Magic Academy's Bastard Instructor - Chapter 224

Chapter 224: String Theory [2]
Astrid’s mind was in turmoil. As she trudged across the frozen wasteland with a sunken expression, her thoughts drifted back to her childhood.

Astrid had always been a bright and joyful child who could smile even while growing up under the care of maids. Even though her siblings were years older and too busy with their own affairs to spare her much attention, she still found herself looking forward to each new day.

She remembered a time when her mother, the Empress, was renowned as one of the Empire’s greatest minds.

But Astrid had also lived long enough to witness her decline.

How that same, brilliant mother gradually wasted away, confined to her bed because of her illness.

Oftentimes, after returning home from the academy, Astrid would find the doctor tending to her mother.

Zelliel, renowned throughout the Empire for his skills in the medical field. Many coveted the honor he held, for he was the one chosen as the royal physician entrusted with the Queen’s care.

To Astrid, the fact that it was someone like him who was tending to her mother had once given her assurance.

After all, from his merits and credentials alone, he seemed like a man who could banish illness with nothing but his knowledge.

But with every visit, her mother only grew weaker.

One day, as Astrid passed Zelliel in the halls, she found the courage to ask.

——Will my mother… be well soon?

The doctor paused, glancing down at her.

——Of course, Princess. The Empress is receiving the finest care in the Empire. You need not worry yourself.

But despite his words, when Astrid met his gaze, something felt unsettling. Behind the smile a typical adult would give a child, Zelliel’s pupils seemed to shake.

He looked uneasy, perhaps fearful. At any moment, he might break into a cold sweat.

Of course, Astrid, still a child despite her brightness, failed to notice these subtle signs. She took his words at face value, comforted by them, and hurried on, clinging to the hope that her mother’s recovery was only a matter of time.

But looking back now, she could no longer ignore what her younger self had missed.

His fear had not been for her mother’s life, but for something else entirely.

‘There’s just no way that man… was in collaboration with Vanitas…’

And yet, the unpublished article in her hands, written by a dead man Karina claimed was her father, told her otherwise.

The headline alone made her stomach twist.

[The Queen’s death was not a death by illness, but a murder?! One of the continent’s most renowned medical professionals kills a royal maid after being caught administering poison to the Queen?!]

“….”

Astrid’s grip on the paper tightened.

If this article held even a semblance of the truth, then everything she had believed in her mother’s death and the Professor’s aforementioned involvement was suddenly thrown into question.

[A University Tower Professor, and one of the Empire’s loyal noblemen, at the center of it all?!]

Her breath caught in her throat as the words blurred before her eyes. The very foundation of her trust in Vanitas trembled.

And the one who had handed her this damning piece of paper was Karina, of all people.

Yes, it was an unpublished article. But the man who had written it had fallen into a coma shortly after submitting it, and was rejected by the publishing company without explanation.

That was no mere coincidence. Astrid, with all her critical thinking skills, could read between the lines.

Something shady was behind the scenes.

First of all, even without the article, every citizen of the Empire knew who had killed the Queen. Zelliel’s name was etched into the public’s mind as the culprit. That much was a given.

Which only made it more puzzling.

If this were common knowledge, then why would a publishing house reject a piece reinforcing it? Why would the author be silenced for repeating what was already an accepted fact?

The answer was clear.

Because this article contained something new.

A thread of information the Empire, or someone within it, could not afford to let reach the light.

“I…”

“Princess, where did you go with Karina?” Margaret’s voice suddenly reached her ears.

Astrid blinked, realizing only then that she had already returned to where she had been standing before.

“Grand Knight Illenia… I need to see Marquess Vanitas.”

“The Marquess gave explicit orders. You are not to set foot inside that place.”

“You’re misunderstanding, Grand Knight. This isn’t a request. It’s an Imperial order. Stand down.”

At her tone, Margaret’s brows lifted, then settled into a frown. “No, Princess. You’re the one misunderstanding. My allegiance is not to the Empire. It is to the Marquess alone.”

“….”

To speak such words to the Imperial Princess, to defy her even when she invoked Imperial authority, whether it was abuse of power or not, was an act that bordered on treasonous.

“Do you understand the weight of your words?” Astrid asked coldly. “That’s practically treason, Grand Knight.”

Margaret stood her ground. “If loyalty to him is treason, then I will bear the crime without regret.”

Astrid’s lips pressed into a thin line. Margaret’s resolve was absolute, like steel forged in fire. And in that moment, Astrid realized that no Imperial decree would sway her.

“Then so be it.”

Crash——!

A golden blade materialized, slamming down with force. Margaret dodged instantly, gripping her sheathed sword as she rushed toward Astrid.

“W-What…!”

Selena, watching from behind, grew pale. As the Saintess, she knew better than anyone what it meant to witness this clash.

Before her eyes were two origins of the world.

How did it come to this…?

Clang! Clang!

Steel rang against gold. Each strike reverberated through the air. The shockwaves of each impact scattered snow and rattled the ground beneath them. Knights stationed nearby rushed forward in alarm, mistaking the scene for an assault against the Princess.

But as the snow settled, they instantly realized it was Astrid herself battling Margaret.

“Grand Knight, what is the meaning of this!”

Still, duty demanded action. They rushed in to restrain the Grand Knight with their blades drawn.

“What in the world are you—”

Bang——!

Yet before anyone could close the distance, a wave of golden force flared outward. One by one, the knights were thrown back, crashing into the snow.

Astrid’s eyes gleamed like molten gold. To her, there was no friend or foe.

They were merely obstacles in her path.

“I’ll give you one more chance, Grand Knight,” she said coldly, her golden sword poised to strike again. “Let me go, and I’ll overlook your actions today.”

Margaret’s hand rested firmly on her hilt, standing tall with conviction.

“Even if I fall here, even if I am branded a traitor, I will see to it the Marquess’s wishes are fulfilled.”

“Why go through such lengths?!” Astrid’s voice snapped with frustration.

It was absurd. Knights were not paragons of loyalty. The saying ‘chivalry is dead’ was not spoken without reason. She had seen the corruption firsthand in the Crusade Department.

There was no such thing as a loyal knight, and no such thing as a loyal person.

Everyone was rotten in one way or another.

She knew she was. She knew Ezra was. And she knew Vanitas was.

“Because I have given him my life,” Margaret said. “I am the sword that stands in the way of Vanitas Astrea’s enemies.”

“….”

Astrid’s face darkened as she stared at the knight who dared defy her, even against the crown and the Empire, all for the sake of one man.

“I have given you not one, but two chances….” Astrid clenched her fist. “Don’t blame me for whatever happens next.”

At that, Astrid clenched her fist.

Rumble——

The world seemed to collapse under an unseen force. A crushing pressure poured down from above as though the heavens themselves had fallen. The ground trembled and shook. Instantaneously, Margaret was driven face-first into the earth as if an invisible anvil had slammed her down.

Astrid’s golden eyes blazed as her magnetism roared outward. Trees splintered and cracked. The air itself groaned under the strain of her power.

Yet even as blood streaked Margaret’s face from the sheer force pinning her down, she raised her head and glared defiantly at Astrid.

“….!”

Astrid’s eyes widened for the briefest moment, surprised. Blood trickled from her own nose due to the strain from overexerting her power, and yet Margaret still resisted.

It was then.

———!

Reality itself fractured.

In the blink of an eye, Margaret was no longer at Astrid’s feet but behind her. Lavender streaks flashed like flowing petals.

The very fabric of space warped, as if the north and south poles collapsed into a singular point around Margaret, rendering her entirely immune to Astrid’s magnetic field.

“How—” Astrid’s words broke off as Margaret’s sword halted just short of her throat.

Astrid clenched her fist again and again, forcing her magnetism to surge. The ground cracked, stones splintered, and trees groaned under the crushing weight. Yet Margaret remained standing in the eye of the storm as though Astrid’s power could not reach her.

“You must remain, Princess,” Margaret said, her tone resolute. “It is his order—”

——I don’t think so.

Another voice cut through the chaos.

“….”

“….”

Astrid and Margaret turned, only to realize the knights rushing toward them had stopped mid-stride, frozen in place as though time itself had abandoned them.

The air, already frigid with northern frost, deepened into a cold far beyond winter. A suffocating chill that layered itself upon the world, freezing even sound.

Through the frost, a figure emerged. Silver hair shimmered in the frostlight as her blue eyes gleamed like shards of ice.

“Let her go, Margaret Illenia.”

“…Karina.” Margaret’s lips parted in a whisper.

“If not, then I’ll face you myself,” Karina declared, her voice laced with confidence.

“Two of you won’t make any difference. I don’t intend to stand down—”

——That’s enough! All of you, calm down for a second!

The sudden outburst cut through like a bell. All three turned toward the voice.

Selena had stepped forward. She had been watching the confrontation quietly until now. What startled Karina most was the fact that her frost had frozen the entire area, and yet Selena was moving freely.

“How are you—” Karina began, but stopped as her eyes widened.

Before their eyes, Selena reached up and loosened her tied hair. Her red locks spilled down like flames. Both Astrid and Karina found themselves confused.

‘Who is this maid?’ they thought in unison.

“I may not look the part right now,” Selena said evenly. “But I am the Saintess of the Theocracy.”

Astrid and Karina turned instinctively to Margaret. Without hesitation, Margaret gave a nod, confirming what they could not believe.

“Now then,” Selena continued. “Why don’t we all take a step back, breathe, and reconsider before this goes too far?”

“Saintess, you—” Astrid began, but Selena cut her off.

“Yes, I am alive,” Selena said calmly, clasping her hands together. “And now, I stand under the protection of Marquess Vanitas Astrea. You understand what that means, don’t you?”

And vice versa. That meant Vanitas was being backed by the Saintess herself as well.

It was no small matter. Even Karina, so quick with words, found herself unable to voice a retort.

Selena’s gaze shifted between them. “From what I can gather, this conflict stems from the Marquess’s orders. And in truth, I believe he is right. The Princess must never set foot inside and just wait for him.”

She closed her eyes briefly, as if listening inward.

“I’ve received no divine revelation, but the voices within the leyline whisper clearly enough. The Princess will regret it if she goes inside.”

“And what if I don’t intend to see the Marquess,” Astrid countered, “but to investigate as a scholar?”

“Then you contradict yourself,” Selena replied. “Did you not just tell Miss Illenia that your purpose was to meet him?”

“That’s… true, but…” Astrid’s voice faltered under Selena’s gaze that seemed to pierce right through her. “My mother… she’s calling to me… I can hear her inside there…”

“Or so you believe. But that’s exactly how demons ensnare hearts of the desperate.”

“….”

At Astrid’s silence, the Saintess shifted her gaze toward Karina. “It seems you’ve finally awakened to it, Origin of Time.”

“W-What…?” Karina’s eyes widened. “Origin…?”

“Indeed.” Selena clasped her hands together.

She turned to face the three young women caught within the frozen time.

“For now, why don’t I educate you three on the concept of Origins?”

None of them realized it yet, but all four standing within the suspended moment—Astrid, Margaret, Karina, and Selena herself were Origins.

The embodiments of primal forces with the powers that maintained the balance of the world.

‘I’ll buy you some time, Marquess. Please return as soon as possible.’