EP.168 The Freshman Who Calls the Storm (2)
“See you next time!”
“Yep, be careful on your way back.”
Chloe left with her textbooks in hand.
Left alone in the staff room, I once again grasped the letter. Evening had gradually approached. I read the letter through the golden light filtering in.
“Honestly, there’s nothing certain.”
First Princess, Lruiel.
I didn’t know much about her. It’s no wonder. It had only been a few months since I first met her.
A few months, not even a year.
That’s far too little time to understand someone. I had only recently begun to understand Cardi, someone I’d known for over ten years.
So, I didn’t know Lruiel well. I could only get a rough sense of her character through the beliefs she whispered to me.
“I don’t really know her well.”
Still, if there’s one thing I could be certain about Lruiel…
“So, Professor.”
“Perhaps, this is merely the young lady’s speculation.”
She was not someone who easily made assumptions.
“……”
I squinted my eyes.
Princess Lruiel was always confident and acted imperially. For her to write “I’m not sure” and “this is speculation” in a letter…
It was possible to make a slip of the tongue.
It’s impossible to control every word that comes out of one’s mouth; people make mistakes. But this was a letter. A letter she must have penned with great contemplation for every single word.
The phrases written in the letter felt unfamiliar.
The fact that she converted speculation into written words implied the urgency of the situation. But that was still uncertain. I continued reading the letter.
“My brother is a cunning man. A man whose motives are impossible to discern. What scares me the most is that he never reveals himself. He truly suits the term ‘shadowy schemer.’
I had to peek into his true nature.
Just as my brother planted spies within me, I also sowed spies among his hands and feet. I was able to do this thanks to your interference. My gratitude is due.
Of course, my brother is meticulous.
He doesn’t easily trust anyone, so the information his spies bring back is hardly substantial. But most things begin with trivial matters.
[It is bothering.]
I discarded the spies and gathered information amidst the torn scraps. After compiling and organizing, I succeeded in piecing together one sentence.
[Apuria Academy is bothering.]
What I discovered was a single line.
I didn’t know what sentence would follow, nor what came before it. It simply bothered me. From just this single word, I speculated deeply.
Does it mean the talented individuals are bothering?
Does it mean the academy itself is bothering?
Or perhaps, does it mean Ayla is bothering?
I couldn’t grasp its meaning. While I was struggling to discern the true intent of the sentence, incidents began to unfold consecutively.
All the magical devices of the royal family came to a halt.
The communication network temporarily collapsed.
Taking advantage of the chaos, my brother’s forces moved.
And the aforementioned individual made his move.
Braver, Kelharlem, is heading toward the royal capital. He expressed his intention to visit Apuria Academy. Confusion escalated. Like it was premeditated, incidents began to unfold one after the other.
…It might just be a coincidence.
By chance, all magical devices stopped.
By chance, Kelharlem moved amidst the chaos.
By sheer coincidence, while my brother is bothering the Apuria Academy, Kelharlem expressed his intention to visit the academy.
It might all just be coincidence, and this could be merely my delusional speculation. But I assume the worst possibility.”
“So, it’s speculation and assumption.”
I muttered while resting my chin on my hand.
It was truly a letter worthy of her. I couldn’t help but give a bitter smile at the portrayal of Princess Lruiel within the letter.
“At this point, I should be able to be sure.”
There must be a compelling reason for her to be so cautious. I couldn’t fathom what the ‘First Prince’ meant to her.
I could only speculate from this letter.
I felt from the appearance I had previously seen of her.
“She must have suffered a lot.”
For Princess Lruiel, the First Prince might have been a figure reminiscent of a nightmare. That was all I could think.
Ultimately, to summarize the situation:
“So, be cautious.”
The First Prince aims for Apuria.
Creating chaos in the royal castle, trying to disrupt the communication network, he seems to be attempting to commit ‘something.’
“I will do my best from my position. I will prevent the chaos from spilling out. I’ll restore the communication network and seek contact with those who can rectify the situation.”
What measures he might take, and from which direction he might strike remains uncertain.
Even those who form his ranks might include not just mere soldiers, but beings labeled as superhumans.
“Once again, it seems I’m asking you for a favor.”
That.
“I feel embarrassed that your face is the first to come to my mind in chaotic situations. Even as I write this letter now… it feels a bit ridiculous.”
I must stand alone.
“I ask of you.”
“Please bear with it while I sort out the chaos.”
In essence.
‘Protect Apuria.’
That was the mission now entrusted to me.
In truth, it wasn’t much of a mission. I let out a short breath. Placing the letter down on the table, I muttered.
“It’s something I have to do anyway.”
I gazed at the emblem engraved at the end of the stationery.
A blood-red rose sprinkled with gold dust.
Its meaning lies in the price paid for spilled blood.
“A suitable price, indeed.”
Instead of writing a sentence of recompense, she responded with a single emblem.
“Good grief.”
I shrugged and pulled out the letter. It was a magical device linked to Princess Lruiel. It wasn’t functioning properly now… but if chaos were to be resolved, she would surely reveal this letter immediately.
“Hmm.”
On it, I began to write my response.
There was no need for a lengthy reply.
– What the heck, let’s give it a go.
Just like the reply I had when I received a three-day escort duty.
After engraving that, I stood up from my seat.
“Good grief, there’s no quiet day.”
The last week of August, two days before school began.
While gazing at the setting sun, I thought.
It seems it’s going to get noisy from the start of the semester.
2.
Ayla was confused.
With the school opening just a day away, she was tapping her forehead while hitting the table lightly. Her thoughts were far from organized.
“…I was too careless.”
The words that slipped out were self-reproach.
Ayla felt pathetic for herself. She chided herself for being too excited about building connections before the start of school. Her expression twisted.
“I thought it would be okay.”
She thought she would be fine once she ran away to Apuria.
She had no intentions of claiming the throne; she had pulled herself out of the power struggle early. Hence, she’d diverted her brother’s attention.
Treated like a non-entity.
An existence that wouldn’t bother anyone.
Thus, she hid herself. She pondered ways to survive by staying hidden. Living within the royal castle always came with tension. Every moment was a series of choices.
“Apuria.”
However, the moment she arrived at Apuria, the tension eased. She became careless. She naively presumed that her brother wouldn’t ‘pay her any mind’ now that she was away from the royal castle.
[The First Prince is targeting Apuria.]
That single line from her sister tightened Ayla’s throat. The platinum strands of her hair tumbled onto the table. Staring vacantly at the flowing waves of her hair, Ayla felt desolate.
It was always this way.
The First Prince, her brother, would never leave her alone. What displeases him so much? To Ayla, the First Prince symbolized fear.
“That gaze.”
The First Prince she saw as a child.
When she had just begun to awaken her talent as Stella, she remembered the figure of the First Prince.
“Don’t look at me with those eyes.”
Every human possesses a light.
People shine in different hues. But that man was different. He didn’t shine at all.
“Bow your head before me. Never lift your gaze until I carve out that despicable light in your eyes.”
It was darkness.
Something wearing the guise of a human.
Yet, Ayla couldn’t tell anyone about it. His eyes and ears were everywhere. She had seen many who slandered the prince mysteriously disappear without a trace. Countless.
Among them were even her sisters.
That’s why Ayla chose to survive in silence. She didn’t mind being subservient. She just wanted to survive.
“My brother achieves whatever he targets.”
If someone annoys him, he kills them, no matter who they are.
If something displeases him, he removes it.
Once he sets his mind on something, he achieves it without fail.
Such an individual is now targeting Apuria. He has made her, a student attending Apuria, his target. The arrow pointed at her made Ayla’s nerves hyper-sensitive.
“…Why.”
Her voice trembled.
“Why, after I’ve given up everything?”
Why does he try to swallow her whole like this?
Ayla swallowed hard. She stifled a weak sound threatening to escape her lips. A princess must always be perfect.
“Show no signs of weakness.”
She swallowed and raised her gaze.
She wore a mask on her face. With a smile masquerading as always, she calculated the impending crisis.
From which direction it was coming, and how it might arrive.
So, she must remain tense.
She must not let her guard down.
No one can protect her. She must protect her own body. Fortunately, she had means to defend herself. Ayla closed her eyes and listened for the voice of the star.
‘The star always provides an answer.’
Prophecy.
In times of crisis, the star always guided Ayla toward survival. It would surely do so again. Ayla focused her ears intently on the star’s voice.
【■■■】
She listened closely.
【■■■】
And again listened intently.
【■■■】
But it didn’t come through.
“…Why?”
The voice of the star was silent.
Ayla opened her eyes, which trembled. Cold sweat ran down her spine. Her white pajamas clung to her due to the sweat.
“Why can’t I hear you?”
The child loved by the stars.
Having been loved, she had trusted the star.
“Why…?”
The deeper the trust, the heavier the betrayal.
When she couldn’t hear the star’s voice, the girl felt fear. The prophet who had always accompanied her in her journey was silent, leaving the girl feeling lonely.
Fear and loneliness.
The girl’s eyes shook violently, more than ever.
3.
The heat of the duel held not long ago had yet to wane when Apuria welcomed the beginning of the school year. The air entering September was slowly becoming cooler. Students lined up for the ceremony in the grand auditorium.
“Belnoa, look over there!”
“Stop getting distracted and just keep up.”
Chloe was bouncing around, pointing at the various facilities that had opened with the start of the school year. Belnoa sighed, dragging Chloe toward the auditorium.
“Wow…!”
Even while being pulled along by Belnoa, Chloe couldn’t stop her exclamations. This was the long-awaited opening ceremony at Apuria. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“By the way, I heard the princess is going to make the student representative speech?”
She recalled having seen it in the school announcements.
Typically, the student representative speech was given by the top of each department… but this year was a bit different. There was a special individual among the registered students.
Fourth Princess, Ayla.
The student representative speech would be delivered by her.
Even though everyone was treated equally as sorcerers at Apuria, it wouldn’t be fitting for anyone other than the princess to represent the group to which she belonged.
“Hey, Belnoa.”
“What?”
“What kind of person is the princess?”
Because of that, Chloe’s anticipation peaked.
She was a princess, a person born from the noblest bloodline in the land.
“Um…”
Facing Chloe’s eagerly expectant gaze, Belnoa showed signs of hesitation. What could he say about Princess Ayla? In truth, Belnoa didn’t know her well either.
“I haven’t really spoken to her much.”
He had only participated in the representative speech with her at the semester’s start. Drawing on his first impression of Ayla, Belnoa spoke slowly.
“An assertive person.”
“Assertive?”
“She’s relaxed and overflowing with confidence.”
Belnoa conveyed exactly what he felt.
The princess he remembered gave off that vibe. Always serene and confident. She seemed to have something she believed in.
“You’ll understand just by watching her.”
With that, Belnoa pointed toward the auditorium.
If one were to see the princess standing on the podium, they would instantly comprehend. She truly possessed a presence that captivated the masses.
“Yep, I’m looking forward to it.”
Chloe smiled brightly.
Filled with anticipation, she stepped into the auditorium. However, that anticipation would not be fulfilled.
That day, Ayla did not stand on the podium.
Fourth Princess Ayla was absent from the opening ceremony.
