Why Are You Here?

“What? You, Lady Elis?”

“Yes. You look quite desperate. Besides, if you really get held back, it would interfere with your revenge.”

“….I’m touched! Lady Elis, may I hug you just once?”

“….What are you saying. That’s disgusting.”

Having someone intensively teach me would be an enormous gain for me.

Unlike regular classes designed to improve the grades of as many students as possible, a more personalized tutoring-like class would focus solely on promoting my understanding.

“By the way, Lady Elis, if it’s not too impertinent, may I ask about your academic standing?”

“Written exams? Hmm…. I don’t particularly care about grades so I don’t remember exactly, but I think I was within the top 10.”

“Top 10?! I’m not lying, that’s amazing. I didn’t know you were so knowledgeable, Lady Elis.”

At my praise, Elis just shrugged and answered.

“As someone who will have to govern many citizens, it’s natural to acquire….”

In the middle of speaking, her expression gradually hardened, and darkness fell over her face.

Perhaps she was reminded of her family.

“Haha, don’t worry, Lady Elis. You have me, don’t you? I’ll repay you doubly for helping me this time.”

“….That’s right. Yes, thank you for saying that.”

When I offered words of comfort, thankfully the darkness on her face subsided a little.

“Then where shall we meet tomorrow?”

“How about a café? If we have a lesson while conversing in the library, it might inconvenience the people who normally use it.”

“A café sounds good. Then let’s meet at the café in the building in front of the library. Starting in the morning is too early, so around 12 o’clock. Eat lunch before you come.”

“That’s a good idea. Then enjoy your snack!”

“Yes. I’ll enjoy my snack.”

With those final words, Elis turned around.

My, even though her words are a bit cold, she’s a kind-hearted child on the inside…

“Sion.”

“Yes? Did you call me?”

Just as I was about to return to the dormitory, Elis stopped me.

What is it, does she have something else to say?

“You. Is it true that you’re 1-star?”

“Umm… yes, that’s correct.”

“….When did you start receiving professional training?”

Hmm, this body. When did Sion start training?

Since I don’t have information about Sion before the academy days, I can’t say for sure.

Let me make a rough guess?

In the story, Chloe, one of the heroines, mentioned that she started training from around age 10… so I think Sion might have started training from a similar time.

“Since I lost my memory, I don’t know in detail, but my half-sibling Lady Chloe said that most noble children usually start training from about age 10, so I guess I started around that time too?”

“If it’s from age 10…. 7 years have passed.”

Elis held her chin and remained silent for a moment as if pondering something.

“No matter how I think about it, it’s strange. Even someone without much talent would reach 2-star in 4 years, staying at 1-star for 7 years is….”

Hmm, when you think about it, that’s certainly true.

I’ve been so focused on practicing traits and class skills that I haven’t thought about raising my star level.

‘Considering the training I’ve done so far, I should have reached 2-star long ago.’

But I’m still at 1-star.

‘….Does Sion have some kind of disease?’

A frightening diagnosis flashed through my mind for a moment.

Magic Storage Disability, a condition where the ability to store magic in the body is abnormally reduced.

There are two main characteristics of this disease.

First, no matter how hard the patient tries, even for a lifetime, they cannot escape their current level.

And the second characteristic is…..

‘They die young before reaching the age of 20.’

Historically, those with Magic Storage Disability all met their deaths at a young age.

But I am not suffering from Magic Storage Disability. I can be certain of this.

‘When a character had Magic Storage Disability before, it was indicated in the status.’

But now there’s no mention of Magic Storage Disability in my status, no matter how carefully I look.

In other words, my remaining at 1-star is not due to Magic Storage Disability.

‘Is it because Sion is the child of a black magician…? No, that’s not it either.’

This doesn’t make sense either, because in this world, black magicians don’t refer to those who use grand magic classified separately as black magic.

Black magicians refer to criminals who unhesitatingly commit inhumane acts that are not tolerated by the state in the process of developing their magic.

In other words, Sion’s mother is just a criminal, not someone who embraces dark magic powers to use black magic or anything like that.

Therefore, the fact that Sion’s mother is a black magician does not explain why my level doesn’t progress beyond 1-star.

‘….What could it be?’

No matter how much I try to reason it out, I can’t come up with a suitable answer.

I firmly resolved to get a serious diagnosis later.

“Well, if I keep trying, maybe it will improve someday?”

“Get a diagnosis somewhere later.”

“Since Lady Elis says so, I will. Then I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Yes, see you tomorrow.”

After waving goodbye to Elis, I turn around and continue toward the dormitory.

“I’m lucky. To receive tutoring from Lady Elis.”

With the vague hope that the brilliant Elis might be able to make even this rigid brain solve problems, as I moved my steps, the books seemed to feel lighter somehow.

“Strange. The you in my memory wasn’t someone who wandered around with books at this late hour.”

Just as I was heading to the dormitory, once again I heard the familiar voice of someone.

“Lady Charlotte? Haha, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Didn’t we meet in class today?”

Charlotte slightly narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she asked.

“That’s how happy I am to see Lady Charlotte. Were you on your way somewhere?”

“The library. There’s a book I want to borrow.”

“Hmm, certainly, if you regularly exercise by walking like this, it will reduce the stress you’ll receive from your diet in the future.”

“….I’m not fat.”

Charlotte stared at me with a cold gaze and muttered.

“Oh? I don’t think I ever said Lady Charlotte was fat…. aren’t you over-interpreting?”

“That’s…. true. Haa, nevermind. Let’s stop talking about this topic. So what were you doing?”

Charlotte quickly changed the subject.

Honestly, I could tease her more, but if I tease her further, I might receive another dimensional gap sky tour like before, so let’s stop here.

“I was on my way to the dormitory after borrowing books from the library.”

“Borrowing books? You?”

“I have to take an additional exam. I definitely listened to the classes diligently, but nothing seems to remain in my head. As Lady Charlotte knows, knowledge from Earth isn’t very useful for the exams here.”

I answered while casually scratching the back of my head.

“Hmm…. certainly. Since it hasn’t even been half a year since you were possessed here, there’s no way you could understand the classes. Yes, I understand. What happens if you fail the additional exam too?”

“I believe I would have to retake the course.”

“If you fail this additional exam… that would be troublesome. It means you’ll lose time to grow as much as you retake the class.”

“That’s right. So I’m trying my best not to fail the additional exam…. but honestly, I’m not sure if I can solve it well.”

“Shall I help you?”

“You mean Lady Charlotte?”

Charlotte nodded and answered.

“Yes. It’s quite troublesome for me if your time to grow disappears.”

“Oh, I didn’t know Lady Charlotte valued me that much.”

“As I’ve said many times, listen to people all the way through, you immature brat.”

Charlotte sighed deeply and tousled her hair.

“As you know, Jeremy, who was supposed to take the role of the protagonist, is not visible at the academy right now. So that vacancy needs to be filled by transmigrators like you and me. Otherwise, this world will surely…. meet a terrible end.”

“Hmm, certainly Lady Charlotte’s argument is valid. Unless someone fills Jeremy’s vacancy, the villains will run wild freely.”

“Yes. So I’ll help you study….”

“But it’s alright. My friend said they would help me study.”

Charlotte’s expression suddenly hardened.

“…..Friend? Are you talking about Sheena?”

“No. I have a newly made friend called Lady Elis. When I told her the situation, she gladly offered to help. We agreed to study at the café in front of the library at noon tomorrow.”

“….You have a friend other than Sheena?”

“That’s a bit hurtful. Even I can make friends, you know?”

Charlotte’s expression showed no signs of softening.

“Something seems strange. You, since when have you been meeting her?”

“I first met her on the first day of school.”

“That would be before you received the blessing, so she didn’t approach you because of your name value….. Ah, could it be.”

Charlotte’s eyes suddenly lit up and she asked.

“Is she a demon?”

“Wh-what?”

Wait, how did she know?

“Sion was originally a character who was supposed to contract with Letios and become a Mein. But you twisted that fate.”

“Th-that’s right?”

“They would want to turn you into a Mein, if only to not waste the sunk cost of Letios. So they deliberately approached you through a demon called Elis who had infiltrated beforehand to turn you into a Mein.”

If I had heard this without knowing anything, it might have seemed like a plausible conjecture, but I already know the whole truth.

And I can’t tell that truth to Charlotte.

‘Charlotte thinks I’m a novel transmigrator like her.’

And the fact that Elis is the princess of the Trahan Kingdom was not mentioned even once in the novel.

It’s knowledge that can only be accessed through the game. If Charlotte were to find out that I know such knowledge…. the trust I’ve regained could be shattered again.

“That…. could be possible, but it’s not a very likely story.”

“Yes. But it’s not entirely impossible. Can you trust this person called Elis?”

“Haha, well. I’d rather not suspect a newly made friend, but.”

“In other words, you’ll remain friends.”

Charlotte said, twirling her hair with her finger.

“Anyway, she’s going to tutor you?”

“Yes, that’s right. She said she would make time during her golden weekend.”

“…..Is she good at studying?”

“She told me she ranks around 10th in the school.”

“That could be a lie.”

“Given her personality, I don’t think she would lie. She’s the type of person who says she dislikes something if she dislikes it, and likes something if she likes it.”

Charlotte’s expression grew darker, and then she responded with a trembling smile.

“…..Is that so? That’s good. Then you two do well. I’m going now.”

“Yes. Have a good weekend.”

Charlotte quickly walked past me.

As I was about to head to the dormitory, I turned around, concerned about the face Charlotte had shown, but she was nowhere to be seen.

---

The next day dawned.

I woke up in time for the appointment, cleaned myself, had a light lunch, and headed to the café we had agreed upon.

Elis had arrived earlier and was waiting for me.

After ordering some drinks and snacks and bringing them back, I sat at the table and slowly opened my mouth.

“Well. I’m thinking of starting to study now.”

Then I looked at the person sitting next to me, tilted my head, and asked.

“….May I ask why Lady Charlotte is here?”

Why are you here?