“Count Vermont plans to wait until Master becomes an adult before marrying… Noted…”
“…”
Beside her, Lillia pulled out a notebook and began taking notes. Meanwhile, Yuri felt a sharp headache building.
This wasn’t what she intended.
She hadn’t planned for things to turn out this way.
How had it come to this?
When Lillia-senpai said she was promoting an engagement between Julia and Aslan Vermont, Yuri had panicked.
Lillia was the type of woman who would carry things out with swift precision.
And what if Julia actually fell for it?
Her panic ultimately resulted in a situation that only benefitted Aslan Vermont.
As if it weren’t enough that both Charlotte and Julia admired him so much.
Somehow, without meaning to, Yuri kept helping pave the way for their engagement.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt tears threatening to spill.
“If you learn anything new about the teacher, please be sure to let me know!”
“Um, Senior…”
“Yes, Junior? Speak your mind!”
“But you’re graduating next year. How do you plan to continue attending the academy with Julia?”
“Ah…”
At Yuri’s logical and natural question, Lillia’s steps halted abruptly.
After freezing in place for a moment, Lillia broke into a cold sweat and awkwardly opened her mouth again.
“There are countless ways to make it happen! I could enroll in a master’s program! Or delay graduation and retake an entire academic year! Worst case, I’ll just visit as a graduate—it’s as simple as that!”
“Oh… I see.”
She definitely just panicked, didn’t she?
She hadn’t thought about her own graduation and was scrambling for excuses, right?
And this person is supposed to be one of the Empire’s greatest Spirit Masters?
Yuri began to seriously doubt it.
“Anyway, if there are updates about the teacher, please let me know! I’ll repay you with a meal someday!”
“Ah, yes. Of course…”
“Great! See you next time!”
“Yes…”
Lillia waved her hand and walked off with her usual confident stride.
Yuri checked the time and was startled—it had already been two hours!
She’d only stopped for a brief chat after class, yet it was almost time for the next lecture.
‘Time flies so quickly…’
She mused on how time seemed to pass so swiftly when chatting with others.
Having rarely engaged in personal conversations or meetings with other students—or even Vermont Security staff—she wasn’t used to it.
Her grades had been maintained diligently, thanks to her promise with Mr. Black, but making friends at the academy had never been part of her plan.
She’d intentionally distanced herself from her peers, driven by guilt. How could she make friends when Charlotte and Julia were still trapped?
But now that they were safe, there was no longer any reason to avoid building relationships.
‘Have I been too cold toward my classmates?’
She’d thought she was cultivating an air of mystery, elegance, and cool detachment.
But what if, to others, she just seemed rude and unapproachable?
Was it even possible to start forming friendships now?
Yuri clenched her fists and trembled slightly at the thought.
“Are you Yuri? Here’s your mail.”
“Thank you?”
At that moment, a mail courier on a bicycle handed her a letter.
It was a familiar black envelope.
A letter from Mr. Black.
“Wow!”
Come to think of it, she hadn’t sent him a letter this week. What could this be about?
He almost always replied only after she’d written to him first.
This time, he’d sent a letter without waiting for hers.
Yuri’s heart raced with anticipation.
Even the time it would take to return to her room felt like a waste, so she tore open the envelope right there.
It was a shame she couldn’t keep the envelope intact for her collection, but curiosity got the better of her.
– Suddenly thought of you and decided to write.
“Ah…”
This had never happened before.
Mr. Black had written to her first, simply because she came to mind.
Suppressing a happy grin and swallowing back a bit of drool, Yuri forced herself to focus and continued reading.
– I’ve heard about your reputation at the academy. Your grades are outstanding, and your achievements outside of school have earned you admiration even from your seniors.
– I’m proud of you.
– However, I can’t help but worry if you might not have any close friends. Building relationships during peaceful times can be a great support during difficult moments. I’ll stop lecturing now.
“…”
Wait…
How did he know she was struggling with her relationships?
Was he secretly watching her even though he pretended not to visit the academy?
Like the saying “the darkest place is under the candlestick”, could Mr. Black have been nearby all along?
As the thought crossed her mind, Yuri decided to take his advice to heart.
If Aslan Vermont had said those words, Yuri might have brushed them off.
But coming from Mr. Black, they felt genuine—as though they were heartfelt advice given out of concern for her future.
‘Friends… I need to make some.’
Seeing the reactions of Charlotte and Julia, who were visiting on a tour, it was practically certain they’d enroll next year.
When they joined, Yuri, as a second-year student, couldn’t bear the thought of being isolated without a single friend.
And just as Mr. Black had said, connections could someday act as an invaluable safety net.
No longer clinging to her misplaced pride, she resolved to actively make friends.
Having reached that conclusion, Yuri decided to start by apologizing to her peers from the Combat Magic Department, whom she shared classes with.
‘I really went too far back then…’
During the first ranking evaluation, she hadn’t been considerate.
In hindsight, her behavior had likely crossed the line.
While it was true that there was no holding back in a competition, some of her classmates might have been offended.
Reflecting on it, that day’s reckless performance might have been the reason her classmates stopped approaching her.
She’d likely earned a reputation as someone intimidating.
Her first priority was to clear up that misunderstanding.
With that thought, Yuri headed toward the lecture hall, ready to both apologize and attend class.
“Um… everyone…”
“You’ve arrived, Yuri!”
“…!?”
As she cautiously opened the classroom door, dozens of students from the Combat Magic Department turned toward her and bowed deeply, their voices booming loud enough to shake the entire building.
Yuri froze in shock.
“We’ve finally realized the essence of Combat Magic: overwhelming power! And a strong, unyielding body! That is the heart of Combat Magic!”
“From now on, we wish to follow you as our leader—no, as our big sister!”
“Please, we beg of you!”
“Ah…”
No… She had come to make friends.
Why was this happening?
Tears welled up in Yuri’s eyes.
.
.
“…Hehe… Haha…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ cringes, saying you seem gloomy and unpleasant.]
Sitting at a desk in an office untouched by sunlight, I couldn’t suppress my laughter.
It was only natural.
Normally, I just responded to Yuri’s letters.
But this time, I had written her first, offering heartfelt advice born from deep consideration.
This was a masterstroke.
It would hit her hard—there was no way it wouldn’t resonate.
She must have been deeply moved.
Imagining Yuri’s expression and emotions as she read my letter made me laugh uncontrollably.
‘Yuri will do fine.’
Though often dismissed as a passing phase, the so-called “teenage angst” was manifesting in Yuri during her university years instead of middle school.
This made having a proper guide even more crucial for her.
If I had tried giving advice as Aslan Vermont, she likely wouldn’t have listened.
That’s why I borrowed the persona of Mr. Black for this.
It would have been a disaster if she let her most formative years slip by without making friends.
Now, her interpersonal relationships should be on track—at least, that was the plan.
“My Lord, urgent mail has arrived.”
“…?”
It was from the Academy Headmaster.
Could it be related to the issue of Charlotte’s designation as the Hero?
Grinding my teeth, I opened the letter, only to find its contents completely unexpected.
– We felt it necessary to urgently inform Count Vermont.
– The following individuals—Yuri, Jain, Heinkel, Hans, Vells, Riley, Kyle, …
– —are members of a newly formed militant group at the Imperial Magic Academy. While they currently operate under the guise of a club, their activities are highly concerning. Faculty members are monitoring the situation with great apprehension…
What on earth is this nonsense?