NOVEL NEXT chapter 131
131. Special Admission (2)
Asares is defaulted to ruin.
It’s a conclusion almost certain.
Gathering clues to prevent this is the crux of the scenario, but that is not what matters now.
The reason for bringing this up is to explain a certain woman.
[Dorothian El Grice]
Long black hair, a tear mark.
A peculiar temperament, with a face like a fox.
A duke’s daughter, gifted with the qualities of a grand sorcerer.
A woman who has been spoiled by the end of the world from her future self.
In truth, that last trait is the most crucial.
Another person besides me knows the conclusion of Asares.
Her personality has been shaped by the memories injected from her wicked future self, revealing the world’s end to her.
Thus, having resigned to the fact that everyone will die anyway, she chose to live life as she pleased, recklessly.
No matter how much she possessed the qualities of a grand sorcerer, seeing ‘that ending’ would have extinguished any flicker of hope.
* * *
This evening, Mircel will arrive here.
As the time approached, I walked toward the main gate with Selly.
The reason Selly followed was simple.
It is basic etiquette for a servant to greet the family’s young master upon his arrival.
“It feels like it’s been ages since I last saw the youngest young master.”
“Indeed. It hasn’t even been a few months.”
With events erupting at all hours, it felt as though much time had passed. It must mean that the days have been anything but leisurely.
“But, as for the students, that’s one thing. Why are the professors gathered here?”
Selly pointed toward the main gate.
There, a few students and professors clad in black robes huddled together, gazing longingly down the road beyond the gate.
The road had finally revealed the earth beneath, the snow melted away.
They must be waiting for a carriage to tread upon it.
“Isn’t it because they want to confirm if Mircel is really coming?”
I replied with a hint of indifference, and Selly nodded in agreement.
In that moment, someone brushed past me.
It was Rockefeller. With an angry expression, he questioned the professors.
“What are you all doing here?”
At his irritated voice, the professors fumbled, their mouths mumbling in confusion.
Rockefeller, displeased with their response, shouted loudly.
“Hurry up and get to work!!”
The professors scampered away in a flurry.
I shook my head as I watched Rockefeller, who seemed to be enjoying the spectacle.
He was just as eager to gawk as the rest of us.
With his feet firmly planted on the ground, he stared intently at the main gate, as if he had no intention of leaving.
Boredom gnawed at me; perhaps I should stir the pot a bit.
“I really wonder if she’ll come. She’s such a capricious one, after all. What if she decides it’s not worth it and turns back?”
Though I had directed my words at Sally, Rockefeller’s eyes widened in surprise as he fixed his gaze on my face.
I continued to let out my irritating remarks, unfazed.
“Oh, and I heard that Valyrian offered some pretty sweet conditions. Sally, did you know? They even provide mounts at that academy. They cover living expenses generously, so it’s not uncommon for graduates to buy farmland in the outskirts afterward.”
“Wow, really?”
“Of course. I heard one fellow saved up diligently and, right after graduation, bought the estate of some fallen noble to start anew. Sure, he probably took out a loan, but still. Ah, and with the royal family backing it, it wouldn’t have been too hard.”
Valyrian is the academy that trains the finest knights.
It’s common for graduates to step straight into the palace, so the perks are plentiful.
But what about Frostheart?
“It really pales in comparison. Even if you become a Pathfinder, hardly anyone recognizes you. Many who work in the palace don’t even know such institutions exist. Just look at me. What good does it do to find relics and slay infamous beasts? It’s just a small pond where only a few know my name.”
As I delivered my scathing critique, Rockefeller’s face flushed with indignation.
If he had any complaints, he could at least try to refute what I said.
“It’s precisely because the welfare is so poor that talented individuals don’t gather easily. Just look at Wisdom. Graduates can go to the Mage Tower or become magic tutors in wealthy households.”
Having vented my long-held grievances, I felt a bit lighter.
Just as I pondered what to say next to prick his nerves, a carriage came into view.
“Whoa? There’s a carriage coming.”
“Already arrived? Wait a moment… Huh?”
As the carriage drew closer, my eyes widened.
Soldiers were leading horses nearby.
The emblem etched on their armor was a black Pegasus within a golden shield.
That insignia belonged to the House of Duke Grice.
“…Looks like they arrived first.”
At Rockefeller’s words, I gently pulled Sally back.
There was no point in trying to catch the eye of the woman disembarking from the carriage now.
“Celly, let us step aside to allow them passage.”
I became a mere background figure, blending in among the students who had come to gawk.
Clank.
The latch was pulled, and the carriage door swung open. A right shoe jutted out. Its owner was a maid.
Thud.
The maid planted her feet on the ground. Then, with both hands, she grasped the ankles of someone shackled.
In that state, the maid let out a grunt and cautiously began to step back.
On the fifth step, a bare white leg fully emerged from the carriage door.
Realizing her oversight, the maid hurriedly tugged at the hem of her black skirt to cover the exposed skin.
As she pulled the figure out, as if moving a wardrobe laid horizontally, a woman in a form-fitting black dress came into view.
Her entrance was already peculiar, but what was even more bizarre was that the woman’s eyes were tightly bound with a blindfold, and a gag was stuffed in her mouth.
“Miss, I will help you to your feet now.”
“Then, one, two. Heave!”
As the maids synchronized their efforts to lift her upright, the chains binding her ankles, wrists, and neck clinked ominously.
Those chains were all a form of the oppressive shackles that suppressed aura and mana.
Even if she bore the moniker of ‘monster,’ one might think it excessive, yet I believed it insufficient.
For ‘Dorothian El Grice’ was a woman who, when determining the pinnacle of playable characters, would inevitably emerge, a being for whom the term ‘monster’ fell short.
[Dorothian El Grice]
●Rebirth
◆Sorceress of Beginnings◆
β It is not a mere blessing; it is rebirth. The term ‘authority’ is more fitting than ‘blessing,’ as it embodies the essence of bestowal. Why? Because this power has been mine from the very start.
She comprehends all magic.
Destined to become the sorceress of truth.
●Traits
◇Mana of the Great Sea◇
It is rebirth, not a blessing.
This is a unique attribute possessed solely by Dorothian.
And the trait of possessing mana as vast as the sea, the mana of the Great Sea.
It is truly a specification that elicits astonishment.
After all, such a foundation is necessary for her future self to engage in time travel and such endeavors, is it not?
Thud.
Dorothian stood tall, finding her balance. The maidservants carefully removed the blindfold. Dorothian’s eyes gleamed with a feral light.
One maid, her face pale and drenched in cold sweat, slowly loosened the gag from her mouth.
Then, a sultry voice flowed from Dorothian’s lips.
“Do ask my father when you return. Would he prefer to see the mansion burn, or to witness it submerged?”
The maid, hesitating, seemed to muster her courage, biting her lip before squeezing out her words.
“Forgive my boldness, but the Duke has made this choice for you—”
“Yes, it is indeed a bold statement.”
But Dorothian mercilessly cut her off.
“Why is everyone acting like this? What do you plan to do about the aftermath?”
At her threatening remark, the maidservants recoiled in fear.
Even with her magic suppressed, Dorothian began to draw a spell.
It was possible because, despite wearing three layers of armor, she could not fully contain the mana flowing from the trait of ‘Mana of the Ocean.’
“Shall I carve a message on that face of yours to send to my father as a warning?”
At that moment, a voice like thunder echoed from the carriage Dorothian had ridden.
“Dorothian El Grice. That is enough.”
The voice belonged to Akandric.
He stepped out of the carriage, looking down at Dorothian with a serious expression.
Dorothian, her excitement suddenly deflated, shook her hands and erased the spells.
Then, with a sly smile like a fox, she asked Akandric, “My wrist hurts; could you at least loosen this one?”
“The length of the chain has been adjusted to allow for comfortable movement. So, do not play games. And here, you shall call me Headmaster, not Sir.”
“Oh dear, but it must be uncomfortable to change clothes. What if I trip while changing my undergarments?”
Dorothian laughed, the chains clinking as she did.
Akandric gestured for her to follow and walked ahead. As she moved, one maid trailed behind her.
I felt fortunate to blend in with the surrounding figures during this chaos.
After all, nothing good would come from catching the eye of that wicked woman.
But then…
“Hm?”
Dorothian paused for a moment, her gaze fixed on me.
Her eyes gradually widened. Soon, they transformed into the serene gaze of a fox, deep and tranquil.
I wondered why, but the humans around me had already fled, tails tucked between their legs.
…Even Selly, who had come with me.
I stood there, alone, exposed to Dorothian’s gaze.
I averted my eyes, looking up to admire the sky.
“Hmm, the weather is nice. A day to become a cloud.”
At that moment, Akandrik whipped his head around and stared at my face.
He wore a disturbingly pleased smile and spoke to Dorothian.
“Come along. Let’s unpack first. It may be hard to adjust at first, but you’ll be fine in time.”
“Yes, Headmaster.”
With that, Akandrik and Dorothian vanished from my sight.
* * *
The treatment Dorothian received was different from that of the scholarship students.
She had been granted special admission, recognized for her talent at the academy.
As if to honor this, her dormitory was set apart, a residence where she could move about with considerable freedom, unlike the special wing.
One flaw, however, was that she occupied half of the floors all to herself.
Dorothian clicked her heels on the polished floor, gazing at the empty hall.
“Hmm, it’s spacious, but quite desolate, isn’t it?”
The maid trailing behind her answered cautiously.
“According to the Headmaster, it was prepared for special admissions.”
“But no one applied, right?”
“…Yes.”
The other half of the floors must belong to the male dormitory.
But even so, it would be empty, devoid of life.
“Hmm. I’d like to shower first. Where’s the shower room?”
“Oh, I brought a map for that. Just a moment. Ah, here it is.”
Following the maid’s guidance, Dorothian trailed behind.
The maid seemed to fear her, but Dorothian had no intention of causing harm.
If the attendant got hurt, it would only make her own life inconvenient.
In front of the shower room, Dorothian spoke to the maid.
“Is it because I drank too much yesterday? My stomach feels uneasy. Could you bring me something to drink?”
“Yes, I will fetch a beverage that will soothe your stomach right away.”
“Hmm.”
Now that I think about it, the reason I ended up here was also due to alcohol.
Dorothian furrowed her brow at the memory.
When I heard that expensive liquor had come into my father’s collection, I brazenly took out about ten bottles and drank until I fainted.
When I regained consciousness, my body was plastered in the cursed armor, rattling inside a carriage.
Considering my usual tolerance, it was clear that someone had spiked my drink.
“Really, Father. I never thought you would resort to such tricks.”
Having finished her shower, Dorothian gulped down the drink brought by the maid.
It was easy to burn the clothes off, but putting something on was a different matter.
The maid struggled to dress her in a specially made outfit that could be worn even with the cursed armor wrapped around her.
Being her first time, the maid’s movements were clumsy.
Well, it would get better with practice.
“Alright, you can go now. You have your duties to attend to.”
“Yes, my lady. Please call for me whenever you need anything.”
As the maid left, Dorothian flopped onto the bed.
Though she felt the fatigue of travel, perhaps because she had slept well in the carriage, her mind was alert even with her eyes closed.
Bored, Dorothian twirled the ends of her dark hair with her finger, recalling the blonde man she had just seen.
“Did I see that wrong…?”
With a soft ‘huh,’ Dorothian dismissed the thought.
It must have just been someone who looked similar.
After all, according to what I said when I came from the future, at this point, he should have been in his grave.
-That guy? It’s best not to get close. He’s fated to die at the hands of your stepmother in ten years.
It has been a year since the prophecy.
The timing was all wrong.
* * *
With a deeply furrowed brow, I glared at Selly.
“Are you just going to leave me behind?”
“Not really, I just went with the flow since everyone else was running away.”
“You should have looked out for me.”
When I pointed out her dereliction of duty, Shelly muttered softly, “Isn’t it her job to figure things out on her own?”
I guessed the shape of her lips and interpreted it as I pleased, but nonetheless.
“Try running away from me one more time. I’ll throw you to Dorothian then.”
Had she heard of the infamous reputation of the monstrous villainess? Shelly’s face turned pale.
“I-I’m really scared you might do that if you’re truly a young master…”
“Of course. I could make you Dorothian’s personal maid. So you should be a bit more grateful. Just look at how well I treat you.”
Shelly clamped her mouth shut.
Perhaps she felt a genuine sense of gratitude, as if she had been touched by something profound.
Serving someone like me was a stroke of luck for her.
“Right?”
“······.”
“Answer me.”
“Ugh… Yes, yes. So, can I take the weekend off?”
“No. I need to wash my clothes.”
“Tch.”
Shelly grimaced and fell silent.
As I waited endlessly for Mircel, I glanced around the surroundings.
Rockefeller, who had been standing as if to wait indefinitely, seemed to have urgent business and had left.
At that moment, a carriage appeared in the distance.
“They’ve arrived.”