Sage Erna Griebel. In Eternal Quest, she was one of the main heroines alongside Saint Alicia.

  If I had to describe her character in one word, it would be "perfectionist."

  Magical theory, practical application, advanced techniques—she demanded perfection in every field and never allowed compromise. Her achievement in becoming a court magician at the youngest age in history was likely a testament to this thorough perfectionism.

  Even in the original game, she served as the brains of the hero's party, perfectly handling everything from strategic planning to magical support. Truly a character befitting the title of "Sage."

  And her caustic tongue was also one of her defining traits. Never hesitating to speak directly about anything, she was quite the strong-willed character. Including the gap between her appearance as a petite, sharp-tongued girl, she was an extremely popular character.

  And that same girl was apparently obsessed with romance.

  The very same girl some fans had even labeled as man-hating.

  It was hard to believe. After all, she'd become so warped that she was now earnestly marriage hunting with a "List of 100 Conditions for My Ideal Man."

  Well, precisely because she was a perfectionist, if that drive turned toward romance, I could understand how it might happen—which was the truly vexing part.

  "Master Dylan? You don't look well."

  After the lecture, as I walked down the hallway, Martha called out with concern.

  "Ah, no... I was just lost in thought."

  I answered while gripping the Arcane Arts Society invitation I'd received from Professor Maxwell. Erna's name was clearly written on it.

  "Is it about the Arcane Arts Society?"

  "Something like that."

  Actually, in the game, Dylan shouldn't have had any death flags related to Erna. At the academy, which served as the collection point for many events, she had already achieved success by the time the original story began, so there would have been almost no points of contact with the dropout Dylan.

  So from a meta perspective, she was a low-risk person. As long as I didn't make some terrible blunder, it shouldn't become anything fateful.

  But that was in the original. This world was now distorted.

  That poster flashed through my mind.

  What kind of state was she in now? Just imagining it made me feel averse.

  I'd liked her enough to struggle over whether to pursue Erna's or Alicia's route.

  "If that's the case, there's no need to worry. With your abilities, Master Dylan, you're certain to have a meaningful time."

  "...I hope you're right."

  Of course, when it came to magic alone, I had reasonable confidence.

  "Is something making you anxious?"

  I debated whether to answer Martha's question honestly.

  "...No, I'm just nervous. After all, it's a study session with a court magician."

  I stated my anxiety while being vague.

  "A court magician... would that be Lady Erna Griebel?"

  "Eh? Ah, yes, but do you know of her?"

  While Martha was quite capable as an attendant, I didn't have the impression she was particularly knowledgeable about court politics. Even among court magicians, unless they held high rank, it was extremely rare for their names to resound throughout the kingdom. And Erna had only held the position for less than a year. Her name recognition wasn't high yet.

  "...No, I've just heard of her in passing."

  I tilted my head at Martha's uncharacteristically evasive response.

  "...Could it be about Erna's marriage prospects?"

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  I asked with a slightly lowered tone. While not exactly gossip, you never knew who might overhear or how they might interpret it. Noble marriages were sometimes strategic matters.

  At those words, Martha's eyes widened for just an instant.

  "So you already knew. Since it happened after you secluded yourself in the mountains, Master Dylan, I assumed you hadn't heard yet."

  "Well, from Oscar."

  Still, to think she'd started "those activities" over half a year ago. And flashy enough for the news to reach Martha even in Belmond territory...

  "From Master Oscar...? I see. I assumed you'd heard directly from the person herself."

  Martha continued with a slightly surprised look.

  "Hm? Well, it would be awkward to ask her directly..."

  No matter how strange I thought it was, I wasn't thick-skinned enough for that. It was an obvious minefield. I had no intention of being brave or foolish enough to jump in.

  "Indeed... that's true. However, I think you should simply do as you wish, Master Dylan."

  Martha offered that advice.

  "A-ah. That seems a bit dramatic, but thank you."

  I responded simply. This anxiety was just the fear of having to witness something I didn't want to see. Different from my previous fear of death.

  "—Well, I'm off."

  I parted with Martha and headed alone to the designated research room. The Arcane Arts Society apparently didn't meet in an open space like a lecture hall, but in a room within the professor-exclusive research building in the academy's furthest reaches. That alone conveyed the special feeling that only the chosen could enter.

  When I knocked on the heavy wooden door, I heard Professor Maxwell's low voice saying "Come in."

  As I entered, Professor Maxwell, seated at a round table, looked up.

  "Thank you for inviting me today."

  I bowed politely according to noble etiquette.

  "Mm. Formal greetings are unnecessary. Here, everyone is a seeker of magic—status is irrelevant."

  The professor said this and offered me a seat. There was already one other person at the round table. I caught my breath.

  Bathed in light streaming through the window, silver hair sparkled brilliantly. Translucent white skin and cool azure eyes that radiated intelligence. Though petite, her bearing exuded an almost unapproachable elegance. A perfect beauty, as if she'd stepped straight out of the original game's illustrations.

  Sage Erna Griebel herself.

  (...Huh? Isn't she normal? Completely different from the impression that poster gave—)

  Just as I was feeling relieved internally, that's when it happened. She looked up from the bundle of parchment she'd been holding and gave me a once-over from head to toe, as if appraising merchandise—or so I thought.

  "Pleased to meet you. My name is Erna Griebel."

  She suddenly closed the distance between us and grasped my hand. A soft yet slightly cold sensation. My thoughts ground to a halt at the suddenness.

  W-what!?

  "To think Professor Maxwell would invite you to the Arcane Arts Society when you've only been enrolled for a few days. I was curious about what kind of prodigy you must be."

  Erna said this cheerfully. With a softness I'd never heard even in the main game.

  It confirmed that poster hadn't been wrong after all.

  "If you wouldn't mind, might I have your name?"

  She didn't let go of my hand. Her azure eyes sparkled with anticipation.

  "Dylan Belmond."

  A brief silence. The warmth vanished from her eyes.

  In its place was something cold and distant.

  "...Bel... mond?"

  Erna's fingertips trembled slightly, and she gently released the hand she'd been holding. She turned so pale I could practically hear the blood draining from her cheeks. The next moment, while barely maintaining her plastered-on smile, only the depths of her eyes froze like ice.

  "—My apologies. I lost my composure for a moment."

  Her tone had changed completely from moments before, now full of thorns.

  Eh, what was that just now?

  That behavior was exactly like the original Erna. But I couldn't hide my confusion at such a dramatic transformation.

  "Hm, Lady Erna. Did something offend you?"

  Professor Maxwell looked at us both with puzzlement. Apparently her earlier response had been her normal operating mode. And I could also sense that her current state seemed unnatural even to Professor Maxwell.

  "...No, this is a place of learning. Marriage matters—no, I simply resolved that all extraneous noise should be forgotten entirely, and I should concentrate purely on magic alone."

  Those words were directed not at me, but at Professor Maxwell. After bowing with perfectly ladylike courtesy, Erna smoothly distanced herself from me and returned to her previous seat. As if building an invisible wall between us.

  What in the world...?

  I couldn't keep up with this whirlwind development.

  "W-well then. That's the spirit. Dylan, you too should devote yourself to your pursuits so as not to fall behind Lady Erna."

  Professor Maxwell cleared his throat once and forcibly settled the situation. Apparently even he didn't understand the detailed circumstances.

  "Now then, since everyone has gathered, let us begin."

  After that, we only exchanged brief greetings with the other Arcane Arts Society members before the day's session concluded. Incidentally, during that entire time, Erna and I didn't exchange a single word, and the other members seemed confused as well—clearly Erna had some kind of feelings about me.

  What exactly those were, I had no idea.

  "Welcome back, Master Dylan."

  When I returned to my room, Martha, who'd been waiting, greeted me.

  "You seem quite exhausted. Was Professor Maxwell's Arcane Arts Society truly that demanding?"

  "No... it's not exactly that."

  I shook my head slightly. That was—how should I put it? We weren't close enough for her to be playing pranks on me.

  "Is that so? Then is it about Lady Griebel?"

  "...How did you figure that out?"

  I involuntarily looked up at Martha's sharp perception. She smiled slightly, but somehow shadows fell across her expression.

  "Yes. Seeing you now, Master Dylan, I thought it must be that."

  "...That?"

  "Yes. Was it indeed burdensome? The matter of the engagement?"

  "...Hm?"

  I felt like somehow Martha and I weren't on the same page. And fundamentally so.

  "...The matter of your engagement to Lady Erna Griebel. While it apparently hasn't been formally decided yet—"

  "Wait, wait wait. Engagement? Between who and who?"

  "Between Master Dylan Belmond and Lady Erna Griebel, of course."

  Martha looked straight at me. Those eyes showed that this was definitely not a joke.

  ".....................What?"