Chapter: 66
Adri started her story from the moment the two entered the mansion last night.
A knight who looked utterly terrified and a girl who appeared relaxed walked in.
They seemed to make their way underground as if they had memorized the mansion’s layout.
They unlocked a door with a key and descended below.
And then they discovered the dungeon and went inside.
—Both of them were incredibly impressive!
Adri’s description of entering the dungeon was filled with onomatopoeias like “Wow!” and “Swoosh!” making it a bit hard to follow, but distilled down, it was like this:
Zombies crawled out of the graves, but instead of fighting them, they barreled forward.
They took down a reanimated foe that was still hanging on to this world.
“A reanimated foe? How did they take that down?”
Visi, though not super knowledgeable about other monsters, knew quite well about reanimated foes.
Usually, the boss-level undead creatures don’t take physical attacks well at all.
Yet, both of them were knights mainly relying on physical attacks, right?
Was it because of Professor Karl, who has some hidden trick?
—Yup! The girl whacked it with her mace, and it went gag! and died!
That little troublemaker killed it just by whacking it with a mace?
Now that I think about it, didn’t she use some sacred magic back at the entrance ceremony?
Is that how she took out the reanimated foe?
If she could crush a boss-level reanimated foe, Lucy must have some pretty strong divine powers.
Was it truly possible for someone who insulted gods not too long ago to possess such powers?
Could she actually be loved by a real god?
—And then they came out of the dungeon and gave me this ribbon as a gift!
Adri exclaimed while pointing at the ribbon floating above her head.
Now that you mention it, there is a ribbon above her.
—Isn’t it pretty?!
“It’s pretty, but how on earth did you receive that?”
Adri is a ghost.
So, naturally, she shouldn’t be able to interfere with the real world, nor should she change from the state of being dead.
Logically, she shouldn’t be able to don a ribbon, right?
—I don’t know! I just received it when it was offered!
“…Right. What exactly should I expect from you?”
—What’s wrong with that?!
As Visi tuned out Adri’s whining, her thoughts drifted.
This must be something that troublemaker did.
Lucy Alrn. Just who the hell is she?
She was just a troublemaker when she started appearing in high society around a year ago.
But why has she changed so much in this past year?
What could have possibly happened?
A person who didn’t even hold a pen managed to top the entrance exam at the Soul Academy.
And during the commotion at the last entrance ceremony, she stood at the frontline without flinching.
Can someone change this drastically in just a year?
Is this what they call talent?
Could it be that this troublemaker was really a lazy genius with a terrible attitude?
Or is there something else at play?
—Hmm. But that girl was certainly fascinating! She seemed to know my identity beforehand, and she seemed to have all the information about that dungeon and this mansion. What kind of kid is she?
“I don’t know.”
But she probably isn’t an ordinary person.
Visi’s loose reply to Adri’s question was accompanied by her rubbing her neck, feeling a bit tense.
Now that they have her weak point as a necromancer, she couldn’t stand up to her.
The moment it’s revealed she violated their taboo, she’d be marked by the church.
A kid from a minor noble family like her would be reported missing without a splash.
Just being quiet about this is a blessing, especially since that dungeon hiding in this mansion is now gone.
While she still finds the troublemaker young lady obnoxious, she’s grateful nonetheless.
Maybe it’s time to keep the backbiting to a minimum.
*
The next morning, Visi woke up early and headed to the training grounds.
The one who taught her necromancy insisted she must train early in the morning, so Visi tried to keep active around dawn.
Yesterday, she overslept and was late for class, which left her frazzled.
With her messy hair tied back, she arrived at the training grounds, only to find others had already beat her there.
Among them, Lucy and Frey stood out, sprinting around the perimeter of the training area.
The two flew at a speed comparable to a horse, yet their expressions were utterly calm.
“Pathetic swordsman. Are you starting to feel it? Out of breath yet?”
“Not at all. Are you the one struggling?”
“Pfft. A pathetic swordsman dares to provoke me? How laughable.”
“Ugh.”
How can they chat like this while running at such speeds?
Visi was not alone in her stunned gaze; most people in the training grounds were staring, too.
Two small children running at a pace no one could hope to match was absolutely mind-boggling.
However, given that one of them was the infamous Lucy Alrn, anyone who caught their eye would turn away.
Visi stood back, quietly starting her own training a respectable distance away.
Her awkward history with Lucy continued on from there.
During their next class on magic flow, Visi, still not fully accustomed to the Soul Academy, wandered around until she finally found her classroom and saw a friend waving from inside, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Phew, that was close! I would’ve been late by just a little more time.”
“Shut it.”
As she snapped back at her friend, who was mocking her sense of direction, Visi sat down and looked around the classroom.
Inside the classroom, there was an oddly empty space.
Specifically, around Lucy Alrn.
The nobles who had suffered at the hands of Lucy in high society naturally avoided her.
Even the few commoners there, picking up on the vibe, steered clear of her, leaving Lucy alone.
In situations like that, one might expect someone to feel defeated or at least gloomy, but Lucy was calmly gazing out the window.
As if she was used to this kind of situation.
“Visi. Shouldn’t we start calling that person the lonely Lady instead of the troublemaker young lady?”
“That…”
Just as Visi was about to respond with a chuckle, she halted, remembering Lucy’s warning from the previous day.
Professor Karl must have filled her in on something.
She thought Karl, being such a handsome person, was nice, but maybe he’s just that petty gossiping type.
What exactly is Lucy to him?
“Who’s that?”
“Oh, just thinking it must be lonely over there.”
Visi, caught without an argument, guiltily replied, causing her friend to chuckle lightly.
“Lonely, huh? But that’s what she brought upon herself! Isn’t it rich coming from someone who’s been whining about the third prince being pitiful?”
Visi’s friend was spot on.
It was Lucy herself who shattered any conjecture about her changing after the entrance exam and ceremony.
How dare she call the third prince a ‘pitiful prince’!?
Visi thought she must be out of her mind.
Of course, now she couldn’t say such things.
As Visi awkwardly smiled, her friend narrowed her eyes.
“What’s with you? Decided to play nice today?”
“Playing nice? I’m always nice.”
“Such a phony.”
Their banter was cut short when the magic professor entered the classroom.
“The flow of magic is…”
As the class moved along, the professor frowned slightly, then raised his voice.
“Lady Alrn.”
All the gazes in the room turned towards Lucy, who was laid out on her desk, seemingly napping.
Huh? What on earth is going on?!
Lucy snapped her head up as if she were startled, and the magic professor spoke in an annoyed tone.
“Can you tell me what I just explained?”
Lucy fell silent. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to answer.
She had been sleeping until just then.
“You’re about to embarrass yourself.”
Visi’s friend chuckled, but as she was expecting it, nothing happened.
“Pathetic professor, what you just explained was…”
Without a hint of hesitation, Lucy Alrn answered the professor.
What she said was so flawless that even the magic professor could not fault it.
“You did well. Please take a seat.”
How on earth did she answer while sleeping?
Did she just take a wild guess by looking at what was on the board?!
Ugh, this is why people say geniuses are beyond understanding.
Visi, feeling a twinge of jealousy, clicked her tongue without noticing.
Later that day, during lunch, Visi heard Lucy’s name again amidst the commotion.
Lady Baines entered the cafeteria, fuming.
Even among the babbling noise, Lady Baines couldn’t hide her frustration.
What on earth has got her so riled up?
“I bet it’s because she lost to that troublemaker young lady.”
Her friend who had come from the sparring class answered her question.
“To Lady Alrn?”
“Yeah. That troublemaker may not be able to do much else, but she’s a great fighter. Lady Baines didn’t even get a single hit in!”
“Wow, impressive.”
“It’s nothing to be surprised about. She beat Lady Kent last time too.”
Lady Kent, known as a contender for the next Sword Saint, had won multiple competitions held in the kingdom.
A true monster among monsters, huh?
Did she really manage to beat someone like that in a sparring match?
“Seriously?”
“Yup.”
She’s really good at studies, ranking top of the entrance exam at the Soul Academy, and now she’s skilled enough to beat Lady Kent?!
On top of that, she has divine power strong enough to damage reanimated foes?
“That’s so unfair.”
Can someone really have this much talent concentrated in one person?
“Are they really blessed by the gods?”
“Hey, what are you talking about?”
Visi mumbled, and her friend shot her a look.
“The one blessed by the gods is someone innocent like a saint. There’s no way a troublemaker with that kind of personality could be.”
That could be true.
Thinking about the white-hearted saintess, it’s hard to imagine a god loving someone like that troublemaker.
“Unless she’s somehow loved by a demon instead.”
Hearing her friend’s words, Visi couldn’t help but chuckle.
Then she noticed Lucy entering the cafeteria and clasped her lips shut.
Uh-oh.
She must have overheard what I just said!
*
The day dragged on.
That’s the most frequent thought I’ve had lately.
In this world, when it was a game, a day passed in a flash, sometimes taking just ten seconds to skip.
Attending classes just meant skipping through the text and choosing what to do for dinner and night.
But now that it’s reality, the experience is so different.
I have to spend a full 24 hours! It feels like forever!
If I could train all day like I did back at the family estate, I wouldn’t find it this boring.
But here, I have to sit through dry lectures—it’s just so tough.
The Soul Academy’s trial period should be the phase where you can skip past the monotonous tasks!
Why can’t I skip this part?!
If I could at least go on a quest, that would be bearable.
Recently, the moment I try to talk to anyone, they just run away—not ideal.
Ugh. I just wish this period would end quickly.
After a week, the real semester will start, and then I’ll finally get to step into the dungeons of the Soul Academy.
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