The Demon Prince goes to the Academy
chapter-312

The Group C main round had come to an end.

Therefore, neither Olivia, who had advanced to the semi-finals of tomorrow's tournament, nor Harriet, who had forfeited, had any business at the tournament venue.

"You, you're really a bad person, you know that, right?"

"I only did it for my sister."

"That, that is...! Still! You're also bad!"

Olivia's face flushed red as she followed Harriet reluctantly. Olivia hadn't won, but rather had victory thrust upon her.

That's why, even though she had won, she felt like she had lost. No, it was more like she had lost because she had won.

Harriet spoke while glancing at Olivia, who was whining by her side.

"Be quiet. The match is over, don't bother me and go your own way."

"…You! I'll get my revenge, just you wait!"

Olivia, despite being the winner, made an excuse like a loser and ran out of the tournament venue as if escaping.

Harriet looked at Olivia's retreating figure and laughed.

Still, she thought Olivia had some self-control.

Although she seemed furious from head to toe, during the match, she had charged at Harriet as if wanting to kill her, but now that the match was over, she hadn't laid a finger on Harriet.

When someone is that angry, they might lose their composure and try to hurt themselves or others.

Instead, she seemed unable to bear her own anger and chose to run away.

It seemed like she was a person who at least knew her limits and abided by them, but her behavior didn't entirely reflect that.

'Such a strange person…'

Harriet still couldn't quite grasp whether Olivia Lanze was a good or bad person.

Of course, whether she was good or bad, it was clear that she didn't like her.

As they exited the main stadium, a crowd of Royal Class first-year students had gathered.

Reinhardt shouted out.

"Damn! You did it, Harriet!"

Despite losing.

Everyone wore expressions as if she herself had won.

"I always believed in you!"

"…You were the one who believed the least."

"Uh, well. Ahem! Ahem!"

At Reinhardt's excited shout, not only Ellen but all the other students stared at him as well.

Harriet knew that Reinhardt had been anxious and restless.

Everyone gathered around Harriet, praising her for her outstanding performance and lifting her spirits.

Even without the use of Divine Power by Olivia, taking a set from Olivia, who had been looking down on her, was an incredible feat.

Of course, it wasn't just the students who came to greet Harriet.

"My baby!"

"Uh, um, Mom…"

Duchess Saint-Owan embraced Harriet tightly. Harriet knew that her parents were in the audience and that they would come to see her, so she wasn't too flustered.

However, being called "baby" in front of everyone made Harriet's face turn bright red.

"You did great, my baby. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Ah, please, don't call me baby…"

Due to the arrival of Harriet's parents, the students stealthily backed away and watched the scene.

If they knew that she was treated like this at home, the situation would become even more unbearable.

Duke Saint Owan, too, watched with a proud smile, for his daughter had grown remarkably, and it was clear that he didn't know what to do with himself out of pride.

For a while, the Duchess of Saint Owan fussed over Harriet, checking for injuries and praising her performance. She hugged Harriet and then looked at someone.

"But… Reinhardt?"

"…Ah, yes! Oh, it's been a long time since we last met!"

Everyone was surprised that the Duchess knew Reinhardt.

It's been a long time since they met?

When and under what circumstances did Reinhardt have the opportunity to meet Harriet's mother directly?

Reinhardt's face turned pale and rigid.

"If I heard correctly... the person you called 'Blockhead' is our child..."

At that, Reinhardt's already pale face turned almost green.

The Duchess of Saint Owan looked at Reinhardt with a gentle and tender smile.

"Is that true?"

"Uh, that… that's… um…"

"Yes, it's true."

The answer came not from Harriet or Reinhardt, but from Ellen.

Reinhardt looked at Ellen, frozen.

You're trying to get me killed, aren't you?

Despite his gaze, Ellen pretended not to notice and avoided the issue.

For some reason, Ellen's expression seemed quite displeased.

The Duchess's smile deepened, but it was an eerie smile, as if thousands of blades were hidden within it.

"Reinhardt, would you mind having a chat with me for a moment?"

"Well, the thing is… um, there's a story behind it…"

-Click

Before they knew it, Duke Saint Owan, who had been watching the situation with a contented smile, stepped forward and placed a hand on Reinhardt's shoulder.

"It must be quite a story for you to have no choice but to call my daughter 'Blockhead.'"

Duke Saint Owan's expression hardened menacingly.

"Indeed, it must be quite a story."

It had to be an incredible story, Duke Saint Owan conveyed with just his eyes.

"Please kill me."

Reinhardt finally gave in.

He wasn't beaten to death.

But when the Duchess said she hadn't known her daughter had such a cute nickname while patting my shoulder, it felt more chilling than having a knife at my throat.

Harriet didn't know what to do.

Defending me or not defending me would both make her look odd.

Yes.

It was only now that he was retroactively paying the price for having teased the daughter of a duke and a princess of a kingdom by calling her 'Blockhead.'

Duke Saint Owan didn't threaten to kill me if I called his daughter that again.

He just looked at me with a cold gaze.

His silence was even scarier.

"Sit down."

"Ah, yes."

But…

What am I doing here?

In a restaurant within the Temple.

I was sitting with the Saint Owan family. Naturally, Duke Saint Owan exchanged greetings with Charlotte and Saviolin Turner, whom he knew, and then brought his daughter here for a meal.

And then...

Somehow, I ended up coming along as well.

I didn't intend to follow them.

They didn't ask me to come either.

It was just that Madam Saint Owan naturally pulled me along with them. She didn't even mention going for a meal, she just led us while suggesting we have a slow chat along the way, and we naturally arrived at the restaurant.

What is this?

What kind of situation is this?

Harriet seemed just as bewildered.

Why is this kid sitting here? No, why did Mom bring him along?

That was the expression on her face.

As if under a spell, the menu arrived, and Harriet and I absentmindedly toyed with our forks and knives.

Let's not say anything, let's not show any unnecessary curiosity.

If we say a word wrong, it might really become irreversible.

What is it?

Meeting Harriet's parents alone in Arlania, and now sitting here together.

Even if Harriet and I have promised to marry, isn't this sequence reversed?

"So, when did you manage to do that?"

"Yes, I'm curious about the details of the principle."

Fortunately, neither Madam Saint Owan nor the Duke seemed to have the leisure to pay attention to me, and I felt the same way.

Harriet set against Olivia. Her skills displayed there exceeded my expectations by far.

"Uh-huh... I didn't give it a name, but maybe I should call it an application of scroll magic to the human body?"

Harriet rolled up her right sleeve. No tattoo-like marks were visible.

However, as Harriet focused, blue magical lines appeared on her arm and began to form the shape of characters.

Duke Saint Owan looked at the complex string of characters and nodded as if he understood.

"Runes, I see."

"Yep."

"Are you saying that you reverse-engineered modern magic into runic language?"

"Yep."

Duke Saint Owan was probably the only one who truly understood how difficult that was. That's why he stared blankly as his daughter calmly replied.

Though she was his daughter, he seemed genuinely surprised by the impossible feat she had accomplished.

Harriet gave a subtle smile.

"I didn't do it alone. The Magic Research Club members helped a lot. The idea also came from someone else."

"The Magic Research Club...?"

Harriet looked in my direction.

"Yeah, the one he founded."

At that remark, Madam Saint Owan and the Duke's gaze fixed on me.

I did declare that your daughter would do something astonishing with the Magic Research Club.

It wasn't the way I wanted it, but Harriet had already accomplished something unbelievable. She had done so through collaboration with the members of the Magic Research Club.

In the end, I was right.

Duke Saint Owan and Harriet discussed the newly developed magic for some time.

For the most part, I couldn't understand any of it. However, I felt like I had an idea because I had heard a similar explanation from Louis.

She had turned her own body into a living, moving magic circle.

In reality, it was unclear how using magic in this way and turning one's body into a functioning magic circle could significantly reduce casting speed.

"Daughter, this must be a magical lineage that only you can use in this world. Ordinary magicians would take much longer to memorize all the contents of modern magic translated into runes and recall them when needed, compared to the traditional casting method. This approach may eliminate the stages of magic manipulation during the casting process, but the calculation process takes even longer."

"…Yeah, I suppose."

In the end, it was a method that relied on one's quick-witted intelligence. For ordinary magicians, this method would be more of a disadvantage.

It extends the formula and skips the actual magic manipulation steps.

For Harriet, it was a way to use magic almost instantaneously, but for other magicians, it was a wasted effort.

Anyway, although she was called a genius, seeing Harriet accomplish something only possible for a real genius...

Somehow, it felt satisfying.

If she were to face Ellen, she was confident she could win.

Why did this situation, where she was sure she would lose in a fight, feel so good?

"Why do you and Mom and Dad have the same expression? It's, it's unpleasant…"

Apparently, Harriet noticed that both Duke Saint Owan and I had been wearing similar expressions and her face turned sour.

Madam Saint Owan, the Duke, and I.

It seemed that all three of us were feeling something similar at the moment.

"How is it? Can't breathe or anything?"

"I'm fine."

"…I have to hold my breath to wear something like this, but you don't even have that problem? Honestly, isn't this unfair to some extent?"

Liana dressed Ellen in a gown and stuck out her tongue, amazed at Ellen's relaxed demeanor despite wearing a tight dress.

The Miss Temple Contest was just a day away, a main event of the festival alongside the Unrestricted Tournament finals.

So Ellen and Liana were doing a final check together. As a result, Liana was busily moving between Ellen's room and Cliffman's room, feeling overwhelmed.

So Liana was the busiest person during this festival.

Reinhardt's tournament had ended, and Harriet's Unrestricted Tournament had ended as well.

Now, the only tasks left for the Royal Class first-years were Ellen and Cliff. As Liana touched Ellen's cheek, she looked at Ellen standing in front of the mirror.

"Loosen up your expression. Something bothering you?"

"No, not really."

Ellen looked at her reflection in the mirror.

It didn't seem too different from usual, but maybe it looked unhappy. Ellen tried to force a smile, but it didn't work well.

A natural smile had always been difficult for her. So when she forced a smile, it looked strange. It wasn't exactly an ugly expression, but it didn't look like a smiling face either.

But now, it was even harder to smile than usual.

Today, Reinhardt's image kept flickering in her mind.

'Haah...'

'Sigh...'

'Well, I guess you're not worried, are you?'

"What if our blockhead... loses? Huh? No, I mean, what if she suffers a crushing defeat?"

"Does she look nervous to you?"

"I get it! She's not nervous! Okay?"

"She's nervous again? When?"

The sight of him unable to sit still, filled with anxiety, and sighing heavily.

"Wow. What's with her? No, seriously, what is that?"

"What's going on? What happened?"

"Look! Our blockhead did it, didn't she?"

"I always believed in her!"

Watching Harriet, who was strong enough that he didn't have to worry, Reinhardt seemed overjoyed, as if he could jump for joy. It genuinely felt like he was worried for Harriet and rooting for her.

Ellen was surprised too. Although she had conceded, Harriet had managed to land a blow on Olivia.

If I were in her place, could I have done as well as Harriet?

Probably not, Ellen thought.

If I had been in that position...

Would Reinhardt have worried about me like he did today?

Would he have cheered me on like today?

He might have worried, but Ellen thought it wouldn't have been to the extent that he was restless like today.

Reinhardt was a bit overprotective of Harriet. He usually treated her roughly but worried about her during times like these.

Because she herself was good at everything, he wouldn't have worried that much.

He would have believed in her ability to pull through, even if she lost.

He worried more about Harriet and paid more attention to her because he was overprotective. Seeing Reinhardt like that, Ellen couldn't help but acknowledge the uncomfortable feeling that had already settled in her heart.

Jealousy.

She was jealous of Harriet.

That's why, today's events left her with the biggest question and a feeling of a stone lodged in her heart, one she couldn't shake off.

"It's been a while!"

Reinhardt seemed to be acquainted with Harriet's parents. Both the Duke and the Duchess were familiar with him.

Considering Harriet didn't seem surprised by this, she probably already knew about it.

How?

No, not just how, but why?

Why had Reinhardt met Harriet's parents?

Had he met them with Harriet? Why did they meet, and why had Reinhardt never mentioned it to her before?

Well, there's no particular reason for Reinhardt to tell her about it.

But still.

Even though she realized there was a lot she didn't know about Reinhardt.

She didn't want to be in the dark about this.

She didn't want to find out about it like this.

Of course, she wasn't the only one with questions.

"It's quite surprising that the Duke and Duchess know Reinhardt."

As Liana adjusted Ellen's clothes and matched various accessories, she made the comment in passing.

Everyone had been shocked to see Reinhardt being grabbed and dragged away by the Duke in front of the stadium.

"It's possible they just happened to meet."

"Is that so?"

The reason she was most curious about was herself, and so Ellen said.

At some point, she started to lie. Pretending not to be curious when she was, acting as if nothing was wrong when it wasn't.

Ellen disliked how she was gradually changing. She started lying and hiding her emotions.

"But if he’s going to have dinner together with them, is Reinhardt close to the Duke's family?"

"..."

At Liana's words, Ellen clenched her teeth.

If she didn't do that, her face in the mirror seemed like it would twist strangely.

It was difficult to smile.

But it was possible for Ellen to show no expression at all.

"I think that's enough. I'll go check on Cliffman. He probably doesn't know how to dress himself, so he'll be struggling."

"Okay."

After Liana left her room, Ellen relaxed her jaw.

Ellen looked in the mirror.

She saw herself wearing a fancy dress, her shoulders exposed, adorned with flashy accessories like necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.

Not bad.

Although she thought so herself, Liana kept saying it would be strange if Ellen didn't become Miss Temple at this level.

She decided to discard all useless thoughts, jealousy, feelings of inferiority, and doubts.

Because they weren't helpful to her at all.

Ellen didn't care about anything else.

Looking at herself dressed like this, she wondered what Reinhardt would say, what expression he would wear.

That was all she was curious about.

Her appearance was a bit surprising even to herself, but she believed Reinhardt would surely be surprised as well.

After that, she was both afraid and somewhat hopeful about what he might say.

In her room, without Liana, Ellen tried to force a smile while looking in the mirror.

It still didn't work well, but the fact that she was trying was possible.

Just that alone made her feel like she would be able to smile someday.

Ellen continued practicing her smile in front of the mirror.

"......"

Olivia Lanze was lying on her bed in her room.

Olivia did win Group C of the main event today, but everyone knew she had seen quite an ugly scene.

Olivia Lanze, a 5th-year A-0 student.

Except for a few cases, Olivia was still kind and gentle to everyone. She hadn't changed much from before.

However, knowing that Olivia might be a bit sensitive today, her classmates, who were younger in age but like siblings, didn't come to congratulate her.

So, now Olivia was alone.

Lying down, she stared blankly at the ceiling of her dorm room.

Assuming she used her divine power, she could have somehow endured the last magical attack.

No, she wouldn't have even gone that far in the first place.

Divine magic isn't limited to just healing and protection.

Furthermore.

Olivia raised her hand and saw the black smoke boiling from it.

The corrupted divine power.

Olivia could use that too.

If only Tiamata had been there.

To be humiliated by such a brat.

She had won but lost.

Declaring her forfeiture, she couldn't forget the expression on that cheeky girl's face.

She knew precisely that her victory would be completed by forfeit.

In the end, she won, but it was a loss, or rather, a disadvantage.

She had to give up one set and was defeated.

Therefore, it was a complete defeat.

Even if she were to win the tournament, the fact that she lost to Harriet would not change.

There was no point in thinking about it. What-ifs like "what would have happened if I had done this" or "what would have happened if I had done that" were meaningless.

I lost to Harriet de Saint-Owan.

That fact alone remained.

Though she felt like she had lost her motivation, she couldn't simply give up.

In the end, scolding those kids or defeating them wasn't her original goal.

She needed money.

Money.

If she won the tournament and was elected Miss Temple, she would receive a cash prize.

That was her original goal, after all. Focus only on that. The opponents in the semifinals and finals of the tournament wouldn't be easy either.

And she had to prepare for Miss Temple as well.

Olivia got up from her bed with a groan and opened her wardrobe.

Having sold all but the essentials, there was nothing in the wardrobe except her school uniform and ordinary daily clothes.

"If only I had the dress I wore to the sponsor's event..."

She had sold her belongings to help someone. She had sold all the dresses and accessories that her foster father had bought for her to wear at various events.

There was no reason to go that far.

But she couldn't find a reason not to.

She believed that her true needs couldn't be satisfied with material things.

That's why Olivia did it.

"Ha... ha..."

So, Olivia stared at her wardrobe, which contained nothing but her school uniform and daily clothes, and laughed feebly.

The Duke and Duchess of Saint-Owan didn't leave until they had finished dinner that evening. The Duke was a busy man, so it seemed obvious that he had made time to attend Harriet's tournament match.

"What?"

After seeing off the Duke and Duchess, Harriet blurted out.

"...What did I say? I didn't say anything."

"Now's the time to say something! What is it! What are you going to say! Tell me now!"

Since the Duke and Duchess were around, Harriet had been holding back, but now she thought it was time to let it out. Her face turned bright red as she panted.

"Uh, uh, uh... Mom's going to tease me for calling me like that..."

As she spoke, her lips trembled. Did she think I would definitely pick a fight, saying something like, "You're such a baby"?

"What's there to tease? You're a baby, after all."

"See, you're teasing me!"

It had been a while since she reacted so sharply.

How could I not tease her when she's like this? I couldn't help but keep talking!

"Try saying 'goo goo ga ga.' I bet you would without me."

"I won't! I won't do it! I don't do it at home either!"

Harriet's face turned bright red, and she sputtered. Yes, she probably wouldn't do it. I knew that. But she was overly susceptible to provocation and manipulation, that's what I meant.

However, getting frustrated over such things already made her a child.

She had become stronger, but her mentality was still the same, which was amusing.

"Try doing it then?"

"No way! Why would I do that at this age!"

...What?

Why is a seventeen-year-old talking about her age so adorable?

This is really like baby talk!

I stopped teasing her further since she might start shooting magic spells at me if provoked any more. After all, controlling the intensity of such situations was necessary.

On the way back to the Royal Class dormitory.

People were still bustling about. The crowd would only grow larger until Friday.

Today's Unrestricted Class Tournament Group C finals would have been quite a topic of discussion. From what I saw, it was a fight of a different dimension compared to the other matches.

A first-year student firing magic spells at a speed close to instant.

A fifth-year student charging like a tank while taking all the spells with her bare body.

Regardless of anything else, it was truly incredible.

"But... it's strange?"

As Harriet walked quietly, she murmured.

"What's strange?"

"Mom calling me like that. Don't you think it's strange...?"

What?

Was she still thinking about that? Harriet seemed genuinely embarrassed by it. Well, it might be a headache-inducing problem for her.

The Duke and Duchess of Saint-Owan continued to treat Harriet like a child.

However, that was an issue that couldn't be helped.

Seeing Harriet's embarrassment, I smirked.

"Why is it strange for a parent to love their child?"

"..."

The Duke, who appeared stoic and stern, couldn't hide his love for his daughter.

The Duchess, who seemed unable to part with Harriet even for a moment, kept embracing her.

Harriet seemed to dislike that scene, but I enjoyed watching it.

Of course, the question remains why I had to watch that spectacle from beginning to end.

"Most children who grow up in such an environment tend to be spoiled, you know?"

"You, what are you trying to say!"

"You aren't really spoiled, are you?"

She seemed to have grown up in a problematic environment in many ways, but is it a crime for parents to love their child? And Harriet wasn't like that now, at least not in this version.

"Your choice of words is nice, but why do you always express it like that? Spoiled? I've never heard such a thing in my life!"

Naturally, Harriet was furious at my words.

It's amusing to say that there's no problem since your parents are good people and you grew up well in such a manner.

At this rate, I might have a disease where I can't speak straightforwardly and kindly, right?

But how can I stop when I see her getting red and furious?

Bickering like this, we returned to the Royal Class dormitory.

It was winter.

And it was nighttime.

So, it was cold.

"It's cold."

"It's winter, you idiot. Of course, it's cold."

"Do I have to hear you call me an idiot just because I said it's cold?"

“Although others might not know, you shouldn't be the one saying that to me, especially not after teasing me so many times with nonsense!"

Harriet began to argue again. Well, this time she did start it.

Today's weather felt particularly cold. It was the middle of winter, night, and we were dressed lightly. Both Harriet and I had white breaths in the air.

At this rate, how much colder would it get?

Of course, this wasn't the extreme cold of the polar regions, and the weather wouldn't be that severe.

Come to think of it, magic is godlike, isn't it?

There's no need to be cold just because it's cold, right?

I lightly tapped Harriet, who was walking quietly beside me.

"Hey, it's cold."

"…What?"

"It's cold."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"Why not do something?"

Harriet stared back at me, clearly annoyed.

During our time on the uninhabited island, Harriet had summoned a heat-generating sphere and put it in the children's tent.

Regardless of race or tribe, magic is the best. As I asked Harriet to do something, she stuck out her lips and slowly closed her eyes.

It seemed like she might summon the heat-generating sphere from the uninhabited island again.

"…"

Suddenly, Harriet grabbed my hand.

She couldn't even look at me, her head hung low.

No.

Not this.

When I first awakened my Magic Body Strengthening and was in unbearable pain, I asked her to put me to sleep, but instead of using a sleep spell, she unexpectedly sang a lullaby.

When I realized the misunderstanding, I felt like I could have died of embarrassment.

Was she misunderstanding my request for magic again?

"No, hey… not this, but magic…"

"I know."

Her words stopped me in my tracks.

"I'm… not that stupid…"

Her voice trembled, as if it would break at any moment.

She held my hand even though she knew I was asking for magic.

With her head down, Harriet held my hand and led the way.

She didn't grip too tightly. She couldn't hold it tighter, nor could she let go. I quietly followed Harriet, who was leading the way with my hand in hers.

"How was your day today?"

Harriet asked.

"It was the best."

I answered sincerely, without any pretense.

"…"

"…"

We didn't exchange any more words after that.

Silently, we just walked.

The dormitory was quite a distance away, requiring a tram ride.

However, Harriet walked past the tram stop and continued walking.

As if she wanted to walk forever.

As if she hoped the place we needed to return to would never appear.