A fragrant scent wafted through the warmly lit room, welcoming visitors with a surprisingly cozy atmosphere. Plush dolls occupied the comically large round sofas alongside oversized cushions of various colors. Cardigans and stylish hats hung above them like decorations, occasionally mixed with scarves.
Beyond the welcoming and lighthearted scene were tables stacked with books, documents, and scattered plates and tea wares.
Glass shelves filled the walls of that section, and underneath were what seemed to be experiment tables with various tools. It was a room that perfectly sold its owner as a feminine, cute, stylish, yet hardworking individual. Contrary to expectations, the room belonged to Professor Celine, a happy-go-lucky woman who was often late to her classes.
At the moment, however, her easygoing attitude was nowhere to be seen. Celine sat behind her desk, fingers interlocked before her face. Usually, those hands would be cutely cupping her chin as she talked with guests, smiling and carefree.
Across from her were Serika and Lucinelle, kneeling on small cushions. Two former students of the academy who had suddenly disappeared, and geniuses who once held their positions as Rose Holders.
"So? Do the two of you have anything to say to your dear professor?"
Neither girl answered.
Celine patiently tapped her fingers on the desk, not softening her expression or voice in the slightest.
"A year passed, and suddenly both of you started working as bodyguards?... And to not even send one letter when we promised to keep in touch... Do you know how worried I was!?" Her small fists slammed lightly on the table, shaking it slightly.
Even though it didn't sound loud nor contain any strength, Serika visibly flinched, guilt written all over her face. Only Lucinelle seemed unfazed.
"Hmph, the two of you aren't going to make this easy for me, huh?"
The professor rose from her seat and stood before the two girls. In her hand, a spell was brewing.
Every year, she would usually slack off and miss out on the entrance exams, but this time she came even though she was late. It was all because of a tip yesterday that these two geniuses would be returning to the academy.
But she found them in a rather strange predicament. Facing Aleandro, her peer, and brandishing their swords. What's more, they wielded something similar to aura, but Celine knew it wasn't the aura she knew from true masters.
She got curious and performed an inspection spontaneously. The moment she inspected them, she discovered something foreign woven into both of their bodies. Something familiar that had been studied and forbidden by the laws of the kingdom.
At first, she assumed it was nothing, but as she examined the area around their hearts more closely, she found something that shouldn't have been resting there.
A culmination of restrictive spells containing violent mana, waiting to explode and destroy anything in its path. A brand that dictated a human life like a disposable bomb.
When she discovered that, she nearly made a face of disgust.
It was a poorly made brand, similar to a forbidden method from the days of the ancient wars. Similar, yet its execution could not have been more appalling.
The structure was unlike anything she had seen before. It was the crude work of a mage who didn't know better and had swallowed more than he could chew.
Several portions appeared wasteful to the point of inefficiency, mana being consumed where none should have been required. And yet somehow, the structure continued to function.
But perhaps because of that, it was not too late to reverse and remove it from these students. Whoever subjected them to this brand, she wouldn't let them get away.
"From this day onward, we're going to slowly remove those brands, got it?"
The words had barely left Celine's mouth when Serika abruptly stood up.
"No!"
The answer came so quickly that even Celine blinked.
Realizing she had raised her voice, Serika immediately shrank back.
Celine looked into their eyes and found no hesitation or doubt whatsoever.
"Serika?"
"We can't do that." Serika remained resolute.
"We won't do that," Lucinelle corrected from beside her.
For someone subjected to a brand, they were usually overjoyed at the chance to be freed. Victims would even beg for help in order to break free from whatever condition the brand had placed upon them.
Yet these two looked as though she had threatened them.
"Sit down."
Serika slowly sat.
The professor rubbed the bridge of her nose.
'This might be more complicated than I thought. Is it a brand with brainwashing or suggestion?'
To retain absolute loyalty, such things did exist, though they had long been forgotten and banned throughout history. Of course, the possibility could not be ruled out. They might genuinely believe they had accepted the brand of their own free will.
'In times like this, what was it... Right, talk to them with reason.'
"Hmm. Let's assume for a moment that this wasn't forced upon you."
"It wasn't," Lucinelle replied immediately.
"I'm still speaking, Luci."
The professor placed her hands on her waist, annoyed.
"..."
Celine continued.
"Even then, neither of you understands what was placed inside your bodies."
"We do."
Lucinelle shot the idea down curtly.
"No, you don't."
'This is strange. They answer too quickly and with too much certainty.'
Usually, no method could completely force a living human to submit to a brand. What people believed to be the human consciousness, or perhaps the soul itself, would constantly fight back and attempt to break free.
It was like a sleeping person trying to wake from a dream. Except they were forced to dream every time they were about to wake up, slowly damaging their consciousness.
The Mage's Brand was an ancient and infamous technique. It bound master and servant through a magical contract, exchanging the bearer's vitality for power beyond their limits.
The final function was what caused it to be forbidden. Upon death, the bearer would be destroyed completely, leaving nothing behind, not even a wisp of their soul. During the ancient wars, it had been used against necromancers to prevent the accumulation of undead armies.
Today, being 'branded' only meant one thing: the bearer was being exploited and placed under some condition to become an expendable guard.
"Don't the two of you have any sense of self-preservation? Letting a brand be engraved in your body means your lives can be thrown away at any moment!"
Just then, Celine thought of something horrifying.
"How long have you two been under this brand?"
The pair exchanged glances, Serika wearing an uneasy expression while Lucinelle remained unreadable.
"Haa... at least tell me. I'm still your professor, you know?"
In the end, Serika looked at Lucinelle, who gave a small nod.
"More than half a year," Serika answered.
Celine grew even more confused. A year was enough for the side effects of the brand eroding the mind to begin showing.
The reason people branded in this manner were considered expendable was because the side effects would eventually appear, sometimes within months, sometimes after a year. In the end, the result was often the same: mental deterioration followed by the sudden explosion of the bearer.
"Half a year… So, I take it that you trust the person who made this very much? Are they really trustworthy? Are they principled enough with the conditions? Are you sure they aren't just taking advantage of you?"
"Also, you were both wearing the signature uniform of that duke's soldiers and were beside Carmillia… Did they exploit you two or something?" Celine had heard much of the duke's tale, even more so of his daughter, who seemed to follow in his footsteps.
"I've heard some unpleasant things about the lady you guard. Are you both really doing fine?"
Her statements made a crack in the girls' expressions. But instead of doubt, their eyes bore certainty and stubbornness.
"Professor, please don't speak as if you know everything there is to our story."
It was the longest sentence Lucinelle had spoken all day.
"Please, Teacher. This is our own decision. Something we chose because of our resolve and conviction." Serika didn't want to confront Celine under the terms of their duty. They didn't need to fight; they just needed to understand each other. Her sister, on the other hand, was different, fully embodying her loyalty to Carmillia.
Lucinelle placed a hand over her chest, a habit she often displayed when making a pledge.
"If the result of our resolve leads to ruin, then so be it. We accepted this brand fully aware of what it entails and in order to be of use to Lady Carmillia. Our lives aren't something we would readily hand over to just anyone, Miss Celine."
'Miss, huh… this hard-headed kid…'
Out of the two, Serika might appear more headstrong and aggressive, but Lucinelle was actually the more stubborn one. The hardest to convince and the hardest to move with words.
Celine let out a defeated sigh. These two students were no longer the same ones she once knew. But they had changed so much that it made her tear up.
Lucinelle's answer was filled with resolve. That was exactly what worried her.
Because after everything she had discovered, she could no longer tell whether that loyalty came from the girls themselves or from something ingrained in their bodies. It was also a matter she couldn't expose lightly.
'Not just these two, but even the duke's household.'
It was the perfect excuse to point fingers at the duke. If somehow the current king and the royal faction learned of this, they would pressure the academy into dealing with the duke.
And Celine couldn't, in good faith, allow something like that to happen. If these two before her had their lives wasted because of the brand while trying to protect Carmillia... she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.
"But why? Why would you two risk your lives like this? Is it really necessary for someone like her?"
At that question, Serika could only bow her head, leaving Lucinelle to answer.
Lucinelle gritted her teeth and spoke.
"Yes. Even if the world turns against her, we have to stand on her side."
"..."
Celine turned to look at her office windows. From there, she could see many people of the academy walking back and forth. As someone who possessed unique magic but lacked talent, she had seen many talented students among her peers and seniors. Slowly, she found herself attending their funerals, left behind while they were gone.
'Even these two decided to stake their lives on something like a brand. Honestly, why do talented people like rushing to their deaths?'
But now, it seemed too late to convince the pair.
"If the two of you have made up your minds, then the least I can do is... ease your burdens."
The two blinked upon hearing their former professor.
"After all, you two are like family to me."
Then there was her usual smile, the side of her the students recognized most.
Those words seemed to finally touch Lucinelle, whose lips tightened and brows drew together.
"T-thank you, Teacher! Really!"
"You have my gratitude."
"Come on, sis, stop acting like that!"
A weight on their shoulders had finally been lifted. With this, even if they stayed at the academy, their brands would remain, and they could occasionally return to Carmillia.
Looking at them made Celine smile.
"But, you two have to tell me your story first!"
She looked back at them.
"Also, I should put some of my magic over your brand to make sure it's hidden. Hah, it's the sort of handiwork that's far too obvious, honestly."
This time, both girls visibly stiffened. Immediately afterward, her eyes and smile turned into ones of amusement.
"W-what kind of magic?"
Serika trembled while Lucinelle embraced her. From their experience, Celine's magic was truly unique and unlike anything seen in other magic users.
"Don't worry! It's just some cute restriction magic to disguise your brands. I'm pretty sure both of you have had plenty of experience with it!"
"U-uhuh?"
Serika and Lucinelle instinctively clutched each other as they tried to back away. Unfortunately, the comically large and colorful sofas were already against their backs.
...
Aleandro wasn't part of the meeting about the enigma called 'Xian', being neither a commoner by birth nor a noble by status. He led a quiet and astute life in the academy, strictly following its enforced rules.
If he really had to describe it, it was that he would be on the academy's side no matter where its interests lay. This place was akin to home for him, especially after his exile from his own family. His peers and seniors were acquaintances he had grown rather fond of, even if he would not admit it.
He stood before the door of Celine's office and knocked using his gloved hand. He had to use a bit of force since the gloves tended to dampen the noise.
"Miss Celine, if you'll excuse me."
Among the people he had grown used to, Celine was a rare case of someone he felt close to, yet averse to at the same time. Her antics and unprofessionalism at work were rather troublesome. She had also given him an unsuitable nickname like 'Alea' and kept acting close to him.
'Hm. I rarely initiate conversation nor was I ever friendly with her, though.'
Aleandro would rather not associate himself with Celine, who tired him out more than any paperwork. Still, he bore her goodwill. After all, she was still a colleague with good intentions, even if she had flaws all over.
So it was not strange for them to open the doors to each other's offices. It never crossed Aleandro's mind that this was a sign they had a rather close relationship.
"Ah! Ah ahahaha noooo!"
Screams and squeals echoed the moment he opened the door. Strange, incomprehensible scenes were taking place.
Celine had pinned one of the students, Serika, if he recalled correctly, while the other lay foaming at the mouth, her attire clearly disheveled. Aleandro remembered her name was Lucinelle, who used to be a First Seat.
Now, she had been reduced to a helpless girl wearing an animal costume in an awkward state. On her exposed body, obvious magic circles were drawn with recognizable runes, slowly fading into obscurity.
But that wasn't what mattered right now.
Celine, sensing his presence, turned to him with a mischievous smile that hadn't yet left her face. She immediately stiffened and coughed a few times.
"Miss Celine, you—"
"Kyaaa!"
"??"
"Aleandro, you peeping tom! Get out right now!"
"What?"
"Get out!"
The doors were shut before he could understand what was going on.
No, he didn't want to understand.