Another morning, another chance to have a terrifying wakeup call from a terrifying monster of a maid, leading up to a terrifying bath where she stands by and watches me like prey, followed by a terrifying meal of whatever mystery food she's provided for the day. Or rather, that the demon empress has provided… today it's eggs from some kind of monster whose name I can't pronounce, combined with sausage from the same creature for some reason. It seems kind of strange to combine the two, but who am I to question it? Ha. Ha ha.

There, she's staring at me again. She knows.

I do my best to ignore her predatory gaze vaguely disguised as loyal indifference and clean my plate as best I can. The last thing I need is a terrifying scolding!

Quickly slipping into my perpetually cleaned and pressed academy uniform, I offer Alice a polite goodbye and head out the door not one moment too soon, dragging along an annoyed mage, oblivious swordsman, and seemingly indifferent - or possibly just still in shock - archer.

It doesn't take long for us to arrive at our respective classrooms - or at least I assume it doesn't, considering we don't share all our classes and this one is a prime example. The only person I share it with is the wolfman. Granted, Shaya doesn't head to a classroom at all… she isn't even a student here. I have no idea what she does all day while I'm studying, but she's still around if I look for her, so clearly the staff don't have an issue with her presence.

Probably because she's in my party, and I'm an actual hero already. Which is still mind blowing, and concerning, and all the other emotions I've gradually been numbing myself to.

Maybe that's exactly what 'Her Highness' is expecting me to do. Just burn out and accept the madness that is now my life.

…

Class is boring as always, but fortunately at least Joy is here to poke me awake when I start to doze off.

It's good to know that he's good for something other than not blocking enough enemies, he knows there's only so much I can do from the middle.

I poke him back for good measure.

"Is something the matter back there, Miss Vossen?"

"Huh!? No! No, Instructor Aimes! Just, um. Just sharing notes with my party member!"

The man pacing the front of the room answers with a dubious look before saying, "My office after class."

I resist a frustrated blush as my classmates around me snicker. This used to happen all the time, so why does it bother me so much now!?

It'd be so much easier if I could just kill them all.

…

…Or I could do exactly not that! Ha! Ha ha!

…

…

At least I'm not falling asleep anymore, some things can be said about adrenaline.

When class finally ends and I try to sneak out among the others, Instructor Aimes catches me with a glare, gesturing at his eyes and then at me.

Busted.

"I guess I'll see you later. Spill something in Lyra's lunch for me."

"So, um," Joy mumbles back, "you should maybe stop doing that? You know she hates it."

"I'm pretty sure she hates me too, not that it matters. We have an understanding."

The wolfman scratches the back of his head. "I guess that works, but. We're supposed to be working together, right? Doesn't that mean we should trust each other a little?"

"She trusts me," I smirk. "She trusts me to annoy her as much as I can. I'm her best shot at getting stronger and she's not going to throw that away. Also, why are you following me anyway?"

…

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"Uh. Solidarity, maybe?"

"Nah, you're good. Go bother Lyra."

My party member shrugs and peels off in the direction of the cafeteria. I already know I'll be late getting there and have a noticeably shorter lunch as a result but there's no helping it now.

I'll just have to eat fast. Even faster than usual.

And before I know it, I'm in front of the instructor's office door. I knock and don't bother waiting for him to answer; I don't know how exactly he does it but he always beats me here, even though he leaves after all the students.

Probably teleportation or something. In fact, it's almost definitely that, so maybe I do know how.

I just don't particularly care. It doesn't matter.

It doesn't seem to matter to him either, considering as soon as I'm inside the compact space he simply gestures at the chair across from his desk without a word.

***

"You really must take the running of your domain more seriously, my queen."

I glance languidly down at the centipede knight from my throne. "Eh. No I don't. You've run it for centuries mostly by yourself while I was… let's say 'indisposed'. Not that there's all that much to do to begin with… probably."

The frustration is plain on her face, but that's fine. I'm sure someday she'll have her own apotheosis and run her own plane, and then she'll appreciate all this free experience I'm giving her.

That's… not how that works. That's not how ANY of this works at all, and you know it, my second first wife echoes in my mind.

That's fine. I'll have to handle it eventually, and I'll deal with it then.

I can feel her sigh, but I'm not too worried about it. Everything is going fine, and even if it isn't? I'm right here. I can step in at a moment's notice.

Ah, Vivi is still talking, I should probably pay attention instead of just pretending to.

Something about exports? Or was it imports?

"Isn't Tathra responsible for all of that? Or Nerin? Why are you asking me about it?" I interject, making my adjutant inadvertently sputter.

"Why," she replies after regaining her composure with a clearing of her throat, "because Tathra specifically asked for your guidance in the matter."

Figures.

Hah, this is going to be another annoying day, isn't it?

…

I should just log back in, even if it's for another scolding.

***

We sit in silence for a moment, me staring flatly while he furrows his brow with his hands steepled in faux frustration, before he breaks it.

"You know. Your classmates would all be happy to have a hero Class-" "I don't have a hero Class," I cut in, "'Her Highness' hasn't deigned to give me one yet, she said it'd come later. Not that I care."

"Fine," he sighs. "A hero Trait then. You know what I mean."

I sigh back. "Yes, I know exactly what you mean, you've told me the same thing at least a dozen times now. 'You need to take this seriously,' 'everyone else wants what you have, don't squander it', blah blah blah. It's always the same thing, and I always react the same way. 'Yes, Instructor Aimes. Of course, Instructor Aimes.' 'I'm doing my best, Instructor Aimes.' What do you want from me? I'm in the room and seated on time. I do the homework-"

"Lyra does your homework, or do you think I haven't noticed the matching handwriting?"

"-AS I WAS SAYING, I do the homework, even if I use someone else as an intermediary. It's close enough, and you know I don't particularly care. I still pass all the tests, don't I? What more do you want?"

"I want you," he replies, "to take this all just a bit more seriously."

…

And then he rubs the bridge of his nose as if preparing himself for something serious, or maybe something he doesn't want to say."

"I've been keeping quiet about this for your sake, but your patron isn't exactly held in high regard here."

"Yeah, no shit. She's the literal demon empress, she's the enemy we're supposedly fighting against even though-cough!"

He raises an eyebrow. "Even though what?"

"Nothing! Anyway, she's our enemy, supposedly. And even so, she made me a hero for some reason. I don't know, how the hells do any of the gods even think?"

(Caution,) Olive nudges. (Oath.)

Yeah, I know, you cute little doofus. I know. I took that oath even if it wasn't voluntary… I need to watch my words or 'bad things will happen'. I remember.

The small fox huffs from her spot on my shoulder before nipping at my ear.

"Interruptions aside, you don't seem to understand the thin ice you're on. There have been and continue to be vocal members of the teaching staff who want you transferred to the satellite campus, or outright removed from attendance entirely."

I blink. That's… certainly news to me.

"...Despite 'Her Highness' being the literal headmaster of the satellite campus? Isn't that a fast way to make enemies? After all, I wouldn't be here at all without an agreement of some kind between her and Headmaster Owyn, right?"

"You say that as though her status is enough to silence their complaints."

"So it isn't then," I sigh. "I see. So they all have a death wish."

"Worse," my instructor says with obvious frustration. "They have tenure."

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