Inside a room, golden light shimmered brightly, its radiance a stark contrast to the darkness beyond the windows, where hundreds of students walked by, chatting peacefully among themselves. The view was serene, almost picturesque. Yet within those glittering walls, tension lingered.
Two long tables faced each other, lined with rows of uneasy young students. At the far end sat a commanding beauty, the Princess Seraphine Solarion, and beside her, the Second-Year Vice Representative, Sorenya Auzriell.
If the scene's brilliance was captivating, what unfolded within it was anything but.
One thing was clear—everyone here belonged to the higher years.
"Now that this school year's budget has been approved by every committee, and today's reports—the auditorium, guiding the new students, and so on—have been settled, let's move on to the next topic."
Someone raised a hand. It was a male student seated near the far end of the tables, his appearance composed and rather handsome.
"I propose approval of the Academy Restoration Act," he said.
Seraphine turned her gaze toward him but didn't respond. For some reason, her eyes felt different. Instead, it was Sorenya who spoke.
"Did you change the part we talked about last year?" Sorenya asked.
The male student met her eyes, steady and unwavering. "No. I never will."
"Then how many times are you going to bring up this charade, Ted?" a male noble student cut in.
"What? What do you mean by that, Dukan? How many times what?" Ted shot back, irritation clear in his tone. He turned toward the Princess. "Your Highness! Please approve the Academy Restoration Act!"
The Princess met his gaze but said nothing. Her expression remained calm and unmoving.
"And why should she?" Dukan said mockingly.
Ted glared at him. "I wasn't talking to you. If you're truly a noble, you should know when to stay silent."
Dukan’s smirk widened. “Oh? Attacking my status instead of giving a proper answer?” He paused. “If you’re going to bark like that, perhaps work on that brain of yours first. Resorting to fallacies already? How unbecoming of someone seeking reform. Perhaps if your childhood had been spent in study rather than in the gutters, your reasoning would hold more weight. But I suppose that’s too much to expect from a commoner.”
Something inside Ted snapped.
“How could I even attain an education in my childhood…?” Ted muttered, his voice low but seething with anger.
Dukan smirked. “Is that my problem?”
“I–I–I… damn you!!!”
Slam!!!
Ted slammed his hand on the table. The impact echoed through the room.
Seraphine kept her gaze on him. She didn't flinch, but something in her eyes faltered.
"That's enough," she said calmly. Her voice wasn't loud, yet it silenced everyone. Even Ted froze.
"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness..." Ted muttered as he sank back into his seat.
Dukan smirked, clearly pleased with himself. Ted's anger flared again, but before he could speak, Seraphine's voice filled the room once more. Her tone didn't change, but her words made Ted's eyes widen.
"I'll consider it."
Not just Ted's eyes—everyone's. Both sides of the table fell silent, surprise rippling through the room. Even Dukan's side faltered. It was Dukan who slammed the table this time, standing abruptly.
"Princess! Why would you even consider such an ambiguous, half-baked proposal? It brings nothing to this academy! Even more so—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Not because anyone interrupted him, but because of Seraphine's gaze. Cold. Piercing. It settled on him, making his chest tighten. His words caught in his throat.
"I... I apologize..." he muttered, barely audible. But in the silence of that room, everyone heard it.
"I merely said I'll consider it," Seraphine replied, her tone cold—directed not just at Ted, who had spoken too brashly, but at Dukan as well. After a beat, she added, "That concludes discussion on this proposal."
A chair scraped as Ted stood and left the room. Some others followed after him.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
"Next proposal," Sorenya said.
With that, the meeting proceeded, though the awkwardness hung heavy in the room. Regardless, Seraphine's face remained a perfect mask. Only Sorenya, seated beside her, noticed the faint tightness at the corner of her mouth—a crack so small it might as well have not existed at all.
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The room, unlike earlier when conversation filled it, was now silent. Only two individuals remained.
Seraphine stood before the window, her gaze soft as she looked out into the quiet night. Despite the late hour, students still passed by — some in groups, others alone. Something weighed on her mind; her eyes were heavy with weariness.
"...Sorenya, I think I haven’t asked you yet, but what do you think about what happened earlier?" Seraphine muttered.
Sorenya, who was in the middle of brewing coffee, paused. “I think it’s a reasonable policy, President. More importantly, it’s something that greatly aligns with you. But I’m afraid it’s very ambitious.”
“...Not that. I meant the part Scholar Ted hasn’t changed,” Seraphine said.
This time, Sorenya seemed to think about her question before replying, “I don’t have much of an opinion about it. As you may know, President, our family forbids us from having attendants accompany us. Everything must be done by our own capabilities, though, it's just nothing but inconvenience."
Seraphine kept her gaze fixed on the window, seemingly lost in the scene before her. Her eyes lingered on a group of students — their golden neckties marking them as S-rank, though their color revealed they were of a lower year. But her focus eventually settled on a dark-haired girl, specifically the maid beside her.
“I see. I understand,” Seraphine murmured, her voice distant.
Noticing Seraphine’s unfocused state, Sorenya approached with the freshly brewed cup and handed it to her.
“...Thank you,” Seraphine said as she accepted the dark coffee.
“I know there were some complications regarding the matter, Princess, though I haven’t looked too deeply into it,” Sorenya said.
Seraphine stared into her cup, her reflection wavering on the surface. “Yes, it’s... very complicated,” she replied softly.
Sorenya glanced at her. Seeing Seraphine’s dejected state began to weigh on her as well. So, despite their difference in status—
“Ahem. President, what’s the difference between us and a dragon?”
Seraphine turned slightly toward her. “...What is it, Sorenya?”
“You can’t spell ‘dragon’ without ‘drag on.’” A brief pause. “Which is exactly what that meeting earlier was doing.”
She had attempted to make a joke... but Seraphine simply stared at her, dumbfounded.
As if realizing it was a joke, Seraphine’s eyes widened. “ Pfft—! ” She burst into laughter. “Hahaha! that’s so bad.” Her laughter echoed through the quiet room until it faded into a soft chuckle. “Hehe... thanks, Sorenya. I’m all cheered up now.”
When she looked back, however—
Sorenya’s face was bright red. She then started to covering her face, hiding it. “I-I see... i-it was bad, huh... Damn it, that brat said it was funny...” she muttered lowly, "she's dead meat once I see her..."
A moment later, she dropped her hands and regained her usual composure, though her tone had cooled considerably.
"Anyways, now that you’re fine, President, please proceed to tour the new S-rank students around the building. As planned.”
“O-oh, alright.”
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Outside the building.
“Everyone, we’re finally here at the S-Rank Building. A-actually, I skipped a few of the other faculty areas you’ll see in this district, b-but you’ll explore those eventually. So, I prioritized this place instead. It’s actually quite convenient. They even have a lost and found here. Which, in the past, didn’t exist, though I’m pretty sure someone just stole it, so hehe, it might be worthless anyway,” Veyra said with a nervous laugh. She added, “A-anyway, if you’re wondering why we’re just standing here, there’s actually a good reason for that.”
Veyra had been talking like this for several minutes. It might not have been long, but for those listening, it felt like an eternity. That was why the arrival of another voice felt like relief.
“Good evening, Secretary Veyra,” a calm, dignified voice greeted.
Seraphine approached, her steps measured and light. For a moment, her eyes flicked toward the crow perched on Veyra’s shoulder before she regained her composure. Her attention shifted to the gathered students. Her gaze lingered briefly on Nyx and Cael before she spoke again.
“I see. Not many have gathered for the tour. But fret not, it isn’t nearly as bad as the previous year." she said, offering a soft, composed smile.
Beside Seraphine stood Sorenya with her ocean-colored hair. She flinched at those words but quickly regained her composure, as if she had a mission to accomplish.
Her expression subtly tightened when her gaze fell upon a younger girl with a similar shade of blue, though lacking the same dignified bearing. Lirien, noticing it, flinched and pulled down her wide-brimmed hat to hide her face.
“W-what did I do…” she whispered quietly.
“Now then,” Seraphine continued, “let us proceed inside. I will keep this brief since it is already late. What I wish to discuss concerns Student Council matters.”
Before she could continue, a composed male voice interrupted her.
“I’m afraid this is where I’ll take my leave, Princess, and everyone.”
It was Sapharion.
“I’m sorry to say, but I truly have no interest in politics. I’m merely a foreigner, you see. So, goodbye,” he said with a casual wave.
Before he could leave, Seraphine spoke again, her tone gentle yet unyielding.
“There is no reason to depart for such a cause. Foreigner or not, this is not only about holding office within the kingdom. It is also an opportunity to build connections. Several students from the Twilight Kingdom serve in the council, and they are all as capable as any other.”
Sapharion paused but did not turn fully. His sapphire eyes caught the light as he looked over his shoulder.
“Haha, they’re just lackeys to me. Not my thing. Sorry, Your Royal Highness.”
His words were a clear refusal, but Seraphine did not seem offended. Instead, something in her expression shifted slightly, though her composure remained intact. She turned to Veyra.
“Miss Veyra, is this the final stop of the tour?”
“Yes, that’s correct. After this, everyone is free to return. Actually, that’s been the case since the beginning,” Veyra said with a sheepish smile.
Seraphine nodded, then addressed the group once more.
“Everyone, what I will speak of concerns the council and academy administration. If any of you have no interest in such matters, you may take your leave and rest. I understand that today has been tiring, especially for the first day.”
That was when most of them, slowly but surely, began to leave. Some departed out of personal preference, others perhaps because someone had given them a bad look. Regardless, they all left without any resistance from Seraphine.
Only one individual remained among the group.
It was Erica.
But the silence persisted. Even for Erica, it felt heavy, especially with the Princess standing before her.
“Ahem... should I leave, Princess?” Erica asked.
“Why leave?” Seraphine replied with a faint smile before turning back. “Come, let us head inside. It’s quite cold out here.”
With that, the tour came to an end.
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Veyra walked along the dark streets. She was alone, not a soul in sight, as though she already knew this place would be deserted. That was when the crow perched on her shoulder spread its wings beneath the moonlight.
In an instant, its form blurred and shifted into that of a small figure — golden-haired, violet-eyed, and wearing a leather hat.
It was Miriem Starfall.
“W-what do you think, Master?” Veyra asked.
Unlike earlier, when her expression had been as still as a doll’s, this time Miriem smiled, curious and amused.
“I was thinking of doing something interesting,” she said softly, “but it seems it would have been pointless.” She paused, her violet eyes glinting. “More importantly, someone recognized me the moment they looked at me.”
Veyra hesitated. “S-surely that was just a coincidence, Master... perhaps someone told them beforehand.”
After all, who could possibly discern the transformation magic of a magus-level magician? They might speculate, but discovering it through magic alone was nearly impossible.
“No,” Miriem said, her tone certain. “It was unmistakable. I could never be wrong about it.” A faint, curious smile curved her lips. “How deeply fascinating.”
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| Chapter 43 - A Night Tour Gone Awry (End)