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chapter 32
Receiving direct correspondence from the academy was not something reserved solely for dukes.
“Is this… Canis Escliff?”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
Najezda Irene Grace, the biological mother of the Crown Prince, unconsciously tightened her grip on the letter. The paper crinkled faintly under her hand.
“After the carriage incident, any contact with the Third Prince?”
“It appears there has been no particular contact.”
“Are you certain?”
“…At least, no rumors have circulated.”
Unlike other places, shadow assassins could not openly come and go in the academy, so information largely relied on official correspondence or word of mouth.
And nothing is more unreliable than rumors.
“So, you’re saying they might have had a secret meeting?”
“Most likely.”
Tap, tap, tap. Her fingernails rhythmically struck the desk with a dull sound.
‘The timing is far too convenient.’
The mountain path where Aiden Grace was supposed to have been killed was an extremely secluded place.
And yet, in such a remote location, at such a late hour, Canis Escliff appeared by chance and eliminated all the assassins?
‘Wait, perhaps…’
Najezda Empress suddenly straightened from her leaned position, a realization dawning on her.
‘Were there no escort knights from the start?’
According to known records, Canis Escliff had used her first spell just yesterday, the moment the tournament match began.
But if that wasn’t the case…?
Could it be that she had possessed power all along…?
The thought sent a chill down her spine.
Tap-tap-tap-tap. Her fingers, which had been tapping out of habit, began to move faster.
After pondering for a while, she finally spoke.
“Was the current Duchess Helena Escliff?”
“Yes.”
The Empress knew very well about Helena Escliff.
A fallen noble by birth, she had lived practically in the back alleys, almost like a commoner. A woman who should have spent her miserable life at the bottom of society had somehow risen to the rank of duchess—a feat impossible for most ambitions.
And she had a robust son, known as a prodigy.
If not for her daughter, Canis Escliff, she could have claimed the dukedom entirely.
“Keep a close eye on Helena Escliff.”
“Do you intend to seek cooperation?”
The question implied whether the Empress intended to eliminate Canis Escliff.
The Empress paused, then replied,
“No. Without clear evidence, killing a noblewoman is far too risky.”
Assassinating the Escliff heiress would be a high-risk, low-return endeavor. There was no pressing need.
Not yet.
“For now, just observe.”
“Understood.”
The assassin bowed and disappeared into the shadows.
“Damn it, damn it, damnnn it…”
Donald, a fourth-year student in the academy’s Magic Department, was trembling with tension.
His skills ranked in the upper-middle tier of his year.
Aside from exceptional prodigies, it was rare for a lower-year student to outscore upper-years. Across the school, Donald was considered among the top talents.
Even so, it was unusual for someone of his caliber to be this nervous at the first round of a tournament.
In fact, Donald should have advanced smoothly to the second round.
But luck was not on his side this time.
‘Why does it have to be Escliff in the first match…!’
From the moment he saw the bracket announced last night, his heart sank.
As a fourth-year, he had witnessed Canis Escliff and Marco Krab’s previous match firsthand.
“D-Donald, going in for the first match?”
“Yeah…”
Even as his friend patted him on the shoulder, Donald was visibly anxious.
“Why are you so nervous?”
“Wouldn’t you be nervous? You saw it yesterday. Princess Escliff completely crushed Krab Youngshik.”
It was a fear engraved into memory.
Canis had spent three hours tormenting Marco—not merely out of revenge, but as a warning and demonstration.
Marco Krab had been one of the main culprits who had persistently harassed Canis Escliff.
By destroying him so thoroughly in front of others, she efficiently spread fear.
Her intention was flawlessly executed.
“Think about what I usually did to that guy!”
“Ha, you should’ve done it in moderation. At least don’t flip the trays.”
“Damn it! Didn’t expect this back then!”
Bang! Donald kicked a chair across the room, flames of anger rising within him.
His friend, also a fire-magic user, patted his shoulder.
“Calm down, buddy. Sure, Escliff awakened, but the only one she beat was Marco, right?”
Marco Krab was among the lowest-ranking fourth-year students.
That was likely why he bullied someone weaker like Canis.
Donald clicked his tongue, frustrated.
“What difference does it make? Escliff manifested her powers after twenty years. She’s on a completely different level from us…”
“Who knows that for sure?”
Donald frowned at his friend’s nonchalant tone.
Another friend quickly added, as if to explain:
“It’s unusual, but just because someone manifests late doesn’t always mean they’re stronger. Even the Duke manifested at age one and became a remarkable mage.”
“Hmm…”
“Then the opposite could happen too! Being overwhelmed doesn’t always mean she’s insanely powerful—maybe she’s not that exceptional after all.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Of course!”
Donald’s confidence wavered at his friend’s earnest insistence.
‘Maybe… he’s right…’
Perhaps I could win. No, I will win.
Marco Krab’s defeat yesterday was simply because he was weak.
“Alright, let’s do this!”
Suddenly filled with confidence, Donald strode out of the waiting room.
[First Round, Match One begins! Students involved, please step forward!]
Canis’s blue hair fluttered beautifully across from him.
Donald muttered formulas under his breath, a fire magic circle forming in his hands.
And then…
Beeeeep!
The buzzer sounded, and Donald’s vision went black.
The world slowed down.
He felt his body falling backward.
‘Huh…?’
[Winner: Canis Escliff!]
Thud.
Donald collapsed to the floor, grinding his teeth at his damn friend.
‘What the hell… weak? That’s… a monster.’
[0.51 seconds]
I glanced at the scoreboard.
This was only the second time Canis Escliff had used magic publicly.
And in both matches, the results were decided in under one second.
‘No need to crush her again.’
The shock therapy had done its job.
Crushing another helpless student could cause a negative public reaction.
Speed alone was enough.
Most mages take significant time to cast a spell, so my ridiculous reaction speed would leave a deep impression.
‘Next match is in three days…’
Due to injuries in the preliminary rounds, there was a three-day break after each day’s matches.
I calculated the date and exited the waiting room.
Unexpectedly, I ran into someone.
“Long time no see, Princess Escliff.”
“…Professor?”
A striking man with long black hair, an intellectual face, and thin-rimmed glasses.
He was the professor I had met when I first fell into this world.
“I’m surprised. You’ve changed quite a bit.”
“Ah… yes… I suppose so.”
I smiled awkwardly.
At the time, I hadn’t known, but now I understood this was the world of the despised princess, and I recognized him too.
A minor character in the original story, killed by poison to reveal the intruder.
Professor of Rune Scripts, Terris.
“Is tomorrow the first class of the second semester? I’ll look forward to it.”
“Uh…”
Before I could answer yes, he disappeared. Perhaps a man of few words.
“Your Grace, you must recognize Princess Escliff as the heir immediately!”
“Make Princess Canis a minor duchess!”
“Your Grace!”
“Duke, Your Grace!”
“Enough!”
The Duke shouted, rising from his seat. Since last night, he had been tormented by terrible auditory hallucinations.
All because of the unending letters from his vassals.
Each letter began, “Dear Duke Your Grace…” and carried one message:
Advance the regular meeting to solidify the Princess’s status as heir!
Most vassals were loyal not to him, but had served the Escliff family for years.
Stubborn, procedural-minded people who feared chaos without justification.
While the Duke was buried in thought, a cautious servant knocked and entered.
“Your Grace, Count Remembral has arrived.”
“Damn it.”
The ultimate conservative, the most influential vassal—Count Remembral—had arrived.
