The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Chapter 70: Those Who Dwell Near Ink Become Blackened (1)

【Still, wouldn’t it be dangerous if you got hit directly?】

“Hmm… I can’t say it wouldn’t be.”

Astrid raised her hands to splash water on her face. 

Though it felt like she had been soaking in the tub for over thirty minutes, she made no move to get out.

【Would it hurt?】

Having never been directly hit by magic, she didn’t know. But from what Astrid could observe, the true Astrid seemed to dodge spells with such deliberate effort that getting hit directly would likely be disastrous. 

Even indirect impacts, like flying fragments from an explosion, had shredded her clothes during class. For all her skill as a warrior, it seemed magic was still something she couldn’t completely counter.

【So, have you fought a lot of magicians?】

“Let me think… Not really.”

When Astrid thought about it, she realized she had never fought a magician in a direct, antagonistic battle. 

She had sparred with northern shamans plenty of times, but shamanism and magic were fundamentally different. 

Calling those encounters fights against magicians would be inaccurate.

【Then how did you learn to deal with magicians?】

“Well… My teacher was a magician when I was a child.”

【Ah…】

“We sparred almost every day. Thanks to that, I know very well how to handle magicians. It’s second nature to me.”

The true Astrid hadn’t grown up in an environment conducive to attending school. 

Instead, her family had hired a live-in tutor—a commoner, but an exceptionally skilled magician personally recommended by Baizik, the master of the eastern Magic Tower.

This tutor had been well-traveled, highly educated, and an outstanding magician. His teachings had profoundly influenced Astrid during her formative years.

“We basically dueled under the guise of sparring every day, so it’s no surprise I got used to fighting magicians.”

【That explains it… But where is this teacher now?】

It had been about five years.

Astrid had studied under him for five years—a period long enough to leave a deep impression.

When those five years were up, the tutor expressed his desire to pursue greater aspirations and gracefully resigned, bidding farewell to Wolfgang and the household.

“I don’t know what he’s been up to since. I tried reaching out, but no one knows where he is—not even Baizik.”

【Hmm…】

No wonder Astrid was so adept at handling magicians. Even during the match against Emilie, she hadn’t gone easy, and despite some torn clothes, she had emerged victorious without a scratch. It was a testament to her experience and training.

“Ugh, time to get out,” she said, finally deciding to leave the bath. The water had started to feel stiflingly warm.

***

“Wow, as expected of our squad leader!”

“Astein. Long time no see.”

“Squad leader” wasn’t a title Astrid particularly enjoyed, but she gestured for Astein to sit beside her. After all, it was her day off.

She had overslept, missing breakfast. Normally, she would have chosen sleepover breakfast without hesitation, but lately, skipping breakfast left her feeling unusually drained.

She had gone to the store, bought two small loaves of bread, and was now sitting on a bench eating them. 

The sunlight was pleasant, the breeze refreshingly cool, and the bread tasted surprisingly good outdoors.

That’s when she bumped into Astein.

Though they both attended magic theory classes, they hadn’t crossed paths until now.

“Why haven’t we seen each other for so long?” she asked.

“Indeed. To be honest, I’ve seen you around a few times, Squad Leader, but you always seemed to be caught up in some commotion. It made it hard to approach you. Oh, but I did catch that moment. You beating Cadet Emilie with your fists—that was quite a spectacle.”

Hearing that felt both prideful and deflating. Astrid chewed her bread, staring up at the sky.

Sure, it felt great to win. It was satisfying to have defeated the famous Emilie.

But whenever Professor Anafrey’s words—“I can’t award points for winning a magic duel with physical strength”—came to mind, her spirits sank.

“Well, Professor Anafrey is known for taking magic very seriously. That’s probably why. I bet he was sulking because you won,” Astein said, offering a comforting remark at just the right time.

“Really?”

Astein had a way of saying just the right thing in moments like these. 

Leopold was trying in his own way lately, but compared to Astein, he still had a long way to go.

“Your eyes are as big as ever, Astein.”

“They’ve always been this size. Why would they suddenly change? Aren’t you being a bit too harsh, poking fun at physical features like this?”

“It’s because they’re memorable. I wasn’t teasing you about being bald or anything.”

“That’s because I’m not bald… Oh, by the way, Squad Leader, have you heard the rumors?”

“What rumors?”

Astrid popped the last piece of bread into her mouth. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t compare to the wool thread pastries Eranya had brought back from her trip.

‘Come to think of it, I wonder if Eranya will bring more of those. They were delicious.’

Astrid made a mental note to ask Eranya exactly where she had bought them next time.

“You know, about that monster incident the other day.”

‘Ah, right, we were in the middle of a conversation.’

Whenever Astrid thought about sweet snacks, her imagination tended to run wild, making it hard to focus. When she came back to reality, Astein was staring at her.

“Sorry, got a little distracted. So, what about the monster?”

“You’ve heard how the instructors have been struggling to investigate it, right?”

Astrid had heard about it and seen some of the chaos firsthand. Eranya had mentioned it when she returned from her leave. If Astein was bringing it up now, there must be more to the story.

“Apparently, strange incidents have been happening since then.”

“Strange incidents?”

Now, this was news to her.

“Things like class materials disappearing, or sealed cursed tools being stolen… There’s even a rumor going around that a spy has infiltrated the academy.”

【Ask him how he knows that.】

The voice of the true Astrid suddenly echoed in her mind. She hesitated for a moment, but considering the situation, she decided to follow her counterpart’s suggestion.

“How do you know about this?”

“It’s just a rumor.”

【Hmph… A rumor, is it?】

Even when Astrid asked what was going on, the true Astrid remained tight-lipped, promising to explain later. Astrid found it puzzling, but there wasn’t much she could do.

“Anyway, that’s the gist of it. Squad Leader, you should be careful… or actually, never mind, you don’t need to worry.”

“Why not?”

Astein looked as though he regretted saying anything. Before Astrid could press further, he stood up.

“Anyone strong enough to pose a threat to you wouldn’t bother infiltrating the academy. They’d just storm in. Anyway, I’ll be off now. See you next time!”

Without waiting for a reply, Astein bowed slightly and briskly walked off. Just as he had approached on his own terms, he left the same way.

Astrid watched him disappear, then picked up another piece of bread, peeling off the packaging.

【He said it was just a rumor.】

“Yeah, that’s what he said.”

【If it were just a rumor, wouldn’t Eranya have been the first to hear about it and cause a fuss?】

“…That’s true.”

Eranya, oddly enough, had been quiet. Recently, she had been lounging around, complaining about the lack of excitement. 

If such rumors were circulating, Eranya would have been the first to run in and babble about them excitedly.

【It’s worth keeping an eye on.】

“Astein might have just heard it first. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

【Fine. I’ll keep worrying about it, and you focus on charming the prince.】

“How did the conversation turn to this?!”

【That was the original deal, wasn’t it?】

“Well… yeah, but still…”

There was no arguing against it. The original Astrid was right—this was the contract. 

The true Astrid would help find a way back to her original world, and Astrid would fend off any women approaching Leopold and secure the position of Crown Princess.

That had been the agreement.

“Cadet Astrid. You weren’t in the dining hall, so what are you doing here?”

The voice of a man standing in front of her broke her train of thought. 

Though the sun obscured his face, she recognized him instantly from his tone.

“Today was supposed to be a day for studying the basics of military administration, wasn’t it? I’ve been searching everywhere for you. You seem to be eating breakfast now, so hurry up and come inside.”

No.

Heroes didn’t study. Why couldn’t Leopold let go of this ridiculous persistence?

Astrid felt like the bread was choking her.