Chapter 6: Avalon Academy

When Via opened her eyes, she was already lying on the floor, her sleeping posture terrible.

Warm sunlight sprinkled onto the pink-haired girl, making her realize morning had arrived.

“I dreamed last night about… huh?”

Via discovered she had a strange dream, of a demon boy and a human girl meeting.

Upon waking, the dialogue from the dream had blurred; she couldn’t recall it.

Complex emotions inexplicably surged in her chest, as if a piece of her heart had been hollowed out.

“Those two exchanged names. What was the demon called again? It was, it was—?”

After pondering for a while, Via still couldn’t remember.

The dream felt truly bizarre—demons and humans attempting peaceful communication?

Not even novels dared such a premise.

Anyone who wrote that would be branded a heretic and hauled off for investigation by holy knights.

She hadn’t recently read anything similar, so why this baffling dream?

Strange.

Via slowly stood.

She glanced at the bed—predictably, Sophie was gone.

Unlike herself, still in school, her outstanding sister had graduated long ago and was interning as an apprentice saintess in the Holy Land, incredibly busy with few chances to meet.

“I heard Big Sister recently has to join holy knights to subjugate dangerous monsters. She probably left early this morning…”

Via walked a few steps, opened the window, breathed the fresh air, yet felt somewhat depressed.

“If only I were more capable, inheriting Mother’s excellent talent, maybe I could join Big Sister on monster hunts and always stay together.”

“Via, awake?”

A woman’s voice came from the doorway.

“Nanny!”

Via reflexively smoothed her messy pink hair and stood obediently.

“…Vacation’s over. Time to return to school,” the meticulous old nun said in a flat tone. “I hear assessment day is near. Perform well. Don’t keep embarrassing the Holy Land.”

…

…

“If possible, I really don’t want to go to school…”

Sitting in the carriage, Via glanced at the window glass; the reflected girl no longer wore the Holy Land’s nun attire but had changed into an Avalon student uniform.

A pale gold jacket over a white lining, with exquisite material and unique design exuding noble elite style, the academy crest on her chest.

Translucent white silk wrapped her perfectly curved legs, paired with a blue pleated skirt, highlighting youthful vitality.

“Sigh.”

Via looked at herself and sighed.

This was probably one of her few merits—inheriting a face of national idol level from her mother.

But if she entered an idol audition, she might not even pass preliminaries.

Her personality was just too awful.

Introverted and socially anxious, she stammered under many gazes.

Aside from being exceptionally pretty, she was practically worthless.

“We’ve arrived, Miss Via,” the coachman stopped the carriage. “Your other belongings were sent to the dorm ahead.”

“…Okay.”

Via opened the door and stepped down.

She looked up; a massive gate loomed, with magnificent buildings beyond.

This was the Saint Luo Empire’s premier academy, cradle of heroes—Avalon Academy.

With vacation ending, many students were returning, crowding the entrance with extravagantly numerous luxurious carriages.

Yet the Holy Land’s carriage stood out; the moment Via alighted, her striking pink drew countless gazes.

If it were Sylvia Shirleyford here, what would she do?

Surely flash an infectious smile, greet everyone, captivate all with her trained voice, instantly becoming a sun-bright focal point.

“Uh…”

Sweat beaded on Via’s forehead.

She couldn’t do it.

Though Nanny often drilled her to emulate her mother’s excellence, she simply couldn’t respond easily to everyone.

She lowered her head, avoiding all eyes, ostrich-like in escape, quickening her steps to shake off the stares.

“As expected, she’s still like that.”

“You know how she did at the banquet? Completely crushed by Sophie!”

“No surprise. She’s Pink Rice Cake, after all.”

Via heard the students’ mocking chatter.

Rice Cake was Via’s nickname.

Soft and glutinous, just like the literal meaning.

…

“Abyssal aura is an extremely dangerous energy, possessing intense corrosiveness and lethality, causing severe harm to all life.”

“If a monster’s magic core is eroded by abyssal aura, it may become a berserk abyssal beast, slaughtering all life indiscriminately. If we contact it, at best death, at worst corruption into frenzied demonized beings—these heretics harm former kin and spread abyssal aura.”

In class, the middle-aged teacher Anima, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, lectured the students.

This was a basic exam point for the assessment.

“Demons are exceptions; these innately evil beings can contact and adapt to abyssal aura, infecting monsters to attack humanity.”

“Fortunately, humanity has countermeasures—using clerics’ holy power to purify abyssal aura.”

Here, Anima paused, raising his voice.

“Via!”

“Yes? Teacher, I’m here!”

Via, taking notes, panicked and stood from her seat.

“Do you know what happened in the year 4725 of the Theia Calendar?” Anima asked.

Theia was the continent’s name; the Theia Calendar was the universal dating system.

“Let me think…”

Via pondered; studied history knowledge flashed quickly in her mind.

Though her abilities were lacking, she had put in private effort; her written scores were decent.

“Lady Silver Sword Princess Selina defeated Demon King Ville, bringing peace to humanity.”

“Correct. The deranged Demon King proactively launched a horrific war, using abyssal aura to raze human cities, controlling demonized beings to massacre humanity—”

Anima continued per the textbook.

Yet at that moment, Via inexplicably grew irritated.

She uttered a statement that could land her in the Holy Land’s heresy trial, shocking the entire class.

“No, Ville never thought that way.”