Rattling and rumbling.
If one were to ask what the hottest topic on the continent was, a hundred out of a hundred would undoubtedly answer: the Emperor’s railway industry.
It was an industry that had completely reversed the tide of the era, shattering the long-standing balance among the three nations.
What everyone had dismissed as the Emperor’s delusion, shaking their heads in disbelief, had become a reality under the banner of revolution, and this revolution swiftly transformed into the beacon of a new age.
The burgeoning influence of the Empire in Lyceum, a city once deemed inviolable, was ultimately a direct consequence of this very railway.
“Damn it.”
A one-way train departed from the Imperial Capital, bound for Lyceum.
This resplendent golden train, operated entirely under the Imperial family’s name, sped relentlessly towards Lyceum.
Even though the railway had profoundly impacted the Empire’s development and wealth, its operation demanded astronomical sums of money.
Yet, this particular train was rushing to Lyceum for the sole benefit of one individual.
That person was the Empire’s Third Imperial Princess, Lucia von Melizeus.
With her striking, brilliant blonde hair, she sat by the window, gazing at the rapidly changing scenery outside.
Though it felt as if they had only just departed from the capital, the train was already traversing the outskirts of Lyceum.
Its incredible speed and convenience were on an entirely different level compared to conventional modes of transport.
This, in turn, symbolized the Empire’s power, and the reach of that power had now extended even to Lyceum.
While this was an achievement the Emperor had secured during negotiations at the Tri-National Council, even his own daughter, Lucia, remained unaware of the methods he had employed to bring this endeavor to fruition.
The only fact she knew was that she, Lucia, was traveling to Lyceum as a mere political instrument.
Historically, the Aegis Academy in Lyceum had often received exchange students from the three nations, a practice intended to foster camaraderie with Lyceum while simultaneously preventing key figures from the other two nations from wielding excessive influence there.
These individuals were, in essence, national envoys disguised as exchange students, and this time, the role was slated to be filled by the young lady of the Leonhart family, who had once again ascended to the position of the Empire’s foremost ducal house.
However, with the recent installation of the railway in Lyceum, the Emperor had pushed for the enrollment of his youngest daughter, Lucia, into Aegis, ultimately shifting the envoy’s role from the Leonhart young lady to Lucia herself.
This decision stemmed from the belief that direct enrollment of the Imperial family into Aegis would strengthen the Empire’s influence within the academy, and an increased Imperial presence at Aegis would, in turn, facilitate easier contact with Lyceum.
Furthermore, the mere fact that a member of the Imperial family was directly present at Aegis allowed for pressure and checks to be exerted upon the other two nations.
Consequently, Aegis saw its highest number of Imperial students ever, prompting the other two wary nations to dispatch their own royalty or equivalent dignitaries to Lyceum.
Thus, the tension arising from the shattered balance, brought about by the railway, began to ripple outward from Lyceum.
“My damned father.”
Originally, Lucia had been slated to enroll in the Imperial Kazin Academy, located in the capital, a path she herself desired.
While Lucia harbored no ambition to become Emperor, she yearned to establish her own unshakeable position, beholden to no one.
To achieve this, enrollment in the Imperial Academy was paramount, and she had intended to build her own faction there; however, attending Aegis Academy ultimately led to the complete collapse of that plan.
“That rotten father.”
She gazed at the white and blue Aegis uniform she was wearing.
It was a uniform she longed to tear off immediately.
Soon, as the freshman representative, she would have to appear before everyone dressed in this very attire.
Despite being an Imperial Princess, she would be forced to reveal herself to others as a mere tool, exploited by the nation, the Imperial family, and her own father.
‘Will I truly be able to endure this damn academy life?’
While others harbored vague expectations for the academy, Lucia was consumed not by hope, but by unease.
****
Aegis Academy.
As an academy located in Lyceum, it might seem that its primary function is to teach magic, but this is only half true.
While it is undeniable that Aegis boasts overwhelmingly superior magical curricula and research programs compared to other academies, this does not imply any deficiency in other areas.
Aegis possessed an educational system that was nearly perfect in every aspect, a fact that left only the Imperial Kazin Academy as a conceivable rival.
Moreover, with the recent announcement that the Third Imperial Princess would be enrolling in Aegis instead of Kazin, the academy’s prestige soared to an unparalleled level.
Students typically gain admission to this prestigious academy, one of the continent’s foremost, through two main avenues.
The first is through connections.
This applies to the offspring of prominent noble families or wealthy households, or those who have such influential patrons.
My young lady and I fall into this category.
Certainly, even if admitted through connections, the children of noble families complete extensive educational programs from a young age, and those under their patronage are also individuals whose talents have been acknowledged by these esteemed houses, thus minimizing criticism in this regard.
While it is true that incompetent and unqualified students occasionally gain admission, leading to some negative perceptions, this is irrelevant to my young lady and me, as we are among the academy’s most exceptional talents.
The second is through merit.
This involves passing a separate examination administered by Aegis to qualify for admission.
Typically, lower-ranking nobles or commoners enter Aegis Academy via this route.
I have heard that a few radical individuals, brimming with pride, criticize high-ranking nobles who gained entry through connections, claiming they entered solely by virtue of their bloodline; however, such individuals are exceedingly rare.
After all, if someone gained admission to Aegis through connections, it implies their parents are truly formidable figures; what lunatic would dare to insult such a family so carelessly?
Even if Aegis purports to be a school of equality, no madman would openly display such hostility unless they truly wished for their entire family to perish.
“Freshman representative. Lucia von Melizeus, please step forward.”
Thus, when the Imperial Princess stood before the dais as the freshman representative, a heavy silence fell among the new students.
Her brilliant golden hair shone, and her skin was flawlessly clear.
As if to prove her Imperial lineage, her mere appearance radiated an imposing aura that filled the auditorium.
She was Lucia von Melizeus, the 5-star character from ‘Destiny’ who evoked the most divided opinions.
–”Ugh, for me, an Imperial Princess, to be in such a state…! What are you staring at?! Do you wish to die?!”
[SSR Shy Imperial Thunder Maid, Lucia von Melizeus]
–*Grind*
She was also a traitor who, alongside the original Noir, had insulted maids.
Having already accepted that her young lady was a different person from the original Noir, Blanc no longer struggled to control her rampaging ‘maid soul’ as she had during their first encounter; however, she could not control her wariness towards the Imperial Princess.
Once her academy admission was confirmed, and she recalled her knowledge of the original story, Blanc’s first resolution was her young lady’s safety and well-being, and her second was to prevent *that woman* from ever wearing a maid bikini.
While she now had faith and confirmation that her young lady would no longer commit such sacrilegious acts as wearing a maid bikini, that Imperial Princess was an entirely different matter.
Considering it was currently April, only four months remained until that madwoman would don a maid bikini.
Even if this world differed from the original, how much could a person change in just four months?
Perhaps this princess and the princess from the original story should be regarded as one and the same.
Therefore, Blanc’s attention remained fixated on the Imperial Princess and the protagonist, who could appear at any moment.
Should that princess once again fall for the protagonist’s sweet words and commit such sacrilege, Blanc vowed to sacrifice herself to prevent such a horrific event.
At that time, she would cease to be the Super Perfect ☆ Maid Blanc-chan and would instead, as the assassin Unnamed, eliminate the princess.
‘But why hasn’t the most crucial protagonist appeared yet?’
Blanc had certainly considered him a top priority target for surveillance, as numerous incidents, including the maid bikini debacle, were bound to revolve around him; yet, no one resembling the protagonist was anywhere in sight.
In the original story, the protagonist, having heroically saved an extra, awoke early due to the care of Noir, a friend of that extra, and arrived at the entrance ceremony just in the nick of time.
The story was supposed to progress with him forming a bond with Noir, yet despite Blanc remaining constantly by her young lady’s side, no one resembling the protagonist had appeared even after the entrance ceremony began.
‘Hmm, could I have possibly confused the original story?’
‘It doesn’t seem like it…’
‘Ah, whatever.’
‘Things will work themselves out.’
****
Noir, with sparkling eyes, continuously surveyed the entire auditorium where the entrance ceremony had commenced.
‘When will the entrance test begin?’
Aegis did not actually have any specific entrance tests.
Of course, children who entered through the conventional route did take examinations, but these were a different kind of test from what Noir had in mind.
What kind of entrance test was it if it didn’t involve throwing students into a subspace or a forest and commanding them to ‘kill each other starting now’?
At the very least, there should be an oral examination to assess their internal mana and classify students by rank, or a one-on-one duel to verify their abilities, before it could truly be called an ‘entrance test.’
However, according to Noir’s investigations, Aegis had never had such an entrance test process.
In that case, only one possibility remained.
‘When will the monster attack happen?’
It would be a test disguised as the entrance ceremony, designed to gauge the students’ capabilities.
A test remained where dangerous, large monsters would suddenly appear, overwhelm the faculty, and assess the crisis management skills of the panicked students.
Noir subtly shifted her gaze to Blanc’s shadow.
In preparation for such an event, she had instructed Blanc’s shadow, Bokja, to swallow monster-slaying equipment.
Blanc had worn a face that seemed to question the necessity, but Noir knew that soon enough, Blanc would be awestruck by her foresight.
–”To have anticipated and prepared for such an event, as expected of my young lady! I, Blanc, have fallen completely for my young lady’s wisdom.”
–”Hmph, hmph, Blanc. It’s too soon to be so surprised, isn’t it? I am far more extraordinary than you imagine.”
–”Please, allow me to protect my young lady’s side for all eternity.”
‘Hehe. Hehehe….’
‘Come on, bring it on!’
‘No matter what monster appears, I will face it!’
“I, Lucia von Melizeus, representing the new students of Aegis…”
–*Creak, THUD!*
As Noir, concealing her expression as best she could, prepared for a monster attack.
The auditorium doors burst open with a loud crash.
‘Finally, it’s here!’
At this, the attention of everyone in the auditorium, including Noir, converged on the doors, and Lucia, suppressing her irritation at being interrupted, also turned her gaze toward them.
“Oh, oh my?”
However, contrary to Noir’s expectations, it was neither a colossal monster nor a blood-soaked guard announcing a beastly attack that entered through the auditorium doors.
Instead, a disheveled girl with a red, swollen forehead and clothes covered in dust stumbled in; she seemed utterly bewildered by the situation, glancing around before hastily rushing to her seat.
“What the hell is that punk doing?”
Someone muttered, dumbfounded by the rather anticlimactic action following such a dramatic entrance.
It was a sentiment that echoed the thoughts of everyone in the auditorium, including Noir.
