The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia.

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Mages residing in the Tower of Magic are treated almost as well as nobles.

The reason I say “almost” is that not all of them are nobles.

As is typical of clichés in this kind of genre, mages in this world can be born into noble families or commoner families.

And, naturally, the hierarchy among mages follows the same cliché, determined by their individual magical abilities.

Of course, sticking to the cliché, there are those who grind their teeth alone, complaining that they were ignored in the Tower of Magic despite being nobles. Usually, such people end up causing trouble in the story and are immediately suppressed.

They might say they feel displeased because the Archmage of the tower is of commoner origin.

But what can one do?

As befitting one of the “male protagonists,” the Archmage of the tower possesses an exceedingly handsome face. Perhaps his appearance would not pale in comparison to Harvey, the Crown Prince, or the Prince Regent. Moreover, since the “original story” set him up to end up with the heroine, it is clear that his abilities and looks are on par with the other protagonists.

Though, in the novel, his inner self was portrayed as dark and scheming, which I didn’t like.

Well, perhaps it was because I, as a male reader, felt that way. If the same character had been a heroine with a pretty face and a great figure, I might have felt differently.

*

“It’s bland.”

Anyway, when Amelia, upon receiving the invitation from the Tower of Magic, arrived in front of it and looked up, that was her impression.

“Well, even in the novel, it was described as plain.”

She followed up with this supplementary explanation.

In fact, the term “plain” referred to its design. In terms of scale, the tower was jaw-droppingly massive.

Since it housed all kinds of classrooms, laboratories, and accommodations for mages, the tower was both wide and tall. It wouldn’t have been strange to mistake it for an unusually constructed castle.

Given the importance of the Tower of Magic to the kingdom, one might expect it to be situated in the center of the royal capital. However, in reality, it was located quite a distance from the city’s heart. In the novel, it was said to have been built there because the nobles and royalty living at the center of the capital kept visiting and being a nuisance.

When it was first constructed, the capital wasn’t as vast as it is now, so it really was quite far. However, as the kingdom steadily grew and people flocked to the capital, expanding it, the Tower of Magic ended up becoming part of the city. Though most of the surrounding buildings were old and shabby.

The Tower of Magic, which appeared as if it were constructed purely from stone, surrounded by decrepit buildings—it gave the impression that the closer one got to this area from the capital’s center, the more the overall tone dropped, as if the genre had suddenly shifted. Honestly, just looking at this area, it seemed like it could be a setting in a famous dark fantasy action RPG series.

“You don’t have to be too nervous. Despite how it looks, this area is one of the safest in the capital.”

That’s what it said in the novel.

The Tower of Magic is closer to a research institute than a university by modern standards. Furthermore, many of its research areas have direct impacts on national power.

Since academic disciplines haven’t been as subdivided here as they are in the modern world, all research is concentrated in the Tower of Magic. In fact, the term “research town” might be more fitting than just a mere “research institute.”

For that reason, the royal guard patrols this area regularly, immediately investigating any suspicious individuals.

“… .”

But is it okay for the Crown Prince to be here?

Amelia, who followed my gaze to the same spot, gave a wry smile.

In front of the Tower of Magic, besides Amelia and me, numerous noble scions had gathered.

It was hard to tell whether the fact that they had invited so many noble heirs while keeping the doors to the Tower of Magic closed was simply due to their audacity or if it was a power play. Then again, the Tower of Magic was notoriously haughty, ignoring most lesser nobles, so perhaps this behavior wasn’t surprising.

But the presence of a foreign crown emperor among the crowd was hard to ignore.

“Before being a crown emperor, he’s also a prince of this country. There’s about a year left before he returns to the Empire.”

The fact that he was appointed as the future crown emperor signified that the emperor had given up on producing an heir himself. However, it didn’t mean the emperor was on the brink of death.

He might be past the age where reproduction was feasible, but he was still robust. That said, it wasn’t appropriate to leave the Crown Prince of the Empire in another country indefinitely. Even if he shared the same blood, the Empire couldn’t have someone who wasn’t its own citizen inherit the throne.

The Emperor likely intended to settle the political issues within the Empire before formally welcoming the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince himself also needed time to prepare mentally.

“And unless he blatantly tries to steal secrets from the Tower of Magic, they wouldn’t care much about whether he’s a foreigner or not. If they did, it would hurt their business.”

Though they received some support from high-ranking nobles and the royal family, it was far from enough to cover the costs of purchasing the rare materials the Tower of Magic consumed or recruiting talented individuals.

So, they likely earned money through these lessons and by selling byproducts of their research.

In any case, that was why even the Crown Prince, who would soon be a foreigner, was standing before the Tower of Magic.

Oh, I think I just made eye contact with him. Judging by the way he turned his body toward me, it seemed he was coming over to talk to me again.

Does he not have any friends? I couldn’t understand why he acts so familiar with someone he’s only met a handful of times in his life.

No, it’s not like I don’t consider him a friend. He was, after all, the one who accepted my wolf.

As I frantically racked my brain for a way to escape this uncomfortable situation of being approached by the Crown Prince—

“Lady Grattanmount, and Lady Delkis.”

—I heard a voice calling us.

It was Adele.

“Lady Carlins.”

Amelia was the first to respond, her tone soft. I, standing beside her, gave a slight bow, and Adele, in turn, lowered her head gracefully in my direction as well.

Adele’s attire today was the same modest outing dress she had worn the first time we met her.

“Lady Carlins, you received an invitation as well?”

“Yes, I once studied magic as a child,” Adele explained.

The tutor who had taught Adele and Diane wasn’t a mage from the Tower of Magic, but they were skilled enough to teach magic useful in daily life. In fact, Adele had been able to learn magic quite proficiently until the teacher left.

However, Adele’s expression as she answered wasn’t particularly bright.

Her family likely couldn’t afford the exorbitant fees required to attend the Tower of Magic’s classes.

Since the invitation had come directly from the Tower of Magic, today’s first lesson might be offered as a trial. But any subsequent lessons would naturally come with a hefty price tag.

I quickly exchanged a glance with Amelia.

If Amelia offered to simply cover Adele’s tuition, Adele would surely refuse outright. She would never accept such a large sum of money for no reason.

Nor was Adele such a magical genius that the Tower of Magic would beg her to study for free.

She undoubtedly had talent, but Adele wasn’t a prodigy.

In the original story, after an event involving the Archmage of the tower, he fell for Adele and waived her tuition entirely. In the novel I read, Amelia eventually came up with various excuses to pay Adele’s tuition. So, ultimately, it wasn’t a big concern. But, of course, Adele herself was unaware of such a future.

“Lady Grattanmount.”

I thought it was about time for the Crown Prince to interrupt, but the voice that cut in wasn’t male. It was a woman’s voice.

“It’s been a while. I am Diane, the eldest daughter of the Count’s House of Hoover.”

“Oh my.”

Amelia, who would never utter such an exclamation in front of me, turned toward Diane.

She adjusted her posture respectfully and greeted Diane in return.

“I am Amelia, eldest daughter of the Grand Ducal House of Grattanmount.”

“I’ve heard of the Grand Ducal House since I was young. A noble family tasked with protecting the kingdom from the Northern Barbarians, and one that carries such illustrious bloodlines.”

“In truth, that role belongs to the House of Delkis rather than the Grand Ducal House.”

Amelia smiled and shifted her gaze toward me.

“…I am Elsie, eldest daughter of Baron Delkis. I currently serve as the escort to Lady Grattanmount.”

“I’ve heard of the famed warriors of the Delkis family. Their names often came up during my history lessons. Lady Grattanmount, you must feel very secure with such a capable guard.”

“Of course,” Amelia replied, her tone suddenly brimming with pride.

Amelia’s tone, which had initially sounded somewhat theatrical, changed noticeably.

Even as I listened, the overflowing pride in her voice was so apparent that it made me feel slightly embarrassed.