Chapter 81

Camille Sapin couldn’t believe his ears.

Shannon Quinlivan?

It was a name he knew.

Too well, in fact. That was the problem.

The famed prodigy of the Venizelos School.

Up until four years ago, Camille had been conducting magical research at the Southern Defense Spire in Karaf. Naturally, he knew all about Shannon Quinlivan.

The child genius of the Venizelos School.

She had broken the record as the youngest ever to reach fourth-class within the school, and she was now a fifth-class mage.

Although it had taken her slightly longer than expected to break through the wall to fifth-class, Camille believed that once a genius blossoms, that brilliance never fades.

He had no doubt that Shannon Quinlivan would one day break through to seventh-class and rise to lead the school.

So what is she… doing here? As a student?

To reach the Laurencia Kingdom from Karaf, one had to cross three mountain ranges and five rivers.

Why would one of Karaf’s brightest prospects travel all that way just to attend a school in such a distant land?

Maybe as a visiting lecturer…. that might make sense.

But as a first-class student?

We hereby certify that the above mage has passed the international first-class standard, as defined by Karaf.

—Camille Sapin, Ambassador of Karaf in Laurencia.

As Camille looked down at the certificate he held in his hands, the entire situation felt like a ridiculous joke.

For a moment, he wondered if it might be someone with the same name.

But Shannon’s distinctive appearance made it impossible to mistake her for anyone else.

“…Hah. So it is really her.”

The doll-like girl standing before him was unmistakably the genius he knew.

“Is something wrong?”

Shannon tilted her head and asked as Camille stood frozen, staring at her in a daze.

It wasn’t until Shannon reached out her hand that Camille snapped back to his senses.

“Ah… a handshake.”

He lightly grasped her hand and gave it a brief shake.

But Shannon furrowed her brows and said,

“No, not my hand.”

She was asking for her certificate.

Camille felt a mix of embarrassment and irritation.

How could he not be? A prodigy who had broken through to fifth-class years ago was now receiving a scholarship among first-class newbie mages. It was almost insulting.

That thought helped settle his nerves.

As he handed her the certificate and scholarship, he spoke in a low voice, just for her to hear.

“You’re Shannon Quinlivan of the Venizelos School, right? It’s been a while.”

“…You know me?”

“You might not remember me. Years ago, I spent some time at your school’s tower. I learned a great deal from your great-grandfather.”

“Ah. I see.”

“You’ve grown a lot. You were much smaller back then. But what are you doing here in Laurencia, when you should be in Karaf?”

“……”

Camille was caught off guard.

Shannon suddenly furrowed her brows and looked at him with suspicion.

Did I say something wrong?

It had already been two years since Camille left Karaf after being appointed as a diplomat.

Camille who was beginning to feel homesick was genuinely glad to see a young compatriot from Karaf in this faraway land.

He was also curious. Just how much had she advanced in magic since then?

He asked gently,

“I have a lot of questions I’d love to ask… If you don’t mind, would you spare a bit of time after the ceremony?”

“No. I do mind.”

Her curt rejection left Camille speechless.

Shannon snatched the certificate from his hand and walked off the stage without another word.

The ceremony wasn’t even over yet. Her abrupt departure left everyone flustered.

Camille gestured to the academy professors that it was alright and continued distributing the certificates to the remaining students.

He wore a polite smile, but his mind was racing with questions.

What happened to Shannon Quinlivan? I should contact the homeland.

***

After the ceremony, a short holiday awaited the students.

Back at the dormitory, Jacqueline peeled off the stiff academy uniform reserved for special occasions and collapsed onto her bed.

“Ugh, I worked so hard… How did I end up second to last? This is crazy.”

Rita, her roommate, responded while hanging up her clothes.

“Well, I think you kinda brought it on yourself. Who was it that always fell asleep in the library?”

“Ugh, low blow….using facts against me.”

“You dozed off in class, ran off for snacks right after, played ball with the Knight Department guys on weekends, and then…”

“But I did cram really hard at the end, didn’t I?”

“Oh, Jacqueline, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t go around telling people I lent you my summary notes. Think of my reputation and credibility, would you?”

“Hahaha, you’re so funny.”

“……”

“…You are joking, right?”

When Rita responded with a faint, ambiguous smile, Jacqueline pulled her blanket up over her face and pretended to sob.

“Boo hoo, now I’m depressed… I think I’ve caught a disease that can only be cured with gelato. There’s a new ice cream place in town. Let’s go try it!”

“Haven’t you been snacking way too much lately? Your rank dropped, so the academy’s probably going to cut your allowance. Shouldn’t you be saving money?”

“Rita, you’re mean. Now I feel even worse…”

“I’ll treat you today, so cheer up, Jacqueline.”

“Really?!”

Jacqueline threw off her blanket and sprang to her feet. Rita chuckled and nodded.

Jacqueline ran up and threw her arms around her.

“Rita, you’re an angel. You’re the best! I love you!”

“That’s a bit much for just one ice cream, don’t you think?”

“Let’s invite Shannon too! Can we?”

“Sure, sounds good.”

“I’ll go get her! Let’s meet at the dorm entrance.”

“Okay. But Jacqueline, could you at least put away the clothes you just—”

Click.

Before Rita could finish, Jacqueline had already dashed out of the room.

Shannon’s room was at the end of the hallway.

Unlike the four-person room Jacqueline and Rita shared, Shannon had a private room.

Students from noble or wealthy families often paid extra to secure such accommodations.

Jacqueline knocked cheerfully on Shannon’s door.

“Shannon! Shannon! Let’s go hang out! You in there?”

No response.

Just as Jacqueline, without a hint of hesitation, reached for the doorknob to let herself in—

The door opened from the inside, and Shannon appeared.

Her expression was dark and weary.

“Sorry, Jacqueline. Right now, I just…”

“Oh! So you’ve caught the ice cream cures everything disease too?”

“…What?”

And so, despite her tired look, Shannon was dragged all the way to an ice cream shop in the downtown area of Lambart.

Jacqueline who was holding up a tiny silver spoon spoke with the passion of a public speaker.

“Nothing beats sweets when life gets tough. It’s a proven fact.”

“Anyone who hears you might think you’ve lived through war and bankruptcy.”

“But I don’t even like mint.”

“Yeah, I’m not really a fan of mint either… Wait—Jacqueline, why did you order everything in the same flavor?”

“Well, they said it was a limited edition…”

“Hmmm.”

“W-Well, just try it! I’m telling you, it’s only because you’ve never been to a place that does mint right!”

Though skeptical, Rita and Shannon lifted their spoons.

After a taste, both gave small nods.

The base flavor was orange, with just a hint of mint blended in.

As Jacqueline had claimed, it wasn’t bad.

The three of them chatted casually in a surprisingly peaceful atmosphere.

“I wish summer break would get here already.”

“Why? Do you even have anything you want to do?”

“I got my certificate today, and I’ve officially been recognized as a mage. Of course I have to go back home and show off! I want to see my dad, mom, and little brother too. It’s only been three months since we were apart, but why does it feel like over a year?”

“It was a hectic first semester after we enrolled.”

“What about you, Rita? Do you have any plans for the break? Aren’t you going back home to see your family?”

“My parents live in Lambart. I visit them on weekends now and then. Not too often, though.”

“Wow, lucky you.”

“Lucky? They already treat me like I’ve left the nest. The moment I graduate from the Academy, they’ll probably tell me to pack up and move out. That’s what happened with my brother.”

“Your brother graduated from the Academy too, right? Does he live nearby?”

“Yeah. His job’s here.”

“That must be nice, not having to feel lonely. What about you, Shannon?”

“Hmm?”

“You were born in Karaf, so your parents live there too, right?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

“Then you must miss them a lot too. Are you going back home for the break? Karaf’s really far from here.”

It was clearly just a casual question, asked without any special intention.

But Shannon felt like she couldn’t breathe.

It had been over five years since she was forcibly separated from her parents and hadn’t even seen their faces.

***

At the Royal Academy of Laurencia, Shannon was experiencing a peace unlike anything she’d ever known.

Friends and adults.

A structured life and an ordinary routine.

It allowed Shannon to momentarily forget the life she’d led until now. And the days she had spent in Karaf.

Endless cycles of harsh training and punishment.

A dark basement steeped in anxiety and pain.

The fact that Shannon no longer recalled those memories was, in part, due to a conscious effort.

But Jacqueline’s question of whether she missed her parents brought back an issue Shannon hadn’t yet come to terms with.

Shannon had come to study abroad at the Royal Academy of Laurencia earlier this year to challenge a mage named Winter Winslet.

If she could defeat him, she would finally earn the recognition of her great-grandfather.

And with that recognition, she believed she could be reunited with the parents she had been forcibly separated from.

That was the motivation that had driven Shannon to leave Karaf.

But now that she had lost her duel with Professor Winslet, Shannon’s goal had collapsed, and she was left drifting like a sailor who had lost their ship in a storm. She was adrift, without a destination.

All while clinging to the sweet excuse that she simply wasn’t ready yet and that she needed more time.

A kind of escape.

Not all forms of escape are bad.

But sometimes, escape is a form of self-denial.

And that self-denial began to clash with things Shannon could not and should not deny.

Her identity as a mage.

The place she was meant to return to.

The family and the love that had been taken from her by her great-grandfather.

Shannon recalled what Camille Sapin, a fellow mage from her hometown whom she had met at today’s first-class completion ceremony, had said.

– Years ago, I spent some time at your school’s tower. I learned a great deal from your great-grandfather.

– You’ve grown a lot. You were much smaller back then. But what are you doing here in Laurencia when you should be in Karaf?

The facts Camille Sapin had reminded her of hit Shannon like ice-cold water splashed onto a mind still lost in a hazy dream.