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The Palace of Versailles in France, known for its splendor and opulence, is about the size of a small town, and not only the royal family but also the nobility lived there. I seem to recall that living in Versailles was portrayed as a symbol of noble status in a certain classic shoujo manga.
But in reality, I believe it was because Louis XIV—who had even feared for his life during a noble rebellion (was it the Fronde?)—forced the nobles to relocate to Versailles so he could keep an eye on them.
That’s just how harsh the underlying motives behind those in power can be.

During the founding period of the Imperial Kingdom—an era of warring factions and constant conflict—it would have been a natural idea to keep children close at hand as hostages to keep the feudal lords in check. The fact that the school was co-ed—presumably because girls were also hostages—feels a bit off to me. I suppose that’s because I recall reading that in the Europe of my past life, girls had no value as hostages (or rather, children had no value unless they were heirs).
It seems there were many eras and regions in this world where that mindset prevailed as well. In the ancient Astra Empire, for instance, women’s status was apparently quite low, but unlike in my past life, this world has magic. Even women can hold their own against men if they possess strong mana. Therefore, during times of war, girls with strong mana may have had value as hostages as well.
Come to think of it, Lyudmila, the first empress and Piotr the Great’s lawful wife, was an even better commander on the battlefield than Piotr the Great himself. It seems she was the one who really ran the household, too. It’s possible that Piotr the Great personally believed it was better to keep women under his control.

—Wait a minute.
Isn’t this just a mixer?!
There are tons of girls with strong mana here! They’re top-notch wife candidates! “If you don’t come, someone else will snatch them up, and their bloodline’s magic will get stronger while your family falls into decline”—maybe they gathered the girls just to lure the guys in?
Also, maybe there was just a casual vibe like, “It’d be too stuffy with just guys, so let’s invite some girls too.” There’s just something about that era—the early days of the Imperial Kingdom—that gives off that kind of vibe.

In any case, requiring participants to possess a certain level of mana was a pretty clever move, I guess?
Those with strong mana are vital to the feudal lords. They surely didn’t want to hand them over. But if they’d just flat-out refused, saying, “We don’t have anyone with that kind of power here,” it would’ve made it seem like they lacked capable talent—and they’d have been looked down upon. They probably had no choice but to send someone.
Besides, even if a child had strong mana but wasn’t the heir by bloodline, the bar for handing them over might have been lower.

That said… in an era where a rough-and-tumble spirit still lingered, if someone with strong mana who had cultivated powerful connections with the Emperor were to return, might they not have been able to supplant the heir by blood and take the reins of the next generation?
A family feud! A rebellion!
I won’t deny that there’s a bit of wishful thinking here, fueled by a history buff’s romanticism.

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Calling them “hostages” makes it sound rather grim, but it’s said that Piotr the Great actually doted on the boys and girls he summoned.
He taught them academics, had them master martial arts, and encouraged them to interact with one another, guiding them to foster friendships. In the auditorium of the Magic Academy, there’s a huge painting depicting Piotr the Great and Empress Lyudmila spending happy times with them.

It seems he was just a regular guy who liked kids. They say he even mixed his own children in with them, having them study and learn martial arts alongside the others. I think Piotr the Great was basically a social butterfly. He loved interacting with people and naturally became the center of any group. Even though he had his share of flaws, he rose to power thanks to the support of those around him.
His younger brother, Prince Sergei—the founder of our family line—would grumble about being saddled with all sorts of tasks by his older brother Piotr, but apparently, as soon as they met and talked, he’d readily agree to whatever Piotr asked. Our ancestor was pretty easy to sway.

But Piotr the Great wasn’t a simple man. He was capable of clever calculations and cold, ruthless decisions. On top of that, I think he was also a deeply affectionate person.

By keeping young boys and girls close at hand, Piotr the Great not only kept the nobles in check to prevent rebellion but also educated them to become useful subjects for the next generation.
By having them get to know and understand one another directly while still in their teens—fostering friendship—he created relationships that prevented his subjects from fighting each other unnecessarily.
I get the feeling he didn’t view them as the children of his enemies, but rather treated them like his own younger siblings.
Well, he undoubtedly instilled loyalty in them to ensure they would never turn against him.

Oh, come to think of it, Tokugawa Ieyasu also spent most of his childhood as a hostage—with Imagawa Yoshimoto, for example. But he was properly cared for, received an education befitting the future head of his clan, and surely had opportunities to play and enjoy activities like falconry. In Japan’s Warring States period, even though they were called “hostages,” there was also an aspect of them being placed with foster parents who acted as guardians… The prototype of the Magic Academy might have a similar feel to that.
The boys and girls summoned to serve under Piotr the Great, who lived and studied under him, became, in a sense, the Great Emperor’s foster children and thus the children of the Imperial Nation.

Today, nearly all of the Imperial Kingdom’s leading figures are graduates of the Magic Academy. Even across generations, they share common talking points—such as which dormitory they lived in or how they always used to meet by that statue.
Compared to other nations, conflicts and animosity among the nobility are unlikely to become serious.

The existence of the Academy may be one of the reasons the Imperial Kingdom has endured for four hundred years.

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The Academy Festival likely began as an event where children summoned to the court of Piotr the Great performed customs from their hometowns or played music for the emperor. There seem to be records of this.
I’m sure it was meant to help them cope with homesickness.
Of course, after four hundred years, that original purpose has been completely forgotten, and it’s simply become an event for everyone to enjoy.

But that’s what makes it great.
I’m so happy there’s an event where we can peacefully have fun and make memories.
Of course, as the villainess noble lady, I have to be careful not to set any “doom flags” in motion!
I promised Onii-sama I wouldn’t push myself too hard, so I’ll quickly settle on a choir performance for our class and just blend in with everyone else. That’s what I’ll do.
High school cultural festivals—how nostalgic! I’m really looking forward to the Academy Festival.

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That’s what Ekaterina was so carefreely thinking.
But after the discussion to decide on her class performance, as soon as she spotted Aleksei while moving between classrooms, she ran over and threw herself into his arms, crying.

“Onii-sama—!”