episode_0091

Croa Academy is the best educational institution on the continent. No one could deny that. That’s why Croa Academy was the pride of the Croa Empire. And the Empire actively leveraged this. There were two ways for the Empire to showcase the skills of Croa Academy students to other kingdoms. One of them was to publicly release the midterm exam videos of the academy’s freshmen to other kingdoms. Last year, Johanna Freya’s video, and the year before that, Joden Adelien’s video, once again proved that Croa Academy was the best academy on the continent.

Of course, that didn’t mean they revealed all of a student’s abilities. However, there was someone who could watch everything a student did during the midterm exam without editing: their family. Since Loki had no family, originally no one should have been able to watch Loki’s entire video. But a girl with lovely blonde hair and golden eyes was walking within the Imperial Palace, a place ordinary people could never enter.

“Hehe.” The girl with the lovely appearance, Yerika, suppressed the laugh that threatened to escape her lips and looked at the orb in her hand. This orb contained Loki’s entire practical midterm exam video. It was impossible to obtain a student’s unedited video unless you were family, but nothing was impossible with power.

‘Surely Clown-nim did well, right?’ Yerika, who had secretly asked the Emperor for Loki’s video, had the maid wait outside the room before entering and settling onto the bed. Yerika had talked with Loki on the phone until just before she fell asleep yesterday, and she knew that Loki had received 0 points on the written exam. She couldn’t believe Clown-nim was bad at studying. Recalling Loki’s unexpected flaw, Yerika giggled.

Yerika was worried because Loki had received 0 points, and Loki explained his plan to reassure her. Recalling Loki’s unusual plan, a sudden unease came over Yerika. “What if Clown-nim made a mistake?” If Loki, who had received 0 points on the written exam, also got a low score on the practical exam, there was a high chance he would be expelled from the academy.

“…Wait, then Clown-nim would immediately become my escort knight? Hmm…” In the empty room, Yerika thought that Loki’s expulsion wouldn’t be so bad, and her lips curved upwards. “He did promise to be my escort knight after graduating from the academy, but three years is just too long.” Half hoping Loki would do well, half hoping he’d make a mistake and get expelled, Yerika pulled something out of her subspace necklace. What Yerika pulled out of her subspace necklace was a doll resembling Loki. Lucas, who had picked up the doll Loki used in Idra’s class last time, gave it to Yerika, and Yerika used various magical tools and artifacts on it. Now, the doll could no longer be cut by ordinary swords, burned by fire, or soaked by water.

“Hmm. I’m still a little uneasy…” Yerika tapped the head of the doll resembling Loki and muttered to herself. For reference, if you combined the prices of all the artifacts and magical tools Yerika used on this doll, which had no function other than resembling Loki, you could easily buy several mansions in the capital. The magical tools Yerika used were quite expensive, typically used for works of art or family heirlooms. Yerika received a monthly dignity maintenance allowance, but as she had little interest in jewelry or luxuries, her allowance had continuously accumulated until now.

—Squeeze. Yerika hugged the Loki-like doll and played the video. The video showed Loki’s practical exam performance in its entirety, without editing.

“……………….” Even though Loki had finished faster than the professors expected, the video was over three hours long. For those three hours, Yerika watched Loki’s entire video, tightly embracing the doll without a single twitch.

—Tap tap. Yerika compared the doll Loki was holding, which was broadcasting a fake signal, with the doll she was holding. Aside from the difference in size, there wasn’t much difference.

“I want that one too…” Yerika’s small mutter echoed in the spacious and luxurious room. Yerika seriously pondered how she could acquire that doll as well.

Loki, lying comfortably in the control room and annoyingly giving advice to the struggling students, appeared distorted in Yerika’s eyes, which were already deeply infatuated.

“Look how late it’s gotten…” After watching the entire video, Yerika checked the time. It was time to call Loki in an hour.

—Clutch. Yerika gave the doll a tight hug and put it into her subspace necklace. The reason she put it in subspace was that she would be embarrassed if Loki found out while they were talking. Yet, leaving it elsewhere made her uneasy. Having put the doll away, Yerika called the maid waiting outside.

“We will do as usual today.” “Yes, please do that.” Yerika was instantly surrounded by several maids and began to apply light makeup. So light that someone unfamiliar with makeup wouldn’t even notice she was wearing any.

“Your Imperial Highness, may I ask why you apply light makeup every night?” “Hmm… That’s a secret.” Yerika placed her index finger to her lips.

The maids didn’t know that Yerika talked to Loki every night. Yerika had started video calls with Loki after the Baron Ashro mission, and she applied light makeup every time. Yerika, who was lovely enough without makeup, became even lovelier after her makeup was done.

‘Last time, I got a real fright.’ During the Baron Ashro mission. Neither Loki nor even Lucas answered her calls, and Loki only answered Yerika’s call when dawn broke. That day, Yerika talked with Loki late into the night. When she looked in the mirror after the call, she was startled. Because she had dark circles under her eyes. Of course, Loki only thought she was beautiful even with dark circles, but Yerika felt differently.

“Well done.” After finishing her makeup, she sent the maids out. Grinning broadly at the thought of calling Loki, Yerika called him a little earlier than usual.

—Ring… Loki answered the call so quickly that it seemed as if he had been waiting.

[You called earlier than usual today, didn’t you? This makes it hard for me to call first.] As the playful voice was heard, Yerika’s lips curved upwards automatically. In the communicator, the familiar mask was visible. With the thought that she would one day be able to see behind that mask, Yerika smiled brightly.

[Hehe, I was faster today too.] And so, Yerika talked with Loki until just before she fell asleep again today.

***

After finishing my prefect patrol with Johanna, I was walking through the academy grounds to head to the special class. Prefect duty was so enjoyable that it was almost a shame it would end soon. As I was walking, thinking that I should start a club soon, I saw a familiar hair color. Pink hair, rare to see both in reality and in this world. Even if I hadn’t seen her hair, I would have known who it was just by seeing the spirits hovering nearby.

“Sepia-ssi~. Good morning again today.” “Hogu, hi.” Sepia-ssi must have heard my voice, as she turned around and looked at me. Come to think of it, Sepia-ssi was the only special class student I met during my commute to school. Perhaps it’s because our commute times are similar?

“Is something wrong?” “No, what could be wrong? Nothing happened.” Unlike usual, her expression was dark. It seemed she was still bothered by her loss to Lucas. As I was wondering how to comfort her, Someone spoke to us.

“Excuse me…” Several students blocked our path, all of whom I didn’t know.

“About yesterday’s exam. You protested your score, right? I’m sorry. It was the exam, so I guess I got a little carried away.” Starting with one student’s words, the other students also began to apologize to me. Among them, some were genuinely apologizing, while others were swept up by the atmosphere or reluctantly apologizing because they didn’t want to become enemies with me, who was first in the practical exam. As I was pondering what to do,

“You said all that yesterday, and you think a single apology is enough? And can’t you see we’re on our way to school right now? Are your eyes just for show [an idiom implying someone isn’t seeing what’s obvious]?” “We’re sorry.” When Sepia-ssi spoke, frowning irritably, the students trembled and ran away. Watching the fleeing students, Sepia-ssi let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.

“Ha! Yesterday they protested your score like that, what gall do those punks have to talk to you today?” “Well, maybe they really did want to apologize to me.” “That’s why I call you Hogu!” Sepia-ssi shouted at me, as if I exasperated her, and started walking faster. Sepia-ssi seemed to have mistaken my kindness for not getting angry at them. Honestly, I didn’t care what they said. That’s why I wasn’t particularly angry about anything they said. Even when they apologized, I only thought about how to send them away quickly.

However, I did care that Sepia-ssi seemed disheartened or annoyed. “Sepia-ssi, let’s go together!” Lengthening my stride, I followed behind Sepia-ssi.