Let's go to the academy together!

On that day, a tense atmosphere filled the air around the academy, and the teachers carried an unusual, sharp-edged energy.

Students whispered to each other, wondering what had happened.

"Hey, I heard some bigwig's coming for a visit?"

"Wait, where'd you even hear that?"

"I eavesdropped on the teachers talking. Who do you think it is?"

"But seriously, do teachers usually get this worked up?"

They tilted their heads at each other, when suddenly—footsteps thudded down the hallway.

"Hey! I just heard something *huge*!!"

The classroom door burst open with a bang, and a boy charged in.

All eyes snapped to him, instantly.

"Hero Lovell’s coming!!"

The room fell utterly silent.

Then, a chorus of screams erupted from every corner.

"Are you kidding me!? Where the hell did you hear *that*?!"

"Are you serious?! I heard it from Professor Marst of Healing Arts and Professor Muskel of Knightly Studies!! They’re gathering at the academy’s entrance right now!!"

As soon as that hit the air, students surged toward the door.

The frantic rush of students spilled into the halls, drawing curious faces from other classrooms.

"Hero Lovell’s coming to the academy!!"

The boy’s shout spread like wildfire through the corridors.

One sentence, and the whole academy erupted into chaos.

＊＊＊

I was utterly lost in the scenery passing by the carriage window.

Mother had said the castle looked like a scheming fortress, but it was more like a mix between Germany’s Hohenzollern Castle and England’s Windsor Castle.

Windsor Castle, of course, was famous as the Queen’s weekend retreat.

Should I say the spire of Hohenzollern Castle looms in the distance behind Windsor Castle?

It was as if Windsor Castle had been built overlapping Hohenzollern Castle, like a second layer laid on top of the first.

Maybe it had been added to over the years, piecemeal, through renovations and expansions.

Hohenzollern Castle looked almost identical to Tembarr Castle. I’d already guessed that the central building of this academy was probably that one.

My chest was practically buzzing with excitement at the thought of exploring it.

My father, Lovell, and the guards, Kai and Van, were all smiling at me, watching me cling to the carriage window like a child.

Kai, being a current student at the academy, had been assigned as both guard and guide for us.

And Van followed along, naturally enough. My father didn’t particularly object—just allowed him to come along. The reason? Something vague, really. He just didn’t feel like he could stop my rampage all by himself.

“Van’s already experienced Elen’s rampage.”

“Completely understand.”

“Can you grasp it? I just… don’t feel like I could stop Elen on my own…”

“Wait, is Elen really that terrifying…?”

The three men were having a good laugh at my expense. I heard every word, cheeks puffing out in protest.

“That was just a moment of madness!! I was still new to magic! Isn’t it inevitable that a teleportation fails and lands you somewhere weird?”

“Elen picked up the knack right away. Kept jumping around, curious about everything, ended up lost—just like that.”

“But that was only at first! Once I learned the castle’s layout, I stopped getting lost completely!!”

I puff out my chest proudly, and Father lets out a sigh.

“…You really think a two-year-old girl should be able to do that naturally? Even if she’s a spirit, Elen hasn’t even learned what magic actually is yet…”

Kai is speechless. Van, on the other hand, beams with pride, clearly impressed.

“Anyway, you all—keep an eye on Elen at all times. Van, just in case, Ori’s watching her movements through the water mirror, so if she strays, check in with Ori immediately.”

“Understood.”

“Ugh! Even you, Van!!”

I huff and pout, furious at being distrusted. Van stammers hastily, “I-I only meant to protect the princess, truly!”

"If you're gonna be like that, I'm fine with holding Papa's hand, you know?! A little trust would be nice, please!!"

"See? Elen said it. Then let's hold hands with Papa, okay?"

I was smiled at by my father — a bright, cheerful smile.

But his eyes... they weren’t smiling at all.

I hesitated, just a little. Maybe I’d jumped the gun.

＊＊＊

Tembar Royal Academy was like Tembar Castle — nestled deep within a forest.

The carriage passed through a natural archway of trees, and kept going, never stopping.

The moment you emerge past that arch, the academy’s buildings appear — and you swear, for a split second, you’ve wandered into the Spirit World.

I was buzzing with the same kind of excited anticipation I’d felt before a real overseas trip.

I’d boasted to my father I was fine, but that confidence was already fading, piece by piece, as the academy’s buildings came into view.

The three of them were already sighing with resignation, their eyes flickering with weary amusement at me, glued to the carriage window, my face alight with excitement.

As we emerged from the forest’s arched entrance, the view opened up into the full, imposing presence of the castle. I couldn’t help but widen my eyes to their absolute maximum, sparkling with awe.

Once the carriage stopped, Kai and Van—our guards—stepped down first. That left just my father and me inside. In that moment, he whispered, low and urgent.

“More chaos than I expected… don’t wander off, Your Highness.”

He said it, then quickly pressed a kiss to my forehead.

Then he stepped down, standing before the carriage door, offering a hand with a formal, “Your Highness, after you.”

But the instant he’d left the carriage, a deep, rumbling wave of cheers—like the earth itself applauding—crashed into my ears. I blinked, startled, my breath catching mid-sigh.

I’d completely forgotten, until that moment, that my father was supposed to be a hero.

Not just for the Monster Tempest incident—no, now people were whispering again about how he’d brought the Divine Elixir and saved countless lives. The rumors were heating up, as if he’d earned his title all over again.

Of course, those rumors were meant to distract attention from me, but somehow, by the time I noticed, it seemed like the story had already lumped me and my father together. Not exactly effective, really.

They’d come to reassure me—my father, Kai, and Van—whispering that I’d be fine, that they were right there with me, just in case I panicked at stepping out of the carriage.

I hesitantly took my father’s hand and stepped down. The academy, which had just been roaring with cheers, fell dead silent in an instant.

I flinched, heart jumping—what now?—but my father just smiled, a little wry, and said, “It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

And then, in an instant, instead of the earlier cheers, a chaotic chorus of voices erupted—shouts, murmurs, a buzzing throng of people. My stomach dropped. What now? I glanced up at my father, searching for guidance, but my heart was already racing.

“It’s best not to worry,” he said, a faint, wry smile playing on his lips. “But honestly, with this kind of scene… you’re not getting into that academy, no matter how you slice it.”

I nodded. That much was obvious.

Then, the plump man who’d been about to greet us first—his face suddenly frozen in surprise—turned to the teachers standing behind him and snapped, “Quiet this mess down!”

The teachers scrambled inside the building at once. From every direction, shouts echoed: “Get back to your classrooms—now!”

I stood there, mouth open, stunned by the sudden shift—until the fat man, still rubbing his hands, wiped sweat from his forehead and bowed to my father.

So this was the one behind that relentless letter. The one who’d made all the trouble.

For now, please follow me to the Principal's Office—we moved from this spot.