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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Unexpected Arrival
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Nia Cyncia was coming to Jerion Academy as an Associate Professor of Magic.
This was completely unexpected news.
After all, in all the games I'd played,
Nia Cyncia had never once appeared as an associate professor.
'Why?'
What had changed, and where, to bring Nia to Jerion Academy?
I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
'Nia Cyncia is on the First Prince's side.'
The First Prince coveted Jerion Academy for one reason only:
When Lucas would make his grand debut.
'Hanon Aire was originally sent to lure Lucas out.'
But Hanon hadn't transferred.
To be precise, *I*, pretending to be Hanon, had transferred.
At that point, the First Prince had taken his eyes off Jerion Academy.
The First Prince wasn't someone who prioritized the future to begin with.
He wanted to align himself with the figures currently dominating the political scene.
He had no interest in greenhorns who would only barely enter politics ten years from now.
So he willingly handed over Jerion Academy's future talents to the Third Princess, Iris Highsirion.
After all, if he could recruit the current political figures,
he was confident that he would become emperor.
'Lucas is dead.'
There was no longer a Lucas to attract the attention of the present-focused First Prince.
So, in this situation, Nia, who should have become the First Prince's closest confidante, was coming to the academy?
The situation didn't add up.
"Damn this world."
I sighed as I walked down the corridor.
It was already difficult to steer this world, which was hurtling towards a bad ending, back onto the proper path.
Now, problems were rolling in from outside Jerion Academy as well.
'Did something change with the First Prince?'
I couldn't guess anything at the moment.
So I was on my way to find out.
A familiar door came into view.
The student council room door.
*Knock-knock—*
After two knocks, I slowly opened the door.
It was a consideration for whoever was inside.
*Creak—*
As the door opened, a girl holding a quill pen appeared, framed by the sunlight streaming in from behind me.
Between her long, silver hair, which shimmered beautifully in the sunlight,
two blue eyes, like the ocean, looked at me.
At first glance, she had a cold impression.
But as she saw me, she slowly smiled, and that impression vanished.
"Well, look who it is. Isn't this the junior who distinguished themselves on the first floor of the Magic Labyrinth?"
Nikita spoke as if praising me.
Just as Nikita said, news of Hanon's team's exploits had spread among the students.
The matter of the Forest Keeper Apostle, which could have resulted in many casualties,
we had foreseen it and brilliantly thwarted it without any fatalities, and the academy had even promised us a separate reward.
Furthermore, a full-scale investigation into the Magic Labyrinth's transformation had begun.
It was good news for me, as various preventative measures related to the Magic Labyrinth's changes would surely be implemented in the future.
"I'm hardly comparable to you, Nikita-senpai."
But our team wasn't the only one that had achieved something.
Nikita's team, composed of third-year students,
had achieved the feat of reaching the sixth floor of the Magic Labyrinth.
For current third-year students, the maximum reached floor in the Magic Labyrinth was the fifth.
Nikita's team had set a new record as soon as they became third-year students.
It was safe to say that Nikita's team was superior among the current third-year students.
But Nikita smiled wryly at my praise.
"By normal standards, it's just an average pace. It's not that impressive. Our generation doesn't have many talents, you see."
Just as she said, the third-year talent pool wasn't very good.
Just looking at last year's graduates, they had already reached the sixth floor when they were second-year students.
And in their third year, they had achieved the impressive feat of reaching not just the seventh, but the eighth floor.
In contrast, the current third-year students were only now on the sixth floor.
Perhaps because of this, the current third-year students, though it was a bitter truth, had been nicknamed the "Weakest Generation."
"Besides, I heard other juniors reached the fifth floor in this Magic Labyrinth run. They'll catch up to us soon."
As Nikita said, there was already a second-year team that had reached the fifth floor.
Since they were almost certainly going to reach the sixth floor in the next Magic Labyrinth challenge,
Nikita's team's achievement would soon be surpassed.
'The second-year talent pool is insane.'
The second-year students were the generation that included the protagonist, Lucas.
The second-years were called the Generation of Golden Flame.
The Last Princess, Iris Highsirion.
The Lazy Genius, Van.
Sharin, the prodigy mage who wields Mirenae.
The Saint, Sirmiel Saint Eden.
Just looking at this, it was an absurd talent pool.
There were still many more talented individuals, and some who hadn't even awakened their talents yet.
'It's the protagonist's generation, so of course.'
The protagonist was the core that led the game's narrative.
It was only natural that talent would be concentrated in the generation led by such a protagonist.
Thus, the second and third years couldn't help but appear in stark contrast.
This was also why the second and third years didn't get along particularly well.
"What do others have to do with it?"
But it was all the same to me.
"Nikita-senpai, you've set a new record. Of course, I should congratulate you."
A record had been broken.
She had achieved a new accomplishment through her own efforts.
Nothing was more important than that.
Nikita's eyes widened slightly.
And soon, her eyes softened slightly, and she smiled.
"Junior, you really do speak so sweetly."
This was something I often heard only from Nikita.
"My other friends say I speak unkindly, though?"
"That's strange. By my standards, you always use such lovely words, Junior. Why don't you try speaking to others the way you speak to me?"
"No. This is exclusively for you, Nikita-senpai."
"...Should I be happy about that?"
Nikita made a subtle expression.
I'd learned this from Sharin recently.
Unfortunately, it wasn't working very well.
"Speaking of which, Senpai, there's something I'd like to ask you."
I walked over to Nikita.
And naturally, I took over some of the tasks Nikita was working on.
"What is it?"
"I heard that Nia Cyncia is coming as an Associate Professor of Magic this time."
I picked up a quill pen in front of me and began working.
"As a junior who's always indebted to you, Nikita-senpai, I thought it might be good to pay my respects."
"Stop it."
And a cold voice came from Nikita's lips.
My gaze, which had been on the papers, shifted to Nikita.
Nikita met my eyes and then covered her mouth with her hand.
Her reaction suggested she hadn't expected to make such a sound herself.
"Ah, um, no, it's not that."
Nikita waved her hands with a flustered expression, trying to smooth things over.
But I had already realized why Nikita had reacted that way a moment ago.
Nikita followed Nia Cyncia very closely.
For Nikita, Nia was an idol, an object of admiration, and a wonderful older brother.
However, behind admiration and longing, jealousy also existed.
The Cyncia Marquisate was a magical family.
Nikita had been born into the Cyncia family with absolutely no magical talent.
The evaluation she received from those around her was that of a pretty doll for a political marriage.
People feel resentment for what they don't possess.
Nikita, too, had wished to be born with magical talent, and there were times when she resented not having it.
Nikita wasn't a perfect superhuman.
No matter how good her older brother was, somewhere deep in her heart, a flicker of jealousy resided.
She was simply mature enough not to show it at all.
But now, for the first time, that jealousy had surfaced.
And the target of that jealousy was me.
I was someone who praised Nikita endlessly.
Whenever I met Nikita, ten compliments a day were the bare minimum.
I was the only person who was always positive about whatever Nikita did.
This was the kind of doting attention Nikita had never even received as a child.
Nikita had grown up accustomed to being undervalued rather than praised.
At first, she'd been flustered and embarrassed by my praise.
Recently, however, she'd begun to enjoy my compliments, sometimes even subtly signaling for more.
And that was incredibly cute.
Before I knew it, my praise had become deeply ingrained in Nikita's life.
Once she'd tasted praise, Nikita could no longer detach herself from it.
In such a situation,
Nia Cyncia appeared.
Nia Cyncia was someone who could be seen as a superior version of Nikita in every way.
Having lived her entire life being compared to Nia,
Nikita couldn't possess what Nia had, while Nia possessed everything Nikita did.
I had said I wanted to join the student council because I admired Nikita.
What would happen if I, someone who admired Nikita, saw Nia Cyncia, her superior counterpart?
For a moment, Nikita had imagined such a scenario.
The imagination of me being taken away by Nia Cyncia.
The "me" who filled the void of praise she hadn't received as a child was being taken away.
For Nikita, it must have felt like a cherished toy she had grown fond of was being snatched away.
"Nikita-senpai, I'm not going anywhere. The only person I admire is you, Nikita-senpai."
So I decided to make it absolutely clear to Nikita.
Nia Cyncia had never even been on my radar to begin with.
The only one I admired was Nikita.
As I made this known, a flustered Nikita slowly raised her head.
Then, as if realizing something from my words, her eyes slowly widened.
*Whoosh!*
And then Nikita vanished.
To be precise, Nikita had ducked under the desk.
It seemed she had finally realized what the words she'd unconsciously uttered moments ago truly meant.
I scraped my chair back and approached Nikita's desk.
"W-wait, don't come closer."
Nikita cried out from under the desk, covering her face with both hands.
She looked like a hamster hiding in a mouse hole.
I naturally sat down in Nikita's chair.
"J-junior, you can go home for today!"
"No way. Nikita-senpai suspected me, so I must make it clear today! I am only for Nikita-senpai!"
"Junior, sometimes I hate how quick you are to catch on in situations like this! But why are you so oblivious right now?!"
"To dispel Nikita-senpai's suspicions and reveal my true feelings, I can set aside my tact for now."
"But there's no consideration for me in that, is there?!"
Nikita made a whimpering sound from under the desk.
So this was mischievous delight.
I learned something new.
Still, it seemed Nikita was reaching her limit, so I was about to stop.
"Hmm, what's going on here?"
A new voice spoke.
*Thump!*
Nikita tried to jump up but hit her head on the desk.
As she clutched her head and swallowed a groan, I turned my head.
There stood a handsome man with long silver hair the same color as Nikita's.
And I knew well who he was.
Nia Cyncia.
The very person we had just been talking about had opened the student council room door and walked in.
"Oh, Brother."
Nikita scrambled out from under the desk and bowed her head.
Seeing that, Nia smiled gently.
"Nikita, would you care to explain the situation?"
Big Brother had arrived.