Chapter 7: 6

Savage Fang – Volume 1 Chapter 6: My New Life

Some days have passed since I became a student.

To summarize it, I have been enjoying my time at the Academy more than I expected.

There were classes on a wide variety of subjects, such as modern affairs or magical studies. Etiquette class was easily the most boring, but analyzing current events was interesting. Classes on magic were the most useful, but studying and learning more about magic had been my original goal in the first place.

In my past life, I put most of my efforts into devising countermeasures against magic and its users; because I was completely unable to use magic, I saw no point in learning how it was used. Now that I had a reason to learn, I was finding it all to be quite interesting.

So my classes were fun, and overall this school life of mine was surprisingly not bad at all.

“Lady Mylene! Could I join you for lunch?”

“Mylene, it seems to be time for lunch. Let us go to the dining hall.”

…These two of royalty were still as annoying as ever to deal with, but I couldn’t say it was a bad thing knowing they meant well.

It was nice to have a set time for sleeping, waking, and eating, and the lively mealtimes reminded me of the good times back when I had been a mercenary.

I had assumed the Academy was going to be an irritating experience, having to deal with all sorts of pampered brats, but coming here and experiecing a few days, it really wasn’t bad at all.

“Of course. Shall we go then?”

It was annoying having to keep acting the part of a perfect lady all the time, but recently, I was starting to get used to it.

I worked as a freelance for-hire back when I was a mercenary, so there was no hierarchy to deal with nor did I have to think about my manners to clients. Now that it was something I paid attention to on a daily basis, I could feel it becoming a habit, even if it wasn’t something I liked to do.

It was amusing to me how well I was adjusting to all of this. Then again, back when I was still a mercenary, I had spent quite a lot of time with others… Maybe I wasn’t as much of a loner as I thought I was.

In any case, that didn’t change the fact that some of these brats could be real irritating.

And of course, the two royals walking with me had their own opinions on the whispers about me.

“Hmph, how is it that there are those who still feel the need to treat you like a rare animal?”

“They cannot help but do so. After all, they know nothing about Lady Mylene, let alone how great she is!”

Colette had spoken loud enough for the onlookers around us to hear, and the murmuring and the curious stares seemed to ease up.

It seemed even the spoiled brats attending the Academy dared not to cross the royals of a major power. Even so, the rumors were still alive; it had been some time since that first day, but I was still at the center of gossip.

But I guess there was no way around it; maybe kids at this age, no matter their status, simply loved to gossip. And I was always spending time with Albert and Colette, it seemed there were a few stories circulating that said quite a lot about me.

Well, not that I cared; in the end, it was just some kids’ gossip. Even if something were to happen, I was sure I could stop whatever it was before any real damage was done.

I smiled wryly at the giggling Colette, and the three of us made our way to the cafeteria.

About halfway there, a male student crossed our path, and he stopped in surprise when he noticed me.

“Oh..! Miss Mylene, I had been hoping to find you! I wanted to thank you for your help back then.”

He gave a deep bow.

As I tried to remember who this guy was, a recent event came to mind, and I stopped myself from instinctively frowning as I recalled the memory.

“…No need, think nothing of it.”

I paused for a moment to reply, dismissing him with a light wave of my hand.

But Colette looked at the still-bowed boy with interest.

“What does he mean by ‘your help’, Mylene?”

“…We happened to meet by chance. It is not anything that requires further attention.”

I answered Colette reluctantly, in an annoyed tone.

It really wasn’t anything worth mentioning…

“Hey, you. What was it that Mylene helped you with?”

“It’ll sound a little pathetic, but Miss Mylene saved me from an upperclassman the other day! She wasn’t even intimidated by how big they were, and she dodged all the magic they used on her like it was nothing… I’d never seen anything like it! Miss Mylene was so beautiful!”

…because it was honestly embarrassing to be praised for it like this!

The boy, at first cowering under Colette’s intimidation, boldly told his story, like he was recounting a heroic epic.

“Oh my… How magnanimous of her to have helped you so.”

Hearing the boy’s earnest praise, Colette’s eyes narrowed in amusement as she looked over at me, giggling.

Yeah, yeah, laugh it up… I couldn’t even joke about how I, the former mercenary Envil, had found myself helping a student being bullied.

“Oh, Princess Colette, did you not know? Lady Mylene is actually a very kind person.”

“I suppose ‘kind’ is one way to describe her, but rather than helping, I was expecting Mylene to instead lecture this boy for not standing up for himself.”

Colette had raised an eyebrow at Albert’s smug assertion, but she had not hidden her surprise.

To be fair, I had even surprised myself. I was just thinking it would be irresponsible to involve myself with some kid who couldn’t even wipe his own ass, but what annoyed me even more at the time was seeing an upperclassman get all uppity thinking he was some hotshot.

I guess it was harder to stomach that upperclassman, or maybe I was just mellowing out.

“As Lady Mylene’s faithful follower, I will not allow such slander to stand. After all, Lady Mylene is without a doubt a noble, righteous maiden of war, personally sent down by Iltania to defend the weak!”

“Didn’t I tell you to stop saying crap like that? You’re supposed to be a crown prince. Act like it sometime.”

Albert was getting carried away again… After making sure there was nobody else around and watching, I began grinding my fist into Albert’s head.

“Ack! Ouch! B-but it–!”

“But nothing, you got that?”

I only recently figured out that light physical punishment, like with my fist, was an effective way to quickly shut him up.

Well, it probably wasn’t the best method either; more often than not, Albert would tear up in happiness as he received my punishment. Honestly, the future of the kingdom was looking pretty bleak if he kept up like this.

Either way, even if I can’t correct this idiotic tendency of his, it should be fine if I could at least make him aware of his position as the future ruler and what that entailed.

We continued walking, with Albert tearful but delighted look on his face and a frown on my own, but as we passed by other students, I could hear low giggles and similar snide comments like, “Look, she’s got Prince Albert on a short leash again!”

By now I knew they weren’t actually making fun of us, so I didn’t have a problem with it. In the first place, it seemed our behavior together had become something of a regular occurrence.

There were already a bunch of rumors about me, but they didn’t seem to all be bad ones going by what they said. I would guess it was because people saw the things I did on a whim, like helping that bullied kid from earlier, as acts of altruism.

After passing through another set of doors, we finally arrived at the dining hall.

“Oh, Lady Mylene! I brought you some sweets, as a thank you for your help from the other day. I hope you can accept them!”

A female student ran up to greet me as we entered the dining hall.

The other day’, was it… If I was remembering right, I think she had lost something, and then I helped her find it?

“Of course, I will be sure to enjoy these later, but thank you. Your kindness is much appreciated.”

“Fufu, there is no need to thank me for showing my gratitude to you, Lady Mylene. Now, if you would excuse me, I shall be on my way. Prince Albert, Princess Colette, I beg your pardon, but I must be going now.”

After handing over a cute bag to me, the female student left us.

I awkwardly scratched at my cheek to hide my embarrassment as, once again, Albert stared at me in open admiration while Colette gave a knowing smirk.

It was tough being me…

“Ugh, whatever… Let’s just get something to eat already.”

“Of course!”

“That we should.”

If these two kept messing with me everytime I happened to help someone out, maybe I should just stop doing that. Then again, maybe helping out random people was just part of who I am, like some sort of skill that made it hard for me to ignore anyone I found in trouble.

And yet things like this never happened back when I was a mercenary. I really don’t get how people work.

…Wait, what was I thinking? Why was I acting like I’m some old guy getting ready to retire. Was I the one who was weird after all?

No, that didn’t make sense either; it has only been five years since I became Mylene, and even adding that to my age from my previous life didn’t put me anywhere near retirement age.

Then again, I guess there wasn’t really a problem with mellowing out and taking things as they came. It would have been bad if I were still a mercenary, but right now, it wasn’t a problem in this peaceful life of mine.

And maybe I changed along with it, having gotten used to this peaceful, quiet new life… Or I was just thinking that way because of how fancy the lunch was looking.

The Academy served fancy meals arranged neatly on a tray, and the food was quite varied, changing on a daily basis.

We took our trays of food and quickly found a table for three. Today’s main course was a sole meunière; the enticing aroma of butter was coming from the food, and I could feel myself relaxing to take in the scent.

“Fufu, Mylene only ever looks this happy when she is eating.”

Colette was wearing the relaxed smile of a person watching something enjoyable.

“Of course. To eat is to live, yet there are those who cannot eat; eating is not something we can take for granted, so I am truly grateful that I am able to enjoy delicious meals like this every day. Princess Colette, as the princess of the Colhoun Empire, I am sure you are aware that this kind of consideration is rather similar to how soldiers in the army treat food, yes?”

“Indeed, that is correct.”

I answered her seriously this time.

Having literally lived meal-to-meal as a mercenary had instilled in me the appreciation I had for food. Besides, at the end of the day, soldiers are only human, and humans couldn’t function without food.

Of course understanding the importance of food and keeping the troops fed was a fundamental part in being a commander.

Being able to eat was a luxury, so being able to eat lavishly well every day like this — there was nothing I could be more grateful for.

But most of all, the extravagance was being able to enjoy the flavors of the food.

“So in short you are saying it is important to appreciate how we are able to eat like this on a regular basis. That does make sense.”

“Yes, and furthermore, consider how much effort it had taken for us to enjoy this meal and how many people were involved — from the farmers growing the crops and catching the fish, the people transporting it, and even the cooks preparing the food. Much was involved so we could enjoy a meal like this, and it is important to remember and be thankful for it.”

Albert nodded his head in admiration, my words having impressed him.

…I could only hope Albert took my words to heart and not lead us to ruin like in the future I remembered.

With all that said, I could finally begin eating.

From how it tasted, it was obvious that the head chef was someone of superb skill, and really, these kinds of meals were way too extravagant; it would look much more appropriate at some fancy restaurant than a school dining hall like this.

“…Today’s lunch is just as good as it has been these past few days.”

“It truly is. I heard the head chef here is quite skilled, and it seems I heard right.”

The food was good enough to satisfy even the picky palates of royalty.

I had expected there to be compromise somewhere in order to be able to serve all the students at the Academy, and yet their food was still this good nonetheless. It was quite a feat indeed.

For someone like me, who can only describe food as either “tasty” or “crappy”, the food here was, without a doubt, especially tasty.

As we continued eating, I quietly hoped I could one day try the very best dish the chef who made this could make.

And with the meal finished, it was finally time for dessert. I was just about to get started on it when…

“Hey, do you have a moment?’

A pompous voice called out to me from above.

I turned toward the voice — and found a brat with long brown hair leering at me.

Well, I called everyone here a brat on reflex, but going by the green badge he wore, this was an upperclassman — a third-year, or rather someone in their final year here at the Academy.

I didn’t remember involving myself with any third-years, but as I stared at him to try and remember, I noticed our surroundings becoming louder.

“Is there something you need from me?”

“Oh wow, she’s just like what the rumors said she’s like. Right? Don’t you think so?”

He had turned to face the student beside him, whose face was covered in scars and haphazard bandages.

The injured guy was wearing a blue badge — a second year. He trembled as the third-year spoke to him.

Huh, actually, I thought I recognized that second-year; he might’ve been one of the upperclassmen I trashed not too long ago…

“You really let a girl like this beat you down this bad? How pathetic.”

“Ack..! N-no, it wasn’t like that! Pl-please understand, William, sir..!”

…but those scars on his face weren’t my doing.

He was probably punished for having his ass beat by a little girl.

“…And you have yet to answer Lady Mylene’s question.”

There was a threatening air about Albert as he reproached the third-year; it seemed all of this unpleasantness happening in front of us had annoyed him.

The upperclassman named William turned and gave a cold smile completely devoid of feeling. He seemed to sense Albert’s hostility and then began to speak.

“And why should I answer the question of some underclassman, Prince Albert? Even you should know that in the school rules, everyone is to be treated the same regardless of status, so what makes you think you can tell me what to do? You know, as a third-year and your upperclassman, I’m just thinking my cute little underclassmen here need to learn how to show some respect.”

He finished with a laugh, exaggeratedly gesturing with his arms to emphasize his words.

It was as he said; in this school full of nobles and aristocrats of varied standings, one of the rules was that social status didn’t matter and all were to be treated equally — most likely to avoid causing problems with conflicting cultures. Of course, this rule wasn’t strictly enforced, as seen in how the other first-year students treated Albert and Colette, so it was really just for appearances’ sake.

So really this guy was just an idiot getting carried away. I looked over to see Colette narrowing her eyes in annoyance, and I let out a deep sigh as I resigned myself to the trouble to come.

“…Then what is it? What business does an oh-so-esteemed upperclassman have with me, the lowly underclassman?”

I guess it came as no surprise that I would eventually run into a conceited idiot like this guy among the nobility. Or, I guess it was more accurate to say they acted like this because they were nobles? Either way, this guy was basically the same, except he was getting all uppity with his seniority instead of his status.

“Like I said, I just wanted to give a little ‘guidance’ to my cute underclassman. Let’s just say I’ve heard a bit about you, and the things I’ve heard sound a little… worrying. As your upperclassman, it is my responsibility to teach you some magic, to better protect yourself. Through some hands-on, practical training, of course.

And there it was: using ‘guidance’ as an excuse to assert his dominance.

Obviously fights between students were against the rules, but the Academy was no different from anywhere else: the shady, sneaky ones would always find a way to get around the rules.

Throwing around the word ‘guidance’ was just another way for guys like this to hide what they were actually doing.

I guess the people around us were getting noisy because they realized what he was trying to do.

“How amusing, the howling of this one. From where do you come?”

Colette crossed her arms and glared at William; she was no longer even trying to hide her aggression…

“Listen up: I’m William from Stiledda. My father is a marshal, so you’ve probably heard of him.”

The third-year finally named himself to us, sounding quite proud of himself.

“Pfft…”

But what I found funny was the country he announced he was from.

“…What’re you laughing about?!”

He used one hand to brush back his hair, preening himself like a cool bird, and it was all I could do to not burst out laughing at how comical it all was.

I mean, here he was getting all uppity about how the school rules meant status didn’t matter, then he went and proudly bragged about being the son of a marshal — right in front of a royalty.

And for me, the best part was that, as far as I could remember, the country he was so proud of, Stiledda, was one that ended in the future I knew.

I didn’t remember how many years it later from now it would occur, but that country had ceased to exist… after the Empire of Colhoun conquered and consumed it.

Well, maybe something like this had happened in the previous history, though with different people. I imagined the Colette of that history would be more than happy to invade another country just to pay back a show of disrespect.

“Please pay me no heed. Then, might I take you up on your offer of a lesson? I would be most grateful to have one such as you instruct me through, as you say, hands-on, practical training.

In the end, the Academy wouldn’t enforce the rules too strictly.

Honestly, it was too funny; I just had to accept his challenge. William seemed to sense that I wasn’t taking him all that seriously, and his face reddened as he trembled in anger. Why was he getting made when he was the one that started this fight?

“We’ll take this over at the schoolyard then. I’ll give you a lesson you’ll never forget.”

And with that, William quickly departed. I guess I was in for it now; I couldn’t really not show up since I’d publicly accepted his challenge.. not without people holding me in contempt, at least.

The students around us had different expressions, but most were either looking on in concern or watching with derisive anticipation. They were opposite emotions, but they shared the same assumption that I would not win.

None of them believed I could win, and they had reason to think so in the first place. The Academy was, after all, a place for learning magic, so there should be an obvious difference in magical capability between a first-year and a third-year because of how much time either had already spent here.

So by all means, the upperclassmen of the Academy should be more experienced, having had more time to study and mature, especially compared to the underclassmen that just enrolled.

“Hmph, that one should count himself lucky.”

“Indeed. It was fortunate that he had not interrupted Lady Mylene’s precious mealtime.”

And obviously, completely at odds with the crowd around us, Albert and Colette were completely at ease.

In other words, they were unshakeably confident in my victory.

“I suppose I should also be making my way to the schoolyard now. I dare not impose, but would it be correct to assume the two of you shall come as well?”

“I suppose I could spare the time. A show to chase the meal should be quite entertaining.”

“Of course I shall go! I would not, for the world, miss a chance to see Lady Mylene at her finest!”

Albert showed his usual unbridled enthusiasm, and, while she acted more reserved about it, Colette wore her excited half smile. Just another day for these two, I see.

Really though, weren’t the two of them actually quite similar to each other, more than I first thought?

If they kept getting along like this then I wouldn’t have to worry about Iltania’s future, but I was sure it would work out.

“Heh… You guys also like where this went, huh. Well, whatever, do what you want.”

I answered them in my usual tone, taking care to speak quietly so only they could hear.

It was like they said: this way of speaking was more appropriate for ‘me’, and really, even if I were getting softer in some ways, in the end, my true personality wouldn’t change.

After returning the tableware, I confidently made my way toward the schoolyard, where a certain bastard awaited me.

◆

“Oh, finally, I was starting to get tired of waiting for you, Mylene.”

I arrived to find quite the crowd gathered to watch our ‘training’ session; word must have spread if there were this many people here spectating.

Many of the faces were unfamiliar, so I assumed they were upperclassmen I’d yet to meet. Apparently I was rather infamous as ‘that cheeky underclassman’, so they were probably here to see me put in my place, so to speak.

A few sneers came my way as the crowd parted to let me through.

“She won’t come out of the fight unscathed, not this time. Especially since this is William we’re talking about…”

“So what? Serves her right. Where does she even get off, just ’cause she’s a bit prettier than anyone else? I can’t wait to see William put her in her place.”

Yep, it looked like I guessed that one right. But it sounded like they were expecting my loss specifically because I was facing William, not because I was a first-year facing a third-year.

…Hold on, would that mean this guy was actually strong?

“Here’s your weapon then. I heard you use swords, so I had one prepared for you, just for this.”

As I stopped in front of William, the second-year upperclassman from earlier came over out of the crowd, presenting a wooden sword to me.

I took it out of his hands and used a finger to tap the sword a few times; it didn’t seem like they did anything to it.

Or maybe William thought he didn’t need to do anything. Either way, it was nice that I wouldn’t have to work around that.

After handing over the sword, the second-year backed up and returned to the crowd. I guess he wasn’t going to be joining in.

William, seeing I had readied myself, spread his arms wide, as though inviting me to him.

“Shall we begin? You may come at me from wherever you like!”

He was still pretending this was all ‘training’, not to mention that pose of his…

The strangest thing to me was how William had so meticulously set this all up, probably because he completely believed he was in control of how this would all play out. Too bad for him; this might have actually been fun if he had seriously thought about how he should be beating me.

“Then, if you would excuse me, here I come.”

I answered him as I would a child, speaking with a gentle voice. My tone caught him off guard, and for a moment, he wore a stupefied look.

And in that instant, I closed the distance between us.

“Wh–.. Gah!”

Now within reach, I struck William’s right hand.

The impact made a dull noise; let alone broken his arm, I could’ve sliced off his hand entirely, but seeing as this was just ‘training’, that would be going a little too far, even for me.

You are reading story Lady Savage Fang – History’s Greatest Mercenary Reincarnates as the World’s Cruelest Lady and Becomes Peerless in this Second Life at novel35.com

“Oh my, is this a lesson about ‘never letting my guard down’?”

“H-how dare you..!”

I purposely mocked him with further laughter.

Mockery was a good way to not only humiliate an idiot like this that underestimated their opponent but also to distract them using their own anger.

An infuriated foe was a predictable foe; no amount of skill or power could make up for how dulled a blade became under the rust called rage.

As an aside, it was possible to draw power from carefully controlling anger… but this wasn’t it.

William’s sword suddenly began to sparkle as lightning magic crackled up and down the blade. It would be dangerous to take a hit from this.

“Raaah!!”

He swung his electrified blade with wild, furious abandon.

But in the end, it wouldn’t matter how dangerous William’s weapon was if he couldn’t land a hit, so handling this was really no different from dealing with a regular sword. I ducked low, using my short stature to dodge his horizontal sweep, and delivered a swift kick to his stomach.

“Gugh, gehhh!”

I could tell he was already using defensive magic to protect himself, so I put more power into the kick than I usually would. William soared through the air before slamming onto the ground and bouncing further down the grassy field.

“Cough! Ughh…”

William pushed himself up on all fours, coughing violently as he glared at me.

There was something nostalgic about the mixture of shame, shock, and enmity on his face.

It was something I’d seen all the time in my previous life, after all. Every time I’d landed a clean hit on someone that believed they were stronger than me, they would have that same expression. I guess it really didn’t matter if they were young or old; the arrogant would always react like this.

“Y-you bitch..!”

He was dry heaving now, but though he was trying to hold back the contents of his stomach, he couldn’t quite hold back all of the bile.

Now that was impressive; instead of focusing on recovering, he wasted energy just to throw an insult.

Or maybe he assumed he was safe as long as he stayed down? If he did, that would be some unbelivable naivete on his part.

“Are you enjoying your dirt nap that much? I do believe it may be in your best interest to get back to your feet…”

“How dare you..!”

He kept saying that — maybe he couldn’t come up with anything smug on the spot? I couldn’t say I disliked his spirit though; despite being on shaky legs, William still managed to rise back to his feet.

If I were in his place, in this situation, I would just surrender. There was no risk of dying regardless of course, but there was no reason to suffer more injury than necessary.

“Shall we continue, or is that enough training for you?”

“Hah… Are you joking? Just because you landed two hits on me, you think its already over?!”

But of course, this idiot was still raring to go for some reason. I glanced behind me; Colette caught my eye and shrugged.

He was right in that it was “only” two hits, but… it seemed he didn’t realize that I could have easily killed him either with those hits or as a follow-up.

And besides, if he was actually paying attention to me, he should have also noticed that I still had yet to use any magic.

As I turned back to face him, William had another annoyed look; he probably wasn’t too happy I had casually disregarded him. After another moment, he stuck his arm out in front of himself.

“Thunder Needle!”

And then he shouted the name of a spell.

Unfortunately for him, I had already moved away from where he had aimed.

Electric-type magic specialized in speed, and no matter how much of an amateur the caster was, even I would find that type of magic hard to dodge once it fired…

“Wh-what..? How?!”

…unless, of course, you knew where the caster was aiming. Then it was easy.

Then again, I could have used defensive magic to shield myself from it, but…

“H-hey, is she even…”

“No way… She hasn’t even used any magic yet..?”

Oh? It sounded like some in the audience have started to catch on.

“The Hair of Sulberia is a sign of great magical power, right? So why hasn’t she used magic yet..?”

“She hasn’t even used magic, and this is how they’re matched up… How much more one-sided will it become once she starts using magic?!”

The crowd grew noisier as the questions spread. William appeared to have caught on as well, and his face grew even redder than before.

“How dare you! Going so far, just to humiliate me!”

He began firing more Thunder Needles, but that didn’t do anything besides change how many I dodged; he could shoot as many as he wanted, but really all I had to do was look at where he pointed his hand and then move out of the way.

To his credit, his spell did look quite powerful. I suppose he wasn’t the son of a marshal just for show — he had to have trained quite a bit to get to this point. In the end though, it didn’t amount to much if it couldn’t connect.

“Why is this happening?! Why isn’t my magic hitting you?!”

His face twisted with impatience, and between that and his growing anger, his monotonous way of attacking grew even more predictable.

And then he overreached, giving me the opening to close in on him once again.

“Ah! Ahhhh! Stay away!”

Desperate fear warped his expression.

Yep, still the same pattern I remembered. By now, I was close enough that I no longer needed to dodge his magic; I was too close for him to properly aim, after all.

I slipped under his outstretched arms…

“Gebbo..!”

…and slammed my fist into his stomach again.

His body bent over, and he crumpled to the floor, emptying the contents of his stomach.

The damage from my earlier kick was probably still hurting, and now he had taken another hit; it probably hurt like hell.

He writhed in place, heedless of the mess his stomach had left behind, and he began curling up from the pain like a badly twisted wire.

“That first-year..! She just..!”

“She didn’t even use magic, and William still…”

The din had quieted, but a few of the students whispered amongst themselves.

That was a good hit. I still held back, so he shouldn’t have any real injuries. Still, he was a pampered brat with a taste for bullying, so his ego was probably in pieces by now.

“You damn bitch..! To a first-year like you..!”

William seemed to have partially recovered from the pain, and he looked up to glare at me between bouts of dry heaving.

His hatred was almost palpable, but… there was something off about it.

From what I learned so far, he should just be some idiot brat drunk on his perceived superiority, getting a kick out of bullying others.

And yet here he was, tenaciously hanging on… I really thought he would stay down after another good hit, but I guess he had more guts to him than I’d thought.

Though he held his stomach in obvious pain, William finally stood. There was a different gleam in his eye now — one of a clear intent to kill. It felt completely unnatural; no sane nobleman, no matter how much humiliation they were dealt, would ever consider killing another noble, especially one from a different country.

And… I recognized that look, too. It was the same look those cult lunatics had, the ones that were appearing everywhere during Iltania’s final days.

In a way, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that that look was one specifically for ‘Mylene’, both back then and right now.

But as I stared at him unmovingly, William began rummaging through his pockets, desperately looking for something.

At last he pulled out a small paper package, and…

“Hah… Ahaha!”

…he unfolded the package before pouring its contents into his mouth.

Was that… medicine? I couldn’t see it very well from where I stood, but whatever it was he put in his mouth, it looked like some sort of powder.

“Phew… The pain’s… all better now. And now for you… How dare you humiliate me… Even if you begged, I won’t ever forgive you for what you’ve done…”

After swallowing, William looked back at me, glaring with bloodshot eyes.

It couldn’t be anything good, whatever it was he just took… If he was willing to take some sketchy substance in front of all these people, he must’ve really been desperate…

…Desperate enough to kill, even.

A moment later, I felt his magical power flare up in intensity.

This kind of power… It wasn’t something a brat this young could attain. No, it was the kind of power that came from a dedicated expert who spent decades of their life training for — a power even greater than that of a royal guard like Paul.

Of course there were ‘elixirs’ that could instantly restore depleted magical power, but I had never before heard of something that could amplify it.

“I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you so dead… for making a fool out of me..!”

He was coming.

It was possible to release more magical power under a heightened mental state, but this much went far beyond that.

Purple thorns of electricity began sparking angrily about William’s arm before gathering in his hand.

A sphere grew from the gathering electricity, crackling dangerously with energy. There was no doubting it now; he seriously wanted to kill me.

“H-hey… D-doesn’t that seem kind of dangerous..?”

“Someone stop him! He’s going to kill that first-year..!”

If a certain young noble were to be killed at the Academy like this, it was sure to become an international incident.

Our audience seemed to realize the potential disaster waiting to happen, and they began to voice their unrest.

Damn it all, I just wanted to fight. I didn’t want to think about this kind of crap.

“Now die, Mylene! Thunder Ball!!”

But William ignored them all, instead holding up his hand with the sphere of electricity in it and shooting it at me.

His Thunder Ball expanded as it left his hand, growing to the size of a carriage wheel. The power contained in that thing would likely electrocute its unfortunate target dead and char them to a crisp as a bonus.

The terrified screams around us meant the audience was probably aware of that, too. Well, they were probably less worried about my life than they were about the potential consequences of my death. After all, if I, the rather well-known daughter of an Iltanian duke, were to die like this, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say a war could break out as a result.

…Then again, I wasn’t planning on dying today, let alone on letting that magic hit me.

William’s Thunder Ball meant nothing to me, and I began focusing my magical power to form my own sphere in my hand.

After a moment, I simply lobbed it toward’s the approaching Thunder Ball.

The spell I used was called “Energy Sphere”, but knowing the name wasn’t very important.

My Energy Sphere began to expand as it left my hand, growing until it was large enough to engulf an adult man.

And just like that, it absorbed the Thunder Ball it dwarfed before continuing forward toward William…

…only to redirect itself up into the sky.

And once it was high enough, I gripped my hand closed, and the Energy Sphere exploded, sounding like the sky had shattered.

“Aiiieeee!”

“That first-year is insane!”

The explosiveness of the noise had sent our spectators into a sudden panic.

Meanwhile, William stopped completely, his face set in a dumbfounded expression as his eyes stayed glued to the sky, staring off where the Energy Sphere had just exploded.

I casually walked forward before taking hold of his collar.

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?! Get your dirty hands off me!”

William flailed angrily but helplessly against my grip, his eyes more bloodshot than ever.

Oh, it was worse than I thought. He had completely lost it.

I had this guy pegged as the kind of person pretending to be strong by bullying the weak, so it was beyond strange to see him give off a murderous intent this intense.

“Eh, whatever. Time for your nap.”

I gave a quiet sigh as I raised my free fist.

“You dare insult me again?! You don’t know who you’re disrespecting!”

It was only after I planted my fist in his face that William finally fell silent.

The audience had fallen silent when they realized William had; the massive difference between the ending and the exploding ball must have been too much for them to handle.

I turned, glaring at the people around us. Maybe half of them averted their eyes; they must have been the ones jeering at me, hoping I’d lose.

William’s “friends” might have been among them, but no one stepped forward to avenge him. It might be heartless of them to be this way, but really, none of them were stupid enough to support a guy who almost started a war because he wanted to settle his grudge with murder. I snorted in disinterest and returned to where Albert and Colette were waiting.

“You were amazing out there, Lady Mylene! I could hardly contain myself!”

“I expected no less, Mylene. I did think about stepping in when he seriously tried to kill you, but… Well, there is no use thinking about something that already ended.”

They welcomed me back with words of praise.

“Fufu, it was just a bit of after-meal exercises.”

I smiled as I said so, and Albert began to applaude.

There was an unexpected event partway through it, but it was nice getting to move about after a meal. And by now, the crowd was finally beginning to disperse.

Hopefully with this, my school life would quiet down. In my previous life, I was used to having all the guys who didn’t like me come looking for a fight; they’d back off after I showed them my strength.

I would finally be able to enjoy studying in peace. Maybe I should try studying hard enough to become an honor student…

“Miss Mylene! You again?! What did you do this time?!”

…But the roar of a man’s voice interrupted my hopeful thoughts.

“What the, Pelmann?! Ugh, where’d he come from…”

I turned to see a middle-aged man with graying hair wading through the crowd towards me.

It was Pelmann, our homeroom teacher.

They said he was one of the kindest teachers at the school, looking out for his students with those gentle eyes of his from behind the glasses… but the boiling anger he was showing me now made me question that assertion.

Well, it was more that ‘gentle’ alone wasn’t enough to describe him; rather, he was ‘gentle but strict.’

I knew firsthand because ever since classes began, I was always wrapped up in one incident or another, and it would be Pelmann who resolved things before they went too far.

But this time, he had caught me after the fact, so I wouldn’t be able to talk my way out of this one… His sudden appearance had been surprising enough to make me drop my mask for a moment.

“I-Instructor Pelmann, m-my, what a fine day we are having…”

” ‘Fine day’? Is this a ‘fine day’ to you, Miss Mylene?! How is it that that I have found you having fought with yet another upperclassman?!”

At first I could get him off my case by speaking and acting politely, but at some point, he realized I was at the center of the incidents and began treating me like a problem child.

“How many times must I remind you, Miss Mylene? Fighting should be the last resort!”

“Y-yes… Of course… I do my best to keep your words in mind…”

As a result, none of my acting would work on him. Even now, there was no stopping him; Pelmann had blown his top in anger, like an erupting volcano.

“It looks like you haven’t learned a thing, Miss Mylene, so I shall have to be even more strict! You are to come to the counseling office after classes are over today!”

“Please wait a moment, Instructor. Mylene is innocent; she was not the one who started this fight.”

“That’s right! It was that upperclassman who started by trying to rile up Lady Mylene!”

It was as they said: William was the one who started this mess by challenging me.

Colette and Albert knew this, and they tried to defend me, but…

“I am aware of the circumstances, however… for us teachers, what is most important is avoiding a violent confrontation! As the three of you should know, this Academy welcomes students from different countries across the land, as part of an effort to promote mutual understanding and to avoid conflict.”

Pelmann had probably figured out why did things ended up like this, but still he had no choice but to reprimand me for my conduct and involvement…

“Well… Hopefully from now on, people know to just leave me alone. I, for one, do not want to involve myself in something like this every day.”

…which was why I held back from coming out stronger.

In the first place, there was no reason for me to hate Instructor Pelmann or anything.

One of the reasons why was because there was something about him that made me think he was more capable than he let on.

He always wore that gentle expression on his face, and yet I could sense the quiet bubble of his magical power, hiding within him. It was like the subdued aura of someone having gained experience through countless battles.

I suppose this was to be expected from a teacher at the prestigious Zelfoir Academy of Magic. His background was a complete mystery, so I found it interesting that this many students trusted him on the basis of that gentle expression alone.

It was like observing a powerful hawk that knew to hide its talons. Well, if I really did hate him, I would simply avoid punishment altogether…

“Instructor Pelmann’s argument was not very convincing.”

“I do not think so either, but if Lady Mylene is fine with this, then…”

Still, I wanted to avoid lectures like this as much as possible. It was at times like these that I felt thankful that these two stuck up for me. It wasn’t like I suddenly wanted everyone to understand me; it was more that I was grateful I knew people who understood the kind of person I was.

“Hm, I see… You have some good friends, you know. Now, please wait here for a moment.”

Pelmann gestured with his hand, indicating I should stay back, as he moved on the fallen William.

He crouched down, placing his hands first on William’s neck and then the nose. There was a strange expression on his face.

“Hmm… Looks like he’s just unconscious. His cheeks appear swollen, but that shouldn’t be a problem. For now, some ice should help.”

After a quick examination, Pelmann used his magic to create some ice and wrapped it in a handkerchief before applying it on William’s cheek.

Now that was interesting…

Ice magic was an advanced application of water magic, but here was Pelmann casually demonstrating his skill through precise and delicate control of what should be hard-to-handle output…

How very impressive, such an admirable role model for teachers here at the Academy.

“I understand you are not the type of student that would go on a rampage like this, Miss Petyul, and it is obvious to me that you deliberately held back as so not to harm William. Nevertheless, as a teacher, I am obligated to reprimand you for the use of violence, but… I can let this much slide.”

Albert and Colette’s faces lit up at the words from the gently smiling Pelmann.

However, while the two were distracted, I noticed Pelmann reach into and rustle through William’s pocket; he pulled out a small bit of paper, stashing it away in his own pocket before standing back up.

That must have been the wrapper for the strange powder William swallowed. The school would probably be getting involved in finding out what it was.

I suddenly realized it was only us left in the yard; the crowd had completely dispersed.

It seemed William was among the more capable third-years… Well, I guess I should say he was one of the most conspicuous third-years. In any case, he was someone with influence among the students in general.

I didn’t know if he was a leader or anything, but whichever group he belonged to was sure to quiet down having lost their most prominent member.

Unfortunately, that probably wouldn’t change the fact that trouble would continue to follow me…

“Well then, it is about time to return to class, students. The lunch break will be ending soon.”

“It would not do for us to be late! Let us be off, Mylene, Prince Albert!”

“Please do not just order us as you please, Princess Colette. We should return to class at once, Lady Mylene.”

…but I found myself not minding the trouble any longer.

Or maybe it wasn’t that the trouble was making life annoying — it was making my life more lively.

No, that wasn’t quite right…

I found myself snorting in amusement and the corners of my mouth turning up.

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