Became a Medieval Fantasy Wizard

TL/Editor: raei

Status: 5/week mon-fri

Illustrations: none

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"Hello! Lady Kira!"

"Yes. How have you been, Lady Rubel?"

Honestly, life had been good for Kira lately.

Specifically, living conditions were good.

'...It's too comfortable.'

They squealed and giggled among themselves like fangirls meeting a real celebrity.

"Lady Kira! You're beautiful today too!"

"Really! You're so pretty!"

Kira handled the female students with perfectly practiced celebrity poise.

When she first entered university, such enthusiastic reactions felt awkward.

But at some point, Kira could genuinely handle the attention and admiration directed at her.

Not acting - genuinely.

'This place feels like another world.'

Brilliant sunlight poured onto the lawn.

Pigeons pecking at feed suddenly took flight at the sound of students' footsteps.

Watching the flock of pigeons cross the blue sky, Kira fell into thought.

Was this really the Holy Empire she knew?

At least, it wasn't Kira's Holy Empire.

The empire she knew was a civilization on the fringes where barbarism and violence overflowed, where human sacrifice happened without batting an eye.

But after gaining the status of [wizard] and becoming a university student with help from wealthy sponsors, her world completely changed.

Here there were no bandits, murderers, beggars, or wanderers.

She could eat warm meals at set times and sleep safely in bed without worry.

How was this even possible?

Kira still couldn't understand.

When such a good place existed in the world...

Why were bandits killing slash-and-burn farmers, kidnapping children to sell as foreign slaves just a short distance away in other domains?

'The world is unfair.'

Though she'd always known this, she realized it anew.

A gentle world for everyone didn't exist.

If Kira had been lucky enough to be born her father's legitimate daughter and lived wealthy...

Would she have become so serious about magic like now?

'...So. I must do my best.'

Once born, you have to accept the world's unfairness.

Kira renewed her determination.

Though born at the bottom, she would die looking upward.

Though luxurious, privileged life belonged to nobles.

Magic belonged to Kira.

"Your expression looks bad~? Do you have something troubling you?"

"Lady Elia."

Coming to her senses belatedly, Kira found Imperial Princess Elia standing before her.

Kira reflexively thought.

That woman has never gone hungry.

Never slept in grass under cold drizzling rain.

Never trembled at wolf howls while hugging her father.

"Just... thinking about the past."

Elia, like Kira, was wildly popular with other students.

But whenever Kira saw Elia, she felt more alienation than kinship.

Though both were popular, Kira and Elia were completely different.

Elia, raised in a noble family, naturally accepted university life's abundance.

But Kira found it hard to simply accept the clothes put on her.

She was an outsider.

How could an outsider like Kira enter university?

'...Magic.'

Unlike Elia who originally lived in this world, Kira needed a reason to stay in this 'other world'.

That was magic.

Studying magic harder and achieving higher - that was Kira's purpose for entering and her task going forward.

She couldn't forget her purpose by getting drunk on the crowd's adoration.

"I thought you'd come to the reading club... You must have been busy?"

"Sorry, but I'm not interested in that. I wanted to focus on my current studies."

Elia stared at Kira giving such a sharp response.

In the past, she would have thought 'There she goes again, Red Hair' at such a cold attitude.

But Elia somewhat understood Kira as a person now.

'I want to focus on studying~' wasn't the usual deflection bitches used...

She understood it really meant focusing on studies.

'Well. Still annoying though~'

That was that and this was this.

When none other than Imperial Princess Elia personally invites you to a meeting, you ignore it?

Is this some kind of power play? The thought came naturally.

Though she knew there was no malice, something she disliked was still dislikeable.

"Studying is good, but you should participate in school activities too~"

"..."

"When you work as a wizard later, won't having noble friends be helpful for making your name known?"

"I'm sorry. I think I need to build my skills first."

Elia stared at Kira closely once again...

Her inner paranoia kept threatening to surface!

Really, is she not trying to mess with me? Right?

Elia still didn't properly understand how serious Kira was about magic.

She thought Kira would live like other common wizards - making a name then living off noble patrons' support.

'I can encourage her slowly.'

Elia had resolved to become friends with Kira after the wind tower incident.

She could learn about Kira gradually.

"Then I'll see you in next class~"

"Yes. Take care, Lady Elia."

After parting with Elia, Kira mechanically headed to the library.

"Oh my, there's Lady Kira!"

"She's so good at magic and works so hard too!"

"Of course she's good at magic since she works hard!"

Sitting down, Kira gathered the scattered paper scraps without even opening them.

They were all love letters from male students whose faces she barely knew.

'They must be rich. Not even caring about wasting paper?'

Again, Kira had no interest in romance.

She entered university for one reason only - to achieve magical mastery.

She didn't have time to read such trivial love letters...

'...'

Kira glanced at the pile of letters, then quickly started opening them one by one.

Though it was a really, really ridiculous assumption...

One of those letters might be from Ian.

If Ian knew, he might have said 'Really?'

...But Kira was serious.

Why not? There's this thing called hope!

With so many love letters!

Maybe, just maybe there might be one from Ian...?(Nope)

After opening the last letter, Kira quickly lost interest.

Of course there was no letter from Ian.

She'd expected as much.

'What nonsense am I thinking.'

Hey. Kira. Just study~

Kira slapped her cheeks and opened her book.

Ian must be working hard for his own achievements right now. She couldn't waste time having useless thoughts.

"Kira?"

"Ah!"

Kira jumped in surprise when someone directly called out to her.

'Th-they didn't see, right?!'

Breaking news: Wizard Kira caught opening love letters in library-

If this world had class newspapers, Kira would seriously die of embarrassment, but this was the Holy Empire, second to none in backwardness.

Thank you tabloid newspapers~ for not being invented yet~

"Oh, Maria. What's up?"

Thankfully there was no mention of letters.

"Are you busy right now?"

"No? Why?"

"Ian asked me to invite you to participate in his research."

"...Research? Me!?"

"Yes. You can go to his research lab."

Kira shouted in surprise.

He needs her help? She couldn't even imagine what for!

After all, Ian was such a superior wizard compared to her!

'Me, doing research?'

Kira thought about it.

No matter how she considered it, she didn't think she could be useful for Ian's research.

She was still just memorizing Maronius language, what research could she help with?

'Then... it's not about research...?'

Kira's earlobes turned red. All sorts of fantasies exploded like fireworks.

The human imagination is truly the finest graphics card, far surpassing even the 4090's capabilities.

The scenarios Kira imagined were real-world plausible!

And in quite the romantic direction!

'If not for research, why call me to his lab...?'

Wait. Don't get excited, Kira. Think calmly!

Why would Ian call you?! He just wants to talk about magic!

He wouldn't call you for any other strange reason...

"I-I don't think I'll be much help with r-research...?"

"Ian said you're absolutely necessary."

Kira squeezed her eyes shut.

Her heart was beating wildly.

...This was all because of that damn 'hope'.

Ian calling Kira for something other than magic? No way, right?

But.

What if, just maybe.

If Ian was feeling some kind of 'loneliness'.

If research wasn't going well and he wanted emotional support from an old companion.

...Or if he had even stronger feelings.

'Wh-what should I do?!'

She just couldn't calm down.

Maria stared quietly at Kira's reddening face-

"Shall we go outside?"

And dropped one line.

#

As soon as they were out of earshot, Maria:

"You like Ian, don't you?"

"!!!"

Hit Kira right in the solar plexus.

Though not physically, a punch might have hurt less.

Maria's verbal violence - no, factual violence was... spicier than imagined.

Kira felt too dizzy to think straight.

"Wh-what are you saying? Maria? There's no way I-I'd like Ian! Hahaha...! We're just friends!"

"Ah ah. I see... How disappointing. He seemed to have feelings for you."

"...! Really?!"

Maria coldly mocked:

"No. That was a lie?"

"..."

Kira glared at Maria with a serious expression.

Maria and Kira weren't particularly close. They hadn't had time to become close, and neither was the social type.

"I won't forgive jokes that cross the line."

"I'm sorry. I just thought that you kept telling lies-"

Kira shouted in a sharp voice:

"Lies? You're really running your mouth! Who are you to judge whether my words are true or not?"

Maria calmly answered:

"I thought you had feelings for Ian. That was my conclusion from watching you all this time."

"...So?"

"But since you deny it. Yes. I must have misunderstood."

Maria smiled faintly.

Though it was her usual creepy smile...

Kira shuddered more intensely than usual.

Not knowing it might be an ominous premonition.

"Then only Countess Talian and I love Ian. Hehe."

"...?"

Kira blinked at Maria.

Though it was clearly Imperial language, she couldn't understand what she heard.

Could Maria somehow know higher level Maronius language than her!

"???"

That was impossible!

"Maria, what did you just..."

"I said I love Ian. Since that moment he first understood my true heart, I always have."

"..."

Kira belatedly understood why Maria's smile had been so creepy.

Maria wasn't afraid of others' gazes.

She didn't consider Ian's situation or her own position at all.

Just calmly.

Honestly confessing her true feelings.

People instinctively fear unfamiliar things.

Kira found Maria's attitude unfamiliar, and thus frightening.

"You... Do you even understand what that means?!"

"Hehe. Would you explain it to me?"

Kira opened her mouth then stopped.

She felt like retching.

That sticky, fearful emotion quickly turned to burning anger.

"You mean you'll steal Countess Talian's man!"

But Maria took Kira's glare incredibly calmly.

Kira trembled with fear again...

"Hehe. I'm hurt you'd understand it that way."

"???"

No, what's there to be hurt about! I'm right! You crazy bitch!

Kira was dumbfounded but couldn't bring herself to curse.

Because Maria's next words left her speechless.

"Just because Ian is with Countess Talian... does that mean he can't be with me?"

"..."

"Hehe. He can keep dating Countess Talian... and take me as a bonus? Why not?"

No way.

...Kira's world went black!

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