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——Olivia’s Perspective

At dinner, the second dorm’s dining hall is full of students.

“Mr. Damuel told me about the school festival they hold during the second term.”

I’m eating together with Natalia and Amy like always when Natalia brings up the subject out of nowhere.

I guess she heard about it too.

“Yeah, I heard there’s a tournament too. I’ll participate there, so make sure you come cheer me on, Natalia.”

I’ve been thinking about that a lot, and I feel like it’s important to set a high goal so I work harder.

I’ll take first place! And while she’s impressed by that I’ll confess to her!

I didn’t want her to notice yet though, so I just clench my fists under the table.

“Do you really have to participate?”

…Huh?

My thoughts freeze hearing that, I had expected a different reaction.

“N-Natalia, you know how Olivia is, she likes to fight, and having someone from an upper year to spar with sounds fun too.”
“But the festival is made so students can find employment, right? There’s nothing to gain from it if you just want to be an adventurer.”

Ah. Now that she says it, she’s right.

I actually am planning on becoming an adventurer once I graduate, just like my mother and father did in the past.

I have no interest in being hired by some research company or a noble. I’d rather avoid such attention, if anything.

She’s right, I don’t really gain anything by participating, but…

“It’s a unique opportunity, so I thought it could be fun to compare my skills to those from upper years…”

I try to plead my case, carefully looking at Natalia’s reaction, but she sounds even more bothered and sighs loudly.

“I understand how you feel, the school festival is an important event for your seniors as well, I just don’t think it’s right to intrude there out of pure curiosity or to have fun…”

Just to have fun… No. I’m serious about it. I’ll give everything I have…take first place…and confess…

My eyes are starting to feel hot. No, I don’t want to cry here. Natalia is just thinking about the festival as a whole. She doesn’t mean it that way. I know what she’s trying to say. I can’t cry here, not now.

“Are you okay, Young Lady?”

Natalia sounds worried. Hold it in, me. I came up with that idea on my own, and I’m feeling bad on my own too. I can’t make Natalia worry because of me.

But I really don’t feel like being here right now…

“I’m sorry, I’m not hungry so I’ll go back to my room.”
“Huh? Wait-”
“Don’t worry about me, you can finish dinner if you want.”

I get on my feet and run away, leaving Natalia behind in the dining hall. Once I’m out of the cafeteria and there’s no one around me, I finally break into tears.

——Natalia’s Perspective

Did I say something wrong?

“I’m sorry, I’m not hungry so I’ll go back to my room.”
“Huh? Wait-”
“Don’t worry about me, you can finish dinner if you want.”

I try to chase after Olivia, but someone holds my arm back. Amy was pulling me back, silently shaking her head.

I slowly sit back down and take deep breaths to calm myself.

“I’m sorry, just know you didn’t do anything wrong.”

That’s what she tells me, but her voice sounds clearly irritated.

“Just let her be for now.”
“…Alright.”

I still don’t feel convinced. But I’m sure Amy must understand Olivia better than I do. Maybe it’s best if I don’t do anything, and just listen to her.

I tried to eat the rest of my dinner, but I feel like the last time food tasted this bad was the day Ophelia passed away.

After dinner, I return to our room and find Olivia in her bed, her head covered with a blanket.

Amy had said it wasn’t my fault, but I really feel like it was.

I don’t think I said anything wrong, I don’t feel like Olivia’s participation in the festival should be commended. But I also know how much she tries to catch up to her parents, and how much she looks forward to facing stronger opponents.

I can’t forget she’s still a thirteen year old child. I can’t expect her to have the same maturity and self-control an adult has.

She looked genuinely happy back when she first started studying here and there were all those duels. But there haven’t been any clashes like that after I put an end to the duels.

Not only that, I know she’s bad with studies, but she’s still putting in effort learning with Chris so she can remain in classroom A.

She’s always listened to me, and never acted too selfishly. She’s a good girl. But here I am, taking away her fun… Did I really make the right choice?

I thought I could raise her in Ophelia’s stead, in both her parents’ stead, but somehow I completely missed something this obvious about her.

“Young Lady.”
“…”

She doesn’t answer me.

“I’ve brought some bread from the dining hall, so if you get hungry feel free to eat it.”

I place the basket with bread on her desk and leave the room.

Isn’t there anything else I can say to her? Many questions flood my mind, but I can’t find any answers. I’ll probably just make her feel worse if I stay in the room though.

No, that’s not it. I just couldn’t stand the realization that I had hurt Olivia, but was too stupid to know how to apologize.

I just need to get some fresh air. I loiter around the hallways aimlessly as I think and think even more.

Eventually I look out a window, everything is dark outside. But my vision is more acute than a human’s, letting me see clearly.

I can see someone on the other side of the dorm’s outer walls.

Something feels out of place about them, so I keep watching. They run a lap around the wall, and then they’re gone.

I wonder why they did that?

Though I can’t really afford to worry about more things now. I need to focus on Olivia. I push away all miscellaneous thoughts and focus on trying to find a way to reconcile with Olivia.

——???’s Perspective

The man glares at the Magic Academy, the place he had been scouting earlier.

“So this is where that b̲i̲t̲c̲h̲ came to hide.”

His voice was filled with resentment, his mind reliving the pain he felt when he lost his arm.

“Hm, infiltrating doesn’t seem like a good move.”
“Don’t creep up on me like that, goddammit.”

The man shouts angrily at the figure that appeared silently behind him.

“Sadly that’s one request that can’t be fulfilled, that’s simply who we are.”
“Tsk, stop complaining and just follow my orders already.”
“We will, even if we don’t approve of them. That magic device is proving to be quite a troublesome tool.”

The demon could only shake its head at the employer’s constant demands.