Chapter 1 – She Was Greedy (Part 1)

“You’re too greedy.”

It was true.

Lorraine had always wanted many things and had many ambitions since she was a child. If one were to define that as greed, she had nothing much to say.

“Usually, saying something like that only hurts when the person doesn’t believe it’s true.”

Lorraine shrugged her shoulders with an indifferent face.

“What…?”

The other person’s face turned red with displeasure at her words—a classmate, or maybe a senior. Either way, she didn’t even remember their name.

“And… if you’re going to talk about this again, please do it during free periods.”

Bowing slightly, Lorraine passed by the other person.

The campus had become quiet, indicating that the lecture had started.

“What’s my next class….”

She walked briskly, putting the other person’s criticism behind her.

Of course, Lorraine didn’t always respond this way. She gave a somewhat sincere answer to her sister Diana, who often asked why she was so greedy.

「I just want things. What can I do?」

Diana’s face would scrunch up whenever Lorraine said that, but Lorraine felt wronged nonetheless.

「Why can’t it just be?」

No matter how many books she devoured at home, she never had greed ‘just because.’

It wasn’t because she was a daughter, nor because she was the second of four children. That much she could be sure of.

Diana sighed heavily at her rebuttal.

Then, as if she hadn’t sighed at all-.

「If you want to go to the academy, listen to me.」

– Pushing up her glasses with a face that seemed impenetrable, Diana advised her.

「What?」

Of course, Lorraine didn’t listen at all.

But Diana Wigg was not one to give up. She smirked at her sister’s effort to pretend not to understand.

「Stop pretending.」

「…….」

「It’s not like I haven’t seen you sneaking my books for just a day or two. If you’re going to argue, at least do it right.」

As Diana said, Lorraine had been in a good mood since a week before Diana’s vacation started. That was because Diana brought some books from the dormitory for her assignments.

「Honestly, don’t you agree that the books at home are outdated?」

「That’s….」

Diana couldn’t deny it.

She had thought the same until she went to the academy. So, she had nothing to say about that point.

「Is it even right to have books written by authors who passed away over 80 years ago?」

Lorraine, sitting cross-legged with a sulky face, opened her mouth.

「Do you know what I do with Vicky these days?」

「What do you do?」

「We compete to see who can recite the most prefaces from the books at home.」

Lorraine mumbled, leaning back on the sofa with a crooked face.

「I’m winning for now….」

「Good for you, beating your sister.」

Lorraine retorted to Diana’s sarcasm without backing down.

「You always nag at me while doing the same.」

At that moment, Diana called her name in a much lower voice.

「Lorraine Wigg.」

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Lorraine tightly closed her mouth. Thanks to that, Diana could continue speaking smoothly.

「Anyway. If you go to the academy, your greed could become a problem. No, it will become a problem.」

Diana was certain.

「You seem to believe in the founding spirit of not discriminating by status, rank, or nationality. That’s all nonsense.」

It was bitter to say such things to her sister, who hadn’t even entered the academy yet.

「It’s practically a dead law.」

But Lorraine needed to know the reality.

Diana recalled a few classmates she could no longer see at the academy. They had to leave the academy due to silent pressure after challenging corrupt professors.

「It’s a society in itself. Just because the academy head doesn’t discriminate by status, rank, or nationality doesn’t mean the professors don’t.」

It had only been three years since Arnaud Latour, the ever-strong academy head, had been bedridden. The professors, as if waiting for this moment, began to discriminate by status, rank, and nationality, and accepted sponsorships for research.

‘The pure academy has fallen.’

The students who went through that period all said the same thing.

「Of course, things have improved now. The academy head has returned. But….」

「But?」

「…Still, don’t do anything reckless. Just aim to get your diploma quietly.」

Diana pointed at Lorraine with a stern face. She crossed her arms and leaned back on the sofa, indicating she wouldn’t accept any objections. The sound of her glasses chain followed her movements.

Lorraine stubbornly kept her mouth shut, staring blankly at Diana’s glasses chain.

She didn’t listen at all.

Sensing this instinctively, Diana clicked her tongue briefly and shook her head.

***

Contrary to Diana’s worries, Lorraine handled her academic life well.

She thought it was more beneficial to delve into quality materials than to waste time arguing or building relationships with others.

Because of this, her roommate Marianna had a hard time for a while.

「Lorraine!」

At the unconscious rise in her voice, the librarian’s warning gaze naturally followed.

Marianna, who had closed her mouth at the librarian’s gaze, immediately spoke in a much quieter voice as soon as the gaze was gone.

「Do you know what time it is?」

Lorraine glanced at her roommate’s face and checked the watch on her wrist. The clock hands came into view as she raised her arm.

「…Oh, it’s roll call time.」

At Lorraine’s calm reply, Marianna shook her head and quickly gathered the books Lorraine had spread out.

「Let’s just borrow them. Didn’t you say you used up your borrowing limit? I’ll borrow them under my name.」

「Oh, then take this one too.」

When Lorraine handed her the book she was holding, Marianna shook her head with a fed-up expression.

Later, Lorraine found out she was being called the library ghost-.

“…raine.”

-But now, she had no choice but to go even if she didn’t want to.

“…Lorraine!”

Lost in thought, a rough palm clapped in front of her eyes.

“…Ah.”

When Lorraine looked up, light blue eyes and blood-red eyes were staring at her.

Of course, there was a difference in temperature.

Marianna’s blue eyes were filled with fierce energy-.

“I told you not to zone out in front of food.”

Louise’s blood-red eyes were filled with concern.

“What are you thinking about so much? Eat up.”

At Louise’s remark, Lorraine mechanically chewed the food left in her mouth and replied.

“Oh, right.”

It was a boring answer that could make one yawn. Louise sighed and pointed with her fork.

“…Just eat quickly.”

After three and a half years of academy life, Lorraine had gained exactly two things.

Knowledge and two friends, Marianna Adler and Louise Arno.

Many people approached her because of her appearance or grades, but soon they all fell away one by one, leaving only the two of them.

“It’s really hot today.”

“You talk a lot for someone training in a cool fencing hall.”

At Louise’s scoff, Marianna’s face quickly turned fierce.

“Do you want to run around the field in practice armor…?”

“If you summarize the introduction to the conclusion of <Principles of Economics> for me.”

It was a conversation that even seven-year-olds wouldn’t have, but Lorraine chewed her sandwich with a familiar face.

Though they bickered like enemies in most matters-.

「What’s with you?」

「Oh, violence on sacred grounds, huh….」

They moved as one when faced with something irritating.

「And who are you….」

Kendrick, recognizing the other person, scrunched his face in annoyance and waved his hand dismissively.

「Ah… Just go your way, this is bothersome.」

Marianna, standing with a defiant posture, asked,

「Is that all you have to say?」

「Ah! Stop bothering me!」

At that moment, a practice bastard sword fell at his feet. Marianna jerked her chin.

「Pick it up.」

「What…?」

When Kendrick frowned and questioned her, Marianna immediately charged at him.

Their fight ended with 30 days of campus service.

Among the fencing club, it was rumored to be a legendary brawl, but no one knew the exact details.