Chapter 217: A New Semester A New Evaluation 7
Surprised for a moment, I wondered why such a crazed character would approach me out of nowhere.
Still, I quickly shifted my gaze back to its usual nonchalance, masking my curiosity.
Wasn’t she supposed to be at Kagami’s stage, waiting for her turn?
But, then again, I couldn’t afford to pay too much attention to that section with Uriel’s fight coming up soon.
Before I could overthink it, her voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Could I ask you a question?”
“You are…?”
“Oh, my apologies for the rudeness.” With a graceful flip of her red fan, she closed it with a soft snap, revealing her full face.
The faint smirk on her lips became clearer as she smoothly gathered the hem of her skirt, bowing lightly toward me.
“My name is Stacia Alger Del Luna. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senior.”
She moved with practiced elegance, her every action dripping with regal refinement, which only made me warier.
“Riley… Riley Hell. You may call me Riley, Your Highness,” I replied, standing from my chair to meet her gesture with a slight bow of my own.
“Fufu~” Stacia chuckled softly, her fan lifting back up to partially cover her mouth.
There was a knowing gleam in her crimson eyes as if she found my acknowledgment of her royal status amusing.
It wasn’t as though she was making any effort to hide it—anyone with half an eye could tell she was of high rank just by the way she carried herself.
That unnerving confidence, like someone who knew they could do anything and get away with it, was impossible to miss.
Her smirk grew slightly, as though she were sizing me up.
“You’re quite well-informed, aren’t you?” Her voice held a teasing lilt. “I didn’t think you’d know who I was so quickly.”
“It’s hard not to,” I replied carefully, keeping my tone polite but distant. “A princess of your standing naturally draws attention.”
Her smile widened. “How flattering.” There was a pause, her eyes flicking over me, studying my reaction like a predator evaluating its prey.
“But enough about formalities. I’m more curious about you, Senior. And please, stop with the honorifics. I may be of royal birth, but in the academy, all of us are equal. You’re my senior, after all. Just call me Stacia if you want.”
“I believe I can’t afford to do that, Your Highness.”
“And why is that?”
“You already know the reasons, don’t you?”
“But I don’t care about such reasons.”
“…..”
Just like in the game, she’s as stubborn as ever.
Stacia had always been a character defined by her defiance and lust for glory. Once she committed to something, there was no going back.
She had an unshakable confidence in her beliefs—especially when it came to matters, she thought she was right about.
She stepped closer, her crimson eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and curiosity.
“So now that we’ve gotten to know each other, is it alright if I ask you a question now, Senior Riley?”
“Yes…”
“Heroes of Light… does that title ring any bells to you?”
Her words sent an immediate chill down my spine, causing me to stiffen.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
How could I have forgotten? I’d been so focused on my intense training during the vacation and obsessing over Alice’s upcoming arcs that I’d completely neglected the most crucial aspect about Stacia.
She wasn’t just a princess of royal blood.
No, she was a woman obsessed—with power, with destiny.
“Those titles are certainly quite popular around the academy…” I muttered, trying to keep my tone neutral.
Her eyes glinted with amusement as she pointed her fan toward Lucas, who was battling in the distance. “That senior over there is one of them, isn’t he?”
Her voice carried a dangerous undertone, her gaze narrowing as her fan fluttered closed. “And the other… the golden child.”
“Though I haven’t met her personally, I can tell just from watching that senior on stage… she’s probably extraordinary as well. Especially considering she’s a mage of almost Archon levels of power. Their popularity and prestige in the academy have skyrocketed, haven’t they?”
I nodded slightly, not wanting to give too much away. Lucas and Rose were legends in the making, their reputations growing after the incident with Dorothy Gale, the former student council president.
But I could feel Stacia wasn’t here just to make idle conversation.
She leaned in slightly, her voice lowering to almost a whisper. “But don’t you find it strange?”
I furrowed my brow, playing dumb. “What’s strange?”
Her smile widened, eyes narrowing like a predator who had caught its prey.
“There were supposed to be three Heroes of Light according to the official announcements the academy made after the incident with Dorothy Gale. Three heroes… all revealed to the public, celebrated for their bravery.”
“But,” she continued, her smile never wavering, “as time passed, that number somehow reduced itself to two. Quietly, naturally. As if it were the most normal thing in the world. The academy now only acknowledges two Heroes of Light—Lucas and Rose Brilliance. But even the witnesses who once knew of the third… it’s as if they’ve forgotten. They no longer recognize or speak of a third hero. Isn’t that… odd?”
“Perhaps the academy misjudged? Maybe there were only two heroes that day after all.”
“Perhaps~” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “But that doesn’t explain the irregularities, does it?”
“Irregularities?”
“There are just too many holes in the story left unchecked and unpolished, It’s almost ridiculous. The more they try to hide it, the more obvious it becomes.”
She let out a soft laugh, fanning herself casually, but her words carried an edge.
“Fufu~ The only people capable of pulling off such a cover-up would be either the Principal herself, who could shape the academy to her will, or someone with enough influence to silence even the most gossip-prone nobles.”
“That someone… was Princess Snow. Snow Luvenitia White Germonia Leven. I have no doubt it was her who orchestrated everything. After all, not even the Principal has the power to hush the nobles so thoroughly. The real question is why? Why would Snow go to such lengths to hide the truth? What could possibly motivate someone of her stature to personally act, sealing every little detail?”
“What could the reason be for Snow to protect… you, Senior Riley?”
“I don’t know what you’re—”
“Please,” she cut me off, her smile widening as she leaned in closer, her fan lowering just enough for me to feel her piercing gaze. “Don’t play coy with me, Senior. It doesn’t suit you.” Her voice softened, but there was an undeniable weight to her words. “You are the third Hero of Light, aren’t you?”
“…”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Any denial at this point would be pointless.
I mean in the first place I was the one who asked Snow the favor minimizing my achievements throughout the public ears and eye, all in order to avoid getting too involved with the heroines of this arc…
Her smile widened further, her eyes dancing with satisfaction at my silence.
“Fufu~ Please don’t look at me so seriously, or I might end up biting~”
“Really, I mean you no harm,” Stacia continued, her tone softening ever so slightly, though the intensity in her gaze remained. “You can take what I said with a grain of salt, but still… I am curious. What made Snow personally intervene for someone like you, Senior?”
“I’ve only met Snow a few times during royal ceremonies, but she never struck me as the type to go out of her way for anyone unless there was something in it for her. She’s far too pragmatic for that. So why? What’s her reason? What’s her benefit in hiding your true identity as one of the Heroes of Light?”
I shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny, but before I could respond, she added, “Unless, of course, the only benefit here is on your end, which makes the situation all the more… strange.”
“Does it really matter what Snow does?”
“No, it doesn’t really,” she said with a smile, though there was a bite to her words, “but it does matter to me. After all, you’re one of the Heroes of Light, and yet that pig has the nerve to cast you under the limelight!”
“Excuse me?”
I blinked, momentarily caught off guard by her venomous tone.
Snow—a pig?
“Tell me, Senior,” Stacia pressed, her voice lowering as if she was sharing a scandalous secret. “She didn’t blackmail you, did she?”
‘How the heck did she come to that conclusion?’
“Hah~ at this rate, I really have no choice now, do I? As much as I am curious, bringing you back into the spotlight is my top priority right now, Senior~.”
“Huh?”
Puack!
I barely had time to register her words before something hit me square in the face.
It took a moment to process what had just happened.
Princess Stacia, with her usual unpredictable flair, had thrown her red, lace-covered glove directly at me.
The delicate fabric landed unceremoniously, draping across my cheek.
An action like that could only mean one thing. I stared down at the glove in disbelief.
“Please accept my challenge, Senior,” she said, her tone laced with a mixture of playfulness and resolve. “And I’ll take you back to the spot where you rightfully belong to~.”
This girl was just doing everything on her own terms.
…..
“AGHH!!!!”
A young first-year’s scream pierced through the air as a brilliant explosion of stardust erupted across the battlefield.
Kagami, standing tall at the center of it all, casually opened his palm before clenching it again, stretching out his right arm as though warming up for more.
“Woah… how are we supposed to win against that?!”
“That senior is terrifying!”
“This is just unfair!”
The chorus of complaints from the surrounding first-years reached Kagami’s ears, but instead of feeling remorse, he couldn’t help the smirk that crept onto his face.
The power trip he was on right now felt intoxicating.
He didn’t realize it back then—caught up in the whirlwind of battles and surrounded by the high-level monsters in his class—but his strength had far surpassed that of his peers.
Now, with a clearer perspective, it was obvious to him. He was far above average.
“Good job… but I think you should hold back a little more,” came a quiet, monotone voice from behind him.
Turning around, Kagami saw Seo, her red eyes calm as she observed the aftermath of his display.
Her presence was subtle, but her words carried an undeniable weight.
Despite her gentle tone, she wasn’t shy about offering honest feedback.
Kagami grinned in response, almost as if he expected the remark. “Hah, I believe I’m doing well enough for them. Any more humility and it might feel like an insult.”
Seo raised an eyebrow slightly, her expression barely shifting. “They might think it’s unfair…”
“They’re already thinking that,” Kagami replied, his grin widening as he gestured to the murmuring crowd. “Besides, if you were the one on stage right now, then it would really be unfair.”
Seo stood silently for a moment; her gaze thoughtful as she considered his words. It was true. Even she couldn’t deny that fact.
“By the way, where is Riley?” Seo asked curiously, tilting her head as she scanned the examination grounds.
Having arrived late, she hadn’t been able to figure out where Riley’s stage was located, and she had ended up at Kagami’s stage, simply because it was the closest one.
Of course she could’ve used mana detection but then she’d have to differentiate and filter out every mana that was in the air right now.
Which was close to impossible even for her, especially with how good Riley has come to his mana control to the point that where he can hide most of it.
Kagami couldn’t help but laugh at her inquiry. “Hahaha, already trying to find your boyfriend, huh? You do know you’re still up next as an evaluator, right?” He sighed, amused at Seo’s predictability. “Anyway, the man said he’d be at the second stage, so he should be somewhere over ther—”
Kagami’s words trailed off as his eyes landed on an all-too-familiar scene—a sight he had come to expect at this point. He chuckled inwardly, shaking his head in disbelief.
There was Riley, yet again, caught up in conversation with another stunning girl, this one of divine beauty and proportions.
It was almost predictable, how these situations seemed to follow him like a magnet.
