The Empress's Eye (3)

I stared at the text for a long time,

Then I put my phone away.

...I'll put it on hold for now.

Philly Terst is not someone you can deal with unprepared.

Honestly, dealing with Philly Terst is tricky.

Her appearance and speech make it seem like she knows nothing about the dirty, secretive world of the imperial palace.

But that's not the case.

Philly is the most 'qualified' person in the imperial palace.

Despite being a woman, Philly is a character who actively involves herself in the politics and dynamics of the imperial palace.

Her foundation is skepticism towards everything.

Her reputation in the imperial palace is that of a 'wise woman with outstanding intelligence and wit'.

This is because there have been more than a few incidents that were resolved by her when the imperial palace was in danger.

But the reality is different.

Philly didn't solve things with her intelligence.

She knew from the beginning.

It wasn't that she had a brilliant idea, she just guessed what would happen and responded in the most efficient way.

The royal bloodline has many enemies, even within the imperial palace.

Because if you look too perfect, you're more likely to be hated.

Knowing that, Philly unfolds her strategy 'a little late'.

To others, it appears as wit and cleverness.

Once they find out Philly's true nature, all the praises for her will disappear.

Because they are not worthy to 'praise'.

"......And, this."

Elodie handed me something.

I took it without thinking, and it was a short hexagonal column.

There was a lens in the middle of it.

...What is this?

"What is this?"

I asked as I thought.

"It's a WizardGram."

"WizardGram?"

"It's a magical item that can record for a short time and project the recorded scenes into the air. It's good for learning combat skills or weapon skills. You can see it from various angles."

I examined the WizardGram.

From the explanation, it seems like a hologram projector.

"Is this what you wanted to give me last time?"

She said she made a promise with me.

That she has an artifact to give.

"Yes. You're so lazy, so practice while watching this."

Hmm, it's a grateful gift.

'With this, I might be able to acquire 'Falling Edge'.'

I've been learning close combat from Azier regularly these days.

If I ask, he would probably allow me to record it.

"Have you finished all your reviews?"

Elodie asked.

I understood the intention of the question and nodded.

But rather, Sybil was blankly tilting her head.

"Review? What review?"

I smirked.

For Sybil, this kind of information might not be that important.

Elodie earnestly answered.

"We have midterms soon."

* * *

Constel's midterms consist of both written and practical exams. As it's a place that trains warriors, practical skills are more emphasized. However, that doesn't mean written exams can be ignored. The difference in importance isn't that significant.

To clear the assignment given by Enfer, I must rank within the top 10 in overall grades at Constel.

The first hurdle to clear in achieving this is the midterm exams.

But well, I'm not worried about the written tests.

I've pasted all the content learned during class hours into my workshop.

There's an absolutely undetectable cheat sheet.

'The real problem is the practicals.'

Practicals are similar to the joint missions I've done before.

You just need to carry out the designated tasks in the field.

But this time, it's an individual competition.

Thanks to the training so far, my 'Throwing (Dagger)' skill has reached intermediate level, and through sparring with Azier, I've also acquired 'Dual Wielding (Dagger)' at a beginner level.

By Constel's standards, I'm no longer completely incompetent, just a mediocre student at best.

...I feel like crying.

'It's hard to use Weaving and Menosorpo.'

Learning Falling Edge from Azier would certainly be a big help.

That's when I realized I was in front of the classroom.

It feels like it's been a while since I've been here.

Considering the time spent in the cabin and the hospital.

Alright, let's try not to stand out today as well.

Creak-

I opened the classroom door.

Hmm, as expected, no one is interested in me.

Satisfied, I took my seat as usual.

When it was time, Teacher Jane entered.

But today, her face looked particularly stern.

"......So, you know?"

What is it?

"Oh, today, you see? Before we start the class, there's something I need to tell you all."

Jane was stammering as she spoke.

She was smiling, but her face looked incredibly awkward.

"Well, we have a new transfer student in our class."

The classroom became noisy at her words.

Students exclaimed in surprise, asking Jane various questions.

But most were probably thinking, 'A transfer student at this time?'

Midterms are just around the corner, why a transfer student now?

I had a similar thought, but something came to mind.

There's supposed to be a transfer student around this time... But it couldn't be them.

"Please, come in. Miss Aten."

At Jane's signal, the classroom door opened and one person slowly walked in.

Her hair was pure white and glossy.

It shone as if ice had shattered and fallen upon it.

Her eyebrows, eyes, and even her skin were stark white.

The features on her small face seemed naturally placed, neat, and also pitiful.

Each time she blinked, her white pupils summoned the clarity of winter.

"Hello."

Even her voice sounded as if it was carved from ice, crisp and cold.

I watched the greeting girl with a sense of disbelief.

It was indeed the student I had in mind.

And, definitely someone who should never have come 'here'.

"My name is Aten Terst. Nice to meet you."

The third princess of the Terst Empire.

The youngest daughter of Empress Philly Terst had transferred.