The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

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Anastasia, representing those who had suffered both great and small losses at the hands of Ho-yeon and her guards, felt at a loss for what to do as she approached her directly to voice her complaints.

Ho-yeon, in Anastasia’s view, was a pretty girl on the outside, but she also radiated a dangerous aura, making her feel like a kindred spirit.

At first glance, she thought the former, but after exchanging a few words, she began to see Ho-yeon as someone like herself.

There was an evident awkwardness in the way she spoke, typical of someone who struggles to engage with others.

Thus, she had already forgiven the incident from lunchtime. Having experienced how challenging it could be for someone socially awkward to ask a stranger for help, she found herself quietly cheering her on, even if just a little.

However, her followers had no intention of forgiving Ho-yeon at all. The harm they had endured was undeniable and far too significant to overlook, even considering Ho-yeon’s status.

From the moment they set foot on this continent, ignoring all procedures and borders and heading straight to the Academy had already been problematic, but a significant number of people had also suffered severe losses while trying to stop them.

Luckily, there were no casualties, but if someone had died, it wouldn’t have been surprising to declare war on the spot.

It would only take a few weeks for the White Empire, known solely for its fine silks and spices, to transform into a ruthless evil empire.

They seized the opportunity presented during lunchtime, when Ho-yeon seemed to threaten her, not wanting to miss the chance to paint Anastasia as the hero who would stand against the arrogant invader from the east.

Although she minimized her role to merely advising them as a representative of their grievances and their Empire to treat the foreigner well after being adamantly turned down, the pressure remained the same.

“…So what should I do now?”

It didn’t matter if it was rude; she couldn’t let herself be looked down upon, and she needed to get her apology.

Their demands were more than enough to put her in a difficult situation.

Who would apologize when approached so imperiously? Even she, who struggled with social interactions, could think such a thing.

How they figured out which room Ho-yeon had been assigned was a secondary issue.

She had often brought forth information she didn’t even know how she obtained, so she brushed it off this time too, thinking it was par for the course.

As she continued to ponder what she should say, she finally reached the floor where Ho-yeon’s room was located, only to witness an unexpected sight.

There she was, coming out of her room and naturally entering another one.

Had she made a friend in the meantime? Suspicion arose within Anastasia. Had she falsely assumed they were similar when perhaps that was just her misconception?

Though it may seem trivial to others, it was quite a significant issue for her.

However, the sight of Ho-yeon emerging from a room with some man obliterated all her rational thoughts.

Her sex education wasn’t dismal; she understood that holding hands didn’t instantly lead to making a baby.

If that were true, she would have a sibling from her father already. She knew how children were made.

A man and a woman entering a room together.

As a child, awakened from sleep in the early morning, she had once wandered the manor and accidentally seen her father slipping into her mother’s room, which was how she’d come to know this fact.

Of course, her father had emerged from the room disheveled the next day, and as for Ho-yeon and that man, they had barely been together for a few minutes, and given how neat they looked, Anastasia couldn’t be sure.

Lacking precise knowledge of how children really come to be, she thought,

So, does that mean Ho-yeon is having that man’s child?

Anastasia couldn’t think straight. Forgetting her very purpose for being there, she merely placed a hand on her racing heart and continued to spy on them.

The moment felt timeless until Ho-yeon glanced at her, causing time to rush forward.

Having seen a sight she shouldn’t have, Anastasia hurriedly dashed out of the dormitory.

Her face flushed with excitement.

– – – – –

Anya had been there but had vanished.

She didn’t know how long she had been around, but why did she run away the moment she looked? Perhaps she was just curious about the beastfolk.

But still, it didn’t make sense to her why she had fled.

Being neither beast nor human was indeed interesting, but don’t look at me! It’s uncomfortable!

Aren’t we the same? It hurt her feelings a lot. It reminded her of when the girls at her middle school shunned her the day after they found out about her weeb merchandise.

“What’s wrong?”

Dokan, oblivious, asked what the issue was. True to the harem protagonist style, he was oblivious in strange places. Why display mind-reading powers when it mattered, only to be utterly clueless in situations like this? It bothered her.

“Nothing. Let’s hurry up.”

Now that he seemed to have taken the hint, she was following him silently, when he asked her,

“Um… can I ask what magic power is?”

“Don’t you know?”

How could the protagonist not know that? She asked again, but he insisted he genuinely didn’t know. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had dozed off while reading novels, but there was no reason not to explain.

“Hmm… magic power is…”

When it came time to explain, she struggled to articulate it.

“It’s the power that can shake the earth, move the sky, and divide the seas.”

“That’s the same as mana, isn’t it?”

Well, wizards could indeed do similar things. Perhaps he was asking such things because he didn’t know.

“It’s different. Magic power is not a force humans can handle. It’s only wielded by the will of God. Some also call it the blood of the stars.”

“God…?”

Your fake god. She almost spat out that phrase but swallowed it back down.

Can I say this? Usually in these works, churches come off as sinister and malevolent.

Aren’t they the ones who wait for the protagonist to do something even slightly strange so they can arrest them for being heretics?

She had even seen heresy inquisitors dragging people off as she traveled to the Academy. Was it really necessary to set up a chance to be dragged to the church by saying something like, “Your god is fake”?

“…You’re better off not knowing, so don’t worry about it.”

It was a frustratingly similar line one might hear from an annoying green cat character in a game, but it was the best she could do at the moment.

When she shot a glare at him, who looked outright disappointed, he quickly went back to his usual self. Even while looking pitiful, she still wasn’t planning to share anything.

“No matter how you did it, it seems you twisted magic power and called it holy power or mana.”

“And what does ‘twisted’ mean?”

“It means that what was originally a force only the gods could wield has now been made accessible to humans and other beings.”

She made sure to avoid directly saying “fake gods” by ambiguously referring to other beings. It wasn’t exactly a lie, either, since elves weren’t humans.

“…Isn’t that a good thing?”

“It’s tantamount to entrusting the national finances to the masses. It’s clear they’ll squander the national treasury in foolish ways. Wouldn’t it be wiser to entrust it to those who are wise and capable?”

Probably. Even without magic, humans were capable of wrecking the environment, so letting them use magic power freely could lead to disaster. Having witnessed the aftermath of a place drained of magic power firsthand, her convictions ran deep.

Of course, it was more accurate to say that it was her mother who quickly drained the ley lines, but still. The sight of a castle that had endured for months crumbling into white powder in an instant was hard to erase from her memory.

Not just the castle walls, but everything inside, from the people to the animals, transformed into white powder in the blink of an eye, leaving her questioning whether this was real life.

“Indeed.”

“Now that it’s been explained, let’s move on.”

Honestly, she felt a bit uneasy for wavering in the middle of her explanation, but it was this side that would have trouble if he pressed any further, so she made an effort to change the subject.

If questioned further, she might end up spilling all her secrets.

Dokan didn’t seem convinced but thankfully resumed walking. Suddenly, he stopped, prompting her to stop as well while she was explaining.

Is this how social butterflies handle things?

She hadn’t even realized how naturally she had stopped as well. Truly, he had remarkable skill in handling people.

Every time she watched hypnotic scenes, she thought it was nonsensical, but when faced with him, she began to think it might not be sheer nonsense after all.

Thank goodness there weren’t any hypnotic scenes among the 19, or else he could’ve been dangerous too.

No, in fact, he was still quite a danger now. But at least he didn’t manipulate others’ wills recklessly.

“We’ve arrived.”

Snapping back to reality, she noticed they had reached the dining hall. There were a few people scattered about, but overall, the atmosphere felt rather subdued.

What should she choose first? Happily pondering, she recalled the day’s earlier events.

If I pick, it’ll definitely taste bad. No matter how delicious it smells, the moment it hits my mouth, I can easily imagine it tasting horrific, causing her confidence to plummet.

When she turned her head, there was Dokan.

…As a social butterfly, he’s probably a foodie, right?

With that hope in mind, she called out to Dokan.

“What seems delicious?”