While Ryoma was traveling leisurely by carriage, classes were in full swing at the academy in the Royal Capital.
"Now, we shall begin the lesson. First—"
The instructor droned on, reading from the textbook in a flat, uninspired voice. It was a tedious, monotonous lecture, and the students listened in stony silence. Among them was a young girl named Eliaria.
She sat with perfect posture, her gaze fixed forward on the podium. While she appeared to be the picture of a diligent student, she was inwardly suffocating from boredom, merely counting the minutes until it was over.
As soon as the morning session concluded, she rose from her seat and hurried toward a magic training ground tucked away in a corner of the school. Although the facility was open for voluntary practice, it was rarely used outside of formal classes. It was the perfect place to find solitude.
She sat on a bench at the edge of the training area, ate the lunch she had prepared, and killed time with magic drills until the break ended. Once the afternoon classes finished, she would retreat to her room in the dormitory.
A month had passed since her enrollment, and this joyless routine had already become her daily norm.
"Phew..."
Eliaria ceased her casting and let out a heavy sigh.
It’s only been a month, and I’m already at my wits' end, she thought. I never imagined the curriculum would be quite this mind-numbing.
At this academy, the first through third years were dedicated to the basics and general education. Specialized knowledge and techniques were only introduced from the fourth through sixth years, after which students would pursue apprenticeships or further training based on their chosen paths.
As a first-year, the lessons Eliaria received were elementary. Foundation-level national history, geography, mathematics, basic magic, and swordsmanship for physical conditioning—for a noble, these were subjects they were expected to have mastered long before setting foot on campus.
The coursework was trivial for her. Even with top marks, she felt no sense of achievement, only a hollow emptiness. Furthermore, though there were nearly forty students in her class, not a single one had tried to strike up a conversation with her. It wasn’t that she was being bullied or ostracized; rather, the other students—commoners and nobles alike—were simply too intimidated by her pedigree and her overwhelming mana. They kept their distance out of a mix of reverence and fear, ensuring they never engaged with her more than strictly necessary.
Eliaria was painfully aware of this avoidance, which made it difficult for her to reach out. While some students had personalities she knew would clash with her own, she hesitated to approach even the friendly-looking ones. She knew that because of her status, they wouldn't be able to refuse her, even if they were terrified. She loathed the idea of a friendship built on such an uneven, forced foundation.
The result was a month of school with zero friends. She spent her days enduring boredom and a crushing sense of isolation.
"I knew it would be like this, and yet... haah..."
Just as she let out a second sigh, a voice suddenly called out to her.
"Is something the matter, young lady?"
"Oh!"
Eliaria hadn't noticed anyone approaching, but the voice came from directly behind her.
"Ah... you are from House Wyldan."
When Eliaria turned to face her, the girl seemed taken aback. She quickly offered a polite bow.
"My apologies. I am Michelle, the eldest daughter of House Wyldan. I didn't recognize you from behind, My Lady. Please forgive my lack of manners."
Michelle Wyldan was a daughter of a Count, yet she possessed very few traditionally feminine qualities. Her hair was roughly trimmed to a length that barely reached her shoulders, and she wore a practical ensemble of men's trousers paired with a woman's shirt. Her only accessory was a large, plain black bag that looked purely functional. With her androgynous features, she looked like a young man in disguise.
"There is no need for apologies. Rank does not matter within these walls. Besides, I have been trying to keep a low profile myself."
To minimize class distinctions, all students were required to wear uniforms regardless of their birth. However, there were no rules regarding accessories. Consequently, many noble students flaunted their family's wealth by wearing ostentatious gold hairpins or jewel-encrusted bracelets.
Eliaria, however, wore nothing flashy. She was simply following the school's philosophy, but to Michelle’s eyes, she had appeared to be an ordinary commoner girl.
"Thank you for your understanding," Michelle said with a smile.
"...May I call you Michelle?" Eliaria asked tentatively.
Michelle’s smile was warm, and unlike most other students, she didn't seem to be harboring any desire to flee. Encouraged by this, Eliaria decided to try and keep the conversation going.
"Of course, My Lady."
"Please, just Elia. As I said, status has no place here."
Michelle’s grin widened at that. "Heh... very well then, Elia. I'd appreciate it if you could overlook my own manner of speaking as well. Maintaining formal etiquette is quite exhausting, you see."
"I don't mind at all. I actually prefer it that way."
"Good. Now, as I was saying—did something happen?"
"No, it isn't anything serious. It’s just that the lessons here are..."
"Ah, I know exactly what you mean. Most of the time I just pretend to listen. Between that and trying to avoid the annoying social factions, I don't get much chance to talk to anyone during the breaks."
"Is that so? I had the impression you were quite popular, Michelle."
Michelle laughed again. "Maybe at first. When I first enrolled, I had several girls following me around who had the wrong idea about my outfit. Once they realized I wear this because it’s comfortable and not because I’m a boy, they mostly vanished. Besides, I’m not very social. I found them a bit of a hassle and started avoiding them, so they eventually got the hint."
"I see. Is that why you came here?"
"Not today. I’m here to experiment with this."
Michelle reached into her bag and pulled out a sheet of paper. It was a pencil sketch of a complex magic circle.
"A magic circle... Are you an alchemist, Michelle?"
Michelle’s eyes widened for a moment before she gave a smile even brighter than the last. "Unfortunately, no. I’m a student of Magic Circle Studies."
"Magic Circle Studies?"
It was an incredibly niche field of study derived from the circles used in alchemy, which glowed when mana passed through them. Researchers in this field studied why these reactions occurred and sought ways to utilize the phenomenon for other purposes.
Eliaria looked at the sketch with genuine curiosity as Michelle explained.
"I had no idea such a field existed."
"It’s a dying art," Michelle said. "Mostly because it’s a branch of alchemy and hasn't produced any 'useful' results yet. I only came to this academy because I heard there was a professor who could teach it, but it turns out he resigned last year. So, I’ve been teaching myself. I certainly have the time for it."
"That is a shame."
"It is. By the way, Elia..."
"Yes?"
"You're quite knowledgeable about magic circles being used in alchemy. Most people believe all sorts of nonsense—that you need suspicious potions or even sacrifices instead of circles. You don't seem to have any of the usual prejudices against alchemy, either."
Eliaria realized she had been a bit too casual with her knowledge. Seeing her hesitate, Michelle added a quick clarification.
"Not that I have any bias against it. If anything, I’m quite fascinated by it."
"Fascinated?"
"Well, since my field grew out of alchemy circles, it’s only natural to be interested in the source. I despise those who use alchemy as a front for fraud, but I don't think all alchemists are swindlers. I believe there are real alchemists out there, just like us, who keep researching even when they don't have results to show for it yet."
Eliaria felt a wave of relief. "I'm glad to hear you say that."
"Actually, I was hoping you could teach me a bit about it."
Eliaria shook her head. While knowing Ryoma had given her some insight, she was far from an expert. Moreover, as friendly as Michelle seemed, she wasn't ready to introduce her to Ryoma just yet.
"I’m afraid I’m not a student of alchemy. I simply happened to meet an alchemist once before."
Eliaria declined politely, and Michelle didn't push the issue. Instead, she began preparing for her experiment. She laid the paper on the ground and took a vial of pink powder from her bag, mixing it into a small pot of ink.
"What is that powder, Michelle?"
"The ink is just normal ink, but the powder is a blend of crushed Fire and No-Attribute mana stones. Unlike the circles used in alchemy, the ones we use in Magic Circle Studies can't conduct mana on their own. We have to mix powdered mana stones into the ink so the mana can flow through the patterns."
"And what does that do?"
"Well, we know that the effect changes depending on the attribute of the mana stone, and the power can be adjusted by the ratio of the blend. For example, if I use ink mixed with Fire mana stones, I can make flames appear. I adjust the intensity with the ink and control the output with the circle itself. The circle has to be precise—usually a ring with specific motifs inside—but we still don't fully understand the interior patterns."
"You don't understand them?"
"The internal motifs change the reaction and the efficiency, but no one knows which patterns are best. We just have to draw hundreds of them and test them one by one. It requires a lot of mana stones and a massive amount of funding, which is why the research has stalled."
"I see... then why do you pursue it?"
"Because it’s interesting! A field that few people study and has so much left to discover? That just means there’s more glory for the person who finally cracks it. I want to be the one to make it useful. Besides, I'm a daughter of House Wyldan. We’ve been a family of researchers for generations, so my parents understand. They told me to follow my heart and gave me enough funding to get started."
Watching Michelle speak with such passion, Eliaria was reminded of Ryoma. Michelle finished drawing the circle and looked up.
"I’m not sure what’s going to happen, so you should probably step back."
Eliaria quickly moved a safe distance away. Once she was clear, Michelle funneled mana into the array. The ink began to glow with a faint red light.
Michelle scrambled back to join Eliaria. Five seconds later, several small fireballs erupted from the circle, crackling and popping like a string of firecrackers above the ground.
"Eek!" two voices cried out in unison.
"Oh! So that’s how it reacts... Wait."
Michelle, who had been focused on the circle, turned around when she realized she had heard two different voices. Standing at the entrance of the training ground was a fox-kin girl.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Michelle apologized.
"This is a training ground, so I should have expected loud noises," the fox-kin girl replied politely. "If anything, I should apologize for interrupting."
"Not at all. You’re... Miyabi, right?"
"We’re in the same class, aren't we?" Eliaria added.
Miyabi bowed slightly, her tone formal. "I’m honored that the daughters of House Wyldan and the Jamil Ducal House remember me."
"There’s no need for such formality here," Eliaria said warmly. "Are you here to train, Miyabi?"
"Actually, I was looking for you, My Lady. I have something to tell you."
"For me?"
"Yes. I have a message for you from an acquaintance. That’s why I came looking for you today."
Miyabi had been searching for a chance to speak with Eliaria alone for the past month. She wanted to avoid any public misunderstandings about a message from a boy, but Eliaria was always surrounded by guards or at least in the presence of others. Today, she had followed her to the training ground, only to find Michelle there. Miyabi was slightly flustered, but she kept her composure.
"A message for me?" Eliaria repeated.
"Yes. Does the name Ryoma mean anything to you?"
"A message from Ryoma?!"
Ryoma had intended to provide a bridge for Eliaria to make friends, but he believed the actual friendship was up to the girls themselves. He had acted as the catalyst but hadn't told Eliaria a single word about Miyabi, wanting them to have a shared topic to discover naturally. And, truth be told, he had a bit of a mischievous streak and wanted to surprise her.
"I take it you know him, then," Miyabi said.
"Yes! But how do you know him, Miyabi?"
"We met through my father. When I mentioned I was heading to the academy, he asked me to deliver a message to a girl named Eliaria."
"I see..."
Michelle chimed in, looking curious. "So, is this Ryoma an acquaintance of yours, Elia?"
"Yes. He’s a bit eccentric, but he’s a very dear friend."
"He’s definitely an odd one, there’s no doubt about that," Miyabi muttered with a wry smile.
"Is that so?" Michelle said, her interest piqued by the mention of an eccentric.
"So, what was the message?" Eliaria asked eagerly.
"'Keep it up.' That was it. He seemed quite worried about you."
With those few words, Eliaria understood exactly what Ryoma was doing.
There was no practical reason to ask a third party to deliver such a short message; he could have easily written "Keep it up" in a letter. Ryoma had remembered her confessing how lonely she was back in Gimul. He had gone out of his way to find someone heading to the same academy just to give her an opening to meet a potential friend.
"Thank you, Miyabi. I’ve received the message loud and clear. And... Miyabi, since we’ve met like this, would you consider being my friend?"
Miyabi looked stunned. "Are you sure? Asking someone like me?"
"Rank doesn't matter here. And besides, I’ve been so lonely... I would love to have more friends to share my school life with."
Miyabi gave a broad, genuine smile. "Then I’d be honored. I look forward to it."
"In that case, I want in too," Michelle added, raising a hand. "I don't have many friends myself."
Miyabi laughed. "The more the merrier!"
The three girls shook hands just as the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. They made their way back to the classroom for the afternoon lessons.
The curriculum was just as dry and monotonous as it had been that morning, but for some reason, the time seemed to pass much more pleasantly than before.