"Mother. Have you seen the article?"
Elise immediately called her mother, pressing her fingernails into the desk in needless anxiety.
─Yes, I saw it. It was interesting.
"Interesting? It's not true. It's fake news."
The Petra family is entangled with various human factions and interests.
It's not just her mother, father, and herself as the successor.
The elders who hold a position in the family, the vassals who serve the direct bloodline, and even the branches spread out across the continent, all of them together form the prestigious 'Petra' family.
That's why Elise needs to establish her prestige as the next successor. Not all family members are allies.
"We need to handle this-"
─Dear. Of course, we checked it before you did.
"...Pardon?"
But her mother's response was strange.
─They informed us first. That an article of this content would break. We didn't bother to stop it.
"What, why?"
─You were careless.
Her mother 'Celine' chuckled.
─I know it's not true. The public will probably think the same. Because he doesn't suit you at all. But, don't you need to experience this once to know how it feels?
"..."
Elise was momentarily at a loss for words.
─Be careful next time. Think of it as a pre-emptive measure. From now on, these kinds of things will be commonplace in your world. Paparazzi will be everywhere.
In the current generation of Edsilla's magic industry, that is, 'all industries using magic', the element of entertainment is strong.
The line between celebrities and news is more blurred than ever, and 'high-ranking mages' are more famous than most movie stars, singers, and top stars.
Therefore, Elise's star power is on par with any A-list celebrity.
─Shion Ascal, was it? Don't associate with him anymore. I understand that you've become friendly with various people over the past two quarters, but shouldn't they be on your level?
Elise gritted her teeth.
Judging from her mother's calm response, dry tone, and indifferent voice, she could guess.
Her mother still doesn't know.
About Shion Ascal's past.
About the 'incident' between Petra and Ascal.
Is it fortunate, or unfortunate?
─You're not answering?
"...We'll see each other, because he's going to National University."
─ Have you ever had the occasion to meet him in person?
Ding-
A text message arrived on her smartphone.
"I have something to take care of right now."
─Alright. Congratulations on being the valedictorian. The elders sent congratulatory messages.
"The valedictorian for the second quarter?"
─No. Overall valedictorian.
"...Overall valedictorian? Really?"
Without realizing it, Elise gripped her phone with both hands.
Her mother can receive news related to the college board in advance.
─Yes. Co-valedictorian, to be exact. If you need anything, let me know, and take care of your business.
Celine ended the call.
"..."
Elise was stunned for a moment.
"...Valedictorian."
She smiled faintly.
Honestly, she had half expected it. She was certain about being the valedictorian for the second quarter, but she was far behind Gerkhen in the first quarter.
Thanks to that, she wasn't too disappointed about being a 'co-valedictorian'. Rather, she was feeling quite good.
"Hehe. Hehehe. Hehe… ha… hehehe."
Ding-
Another text message on her smartphone.
Elise turned on the screen.
[Layla: Elly@@@!! I swear I didn't leak the news this time@@@@@!!]
[Layla: Don't misunderstand nononono it's not me. I'll find out who did it and kill them!!!! ㅡ-ㅡ!!! I'm so pissed off!! Fuck! Who the hell is it!!!!!!]
[Layla: Was it Kain? Haha, I should ask Kain hahahaha]
The text came from Layla. Elise put down her smartphone.
"...That girl."
She shouldn't be the one that was texting her.
What could he be doing right now?
Elise looked at the article again.
[Exclusive] Petra's successor, Elise Petra, in a romantic relationship? The partner is presumed to be a senior in the top 50.
Two photos were uploaded in the online article.
Elise and Shion walking side by side, one photo.
Elise and Shion looking at each other, two photos.
"..."
Elise felt a sting in her heart. It felt like she was being pricked everywhere with a needle.
It felt like a dead end. As if she had hit a wall called 'reality'.
The election season is coming soon.
It's next April.
Around that time, all sorts of negative attacks will pour in.
In that situation, can Shion avoid getting hurt?
Can the Petra family prevent Shion from getting hurt?
...Impossible.
Shion shouldn't be with her.
If he is with her... it will be dangerous.
She shouldn't be with him either.
If she is with him... it will be dangerous.
"When was this photo taken."
I should be more careful, just as mother said.
Muttering to herself, Elise saved the photos from the article to her smartphone album.
* * *
After a long time, I returned to [Endex].
I'm lying on the sofa in the basement of old man Belthos's room.
"Old man. I told you I'm definitely going to the national university."
"...Just get accepted first."
Belthos holds out the mended uniform.
I had grown too fast, so he had to enlarge it completely.
"Oh. It fits perfectly. Thanks."
I smiled, fiddling with the uniform.
"Go."
Belthos waved his hand.
"Yep. I'll come back with the acceptance letter."
"Don't come back."
"I will."
I climbed up the basement stairs, ducking my head so it wouldn't hit the ceiling.
I walked out and strode through Endex.
But for some reason, people around me are looking at me. Not just glancing, but staring openly.
Is this the gaze that Edsilla National University students receive? The eyes of envy?
It's not so bad.
I arrived at [Clemen Hall]. There were quite a few seniors who had arrived before me.
Gerkhen was reading at the front seat, Layla was sleeping with her head on the desk, and for some reason, Elise was also lying down next to her.
As soon as I opened the door, it seemed like she quickly put her head down, maybe?
"Hmm."
On the other hand, Soliette is nowhere to be seen. She hasn't contacted me at all this week.
Probably because of [Bethune].
Or maybe she's trying to run away like before the regression.
But it doesn't matter.
I know exactly where she would run to. I just need to grab her by the hair and drag her back.
Swoosh──
9 o'clock sharp in the morning.
The front door opens and the person in charge, 'Chedric', appears.
"Nice to see you."
It was good to see a familiar face after a long time.
"You've worked hard for the second quarter."
A hollow greeting that went unanswered.
"Let's distribute the university application forms right away."
As always, Chedric went straight to the point. The application forms floating in the air settled on the desk.
"You are each given three application forms. You need to submit these forms directly to the university you want to attend. The deadline is in three days."
Elise slowly got up. Then our eyes briefly met. She quickly put her head down again.
What is she doing?
"The third quarter is for university interviews. The universities will test you themselves, so be prepared."
I looked at the application forms.
Three forms. But I only need one.
Because there's only one university I want to apply to.
...
Edsilla National University.
Inside the campus, a tent with a placard reading 'Application Submission' is temporarily set up, and a group of good-looking folks are gathered.
Not only current seniors but also repeaters and foreigners, everyone is gathered.
"Now, let me explain. Please pay attention."
Clap, clap─!
The teaching assistant clapped.
"We will distribute the test papers once you submit your application forms… Let's start with the applications."
Then, about 1,000 people lined up to submit their applications. It was quite orderly.
The teaching assistant handed out envelopes containing the exam tickets and test papers to the candidates.
"...Everyone got it?"
About a thousand candidates stood each holding an envelope.
"There's a test paper in that envelope. You can open it now."
Rustle─
The sound of tearing envelopes echoed everywhere.
"It's a theoretical Magic Spell test. There are a total of 12 questions. Each question has a different score."
I also opened my envelope.
"Six questions are worth 1 point, three questions are worth 2 points, two questions are worth 3 points, and one question is worth 20 points. You just need to score over 10 points."
"...What the"
The moment I saw the test paper, I was breathless. Even the 1-point questions made my hair stand on end.
It was a perfectly difficult Magic Spell test.
Fortunately, it seemed I was not the only one.
"Excuse me, for a moment-"
"Yes. I know. It's difficult."
As someone tried to raise their hand, the teaching assistant spoke.
"Don't worry. This test is the minimum requirement. The deadline is November 3rd, when the first interview test is held. In other words, if you can't score 10 points within 6 weeks, you will be disqualified due to lack of qualifications."
Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
6 weeks is quite a long time.
"If you solve the problems and accumulate 10 points, you will naturally find out where the interview location is. Depending on which problem you solve and how you solve it, the interview location will change."
I quickly flipped through the pages.
1-point question, 2-point question, 3-point question.
All of them are as difficult as level 6-7 Magic Spells.
"This is a big problem."
How can I solve this in 6 weeks?
As a sense of foreboding was rising──
At that moment.
"...?"
My brows furrowed.
I stared at the question. I looked closely.
Not the 1-point question, but the 12th question at the very end of the page. The last 20-point question.
"This is..."
The 12th question is a 20-point question to anyone who sees it.
It's the biggest. The most complex. It seems to be the most difficult.
In fact, it's 12 pages of A4 paper.
But why?
I know a Magic Spell that is similar, almost identical, to this.
I know the answer.
Not in my body's memory, but in my head.
On one of those days that 「Notepad」 remembers...
Suddenly.
'…It's a simple problem if you just know how to interpret it. It's a riddle that's so simple it's too difficult.'
A voice spreads in my ears.
A cozy and generous tone.
It's my old teacher, 'Theia Esil'.
'…Did three people solve it in 5 years? Even they couldn't solve it when they were students. One came to me saying he solved it in the first semester. One of them was Gerkhen.'
She once showed me this Magic Spell.
A 'masterpiece' of the riddle system that can only be interpreted if you fully understand the 'theory'.
'…Shion. I'll give you the biggest hint. This is actually not a Magic Spell.'
With a voice as clear as a child's, as if it was fun.
Lips that subtly smiled.
'…It looks like a Magic Spell connected by 13 Magic Formulas, but if you disassemble it correctly, it 'divides' into 43 letters. I'll write down the disassembly method and go, so take a look. And try to solve it yourself.'
Before I received my tenth cancer treatment.
'…Don't die until you solve it.'
The riddle she gave me the answer to was on the test paper I now held in my hand.
[12th] [20 points]
Q: Manifest the following Magic Spell.
A simple question and not so simple pages.
A Magic Spell the size of 13 sheets of A4 paper.
Most seniors wouldn't dare to attempt it because it's so complex, but I know the core of this problem.
I heard it directly from the person who created the question.
Well, let's not bother explaining how to solve it. It's unnecessarily long.
"...Accurate disassembly. Division into typefaces."
I manifested the principle that Theia from before the regression had explained to me.
If you disassemble this 12th Magic Spell according to Theia's method, simplify it like a typeface structure, and interpret it according to the system.
[Not November 3rd, but October 30th]
[Come up to the rooftop of the National University's Evina Building by 10:30 a.m.]
It is divided into three sentences.
"..."
I gave a small smile.
A sigh of unknown reason slipped out. I quickly found the answer, but for some reason, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I put the test paper back in the envelope and turned around.
Thud-
'Someone' quickly turned around, seemingly trying to avoid eye contact with me.
"What's with that person?"
I could tell just by looking at the back of their head.
Of course, it was Elise. Next to her, Layla also turned her back like Elise.
As Layla tried to turn her face slightly, Elise pinched her side sharply.
"Ouch──!"
Layla let out a loud scream. Then, they both quickly moved away from the spot.
"Did she eat something bad yesterday?"
Anyway,
I was also about to head home.
"..."
I doubted my eyes for a moment.
Is this what a coincidence is like?
That person was there on the other side.
Theia Esil was there.
She was with her student 'Makanen'.
While handing a bag of bread to Makanen, Theia herself was eating soboro bread as she walked.
I looked at her, and she seemed to feel my gaze and looked this way.
Our eyes met.
I didn't avoid it.
Although this is the second encounter since my regression, it's the first time I've seen her in such a casual setting.
Theia also didn't look away. She just slightly furrowed her brows.
"Do you have something to say?"
"...Ah."
I came to my senses belatedly.
I scratched the back of my neck and looked down.
"No, just. I'm a fan of the professor."
"...A fan?"
"Yes."
I smiled slightly and looked down at her.
"I'll come to see you later."
"Later?"
Theia Esil narrowed her eyes.
"In October."
"October...?"
Her eyes, which had been narrowed, opened wide again.
"I'll be there."
I passed by her.
* * *
See you in October-
Leaving such strange words behind, the blonde senior walked away.
"Is he a friend you know? He said he's a fan of the professor."
Makanen asked, looking at his back.
Theia answered in a slightly uneasy tone.
"...I do know him. He's probably an anti-fan."
"Anti-fan? You're playing the victim again."
"It's not victim mentality-"
"He's tall and handsome. I thought only Gerkhen and Asher wore the Endex uniform."
"..."
Theia silently took a bite of her soboro bread.
There was something unsettling about that guy just now.
"But what does 'see you in October' mean?"
The words about meeting in October.
That was the reason.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was no reason to mention October...
"Problem number 12."
No matter how much I thought about it, it could only be problem number 12.
The ultra-difficult puzzle worth 20 points that only two people have solved in five years. A particularly excellent masterpiece among puzzles.
"Problem number 12?"
"It's mentioned there."
"Hey. How can you solve it right away? It would take at least three days for the TAs to solve it if they tried."
"..."
That's a valid point.
There's no way he could solve that puzzle in just 30 minutes.
"So, who is he?"
"Shion Ascal. His future ambition is to be a 'dog of Libra'."
"Oh... So that's why you said he's an anti-fan? If his future ambition is that, he could really be an anti-fan."
Makanen raised an eyebrow.
"He is an anti-fan, I'm telling you. It's not victim mentality."
The 'bad blood' between Theia and Libra is a well-known fact, even to monkeys.
It's quite famous that the only reason Libra can't extend its hand to the university association is solely because of Theia Esil.
"It'll be interesting. He's in the top 50. He's definitely going to college, right? He'll also take Professor Theia's class."
"..."
Theia was inwardly displeased, but she was the type to distinguish between public and private matters.
Above all, she was only concerned about the word 'October'.
Why did he say he would meet her specifically in October?
The interview test starts from November 3rd.
"Tsk."
There's no need to think so deeply about it. He's not worth taking up her attention.
Theia shook her head slightly and took a bite of her soboro bread.
"Ah, professor. That's Gerkhen over there."
Makanen pointed in a certain direction. Gerkhen was standing distantly in front of the left bench of the schoolyard.
"That's right."
It was a cotton candy left bench.
"That person still likes sweet things."