Chapter 28 (1/2)

Chapter 28

Rather than that, Celestia kept her watch to see if the behavior of the Emperor’s maternal relatives, Victoria, or the other students had changed. However, Victoria’s attitude being demure toward the Empress seemed very inquisitive.

Even though she decided to take magic lessons at the Academy, it was fortunate that they never came to know about her ability to invalidate magic, thanks to the theory class.

She still hasn’t figured out who the Empress talked to in that room. Immediately, she thought she hadn’t encountered too many people in her life even though she had an extraordinary memory……… The whole class was over before she knew it, and her eyes moved down the floor with her head still wrapped up in her thoughts.

Finally, Xenon, the head instructor, walked in. He pushed up his glasses and told her to pay attention to the annual end-of-year prom and applications for promotion, before silently staring at her for a while and going his own way. Perhaps it was because she had been carried away by other thoughts than her studies.

She always had received his anticipated gaze, but somehow, she felt nervous when she met those studying eyes of his.

She didn’t want to graduate early but get promoted the proper way.

She jolted up at the sudden intrusion of the students from class C.

“Celestia, are you going alone today?”

“Uh.”

“Do you want to join us?”

“No.”

“Haha. Come on~ We have a carriage.”

She forcefully pulled up the corners of her lips into a smile.

“Oh my, is that so? That sounds wonderful. Then take that carriage and get home safely.”

She could see the boys surrounding her sending her a smile as if they were highly aristocrats talking to her.

“You are very determined and charming. Just like a wildflower that’s been stepped on……”

They started talking crap.

These guys were the ones who didn’t bat an eye when the aristocrats from class B bullied her, spilled food trays on her, or almost threw a flower pot on her. Not until she was called to the banquet as a representative of class A and the entire Academy.

‘Look how suddenly they’ve changed their attitude after I danced with the Emperor at the banquet.’

Of course, she wasn’t saying it was wrong to change perspectives with time. But this was making her more uncomfortable.

As soon as she saw another boy follow the first to talk to her, she grabbed her bag tightly and jumped off her seat.

‘The conversation would never end if I give them more time.’

“Ah, I’ve got to attend an urgent matter…..”

After shouting like that, she rushed out of the classroom without giving a glance back at them and ran down the hall until the main entrance. The number of people in uniforms decreased as she got to the courtyard of the main gate. As usual, most of the students were from aristocratic families with fewer being from fairly successful commoner families.

She slowed down as the people became scarce. She passed the main gate and walked down towards the shabby carriage where the knight was waiting.

She was still worried of what the Empress said and the cookie basket she left behind. More than that, she couldn’t figure out who the owner of that voice was…..

As she made her way through a narrow alley to get to the carriage, she saw something strange around the corner of her eyes. A fluttering bolt of lightning came her way.

She took a step back, but it approached her at a much faster pace. She thought, even in that brief moment, it could grasp her. As per the ‘level’ of magic divided by strength and range, this was only level 2. But if it touched her in the wrong region, it could burn her like a crisp.

She didn’t even have the time to scream when the bolt came crashing at her in an instant, leaving her right sleeve burned and tattered in pieces.

Fwoosh.

However, her body felt like a magic wand. The low-level lightning flame, which had the power to knock out the opponent, faded away as soon as it touched her skin.

It didn’t happen on her own will. But that wasn’t the point now. The problem was that someone apparently tried to use hostile magic against her. Even though it was illegal to use attack magic in the city unless it was an official order!

She glanced down at the sleeve of her uniform from where the acrid smoke was rising. In between the ragged fabric was a tiny glimpse of enchantment carved near her elbow.

‘What was that?’ She froze, unable to process in the tense moment.

She quickly looked around. The path she used to get to her carriage was at the backside of the Academy so as to not run into anyone else. There weren’t many people. She silently picked up the pace. ‘Where did that come from?’ The man who tried the spell could not have gotten far away.

All of the people walking in the street felt like enemies. Now, the carriage was just around the alley. She didn’t want to look like a prey on escape. She tried not to run while walking as fast as she could, but her feet kept moving hastily.

‘What?’

She walked and turned, but paused. ‘Wasn’t this the alley where the carriage usually stands?’ Obviously, the way she turned was blocked by a wall.

She looked around, but it was the same alley she was familiar with.

She reached out her hand.

Ching!

Just as a mirror is broken by a stone, the stone solid wall cracked and broke down from the region where her hand touched.

The magic was noticeably level 4.

She went from being nervous to cautious at that moment.

Doubt prevailed over her mind that she unintentionally destroyed the magic. If she knew, she wouldn’t have touched it. Or somebody was trying to stop her from meeting with the knight……

‘There could be many possibilities.’ Meanwhile, she could see a carriage standing not far away.