“Sigh.”
It was a wide office.
On the walls of the room hung portraits of various individuals, and countless books were lined up on the bookshelves.
If someone else were to enter, it would definitely be a quiet atmosphere.
But one man seated in the chair was breaking through that atmosphere.
An old man with completely white hair and a beard, giving off a dignified vibe.
“Phew.”
The old man rubbed his aching forehead with his right hand.
Yet, it wasn’t a look of worry.
Rather, it seemed like he was joyous about something.
“Is it the golden generation?”
Ender Arcana, the headmaster of the Arcana Academy and lord of Raynen, smiled slightly.
What he was looking at was the records of this year’s new students.
Seven records. Seven faces arranged in a row.
“Just how far can we let them bloom?”
Most of the students admitted to the Arcana were of noble lineage, and they were expected to showcase their abilities for the Empire in the future.
Everyone knew that the Arcana Academy, being the only academy in the Empire that rewarded talent, treated the more talented with better respect.
Basically, being noble in the Empire equated to having talent.
To stand out even among them simply meant being extraordinary.
And this year, there were seven extraordinary students among the newcomers.
An unprecedented number.
To illustrate, it’s been 40 years since Ender became both headmaster and lord, yet even over that entire period, such talents were scarcely seen.
The top student—Crown Prince Leon Aigis Astria, hailed as the greatest genius in the history of the Empire.
The second—Reina Rozelia of Rozelia Duke House, showing tremendous talent in the four elemental magics.
The third—Atal, a rare talent in light magic and a candidate for the next Pope of the Central Church.
The fourth—Helen of Oberon Count House, recently excelling in multiple areas.
The fifth—a special admission student, Damas Menus, who was exceptionally skilled in reading market trends.
The seventh—Aike Akses, who Ender alone knew had defeated the Crown Prince in the martial arts tournament of Heros.
And the thirteenth—Sophia Eris, a special admission student possessing light magic talent even surpassing Atal.
All of them were holders of talents that could grace an era.
Just seeing their faces ignited the passion of the Arcana professors.
“Hmmm.”
However, that didn’t mean they were perfect.
Even the greatest genius in the history of the Empire, Leon, surely had shortcomings.
Considering those flaws, there were two new students that caught Ender’s attention the most.
The first was Aike Akses, ranked seventh.
Should he be included in the golden generation?
It was a topic that sparked much debate among the professors.
Those who had high hopes for Aike believed the words of Duke Ados, who said he had surpassed the barrier of talent with effort.
However, to phrase it differently, Aike hadn’t shown anything concrete.
Professors who held low expectations pointed that out.
It was hard to compare him to others like Sophia, who, despite lower grades, demonstrated overwhelming talent in light magic.
Extreme professors even pointed out his old nickname.
The disgrace of the Akses Duke House. Shame.
To have excessive expectations for such a counterpart could very well backfire.
But personally, Ender wanted to side with the former opinion.
Even if it was luck, Aike had won against Leon.
In a battle between knights and magical beasts, there is absolutely no knight who can exclude the element of fortune.
Luck is also a form of skill.
Winning against the greatest genius in the Empire through luck meant
That luck could be turned into ability.
And that was precisely the role of the Arcana.
The second was Reina Rozelia, the second-ranked student.
This wasn’t an Arcana-level concern.
It was solely Ender’s private worry.
Reina’s talent was extraordinary.
She had a different feel from Leon, who boasted the best in all abilities.
All her other skills remained at the upper tier, but she couldn’t secure the first place.
However, her talent in magic was of an entirely different category.
The amount of magical power and the width of her magical paths were average, but everything else was on a level that transcended.
The speed of attribute conversion. The techniques related to magic implementation. The understanding of spells.
Even Ender, once revered as a great mage in the Mage Tower, couldn’t help but marvel at her talent.
If that were all, it would be a relief.
If that were the case, it would simply be a matter of guiding Reina with utmost care at the Arcana.
Ender could handle it personally.
But that wasn’t the issue.
“Why does that child have such eyes… What has she gone through?”
Ender knew the nickname of Reina, the Ice Princess.
When Ender first saw Reina, he couldn’t help but nod inwardly at that nickname.
But when he met her again for the entrance exam,
She was a completely different person from the Reina he once knew.
Most were fooled by her performance.
No one suspected that her smile pretended to show she was perfectly fine.
But having watched countless people, Ender could clearly see.
Her eyes were those of someone who had already given up on everything.
There was no hope left.
What remained in her gaze was nothing but darkness.
“What am I supposed to do?”
Ender didn’t even want to imagine the damage that could occur if this talent went awry.
Yet, letting that talent waste away would betray the spirit of the Arcana.
Could he dispel Reina’s darkness and let that talent bloom?
The question lingered in Ender’s mind.
“…I suppose I have no choice.”
Ender slowly recalled his initial resolve.
No matter what happens, he vowed not to give up on his students, a feeling he hadn’t forgotten.
What if the student’s darkness was deep?
Even so, it was our role to guide that darkness towards a brighter place.
Ender headed to the meeting room to discuss future class policies.
★
“…Miss Reina, what on earth is going on?”
“I don’t understand what you mean. Are you saying I’ve done something wrong?”
Reina shot me a cold glare.
Her demeanor was so different from the Reina I knew that it made my head spin.
“The one who made a mistake is that commoner special admission student. I’m the victim in this situation. If your meaning is that I’m not even allowed to point that out, then even if it’s you, Prince Aike, I cannot accept that.”
“That’s not a critique. It’s mere verbal abuse.”
“Even if the other party feels it’s verbal abuse, I think I’m in a position to make such remarks.”
Is the person standing before me truly the Reina I knew?
That question circled in my mind.
“I-I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
Beside me, Sophia deeply bowed her head.
Reina shot a quick glare at that and then turned her gaze back to me.
“See, Prince Aike? Had I not spoken, would she have realized her mistake?”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Sophia apologized, lowering her head.
Reina glared at her.
It felt like a similar situation to three years ago when we went to the market, yet the feelings stirred were so utterly different.
“I’m sorry…”
“Indeed. As Reina says, she has made mistakes too.”
At my assertion, Sophia’s body trembled slightly.
“However, I don’t think her mistakes warrant such one-sided verbal abuse.”
“Excuse me?”
“So please go back to the dormitory.”
“B-but…”
“It’s alright. Just head back quickly. Don’t worry; no problems will occur.”
“Ah, understood. Thank you.”
Sophia bowed her head to both me and Reina before leaving the garden.
“In times like this, if one doesn’t point out the mistakes clearly, they only repeat them. When mistakes happen, trust erodes, and ultimately, that returns as karma. Does Prince Aike truly understand that?”
As soon as Sophia fully disappeared, Reina opened her mouth again.
“That might be true. But your actions just now were clearly wrong.”
“…Is that so? In the end, all my allies have disappeared.”
“What?”
“No, it’s nothing. I’m saying that in the end, even you are a liar.”
Reina slowly began to roll up her mat and closed the book she was reading.
It was clear she was indicating that she had no more to discuss.
“Prince Aike, we’re now 17, approaching adulthood. So let’s maintain proper etiquette from now on.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I am the betrothed of His Highness the Crown Prince. Even if we are alone together, please remember that fact.”
Without even waiting for my reply, Reina turned her back.
Her intention was clear.
It meant she wouldn’t comfortably engage in conversation with me even if we were alone in the future.
“What has happened?”
I was aware that the notion of everything flowing comfortably in the future was unrealistic.
But at the very least, I wished to create the best possible situation.
So why had things turned out like this?
No, it wasn’t just tangled; it had completely diverged from the story I once knew.
“Is there no one else?”
The only person who might have some understanding of this situation.
When thinking of what to do about it, the only answer was that one person.
“Are you asking me to talk about Miss Reina?”
“Yes.”
The Crown Prince slowly placed his tea on the desk.
“Regarding her, you probably know more than I do, Aike.”
“I haven’t met Miss Reina in three years. But I’ve heard your Highness spoke with her just last month.”
“Well, that is true. But I can assure you that the stories I can share are nearly nonexistent. It’s unexpected for you to come to me, yet it seems you’ve knocked on the wrong door.”
“Nonetheless, it’s fine.”
The Crown Prince sighed upon hearing my words and put a piece of sablé in his mouth.
He looked far from pleased.
“You and Miss Reina are said to be childhood friends, yet after the Heros Martial Arts Tournament three years ago, you ceased to meet. The reason—due to concerns about disturbances arising from my engagement with her. You already know this much, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Here lies a straightforward question, Aike. Since the Heros Martial Arts Tournament, how many times do you think I’ve met her one-on-one?”
Reina said her relationship with the Crown Prince was fine.
And considering that they had supposedly met just last month,
“It would seem at least once every three weeks.”
“You’re incorrect. It’s two times.”
“…What?”
“I’ve met Miss Reina a total of two times in about three years. Once after the finals of the Martial Arts Tournament and once last month. Both times we merely had tea and parted ways.”
Upon hearing the Crown Prince’s words, I found myself at a loss for words.
“I worried that I might have offended her, but it seems that isn’t the case, as Duke Ricard says.”
What on earth is going on in this story?
I couldn’t comprehend it at all.
“I told you, Aike? I have little to share about her.”
The Crown Prince spoke with a bittersweet smile.
