Magic Academy Mayhem: A Class Full of Maniacs - Chapter 41

They would not learn the exact time of the next round until two days later. Cynthia reported the result in the group chat, and Griffin did not reply.

That meant they did not need to stay and watch the other matches today. They were free to arrange their own time.

As for the next two days, they would have to play it by ear.

After a full day of activity and an entirely sleepless night before it, Cynthia naturally chose to return to her dorm and sleep once she left the island.

Infuriatingly, she felt wide awake after washing up.

She lay in bed for a full hour without the slightest hint of drowsiness.

Cynthia rolled twice across the enormous bed before finally forcing herself up.

Lying there when she could not sleep was a particular kind of torture.

She glanced at the magic clock on the wall.

13:21.

…What should she do?

Organize her storage space?

No sooner thought than done. Cynthia went to the sitting room.

She had intended to empty her spatial ring all at once, but less than a fifth of its contents nearly filled the room.

There was nothing for it. She would have to work in batches.

Most of the contents were currency crystals and potions.

She owned very little clothing—only a dozen or so plain everyday dresses and nightgowns.

The rest was an assortment of odds and ends: jewelry, books, and a mountain of notebooks, exercises, and examination papers.

After sorting the mess into categories with magic, Cynthia found a single picture frame among the clutter.

She picked it up and looked. A family portrait.

The original Cynthia had inherited her mother’s hair and her father’s molten-gold eyes.

Her brother was the reverse. His hair faded from white to blue like their father’s, while his eyes were rose red.

The girl in the photograph looked about four. Her brother was eight years older, which would make him twelve.

Their parents stood on either side of the siblings.

It was supposedly a family portrait, yet apart from the original Cynthia, the other three wore the same distant expression. There was not a trace of warmth in it.

Cynthia searched her memories of the Valensidra Family’s home life.

The Duke and Duchess had entered into a political marriage. Neither had ever cheated or kept mistresses, lovers, or pretty young men on the side, but neither did they feel anything for the other.

Not only the servants in the Ducal Mansion but even outsiders knew how poor their relationship was.

Perhaps it was precisely because they felt nothing for each other that they cared so little about their children.

Their emotional indifference was almost frightening.

The brother eight years her senior had inherited the same disposition. He had been born cold of heart.

He did not exactly dislike the original Cynthia, but he could hardly be said to like her, either.

With the age difference between them, they seldom saw each other except during major festivals.

Two years ago, the original Cynthia had moved to the capital alone to escape her family. Since then, she had seen them only during the New Year celebrations.

In short, apart from the blood tie that could not be erased, the original Cynthia and her family were more distant than strangers.

As parents, they had provided material resources. As for love… Cynthia could find no trace of it in the memories she had inherited.

She did not understand why the original Cynthia had valued a family that did not care about her.

Was blood alone enough?

Perhaps because she was not the original, receiving those memories did not mean she could truly share the feelings within them.

For now, her only prayer was that nothing would go wrong at New Year.

In an ordinary year, the other three came from the Ducal Mansion to stay briefly in the capital only for the royal New Year banquet.

Cynthia checked the calendar.

School had begun on July twenty-fifth, and it was now early September.

The calendar of the Saint Lanfa Empire was not identical to the modern calendar she remembered, but the two had similarities.

There were twelve months in a year and seven days in a week.

The Empire celebrated New Year after Peace Night. The final day of December was New Year’s Eve, and January first was New Year’s Day.

The academy’s six-year program was divided into six grades, each with an upper and lower term.

The first term lasted five months, beginning on July twenty-fifth. Winter break began on December twenty-fifth and lasted a month.

The second term began on January twenty-fifth. Summer break started on June twenty-fifth and also lasted a month.

It was already September. New Year was only a few months away, and she would certainly have to meet the original Cynthia’s family then.

The thought alone made her head ache. She put the photograph away.

All she could do was hope her nominal parents would not fly into a rage upon learning she had broken off her engagement to Abel—or arrange another one for her.

*

Once the organizing was done, boredom returned.

Cynthia lounged on the sofa and stared for a while at the little sunny-day doll hanging on the wall.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the brocade box she had set aside earlier. She rose, took out the pale-gold seed inside, and planted it in a flowerpot on the balcony.

Richter had given it to her. She had asked what kind of seed it was.

Unfortunately, that man insisted on being mysterious.

By the time she finished watering it, the minute hand on the wall had finally completed its circuit.

Cynthia returned to the sitting room but did not remain idle.

She took out Griffin’s compendium of magic and began researching restoration and support spells.

The chief reason they had won the first round of the Team Competition without suffering serious injuries was that Lightwing Team’s members lacked coordination.

Their lineup was good, but their teamwork was nowhere near polished, leaving holes everywhere.

The battle had nevertheless made Cynthia realize they had a serious problem.

Not one of Eclipse Moon Team’s five members specialized in support magic.

Vernel handled ranged attacks and control. Sangmo was likewise an attacker, as well as a summoner. Eli and Richter were powerful close-combat fighters. Richter could use his skills to fill an assassin’s role when needed, but there was no conceivable way to turn him into support.

If someone absolutely had to take up that position, the only passable choice was Cynthia, their captain.

It was a stretch, but at least her second skill, Light Domain, had some healing capability.

Cynthia personally preferred direct offense. Under the circumstances, however, learning a few more healing and support spells could only help.

Her Sequence Skill’s ability to transform her Spirit Weapon also allowed her to change positions freely.

She read while attempting the spells herself.

The second round was certain to be fiercer than the first.

She needed to use these two free days to smash through her bottleneck and reach six stars.

With a low Sequence, she was fated to spend more time than others merely to keep from being left far behind.

*

It was late at night before Cynthia stopped practicing support magic.

Her gaze fell on the quill on the table. She decided to try drawing a magic circle again.

She had failed rather a lot last night, but at least the final attempt had succeeded.

This time, she might as well try a more advanced circle.

Griffin had so far taught her only the Dream-Entering Magic Circle and the Spirit-Submergence Magic Circle, so those were her only options.

Not everything could be self-taught. She was not that formidable yet.

Since she had already completed the Dream-Entering Magic Circle successfully, Cynthia chose Spirit Submergence as tonight’s practice.

The former allowed one to enter dreams.

The latter carried one into a space of consciousness.

Perhaps because she now had some foundation in drawing magic circles, Cynthia failed only five times. Her sixth attempt succeeded.

In the instant before the light flared and her consciousness was pulled away, she hurriedly caught the table and lowered herself onto the sofa. At least this time she would not tumble beneath it in an undignified heap.

*

Her awareness sank entirely into darkness.

A long time later, the spinning sensation faded, and her vision cleared once more.

At that exact moment, a bone-deep chill swept through her.

Blackness surrounded her. The scene was far too familiar.

Cynthia found the whole thing faintly absurd…