CH 107

Chapter 107 of “Mastering Magic in an Otome Game Part 3 (Magic Academy)”

The season had changed since the entrance ceremony, which had only been the beginning of autumn. It was now early winter.

The deciduous trees had shed their leaves and the landscape had become lonely. All of the students of the school had begun to add sweaters to their first formal wear.

“Now then, I will announce the schedule.”

Ray-sensei’s crisp voice echoed throughout the Aurum class, which was being cooled by the chilly early winter air.

“First of all, today. The first day will be a history and literature exam. Then the second day will be music and arithmetic. Finally, the last day will be Magic.”

After looking around at the children who were listening intently, the teacher continued with his notes.

“First, a general reminder. Basically, only writing tools will be allowed to be brought into the exam. I’ve heard that only Yuda stones will be allowed to be brought in for the magic exam, but other magical tools are strictly prohibited…Do you have any questions?”

No one raised their hand at this point.

“In that case, I will also announce the time schedule. During this exam period, there will be one exam in the morning and one in the afternoon after a lunch break, so there will be plenty of time for you to take the exam. It seems that the graded answers will be returned the day of. The headmistress has decided on this, so I don’t know why…”

After saying that much and looking distant for a moment, Ray-sensei regained his composure and continued to speak.

“Anyway, the results of the day’s exams will be announced on the same day. As I’ve said before, this is something that will have a lot to do with your own curriculums after the holidays, so each of you should do your best and hope for the best so that you won’t regret it.”

After concluding, he added on.

“Oh yeah, you will have to be in your own classroom for the classroom sessions, but for the practical sessions, each grade will be grouped in a large auditorium or hall. You will need to make sure you don’t get into trouble with other classes…There is one person in particular that I’m worried about, but…I won’t mention their name…so don’t even think of getting in trouble, okay?”

I can feel the stare… As expected, I can’t just say, “I already had a dispute yesterday, and now we’re making a huge bet involving the prince and the group~☆”

For now, don’t worry! I made a face and nodded back emphatically, but he sighed with a huff. I couldn’t figure it out

“After this, you have an hour before the history exam starts, so be sure to prepare yourselves. Also, Archelaus, come with me to the hallway.”

…I don’t understand.

***

“What is it, Sensei?”

I wanted to prepare for the exam, but I also wanted to check on everyone else, including Letitia-sama, to see how they were doing. When I stepped out into the hallway with a disgruntled look on my face, I was glared at by Ray-sensei, who was leaning against the wall.

“What kind of a bet are you making?”

Ah, he’s in his plain mode. He’s pissed. (***T/N: ‘Plain mode’ as in he’s not doing his normal womanly voice/act. Back to delinquent-mode)

I don’t know how he knew, but we were in the schoolyard so someone must have reported it. Well, that’s just the way things go.

“Since it was a chance to beat Gabriella and the prince in the perfectly legal way of exam scores, I thought I shouldn’t miss this opportunity…”

“Your thinking is too disturbing…”

Sighing with a hand on his forehead, the teacher cleared his throat and returned to his female teacher mode, as if he was now aware of his surroundings.

Then, after looking a little lost, he turned his worried eyes to me.

“I can understand that you’re upset about Nicholas and Kirche. But that doesn’t mean that you should pick a fight with the prince, does it?”

“I wasn’t trying to pick a fight.”

“Is that so?”

No, I daringly questioned the teacher with an innocent look on my face when he looked like he wanted to hit me…

“Because if you think that the person on top is doing something wrong, isn’t it the role of the person below to stop them?”

“……”

I told Ray-sensei, who had stopped moving, what I was thinking.

“Of course, I am angry with Gabriella, Nicholas and Kirche. But above all, the prince clearly spoke of discrimination in front of a large number of people. Only a high-ranking aristocrat can admonish him for that. I thought that it was my role at that time.”

“That role…”

Well, I was still 90% mad though.

“Normally, that should be the role of Gabriella, who is close to the prince:…But if no one is going to point out the prince’s mistakes, then I will have to admonish him for that.”

“Hmm…I see. But you still don’t have anything to gain, do you? Isn’t it just a loss because the prince hates you?”

I replied to Ray-sensei, who was somewhat provocative, with what I was thinking again.

“In order not think about profit and loss. In order to make them think and act only for the country and not about business, shouldn’t the nobles be working in trust, receiving their fiefs and pensions from His Majesty the Emperor?”

“That’s true, but…that’s just idealism.”

“Well, yes, but… if you simply bend your own beliefs to look pretty, I don’t think you can be considered an aristocrat anymore. That’s just a dishonest rich man who does fraud and embezzles the country’s money.”

“F-Fraud…embezzlement…”

I had been thinking about it for a while, but the words were still pretty harsh, and Ray-sensei, who looked distantly at me, had turned pale, as if he was in some kind of pain.

But for the time being, he seemed to be convinced.

Well…I had just said what I really felt.

It was a result of the ‘promise’ I had made to the headmistress, that is, to save the people in front of me as much as possible, so it wasn’t just a pure action.

I stuck my tongue out and kept it a secret.

“I understand what you’re saying. If that’s the case, then do what you want. You can do that…but be careful.”

“Be careful?”

Ray-sensei’s face suddenly turned serious, and the air became a little tense as well.

“You know the legend of the Four Princes, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

The unexpected name was a bit upsetting. To the aristocrats of this country, it was like a fairy tale of longing.

“Although the Four Princes are often told as fairy tales, they are also real people. That’s why there are people all over the place who are said to be descended from them. That’s exactly what you are.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

I’m not exactly connected by blood, but…I can’t say that.

But what does this have to do with right now?

“…Gabriella, you know, has boasted that she has the blood of those four princes.”

“What?”

That was new to me. Was that all blown up in the Noble Rose Society?

“That’s why some people are whispering that this year’s first years are like the Four Princes, with Prince Aguilesta, the direct descendant of the Four Princes, and Gabriella and you all together. I think it’s a little different, though, because there’s no…last one.”

“Yeah, the Four Princes…”

The Four Princes were the heroes of the country’s salvation, but they also had a point where they later split up and disappeared to various places.

Did this mean that someone was making the situation bigger by comparing it to such a story?…Even though we were still missing one more?

“That’s why there are those who go around behind the scenes making fun of your movements and making the situation more exaggerated. Be careful of that as well.”

“…Yes. Thank you very much for your advice.”

When I lowered my head honestly for the information I didn’t know, Ray-sensei rolled his eyes and then muttered involuntary.

“You’re kind of a strange child, aren’t you? You can be bullheaded and whiny, proud and humble…But I can’t take my eyes off of you for some reason…Is this what it means to want to support you?”

“Huh?”

As I was frozen in place at the sudden delineation, Ray-sensei smiled happily and brightly.

He gave me a pat on the head.

“Well, keep up the good work. If you’re a good girl who can thank me properly, I’ll help you if you ever need anything else.”

“…Thank you very much.”

I thought vaguely as I turned away and looked at Ray-sensei’s back as he waved and left.

“…I thought he was just a crazy cross-dressing character, but he’s a former delinquent with current good teacher character…”

Come to think of it, my junior in my past life liked that kind of thing.

While muttering something that Rei-sensei would have beaten me up for if he heard it, I felt a bit relieved as I remembered his face smiling like a sunflower at the end.

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T/N: Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

I am also thinking about adding some “next chapter” buttons in the future when I have time, but it might take a while if I want add them to all of my posts. In the meantime, I hope the “table of contents” is useful for people who don’t read off of novelupdates. Thanks for everyone’s time and patience!