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“Innocent Color…,” the ringlet girl breathed. Oliver had heard a lot about this phenomenon. It was a peculiar reaction seen only in mages with both strong magical circulation and crystalline hair structure that allowed for the uninterrupted flow of magic particles. It was an extremely rare, almost sacred gift. With the fight over, the Azian girl’s magic circulation lowered to normal levels, her hair returning to its original black before their eyes. Suddenly, her blade slipped from her grasp.
“…I’m tingling, as if I’ve just been struck by lightning. Such a thick skull, the likes of which I’ve never seen before,” the girl muttered with a bit of awe as she looked down at her numb hands. She then turned to the curly-haired girl staring up at her in a daze and asked, “Are you hurt, milady?”
“Huh? Uh…”
“Hmm. You’ve injured your leg, I see. Give me just a moment to regain the sensation in my hands, and I shall offer myself as your transportation. My apologies, but I could not grip even a pebble at present,” she continued, shaking her hands. Her eyes then moved to Oliver and the others some distance away. Her tone friendly, she said to them, “Ah, good sirs and gentlewoman. I thank you for your assistance. It gave me an ideal opening.”
Her expression then became one of deep curiosity.
“Especially that roar. Who was responsible for that? It was quite intense. I must say, I nearly soiled myself before our entrance ceremony even began.”
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From there, the cleanup of the situation was speedy. A number of the magical beasts in other areas had been inspired by the troll’s rampage to begin rioting as well, but they were immediately suppressed by Kimberly faculty and older students. Oliver and the other new pupils were told that the reason they’d been forced to take matters into their own hands was down to bad positioning—in other words, terrible luck right at the start of their academy year.
“This is taking forever,” the Azian girl lamented amid the din of the chattering new students gathered in the Great Auditorium. After seeing to it that the curly-haired girl was sent to the infirmary, the faculty had directed the scattered students back into their lines. This meant Oliver was separated from his companions—save for this girl. Instead, they were now side by side.
“I find it hard to remain still after witnessing a road of monstrous flowers and demons of all sorts parading about in broad daylight. Yet here we are, forced to simply sit and wait. It’s quite a letdown, don’t you agree, milord?”
She’d been badgering Oliver with questions the whole time, seemingly out of boredom. A little hesitant, he responded as frankly as he could.
“…We would’ve been in the middle of the ceremony by now if we were on the original schedule. Unfortunately, there was an accident, and someone was hurt. Even if it’s a minor injury, the delay was inevitable.”
“Oh? Someone was hurt in an accident? I hadn’t the faintest idea.” She seemed quite surprised. Confused, Oliver frowned.
“…What are you talking about? Did you already forget how you knocked out that troll?”
“Huh? You mean to say that was an accident?!” Her eyes went wide with shock. She put a hand to her chin and hmm’d for a bit in thought. “I see… I just assumed it was some sort of test given out to new students.”
“I doubt even Kimberly would do something that crazy. People would die before they even got to test their mettle.”
“Hmm… Indeed. I would have been in danger, too, if not for your help,” the girl stated plainly.
Oliver’s expression suddenly became quite stern. “…Hold on. Are you telling me you stood up to that troll without any kind of plan?”
“Plan? Ha-ha-ha! Of course not! Everything happened much too quickly for that. My only thought once I had my blade in hand was ‘How do I kill this?’ Its vital points were too high to reach, but if I were to run under it and slash its legs, I’d have put the girl behind me at risk. In fact, my current sword does not even have a cutting edge. My, what a bind that was.”
People had almost died in that fight, and she spoke of it as if it were a joke. The longer she cheerfully explained, the darker Oliver’s mood became.
“And your answer to that ‘bind’ was to use the troll’s limbs as stepping stones while it was paralyzed so you could aim for its head? Seriously? That’s beyond reckless. You would have died if I’d messed up my spell.”
“Indeed. And yet, I survived a deadly experience on my very first day. This bodes well.”
The girl crossed her arms and nodded to herself. Meanwhile, Oliver pressed a hand to his forehead. What was her deal? They were speaking the same language, yet he didn’t understand her at all.
“Quiet, new students! Your headmistress has arrived!” a teacher’s voice intoned, and the chattering students all shut their mouths. Once silence was restored, a woman appeared at the podium. No one saw her take the stairs. She was just suddenly there, where empty space had once been.
“I am Headmistress Esmeralda. First, allow me to apologize for my ineptitude in my oversight of today’s ceremony.”
The moment her exceedingly formal voice hit their eardrums, the students all instinctively sat up in their seats. Her eyes were the color of jade, glinting like the sharpest sword; her long dress faded from blue to black like the bottom of a lake; and at her waist were two intersecting athames. It all combined to give her an aura of fearsome beauty, with not a shred of brightness to lighten the audience’s heart.
“As you know, a number of magical beasts from the welcome parade escaped our control and injured a new student. However, they were quickly quelled, and the student in question has already been treated for their injuries. I personally guarantee the abilities of this academy’s physician. The student will be able to join all of you in class tomorrow without issue.”
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