The Academy’s Queen (2)

* * *

Three more years had passed.

It was a slightly late hour. The sun was setting, painting the land in crimson hues.

Cecilia took a short breath, “Huu,” feeling the cool air brush against her cheeks.

“If you’re scared, just don’t say anything. The Student Council President can’t be fooled by lies because of the ‘Eye of Azathoth’.”

The Astra General Assembly.

The headquarters of the Student Council and the highest authority in Astra, where the Student Disciplinary Committee was located.

An ordinary student wouldn’t even be able to set foot here, but Cecilia had been here a few times. Once when applying to be a member of the Student Council, and once when having a private conversation with the Vice President.

The two spoke as they approached the General Assembly.

“Evil becomes powerless before the truth. I’m confident.”

“Breaking the wrists of nobles is also the truth.”

“Heeing. That was self-defense!”

“Yes, yes. I’m sure it was. Anyway, the Disciplinary Committee has independent discretion, but it basically follows the Imperial Law. You know what I mean, right?”

There was a reduction of punishment based on social status.

Even if the same crime was committed, the crime a noble committed against a commoner and the crime a commoner committed against a noble were judged differently.

The groundwork had already been laid, but I didn’t know what kind of ruling the Student Council President would make using this as an excuse.

The crime of the eight nobles was violence against commoners. On the other hand, Aileen’s was unilateral violence against nobles. If you only consider the severity of the crime, Aileen’s would be higher.

Cecilia frowned at the bizarre system of ‘expulsion or condonement’ and said.

“Aileen. The way for you to live is to be judged that the crime does not warrant expulsion.”

Since there was a reduction based on social status, if the perpetrator’s status was higher than the victim’s, there was a high probability that the perpetrator would be favored.

Or, the victim might ‘forgive’ the perpetrator for fear of additional retaliation.

“Be forgiven, or be reduced.”

Receive forgiveness made up of fear and intimidation.

Or, crush them with the power built on the corpses of the weak.

“If we’re just talking about status, I’m the highest, you know?”

“…If you want to live quietly, I recommend not revealing your family name. I guarantee you’ll get hundreds of letters a day.”

“Ugh, these dirty bourgeois―….”

Cecilia.

After receiving a letter from Hairak, I was able to find out Aileen’s identity, who had 배일’s signature.

And surprisingly, it was all true.

The fact that she was friends with an Elf, and that she was a descendant of Lushellini.

Lushellini had Hairak standing firm, and there was a possibility of remarriage, so at best she would be a distant relative, but Lecante was a new family, so there was no successor.

Therefore, according to what Hairak told me, Aileen was Lecante’s only legitimate daughter.

‘Lecante is the key.’

Due to the curse of Barpheugos, the Demon of War, large-scale conflicts were limited. The only ways to cause armed conflict were through battles between small elites or through clashes using weapons of mass destruction.

Among them, Aurornite and Golems were the most commonly used. Unlike mages who destroyed an excessively wide area, knights and Golems could pinpoint and devastate only the desired areas.

Well, everything had its pros and cons, but Golems in particular were capable of both offense and defense, and they didn’t fall into the category of ‘living beings’, so they could avoid the curse and boast powerful firepower at the same time.

However, Lecante was the only place where non-living means of force―’Golems’―were as common as pebbles on the street. It wasn’t like the quality of the Golems was low either. Higher quality Golems than even the Dwarven Empire, or anywhere else in the world.

Aileen was a key that had not yet been revealed. A key that could overturn the balance divided between the 3rd Prince and the 4th Prince once more. But Aileen herself only knew it as a powerful family, so it was frustrating.

‘I don’t want to be a spy, but…’

In front of a woman’s resentment, family was meaningless. Cecilia slowly planned to devour the Marquis family. At least 5 years. Or it could take more than 10 years, but it was okay. If I swallowed that damn family, it would finally be light.

‘Should I kill my father? No. If I suddenly poison him without any allies… I could be suspected. First, I need to win over the spy.’

“Haaam―.”

Unaware that I was planning patricide right next to her, she yawned. Aileen was just feeling drowsy.

“Ah― Mel― Da―?”

I poked Amelda’s cheek, who was deep in thought, stroking her chin. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t react at all.

“Se― Sil―!”

When I raised my voice, she finally flinched.

“Ah, sorry. I was thinking about something.”

“What were you thinking about? Maybe, a muffin recipe?”

“Hehe… That’s right. I’m thinking of mixing mint and chocolate today.”

Ugh.

Aileen frowned, saying that was a bit much.

“Well, it’s quite a bizarre combination. If we get back safely, you can eat a lot of your favorite chocolate muffins, so look forward to it.”

“―Really? How many? How many?”

“The ingredients I ordered came this time. Five grain containers. You can eat them all day long.”

Aileen’s eyes sparkled.

It wasn’t that there were no desserts in the cafeteria, but the portions were small and there were difficulties in eating ‘as much as you want’. And the taste wasn’t great either.

But Cecilia’s exclusive maid, Lena, was a professional patissier who had passed the most difficult Level 1 patissier exam in the Empire. The taste and quality were comparable to what I ate in Lecante.

“Uuuuum! We’re going to be late. Should we go quickly?”

She became impatient.

I felt good thinking about eating muffins.

Cecilia smiled contentedly as she looked at Aileen, who was excited like a child.

“It’s okay. It’s always more advantageous to attend at the last minute. If we walk slowly for about forty minutes and arrive, it’ll be perfect.”

“Justice is one step ahead of evil!”

“Yes? Ah, wait a minute…!”

Cecilia hurriedly stepped back as Aileen approached her with large strides.

“Th, that. W, wait―”

“――Spirits of the wind.”

Hwiing―! Fallen leaves and soil were swept away by the wind, and soon purely refined wind gathered under her feet.

Aileen lifted her heels and floated briefly, then picked up Cecilia and held her in her arms.

• Poljjak.

And jump.

“Kya, Kyaaaaak――?!!”

Huuung! Her hair was disheveled and scattered. Cecilia was terrified by the increased field of vision in the blink of an eye and struggled. But Aileen just laughed and didn’t let go of Cecilia.

Cecilia, who was being held in a princess carry, said, trembling her chin.

“Are you crazy――?!!!”

“―It’s okay!”

“I’m not okay, w, wait! There’s a branch in front―!!”

A large branch was standing firmly.

Cecilia screamed, knowing that she would definitely hit it if she went on like this.

“―Heeng!”

It was laughable.

This kind of obstacle was no obstacle to Aileen, the honorary Elf.

• Huung!

I created a foothold in the air and did a double jump.

“Kyaaaik!!!”

―Kung!

My body shook as I stepped on the foothold. Cecilia hugged Aileen’s neck tightly, afraid of falling.

“B, be careful―!!”

Aileen liked being hit by the wind like this. The air was already stuffy. She had to feel the coolness like this to be satisfied. When I was in Lecante, I ran back and forth to Kardrasil every day, so I had said everything.

Cecilia, who was caught up in this excessive consumption of stamina, was dying, but paradoxically, she felt a sense of comfort.

The warmth of nature that I felt as I pressed my body closer. When I smelled the scent flowing from her hair, my nose cleared. Aileen was a living refreshing agent.

“Heuum, heum. Heuum….”

“What’s wrong―? Are you scared―? Should I put you down―?”

Aileen asked, feeling a strange warmth as I unconsciously buried my nose in her neck.

Cecilia was startled and quickly raised her head.

“Ah, it’s not―! Look ahead―!”

“Yeah―! There’s not much left―! I’ll go in one go―!”

“I, in one go―?!”

There wasn’t much left.

Aileen gathered Mana in her legs and strengthened her muscles. Then I created a large foothold in the air. Geometric patterns emitted a beautiful light and spread.

“Wow….”

A magic circle spread like constellations.

Cecilia was mesmerized by this beautiful sight, but she snapped back to her senses at Aileen’s shout.

“Heeup―!”

When I stepped on the magic circle located in the center, five new magic circles spread in all directions.

Chain Star.

It bound and confined the stars.

―Hwaaaaak! Brilliant light descended on the crimson land where the darkness had fallen, and the magic circles began to align. The magic circles connected by light formed an elaborate pentagram.

Aileen accepted the star energy flowing from the central magic circle without filtering it. Beonjjeok. Aileen’s eyes shone gold. The golden hair hidden inside sparkled as it received the starlight.

“Kya, Kyaaaaak――!!!!”

And it soared.

A meteor shower drawing an upward curve.

It broke through the clouds, drawing the trajectory of a star.

“H, hic.”

That, that’s a cloud, right? Crazy. Cecilia cursed inwardly. No matter how magical it was, it was difficult to climb to this height, and there was no need to climb. Cecilia was speechless at the height where she couldn’t even breathe.

Aileen shouted with an excited face.

“Ready!”

The preparation was over. Now all that was left was to go down at the fastest speed. Aileen enjoyed the cooler and clearer air than ever before and shouted with a happy face.

“Let’s go――!!!”

―Kwaaaaa!

It plunged down, wrapped in flashing light.

“Hey, hey. What’s that in the sky?”

“…Shooting star?”

“What’s going on. Should I make a wish?”

The trajectory of the star was clearly visible even from the distant dormitory.

The students were puzzled by the shooting star that fell before it was even night.

“Student Council President-nim. What is that?”

“If it’s something trivial, shut up.”

“What a temper. That’s why at that age―”

“Eum.”

“Ah. Please. Don’t hold the spear. Instead of that spear, would you like to look at the window over there?”

The Student Council members gathered in the Disciplinary Committee also tilted their heads at the early shooting star.

“Shooting star?”

“Yes. It’s a shooting star.”

“It’s a strange thing, but to show me just that…”

“Isn’t that falling towards us?”

“That’s right.”

―What do you mean ‘that’s right’.

Just as the Vice President was about to run out in horror, the Student Council President dyed his right eye blue and said.

“It’s a student.”

“Yes? That thing? Are you sure you haven’t hurt your head?”

“Responding to attendance, they are coming here.”

“….”

But the President never lied. The Vice President adjusted his glasses and went outside.

And there.

“Hello――!!”

It was a student.

“Kyaaaaaaaak――!!!”

Two of them.