"I have to say, most of you surprised me during these practice sessions. I'm glad to see you all have so much talent. It is an honor for insert your name here that you've decided to..."

"Professor... it's pretty obvious you're reading that off some prompt..."

My comment, intended to salvage what little dignity Isaac still had, had the exact opposite effect.

Carlotta gave me a small pinch on my side, right beneath my ribs where the skin was the most sensitive. Her smile was flawless and polite, but it never reached her eyes.

That smile clearly said: Shut up, or next time it'll be worse.

"Ah. Meh, you know what I mean," Isaac said with a sigh, setting down his Jade Tablet. "Good job and all that."

"Pfft!"

"Shh."

Clemy let out a quiet laugh, and she got scolded too. Only this time it was Fisalia who shot her a sharp glance from her seat, those icy eyes looking like they could pierce straight through someone's soul. At least I'm not the only one getting scolded.

"Just to make sure," Isaac said, raising his voice over the murmurs, "does anyone feel they're not ready to move on? If so, speak up now so we can schedule extra training."

Silence spread across the classroom like a blanket.

Nobody said a word.

Not even the NPCs, who usually complained about everything.

Hehe.

For once, I can proudly say I don't need any extra lessons.

Which is honestly weird for me.

Back in my old life, I almost always ended up taking summer classes...

Not exactly something I'm proud of.

Even if Carlotta's training methods are downright sadistic—walking the fine line between teaching and outright torture—I have to admit...

They work.

Thanks to her, I can now use Reinforcement across my entire body.

My arms.

My legs.

My torso.

Everything responds to my will now.

Even so...

I can still feel fear crawling up my spine whenever I remember how she'd shoot at me with that smile on her face.

As though it were the most entertaining game in the world.

As though watching me crash to the ground were the Academy's greatest spectacle.

It's impossible to forget that, deep down...

She's still a villainess.

"Then it's time," Isaac said, pulling me back to the present. "We'll begin working with the Sorcery tied to your individual Traits. First, the fundamentals. As you've observed throughout this week of practice, Aura is a very special form of energy. One of its properties is what we call Conjuration."

Take notes.

Take notes.

I repeated the words to myself as I wrote everything the professor said onto my digital scroll.

My pen moved quickly across the tablet, but my mind moved even faster, trying to process every single word.

"To perform Conjuration, you first need good control over Reinforcement in order to let your Aura flow freely. After that, you'll focus that energy into your Traits. At least, that's the theory. Sounds easy, doesn't it?"

"Hmm. Actually... yeah."

"Of course it does," Carlotta whispered beside me, making me instinctively turn toward her. "Conjuring Sorcery is ridiculously easy."

"Seriously?"

Carlotta looked at me with an expression that practically screamed, Are you really that naïve?

Her eyes narrowed, and a mocking smile curled across her lips.

My cheeks immediately grew warm under her gaze.

"...You should pay attention instead."

"But you're the one who started talking to me... Yep! I'm paying attention now!"

The moment I saw Carlotta's expression, I nearly jumped.

Her eyes had become two sharpened blades, and every trace of her smile had vanished.

I swallowed hard and snapped my attention back to the professor so fast it felt like my neck had a spring in it.

"Did anyone not understand?" Isaac asked, scanning the classroom.

"I..." I timidly raised my hand.

My fingers trembled slightly, and I could feel the heat climbing up my neck and spreading across my cheeks.

As embarrassing as this was...

I wasn't about to let my shyness stop me from learning how to defend myself.

"I didn't quite understand. Sorry."

"I see... let's think..." Isaac fell silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

Then he picked up what looked like a glowing white marker and began to...

Draw in midair!

The lines remained suspended as though space itself had turned solid, glowing with a faint light that reflected in every student's eyes.

"I want you to think of it like this."

Isaac drew a perfect square.

Inside it, he sketched several overlapping circles, creating a pattern that reminded me of the flowcharts I'd seen back in my previous world.

"This represents your Magic Affinity," he explained, pointing to each section. "As you know, we have the Physical Branch, the Manipulation Branch, and the Creation Branch. Within each of them reside Sorceries and Traits."

His hand moved with precise control, drawing arrows that linked the circles together.

The glowing lines intertwined like the roots of an invisible tree.

"Aura acts as the energy that drives Traits through Sorceries and into Magic. That's why, before you can conjure anything, you must first build a bridge between your Aura and your Affinity. Once that bridge exists, your Affinity is carried into the Sorcery to create a command."

I stared at the floating diagram, letting the pieces click together inside my head like a puzzle.

It was complicated...

But it also had an internal logic that I was finally beginning to grasp.

"...So, in other words," I said slowly, thinking it through, "Aura turns whatever characteristic you want into a Sorcery?"

"That's one way to look at it," Isaac replied with an approving nod.

Carlotta spoke next, her voice as sharp as ever.

"Actually, spells are attributes of an Affinity. So it's less about creating a spell and more about..."

Ah.

I get it now.

My eyes lit up.

It felt like I'd suddenly seen the code behind the screen—the hidden logic governing the entire system.

"So... it's basically like executing a command, right?"

"Exactly," Isaac said, smiling genuinely this time. "Excellent observation."

Okay.

I get it now.

But it definitely doesn't sound easy...

Isaac instructed us to gather around a large round table, the benches forming an uneven circle.

The scraping of wood across the floor echoed throughout the classroom, sending tiny clouds of dust dancing beneath the light of the lamps.

"Any volunteers to begin the demonstration?"

All the NPCs looked nervous. Their gazes wandered, their fingers fidgeted with the hems of their robes. I guess they weren't very confident in their abilities. I couldn't really blame them. It wasn't like I felt confident about this whole spellcasting thing either.

"Mm... don't you want to do it?" I quietly asked Carlotta, figuring she'd jump at the chance to show off like she always did.

"Even if I wanted to, I can't," she replied sharply, as though my question had reminded her of something disgusting. "I don't possess Sorcery. Only Magic."

Oh, crap. I stepped right on a landmine.

"Ah. Right. Sorry."

I looked away, feeling the awkward weight of the moment settle between us. The silence stretched, thick and heavy, like storm clouds gathering overhead.

But before it could become even more uncomfortable...

"Over here, Professor Isac!"

Everyone turned toward the voice. Clemy—the little noble girl with messy hair and a smug smile—stood up proudly, puffing out her chest. Her uniform was immaculate, though her hair always looked as if it had just survived a whirlwind.

"Very well, Lady Marinette," Isac said, gesturing toward the center of the circle. "Please come over."

Clemy walked forward with steady steps, her chin held high. She looked kind of adorable, like a little girl eager to show everyone her favorite drawing. But I knew better than anyone that beneath that innocent appearance lurked something far more dangerous.

"Mmh!"

Huh? Did she... glare at me?

I couldn't say for sure, considering Clemy's face was always hidden behind her hair. But I would've sworn I felt her eyes stabbing into me like daggers for just a second. A chill crawled down my spine, and my fingers tightened around my pen.

...I guess she's still upset about what I did in her room...

Nope! Brain, stop remembering how nice her body felt and how adorable her blushing face was! Focus on class!

"Just to clarify," Isac said, leaning slightly toward Clemy, "I've seen you cast a few times before, haven't I? Have you received advanced training?"

"That's right," Clemy answered, genuine pride shining through her voice—a spark she rarely showed. "Elion and his family recognized my potential and had me trained from a young age."

"Would you explain your spellcasting process to the class?"

"Well," Clemy said, holding her hands out in front of her, "I usually feel the connection between my Aura and my Magic. Then I use that connection to transmit it into the fabric before applying the characteristic of my Magic—or, in other words, my Sorcery."

To demonstrate, Clemy grabbed the ribbon of her uniform between her fingers.

She closed her eyes.

For an instant, her Aura shimmered—a mere whisper of light flickering like a distant star.

"Connect: Creation Magic — Construction Sorcery. Create a cloth puppet. Bear form. Release."

And then...

It appeared.

Her damned teddy bear emerged from the fabric as though it had always existed there, as though the cloth itself had come alive. The stuffed creature materialized before her, tall and clumsy, its button eyes staring blankly into space.

Without realizing it, I shuddered in my seat.

My hands gripped the edge of the bench so tightly my nails dug into the wood.

Fear settled inside my chest like an unwelcome tenant, squeezing my heart until it raced.

The stitches on the bear's limbs...

The way it moved, like some gigantic marionette...

Everything about it reminded me of that night.

The darkness.

The terror.

The feeling that there was no escape.

"I know the theory sounds complicated," Isac said, seemingly oblivious to my obvious discomfort, "but it's exactly as Lady Marinette described. Quite intuitive, isn't it? Now then, form your groups and begin practicing."

The classroom filled with murmurs and the scraping of benches across the floor. Students gathered into groups, chatting excitedly as they moved around.

I remained where I was, staring at my empty hands.

Casting, huh...

I closed my eyes and tried to feel that connection.

Aura.

Magic.

Affinity.

I pictured the pool again.

Tried to feel the water.

Tried to immerse my fingers beneath its surface.

But all I could feel was the memory of the stitches running across that teddy bear.

And the fear...

Always there...

Whispering in my ear that no matter how hard I tried...

I'd never become strong enough to escape this game.

---

"Mmmgh! God!"

I collapsed onto my desk, my forehead pressed against the cool wood while strands of hair clung to my temples.

I was drenched in sweat.

Again.

My breathing came in uneven bursts, and exhaustion weighed on my shoulders like an invisible burden.

This whole spellcasting thing is way harder than I expected.

Even with Carlotta helping me, I still can't figure out what's going wrong.

Isac explained that every Sorcery has its own catalyst.

In the case of Defensive Sorcery—mine—the catalyst is my body itself.

He even told me what kind of incantation I should start with. But... I still can't feel anything responding to me.

And this time, it wasn't like the first time I tried Reinforcement.

There was nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Just emptiness.

Silence where sparks of energy should have been.

Even Carlotta seemed disappointed by that fact.

And that was what scared me the most.

"...Maybe you just suck," she said in her usual sharp tone. "But that's no excuse. I need you to be useful."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Your precious grades, blah, blah. But seriously, girl, I don't feel anything."

I rested my cheek on my arm and looked at her. Her eyes narrowed, and one hand rose to her chin, absentmindedly stroking it as she thought.

"Hmmm. This is indeed strange. Perhaps it has something to do with Lady Adelheid's lineage," she said before adding in a more thoughtful tone, "Then again, it could also be a combination of that and the fact that Defensive Sorcery is rather difficult."

"Difficult?"

Carlotta covered her mouth the moment she heard my question, as if trying to hide a mischievous laugh. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

"What the honorable Professor Isac meant," she said as she lowered her hand, "is that Defensive Sorcery is... highly unintuitive. It's also the most useless of them all. If you ask me, it suits you perfectly."

"...I thought you wanted us to be friends... so why are you so mean to me?"

"Do I really need to remind you what you did during our last session?"

I looked away while innocently whistling a little tune.

"Not at all."

"I don't know what the two of you are talking about," Isac cut in as he approached our group. "But... Lady Wiebke does have a point. Defensive Sorcery has a very severe handicap. That may be why you're struggling."

"What is it?"

I asked with every ounce of curiosity I had.

That sounded like something absolutely crucial if I wanted to survive a fight against one of the villainesses.

My heart beat a little faster.

Isac leaned over my desk, lowering his voice as though he were sharing a dangerous secret.

"...Basically, Defensive Sorcery requires your body to remain completely still."

"And that's exactly why it's fallen out of use," Carlotta finished, folding her arms with a smug smile.

My mind went blank.

I blinked once.

Twice.

Then I let my forehead fall onto the desk with a dull thud.

...Seriously...

I screwed up so badly by dumping all my P.P. into Defense...

"Well," Isac said, clapping his hands lightly to get everyone's attention, "let's take a short break. Feel free to continue studying your spells... or take a nap. I'll be back in five minutes."

"...He's seriously that laid-back..." I muttered without lifting my head.

"No kidding," Carlotta replied, a hint of exasperation in her voice that almost made me laugh.

Almost.

Something held me back.

I looked up and studied her.

... Carlotta.

I wondered what it was about her Blood Magic that made so many students—and even some professors—despise her.

I mean, if my memory isn't betraying me, the Wiebkes are supposed to be one of the kingdom's ridiculously important noble families.

So you'd expect noble parents to order their children to get close to her, right?

At least that's how it always worked in the novels Mom and I used to read together...

My gut tells me that if people aren't swarming around her like flies on rotten meat, then it has to be because of her Magic.

Which lines up with what she said before.

Suddenly, I noticed Carlotta instinctively covering her chest with both arms.

Her brows furrowed in discomfort, and her lips curled into a grumpy pout.

"Huh?"

"...Pervert," she said, her voice as sharp as a blade. "You were staring at my breasts. In case you've forgotten, I'm engaged. Don't think that incident in the infirmary meant anything. You took advantage of me just to humiliate me."

"H-Hey! Excuse me?! You're the one who attacked me-!"

"Lady Adelheid!"

Fisalia scolded me from her seat, raising her voice with that commanding tone she always seemed to have.

Crap.

Now I'd drawn everyone's attention.

I could feel everyone's eyes piercing into me like needles.

My cheeks burned.

"B-But it was Carlotta's fault for saying something so weird," I stammered, waving my hands frantically.

It's not like I was interested in her that way.

I was only trying to put the pieces together so I could figure out how to get along with her better.

A-And besides...

I-I don't even like women.

"What? What are you talking about, you weirdo? I wasn't staring at your chest. For God's sake, I was just spacing out!"

"Uh-huh. You're a sexual harasser."

I... Crap.

'cause of all the stupid things that damned System keeps forcing me to do, I couldn't exactly deny that I'd done things that could technically be classified as harassment.

NO!

My poor reputation just keeps taking more and more hits. Its HP has already dropped into the negatives.

"S-Sorry," I said, lowering my head. "But I swear it wasn't anything perverted."

"Oh?" Carlotta narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Then why? Is this some strange way of trying to get closer to Kaelvarion?"

"What?"

I just stared at her.

How the hell did we go from 'you're harassing me' to 'you're trying to steal my fiancé'?

This girl confuses me so much.

"Let's forget that ridiculous idea that I'm trying to steal your fiancé, okay?" I said, raising both hands in surrender. "Instead, tell me something about yourself. Why does everyone treat you like this?"

Carlotta blinked, clearly caught off guard by the question.

Her expression softened, if only slightly.

"Why should I tell you something like that?" she replied.

Then her eyes drifted toward my parchment.

"By the way, you made a mistake there, idiot."

"Oh! You're right. Thanks."

I quickly corrected the mistake.

It would've been awful to hand in my Aura Applications in Everyday Life assignment with an error like that—

No, wait!

Don't get distracted, idiot!

Focus on what actually matters!

I immediately steered the conversation back.

"Remember, we agreed to get along for now so we can survive these practicals. I think this is a good way to do that—by sharing a little about our lives!"

Carlotta sighed.

A long, weary sigh, like someone surrendering a battle she already knew she'd lose.

"...Fine. The blood that runs through me is... special."

---