Extra in a Romance Fantasy

104 – The Women of the Academy (2)

When Mary first heard the news of Wade’s death, she could not accept it.

To be more precise, she could not comprehend the meaning of those words.

The idea of Wade dying was something that could not possibly be true for her.

Thus, her mind refused to understand what those words meant.

—

As time passed and she finally began to grasp the meaning of those words, her first reaction was denial.

It couldn’t be true. Wade couldn’t be dead.

She vehemently rejected the notion, raising her voice in rare defiance.

Mary was well aware of Wade’s strength.

He possessed an absurd level of power that one should not have at his age, a power that, if revealed, could turn the continent upside down.

There was no way someone with such strength could easily fall, Mary thought.

In reality, Wade had faced countless life-threatening crises where dying would not have been surprising, and he had come close to death several times, yet each time he ultimately returned alive.

So, Wade could not be dead.

That was her belief, her assertion.

It was a reflexive response, but it wasn’t entirely baseless. He was only ‘presumed’ dead; there was no definitive evidence of his death.

Even if she heard that a body had been found, she would have denied it, and with no evidence discovered, there was no way she would believe such claims.

However, that was just Mary’s reaction; the other women were different.

Since the news of Wade’s death spread, the frequency with which they visited the historical research society gradually decreased, until eventually, no one but Mary came to the society anymore.

After all, there had been no connection except through Wade or the research society.

Now, Mary hardly ever faced them.

Yet, she was well aware of how they were living, through rumors.

She knew that they had changed.

First, in Rachel’s case, she had become a candidate for the next head of the Eldrid family.

This rumor caused quite a stir at the academy.

The name Eldrid carried significant weight.

It was one of the most prominent families in the Elbrent Empire.

Moreover, there had been a designated heir for Eldrid.

Despite that, the head of Eldrid had elevated Rachel to the position of candidate for the next head.

In truth, some nobles with their ears to the ground had a rough idea of the situation Rachel was in.

They knew she would likely marry into a prestigious family after graduating from the academy, or even before.

That was the path most daughters born into noble families walked.

It varied by family, but the current head of Eldrid was someone obsessed with expanding the family’s influence.

Given that Rachel held no authority or position within the family, it was easy to predict her future.

Yet, Rachel, who had been in such a position, was now participating in the struggle for the headship.

Such rumors could not help but attract attention.

—

Mary did not know exactly how such a result came to be.

All she knew was that shortly after the news of Wade’s death reached her, she had gone back to her hometown once.

According to public speculation, there were rumors that Patrick, Rachel’s mentor, and the Tower of the Sky were involved in this incident, but there was no way to verify the truth of those claims.

In any case, Rachel’s status had changed significantly in a short period.

It was only natural that someone who had already received much attention would attract even more.

And next was Aira Librion.

She too showed many changes.

It was as if she had transformed into a completely different person.

First, she began to devote herself even more fervently to her training.

Even before, her level of effort was such that there were few who could keep up with her in the combat department, but after the news of Wade’s death, that intensity escalated.

Like a ghost bound by the inability to wield a sword, she swung her blade without rest.

Perhaps as a result of such efforts, her skills began to rise sharply.

And that achievement manifested in noticeable results.

Specifically, her win rate against Cedric began to increase.

From the time she entered her second year, there had been a few instances where she managed to win, but objectively speaking, those occurrences were far from frequent.

However, after that point, Aira’s win rate began to rise to a meaningful level.

Cedric, stimulated by this, also threw himself into training, but it was difficult to stop Aira’s seemingly unstoppable momentum.

In that heightened atmosphere, the two of them triumphed over the third years in the integrated combat tournament that spanned across grades, making it to the finals.

And in the finals, they faced each other once more, with Aira emerging victorious on that stage.

Aira stood at the pinnacle of the academy’s combat department, where numerous prodigies and geniuses gathered.

That news also set the academy ablaze with excitement.

However, Aira’s transformation did not end there.

She began to reach out to her family as well.

Originally, her family, the Librions, held a rather special status.

They were indeed a martial family with a long history.

But that level of reputation was merely the beginning; it exploded with the rise of Aira’s father, Gale Librion, and now they held a status that could be counted among the top martial families on the continent.

Yet, despite that, they had not engaged in external activities or used their reputation to solidify their standing.

The nature of the Librion family was such, and so was the disposition of Gale’s brother, who was acting as the head of the family in his stead.

However, as Aira began to intervene in internal affairs, that course of action changed.

Designated as the successor from the start, she used that as a pretext to assume the authority of the head of the family and began to build relationships with various nobles within the academy as a formal head candidate.

—

There had always been quite a few who wished to build a rapport with her from the very beginning.

However, Aira was so introverted and disinterested in such matters that she rarely allowed anyone to approach her.

But now that Aira had changed her attitude and was being proactive, those who had been waiting for an opportunity could not help but draw near.

Naturally, people began to gather around her, and Aira rapidly started to establish her presence within the academy.

In particular, individuals from the martial families showed great interest in her.

Her father, the legendary Gale Librión, was not only renowned for his exceptional skills but also for his impeccable character, which garnered admiration from many who revered him and his reputation.

There were even those who wished to cultivate a friendship with her and the Librión family that went beyond mere interests or benefits.

Aira built especially close ties with such individuals.

Moreover, she began to interact with commoners, not treating them differently due to their status but addressing them with courtesy, which inspired the commoners from the combat department to flock to her side.

From their perspective, the opportunity to befriend the next head of the illustrious Librión family, who stood at the pinnacle of the academy’s combat department filled with numerous prodigies and geniuses, was worth its weight in gold.

Thus, Aira established a solid foothold within the academy.

Her influence extended beyond the academy, making an impact externally as well.

In this way, both Rachel and Aira created significant ripples within the academy, drawing the attention of many.

However, the waves they stirred were but a mere ripple compared to the tsunami caused by another woman.

Estelle von Reinberg.

Her actions unleashed a storm within the academy that surpassed mere turbulence.

She had always been feared by others due to various rumors surrounding her.

Yet, at some point, she began to show a softer side when she expressed interest in a certain man.

But that softer demeanor was merely an illusion; she began to display an even colder disposition than before… no, even more ruthless than she had been previously.

She mercilessly cut down those within the empire’s ranks and thoroughly crushed anyone who dared to oppose her.

Her actions could easily be described as tyranny, yet no one could restrain her.

Within Reinberg, her power was absolute, and there was no one who could stand against her.

However, if that had been the extent of her actions, the academy would not have been thrown into chaos.

While her behavior was indeed close to tyranny, to be frank, such occurrences were not unprecedented, and they were merely internal matters of Reinberg.

The problem arose from her subsequent actions.

After sweeping through Reinberg, she began to exhibit unrestrained behavior towards other nations as well.

She nitpicked over trivial matters to exert pressure, and when her opponents showed discontent, she crushed them with overwhelming force.

While Estelle might have acted this way within Reinberg, she had rarely shown such behavior externally, leaving other nations stunned and holding their breath in the midst of their confusion.

Simply put, the opponent known as Rainberg was far too powerful to resist just because she felt bad.

For now, let’s quietly wait for her mood to improve.

With that thought, they tried to lower their bodies.

However, the spark they thought would end as a mere trivial trouble soon became a raging fire.

He, who had been deeply affected by the death of his younger sibling, revealed his discomfort at her actions.

Kairn was the crown prince of the Empire of Elbrent, and perhaps the only one within the Academy who could stand against Estelle.

Thus, an unusual tension began to swirl between the two giants.

And the gestures of giants have a way of creating storms.

A current that could sweep across the entire continent if mishandled was writhing within the Academy, starting from Estelle.

“……”

Mary’s feelings upon hearing such rumors were incredibly complex.

What were they thinking? What would happen next? And what had become of Wade?

Such thoughts swirled in Mary’s mind all day long.

Perhaps that was why she had thrown herself into her studies and magic.

To forget the anxious thoughts that kept creeping in.

In truth, if her heart had its way, she would have wanted to dash out of the Academy immediately to find Wade.

However, not only was that impossible, but she also knew well that even if she tried, it would be difficult to find Wade, who had not even been located by the Empire.

Moreover, even if by some chance she did find him, it would likely put Wade in a difficult position.

Still, she thought of Wade several times a day.

Hoping to hear news that he was alive, or at least to receive some contact from him.

But no matter how long she waited, no news came.

That fact hurt Mary more than anything else.

Perhaps, just perhaps.

The thought that something had truly gone wrong with Wade occasionally crossed her mind.

‘…No, that can’t be.’

Suddenly overwhelmed by negative thoughts, Mary shook her head vigorously to dispel them.

It couldn’t be true.

Wade was surely alive and would overcome this crisis, returning to her side once again.

Mary believed that strongly.

…She hoped so.

—

Anyway, Mary focused on her studies and magic.

Amidst the pouring praises from her professors, her skills continued to develop.

It was during this time.

That her rare talent for magic was revealed.

“This is… spatial magic, isn’t it?”

One of the professors exclaimed with a look of admiration.

“Moreover, it’s not just a matter of having potential.”

One day, out of the blue, she discovered her aptitude for spatial magic.

And it was to the extent that even the professor was impressed.

This sudden event was remarkable enough to draw attention even within the chaotic academy.

It was none other than her talent in spatial magic.

Spatial magic is one of the rarest forms of magic, where those with talent are exceedingly few.

To suddenly awaken considerable aptitude in such a field, it was no wonder that she attracted attention.

In truth, Mary herself continued her daily life without much concern.

However, an unexpected visitor came to her.

“Miss Mary Blunoir?”

“Oh, yes. That’s me. But… who are you…?”

“Oh, I apologize. I forgot to introduce myself.”

With an awkward smile, the man greeted her with an old-fashioned gesture.

“I am Alan Meyer.”

As he spoke, the man smiled.

A smile that was very gentle, yet somehow felt peculiar.