Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 214

"You intend to visit Ravenclaw Academy in person?"

"Indeed. I've already informed the Chancellor, so scheduling shouldn't pose significant issues."

It was rare for Damon, head of the central noble bureaucratic faction, to leave his post.

Unlike the imperial family who were born with inherent authority, bureaucratic nobles typically needed to maintain constant political awareness.

Just as the imperial faction, magic faction, and noble faction engaged in power struggles, the bureaucratic nobility also contained countless individuals vying for more authoritative positions. Some might even see Damon's absence as an opportunity.

Thus, Chairman Damon's decision to personally visit Ravenclaw Academy in Duplein Territory was quite unconventional.

"While I'll go under the pretext of inspection, my stronger motivation is to personally assess that Ravenclaw Baron. And... as an elder noble, I'm naturally curious about an institution said to represent the pinnacle of magical education."

The unspoken reason—he couldn't allow such outstanding talent to fall into the hands of Princess Rozelyn or Kochella.

But beyond that, Damon harbored personal curiosity about Ravenclaw Academy.

As someone who'd been close friends with the late Border Count Elvester, Damon remembered him as a noble who devoted great effort to preserving dignified aristocratic social culture. That Elvester's territory became the epicenter of eastern culture was entirely due to the count's longstanding patronage.

'If it's truly revolutionized noble education across the southwestern continent, it must be remarkably innovative yet systematic.'

As someone at the pinnacle of aristocratic culture, Damon naturally held deep interest in institutions that preserved and taught noble traditions themselves.

He would make an unannounced visit to observe this advanced cultural education firsthand, while also properly evaluating the man who'd upended Gremfort Palace's power dynamics.

With these thoughts, Damon—one of Gremfort Palace's three most powerful figures and head of the noble faction—set out personally.

Elvester County, which he'd visited before, had been worthy of being called a cultural capital.

What form had Ravenclaw Academy's aristocratic culture taken in such historic surroundings? The question piqued the old noble's curiosity.

- Bang! Crash! Kaboom! Crack!

"Lady Rustine! The Sepia Dormitory's east gate has been breached! It appears to be Lady Rad from the Riventen Culture Club! She's wielding... 2-Star magic!"

"We must buy more time! If this continues... those barbarians will reach Lady Trisha's central conference chamber where she's in seclusion!"

"Abandon the gate and gather in the inner buildings to fortify! Even Lady Rad's 2-Star magic can't instantly break through barricaded doors!"

"Agreed! First... secure the path behind the Kalimford statue in Central Hall! This time... this time we won't just suffer under Camellia Dormitory's brutish thugs!"

- Crack! Smash! Clang!

Sepia Dormitory outskirts. An antique carpet ran down the corridor flanked by numerous landscape paintings.

This luxurious space—the Calia Hall entrance to Sepia Dormitory—now hosted hastily assembled furniture barricades where grim-faced young ladies had gathered.

Their dresses adorned with bluish wing-shaped insignias marked them as Lady Trisha's followers from Sepia Dormitory.

"We can still hold! Lady Katram is transcribing'The Book of Lubes'in the inner building! Just a little longer... just a bit more and she'll finish!"

"Everything's proceeding as planned! No 2-Star mage can instantly breach defenses of this scale!"

"Ahaha...! Those arrogant Camellia fools...! We'll give them a proper..."

- Boom! Crash! Snap!

In that instant, the assembled wardrobes and chairs behind the strategizing Sepia students shattered like glass.

Beyond the barricade obliterated by massive magical force, a girl stomped forward through the flames, radiating fury.

"You... delinquents...! You've finally crossed the line!"

Petite as a bisque doll, with an adorable appearance that begged to be hugged—yet no student at Ravenclaw Academy dared not fear her.

"Dear gods..."

The Sepia leader's voice trembled.

"Camellia Dormitory's head representative...! Lady Diela has taken the field herself! A 3-Star mage...! Completely asymmetrical combat power!"

"Scatter immediately! Our only chance is to split up and buy time...! If caught... just hold out as long as possible!"

Solemn glances were exchanged among Sepia's students.

Bound by battlefield camaraderie forged through countless conflicts, they clearly foresaw their impending defeat—yet their shining eyes remained resplendent.

Sacrifice and progress.

The two were inseparable.

Unlike Camellia's brutish fools who recognized no honor, Sepia's comrades always advanced shoulder-to-shoulder.

Even if only ruin lay ahead, we march forward.

Lady Rustine of Sepia—her hair braided over one shoulder—clenched her fist and smiled warmly.

"Everything... for Lady Trisha!"

"We'll meet again... in the afterlife! No, the confessional!"

As they steeled themselves to scatter...

- Crackle! Snap! Crunch!

Three girls slid to the floor, completely immobilized by a 3-Star transformation spell—"Ice Prison."

- Thud, thud.

The young lioness approached with sinister glee as the imprisoned girls quietly closed their eyes.

Their prayers for surviving comrades resembled the serene Virgin Mary herself.

"What's with this noble act...? After stealing Camellia's Lubes grimoire!"

"We didn't steal... just relocated it temporarily!"

"Do you have a death wish?!"

Derek had just returned from the siege warfare centered on Elvester Manor.

After rolling through that life-and-death battlefield, he'd barely made it back to this academy that felt like home—only to find another siege underway.

"...What is this?"

"Gasp... D-Derek?! Wh-what...?! Since when did you...?!"

Diela—who'd been fuming in the corridor after subduing Sepia's troublemakers—widened her eyes dramatically.

As Camellia's representative, this lioness-like figure intimidated all young noblewomen into submission through sheer ferocity.

Yet upon Derek's appearance, she instantly tucked her tail, clasped her hands awkwardly, and broke into nervous sweat.

Surveying the wrecked Calia Hall, Derek alternated glances between the troublemakers and Diela while Aiselin fidgeted behind him.

These two held actual authority at Ravenclaw Academy, standing atop its power structure.

Moreover, Derek served as direct instructor to each dormitory's representative—the young ladies considered most magically advanced among their peers.

'B-Baron Ravenclaw...! In the flesh...! Oh heavens!'

'Gasp...! What do we do...! Has he come to pass judgment?'

'Wh-what...? Even that violent beast Lady Diela is cowering...! Who knew she could look like that?!'

The imprisoned girls huddled together trembling until Derek's sidelong glance made them avert their eyes in terror.

"W-wait, Derek...! I-I didn't expect you so suddenly...! And of all times, when I'm in this state..."

"Wh-what's happening? Why is Sepia Dormitory like this again?"

"W-well... it's complicated, but... these Sepia girls stole Camellia's secret texts. They were transcribing them to use in the next inter-dorm competition."

Apparently Diela had personally retrieved various secret texts from Duplein's magic archives for Camellia students—a fact that genuinely surprised Derek, as he'd rarely seen such altruism from her.

"I see..."

"Actually, this is the seventh riot Camellia's suffered. And that's just our dorm—if you count incidents at Rosemary and Lavender Dorms... it's endless."

"Is... is that true, Lady Aiselin?"

".........Lovely weather. It feels like spring has truly arrived. My, is that a tiger butterfly?"

Aiselin poetically deflected while admiring the garden outside. The butterfly's fluttering wings resembled a noblewoman in formal dress, she mused...

"..."

Derek's continued stare made Aiselin break into cold sweat too.

At this point, Derek sensed something amiss.

Quelling Sepia's mischief should be trivial for someone like Aiselin. During the academy's founding, she'd resolved far more complex issues with distinction.

That such an incomparably capable administrator would tolerate this unrest struck Derek as profoundly odd.

He struggled to determine where to even begin questioning.

"Anyway! These Sepia delinquents will be the death of me! Their leader Trisha's just as bad! Why coddle troublemakers like this?!"

"Don't insult Lady Trisha!"

"Exactly! What do you know of Sepia's bonds?! For Lady Trisha... we'd march to hell's depths!"

"Eek!"

The imprisoned girls'defiant shouts were cut short when Diela's sidelong glare made them gulp in fear.

"Everything... for Lady Trisha!"

"Lady Trisha...! Please...! Endure...! Keep enduring and... the sun will rise!"

Derek's crescent-moon eyes alternated between the troublemakers and Diela.

Just what was Trisha doing to inspire such devotion that Sepia would riot on her behalf?

He approached Aiselin again, whispering privately:

"Is... Amarilis House in chaos because Lady Trisha is leading this?"

"Th-that's..."

Aiselin's pupils trembled violently.

Then Derek heard words he'd never imagined from her:

"It's... a secret..."

"...?????"

Having shared everything from Duplein's darkest secrets to her own humiliations, the two had no real secrets left between them.

Yet Aiselin reacted strangely, refusing to answer.

"....?????"

Derek could only stare at her in utter bewilderment.

Aiselin herself looked deeply conflicted.

- Groan, moan.

"L-let's go...! Sepia comrades...! For Lady Trisha...! For our noble Lady Trisha who bears all for Sepia...!!!!!!!"

Sepia's main hall.

Even seated in the student representative's private quarters between Luftel Hall and Calia Hall, one could hear the passionate speeches echoing through the building.

".... Gasp, gasp... huff..."

Alone in the dark room, Lady Trisha sat with her chin propped, face drained of color.

She resembled a cornered mouse.

"........................How do I fix this?"

With Chairman Damon's visit to Ravenclaw Academy just two days away, Amarilis House found itself engulfed in unprecedented chaos.