Sudden Incident (1)

Night fell.

The first day of school went smoothly enough—smoothly in every sense of the word. In the evening, I even saw Misha.

She was at this academy too, and also in the Magic Department.

However, we only exchanged a brief greeting before passing each other by because she had to run errands for her roommate. She wasn't in the same dormitory as me.

There was some history behind this. I watched her back as she left with a deep gaze.

Let's eat first.

The cafeteria was located between the dormitory building and the main building. It was an independent, single-story building with red brick walls and dark gray tiles on the roof.

The enticing aroma of broth wafted through the air.

By the time I walked in, there were already quite a few people inside. The deep blue uniforms of the Magic Department, the white uniforms of the Swordsmanship Department, and the light gray uniforms of the Comprehensive Department were all mixed together like a spilled box of colorful candies.

The delicacies could practically rival a grand feast. After all, the nobility of the students was of very high purity, and there was no shortage of pampered individuals like myself.

Naturally, the quality of the food was well taken care of.

Carrying my tray, I found a corner seat and sat down. My dinner consisted of a roasted chicken leg with mashed potatoes, a small bowl of vegetable soup, a piece of white bread, as well as pudding cake and green apple juice—which, of course, cost money.

After tasting it, the flavor was neither good nor bad, but it was filling.

Shirune stood behind me, not sitting down.

“You should go get something to eat too,” I said.

“This subordinate is not hungry.”

“Then how about I feed you? Open wide?” I gave a haughty smile, raising the spoon in my hand to tease her. I knew she wouldn't accept it; after all, her status in public was that of an attendant.

Sure enough, her tail was already spinning like a propeller.

Avoiding my gaze with a slight blush, she shook her head.

In the end, she went to the counter to grab the same set meal and returned to sit next to me.

She ate very quietly, her utensils making almost no sound, while her tail swayed gently and happily behind her.

It felt like we had grown even closer than back at the mansion.

This was indeed a good place to foster our relationship. However, in a place like this, story characters would appear one after another. I wouldn't have much energy left to focus on you, Shirune.

I thought to myself.

Midway through my meal, a small commotion arose at the cafeteria entrance. I looked up and saw Leonhart walking in. He was wearing the white uniform of the Swordsmanship Department, his golden hair gleaming softly under the magical lights.

Beside him were several boys also wearing the Swordsmanship Department's white uniform—likely his classmates or followers. He didn't look my way, probably not noticing me, and walked straight toward the center of the cafeteria.

I lowered my head to continue eating my dinner. Shirune's tail lightly tapped my arm, as if she thought I hadn't noticed.

“Maintaining silence while eating is basic etiquette,” I said naturally, shutting down any words she might have had.

By the time I returned to the dormitory, it was already past eight in the evening.

The magical lamps in the corridor had been dimmed slightly, casting a soft, warm yellow glow that gave the dark wooden floorboards a warm luster.

Vera was not in the room.

Her bed was still perfectly neat. The plush rabbit sat squarely in the center of her pillow, its left ear carefully straightened out to be perfectly symmetrical with the right.

Her makeup box lay open, showcasing a few jars of face cream and a small bottle of perfume. The scent of the perfume wafted over—a sweet, cloying aroma of roses mixed with lilies of the valley.

Little green tea, she sure loved dressing herself up.

Sigh, why did she always have to pick a fight with me?

Sitting at my desk, I pushed those thoughts aside and flipped open 《Introduction to Elementary Alchemy》, preparing to study alchemy.

Strictly speaking, it didn't belong to the category of magic, but was rather an extra branch that needed to be studied separately.

But I couldn't quite focus on it.

I recalled a portion of the game's plot related to Misha.

Misha Noren, the loyal follower I had first lent a helping hand to. She was the third daughter of a viscount family, the girl who would come to the mansion every Wednesday afternoon to have tea with me and who had woven a deep blue bracelet to give to me.

Her storyline went like this.

She would be bullied by her roommate in her original dormitory. Her roommate was the second daughter of a count family named Margaret Horn, who was in the same year as her.

Relying on her family's prestige, Margaret treated Misha like a servant, making her wash clothes, clean the room, and run errands to buy things.

Misha didn't dare to refuse because her father's noble rank was two tiers lower than the Horn family's. In aristocratic circles, a difference of two ranks was as vast as the heavens and the earth.

Until one day, Margaret took Misha's bracelet—the very one I had given her. After all, since I had received a gift from her before, I had to return the favor. Though it was just a casual gesture during a certain tea party on my part, Misha cherished it deeply.

And then, it was thrown into the trash.

Thus, Misha finally snapped, getting into an argument with Margaret that even escalated to physical blows.

The matter was brought to the dormitory supervisor, but the supervisor merely brushed it off, lightly telling Margaret to “watch her words and behavior,” with no punishment and no apology, because they had prepared for this beforehand.

How was it resolved afterward? Naturally, I stepped in to stand up for my follower, earning her even deeper trust.

Thinking of this, I grew a bit restless.

After all, this plotline wasn't supposed to happen until about a year from now, which meant Misha would have to endure a year of torment.

However, given my relationship with Misha, things were in a much better state than in the game.

The fact that she was my good friend had already spread.

Those people should show some restraint, right? They wouldn't treat her so poorly... I should ask her about it in the next few days. If it's really happening, I'll step in early to intimidate them. If that doesn't work, maybe we can change dorms?

Anyway, I didn't like living with this little green tea either.

And I was always so happy when I was with Misha.

Recalling the past two years of us sitting in the garden pavilion chatting about everything under the sun, she would whisper to me about her life at home—her father didn't care much for her, her mother only cared about her eldest brother's career, and no one truly paid attention to what she was doing.

When saying these things, her voice would be very soft, as if she were telling someone else's story, making my heart ache for this young girl.

Then she would look up at me, her eyes shining brightly. “But I'm very happy that Miss Loris is willing to listen to me.”

I was quite touched.

But just as my mind was wandering,

I heard a commotion.

It came from the dormitory corridor, sounding like someone arguing hysterically, screaming at the top of their lungs.

I couldn't help but stop my thoughts. Immediately after, Shirune pushed open my room door, her expression rather grim.

...

The first-floor corridor.

Seven or eight female students wearing uniforms of various colors were gathered in the corridor. They formed a loose semi-circle, whispering among themselves, but not a single one stepped forward.

Shirune and I approached the crowd—and then we saw it.

Misha stood in the center of the corridor. Her Magic Department uniform was crumpled, and a button at her collar had been torn off, revealing the white shirt underneath.

Her light brown hair was half-undone, the hair tie hanging precariously at the tips. There was a very distinct red handprint on her left cheek, stretching from her cheekbone all the way to her jaw, already starting to swell.

Her eyes were red and brimmed with tears.

What the... hell!

...