At Primus, both nobles and commoners are treated as equals—students, no more, no less.
Thus, discrimination or preferential treatment based on status or title was strictly forbidden.
That was the official stance, at least.
In practice, it was only half true.
While noble and commoner students sat in the same lecture halls, listening to the same lectures, it didn’t mean there were no differences in how they were treated.
“Don’t just stand there. Sit next to the professor. I’ll prepare some tea for you.”
“Tea, tea is something I can prepare myself, Your Highness!”
“But, hosting guests is the teaching assistant’s job, isn’t it?”
“R-Reiter, stop her, please…!”
Just watching Isabelle tremble at every word of Princess Irina was enough to prove how powerful status could be.
Isabelle herself was the daughter of a count, a high-ranking noble, yet in front of Irina, who carried the divine bloodline, she couldn’t even meet her gaze.
‘What a tangled web this is.’
Currently, Princess Irina was acting as my teaching assistant.
From what I’d observed, Irina seemed genuinely more interested in fulfilling her role as an assistant than being treated like royalty.
On the other hand, Isabelle had visited me simply as a sister figure or a friend.
Of course, in the lecture hall, she addressed me formally as “Professor” and always used polite speech, but when it was just the two of us, she was as casual as she was at the Yurt family estate.
And thus, a strange dynamic was born.
Isabelle treated me casually but acted as though Irina was both her senior and a royal figure.
Meanwhile, Irina treated Isabelle not as her junior but as her professor’s friend.
‘How should I handle this?’
When I saw Isabelle trembling as she accepted the tea Irina had prepared, I strongly felt the need to come up with a solution.
Both Irina and Isabelle were important people I couldn’t afford to push away.
The first idea that came to mind was to close the gap between them.
‘If Isabelle and Princess Irina became closer, this stifling and awkward atmosphere would likely dissipate.’
With that in mind, I decided to ask Isabelle why she had come to see me, hoping it would provide an opportunity to foster dialogue between the two.
Judging from the textbook she carried, it seemed like a question about the Mana Design course.
I planned to ask Princess Irina to give Isabelle some advice as her senior, creating an opening for conversation between them.
“Isabelle, was there something you didn’t understand in today’s lecture?”
“Y-Yes, actually, on page 17…”
Stealing glances at Irina, Isabelle cautiously asked her question in a quiet voice.
She pointed to a passage in the textbook that explained that to improve the accuracy of magic, one must control the flow of mana.
She wanted to know what exactly “controlling the flow of mana” meant.
After glancing at the section Isabelle pointed out, I looked up and met Irina’s gaze.
Then, with a light toss, I redirected the question to her.
“I think I need to review some paperwork. Would you mind answering Isabelle’s question, Your Highness?”
“…Yes!”
It was the first time since becoming my assistant that Irina received such a direct request from me, and her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
In contrast, Isabelle’s eyes quivered as though asking me, ‘Why are you doing this to me?’
‘You can’t stay scared of her forever.’
I answered Isabelle’s betrayed expression inwardly and reached for the stack of application forms still piled high.
Ultimately, building a better relationship with Irina would be beneficial for Isabelle too.
For a first-year student like Isabelle, having someone like Irina as an ally would be incredibly reassuring.
‘Though rumors about my close friendship with Isabelle had spread among the students, there was no doubt that having a princess on her side was far better than relying on a mere professor.’
With that in mind, I smiled in satisfaction as I watched Irina enthusiastically explaining and Isabelle listening, albeit hesitantly.
Irina didn’t seem to dislike Isabelle, so as long as Isabelle opened up a bit, things should work out.
***
Around the time I was reviewing my 20th application form, Isabelle’s cautious voice broke through the silence once again.
“Um, Reiter… I mean, Professor Reiter.”
“?”
“Well, uh… do you happen to know about the ‘Chapter of Leap’? Professor Ver told us even first-years will participate and should prepare for it…”
“To be honest, I didn’t know much about the Chapter of Leap either.”
Thanks to my memories of the original story, I wasn’t entirely clueless, but all I could recall was that it was Primus Academy’s version of a cultural festival.
Once again, I tossed the conversation ball to Princess Irina.
After all, among those currently in the staff room, she was the only one who had firsthand experience with the Chapter of Leap.
“Oh, the Chapter of Leap is a magical competition. Students solve tasks assigned by professors using the knowledge they’ve learned so far—”
The explanation continued for about ten minutes, but the gist was simple.
In short, it was a preliminary simulation of real-world scenarios.
The main idea was to recreate various sudden situations that might occur on the frontlines against demons or in dungeons and evaluate how students handled them.
According to Princess Irina, the competition also featured external observers, such as high-ranking officials from the Empire.
‘So, they want to scout out talented students in advance.’
It seemed to be a competition designed for the Empire to secure the best talents from Primus.
From their perspective, they wouldn’t want other factions to snatch away Primus’s top students.
For the students, on the other hand, it was an opportunity to make an impression on these so-called “important figures.”
Especially since winning the final one-on-one duel of the Chapter of Leap guaranteed a promising future, everyone would be desperate to win.
‘But what if Princess Irina participates as an opponent?’
An existence beyond the rules, someone untouchable—her status alone was an invincible cheat code.
Curious, I asked if she had ever participated in the one-on-one duels before.
The answer she gave was unexpectedly positive.
“I didn’t win, unfortunately. But both my opponent and I gave it our all, so I have no regrets.”
It seemed I had underestimated Primus’s students.
I never imagined someone would go all out against the princess and even manage to defeat her.
As I silently admired this unknown brave student, Isabelle unexpectedly spoke directly to the princess.
“Um, Your Highness…”
“Please, just call me ‘senior.’ At Primus, everyone is equal.”
“Th-Then… Irina senior, may I ask…”
She hesitated for a moment before continuing, her expression a mix of caution and anticipation.
Isabelle asked if her parents could attend the Chapter of Leap.
Princess Irina confirmed with a nod, adding that most external observers were family members of the students.
“Your parents would surely want to see how much you’ve grown, Isabelle. Let’s prepare well until then.”
“Y-Yes!”
It was clear Isabelle was looking forward to her father, Dreven Yurt, attending.
Though I doubted Dreven, who had parted ways with his daughter due to Orphion’s command, would actually come, there was no reason to dash her hopes unnecessarily.
So, I shifted my attention to Princess Irina, intending to ask about the royal family’s involvement in observing the event.
However, I quickly caught myself and shut my mouth.
‘…There’s no point in asking uncomfortable questions.’
The Emperor was someone who couldn’t leave his position, and the Crown Prince’s relationship with his siblings wasn’t exactly amicable.
As far as I could recall, Lilian was on good terms with Princess Irina, but she didn’t seem like the type to travel all the way to Primus just to watch her.
In the end, it was better to stay quiet.
***
A one-on-one duel without grudges.
‘If Atar hears about this, he’s bound to get overly excited and come running.’
‘Now that I think about it, didn’t Atar sneak into this event in the original story?’
As memories of the original story came to mind, I realized there were still several years before that part of the timeline.
I dismissed my meaningless musings and focused on the mountain of applications in front of me.
‘Who should I choose to avoid any trouble later?’
Meanwhile, in another place:
“What’s the problem with an older sister visiting her younger sister?”
“But, Lady Lilian, your presence will draw too much attention. Even Princess Irina might feel tense…”
“So what? Will they not get nervous on the battlefield? Stop saying nonsense and contact Primus. Tell them Lilian Ardenia will be attending the Chapter of Leap.”
The graceful woman, brimming with nobility, smiled faintly at the flustered expressions before her.
***
“The Divine Beast spoke of a meeting they eagerly anticipated. We must not disregard their words.”