Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

That day, for some reason, I woke up earlier than usual.
As I sat up in bed and reread the letter I’d left on my bedside table, Mina entered the room and blinked in mild surprise.

“Good morning, Mina.”
“Good morning, milady. You’re up early today.”
“I just happened to wake up.”

Mina drew open the curtains, and Ekaterina narrowed her eyes against the bright morning light.
It looked like it was going to be a lovely day.

“Do you have something planned today?”
“Yes, my first class. It’s magic control—today’s the first practical lesson. I was rereading the advice Professor Mardov gave me. You know, the tutor you delivered sweets to.”
“The one with the little daughter, right? She was overjoyed with the treats. The professor said he was deeply grateful, since you even paid a fee for each question you asked. He said no one else would ever do such a thing.”
“Well, a teacher’s knowledge is their livelihood. It’s only right that they be paid fairly.”

I mean, back in my previous life when I was a software engineer, I used to get caught on the phone with former clients all the time. Even though I wasn’t on maintenance anymore and was already assigned to a new project, they’d still say things like, “Hey, can’t you make this work?” or “Then fix it so it does.”
Knowledge and skills aren’t free, people!
You have to learn from other people’s mistakes. Especially this teacher—he’s a noble with magic who’s fallen into poverty and now works as a tutor. It really hits home for me, since it reminds me of the fallen from grace route in the game. And he’s got a small child, too.

“You don’t have to work so hard, you know. The professor said you have incredible magical power, so the academy’s lessons will be a piece of cake for you.”
“Thank you, Mina. I just want to make sure I’m fully prepared.”

Even in his letters, the professor was puzzled. He’d written that earth-aligned magic rarely required such advanced offensive techniques in class.
Still, he kindly explained every combat variation I’d asked about in detail. Thank you, Professor.

After all, if the story goes the same way as the game progressed, then during this first practical magic control class, an event with major consequences for the empire’s fate is supposed to occur.

The event: the appearance of a magical beast.
Just as the class is about to begin on the training grounds, a powerful magical beast appears. The heroine, together with the prince who rushes to the scene, must awaken her true power and defeat it.
If the event isn’t cleared—then the Destruction of the Empire is triggered. Eventually, the Demon Dragon King attacks the capital, trampling the imperial palace beneath his claws.
For that reason, I’m going to do my best and clear the event!

…Or at least, that’s what I *should* be saying.

Now that I’ve been reborn into this world and spent nearly a month living academy life, I can’t help but wonder:
Will a magical beast *really* appear here…?

In this magical academy, or rather, in the entire central district of the capital, not a single magical beasts have appeared for *hundreds of years*.
So that event, in terms of my past life, would be akin to a giant bear suddenly showing up and rampaging near the Yasuda Auditorium at the University of Tokyo.
Sure, Japan has bears, and the Empire has magical beasts too—but they only live in forests, mountains, or lakes. They don’t appear in cities. Even in the Edo period, you never heard of a bear appearing in Edo, right?

I wondered if maybe magical beasts could be summoned somehow—but apparently, the Empire no longer has that kind of technology.
About a thousand years ago, there was a massive empire called Astra, which ruled several times more land than the present Jurgrahn Empire. (They were basically like the Roman Empire in my past life—a kind of spiritual ancestor to this country and its neighbors.) It’s said that kind of magic existed back then, but all the knowledge of it has been lost.
So really, I have no idea how a magical beast could appear here.

When I was planning how to clear the event, I thought maybe I could come up with some excuse to have the Knights stationed nearby—so the students wouldn’t have to face it unarmed. But in the game, they never explained why or how the magical beast appeared, and I couldn’t think of any plausible reason to make such an arrangement.
Even if I came out and said, “A magical beast is going to appear here!”
I doubt anyone would believe me.
It’d be like telling the University of Tokyo office, “A bear’s going to show up near Yasuda Auditorium today, so please call the hunters’ association.” They’d definitely just go, “Excuse me, what?”
So, getting knights stationed there is absolutely impossible. My brother would just start worrying about my mental health instead.

Besides, if I did something to change the conditions from how they were in the game—like having the Knights intervene—it might distort fate itself. The event might not happen, but instead, some worse calamity might occur… and once I imagined that, I couldn’t stop being afraid.
I mean, never say never, right?!

So… I’ll just have to do what I can.
With every bit of magical power I have, I’ll defeat the event’s magical beast!

.

And now, Ekaterina stands with her classmates at the training grounds.

The training grounds are only loosely sectioned off from one corner of the schoolyard, but they’re quite spacious—large enough to fit at least four tennis courts. In the center stands a graceful fountain adorned with a carved statue spouting water. Around it are rows of shrubs, flowerbeds, and platforms for lighting torches. No doubt these are for practical training in the three most common elemental attributes—earth, water, and fire. Wind is also common, though it doesn’t require any special equipment. Beyond that, there are rarer attributes like ice, light, darkness, and lightning, and some people even possess multiple at once.

Since the magic control class had been all theory until now, this first hands-on session stirred a mix of excitement and gloom among the students.
All those admitted to the magic academy possessed sufficient magical power to meet the entry standards, but there were still wide differences in strength. For some, a practical lesson like this was a welcome chance to show off their magic; for others, it was nothing but dread. After all, even if one’s family was of low rank or struggling financially, a person with strong magic could hope for a good marriage or adoption. For second and third sons who wouldn’t inherit the family estate, this could be a matter of survival.

(Come to think of it, I once read a historical novel in my previous life about a man desperately trying to find a family to marry into. Samurai or nobles—it’s all the same in the end, huh.)

As Ekaterina looked around with that thought, she noticed Flora’s expression had stiffened slightly.

“Lady Flora, is something bothering you?”
“No… I’m sorry.”

Flora smiled faintly, and that reminded Ekaterina.

“Ah, that’s right—your magical attribute hasn’t been confirmed yet.”

It had been measured that her magic power was of the *maximum* level, but the heroine’s attribute was marked with a question mark at the start of the game.
And, right on cue, the Yes-Yes Trio started up:

“Oh my, not even knowing your own attribute? Perhaps your admission was a mistake?”
“Yes, yes.”

Exactly the kind of harassment directed to the heroine…by Ekaterina the villainess, in the game that is.
But in this life, Ekaterina just laughed. Listen to the teacher, you idiots.

“The teacher said that rare attributes often can’t be determined immediately during measurement. I’m quite looking forward to seeing what element yours turns out to be.”

In the game, this scene was meant to make the heroine seem special, but now that she was living in this world, it turned out to be a fairly ordinary thing.

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it too. Though I admit, I’m a little scared.”
“I suppose that’s natural. I’m as plain as can be—just an earth attribute—so I can’t help but envy you a little.”

Sorry, Flora-chan. I already know what your attribute is. But I can’t possibly go and tell you what it is.
So all I can do is make bland small talk. Sorry about that.

Still… in the game’s event, the heroine and the prince were supposed to defeat the magic beast together.
On my smartphone, all I had to do was tap the screen to attack.

But if a magic beast actually shows up here… how’s Flora-chan supposed to fight when she doesn’t even know her own attribute!?
That’s impossible!
And the game expects her to awaken her powers mid-battle? What the hell, game! Don’t you dare dump this on us out of nowhere!

.

“Now then, let’s begin the practical training. Everyone, gather here.”

The teacher’s voice snapped Ekaterina out of her thoughts.
At that moment—
A sharp, stinging sensation ran across her skin.

(?)

She felt *something.* Not knowing what it was, Ekaterina turned around.
In front of the fountain, a shimmer like heat haze wavered in the air. She squinted at it—

The wavering grew wider,

and from its center, black flames flared up and spread—

The air crackled, trembling violently—

And space itself—split apart.

A thunderous *ROAR* shook the air.

Its body was a dark gray, almost black. Its form resembled a wolf, but its body was covered in metallic scales that gleamed under the light. Inside its gaping jaws were rows of shark-like triple fangs.
Forget comparing it to a bear— even an asian black bear would look cute next to this thing. It had to be around three meters tall! That’s about the size of a full-grown grizzly!

It’s here. It’s actually, really here—
The magic beast from the game.

Oh crap, crap, crap!— it’s way scarier than it ever looked on my phone! It’s freaking *massive*!
There’s no way something like this should be showing up this early in the story!
You damn game, what the hell were you thinking!?