Tilea's Worries

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Author Notes:

  The timeline shifts back a bit. This is the Camilla Academy arc, taking place right after the capital was attacked.

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The capital was attacked by demons...

Thousands were killed, and when you include the injured and missing, the numbers multiply exponentially. This catastrophe produced one and a half times more casualties than the Fifth Eastern Crusade Incident, which was previously the most devastating event in the history of the Kingdom of Arcdas. Because the vampires chose a Friday to rise up, it’s now referred to as “Nightmare Friday.”

One month has passed since that dreadful day.

The people, though steeped in grief, are working hard to rebuild. The Magic Academy has reopened, and life is returning to normal... No, let’s not pretend.

Miless Vincent, a second-year student in the Magic Academy's Middle School Division, rests her cheek in her hand and sighs.

*Sigh* Nothing’s back to normal!

Half of her classmates were either killed or injured. Those who survived are still suffering from the scars left behind. Many are grieving the loss of loved ones, lamenting their own powerlessness, and sinking into despair.

It's often said that new soldiers suffer psychological trauma during their first battle. That phenomenon has spread throughout the Academy.

My best friend Jessica is one of them.

She’s been deeply depressed since her friend Lilis died. Honestly, I’m surprised that troublemaker Lilis was friends with Jessica.

I remember badmouthing Lilis quite a bit.

Jessica, you must have been annoyed by that every time.

I regret it now.

Jessica has shut herself away in her dorm room, brooding. No matter how much I try to comfort her, it doesn’t seem to help much.

She blames herself for being powerless when her friend died.

That’s just like Jessica—so serious.

But no one could have stopped such a disaster. Jessica just needs time. Time will heal her wounds.

The real problem is my other best friend, Edim.

Edim’s situation is even worse than Jessica’s. Ever since Nightmare Friday, Edim has been acting strange, growing distant from me and Jessica.

No, it’s worse than that—she looks at us as if we’re nothing but insects.

She’s like a completely different person... I shouldn’t think badly of my friends.

Edim seems to be rejecting everyone connected to the Academy, including me and Jessica.

It must be because of that scumbag, Alcune.

It was discovered later that he was killing students while pretending to be a teacher. He had skillfully infiltrated the human world and was attacking the Academy students. All those missing student cases were because of him.

I can't forgive him!

But thankfully, during the chaos, Alcune was killed. His body was found with his face caved in. He was probably taken out by the security forces.

Serves him right!

Many students admired Alcune. No one suspected he was a demon, so everyone was shocked. Some even fell into paranoia, seeing enemies everywhere.

Edim seems to be one of them.

I remember her saying, "Alcune-sensei is so cool. He’s dependable!"

Finding out that someone she trusted was a demon must have been a terrible shock. Edim might see everyone at the Academy as potential demon spies.

Edim stopped coming to the Academy.

She rarely returns to the dorm.

What is she doing, and where is she?

I’ve tried visiting Edim many times out of concern.

But no matter what I say, she looks at me like I’m the enemy.

It’s heartbreaking. Watching such a close friend change like this is unbearable.

I’ve realized I can’t force anything. Edim needs time too.

My best friends, Jessica and Edim, were deeply scarred by that tragedy. Jessica has become a recluse, and Edim has resorted to skipping classes.

I want to solve this right away, but I know I shouldn’t rush.

It’ll be okay, somehow. This is when I need to support my friends!

With all these dark events, I've been sighing a lot lately.

But today, for the first time in a while, I feel like my spirits might lift.

Yes, today’s the day the long-awaited transfer student arrives.

What was her name? Timu-chan?

I heard she’s a cute girl. She’s from the countryside, so she’s probably feeling anxious. Especially since the capital has been gloomy since the demon attack. I’ll make sure to befriend Timu-chan and support her.

After classes ended, homeroom began.

Our homeroom teacher, Jeje, introduced the transfer student.

Is she here!?

What kind of person will she be?

As I waited with excitement,

The door opened, and a beautiful girl appeared.

In that instant, she captivated my heart.

So... beautiful.

Her radiant silver hair flowed in the wind.

Her eyes, more brilliant than rubies, shone with an intense red.

Although she wore the standard uniform, it shimmered with a noble elegance like the robe of a great sage.

When the right person wears it, even a uniform looks different.

But above all, she exuded an overwhelming charisma. She radiated the aura of a great queen from history, so dignified that I couldn’t take my eyes off her. The entire class was silent, as if under a spell.

Everyone was waiting for this charismatic girl to speak. How beautiful would her voice be? What kind of speech would she deliver?

My heart pounded with anticipation.

"I am Camilla."

Everyone’s eyes widened.

Jeje glared at her, eyes wide open.

D-did I hear that right...?

One of the students spoke up.

I’m grateful they voiced what we were all thinking.

"Hmm, I won’t say it twice. I am Camilla. I have no interest in mere humans. Anyone who claims they can defeat beastmen, dragonmen, or demons, come to me. I will evaluate you."

W-wait a minute, is this some kind of joke?

Should we laugh...? No, she looks a bit annoyed. Maybe she’s just nervous about moving to the city from the countryside.

"E-eh, I don’t think that’s possible," said Bombay, a male student, replying honestly to Timu-chan’s confusing joke.

I didn’t know how to respond.

"Hmm!? Yes, you’re right. As far as I can see, you’re all weaklings. I won’t expect any warriors here. But if you’re particularly good-looking, I might keep you as my personal property."

"How dare you! Show some respect as a student of this prestigious Magic Academy!"

Ah, there it is—Jeje’s lost his temper.

Jeje hates it when students fool around. He’s quick to resort to violence.

I honestly don’t like him.

Just the other day, he yelled at us for being mentally lazy and used mental magic on a classmate.

Mental magic is incredibly painful. It doesn’t leave any visible injuries, but the pain and fear it causes are intense. Some students are so traumatized that they start shaking just from seeing Jeje. Even if it’s for education, this kind of fear tactics should be avoided.

It’s really regrettable that our previous homeroom teacher, Kale-sensei, died.

Kale-sensei never used corporal punishment, no matter what. He was a kind person who always listened to his students.

I have to stop Jeje.

Poor Timu-chan must be so confused. She probably wasn’t joking around; maybe that was her way of trying to fit in with the class.

"Jeje-sensei, please go easy on her."

"No. Students like this need to be disciplined severely, or they’ll never learn."

With that, Jeje began to cast his mental magic.

"T-that’s too harsh for a new transfer student!"

"Miless, I won’t tolerate backtalk."

"B-but..."

"If you continue to defy your teacher, you’ll face the same consequences."

"Ugh..."

Jeje’s threat made me shiver.

At this rate, Timu-chan’s first day will turn into a traumatic experience.

Her beautiful face will be ruined by tears.

I don’t want that.

But my body won’t move under Jeje’s pressure.

Imagining what might happen next, I closed my eyes tightly.

"Timu, you will reflect on your acti—ngyaaah!!"

But contrary to my expectations, Jeje’s scream echoed through the classroom like a frog’s croak.

What just happened?

I opened my eyes cautiously and saw Timu-chan standing confidently while Jeje was lying on the ground, unconscious, with his eyes rolled back.

"Listen well, all of you. I am Camilla. Anyone who calls me ‘Timu’ will suffer the same fate. I won’t kill you, but I will make you regret it. I’d love to kill you, but that’s forbidden."

T-Timu-chan...

Challenging a teacher is just unheard of.

But still, that was amazing.

Timu-chan’s magic power is around a thousand, right?

My detection magic isn’t that precise, but I can get a rough estimate. Her magic power is lower than Jeje’s, yet she outperformed him in skill.

Despite Jeje attacking first, Timu-chan was faster and more accurate in countering his mental magic.

I heard she just recently started learning magic while living in the countryside...

She’s incredibly talented. It makes sense that she’d call herself Camilla.

—What an incredible new student we’ve got...

The whole class was stunned.

After that, Timu-chan quickly became a hero, surrounded by classmates bombarding her with questions.

Everyone hates Jeje.

He’s obnoxious, but he’s powerful, so no one dared to stand up to him. But Timu-chan defeated Jeje so easily.

Everyone is looking at Timu-chan with admiration.

It seems that no one even cares about that strange introduction she gave earlier.

Though when Jeje called her "Timu," she unleashed such a terrifying killing intent that everyone quickly got the hint and started calling her "Camilla-sama."

Even I can't bring myself to challenge her directly. I’ll just call her "Timu-chan" in my head.

"Camilla-sama, where did you learn magic?"

"I was taught by my parents. The rest I learned on my own."

"Wow, that’s amazing! To think you could defeat Jeje after learning on your own!"

"Praising me for something so trivial... don’t bore me. Are you trying to make me die of boredom?"

...She’s really looking down on everyone.

The classmate who asked the question is smiling awkwardly.

"Your silver hair is so beautiful," another classmate tries to compliment her.

"Hmm. I’ll accept your praise. You should be grateful."

"Haha... May I touch your hair? I’m actually pretty good at styling hair—"

"No. If you touch me, I’ll kill you."

I get that Timu-chan doesn’t like others touching her hair, but she could have been a little more considerate. That classmate looks like she’s about to cry.

"Um, Camilla-sama, you seem so elegant and refined. Are you from a noble family?" another classmate asks.

"Noble? Don’t make me laugh."

"S-so, you’re not... But you could easily earn a title if you wanted to, right?"

"Hmph, the titles you speak of—dukes, counts—they mean nothing to me. I could attain them whenever I wish, but it’s so beneath me that I don’t even bother. It would be a waste of time to acquire such garbage."

Calling noble titles garbage...

If the wrong person hears that, she could be arrested for insulting the royal family.

"Where do you live now?" another classmate asks, trying to change the subject.

"I live on West Street, at the Berum restaurant."

"Oh, so Camilla-sama’s family owns a restaurant. May I visit sometime?"

"No. Do you think someone like you could be invited to my home? Come back after you’ve improved your skills or appearance."

T-Timu-chan... that response is a bit too harsh.

The conversation grinds to a halt as everyone stands in stunned silence. The students who had lined up to talk to Timu-chan start to back away, almost as if retreating from a tide.

Timu-chan, you’ll end up isolated if you keep acting like this.

I have no choice. I’ll have to step in.

"H-hey, Camilla-sama."

"What is it? Who are you?"

"Ah, I’m Miless Vincent. Nice to meet you."

"Hmm, I am Camilla."

"I-I have to say, what you did earlier was amazing."

"What exactly?"

"Your aura, your presence... It was just so impressive. Are you from some special lineage? Maybe even royalty?"

"Little girl, don’t waste my time with such trivial talk."

"B-but..."

"If you continue, I’ll tear your mouth open."

"Ugh..."

This is tougher than I thought. No wonder everyone’s keeping their distance.

She got upset when I mentioned royalty.

Maybe, as a commoner, Timu-chan felt I was being condescending?

I’ll have to be more careful with my words.

I won’t give up. I’m good at socializing, so I’m determined to befriend Timu-chan, no matter what.

"S-sorry. Camilla-sama’s presence was just so overwhelming that I said something stupid."

"Naturally. But to compare me to royalty... Next time, there will be no forgiveness."

Again with the royalty as trash.

It’s no longer about status.

Timu-chan really believes she’s at the pinnacle, as Camilla, the supreme mage.

"Haha, I’m really sorry. I guess I just got carried away by how impressive you are, Camilla-sama."

"Hmph, I suppose it’s understandable for a weak human to make such mistakes."

"Yes, exactly! So, I was hoping to talk to someone as great as you, Camilla-sama."

"Very well. Normally, this would be unthinkable, but I’ll make an exception."

"T-thank you very much."

"Now, what is your name?"

I already introduced myself... Well, no point in complaining.

"I’m Miless Vincent. Just call me Miless."

"Hmm. Miless. You’re one of the few in this class with a somewhat decent appearance."

"T-thank you."

"Therefore, I’ll allow you to be my possession. Consider yourself honored."

"Hahaha..."

To be considered a classmate’s possession...

What a terrible thing to say.

And yet, when Timu-chan says it, I find myself almost agreeing. This must be due to her inexplicable charisma.

But at least Timu-chan acknowledges me as more than a stranger. Now, I just have to build on that and become friends with her.

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A few days passed...

Timu-chan continues to clash with Jeje.

And she wins every single time.

Normally, a student would be expelled for attacking a teacher. But Jeje must have his pride. It seems like a humiliation to him to expel Timu-chan without ever beating her.

He tries to catch her off guard with tricky questions in class or pushes her to the brink of physical violence during lessons. But every time, Timu-chan counterattacks flawlessly.

Honestly, it’s refreshing to see Jeje get what he deserves.

But one thing bothers me... Timu-chan looks so bored during classes. She wears an extremely displeased expression as if she finds the whole Academy boring.

If that’s the case, I’ll have to take a risk and bring up that idea.

"A welcome party?"

"Yes, the class organized it to celebrate your enrollment, Camilla-sama."

I decided to take a bold step and invite Timu-chan.

I really hope she’ll attend. I want her to enjoy her time at the Academy.

But I doubt she’ll come...

After talking to her for a few days, I’ve realized that Timu-chan’s personality is such that she’s almost certainly going to refuse. Even though we’ve just met, I can tell. She’s the type who hates socializing and prefers to be alone.

"Hmm. I shall attend."

"E-eh!? Really?"

"What? Didn’t you just say you wanted me to come?"

"Y-yes, but I thought you might not like such events..."

"Well, you’re right about that. But my sister has instructed me to attend these kinds of gatherings."

Oh, she has a sister.

Timu-chan says, "My sister’s orders are absolute. No matter how dull the event, I must attend."

Wow, talk about a high-and-mighty attitude.

But it really suits Timu-chan. She seems like a natural-born ruler. I find myself instinctively adding honorifics when I talk to her.

Even so, for someone as independent as Timu-chan to follow orders so obediently, her sister must be even more intimidating and charismatic.

"I bet your sister is..."

"Hmm?"

Uh-oh!?

Timu-chan is starting to get annoyed. I guess I should also address her sister with respect.

"I mean, I bet your sister is just as beautiful and impressive as you, Camilla-sama..."

"Miless, you understand well. My sister is even more beautiful and greater than I am."

So it’s true. Even Timu-chan, who hardly ever praises anyone, speaks so highly of her sister. She must be an incredibly beautiful and noble queen-like figure.

I’d love to meet her... but at the same time, I’m terrified at the thought.

No, I can’t. The stress would probably give me an ulcer. But I’d still like to hear more about her sister.

"Camilla-sama’s sister must be—"

"Is this the class with the new transfer student?"

Suddenly, the classroom door burst open, and a group of older students barged in, yelling.

Ugh, not these jerks.

They have the worst reputations.

"Hey, are you listening? We heard there’s a silver-haired girl here. Where is she?"

"T-Timu-chan, I mean, Camilla-sama, don’t!"

Before I could stop her, Timu-chan was already facing off against the older students.

"You need something from me?"

"Silver hair... huh, easy to spot."

"Quit mumbling to yourself. State your business!"

"What’s with this brat’s attitude? Should we teach her a lesson?"

"Hold on, not here. Not now."

"Yeah, you’re right."

The delinquents smirk as they surround Timu-chan.

"...Kukuku, are you actually foolish enough to think you can attack me?"

"Heh, we’re not stupid enough to do something that would get us expelled."

"Exactly, we wouldn’t do something like that in such a public place—oops, I almost spilled the beans."

"Enough slipping up. Don’t worry, it’s just a welcome party. We’re going to teach you how things work around here."

"Oh, a welcome party for me!"

"That’s right. If you refuse—"

"I’ll attend."

"Heh, brave girl. Meet us behind the school building after class. And come alone."

"Yeah, and don’t even think about telling any teachers, or you’ll regret it."

The upperclassmen left, still throwing out threats as they went.

"Timu-chan, you absolutely can’t go! Leave it to me. I’ll get

 the teachers involved and put an end to this."

"Miless, stop. Did you forget what I said?"

"Eh?"

"I told you, I must attend all such events."

"N-no, this is different!"

"What’s different about it? It’s my sister’s command. I’ll go. These pathetic classes are boring me to death. I’m actually looking forward to this welcome party."

Timu-chan headed off to the place the upperclassmen had summoned her with an eager look on her face.

N-no, Timu-chan, this welcome party is not what you think!

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Author Notes:

  This time, I've included the twelfth illustration in the series. It turned out exactly as I imagined, and I’m extremely grateful to the illustrator, Yamada-sama.

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