NoveLight ™
Uncle. I’m planning to enlist.
‘What did I do wrong?’
In an instant, my mind became a whirlwind of confusion. Was there a premonition? Was there something I missed?
I dashed to my office like a madman and began to pour out the carefully stored letters to read them again.
Was it during this time? Was he upset then? Certainly, every time he wanted something, he’d send me plenty of money. Yulia disliked that.
So after that, we compromised and settled on sending a regular allowance of 100,000 Lark per month. I’d occasionally send gifts as much as possible in the form of items instead of money. I thought things had returned to normal.
Ah, this one. I remember it. I was shocked when I first saw it.
It was obvious they had called me to make a fool of me. Luring me in with smiles to make up, only to humiliate me in front of everyone. It was clear as day.
...At least that’s what I thought. Yulia returned, displaying an almost superhuman sociability as the protagonist. Well, at least the party issue was resolved. So what was the problem?
Could it have been this time? After receiving this letter, I became curious about what the kid was so fascinated with pajamas, so I searched the front of the academy gate. The result was only one place: a store selling women’s pajamas.
After sending that reply, the letters stopped for a while. Ah. So that’s why. It makes sense now. I could understand how he might enjoy wearing women’s pajamas. I hadn’t respected Yulia’s tastes due to my narrow-minded perspective.
‘But even so, he sent another letter afterward.’
Just as I thought I had found the answer, I stumbled upon another stack of letters that had arrived afterward and fell into deep thought. What could the problem have been? Why did Yulia suddenly cut off her support and choose to enlist?
“Hah...”
We were doing fine. Why is this happening all of a sudden? Can’t you at least tell me what I did wrong? I feel like I’m about to faint.
“Surely it’s that...”
Rubbing my temples, I tilted my head back. I checked to see if I had made a mistake in the letters, but I already knew I was looking in the wrong places from the beginning.
“Irene spread the rumors...”
It was obvious to anyone that the rumors about me and the kids were the cause. The timing fits too. Yulia had every reason to be furious. Her precious friends, and even her romantic interests, forced into a marriage with a good-for-nothing guy? How could she not be enraged?
“I have to stop it...!”
Enlisting is absolutely not an option. I cannot allow it. How can I stop it?
Reading the last part of the letter that had just arrived, I clenched my eyes shut. No matter how I thought about it, there was only one way.
It was a method I really, really didn’t want to use... but I had no choice.
“Sylvia!”
Academy life is enjoyable.
After a long time, and after enduring long negativity, Yulia had to acknowledge it.
At first, she had only entered unwillingly. She didn’t have the strength to charge into the Vermont mansion right away. She thought of it as merely a passage to learn magic and gain strength.
But unexpected support came in, and she found herself living a surprisingly abundant life at the academy. Gradually, Yulia adapted to this place and discovered that she was becoming comfortable here.
“Y-Yulia! You made it! Come sit here. I’ve prepared cushions, bread, and drinks for you...”
Her classmates were all incredibly kind and friendly.
“Yulia, junior! Oh, oh? The place where you got hit? Hahaha... It doesn’t hurt anymore... Really... But do you need the exam papers? I could give you the first-year Magical Arts Introduction exam papers?”
The seniors were the right guides leading the juniors down the proper path.
“Y-Yulia... I’m really sorry about the grade manipulation the other day... But even if it violates school rules to exceed the allotted credits, I’ll do my best to help you! Don’t worry!”
The professors were also people from whom she could learn a lot.
It was enjoyable. For the first time since leaving the orphanage, Yulia felt happy.
‘This shouldn’t be happening...’
Even now, Charlotte and Yulia are trapped as slaves sold to the Vermont mansion. She shouldn’t be enjoying herself. She shouldn’t be smiling. It’s a time when she should be planning their rescue!
‘It’s all because of that dark uncle.’
The reason I’ve become so relaxed is all because of that dark uncle. He got me enrolled here. He responded to my letters diligently even if he could be a bit bothersome at times. Sometimes he supported me to an excessive degree...
It was because of this person that I kept feeling that academy life was enjoyable.
Should I cut off the support altogether? Yulia thought about that but quickly gave up.
“No, I’m curious about who he is...”
She quickly abandoned that thought. He said he would meet her once she graduates. If she couldn’t graduate, she would never see the dark uncle’s face again. It would just be exchanging letters, and their relationship would eventually come to an end.
She didn’t want that. She desperately wanted to find out who he was. She wanted to meet him and thank him while looking into his eyes.
Thinking this way, Yulia realized she could not leave the academy.
“Right. Let’s be honest with my feelings. There’s nothing wrong with being happy. Charlotte and Yulia wouldn’t want me to be in pain all the time.”
Just because she hurried didn’t mean she could rush the curriculum, right? Yulia decided to ease her heart a little more. Enjoy what can be enjoyed. If she wanted to smile, she could smile.
She always kept thoughts of Charlotte and Yulia in her mind.
Thanks to the haphazardly taken classes, Yulia was able to take all classes related to combat magic. Although she was still at a basic level, she was about to finish the basics and move on to the second semester. If she learned practical magic next year, she would become much stronger than now.
At that moment, while her heart fluttered with those thoughts, she heard a terrible rumor.
The newspaper headline. And the whispers among the students. The moment she first heard the rumor, it felt like her breath was cut off. The first feeling Yulia experienced was an overwhelming fury.
“Aslan Vermont! That damn bastard...!”
You beast! You filthy pervert! How could a grown man look at Charlotte and Yulia with lecherous eyes...!? The more I thought about it, the more my teeth ground, and my anger rose endlessly.
“Ahhhhh...!”
But soon after, despair wrapped around Yulia. I’m so angry. I want to kill Aslan, but the powerlessness of being unable to do anything washed over me.
I had just begun to learn magic. I had become capable of efficiently using the haphazard mana manipulation I had learned as a child. I felt I could gain the strength to match a Sword Expert if I pushed a little further.
Just a little more...!
“Do you want to take the second-year classes early? I’m sorry, Yulia. That seems difficult.”
“Dean, please! Is there any way it could be done?”
“There’s nothing I can do. Since we’re at the point where the first semester is coming to an end, you can’t attend second-year classes... If you fulfill the required credits and prerequisites, it’s possible to skip a year, but right now, attending the second-year classes is impossible.”
Ah! I have to wait until next year! It wouldn’t be surprising if Charlotte and Yulia became Count Vermont's wives tomorrow! Time is of the essence! I need a way to grow stronger as quickly as possible!
And that method was surprisingly not far away. Yulia’s gaze fell upon a enlistment poster she usually had no interest in.
“Huh... I wanted to graduate...”
The quickest way to learn practical combat magic. That would definitely be becoming a soldier. With tears in her eyes, Yulia picked up a pen.
“Thank you so much for everything... Huh. I hope it doesn’t look like I’m running away with some lame excuse after receiving everything...”
This would be the end of her relationship with the dark uncle. It was truly disappointing, but now she would never know his identity.
As Yulia wrote the letter, she felt her disappointment grow while her determination solidified.
To save Charlotte and Yulia, this was the best option. I was right; there was no other way but to become a soldier.
“I’ll do it.”
She sent the last letter to her benefactor.
The next dawn. Yulia secretly said goodbye to the Imperial Magic Academy. Adjusting her backpack, she sniffled as she was about to leave the dormitory.
“Special delivery, special delivery! Are you Yulia Brussels?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Here’s a special delivery letter. Delivered!”
Someone appeared on horseback, handed her a letter, and quickly disappeared. She recalled being shocked when she overheard the delivery fee for special deliveries at the post office. Who on earth sent me a special delivery letter?
Yulia stared at the letter in confusion.
“From the dark uncle...!”
Seeing the sender's name, her face began to light up. Thank goodness. I get to see the dark uncle's last letter.
Swish, she opened the letter. She had thought it would be some kind of farewell message, but the content was completely unexpected, and Yulia's eyes widened in surprise.
“There’s a way to gain strength!?”
Huh?
“A friend is about to start a security company. I’ll introduce you so you can join as a staff member. That way, you can become stronger without dropping out!?”
A new path opened up.