221  A New Semester A New Evaluation Interlude

Waking up, Stacia blinked at her surroundings, her vision slowly adjusting to the unfamiliar ceiling above her.

A mild confusion washed over her as she tried to gather her bearings.

“You’re awake.”

The voice caught her attention, and she turned to see Vanessa, one of her closest companions, seated nearby, watching her with an amused expression.

“Vanessa…”

Vanessa smirked, crossing her arms. “Despite your weird adaptive constitution, I’m still surprised. With all the lightning bolts he landed on you, I expected you to at least sleep for a couple more hours.”

“How long was I out?” Stacia asked, her voice steady now that she was more alert.

“Just around 40 minutes.”

“I see…”

Now fully awake, Stacia scanned her surroundings, realizing she was in the temporary medical facility near the testing area.

Though her mind had been foggy at first, the events of the battle quickly came rushing back to her.

“I lost, huh…” she murmured, a small, strange smile forming on her lips. “It’s weirdly satisfying for some reason~”

“Fufu~ You say that as if you’ve never lost before in your life.”

“Oh my~ but I haven’t yet, have I?” Stacia replied, a teasing lilt to her voice as she stretched out her limbs.

“Hm~ need I remind you of our duel last time?”

Stacia waved it off dismissively.

“A battle amongst children doesn’t count as a duel, does it now? And besides,” she added with a playful smirk, “I’m sure you know I could turn you into roasted meat if I wanted to, right?”

“Hoho~ I’d like to see you try~”

The atmosphere between the two shifted into a light-hearted challenge, though beneath their words lay a deep mutual respect.

‘Pfft…’

“Hahaha”

“Hahaha”

Soon after their light-hearted chuckles, the atmosphere between Stacia and Vanessa softened.

They had always been close—best friends since childhood—so conversations like this were second nature to them, no matter the situation.

“Are you okay now?” Vanessa asked, shifting the tone of their talk slightly.

“I’m alright,” Stacia replied, though she still felt a dull soreness in her right arm.

She could feel her bones knitting themselves back together, her unique constitution rapidly healing the damage Riley had inflicted.

In just a few more minutes, she knew she’d be fully recovered.

She flexed her hand, opening and closing her palm, feeling the heat inside her body flare up as her mana surged through her.

Yet, something nagged at her thoughts, a question that had been simmering ever since the fight.

“Vanessa, can I ask you something?”

Vanessa looked at her curiously. “Hm? Sure.”

Stacia hesitated for a moment, trying to put her confusion into words. “Why couldn’t I go all out against Senior?”

Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Hmm? You weren’t doing that on purpose?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. “I thought you were holding back on your own. After all, except for that first strike, your flames were pretty weak.”

She furrowed her brows, recalling the moment her flames flared up—how they should’ve been overwhelming, consuming everything in their path.

But against Riley, they’d seemed… diminished. It was as if her power had been stifled, cut off before it could reach its full potential.

“Was I subconsciously not trying to hurt him?” Stacia mused aloud, her voice carrying a mixture of amusement and self-reflection.

“Maybe,” Vanessa replied with a light chuckle, not entirely dismissing the idea.

Stacia chuckled too, her thoughts lingering on the fight but slowly drifting away from the confusion she’d felt.

Whatever the case, she felt satisfied. She had done what she came to do—test Riley, push him, and ensure he was ready for the role he had been destined to reclaim.

He was the Hero, after all, and it wasn’t just her job to challenge him but to also reignite that part of him that seemed long forgotten.

Thump!

Her heart suddenly pounded in her chest, a rush of adrenaline flooding through her.

Stacia instinctively clutched her chest as she sat back down on the bed, her pulse racing.

The memory of the battle—the cold, suppressive energy that had made her feel so powerless, Riley’s piercing gaze that sent shivers down her spine—all of it came rushing back to her.

But instead of feeling frustration or defeat, a strange sense of satisfaction washed over her. It felt… good.

“Ahh~” she exhaled, her voice carrying an odd note of excitement. “I want to fight him again. A held-back match like that wasn’t enough to put him back in the spotlight, right? I need more…”

“This crazy princess….”

…..

Morning.

Second floor of Killian Hall.

The morning air felt fresh as I leaned against the window, savoring the quiet moments before the day fully started.

Despite the ongoing festivities, the serene landscape of the academy outside was strangely calming, a welcome contrast to the whirlwind of events.

“Young master, as I have completed my duties for the day, I shall take my leave now,”

Yui announced, her tone as respectful and composed as ever.

“Yes, good job,” I replied casually, waving a hand as she turned to leave.

She gave me a gentle smile and a nod before exiting my room with her usual quiet grace.

Yui was always thorough—meticulously cleaning my space every morning.

The fresh scent of brewed coffee lingered in the air, and I raised the cup to my lips, savoring the warmth.

As usual, it was perfectly made by Yui, her attention to detail showing in even the smallest tasks.

With the top first-years set to move into the now-vacant dorm rooms, the maids of Killian Hall had been especially busy lately, bustling around with increased urgency.

Everyone seemed to be preparing for the new influx of students.

Meanwhile, I had the luxury of relaxing here.

Most of the first-years were probably in the gymnasium at this very moment, forced to endure the dull announcements and overly formal speeches from the academy’s principal and staff.

It was an event I was glad to skip, for once.

Taking another sip of my coffee, I allowed myself a brief moment of peace.

Yesterday’s mess still weighed on me a little—the nagging, the scolding—it had been a lot to deal with.

Even if it was just words, they had a way of sticking with you.

Snow, of course, had scolded me too once she found out. That certainly hadn’t helped my mood.

Anyways.

Clearing my thoughts.

I started mentally planning for what was coming next.

Alice’s arc would be unfolding soon—somewhere between Act 3, Chapter 2, and Chapter 3.

That meant I only had a few weeks left before things started to heat up, before those damn paws and knights made their appearance.

Her scenario was a separate arc from the main storyline, meaning it was uncertain whether Lucas would stumble upon it or not.

But if I wanted to save Alice, I knew I’d have to fully involve myself. A mini-boss devil was also scheduled to show up around that time, but with the Saintess safely enrolled in the academy, the threat from the demons could be temporarily pushed aside.

That was one less thing to worry about—at least for now.

My priorities were becoming clearer: saving Alice and getting stronger.

The latter meant I needed to hit up a few dungeons in the meantime, collect whatever power-ups or relics I could find.

There was no room for complacency if I wanted to survive the upcoming trials.

Part of me considered bringing Lucas into Alice’s arc as well.

His help would be invaluable, but it wasn’t that simple.

With the main scenario still unfolding in the background, I couldn’t afford to take unnecessary risks.

If something happened in the real world while we were both distracted with Alice’s side plot, things could spiral out of control.

And then there was the additional risk—if Lucas got pulled into the fantastical realm during Alice’s arc, there was no guarantee I’d be able to get him back quickly.

The better option for now was to probably have Seo, Snow, and Rose assist me when their strength became necessary—especially when it came to facing the White Queen.

That upcoming fight wasn’t going to be easy by any stretch, but… I’d just have to push through it if I wanted to achieve my goals.

No turning back now.

I also managed to keep my relationship with Snow hidden from Liyana for the time being, but who knew how long that would last?

She wasn’t exactly someone you could easily fool for too long, which meant I needed to start making some precautions beforehand.

Thankfully, with the Saintess now present at the academy, I had a way to make sure Liyana didn’t randomly keep tabs on me.

Her divine abilities would be invaluable in throwing Liyana off my trail.

That being said, I should probably meet the Saintess soon.

The earlier the better—it wouldn’t be good to make awkward first impressions, especially considering she was my junior.

Talking to her shouldn’t be too difficult… I hoped.

Speaking of juniors… I hadn’t been able to meet Reina last time, and knowing her, she was probably pissed at me right now.

She wasn’t the type to let something like that slide easily. I wondered which class she’d been assigned to.

Considering she faced Lucas in the entrance trials, she likely lost, but still… Reina wasn’t a slouch.

Her sword skills were sharp, and she put in a lot of effort to train.

She was also quite intelligent—she’d figure out a way to turn a loss into a learning experience.

She should still be in the gymnasium at this moment, listening to the academy’s usual boring welcome speeches.

Their event was set to end around 11, so I should probably catch up with her afterward.

Maybe give her a tour of the school grounds as an apology for missing our previous meeting.

My 2nd year at the academy has officially began.

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