This academy seems to have something shady going on.

The students, scattered back to their classrooms after being yelled at by a teacher, started buzzing with excitement.

"Hero Lovell was there!! A real-life hero showed up!!"

Even from a distance, they could see the hair color—exactly as rumored.

Only heroes had silver hair, not white.

The man who stepped down from the carriage in front of the hero had white hair, making the contrast glaring.

Then the students' chatter zeroed in on the girl who came after the hero. The tiny hand reaching out to grasp the one Lovell offered from the carriage.

The moment they saw the girl with silver hair just like the hero's, the students felt like time had frozen for a split second.

"Man, she was so small and super-cute!!"

"Wait, what? Who was cute?!"

The students had only seen her from a distance, so they couldn’t have seen her face—but excitement must’ve made their imaginations run wild.

“Hero Lovell brought a little girl! A girl with the same hair color as the hero!!”

“Wait, didn’t the Vanklyft Family have silver hair?”

“She’s been here for a year. Their family’s always had chestnut. They say Hero Lovell changed color because he went to the Spirit World…?”

That’s when the mystery started. The girl had the same hair color as Hero Lovell.

No human had silver hair. Only Hero Lovell did. Silver had always been the color of spirits.

Faced with her mystery, the students started tossing out guesses left and right.

“Maybe she’s his sister?”

“Hero Lovell doesn’t have a sister. His direct line’s daughter’s just the niece of his younger brother.”

“Then who the hell is that girl?!”

The conversation heating up all at once—someone suddenly shouted, as if struck by a sudden memory.

“Haven’t you heard? They say the girl who administers the divine medicine is Hero Lovell… and his daughter.”

“Eh… what’s that?”

“It’s been the talk at the healing clinic. The one who brings the medicine? Always the girl who’s with the hero.”

“Wait—so Hero Lovell’s actually married!?!”

A collective gasp erupted from the female apprentices, stunned by the revelation.

The boys sighed, shaking their heads—*girls are always like this*.

Meanwhile, the boys were practically glowing with excitement over the girl’s existence, completely oblivious to the sighs from the girls. The contrast between them was so stark it was almost comical.

“Nah, he’s gotta be married, right? Monster Tempest was fourteen years ago, wasn’t it? He was just barely an adult back then… so he’s probably around thirty-one now?”

A chorus of shocked yelps erupted from the students—*he doesn’t even look that old*.

He wasn’t close enough to tell for sure, but Hero Lovell looked about the same age as the Prince, the top-tier student—maybe even younger.

Side by side with the girl, they looked like siblings years apart.

“…No way. Could she be the Hero’s child?”

A whisper rippled through the classroom, and silence crashed down like a dropped anvil.

The possibility hit them all at once, and the students’ excitement swelled even higher.

To confirm the truth, they reasoned, the best way was to ask the family. So they all ran straight to Raffilia’s classroom.

＊＊＊

Raffilia stood frozen in the middle of the storm.

Ever since the rumor spread that Hero Lovell had arrived at the academy, she’d been hounded nonstop—strangers, upperclassmen, all wanting to know the truth.

“…I don’t know anything about that!!”

By now, she was utterly fed up—when suddenly, another rumor piled on.

“Who’s the girl with hair just like Hero Lovell’s?!”

Raffilia’s throat tightened at the words.

Could it be… Elen? The daughter of her uncle…?

“Elen? You’re saying Elen’s here at the academy with your uncle…?”

The reaction from those around her was immediate.

“Elen? That girl’s named Elen?!”

Raffilia sighed, bored out of her mind.

Everyone’s obsessed with Elen. Elen. Elen. The same scene she’d seen back home—replayed here, in the academy.

She’d heard Elen wasn’t even supposed to be enrolled. So what was she doing here, anyway? Raffilia felt her irritation rise.

From what she’d heard, the entire faculty had gone out to greet her.

And yet—she herself came from a ducal family. Never once had teachers treated her like that.

No, worse—she’d been mocked by commoners, even sneered at by nobles, just for being from the lower classes.

(Even if Elen's mother’s just some nobody! What kind of difference is this!?)

Raffilia was frustrated.

Here she was, constantly annoyed by the daughter of her father’s ex-wife—always picking fights, always making trouble—now Elen shows up too? What was going on?

And why hadn’t she been told, as a family member? Raffilia bit her lip.

(…I have to check this out…!!)

Raffilia ran toward the place Elen and the others were headed.

＊＊＊

On the way to the Principal's Office, I was fed up with the whispers all around me and the rude stares.

To make matters worse, my father and the others walked so fast I had to jog just to keep up.

Men in this world are tall—naturally, their legs are long too.

And when they stride like that, I, short as I am, can’t help but run if I want to keep up.

I can float in the air, being a spirit and all, but doing something like that right in front of humans? Who knows what’d happen.

I sighed, muttering how I can’t just teleport around recklessly in public.

My father immediately noticed my sigh and apologized, “Sorry, sorry.”

“Come here, Elen.”

I reflexively raised both arms like I was cheering, begging to be picked up.

He laughed and lifted me up, then settled me onto his arm like I was nothing.

The academy head, who’d been walking ahead, nearly stopped dead in shock, eyes wide.

An average human child weighs about 27 to 29 kilograms. But I’m only about a fifth of that—probably around six kilograms. Carrying a kid who looks like she’s thirty kilograms on one hand? Yeah, no wonder he was stunned.

The students watching me clinging to my father’s neck whispered, “So cute…”

(Oh no… I’m definitely just seen as a tiny kid now…)

I’m actually small, but apparently I don’t look a day over twelve—so I regret letting myself be carried by my father. Still, keeping up at a jog is exhausting.

After weighing both options, I decided to take the easy way out early.

Leaning my head heavily against my father’s shoulder, I reaffirmed what I already knew: this position is *way* more comfortable. Now that I don’t have to keep up with him, I can finally let my eyes wander.

Perfect. I decided to go ahead and indulge in this little distraction.

Judging by the distance the headmaster had walked, the building ahead looked just like the Hochentzollern Castle I’d marked earlier.

(Those buildings really are used by the faculty, huh…)

My mind’s racing.

The layout. The route. The number of classrooms.

From that, I started estimating the average classroom size. Then I applied those numbers to the building’s total volume, hunting for gaps—empty spaces that didn’t add up.

(There’s something in the right tower… and down below…)

I couldn’t help but smirk. Immediately after, Father noticed.

“Elen, have you found something?”

“Approximately, yes. And beneath the central building—something’s *there*, you know?”

Father’s eyes widened at my whisper.

I declared it plainly—something *was* there. That presence couldn’t be mistaken. It was a spirit, no doubt.

Just thinking about why a spirit’s presence would linger beneath the academy made my skin prickle. This wasn’t just odd. It was serious.

Mother had mentioned Father sensed it during his time here.

So, likely… this presence had been here since the academy’s founding.

“Ever since I felt something off… could it be what Orie was talking about?”

“That’s exactly what I think. This academy? Definitely hiding something.”

Father gave a wry smile at my cheerful tone.