VCAM 12

Chapter 12

  The Night of the Assault, the Proud Lady and the Teacher’s Shield

That night, the skies over the Royal Academy of Magic in Roselia were covered with clouds.

The wind, usually calm, let out an eerie howl.
Sensing the disturbance, the academy’s protective barrier gave off a faint creak.

“…So, they’ve come.”

From the window of his temporary residence, granted by the Ministry of Magic, Remio El=Hause—an envoy from the Wind Nation of Elstra—looked coldly up at the sky.

Standing beside him was a masked woman dressed in black.

“The target is non-combat. With most students back in the dorms, now is the perfect time.”

“Make sure you finish the job. Elimination—this won’t end peacefully.”

Their goal was the sealing of Kai Cross’s knowledge.
His existence had been deemed a political threat that could destabilize the magical order of their neighboring nation.

◆◇◆

2 a.m.
The teachers’ dormitory was silent—no footsteps echoed in the hallway.

Yet within that silence, something felt wrong.

“…Hmmm.”

Kai, lying on his bed, crumpled a candy wrapper and tossed it into the trash. Then he listened closely.

(No footsteps at all—that’s odd. At this hour, a night-duty teacher should be patrolling the halls.)

With a small sigh, he pulled chalk and a small magic slate from his bedside.

“…My bad feelings usually turn out right.”

Moments later, the dormitory hallway was completely sealed off by magic.

A masked woman entered without a sound, opening his door.

But the instant she stepped toward Kai’s bed, the room inverted.

“…!?”

Gravity flipped—the ceiling and floor switched places.
Though she lost balance, she quickly regained posture with magic.

“I see… a barrier through mathematical interference.”

“That’s my ‘Good Morning Trap.’ Welcome to my bedroom.”

As her eyes adjusted, she saw Kai sitting casually atop his desk.

“…Weren’t you asleep?”

“I pretended. Reset the equation’s initial value, so it’d trigger the moment you broke in.”

As she gathered magic to strike again, a torrent of power came crashing through the window.

BOOOOM!

The window shattered in an explosion.

From outside descended a girl wreathed in crimson magic—

Lutia von Valenstein.

“…I made it.”

She landed before Kai, standing firmly against the masked woman.

“Milady… Why are you here…!?”

“Because I couldn’t just leave you alone!”

Her eyes no longer carried fear—they shone with determination.

“This man is my teacher, and the one I acknowledge as a man. You won’t lay a hand on him.”

The masked woman raised her hand calmly.

“Then I will eliminate you first.”

A combined spell of lightning and wind shot forth.

Lutia drew her sword.
But this wasn’t the elegant bladeplay of a noble lady.

It was a strike born of desperation—to protect someone.

“You won’t pass here!”

CLAAANG!

Steel clashed with magic, cracks splitting across the floor.

“…Your swordplay is clumsy. Full of openings.”

“Then maybe you’ll let me go?”

“…Negative. The mission continues until elimination is confirmed.”

(She’s combat-specialized… At this rate, Lutia—)

Clicking his tongue, Kai grabbed the chalk from the floor.

“Damn it… I ain’t cut out for fighting, but—!”

He scrawled formulas across the floor.
A circle began to spin, the air itself changing soundlessly.

“√r² + nπ… shift the axis by -θ…”

“!? That coordinate formula—!”

Before the woman could react, Lutia gathered all her magic into a final thrust.

“…This is his place!”

Her strike shattered the woman’s defenses.

Magic destabilized—the masked intruder’s body dissolved into nothingness.

“…The Wind Owl withdraws.”

Only her fading voice lingered as she vanished.

Silence returned to the room.

Lutia slumped to the floor, exhausted.

“…Why did you… do something so reckless?”

“Me? I’m a teacher. When a student’s in danger, it’s my job to stand in front.”

“…Idiot.”

She muttered softly, lowering her gaze.
Her cheeks, however, were faintly flushed.

“And seriously, why were you almost assaulted in your own room!?”

“Eh?”

“What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up!?”

“W-well…”

“Whatever. It’s late. I’ll interrogate you tomorrow.”

With that, Lutia turned toward where the window had once been.

“Ah—wait, what about the window?”

She scratched her head once, then with a bright smile said,

“Figure it out. Night!”

And left.

“…How the hell am I supposed to explain this…”

◆◇◆

The next day.

The “attempted assassination of Kai Cross” spread through the academy,
and relations with Elstra plunged instantly into crisis.

Yet behind the scenes—
A letter arrived for Kai.

It was from none other than the one who was supposed to be the true heroine of the game—

Filia Estrea.