In the classroom where the basic swordsmanship class would be held in an hour.
Raina and I sat across from each other at a desk.
The room was empty aside from the two of us.
“Young Master Ike.”
“…I’m sorry for talking about you earlier.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to being talked about. Isn’t Young Master Ike the same?”
“That’s right.”
Just being the child of the duke’s family was enough to stir up rumors, so Raina’s words made sense.
“Then, is the reason you called me something else?”
“Yes. I came to deliver this.”
Raina reached into her cloak and pulled something out, handing it to me.
“A letter?”
“Yes. This is a letter Anna wrote to Young Master Ike before she left Rogelia.”
“…before leaving?”
Raina gave a quiet nod.
In the corner of the envelope, the words “Dear Ike” were clearly written.
“Wouldn’t it have been better to send it through the magical mailbox?”
Anna left before I had trained to increase my magical capacity. I would have had enough time to use it since then.
“No matter what happened, she wrote in her letter that I had to deliver it to you in person.”
Did that mean it was something others shouldn’t see?
The magical mailbox, while useful, was still a magical tool that others could potentially tamper with.
Though rare, the possibility of interception couldn’t be completely ruled out.
That’s why we always used honorifics in our letters—just in case.
“Raina… did you read it too?”
She gently closed her eyes and shook her head.
“Anna explicitly told me not to read it. She said she trusted me.”
A letter even Raina wasn’t allowed to read.
I had a strong feeling it held the reason behind Anna’s sudden disappearance.
“I considered throwing it away after losing contact with you, but I didn’t want her to have any regrets. That’s why I’ve held onto it until now.”
“Thank you.”
“What? Turns out the letter I’ve been protecting all this time might just be for some trivial tryst.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
I let out a faint, bitter smile at Raina’s jest.
It wasn’t quite like the old days, but maybe things had improved between us after all.
“I have to stop by the dormitory for a bit. There’s still about an hour until class starts, so be careful in case someone else comes in.”
“Okay.”
Raina gave a soft bow before exiting the classroom.
After she left, I broke the seal on Anna’s envelope and carefully unfolded the letter.
Its contents were beyond anything I had imagined.
***
Later that day, after the first day of classes—
I went straight to the dean’s office without hesitation.
“Dean Ender. May I come in?”
“…Come in.”
There was a brief pause before his reply.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
A table sat in the center of the room, with various refreshments laid out on it.
It matched the image I’d seen in the original work—his office always felt like it welcomed student conversations.
“Student Ike. How can I help you?”
“Oh, yes. Thank you. You’ve helped me a lot.”
Back in the counseling room that morning, I had spoken with Raina.
If it hadn’t been for the fully isolated environment, she wouldn’t have let her emotions out the way she did at the end.
Even if it was just the two of us, Raina would have used formal speech if there was any chance someone could overhear.
“I’m glad I was of help. How is Miss Raina doing?”
“She’s much better now—maybe not completely, but definitely improved.”
Dean Ender offered a gentle smile in response.
I could see why the students regarded him so highly.
“Was that all you came to report?”
“…There’s one more thing. Would it be alright if I asked for a favor?”
“Go ahead. What kind of request?”
“I’d like permission to leave campus this weekend.”
At Arcana, even brief outings required permission.
And that permission wasn’t granted easily.
Most needs could be met within Arcana itself.
The academy had vast, self-sufficient facilities designed to minimize the need to leave.
Arcana was built to cultivate the Empire’s finest talents.
The strict regulations were in place to prevent information leaks and unauthorized meetings with nobles.
The dean of Arcana also served as the lord of Reinen.
That was why Reinen remained the only self-governing province in the Empire.
“Ike. You know that going out isn’t easy here, don’t you?”
“Yes, that’s why I’m making the request directly.”
“What’s the reason?”
“…I can’t say.”
“Ha…”
Dean Ender let out a soft sigh at my hesitant answer.
He was someone I trusted, but even so, I couldn’t reveal the truth.
“Is this related to Miss Raina?”
“No.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Strictly speaking, this was about Anna.
Though the outcome might involve Raina, the reason was Anna.
“If it’s not even related to Miss Raina, then I can’t allow it. If we make one exception, everything we’ve built so far could fall apart—just like a house collapsing from a small hole.”
Dean Ender’s words were solid and logical.
I had no way to refute them.