Morning light streamed into our dormitory room while we dressed ourselves in our provided uniforms. I knew "that event" was scheduled for this morning, so I had woken up early to get through our preparations efficiently.
"……Rai-sama."
Lene’s voice came from behind me. The moment I turned around, I found myself momentarily speechless.
She wore a blazer of pristine white with a green tie at her throat. Her checkered skirt gave off an air of refined elegance, swaying softly with every movement she made.
"How do I look?"
She gave a light, graceful twirl.
Without a hint of hesitation or shyness, Lene struck a pose as if showing herself off to me.
"……It suits you well."
"Truly?"
"Yes, very much so."
I couldn't find any more words than that.
The uniforms of the Royal Arcadia Academy of Magic shared the same design regardless of status, but the impression they gave changed entirely depending on the wearer. In Lene’s case, she looked every bit the noble daughter.
The white blazer was pure and sophisticated, while the green tie—signifying sixteen-year-olds—served to pull the look together.
Seeing Lene, who was usually dressed in nothing but maid’s livery, standing there in the same uniform as me felt a bit surreal. It made me feel as though we had become simple classmates.
"I am glad to hear it."
Lene smiled, looking satisfied.
The way she brought a hand to her lips and laughed elegantly was quite convincing.
"Your uniform looks wonderful as well, Rai-sama."
"You think so?"
"Yes…. When we are dressed the same, I feel I might almost forget our relationship as master and servant."
Lene leaned in toward me, her fingers lightly pinching my sleeve.
She looked up at me with moist, light brown eyes. There was a look in them as if she were expecting something.
My heart gave a strange, erratic thud, but I did my best to hide it behind a smile.
"Is it so bad if you do forget?"
"……Eh?"
"At the academy, we are both just students. While we are here, you don't have to worry about master and servant roles."
Lene blinked several times at my words, and then her face softened into a melting smile.
"……In that case, may I be very spoiled today?"
"I’d appreciate it if you showed some moderation."
"Fufu, I shall strive to do so."
Unfortunately, it seemed she wasn't willing to give me a definitive promise.
I wondered if I was going to be led around by the nose from my very first day of school. Just as I was giving a wry smile at the thought, a modest knock sounded at the door.
"First-years, are you awake? I’m coming in."
Without waiting for a reply, the visitor opened the door.
It was the upperclassman who had guided us to the dormitory yesterday. As usual, his tone was blunt and he seemed completely put out, but he appeared to be the type to handle his duties with diligence.
"There is a school assembly in the auditorium now. Gather at the dormitory entrance. I’ll lead the way."
"Understood."
Having delivered his curt message, the senior left the room.
He was likely making the rounds to deliver the same message to the other transfer students.
I watched him go, then exchanged a look with Lene.
"Shall we?"
"Yes, Rai-sama."
Once we finished our final checks, I took Lene with me to the dormitory entrance.
We met up with Yuu and Ciel there, moving toward our destination while complimenting each other’s new looks. We proceeded through the corridors, merging with the flow of current students as we arrived at the auditorium.
The venue was thick with a restless, unsettled energy.
The number of teachers present was unusually high, and the expressions of almost everyone there, students and faculty alike, were grim.
Amidst that heavy atmosphere, the Headmaster stood upon the stage.
He was an elderly man with graying hair, a long beard, and round glasses—the very image of a stereotypical magic academy principal.
He quietly tapped the floor with the tip of his staff.
A dry, sharp sound echoed through the auditorium, and the students fell silent.
"……Everyone, I apologize for gathering you so early."
His voice was low and carried through the hall with ease.
"First, to the transfer students who have newly joined this academy. Welcome."
His gaze shifted briefly toward us.
"The Royal Arcadia Academy of Magic questions neither rank nor origin. It is a place where those with ability and ambition are equally protected and equally forged. ——I hope you will learn much and gain much here."
His greeting to the transfer students was brief.
(The Headmaster is exactly like he was in the original game.)
He didn't have much of a role to play. Even in the game, his appearances were limited to this specific school assembly.
However, that wasn't all he had to say. In fact, the real business was only just beginning.
"——Now. To the main point."
The Headmaster paused for a moment before continuing.
The air shifted, and I heard someone catch their breath.
"Regarding the Primal Labyrinth—I assume you all possess at least a foundational knowledge of it."
I heard the audible sound of someone gulping.
"That place, the Primal Labyrinth, activates at fixed intervals. Approximately once every century, its firmly sealed doors open, and monsters overflow from within onto the surface world…. And——"
It was a cold, clinical explanation. He spoke in a tone that merely recited facts.
The atmosphere grew so dark it felt physically oppressive.
After a beat, he forced his heavy mouth open once more.
"This is that year."
The air shivered with a collective stir.
No one screamed. Everyone had, to some degree, prepared themselves for this possibility.
However, that didn't mean they weren't shaken.
(In the end, things are proceeding exactly like the game……)
Knowledge of the original story flashed through my mind.
Fatal encounters with monsters inside the labyrinth. The total annihilation of the Labyrinth Expeditionary Force. Even the teachers who would die at the entrance while trying to suppress the overflow. It didn't matter if they were named characters or mere background extras.
"As stated in your letters of enrollment, only you—the students—can enter the labyrinth. That place does not permit the entry of adults. The knights and the teachers are no exception to this rule……"
"……You're saying we have to advance into that place by ourselves?"
Someone whispered faintly.
They were likely of commoner birth. A pitiful student whose vision had been clouded by the flattering term "The Chosen," failing to realize it was more akin to being a sacrifice.
The Headmaster neither confirmed nor denied the boy’s words; he simply continued with the facts.
"You are the hope of this academy—and of this nation."
As always, he spoke bluntly, with a directness that was almost cruel.
"The students will always stand on the front lines. We adults will devote ourselves entirely to rear-guard support. Supplies, medical treatment, information management——. We will assist you to the utmost of our ability."
The auditorium fell into a profound hush.
It was only natural. The Headmaster’s words were essentially asking them to die for the country. Even if they had known this was coming, no child could be expected to accept it easily.
"I will not tell you not to fear," the Headmaster concluded quietly. "I ask only that you take this to heart and devote yourselves to your training…. That is all."
He tapped his staff once more. That was the signal that he was finished.
A heavy silence dominated the auditorium, and everyone remained tight-lipped, pinned down by the oppressive mood.
"——Everyone."
A clear, resonant voice cut through the darkness of the hall.
Appearing on the stage in the Headmaster’s place was a single female student.
She wore the academy uniform, but with a red tie representing the seventeen-year-olds and an armband signifying her position on the Student Council. Her silhouette was magnificent as she walked, her azure hair swaying. Everyone seemed to stop breathing as she looked out over the crowd with deep purple eyes.
Elicia Loewenhart.
One of the game’s heroines and the Student Council President who reigned at the summit of the academy. She had been born into a ducal house of the same rank as my own.
Standing at the podium, Elicia straightened her back.
Her presence was unwavering, as if she had been born to rule this space.
"——Please, raise your heads."
Her dignified voice rang out.
"To feel fear is not a shame. It is, in fact, the only natural response. The Primal Labyrinth is an existence that has carved blood into the pages of history time and time again."
She slowly scanned the student body with her violet gaze before continuing quietly.
"However, falling to your knees in fear is a very different thing from moving forward while carrying that fear."
She paused for a beat.
"Let us be the latter."
There was no hesitation in her voice.
"Adults cannot enter. There will be support, but we students are the ones who must stand on the front lines. ——And that is as it should be."
She tilted her chin up slightly.
"If we are tested, let us answer. If we are chosen, let us prove it. Let us prove that the name of the Royal Arcadia Academy of Magic is not a mere decoration."
She placed a hand over her heart and pierced the student body with a sharp, commanding gaze.
"Rank and lineage have no meaning here. Noble and commoner alike are merely challengers before the labyrinth. Isolation leads directly to defeat. Conceit invites death. Therefore, you must cooperate. Learn. Train. Discipline yourselves."
Then, her voice softened just a fraction.
"——And please, make sure you return home."
It was a command, but also a sincere, heartfelt wish.
"I will stand at the front. I will take command. I will bear the responsibility. I have no intention of letting a single one of you perish in vain."
Her red tie fluttered.
"The Primal Labyrinth is a trial. If so, we need only show that we are capable of overcoming it. Turn your fear into strength. Turn your doubt into diligence. ——And sublimate your resolve into victory."
Finally, she looked straight ahead.
"Everyone. We were told that we are hope. In that case——let us define what hope is with our own hands."
A quiet but overwhelmingly certain voice filled the hall.
"Let us move forward together. And let us all return alive."
With that, she quietly stepped down from the stage.
There was no immediate noise, but rather a sensation like a fire being lit deep in everyone's chests.
(As expected of the Student Council President said to be the greatest in the academy’s history……)
It was raw charisma.
This event, where she inspired the entire student body, had been a key scene in the original story. Even though I had heard those lines countless times in the game, hearing them in person made my blood run hot.
The heavy air in the auditorium had vanished.
The students who had been staring at the floor raised their heads, and their trembling hands grew still. In just a few minutes, she had completely transformed the atmosphere.
As Elicia descended from the stage, she walked away while giving brief instructions to the other Student Council members.
Her back was perfectly straight and her stride was firm. As she left the hall with such a dignified manner, the eyes of nearly every student followed her.
——At that moment.
(……)
Suddenly, she looked my way.
Her gaze was unerring. In the heartbeat that her deep purple eyes found me among the sea of transfer students, Elicia’s lips softened into a faint smile.
It wasn't the public smile—the mask—she had worn on stage to reassure and lead the others.
It was a quiet smile of relief, of joy…… a look that seemed to confirm our reunion.