Although enrollment had already closed, there was still a period of time before the official start of the entrance assessment.
This was meant to give the newly arrived examinees time to adapt to the academy environment and recover from the fatigue of their long journey.
At this moment, Kantaier Academy was bustling with activity.
Many commoner examinees with the attitude of “since we’re already here, we might as well enjoy it,” along with overly confident nobles, were wandering through the brightly lit commercial streets and plazas, thinking that if they didn’t get in this time, they could always try again next year.
However, this liveliness did not belong to Sevitis.
In the quiet single dormitory, only a dim magic lamp was lit. Sevitis sat at her desk, staring blankly at The Foundation of Modern Magic in her hands.
She hadn’t wasted these past few days. Because she had been delayed so long in the forest, she had to rush her review for the first written cultural exam.
To be honest, though, she couldn’t focus at all.
Those obscure words kept rearranging themselves before her eyes, eventually and inexplicably forming words that seemed to echo in her ears from five years ago.
Thump.
Sevitis slammed the heavy book shut and let out a long, heavy breath.
‘I can’t keep reading. If I do, I’m afraid I’ll end up flipping the desk over.’
Sevitis slowly exhaled, closed the book in her hands, and ended her day of review.
She wasn’t actually too worried about the written exam.
After all, she had studied for five years at the Duke’s mansion and had already carved the necessary knowledge into her mind.
The so-called review was just an attempt to find something to do—to forcefully keep her blank mind running so she wouldn’t start overthinking.
The official exam would be in two days. Her tense nerves really did need some relaxation.
Sevitis stood up, pulled out a thin string, and casually tied her waist-length black hair, which she hadn’t bothered with much these past few days, into a low ponytail.
At least it made her look a bit more efficient, even if it was just psychological comfort.
Pushing open the dormitory door, she could hear the clamor and see fireworks’ glow from the distant commercial street.
Sevitis frowned slightly, instinctively feeling irritable.
Maybe it was because of the vampire bloodline within her, or maybe because she was still, at her core, the boy used to hiding in a hospital room.
She could never adapt to such bright, crowded environments.
So, tossing her ponytail behind her, she turned her back on the lively lights and headed toward a dim, wooded path along the edge of the academy.
The early autumn night breeze brushed her cheeks with a hint of chill, and tree shadows swayed in patchy moonlight.
Sevitis was actually a bit nervous.
Not because of the upcoming academy assessment, but because she knew that woman was somewhere in this academy right now.
If she passed the exam, she could stand before her with her head held high and fulfill that absurd wager from all those years ago.
Sevitis silently calculated in her mind as she aimlessly walked along the dark path.
She had always liked taking solitary walks in the dead of night; it helped calm her chaotic thoughts.
With luck, she might even find a suitable spot to paint during her stroll.
Because she had been frail and sickly since childhood, she was often confined to her bed.
Painting had become her only joy during those times.
She especially liked painting landscapes. But back then, the only “landscape” she could see was the old osmanthus tree outside her window, along with the sun and moon that peeked through the gaps in its branches.
The sun’s rays were too harsh for her to look at directly, so she didn’t like it.
And the osmanthus tree that blocked her view, preventing her from seeing anything clearly, naturally she disliked it as well.
So, she could only paint the moon every day—the moon that constantly changed its form as time passed.
…
Sevitis was walking absentmindedly along the dark path, completely unaware that danger was quietly approaching.
Suddenly, a dark figure sprang from the bushes on the roadside.
Since she was in her human form, she had lost the vampire’s night vision and couldn’t react in time.
She could only watch helplessly as the dark figure hurtled straight toward her face.
Splat.
Her vision went dark without warning, accompanied by a dull thud. Two soft, fleshy paws landed precisely on Sevitis’s forehead.
Her train of thought was interrupted, and the impact made her lean backward.
Fortunately, her physical condition was far better now than before; she only wobbled slightly before regaining her balance.
‘What the hell? What flew into my face at this hour?’
‘And it had to pick a time when I’m in a bad mood. Since you’ve come to me willingly, don’t blame me for using you as a stress ball!’
As she moved, the dark figure landed lightly on the ground in front of her.
In the darkness, a pair of glowing golden slit pupils stood out sharply.
Sevitis angrily rubbed her red forehead where she had been stepped on and squinted to look.
When she saw clearly what the thing was, she froze.
It was a black cat.
After silently looking around to confirm no one else was nearby, Sevitis crouched down, put on a smiling face, and cautiously approached the black cat.
“Kitty, there’s a good kitty.”
“Come here… ah, come to big brother. Big brother has tasty dried fish in his pocket.”
Of course, she didn’t have any dried fish. What sane person carries food when going out at night?
But to get this little cat to come into her arms willingly, a little white lie wouldn’t hurt.
Although her words sounded a bit like a kidnapper luring a child, her intention was actually simple.
She just wanted the cat to cooperate and be her model.
Then she would take it back to her room and give it a reward.
Finally, while it enjoyed its meal, she could pet its fur to relax a bit.
However, the black cat ignored this strange two-legged creature that kept approaching.
It just lowered its head and leisurely licked its paw, clearly not understanding a word she said.
Its golden slit pupils gave her a disdainful glance before coldly looking away.
Sevitis paused for a moment. Seeing that the cat wasn’t running away, she breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Not bolting away is already giving me face. Back in the orphanage, whenever I got within five meters of any small animal, they’d already be long gone.’
So she continued tiptoeing forward, moving quietly.
But before she could get close, the black cat seemed to sense her ill intent.
It suddenly looked up at her.
One black, one purple—two pairs of eyes faintly reflecting in the night silently faced off, neither making the next move.
Then, the next second, Sevitis moved.
She spread her arms and lunged at the black cat like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey.
‘Gotcha! Just when I was feeling sleepy, a pillow arrives. When I’m in a bad mood, a kitten shows up to be cuddled! Consider this compensation for stepping on my forehead!’
But like they said, this really was a cat from Contar. Its agility surpassed any cat Sevitis had ever seen.
Even with her Third-Rank strength, she missed.
Worse still, the black cat landed and immediately skittered away, disappearing into the night.
Even though Sevitis chased after it instantly, she couldn’t catch it.
“Don’t run! Stop right there!”
She refused to believe it. Back then, her poor health prevented her from catching those little creatures, but now she was a different person.
How could she still not outrun a cat smaller than herself?
And so, on the dim academy paths, two fuzzy black lumps—one big, one small—engaged in a tense chase under the moonlight.
…
After a solid half-hour of running around the academy, the black cat’s speed finally began to slow.
Sevitis, panting behind it, finally breathed a huge sigh of relief.
To be honest, she was about to run out of steam.
If the cat didn’t slow down, she might have to transform into a vampire and chase it with wings.
‘If I can’t outrun you, can’t I just outfly you?’
The main reason she kept chasing was that this black cat was the most beautiful one she had ever seen—perfect fur, flawless appearance. It perfectly hit her aesthetic spot.
She really wanted to pet it… and make it her model.
“Huff, huff… Can’t run anymore, can you?”
Sevitis leaned over with her hands on her knees, panting heavily.
She didn’t even notice how the surroundings had become increasingly deserted, only faintly hearing what seemed to be the sound of some animal.
The black cat stopped too, its path completely blocked by a dense bush ahead.
Sevitis slowly closed in, a wicked grin spreading across her face.
“Hehehe, I’d like to see where you can run now.”
“Come quietly with me. If you cooperate, you’ll get plenty of rewards.”
“You wouldn’t want the other cats to find out, would you?”
The black cat seemed to have resigned itself to fate. It stood still, only slightly lowering its body.
Seeing this, Sevitis’s smile grew more twisted, and she dove forward in a single lunge.
“Come on! Let big sister have a good look at what kind of kitty you are!”
But the expected furry sensation never came. Because the moment she pounced, the black cat sprang lightly straight up, leaping clean over her head.
Sevitis realized then that it hadn’t given up—it had been silently gathering strength.
‘What a sneaky, treacherous little cat. Learning to trick people at such a young age. If it grows up like this, it’ll be terrible! Such a bad cat needs some strict discipline!’
Sevitis thought viciously to herself, but by now, it was too late to stop.
She went whoosh and plunged headfirst into the dense bush.
Fortunately, the bush looked thick but wasn’t actually that solid.
Half her body broke through the branches, and the view before her suddenly opened up.
At the same time, the faint sound she had been hearing became clear.
It was a familiar voice—ethereal and melodious—as if someone was singing.
She instinctively looked up, following the sound.
Under the moonlight that spilled like water onto a clearing, a group of forest animals was quietly gathered around a flat, wide stone.
And at the center, surrounded like stars around the moon, sat a breathtakingly beautiful girl with dazzling golden hair.
Her eyes were closed, bathed in the cool moonlight, singing in a carefree, self-forgetful manner.
And at that moment, the black-haired girl, half stuck in the bush, stared dumbfounded at this dreamlike scene.
‘…Oh wow, I found the hidden edition.’