The Obsessive Regressor of The Academy

35. Entrance Ceremony (4)

The Luminous Academy’s entrance ceremony took a form akin to a banquet. Not the typical affair with extravagant flowers fluttering through the air, majestic music echoing, and proud families showering new students with congratulations. No, this was quieter, the focus solely on the current and incoming students.

Thus, on the day of the ceremony, outsiders were almost entirely absent from the academy grounds. Occasionally, overzealous parents or relatives lingered until the ceremony concluded, but even they were few and far between. A mere drop in the bucket compared to the throng of people who had swarmed the grounds before dawn on the day of the entrance exam.

‘Quiet’s good.’

Grace exhaled slowly, striding through the academy grounds in the early hours. The streets were dark, as if life itself had yet to stir. Though spring had arrived, the temperature remained chilly before sunrise. Her breath formed a visible cloud, and the cold nipped at her skin.

For a typical noble lady, such a dawn scene would likely elicit a sharp expression of displeasure. The silence felt pregnant with the possibility of something emerging, and the occasional chirping of birds and rustling of insects created an eerie atmosphere. Yet, Grace’s face remained impassive. She habitually tapped the sword at her hip before pulling a note from within her clothes.

[Sewers beneath the DuFayde Smithy. Terrorist attack timed for the entrance ceremony.]

A note scribbled down the instant she realized she had regressed.

Grace shoved the paper back into her pocket and used an artifact to change her hair to a shade of blue. Her face subtly shifted, and the aura emanating from her body was distorted to feel like that of a mage. She gave her reflection a fleeting glance before setting off towards the entrance to the sewers.

‘Too much has already changed from the previous cycle.’

Grace thought as she tapped the scabbard of her sword.

The ‘past’ she remembered and the present reality diverged in many ways.

Asel, renowned as a magic-hater and mage-hunter, had become a mage himself. A monster rampage, which should have occurred much later, had already happened. Demonic cultists, who shouldn’t have the strength to become rampant yet, were stirring. The labyrinth that should have been conquered long ago remained untouched.

The list of differences was endless. Of course, some things remained the same. Grace had exploited those similarities to secure a few useful items early. But the fact that the differences outnumbered the similarities was the real problem. Certain items were missing from where they should be, and present where they shouldn’t.

To call it the butterfly effect… Grace hadn’t done anything significant enough to cause such major shifts. Dismantling a few minor crime syndicates ahead of schedule and showcasing exceptional talent at a young age shouldn’t be capable of triggering such wide-reaching consequences.

Clearly… clearly there’s something she’s missing.

Lost in thought as she walked, she reached the entrance to the sewers.

No guards stood watch. Entering the sewers wasn’t strictly prohibited, so that was to be expected.

Grace glanced at the map scribbled on the back of the note, chewed on a piece of dried fruit, and opened the door. She began to descend the damp steps.

There was no stench. Thanks to the academy’s rigorous maintenance, the sewers here were in far better condition than those of most major cities. To be honest, the sheer amount of magic woven into their construction made it harder for them to become dirty in the first place. If anyone were to engage in suspicious activity within, warding spells would activate to automatically track and apprehend them.

Grace hardly needed to worry about magic here. She had no intention of causing a ruckus.

Not yet.

She descended the canal, walking towards her destination. Water sprite kin floated serenely atop the clear water. They splashed about freely, but sensed Grace’s presence and fled wholesale back to the sprite realm. Grace frowned at the sight.

‘There are sprites. Which means no part of the canal is contaminated.’

Considering the location of the impending terror, it was preposterous. Water sprites only frolic in clean and pure water. For the pollution-induced rampaging sprites to occur at the inauguration, the canal’s water couldn’t be pristine.

‘…Did this go awry too?’

Despite the creeping doubt, her body continued forward. And so, she arrived at the canal just below the Dupheide Smithy. She was greeted by nothing more than the clean flowing water and the quiet echo of her footsteps.

“……Ha.”

Nothing out of the ordinary. Grace gave a mirthless chuckle and pulled back the hood she had been wearing.

Based on past experiences, if something from the previous iteration didn’t occur, it invariably returned in a different form. This was the reason Grace desperately hoped that the events occurring at the Academy would, at least, proceed identically.

But expectation was betrayed resoundingly.

In this case, proactive preparation or elimination was impossible. She would have to improvise somehow.

“……”

Grace’s face darkened.

She missed Asel.

*

The inauguration ceremony started at ten in the morning and ended before evening. So, Asel, rather than forcing himself to stay awake until dawn the night before, went to bed early and woke up in the early morning. He forced open his heavy eyelids and lightly manifested magic to shake off the fatigue.

Rising from his bed, he tidied the bedding with psychokinesis, then washed in the bathroom. He banished all traces of moisture with magic. Then, he put on the uniform designated as the inauguration attire and opened the window to ventilate the room.

Opening the window in Asel’s room provided a direct view of the training ground located behind the dormitory. It was a training ground created for the students of the Knighthood Faculty who handled armaments. Straw dummies stood in places all over and equipment for physical training was gathered in one area.

Perhaps because there were only two physical-type freshmen staying in Wiesel as of yet. There were no people to be seen at the training ground. Ellen seemed to be asleep, and Grace hadn’t moved in yet, so he hadn’t seen her face. He had heard from Leisy that she would be moving in today due to personal matters. It seemed she planned to enter after the inauguration.

‘What personal business could she have that would cause her to arrive so late?’

Though curious, he quickly dismissed it. It was right to quickly dismiss curiosity about others’ personal affairs. Keeping it would only create a festering sore.

Asel gazed at the training ground before turning his head toward the clock. There were still about three hours left before the inauguration ceremony. He had plenty of time to prepare. He thought as much, fetched a glass of cold water and went back to admiring the view outside the window.

At that moment, he caught sight of a woman with red hair entering the training ground.

It was Grace. She was wearing athletic wear and leggings that exposed her waist and armpits, and her hair was tied tightly back. Then, she began to run around the training ground after stretching lightly. Her face was expressionless, but it seemed she was thinking a lot. Asel sipped his water, observing her.

“Haa……”

Grace ran exactly ten laps around the training ground, then wiped away her sweat and started strength training. Even at a glance, she was lifting a considerable weight. Each time she set the equipment down, a weighty sound reverberated.

‘If we fought hand-to-hand, I’d lose.’

While Asel had this offhand thought, Grace finished her strength training and brought one of the bladeless swords gathered in the corner and began striking at a scarecrow. At first, she swung the sword without any aura, then gradually continued her training in a manner that built up aura.

After some time, Grace’s eyes narrowed for a moment. She channeled a portion of the built-up aura into the sword and swung it straight towards the scarecrow’s neck.

*Rustle!*

Even with a blunted blade, the edge she wielded severed the scarecrow’s head without resistance. The straw-filled head tumbled to the ground. Grace, who had been standing still, composing herself, watched the hay pile and let out a small, “Ah.”

“Was I not supposed to cut that? Will I have to, perchance, pay for it?”

She mumbled thus, then wiped the sweat from her brow and turned. Reaching for the water bottle she’d left on the ground, she tilted her head back and drank.

“…….”

“…….”

Their eyes met. Grace froze mid-sip, and Asel smiled, waving.

“Hello.”

“Ke-cough……! Hack, hack……!!”

Grace spewed the water she was drinking. Choking, she coughed several times, thumping her chest. Water droplets flew in all directions from her sweat-soaked top, which accentuated a rather generously sized and, at this moment, violently undulating bosom.

Asel subtly averted his gaze.

Looking at it felt like courting disaster.

*

Not wanting to talk in the dormitory, Asel went down to the training grounds before Grace could recover.

Fortunately, Grace regained her composure quickly. Her ragged breathing evened out, and the scattered thoughts she couldn’t hide seemed to have vanished, replaced by a constant smile. Asel sat with her on a bench, and they began to talk.

She brushed stray strands of hair behind her ear, asking in a shy voice,

“Oh, it’s been a while, Asel. How have you been?”

“So-so. And you?”

“I… I was busy, but it wasn’t bad!”

“When did you move into the dorm? I didn’t see you yesterday.”

“In the wee hours! I came straight here as soon as I finished my business. I didn’t have much to pack, so I didn’t need a carriage either. I came in quietly.”

Grace giggled, neatly placing her hands on her lap.

The cold, aloof atmosphere she’d displayed at dawn was nowhere to be found. Like a young woman recently smitten with love, she stole glances at Asel, giggled, and fidgeted. As if just looking at him was enough.

Then, a sudden realization dawned on her, and her eyes widened as her lips pursed. She seemed to be pondering whether or not to voice something she wanted to say. After a long moment, she seemed to steel herself and opened her mouth.

“That… Asel. What I said before…”

“……? What are you talking about?”

“The, the thing about you being a magic-user. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I was just a little surprised…”

“Ah.”

So that’s what she was referring to, what happened in the tent.

Asel had forgotten all about it until Grace brought it up. Had they truly fought with bitter accusations, it would have lingered in his memory, but that time, they parted on rather amicable terms. There was no need to hold onto the other’s slip-ups and seek revenge.

“It’s fine. Don’t beat yourself up too much, I don’t mind it.”

“Oh, really? That’s a relief.”

Grace placed a hand over her heart and let out a sigh of ease. Asel, offering a faint smile, watched her. Then, realizing Grace was getting closer, he blurted out without thinking.

“You’ve gotten a bit closer than before. Do you have some secret to whisper?”

“…! S-Sorry! I didn’t realize!”

Grace startled, jumping back to her original spot. She made a small “uuuh” sound, her eyes darting every which way.

She’d vowed, during their conversation in the tent, to bury all unnecessary emotions and memories in the past. But talking to Asel like this, anew, those old habits were slithering back up.

She felt an intense urge to burrow into his arms, breathe in his scent, leave marks on his neck and shoulders, carve her claim into him with a dark tooth mark for all to see. She wanted to brand this man as hers, entirely.

Her unconscious approach was because those thoughts slumbered somewhere within her, unseen even by Grace herself. Acknowledging it now only fueled the desire further. But she wrung out every last drop of patience and crushed it down.

‘I have to endure… ! Asel and I are still just friends…!’

She chanted this to herself, stealing glances at Asel. He wore an awkward expression, evidently more taken aback by her reaction than he’d anticipated.

“…It’s not that I disliked it.”

“Ah, no. I only said that because I thought I’d be a burden. I must smell of sweat, too. But I’m fine with it!”

“…Really? Your face doesn’t look so fine.”

“I just have a slight fever! It’ll go down soon!”

Grace declared, then began taking deep breaths to calm herself. After a short while, the heat of her desire subsided somewhat. She opened her eyes, which she had closed, and let out a long final breath.

“Oh, you two are here.”

Just then, Lacey approached them from inside the dormitory. She spoke before Asel could even open his mouth.

“The Dean is looking for you both.”

“…The Dean, you say?”

“Yes.”

Lacey nodded.

“He says he has something to discuss with you regarding the valedictorian selection, before the entrance ceremony.”