novelraw Chapter 21: Isabelle
Chapter 21: Isabelle
The student dormitories at Saint Nary University were divided into separate male and female wings, located on the eastern and western sides of the campus respectively. With only a few days left before the start of the fall semester, many students had already begun returning to school. They needed to come back early to clean up after a long vacation and pre-select courses for the upcoming semester.
At Saint Nary University, courses were self-selected. The university only provided the required courses for degree certificates upon enrollment, some being mandatory while others were electives.
A line of carriages waited at the entrance, dropping off students. Many families even had dedicated servants helping with luggage. Students who could attend Saint Nary University either had outstanding academic performance or came from well-off families.
At this moment, in the innermost dormitory on the fourth floor of the female wing, a black-haired girl wiped sweat from her brow while dragging a heavy suitcase, then opened her dorm room door.
Saint Nary University assigned three students per dorm room, each equipped with private bathrooms and a common area—excellent living conditions. Though the room hadn't been occupied all vacation, it remained spotlessly clean because one of her roommates hadn't gone home. Rumor had it she came from a distant city in Nary, making the trip back too troublesome, so she had specially applied to stay on campus during summer break.
"Jasmine! Help... help me, hah, it's so hot outside!"
The black-haired girl at the door looked utterly exhausted, constantly wiping fine beads of sweat from her forehead. In response to her call, a girl wearing a casual home dress emerged from the bedroom. Her voluptuous figure exceeded normal proportions, and her beautiful face radiated an exceptionally gentle aura.
With a warm smile, she walked to the door and took her roommate's luggage. "Welcome back, Milika."
"Ah, I'm exhausted! Thankfully the dorm's cooling magic hasn't worn off yet. I told Isabelle—she said she'd bring some from home."
"Oh, but those are expensive, aren't they?"Jasmine's rosy cheeks showed a hint of concern. Saint Nary's summers were unusually sweltering, making indoor cooling magic devices produced by certain companies highly sought after. These devices were categorized by duration—some lasted hours, others days, and premium versions could last entire seasons. Last semester, their dorm had used the most expensive long-term version, brought by Milika.
Milika pinched Jasmine's slightly chubby cheeks, distorting her lovely face and eliciting an indistinct whimper. "Don't worry! Isabelle lives in the Golden Palace! Her pocket money is endless. If she says she'll bring some, there's no need to fret... By the way, don't tell me you've been holed up here all break? Didn't go into the city? Didn't see any plays?"
"N-no... It's too far from campus. I'd have to walk forever. What about you, Milika? What did you do during break?"
At this question, Milika brightened. "My father serves as a bishop in the church, so he arranged for me to intern with the Saintess Choir for a while! We even performed in the Southern Continent! But Priestess Karyu who trained us was so strict—several girls cried from her scolding. I absolutely despised her."
Milika stuck out her tongue, visibly irritated recalling Priestess Karyu's harsh demeanor. Her time with the Saintess Choir had been miserable—no gentle father at home, just that terrifying priestess who gave her nightmares every night. She couldn't wait to return to the Western Continent.
The dorm had only one bedroom, but it was spacious enough for three beds and study desks—though apart from Jasmine's desk, the other two had essentially become dressing tables.
Milika had brought many things from home—delicacies, personal items—all needing to be unpacked. She also retrieved souvenirs for Jasmine and Isabelle.
Glancing back at Jasmine reading at her desk, Milika mischievously pounced, wrapping her arms around Jasmine's body and eliciting a startled, animal-like yelp. "Mmph... Milika..."
"Hehe, Jasmine, my Jasmine! I haven't seen you all break! Why are you so soft? It's so comfortable~" Milika nuzzled against Jasmine's plush figure before asking, "Didn't you go swimming today?"
"I went this morning... It's so hot, Milika..."
Only then did Milika remember to activate the cooling magic. She dashed to the common area, verified the still-functional emblem on the wall, and reignited it. Instantly, the stuffy room cooled several degrees.
"Jasmine, you dummy! You barely used this all break?"
"I... I went swimming often, so it was fine. And I worried if I used it up, there'd be none left when you returned."
"Silly, of course we'd bring more!"
As Milika playfully squeezed Jasmine's soft cheeks, the dorm door opened, revealing a young girl in a pale gold dress.
The girl had waist-length golden hair, wore sunglasses, and sported a faint smile. Behind her, the faint outline of a three-ringed arc emblem shimmered—the shape of the Goldline Golden Seal.
Given the summer heat, she wore nothing beneath her dress except white socks and pale gold low heels at her ankles, accentuating her elegant, beautiful figure.
"Good afternoon, ladies."
The radiant young woman carried no luggage, simply greeting her two roommates with a smile as her pale golden eyes scanned the room.
"Isabelle! You're back! I thought you'd return later." Milika rushed over to take Isabelle's hand, peering at the empty hallway behind her. "Huh? No luggage?"
"I've had free time recently, but that might change soon, so I returned early. My things will be delivered shortly... Hello, Jasmine! Long time no see!"
"Hello, Isabelle. Welcome back."
"Oh! I forgot—Golden Palace staff can enter campus! Had I known, I'd have had you bring my luggage! Would've saved me so much trouble!"
"You never visited me all break—why should I help you?"
"I was working in the Southern Continent! Ugh, that devilish priestess drilled us daily! She even forbade meat, saying 'maintaining figure is key to being a proper lady.' If that were true, she wouldn't be as thin as a stick!"
"Perhaps ask Jasmine about that—I'd also like to know how she developed so... impressively."
"Huh?"
Jasmine's face reddened as even her roommates' gazes toward her chest made her shy. She instinctively covered herself.
After settling in, the three girls gathered in their bedroom to chat—newly reunited young women always had endless topics: romance, family, amusing anecdotes.
But there were practical matters too, like the approaching fall semester.
"By the way, has anyone checked the [Course Selection Slate] for next term's offerings?"
Isabelle, having placed a new mirror on her dressing table, looked around at her roommates. Milika raised her hand.
"I did! I even recorded it with [Memory Magic]!"
"Thanks! Let's see what's available. My sister mentioned the Gryphon Party is educationally blockading our university. Who knows what Headmaster Kennen's countermeasures are—if the Magic Department doesn't offer classes soon, students might petition parliament."
As Isabelle spoke, she and Jasmine examined the glowing stone in Milika's hand. Text projected from it, forming a miniature version of the Course Selection Slate on the wall.
The slate organized courses by department, listing course codes, full titles, professors, and notes—usually brief descriptions or requirements from instructors.
Jasmine and Isabelle studied one wall projection while Milika viewed another, being an Arts student with different course requirements.
Isabelle's gaze quickly landed on the Magic Department's slate:
[Magic Category 1001A: Introduction to Fundamental Magic]
[Instructor: Fischer Benavides]
[Notes: Covers extremely basic magical principles. No prerequisites. Capacity: 50.]
[Suggested Reading: "Theoretical Foundations of Magic," "Detailed History of Magic," "The Logic of Magic"...]
Seeing the lengthy reading list, Isabelle nearly fainted, immediately intrigued by this peculiar professor.
This introductory magic course had two instructors. The other professor's notes read: "An esoteric yet fascinating magical theory course."
"Fischer Benavides... That name sounds familiar."
As Isabelle spoke, Milika, drinking water, suddenly spat it out in a coughing fit.
"Wait—*cough*—who did you say? Fischer Benavides?"
She spun around, confirming the name on the projection matched her memory before exclaiming excitedly, "Oh my! It really is Professor Fischer! I never imagined he'd teach here! Thought he was still in the Southern Continent!"
"Milika, you know this professor?"
"Of course! Don't you? 'The Rebel of the Royal Academy'! Author of the Soul Magic Origin Theory! Student of Archmage Helson! His papers have been decimating academia lately—everyone's holed up trying to verify his theories! When he attended the Royal Academy, my father hired him as my math tutor. Not that I'm any better at math now, but he was an excellent teacher."
"And and and—most importantly..." Milika's face flushed as she told her roommates, "He's incredibly handsome! The epitome of a Nary gentleman!"
Isabelle's mouth fell open. Though raised in the royal family, being the youngest with an elder sister and three brothers meant her father hadn't been overly strict, leaving her relatively uninformed about Nary's academic circles...
The name sounded familiar because she'd possibly seen it... well, on her sister's desk?
"Fischer Benavides, huh..."
Her pale golden eyes lingered on the professor's name as she added Magic Category 1001A to her schedule.