“……Did you hear the rumor?”

“That Count Lumen, who was known for doing a lot of relief work in the slums, turned out to be an aristocrat?”

“Or are you talking about that ridiculous rumor that a different species appeared at the illegal auction held after the charity auction ended?”

“No, not that. ……Ah, that’s right, but to be precise, I’m talking about the rumor that a student from our academy was at that illegal auction.”

“What……? If you go to an illegal place, wouldn’t expulsion be the worst case scenario? How did they all get admitted here, is there really such a bold and thoughtless kid in our academy?”

“……Ah, I know who it is! Could it be Senior Oliver of magic? I’m right, aren’t I!”

“……Would that be correct? That senior, even though he doesn’t seem like it at all, is in his final semester of third year. If he’s in his right mind, no one would do such a reckless thing when graduation is right around the corner.”

“Then…… who do you think it is?”

“You know, that first year……”

“Ah, aah!”

“……No way. No matter what, would a first year have done that without fear? It must be a false rumor.”

“R-right?”

Even as they said this, the gazes of the three students turned towards one person.

Straight to Nigel Ars, who had firmly established herself as the representative figure of the first-year magic department, surpassing even the tremendous giants like Sid Cromwell, Noah Beselion, and Allen Evans.

Besides them, many gazes looking at Nigel crossed years, departments, and genders.

While everyone was just watching Nigel, who was alone and absorbed in her book, someone bravely approached her.

“Oh! Freshman~ You’re still as popular as ever even on the day before the opening ceremony? Pretty impressive.”

“……Senior Oliver.”

Nigel looked up with a sullen expression.

“Oh, yes. Hello! But where did you leave your friends and why are you alone? Ah, did you fight again? Sorry~ I was insensitive. But why did you fight?”

“Senior, you’re…… always the same.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“What do you mean fight. The two of them went for a meeting due to Widrun…… I mean, the headmaster’s summons.”

“That’s strange. Leaving just you out?”

“That’s what I’m saying. The headmaster personally left a message saying I should come a little later.”

Nigel sighed as she roughly closed her book.

“Tut-tut. You shouldn’t handle books carelessly, Nigel.”

“Wow……”

Nigel’s mouth fell open as she watched Oliver examining the book here and there.

“Why? Are you suddenly in awe of me? Don’t worry, I’ll allow you to admire me sufficiently. After all, this semester is the only time you’ll be able to fully appreciate me.”

“Ah, it’s not that, it’s just that every time you do this, I really feel that your last name is Wellreader.”

“Well, while I’m not particularly interested in reading books, I am somewhat interested in managing them. Anyway, from the surprise gift before the break, it seems the headmaster has a great interest in you.”

Oliver slightly narrowed his eyes. Despite the person in front of her smiling prettily, Nigel felt rather uneasy.

“……Ah. So the rumor is true after all? The rumor that students from our academy were involved in Count Lumen’s auction.”

As if he had seen through Nigel’s psychology in that short moment, Oliver whispered in Nigel’s ear.

“……Are you really writing your graduation thesis on mind reading?”

Pfft.

At that moment, Oliver laughed playfully.

‘……Ah, no way!’

By the time she realized it, Oliver’s dazzling mockery had already begun.

“Thank you, Nigel. Thanks to you, I’ve gained confidence. I’m glad you still have a naive side. Hmm…… Have you lost your touch because it’s been too long since you’ve seen me?”

Nigel’s face hardened completely, having fallen for Oliver’s psychological warfare.

“I only said ‘students from our academy’, I never specified anyone, right? You told me everything.”

Thwack!

Nigel’s hand was faster than her tongue, more intuitive, and more accurate.

“Wow, you know that would have hit a vital point if it had landed, right? Of course, there’s no way the agile me couldn’t have dodged it.”

Oliver casually avoided it and shrugged his shoulders.

Nigel, narrowly missing, regretfully rubbed her reddened fist that had slammed into the chair.

“Don’t worry. This generous Senior Wellreader tends to keep the most interesting stories among interesting stories to himself, like the archive in our family home, without sharing them externally.”

“That means you’re threatening to tell others if I don’t spill everything about what happened at the auction to you, right?”

“Nigel……! Your lost sense has finally come back to life!”

Oliver pretended to be moved and even took out a handkerchief to dab at his dry eyes in an affected manner.

“……But you really can’t tell other people.”

“Of course.”

Oliver felt elation as he watched Nigel open her mouth, looking around with a serious face devoid of any trace of a smile.

This smart junior was still naive and pure.

She didn’t know how obsessed with rumors and fun the Sienna students were, who had to live confined in the academy except on holidays or special occasions, and also didn’t know that she should be most careful of the mouths of allies rather than Oliver’s own mouth in front of her.

……In that sense, she was lovable, full of tease-worthy aspects.

Thrilling.

He had a feeling that the last semester of his third year would be the most fun.

“……Oh. That’s quite a surprising story. So, you’re saying it’s not really a reconstruction of a fairy tale or Balein’s biography?”

“Yes, think about it logically. There’s no way I would go to such troublesome effort to reconstruct a fairy tale for you, senior.”

“Well, our freshman certainly wouldn’t do that. Hmm…… I really should keep the specific details to myself. If it spreads, I might end up having an interview with the Imperial Knights.”

The fact that there was no mention of the Princess of Crena despite such an incredible inside story meant that something even more powerful than the press had deliberately blocked it.

“If you understand, then watch your mouth. Ah, this is a real request, but please do so in your daily life too.”

“Alright, alright. Our freshman should go to the healing chapel and ask the high priest to bestow a blessing. With each incident you get involved in getting bigger and bigger, I wonder if the empire might collapse before you graduate, haha.”

“……Stop saying such unlucky things.”

Nigel stood up abruptly with her face all scrunched up.

“What? Where are you going?”

“Widrun…… I mean, the headmaster’s summons.”

“I thought. I thought you were angry because of me. That’s a shame, I really wanted to see you get angry. Well, take care.”

Nigel, still with a sour expression, nodded obediently and moved her feet.

“Ah, Nigel!”

‘……What now?’

Whisk!

The moment she turned her back, something flew precisely towards Nigel’s face.

Just before the object reached Nigel, she managed to catch it.

『Encyclopedia of Magical Plants』

It was the first book Nigel borrowed as soon as she arrived at the academy.

“You should take your book with you.”

“……Didn’t you say not to handle books carelessly earlier?”

“It’s okay. I’m Wellreader, after all. I learned how to throw books without damaging them first, in practice while getting the cane from my father.”

“Ah, I see.”

This time, Nigel really moved her feet.

In front of the headmaster’s office.

Nigel hesitated before knocking twice on the door.

“Yes.”

A cold voice was heard, as if already aware of who was outside the door.

Figuring there was no one around anyway, Nigel roughly flung the door open without hesitation.

“……Your manners seem to be developing day by day, Miss Nigel Ars.”

“This is all learned from watching the exemplary headmaster. Of course, I’m still far from matching up to you, headmaster.”

Nigel smiled brightly.

“Ah, right! I received the cookies you sent well. Thanks to them, I was able to become even closer with Besel…… I mean Noah. Indeed, the insight of a sage like yourself is beyond the grasp of a commoner like me.”

Following that, Nigel, who had deliberately mispronounced Noah’s name, placed her hand on her chest and bowed her head elegantly to express gratitude to Widrun.

All this was the result of the eloquent speech she had gained after a fruitful conversation with Oliver.

‘This should be enough to tick him off…… But his patience is considerable?’

Widrun, whose face didn’t change a bit, rather smiled brightly and poured Nigel a glass of iced tea full of fresh flower fragrance as if just picked.

While it was unlikely that Widrun would do something as stupid as killing a student within the academy unless he had gone completely mad, Nigel, who had learned a big lesson in Ather, overcame Tillin’s habit.

“Yes, I’m very glad my modest gift was helpful. ……So. The princess, Mr. Cromwell. It seems the auction visit with more people than usual was very enjoyable.”

Widrun’s eyes narrowed, as if trying to probe Nigel’s true feelings.

‘This guy still thinks I’m a commoner who fools around with royalty and nobility, even though he’s somewhat smart.’

Nigel, who had already taken a big hit from Oliver earlier, maintained perfect control over her expression without faltering.

Nigel decided she had to give him a taste of his own medicine.

“Yes, fortunately, everything went according to plan, didn’t it? I was hoping that maybe…… I might have to use my ability, but unfortunately, such an opportunity didn’t present itself.”

Nigel said affectedly, cupping one cheek with one hand while conjuring a small magic flame with the other.

At that moment, Widrun’s eyes, which had always been indifferent or cold, began to waver.