concerned about Clara, who had become the primary fiancée and had begun to show weakness, and visited her regularly to show his face. But that was only because he thought she was divining the future of the country as the future Queen, and he was concerned about her as a “fiancée,” not because he loved Clara.
“Elvan-sama… please don’t get close to that girl named Alicia! She is not a good presence!”
“…I’ve heard that she is friendly with my uncle and others, but that’s probably because she’s trying to fit into aristocratic society in her own way. Other young ladies are doing the same thing. It’s not like you to say bad things just because of that…”
What Elvan was saying sounded like a valid argument, but the fact that he averted his gaze from Clara’s pleading eyes was probably because he himself felt guilty.
“Elvan-sama…”
Feeling that with a woman’s intuition, Clara pulled away slightly from Elvan’s chest.
(I won’t allow it…)
Clara could not forgive Elvan for trying to betray her while being kind to her, the Heroine for trying to take him away from her, or Elena and Carla for finding different ways of life from the game and trying to leave.
The current Heroine had not awakened her light attribute. Then, Clara resolved to eliminate anything that got in her way, even if it meant bringing in the Evil Race.
(Then, I’ll become the real Villainess!)
“–1, 2, 3… 1, 2, 3–“
In Princess Elena’s mansion, late at night, two girls illuminated by the moonlight lightly stepped through a dance.
There was no music. There were no spectators. All that could be heard was Elena’s rhyming voice and the sound of heels striking the floor, and from the other girl who was acting as her partner, not even her breathing or footsteps could be heard.
Tap–
“You’ve become quite good, Aria,”
Elena, who stopped and took a light breath, looked up at the pink-haired girl, who was about half a head taller than her, and Aria, who had been acting as her partner, slightly parted her lips without disturbing her breathing.
“Because Elena-sama is a good teacher.”
“…You can just call me “Elena” now. There’s no need to be “Princess” even in this mansion, is there? More than that, Aria, you’ve only been practicing with me, so you’ve become good at the male part.”
Elena, shaking her golden hair, put her finger to her lips and chuckled, and Aria exhaled lightly without changing her expression.
“It’s the same thing since I won’t be dancing anyway.”
“I’m sure there are gentlemen who would like to invite you…”
Instead of the cancelled inspection… or rather, not exactly, the ball that had been scheduled for the summer at the academy was brought forward.
Although it was not a full-fledged party, students were qualified to enter high society as soon as they entered the academy, so the academy regularly held balls for students only as practice.
It’s an annual event regardless of grade level, but since it’s still early in the year and many students are unfamiliar with dancing, this time it’s only for the first-years.
That’s why Elena was teaching the inexperienced Aria, but due to the height difference, Aria ended up playing the male role more often than not. Aria herself seemed to be more suited to the male part than the female part, and she was improving only in that area.
“Are you really going?”
“It’s already decided.”
Elena, catching her breath, suddenly asked, and Aria gently moved away from her as if to show her determination.
The attempted assassination of the Crown Prince and the attempted kidnapping of the Princess by the Aristocratic Faction. The viscount family and the baron family, who were the main culprits, have already been ruined, but they are just tails cut off by the upper nobility.
However, from those captured by Aria and Elena who made a plea bargain, the involvement of upper noble families belonging to the Aristocratic Faction was revealed.
Marquis Kendras House. Located along the northwestern border and holding the rights to the Kondo Mine, they are a major noble family who are powerful and financially important to the kingdom. While holding the mining rights to the Kondo Mine, which is in a dispute with other countries, the Kendras Marquis House, far from the Royal Capital, had not mixed blood with the royal family for some time, and their influence on the kingdom was weak.
Therefore, they belonged to the Aristocratic Faction, but the Royal Family could not overlook the situation where a noble family with rights to the Kondo Mine prioritized other countries over the royal family and harmed the royal family, so they decided to punish the Kendras Marquis House.
However, weakening the power of the Kendras Marquis House could lead to the possibility of other countries seizing the rights to the Kondo Mine, which is maintained by a delicate balance. Therefore, the current Kendras Marquis was to be retired, and a Royalist Faction noble of his bloodline was to take his place, but in order to show this to the Aristocratic Faction, it was necessary to obtain evidence that they were communicating with other countries.
In order to conduct a forced investigation for that purpose, the Royal Family chose the Melrose House, which serves as the Prime Minister, and the Melrose House requested a forced investigation by a hundred elite members of the Shadow Unit and the Adventurer “Rainbow Sword.”
As a result of a preliminary investigation by the Shadow Knight, Grave, a traitor to the Shadow Unit, was found in that area.
His presence means that if the Shadow Unit moves on a large scale, the movement may be detected and the evidence disposed of. I don’t think he would side with the Aristocratic Faction that much given his personality, but in order to eliminate uncertain factors, the “Rainbow Sword” was decided to be dispatched again to eliminate him.
“But that would be too late. If the conspicuous Dolton and Feld move, Grave will disappear. But if it’s just me, he will definitely choose to fight me.”
“I understand, but…”
“Elena.”
To Elena, who was still worried about Aria, Aria called her name not as a Princess and a guard, but as a “comrade,” and Elena looked straight into Aria’s emerald eyes.
“Believe in the ‘me’ you chose.”
“…I understand. But please come back by the ball. …Promise me.”
＊＊＊
After making a new “promise” with Elena, I quietly left the mansion early in the morning, wearing my adventurer’s equipment instead of my uniform for the first time in a while.
The first time we fought, I was no match for Grave. Even the second time we fought, Grave retreated as a result, but I didn’t win with my own strength.
I’ve become stronger than I was then, but I’m sure he’s not the same as he was then either. It will probably be a deadly battle like never before. But this time, I’ll definitely settle it. Defeating him will be a kind of closure for me too.
I leave the mansion and run towards the Forest.
It would take about three weeks one way to get from this academy to the Kendras Marquis Territory, even using a carriage. I think I could arrive much faster if I cut through the Forest without going through the main road, but even so, considering my promise with Elena, I don’t want to take too much time.
But I have a way to shorten the time.
“Nero.”
When I muttered in the Forest, the Mana Particles in the Forest suddenly became denser, and the Mystic Beast Kuaal, Nero, appeared as if seeping out of the Darkness, moved like the wind, snuggled up to me, and lightly licked my cheek.
The Mystic Beast Kuaal, Nero, seems to have decided to stay by my side, and now uses the academy’s Forest as its home. There are rumors of sightings at the academy from time to time, but even students would not be able to find Nero lurking in the Forest.
I still don’t understand why Nero is by my side, but if Nero wants to be by my side, I won’t refuse.
“Nero, it’s a fight.”
“Grrr.”
Nero, reading my will and the “enemy” with electrical telepathy, growls as if laughing.
If I ride Nero, it will shorten the time considerably even for normal travel. There is also a difference in travel speed, but the biggest difference is that there are no Monsters that get involved with the Mystic Beast Kuaal.
I stroked Nero’s fur and was about to get on his back when Nero’s whip-like antennae scattered sparks of electricity as if on alert, and at that moment, I also threw the Knife attached to my thigh behind me.
I don’t challenge. Whether it’s an “enemy” or an “ally” who stood behind me, it’s their own fault.
“Gah!”
Nero wields its antennae like a whip, and throws me behind it, grabbing it.
The thrown Knife is blocked by something like Magic and repelled.
At that moment, I also shot down the [Fire Arrow] that flew at me with my [Magic Shield (Shield)], and kicked the “enemy” lurking in the Darkness with the Blade I made by hitting my heel, and it dodged my kick while fluttering.
“…What do you want?”
When I asked that, she instantly erased her Killing Intent and turned a sick and cheerful smile with dark circles under her eyes towards me, fluttering her rich black hair.
“I came♪”
…Did you come.
What kind of impact will her existence have on the operation?
Next time, to the Kendras Marquis Territory.
This time it was full of attributes (laughs).