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“Heh…”
Another dry laugh escaped Aethlyn’s lips.
‘Honestly… Stepmother’s ambitions are something else. How does she expect that eccentric to become the head of the family? Isn’t she dreaming a little too big?’
Even Aethlyn had to admit that Arthur was an extraordinary mage.
A once-in-a-century talent.
No…
Perhaps once in two centuries.
But being a brilliant mage didn’t automatically make someone a great family head.
A thousand years of Estan history had proven that much.
Countless gifted mages with terrible character had driven their entire houses to ruin.
That was the real issue.
More precisely…
Arthur Wintercrown’s lack of social skills.
Some might argue that he was still only a teenager.
That being shy or socially awkward wasn’t a serious flaw.
But Arthur wasn’t merely shy.
He simply had no interest in other people whatsoever.
No matter who spoke to him, he would only stare blankly at them.
He almost never replied.
He did at least exchange a few words with members of his own family and a handful of fellow mages.
Everyone else, however…
He treated as though they didn’t even exist.
People all said the same things about Arthur.
“Sure, he’s a genius, but he’s completely insane.”
“That guy gives me the creeps.”
Even the elders of House Wintercrown—including those who supported the Duchess—looked at Arthur with uneasy eyes.
Even here in the ballroom, Aethlyn could hear them whispering.
“Arthur certainly possesses exceptional talent. By the time he graduates from the Academy, he’ll likely be one of the finest mages in the country. But the head of the family must lead both the main house and its branch families. I’m not convinced that boy can fulfill such a role.”
“Head of the family? Horace, I’ve never once seen him make eye contact with anyone. I’ve never even seen him hold a proper conversation.”
“Shh! Janet will raise hell if she hears you.”
“Did I say anything untrue? At this point, Janet ought to accept reality. Arthur would be far better suited to spending his life researching in the Magic Tower than leading a family. If she keeps chasing this ambition, everyone could end up paying the price.”
“Then why don’t you tell Janet to give up yourself?”
“…I’d rather not.”
“Sigh. If only Aethlyn had Arthur’s magical talent… or Arthur had Aethlyn’s personality. That would’ve made everything so much simpler.”
Aethlyn couldn’t help agreeing with the first part.
If she possessed Arthur’s magical ability…
Becoming the next head of House Wintercrown would already have been all but guaranteed.
‘Then I wouldn’t have needed to become an officer in the Magic Army.’
The faint smile on her lips dimmed.
An officer of the Republic of Esta’s Magic Army.
It was unquestionably an honorable position, one devoted to serving both the Republic of Esta and the Morning Star Alliance.
There was no arguing with that.
After all, the person Aethlyn respected most—her grandfather, the late Duke Wintercrown—had also served as an officer in the Magic Army before succeeding as the head of the family.
Even so…
If she claimed she felt no anxiety about heading to the battlefield, she’d be lying.
More than the battlefield itself…
She feared spending too much time away from Esta.
As much as she hated to admit it…
Arthur’s magical growth was simply too rapid.
No matter how hopeless his social skills were, House Wintercrown was still a family of mages.
If the gap between their magical abilities grew too wide…
That would become a serious problem.
And the longer Aethlyn remained away from the Estan magical community…
The greater Janet Wintercrown’s influence would naturally become.
If it was Janet…
She would surely find some way to win the elders over.
In the end…
Aethlyn didn’t have much time left.
‘No matter what, I need undeniable achievements within two years.’
‘Achievements so great that even Father will have no choice but to acknowledge them.’
Without realizing it, she tightened her grip on the balcony railing.
Just as she silently reaffirmed her resolve, familiar voices called out from behind her.
“Aethlyn. There you are.”
She turned around.
Standing there were her former classmates from the Magic Academy.
The friends who had graduated from Estaria Magic Academy alongside her three years ago had all gone on to pursue different paths.
Some, like Aethlyn, had enrolled in the military academy to become officers in the Magic Army.
Others had joined the Magic Tower to conduct magical research.
Though their paths had diverged…
They had remained close friends.
One especially tall blond young man grinned mischievously at her.
“Aethlyn, honestly, the officer’s uniform suits you better than any dress. Why don’t you make a career out of the military?”
Federin Taragor.
The future head of House Taragor, famed for its mastery of earth magic, and Aethlyn’s closest friend.
Aethlyn shook her head.
“Federin, was that supposed to be a compliment or a curse?”
“Obviously a compliment. But if you become a famous war hero out there, don’t forget about me, Aethlyn.”
“I’m sorry… who are you?”
“Hey!”
The group continued exchanging the kind of harmless jokes only close friends could make.
It was Federin who eventually changed the subject.
Glancing sideways at Aethlyn, he asked casually,
“By the way, I heard your assignment is Pharos of all places. There are plenty of postings where you could earn merit. Why choose that one?”
One of their classmates beside him shuddered.
“Seriously. I heard that place has a lot of Wildmen soldiers. Just thinking about it gives me chills.”
“Ugh, exactly. No matter what anyone says, fighting alongside werewolves and vampires is a bit much, isn’t it? If you ask me, they’re even creepier than the Barbaros Army.”
The reactions were overwhelmingly negative.
Anyone listening would think the enemy was the Wildmen rather than the Kingdom of Barbaros.
It wasn’t particularly surprising.
That was simply how Wildmen were viewed.
They were creatures that inspired fear and disgust.
Neither human.
Nor beast.
Nor monster.
But something that existed somewhere in between.
Wildmen.
A collective term for beings such as werewolves, vampires, sirens, and centaurs—creatures that were neither human nor magical beasts.
Outwardly, they resembled humans and could even speak human languages.
But no one could truly call them human.
Their instincts and nature were fundamentally different.
Long ago, they had fought alongside the evil dragon in its war against humanity.
Now their race had fallen into ruin.
Only a small number of survivors remained, scattered across the world.
Naturally…
Life was far from easy for them.
The Kingdom of Barbaros and several other nations carried out large-scale campaigns to exterminate and expel the Wildmen.
Even in the Republic of Esta, which was comparatively accepting of them, discrimination remained deeply entrenched.
Even now, rumors constantly circulated throughout Esta.
“The Wildmen kidnap and eat children.”
“One day they’ll gather in force and start a rebellion.”
Stories of that sort never seemed to disappear.
As a result, the professions open to them were limited.
Many became career soldiers or mercenaries, usually assigned to dangerous frontiers that ordinary people avoided.
Pharos, where Aethlyn was headed, was one such place.
Naturally, she would be serving alongside many Wildmen soldiers.
Seeing the concern on her classmates’ faces, Aethlyn spoke reassuringly.
“You’re worrying over nothing. We’re mages. How can we be afraid of Wildmen? We’d be disgracing our ancestors who fought in the Great Twilight War.”
“Maybe, but you never know what they might do behind your back. Honestly, I’d rather have them as enemies than allies.”
“An officer can’t be afraid of their own subordinates. Don’t worry.”
Hearing Aethlyn’s confident reply, her classmates murmured in admiration.
“Ooh…”
“Wow, Aethlyn. You’ve really become a proper officer.”
“Still, watch your back. They may look human, but everyone says they’re beasts underneath. Who knows what they’d do if they snapped?”
Once the topic of the Wildmen finally died down, Federin steered the conversation elsewhere.
Stretching out his hand toward Aethlyn, he said,
“Come on, let’s stop standing around up here and head downstairs. This is your farewell party, after all. You should show everyone your dancing.”
Aethlyn immediately shook her head.
“I’m not even wearing a dress. What dancing?”
But Federin wasn’t the type to give up so easily.
He reached his hand out even farther.
“That’s exactly why you should. You’ll stand out even more in your uniform. Just imagine the two of us out on the dance floor. Everyone will be talking about what a perfect-looking couple we are.”
The others immediately pretended to gag.
“Ugh…”
“There he goes again, making a move on Aethlyn.”
“He’s not even trying to hide it anymore.”
“Federin, isn’t it about time you gave up? We’ve had to watch this for seven years.”
Boos immediately rained down from every direction.
But none of them meant it seriously.
Everyone there knew how genuine Federin’s feelings were.
In truth, he hadn’t been in love with Aethlyn for seven years.
It had been more than ten.
And Aethlyn knew it too.
She simply pretended she didn’t.
Just as she always had.
And she intended to do the same this time.
She would play along as though she hadn’t noticed.
After all…
This was her last night in the capital.
Feeling unusually generous, Aethlyn let out a quiet sigh of surrender and relaxed her shoulders.
Then she gently placed her hand in Federin’s.
“All right. Before I leave, I suppose I should show everyone my dancing one last time.”
As if on cue, the orchestra changed its tune.
A majestic waltz echoed throughout the ballroom.
It was a melody that heralded the golden age of the Republic of Esta.
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