Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844414118669/episodes/822139844939715176
As the morning light streamed into our dorm room, we got ready, slipping into the uniforms we’d been issued. Since “that event” was supposed to start first thing this morning, we’d woken up early and were moving briskly through our preparations.
“……Rai-sama”
Liene’s voice came from behind me. The moment I turned around, I found myself at a loss for words.
A white blazer with a green tie at the collar. The plaid skirt gave off an elegant impression, swaying softly with every movement.
“What do you think?”
She spun around in a full circle.
Without a trace of shyness or hesitation, Liene struck a pose as if to show off.
“…It suits you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really.”
I couldn’t say anything more.
The uniforms at the Royal Arcadia School of Magic are the same design for both nobles and commoners, but the impression they give depends entirely on the person wearing them. In Liene’s case, she looks like a young lady from a wealthy family.
The white blazer is pristine, and the green tie—symbolizing her 16 years—adds a touch of sophistication.
Seeing Liene, who usually wears only a maid’s uniform, standing here dressed in the same uniform as everyone else, feels a little strange. It’s as if she’s become just another classmate.
“I’m glad.”
Liene smiled contentedly.
With her hand cupped to her mouth, her elegant smile looked quite natural.
“You look lovely in your uniform too, Rai-sama.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes… When we’re dressed the same, it almost makes me forget our master-servant relationship.”
Liene leans toward me and pinches my sleeve with her fingers.
Her bright brown eyes, looking up at me from below, are moist, giving the impression that she’s expecting something.
My heart skipped a beat, but I forced a smile to hide it.
“Wouldn’t it be okay to forget about it?”
“……Huh?”
“At school, we’re just fellow students. While we’re there, you don’t have to worry about master and servant.”
When I said that, Liene blinked rapidly, and the next moment, she gave a soft, shy smile.
“……Then, is it okay if I act a little spoiled today?”
“I’d prefer you to know your limits.”
“Hehe, I’ll try my best.”
Unfortunately, she didn’t seem willing to make any firm promises.
Looks like I’m going to be run ragged from the very first day of school. Just as I was smiling wryly at that thought, there was a soft knock on the door.
“First-years, are you awake? I’m opening the door.”
Saying that, the visitor opened the door without waiting for a reply.
The person who entered was the upperclassman who had shown us to the dorm yesterday. His tone was as brusque as ever, and he looked annoyed, but he seemed like the type who gets the job done properly.
“There’s a school-wide assembly in the auditorium. Gather at the dorm entrance. I’ll show you the way.”
“Got it.”
After delivering the matter-of-fact message, the upperclassman left the room.
He was probably going to give the same message to the other transfer students.
After seeing him off, I exchanged glances with Liene.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes, Rai-sama.”
After getting ready, I took Liene with me to the dormitory entrance.
There, we met up with Yu and Ciel, and as we walked, we complimented each other on our uniforms. We made our way down the hallway, joining the other students along the way, and arrived at the auditorium.
The scene was shrouded in an uneasy atmosphere.
There were an unusually large number of teachers, and the expressions on the faces of many people, including the students, were grim.
Amidst that heavy atmosphere, the headmaster stood on the podium.
He was an elderly man with streaks of gray in his hair; his long beard and round glasses gave him the look of “the quintessential headmaster of a magic academy.”
He quietly tapped the floor with the tip of his cane.
A dry “thud” echoed through the auditorium, and the students fell silent.
“…I apologize for asking everyone to gather here so early in the morning.”
It was a low, resonant voice.
“First, let’s welcome the transfer students who have recently joined our academy.”
His gaze flickered briefly in my direction.
“The Royal Arcadia Academy of Magic does not discriminate based on status or background. It is a place where those with ability and ambition are equally protected and equally trained. —I hope you will learn much and gain much here.”
His greeting to the transfer students concluded with those few words.
(The Headmaster is just like in the original story.)
He doesn’t have many scenes.
In the game, his appearances were limited to the school-wide assembly, so I suppose this is just how it goes.
That said, his speech isn’t over yet. In fact, this is where the real show begins.
“—Now then. Let’s get to the main topic.”
The Headmaster paused briefly before speaking.
The atmosphere shifted, and one of the students gasped.
“I’m sure you’re all already aware of the Primordial Labyrinth.”
Someone swallowed audibly.
“It becomes active at regular intervals. About once every hundred years, the tightly sealed door opens, and monsters pour out onto the surface from within… And then—”
An emotionless explanation. A tone that stated only the facts.
The atmosphere grew so dark it felt even more oppressive.
After a brief pause, he opened his heavy-lipped mouth.
“This year is that year.”
A ripple of unease spread through the room.
No one screamed. Everyone had prepared themselves for this, to varying degrees.
Still, that didn’t mean they weren’t shaken.
(So, it’s going to play out just like the game, after all…)
Knowledge of the original story flashed through my mind.
Encounters with monsters inside the labyrinth, and death in battle as a result. The complete annihilation of the labyrinth expedition team. Even the teachers who held back the flood at the labyrinth’s entrance lost their lives. It didn’t matter if they were named monsters or just mobs.
“As stated in the letter, only you students are permitted to enter the labyrinth. That labyrinth does not permit adults to enter. Neither the Knights’ Order nor the teachers are exceptions…”
“…So you’re telling us to go into that labyrinth all by ourselves?”
Someone muttered under their breath.
He must be from a commoner background. A pitiful student whose vision was narrowed by the pleasant-sounding term “Chosen Ones,” unable to realize that it was akin to being a sacrifice.
The Headmaster neither affirmed nor denied the student’s words, but simply continued as if stating a fact.
“You are all the hope of this academy—and of this country.”
He spoke as always, matter-of-factly, with a cruelty born of utter sincerity.
“It is always the students who stand on the front lines. We adults will focus solely on rear support: supplies, medical care, intelligence management—we will assist you as much as possible.”
The auditorium fell silent.
Of course. The headmaster’s words were tantamount to saying, “Die for the country.” Even though they had come prepared for this, there was no way children could simply accept it.
“I won’t tell you not to be afraid.”
The headmaster concluded quietly.
“Each of you, keep this in mind and devote yourselves to your studies… That is all.”
He tapped his cane again. That marked the end.
A heavy silence dominated the auditorium, and as if pushed by that atmosphere, everyone remained silent.
“—Everyone.”
A clear voice rang out in the auditorium, which had been shrouded in such a gloomy atmosphere.
Appearing on the stage to take the principal’s place was a female student.
She was clad in the school uniform, wearing a red tie signifying she was 17 and an armband indicating her membership in the Student Council. Her gait was dignified as she walked, her lapis-blue hair swaying, and everyone held their breath as she fixed her deep purple eyes on the students.
Elisia Ravenhard.
One of the game’s heroines, born into a family holding the same title of duke as I do, she is the student council president who reigns at the pinnacle of this academy.
Standing on the stage, Elisia quietly straightened her back.
Her demeanor was unwavering, as if she had always been the one to preside over this place.
“—Please look up.”
Her clear, resonant voice echoed through the auditorium.
“There is no shame in fear. In fact, it is only natural. After all, the Primordial Labyrinth is a force that has carved its mark in history with blood time and time again.”
She slowly surveyed the student body with her deep purple eyes and continued quietly.
“However, there is a difference between bowing to fear and moving forward while still feeling it.”
She paused for a moment.
“Let us be the latter.”
There was no hesitation in her assertive tone.
“Adults are not allowed in. We’ll have support, but it is we students who will stand on the front lines. —Isn’t that fine?”
She lifted her chin slightly.
“If we are to be tested, let us rise to the challenge. If we are chosen, let us prove it. That the name of the Royal Arcadia School of Magic is no mere decoration.”
Placing a hand on her ample bosom, she pierced us students with a sharp gaze.
“Status and lineage hold no meaning here. Nobles and commoners alike are merely challengers before the labyrinth. Isolation leads directly to defeat. Complacency invites death. Therefore, work together. Learn. Train. Discipline yourselves.”
Then, she softened her voice slightly.
“…And I want you all to come back.”
It was both a command and a sincere plea.
“I will lead the way. I will take command. I will bear the responsibility. I have no intention of letting you all perish in vain.”
Her red tie fluttered.
“The Primordial Labyrinth is a trial. If so, we need only prove that we are beings capable of overcoming it. Turn fear into strength. Turn doubt into discipline. —And transform our resolve into victory.”
Finally, she fixed her gaze straight ahead.
“Everyone. We have been called ‘hope.’ If so—let us define what hope truly is with our own hands.”
A voice filled with quiet yet overwhelming conviction fills the auditorium.
“Let’s move forward together. And let’s all return alive.”
With those words, she quietly stepped down from the podium.
There was no murmur. Instead, a sensation remained, as if a fire had been lit deep within their chests.
(She really is the student council president said to be the greatest in history at this point…)
Is this what they call charisma?
This event, which appeared in the original work, inspires the entire student body. Even though I’ve heard these lines countless times in the game, hearing them live makes my heart burn so intensely.
The heavy atmosphere in the auditorium had lightened.
The students who had been looking down raised their heads, and their trembling hands stopped.
In just a few minutes, the atmosphere had completely changed.
Stepping down from the stage, Elisia walked away while giving brief instructions to the student council members.
Her back was straight, and her stride unwavering. As she left the stage with such dignity, many students found themselves naturally following her with their eyes.
—At that moment.
(……)
Suddenly, she looked this way.
Her gaze was unwavering. Amid the crowd of transfer students, the moment her deep purple eyes locked onto me, the corners of Elisia’s mouth softened ever so slightly.
It wasn’t the smile she’d worn on stage to reassure and guide others.
It was a quiet smile—one of relief, joy… as if confirming our reunion.
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