episode_0227

Violet defined herself as Homo Sapiens Violet.

Through countless experiences, she realized one fact.

That she was quite different from ordinary humans.

Beings with abilities like hers couldn’t be found anywhere in Trist, let alone Lustrum.

“We seem a bit different from others.”

“That’s right, we are definitely the wise Violet!”

Thoughts that nearly escalated into an identity crisis as a different species were soon halted. It was difficult for her young age and shallow knowledge to deeply comprehend the issue.

According to Violet’s pre-possession memories, Homo Sapiens meant a wise person. She defined herself as wise. More than academic consideration, it was the innocent pride typical of a young girl who wanted to package herself as a special being that took precedence.

Fortunately, there was a clear commonality between Homo Sapiens and Violet: an insatiable curiosity.

“Former fiancé?”

“Engaged to Adela Unnie!”

Having heard such interesting information, there was no backing down. As soon as her meeting with the inspector concluded, Violet decided to find Adela.

“[Unnie, where are you?]”

She unhesitatingly picked up her phone and sent a message, receiving a reply almost immediately.

“[It’s the outdoor shooting range near Lecture Hall A. But what’s up?]”

“[Wow! What a coincidence, I was just heading there too! See you there!]”

An outdoor shooting range, she thought to herself. It was too far to walk, and too troublesome to run. Then she remembered having planted a hibernating body near the shooting range. With that, she wouldn’t need to move herself.

“Prepare to teleport!”

Aegis Academy boasted a vast scale, large enough for shuttle buses to operate. Violet felt proud of her foresight in burying bodies in inconspicuous places.

“The word ‘lateness’ doesn’t exist in the Violet Wiki!”

Unit 1402 entered the shooting range with a light step. As students busily practiced with various shooting weapons like crossbows, bows, and guns, an elegant young lady with flowing golden hair was drawing a bowstring.

“Wow…!”

Violet was awestruck. Adela, standing among the many students, was truly a crane among chickens [a proverb meaning someone who stands out from the rest]. Observing her flexible and vibrant movements, Violet realized. If she could no longer grow, there would be no one in this academy who could rival her beauty, other than her roommate and friends.

“Well, look who it is, our cute junior! What brings you here?”

“I came to practice shooting!”

Adela couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her adorable junior, who raised a gun with an awkward laugh.

-Bang! Bang!

“How have you been? Are you enjoying life at Aegis Academy?”

“Yes, it’s really great! I love the academy.”

The curious gazes of those around them focused on Violet. It seemed to be true that there was a young junior who was close with the Duke’s daughter.

“That kid, I heard she’s close with the student council president…”

“She’s a first-year transfer student, right? I heard the professors are already keeping an eye on her. She’s supposed to be a great new talent.”

Unconcerned by the attention, Violet continued speaking cheerfully.

“Actually, I’m trying to hide my skills for a while. The principal Teacher-nim and the inspector also told me to.”

“That’s a good idea. Living like an ordinary student for a while will also be a good experience.”

“Yes! So I’m thinking of trying some new club activities too.”

The two chatted amicably, like sisters. Violet, sensing the atmosphere had matured sufficiently, decided to gradually get to the main point.

After heading to the lounge for a short break, Violet cautiously opened her mouth.

“Unnie, I have a question. You’re from a noble family, aren’t you? The Ducal House of Cascadia, right?”

“That’s right. Though it’s just a symbolic title now.”

Violet brought up the topic in a roundabout way. Even for a kind and gentle senior, overly personal questions could be rude.

“Lately, as I’ve been studying history, the topic of noble obligations comes up quite a bit. So I became curious about how people from old noble families live.”

“Hmm… I see. Then I’ll explain as much as I can answer. What exactly do you want to know?”

“I read in a novel that nobles used to arrange engagements from a young age. Is that actually true?”

“That varies by family. It’s common, but there are also many cases where it’s not.”

Violet pressed on further.

“Then, Unnie, have you ever been engaged?”

Adela’s gaze sharpened for a moment. Like when she was caught using an alias in the Vittorio Dungeon. Realizing she had touched a sensitive topic, Violet took a breath and spoke directly.

“Well, I heard about Unnie and the fiancé from the Restraid family.”

“Where did you hear that?”

Violet quickly replied, using an excuse she had found in real-time from the network.

“Remember meeting those Restraid knights?”

“Say that those knights were rude, so you were worried about how rude their master must be!”

“I just happened to overhear it. Honestly, I came because I was really worried!”

“Worried? Why?”

As Adela looked at her with eyes demanding an explanation, Violet described the Restraid knights from last time.

“What? That happened… How truly rude.”

“I heard the Restraid are full of people like that! And I heard the son of that Restraid Clan is returning to school this time? I’m worried he might be a bad man who uses violence against women!”

Violet looked at her piteously, half-sincere and half-joking. Seeing her like that, Adela let out a small laugh.

“Were you actually worried? Don’t worry. Sebastian isn’t that kind of person.”

Understanding her junior’s concern, Adela began to explain the circumstances.

“It’s true that I was engaged to Sebastian. But that was when I was very young, and the engagement was broken off a long time ago. It’s ancient history now.”

“That’s a relief, truly.”

“At the very least, Sebastian isn’t a man who uses violence against women. The problem was just his excessive interference. In any case, the engagement has already been broken off, so there’s no need to worry anymore.”

“Broken off? May I ask what exactly happened?”

“It was nothing major. While preparing for the engagement, the Restraid family proposed unacceptable terms. Even the elders of our family, who had been pushing for the engagement, were enraged by their arrogant attitude and ultimately canceled it.”

Ah, so it was something that happened in the distant past. Violet let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

“Of course, personally, I don’t have good memories of them either. The Restraid family is too arrogant. They look down on others too much, emphasizing their origins from the old royal family.”

“Royalty? Their ancestors were kings?”

At Violet’s flustered reaction, Adela provided further explanation.

“Jemont Restraid, who founded the current clan, was a prince. He was from a fallen kingdom. You didn’t know?”

“I knew they were nobles, but I had no idea they were princes… I just thought they were a bunch of fools swaggering around in full plate armor.”

Violet instantly understood the arrogant attitude of the Restraid armored knights she had encountered last time.

“They must have been real knights.”

“This is the first I’m hearing of such a setup? Ugh! What, are they feudal lords or something?”

As she said that, Violet felt a sense of déjà vu. Nobles, the Great War, interdimensional invasion.

If they were people from the Great War era a century ago, weren’t there people still alive now?

“No way?”

“Then are all the other clan founders nobles too? Like that guy, the mage?”

“No, only Magnabys and Restraid founded clans as nobles. The mage Valefor was born into an Earl’s family.”

“Wow, that’s still half.”

“Though they don’t rival the Four Great Clans, there are quite a few clans founded by people from old noble families.”

“Surprisingly many nobles.”

“That’s because the awakening rate among young nobles was high during the early Great War.”

Violet recalled what she had learned in history class. Young men and women in splendid uniforms, leading their subordinates and fighting valiantly.

“Ah-ha! I heard that during the interdimensional invasion, the children of noble families served as officers on the front lines.”

“That’s right. You’re very interested in history, Violet.”

At her senior’s gentle hand tenderly stroking her head, Violet purred like a cat.

“Looking at their high awakening rate, they must have really fought hard. Your family’s ancestors did too, right, Unnie?”

Violet rattled off the heroes of the Cascadia family that she had found through the network.

“Duke Cedric of Cascadia, Brigadier General Restraid, Colonel Kessler Restraid who displayed bravery in the sky, besides them, Colonel Elizabeth, Major Thomas… They are truly amazing people!”

“Oh my, you know all about the figures from my family…”

Adela couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of admiration. Not only was Violet intelligent, but she also knew her family’s history. She was clearly different from other children who merely flattered.

“Hehe, other people from old noble families are surely all kind and good people like Unnie!”

Feeling happy, Violet blurted out thoughtlessly. At her innocent question, a shadow briefly fell across Adela’s face.

“I wish that were true, but nowadays, many have forgotten their noble obligations. Like those such as Valefor.”

Seeing Adela’s somber expression, Violet immediately sensed that she had experienced something unpleasant. Wanting to encourage her beloved senior, Violet said with emphasis.

“Don’t worry! I’ll discipline all those kinds of people. Just like with Magnabys!”

“I really appreciate your sentiment, Violet. But this is a complex and difficult problem for adults. Your warm support is enough.”

“Adela Unnie, what’s difficult? Guillotine!”

At the unfamiliar word that suddenly came from Violet’s mouth, Adela looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Guillotine? What’s that?”

Realizing she had uttered something she shouldn’t have in front of the current Grand Ducal family’s daughter, Violet quickly stammered.

“Oh, it’s nothing! Anyway, what kind of bow do you use, Unnie? I’m super curious!”

“Oh, this bow, you mean…”

Violet breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness! She doesn’t seem to know!”

**

After parting with Adela Unnie, during class, our Violet pondered her conversation with Senior Adela. In doing so, she was once again convinced that this world was not yet mature.

“She doesn’t even know what a guillotine is! Could it be that there was no citizen’s revolution?”

As far as we knew, there was no official caste system or class system, but the remnants of the old era seemed to have combined with Aether and twisted into something even more distorted.

“Awakened nobles? They’re practically super blue bloods! We need a huge guillotine!”

“Even with a guillotine, you probably can’t cut their heads off, can you? Awakened ones are tough.”

“Gasp…”

Our Violet felt despair. Even the wave of freedom and equality rising with guillotines, or the charge of peasants and laborers with sickles and hammers, would be powerless before awakened nobles who wield Aether’s power.

Still, one thing brought a sudden sense of relief.

“Did you hear? That Chairman is an Earl!”

“Puhaha! He’s lower than Adela Unnie!”

From what she heard, among the people of old noble families, there were countless royalty, dukes, and marquises who used to own their own kingdoms. But only an Earl? He must be an insignificant fellow.

As she stared blankly out the window, lost in thought, the professor tapped the blackboard and spoke.

“Alright, everyone. Although you all learned this last time, let’s go over it one more time briefly.”

Then a world map appeared on the screen.

“The world we live in is broadly divided into four regions. What are they?”

“There’s the Red Zone, Yellow Zone, Blue Zone, and Green Zone.”

A student replied. Just then, my scattered thoughts cleared, and I returned to reality. When I turned my gaze to the screen, a continent dyed crimson came into view.

“Alright, now let’s learn about the Red Zone.”

The professor pointed to the red region on the map with a pointer. I knew at least a little of what was there.

“Sauron and Cthulhu probably live there.”

While the professor passionately spoke about the Red Zone’s eroded lands, where even cockroaches couldn’t survive, I exchanged consciousness with another Violet.

“I should just sleep.”

Looking at the map, I thought. This world was certainly too small.