Chapter 5
“The former Commander of Evermoon always felt it was a shame. After devoting everything to the empire, he always said it still wasn’t enough.”
“...”
“It would have been wonderful if he’d had a family too, but he spent his whole life clinging only to magic and never even got married.”
The Deputy Commander’s eyes grew a little moist.
“Ah... ahh...”
My own eyes grew moist too.
No wonder... There was a reason he became the empire’s greatest mage...
“Still, in his later years, he ended up with a wonderful granddaughter and disciple like Miss Lunaris, so I can’t help but feel relieved. I’m sure the former Commander would have been very proud.”
“Um, I don’t think I’m that extraordinary of a mage, though.”
I said, twisting my words as modestly as possible.
“Honestly, I’m sure the empire is full of people far more motivated and talented than I am.”
It was the same move I’d used last time to send the lord away.
But my opponent was, as expected, not easy to deal with.
“Haha! Sure, there are plenty of motivated people. But I dare say there are very few in the empire more talented than Miss Lunaris.”
He even went on about how the average newcomer to the Imperial Mage Corps can barely cast advanced magic.
And that the former Commander of Evermoon, who was notoriously picky about what he saw, had chosen her in the first place was proof enough.
The Deputy Commander had preemptively shut down every excuse I’d prepared.
“Sigh. Deputy Commander, I’ll be honest with you. I absolutely hate troublesome things like that.”
Seeing I wasn’t getting anywhere, I just lay flat on the bed.
If you don’t like it, then try dragging me there by force!
“I understand that feeling well. Anyone dreams of freedom when they’re young.”
The Deputy Commander slowly looked around the room.
He smiled softly at the books floating in midair, the cauldron simmering away, and me sprawled out on the bed.
“A life of leisurely research in a forest with no one else around... honestly, I’m a little envious.”
“However, Miss Lunaris.”
He paused briefly, looking at me steadily, his gaze full of meaning.
“You won’t be able to stay comfortably in this forest forever. Something more troublesome may come along before long.”
“Something troublesome?”
“Rumors about Miss Lunaris have already begun to spread.”
...Already?
“The mages of the Magic Tower and the Imperial Court have taken an interest in the ‘young witch who single-handedly wiped out a wyvern pack.’”
He said that before long, other mages, the military, and even the imperial family would come looking for Miss Lunaris.
He even said they might be a little more heavy-handed than he was, which was practically a threat.
Of course, that wouldn’t work on me either.
“Fine, then I’ll just go to another country.”
At my half-joking, half-serious remark, the Deputy Commander burst out laughing.
“I don’t think Miss Lunaris would make that choice.”
“Why not?”
“Because you hate troublesome things, don’t you?”
Before I knew it, I snorted out a laugh.
This guy knows me way too well.
“So, I’d like to propose a very realistic fallback plan for Miss Lunaris.”
The Deputy Commander leaned forward and gave a slight smile.
As if to say this was the real point.
“How would you like to spend about four years at Elterion Academy in the Imperial Capital instead of spending your whole life in the Imperial Mage Corps?”
Four years had replaced a lifetime.
If I thought only about the time I had left to live, this was a shockingly good deal—more than 90 percent off.
If I’d known nothing, I might have been tempted just a little.
But for me, who knew this world all too well, it was the worst possible offer.
It wasn’t just any place—it was Elterion Academy, where trouble and accidents were guaranteed to happen.
A whole building getting blown up was nothing unusual.
And in the latter half, he wants me to walk straight into the place where a cursed dragon goes berserk?
Besides, <The Academy’s Tenacious Mage> was still an unfinished novel.
There was no doubt all kinds of horrific things had happened after the last serialized chapter I read.
“I’d rather enter the imperial palace than the academy, honestly...”
“Oh! So you’re really going to join the Imperial Mage Corps?”
“No, I just meant it like that.”
At my firm reaction, the Deputy Commander asked with a puzzled look.
“That’s strange. Is there a reason you don’t want to go to the academy? In my opinion, I can’t think of a better deal.”
“On the contrary, I’d like to ask you. Why are you trying to send me to Elterion Academy? What are you trying to make me do there?”
“Nothing in particular, though...”
The Deputy Commander opened the topic like that, then gave an awkward cough.
“Actually, Her Highness the Third Princess is scheduled to enroll at Elterion Academy this year.”
“If you mean the Third Princess...?”
“Princess Celestina Velhart.”
“Cough!”
I choked on a name that was far too familiar.
Celestina Velhart.
Known to readers as Princess Senpai.
How could I not know her—the main heroine of <The Academy’s Tenacious Mage> and a core member of the protagonist’s party?
Her sweet yet capable older-sister character was especially charming, which left a strong impression on me.
So that was when that princess was entering Elterion Academy.
The murky timeline became clear in an instant.
Princess Celestina is one year older than the protagonist, Kyle, so this was about a year before the original story’s events.
With a complicated expression, the Deputy Commander spoke to me again as I pondered.
“So what I’d like to ask of Miss Lunaris is simple. Please enroll at Elterion Academy.”
“...”
“Take whichever classes you want and pursue whatever research you like. Just check in once in a while to make sure the Third Princess is doing well at academy life and isn’t in danger, and that’s enough.”
My head was already throbbing.
So basically, he was asking me to protect the princess.
“Being the princess’s escort is a bit much for me.”
“Haha, that’s not it. She already has several official bodyguards, so Miss Lunaris wouldn’t need to take on the escort role either.”
“Then why insist on dragging me in as well?”
“If I had to put it bluntly, I’d call it a kind of insurance.”
As he said that, an unnatural smile appeared on the Deputy Commander’s lips.
As expected, I had to refuse.
Going to Elterion Academy itself is a problem; getting tangled up with a protagonist-level figure is an even bigger problem.
A novel is best enjoyed from afar while munching on popcorn.
Experiencing it yourself isn’t fun at all.
Above all, I couldn’t let go of the bed life I’d managed to protect for seven years, not six...!
Then, a scene from the original story suddenly flashed through my mind.
Among the many incidents Kyle and his companions faced, some were absurdly huge in scale.
Whenever I’d click my tongue and say even grit couldn’t handle this, that there was really no hope left.
Somewhere, a cheat-code-like figure would pop up and sort things out all at once with overwhelming magic.
Some people even cursed in the comments about how contrived and convenient that was, but that cheat-code character was surprisingly popular.
Her real name never showed up in the end.
Instead, she was called ‘the Top Student,’ or ‘the Ashen Witch.’
A quiet oddball with a sharp temper who wouldn’t even meet most people’s eyes.
Still, she did, on very rare occasions, talk with Princess Celestina...
Oh?
Suddenly, my eyes caught the full-length mirror set in one corner of the room.
An advanced mage with ash-gray hair down to her waist was staring at me with a blank expression.
...and if I added being one of Princess Celestina’s associates to the mix.
“Damn it, sh...!”
Cold sweat streamed down my back.
I had definitely believed I was just Village Girl A, who didn’t even get a name in the original story.
I had thought that hopeless academy life would have nothing to do with me...
But it turned out I was the cheat-code character in an academy story, the one who handled the protagonist party’s dirty work.
No wonder magic was so easy. It was all because I was born with it.
I squeezed my eyes shut and wiped my face with both hands.
If I wasn’t there.
Kyle, that fragile little protagonist with nothing but grit and a sense of justice, would surely be crushed by all sorts of unfair nonsense and die before he could even properly grow.
Then there’d be no one left to stop the disasters that would unfold in the latter half of the story.
It was painfully clear that all those troublesome matters would come back to me in an even more troublesome form.
Sigh...
I was screwed.
Hwaaaah...!
There was no way I could avoid enrolling.
Gyaaaah!!
...Miss Lunaris?!
In the end, there had never been a choice to begin with.
*
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d opened my eyes before the sun did.
The forest, just beginning to dawn, was damp with dew.
The morning breeze was quite chilly, but there was just the faintest hint of spring in it.
I’m really going...
A sigh slipped out before I knew it.
I wasn’t attached to this hut, but now that I was actually leaving, a strange emptiness settled in my chest.
I wonder if I’ll come back in four years.
Of course, I might come back during vacation, but I didn’t think I’d make the long trip back and forth just to go through the hassle.
I slowly looked around the room one more time.
My gaze lingered especially long on the bed. Seeing the mattress with its center sunken from how long I’d been lying on it made me smile bitterly for no reason.
If I could take it to the academy, that would be wonderful.
Bringing a personal bed into the dorms... that’s probably impossible.
More than that, how was I even supposed to carry such a huge bed? It’s not like there’s a moving company here.
I put more strength into the bag in my hand.
That old travel bag was all I had.
Inside it were only a few sets of clothes and one classic literature book I’d been enjoying.
I hadn’t packed a single necessity.
I’d just buy whatever I needed with the imperial budget.
Thinking of it as spending my grandfather’s inheritance, I didn’t feel the slightest pang of guilt.
The last thing I hugged to my chest was my beloved pillow, one I’d used for a very long time.
Whatever else, I can’t leave this behind.
It accounts for 90 percent of my sound sleep—an incredibly precious treasure.
I turned my back on the hut and walked slowly along the forest path.
When I reached the village entrance, more people than I expected had come out to see me off.
There were quite a few faces I was seeing for the first time.
Most of the familiar faces were people I’d only seen a couple of times.
I can count the people I’ve actually talked to on one hand.
“Luna, honestly, you don’t really want to go to the Imperial Capital, do you?”
That was when one of the villagers spoke up cautiously.
“This happened because you went out of your way to protect us, after all...”
“Hey, it’s not like I’m being dragged off somewhere. I’m going to Elterion Academy, the place everyone’s dying to get into.”
This is a step up, you know?
Trying to act casual, I joked around, and a small laugh spread among the villagers.
Then Ria came toward me from afar, leaning on a crutch.
“I never thought Big Sis Luna would be heading to the Imperial Capital before me.”
Her cheerful voice was mixed with worry and regret.
“Yeah. I never thought I’d end up leaving the village either.”
I said that while trying my best to act like it was nothing, but I couldn’t hide the regret dripping from my voice.
“Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real. I kind of want to go back to bed right now...”
My complaint drew a light laugh from the villagers.
But Ria alone stopped laughing and started sniffing.
“I wonder if you’ll even manage to eat properly without me...”
Watching her expression, like tears might spill any second, made the tip of my nose sting too.
“If you’re worried about me, then hurry up and come to the academy too.”
“Come make desserts for me.”
“And while you’re at it, help me with my work too.”
“...”
“Make sure you keep applying the medicine I gave you, and practice your swordsmanship hard too.”
“Okay, sis.”
Ria collapsed into my arms and, before long, burst into tears.
“Big Sis Lunaaa... Thank you, sniff! I-I’ll miss youuu...”
I kept rubbing Ria’s back and forcing myself to smile brightly until the carriage the Deputy Commander had brought arrived in the village.