Since classes would not begin until two days after the student's arrival, Amara spent her first day practicing her water magic. It was the only elemental magic she had been able to manifest so far, but she held it close, grateful for the soft ripple of control she could summon.
Besides, the main characters were busy that day. They were starting their meetings, forging alliances and rivalries that would shape the grand tale of the Academy. She sincerely wished them well, silently hoping they would not involve her. The story starting without her offered the perfect chance to live her own life, away from the spotlight.
On the second day, with the campus a bit quieter, she decided it was safe enough to explore the Academy grounds. Most of the major story beats should have played out by now, or at least the ones she knew of.
Clara walked alongside her, the ever-patient companion, as the two nibbled on cookies Amara had brought along. They strolled at an easy pace..
"There seems to be a banner with a detailed map over there, My Lady," Clara said, pointing ahead.
Amara followed her gesture and nodded. "Let's take a look."
They approached the large illustrated map set on a polished wooden frame. Amara stepped closer, her eyes scanning the layout.
She recognized a few places: the Tactical Stadium for combat, the Tactical Ground, the lesson building, the Open Ground for sports, the Maze Garden, and the infirmary.
Then her eyes settled on the library.
It had not played a big role in the main story, just a quiet place in the background and a perfect spot for her to study the world and its magics.
Clara glanced at her. "Would you like to visit the library, My Lady?"
Amara nodded slowly. "Yes!", she chirped.
Amara and Clara came across many students along the way. All grades were present. That was when Amara realised just how tall she was compared to most of the Grade 1 students and even many from the other grades.
"Oho~ Clara, I am like a tower!" Amara giggled, looking at Clara. She raised her hands above her head to measure herself and sneakily compared her height to the other girls passing by.
"Seriously though, did The Duke and The Duchess hire only tall maids and butlers at home? I thought I was average at five foot six, but Clara, you are still taller than me! Tsk!"
Clara let out a small laugh, watching Amara sulk over their height difference. Clara was about an inch taller, but Amara was right. The average height of girls at the Academy was around five foot four to five foot five.
"You are only sixteen, My Lady. You still have room to grow. I am sure of it."
"Ah yes! Just watch me tower over you too, Clara!" She said with a grin, walking backward as she playfully teased her.
Until… She suddenly bumped into someone with her back, causing the person to fall with a thud.
"Shit! I am so sorry!"
Amara quickly apologised to the fragile-looking boy with blonde hair and helped him up. He was about the same height as Clara. She had noticed that most of the boys she had passed so far were around five foot eight to six feet tall. Still, she shrugged off the thought. She had met a few boys her height as well.
But this boy was different. He was not exactly handsome…he was beautiful. His build was small, almost delicate. He looked like one of those soft, quiet boys from a BL manhwa, the kind always drawn with wide eyes and gentle expressions. Amara felt a soft spot bloom in her heart almost instantly.
"It is okay, My Lady," the boy said with a gentle smile. He brushed off his clothes with his hands and began walking away.
Coincidentally, it was the same direction Amara and Clara were heading. A short walk later, they both arrived at the entrance of the library.
Amara let out a light laugh.
He looks like small, cute rabbit!
"My lord, we meet again," she said playfully, offering a small, exaggerated bow.
The boy chuckled and returned the gesture with the same grace. "Indeed, My Lady."
"Are you also here to read books?" he asked.
Amara nodded immediately, her curiosity already growing.
"But I never expected the library to be this huge," Amara said in awe, her eyes wide as she took in the towering shelves that stretched toward the high ceiling. Each one looked to be at least ten feet tall.
She blinked hard. How are we supposed to reach the books on the upper shelves exactly?
Seeing the clueless expression on Amara's face, the boy smiled and decided to enlighten the grey-haired girl.
"I was here yesterday. If you look at the ground in front of each shelf, you'll see a small table. Each shelf has books marked with numbered tags, and on the table, those numbers are aligned in the same order. You just have to press them."
He stepped forward to the nearest shelf and pointed at the inscription on its side.
"It is written here, 'The Beginning of Renatus,' so this shelf contains anything related to that title."
"Oh~" Amara nodded in awe. She stepped forward eagerly, walking past the boy to stand in front of the table. Just as he said, there were numbers written across the surface, and below each number was a book title. She curiously pressed the button labeled "1."
Almost instantly, a book descended from the top of the shelf, lowered by a thin black thread until it hung at waist level. She carefully took the book and placed it on the table.
"Is this magic?" she asked bluntly. The thread attached to the book looked almost mechanical in design. It seemed to be restricted, only long enough to reach the table.
"It is, and it is not," the boy replied, stepping beside her. "The thread is made from a magic-infused material. It is sturdy like steel but flexible like a thread. It can only be cut or reattached with magic using a specific tool. If anything else tries to cut it, it immediately alerts the librarians."
Amara turned to him, genuinely impressed. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him with admiration.
Caught off guard by her intense gaze, the boy coughed nervously.
"T-The desk is also made with infused mana," he continued, trying to compose himself. "All the strings are connected to the books through coordinated magic, but the mechanism that pulls the thread is powered by a machine. It gently releases the book when you press the button."
He explained further, a little embarrassed under Amara's intent gaze.
"Wow! Thank you, my friend. Which grade are you in again?"
"Grade 1?"
"Same! But which year?"
"First year."
"Same!"
Amara grew more excited with each coincidence and couldn't stop herself from repeatedly slapping Clara's left arm in her enthusiasm.
Clara, meanwhile, endured it with a strained smile.
"Well, well, well~ I think I'll be a regular at the library. Why don't we become library buddies? I'm Amara Wavern. What's your name, my friend?"
At the mention of her surname, the boy stiffened in surprise. He had heard rumors about the Duke of Oriens' only daughter, known for her wild and eccentric behavior. Could those rumors have been wrong? After meeting her in person, he felt a little guilty for having judged her based on gossip. She was just a cheerful and slightly odd kid.
The boy gave a light laugh. Amara tilted her head, confused about what part of her words had been funny, but she shrugged it off and waited for him to speak.
"I apologize for being so easily swayed by rumors. My name is Theo Benatte, the third prince of Renatus. Pleasure to meet you, Lady Amara."
She let out a small sigh when she heard his name. She had really believed, just for a moment, that she could make friends outside of the main story.
"Lady Amara?"
She heard him call and slowly looked up to face him.
The boy standing before her was not just any student. He was one of the characters from the story, the cursed prince. He had been one of the few who stood against Leon and could see through his schemes.
Noticing the reluctant expression on Amara's face, Theo gave a quiet, awkward chuckle.
"I understand if you have changed your mind about being friends with me. After all, I am the so-called cursed prince."
"Look, it's not like that..." she began, but the words caught in her throat. No matter how hard she tried, nothing seemed to come out.
Theo gave her a small, bittersweet smile. "I hope you find the book you're looking for," he said softly, then turned and walked away slowly, each step quiet and measured.
Her thoughts were all over the place, torn between whether she should befriend Theo or not. He was definitely part of the story, but not one of the main characters. He hardly showed up and, from what she knew, he was actually against Leon.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized her mind kept going back and forth. She didn't want the story to control her, but at the same time, everything she'd done so far was about avoiding the characters like she was already trapped in it. No matter what she did, it felt like the story was pulling her along whether she liked it or not.
She said she didn't give a damn about the story, but was that really true?
"Prince Theo!" she called out, running after him.
Theo turned around, a little surprised. "Yes?"
The Unrivaled Zero Power novel seriously only revolved around Leon, the one character who got everything he wanted while nothing good ever happened to the people around him.
Bullshit!
Amara looked at Theo and gave him a bright smile.
This world isn't an otome game or some romance novel. It's a cruel tragedy that shows no mercy to anyone… except Leon.
But she was not just anyone. She was stronger and more privileged than him in every way.
Leon started off weak, with no magic, no status, and nothing to give him an edge
A wide grin then spread across her face as the thought hit her.
Fuck Leon!
She held out her hand for Theo to shake. "You left before I could say anything, Prince Theo. Let us be good friends!"
I'm not here to play the hero..
She stood by the library door, happily waving as Prince Theo walked away. When he waved back at her with the same cheerful energy, she felt her heart eased immensely.
... but I can't pretend these characters deserved the shitstorm dumped on them.
"You know what, Clara? I really don't like Leon anyway. Why don't I start using my villainess role on him instead? Should I give it a try?"
Seeing Leon struggle in the story that was crafted for him… actually sounds fun!
Clara turned to look at Amara, who was clearly plotting something with a creepy smile on her face. She could only sigh once again.
----------------------------------------------------
Ina stood by the window in Leon's room, her eyes fixed on the enormous library in the distance. She longed to go there again. Before she regressed, during her time at the academy, she had only visited the library once with Leon. That had been the first and last time.
She remembered the towering shelves filled with books, each one promising knowledge she had once dreamed of mastering. Even the Royal Library could not compare to the one at the Magic Academy. Only there could one find true magical study books. The ones she and Leon had bought from a traveling merchant were just hand-copied versions, written by someone who tried to recall what they had read from the academy's library.
Ina knows she will regret coming to the Academy as a maid. She can only enter the library if she accompanies a student, and Leon is her only chance. Maids are not allowed entry on their own.
She sighs and turns her gaze toward the vast fields and winding roads outside. There, in the distance, she sees Leon limping slightly as he drags his feet toward the dormitory.
She remembered that day when Hector and Leon played a football match on opposing teams. Hector was athletic and experienced, and after hearing who Hector was, Leon, despite having no background in sports, jumped onto the field and ended up getting injured by him. That incident was how Leon managed to befriend Hector, and from there, their friendship slowly began to bloom.
But she knew their friendship would not last forever. Hector was upright and righteous. Because of that, she did not mind if their friendship blossomed again.
As she shifted her gaze back toward the library, her eyes landed on Amara and her maid stepping outside. They were just a few meters away from Leon.
Her eyes immediately widened. That was the friendship she never wanted to bloom again.
She drew in a sharp breath and rushed down the stairs from the sixth floor.
-------------------------------------------
"Well, that's a given. I forgot about the Academy bracelet. It's the one that identifies students. It also functions as a tracking device to monitor their whereabouts if necessary."
She was once again casually sharing what she knew about the world with Clara. Without the student's bracelet, they weren't allowed to borrow a book.
She felt genuinely happy to have Clara by her side. There was something about her presence that was calm, steady, and reassuring. Amara believed she could speak freely around her without worrying that her words would be repeated to anyone else. With each passing day, her trust in Clara deepened. It was a quiet kind of comfort that Amara had not realized she needed.
She sometimes felt a little lonely as an outsider in this world. Honestly, she just needed to let her thoughts spill out every now and then and she was also a professional chatterbox.
As she was lost in thought, it took her a moment to notice Leon limping just a few meters away.
"Ah, speak of the devil" she sighed, turning her gaze elsewhere.
Ina?
There.. her heart raced again at the sight of the beautiful goddess running toward them, leaving her momentarily dazed.
"My lady?", She faintly heard Clara's voice.
You… the one who suffered the most in this cruel world…
She lifted her foot and began slowly walking toward her.
I was a fool and a coward to decide not to meddle with the story!
Without thinking twice, she grabbed Ina's wrist, pulling her out of her run and into the library, intending to warn her about her fate.
But..
"What are you doing?!" Ina exclaimed, immediately jerking her hand away.
She froze, realizing her impulsive action. As she reflected on the situation, it hit her that Ina was probably rushing to help Leon, who had been injured by Hector.
"Ina…" she straightened herself, deciding to push through her aim. "…you should leave Leon," she said sincerely, trying her best to ignore Ina's fiery eyes.
Those beautiful eyes that only soften for Leon..
Ina let out a small, exasperated tsk, crossed her arms, and thought bitterly.
Has Amara already fallen for Leon and is trying to push me away?
Thinking Ina's silence was a cue, she pressed on.
"He's not good for you," she said gently, almost pleading. She knew this might not reach Ina, who loved Leon with reckless devotion, but she couldn't stay silent either "…please, live your life as fully as you can. For yourself, not for him."
Then came the unexpected question that froze her in place.
"I don't remember telling you my name, My Lady?"