The colorful leaves were turning dark green with the passage of time, and the warm season was just around the corner.
Due of the mildly warm weather, students had begun to take off their school uniform jackets. I was no different.
Yesterday was the performance evaluation for the Elemental Flower Craft. Although not perfect, I was able to achieve a satisfactory result. It was all thanks to Luce helping me every time I practiced.
We had decided how we would spend our time together. Even if we did choose to meet, it would be in private with just the two of us. As a justification, I reiterated that 'I stand out too much when I'm with Luce.'
She appeared to have enjoyed our friendship so much that she couldn't help but regret it. It seemed that she expected a daily routine of going to and from school together, eating together, and hanging out together, regardless of what others thought.
What could I do? I wasn't in a position to do that.
And, as expected, rumors were already spreading that there was an unusual atmosphere between Luce and I. Well, it was already spilled water. There was nothing I could do about it now.
Sooner or later, I'll have to pretend to be as incompetent as possible so that they'll stop paying attention to me and think, 'Ah, Isaac's a hopeless bastard, and the top seat has gone off the deep end!"
If Alice Carrol ever heard about the rumor regarding the two of us, I could only hope that she would think it wasn't a big deal and move on.
"Hey! I am going to be the test proctor for the end-of-semester evaluation for this freshman year!"
I was in a corner of the butterfly garden at noon with the sky shining brightly.
It was the weekend. Today, I planned to spend twice as much time practicing magic than I usually did. This was because I took up quite a bit of time practicing magic craft.
Even today, Dorothy Heartnova sat with her back against a nearby zelkova tree and interrupted my training with her chatter. But this time, her chatter was worth listening to. It was a story that had a lot to do with the scenario.
"Aren't you a senior? Wouldn't you normally hate that kind of trouble in the first place?"
"Nyahaha, of course! But~ Because this elder sister wants to see if our president will do well in his exam~. Aren't you so honored as a fan of mine?!"
"Ah yes. It is an honor."
"That reaction is boring…"
Dorothy pouted her lips and grumbled.
Originally, being a test proctor was not a position that students could be entrusted with. However, the academy's administration has been plagued by the appearance of demons recently.
In the end, it was decided that the strongest students within the academy would be chosen as test proctors.
One of these candidates was Dorothy Hartnova. It was the same as the original scenario of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
Without Dorothy, the Thunderbird Subjugation itself would be impossible. Because without her, the odds were stacked against the academy.
"I even got rid of the student council president…"
My head twitched.
Alice Carroll volunteered as a test proctor?
"The student council president?"
"Yeah, because she said she wanted to do it too. So we made a bet and I won."
It was different from the scenario I knew. It was clear that she had taken it upon herself to find out who was going around fighting the demons.
I asked Dorothy what kind of bet it was, and she answered that it was a violent one. I didn't ask any further questions.
"Thank goodness…"
In the end, it was a great relief that Alice Carroll, the student council president, didn't become the test proctor.
I let out a sigh of relief and muttered to myself, but Dorothy's ears perked up as she wrapped herself in starlight mana, and flew towards me.
"Do you like me being that?"
Ah, I was just talking to myself.
As usual, Dorothy stuck her head out to me and asked me with a lively smile.
I nodded. I didn't want to disappoint her, even if it was just a misunderstanding.
"Yes. I'm a fan of yours, senior, so no doubt."
I really was glad that she became the test proctor. That thought was sincere, without a hint of doubt. Thanks to that, the scenario didn't go awry.
Dorothy let out her signature "Nihihi" laughter and brightened up with a smile as bright as the sun.
❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱「Act 3, Chapter 3, End of Semester Evaluation」 leads directly to 「Act 3, Chapter 4, Thunderbird Subjugation」.
At that time, Luce's 8-star familiar, 'Thunderbird Galia', became a demon.
Dorothy, who played the role of a test proctor, would be a key player in the Thunderbird Subjugation along with the main character, Ian Fairytale.
Originally, in a one-on-one fight, Dorothy was strong enough to defeat the Thunderbird. However, the battle would have been fierce enough that the entire surrounding land would vanish.
Since Dorothy had to fight while protecting people, she couldn't rush into a full-on fight with all her strength. If she did, they would all die.
This was where the protagonist Ian came into play, as he could deliver the killing blow with his light element, which was the demon's weakness.
"Hmm, do you like me, President?"
Suddenly, Dorothy opened her mischievous eyes and asked with a sinister laugh.
That expression seems a bit ambiguous…?
"Oh my. I wonder if our cute junior has heard this embarrassing talk?"
Dorothy flashed me a mischievous grin and tilted her head towards the schoolgirl that stood at a distance from me.
Rose-gold hair cascaded down around her face, and the sides of her head were adorned with morpho butterfly-colored braids. She was my classmate and one of the official heroines, Luce Eltania.
She had her arms crossed with an expressionless face as her eyes were locked with Dorothy's.
"...."
Luce exuded an oppressive aura of unspoken pressure as if warning me not to speak, a pressure that enveloped my entire body and struck fear into my heart.
'Ugh, chills…'
Even someone as bright as Dorothy was not immune to Luce's antisocial persona.
"It's not like it's anything to be embarrassed about."
By the way, Dorothy didn't even like me, but today, she was using a lot of ambiguous expressions as if she were secretly flirting. Of course, I didn't hate it.
My favorite character, Dorothy, felt like a lovely daughter. Of course, I have never been married, let alone had a daughter, but that was the general feeling.
Dorothy covered her mouth with her right hand and flashed a sly smile.
"Didn't the President say he likes me? Isn't that kind of embarrassing?"
"I said that I like that senior became the test proctor, didn't I? No matter how I look at it, that's the context, isn't it?"
"What a nice boy~ You're so embarrassed. How cute~. Nihihi!"
Dorothy, being shorter than me, stretched out her right arm and stroked my hair.
First of all, thank you for the fan service.
Afterward, Dorothy hummed a tune as she returned to the zelkova tree. She then leaned back against the tree, pulled out an unknown book from the witch's hat on her head, and began to read.
I straightened the hair that Dorothy had stroked. There was a lot of physical contact these days…
Dorothy was not an official heroine in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, and she was an opponent whose mind I couldn't read with [Psychological Insight].
Even though she was my favourite character, it was difficult to tell if her behavioral pattern changes were accidental or if there was a cause. I didn't have enough information to make an informed decision.
"Isaac, let's get started," said Luce in a soothing voice. I turned my head towards her.
Her expression, which had been ice-cold when facing Dorothy, softened to a gentle smile when she saw me. It truly was a dramatic change of expression.
"Uh, please take good care of me."
[Come on, rock! This Bello will deal with you!]
[Kyuu?]
Besides Luce, the little killer whale magic beast, Bello, was busily swimming through the air with water mana wrapped around her body.
Next to me, Eden, the small golem magic beast, tilted his head and pretended to be cute.
Luce said she would help me with my training over the weekend, and here she was. I readily agreed because we were out of sight and Dorothy was not a threat.
Luce had an excited expression on her face at that time, and her cheeks were flushed enough to make me blush. I should have been happy, but she seemed to be the one who was most excited.
Of course, as soon as she saw Dorothy, she reflexively raised her guard.
Dorothy was briefly offended by Luce, who was cold to her, but seemed to understand as a senior and took a step back.
"Eden, prepare for battle."
[Kyuuu!]
Luce was the top student of the first year at the Magic Department. Among the freshmen, there was no one stronger than her. Even though she was using over half of her original power to suppress the Thunderbird.
She extended her right hand towards me. Then, a blue magic circle appeared in front of her hand and slowly began to rotate.
I could feel a dense mana that made my whole body shudder. Motivation surged through me.
I conjured up cold ice flames – [Frostfire] – in each hand and faced Luce.
From now on, I would engage in a duel with her. I would cast magic at her, block or dodge her magic, and so on.
Dueling with her would be of great help to me in the mastery of magic warfare.
Soon, Luce and I began to battle each other with magic.
"Ugh!"
…It was more like a one-sided assault.
✦✧✦✧
'I guess I was right after all.'
Near the butterfly garden. On a certain hillside.
Eva Heilov, a glasses-wearing schoolgirl, was hiding behind a tree, secretly watching Isaac and his group.
She was a student at the bottom of Class D of the Magic Department, but had a talent that other students of the Magic Department did not have.
It was her [Stealth] magic that allowed her to conceal her own presence. In the eyes of others, her translucent body was indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape.
'Is there something special about you, Isaac?'
A male student with silver-blue hair. She recognized him because they were in the same Class D.
His name was Isaac. He was the one who surprised the students by using 5-star magic during the dueling evaluation, despite having the lowest Grade-E when he measured his mana at the start of the semester.
It was an amazing sight, but it was quickly forgotten.
Even if a Grade-E wizard consistently polished his skills and achieved tremendous growth in a short period of time, he only succeeded in mastering 5-star magic at an immature level.
In front of those who were already capable of using 5-star magic at a high level, it would only look like that.
Then there was the light element, indisputable in terms of rarity, which had appeared. As a result, Isaac's single use of five-star magic was hardly enough to make him stand out.
'Four Constellations'. A student faction that could be involved in the administration of Märchen Academy.
Eva Heilov was one of them, an intelligence gatherer chosen to represent the 'Red Elephant' seat.
The Four Constellations could each recruit 10 first-year students as members starting from the second semester, so they secretly competed to recruit talent and collect information from the first semester.
So, the Four Constellations secretly approached students who had abilities that seemed to be useful for information gathering but were below the middle of the pack and could never even imagine of joining a Constellation.
They would whisper sweet proposals such as "Gather some useful information. If you perform well, we will let you into our Constellation."
Just being affiliated with one of the Four Constellations was attractive, even outside of the Academy, so most people, whether they were interested in the power within the Academy or not, accepted the offer.
Eva Heilov was one such recipient of the offer.
'The top seat ice princess, cold to everyone, friendly to only one person… and that's you.'
A few days ago, Eva had overheard a rumor that Luce Eltania, the number one target for recruitment, showed a particularly cheerful side only to Isaac.
So she started keeping a close eye on Isaac, and the harvest had exceeded her expectations.
"Don't overdo it. Whenever I see our President in pain, this elder sister's heart aches."
"Oh, thank you for your kind words."
Märchen Academy's Strongest. A genius who seems to have received Lord Manhalla's Blessing. The 2nd Year's Top Seat. The Star Witch.
Dorothy Heartnova, the sophomore girl who had been called all of those, was wiping Isaac's face with her own handkerchief.
'Besides, he's even involved with the famous senior Dorothy…'
Dorothy didn't belong to any of the Constellations. Naturally, the Four Constellations had tried their best to recruit her, but she had flatly refused every offer, saying she wasn't interested. She was self-assertive, self-centered, and lived in her own world.
To think that such a monster was staying with Isaac… It was amazing.
It was clear that Luce and Dorothy had favorable feelings for Isaac. It was unclear whether it was a crush between the opposite sex or a friendship between friends, but either way, the fact that two monsters from the Magic Department were hanging out around Isaac was important information.
"What is it about Isaac that makes him so special to those two…?"
Eva monologued to herself in a low voice.
Isaac seemed to have something special enough to attract those two, but what the hell was it…
"I'll have to report to the right people and talk to the seniors first…"
It was then.
Dorothy, who had been wiping Isaac's face, turned her gaze to Eva.
"...!!"
In an instant, shivers ran down Eva's spine.
She was in [Stealth] mode and this magic consumed very little mana. Even Eva's measly Grade D+ mana was very small. In other words, there was no way she could be detected at this distance!
…No, I overlooked it. Dorothy was a monster among monsters. It was highly likely that her mana perception transcended common sense.
Eva quickly ducked behind a tree and leaned back. Her breathing quickened. She was terrified.
She was an inferior Class D student with nothing to show for it other than [Stealth], a commoner whose last name was her hometown name. If she was caught spying on Isaac, she wasn't sure what she could do, especially against those monsters.
"Haa, haa, whew…."
After a while, Eva took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
She poked her head to the side of the tree and looked back at Isaac. Isaac and Luce were clashing spells again, while Dorothy leaned back against a zelkova tree, watching their duel (one-sided assault).
'Was it because of my mood…'
Just then, as she breathed a sigh of relief, a white cat with a pink ribbon on its tail approached Eva. An imprint of its owner on its back. It was a familiar.
[Hello there, friend.]
The white cat greeted her with the voice of a mature lady. She greeted Eva so casually, that Eva forgot that she was in [Stealth] for a moment.
[Why are you spying on my Dorothy?]
Eva's face turned pale.
Because she realized that the white cat, 'Ella', was Dorothy's familiar.
[No, it was… Isaac…]
Eva's shoulders trembled. Ella's sharp eyes did not miss that response.
[Where are you from? Black Tiger? Blue Wolf? Golden Eagle? Red Elephant?]
"Uh, well, that's…"
[The Four Constellations have certainly been annoying recently. Why do they keep doing the same things?]
"Huh…?"
Eva asked in confusion, but she understood exactly what Ella meant by that.
There were other students who had heard the rumors and followed Isaac. It was obvious that they were in the same position as her.
[Then, Dorothy's message.]
Charararara──
A sudden cluster of colorful stars appeared in the air. The starlight spell that Dorothy had implanted in Ella was activated.
[I know your purpose. It's irritating, so can you stop being such a nuisance?]
The starlight magic surrounded Eva on all sides, leaving her with nowhere to escape to.
"Eek…!"
Fear engulfed Eva like a tidal wave, causing her whole body to tremble violently. Dorothy's magic seemed to weigh heavily on her.
Before long, Ella chuckled and withdrew Dorothy's starlight magic.
[Keep what you've learned between us if possible. Otherwise, who knows what Dorothy might do. She might even completely get rid of the Four Constellations, depending on her mood. 'Because of you'.]
In the first place, there was no one who could stop Dorothy Heartnova at Märchen Academy.
Her presence at the academy could only be described as the equivalent of a large-scale natural disaster, simply playing around with students.
Eva released her [Stealth], which no longer meant anything, and nodded her head hastily with a frightened face.
"Yes, yesss…!"
Her sobbing voice cracked. Eva bowed her upper body to Ella, and quickly ran away from the area.
'S-Scary!'
Eva sniffled and disappeared from Ella's sight.
Ella breathed out a deep sigh. This was already the 4th time she had driven out the stalkers under Dorothy's orders.
[My Dorothy is finally starting to show some interest in a boy, but why is it that they can't leave her alone…]
Don't disturb my Dorothy's pure love.
For the record, Dorothy never said that she had a crush on Isaac. More accurately, she said she was 'curious'.
Well, curiosity was a very good emotion for love to sprout.
Ella was like a mother rooting for her daughter to find a good man and live a happy life.
…In the first place, just watching people fall in love was fun.
Dorothy said that a friend with a crush on Isaac had arrived today, she seemed excited at the thought of teasing the girl with rose gold hair.
She wasn't sure of Dorothy's true feelings, but if she had any affection towards Isaac at all…
Ella hoped that her master wouldn't regret him being stolen away.
[But what is there to see in that child… I don't think there's anything special about it other than being cute. Even made me eat firecrackers for him.]
Fuaaa!
"Ugh!"
[Kyuuuuuu!]
The sight of Isaac and his golem familiar Eden being swept away by Luce's water magic was reflected in Ella's eyes.
Ella furrowed one eyebrow.
[Ooh, that must have hurt…]
But Isaac scrambled to his feet and fought back against Luce.
"Eden, get up, let's go!"
[Kyuu… uu!]
"Ugghhh!"
[Kyuuuu!]
Ella sat there and watched the duel (one-sided assault) between Isaac and Luce.
Still… the man's willpower was admirable.