“Deception is the worst enemy unless you try to deceive it as well”

“The Magecraft section will begin its opening ceremony”

The head of the Magecraft, a magecraft holder, said with a support of magic that made his voice louder that the whole students inside the venue heard it clearly. The magecraft holder was named “Cedric Von Vanes”. He had an appearance of an old man like others do, there was no distinguishing feature about him. Except for the intimidating aura he emits and respectable man he is.

A magecraft is a new rank that has been added without Steph knowing, it studies all basic magic. The attributes, the elements, combination of magic and everything that study of principles of the magic, the basic among the crafts.

The professors sat at the chair on the platform waiting for other professors to come and sit.

The cool morning breeze swept towards the students. The students were filled with excitement and thrill, after all the students have graduated to [Mage].

The birds gathered at the sides the venue as they fill with delight chirps. However as they were about to indulge themselves to the sound. A voice from the students caught their attention.

“Someone’s falling!!!”  

Some professor took notice from their senses, and some were just caught up by the voice of the student. Most students look above and saw an individual falling down with an insane speed. One can simply think that the person is going to die.

Cedric immediately stood up and cast a magic.

“Grant my allies to seek the world above! We seek flight! [Flight] magic!”

While Cedric was casting his magic, the students went relief about it. Cedric manifested his magic towards the falling individual, yet. The target didn’t stop falling.

Cedric was completely dumbfounded about how his magic didn’t work, but it was too late to try other magic or spells. The individual landed onto the tip of the platform that is entirely made out of elven wood. The ground made a little tremor while letting out a shockwave of dust. One can say that the individual is dead, hence others were frightened and didn’t look. Some were brave and came closely with caution.

-is he okay?

-What happened?

-Did he died?

-is he dead?

The noise instantly filled the venue as they voice out their thoughts. The professor comes closer with their medium out, the knights and guards took position in the outside of the venue in case if it’s a demon. The impact that made a white smoke came to the sky.

Among the students there was a girl with a blonde hair, she had extremely good senses and good at magic. She was the princess of the entire human race, she came forth in hurry and shouted.

“He is still alive! Mage students that specialize light element or heal attribute come forth!” Said the princess and came in front of the fallen individual.

The princess look at Steph’s injured body. Broken limbs, pale face, and open bruises that gushes out pure dark blood. A purely condense blood, or so the Princess thought it should be. She then realizes that the fallen individual is a girl.

There was no feedback among the students, they didn’t have any courage to help the fallen individual. Hence, she did it to herself. First, she cast away the white smoke and dust with wind magic. When she started casting a healing magic, Steph rose one of her fingers as she said.

“1…” Despite her looking like frail body, she speaks with a crude voice “Give me 1 minute”

The principal sat back in his chair and start to evaluate the students. Thousands of students and only one of them helped the fallen individual. It seems like this year has a lot of troublesome student.

The princess gazed at her. Almost a sudden and without a slight disturbance in the air, the fallen individual started to heal herself. White smoke came out from the fallen individual’s body and filled it around them.

The princess’s guardian – Glenn , who was standing at the very end of the venue reappeared in front of the platform in a blink of an eye, while doing so, he unsheathe his sword to slice the smoke away and positioned his sword to the fallen individual’s neck.

When the white smoke clears up, the individual’s appearance can be seen. She was fully restored, even her seemingly tattered clothes. She has a beautiful face like no others that even the princess cannot compete. Her silky silver hair that was almost translucent swayed down to her hips and looking at it closer, her skin was incredibly pale as snow. They began to imagine her body under her robe, she seems to have a perfect slender body.

She was clad with lustrous black robe that covered every part of her body as it gave a superior kind of feeling. She rose from the ground without fear of being cut down by the thin sword that followed her neck.

Not only that her regeneration power was incredible as if she was immortal in the first place and one cannot achieve with such a young appearance. Then a thought came to them, what if she was one of those guardians? What if she was one of those 7 superior that guards the whole world of archive?

“You are?” Said by the princess with somehow afraid tone. If she act rudely towards her the guardians she may not imagine her punishment is.

Everyone in the venue gaze at the idol, the princess, and the unknown individual that have fallen from the sky.

Steph’s body twitch before answering carefully.

“I am…” She looked here and there as if she was troubled by the question “I am Stephany Reign”

Steph answered with a straight nonchalant face as she gaze strongly at the other party. Then the princess introduce herself with an elegant bow.

“Nice to meet you Miss Stephany, I am Elisabeth Von Trizecey. The princess of the human race” Saying so she glared at her guardian who has been rude to her. She turned her gaze to Steph and continued “May I know you purpose coming here?”

The guardian of the princess – Glenn returns his sword it’s sheathe and stealthily fade its presence in the background. He came behind the princess to guard her from the so called ‘Steph’

Perhaps of their majestic aura and conversation, the people inside the venue fell in silence and can only gaze at them. Or perhaps because of the incomplete attendance of the professors, the professor didn’t interfere between them because they have much more time than needed.

Well, Steph didn’t have any majestic appearance, but have that superior feeling. While selecting the words that Steph wants to reply without causing a fuse, Grim suddenly reported in Steph’s mind.

[Problem has been found. Unable to supply mana to the world of Archive. Time limit until 9 o’clock is 7 hours. A solution for the hindering mana zone has been found, you are to register yourself as a residence of this world.

“Eh?” Steph leak out a stupefied voice. She look so dumbfounded about it.

[It also appears I was able to change my form. I change my form to a spirit]

Steph didn’t mind the last statement, because she was more relief.

The princess also look at her with, she then ask with polite voice.

“What appears to be the problem?”

Steph immediately replied with a nonchalant voice while dodging the question. In the background, a male elf with a bluish hair came in the background or perhaps you may call him as the president of the school.

“It seems that the problem I’m currently having is, I haven’t registered in this world yet.” Saying so, Glenn unsheathes his sword and immediately place in front of Steph’s neck.

In a span of a single second, the president of the school unsheathed his tantō and placed it on Steph’s neck on the back and so did the head of the physical professor, he unsheathed his rapier and placed it on the right of Steph’s neck.

Steph wasn’t able to comprehend what just happened and couldn’t react to them even with the help of the [physical buff] attribute or perhaps its effect had already ended and because of her ring, her physical ability was sealed.

“Are you a demon?” Ask the princess with a glare while she let out her grimoire from its satchel and tried to cast a spell “There is no being that haven’t registered, other than demons”

The students in front of the platform starts to evacuate just a few meters away enough for all the knights to occupy the space. The professor cast their magic and prepare to manifest it just in case.

*Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump*

Steph’s heart skips a beat, it was a misunderstanding that she couldn’t clear at this point. She can show them the necklace, the key for the world of archive. But then again, she won’t be able to move freely in this world because everyone will know her.

“Put your hands up in the air! You demon!” The president shouted.

Steph could escape with blink in exchange all of her mana for a couple of meters. But then adding the fact that the guardian here can move a 300 meters in an instant. She decided not to. Furthermore, the use of mana was sealed by the mana zone.

Steph thought how the demons can fight this without magic? With humans like this, they can easily eradicate every demon living in the world of archive. The only thing that Steph can think is this.

Steph looked down as if she just notice the sword was on her neck, she let out a shriek “HEI!”

It made them confused because of her sudden shriek. They look at her face, it didn’t change or anything but looking at her eyes were full of sorrow and depression.

A tear fell crosses the doll-like beauty’s face, it was Steph’s. The swords that were placed on Steph’s neck began to lose, it seems like the knight was shocked by Steph’s sudden act.

“I’m… I’m” Steph said while fumbling up, she continued her act without knowing anyone “I’m going to die… Again” While saying so, she slowly rises her trembling hand.

With that, they let their sword back away for a few inches so that Steph could breathe a little bit more. The princess who was casting her spell, she manifested her magic towards Steph, but it appears she failed.

“What?” the princess let out a dissatisfied voice. “My magic didn’t work”

Actually, with the princess statement, they regained their purpose and moved their swords closer to her neck. She let out another shriek.

“Who are you?” The princess repeated.

Steph casted a somehow surprise expression on her face and she started to cry and fell down to her knees without bothering the swords. The blade somehow avoided slicing some skins off from Steph, although the elf’s sword didn’t move and accidentally slice the tip of Steph’s ear.

She didn’t react to the pain and a tear after another crosses down to her face. She didn’t let out a horrible crying voice, instead it was silent. The ear starts to bleed, but after 3 or 4 seconds later the ear let out white smoke and rapidly heals in a blink of an eye.

It was unbelievable regeneration speed. Steph was also surprised by it, She didn’t expect it to be this fast, furthermore her abilities was sealed from the ring. The only conclusion she reached was her ring, it was the work of the ring.

With a hoarse voice, Steph said.

“Please kill me” From her endless pain and depression voice out their opinion.

They began to hesitate and questions themselves. The fact that her extreme regeneration was unbelievable, the only conclusion that reaches their mind ‘she was tortured’. She became like this because of trauma and pain.

Glenn and the physical professor can see that Steph’s strength is fading away. Her eyes became dark red as if it was losing hope from the inside. They couldn’t feel anything but pity, not only that, they made a mistake for giving this girl trauma.

The swords loses their user’s will to kill this lady. When the swords came into Steph’s view, she couldn’t feel more grateful about it. This was all part of her deception and act, to make it more believe she pushes one more try to make their will go away and help her.

Steph grabs the sword of the guardian with her bare hands while ignoring the pain and pushes it to her heart before the sword could regain strength from the user. The blood gushes out violently as the sword strikes through the opposite, Steph’s face became pale, paler than before.

Perhaps the blood had come to her lungs, she spits out a mouthful of blood on the ground and tears falls down on her eyes as she says.

“I can’t die…”

When Glenn came to realize, he immediately retracted his sword with tremendous amount of fear and his mind was filled with fear, fear if she dies right now and not take any more information about her

The professor was in shock and came to take the situation. The violet haired professor – Rin squeeze through the knights and came to Steph to crouch down.

“Professor that’s a demon!” Said the princess with a loud voice.

“What do you know?” With that response made the Princess silent so did Glenn and the Elf.

She looks at Steph with pitiful eyes and wants to pat Steph’s head while saying ‘it’ll be okay’. However, with great fear casted on Steph’s eyes, Steph’s figure immediately retreated herself from the hand.

Another tear fell down from Steph’s eyes and said with a trembling voice.

“I… I apologize, don’t! Don’t hurt me!” Perhaps because of her sometimes mono voice, she has that superior feeling, but when she stutters she loses her superior aura. She was nothing but a frail girl with a mix of superior aura.

Saying so, Steph kneeled down on all fours with a trembling body. Even though she has the title [magician] the highest among the titles and ranks that one cannot achieve. The title magician is shown as troublesome or perhaps a deceiver, not a title to show off your power and knowledge. Even though the requirements was to learn all the crafts, magic, and all knowledge of magic and understanding.

Hence, that only means the magician can always experiment whenever they like to. Even if it costs their life, they are more willing to know than to leave it as is.  

Without a care about her dignity as a powerful mage, she threw it away. Paying her dignity as a magician is nothing but dust, it’s worth it than to cause problems. Steph must have them all know that she’s weak, or so. Every first impression is important, so as this.

Rin immediately grabs Steph’s shoulder making her release from her fours and hugs Steph tightly while patting her head.

“It’ll be okay… We won’t hurt you… No one will hurt you anymore”

She buried her face on Rin’s shoulder and let out a voice of a cry.

It was successful, or so Steph thought. She let out a grin on her face when she buried her face