“So, you’re saying that Seia Ludvecia… Phoenix’s younger sister has joined the Azure Dragon Class?”
“Yeah.”
“…Wasn’t it Seia?”
“That’s not important.”
(TLN: As I said before, the original Korean for the two names is exactly the same when translated. So it would be like her changing her name from Seya to Seia)
At Yunia’s question, Yurha waved her hand dismissively.
“Seia Habsderk. Seia Ludvecia. Seia Habsderk. Seia Ludvecia. No matter what people call her, she doesn’t care.”
“…”
“It’s just a minor issue that arose during the transition from Count Habsderk family to Marquisate of Ludvecia. What matters is that she carries the blood of two S-rank beings. And that she is the daughter of Marchioness Ludvecia.”
“So, is she a Magic Swordsman?”
“That’s right.”
At Ludmila’s question, Yurha extended her hand forward.
“A Magic Swordsman who wields a rapier. Her swordsmanship has already reached A-rank, and her magical abilities are also at A-rank. Of course…”
“Of course?”
“In close combat, she falls short compared to Ludmila, and in magic battles, she’s behind Yunia. That’s an undeniable fact. She’s my cherished little sister, but reality is reality.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Yes. But to defend Seia’s honor a little…”
Yurha pointed her finger at me.
“Just as the Vermilion Bird Class was able to grow rapidly thanks to Phoenix’s help, if Seia had received Phoenix’s support, she might already be S-rank in both fields. Right, Instructor Esta?”
“I’ll acknowledge that.”
With Yurha vouching for it and even Instructor Esta chiming in, the expressions of the two women gradually hardened.
“She’s a bundle of talent. She went through some hardships at a young age, but Seia’s talent is real. I’ve personally been overseeing her training as well.”
“Then, Instructor Esta, the student you were mentoring before you became a faculty member at the Academy was…”
“Seia Ludvecia. I’ve been teaching her since she was still a Habsderk. To put it in simple terms, at the time of her admission, the difference between her and Cutting Wind was just a sheet of paper. I say this with confidence.”
“…Which means the gap could have been overturned at any time. And the reason why it turned into an overwhelming gap now is…”
“Because of Phoenix’s help.”
Ludmila and Yunia both turned to look at me.
“We fully understand and acknowledge that we’ve grown a lot thanks to your help…”
“And we know that others desire that same help as well…”
“But monopolizing you is not allowed.”
I spread my arms wide, ensuring that Evangeline could see as well.
“If I were the kind of person who could be monopolized, I probably wouldn’t have joined the Academy in the first place.”
“Hmm….”
“How about this? Want to play a game?”
“A game?”
“Yeah. It’s called… Find Seia.”
I pointed to an empty seat in the Azure Dragon Class.
“If you subdue Seia within the next hour, Phoenix will stay with the Vermilion Bird Class for the next week.”
“…And the opposite?”
“If you fail, then Fenrir will be with the Vermilion Bird Class, while Phoenix will be in the Azure Dragon Class.”
“I have a question.”
Ludmila infused her hands with mana, forming magical gloves, and asked,
“What do you mean by ‘subduing’ her? Can we bring her back even if we knock her unconscious?”
“Possible.”
Instructor Esta gave her approval.
“As long as you don’t kill or cause serious injuries. If she gets too hurt, that could be a problem since she’s a fellow special class student, so be careful with that.”
“Understood.”
“I have a question too.”
Yunia raised her hand and then pointed at Yurha.
“What about you, Senior Yurha? Are you going to support them?”
“Oh my? Are you referring to the entire Azure Dragon Class? If so, then Shuri is here too.”
“Hmm….”
“Hehe, I know. I was just joking. Shuri can be considered ‘non-combat personnel’ for now.”
“Ugh… Ughh…”
Until now, Shuri, who had been staying quiet, was suddenly thrust into the spotlight by Yurha’s words, causing her to panic.
“Th-That’s right… I’m not a fighter… And I’m not strong enough to be in the special class to begin with…”
“You’ll get strong soon enough.”
“Huh?”
“When I entered the Academy, I was about at your level.”
Seeing Shuri feeling down, Evangeline stepped in to cheer her up.
“If Phoenix helps, you could grow to my level right before the Great Martial Tournament or even before vacation.”
“T-The level of the Princess during vacation?”
“Princess? I’m just a student. But if that’s what you want to call me, I won’t stop you.”
Evangeline smiled kindly at Shuri.
Even though she stood at a much higher level, she still showed consideration—there was a hint of an older sisterly aura in her demeanor.
“Why not try working together? You’ll all be in the Azure Dragon Class together from now on.”
“Evangeline. Whose side are you on?”
“Obviously, the Old School Building side.”
“What happened to the bonds of the Vermilion Bird Class?”
“Bonds are important, but it’s not like we should be constantly fighting with the people we’ll be sharing a space with every day, right?”
It wasn’t so much a matter of favoritism but more about personal disposition.
“And if the three of us can decisively find Seia, there won’t be any problem, right? With pure skill.”
Evangeline was brimming with confidence.
“It’s time to show the results of my special training over the break.”
“Oh my, could it be…?”
“Take a look at this.”
With a snap of her fingers, Evangeline opened the classroom door.
From the entrance, a group of small dolls, dressed in Gothic Lolita outfits, marched in perfect formation.
“…That’s a lot of them.”
A swarm.
Almost fifty in total.
“Instead of controlling one large doll, I can now control multiple smaller ones at once. So then… let’s begin, shall we?”
Snap!
“Find. Seia Ludvecia. The moment you find her, ‘explode’ immediately.”
At Evangeline’s command, the dolls immediately dashed outside.
“…Expl-what?”
“Isn’t it common sense that dolls contain bombs? Though they’re magic bombs.”
“What?”
“It’s fine. The destructive power isn’t that dangerous. I adjusted it so it’s just about the level of a water balloon popping.”
Evangeline stopped one of the dolls just before it left and grabbed its head.
“Instructor, would an explosion of this level be a problem?”
“…Even if it shatters a few windows, it shouldn’t be a big issue.”
After checking the magic stone’s reaction state, Instructor Esta simply shrugged.
“But since the tracking has already begun, does that mean the countdown has started?”
“…!!”
The three of the Vermilion Bird Class.
Tracking mission for Seia Ludvecia—commencing.
* * *
Old School Building—Vermilion Bird Class.
Vanguard: Ludmila – Lancer.
Midfield: Evangeline di Ercy – Puppeteer.
Rearguard: Yunia – Magician.
If Phoenix were to join this lineup, he would likely take a midfield or rearguard position.
That’s because Evangeline, who occupies the midfield, isn’t just an archer—she’s a puppeteer. But not just any puppeteer; she doesn’t merely control dolls—she enlarges them for combat.
In a way, she could be considered ‘versatile’.
If one of her dolls happened to be a 15-meter-tall giant bear, she could even take Ludmila’s place as a frontliner.
If she moved to the rearguard, she could just use her long-range combat dolls.
If her giant doll picked up rocks and hurled them, it could function as a perfect siege weapon on the battlefield.
Every character has their designated position, but there are those who can perform in multiple roles regardless of placement.
— Wouldn’t that just make them an A-rank who fails to become S-rank in any field?
— Then why not just fill all three positions with S-ranks?
That’s a valid point.
However, being versatile doesn’t mean the limit is A-rank.
Anyone can become S-rank.
In the Academy’s world, people are born with innate talent limits, but pushing beyond those limits—that’s the role of the Academy’s protagonist.
And I know how to do that.
I can teach people the most efficient way to grow.
Even in areas where their talents have yet to manifest.
Because of that, I also know how to help a certain girl regain her self-esteem.
“Miss Shuri?”
“Y-Yes! Yes?!”
Inside the classroom.
Shuri, who had been sitting nervously, flinched and instinctively took a step back.
But I stepped closer, pointing at the magic pad she was holding.
“What do you usually do with this? Studying?”
“Ah, well… It’s studying, but…”
Shuri hesitated for a moment, glancing around before picking up a quill pen from her magic pad and channeling mana into it.
“Something like this…”
She scribbled with the quill pen, then flicked her finger.
The drawing of a butterfly on the magic pad suddenly spread its wings and fluttered into the air.
“Whoa.”
“Like… like this.”
“Materializing… a drawing?”
“I-It’s just an illusion. It’s just an application of light-attribute magic, nothing more….”
As Yurha gasped in surprise and Esta’s expression hardened, Shuri started rambling nervously and hurriedly sucked the glowing butterfly back into her magic pad.
“I-I can just… turn my drawings into light projections. That’s… all.”
“If this could become reality, it’d be incredible…?”
“Wait a moment.”
Yurha started thinking about materialization, while Esta seemed to be considering something else.
“Can you also create landscapes?”
“Uh… It’s not that it’s difficult, but it depends on my mana…”
“…!”
Esta’s eyes widened in shock.
And understandably so.
“Miss Shuri.”
“Y-Yes?”
“If you can turn your drawings into illusions, then that alone makes them highly valuable.”
Heroine No. 4. Shuri Commissioner.
“Like… creating a fairy-tale world?”
Another possible alias for her—‘Hologram Maker.’
