During the free period, in the halls right outside a classroom…

Cycelia and her friends leave with Damian, walking in the general direction of the cafeteria.

「Lia, you're coming to eat with us, right?」

Neela asks from her side.

「Ah. Sorry, no, I've got to do something first.」

Cycelia shakes her head in reply, glancing at her with an apologetic smile.

「Another talk with Straf, huh?」

With a devilish grin, Tisha asks from her other side.

「Tisha!」

Neela chides Tisha and nods her head to Damian ahead of them, as Cycelia bashfully lowers her head. Tisha rolls her eyes away in response.

「No, I just… I just have to thank someone. I'll be right back, though.」

Cycelia says, and continues along the hallway while the rest of the group takes a turn at a junction.

「Hm? Well, see you later, then!」

Tisha and other two disappear beyond the corner as she gives Cycelia a little wave of her hand.

Cycelia continues onward, heading directly for the girls' dormitories. She climbs up the stairwell, and returns to her empty room. After leaving the tome she had with her in the class, she returns to the stairs, and climbs upward. She reaches the headmaster's dimly-lit floor, and looks around. Her brows furrow when she takes in the eerie atmosphere.

「Uwaa… This place is creepy… I can't believe there's no ghost here…」

She says to herself in a hushed tone, watching the eerie magic lamps as she approaches the door at the end of the hallway.

Cla-clack…

「Hyii!?」

Startled, Cycelia jumps up and aside when a door next to her suddenly opens. Her frightened eyes waste no time and snap to it.

「Ahhh… Professor Reise…」

She lets out a relieved sigh, when she sees the elderly professor almost half her size. Slack-jawed, he looks over his shoulder at her while locking his door.

「Hmmm? And who might you be? Are you a new professor?…」

Reise asks, squinting his eyes heavily at her face.

「N- No professor, I am a student. Do you not remember me?…」

Cycelia asks as she leans forward so the old man can get a better look at her face.

「A student?…」

He says, furrowing his brows while he rubs his chin. He stares and stares at Cycelia, thinking heavily.

「…Hmmhhh… Which year? Was it some years back? A lot of students wind through here, you see. It's too much for my already weary mind.」

Professor Reise asks, and pulls his hand away from his chin, giving her a quick shrug with it. Cycelia's face becomes heavily concerned, and she looks down at the diminutive man with pitying gaze.

「…This year, professor. Do you not remember? You were very late to our class.」

She explains, and straightens out, still looking at the old man with intensifying pity.

「This year?… Hmmm… What's your name?」

He looks aside, thinking heavily as if it were a puzzle.

「Cy- …Lia Vindict.」

She replies in a glum voice.

「Vindict?… Vindict, Vindict, Vindict… Hmmm… It's familiar… But where?…」

The professor tilts her head, then begins intensely rubbing his chin while looking down at the ground, mumbling to himself.

「Ah! You sit with those other two, do you not!?」

Suddenly some light returns to the old man's eyes as he points at her face with his brows raised.

「Yes, with Tisha and Neela. Sometimes Straf is there, too.」

Cycelia smiles, nodding in reply.

「Yes… Yes, Tisha and Neela, those two I've seen quite a few times now… I remembered you just now because you're a new face. Ms… Err?…」

Reise says, nodding and wagging his finger, before realizing he already forgot Cycelia's name.

「…Lia, professor.」

She replies with a troubled, disappointed sigh.

「Ah, yes, Ms. Lia… Is there anything you need from me, Ms. Lia?」

The professor smiles at her, though feebly, and with only the corners of his mouth.

「No, I just wanted to say hello, professor.」

「Ah, well… Good evening, then!」

He waves his hand to bid her farewell, and takes a step towards the stairs.

「…But it's the afternoon.」

「Hm? But I just woke up…」

Professor Reise remarks, blinking at the floor past Cycelia with a dumbfounded look on his face.

「…Oh dear. That's not good… Khakh!… Kharkh!…」

He adds, and coughs twice, instinctively covering his mouth with his fist.

「Are you okay, professor?」

Cycelia asks, leaning in and reaching for the professor, but he lightly swipes her hands away with his other hand.

「I am fine, it's just a little cough.」

Reise assures her, dismissively waving his hand as he clears his throat.

「…Any illness could be very bad for you, Professor Reise. Isn't there a doctor? Shouldn't you go see him?-」

「I appreciate your concern, young lady, but I am fine. I survived the plague, and I will survive the cough. You needn't worry.」

He once again dismisses her concerns, and turns for the stairs.

「Now excuse me, I need to visit the men's room before I let go…」

Reise explains, and quickly pats the front of his robes with his hands.

「…Unless it's already too late. That'd be embarrassing. Oh dear!…」

He adds, and heads for the stairs in a half-jog, disappearing into the stairwell. Cycelia continues looking at the stairs for a few seconds, before moving onward towards the headmaster's office…

…

Knock knock.

Two quiet, yet decisive knocks sound out in the headmaster's office, coming from the entry door. Corvus raises his lightly surprised brows, and glances at it from over his spectacles.

「Come on in!」

He says in a loud voice, and sets the paper he was reading down on the desk. The door opens, and Cycelia enters.

「Ah. Ms. Lia… Has something happened? Anyone is welcome in my office at any time, but I can't say I have been expecting you.」

Corvus says while she approaches his desk. He places his elbows upon it, and interlocks his fingers, lightly tilting his head.

「No, nothing happened. Not exactly, at least…」

She shakes her head, and stands right in front of the desk with her fingers interlocked as well, looking down at the headmaster's desk and refusing to establish eye contact.

「To what do I owe the visit, then? Do you have a question for me?」

「No… Headmaster…」

Cycelia says, lifting her emerald eyes to look straight into his.

「…Thank you for overlooking the situation between me and the Mage Federation.」

She bows, and Corvus lets out a resigned sigh.

「…So Straf has told you?」

He asks as she straightens out.

「Yes. He told me about the barrier, and that you knew from almost the start. I just wanted to thank you for that.」

She nods, and the old mage leans back in his comfy leather chair. The two look at each other in silence, with only the chair making soft creaks. Corvus swivels in his chair, and stands up, slowly climbing up the steps behind him.

「…I suppose it cannot be helped. If the Federation found out, I would be asked many questions, Ms. Lia… Or should I say, your highness. I simply took on a selfish bet. You have nothing to thank me for.」

He replies, briefly looking out of the window at the city from the hill, before turning his head over his shoulder.

「No, headmaster, I owe you thanks regardless. I promised my court mage that I will graduate the Academy. If you expelled me or turned me down, my promise would remain unfulfilled.」

Cycelia shakes her head, and looks the headmaster straight in the eyes with a serious face.

「…Have a seat, your highness… The court mage…」

Corvus points his hand at the guest seat. Cycelia sits down, and comes back down the stairs, returning to his own chair.

「…That would be Albus, wouldn't it?」

He asks as he leans in, smiling a little.

「Ah. Yes! You knew him?」

Cycelia perks up when she hears Corvus say the name of her late court mage.

「Of course I knew him. He was my cousin.」

The headmaster says as he briefly spreads his hands, still smiling. Cycelia's heart sinks, and despite his face bearing no hostility whatsoever, she lowers her head. She bites her lower lip, and begins blinking rapidly.

「Now, before you start apologizing and blubbering… I do not place the burden of his death on you.」

Corvus intervenes and stretches his palms out towards her to calm her, seeing as Cycelia's face is rapidly verging onto tears. She raises her head, still blinking rapidly with damp emerald eyes.

「I know what happened. We regularly exchanged correspondence. He said that you are more of a city girl recluse than a princess, and that you gave him an immense headache…」

「…Yes. I really should have been more appreciative-」

「Ah, this really isn't the time or place for what ifs and regrets, your highness.」

The headmaster stops her, placing his palm right in front of Cycelia. She wipes each eye with the back of her hands, and returns her sullen gaze to him.

「He wrote a lot about you and Otto. For every headache you gave him, Otto cured two. He said when Otto arrives, I should clean up the office and pack my bags, ha ha…」

He chuckles softly, and Cycelia finally breaks into a small smile. He then lets out a disappointed sigh.

「…It's a shame.」

Corvus adds, lightly nodding his head. Cycelia weakly nods back.

「…But regardless, life goes on, your highness. I've suffered quite some loss, and had similar thoughts as well… My wife, then Albus… You should not fall into despair, because someone dear to you is dead.」

The headmaster remarks, and slowly gets up from his chair with a strained grunt. He climbs up the stairs, and approaches the window with his hands behind his back.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

「Ah… Headmaster, since we're on that topic… I am a little concerned about Professor Reise.」

「What about him?」

「He's… Terribly forgetful. He forgot that we had classes the other day, he doesn't know what time of day it is, and he has a terrible cough. I think he might be ill.」

Cycelia explains with a concerned, tight-lipped grimace while Corvus looks at her over his shoulders. He nods when she describes the symptoms.

「…Yes. That, too, cannot be helped, your highness. Your dragonblood makes you hardier, but the curse is eating away at us all. He is not ill, so he will not get you sick, but we can provide palliative care at best.」

Corvus nods, gesturing with his hand while intermittently looking at her, and the city.

「…The curse?」

Cycelia tilts her head, furrowing her brows.

「Yes. The curse. Straf is hard at work, but we still haven't narrowed it into a list of suspects-」

「What curse?」

She asks, blinking at the headmaster with a deeply concerned and perplexed expression. He tilts his head as well, and furrows his bushy brows back at her.

「…The curse of the Cursefire Brazier. I believe Straf has told you? About the barrier, and the curse?」

Corvus asks back, blinking back at her in heavy consternation.

「…He didn't say anything about any curse.」

Cycelia replies, and the headmaster visibly cringes.

「Ahhhhh… Of course he didn't… What a mistake…」

He groans, and places his wrinkly palm on his face. He rubs it for a few seconds, then descends back to his chair with a long sigh.

「…I have no idea if this is the effect of the curse, or I am simply going senile.」

The headmaster says as he looks up at the dark ceiling with his mouth scrunched to the side a little in frustration.

「…What curse, headmaster? Why would Straf keep it secret from me?」

She insistently asks, growing even more concerned. Corvus takes his glasses off, sets them aside on the desk, pinches the bridge of his nose, then looks at her blurry face with tired, old eyes.

「…If you know this much, I suppose I might as well tell you. But can you promise me to keep it secret, your highness?」

Corvus asks, placing his spectacles back on his nose. Cycelia gives him a powerful nod.

「Very well…」

He nods, and begins explaining the situation…

…

Roughly ten minutes later…

「…So Straf has been so withdrawn, because he was busy looking for the person responsible?」

Wide eyed, Cycelia asks.

「Yes. I told him not to be like that, but I suppose he does as he pleases. Your highness… I have two requests of you.」

「Please.」

She nods, and looks into the headmaster's with a focused gaze.

「First… I have requested Straf to search for suspicious activity, and to eavesdrop on professors, students, and workers alike. I'd like to ask the same of you.」

「I will.」

「Thank you… Second, please keep what I have told you here to yourself. Including your identity. A panic may break out if they know about either the curse, or the barrier.」

Corvus says, and pinches his glasses back onto the top of his nose.

「I understand… But I have a question…」

Cycelia nods, and her serious face softens a little.

「Yes?」

「Why would Straf keep all of this from me? He knows he can trust me.」

Her brows furrow, and Corvus sighs in response.

「…Just like I want the students to learn at the Academy without needlessly worrying about something else, I am sure Straf wanted you to remain carefree as well… My apologies for ruining his effort.」

He replies, looking at Cycelia with a guilty frown. She stands up, shaking her head.

「No. I am glad that I know what is going on now. It's my responsibility as the queen to maintain peace and safety.」

Cycelia slides the guest chair closer to the desk, bows a little, and turns for the door.

「But you are a student just like any other, your highness. You deserve a time to learn free from worry.」

Corvus apologetically explains, holding his palms up.

「…Headmaster, I am the queen of the Redwing throne. I am well used to a life of worry.」

Cycelia replies with a smile almost verging on smug, and departs with a little nod of her head. With his fingers interlocked, Corvus lets out a large, disappointed, as well as resigned sigh…

…

A few hours later, just before the evening, in the halls of the auxiliary Academy building.

Two female students are walking side by side with concerned expressions on their faces. One covertly pretends to look at the other, and peeks at the man behind them.

「…He's still following us.」

She whispers to the other student, eliciting a concerned glance out of her.

「He's been following us for at least fifteen minutes… Do you know him?」

「No! It's the first time I've seen this guy!」

Speaking in a raised yet hushed voice, they pretend to look at each other, and side-glance at the man. He is still following them, hands in his pockets, and staring at them with a bored expression on his face.

「…Maybe we should ask him-」

「What if he's crazy and murders you there and then!?」

One of the girls clutches at the other's shoulder, staring into her eyes with a tight-lipped grimace.

「…Right in front of you?」

「He'll kill me next! Don't even think about it!」

She says, and lets go of her shoulder.

「…He looks kind of too handsome to be a killer-」

「Don't look at him directly!」

The student says, and forces the other's head to turn forward with her hand

「The handsome ones are the most likely ones to be murderers! Trust me! Trust. Me.」

She insists, again looking at the other girl with her lips tightly pressed together.

「…So what should we do?」

「We should run, and hide in a room as soon as we lose him.」

「What if he runs too?」

「Then at least we'll know he wants to murder us! Do you want him to do something depraved to you, and then slit your throat!?」

The student once again clutches at her shoulder with a wide-eyed stare. When she notices the other girl is once again peeking directly at the man, she forces her head forward once more.

「I said don't look at him directly!…」

「…I don't know, he doesn't look like the type to murder girls.」

The girl shrugs her shoulders in response, and pouts.

「Looks can be decei- So you would let him do one, as long as he doesn't do the other!?」

「Sssh! Keep your voice down!」

Their voices rise, and the man behind them tilts his head.

「…Great, I think he just heard us.」

「…Act natural. We'll run on three… One… Two…」

The paranoid girl begins counting down, and the two exchange nervous glances.

「Three!」

She shouts, and the two grab each other's hands as they break into a sprint. Panting heavily and gasping for air, they dash through the hallway, leaving the man far behind as they cross the corner. They continue running, until one of them points at a door.

「There! They lost the key to that room, it should be open!」

The girl shouts, and they run up to the room. They swing the door open, glance at the corner they left behind one last time, and run in, slamming the door shut behind them.

「Haaah… Haaaaa…」

「Haah… I think… I think we made it…」

Both leaning forward with their hands on their knees, they start catching their breaths. After a few moments, they straighten out.

「Whew… What was wrong with that guy!? What a creep!」

「We should report this to the headmaster, he might come back-」

「No way! He didn't really do anything. If we tell the headmaster, they'll ask him about it, and then he'll definitely come back and murder us!」

The paranoid girls says, and turns around.

「…What is this room, anyway?」

She asks, looking at the odd combination of a small classroom with a cluttered storage room.

「It was going to be a classroom, but they made a mistake while building it, and now they're just using it to store things.」

「How do you even know this stuff?」

The girl looks around. Indeed, the large windows make the room almost appear like a standard classroom, but it does not elevate towards the back of the room, and it's quite too small to be one. It is also very dim due to the clutter on the shelves, full of glass flasks, jars, small boxes, and all sorts of miscellaneous things.

「'Cause nobody comes here. Sometimes I just want to be alone, so I- Ah.」

「What?- Ah.」

The girls freeze, both looking at the same point. A man is sitting curled up in a large box right beside them, within arm's reach, deep within shadows. He looks at their faces frozen in terror with bored eyes.

「Ahhh!」「Aaaaahh!」

They scream, and dart for the door.

「Come the fuck on, that was the perfect hiding spot.」

The man says with a frustrated voice as he climbs out.

Thud!

「Ugh!…」

One of the girls trips, and lands on the ground. She rolls on her back, and begins crawling away from the lazily approaching man.

「Lena!」

The paranoid girl shouts into the door from the open doorway.

「Go! Leave me!」

The girl on the floor shouts to the one outside. She grits her teeth, and flees, leaving the girl on the floor behind.

「You can do whatever you want to me, just please don't kill me!」

She shouts to the man as she sits up, and places her hands on her sizable chest.

「…Huh?」

「…I'll do exactly as you ask, just don't hurt me and my friend! I won't tell anyone about what you'll do to me!」

She declares, looking straight into his narrowed eyes.

「Hey…」

The man utters out in an angry tone.

「…What the fuck was the conversation with your friend about?」

He asks in outrage, spreading his hands with his brows heavily furrowed.