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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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In the past, the highest-achieving student at Minerva Academy wasn’t Amy.
“Top of the class again?”
“Amazing. Bloodline really does matter.”
“What’s so amazing? The professors just give her higher marks because she’s royalty.”
Unlike the present, where Amy was the object of envy, the atmosphere back then was quite different.
The most precious bloodline in the Empire.
Unparalleled talent.
And striking beauty.
She possessed all the qualities to incite jealousy in the still immature students.
Amy, in fact, shared similar traits…
But Amy was outgoing and friendly with everyone.
The biggest difference, perhaps, was that she wasn’t.
“……”
Click, clack—
Despite the numerous envious gazes, her proud footsteps didn’t falter.
Because she was the only Imperial Princess of this vast Empire.
Lux Stella Sirius.
“Wow, her charisma is insane. Right, Amy?”
Ariana marveled, watching Lux head towards the library.
Amy, beside her, glanced sideways and nodded.
“She’s the one who beat me for top spot. That kind of presence is to be expected. What do other students’ opinions matter?”
“Still, wouldn’t she be lonely? She’s always alone. Eating alone, studying alone.”
Sena couldn’t hide her worried expression.
She believed that no matter how high one’s status or grades, people couldn’t live alone.
Ariana, with a cynical look, replied.
“Do you think she cares about that? She’s the Princess. She probably doesn’t want to associate with people like us.”
“Actually, I want to be friends with her, but I’m too shy to talk to her.”
“Hmm… really?” Ariana remained skeptical. Exasperated by Sena’s persistence, she casually suggested, “Want to make a bet?”
“A bet?”
“Yeah. You go talk to her. If Her Highness becomes friends with us, you win. If you get ruthlessly rejected, I win.”
Confident in her prediction, Ariana offered the biggest stake she could currently afford.
Something Sena couldn’t possibly refuse.
“If you win, I’ll give you my ‘Magic Muffin.’”
“Gasp! That’s the limited-edition dessert that only comes out once a week! The fluffy, cloud-like cake, and the sweet cream filling mixed with fairy honey… It makes you happy as if you’ve been enchanted! You’re betting the ultimate, supreme muffin?!”
“Uh? Uh… was it that big of a deal…?”
Ariana mumbled, taken aback by Sena’s enthusiastic reaction.
It was so over-the-top, she wondered if Sena was teasing her.
Sena’s eyes, now shaped like muffins, swiveled towards Amy.
“Are you in, Amy?”
“…I’ll pass.”
Honestly, Amy also expected Sena to fail, but… she felt that if she joined the bet, her friend would suffer immensely.
Who knew if Sena would literally cling to Lux’s ankles?
“Fine! I’ll conquer that haughty woman and make her my friend!”
With that declaration, Sena dashed towards the library, her eyes blazing.
Her back resembled a general marching into battle.
“Can you handle this? I think I made a mistake.” Amy murmured to Ariana, who wore a dumbfounded expression.
Ariana stubbornly turned away.
“Well, she accepted the bet. It’s not my fault.”
“Can you really eat that muffin in front of her after she loses? I’d feel too guilty.”
“…That’s true.”
The image of Sena, tears and drool flowing, watching the muffin disappear into Ariana’s mouth, flashed before her eyes.
Despite her innocent appearance, Sena’s competitive spirit was fierce.
Even if Ariana offered the muffin back, Sena would surely refuse.
“This is a problem…” Ariana could only pray for Sena’s success.
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Arriving at the library, Sena quietly surveyed the area.
“Where’s Lux… Ah! There she is.”
Lux sat studying, surrounded by a mountain of thick books.
The sight was slightly intimidating, but the thought of the ‘Magic Muffin’ spurred Sena on.
Although the table was large enough for ten people, only Lux occupied it.
The other students sat huddled at distant tables.
It was a clear case of ostracization, but Lux remained unfazed, focused on her books.
After a moment’s hesitation, Sena sat opposite her.
“Uh, hello…?”
“……” Lux continued turning pages, seemingly oblivious to Sena’s presence.
Sena hesitated, impressed by Lux’s intense concentration.
“This is what it takes to be top of the class…”
Still, she couldn’t give up. Sena raised her voice slightly.
“Hello!”
“……?”
Finally acknowledging Sena, Lux blinked and looked around.
Confirming that no one else was nearby, she quietly spoke.
“…Did you call me?”
“Yes…!”
“Is something the matter?”
“Uh, uh…”
Now that she had Lux’s attention, Sena found herself at a loss for words.
Asking to be friends outright was too embarrassing, even for someone as thick-skinned as Sena.
Racking her brain, she blurted out.
“W-was the exam difficult…?”
“Not really. It was all covered in class.”
Lux’s cold reply left Sena speechless.
Suddenly, she understood why Lux had no friends.
‘Does she not know how to have a conversation?’
Lux’s social skills seemed close to zero.
Composing herself, Sena tried again.
“Hmm, what was that ‘Basic Alchemy’ question… Ah! Number seventeen…”
“The herb you shouldn’t add when making a health potion?”
“Right. Weren’t numbers three and four a bit confusing?”
“No. It was mentioned several times that it would be on the exam. Getting that wrong is a matter of intelligence.”
“……!” Sena barely suppressed a curse.
Right.
The topic of conversation was the problem.
Sena persevered, trying a different approach.
“What are your hobbies?”
“I don’t have any. If I had to say, studying.”
“F-favorite food?”
“None. Eating is simply a necessary act to replenish the body’s nutrients.”
“…Then what do you dislike?”
“Corrupt officials.”
“Did you see the recently released opera?”
“No.”
“Ugh…!”
“…?”
Lux tilted her head, observing Sena’s trembling form.
“If you have nothing else, please don’t disturb me. I haven’t finished studying.”
“Then…!”
Desperate to keep the conversation going, Sena instinctively raised her voice—
Thwack!
A giant paper fan slammed into her head.
“Ouch!”
“Silence in the library!”
Dragged away by the librarian, whose physique was surprisingly toned for a woman, Sena cried out.
“This isn’t over—!”
“Silence!”
Thwack!
“Ouch!”
Lux blinked, watching the comical scene unfold.
Returning to her studies, she—
“…Pfft.” A smile crept onto her face as she recalled the incident.
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“Ugh… I’m so frustrated! So angry!”
Sena muttered, watching the muffin disappear into Ariana’s mouth.
Ariana, anticipating this reaction, shook her head and offered the muffin.
“Just eat it…”
“No! Do you think I’m doing this for the muffin?!”
“Then wipe your drool first.”
Wiping her chin, Sena shook her head.
“It’s a matter of pride. I will make her my friend.”
“Sure… good luck with that.”
Ariana couldn’t stop Sena’s burning passion.
Amy, munching on her own muffin, asked.
“How are you going to do that?”
“The best defense is a good offense! I’ll keep charging until we can have a proper conversation!”
“…That’s not how the saying goes.”
Amy shook her head at Sena’s unnecessarily dramatic declaration.
Sena, eyes blazing, looked at her friends and exclaimed.
“I bet I can make Lux my friend!”
“Go ahead. You’re only hurting yourself.”
And so, Sena’s challenge continued…
After losing exactly four more muffins, she finally succeeded in befriending Lux.
This was how the bond between the three and Lux was forged.
“Victory is mine!”
It was a pyrrhic victory, but…
A victory nonetheless.
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The Mages’ Tower, a gathering place for the world’s most renowned mages.
A trembling voice echoed in the top floor, a space reserved solely for the Tower Lord.
“A curse…? What do you mean, Sagittarius?”
“Exactly what I said. The Princess is cursed by the Heretics.”
Allen gritted his teeth, staring at Lux, who lay in a magically induced coma.
“What… kind of curse?”
“You deserve to know… It amplifies the target’s negative emotions and inflicts endless pain.”
“…Pain.”
“The Princess described it as shards of glass piercing her entire body. She’s been dependent on specially made painkillers to cope with the intermittent agony.”
“……” Blood trickled from the corner of Allen’s mouth.
Glancing at him, Aerius continued.
“We believe the curse’s purpose is to corrupt Lux. The Empire’s most precious bloodline would be the ultimate prize for them. We don’t know what will happen when Lux is corrupted, but…”
“Is there a way to break it?”
“…Not at the moment. This magic is merely a temporary measure to slow the curse’s progression.”
Crack—
Allen ground his teeth, glaring at Aerius.
“You’re the world’s greatest mage… and you don’t know?”
“Even I can’t immediately counter a curse I’ve never seen before. I suspect the Heretics poured all their efforts into this one.”
“……” Allen was speechless, overwhelmed by the unbelievable reality.
A chilling killing intent radiated from him, causing the surrounding space to tremble. If a Master lost control, space itself could collapse.
Alarmed, Aerius quickly exclaimed, “Calm down! Lux isn’t going to die immediately!”
“It’s still a death sentence.”
“We have time. We’ll find a way. The Empire supports me. I won’t let the Princess die!”
How much time did they have?
What if the curse could only be broken by killing the one who cast it?
What if it required the deaths of every Heretic in the world?
What if it was unbreakable, even if the caster died?
A torrent of negative thoughts flooded Allen’s mind.
From the depths of despair, he grasped at a single solution.
“No. It’s fine. I’ll do it my way.”
“…What are you—” Aerius couldn’t bring herself to interrupt Allen, his eyes now cold and resolute. She could only stare, dumbfounded, as he walked towards Lux.
The killing intent that had filled the room vanished.
Reaching Lux’s side, Allen placed his hand on her heart.
“There was a time when I didn’t want to get involved with nobles.”
But that only applied to corrupt nobles and incompetent commanders.
He wasn’t heartless enough to abandon this young girl to her suffering.
“Even if I can’t break the curse… she still needs to graduate from Minerva. I won’t let my student fail.”
That was a teacher’s role.
“What are you planning?”
Aerius, watching Allen’s grim expression, channeled her magic, ready to intervene.
“It’s nothing.”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to give her your life force? That would only make it worse. The curse feeds on life force.”
“I’m not planning on dying. I want to live a long life. There are people I want to see… and I have too many burdens already.”
He would simply add another burden to his already heavy shoulders.
One more wouldn’t make much difference.
Shrugging, Allen activated his Authority.
The Master’s Authority, awakened to survive on the battlefield.
In truth, Allen’s Authority wasn’t meant for combat.
It was simply… a struggle to survive.
“…Then I’ll trust you.”
Aerius nodded, convinced by Allen’s unwavering resolve.
Feeling the oppressive magic recede, Allen focused his mind and whispered.
“I’ll carry your future.”
The bracelet coiled around his wrist vibrated faintly.
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