BSS 77

Chapter 77

[These are from your friends. These are from the teachers. And this one’s from the king.]

“Hmm.”

[That one was sent by the Master’s parents.]

Even though he was a spirit and it didn’t make sense, Rai behaved as if he had the blood of a servant running through his veins, following any command without question.

I stroked Rai’s head as I looked around the room, which was now much tidier than before I went to sleep.

The small snake-like head fit perfectly in my palm, smooth and pleasantly cool to the touch.

“Well done.”

[Hehe.]

No matter what I made him do, one stroke of the head and he was happy—a truly good-natured creature.

[And the most important part! I’ve organized this one with the things I wanted to eat…]

“That’s enough, okay?”

[Just one bite!]

He still couldn’t control his gluttony.

I skimmed through the gifts.

The one from Iruga looked like brand-new chocolate from its packaging, and Mia’s gift gave off such a suspicious smell that it was clearly some kind of dangerous potion she had made herself.

The one from the academy headmaster was undoubtedly a book, as always…

The gift from Teacher Eiel was unfamiliar, so I opened it and found a luxurious comb with a faint blue tint.

How did they know I had lost my comb over a month ago?

“Oh, Teacher Eiel really knows me.”

Maybe it was because we’d known each other for so long. They knew my tastes well. I combed my hair with the new comb while looking over the other gifts.

I needed to start organizing soon, or I wouldn’t even have space to change clothes.

The gifts I always hesitated to open until the end were the ones sent by my parents and siblings who lived far away.

For over fifteen years, they had sent me heartfelt presents to the academy on my birthday, always ending the letters with “I love you,” without fail.

Every time I read those letters, a guilt-like feeling overwhelmed me.

It was more common when I was younger, but there were even years when I didn’t open the gifts and simply kept them piled up.

I knew intellectually that they were my real parents and loved me, but emotionally, it was too awkward to accept fully.

It was natural parental love, but I couldn’t easily accept it, and refusing it didn’t feel right either. It was always frustrating and suffocating.

Even while accepting everything in this world, acknowledging my parents was difficult.

It felt like betraying the parents I remembered from elsewhere.

‘Maybe I should at least send a reply this year…’

Perhaps it was because I was now an adult.

[It would suit you, wouldn’t it?]

“Yeah.”

[Try it on, Master.]

“…Later.”

This year’s gift was a mature, party-style dress.

It was adorned with thin, delicate blue lace. I knew that making something like this required pre-ordering from a tailor and waiting months.

And such items were expensive.

The Crowell family wasn’t wealthy—it was just a small noble family on the outskirts.

But beyond the price, I felt touched by the time and effort they spent preparing and waiting for something that would make me happy.

Even if I kept them at a distance for personal reasons, family is family.

[Why not?]

“It’s embarrassing.”

[Come on, if you’re going to make that face, give it to me.]

“Are you crazy?”

[It would be a waste not to. A total waste.]

The main topic of the letters my family sent this year was a cautious question about whether I would return home now that I had reached graduation age at the academy.

I could somewhat understand the feelings of parents who sent birthday gifts every year to a daughter who never properly replied, but I couldn’t figure out how to respond.

“Hmm… Even if I want to reply, I don’t know what to say.”

I muttered as I put the letters back in the envelope, recalling the faces of my parents I couldn’t quite remember.

Both my past-life parents and my current-life parents had become vague in my memory over time.

I was not the type to be a devoted daughter.

By the time I finished opening the gifts, the sun was high in the sky.

“Let’s go, Rai.”

[Oh! Finally going!]

“Yeah. I have a good feeling about today.”

I rode a horse up the mountain.

Riding was one of the basic courses at the Royal Academy, so I was skilled, and since last year, after acquiring my own horse, I often rode for leisure as well.

“It’s been a while since we went outside, hasn’t it, Blondie?”

Blondie was a gentle, calm white horse.

Her basic coat was white, but a faint gold shimmer ran through it, and Bright—my subordinate #3 and magic goods shuttle—gave her to me as a gift.

Bright had graduated from Drike and was now a royal palace assistant mage.

He was assigned to manage the palace warp gates, but since the gates were mostly used by royalty, he often had downtime and was in charge of communications. He sometimes brought me news about Elan that he overheard there.

Things I cared about, like Ashna and Robenin.

“That brat.”

I still ground my teeth whenever I thought of Robenin.

Fortunately, Undine hadn’t vanished then.

She recovered her damaged body in the spirit world and returned to me three months later, and we had a tearful reunion.

But my resentment hadn’t diminished at all.

No matter how much I heard of that remarkable man from all around, it only fueled my determination.

Hearing that Robenin Pedrig reached the level of Swordmaster at nineteen enraged me so much that I once smashed the ceiling of the training room.

And last year, when Robenin, at twenty-four, started defeating other Swordmasters across the continent, I grew extremely anxious.

I hadn’t yet contracted with a high-level spirit.

I was already nineteen!

That guy became a Swordmaster at nineteen!

“Grrr…”

[Master? That villainous expression again…]

“Shut up!”

[Sigh… who can tame that temper.]

“What did you say?”

[Now, we must walk. Hehe, you can’t go by horse.]

I dismounted in a rage.

Thinking that while I was stuck at the academy being pushed around by spirits, he was steadily growing made it impossible to stay calm.

Of course, I had contracted with an intermediate spirit at thirteen, and keeping it secret until I revealed it at seventeen shocked Teacher Eiel into resigning and returning to the palace… but that wasn’t nearly enough.

The only thing that could rival a Swordmaster was a high-level spirit mage.

I knew I was acting impatient.

But since my nemesis was a legendary genius who ignored all averages, my goals inevitably had to match his.

[The path is steep, so be careful.]

Rai and I arrived at the upper edge of the cliffs surrounding a lake.

I tied Blondie to a sturdy tree and looked down at Rai.

“I’m off then. Watch Blondie while I’m gone.”

[What?! That’s unfair! I worked so hard to make her and you just want me to guard a horse!]

Rai protested violently, but I had no choice.

“I know that too.”

[Then take me with you! I want to see it too, Master!]

“No. I can’t give Blondie to the monsters as food.”