"Whew... that was quite a tense lesson."
As the General Magic Theory lecture concluded, Viola stretched her arms high toward the ceiling.
You couldn't afford to slack off in Ms. Carder’s class; she was quick to pounce with a question the moment she sensed a student’s attention waver.
"Even so, she was very easy to follow, wasn't she? And she kept a very close eye on everyone," Primula added from the other side, offering a bit of support for the teacher.
For Primula, who was studious and excelled at academic subjects, Ms. Carder's high-level instruction seemed to be quite enjoyable.
"Yeah, I agree. She’d have to be watching the students closely to strike at their openings so accurately."
Targeting those who lost focus meant she was observing the class with incredible intensity. She had answered student questions with precision and clearly prepared her material thoroughly. In her own way, she was likely an excellent educator.
"The next class is Magic Acquisition. It’s in a different room, so we should hurry."
Yuri, who had been sitting nearby, stood up and urged the group along.
The next course was also a requirement: a subject titled Magic Acquisition. As the name suggested, it was a class dedicated to learning and mastering new spells.
Rest, Viola, Primula, and Yuri moved to the other classroom together. Their destination was the Magic Laboratory, a room reminiscent of a particularly spacious science lab.
Several rectangular tables were laid out across the floor. They chose one and took their seats. A short while later, the rest of the class filtered in, and the laboratory chairs began to fill up.
"Sorry, is this spot taken?"
"E-Excuse us."
A boy and a girl appeared at the table where Rest and his companions were sitting. Rest recalled their names from the earlier roll call.
"Luid Gistal and Jewel Easel, right?"
"Just Luid is fine. We’re in the same class, after all," the boy replied. He had short chestnut hair and a refreshing face. He wore piercings in his ears and had a lively, somewhat mischievous "bad boy" vibe about him.
"Jewel is fine too..." the girl murmured. She wore glasses and had long, frizzy gray hair. She seemed introverted and quiet, with a light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose.
"I see. I'm Rest."
"Viola Rosemary."
"Primula Rosemary."
"I’m Yuri Catreia. You can just call me Yuri."
The four of them introduced themselves to the newcomers in turn.
"Yeah, I definitely know who you guys are. Rosemary and Catreia, right? Man, talk about a powerhouse lineup. If you added a Crocus to this table, you'd have the Three Pillars of Politics, Sword, and Magic all in one spot."
Luid laughed heartily.
"L-Luid, that's rude," Jewel stammered.
"Are you two acquaintances? You seem close," Rest noted.
"Whoa, hey... give me a break. It’s nothing like that."
"To be honest... being told I'm close to Luid is a bit... unpleasant," Jewel added.
Both of them made a face at the same time. The fact that their reactions were perfectly synchronized suggested to Rest that they were closer than they let on.
"Our family territories are just next to each other. We’re childhood friends... or a 'fated bond,' if you want to be less charitable about it."
"Luid has been bullying me since we were little. He’s really mean."
"Wha—! Calling it bullying is a bit much. I just showed you some bugs I caught! That was because you were always cooped up in your room with your nose in a book..."
"Doing things the other person hates is the definition of bullying. Luid has no consideration for other people's feelings."
"Ah... I think I get the dynamic between you two now," Rest said with a wry smile.
Despite their bickering, they were strangely in sync—it was a relationship reminiscent of a cat and mouse from an old cartoon.
"And you’re the Rosemary sisters and their fiancé, right? People are talking. The beautiful sisters from the famous magic family being so intimate with a guy has caused quite a stir."
"Yes, that's right. Rest is our fiancé," Viola declared firmly.
"We are very, very close," Primula added.
Both sisters clung to Rest’s arms from either side to emphasize the point. Rest could hear a low, collective groan of despair ripple through the students at the surrounding tables.
"My, what’s wrong with everyone?" Viola asked.
"Um... Viola-san. Just so you know, every boy in this class was targeting the two of you," Jewel explained in a hesitant tone. "Most of the students in the Magic Department want to become Court Mages. The Rosemary family is famous for producing powerful mages, and your father is the Chief of the Court Mages. When people heard the rumored twins were enrolling this year, I think a lot of them were hoping to get close to you for the sake of their careers..."
"Ah... I see. So that’s why they’re so concerned about our relationship with Rest."
Viola gave a wry smile, while Primula’s expression turned slightly cold. It seemed a significant portion of the male students had viewed them as stepping stones for their own advancement.
"It’s a bit insulting to realize I was being looked at like a trophy..." Viola muttered.
"We should probably stay even closer to Rest-sama from now on, then. We need to make it clear exactly who we belong to," Primula said, tightening her grip on Rest's arm.
The aura of despair emanating from the boys in the room intensified.
"You guys really do get along. I’m almost jealous," Yuri said, watching the three of them with a warm, innocent smile. "I hope I can find a wonderful husband soon, too. I wonder if there are any good prospects around?"
The classroom fell into a sudden, stunned silence.
While the Catreia family wasn't a lineage of mages like the Rosemarys, they were a legendary house in their own right. Among the noble-born students, many were desperate for a connection to such a prestigious family.
"Y-Yuri-san..." Jewel stammered, her face turning bright red.
"...It seems Yuri has a lot to learn about the world," Viola sighed, her shoulders slumping.
"Wait, is Catreia-san actually available?!"
"She has brothers, so marrying into the family as an heir is impossible, but a connection to the Catreia house would still be massive..."
"Oh man, Yuri-tan... she’s so clumsy-cute, I totally stan her...!"
The chaos ignited by Yuri's oblivious comment spread through the classroom like wildfire, and the buzz didn't die down until the teacher arrived to start the lesson.