Chapter 7
“Miss Lunaris, surely you aren't still asleep?”
At the familiar voice, my heavy eyelids finally managed to open.
Through the faint sunlight, I caught sight of the Deputy Commander.
“...Deputy Commander. Barging into a girl's room like that is a little...”
Wrapped in my blanket, I poked my face out and muttered in a flat voice.
Instead of a scream, only a languid yawn—haaam—slipped out.
Before I even had time to collect myself, the Deputy Commander was already striding up to my bed.
His expression... looked a little angry.
“Barging in? Do you know how many times we knocked outside?”
He raised his voice a little, continuing as if hurt.
“I waited outside for more than ten minutes. I came in because I was worried something might have happened.”
“...So why did you come here?”
The Deputy Commander looked at me as if baffled, then cleared his throat.
Then he suddenly pulled something out.
“As for the entrance exam last time, you did exceptionally well.”
One, two, three, and four.
A total of four sheets of paper fluttered in his hand.
At the center of each one was stamped a silver seal.
“Would I say it was beyond expectations? No, that's not right. It's more accurate to say that's just like Miss Lunaris.”
“Well... that's how it turned out. Sorry. I should have paid a little more attention.”
“Haha, apologies? Are you disappointed you didn't get full marks in every category?”
“...?”
What is he talking about this time?
“You'd be the only one in academy history to get the highest score ever and then say that.”
“...???”
Oh?
Perfect scores in every category?
The highest score in academy history?
Something about what he was saying felt off, and before I knew it, my head tilted to the side.
With my long hair hanging down below the bed, I made a face that said I honestly had no idea what he was talking about.
The Deputy Commander began explaining with a slightly excited expression.
“Miss Lunaris, do you know what the silver seal stamped on this envelope means?”
I gave a small shake of my head.
I had no clue at all, so I quietly shook my head.
“It's the seal stamped when an academy dean personally wants to interview an applicant.”
“...The dean personally?”
“Yes. And there are four of them. The deans of the other four faculties, excluding Swordsmanship, all want to see Miss Lunaris in person.”
“Wait... wait a second.”
I had definitely scribbled all sorts of things on the test paper.
But it was more like I had just written down whatever came to mind than actually solving the problems.
...Apparently, all of it had been the correct answers.
“Well, the problems may have been too easy for Miss Lunaris.”
“No, I mean...”
“You should've toned it down a bit so the other applicants wouldn't be discouraged. Haha!”
“Something's definitely wrong...”
“Then again, talent is something you can't hide even if you try.”
A sigh escaped me before I knew it.
Still, it was better than botching the entrance exam.
I decided to think of it as a good thing.
*
The interview date was set quickly.
That was because the academy's deans had requested to see me as soon as possible.
I came to the interview room alone.
The Deputy Commander offered to assign one of the off-duty imperial mages as an escort, but I refused immediately.
It was obvious I'd only get more tired if I got tangled up in something unnecessary.
But when I actually arrived, it seemed all the other applicants had brought escorts.
“Next applicant, Miss Erma Brackburn. Please come inside.”
At the guide's businesslike voice, everyone in the waiting room except me rose to their feet in a rush.
The boy gave instructions to the people around him in a trembling voice.
Soon, the attendants moved in perfect unison.
There were just two knights and three servants.
Counting the other attendants, there were easily more than ten people.
All those people swarmed out of the waiting room.
“Goodness.”
I was left alone in the empty waiting room, staring blankly as the group moved away.
...They brought that many people just to come for an interview?
I never would have imagined that among all those people here, the only applicants were me and that person.
“It's quiet now.”
I closed my eyes, thinking I'd take a nap until my name was called, but before long the door opened again.
Half-opening my eyes, I peeked and saw a girl entering with several times more people than the group that had just left.
The waiting room was packed in an instant, and I frowned without meaning to.
This is a bit... too much. I thought a royal had come for an interview.
I wasn't particularly interested, and I didn't want to get involved, so I closed my eyes again and nodded off.
Then, right beside me, a gentle voice brushed my ear.
“You look pretty tired.”
I turned my head slightly with sleepy eyes.
Before I knew it, a radiant girl who looked to be my age was sitting beside me.
“I haven't slept much.”
The moment I answered in a flat voice, the knight standing behind the girl suddenly raised his voice.
“How insolent! Do you even know who this person is to dare that kind of attitude—!”
“It's fine, stop.”
The girl stopped the knight with a gesture and said in a firm voice.
The knight reluctantly shut his mouth and stepped back.
What kind of person, indeed. She must be someone very important and high-ranking.
Naturally, it had nothing to do with me.
“Well, I suppose it makes sense not to sleep the night before an interview. I spent all last night wide awake myself.”
“Ah, no, it's not that... I just usually take my nap around this time...”
“...What?”
“I'm so sleepy I could die, and being forced to come out here honestly puts me in a bad mood. Haaam.”
“You don't seem nervous at all. Did you prepare a lot for the interview?”
“Not really. More importantly, is an interview really such a big deal that I should be nervous?”
I made it very clear I was annoyed, but she didn't seem offended.
If anything, she burst into a bright laugh as if she found something especially amusing.
“Which faculty are you planning to enter?”
“Well, the Magic Faculty.”
It was not a question, but a certainty.
That made sense enough, since the ash-gray witch in the original story had been in the Magic Faculty too.
“Ah! I thought so. I'm planning to enter the Magic Faculty too, so taking classes together sounds like it would be really fun.”
Only then did I properly look at her face.
She was striking, with sunlit golden hair and clear, translucent light-purple eyes.
“...What?”
It was definitely a face I'd never seen before.
And yet I felt a familiarity, as if I'd seen her somewhere before...
“Could it be... someone I know...?”
I was just about to ask her, feeling a tiny bit curious.
“Next applicant, Miss Lunaris Evermoon. Please come inside.”
Suddenly, the waiting room door opened and the guide's voice rang out.
I stood up with a sigh.
My stiff, locked knees creaked with a groan, aaagh!
Interview or not, I needed to get this over with and go back to bed.
With that exhausted look on my face, I headed toward the interview room, and the girl behind me quietly spoke up.
“Then I'll see you in the classroom next time.”
“I'm not sure.”
Honestly, I didn't think we'd have much chance to run into each other in class.
I'd only attend enough to avoid repeating the year, and if I did show up once in a while, I planned to sleep through the entire class.
But if I was right.
If she really was one of the characters from the original story.
I thought we might end up crossing paths more often than expected.
*
“She's quite an interesting person.”
The third princess, Celestina Belhardt, recalled the girl who had just disappeared beyond the door.
At first glance, she looked completely naïve.
Her tone was dripping with annoyance, and with her eyes half-closed, she looked exhausted.
She was practically full of openings, and yet Princess Celestina felt something off about that languid look.
“Lunaris Evermoon, huh...”
Recently, there had been a rumor quietly circulating through the imperial palace.
That the deputy commander of the Imperial Mage Corps had brought in a girl said to be the youngest archmage in imperial history.
Someone with exactly the same name had just been sitting beside her until moments ago and then left the room.
Though they had only exchanged a few words, that was enough for her to be certain.
That she was undeniably gifted.
That she was someone who exuded specialness from head to toe.
“Your Highness, why did you stop me?”
The royal guard standing behind Princess Celestina spoke cautiously.
“To teach that rude person what manners are...”
“This is the academy, isn't it? I didn't come here looking for special treatment.”
Princess Celestina gave a light shake of her head.
“But she hasn't even been admitted yet, has she? She should have shown the proper courtesy due to royalty.”
“In any case, that person probably didn't even know who I was.”
Even if she'd known I was a princess, her attitude wouldn't have changed.
Princess Celestina smiled softly.
“Ah, it would be wonderful if I could make her mine.”
The smiling face was thoroughly calculating.
As for why Princess Celestina had specifically come to Elterion Academy...
The first, of course, was to get away from the power struggles in the imperial palace.
But more than that, she also wanted to place the 'future of the empire,' still untouched by anyone's hands, under her control.
In that regard, Lunaris was the most coveted talent.
She didn't know why someone with talent that was practically already complete had come to the academy.
What was certain was that she held overwhelming value.
Still, it wouldn't be easy.
Watching Lunaris made her think of a cat.
A lazy stray cat that hated being touched by human hands.
So, first things first, getting close to her.
Fortunately, there was plenty of time.
She had four whole years, after all. She could get to know her slowly.
Then the waiting room door opened, and a group of people came in.
“P-Princess?!”
Unlike Lunaris, they recognized noble blood at a glance and immediately bowed.
But Princess Celestina only gave a slight nod.
She didn't seem particularly interested in them.
It was quite a different look from when she had spoken to Lunaris first.