The Author's Playground
Chapter 41: Trust Issues (3)

Chapter 41: Trust Issues (3)

’Phew... I somehow managed to reach the bare minimum.’

Victoria sighed in relief as she stared at her score: 95/100.

’But still... isn’t this way too high of a standard?’

She gripped the paper tightly, the numbers staring back at her like cruel reminders. It was a near-perfect score, yet all she could feel was exhaustion. It was never enough, never truly deserving.

Well, considering it was the minimum requirement to stay in Class S, she found it understandable. Yet, that understanding did little to ease the weight pressing against her chest.

"Do I really deserve this place?"

A bitter thought, one she had tried to silence countless times before.

Victoria Fleur. The 3rd Princess of the mighty Fleur Empire. A name that should have commanded respect, admiration, or at least some semblance of recognition. Yet, in the grand design of things, she was little more than a shadow.

Her eldest brother, a prodigy in mahika. Her older sister, a perfection in both intellect and charisma.

And then there was her—Victoria, the one people struggled to remember, the one who existed but never truly mattered.

She used to have a reason for being here, didn’t she?

A purpose... to escape her name.

But now? Now, it all felt like an elaborate farce. A cycle of struggling to keep up, only to be left behind in the end.

No one would care about her even if she failed. No one would even be surprised.

’No... I can’t afford to feel depressed again.’

’Because right now, in this place, I am just ’Victoria’.’

’I also gained quite strange friends! Ones who never cared about my status.’

She exhaled, shoving all the poisonous thoughts to the back of her mind where they festered unseen.

Suppressing them had become second nature by now.

Muttering under her breath, she turned away from the results board and stepped into the open grounds of the academy.

’Let’s see, the next destination is...’

Her voice trailed off as she walked, surrounded by students who never even spared her a glance.

In an empty hall way, she then came across a familiar green-haired lad who was hiding behind something.

"That boy—"

The moment she opened her mouth, the lad noticed her presence.

"Hush!" he whispered, dragging her along with him before she could protest.

’Wait... why am I hiding with him?’

Only when she dared to peek out did she notice a familiar figure in the distance.

Dark blue hair—Elijah. He was standing beside a pink-haired lady.

"Hah, I knew that guy was no good," the green-haired lad whispered, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

’They don’t get along, do they?’ Victoria thought to herself. ’Well, I should have guessed from their spar."

Curiosity got the better of her.

Victoria leaned forward, breath held, straining to catch fragments of their conversation from her shadowed hiding spot.

"About... Victoria..."

Her heart skipped.

(’What about me?’)

"How about... a... deal...?"

A sharp prickle of unease crawled up her spine. Yet she couldn’t dare to ask it out aloud.

(’What are they talking about?’)

A faint chuckle. Then a voice drifted in her ears.

"You just need to... betray..."

The world tilted.

’Betray?’

Her fingers clenched against the wooden beam beside her.

Blood pounded in her ears, deafening, drowning out the next few words. She forced herself to breathe, but each inhale felt shallow, unsteady.

’Who?’

’Who are they betraying?’

’Me...?’

No. No, surely not. She must have misheard.

Her mind scrambled for explanations, searching desperately for another meaning. Any meaning that wasn’t the one pressing against her ribs like a dagger poised to slip between them.

And then—

"I’m intrigued by your idea... sure."

Elijah’s voice.

Agreeing.

The breath in her throat turned to stone. For a second, she felt weightless, untethered, as if her body had forgotten how to exist.

’No...’

Her mind screamed against it, rejected it outright. There had to be some mistake.

I didn’t hear it properly...

’Yes! That must be it. I misheard.’

She grasped at that thought.

Because Elijah... He might be strange, unpredictable, exasperating even. But she still considered him as a friend. So surely... He wouldn’t turn on against her. Right?

Or would he?

Her throat tightened. A cold, sinking weight settled in her stomach.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The voice barely registered. The green-haired lad; Varden, stood beside her, brows drawn together in concern.

But she couldn’t answer. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe.

*****

For the last examination, artifact hunting was the final test.

The teams were randomized into groups of five.

The goal of this examination was simple: each student had to acquire one artifact. It is preferrable if everyone works as a team.

Anyone who fails to receive an artifact will be disqualified.

—Well, that’s what the instructor said. But Elijah believed it wasn’t random at all.

"HALLOOO everyone~! I aaaam Quaaasooo! Nice to meeet cha~!" A loud, energetic student suddenly appeared. She was a short woman, often mistaken for a child, with short, curly brown hair.

A name tag on her right chest read:

[ Quasolium Floryn || Class F ]

As for the system hologram floating above her head... well, it wasn’t worth mentioning. She’s just a background character.

"Wahahahaha! Don’t worry! For ’I,’ Astra, will guide you!" Another noisy student made his entrance. This time, a chubby man who, for some reason, had an amusing presence.

[ Astra Nova || Class F ]

Yes, another background character again.

"Lord Elijah, was it? We meet again." A familiar voice spoke. White hair, blue eyes—the noble and composed Lucian bowed slightly upon meeting Elijah’s gaze. "We haven’t had the chance to interact since that incident."

[ Lucian Winterhold || Class S ]

"Call me Elijah, that’s fine, Please drop the formalities," Elijah replied. "I’d rather want to call you Lucian as well."

[ Elijah Noe Shahrazad || Class F ]

And lastly...

"..." A blonde-haired woman with green eyes remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

[ Victoria Elizabeth De Fleur || Class S ]

’Three from Class F and two from Class S? Random my ass,’ Elijah scoffed internally.