7
The scenery greeting me atop the new bed was a rather familiar sensation.
To be precise, it was the very bed I had used every day for the four years I attended the Academy.
If one were to nitpick whether it was new or not, it would be closer to the opposite.
But regardless, since it was a bed I hadn’t seen once for several years after graduating, it was more than enough to evoke a strange sensation.
Though yesterday, I had been a bit tired and crashed as soon as I returned to the Academy.
Subjugating the bandits stationed in the Ormond territory. Riding a carriage from dawn and traveling through the night to reach the Margraviate of Highgarden.
After reporting Baron Ormond to the Margrave of Highgarden, crossing the Warp Gate headed for the Imperial Capital. Riding a carriage for several hours to return to the Academy.
Trudging across the vast Academy grounds where personal carriages couldn’t enter, returning to the Magic Department dormitory, and flinging myself roughly onto the bed—that was my memory up until yesterday.
I couldn’t say the fatigue had completely faded yet.
But dispelling this level of drowsiness was more than enough with a single 2nd Circle wind spell.
When I manifested Refresh, pointing my fingers toward my head, my foggy, stuffy mind cleared up in an instant.
My body had reached a state sufficient to carry out daily life.
Immediately after, I washed away the fatigue and grime accumulated over two days cleanly in the bathroom.
I changed into the Academy student uniform I had left behind in the dormitory.
There were still roughly two weeks left until the semester started, but
the clothes I had been wearing needed washing anyway.
Above all, once inside the Academy, it was the Academy’s rule that students had to wear their uniforms.
Having completed the appearance of an Academy student with my uniform,
I pinned a purple badge to my chest proving I belonged to the Magic Department.
“Something feels a bit empty.”
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t worn my cloak.
The cloak I had worn when leaving my hometown was already dirty with bandits’ blood and dirt.
Wandering around the Academy in that state was, even I thought, pushing it too far.
But then again, going outside without a cloak felt a bit empty too. Wondering if there was anything to replace it, the moment I opened the dormitory wardrobe.
“Ah.”
I could confirm that a dark blue cloak, presumed to be quite expensive, was folded neatly inside maintaining its shape.
It was the cloak Ruru, a fellow student at the Academy and a member of the Demon God Subjugation Corps, had gifted me.
The moment I faced it after so long, a fond feeling welled up.
And the moment the fact that I had only been able to wear it once in my previous life came to mind,
my hands were already unfolding the neatly folded cloak and draping it over my shoulders.
Coming from a minor viscount family in the remote frontier, I had lived a miserably frugal life during my school days.
So the habit of cherishing things received as gifts from others was another bad habit of mine.
I hadn’t worn this cloak even once during my time at the Academy.
It was only when my previous cloak had worn out to the point of being unwearable that I finally took it out.
And of all things, the first magical beast I faced while wearing this cloak was a fire-attribute monster, so the cloak, which had been as good as new, burned up and became unusable in a single day.
Moreover, Ruru had happened to be participating in that battle as well.
Since I had worn and burned up a gift she had given me long ago right after taking it out, I had nothing to say even when scolded.
She had probably treasured and saved up to gift it to me despite her poor circumstances, so it must have been all the more so.
So, just as I couldn’t wear it in my previous life, in this life I would wear it so often that I’d grow sick of it.
“For now, shall I meet Stella first?”
The reason I had departed from the territory a bit earlier than the scheduled semester start was partly to subjugate the bandits in Baron Ormond’s territory.
But it was also to meet Stella, the former captain of the Demon God Subjugation Corps and the Hero, even a day sooner.
Even though in the final moments, she fell to the Demonic Sword of Kardia and destroyed the world with her own hands.
That didn’t mean the achievements she had made before the subjugation of the Demon God Kardia were negated.
There were many crises overcome only because it was Stella.
Above all, before her fall to the demonic sword, she had undoubtedly been a figure excellent enough to be worthy of the title “Hero of Hope.”
The fact that her strength was necessary in the process of eliminating the Dark Church was already a decided truth.
Therefore, first and foremost, there was a need to rebuild my connection with Stella starting from my Academy days.
Naturally, my destination was set to the Swordsmanship Department dormitory of the Academy.
Hoping that Stella had already arrived in the Imperial Capital in time for the enrollment period as I expected.
* * *
There was a story I had heard as a rumor during my past Academy days.
A rumor that the daughter of Professor Arwen McDowell of the Swordsmanship Department had suffered collective violence from department seniors immediately upon enrolling in the Academy.
Professor McDowell’s classes were notoriously harsh, to the extent that they were known even to other departments.
So it wasn’t particularly impossible for the arrow of resentment to turn toward Stella Arwen, that professor’s daughter.
However, there had been a reason I dismissed this rumor as false at the time.
The fact that no disciplinary action was taken against the students who had committed violence against the professor’s daughter lowered the rumor’s credibility.
No matter how much the Academy operated on an order of strength closer than law.
I had thought there was no way the Academy would take no measures despite unjust violence being openly committed.
Above all, on the Hunting Festival day in the first semester of our third year, when Stella and I first formed a connection.
Since I had witnessed her absurd prowess right before my eyes.
It became hard to imagine that someone with that level of skill would have meekly succumbed to violence.
Even though it had happened a year earlier, Stella’s skills had already been perfected over several years.
If not for the bitter confession that came from her lips, I might have gone my whole life imagining it that way.
“After enrolling in the Academy, I became unable to trust others easily. Fortunately, there are people like you, Mr. Conrad.”
Through the self-mockery that followed those words, I realized the story of collective violence was not a false rumor.
The reason she became the target of violence was, as expected, because she was Professor McDowell’s daughter.
The reason the instigating students received no punishment was that she had not reported the violence she suffered to the department.
The reason she didn’t report it was that Stella was an adopted daughter, not the biological child, of Professor McDowell, and she feared that making a fuss might cause harm to her adoptive father, Professor McDowell.
As it passed by with such a lukewarm response, the violence she suffered was forgotten just like that.
I only knew Stella from after she became a second-year at the Academy, but there had been a record of her stating that her wariness toward others had deepened after enrolling.
Perhaps the several injustices that had tormented her after that incident had gradually turned her personality cold.
The method of “peace” Stella advocated upon her fall must not have been entirely free from the influence of such incidents.
So in this life, to prevent her from feeling injustice, I moved quickly to take the position of the first senior she would meet at the Academy, but
it seemed the position of the first Academy senior she would face had already been stolen this time as well.
“So you’re that damned Professor McDowell’s daughter, huh?”
In a dark back alley near the Academy’s Swordsmanship Department dormitory.
I could find Stella surrounded by Swordsmanship Department students presumed to be second or fourth-years.
Judging by the situation unfolding, I could tell at a glance that this was the scene of the collective violence I had heard of in rumors past.
Whether it was good timing or rather poor timing.
It was a moment that fit so perfectly one could call it a trick of fate.
“Yes.”
The prospective freshman surrounded by Swordsmanship Department seniors answered with upright eyes.
Golden bundled hair reaching down to her back.
Gentle-looking blue eyes.
And the full plate mail that was like her trademark attire.
Since it was an appearance I had seen every day for several years in my previous life.
There was no way I couldn’t recognize her just because she was a bit younger.
“Might I ask for what reason the seniors have summoned me?”
Even though five or six seniors were surrounding her, her eyes remained upright and unwavering.
Even if she was an adopted daughter, that spirit alone was unmistakably a spitting image of Professor McDowell.
“Hah, who’d know you’re the professor’s daughter with that mouth of yours, so impudent from the get-go.”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t like the attitude you’re talking with. Where do you get off looking seniors square in the eye?”
One among the group began pressing Stella, who wore an expression of not understanding what was going on.
“Your father is the Academy Swordsmanship Department professor right now, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Then why do you think we called you, huh?”
“…I apologize, but I don’t quite understand.”
“Ha. You’re clueless, seriously!”
A fourth-year from the Swordsmanship Department cornered Stella against the wall and slammed his palm against it.
The blond young lady flinched slightly at his sudden action.
“Your damn father doesn’t give us the grades we want, so you should be apologizing on your knees, you little shit!”
“….”
Perhaps because the words coming out of his mouth the moment he met his department professor’s daughter were so absurd,
Stella tilted her head with a blank expression.
“Why would that be a reason for me to apologize?”
“…What?”
“The Academy classes my father… my father teaches are under his jurisdiction, so I cannot understand why I must apologize to the seniors for that.”
“You dare talk back to a senior….”
“Furthermore, not receiving proper grades is the result of poor academic achievement, is it not? Why must I apologize to the seniors for that aspect?”
“….”
At the all-too-obvious logic coming from her mouth, the fourth-year’s expression quietly hardened.
“This worthless bitch, really….”
His fist against the wall began to clench quietly.
“This damned bitch needs a beating to come to her senses, doesn’t she?”
“If you exercise unjust violence against me for a nonsensical reason, I will not remain still and accept it without resisting…”
“Go ahead and try it. If the Academy professor’s daughter goes around swinging fists before even enrolling, that’ll make for a great rumor, won’t it?”
“….”
Stella’s hand, which had reached the hilt of the blade at her waist, showed a hesitating motion of whether to draw it or not.
When I speculated based on her personality as I knew it, I had thought it strange that she hadn’t resisted the unjust violence in the past.
It seemed that the intimidation and threats perfectly aimed at her as an Academy freshman had made her hesitate.
“Looking closely, you don’t resemble that damned geezer McDowell one bit either….”
The delinquent’s mouth began to spew out words regarding Stella’s complex as well.
Since I had watched the situation unfolding sufficiently until now.
It was time to intervene and rescue her.
Because I couldn’t let Stella suffer under unjust violence and distrust in others as she had in her previous life.
“Turns out you’re not even his real daughter, but picked up from under some bridge, you little—ugwah?!”
A mana bullet fired from the tip of my staff struck the side of the head of the guy who had been running his mouth until just now.
Since it was a blow carefully aimed, he probably wouldn’t be getting up again for a while.
“Wh-what was that?”
“Which bastard was it?!”
The flustered group began looking around their surroundings at the suddenly flying mana bullet.
“That dark blue cloak over there, it’s him!”
As one of them pointed his finger at me, all gazes focused in my direction.
“Who the hell are you!”
“A Magic Department weakling, judging by the looks? Huh?”
“Who do you think you are, interfering in Swordsmanship Department business?”
Stella, who had been my original objective, was already out of their minds.
An ominous atmosphere signaling the start of a battle began to swirl between them and me.