Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 8

To Teacher, From Vanessa 8

Huffing, Lina growled.

“Get away! Vanessa is mine!”

“Oh my… who is this? Isn’t it the eldest daughter of the Dellina family?”

Eugenia shook Vanessa’s clasped hands and smiled brightly, causing Lina to glare at Vanessa with a fierce gaze. Vanessa, caught in the middle, flinched.

“Did you seduce her? Did you seduce her?! Did she fall for it?!”

“Ah, no, I didn’t say anything.”

*I* didn’t…. Then Lina’s face brightened, and she shouted at Eugenia.

“Stop seducing her. Who doesn’t know you’re planning to use Vanessa later?”

“Oh my. I really meant it out of goodwill, but I’m disappointed, Vanessa.”

Eugenia’s eyes drooped subtly, making Vanessa feel as if she had committed a great sin.

*Good heavens. I’ve hurt the heart of a beauty.*

“I, I’m sorry.”

Vanessa apologized absentmindedly, and Alisa started laughing gleefully beside her. Eugenia smiled sweetly and released Vanessa’s hand.

“Since Lina has appeared, I should be going. It’s cute how she barks, but I’m not into hunting dogs.”

“Are you saying I’m a hunting dog now?”

Lina yelled, but Eugenia’s smile only deepened.

“Vanessa. Think carefully about the sponsorship and give me your answer. Here’s an invitation.”

The light-colored envelope had ‘Vanessa Rose’ written in elegant handwriting.

“It’s a gathering I’m hosting. No need to feel pressured. It’s an opportunity that came about because you study hard, not because of the sponsorship. If you haven’t chosen a career path, it would be a really good opportunity.”

Eugenia sweetly curved her eyes and pulled Alisa, who was busy laughing, to her feet.

“I hope you come. I’ll be waiting for that day….”

Eugenia trailed off strangely and lightly winked before disappearing, leading Alisa away.

Left behind by the storm-like entrance and retreat, Vanessa stared blankly at the envelope.

“Eugenia Alban, huh.”

Lina pouted and glared at Vanessa. Vanessa felt wronged.

“I really didn’t do anything; that senior just came over!”

“You just gave her your hand!”

Lina shouted, trembling with betrayal. Vanessa’s mouth snapped shut. She was indeed charmed.

“But who is that person? Are they famous?”

“She’s the heir to the Alban family, one of the kingdom’s meritorious families. Senior Eugenia will inherit the Alban earldom [a territory or rank of nobility] later.”

Vanessa’s mouth dropped open in a daze. An earldom?

“Well, that title is just a formality now, but the most important thing is the businesses that family owns. They own the largest bank in Friba.”

Lina frowned as she looked at the envelope in Vanessa’s hand.

“…Well, to be honest, it’s a good opportunity. You must go to that gathering, Vanessa. It’s one of the gatherings everyone is desperate to attend. It’s strange they didn’t invite any third-years.”

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Hello, Teacher.

It’s a season with severe temperature differences. Please don’t forget to take care of yourself! There would be nothing sadder for me than you catching a cold.

Teacher, you see. I think I’m getting a lot of attention from people after that big incident.

No, to be honest, it’s my magical ability. Even though I don’t even know if I have it.

Thanks to that, I’m now very used to people’s attention. I’m not envious of the main character in a literary novel.

Today, a senior with angelic beauty appeared and asked me if I was interested in receiving additional sponsorship.

She’s the heir to the Alban family. Eugenia Alban! Do you happen to know her? She was truly the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.

When that senior fluttered her eyelashes and gently stroked my hand, I momentarily stopped breathing, and my face flushed.

*Vanessa, if you ever need sponsorship…* I couldn’t even hear what came after that.

I was going to refuse because I don’t lack anything at all right now, but my voice wouldn’t come out. Is this what they call a beauty trap?

But that senior is not only beautiful but also incredibly talented. She’s a top student in the fifth grade. Isn’t she just too perfect!

Senior Eugenia stopped talking about sponsorship and just gave me an invitation to a gathering. Apparently, this gathering is very famous.

As you said, it would be best to go out to many places. Since I don’t have anything I want to do yet, various experiences will be helpful to me.

But Lina, who doesn’t really like Senior Eugenia, seems to have half disappointment and half support.

“Vanessa is mine. The first gem I discovered!”

I never dreamed I would hear such words in my life. A gem, huh.

Teacher, did you participate in many gatherings when you were at the academy? What were they like?

Somehow, I think you would have participated in a lot of gatherings. I know you very well.

Don’t tell me to stop lying? I’m serious!

You’re intelligent, kind, and considerate, right? That’s knowing everything, isn’t it? Right?

I used to get praised occasionally in Professor Guido’s class, but now I get praised every time. I’m really good at theory.

The professor said I should definitely take the next level class, .

But damn it, (forgive me for saying bad words) shouldn’t I be able to freely control the power of magic to take the application class?

I still can’t move a single drop of water when I want to, can’t light a lamp, and can’t hide my body in the dark! The power of magic appears and disappears as it pleases.

Professor Guido, seeing me struggling in front of a water bottle, laughed gleefully and told me his activation condition.

“I have to wink. That’s the action. I won’t tell you the situational conditions. It’s complicated, and it’s also my weakness.”

When the professor winked, the water in the bottle soared up and then sank.

“How did you find that out?”

I asked sulkily, and the professor smiled and answered.

“While winking in front of a friend I liked when I was a student. Suddenly, my body flew up and hung from a tree…. After that, I strangely shrank back in front of her….”

The professor stared wistfully out the window, but the students who couldn’t activate their magic were sulky and just stared at the water bottle. Some suddenly winked as if they had been hit somewhere.

“The power of magic is truly mischievous. It makes tone-deaf people create magic through song and makes clumsy people dance. Relax. Even if you can’t create great magic in your life, all this learning is not in vain.”

How can I not be worried even with those words!

You discovered me because you saw light gathering around me, so I really want to realize magic.

Even if it’s not a great magic that requires conditions, I wish I could realize even incantation magic soon.

I don’t know well, but if it’s something that can be done with effort, I’m sure I can do it well.

Feeling motivated today,

Vanessa Rose.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Vanessa spent several nights finishing her homework and then cleaned up her desk.

A large-scale exam, held only once per semester, was scheduled soon. Not only Vanessa and Chebati but also Lina would soon be living in the library. They needed to clear their heads before that.

The three decided to enjoy a break near the lake on a day when all classes were canceled due to the academic conference.

It was a sweet break after a whole two weeks.

“The weather is really nice.”

“Yeah. The sky is so blue!”

The three received sandwiches, juice, and some fruit from the cafeteria and spread a yellow cloth on the grass. Everyone was excited and chattering. The topics were diverse.

Who and who became a couple. Really? They look good together. How did they meet?

A certain professor went to the Naias Forest this time and met a fairy. A fairy! Did they get fairy wing dust?

At that time, someone approached from afar. It was Evan Rias, whom Vanessa had slapped.

“What is it.”

Lina spoke sharply, but Evan didn’t pay attention to her and sat down on the grass, looking only at Vanessa.

“Hello, Vanessa. Let me formally introduce myself. I’m Evan Rias. I know you don’t want to see my face, but I wanted to apologize with my mouth instead of a note.”

Evan said calmly. He was a lanky boy who somehow gave off a deer-like vibe.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been quietly near that place. I was cowardly. I know I should have silenced those guys, even if I had to trick them. I’m really sorry.”

Vanessa sighed and nodded.

“Thank you for apologizing first twice. Actually, it wasn’t your fault. I’m also sorry for hitting you.”

“I’m sorry for not refuting after hearing those words. They said those things out of inferiority, so don’t pay any attention to them. There’s no more talk like that since you were ranked first in Professor Apher’s assignment.”

Evan smiled. Vanessa’s face softened slightly at his friendly gaze.

The four chatted in a peaceful atmosphere. Evan naturally joined the conversation as if he had always been with them.

“I heard you were invited to Eugenia Alban’s gathering?”

“Did that rumor already spread?”

Lina pouted, and Evan shrugged.

“Speak comfortably. Oh, I’m 17 years old. Anyway, it’s the famous Eugenia! People were saying that Vanessa, you’re someone Eugenia recognized, so I immediately ran out to apologize because I thought I’d be in big trouble if I was disliked by her.”

“Vanessa, think about it again. Can you really forgive someone like this?”

Hearing those words, Vanessa narrowed her eyes, and Evan put his hands together and pretended to beg. Everyone burst into laughter at his good-natured behavior.

But while the four were chatting, small, round ripples were forming on the lake.

As time passed, the ripples grew, and the water in the lake moved like waves. But everyone thought the mermaid in the lake was playing around.

“So, Evan, are you repeating a grade this time? You failed Professor Marina’s class, right?”

Chebati spoke comfortably as if she were talking to someone she knew. Evan nodded.

“Yeah, I’m in the same grade as you guys now. I didn’t have any extra credits. My father’s stern order came down. I’ll be scolded when I get back. My father hates cowardice.”

“You two know each other?”

Vanessa asked at the seemingly intimate conversation, and Chebati nodded. She pushed up her glasses and said nonchalantly.

“Surprisingly, we’re cousins.”

“What? You were cursing him so much….”

Vanessa quickly covered Lina’s mouth. Evan snorted.

“She must have cursed me again. It’s no secret. She despises me.”

“Can I help it? You’re the only idiot among our relatives, so what can I do?”

“I couldn’t do addition when I was five!”

“I could do it from three years old.”

Evan and Chebati argued, and Vanessa and Lina drank juice and watched. The four were having fun.

But there was something else hiding in the same place with a different purpose.

Something stretched a long, black tentacle out of the water. Wriggling, it crawled across the grass, recognizing the nearby heat and magical power.

*Four. Very weak forces. The strong ones were very far away…. It was starting to get hungry.* So ‘it’ didn’t want to hold back. It wanted to fill its belly quickly….

Laughter was heard again. The prey was peaceful, unaware of anything. That was so annoying that it couldn’t stand it.

Finally, ‘it,’ having run out of patience, thrust its huge body out of the water. Water splashed like an explosion, soaking the four.

“Kyaaa!”

“What…!”

Lina, who was sitting facing the lake, screamed, and the three turned around and were horrified. What appeared from the lake was a monster.

The monster was not the typical form they had learned. It looked like various monster characteristics were patched together at once.

The body wriggled like an octopus, and what appeared to be a head had fins attached. The eyes were split into four pupils, and something like a tail was stirring in the air, with tentacles attached.

When it opened its mouth and roared, black smoke-like things sank and seeped into the ground. The green grass died black.

Kiiii-eek!

“What is that!”

“Damn it, run!”

Evan created a flame in the air. That was all he could do as a fourth-year student.

Because it was a weak force, it fizzled out with gray smoke when it touched the monster that came out of the water. But it bought them some time for the monster to hesitate.

The four tried to get up and run away. It would have been possible if Lina’s ankle hadn’t been grabbed by a quickly stretched-out tentacle.

“Kya, aaaaak!”

“Lina!”

“Chebati, run to the school! Go and call the professors!”

Evan shouted, and Chebati ran with all her might.

Evan once again surrounded the monster with flames, but the monster waved the captured Lina in the air, and Evan was surprised and turned off the small fire he had managed to create.

Vanessa threw nearby branches and stones, but it was useless.

Soon, a commotion began to rise from very far away.

The professors would come soon. Or even upperclassmen. But the monster’s teeth seemed like they would reach Lina soon. Lina screamed.

“No! Hey! Eat me!”

Evan shouted, but the monster ignored him and opened its huge mouth wide. At that moment, Vanessa saw the monster’s cross-split eyes.

‘*Garugatus*. Characterized by cross-split eyes.’

‘The *Garugatus’s* weakness is…’

Light. No matter how much was patched together, the head was the center of everything.

In that short moment, Vanessa unknowingly imagined stabbing light into the monster’s open mouth.

Very detailed, very earnestly imagined. She felt the heat as if she were watching it. It was like it was already happening.

In her head, a long light plunged down like a giant spear, and the monster’s head exploded.

And that imagination actually happened.