Chapter 7

"Min, welcome back."

"Good work."

As Mina returned to the girls' dormitory, Emma and Hanna greeted her.

"What did you talk about with the teacher?"

"Um... I was asked about my magic..."

Mina sighed.

"It seems I'll be in Class 1."

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"Yeah, Mina's light was incredible!"

Her friends exclaimed.

"But isn't Class 1 really strict?"

"They participate in monster hunts during their studies, you know."

"Um... that's fine, though."

Mina had always wanted to join the magic guild.

In the orphanage, there were those who had lost their parents to plagues and those whose parents had been killed by monsters. Especially the children who had seen their families killed by monsters were often injured or had deep psychological scars. Mina didn't want to see more children like them. When she discovered she could use magic, she decided to join the magic guild to protect as many people as possible from monsters. This seemed to give meaning to her life, having abandoned her noble status and role. That's why she endured the strict training by the sisters and entered this academy. However...

(Who would have thought this was a world from a novel?)

Thinking about her future school life, Mina sighed.

"...First, I need to sort things out."

After having dinner with everyone and returning to her room, Mina sat at her desk.

The dormitory houses students who have come from various regions. Originally, the academy was for nobles only, so the room assigned to Mina, a commoner, was a spacious single room. She was also happy that the room had its own shower and toilet.

This magic academy is free of tuition and boarding fees, and meals and uniforms are provided at no cost. Additionally, commoners receive a living allowance sufficient to buy daily necessities. This allowance does not need to be repaid if they work in the magic guild for at least a year after graduation.

There are other schools that accept commoners, but they only provide free tuition, not a living allowance. The magic academy offers better treatment, which probably indicates the high demand for mages.

Mina opened her notebook and began writing down the things she had just remembered, including details about games and novels.

"...Hmm... I remember the game pretty well, but I can't recall the novel..."

She could remember the general plot, but not the specific events. For Mina, the content of the novel was more important, but she couldn't remember what Wilhelmina had done or the significant events that had occurred. It was as if her memories were shrouded in fog.

"...Is it because I've changed from the novel's setting...?"

In the novel, Mina was Alphonse's fiancée and the villainous noble lady. But the current Mina is a commoner, and there are other differences as well.

"First, the hair color... and the attribute, too."

In the novel, Mina had the luxurious, wavy blonde hair typical of a noble, giving a flashy impression. She doesn't remember the eye color, but it was probably a darker blue than her current eyes. The current Mina has straight black hair that reaches her shoulders, which was one of the reasons she left home.

Why Mina has black hair, she doesn't know. Both her parents and brother had blonde hair.

—Even if she thinks about it, she can't find a reason, and it's not something she can change.

In the novel, Mina was a wind attribute mage who used her magic to torment the heroine. Her magic power was high enough to place her in Class 1, but the current Mina probably has more power and better skills.

"Speaking of the heroine..."

The girl she saw today.

Her appearance and coloring were clearly those of the heroine from the novel's illustrations and comics. However, her magic attribute and power were different from the novel.

"...She said she was strange..."

She said she was a water attribute with a lot of power.

If she thinks that, then—

"Maybe she was also reincarnated..."

Just like Mina.

The same world as the novel.

But Mina and the heroine have different settings from the novel.

Is there a reason for this... or is this really the world of the novel?

Why was she reincarnated into this world?

"By the way..."

Mina remembered her last memory from her previous life.

Mina was a sixteen-year-old high school student.

One winter night, while at home, she suddenly felt a severe pain in her heart. She has no memory after that... she must have died.

While enduring the pain and suffering alone... she distinctly heard "someone's" voice.

'Your wish will be granted. In a world different from this one.'

That "voice" definitely said that.

'You will be reborn. As someone who loves and is loved, and protects the world.'

"My wish...?"

The wish of the previous Mina.

It was to "be loved by her parents."

Both her parents were busy with work, and Mina was always alone from a young age. While babysitters and housekeepers took good care of her, it wasn't the same as having her parents.

She wanted to go to a nearby park or somewhere with her family.

No, even just having a meal together at home would have been nice.

Such simple family things were never possible.

She grew up in a wealthy household and never lacked for material things.

But more than that, she wanted to be loved by her parents.

She wanted to be hugged.

That was her greatest wish...

"...My wish hasn't come true."

Even in this life, Mina was alone.

She was disliked by her mother and suffered what could be called abuse.

Her father turned a blind eye to it, and while her brother cared about her, he was just a child and couldn't do much.

It was painful and sad.

Mina ran away from home.

The couple who found Mina and took her in treated her like their own child.

They weren't wealthy, but she was truly filled with family love at that time.

However, that only lasted for a little over three years. Life in the orphanage was poor, but they all got along well and lived like a family. But she would have to leave there when she grew up.

"Maybe I'm just not meant to have a family..."

Leaning back in her chair, Mina looked up at the ceiling.

"To 'love and be loved, and protect the world'... that's the heroine's role, isn't it?"

It has nothing to do with Mina, who is not a villainous noble lady.

"Anyway, I'll focus on my studies for now."

Thinking about her past life and past events won't do any good.

Mina closed her notebook and cast a spell so that no one else could see or touch it. The sisters had taught her this.

"Next, I need to make sure my true identity doesn't get revealed."

It's likely that she's already not seen as just a commoner.

At the very least, she must ensure that no one knows she is the daughter of the Forma family.

With that resolve, Mina stood up from her chair.