“Take this report card back to the Holy Land.”
At the gates of Avalon Academy, Via handed a letter to the cleric standing before her.
“Make sure it reaches Bishop Belon.”
“This is… your report card?” the cleric asked, curious.
“Yes. Once the bishop sees it, he’ll understand everything.”
“Understood.”
The cleric nodded, stored the report in his bag, and departed the academy along with the other clerics, beginning the journey back to the Holy Land.
“Once Belon sees that score, he should have nothing left to say.”
Via murmured softly to herself.
She turned and headed back toward her dormitory.
Along the way, many students passed by her. But not one greeted her.
Their gazes toward her felt strangely reserved, even wary.
The reason was clear—
“…”
Via stopped walking, turning toward the notice board nearby.
There were currently two major postings on the academy’s main bulletin.
The first was the assessment results. Via’s portrait had climbed from the bottom all the way up to the leading ranks—it was hard not to notice.
The second was an academy notice.
During the assessment, two students had gone missing. After several days of searching the Evergreen Mountains, the teachers of Avalon Academy had finally found the remains of two bodies half-eaten by magical beasts.
One was Hank. The other, Mary.
Both of them had been in Via’s team—Team 043. Two of them had met tragic ends while only Via made it back to the safe zone… with an Excellent score.
To others, the situation was downright suspicious.
Rumors had already begun to spread: Via had learned black magic and secretly siphoned off Hank and Mary’s luck.
“Via.”
A deep, steady voice sounded from behind her.
Via turned around and saw an older man. She greeted him politely, “Good afternoon, Director.”
“…”
The man was Nikita, the disciplinary director of Avalon Academy.
He stared at Via for a long moment before speaking.
“About Hank and Mary’s disappearance—you were part of Team 043. Do you have nothing to say?”
“Director Nikita, I’ve already reported everything I could during my previous questioning,” Via responded. “If you need details, you can check the record in the archives. As for what happened to them afterward… I truly don’t know.”
“I hope so. And I also hope your luck continues to be so good.”
Leaving behind a cryptic remark, Nikita walked away.
Via watched his back, her mind turning.
She hadn’t said a word about Mary’s assassination attempt.
If she revealed the truth, the whole situation would turn into chaos—she was still, after all, Sylvia’s daughter.
And if word got out that someone had tried to assassinate her, she’d be taken back to the Holy Land, watched by countless pairs of eyes.
And how was she supposed to explain how she survived an ambush by a trained killer?
…
Back at her dorm.
Via stood at the doorway of her room, looking into the darkness. She lit the magic lamp inside.
Magic burned slowly within the container, releasing a warm glow that illuminated the room.
The pink-haired girl slipped off her little boots and put on her slippers.
There would never again be a braided roommate sitting on the sofa reading.
Even now, Via still felt stunned—how that girl, who had always pretended to be so gentle and friendly, had actually hated her so deeply.
“They cleaned out the room pretty thoroughly.”
Via opened Mary’s door.
The personal belongings were long gone. The room was empty.
Given her current reputation, it was unlikely anyone would want to move in with her now. That meant she’d be living alone.
Well, that room could be put to use now. Converted into a makeshift magic workshop.
“What I need to think about next is how to become stronger. I don’t want a repeat of what happened last time.”
…
…
“Lady Sophie, what are you thinking about?”
The voice of a Holy Knight pulled Sophie from her thoughts.
“Oh… it’s nothing.”
Sophie quickly composed herself.
She’d been thinking of her sister. She’d heard Avalon Academy recently held an assessment. She wondered whether Via had passed.
Given Via’s grades, if she failed the assessment, the academy might pressure her to withdraw.
The Holy Land had already stepped in many times to cover for her. Any more special treatment might spark protests…
But that wasn’t the most pressing matter.
What needed attention now was the next mission: subjugating a transcendent magical beast.
As a saintess candidate being nurtured by the Holy Land, she was accompanying the Holy Knight Order for the mission—to hunt a Transcendent-level creature.
“We’re hunting the Ironblade Wolf, correct?” Sophie asked.
“Yes. That monster has slaughtered civilians in multiple towns. We must take action, eliminate it, and protect the people.”
The knight spoke with a determined tone.
“Lady Sophie, we will be relying on your support from the rear during battle.”
“There’s no need to be so formal. It’s my duty.”
“You truly do resemble your mother.”
Admiration shone in the knight’s eyes as he said it.
“Seeing you reminds me of when I was still a novice knight, following Lady Sylvia. I saw her perform miracles with my own eyes, saving me with holy power. If not for her, I wouldn’t be alive today.”
Sophie smiled on the outside—but inside, she sighed.
She had heard this many times.
Everyone sought her mother’s shadow in her.
Sylvia had saved countless people—and held a revered status among humanity. Some even worshipped her blindly…
And now, those same expectations weighed heavily on Sophie.
No one cared what she really felt inside. All that mattered was that she resembled Sylvia.
“Lady Sophie, perhaps you should consider adopting a style like Lady Sylvia’s—”
The knight’s suggestion was cut short by a sudden order from the front.
“Attention! Ironblade Wolf has appeared ahead—earlier than expected!!”