Chapter 33 – The First Day of School

I knew the academy was large, but this vastness exceeded my expectations.

Of course, it’s smaller than my family’s estate in the Duchy of Eustetia, but still.

“Hmm… not here either.”

Having to check every single door we encountered made the academy’s size feel overwhelmingly frustrating.

After two hours, we finally reached the last door on the first floor.

“…Nothing here either.”

We hadn’t found the end of the illusion.

Damn it.

“Urgh… maybe it’s down instead of up…”

Gailan sighed deeply, adjusting her crooked glasses for what must have been the hundredth time.

“Well, only two floors left to search, so just a little more… c-come on, guys! I mean, everyone…!”

“Huhu… yeah, Gailan, let’s keep going.”

When no one else responded, Yurasia answered for the group.

“Thanks… By the way, Yurasia, you’re incredibly strong. I knew you were the top student from your speech, but I didn’t expect this level of power.”

“Hmm? Ahaha… I’m not that strong, just… hehe.”

“And you passed the special entrance exam too? How was it? Was the basilisk tough?”

Even Silina glanced over, curious about the answer. Meanwhile, Pina hadn’t taken her eyes off Yurasia since the beginning.

“Well… yeah. It was reasonably strong, I guess.”

“Wow… To be honest, I ran away the moment I heard its roar. But you actually defeated it…”

“Ah, well… I was in the knights’ order until recently, so… heheh. Please don’t praise me so much. It’s embarrassing!”

Yurasia squirmed shyly.

She lifted her hair, matted with monster blood, trying to cool her sweat-drenched neck.

No wonder she’s drenched—she’s been channeling mana continuously for over three hours.

Moreover, Yurasia’s method of mana control mirrors exactly how I did it in my previous life. For someone at her current level, it must be exhausting.

Still, I’m impressed.

I expected her to resort to shortcuts when things got tough, but she’s persevering. As expected of my most cherished… student? No, not quite.

Sister? Yes. My most cherished little sister.

“Phew… phew…”

“Ah… that feels wonderful. Thank you, Lady Ellie.”

As Yurasia sat cooling off, I fanned her neck and blew cooling breaths while speaking casually.

“Take a break, Yurasia. I’ll handle any monsters that appear below.”

“What? N-No! I can do it. Please rest, Lady Ellie!”

“Listen to me. This isn’t a battlefield, and twisted mana flow in an illusion can be seriously problematic.”

“…Alright, I understand.”

While she rested, I observed the others: Silina standing rigidly, Gailan sprawled on the ground, and Pina still clinging to my side.

First, Gailan. Though not as talented as Stella, she wields rare magic.

Lightning magic.

She can cast various lightning-based spells. While not particularly useful now, with proper preparation and advancement to a higher circle, she could become formidable.

Next, Silina.

Since Yurasia handled most monsters, I hadn’t seen much of Silina’s fighting, but she seemed to use her left hand for defense and right for offense.

It’s different from spear techniques.

Her movements lack the refinement of swordsmanship.

To be frank, her combat style resembles a barbarian more than a princess.

Finally, Pina.

I still can’t figure out what this squirrel can do.

Her primary skill seems to be hugging her tail and hiding her eyes whenever I look at her.

She must be in the combat division since research division students have separate classes.

But if she can’t use magic or weapons, what exactly qualified her for admission?

“This is as much of a maze as the entrance exam…” Gailan muttered.

I suppose it might seem that way.

But it’s different.

This type of illusion magic draws from its targets’ memories, meaning someone here knows every path.

Even now, both Gailan and Pina seem familiar with the academy’s layout.

Real labyrinths, however, are unknown to everyone.

Some labyrinths move, while others have teleportation triggers that transport you when you step wrong.

Those teleporting mazes are absolutely infuriating.

They’re my most hated type of labyrinth.

Regardless, illusions fundamentally differ from labyrinths.

Illusion magic can’t truly replicate a labyrinth.

That’s why Labyrinth, despite having weak innate power, rose to prominence with such unique authority.

It’s also why they never accepted black magicians among their subordinates.

That’s how much pride Labyrinth took in their authority.

“Let’s move.”

Pushing aside my thoughts, I stood.

Yurasia gripped her twisted desk leg, Gailan dusted herself off, and Silina clutched her metal scraps.

Finally, Pina tugged at my uniform as we began walking.

“Something to say?”

[May I ask you a question, Lady Eliaernes?]

…Unnecessarily formal.

“Sure.”

[How did you know this was illusion magic, Lady Eliaernes?]

“Read it in a book.”

Yurasia nodded quietly, used to my standard excuse, but the others weren’t convinced.

Silina’s reaction was particularly notable.

Her usually expressionless face now looked utterly bewildered.

“A book?”

“We have some unusual books at home.”

“…The imperial palace doesn’t have such books.”

“Eustetia does.”

Silina’s brow furrowed.

“I’d like to read them sometime.”

With that, she fell silent.

“Ha ha… wow, the Duchy of Eustetia must have quite the collection…?”

“Because it’s Eustetia.”

I wasn’t trying to flaunt my family’s status.

It’s just a convenient excuse that works in any situation.

Because Eustetia descends from heroes. Because we border the empire. Because our knights rival the imperial order.

The name carries enough weight to justify my previous life’s knowledge.

“I see…”

Gailan fell quiet, and Pina, seemingly satisfied, released my clothes.

We returned to our starting point via the rightmost stairs.

And now…

“…Impressive.”

Silina, who’d insisted on taking point, was butchering monsters.

Using scrap metal in both hands, she crushed bodies and scattered entrails everywhere.

She blocked rear attacks with her left hand, bit monster tails with her teeth, and shattered bones with her right.

Drenched in viscous monster blood, she wore a tiny, satisfied smile.

That’s when I realized.

Axes.

The princess wielded hand axes. Two of them.

Good grief.

“She’s no different from a barbarian.”

And she wasn’t even using them properly.

No technique, no skill—just wild swinging with her makeshift axes, like someone raised in the wilderness.

Exactly how northern barbarians fight.

“Gasp! Lady Ellie…! You shouldn’t say such things!”

“Eek… calling Her Highness that….”

It’s bizarre seeing Silina—petite and delicate as a hothouse flower—fight so savagely.

Who taught her this style? Was she even taught at all? If someone did teach her, how did she end up this way?

My eyebrows twitched increasingly as her monster butchering continued.

She definitely has talent. Something about her… Her instincts are razor-sharp.

Her eyesight seems exceptional. She reacts to monster attacks visually. Not moving on instinct, but truly reacting to what she sees.

Thus, there’s no thought between movements. Just pure instinct filling the gaps.

Like a beast.

“Hmm…”

Silina finished her slaughter.

She wiped monster blood from her face with a handkerchief and discarded it with surprising grace.

“Wow! The princess—I mean, Silina—you’re incredibly strong too!”

[That was amazing!!]

Even Pina, silent until now, wrote her praise with two enthusiastic exclamation points.

Yurasia observed thoughtfully, apparently noticing something in Silina’s movements.

“Yes… it was unexpected… but incredibly impressive.”

She offered praise while maintaining her contemplative expression.

Silina tied back her blood-sticky hair, looking oddly pleased at their reactions.

“Let’s continue down.”

The contrast between her recent beast-like fighting and current prim behavior was striking.

Watching her…

My fingers tingled. My throat itched. My arms twitched involuntarily, my legs tensed.

“Something to say?”

Silina tilted her head at me curiously.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

I did have something to say.

But it needed to wait until we were out of here. I couldn’t speak freely where a black magician might be watching.

Besides, she’s a princess. The Second Princess—possibly the most troublesome one. I couldn’t just tell her to her face:

That’s not how you use an axe.

She seemed proud too. Pointing it out would only cause problems.

So I shrugged and said:

“You’re doing it wrong. That’s not how you use an axe.”

You’re pretty good, though.

“Ah, damn it.”